Saturday, March 26, 2011

Geraldine Ferraro 1935-2011

Story, and statement from the family

A trailblazer. I shook her hand once at the Ditmars N train station where she was stumping for the Congressional candidate. Don't remember the candidate's name, but I was pleased to say hello to Ferraro.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Guns and more guns. Or, bringing a tank to a cockfight.

Sheriff Arpaio in the news again. Who brings a tank to a cockfight? Sheriff Joe, that's who.

This isn't an immigration problem of his--more of a "might is right" problem. Also, a demonstration that conservatives, at one time, had it right to be skeptical of giving too much unchecked power into law enforcement. By pouring (literally) billions of borrowed tax dollars into tanks and other military grade weapons for local and county police departments, we set up a system where the way they fight crime becomes self-fulfilling.

And it is a habit that is hard to break.

What passes for news on the Right

John Stossel, wondering why there is a BIA: "no group in America has been more helped by the government than the American Indians"

Wednesday, March 02, 2011

On Libya, Obama, and timing.

A great letter to Andrew Sullivan about the ODS sufferers Kirstol and Wiseltier, on Libya.

Last paragraph of that letter is spot on:

In retrospect, the Obama/Clinton game is mature, carefully thought through and focused on the long-term consequences of the use of power. The Wieseltier/Kristol game is ill-considered, emotional and places a thoroughly unwarranted emphasis on the deployment of US military power without appreciating the negatives that go with such moves. Put otherwise, the Obama Team has learned some lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan, and Wieseltier/Kristol are prepared to commit the same mistakes, all over again.