Category: Politics

Thomas Frank, the populist who wrote a book claiming that the people are hopelessly stupid, is quite mysteriously nostalgic for the glorious day when Democrats had ideas:

Democrats, I always point out, used to have a really quality identity: They were the party that believed we could do something about the world around us; that we could use the state and other institutions to achieve economic security, to win “freedom from want.” Beginning in the 1930s, they were the party of mastery over drift.

Times of overwhelming economic insecurity like the present ought to be times when Democrats of this variety prosper, when their values and their message find enthusiastic audiences around the country. And, indeed, polls confirm that the public strongly supports key elements of old-style Democratic program, national health insurance, good schools, etc. But Dems aren’t prospering. Why not? Because, I think, too many Democrats are unwilling to embrace their dynamic heritage.

But nobody else looks for a return to the Great Depression, so following this reasoning is a prescription for failure on the part of the Dems.

(note: He’s doing this today because I wacked him good yesterday.)

I can’t say I find this very surprising:

Air America is being investigated in New York for diverting federal/local funds–possibly “hundreds of thousands of dollars”–meant for inner-city kids and senior into the station’s coffers.

It follows the same pattern as VAWA (post below): progressive activists enriching themselves at the expense of the downtrodden.

It’s inhumane.

The Violence Against Women Act, well-intentioned as it may be, has created a network of federally-funded anti-male advocacy groups around the country, and failed in its primary purpose. Cathy Young suggests it has room for improvement:

Here are two modest proposals for reauthorizing the measure. First, give the legislation a gender-neutral title such as “The Family Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention Act.” Second, abolish the special role of feminist-dominated domestic violence coalitions in shaping federally funded domestic violence programs. The bill should direct each state to create a domestic violence board on which no more than a quarter or a third of the seats can be filled by members of battered women’s advocacy groups. The rest should be filled by scholars, mental health professionals, and community activists. Over the past decades, our understanding of domestic violence has expanded beyond feminist orthodoxy to a more complex view. Our federal policies should reflect this ideological diversity.

VAWA has the effect of sweeping child abuse under the rug, and that also needs to be fixed. But I don’t expect Congress to act responsibly in the re-authorization process currently underway, it’s too much apple pie and motherhood for a good review.

In an Amazon review of If It’s Not Close, They Can’t Cheat: Crushing the Democrats in Every Election and Why Your Life Depends on It by Hugh Hewitt, J. Kowalski of Camas, Washington told us:

Desparation play by the right?, July 21, 2004
Latest polls show it’s NOT close: Kerry’s going to win in a landslide.

Gee.

Frankly Scarlet, this doesn’t sound like much.

Here’s how you can identify the deranged partisans of the Left: the day after a Supreme Court nomination is made, they’re still whining about Karl Rove and acting like nothing else has happened in the world. Today I tuned in to Air Anti-America and heard the Democratic Party’s nominee for Norm Coleman’s Senate seat, Al Franken, talking to Lyin’ Joe Wilson and David (Troopergate) Brock about Valerie Plame.

Some people are perfectly oblivious to reality.

Here’s some news that’s made the teachers’ unions very, very sad:

WASHINGTON — The nation’s 9-year-olds last year posted their best scores in the building-block subjects of reading and math in more than three decades. Older students didn’t fare as well.

At the same time, achievement gaps between racial groups narrowed, according to results of the 2004 National Assessment of Educational Progress announced Thursday.

Education officials and advocates attributed the 9-year-olds’ performance to a recent emphasis on elementary schools and getting children reading as early as possible. They said the results also showed more attention must be paid to students in secondary schools.

“We need to go to work,” Education Secretary Margaret Spellings said in an interview.

Spellings also credited No Child Left Behind, the education law President Bush signed in January 2002 that mandates frequent testing of students to chart their progress in reading and math.

So accountability works. How about that?

Mickey Kaus says the thing that had to be said about Wilsongate:

Isn’t this an obvious point that hasn’t been made about Joseph Wilson and the Rove/Plame controversy: If you accept an assignment to investigate possible WMD-related activity in Niger on behalf of the CIA, and your wife works at the CIA, shouldn’t you think before you make your CIA mission the subject of a high-profile New York Times op-ed piece that there might be the eensiest weensiest chance that in the course of the ensuing controversy your wife’s CIA connection might come out in public? How could Wilson not have expected his wife’s job to become the buzz of Washington in fairly short order? … However serious her outing was–and there are those eight redacted pages to worry about–doesn’t Wilson bear some substantial responsibility for it as well as whoever in the administration eventually “outed” her to reporters? … You can’t have it all, we are often told. When you marry a covert CIA agent, maybe there are some things you have to give up. Like going on Meet the Press to talk about the CIA! …3:40 P.M.

Obvious to you and me, but not to the Huffy-Puffies.