News Highlights

Gov. Huntsman signs Utah health-care reform bills into law (Deseret Morning News, KCPW, and Salt Lake Tribune).

Salt Lake County District Attorney Lohra Miller practiced law from home without obtaining city business licenses (Tribune).

Quote of the Day

"Our members really want to have a place where they can have that kind of (private) exchange to see if they have the unanimous support of the caucus or if they have problems where they have to then go work one-on-one with the individual members."

-- Utah Senate Pres. John Valentine, explaining why the Senate majority holds closed caucuses (Tribune). See also Morning News story.

Spring Has Sprung

Welcome to a rainy and snowy first day of spring. Go plant your early vegetables. Check out the “Officially Spring” essay by Verlyn Klinkenborg, who writes “The Rural Life” column for the New York Times.

Double Standard?

Barack Obama made a terrific speech on race in America to calm the political waters after excerpts from bigoted and anti-American speeches by his pastor, Jeremiah Wright, were revealed. What continues to bother me, and apparently a lot of other people, is the double standard demonstrated here, and Obama’s apparent willingness to excuse it. The candidacy of a white presidential candidate would have likely been destroyed had his/her close spiritual advisor made comments about black people comparable to what Wright has said about white people. We properly condemn racist or bigoted comments by anyone.  But a much more lenient standard is applied to black music rappers and black pastors. Obama said he didn’t agree with Wright’s statements, but he explained them away. The Wall Street Journal’s James Taranto said it this way: 

“For decades, major institutions--schools, the law, the media--have driven home the message that when it comes to racial bigotry, words matter: that one should strive to overcome one's own prejudices, and at the very least keep them to oneself.

“Yet here we have someone in a position of responsibility in the black community--no less than the spiritual mentor to a would-be president--who not only has failed to live up to this aspiration but has made a career of promoting racial resentment. In response we hear a litany of excuses about understandable anger, a tradition of rebellion and so forth. The kindest thing that can be said about this is that it is a form of soft bigotry.”

The “R” Word

Utah economist Jeff Thredgold’s Tea Leaf economic update this week focuses on the broader U.S. economy:  “What a mess! A combination of weak U.S. housing markets, constant negativity from the national media, domestic and global credit markets in widespread disarray, oil over $100 per barrel and a volatile stock market is not exactly a solid foundation for U.S. economic growth. A mild recession seems underway.

“Better news suggests that the combination of aggressive Federal Reserve ease, a $168 billion fiscal stimulus program (with more likely to come from a spend-happy Congress), and solid global economic growth should help to minimize both the duration and depth of the likely recession. We expect modest U.S. economic growth to return later in 2008.”

Washington Watch

Bennett Commends Troops
Sen. Bob Bennett says of the fifth anniversary of the Iraq War: "Regardless of partisan politics or political positions, all of us must stand in solidarity to recognize the sacrifice and patriotism of the brave men and women in uniform who have served [in Iraq]. I want to commend our soldiers and sailors, airmen, and marines for their service to the country. I've been in Iraq and seen the remarkable job that they're doing, working under the most difficult of conditions to defend freedom and the ideals of democracy there and around the world. Let us remember our troops, not just on anniversaries and holidays like this one, but every day. I thank them and their families for the service and sacrifices they provide. I pray for the safety of those still in the field" (see press release).

Today in Political History

Mar. 20, 1815:  Switzerland declares permanent neutrality in all wars.

Mar. 20, 1816:  The Supreme Court affirms its right to review state court decisions.   (Source:  NBC5) 

Mar. 20, 2003:  Pres. George Bush begins the invasion of Iraq, sending missiles into Baghdad.   (Source:  Perspicuity) 

Wise Words

“It is better to be bold than too circumspect, because fortune is of a sex which likes not a tardy wooer and repulses all who are not ardent.”  

-- Machiavelli  (Source:  Quote Garden) 

National Politics

Best Stories From . . .

-- The Hill: "As protesters converged on Washington, D.C. to mark the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion, President Bush on Wednesday touted the 'hard-fought' progress that has been made in the country and vowed not to give up. 'The answers are clear to me,' Bush said in a speech Wednesday morning. 'Removing Saddam Hussein from power was the right decision, and this is a fight we can and must win.'"

-- Politico: The GOP has "watched with increasing trepidation as Barack Obama has shattered fundraising records, packed arena after arena with shrieking fans and pulled in significant Republican and independent votes. Now, with the emergence of the notorious video showing the Rev. Jeremiah Wright damning the country, criticizing Israel, faulting U.S. policy for the Sept. 11 attacks and generally lashing out against white America, GOP strategists believe they've finally found an antidote to Obamamania."

-- NBC News: Analyst Chuck Todd: "Forget the pledged delegate issue that Sen. Hillary Clinton is facing; her real problem may be on the superdelegate front. As many folks following this Democratic fight now realize, Clinton’s only shot at the nomination is to somehow make a case to the majority of the superdelegates that she'll be the better nominee for the party."

-- New York Times: "Senator John McCain's trip overseas was supposed to highlight his foreign policy acumen .... But all did not go according to plan on Tuesday in Amman, Jordan, when Mr. McCain, fresh from a visit to Iraq, misidentified some of the main players in the Iraq war."

Blog Watch

-- At Out of Context, Dan Harrie reports: "Close only counts in horseshoes, the saying goes. But it also matters in politics, apparently. Several legislative candidates defeated by narrow margins in the last or other elections are back for another go-round. In House District 42, former Rep. Peggy Wallace is back to take on Rep. Jim Bird, R-West Jordan, who knocked her out in the 2006 primary by just 24 votes. House Speaker Greg Curtis is facing a challenge from Democrat Jay Seegmiller, who has run against him in the last two elections, losing by just 20 votes last time. Republican Deena Ely, edged by Rep. Carl Duckworth by just 33 votes in District 22, is back. And Phil Condor, a Republican, is returning to challenge Rep. Janice Fisher, D-West Valley City, after his 92-vote loss. But sometimes close isn't an issue. Republican Joe Jarvis, who got walloped 69-27 percent by Sen. Scott McCoy, D-Salt Lake City, in the last election has returned. This time, though, he is running for a House seat, against the state's newest lawmaker, Rep. Rebecca Chavez-Houck, in District 24. The seat was vacated by Ralph Becker after he won his election as Salt Lake City Mayor. Also making a candidate-roster appearance for the ... well, we lost count. But former Congessman Merrill Cook is back, running for his old seat against Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson."

Lighter Side

Best of Late Night Humor

David Letterman: From the “Top Ten Least Popular Dr. Seuss Books”: Green Eggs And E. Coli; Osama’s In Pajamas; How The Grinch Stole His Sports Memorabilia Back At Gunpoint; One State, Two State, Red State, Blue State; The Cat In The Hat That Fell In The Applebee’s Deep Fryer; Oh The Places You Won’t Go Because Of Tougher Immigration Laws.

Jay Leno: Why does everybody dye food green [on St. Patrick’s Day]? Green doughnuts, green cookies, green bagels... We won’t eat any real food that’s green—spinach, broccoli, lettuce—but dye a Cinnabon green. ... With all the bad news about the economy, John McCain started distancing himself from President Bush. In fact, McCain was running so fast from President Bush, he ran into Barack Obama, who was running from his minister, and Hillary, who was running from Geraldine Ferraro. And they all just collided. ... As you may know, Geraldine Ferraro quit the Clinton campaign after all the controversy over her remark suggesting that Barack Obama wouldn’t be where he is today if he weren’t black. Now, here’s the question—do you think people are more popular because they’re black? Think about this. I mean, look at Michael Jackson. Remember how popular he was when he was black? He was the biggest star in the world. The day he turned white, nothing! ... The governor of New York, Eliot Spitzer... was caught on a federal wiretap making arrangements to meet with this prostitute [and resigned]. On CNN, they brought out the publisher of Hustler magazine, Larry Flynt to talk about Eliot Spitzer’s future. Let me tell you something. If they bring Larry Flynt to talk about your future, you have no future! (Patriot Post)

Elected Officials Birthday List

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