National Politics
Two Cheers for Lower Deficit
The federal budget deficit is projected to be only $260 billion in FY06, much lower than anyone anticipated. However, it's nothing to jump for joy about. In a NationalJournal.com column, Stan Collender puts it in perspective.
Education Reform
The Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas has a number of interesting education reform research papers in its archive.
Blog Watch
Jeremy's Jermiad says: "Republicans always talk a really big game about making government smaller. In real life a vote for Republican government is a vote for larger yet less useful government than ever before. You guys on the 'right' may not like it ... but history shows this is the way things have been for a long time"... The Utah Amicus celebrates its 300th post... Utah Peak Oil explains why the Legacy Highway may end up being "one of the greatest wastes of taxpayer money in the history of the state of Utah"... Democracy for Utah ties the GOP's domination of Utah politics to the fact that "[a] majority of the state belongs to a very socially conservative religion. Utah's only competition for the title of Reddest State -- Idaho -- has the second-largest [percentage] of Mormons after Utah. Republicans have learned how to flog cultural and moral issues in order to get elected, and that message resonates with social conservatives, likely even more so in states where there's something of a religious monoculture ... Anyone who thinks the LDS influence isn't the main factor needs to explain why it isn't"... At Out of Context, Dan Harrie notes: "Two Utah political hopefuls say they'll go to Crawford, Texas, this week to join the anti-war protests led by Cindy Sheehan near President Bush's ranch. Desert Green candidates Deanna Taylor (running for the Salt Lake County Council) and Tom King (running for the Legislature) announced the trip in a press release ... Taylor and King indicated in their statements their trip is less about Bush than Sheehan. King called her 'one of America's most courageous and dedicated contemporary figures.' Taylor called her 'an inspiration to women everywhere'" (see also here); meanwhile, Taylor and Jennifer Killpack-Knutsen report that Sheehan will be traveling to Utah to participate in the protests against Pres. Bush when he visits at the end of this month... In response to this presidential candidate straw poll (view results here), Instapundit reader Brian Est says: "I've always thought the faithful Instapundit reader was first and foremost a security voter, not a Republican, and they are definitely going to break for Giuliani. Wonks and geeks make up a big chunk of the rest, so they (like me) went for Gingrich, the geekiest wonk out there. Neither will probably survive the real Republican primary though. Giuliani is too liberal for primary voters, and Gingrich is (brilliantly) damaged goods. That leaves the real fight -- McCain/Allen/Romney. McCain can easily win the main election, and is the second-place finisher in the last Republican primaries (Repubs tend to promote the runner-up to the head of the next ticket), so he's the prohibitive favorite. George Allen can make watching wallpaper dry seem like the mosh pit at a late-80s Pantera concert, but has a good organization. Romney is the best pure politician out there -- if McCain stumbles, Romney will be turned into the Ronald Reagan of Latter-Day Saints" (see also here).
-- Compiled by Golden Webb
Washington Watch
Hatch Bill Stokes Decades-Old Debate
Article says Sen. Orrin Hatch's recently introduced bill to "compensate World War II veterans captured by the Japanese and used as slave laborers in several factories ... will likely stoke a decades-old and at times painful debate over how those veterans should be repaid for their sacrifice" (The Hill).
Editorial: No to Growth Bill
Editorial opposes the Washington Co. growth bill recently introduced in Congress by Sen. Bob Bennett and Rep. Jim Matheson (Hartford Courant).
More Fun Headlines
(Compiled by James Taranto of OpinionJournal.com)
We Still Prefer Philly Cheese Steaks
-- "Kittens Thrown in Frying Pan in N.Y."--headline, Associated Press, Aug. 15
Revisionist History
-- "Lewis and Clark Trip Ends in Tragedy"--headline, Columbian (Vancouver, Wash), Aug. 13
'Incredible Race of Giants Here'
-- "Census Shows Growth of Immigrants"--headline, New York Times, Aug. 15
They've Got Some Memory
-- "Dell Recalls 4 Million Batteries"--headline, Associated Press, Aug. 15
Even With High Testosterone, the Odds Are 100%
-- "Men With Low Testosterone More Likely to Die"--headline, LiveScience.com, Aug. 14 |
