JACOB SULLUM: Beware any politician who promises to create new jobs. That’s nearly all of them, isn’t it?
Archive for 2008
October 23, 2008
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JOHN TIERNEY on nuclear power and energy independence.
L.A. TIMES: With $605 million already, Obama asks only $10 more from each of us.
Having hauled in a record $208,333 every hour of every day last month — $150 million in all — plus a few more unreported millions so far this month, Barack Obama is worried that he might come up short in the political money war with the John McCain-Sarah Palin ticket.
Just to relieve himself of that $150 million before the polls open, Obama will have to spend $12.5 million a day. Having now collected more than $605 million altogether, the freshman senator shows no concern over the appearance of buying the presidency. Imagine for a moment the national political conversation that could be going on now if rich Republicans had raked in that much loot for one campaign.
Indeed.
POLITICO: A glimmer of hope for GOP?
ALAN BOYLE: Fusion Projects Hang in Limbo.
HMM: Murtha’s hold on House seat slips: “Democratic Rep. John Murtha leads retired Army Lt. Col. William Russell by a little more than 4 percentage points, within the Susquehanna Poll’s 4.9-point margin of error. ” Some of it, reportedly, is due to Murtha’s calling his constituents racists. Go figure.
I don’t know much about Russell, but here’s his website. I like the ad calling Murtha the “king of pork.” And, really, how much do you have to know about Russell to figure he’s probably an improvement over Murtha? Plus, Michelle Malkin was saying on PJTV last night that many Republicans would find getting rid of Murtha to be something of a consolation prize even if Obama won. That’s probably right: A Murtha loss would certainly cause some Dems in Congress to think twice about going along the same path. But are Republicans around the country working for Murtha the way that Democrats have worked for some key challengers elsewhere? If so, I haven’t seen it.
COULD BARACK OBAMA walk a mile in Sarah Palin’s shoes?
UPDATE: Related item here: Comparing today’s press to Pravda’s treatment of Lech Walesa? Isn’t that a bit over the top? Or is it?
PASSIONATE PARTICIPATION.
TOM MAGUIRE: There they go again. “I don’t know why their story about the Obama-Ayers relationship has been changing and evolving since February.”
ARNOLD KLING: “I am shocked at the behavior of my fellow economists during this crisis. They are claiming to know much more than they do about causes and solutions. Rather than trying to understand and explain what is going on, they are engaged in a fierce battle over narrative.” It’s always about the narrative.
CNN: Ex-ACORN worker: ‘I paid the price’ for voter registration fraud.
Clifton Mitchell helped register nearly 2,000 voters for the community group ACORN. But not one of them actually existed. “I regret it. I paid the price for it,” he said.
Mitchell was convicted last year and spent nearly three months in prison. He’s one of the few ACORN workers convicted of voter registration fraud.
Read the whole thing. But remember, voter fraud used to be a myth, but in the new spin, it’s all-American!
BRUCE SCHNEIER on quantum cryptography.
FROM INVESTOR’S BUSINESS DAILY, a fair question: “Why should taxpayer dollars fund a ‘nonpartisan’ organization that proclaims ‘Obama needs ACORN, and we need Obama.'”
ANALYZING JOE BIDEN’S latest gaffe.
BEWARE THE LONG ARM OF BUTTHEAD: “And, yes, the Code Pink woman commits a crime in that video. And a tort.”
How would people respond if someone tried to make a “citizens arrest for treason” of, say, Michael Moore? Or John Murtha? Differently, I suspect.
October 22, 2008
TODAY’S EPISODE OF MY PJTV SEGMENT is now online. It’s free to nonsubscribers with registration.
MEGAN MCARDLE: “Must one pile on Jacob Weisberg? Why yes, one must.”
I GUESS THEY’RE WORRIED ABOUT ANOTHER “BROOKS BROTHERS RIOT” IF MCCAIN LOSES: Police departments in cities across the country are beefing up their ranks for Election Day, preparing for possible civil unrest and riots after the historic presidential contest.
OBAMA’S $175,000 DONOR. “Biskup, a retired insurance manager who occasionally submits recipes to the local paper, says someone used a credit card to donate the money in her name. No charges ever showed up on her credit card statement.” Now why would someone do that?
A READER SENDS A LINK TO this sale on men’s shoes. My brother buys shoes over the Internet. I have a hard enough time finding a comfortable fit in the store. I guess it all depends on your feet. Mine are small and delicate (14EE) and that may have something to do with it . . . .
UPDATE: Reader David Rossiter emails: “Try Zappos.com. I love them. Free shipping both ways. They quote 3-4 days shipping time, but actually upgrade you to overnight every time (my experience). The shoes arrive the next day. Returns are really simple. Print the return label, tape the box and drop at UPS. Great selection. No, I don’t work there, just had fabulous experiences with them.”
ANOTHER UPDATE: Reader Dale Britton emails: “Zappos is the future of shoe buying, at least for guys. Free overnight shipping – both ways in case of a return – and no tax. Selection is astronomical, you get an e-mail when new styles from brands you want to know about come in, and the prices are lower than B&M stores. It’s like Amazon Prime for shoes. But other than having a bigger selection, lower prices, and virtually instantaneous delivery to your house, it kinda sucks.”
I’ll keep that in mind.
SINCE THE CHANNON CHRISTIAN / CHRISTOPHER NEWSOM TORTURE-MURDER CASE got a lot of blogospheric attention a while back, here’s a followup:
A house where a Knox County couple was tortured and slain was razed today. “It was an evil place,” said Gary Christian, whose 21-year-old daughter was killed inside the 2316 Chipman St. house. “I’m glad it’s gone.”
Waste Connections Inc., which is located next door to the house, bought it with the intent of tearing it down and putting in its place a memorial honoring Channon Christian and 23-year-old Christopher Newsom. Authorities allege they were kidnapped and taken to the house on Chipman Street where they both were raped and tortured. Newsom was shot, his body set on fire and left along railroad tracks on Cherry Street, according to police.
There’s been one conviction so far, in a plea bargain. As for the rest: “Letalvis Cobbins, 25, is the first of the four to face trial in Knox County Criminal Court, scheduled for Jan. 26. His girlfriend, Vanessa Coleman, 20. will be tried in April. His brother, Lemaricus Davidson, 27, faces a July trial, while pal George Thomas, 25, will stand trial in August.”