JOHN FUND: GOODBYE, TAX DEDUCTIONS? (Video).
Archive for 2011
April 25, 2011
Anti-DOMA, Pro-Clement: “It is gratifying to see that many of those who oppose DOMA have nonetheless praised Paul Clement’s willingness to defend the law, and his refusal to abandon the representation.” More here.
UPDATE: The Left Politicizes The Practice Of Law. “The law firm’s action was unusual, to say the least. No doubt there is precedent for a law firm abandoning a client because it comes under political pressure, but I can’t think of one offhand. Most lawyers think they are made of sterner stuff than that. . . . I have always been proud to be a lawyer, for one reason: even mediocre lawyers fight like hell for their clients. You may not have a friend in the world, but if you hire a lawyer you get his or her undivided loyalty. No matter what the rest of the world thinks of you, your lawyer is on your side. Period. And it is remarkable how often a lawyer’s vigorous representation of a client who was despised, and whose position was thought hopeless, has carried the day. When a major law firm like King & Spalding puts politics above its duty of loyalty to its client, it is a sad day for our profession and for our country.”
Well, they’ll attract more pressure in the future, now that people know that it works. That’s what happens when you give in to thuggery. And I’m sure present and potential clients are taking that into account.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Moe Lane: Speaking as one who thinks DOMA’s unconstitutional (but better than a FMA): I’d hate to be a lawyer for terror suspects right now.
CHANGE: Rise of Populist Parties Pushes Europe to the Right. “Tensions between the wealthy countries in the north, who are contributing most to the bailouts, and the ailing debtor nations in the periphery already threaten to destroy the monetary union. If a European version of the American Tea Party movement develops, it could very well become the kiss of death for the euro. The risk is substantial, as euroskeptics gain ground across the EU.”
ADVICE TO WOMEN ON dating multiple men at the same time.
WHAT WITH INFLATION, AND COVETOUS EYES BEING CAST AT ROTH IRAs, this might not be as dumb as it sounds: Americans raiding retirement funds early.
WELL, SOME BLOGGERS HAVE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR YEARS: Wikileaks accuses BBC of being part of ‘possible propaganda media network’ for Al Qaeda.
Related: WikiLeaks: Guantánamo Bay terrorists radicalised in London to attack Western targets.
THE COUNTRY’S IN THE VERY BEST OF HANDS: Officials find errors in previously reported loan default rates.
WHAT EVERYONE NEEDS: Atomic-Energized Gardening.
MISSOURI: Union Violence Lectures Grab Attention. “Videos showing two University of Missouri instructors advocating for union violence are making the rounds online. . . . The course, Labor in Society & Politics, is offered as part of the labor studies certificate. It’s team-taught by Don Giljum of Operating Engineers 148, and Dave Robertson, a UM-St. Louis instructor. It’s unclear whether those in the class are adult workers or college students. The UM System declined to comment, and Ancel was not available Monday afternoon.” Stay tuned.
UPDATE: Reader Jonathon Burns writes: “Quick correction: The two profs are Don Giljum (UMSL – university of missouri saint louis) and Judy ANCEL (UMKC – university of missouri kansas city). Whoever Dave Robertson is, he must have been a previous instructor. Also, new video here.”
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR: Ten Days After Gov. Perry Asked For It, President Obama Still Hasn’t Issued A Disaster Declaration On The Texas Wildfires. Why?
A lot of history there, I guess.
UPDATE: Reader Steve Elmers writes: “Obama has given new meaning to ‘Scorched Earth Politics!’ I believed for a long time that POTUS Obama was just a bad president; I have now come to believe he is a bad person. This same scenario has played out over and over again. Remember the Nashville floods last year?”
DRIVING AN ELECTRIC CAR? You must be punished for depriving the government of gas-tax revenue! “After years of urging residents to buy fuel-efficient cars and giving them tax breaks to do it, Washington state lawmakers are considering a measure to charge them a $100 annual fee — what would be the nation’s first electric car fee. State lawmakers grappling with a $5 billion deficit are facing declining gas tax revenue, which means less money to maintain or improve roads.”
ARE SOCIAL CONSERVATIVES unacceptable graduation speakers because of their views?
With budgets shrinking and skepticism about the value of higher education growing, one would think that this is a poor time for universities to engage in self-marginalization.
ON SSRN, you can read the introduction to David Bernstein’s Rehabilitating Lochner for free. My review isn’t out yet, but I think I can safely say that the book is very much worth your time.
UPDATE: Reader John Kranz writes:
I bought the book on your suggestion and it arrived a couple days ago. Awesome so far.
While waiting I got and read Richard Epstein’s “How Progressives Rewrote the Constitution.” Amazon is to be credited for this pairing.
They’re usually good with that sort of thing.
OF COURSE, UNDER THIS NEW POSITION it’s going to be much harder for King & Spalding to distance itself from its clients’ behavior in the future.
Related: Paul Clement and the new McCarthyism. Did they go after the lawyers with the old McCarthyism? But ultimately, I think the public-interest law community loses from the adoption of this standard. It’s now, apparently, fair to assume that lawyers identify with their clients’ interests and arguments. Is that wise?
Related thoughts from Jennifer Rubin: The left decides who gets lawyers. Just remember, once you put a tactic on the table, it’s hard to take it off.
AT&T STARTS SELLING a “Cell Tower in A Suitcase.” “The Remote Mobility Zone can handle 14 simultaneous calls, and data at less-than-broadband speeds. Coverage extends up to half a mile from the unit. The ‘portable cell tower’ can also be mounted in a car or truck.”
MORE TALK OF Gas Pump Activism. I don’t support anything that involves vandalism, though. Some of the Facebook folks are using Post-Its.
MICHAEL WALSH: Don’t Panic! “Hold on. This is no time to panic. Instead, it’s a time for sober, serious reflection, tough judgments and hard choices. Too bad there’s nobody in Washington who seems up to the task.”
WHAT WORRIES ME IS THAT this may not be part of the higher-education bubble. On the other hand, assumptions that tactics won’t be reciprocated may indeed be a sort of bubble of their own.
WENDY KAMINER: The SaVE Act: Trading Liberty for Security on Campus. And, mostly, ensuring that the higher-education bubble will deflate even faster.
A NEW, AD-SUPPORTED VERSION OF THE KINDLE? “When you buy Kindle with Special Offers, you are getting the same bestselling Kindle for $25 less—only $114. Special offers and sponsored screensavers display on the Kindle screensaver and on the bottom of the home screen—they don’t interrupt reading.” I’d rather pay the 25 bucks and skip the ads — but you get a choice, here.
COPYRIGHT TROLL UPDATE: RightHaven Defies Court In Domain-Name Ruling.
MICKEY KAUS ON BOEING: Live by crony capitalism, die by crony capitalism? “Is Boeing too compromised by its dependence on Obama administration subsidies to fight a ruling by the administration’s National Labor Relations Board telling it where to build the 787? … Even if you heroically assume the NLRB is independent of political influence, that doesn’t mean the administration couldn’t retaliate elsewhere if Boeing fights the NLRB too vigorously. Boeing has recently gotten $15 billion in loan guarantees from the Export-Import Bank. Is the Ex-Im Bank insulated from political influence too? The Washington Examiner rightly points out that it was just assumed–not even a scandal, no surprise at all–that banks receiving TARP funds were inhibited when it came to contesting their treatment as creditors in the administration’s auto bailout.”
IF YOU MISSED IT THIS WEEKEND, check out this video of XCOR CEO Jeff Greason talking about space.
“‘Daddy, is it really true that people used to fly to the Moon when you were a boy?’ It shook me, because that’s how a Dark Age begins.”