King Politics

You know those catchy FreeCreditReport.com commercials with the dudes singing? Turns out the government hates that site because it lures people into buying unnecessary service.

Should we sentence teens to life in prison? I don't know what you think, but I'm a bit of a hard-ass when it comes to violent, teen criminals (i.e. the Richmond, CA rape). This is especially true when they do something deliberate and malicious. More than that, many of these so-called "super-predators" are exceedingly rough because they assume they'll get off lightly because they are young. They are smart enough to know what they're doing; they should pay the time for the crime.

Maine said no to gay marriage, while Washington state said yes to everything but marriage. Now, gay activists consider what to do next. Tough call. Keep working for rights and hope that people recognize the inherent discrimination in not allowing gays to marry.

If you're a surfer in the San Francisco Bay area, watch out. Turns out Great White sharks loiter near the shore much more often than previously thought. Personally, I get along well with sharks. I stay out of their ocean, they stay out of my home.

If you're reading this on Saturday, check to see if the House actually conducted a rare weekend vote on health care reform.

Predictably, the Wall Street Journal has a piece on the dysfunctional Democratic Party coalition.

Cassye Cook says green jobs can help blacks work their way of the recession. That would be handy because right now black unemployment is 15.7%.

Labels: Animals, Credit, Criminal Justice, Democratic Party, Gay Rights, Health Care, Unemployment

Turns out uninsured children are more likely to die when they have an illness requiring hospitalization. Examining 23 million cases from 1988-2005 Johns Hopkins researchers found that all else being equal a lack of insurance was the best predictor of death. Makes it all the more stunning that Michael Steele continues to insist we don't need health care reform.

Labels: Health Care, Michael Steele

In its fight in the War on Drugs, the DEA is cracking down on prescription drug theft and abuse in nursing homes. Many legal narcotics and painkillers are finding their way to people who abuse them. The problem though, is the DEA requires an extra-layer of bureaucracy which has the net effect of delaying needed drugs to patients with legitimate needs.

Labels: Drugs

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has hit a rough patch. The free-enterprise advocacy group has seen its ranks dwindle slightly because of its obstinance on climate-change legislation. For sure, there are plenty of detractors, such as esteemed scientist Karl Rove who says cap-and-trade doesn't make sense. The Euro's, of course, are well ahead of us on this regard. Here is how they regulate greenhouse gases. American companies like Apple and Nike though are ditching the Chamber over its backward-looking policies.

So, what happens next? Look for an all-out assault as the Chamber continues to assail efforts to help Mother Earth.

Labels: Business

Go here for the results of 10 key races from yesterday's election. Here is CNN's take on the day here. The Washington Post sees the governor's race as a shot across Obama's bow. But, New York's 23rd surprisingly went to the Democrats. Perhaps, the Conservative Party lost because of Palin's exclusionary influence.

Analysis
In New Jersey, voters had grown tired of John Corzine and a corrupt public sector. In Virginia, the party not in the White House has won the last nine gubernatorial elections. In New York, voters were smartly distrustful of a third-party candidate who didn't even live in the district and knew very little about local issues. Let's not read too much into the November, 2009 elections.

Labels: Barack Obama, Elections, New Jersey, New York, Sarah Palin, Virginia

Matthew Shepard was the young man killed in Wyoming because of his sexual orientation while James Byrd was the Texan decapitated by white racists in Texas. Why do we need hate crimes legislation? Two of the three men that killed Byrd were well-known white supremacists.

Victim advocates believe we cannot trust local and state law enforcement officials to adequately investigate crimes when then victim is somehow different.

Of course, hate crimes legislation has its detractors. For instance, Republican Virginia Foxx of North Carolina insulted the Shepard family by saying that it was a hoax that Shepard died over his sexual orientation. How did your Rep vote? See it here.

Labels: Hate Groups

Two whipsmart Canadians think they've developed a cheap way to desalinate water. This would be a boon to developing countries and countries where droughts are problematic. Hopefully, their idea will meet the rigors of real-world engineering.

Labels: Science, Technology

I like this article because it corresponds with my world view. How's that for honesty?
This article acknowledges that the real problem with pit bulls are owners, not the animals themselves. True, they were once bred for aggression, but a competent, understanding owner can raise a pit to temper its fighting spirit. It's hard work, but the real problem is clueless pet owners who don't understand what they're bringing home from the pound. Them and the jackasses that fight dogs for fun.

Labels: Pets

I've never been to Yemen, I don't know any Yemeni's and I'm generally the type of thinker and writer that tries to find the best in all peoples and all cultures. I absolutely abhor stereotypes because it simply reflects lazy, uninformed thinking. But... there must be something wrong with Yemen when the U.S. State Department arranges for the secret rescue of Jews living there and resettling them in the United States. The full story, I think, is the government can't control reels and the U.S. wanted to help out an ally.

Labels: Religion, Yemen

Fast food has taken a public relations beating the last several years. One of the best books I'v read in the last ten years was Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation. It exposes the fast food industry as a deceitful, unhealthy, fattening world of profits. Then there was Morgan Spurlock's Super Size Me, a cheeky expose of what an all-Mickey D's diet will do to you. Then there's Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma, which makes you feel guilty for enjoying the smell of bacon. Then there are the localvore's advocating slow food. All-in-all, not a good decade for fast food, except for their profits, of course. In to this thicket, read Steve Tuttle's In Defense of Fast Food. Hint: You can't take him too seriously.

Labels: Book Review, Environment, Food

Today, tiny York, PA looks to make a bit of history as it will elect its first African American mayor. That is significant, but why do we remember York, PA. The 1969 race riots that took the lives of a young black woman and a white police officer.

Labels: Pennsylvania, Race Relations

I consider myself a political realist. While I certainly cheerlead the accomplishments of African Americans, I don't hesitate to discuss our shortcomings, and neither does The Loop. Visit The Loop to see their series on how domestic violence plays havoc in the black community.

Labels: Domestic Violence, The Loop

Frankly, I was shocked to read this. Today, New York will likely see its first Chinese-American elected to the 51-seat New York City Council. Margaret Chin, seeking to represent Chinatown, is a three-time challenger, but this looks to be her first victory.

Analysis
Good for her. Good for New York and good for American's democracy where cultural pluralism can triumph over partisan xenophobia.

Labels: Local Elections

Watch this race today to see how race has changed in Atlanta. Mary Norwood, a fiscal conservative looks to become Atlanta's first white mayor in thirty years. The black vote is fractured, with many supporting Norwood.

Labels: Georgia

Reid: 'Obama [has] faced twice as many filibusters of his nominees in his first four months as President Bush faced in his first four years'

Why aren't there more Joe Lieberman's? Thankfully, there aren't any.

An insurance CEO explains why American health care costs so much.

The beginning of a Republican split.

CBO scores the House bill.

Labels: Blogs, Courts, Health Care, Joe Lieberman

Items shared by Chris Lawrence:

Anticipating the dumb reactions to Nov. 3.

Why aren't bad prosecutors held accountable?

Sarah Palin polls like Dan Quayle.

The origins of security screenings at airports.

Labels: Blogs, Criminal Justice, Elections, Polls, Sarah Palin, Terror

Puritans and their modern descendants don't like it, but there's a reason America's schools started teaching sex ed. Turns out many a soldier in WWI came home with an unwanted gift in the form of a V.D. The military even showed soldiers a film, Damaged Goods, about the consequences of unprotected sex. Sounds good, right? I mean, who would protest the government encouraging folks to limit sex outside of marriage? Oh, that's right...

The Religious Right. Not liking sex outside of marriage, several organizations in the 70's and 80's claimed that sex ed actually encouraged sex.

Read all it about it in A Brief History of Sex Ed in America.

Labels: Education

David Plouffe, architect of the Obama campaign, was surprised that Obama insisted on naming Senator Hillary Clinton to his short list of vice-presidential candidates. In the end, the unpredictable dynamism of Bill Clinton prevented her from becoming VP, but not Secretary of State. This and other tidbits come from Plouffe's new book, The Audacity to Win: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama's Historic Victory.

Labels: Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Book Review, David Plouffe, Hillary Clinton

Depends on who you ask. While the GOP will unveil its own health care plan (WSJ), it is pretty clear this is done to avoid the party-of-no label.

The trick for Republicans is overcoming something that (surprising to me) has broad public support - and that is the public option. Liberals, naturally, don't feel it goes far enough, perhaps because there is a sniff of compromise (WSJ) in the proposed legislation.

Labels: Health Care

When I saw the headline, I prepared myself for a blockbuster. "Dozens in Congress under ethics inquiry!", railed the Washington Post. Turns out though, there was little new information. Many of the investigations are routine, yet minor examinations of possible lapses.

The House Ethics panel regulates members for allegations of impropriety. Where the Ethics panel has come under past criticism is its failure to adequately punish members. A (potential) case in point is the handling of Ways & Means Chair Charlie Rangel (D-NY).

Analysis
An important point must be made here. For all the talk of how corrupt politicians are, we fail to remember that it is their peers, fellow politicians who bring their misdeeds to light. Could they be more open about process? Possibly. But doing so, and publicly naming targets of investigation could easily derail careers before any allegations are proven. Transparency has its benefits, but it should not come at all costs.

Labels: Congress

There is disturbing evidence from New Jersey and Virginia; sites of two important governor's races, that Black voter turnout will be alarmingly low. These two states are odd birds, the only states in the union that elect their governors the year after we all select our president. However, scheduling their elections this way helps provide a unique perspective on current American politics.

Many believe these elections can really serve as a referendum on the job of the president. Victories for the Republican candidates could potentially be devastating to President Obama and his domestic agenda.

Read the rest at The Loop.

Labels: Barack Obama, The Loop, Voting

Congress should ban cell phones while driving. My reasons are both science-based and personal.

Research at the University of Utah conclusively shows that driving while using a cell phone is as bad as drunk driving. Texting while driving is particularly bad. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that drivers were 23 times more likely to crash or get into a near-accident while texting than while driving undistracted.

Read the rest at The Loop.

Labels: Miscellaneous, The Loop, Youth