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ArchPundit
What is wrong with this story?
Interestingly, CNN was notified of the problem the day it was published and have never corrected it.
December 2002
Via Eschaton: Federal flood insurance is going on hiatus. It would be nice if it just went away
Via Eschaton:
Federal flood insurance is going on hiatus. It would be nice if it just went away. The program subsidizes insurance so flood prone areas can develop. The question no one besides Steve Chapman (no longer available) seems to want to ask is why do we want areas that are prone to floods to develop? Let people pay for their own insurance and flood prone areas will see far less development–a good thing for those who value wetlands and don’t value subsidizing sprawl.
Ashcroft, Talent, Bond and the Cof CC
Conason starts the next crusade. It is interesting to watch a meme get started without any blast faxes. Tells you a lot about how the press in general works, doesn’t it?
He reports that Ashcroft had relations with a guy named Thomas Bugel, a former member of the St. Louis School Board, and a member of the CofCC.
By now, you are asking what the hell goes on in St. Louis. And you should. Given Tom Spencer has written a book much of which is about racial politics in St. Louis he might have some good stuff to report here.
Bugel, Earl P. Holt III, Louis Fister, and Shirley Kiel were white supremacists who ran in the 1989 School Board Election and won with stealth candidacies. They officially called themselves "members of the Metro South Citizens Council, a group that says it promotes ”racial integrity” and the interests of white citizens." (P-D March 29, 1991).
They often used the euphemism that they were anti-busing, but busing was only the most vocal issue they liked to talk about. Scratch beneath the surface, and they were and are simply racists.
Civic Progress took over the 1993 election and decided they had enough. They ran a slate and swept out the CofCC faction. For Ashcroft to not know what these clowns were about would be impossible. They had been a prominent story in the one of the two major state papers.
Even stranger though, is this tidbit from the P-D on January 21, 2000:
A group of St. Louisans is pushing for a federal investigation into the treatment of a prisoner at the U.S. medical center in Springfield, Mo.The group, led by former St. Louis School Board member Thomas Bugel, is asking area lawmakers for their "immediate assistance in ending the torture of Dr. Charles T. Sell." The group has gathered 1,000 signatures on petitions seeking congressional help. On Thursday, Bugel and Mark Sell, the inmate’s brother, met with Rep. Jim Talent, R-Chesterfield, whose district includes Sell’s home address. Bugel also gave copies of the petition to one of Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond’s assistants.
Talent’s office released a statement saying, "It’s clear Dr. Sell’s situation has the support of many in the community. These are serious charges and my office will review them closely and take appropriate action."Patrick Werner, district office director for Sen. Bond’s office in Clayton, said the staff will make a formal request for information about Sell’s case and review it for possible action.
"support of many in the community"
Yeah, I suppose so Jim.
To be fair, Gephardt and Gene McNary also visited with the organization in the 1980s before they were as well known. Both have publicly blasted the organization since.
Oops: All but Holt ran in ’87 and finished their term in ’91. Holt was in office from ’89-93. Fact checking my own ass.
Oops 2: First, some grammar was fixed above. Second, the School Board Members except Holt served from ’87-’93. Holt did serve from ’89-’93. The reason for my confusion is that before the passage of Senate Bill 781 in 1998, terms for the SLPS Board were six years. SB 781 changed that to four years. I do not know the reason why Holt served for only four. My apologies for the confusion. Not surprisingly, on this matter no one had yet contacted me. Finally, the slate technically refused to run when they were targeted by Civic Progess, an uber-Chamber of Commerce in the Saint Louis region, claiming the vote was rigged.
The Dark Prince Revises History
As usual the Dark Prince of the Right just makes up the facts over the outrage over Lott’s remarks. The CBC largely ignored the story as was reported on Reliable Sources over the weekend. But it makes a nice argument for conservative victimhood by the Dark Prince.
Fitz, Lott, Lahood
Kristin McQueary points out the dangerous game Fitzgerald plays by backing Lott. Admittedly, African-Americans and Latinos aren’t voting for the guy, but this kind of thing helps turn them out.
McQueary also reports the meeting between Pete and LaHood went nowhere and Dan Proft of the Illinois Leader is trying to build a conservative coalition of wingnuts to ‘win’ elections. Keep up the good work, Dan. The Dems love you for it.
IL School Funding Crisis
Usually I refer to the problems in funding Illinois Schools as largely a rural problem. In fact, it is a broader problem with many suburban areas outside of the wealthy north or growing west experiencing the same issues. Phil Kadner does a good job in describing the political problems of any solution and the paralysis gripping southwest suburban officials.
January 6th?
Sweet, Trent stays in the news cycle for 3 more weeks
Too Many Women In Media Management
I’m not kidding. Don’t believe me, read Media Watch at the Illinois Leader. The fascinating thing about the column is it doesn’t connect this ‘imbalance’ to any actual problems, but just asserts it exists.
Bragging about being irrelevant?
First, he brags about a student getting a paper published on the environment ethics of terraforming Mars and now he cites an old article in which he is credited with nominating Arthur C. Clarke for the Nobel Peace Prize
Next up, "I’m in News of the Weird!"
A rather effective look at Lott’s problem
by Steve Chapman.
Just passin’ by ma’AM