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Roesser fires, aims ready into

ArchPundit September 21, 2002 No Comments

Roesser fires, aims ready into the circlular fire squad that is the Illinois Republican Party. Actually, the most recent numbers suggest the Dems aren’t going to sweep. Topinka is leading Dart and Madigan is in a tight race with Birkett. Then again, more talk like this and Rs aren’t going to turnout. This seems to be driving the most recent results in the 19th where Phelps surprisingly has a slight lead.

Roesser than makes some rather telling comments about homosexuality.

“School sports teams objecting to homosexual or transsexual behavior may be barred from participating in the state’s interscholastic sports. State workers with homosexual partners can receive equivalent benefits for partners at state expense; nonprofit groups such as the Boy Scouts of America may be fined up to $150,000 for refusal to hire homosexuals. ”

The first sentence is hard to figure–I’m guessing it means a school’s sports team can’t discriminate based on sexual orientation. I see no problem with this as long as there is some flexibility on religious ground. Anyone know if California allows for thisl?

I see no reason why state workers with same sex partners shouldn’t get the same rights as I have with my wife. And in Illinois, G-Ry has suggested he is open to such rules even. That is a moderate position. I’m guessing the fines are related to if the non-profits are working with state agencies and then we have long held that states may enforce non-discrimination with partnering organizations.

More importantly, Roesser demonstrates the circling fire squad isn’t learning a lesson from this year. Why have the Republicans controlled the Governorship for 26 years? Jim Thompson, Jim Edgar, and G-Ry are moderates of sorts. Thompson (with questions about his orientation rampant) never race or gay baited. Neither did Edgar. G-Ry did back in the good ‘ole days when he was shooting down the ERA, but has since turned into a social moderate on everything, but abortion. The Republicans haven’t won because they are pure conservatives. They have won because they aren’t Chris Lauzen, CPA, O’Malley, Al Salvi or Gary Bauer.

Who is going to win this year? Topinka–a moderate Republican woman from the ‘burbs. Who should be the future of the R’s if they want to win? Topinka and those like her. Who are the R’s likely to turn to? O’Malley and the jihad wing. Who is going to win state elections for a long time if that happens? The Dems.

The Illinois Republican Party can be right squared (meaning ideologically pure and conservative) or they can choose to be competitve. The most successful Rs in the last 26 years are telling them how, but will they listen to Thompson, Edgar, and G-Ry? Or will they delude themselves into believing ideological purity will somehow win over an increasingly liberal state?

A very real problem with

ArchPundit September 20, 2002 No Comments

A very real problem with limiting citizen suits is explored by Rich Miller. The Illinois Supreme Court has stopped a citizen suit to recover state money spent on G-Ry’s election campaign. This is especially relevant since Daniels will be indicted probably after the election for similar use of state funds and Madigan is under investigation.

The more important point is, citizen suits are a check on government. Federal suits have limited standing, as this case essentially echos, but limiting the ability to sue limits checks on the powerful. This is exactly the principle that Bush is trying to subvert in both forest fire reduction and transportation projects. Democracy is often slow, but that is okay—the process is the point in democracy.

By Wayne Allard’s standards I’m

ArchPundit September 20, 2002 No Comments

By Wayne Allard’s standards I’m a trusted pal of Dick Cheney and the RNC which amusingly sends me membership cards on occasion.

Eat this Greg Easterbrook. The

ArchPundit September 20, 2002 No Comments

Eat this Greg Easterbrook. The administration is that bad on the environment. For those not familiar with Easterbrook’s argument concerning the Bush administration, he made some good points on the initial criticism of the administration. Anyone paying attention knew they would pull this crap later on when fewer people were paying attention.

I actually greatly enjoy Easterbrook’s work–I just disagree on this issue.

One of the better articles

ArchPundit September 20, 2002 No Comments

One of the better articles on the freedom of speech in academia is written in Slate by Dahlia Lithwick.

The key paragraph is here:

Free speech does not encompass the right to fire, suspend, or riot your way into a universe in which everyone agrees with your views, even if you have legitimate grievances. The courts are well aware of this, but it seems that universities, both here and in Canada, are not. On campus, you may “speak” freely?with fists, chairs, and broken glass?so long as you are a member of an aggrieved minority with delicate sensibilities and a narrative of oppression.

The important part of the article is it addresses the suppression of speech from all angles and it doesn’t equate it strangely with Colorado College’s choice to have a Palestinean speak.

I’ll add one more problem. There is an increasing tendency for colleges to include a counterpoint view at a talk from an controversial figure. This is a horrible precedent to set. Alternative points of view should be invited on a regular basis and not because of some concern that someone can’t speak at a given time. The notion that students aren’t smart enough to see different points of view when they listen to them is condescending and silly.

Molly knows Texas and when

ArchPundit September 20, 2002 No Comments

Molly knows Texas and when she sticks to what she knows, she writes a great column. If only one could have been a fly on the wall for this:

Carr had known Bill Clinton since he was a baby alligator, come to Texas in ’72 to run McGovern’s campaign. She later worked her tail off for him. A main thing about Billie was, she didn’t just work herself, she made everybody else work their asses off, too. When President Clinton got himself into that Monica Lewinsky mess, Billie was pissed off at him as only a woman of a certain age can be about men and their stupidity. She defended him against the Republicans , but she was steamed.

Clinton made the mistake of inviting her to the White House in the middle of that deal. Here it is, a big reception line, everyone duded up, all these important folks around, and Billie came though that line, looked the president of the United States in eye and said, low and hard, “You dumb son of a bitch.”

Josh Marshall’s post pretty much

ArchPundit September 20, 2002 No Comments

Josh Marshall’s post pretty much sums up my views. I’m not thrilled with military action, but I’m reservedly for it. I’d just like to know that the administration is competent enough to pull it off.

For the File Under the Adults are Back in Charge, Marshall has this

An unfortunate return to the

ArchPundit September 20, 2002 No Comments

An unfortunate return to the 80s pointed out by TAPPED.

I’ve been arguing this for

ArchPundit September 20, 2002 No Comments

I’ve been arguing this for a while and was wondering when someone would notice. I wonder if Ann Coulter minds that vouchers will most likely increase the number of private Muslim schools. I have no problem with, does she?

For those outside of the

ArchPundit September 20, 2002 No Comments

For those outside of the St. Louis region, Hoosier has a different definition here. I’ve seen people try and explain the meaning of Hoosier to people from Mexico and China with no luck. I now have a solution to explain what Hoosier means.

Hoosiers

There may be a St. Louis connection as well. The kid is apparently from Blue Island, which pretty much explained everything to me when I heard it. Blue Island is a pretty rough refinery town–or it was until Premcor shut down its refinery. And everything is pretty much toxic in Blue Island because of the refinery (most of the damage before Premcor bought it). So on top of meth, there is a good reason these guys are morons.

A great take on the clowns is here at ESPN