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Weekend Updates

ArchPundit December 13, 2002 No Comments

I have a lot to cover this weekend. Today is busy so don’t expect much until late.

See Atrios for a Belleville story,
See Atrio for Lott stuff and his campaign to introduce America to one of the two loons in the US Senate from Oklahoma

For the weekend
More on Belleville and St. Louis EHOC complaints
Illinois Leader picks up on above
Carol Mosely Braun seems to be running for US Senate again (at Political Wire)
Lott is going to search his soul or is that for a soul at 4:30.
Blog updates, announcements and a bunch of new content for the Illinois Senate race and a return to the topics I mentioned right after the election

CofCC Radio Tonight!

ArchPundit December 13, 2002 No Comments

And it is in streaming audio here. While it might just be wishfunl thinking on my part, I can’t help but think Gordon Lee Baum might just be obtuse enough to say something to give the Lott story more legs. The show starts at 10 PM for those interested and one can call in at 1-877-920-WGNU.

My prediction is Lott stays. No one has challenged him and the outrage is a political class outrage. That is until African-American turnout in the ’04 race is spiked by this and Sonny Perdue’s flag initiative.

The military?

ArchPundit December 12, 2002 No Comments

From the Washington Post:

In an interview with conservative radio talk show host Sean Hannity, Lott said his remarks "conveyed an impression that is not accurate." He said that his reference to the idea of the country’s being better off was not about race and segregation but about Thurmond’s support for "a strong national defense and economic development and balanced budgets and opportunity"

You have to be friggin’ kidding me, Trent. A strong national defense? You must mean a segregated national defense. No one is pointing out that in 1948 the reason for Thurmond’s candidacy was the desegregation of the military and Hubert Humphrey. A strong military to Strom Thurmond was a segregated one that ignored the great efforts of African-Americans during World War II.

The first rule of finding oneself in a hole is to stop digging. If anyone was paying attention, Lott’s defense of himself is even more absurd in context of his original comments.

Light blogging through today. Back tomorrow.

Why did Daschle defend Lott?

ArchPundit December 10, 2002 No Comments

A note on Daschle’s defense of Lott. How many people out there have worked with a racist? For those claiming not to have–yeah, right.

When you work closely with someone as Daschle and Lott have over time one tends to give them the benefit of the doubt. That is important currency in a chummy body like the Senate where personal relationships grease the wheels of legislation. Perhaps Daschle is trying to prop up an ineffective leader as Virginia Postrel suggests here, or maybe, just maybe they are friends and Daschle doesn’t believe he is a racist. From all available evidence Daschle is probably wrong, but personal relationships often develop across partisan lines believe it or not. If Daschle thinks Lott has been straightforward with him, he probably views Lott as often wrong, but honorable and assumes he misspoke.

During the Clinton impeachment, both Lott and Daschle worked well together and seem to have developed a level of trust between themselves. Being skeptical of public pronouncements from political leaders is the best way to proceed in most cases. However, sometimes those pronouncements are simply human reactions to a friend.

Get Ready, Get Set, Bork away with Permission

ArchPundit December 10, 2002 No Comments

Andrew Sullivan seems to think pledge week (of which I have no criticism nor donation) is equal opportunity week for bashing. He point out that Doug Kmiec is a right wing loon. This is no surprise to anyone who reads the Chicago Tribs Commentary page.

The Sliming of Edmund Burke

ArchPundit December 10, 2002 No Comments

Atrios and Tom Spencer point out that an editor for the Washington Times is a neo-Confederate. Even worse he uses Edmund Burke as an explanation of his ideology. What a twit, Burke spoke out against discrimination and while he was skeptical utopian visions of equality, he strongly supported humane treatment of minorities.

And let me remind everyone again (though I’ve been told this speaks poorly of St. Louis), Gordon Baum has a radio show here. It is streaming radio. If you are like me it is kind of funny. Unless you think too much about Lott writing a column for these buffoons or that an editor at a major paper thinks Gordon Baum is worthy of respect.

Why is the Washington Times taken more seriously than the Chicago Tribune?

For a conservative counterweight to the NY Times it is dismissed. Why? Because it isn’t reliably conservative? Isn’t the complaint concerning the New York Times that it is too reliably liberal? I understand that the Trib doesn’t do the foreign reporting like the Time and its Washington reporting is less. However, for a natural counterweight to the Times, why isn’t it the model with professionalism and integrity?

Illinois Leader nails it

ArchPundit December 10, 2002 No Comments

No, I haven’t lost my mind, but the Illinois Leader has an excellent article on how pension benefits are determined in Illinois. For those not familiar with the process, the article should be an eye opener.

To be fair, most state workers don’t have these options available to them and the system works reasonably well. Those who are politically connected have found numerous ways to fix the system in their benefit.

Leave No Child in the City

ArchPundit December 10, 2002 No Comments

For locals the notion that interdistrict school choice will solve the problems with inner-city districts should draw laughs. The Department of Education is pushing for interdistrict choice for failing schools.

How unserious the administration is about these issues should be apparent in there is no money for interdistrict transfers and the good people of Saint Louis know exactly how expensive such transfers are. I would argue they are a good use of money in many cases, but given the largest example of public school choice has done nothing to improve the education of the kids not in the program, one has to wonder why one would expect this to work or how it would be paid for in most states.

Double posted at Blog Saint Louis

Restoring Faith in Foreign Policy Sanity

ArchPundit December 10, 2002 No Comments

It appears that without a wingnut running the Senate Foreign Relations committee, Otto Reich is having problems. Apparently some of the Republicans view Latin America as more than Cuba. Never mind that he consorted with and supported Orlando Bosch, a terrorist.

Have I mentioned before, Thank God for Dick Lugar! Jesse Helms was one of the most useless morons running that committee and while I disagree with Dick Lugar on many issues (though not much in foreign policy), he is sane, responsible and focused on real concerns like the security of the United States instead of a banana republic that is dying 90 miles off the coast of Florida. More Nunn-Lugar less Burton-Helms.

Lott Resign? God I hope not

ArchPundit December 9, 2002 No Comments

Quasipundit (via Instapundit) thinks the piling on of Trent Lott and calling on him to resign is partisan politics. Well, here is one Democrat hoping he doesn’t resign.

Can you imagine the turnout commercials we can run next cycle with that quote!

(of course, I want him to apologize and put such marks beyond the pale, but hey!)

Correction: My apologies to Tony Adragna who pointed out in my comment section:

That’s "Will Vehrs of QuasiPundit" – the other half of QuasiPunit [myself] says it’s Lott is a racist and he ought suffer the same fate as John Cooksey.

He makes another good point as well. Thanks and my apologies for not being clear the first time.