Costless Reform The Chicago Tribune

ArchPundit September 30, 2002 No Comments

Costless Reform

The Chicago Tribune dedicates the entire editorial page to a single death penalty reform. Police are good people for the most part, but because they are good people they do the best they can to prove a case. Unfortunately, this eagerness causes the system to be warped. Creating checks on that eagerness is reasonable and just.

Update:

On Sunday, Clarence Page points out the advantages of videotaping confessions in relation to the police. I have always been amazed at the resistance to the idea. It should reduce the number of coerced confession claims plummet. And provide some juries some good laughs as they watch the fools confess on camera and then claim they were coerced by the withholding of M&Ms.

News at 11: Sometimes, just

ArchPundit September 30, 2002 1 Comment

News at 11: Sometimes, just sometimes, friends disagree

Steve Chapman points out that sovereignty means you get to make your own choices and your allies ought to respect those choices.

Germany is highly averse to fighting wars. They backed us in Afghanistan and they backed us in Kosovo. The fact that they are leary of Iraq isn’t a betrayal, it is their right. They certainly aren’t the pain in the ass that France is.

Mine Safety The Chicago Tribune

ArchPundit September 30, 2002 No Comments

Mine Safety

The Chicago Tribune did a great series on Mine Safety. Remember, the administration is trying to cut funding for monitoring of mine compliance.

PRETTTTTYYYYYY PLEEEEAAAAAASEEEEEE Josh Marshall reports

ArchPundit September 30, 2002 No Comments

PRETTTTTYYYYYY PLEEEEAAAAAASEEEEEE

Josh Marshall reports rumors that the Torch will pull out of his reelection campaign. The seat is lost, now the Torch can get lost.

Ay, Ay, Ay, Goodbye…..please….

More Torch Dousing Report here

ArchPundit September 30, 2002 No Comments

More Torch Dousing

Report here sounds positive, and possible replacements including Menendez, who could mount a quick and successful challenge.

Update:
This story indidcates that Torch might have to resign to get someone else on the ballot. Will he eat his pride for the party? One can hope.

Counterspin Central claims this is bad for the Dems. I respectfully disagree. Torch is going to lose anyway, and if he can figure out a way to bow out and get someone else on the ballot, the Dems do better. The best choice is Menendez for the long term benefit of the Democratic Party, or Lautenberg to simply rub Torch’s arrogance in his own face. He once told Lautenberg he (Torch) would cut his (Lautenberg’s) balls off. Lautenberg would probably start off with name recognition greater than Forrester and have a good shot this late in the game.

The last good thing Torch did was to support Jennifer Harbury. Other than that he is a wholly owned subsidiary of drug companies.

For those who don’t remember the many faults of Torch, he tried to push McGreevey out of the way for the 2001 Governor’s race. He was cocky and arrogant and started telling local chairman to make way for him. They shot back that McGreevey had worked his ass off since his loss to Whitman in ’97 and they wouldn’t leave him. Bully for them. Now bring on Lautenberg or Menendez.

Update 2:
NPR is reporting he may resign–meaning he is thinking of who to get on the ballot.

That is a stab and

ArchPundit September 30, 2002 No Comments

That is a stab and twist for Mr. Torch

Josh Marshall notes the intense dislike for the Torch. You live by hardball, you die by hardball. Torch is getting nothing more than he deserved. Perhaps I should send my Claritin bills to him since he extended the patent with my former home state twit, John Aschcroft.

He was, errrrrr…is arrogant, obnoxious and everything Democrats say they hate in the form of a Democrat. Save Jennifer Harbury, he should be remembered as a cautionary tale.

Huh? Has anyone looked at

ArchPundit September 30, 2002 No Comments

Huh? Has anyone looked at the polls?

Instapundit appears to be confused. The polls are good for Dems and the three on the trip to Baghdad simply aren’t that influential. One is leaving Congress and got his butt handed to him in the Michigan gubanorial primary. The other two aren’t party leaders so I have to wonder how two backbenchers and a retiring leader out of public life are going to tarnish an entire political party?

Their argument about dishonesty is made by Kinsley and others in the press as well. This isn’t a fringe idea. Indeed, Weisberg (see below) thinks as I do, we should take on Iraq despite the dishonesty of the administration.

Special Ops vs the 82nd

ArchPundit September 30, 2002 No Comments

Special Ops vs the 82nd Airborne

This story describes the difference in operating methods and identifies some of the tensions seen in Somalia. While it shouldn’t be dismissed, the Special Ops guys don’t exactly play well with others. The specific incident is troubling, but one incident.

Alternative Education Order up some

ArchPundit September 29, 2002 No Comments

Alternative Education

Order up some special ed classes for these morons.

Moderates on the Block The

ArchPundit September 29, 2002 No Comments

Moderates on the Block

The NY Times has a good article on Morella and the future of the Republican Party. The Democratic Party is largely run from the center. Partisans can dispute this, but comparing the leadership (especially with Bonior gone) demonstrates the difference. One of the larger problems in the Republican Party is no one doing anything about the problem as many in the 80s did in the Democratic Party. Boehlerts, Shays, Leach and others exist, but there is no corresponding DLC. Adding to the thesis of the Emerging Democratic Majority, this bodes poorly for Republicans in the long run. Not only are they moving away from the center, they aren’t doing anything to moderate themselves.