Friday, June 24, 2005

The John Bolton Thing   I learned this week that John Bolton had stopped serving as Undersecretary of State for Arms Control recently.  Abruptly, the only reason I knew of to support the Bolton nomination disappeared. Now for why the President demanded that Senator Frist give the Bolton nomination another try in the Senate.  The President wants John Bolton at the UN, but he doesn't want to have to be held responsible for Bolton's actions.  If Bolton get a recess appointment, he would have to face the Senate in a year or retire.  If Bolton behaves the way that Democratic Senators think he'll behave as UN Ambassador, in a year Bolton would suffer a humiliating defeat in the Senate.  Not only could he not get a filibuster-proof confirmation then, but Republicans would probably kill his confirmation in committee rather than face overwhelming defeat on the Senate floor. Not only do Senate Democrats believe that John Bolton would do that bad a job at the UN, but the President's hesitancy to use a recess appointment for Bolton strongly suggests that the President feels the same way. 10:01:10 PM    comment []

A Modest Proposal   Democrats need to propose their own Social Security plan.  There's a simple solution.  Remove the cap on Social Security taxes.  As it is, a corporate president earning $15 million a year pays only 1% as much of his income to Social Security as a butcher or baker or candlestick maker.  Instead, make them both pay the same amount of taxes.  This would completely eliminate the future Social Security deficit. Problem solved. 4:38:47 PM    comment []

The Right Brothers, the Wrong Sounds   I thought I was done making fun of the Right Brothers, musical "talent" I first heard of because they were playing at a Ralph Reed rally last Friday, but I was wrong.  I just hadn't talked enough about their parade of hit songs.  Why, I hadn't even mentioned "You Can't Racial Profile", a toe-tapping number that begins, "I ain't never seen a grandma/ Strap dynamite around her waist".  Ain't never, of course, is a double negative, which means he has seen it.  This is discouraging to hear. There’s "If You Ain't Outraged", which says, "Go across the street to the court house and the Ten Commandments can't be found."  Yup.  Damn that separation of church and state!  What we need is more religion in the government...like in Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia, and Iran, and Afghanistan under the Taliban.  I think you'll all agree those are models of what we want our society to look like. Or how about "The Illegals"?  In that he requests "I just wish they'd come here legally/ And maybe try to learn the language a bit."  There are people I quote in this post which I wish would learn the language a bit; so I sympathize with that thought.  And that's a perfectly reasonable point, since immigration is available for all who are willing to work for the American Dream.  Oh, wait...it's not?  Then his point is not so reasonable. You can see why a band with such a subtle wit appeals to Ralph Reed supporters, though.  They have a website where you can get their CDs.  Buy yours today! 2:45:30 PM    comment []

Quote for the Day, 6/24/2005   "Champagne is a great levelleler...leveler.  It makes you my equal." "Well, I wouldn't quite say that." "Well, almost my equal."   -Jimmy Stewart (Macauley Connor) and Cary Grant (CK Dexter Haven), The Philadelphia Story 3:16:25 AM    comment []