Neal McCluskey at the Cato Institute Blog has a must-read post on how universal vouchers or tax credits could be used to end the high-stakes political creation-evolution debates. This is an argument I've made before, and I'm glad to see it "up in lights," so to speak: Of course, the creationism conflict in Kansas – and, indeed, across America – isn’t a prize fight. It’s a battle between the deeply held values of regular people, and unlike Mike Tyson or Evander Holyfield, Kansas children, parents, and other citizens aren’t being richly compensated for the punishment they’re taking. They’re fighting because they have to. They all have to support one system of public education, and they all, rightfully, want their beliefs and morals … [Read more...]
Archives for August 2006
Moral Equivalence and Democrat Leadership
The case of U.S. Rep. John Dingell's advanced foot-in-mouth disease has been amply covered over at Powerline, so I won't rehash the Michigan Democrat's ludicrous remarks - except to re-emphasize the blatant moral equivalence characterized in them. On a personal level, Dingell is the poster child for career politicians, having held his Congressional seat for nearly 52 years. A friend of many union officials and party leaders, Dingell's seat is considered one of the safest. His father and namesake held it the 22 years before he did. The last time the U.S. Congress didn't feature a representative from Michigan named John Dingell, Herbert Hoover was in the White House and the big issue was the Smoot-Hawley Tariff. But I … [Read more...]
Special Game for My Tigers
Not often do I write about my Detroit Tigers' ongoing special season, one that has far more than revived the franchise from a decade-plus of the doldrums. But last night's 10-4 victory over Tampa Bay hit so many milestones that it's impossible to ignore: Shortstop Carlos Guillen became the 10th Tiger in franchise history to hit for the cycle Rookie phenom Justin Verlander became the first Major League pitcher to reach 14 wins in 2006 In his first game in a Tigers uniform, new first baseman Sean Casey belted a home run and drove in two runs Temporary call-up outfielder Brent Clevlen hit his first two career home runs, pushing his two-game batting average to .625 With 56 games remaining in the season, Detroit tied last season's … [Read more...]
Crank for Congress
For what it's worth, one week before a heated primary election in Colorado's 5th Congressional District, I'm supporting - and urging all my readers to support - common sense conservative Jeff Crank. At first, I paid little attention to this race, in part because it's outside my district and keeping up with a six-way Republican primary seemed like too much. I thought that two of the three frontrunner candidates looked like good solid conservatives, and I have more knowledgeable friends on both sides, so I let it go. But reading about recent developments has convinced me that Doug Lamborn's campaign tactics are a sign that he is less fit for office, and that Jeff Crank would be a much preferable choice for Republicans in Colorado … [Read more...]