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 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...]
Exposing Illicit Teachers Union Activity
The election law complaint filed by two Fort Collins parents against the teachers union, a story I have covered off & on here for the past 18 months, recently featured an important appeals court decision - namely, that the Colorado Education Association (CEA) and its local affiliate the Poudre Education Association (PEA) stepped over the legal boundaries by coordinating with the campaign of state senator Bob Bacon in 2004. I wrote it up in an op-ed for the Independence Institute last week. Personally, my favorite tidbit to share from the op-ed is one of the CEA lawyer's main arguments in defense of his clients: [Attorney Mark] Grueskin argued not only that CEA and PEA acted independently but also that their involvement was … [Read more...]
Of Fatcats and Rethinking Political Allies
Colorado's primary elections are upon us. So as Republican candidates in key districts reach the homestretch of throwing slings and arrows at one another, my friend Jessica Corry reminds us in a Sunday column for the Denver Post that the Colorado GOP coalition ain't what it used to be: the big business community has entrenched itself alongside labor unions, bureaucrats, and other "fatcat" special interest groups to work against the guiding principles of limited government and ordered liberty. A major problem, she argues, is that many of the party's insiders simply have not awakened to the fact yet. Should the Republicans wake up to despair then? Not exactly, says Jessica: Republicans, including Beauprez, should find their own real … [Read more...]
Pot Stirring in Senate District 22
Almost two weeks after I first highlighted Kiki Traylor's contribution from the teachers union - and her clarifying remarks a few days later - the Rocky Mountain News reported on a legal complaint filed via a friend of her opponent Mike Kopp. (HT: ToTheRight.org, Colorado's newest conservative blogging voice.) The News story indicates that the candidate followed my advice: Traylor said she didn't report the $1,000 check because she had torn it up. Inquiring conservatives want to keep an eye on Traylor's campaign funding after the primary, but this inquiring conservative prefers not to see her candidacy continue after the primary. So let's leave it a hypothetical. Any candidate who draws enough favorable interest from CEA to merit … [Read more...]
Hoping for an Honest Debate on Stem Cell Research
The Washington Post strongly suggests that President Bush's veto of expanded federal funding of embryonic stem cell research is a political loser for Republicans. If so, it may have something to do with the conflation and misinformation with which the story is frequently purveyed on mass media outlets. … [Read more...]
Is the Case for School Vouchers Dead?
The answer to the question above: hardly. While the news pages of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal (subscription required) made hay out of a recent government study that allegedly shows private schools really aren't outperforming public schools, the bigger point has been missed. Some good and thorough responses have come from respected and knowledgeable voices on the free market side of the debate. … [Read more...]
More Local Media Bias on Immigration Exposed
In his Saturday media review column for the Rocky Mountain News, David Kopel highlights two Denver Post stories that gave skewed presentations of the illegal immigration issue. The first half of the editorial piece was dedicated to giving a more thorough undressing to a Karen Crummy article first exposed here on this site. (Full disclosure: I work with Dave at the Independence Institute. He was prompted to examine the Crummy story after reading my post. However, he discovered the post on his own as part of his regular blog searches.) … [Read more...]
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