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...]
The Stengel Affair
In his Thursday metro side column, the Post's David Harsanyi shines the light on a series of cases that give Coloradans plenty of reason to be cynical about politics. Maybe as cynical as one of my commenters, who after my post on Deanna Hanna's more legally serious misdeeds implied that I was ignoring the Stengel affair because of party loyalties. Memo to commenter: sorry for giving you an excuse to feed your cynicism. If you would care to respond to this post and reveal your identity, my respect for you will increase greatly. Harsanyi's lead case is indeed that of Republican House Minority Leader Joe Stengel, who charged taxpayers for 240 days of work last year, including a trip to Hawaii. Yesterday, five of Stengel's constituents … [Read more...]
Tapping into the Oil Discussion
I'm back at last ... after some serious technical problems and an out-of-town jaunt for business purposes. When I woke up this morning to read that Republican Senator Arlen Specter has joined Democrat colleagues in a call for a "windfall profits" tax on oil companies, I realized it's time to pour a barrel of cold water on the conversation. Gas prices indeed have soared. But is the problem price-gouging? Or perhaps could it be a matter of supply and demand? I'm not a professional economist, so I am not able to offer an in-depth analysis here. However, I can tell you to read this piece from the Tax Foundation by Scott Hodge and Jonathan Williams. The piece was written last November when talk of a "windfall profits" tax started … [Read more...]
A Tale of Three Candidates
What a telling week this may turn out to be in the race for Colorado's governor and state legislature. In the wake of an overreaching decision from the state Supreme Court: 1. Marc Holtzman's campaign slips further into irrelevancy by clinging to judicial activism in order to stay alive. His lawyers - one of whom argued before the Supreme Court to have Defend Colorado Now's initiative removed from the ballot - are calling on a judge to loosely interpret the law to allow him on the ballot in the first place. 2. Bill Ritter's campaign may want to reconsider its very loud and leadership-lacking "no comment" on this very important and momentous issue. 3. Bob Beauprez, the Republican choice for governor, has been out in front on … [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...]
More Wise Than Ruthless
ScipioYou scored 70 Wisdom, 72 Tactics, 59 Guts, and 47 Ruthlessness! You're most simillar to Scipio in the fact that you're smart and ruthless. Scipio beat Hannibal by luring him back from Western Europe (where he was crushing legion after legion of Roman soldiers trying to gain support from local tribes) by laying seige to his home country of Carthage. Hannibal returned to defend his home and was defeated at the Battle of Zama. Ruthless, but it worked. Scipio was the conqueror of Hannibal in the Punic Wars. He was the son of Publius Cornelius Scipio, and from a very early age he considered himself to have divine inspiration. He was with his father at the Ticino (218), and he survived Cannae (216). The young Scipio was elected … [Read more...]
Holtzman v Beauprez: Your One-Stop Online Shop
For any political junkies out there, especially those out there following developments and emerging opinions in Colorado for 2006, please visit and bookmark the new Holtzman v Beauprez site, a collaborative project of the Rocky Mountain Alliance. Its focus will be on issues directly and indirectly related to the 2006 Colorado gubernatorial campaign. Joshua has kicked things off well - look for more posts from myself and others in coming days. … [Read more...]
Arctic Temps Recede
Colorado did one of its best imitations of "Eskimo Summer" yesterday, leaving at least one blogger's brain cells and fingers at a sub-optimal temperature for filing a meaningful post. As the mercury slowly rises today and tomorrow back to healthier daytime temps and less bitterly cold nighttime lows, expect Mount Virtus to resume regular blogging activities. So much to write about, so little time.... Meanwhile, if you know a Colorado public school teacher, please send them to independentmindedteacher.org, with valuable information on union political refunds, different membership organizations, and much more. … [Read more...]
Blogosphere Takes Notice of New Poll Numbers
The new reliable Rasmussen poll on the potential matchups in the upcoming Colorado governor's race has created a stir among the state's Republican insiders. Former University of Denver president Marc Holtzman benefits most from the news: his bona fides as a credible statewide candidate have been established. Not only is the ground game among GOP activists from the Plains to the Front Range to the Western Slope gaining him momentum with the party's base, the new Rasmussen poll affirms his legitimate status as a potential successor to Governor Bill Owens. Michael has some initial RMA analysis of the survey you should check out. As a Holtzman supporter (full disclosure), I'm certainly pleased by the news - which is generating some buzz … [Read more...]
If Congress Will Listen…
If Congress will listen to the people more than the magnified voices of left-wing and business interest groups, there may be a way toward a reasonable, workable immigration policy solution. From GOPUSA: The U.S. government is not doing enough to curb illegal immigration, 81 percent of respondents said in a Time magazine poll published Monday. The telephone poll of 1,004 U.S. adults conducted last week also showed 75 percent would deny illegal immigrants government services such as healthcare and food stamps, and 51 percent said children who are in the United States illegally shouldn't be allowed to attend public schools. Yet there was a less harsh attitude when it came to expulsions, with 78 percent favoring allowing citizenship … [Read more...]
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