A Solo Dialogue
I guess that I could support a missile defense system, if I thought that it would work (which I'm not sure of at this point). I certainly do support the research going into such an idea (I generally favor gov't sponsored R&D), although I think $9 Billion dollars is probably too much. However, I cannot support deploying a missile defense system that is not ready.
To do so would be a bad idea for many of the
reasons stated by Fred Kaplan, and apparently backed up by the Pentagon, but mainly because it is plain stupid to put up a system that doesn't work. Human nature being what it is, a defense system that is up, but not effective will end up hampering additional R&D, and will retard innovate ideas that could eventually lead to an effective system. (And lets face it, there isn't really a high ballistic threat against the US at the moment.) I think the Bush Administration feels that a rapid deployment will ensure that future administrations and Congresses cannot kill the program. But a flawed program is worse than no program.
A
pro-SUV story by my friend Howard Mortman on MSNBC. I don't agree with his premise, the central figure in his story is the continually inept Washington DC government rather the heroic SUV drivers, but go and read it anyway.
I still saw more SUVs and trucks stranded following the storm than cars.
I think that
this story from the Onion is a parody, but in light of George Steinbrenner's attitude this spring, it could become a reality if the Yankees struggle at all. Which granted isn't very likely considering they have 7 starting pitchers and 5 starting outfielders. (Does George know that you can't play them all at once?)
This story on
the development of low yield nuclear weapons is very disturbing. There are some barriers you just don't want to cross, and this is one of them. If we think the world is not with us now, try using any type of nuclear weapon and see how the world reacts.
It is stories like this that make me (and I don't think I'm alone) wonder about a war. (See the latest
gallup poll numbers here.) My questions are less with Iraq and Saddam and more about the officials in Washington. I'm not sure if I trust them to do the right thing and stories like this one certainly don't help.
That said, I still believe that if we wanted to, we could get the world on board and get rid of Saddam. This is exactly what we should do. However, it would require a little humility from Washington, and that is something we certainly haven't seen so far. Without the support of, at the least, our NATO allies, Iraq becomes a much more dangerous place for our soldiers in the long run.
I'll have more thoughts on the merits of
Miguel Estrada nomination later, but I like what may be happening in the Senate because of it. The Democrats appear to be standing up for what they believe in (no conservative ideologue activist judges), and I like the idea that Bill Frist may make them do an
actual filibuster to uphold their beliefs. Filibusters have been grossly misused in the recent past, hopefully Frist will stop the silly notion that unless you have 60 votes, you can't get a vote on the issue, and instead make opponents get on their feet and start talking, and make them put their money where their mouth is.
Go here to learn more about Senate filibusters.
On a non-Al Sharpton note, does anyone else marvel at the fact that
our budget outlays have increased by 22% in the last two years? (And this doesn't even include the money for Iraq, which ain't gonna be cheap.)
It used to be that the GOP was the party of cutting taxes, and the Dems were the party of increased spending, apparently Junior wants to be both. (Who cares about the deficits, they didn't stop Reagan from getting reelected and having an airport named after him.)
Of course if the Dems want to seriously attack him for this, they should come up with some ideas about containing spending, in addition to rescinding the tax cut, which is costing us $94 billion this year and $1.5 trillion over the next ten. Otherwise, it's back to tax and spend Democrats, and I had hoped we were getting rid of that label. Spending cuts aren't fun, but the Dems are the only party of fiscal responsibility for the time being, I'd hate to think we are going to lose that label. Sometime I actually miss Ross Perot.
Donna Brazile is a very smart and savvy pol, but she is simply wrong when she talks about
Al Sharpton. His electoral experiences in New York have shown that Sharpton will not bring any new voters to the party, but in the end, he will drive many away. This is true if the party kowtows to him, it will drive away white moderates in droves -- that’s why we have Mayor Mike Bloomberg-- or if they try to ostracize him, in which case he embrace the other side (see Al D'Amato in 1992). Standing up to Sharpton right now is the way to avoid his influence from growing in a disproportionate manner.
BTW -- check out the New Republic for his campaign finanace violations, if anyone else did this the press would be all over them.
(I don't want to be all Al Sharpton all the time, but I will be if I have to.)
It's clear that the press doesn't like Al Sharpton, they see the guy for what he is, a con artist. Who will be the first candidate to offer up the same opinion? It could serve to really make one of them stand apart from this over-crowded, and getting even more crowded, field. Any takers?
20 inches -- thank goodness for neighbors with snowblowers!
15 inches and still coming
This seems to be a popular solution by Liberals for not being able to communicate their message more clearly, but I just don't buy it. (Not that I wouldn't listen to Al Franken if he had a radio show, but primarily because I think he’s funny!)
Limbaugh and the like are not the cause of people being conservative, they are the symptom. Liberals would be better served at focusing on additional and new methods of communicating (such as the web), rather than focusing on a medium that is already identified as being dominated by conservatives. Besides liberals and moderate are too busy working to listen ranting and ravings on the radio for three hours. Leave talk radio to the conservatives, they made it what it is, let them keep it.
9 inches and counting, I'm not even sure if the worst of the storm has hit us yet.
Robert Novak may very well be the prince of darkness, but he is one of the best reporting columnists around, especially when he is not grinding his ideological axe.
His column on Al Sharpton is also right on and it should serve as a warning to Democrats. Sharpton will rip the party to shreds, that is all he can do. (To paraphrase Junior "He's a divider not a uniter.") Its better to stop him now than to wait until next year, when there will be no time for healing. This is exactly what Shapton has been doing in New York -- he is controversial, disruptive and divisive and has no platform other than race. After he causes all his commotion there is no time for healing and party unity (which is exacerbated because of New York's September primary.)
This will happen in 2004 if the party doesn't act now!
Peter Beinart's article on Al Sharpton is right on. Anyone who thinks that in the end Sharpton won't turn on the national Democratic Party, has't been observing New York politics over the last 10 year. More on this later . . .
Sad
news in Huskyland. Hopefully he will be back soon.
I don't agree with all of Gregg Easterbrook's opinions in his
Time article, but I think that he does raise some very interesting questions about where the space program is going.
The most importantly question is what are our goals in space?
I believe that we are in space because that is where the future lies, and because it something new for us to conquer. We should be there, but we should have some clear reasons and goals.
Now is the time to be bold. NASA has many dedicated and talented people working for it, what they need is a vision. Give them (and the entire country) a big project -- go back to the moon and stay there, go to Mars, make a real space station, be bold.
Otherwise, people will continue to lose interest in space and the space program. We can't let that happen, its too important.
