About
Captain Ed is a father and grandfather living in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, a native Californian who moved to the North Star State because of the weather. He lives with his wife Marcia, also known as the First Mate, their two dogs, and frequently watch their granddaughter Kayla, whom Captain Ed calls The Little Admiral.
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The Crows Nest
Would Early Primaries Allow More Donations?
Jim Geraghty at The Campaign Spot believes that candidates will benefit if primaries and caucuses get pushed into 2007. A loophole in campaign finance regulation appears to allow an extra $2,300 per donor for candidates if those elections are held this year. Be sure to check out Jim's analysis, and the surprising candidate that may benefit the most.
When Tom Met Jeralyn
One of the interesting aspects of politics is finding out that opponents are people, too. Jeralyn Merritt of TalkLeft met Rep. Tom Tancredo backstage at NBC's studios, and found him more likable than she had anticipated. Perhaps it was their mutual interest in Dog, The Bounty Hunter ...
Joe Lieberman A Right-Wing Nut?
That's what CAIR says, according to Joe Kaufman. He has a link to a CAIR official's blog post that calls Lieberman, along with John Bolton, former CIA director James Woolsey, and the Heritage Foundation's Peter Brookes as "extremists". Affad Shaikh also calls Dick Cheney a "fat bastard of a liar," apparently not meant as a pop-culture reference to the Austin Powers movies. (via Let Freedom Ring)
Broadband Homelessness
The Japanese have made homelessness more efficient, and more Net-friendly, too. Their Internet cafés have become homeless shelters for the struggling manual-labor sector. The problem has grown into such a problem that government intervention will shortly become a political priority.
Found My Law Firm
Power Line links twice to this story regarding an attorney at Faegre & Benson who refused to become a victim and helped capture a very dangerous man. Keith Radtke is a partner in the firm as is Power Line's John Hinderaker. Radtke is listed in satisfactory condition after getting shot in the back, but that didn't keep him from locking up his attacker in a wrestling grip until police could arrive. I don't know about you, but that's the kind of man I'd want as my counsel ....
Don't Click That YouTube E-mail
The latest in spam seems to be redirections from YouTube links in e-mail to IP addresses without domain names. They attempt to entice people by making it seem that they have been inadvertently YouTubed. I'm sure most people can see through this scam, but just in case, you've been warned ....
Rick Moran Escapes The Floods
Rick Moran has kept us up to date on his travails along the Algonquin River. Yesterday, the police showed up to get him evacuated before the river flooded his home -- but today, Rick finds that a minor miracle has taken place, and that his house survives ... at least for now. Keep Rick in your prayers, and keep checking in at Right Wing Nut House for updates.
Rule 1: Drag The Corpse On Over First
If I've learned anything in four years of blogging, don't try to be out in front of the death rumors, especially with the villains of the world. Saddam died a hundred deaths before we caught him alive in his spider hole, and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi almost as many before his demise last year. Osama may or may not be alive, but everyone's avoided speculating on his fate for a while now. Maybe Val at Babalu Blog will get luckier with his "Castro Is Dead" story. We all hope so. I'll wait for the announcement ....
Hobbs Choice
Volunteer Voters is holding its annual "Best of Nashville" on-line polls, and one of the categories is for the best political writer. Our friend Bill Hobbs, now posting at Newsbusters, and he'd like his on-line fans to cast their votes. Drop by and put one in for Bill if you get a chance!
Murtha Getting Backlogged On Apologies
Gary Gross of Let Freedom Ring sees another case collapsing on the Haditha charges. He's called for Murtha to apologize earlier, and adds another reason to the tally.
No Such Thing As 'Moderate' Islam?
Turkish PM Tayyip Erdogan told a television interviewer that he finds the label "moderate Islam" offensive. Shrink Wrapped has a lot more on this, but at least in the same interview Erdogan acknowledged that "radical Islam" exists, and that it's been a catastrophe. Be sure to read the whole post.
MS-NBC Gets Punk'd
Power Line has a great post on a lack of journalistic effort on the part of MS-NBC. In covering the Michael Vick story, they reported on what they thought was Al Sharpton's website proclaiming Vick's innocence. I guess Alex Johnson and two other MS-NBC reporters couldn't bother to read the title bar of the site, which proudly proclaims it as a "parody site".
New Instapundit Podcast On Pharmaceuticals
I just caught this e-mail from Glenn Reynolds about his new podcast with Richard Epstein, the author of Overdose: How Excessive Government Regulation Stifles Pharmaceutical Innovation. Haven't had a chance to listen to it yet, but the topic is important enough to make sure I carve out time for it tomorrow. Get their first and tell me what I'm missing ....
Fed Trying A 'Stealth Easing'?
The Federal Reserve seems to have conducted a quiet campaign to steady markets that started spinning out of control, according to King Banaian at SCSU Scholars. He thinks that the Fed has conducted a "stealth easing". Be sure to read his explanation and follow his lnks.
A Shameless Bit Of Sel-Promotion
Gateway Pundit and Val at Babalu Blog note a crass PR move by Hugo Chavez. Venezuela has responded to Peru's eathquake disaster with food shipments -- and with Hugo's smiling picture on the cans. He also uses the tuna-can label to undermine President Garcia of Peru, who narrowly defeated Chavez' pal Ollanto Humalla, whom the labels extol for his "solidarity" with Chavez.
Tacky beyond belief.
Comments (4)
Posted by Lew | June 29, 2007 8:19 AM
It is all very well and good that the Chief Justice should make the point that doing something good for some group because of its race, is just as racist as doing something bad to the same group because of its race. This is a notion long overdue for debate, because we don't seem to be able to see that one course of action is simply the other side of the coin from the other. I suppose one could call it "negative" and "positive" racism, or "benevolent" and "malevolent" racism or some other such duality. The point is that no matter what modifier you put in front of it, its still racism and its still stupid and pointless and unjust.
The other point that always comes up in the discussion ever since the University of Michigan case, is the doctrine of "Compelling State Interest". In effect, hasn't the Court now arrogated to itself alone the power to decide not only what the Constitution means but even when it can be ignored? And if this is the case, then hasn't the Court now assumed at least a quasi-legislative role for itself? In fact, I would assert that if we put the University of Michigan case alongside the Griswold decision, that the Court has taken upon itself the power to throw aside any limit to its discretion at all. It can not only manufacture rights out of thin air, but it can decide when other rights might be conveniently ignored. In short, the Court is no longer bound by the Constitution. Or perhaps more accurately, the Court is no longer bound!
This does NOT look like a co-equal branch of government to me!
Posted by km | June 29, 2007 9:03 AM
We can not get to a "color blind" society as long a racism is writen onto the law.
Calling something negative or positive is just spin and phrasing games with no substance (i.e. giving academic advantages to some races is the same thing as denying them to others).
If "disadvantaged" people need help, set up programs based upon the disadvantage - poor blacks should be benefitted the same as poor whites or asians (or whatever). Similarly, those blacks who have acheieved middle or upper clas status should get no more (or less) advantage than those of the same strata regardless of race. Whoever is on the bottom of the pile can be aided on that basis (and thus aid would go to whoever needs it without overbraodness, and without further fueling racism).
Posted by Tim K | June 29, 2007 9:18 AM
This would have been an historic decision IF Roberts' opinion had been for the majority, instead of for a plurality. As it is, Kennedy's decision becomes the rule of law to be followed by lower courts in future cases. And Kennedy's decision is a far cry from the blow against racial balancing by school district that Roberts' decision would be.
Posted by Labamigo | June 29, 2007 9:57 AM
Kennedy's opinion is no help at all. It provides virtually no direction as to what is legal and what is not. Lower courts and the public are left right where we started. Sometimes, in some situations, in some places, it is OK to use some racial considerations when trying to solve some problems. But not always!!!