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I agree with this Wall Street Journal editorial (subscription required) saying:

....Social Security reform becomes even more important to Mr. Bush's Presidency and his political coalition in the wake of the Medicare giveaway. Republicans are bragging that by giving seniors a vast new entitlement they will sweep to victory in 2004. But the price of that "victory" has those of us who believe in limited government wondering what difference there is between the two parties.



The only real way for Mr. Bush to vindicate the Medicare fiasco is by using whatever short-term political advantage it provides to reform the other great entitlement for the elderly.

Following this advice would take courage, but we've seen Bush be courageous in other areas.

Police Shoot, Kidnap Citizen -- or Maybe Not

Either the Associated Press needs to hire better editors, or the Baltimore police need to find less violent officers. Or so I conclude after reading an article in the Washington Times, part of which I reprint here:

County police are investigating the incident as a shooting and kidnapping with assistance from Baltimore police, Mr. Vinson said.

More seriously, the story is about a kidnapping victim who went to a house looking for help after being released by the bad guys. As it happened, the house belonged to former Baltimore Oriole Cal Ripkin, who called the police. (A local TV station has said calling the police makes Ripkin a "hero." No. He did the right thing, but it takes more than that to be a hero.)

Washington Post: Battles and Bruises Produce Medicare Bill

This interesting Washington Post November 30 article recaps negotiations over the Medicare bill on Capitol Hill. It includes a few choice tidbits, such as the Hill nixing a detailed White House plan that apparently would have delivered far more fundamental reform than did the legislation eventually approved by Congress.

A Dandy, A Fop, But Not a Newcomer

A word we keep hearing about is "metrosexual."



Supposedly, the term comes from the notion that a man who is interested in clothes is in touch with his feminine side. We are supposed to believe that his very existence is a new social phenomenon.



I don't buy it. Beau Brummel, prince of dandies, lived 200 years ago. Our Founding Fathers powdered their hair, which was bad enough by itself, but their English cohorts had to pay an annual hair powder tax for the privilege, and still they did it. Elizabethean men wore lace ruffs and peascod doublets (essentially coulottes for men, often garishly striped), and decorated codpieces (the size of which were regulated by the Church). Men wore tights, tying them with ribbon near the knee to keep the fabric clingy enough to show off their legs.



And keep in mind that among our European and some American ancestors, young boys wore dresses and long hair -- which often was artificially curled. Talk about keeping in touch with your feminine side!



Today's metrosexual is a dandy, or a fop. But he's no newcomer.

Do You Like Miguel? Check Yes or No

An observation by NCPPR executive director David W. Almasi:

Remember the silly notes you passed back and forth in grade school, particularly about the opposite sex? Like a ballot, you'd respond to your friends' questions about who you liked and who you didn't and hope the teacher didn't intercept the notes and read them to the entire class.



While most people left this practice behind when them graduated from middle school, a version of it still apparently continues in Senator Ted Kennedy's office. And now the entire nation gets to read the notes. The leak of staff memos shows that, when his staff makes recommendations to him, they leave boxes at the end for him to check off his decision.



But don't just look for the silly boxes, read the memos.



The memos show how liberal special interests such as People for the American Way, the NAACP and the National Organization for Women appear to have run the schedule and direction in which Democratic staff of the Judiciary Committee operated with regard to Bush Administration judicial nominees during the years they were in the majority. They also imply that the NAACP may have sidelined a judicial hearing in order to ensure the NAACP the outcome they sought in the University of Michigan affirmative action case -- a decision in favor or racial preferences that was largely reaffirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court last summer. (Their logic was wrong, but the deceit is still reprehensible.)

Rx for Bankruptcy... and More

Chheck Out Townhall.com's C-Log Blog today for one than one worthy essay on the Medicare bill and conservative thoughts on the fact it was approved by the GOP.

The Medicare Conundrum

This article by Ramesh Ponnuru on National Review Online may be the best summary of what conservatives are thinking and feeling right now on Medicare.



This is what happens when conservative leaders don't go outside the beltway to build a consensus on major changes within major programs in the manner that Stuart Butler suggested (see blog entry below). Conservative and free-market think-tanks and allied organizations have been doing this for years now, but on an issue as huge as this we can only lay the groundwork for the politicians.



In this case, the politicians have forgotten to invite the American people into the debate. We're all the poorer.

Billboard Needed

From Stuart Butler of the Heritage Foundation, who knows as much about this subject as anybody, comes the best answer to those who say the Medicare proposal on the table is the best that can be hoped for:

1. Congress should enact a limited measure, based on the discount card agreed to by the conference that will actually help most seniors who now lack affordable drug coverage.



2. The President and Members of Congress committed to reform must do what they failed to do effectively over the last two years – methodically build the case with the American people for critical reforms in the program. Changes in sensitive programs like Medicare can only be achieved through a public campaign, not through back-door deals.

#2 is particularly on-point. Somebody, please, put it on a billboard and place it on the White House front lawn.

Sad Commentary

From our David Ridenour:

The big news isn't that a warrant was issued for Michael Jackson's arrest, but that parents would allow their child to have unsupervised visits with the man widely believed to have molested a child ten years ago.



It is a sad commentary on the state of our nation in which parents who spank their children are hauled before a judge, but parents who allow their children into situations in which they can be abused are allowed to roam freely.



Where are child protective services? Should the child in question be taken from the parents?



If the allegations against Jackson are true, and the media reports about Jackson paying the medical bills of the child in question and buying a house for his parents are also true, it seems to me that the boy's parents should have a cell next to Jackson.

"Medicare Perspective Index" -- Grim Parody of Harper's Sheds Light on Medicare Debate

Ed Haislmaier has put together, with a nod to Harper's Index, a "Medicare Perspective Index" (PDF file) to illuminate some of the more striking facts of the medicare prescription drug debate. It's worth reading and scary stuff when you consider how big some of the numbers are and how quickly Congress is voting on this. There's not time enough for public input -- even the Congressmen won;t have time to read the bill before they vote, if the current schedule holds.



Our David Almasi (and possibly Ed Haislmaier as well) will speak at a press conference on this subject at 11 AM today organized by the National Taxpayers Union.

Dy-No-MITE!

An observation from Project 21 member Darryn "Dutch" Martin on how appearances can be deceiving:

On a recent edition of The O'Reilly Factor dealing with Rush Limbaugh's stint in rehab for painkiller addiction -- and whether -the view of him by his listeners may have changed since the admission -- O'Reilly's guest was none other that Jimmie "J.J." Walker of "Good Times" television fame.



To my utter surprise and pleasure, Walker is not only an avid fan and supporter of Limbaugh, but he also espouses many a conservative viewpoint.



When asked about the liberal media's almost lustful hatred for Limbaugh, Walker said he believes that the left's pot shots and cheap shots will backfire, resulting in an increase in Limbaugh's already enormous fan base.



Watching this segment was refreshing for me for two reasons:



1. It shows that there are more people (including celebrities) who sincerely respect and admire Rush Limbaugh than we are normally led to believe; and



2. It shows that not all celebrities and TV personalities, past and present, are card-carrying liberals.



It was particularly gratifying given that not everyone got a kick out of Walker's portrayal of J.J. Evans. This includes the late Esther Rolle, a fellow "Good Times" co-star. She believed that his character, in a show created by arch-liberal Hollywood activist Norman Lear, represented a negative stereotypical depiction of blacks on television.



In expressing himself the way he did on The O'Reilly Factor, Jimmie Walker showed that he is indeed an intelligent man and well-informed American citizen. I was very impressed.

Simply Nuts

A note from Project 21 member Michael King:

Do you need permission to call an injustice a lynching?



U.S. Senator Zell Miller (D-GA) has been taken to task by Wade Henderson, executive director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, for comments the senator made during last week's Senate debate-a-thon.



Miller's crime? Calling the Democratic filibuster of federal court nominee,and California Supreme Court Justice Janice Rogers Brown, "an injustice" and a "modern lynching."



Well, as a duly-born black consultant, and citizen of the great state of Georgia, I hereby give former Georgia governor and current U.S. Senator Zell Miller permission to use the term "lynching" to describe any injustice

perpetrated by anyone.



For Henderson, or anyone else for that matter, to go up in smoke over something as basic and inconsequential as that is just plain nuts. It certainly diminishes any efforts that Henderson's group may have. You know the drill: keep crying wolf, and no one will pay attention when you really need to get their notice.



Simply nuts.

Medicare: It Needs Reform for More Reasons Than Most People Realize

Ed Haislmaier writes in this new National Policy Analysis #498 paper, Medicare: It's About the Future, Stupid! that Medicare's current structure has a lot more problems than just the one we keep hearing about (the little matter of what in the private sector would be called "looming bankruptcy").



If you rely on Medicare, read this piece to see how Medicare's shortcomings are hurting you now.



If you are an American who expects to turn 65 at some later date, read this to be forewarned.



Our country can do better, and should.

Who Says Congressional Trips Are Just Vacations?

An observation from our executive director, David Almasi:

Who said congressional delegations are just vacations? It seems one CODEL really made a big difference, for now.



In a surprising policy reversal, Congressman Sheila Jackson-Lee, a hardened Bush critic, decided American forces need to be in Iraq longer than Bush or her liberal colleagues are prepared to keep them there. This change of heart came after Jackson-Lee visited Iraq. According to a report filed by Houston TV station KHOU, "Jackson Lee's concern is that the fragile peace cannot survive without a strong military presence -- American or coalition."



One has to wonder, however, if Jackson-Lee is going be batted back into line as Al Sharpton was recently after he said that a black judicial candidate deserved a timely up-or-down vote on her nomination in the U.S. Senate. Only time will tell.

War between the Generations: Federal Spending on the Elderly Set to Explode

This piece by Chris Edwards and Tad Dehaven at the Cato Institute provides further support for the notion that we need to reform Medicare -- really reform it -- and the sooner the better.

From New Democrats Online: "Medi-Mess"

Ed Haislmaier recommended this informative short piece posted online today by the Democratic Leadership Council.



The piece calls the House-Senate compromise "a lost opportunity to modernize Medicare," saying Congress "should have designed a workable prescription drug benefit and introduced key principles of accountability for results, innovation, and cost restraint through competition, helping to maintain Medicare's fragile solvency for future generations of seniors."



There is more, and it is worth reading.

"We're Only Filibustering Four"

Another observation from NCPPR executive director David Almasi:

The liberal obstructionists in the Senate recently changed their battle cry from one of a crusade to stop the ‘right wing’ from packing the courts to a defensive "we're only filibustering four."



Make that six, now that they ended the unprecedented judicial nomination debate marathon by defeating the cloture votes on nominees Carolyn Kuhl and Janice Rogers Brown. And this does not include the others in the wings who are being blocked procedurally and under threat of filibuster.



If they want to play the numbers game, that'll be a 50% INCREASE in the number of nominees are now being OFFICIALLY filibustered.

And Then There Was One

More on the story of Congressman Jim Moran from NCPPR executive director David W. Almasi:

And then there was one.



Yet another of Congressman Jim Moran's announced primary opponents has dropped out of the race. Former Fairfax County Board Chairman Katherine Hanley dropped out citing the lack of time necessary to unseat Moran. The remaining primary opponent is a little-known area attorney. The new state chairman for the Democratic Party, upon hearing the news, said Hanley's withdrawal "paves the way for Jim Moran's re-election."



This means that I will once again have a congressman who, if he was a conservative, would be described as an anti-Semitic, wife-beating, cheating, hot-headed unethical partisan. But, since he's a liberal, I guess I'll have to settle with him being a "maverick."



I guess I have to get used to being embarrassed by my representatives. I came to Washington from the south suburbs of Chicago. At first, mother was extremely proud of our representative, Ed Derwinksi — who became the first secretary of the Department of Veterans' Affairs. More recent ones, after congressional redistricting, were more interested in having affairs. Gus Savage was ousted after it was revealed he sexually assaulted a Peace Corps worker in Zaire and criticized her as a "traitor to the black movement" for rejecting his advances. He was defeated in a primary challenge by Mel Reynolds. Reynolds, however, left the office in disgrace. He was convicted of criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse and child pornography related to a campaign worker. After he got out of prison, he went to work for Jesse Jackson and Jesse Jackson, Jr. now holds the congressional seat.

"The Government Can't Even Put Out a Fire"

There's a good bit of idiocy in this piece, which tries to tie forest fires to global warming.



Environmentalists have a lot of gall. They oppose forest thinning and sensible management programs to reduce the chance of monster forest fires. Then, when thousands of people those their homes and many are killed, instead of taking responsibility (as any moral people would) and rethinking their extremism, they try to exploit the death and destruction for one of their other pet causes.



A pet cause that is not, by the way, any better grounded in sound science than their forest policy recommendations are. Manybe less.



The best observation on this I've seen comes from Ron Nehring, now the chairman of the San Diego Republican Party, but once known as the guy who put the African-American leadership group Project 21 on the map:

"And as for global warming, the government can't even put out a FIRE, and they think the government can affect the whole PLANET??? They should get their priorities straight. When they've mastered the skill of putting a bucket of water on a fire, they can come back and talk about doing something with the planet."

If Ron seems a little emotional, it is because his house came within a whisker of burning down. See the photos and read his story here. Pay particular attention to the fact that the burned areas in the photos are government property, and the land that was saved was Ron's well-tended private property.



Keep in mind also that the environmentalists would call Ron's house and yard, which lie on the outskirts of San Diego, "sprawl." Well, viva la sprawl, I say. It sure beats carnage.

More Blacks are Conservative than Liberal: Who's the "Race Traitor" Now?

More on that new Gallup poll...



In it, more blacks (30 percent) say they are conservative than say they are liberal (22 percent). 47 percent say they are moderate.



(Yet, liberal U.S. Senators are planning to filibuster a qualified black judicial nominee because she's not liberal -- as if not being liberal makes her some kind of race traitor. Maybe the true race traitors are Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and their ilk.)



The corresponding numbers for whites are 43 percent conservative, 18 percent liberal and 38 percent moderate.