Via the Benevolent Emperor I find this worthy site, Do Not Spam.
Archives for May 2003
Pejman Has Some Questions
Since Henry Waxman wants to investigate the cost of having President Bush land on the USS Abraham Lincoln, Pejman has a few questions he wants answered. Questions like:
Let’s investigate how much it would have cost if a Clinton Administration staffer got his wish to divert an entire carrier battle group from Australia to Manila Bayin 1996 while President Clinton was in Asia for the Asia Pacific Economic Conference that year, merely so that the President could fly in via helicopter in order to meet and greet the crew. At least President Bush didn’t divert the Lincoln from its course, and the ship returned to port on time and on schedule.
I see Pejman’s point, of course, but I think the Republicans could have nothing better than several weeks of sustained airplay of Henry Waxman and Robert Byrd on television railing about this- I am betting Bush’s approval ratings will go up every time those two open their mouths. Plus, every time the two mention it to complain, the public gets to watch the footage the Democrats don’t want you to see- the President landing on the deck of the Lincoln and being greeting loudly and proudly by the crew. It’s a win-win for the Republicans. How many times are the Democrats going to create a zero-sum game with this President and come up on the losing side- will they ever learn?
Incompetent Edwards
You would think Chuckie Schumer, fresh off his record FEC fines, would havetaken a little time to coach Edwards on how to violate campaign finance laws:
Sen. John Edwards
Poor Paul Krugman
He just can’t lie at will and get away with it anymore. Donald Luskin and Co. give him the truth smackdown of his life.
Lies, Damned Lies
Steve Verdon points out that there are lies, damned lies, and then there is Atrios trying to interpret statistics.
Bill Bennett, One More Time
I have written about the Bennett gambling fiasco here, here, and here. I shouldn’t have wasted my time, and instead should have just directed you to Arthur Silber’s joint, because he says everything I wanted to the way I wanted to.
So when the question of hypocrisy is raised in connection with the recent revelations, most people are viewing the issue precisely backwards. It obviously isn’t the case that Bennett railed against the evils of gambling, while privately gambling away millions of dollars. What is notable is that Bennett did not rail against the “private” behavior of gambling — while at the same time, he did rail against the sins of drug use, the strong inadvisability (in his view) of legal recognition of same-sex marriage, and other similar “sins.” And the point is simply this: if you proceed from a consistent recognition of individual rights, there is no principled method by which to distinguish among these various behaviors — and, again, unless someone violates the rights of others, these behaviors should be outside the bounds of governmental concern altogether.
But it is Bennett himself who advocates government intrusion into what ought to be private concerns. Because he has no principled approach to these matters, however, he advocates governmental regulation of those behaviors he personally views as “wrong,” while exempting those behaviors of which he approves. And we now find out that he also exempts those behaviors that he himself engages in. As someone might say: how convenient.
Just beautiful. Go read the whole thing and hit his tip jar.
I’m Skeptical About This Too
Sen. Shelby is right to be skeptical, and these companies have a long way to go before people should feel confident in them, as I have stated before. Name changes and some small fines are not enough (remember, Citigroup Global Markets is just a new name on the corrupt Saloman Smith Barney). In Shelby’s words:
“I believe that the Wall Street culture must change from the top down, and I am not convinced that the (settlement) has done enough to change attitudes at the top” of the big investment firms, Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., the committee’s chairman, said at a hearing called to examine the accord. “Without holding executives and CEOs personally accountable for the wrongdoing that occurred under their watch, I do not believe that Wall Street will change its ways or that investor confidence will be restored.”
There is a one word solution for this problem- handcuffs. When corrupt executives ruin peoples lives and finances, they deserve to be locked up like rats.