Howie Kurtz weighs in on the O’Reilly/Internet flap.
Archives for 2003
Oh- That Litmus Test
Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry said Friday that he is prepared to block any Supreme Court nominee who would not uphold the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion.
“I am prepared to filibuster, if necessary, any Supreme Court nominee who would turn back the clock on a woman’s right to choose or the constitutional right to privacy, on civil rights and individual liberties and on the laws protecting workers and the environment,” Kerry said in remarks prepared for delivery via satellite at a meeting of Democratic party officials in St. Paul, Minn.
“The test is basic — any person who thinks it’s his or her job to push an extreme political agenda rather than to interpret the law should not be a Supreme Court justice.”
At least he is being honest about what he intends to do. The other Democrats employ the same policy, unofficially. Officially, they just resort to character assassination and duplicity to block the nominees.
(via Drudge)
More Bad News
From the continent that is by and large a basket case:
The unregulated supply of Aids drugs in the non-industrialised world threatens to accelerate the development of drug-resistant HIV strains.
That is the conclusion of a study from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, just published in the British Medical Journal.
Apparently, Africa is currently a laboratory perfectly set up to create resistance in the virus:
“These drugs are not being used according to the correct regimens. For instance, monotherapy – just giving one anti-retroviral drug – is definitely bad practice. And we see evidence of that both from Zimbabwe and Uganda, and I’m sure it’s happening in other countries too.”
Dr Brugha also found that in some places patients are changing medication frequently, taking the wrong dose, or stopping treatment in periods when they cannot afford it.
This is exactly the set of conditions in which a virus quickly becomes drug-resistant.
Every time I read about Africa, I just get depressed.
Alzheimer’s Update
One of the most interesting studies I have ever read was the 1996 “Nun” study examining the association between low idea density in writing and later development of Alzheimers. This is an equally interesting study:
Playing chess, bridge or a musical instrument significantly lowers the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia, according to the most comprehensive study to examine the benefits of challenging intellectual activity among the elderly.
Seniors who regularly engaged in pastimes that stretched their minds — sorry, watching TV doesn’t count — lowered their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias by as much as 75 percent, compared with those who didn’t exercise their minds, researchers said yesterday.
The report bolsters a growing body of evidence that exercising the mind through board games, social activities and education offers powerful protection against mental deterioration and disease.
Brings a whole new meaning to the phrase “Use it or lose it.”
A Government Program I like
I like this. Lots:
The Federal Trade Commission by the end of this month will begin taking requests from consumers who want their phone numbers made off-limits to telemarketers.
The federal plan is similar to programs in more than two dozen states where consumers can place their phone numbers on so-called do-not-call registries. Those programs appear to have effectively curbed some unwanted telephone solicitations.
Under the new federal rules, telemarketers who call phone numbers that have been listed on a nationwide do-not-call registry database will be subject, beginning on Oct. 1, to fines of up to $11,000 for each violation.
This concept has become more popular as technology has allowed companies to pitch their wares to millions of consumers over telephone, e-mail, and now even mobile phones.
I absolutely hate it when I get calls from telemarketers on my cell phone during peak hours. Just infuriates me.
If Al Gore Tells A Joke in the Woods, Will Anyone Laugh?
Former Vice President Al Gore, once a newspaper reporter, may be getting back into the media business.
Gore has been meeting with potential investors interested in creating a cable television network, Time magazine’s online edition reported Wednesday.
There’s been a lot of talk in Democratic circles about launching a media enterprise to counter dominant GOP voices. Political talk radio is dominated by conservative voices and Fox News Channel, the top-rated cable news outlet, is also very popular among conservatives.
When it fails, who will they blame?
If Al Gore Tells A Joke in the Woods, Will Anyone Laugh?Post + Comments (5)
You Never Listen
Like I have said, over and over again, Howard Dean is going to be the Democrat candidate in 2004. Now House and Senate Dems are getting worried:
“Democratic strategists have begun to express concern about what they say is the potentially negative effect the former Vermont governor could have on Senate and House races if he becomes the party’s nominee,” ROLL CALL is reporting in Thursday’s edition.
“This line of criticism underscores an approach to the campaign Dean has employed to great effect thus far, pitching himself as a straight-talking outsider who will challenge the political orthodoxy of the inside-the-Beltway Democratic establishment.”
Of most concern: “Dean’s outspoken opposition to the war in Iraq and his call for a complete rollback of President Bush’s tax cuts, positions that some strategists argue makes him unattractive – even potentially alienating – to swing voters needed to win competitive House and Senate seats.”
“If Dean is the nominee it will make 1972 look competitive,” a Democratic strategist not “aligned with any of the presidential campaigns” told the newspaper. “Members and candidates in marginal seats will be running for the hills.”
Looks like the campaign to sabotage Dean will begin in earnest. If this happens, expect a green/moderate Democrat split that will create a seismic shift in the political landscape. The hard left will have a stroke if the DLC types are seen to destroy Dean (even though Dean is pretty much a moderate himself). This is good for the Republican party.