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Friday, June 27, 2024
By Steven Taylor

Charles Krauthammer makes an excellent point in his column today in WaPo on the Michigan case. He points out that while the ruling leaves affirmative action in place, and provides a rather muddled definition of how it can be implemented, it doesn’t actually mandate the policy.

By allowing, and not mandating, the Court leaves the possibility open, whether it intended to or not, for legislatures to do away with affirmative action. So, Texas’ 10% rule, or California’s lack of AA still stands, and either could be adopted by other states. So, as he points out, unlke Roe the Michigan AA case doesn’t take the issue out of the hands of the political process.

Let’s remember: The court did not mandate affirmative action. It only permitted affirmative action. The people and the politicians are entirely empowered to do away with it. True, the abolition movement has slowed since its successes in California and Washington, and most of the political class — both Democratic and Republican — lacks the courage to take up the fight.

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By Steven Taylor

Could someone point me in the direction of where I might learn how to have an easily updated news function for a web page (kind of like having a mini-blog nested in the page)? Is there a freeware program, or other trick that one could use for something along those lines?

In other words, I want to have a portion of a web page that is easy to update without actually having to go into the page itself and change the actula text of the index page.

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By Steven Taylor

Boy was Hamilton right here. In Federalist 84 when he argued against a Bill of Rights:

I go further, and affirm that bills of rights, in the sense and to the extent in which they are contended for, are not only unnecessary in the proposed Constitution, but would even be dangerous. They would contain various exceptions to powers not granted; and, on this very account, would afford a colorable pretext to claim more than were granted. For why declare that things shall not be done which there is no power to do? Why, for instance, should it be said that the liberty of the press shall not be restrained, when no power is given by which restrictions may be imposed? I will not contend that such a provision would confer a regulating power; but it is evident that it would furnish, to men disposed to usurp, a plausible pretense for claiming that power. They might urge with a semblance of reason, that the Constitution ought not to be charged with the absurdity of providing against the abuse of an authority which was not given, and that the provision against restraining the liberty of the press afforded a clear implication, that a power to prescribe proper regulations concerning it was intended to be vested in the national government. This may serve as a specimen of the numerous handles which would be given to the doctrine of constructive powers, by the indulgence of an injudicious zeal for bills of rights.

In other words, if one grants protections against abuses of powers not granted, does this not infer that there may be powers not explicitly defined? Indeed, the existence of the Bill of Rights allows for disputes about what they mean. If the Founders had stuck to their original desire, the disputes over these issues would be limited to the states. However, the existence of the BoR, and especially the addition of the 14th Amendment, sets the stage for conflicts like the Texas sodomy law case, which arguably should be limited to the government of the state of Texas.

Having noted this, I would point out that it is impossible, at this stage of our political evolution (an evolution that started with the passage of the first ten amendments), to expect that pure federalism would be in operation.

And yes, I realize that what I am talking about, and what Hamilton is talking about in the quote is not the exact same thing. However, the general point is that the introduction of the Bill of Rights sets the stage for murkiness over their meaning, application and scope, and further, set the stage for conflicts over these issues at the national level, rather than the state level.

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By Steven Taylor

Diane West has an interesting column in WaTi about Howard Dean. And here’s a rather interesting tidbit that I was unaware of:

And speaking of controversial issues, is the Democratic Party ready to unite behind a leader who, as a med student, performed his ob-gyn rotation at a Planned Parenthood clinic? Vermont magazine reported on this in 1998, adding: “While he has never performed an abortion himself, he is strongly pro-choice and certainly understands the medical procedures involved.” This rates as the medical equivalent of not inhaling.

The question is, why didn’t Dr. Dean, at one time on the board of Planned Parenthood, ever perform an abortion? And how does Dr. Dean, who is also an opponent of parental notification, explain Vermont’s status as one of a handful of states in which abortions may be performed by non-doctors? In 1998–the last year the state released data–183 girls under the age of 18 had abortions, more than half of them performed by non-doctors: Morality aside, is this even the healthiest option?

I am surprised that this is first time I have heard of his direct relationship with Planned Parenthood–and certainly one which would be quite an issue in a general election campaign. And I’m with West–the morality of the issue aside for the moment–who thinks it is a good idea to let non-Doctors perform abortions?

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By Steven Taylor

On the one hand the MoveOn.org PAC’s online primary means nothing more than your typical straw poll (like the Alabama Straw Poll that selected Alan Keyes back in 1999). On the other, this one time it will have some significance, not because of the vote totals per se, as they mean nothing (I mean, gee whiz, Kucinich can in second), but because in the current absence of real news, this will get a ton of coverage. And that coverage will be largely positive for Howard Dean (something he needs after last week) and will help continue him further his standing as a front-runner. It will probably help his fund-raising as well.

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By Steven Taylor

It appears that there are a large number of folks out there looking for nude pics of Stripperella, and have stopped by PoliBlog in their quest, given my previous refs to the show. In short, Striperella has become my Destiny Stahl.

And while I managed to miss the premiere (shucks!), I saw some clips on Hardball last night during a discussion of the advent of adult-oriented cartoons on standard cable channels, and having seen said clips, I am afraid that Stan Lee has not managed to avoid countering this statement: “I am a man of impeccable good taste and would never do anything that would be offensive”.

Perhaps even more frightening is the fact that I have had a steady stream of searches looking for info on the Donald Trump personal assistant show.

All I want to know is where is all the interest in my keen political observations? I feel so used.

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By Steven Taylor

I just heard a story about “Hipsters” on NPR, and surfed over to this: NPR : ‘The Hipster Handbook’. I am pretty sure that I have heard the term before, but must confess as to knowing almost nothing about this particular trend.

Quite frankly, it sounds annoying.

At any rate, I am almost 35, will have been married for 13 years on Monday, have three kids and live in the middle of Alabama. Meguesses that this is the very definition of anti-hip.

And, looking at some of the quiz questions, I find that I am more than correct:

» You graduated from a liberal arts school whose football team hasn’t won a game since the Reagan administration.

UT may not have won a National Championship in some time, but we have won some football games. One big strike. (Plus, I went to two large state universities…, so two strikes). Plus, I like football. Indeed, I am currently in football withdrawal. I have even considered watching Arena ball. Thusfar I have resisted, however.

» You frequently use the term “post-modern” (or its commonly used variation “PoMo”) as an adjective, noun, and verb.

To borrow an obnoxious phrase from my youth: “gag me with a spoon.” I endeavor to avoid the dreaded PoMo refs whenever possible. And like my e-colleague John Lemon, I typically use it in a derisive manner.

» You carry a shoulder-strap messenger bag and have at one time or another worn a pair of horn-rimmed or Elvis Costello-style glasses.

Hmm. I do have a briefcase that has a strap, but I don’t use it. And I just retired my glasses and am wearing contacts.

» You have one Republican friend who you always describe as being your “one Republican friend.”

Yeah, well, if you read the blog, you know the response to this one.

» Your hair looks best unwashed and you position your head on your pillow at night in a way that will really maximize your cowlicks.

I will take a shower in the morning, even if I took one the night before, just so my hair will go right.

Indeed, I am terminally unhip, and proud of the fact.

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By Steven Taylor

A good’un from Scott Adams:

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Thursday, June 26, 2024
By Steven Taylor

Thanks to Wrong Side of Happiness for linking to PoliBlog.

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By Steven Taylor

I wondered the same thing: Did Fed Let Expectations Get Out of Hand? Not to mention the fact that this isn’t the first time this has happened–where expectations turned potentially good news from the Fed into bad news.

If markets are a matter of expectations versus reality, then the Federal Reserve learned yesterday that letting expectations get out of hand can be costly.

The Fed had spread the idea that it was sure to ease credit again yesterday, and it did. But many had concluded that the cut was going to be bigger than it was, and a result was falling stock and bond prices.

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