Legal scholar Jeffery Toobin thinks laws requiring voters to show a valid picture ID before voting are biased in favor of Republicans. This argument makes sense given the affinity of poorer Americans to vote Democratic. But is that relevant? Two principles of free and fair elections are contradictory, that we count every vote and that…
Author: marc
Marc is a software developer, writer, and part-time political know-it-all who currently resides in Texas in the good ol' U.S.A.
Telcos, Money, and Immunity
Glen Greenwald’s latest piece on immunity for telecom companies that helped the government in the aftermath of 9/11 is one worth reading. Fundamentally the issue hasn’t changed – telecoms that cooperated with the Bush administration deserve protection as is currently given – but Glen’s analysis of their contributions to lobbying firms and the money’s subsequent…
Illegal Immigrant Crackdown
The NY Times reports that immigration officials have been running a rapid-fire prosecution program aimed at illegal aliens who’d fraudulently used other people’s identification to gain employment with Agriprocessors Inc. Nearly 400 people were processed through the special court. 94 were convicted on Wednesday alone. For the math-challenged, that’s nearly 12 convictions per hour. That…
Effects of Feminism
Rebecca Walker, daughter of feminism and author Alice Walker, who publicly called her own child a calamity in her life, has some interesting things to say about the movement. Well worth reading. the truth was I was very lonely and, with my mother’s knowledge, started having sex at 13. I guess it was a relief…
About that Dream Ticket… (or How a Bad Choice of Words Could End Hillary’s Political Career, Again)
The New York Post: "My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. I don’t understand it," she said Not the right thing to say – ever. Certainly not given…
Dream Ticket Happening?
CNN says that talks to create the Democratic party’s Dream Team are underway. The word "difficult" was used, as you’d expect, given that Hillary has a very good chance of winning the aggregate popular vote. Partisan voters almost always come home after their candidate loses. The problem arises when a candidate’s supporters believe that their…
Dems Lied re Iraq to Win Congress
Jeff Emanuel’s excellent article about Representative Paul Kanjorski (D-PA) confirms what I’ve written for several months now: that the Democrats were dishonest about their intentions – and ability – to put an end to the Iraq war. Jeff says that Kanjorski has an "honesty problem" – too much of a good thing! I wish there…
Yes on GI Bill, No on Timing
It’s got to be heartbreaking for President Bush and John McCain to be on the wrong side of the GI Bill debate. Interestingly, their position exemplifies what Democrats have failed to recognize in the nearly 2 years since taking over Congress: responsibility brings with it the requirement to do unpleasant things. Mark Kleiman says that…
McCain & the Islam Problem
John McCain’s pastor problem, part 2, in the form of Reverend Rod Parsley, can be summed up in the minister’s own words about Islam. Parsley’s remarks – quoted below – are ones that cannot be made in the modern world without blowback. Now McCain has rejected Parsley’s support as a result. No matter, their association…
Blogging Exposed
Emily Gould’s piece about blogging for Gawker last year is a love-lorn letter to the business of blogging and what it can put a person through. A bit fluffy, but personal, entertaining, and worth a read. I particularly liked this bit: "you know, you really shouldn’t read the comments." Good advice – unless you like…