Friday, December 31, 2004
Can I Please Explain The Commerce Clause?
Stanford Unger, The President of Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland, has found a nice little nugget of legislation tucked neatly into the recently signed $388 billion omnibus spending bill which was added by Senator Byrd (D-WVA). Now, any school accepting federal money (including WEDJ) will have to hold an annual program centered around the U.S. Constitution on September 17th, which is the anniversary of its 1789 signing.
Mr. Unger's editorial in today's Washington Post expresses his concern regarding the federal government interfering in setting school curriculum. As a libertarian, of course, this new requirement turns my stomach. But even more worrisome then the point made by Mr. Unger is exactly what will be taught on this day. We already know that few in this country understand that our Constitution is one of limited delineated powers granted to the federal government. Could you imaging Michael Moore teaching a class? Now that's scary.
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Mr. Unger's editorial in today's Washington Post expresses his concern regarding the federal government interfering in setting school curriculum. As a libertarian, of course, this new requirement turns my stomach. But even more worrisome then the point made by Mr. Unger is exactly what will be taught on this day. We already know that few in this country understand that our Constitution is one of limited delineated powers granted to the federal government. Could you imaging Michael Moore teaching a class? Now that's scary.
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Justice Department Has A Change Of Heart
With the confirmation hearings on Alberto Gonzales' nomination for Attorney General set to begin next week the Justice Department broadens its definition of torture. From the Washington Post article by Jeffrey Smith and Dan Eggen:
This second effort by the Bush administration to parse the legal meaning of the word "torture" was provoked by the damaging political fallout from the disclosure this summer of the first memo, drafted in August 2002 and criticized by human rights lawyers and experts around the globe.
Many of the critics charged that the first memo -- which they said laid out a very narrow view of what behavior might constitute torture and was crafted to help interrogators at the CIA evade prosecution -- created the context for a record of persistent ill treatment by that agency and the U.S. military of detainees at prisons in Iraq, Afghanistan, Cuba's Guantanamo Bay and undisclosed locations.
I guess someone over at Justice figured out that with the new boss coming if this wasn't done now there may not be another chance for quite awhile.
Happy New Year!
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This second effort by the Bush administration to parse the legal meaning of the word "torture" was provoked by the damaging political fallout from the disclosure this summer of the first memo, drafted in August 2002 and criticized by human rights lawyers and experts around the globe.
Many of the critics charged that the first memo -- which they said laid out a very narrow view of what behavior might constitute torture and was crafted to help interrogators at the CIA evade prosecution -- created the context for a record of persistent ill treatment by that agency and the U.S. military of detainees at prisons in Iraq, Afghanistan, Cuba's Guantanamo Bay and undisclosed locations.
I guess someone over at Justice figured out that with the new boss coming if this wasn't done now there may not be another chance for quite awhile.
Happy New Year!
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E.J. Dionne Still Doesn't Get It
In this laughable analysis of the past Presidential election E.J. Dionne thinks John Kerry lost because of Republican attack ads. Please. He does get one thing absolutely right in his call for his party to stand for something. Let's play a game. List several issues Republicans support:
1. Social security privatization*
2. Simplifying the tax code*
3. Winning the war on terror
4. Winning the war in Iraq
5. Expanding the use of health savings accounts*
6. School choice*
Now let's do the same for the Democrats:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
You see my point.
*Ideas borrowed from libertarians.
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1. Social security privatization*
2. Simplifying the tax code*
3. Winning the war on terror
4. Winning the war in Iraq
5. Expanding the use of health savings accounts*
6. School choice*
Now let's do the same for the Democrats:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
You see my point.
*Ideas borrowed from libertarians.
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Wednesday, December 29, 2004
On Second Thought
I couldn't help it. Here is my response to Ms. Wells in a letter to the editor:
Dear Sir:
When I read Amy Stuart Well's column today regarding her perceived failure of charter school I felt like crying into my cup of coffee. What if, I thought, what she has written stops a movement dead in its tracks? What would this mean?
First, we would have to tell the families of 16,000 students in D.C. (21% of the entire student population) that they must return their children to the traditional public schools which have failed to meet their educational needs in the past, many of which (because of the presence of drug dealers and those who carry weapons) are dangerous places to be. Next, we would be forced to poor additional money into a school system which spends more per child then any other school system in the country to achieve the lowest standardized test results. Third, we would have to increase our construction of prisons, halfway houses, and shelters so that we can provide a home to theses kids once they become adults and enter the workforce with a severe lack of skills, both hard (reading, writing) and soft (how to interview, how to present yourself at work). It is not a future that I envision. That is why I will continue to use all of my energy and resources to support the powerful and popular charter school movement in the nation's capital.
Sincerely,
Mark S. Lerner
Chairman of the Board of Directors
William E. Doar, Jr. Public Charter School for the Performing Arts
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Dear Sir:
When I read Amy Stuart Well's column today regarding her perceived failure of charter school I felt like crying into my cup of coffee. What if, I thought, what she has written stops a movement dead in its tracks? What would this mean?
First, we would have to tell the families of 16,000 students in D.C. (21% of the entire student population) that they must return their children to the traditional public schools which have failed to meet their educational needs in the past, many of which (because of the presence of drug dealers and those who carry weapons) are dangerous places to be. Next, we would be forced to poor additional money into a school system which spends more per child then any other school system in the country to achieve the lowest standardized test results. Third, we would have to increase our construction of prisons, halfway houses, and shelters so that we can provide a home to theses kids once they become adults and enter the workforce with a severe lack of skills, both hard (reading, writing) and soft (how to interview, how to present yourself at work). It is not a future that I envision. That is why I will continue to use all of my energy and resources to support the powerful and popular charter school movement in the nation's capital.
Sincerely,
Mark S. Lerner
Chairman of the Board of Directors
William E. Doar, Jr. Public Charter School for the Performing Arts
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An Editorial Attack On Charter Schools
It is easy to be angry with what Amy Stuart Wells has written today in the Washington Post regarding the failure of charter schools. But I am not. The reason that I am able to sit calmly behind my desk is probably because a lot of what she has to say is true. For example:
Carrying out market-based school reform on the cheap requires people with the experience to educate children, the business acumen to run an autonomous institution, the political connections to raise the private funds needed to keep the school afloat, and the ability to forsake their personal life to work six or seven days a week, 12 to 14 hours a day. It turns out that there are a limited number of people who can or will do charter school reform well. Thus, most charters schools hire younger, less experienced teachers and have high rates of teacher and administrator burnout and turnover.
Much of the information contained in her article I have talked about before. And some good may come out of this. When I sit at board of directors meetings (both at Chavez and WEDJ) and I talk of us having to be particularly thoughtful about our actions because we are representing a movement, what I get back are blank stares. All of us who advocate for an educational marketplace need to be mindful that public policy in this country will be impacted by the way we implement school choice and the outcomes that we achieve. This is so important that I beg the many people in this country who care deeply about our youth and the ability of parents to be the true customer when it comes to who educates their children to stop talking about it and get involved. Go into the schools and volunteer. Become a tutor. Join a board of directors. Give money and ask others to give. Once you do you will find that Ms. Wells did get one thing absolutely wrong. The market is the only mechanism for fixing what ails public education.
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Carrying out market-based school reform on the cheap requires people with the experience to educate children, the business acumen to run an autonomous institution, the political connections to raise the private funds needed to keep the school afloat, and the ability to forsake their personal life to work six or seven days a week, 12 to 14 hours a day. It turns out that there are a limited number of people who can or will do charter school reform well. Thus, most charters schools hire younger, less experienced teachers and have high rates of teacher and administrator burnout and turnover.
Much of the information contained in her article I have talked about before. And some good may come out of this. When I sit at board of directors meetings (both at Chavez and WEDJ) and I talk of us having to be particularly thoughtful about our actions because we are representing a movement, what I get back are blank stares. All of us who advocate for an educational marketplace need to be mindful that public policy in this country will be impacted by the way we implement school choice and the outcomes that we achieve. This is so important that I beg the many people in this country who care deeply about our youth and the ability of parents to be the true customer when it comes to who educates their children to stop talking about it and get involved. Go into the schools and volunteer. Become a tutor. Join a board of directors. Give money and ask others to give. Once you do you will find that Ms. Wells did get one thing absolutely wrong. The market is the only mechanism for fixing what ails public education.
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Tuesday, December 28, 2004
Kind Response From Edward Hudgins
Here's the email I received from him regarding my letter to the editor:
Dear Mark -- Congratulations on your piece in the Washington Post about
George Will's remarks on Rand. It was nice to see Will's positive mention
and even nicer to see your response, observing that if Rand is known for
anything, it surely is that she had more than one great idea.
By the way, the Objectivist Center is planning a February 2 Ayn Rand
birthday event in the morning on Capitol Hill. Watch our website for
details; I hope you'll be able to attend.
Best regards and Happy New Year!
Ed Hudgins
The Objectivist Center
202-AYN-RAND (296-7263)
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Dear Mark -- Congratulations on your piece in the Washington Post about
George Will's remarks on Rand. It was nice to see Will's positive mention
and even nicer to see your response, observing that if Rand is known for
anything, it surely is that she had more than one great idea.
By the way, the Objectivist Center is planning a February 2 Ayn Rand
birthday event in the morning on Capitol Hill. Watch our website for
details; I hope you'll be able to attend.
Best regards and Happy New Year!
Ed Hudgins
The Objectivist Center
202-AYN-RAND (296-7263)
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OpinionJournal
James Taranto just earned the OpinionJournal a slot on my blog's "I Support" list. He did it with two quotes, one from Donna Brazile:
"Even I have trouble explaining to my family that we are not about killing babies."
And the other from Susan Sontag, who offered these comments soon after 9/11/01 and died today:
Where is the acknowledgment that this was not a "cowardly" attack on "civilization" or "liberty" or "humanity" or "the free world" but an attack on the world's self-proclaimed superpower, undertaken as a consequence of specific American alliances and actions? How many citizens are aware of the ongoing American bombing of Iraq? And if the word "cowardly" is to be used, it might be more aptly applied to those who kill from beyond the range of retaliation, high in the sky, than to those willing to die themselves in order to kill others. In the matter of courage (a morally neutral virtue): whatever may be said of the perpetrators of Tuesday's slaughter, they were not cowards.
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"Even I have trouble explaining to my family that we are not about killing babies."
And the other from Susan Sontag, who offered these comments soon after 9/11/01 and died today:
Where is the acknowledgment that this was not a "cowardly" attack on "civilization" or "liberty" or "humanity" or "the free world" but an attack on the world's self-proclaimed superpower, undertaken as a consequence of specific American alliances and actions? How many citizens are aware of the ongoing American bombing of Iraq? And if the word "cowardly" is to be used, it might be more aptly applied to those who kill from beyond the range of retaliation, high in the sky, than to those willing to die themselves in order to kill others. In the matter of courage (a morally neutral virtue): whatever may be said of the perpetrators of Tuesday's slaughter, they were not cowards.
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Here's The Letter
As published today in the Washington Post:
George F. Will mischaracterizes Ayn Rand's novel "Atlas Shrugged," saying Ms. Rand "had only an idea -- a good one (capitalism is splendid) -- but only one." He must not have finished the book (which is more than 1,000 pages).
In "Atlas Shrugged" Ayn Rand presents a philosophic system in which all associated branches are interrelated and consistent. These branches include metaphysics (the nature of the universe), epistemology (how we know what we know), ethics (the differences between right and wrong), politics (how we organize ourselves in society) and aesthetics (art). As readers can gauge from these diverse areas of intellectual inquiry, her feat is quite an accomplishment.
In my efforts to explain to others the essence of Ms. Rand's philosophy, objectivism, I often relate a story I heard her associate Nathaniel Branden tell when asked why he thought her books appealed so much to adolescents. Mr. Branden explained that people at that age often begin to question the meaning of life and the reason for their existence. They naturally look to their parents' lives for answers, and some come to the conclusion that there must be something better. Ayn Rand supplies the something better.
Feb. 2 is the 100th anniversary of Ayn Rand's birth. What a perfect excuse to pick up a copy of "The Fountainhead" or "Atlas Shrugged."
MARK S. LERNER
Reston
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George F. Will mischaracterizes Ayn Rand's novel "Atlas Shrugged," saying Ms. Rand "had only an idea -- a good one (capitalism is splendid) -- but only one." He must not have finished the book (which is more than 1,000 pages).
In "Atlas Shrugged" Ayn Rand presents a philosophic system in which all associated branches are interrelated and consistent. These branches include metaphysics (the nature of the universe), epistemology (how we know what we know), ethics (the differences between right and wrong), politics (how we organize ourselves in society) and aesthetics (art). As readers can gauge from these diverse areas of intellectual inquiry, her feat is quite an accomplishment.
In my efforts to explain to others the essence of Ms. Rand's philosophy, objectivism, I often relate a story I heard her associate Nathaniel Branden tell when asked why he thought her books appealed so much to adolescents. Mr. Branden explained that people at that age often begin to question the meaning of life and the reason for their existence. They naturally look to their parents' lives for answers, and some come to the conclusion that there must be something better. Ayn Rand supplies the something better.
Feb. 2 is the 100th anniversary of Ayn Rand's birth. What a perfect excuse to pick up a copy of "The Fountainhead" or "Atlas Shrugged."
MARK S. LERNER
Reston
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Monday, December 27, 2004
Washington Post To Print Letter To The Editor
Great news. The letter to the Editor that I submitted to the Washington Post is going to be published! Probably tomorrow. I think that's three for three for me regarding letters I have sent them. I think that the blogging is helping me to write better letters.
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Ukraine President's Wife
Now that it looks like the Ukraine election is settled, John Fund of the Wall Street Journal tells us about the background of Victor Yushchenko's wife Kateryna. He reveals that she grew up and was education in this country:
In the late 1980s and early 1990s she worked in the human rights office of the U.S. State Department. She also worked for the first President Bush in the Treasury Department. But her dream was always to help Ukraine become independent. So after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 she moved to Kiev. Her business degree from the University of Chicago helped her land a job with KPMG, the U.S. international auditing company, and she prospered training the country's economists in Western practices. She met Viktor Yushchenko when he was part of a delegation of central bankers she brought to Chicago. "He understood free markets, had a firm faith in God and knew what the right path for the country should be," she told me. The two married in 1998, and they now have three children.
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Art Critic Has My Job
Blake Gopnik, Washington Post art critic, recently spent each morning during one work week at the National Gallery of Art re-acquainting himself with the museum's permanent collection. How I which we could trade professions. In the afternoon he would write about what he saw and today he publishes his thoughts. I suggest printing the piece, going to the National Gallery, and following in his footsteps. At least that's what I plan to do.
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Medicare Compares Hospitals
Virginia Postrel pointed me toward a New York Times article written by Gina Kolata which explains that Medicare is now benchmarking hospitals regarding standard treatment for certain medical conditions and the findings are available on the internet (here's the link).
So I went to the site and looked up Reston Hospital, which is located right near our house. I found out that this is not the place to go if you are having a heart attack.
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So I went to the site and looked up Reston Hospital, which is located right near our house. I found out that this is not the place to go if you are having a heart attack.
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Sunday, December 26, 2004
Federal Government Puts Virginia Pain Doctor Away For Life
When I first read this story by Jerry Markon in the Washington Post I thought something strange was going on. Here was William Hurvitz, a well respected physician practicing in McLean, Virginia who was once profiled on the television program "60 Minutes", convicted on charges related to prescribing pain medication to drug addicts and traffickers. Well it turns out my intuition was correct.
How ironic that this case comes on the heals of the CATO policy forum, featuring Judge Napolitano, on how our government prosecutes innocent people.
For analysis from the libertarian perspective as to what really happened and the impact Dr. Hurvitz's sentence will have on patients seeking relief from chronic unbearable pain click here and here.
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How ironic that this case comes on the heals of the CATO policy forum, featuring Judge Napolitano, on how our government prosecutes innocent people.
For analysis from the libertarian perspective as to what really happened and the impact Dr. Hurvitz's sentence will have on patients seeking relief from chronic unbearable pain click here and here.
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Friday, December 24, 2004
A Christmas Present From The Musee d'Orsay
Thursday, December 23, 2004
George Will Misinterprets Ayn Rand
From Mr. Will's column today in the Washington Post in which he reviews Michael Crichton's new novel "State of Fear":
"State of Fear," with a first printing of 1.5 million copies, resembles Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" -- about 6 million copies sold since 1957 -- as a political broadside woven into an entertaining story. But whereas Rand had only an idea -- a good one (capitalism is splendid), but only one -- Crichton has information.
Here is the response I included in an email to Mr. Will. I will also submit it as a Letter to the Editor:
Mr. Will:
Allow me to be one of your readers who strongly disagrees with your characterization of Ayn Rand's novel "Atlas Shrugged" in your December 23, 2004 column "Global Warming? Hot Air" as having "had only an idea -- a good one (capitalism is splendid), but only one --." You must not have finished the book (I do realize it is over 1,000 pages.)
In "Atlas Shrugged" Ayn Rand presents, perhaps for the first time in the history of the field, a philosophic system in which all of its associated branches are interrelated and consistent. These branches include Metaphysics (the nature of the universe), Epistemology (how we know what we know), Ethics (the differences between right and wrong), Politics (how we organize ourselves in society) and Aesthetics (art). As you can gauge from these diverse areas of intellectual inquiry, her feat is quite an accomplishment.
In my efforts to explain to others the essence of her philosophy, Objectivism, I often relate a story I heard her close associate Nathaniel Branden tell when asked why he thought her books appealed so much to adolescents. He explained that people at this age often begin to question the meaning of life and the reason for their existence. Dr. Branden said that they naturally look to their parent's lives for answers, and come to the conclusion that there must be something better. Ayn Rand supplies the something better.
February 2, 2005 marks the 100th anniversary of Ayn Rand's birth. What a perfect excuse for your readers to pick up a copy of "The Fountainhead" or "Atlas Shrugged" and learn first hand why this author was such an amazing woman.
Sincerely,
Mark Lerner
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Wednesday, December 22, 2004
Congressional Representation For The District
I have to agree with Mr. Glazerman that I just don't have any enthusiasm for Representative Tom Davis' proposal to add one voting representative for the District of Columbia to Congress in exchange for giving Utah one extra representative. I agree with Jonathan Turley that this solution seems like it is elevating politics over constitutional law. And any time that there is a contest regarding interpreting the U.S. Constitution between Representative Davis and Dr. Turley I would put my money on the GWU law professor. The most glaring weakness I see in the suggestion is that it does nothing to address District representation in the Senate.
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Tuesday, December 21, 2004
The Right To The Drugs You Want
Yesterday, the question on C-Span's Washington Journal program was "Should Celebrex be taken off the market?" About half of the callers, those who admitted that they do not use the medication, said that it was dangerous to the heart and therefore must be removed from pharmacies. The other 50% of callers, mostly those who use Celebrex, were of the opinion that it must be kept available. Many of these people said that without the drug they would have so much joint pain that they would not be able to move. Removal of the drug for them, therefore, would equate to a death sentence.
This dilemma got me thinking (of course). When it comes to pharmaceuticals why don't we treat them like we do medical procedures that involve risk? Whenever an individual is going to undergo surgery, for example, a physician discusses the potential negative outcomes of the operation with the patient and the case cannot proceed until the patient signs an informed consent document. The government does not ban surgical procedures because there is a potential for bad consequences.
The same should be true with medications. Drug companies should develop informed consent forms which clearly spell out the risks and benefits of taking a specific drug. The paperwork would be reviewed with patients by a physician and a prescription would still be needed to obtain the medication. The FDA would continue to approve and monitor the use of all drugs.
I ran this idea by a couple of people and received positive reactions. Sam Kazman of the Competitive Enterprise Institute said he would write about it. A friend of mine with a chronic condition said that he currently feels the best he has felt in 8 years because he is taking something which could potentially cause cancer, although the risk is small. He said he would gladly sign such a form.
I think its an idea whose time has arrived.
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This dilemma got me thinking (of course). When it comes to pharmaceuticals why don't we treat them like we do medical procedures that involve risk? Whenever an individual is going to undergo surgery, for example, a physician discusses the potential negative outcomes of the operation with the patient and the case cannot proceed until the patient signs an informed consent document. The government does not ban surgical procedures because there is a potential for bad consequences.
The same should be true with medications. Drug companies should develop informed consent forms which clearly spell out the risks and benefits of taking a specific drug. The paperwork would be reviewed with patients by a physician and a prescription would still be needed to obtain the medication. The FDA would continue to approve and monitor the use of all drugs.
I ran this idea by a couple of people and received positive reactions. Sam Kazman of the Competitive Enterprise Institute said he would write about it. A friend of mine with a chronic condition said that he currently feels the best he has felt in 8 years because he is taking something which could potentially cause cancer, although the risk is small. He said he would gladly sign such a form.
I think its an idea whose time has arrived.
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Baseball In D.C.
I know, I have stayed out of the controversy over publicly financing a baseball stadium. CATO came out against it after all. But I guess my confusion in all of this is that the deal was structured in such a way that the money for the ball park would be raised by implementing an incremental gross receipts tax on businesses. If companies are putting up the money, then doesn't this count as private financing? I realize that the money is being coerced. But nowadays all the talk is about social security "privatization." Do you think people contribute to these accounts voluntarily?
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Continuing Bad News Out Of Russia
Last April Ed Crane and other leaders in the fight for liberty spent over 4 hours talking to Russian President Putin and were encouraged by his sympathy with their ideas. But Putin's control of the recent Ukraine election, the legislation he sponsored which allows him to appoint regional governors, and now his take over of one of the world's largest oil companies all point to tyranny gaining at the expense of freedom. Perhaps Anne Applebaum can provide us with some hope in a forthcoming column.
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D.C. School Superintendent Janey Tours Dunbar High School
As reported today by Valerie Strauss in the Washington Post, Superintendent Janey had the opportunity to spend quite a bit of time at Dunbar Senior High School, as his lunch with Mayor Williams was cancelled due to negotiations over baseball. This is a good time to recall the history of Dunbar as recounted in a speech given by Thomas Sowell.
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Thursday, December 16, 2004
Changes At The Objectivist Center
Big news over at The Objectivist Center. David Kelly has announced that he is stepping down as Executive Director, that Ed Hudgins is taking is place, and that the center is moving to Washington D.C. early in 2005!
David Kelly has earned our gratitude and thanks for the job he did as Executive Director in creating an alternative to the dictatorial Ayn Rand Institute and for humanizing the easily mis-understood philosophy of objectivism. His work has had a great impact on spreading the ideas of this important philosophy.
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David Kelly has earned our gratitude and thanks for the job he did as Executive Director in creating an alternative to the dictatorial Ayn Rand Institute and for humanizing the easily mis-understood philosophy of objectivism. His work has had a great impact on spreading the ideas of this important philosophy.
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More Of Nat Hentoff On Alberto Gonzales
What a strong job he has been doing exposing this nominee for U.S. Attorney General (although after what we have learned about Janet Reno perhaps my expectations are too high.) Almost makes me want to subscribe to the Village Voice. From a recent column:
Actually, The Washington Post's challenge is to the Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Republican members will vote, in lockstep, for Gonzales. But I have found out that most, if not all, of the Democrats will also cave in?after harrumphing at Gonzales for some hours.
I know this from an inside source whom I cannot name. I very rarely use blind sources, but there are times when to report on what's actually going on, I have to protect a source. The Democrats on the committee know what I, and others, have been telling you about Gonzales. In their possession, for instance, is a copy of the July/August 2003 Atlantic Monthly article by Alan Berlow that documents how Gonzales, as legal counsel to then Texas governor George W. Bush, sent 56 death row inmates to be executed after giving three-to-seven-page memos on their cases to Bush that rubber-stamped the lethal decision of the notoriously murderous Texas courts.
At least, as Neil Lewis reports in today's New York Times, some people are going to oppose his nomination. And wasn't it Mr. Gonzales that vetted Secretary of Homeland Security nominee Bernard Kerik?
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Actually, The Washington Post's challenge is to the Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Republican members will vote, in lockstep, for Gonzales. But I have found out that most, if not all, of the Democrats will also cave in?after harrumphing at Gonzales for some hours.
I know this from an inside source whom I cannot name. I very rarely use blind sources, but there are times when to report on what's actually going on, I have to protect a source. The Democrats on the committee know what I, and others, have been telling you about Gonzales. In their possession, for instance, is a copy of the July/August 2003 Atlantic Monthly article by Alan Berlow that documents how Gonzales, as legal counsel to then Texas governor George W. Bush, sent 56 death row inmates to be executed after giving three-to-seven-page memos on their cases to Bush that rubber-stamped the lethal decision of the notoriously murderous Texas courts.
At least, as Neil Lewis reports in today's New York Times, some people are going to oppose his nomination. And wasn't it Mr. Gonzales that vetted Secretary of Homeland Security nominee Bernard Kerik?
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Do Not Worry
Here's the story by Michael Dobbs of the Washington Post regarding the latest study comparing the value of attending a charter school versus a traditional public school. From the article:
The survey by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which describes itself as "the nation's report card," showed that 58 percent of fourth-grade students in charter schools performed at a basic level in reading, compared with 62 percent in traditional public schools. When the results were adjusted for race, students at the traditional public schools in the survey still did slightly better, but the margin was deemed "statistically insignificant." Low income students at regular public schools generally outperformed their charter school counterparts.
Keep repeating to yourself, "charters are start-up businesses, charters are start-up businesses." With all the challenges facing these institutions (writing the charter, going through the approval process, finding a facility, hiring the staff, marketing the school to the public, obtaining furniture and equipment, writing policies and procedures, developing a curriculum , and on and on and on) it is really fortunate that no one has been hurt. We went through the same learning curve with school vouchers and now we are seeing that this population of students is excelling. Do not worry.
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The survey by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which describes itself as "the nation's report card," showed that 58 percent of fourth-grade students in charter schools performed at a basic level in reading, compared with 62 percent in traditional public schools. When the results were adjusted for race, students at the traditional public schools in the survey still did slightly better, but the margin was deemed "statistically insignificant." Low income students at regular public schools generally outperformed their charter school counterparts.
Keep repeating to yourself, "charters are start-up businesses, charters are start-up businesses." With all the challenges facing these institutions (writing the charter, going through the approval process, finding a facility, hiring the staff, marketing the school to the public, obtaining furniture and equipment, writing policies and procedures, developing a curriculum , and on and on and on) it is really fortunate that no one has been hurt. We went through the same learning curve with school vouchers and now we are seeing that this population of students is excelling. Do not worry.
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Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Comparing Charters To Traditional Public Schools
Michael Dobbs of the Washington Post has a refreshing unbiased look at the efforts to compare the quality of traditional public schools with charters in Washington D.C. From the article:
Jeffrey Henig, a Columbia University professor of education, bemoaned "a rush to print" by researchers who want to be part of a topical debate. Henig said his own research into District charter schools showed "what anybody would find if they are being honest -- a mixed picture."
The story compares two schools, Meridian Public Charter School and Garrison Elementary School, as an example of how difficult it is to judge which educational model works best. It was interesting to me that he picked Meridian. I have a friend who teaches at that facility and so I am well aware of the growing pains it has experienced. I sense that she is an excellent teacher. But when the administration noted that the test scores of her students were exceeding expectations in literacy but were lagging in math they made the decision to take her out of the classroom as a regular instructor and made her a reading specialist. Do you think this happens in traditional schools?
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Jeffrey Henig, a Columbia University professor of education, bemoaned "a rush to print" by researchers who want to be part of a topical debate. Henig said his own research into District charter schools showed "what anybody would find if they are being honest -- a mixed picture."
The story compares two schools, Meridian Public Charter School and Garrison Elementary School, as an example of how difficult it is to judge which educational model works best. It was interesting to me that he picked Meridian. I have a friend who teaches at that facility and so I am well aware of the growing pains it has experienced. I sense that she is an excellent teacher. But when the administration noted that the test scores of her students were exceeding expectations in literacy but were lagging in math they made the decision to take her out of the classroom as a regular instructor and made her a reading specialist. Do you think this happens in traditional schools?
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Tuesday, December 14, 2004
The Decline Of Higher Education
Barnes Allowed To Move To Downtown Philadelphia
Carol Vogel of the New York Times reports that a Philadelphia court has ruled that the Barnes Museum can ignore the wishes of its founder and move to Benjamin Franklin Parkway. This is a great win for art lovers.
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Monday, December 13, 2004
CATO Policy Forum Brings Light To Janet Reno Story
Tomorrow at noon Judge Andrew Napolitano will be at CATO to discuss his book "Constitutional Chaos: What happens When the Government Breaks Its Own Rules." Central to the conversation will certainly be the actions of our past U.S. Attorney General.
I spoke to Timothy Lynch from CATO today about how unbelievable I found their account of what she had done and whether these events could have really taken place. He said that the story has been thoroughly researched and the NPR's "Frontline" television program has covered it.
C-Span will be broadcasting the book forum so you can watch it on their network, or by going on CATO's website at www.CATO.org. You can also catch it at a later time on the website under the event archive page.
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I spoke to Timothy Lynch from CATO today about how unbelievable I found their account of what she had done and whether these events could have really taken place. He said that the story has been thoroughly researched and the NPR's "Frontline" television program has covered it.
C-Span will be broadcasting the book forum so you can watch it on their network, or by going on CATO's website at www.CATO.org. You can also catch it at a later time on the website under the event archive page.
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Tom Coburn Is Back
As reported in yesterday's Washington Post by Hanna Rosin:
Coburn's grappling with sin and redemption have made for some interesting run-ins with Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), who is openly gay. In his first year in Congress Coburn voted against an amendment Frank had introduced to cut spending even though he agreed with it. Later, he went up to Frank and told him: "I voted against your amendment because I disapprove of you," Frank recalls in a version Coburn confirms. "But I was wrong, and I'm not going to do it again." ("I wasn't enormously cheered by his conversion," Frank reports.)
In a book talk last year at the Heritage Foundation, Coburn named Frank as one of the congressmen he most admired. "He is a liberal and he is willing to stand up for what he believes," he said. "The problem with our country is people are not willing to stand up for what they believe in; that's the great threat to this country right now."
I can hardly wait.
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Coburn's grappling with sin and redemption have made for some interesting run-ins with Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), who is openly gay. In his first year in Congress Coburn voted against an amendment Frank had introduced to cut spending even though he agreed with it. Later, he went up to Frank and told him: "I voted against your amendment because I disapprove of you," Frank recalls in a version Coburn confirms. "But I was wrong, and I'm not going to do it again." ("I wasn't enormously cheered by his conversion," Frank reports.)
In a book talk last year at the Heritage Foundation, Coburn named Frank as one of the congressmen he most admired. "He is a liberal and he is willing to stand up for what he believes," he said. "The problem with our country is people are not willing to stand up for what they believe in; that's the great threat to this country right now."
I can hardly wait.
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Sunday, December 12, 2004
Janet Reno - The Criminal
I cannot believe that this story is only coming to light now. A depressing and shocking tale comes out of the November/December CATO Institute "Policy Report." In an article based upon his book "Constitutional Chaos: What Happens When the Government Breaks Its Own Laws", Judge Andrew Napolitano describes how the past U.S. Attorney General tried to guarantee her re-election as Dade County's State Attorney in 1984 by drumming-up the crime of child abuse involving 20 children against Frank Fuster in relation to the child care business he and his wife ran out of their home.
Because Ms. Reno lacked evidence for a conviction in the case she needed the assistance of Mr. Fuster's wife in providing proof of the crime. So, according to the author, after both of the Fosters were arrested:
Reno had Ileana isolated from the prison population and placed in solitary confinement,naked. Ileana described her treatment in a 1998 interview: "They would give me cold showers. Two people will hold me, run me under cold water, then throw me back in the cell naked with nothing, just a bare floor. And I used to be cold, real cold. I would have my periods and they would just wash me and throw me back into the cell."
Late one night, the naked Ileana, according to her lawyer, received a visit in her darkened solitary cell from an intimidating 6-foot-2 woman. The woman told Ileana that she knew that Ileana and her husband were guilty. "But how can that be? We are innocent," Ileana proclaimed. "Who are you?" "I'm Janet Reno," the woman said. Ileana repeatedly told Reno that she was innocent, and Reno kept repeating, "I'm sorry, but you are not. You're going to have to help us." Reno made several more solitary, nightly visits to the naked Ileana, each time threatening Ileana that she would remain in prison for the rest of her life if she didn't tell Reno what she wanted to hear. Finally, Reno hired two psychiatrists from a company called Behavior Changers Inc., who met Ileana 34 times in a one-month period. These psychiatrists claimed to be able to help individuals "recover memories," but their technique was simply to hypnotize Ileana so that she could be brainwashed into believing that Frank Fuster was a child molester. The coercion eventually worked: with the psychiatrists present and with Janet Reno squeezing her hand, Ileana implicated her husband.
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Because Ms. Reno lacked evidence for a conviction in the case she needed the assistance of Mr. Fuster's wife in providing proof of the crime. So, according to the author, after both of the Fosters were arrested:
Reno had Ileana isolated from the prison population and placed in solitary confinement,naked. Ileana described her treatment in a 1998 interview: "They would give me cold showers. Two people will hold me, run me under cold water, then throw me back in the cell naked with nothing, just a bare floor. And I used to be cold, real cold. I would have my periods and they would just wash me and throw me back into the cell."
Late one night, the naked Ileana, according to her lawyer, received a visit in her darkened solitary cell from an intimidating 6-foot-2 woman. The woman told Ileana that she knew that Ileana and her husband were guilty. "But how can that be? We are innocent," Ileana proclaimed. "Who are you?" "I'm Janet Reno," the woman said. Ileana repeatedly told Reno that she was innocent, and Reno kept repeating, "I'm sorry, but you are not. You're going to have to help us." Reno made several more solitary, nightly visits to the naked Ileana, each time threatening Ileana that she would remain in prison for the rest of her life if she didn't tell Reno what she wanted to hear. Finally, Reno hired two psychiatrists from a company called Behavior Changers Inc., who met Ileana 34 times in a one-month period. These psychiatrists claimed to be able to help individuals "recover memories," but their technique was simply to hypnotize Ileana so that she could be brainwashed into believing that Frank Fuster was a child molester. The coercion eventually worked: with the psychiatrists present and with Janet Reno squeezing her hand, Ileana implicated her husband.
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Saturday, December 11, 2004
Mary Landrieu Defends Herself
In a letter to the editor to the Washington Post the Senator from Louisiana argues that her treatment of D.C. as a child who has lost his way was justified:
The requirement that these charter schools be given preference in acquiring surplus school properties is not a new provision, as the Nov. 24 editorial "Sen. Landrieu's Lash" suggested. For more than 10 years, D.C. law has required that these charter schools be given this preference.
But despite this provision and the obvious and compelling need of these emerging schools, a January report from the city's deputy mayor found that only 13 of 38 schools have been made available to charter schools.
Maybe next she will tell the Mayor exactly which empty buildings should be turned over to the charter schools she feels are deserving of these prizes.
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The requirement that these charter schools be given preference in acquiring surplus school properties is not a new provision, as the Nov. 24 editorial "Sen. Landrieu's Lash" suggested. For more than 10 years, D.C. law has required that these charter schools be given this preference.
But despite this provision and the obvious and compelling need of these emerging schools, a January report from the city's deputy mayor found that only 13 of 38 schools have been made available to charter schools.
Maybe next she will tell the Mayor exactly which empty buildings should be turned over to the charter schools she feels are deserving of these prizes.
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Friday, December 10, 2004
Nathaniel Branden Interview
I was fascinated by this discussion with him (16 pages in length). I learned something about psychology and self-esteem and discovered that there are those, including an ex-lover, who continue to misinterpret Ayn Rand's philosophy. For example:
NB: One of the mistakes that Rand makes all over the place is that after she condemns a belief or an action, she goes on to tell you the psychology of the person who did it, as if she knows. I focus my judgment on the action and not on the person. My primary interest is: do I admire or dislike this behavior. And there judgment is important for me. People often attribute all kinds of things to another person, without ever knowing where that person's coming from. Most of the time, I regard the judgment of people as a waste of time. I regard the judgment of behavior as imperative.
Now, there are some people who are so clearly evil (e.g., Saddam Hussein) that we can't imagine anything mitigating their horror. But even there, I've come to feel the following: if there is a mad animal running around, eating people, I may have to shoot him. I don't think: "oh, you rotten bad dog, you." There's nothing you can do except shoot him.
But the Saddams are only a small minority. Take the Middle East suicide bombers-especially the very young people. God knows, if I had the opportunity, I'd kill them without any hesitation. But I also know, as a psychologist, that they were raised in a culture in a world I can't even conceive of. They were propagandized about the glory of martyrdom since the age of five. Whereas Leonard Peikoff might be hell-bent on calling every one of them evil, I wouldn't. They may or may not be. All I know is: in action, one kills them, rather than getting killed by them. Lots of times, we don't know the ultimate truth about a person. And here's the point: we don't need to know.
Sorry, Mr. Branden, but you are missing the fundamental importance of Ayn Rand's contribution to the field of morality. People, as David Kelly has pointed out, are not rational in every aspect of their life. But as you learn more and more about a particular individual you will find that he or she will act in a consistent manner. It is necessary for our happiness, or in the example above our very survival, to make a judgment about the fundamental character of the people we choose to associate ourselves with in this world.
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NB: One of the mistakes that Rand makes all over the place is that after she condemns a belief or an action, she goes on to tell you the psychology of the person who did it, as if she knows. I focus my judgment on the action and not on the person. My primary interest is: do I admire or dislike this behavior. And there judgment is important for me. People often attribute all kinds of things to another person, without ever knowing where that person's coming from. Most of the time, I regard the judgment of people as a waste of time. I regard the judgment of behavior as imperative.
Now, there are some people who are so clearly evil (e.g., Saddam Hussein) that we can't imagine anything mitigating their horror. But even there, I've come to feel the following: if there is a mad animal running around, eating people, I may have to shoot him. I don't think: "oh, you rotten bad dog, you." There's nothing you can do except shoot him.
But the Saddams are only a small minority. Take the Middle East suicide bombers-especially the very young people. God knows, if I had the opportunity, I'd kill them without any hesitation. But I also know, as a psychologist, that they were raised in a culture in a world I can't even conceive of. They were propagandized about the glory of martyrdom since the age of five. Whereas Leonard Peikoff might be hell-bent on calling every one of them evil, I wouldn't. They may or may not be. All I know is: in action, one kills them, rather than getting killed by them. Lots of times, we don't know the ultimate truth about a person. And here's the point: we don't need to know.
Sorry, Mr. Branden, but you are missing the fundamental importance of Ayn Rand's contribution to the field of morality. People, as David Kelly has pointed out, are not rational in every aspect of their life. But as you learn more and more about a particular individual you will find that he or she will act in a consistent manner. It is necessary for our happiness, or in the example above our very survival, to make a judgment about the fundamental character of the people we choose to associate ourselves with in this world.
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Thursday, December 09, 2004
Howard Dean Set To Destroy Democratic Party Once And For All
From his speech yesterday as he prepares to audition for the party faithful in Orlando in his bid to become Chairman:
There is only one thing the Republican power brokers want more than for us to lurch to the left, and that's for us to lurch to the right," Dean said in a speech at George Washington University. "Because what they fear most is that we may really begin fighting for what we believe: fiscal responsibility, socially progressive values for which Democrats have always stood and fought.
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There is only one thing the Republican power brokers want more than for us to lurch to the left, and that's for us to lurch to the right," Dean said in a speech at George Washington University. "Because what they fear most is that we may really begin fighting for what we believe: fiscal responsibility, socially progressive values for which Democrats have always stood and fought.
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Wednesday, December 08, 2004
Interstate Wine Sales
The last time Kenneth Star and Clint Bolick came together to argue a case before the Supreme Court the result was the Zelman decision on school vouchers. It looks like they are going to go 2 for 2.
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Tuesday, December 07, 2004
Daughter Is A Star
Well, in my eyes both Amy and Sarah are stars. But Amy just had her head-shots done so that she can start going out on professional auditions. To get a peek at a future Tony Award winner click here.
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This Minority Leader May Be Worse Then The Last One
A truly amazing exchange took place on Sunday's "Meet the Press" between Tim Russert and Harry Reid, the new Senate Minority Leader. James Taranto picks it up on the Wall Street Journal's Opinion On-line:
Russert: Let me turn to judicial nominations. Again, Harry Reid on National Public Radio, Nov. 19: "If they"--the Bush White House--"for example, gave us Clarence Thomas as chief justice, I personally feel that would be wrong. If they give us Antonin Scalia, that's a little different question. I may not agree with some of his opinions, but I agree with the brilliance of his mind."
Could you support Antonin Scalia to be chief justice of the Supreme Court?
Reid: If he can overcome the ethics problems that have arisen since he was selected as a justice of the Supreme Court. And those ethics problems--you've talked about them; every people talk--every reporter's talked about them in town--where he took trips that were probably not in keeping with the code of judicial ethics. So we have to get over this. I cannot dispute the fact, as I have said, that this is one smart guy. And I disagree with many of the results that he arrives at, but his reason for arriving at those results are very hard to dispute. So--
Russert: Why couldn't you accept Clarence Thomas?
Reid: I think that he has been an embarrassment to the Supreme Court. I think that his opinions are poorly written. I don't--I just don't think that he's done a good job as a Supreme Court justice.
I wonder if Mr. Reid has ever really read an opinion by Clarence Thomas? Based upon his views I sincerely doubt it. Here is an example of a "poorly written opinion" from the Zelman case allowing vouchers to be used at religious schools:
Ten States have enacted some form of publicly funded private school choice as one means of raising the quality of education provided to underprivileged urban children. These programs address the root of the problem with failing urban public schools that disproportionately affect minority students. Society?s other solution to these educational failures is often to provide racial preferences in higher education. Such preferences, however, run afoul of the Fourteenth Amendment?s prohibition against distinc-tions based on race. See Plessy, 163 U. S., at 555 (Harlan, J., dissenting). By contrast, school choice programs that involve religious schools appear unconstitutional only to those who would twist the Fourteenth Amendment against itself by expansively incorporating the Establishment Clause. Converting the Fourteenth Amendment from a guarantee of opportunity to an obstacle against education reform distorts our constitutional values and disserves those in the greatest need. As Frederick Douglass poignantly noted "no greater benefit can be bestowed upon a long benighted people, than giving to them, as we are here earnestly this day endeavoring to do, the means of an education."
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Russert: Let me turn to judicial nominations. Again, Harry Reid on National Public Radio, Nov. 19: "If they"--the Bush White House--"for example, gave us Clarence Thomas as chief justice, I personally feel that would be wrong. If they give us Antonin Scalia, that's a little different question. I may not agree with some of his opinions, but I agree with the brilliance of his mind."
Could you support Antonin Scalia to be chief justice of the Supreme Court?
Reid: If he can overcome the ethics problems that have arisen since he was selected as a justice of the Supreme Court. And those ethics problems--you've talked about them; every people talk--every reporter's talked about them in town--where he took trips that were probably not in keeping with the code of judicial ethics. So we have to get over this. I cannot dispute the fact, as I have said, that this is one smart guy. And I disagree with many of the results that he arrives at, but his reason for arriving at those results are very hard to dispute. So--
Russert: Why couldn't you accept Clarence Thomas?
Reid: I think that he has been an embarrassment to the Supreme Court. I think that his opinions are poorly written. I don't--I just don't think that he's done a good job as a Supreme Court justice.
I wonder if Mr. Reid has ever really read an opinion by Clarence Thomas? Based upon his views I sincerely doubt it. Here is an example of a "poorly written opinion" from the Zelman case allowing vouchers to be used at religious schools:
Ten States have enacted some form of publicly funded private school choice as one means of raising the quality of education provided to underprivileged urban children. These programs address the root of the problem with failing urban public schools that disproportionately affect minority students. Society?s other solution to these educational failures is often to provide racial preferences in higher education. Such preferences, however, run afoul of the Fourteenth Amendment?s prohibition against distinc-tions based on race. See Plessy, 163 U. S., at 555 (Harlan, J., dissenting). By contrast, school choice programs that involve religious schools appear unconstitutional only to those who would twist the Fourteenth Amendment against itself by expansively incorporating the Establishment Clause. Converting the Fourteenth Amendment from a guarantee of opportunity to an obstacle against education reform distorts our constitutional values and disserves those in the greatest need. As Frederick Douglass poignantly noted "no greater benefit can be bestowed upon a long benighted people, than giving to them, as we are here earnestly this day endeavoring to do, the means of an education."
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Sunday, December 05, 2004
Wedj School Under Construction
I went by the site last week and there must have been 50 people working in there to get our school ready by Martin Luther King's Holiday weekend. If you want to join in on the excitement just come over to 705 Edgewood Terrace N.E. or send me an email and I'll make arrangements to meet you at our permanent location.
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Whitney Museum Featured In New York Times
The story by Robin Pogrebin and Timothy L. O'Brien was like candy to me on a Sunday morning.
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Saturday, December 04, 2004
I Guess We Are Not Making As Much Progress As I Thought
Attacking Condi
by Walter E. Williams
Dr. Condoleezza Rice, President Bush's National Security Advisor, and now his Secretary of State nominee has been the subject of nasty, demeaning and disrespectful cartoons and commentary. Some of the worst have come from people like the NAACP's Chairman Julian Bond who said on TV's America's Black Forum that he agreed with cartoonist Aaron McGruder's characterization of Dr. Rice as "a murderer." A lead article in Black Commentator said, "Condoleezza Rice is the purest expression of the race traitor. No polite description is possible." Those kind of attacks by blacks have emboldened guilt-ridden white liberals to join in as seen by the recent cartoons of Oliphant and Gary Trudeau (Doonesbury).
First, let's look at a few of Dr. Rice's credentials. She holds a doctorate from Denver University. While senior fellow at the prestigious Hoover Institution, she taught courses in Stanford University's political science department. Later she served as the University's provost. Dr. Rice is a recognized expert in Soviet and Eastern European countries plus she's fluent in Russian. She landed her job as National Security Advisor, not because President Bush was trying to pay off a black constituency, not because Bush had an affirmative action policy; her qualifications got her the job. If Dr. Rice is confirmed by the Senate, she will hold the most important cabinet office not only because she'll direct the President's foreign policy but she'll be third in the line of succession should the president become incapacitated - the first two are the Speaker of the House of Representatives and President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
Being 68, I lived at a time when the idea of a black cabinet official was little more than a pipe dream. Robert C. Weaver's 1966 appointment to the Department of Housing and Urban Development made him the first black cabinet officer. Since that time there have been other blacks appointed to high office. None have encountered the vicious attacks visited on Dr. Rice and General Colin Powell and what's worst, the most vicious attacks have come from their fellow blacks.
To make sure I was correct in my recollection of blacks in earlier periods, I called my 81-year-old friend Chuck Stone, former writer for the Philadelphia Daily News and now professor at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. I asked him whether he recalled instances of today's demeaning, insulting attacks. He said no and we recalled how black people came to the defense of people like Congressmen Robert Nix and Adam Clayton Powell, for whom Professor Stone served as chief administrative assistant. Professor Stone also reminded me that the differences between Booker T. Washington and WEB DuBois didn't produce today's virulence.
To put yesteryear in perspective, in 1941, Joe Louis knocked out Billy Conn. If you weren't around then, you cannot imagine the uplift and pride that it gave black people. In the scheme of things, Joe Louis' feat doesn't begin to compare to the achievements of Dr. Rice and General Powell.
Black people have become Democrats first and whatever else afterwards. The Democrat leadership, along with their leftist allies in Hollywood, on college campuses, in labor unions the education establishment, and the media detest President Bush. Too many black people are dependent on the Democrats for handouts and racial preferences. Black politicians depend on the Bush-haters for financial resources enabling them to gain office. Black civil rights organizations are beholding to liberal foundations. The bottom line of all of this is that he who pays the piper calls the tune and black people dance along.
The attacks on Dr. Rice and General Powell are the results of one-think where all blacks are to think alike. Any who stray are race traitors. A monopoly on ideas serves no one well and explains why solutions to problems for a large segment of the black community will remain elusive.
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by Walter E. Williams
Dr. Condoleezza Rice, President Bush's National Security Advisor, and now his Secretary of State nominee has been the subject of nasty, demeaning and disrespectful cartoons and commentary. Some of the worst have come from people like the NAACP's Chairman Julian Bond who said on TV's America's Black Forum that he agreed with cartoonist Aaron McGruder's characterization of Dr. Rice as "a murderer." A lead article in Black Commentator said, "Condoleezza Rice is the purest expression of the race traitor. No polite description is possible." Those kind of attacks by blacks have emboldened guilt-ridden white liberals to join in as seen by the recent cartoons of Oliphant and Gary Trudeau (Doonesbury).
First, let's look at a few of Dr. Rice's credentials. She holds a doctorate from Denver University. While senior fellow at the prestigious Hoover Institution, she taught courses in Stanford University's political science department. Later she served as the University's provost. Dr. Rice is a recognized expert in Soviet and Eastern European countries plus she's fluent in Russian. She landed her job as National Security Advisor, not because President Bush was trying to pay off a black constituency, not because Bush had an affirmative action policy; her qualifications got her the job. If Dr. Rice is confirmed by the Senate, she will hold the most important cabinet office not only because she'll direct the President's foreign policy but she'll be third in the line of succession should the president become incapacitated - the first two are the Speaker of the House of Representatives and President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
Being 68, I lived at a time when the idea of a black cabinet official was little more than a pipe dream. Robert C. Weaver's 1966 appointment to the Department of Housing and Urban Development made him the first black cabinet officer. Since that time there have been other blacks appointed to high office. None have encountered the vicious attacks visited on Dr. Rice and General Colin Powell and what's worst, the most vicious attacks have come from their fellow blacks.
To make sure I was correct in my recollection of blacks in earlier periods, I called my 81-year-old friend Chuck Stone, former writer for the Philadelphia Daily News and now professor at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. I asked him whether he recalled instances of today's demeaning, insulting attacks. He said no and we recalled how black people came to the defense of people like Congressmen Robert Nix and Adam Clayton Powell, for whom Professor Stone served as chief administrative assistant. Professor Stone also reminded me that the differences between Booker T. Washington and WEB DuBois didn't produce today's virulence.
To put yesteryear in perspective, in 1941, Joe Louis knocked out Billy Conn. If you weren't around then, you cannot imagine the uplift and pride that it gave black people. In the scheme of things, Joe Louis' feat doesn't begin to compare to the achievements of Dr. Rice and General Powell.
Black people have become Democrats first and whatever else afterwards. The Democrat leadership, along with their leftist allies in Hollywood, on college campuses, in labor unions the education establishment, and the media detest President Bush. Too many black people are dependent on the Democrats for handouts and racial preferences. Black politicians depend on the Bush-haters for financial resources enabling them to gain office. Black civil rights organizations are beholding to liberal foundations. The bottom line of all of this is that he who pays the piper calls the tune and black people dance along.
The attacks on Dr. Rice and General Powell are the results of one-think where all blacks are to think alike. Any who stray are race traitors. A monopoly on ideas serves no one well and explains why solutions to problems for a large segment of the black community will remain elusive.
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Worse Than Ashcroft
At least Nat Hentoff knows the true Gonzales. From his Village Voice article:
I must credit National Public Radio's Nina Totenberg, an experienced analyst of constitutional law and a reporter who never stops digging to get to the core of Gonzales's ominous record as White House counsel. On November 11, she pointed out: "Gonzales was responsible for developing the administration's policies on the treatment of prisoners; for developing a new definition of torture to allow more aggressive questioning of prisoners. He developed the policy that allowed the indefinite detention of American citizens deemed to be enemy combatants without [being charged] or [having] access to counsel. . . . The Supreme Court, though, rejected that [Gonzales] theory . . .
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I must credit National Public Radio's Nina Totenberg, an experienced analyst of constitutional law and a reporter who never stops digging to get to the core of Gonzales's ominous record as White House counsel. On November 11, she pointed out: "Gonzales was responsible for developing the administration's policies on the treatment of prisoners; for developing a new definition of torture to allow more aggressive questioning of prisoners. He developed the policy that allowed the indefinite detention of American citizens deemed to be enemy combatants without [being charged] or [having] access to counsel. . . . The Supreme Court, though, rejected that [Gonzales] theory . . .
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Friday, December 03, 2004
Bret Schundler Back In Politics
The New York Times reported the other day on N.J. Democratic Senator John Corzine entering the 2005 race for Governor to fill the vacancy created when James McGreevey resigned after being caught in a homosexual extra-marital love affair (isn't politics great!).
But the much bigger story is that Bret Schundler is once again running on the republican side. Mr. Schundler lost badly to Mr. McGreevey the last time around after running an ineffective campaign. During that election I wanted to go up to New Jersey to work for the man because he is a pro-life republican who is a strong libertarian in his public policy positions. For those of you who do not know, Mr. Schundler used to the popular mayor of heavily democratic Jersey City, New Jersey, where he cut taxes, reduced government spending, advocated for school vouchers, and introduced private competition for public sector jobs.
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But the much bigger story is that Bret Schundler is once again running on the republican side. Mr. Schundler lost badly to Mr. McGreevey the last time around after running an ineffective campaign. During that election I wanted to go up to New Jersey to work for the man because he is a pro-life republican who is a strong libertarian in his public policy positions. For those of you who do not know, Mr. Schundler used to the popular mayor of heavily democratic Jersey City, New Jersey, where he cut taxes, reduced government spending, advocated for school vouchers, and introduced private competition for public sector jobs.
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Janey Sticks With Stanford-9, For Now
As I predicted after D.C. School Superintendent Janey met recently with charter school leaders, he has decided to use the Stanford-9 as the measure of student achievement this spring, but, as Valerie Strauss points out in her Washington Post article, it will be given this year only.
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Thursday, December 02, 2004
Gehry Buildings Are Not Just Ugly To Look Out
They are structurally unsound also. Turns out that the latest creation in Los Angeles is going to have to be sandblasted to rid it of some unpleasant glare from the sun. Other problems, as reported today by Robin Pogrebin of the New York Times, include:
His $62 million swirly building for the business school at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland has been likened to a tanning mirror and sent snow and ice sliding off the sloping stainless-steel roof onto the heads of pedestrians below.
The wood floor in Mr. Gehry's Cond� Nast cafeteria in New York was replaced with terrazzo two years ago because it was a hazard to high-heeled shoes.
Three years after Mr. Gehry's celebrated Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, opened in 1997, brown stains on the titanium exterior provoked embarrassment and finger-pointing. Mr. Gehry said at the time that it was simply a matter of cleaning.
A 75-foot copper-clad trellis, the signature element on a plant Mr. Gehry designed for the furniture maker Herman Miller in Rocklin, Calif., was torn down in the late 1990's because of a leak. Mr. Gehry insisted the flaw was in the execution and not in his design.
By the way, I just returned from Chicago where I saw up close Mr. Gehry's out door amphitheater. It really is as unattractive as pictured below.
PermaLink | 4:56 AM |
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His $62 million swirly building for the business school at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland has been likened to a tanning mirror and sent snow and ice sliding off the sloping stainless-steel roof onto the heads of pedestrians below.
The wood floor in Mr. Gehry's Cond� Nast cafeteria in New York was replaced with terrazzo two years ago because it was a hazard to high-heeled shoes.
Three years after Mr. Gehry's celebrated Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, opened in 1997, brown stains on the titanium exterior provoked embarrassment and finger-pointing. Mr. Gehry said at the time that it was simply a matter of cleaning.
A 75-foot copper-clad trellis, the signature element on a plant Mr. Gehry designed for the furniture maker Herman Miller in Rocklin, Calif., was torn down in the late 1990's because of a leak. Mr. Gehry insisted the flaw was in the execution and not in his design.
By the way, I just returned from Chicago where I saw up close Mr. Gehry's out door amphitheater. It really is as unattractive as pictured below.
PermaLink | 4:56 AM |
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Peggy Noonan On Dan Rather
I steered you to her excellent thoughts on the 2004 presidential election. Today, she writes equally eloquently on Dan Rather's career. It will catch most of us by surprise that she worked for Mr. Rather in the 1980's and grew to respect him. Here's an excerpt but the whole article is worth reading:
He was a young, modestly educated Texas boy from nowhere, with no connections and a humble background. He had great gifts, though: physical strength, attractiveness, ambition, commitment and drive. He wanted to be a star. He was willing to learn and willing to pay his dues. He covered hurricanes and demonstrations, and when they got him to New York they let him know, as only an establishment can, what was the right way to think, the intelligent enlightened way, the Eastern way, the Ivy League way, the Murrow School of Social Justice way. They let him know his simple Texan American assumptions were not so much wrong as not fully thought through, not fully nuanced, not fully appreciative of the multilayered nature of international political realities. He swallowed it whole.
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He was a young, modestly educated Texas boy from nowhere, with no connections and a humble background. He had great gifts, though: physical strength, attractiveness, ambition, commitment and drive. He wanted to be a star. He was willing to learn and willing to pay his dues. He covered hurricanes and demonstrations, and when they got him to New York they let him know, as only an establishment can, what was the right way to think, the intelligent enlightened way, the Eastern way, the Ivy League way, the Murrow School of Social Justice way. They let him know his simple Texan American assumptions were not so much wrong as not fully thought through, not fully nuanced, not fully appreciative of the multilayered nature of international political realities. He swallowed it whole.
PermaLink | 4:39 AM |
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