Raise your hand if you know how the electoral college works. If you do and live in the United States, you’re part of a small minority. For those who don’t, here’s a very brief civics lesson. The general idea is that citizens of each state vote for representatives (electors) to a body (the electoral college) [...]
Archive for the ‘politics’ Category
An Unreasonable Application of a Reasonable Idea
Posted in politics on September 25, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Letters for Scooter Libby
Posted in politics on June 8, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
When Scooter Libby’s sentence was handed down, the judge also made public the letters he had received in response to his invitation for people to comment on the sentencing. I’ve been skimming them, and have been struck by the consistency of what I’ve read. The letters were from (1) professional colleagues and associates; (2) personal [...]
But, But — Republicans were in Control When It Passed
Posted in Humor, politics on April 24, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
After reading this letter to the editor, I have to conclude that newspapers don’t have any responsibility to protect people from themselves. Update 4/25/07
Flags at half-mast
Posted in blog, politics on April 23, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Over the weekend as I drove around town, I saw that flags were at half-mast all over town. Since then, I confirmed that President Bush had ordered flags to be flown at half-mast through yesterday in honor of the Virginia Tech dead. While it’s sad that those 32 people died, and while I don’t have [...]
You Can’t Make This Stuff Up
Posted in Humor, politics on February 16, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Saddam is Dead, Iraq on Life Support
Posted in politics on December 30, 2006 | Leave a Comment »
I don’t approve of capital punishment, but if anyone deserves the death penalty, it would be a mass-murdering dictator such as Saddam. That being said, I cannot condone his execution. The trial was a farce, with changing judges and defense lawyers and circus-like atmosphere, that seemed concerned only with the result. By being a party [...]
I Couldn’t Get By Like This, Could I?
Posted in family, politics, reflection on December 19, 2006 | Leave a Comment »
An article in today’s Washington Post discusses a group of friends who decided not to buy anything new for a full year, and who, now that they’ve done it once, have pledged to go another year. I’m mildly anti-stuff — I try to figure out whether something I’m considering buying is something I want or [...]
A Cause For Optimism?
Posted in politics on November 1, 2006 | Leave a Comment »
I’ve been eagerly following the mid-term Congressional elections, scouring polls daily as we pull ever closer to November 7. In some ways, paying attention to the muck and mire that passes for our political process these days is akin to the rubbernecking I so dislike when I’m driving, but in this case I can’t seem [...]
I Was Never So Scared of Terrorism as I am of this Law
Posted in politics on September 29, 2006 | Leave a Comment »
As a follow-up to my post last week about the torture bill, I note that the compromise that was worked out between Bush and McCain gave the president pretty much everything he wanted, and then additional changes subsequent to that made the law even worse. Now that the bill has passed both the House and [...]
How Can We Even Be Having this Debate?
Posted in politics on September 19, 2006 | Leave a Comment »
I can’t believe that anyone can seriously advocate the use of torture in interrogation. Were it just a single nutcase it would be bad enough, but that its use is advocated by the President and a significant number of members of Congress is a sad reflection on our country. It’s fine that a group of [...]
