Link Dump - Obama-free Edition
Let’s see how much of this backlog I can sift out. By the way, R.E.M. tour this spring with Modest Mouse, and the Boston date is Friday the 13th of June at the Tweeter Center. On one hand, it’s friggin’ odd because they couldn’t sell out the Tweeter Center last time. On the other hand, that’s essentially a guarantee that I’ll be able to go. I already put in for the day off, hah.
* Big news of the day is the executive order by Bush on earmarks. Two questions: where was this six years ago, and why didn’t he do this last year and possibly save the Republican congress? It’ll be interesting to see how this works out.
* Hey, John McCain, are you for good judges or against good judges? I knew my discomfort came from someplace legitimate - I can’t see how McCain can adequately escape this, but, then again, he might not have to if he ends up with the Republican nomination. Patrick Ruffini reprinted a telling article about McCain last month that’s really worth reading. I can’t believe I was getting suckered in by him.
* The best news out of Massachusetts in ages. Go Jim Go!
* Who didn’t see this coming? Massachusetts health debacle plan is slated to be nearly $250m over the projected budget next year. And to think the guy who signed this monstrousity wants to be President.
* Okay, so let me get this straight: Chris Dodd wants the federal government to buy bad mortgages, thus taking the private risk and instead making it a public one? Huh?
* Interesting set of posts from Cafe Hayek. A question: how many people do you think are making minimum wage or less? If you guessed more than 5%, you’re wrong! I was wrong, too: read more here and the follow up post here.
* I’m about 3/4ths of the way through Jonah Goldberg’s Liberal Fascism, which is turning out to be a much more important book than I could have ever anticipated. Check out his truncated Daily Show appearance, and cross your fingers that we get to see the original uncut version.
* I’m glad that Alexander Hamilton’s legacy is being questioned in some ways, finally. I personally consider him one of the more embarrassing founders (and that’s before I learned last week that he had to lie to his constituents to get to Philadelphia in the first place - a lone bright spot in an uneven Unruly Americans and the Origin of the Constitution). The sooner we disavow Hamilton, the better off we’ll be.
* Fun nostalgia for me: Mormon PSAs. Growing up Catholic, I always found it odd to see the LDS advertising on all my favorite shows - after all, the Catholics didn’t do that. I know more now, which makes these an interesting trip down the lane for me.
* An interesting view from Commentary regarding the post-1960s legacy of the United States, specifically revolving around our social history.
* The Skeptical Optimist helps slay the savage “stagnant wages” beast. If you’re a conservative and not reading his blog, you should add it to your reader of choice. If you’re a moderate or liberal and not reading his blog, you should give it a shot - his perspectives on debt and growth in particular are eye-opening.
* Somewhat related to the above, is the middle class really being squeezed?
‘Tis all for now.