Issues
An Odd Confluence of Events
Duke Energy plans to build a new nuclear plant and to pay for it it’s sponsored a bill in the legislature to raise electric rates, which it says is reasonable because nuclear power plants are good things and a public benefit so why should it have to borrow money on Wall Street for its plant?…
Read MoreIt’s Only Words…
Understanding politics – if you follow the words – is pretty straightforward. Right now, we’re bombing Qaddafi’s army which is pretty clearly a war but President Obama’s press spokesman says it’s not – he says it’s something called a “time-limited, scope-limited military action.” (Last week he called it an even blander ‘kinetic military action.’)…
Read MoreA Stunning Turn of Events
A Civitas Institute critic of Smart Start has twisted himself into an interesting position. In an N&O op-ed, Andrew Henson acknowledges that “early child care investment has proven to have an effect on children’s lives and should be a key priority for the legislature.” He then proceeds to argue that Smart Start, which…
Read MoreThe New York Times… on Libya
There was an article in the New York Times the other morning by a fellow named Max Boot who works with the influential Council on Foreign Relations. Mr. Boot’s got the war in Libya all figured out. He says he’s wanted the United States to attack Libya for weeks and finally Obama’s done exactly what…
Read MoreWho’s the Legislator with a Gun?
Someone in the State House sure does like handguns. First, legislators sponsored a bill to allow folks to carry concealed pistols in bars and restaurants. Now there’s a bill to require cities to allow concealed guns in parks. And Representative Mark Hilton is sponsoring a class in the legislature on carrying concealed guns. Legislators…
Read MoreWe Got Suckered?
President Obama’s great coalition to defeat Libya – NATO, France, Britain, Arab League and the U.S.A. – is fraying at the seams. The Arab League, the French say, is out of sorts with NATO. The French, as always, are marching to their own drummer and out of sorts with everyone. And our NATO allies…
Read MoreIt Turns Out…
Now that we’re bombing Libya the New York Times reports that, technically, we didn’t go to war to defeat Gadhafi. Technically, the Times says, all the UN Resolution did was set up a no-fly zone to stop Gadhafi bombing his own civilians. The General commanding our attack says pretty much the same thing: “Our mission…
Read MoreA Mystery
Governor Perdue’s against ending end-course tests in high schools, she empathically told the newspaper. But, then, she took a breath and said there’s no way she’ll veto the Republicans’ bill to eliminate the tests. Then she took another breath and said she won’t sign the bill either. Instead, she’s going to sit on her hands…
Read MoreThe Oldest Story in Politics
As Claude Rains said in Rickâs Café in Casablanca, Iâm shocked, just shocked. Itâs like the world turned upside down â here on Talking About Politics. Iâm defending trial lawyers and Garyâs defending negligent doctors. The issue of âmedical malpractice reform,â in a unique way, boils down to hard-edged questions about personal responsibility⦠and…
Read MoreOne Libyan Jet
Oh Lord, will we ever learn from our mistakes? There’s a restaurant near my office with a dozen television sets lining the walls (usually turned to basketball games) but the other night they were all turned to CNN and Fox as a Libyan fighter went down in flames and a cruise missile blew apart…
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