Fred Thompson's Abortion Lobbying Won't Fly with Theocons

If you need more proof that Fred Thompson worked as an abortion rights lobbyist in 1991, look no further than the answer he gave this weekend to a reporter's question. "I'd just say the flies get bigger in the summertime," Thompson said. "I guess the flies are buzzing."

Is Offshoring to China Working as Advertised 'So Far'?

So says James Fallows, author of "China Makes, The World Takes," a very lengthy account of life in China's new industrial belts in the July/August 2007 issue of The Atlantic. He thinks offshoring to China has helped both the U.S. and China so far, but watch out for the future. And having read the whole damn article three times, I think he's being remarkably optimistic. I think the picture he paints is about as scary as it gets.

'We Now Know Full Well What [Bush's] Beliefs Are'--Libby Gets Clemency

"We now know full well what his beliefs are" is what Andrew Sullivan wrote about President Bush in his The Daily Dish blog about the President's decision today to commute Scooter Libby's entire prison sentence.

Dismal Supreme Court Term: Ordinary People Need Rights?

As the two preceding posts probably already told you, this has been one dismal damn Supreme Court term.

Free Speech 'Takes a Hit'

The Supreme Court today handed down a ruling that says students' free speech is not protected inside the school if it can be construed as dangerous to other children, such as promoting illegal drug use.

Chief Justice Roberts Undoes Limits on Electioneering

Want to see how much damage an activist judge can do to a bipartisan law? Check out Chief Judge Roberts' opinion in FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION v. WISCONSIN RIGHT TO LIFE, INC.
.

CIO of DHS is Qualified -- to Inspect Meat

The Department of Homeland Security has had a large number of security breaches over the last recorded period. Chief Information Officer Scott Charbo comes from a background in ... . agriculture. Why is someone with a degree in biology running the DHS IT department?

Inflation and Real Wages: What Consumers See vs. What Wall Street Sees

The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently released their reports on inflation and real wages for May, along with the usual recap of recent trends for those figures.

Two Parties, No Progress

We're addicted to partisanship, and afraid to break the cycle. Why?

Marines, Families Exposed to Tainted Water for 30 Years

On Tuesday, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) reported its analysis of the drinking water system in some of the military housing areas on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina: people living in those areas have been exposed to high levels of tetrachloroethylene from 1957 through 1987.