Friday, July 29, 2005
Weekend Reading
Freedom from Congress Edition:
Congress leaves town for August, so everybody's workload in DC drops by a half if not more. A month of googling basically. So, here's some reading for you as you get ready to enjoy the weekend, or in the case of us here in DC...August...
Making a Federalist Case
Does it matter whether John Roberts was a member of the Federalist Society?
What can ideological and political opponents say to slag a Supreme Court nominee who, while clearly of a conservative bent, possesses precisely the sort of nauseatingly impressive if thoroughly conventional c.v. (e.g., Harvard undergrad, Harvard law school, clerking for William Rehnquist, a stint in the Reagan White House) that right-wing, centrist, and left-wing establishment types usually slobber over?
http://www.reason.com/links/links072605.shtml
The Christian Paradox
How a faithful nation gets Jesus wrong
Only 40 percent of Americans can name more than four of the Ten Commandments, and a scant half can cite any of the four authors of the Gospels. Twelve percent believe Joan of Arc was Noah’s wife. This failure to recall the specifics of our Christian heritage may be further evidence of our nation’s educational decline, but it probably doesn’t matter all that much in spiritual or political terms. (Partial article)
http://www.harpers.org/
Losing its grip
JUDGED by oratory alone, this week's convention of America's labour federation, the AFL-CIO, in Chicago was a triumph. Teddy Kennedy railed against the “most anti-worker, anti-labour, anti-union administration in memory”. Barack Obama, the Democrats' new black hope, dreamed of when “labour rises again”. Nancy Pelosi blasted free trade. John Edwards scolded chief executives for their “golden parachutes”. The Rev Jesse Jackson called for “massive ground action”.
http://economist.com/world/na/displayStory.cfm?story_id=4229292
Jacko's new album flops (or Flying to close to the Sun on wings of pehophilia).
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2005340731,00.html
Congress leaves town for August, so everybody's workload in DC drops by a half if not more. A month of googling basically. So, here's some reading for you as you get ready to enjoy the weekend, or in the case of us here in DC...August...
Making a Federalist Case
Does it matter whether John Roberts was a member of the Federalist Society?
What can ideological and political opponents say to slag a Supreme Court nominee who, while clearly of a conservative bent, possesses precisely the sort of nauseatingly impressive if thoroughly conventional c.v. (e.g., Harvard undergrad, Harvard law school, clerking for William Rehnquist, a stint in the Reagan White House) that right-wing, centrist, and left-wing establishment types usually slobber over?
http://www.reason.com/links/links072605.shtml
The Christian Paradox
How a faithful nation gets Jesus wrong
Only 40 percent of Americans can name more than four of the Ten Commandments, and a scant half can cite any of the four authors of the Gospels. Twelve percent believe Joan of Arc was Noah’s wife. This failure to recall the specifics of our Christian heritage may be further evidence of our nation’s educational decline, but it probably doesn’t matter all that much in spiritual or political terms. (Partial article)
http://www.harpers.org/
Losing its grip
JUDGED by oratory alone, this week's convention of America's labour federation, the AFL-CIO, in Chicago was a triumph. Teddy Kennedy railed against the “most anti-worker, anti-labour, anti-union administration in memory”. Barack Obama, the Democrats' new black hope, dreamed of when “labour rises again”. Nancy Pelosi blasted free trade. John Edwards scolded chief executives for their “golden parachutes”. The Rev Jesse Jackson called for “massive ground action”.
http://economist.com/world/na/displayStory.cfm?story_id=4229292
Jacko's new album flops (or Flying to close to the Sun on wings of pehophilia).
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2005340731,00.html
