35W BRIDGE COLLAPSE
NEXT SUBJECT

• OBERSTAR: KING OF PORK -- Star Tribune columnist Katherine Kersten reveals that, until the I-35W disaster, Congressman Jim Oberstar's funding focus was NOT on bridges. The Wall Street Journal provides a revealing look at DFL Congressman Jim Oberstar and the politics of transportation spending.
• OF BRIDGES AND TAXES -- Strib columnist Katherine Kersten laments Democrat attempts to politicize every human tragedy. Matt Abe says those who demand light rail lines are leading us to financial disaster.
• MINNESOTANS CONTINUE TO OPPOSE GAS TAX -- According to a new KSTP survey, only 38 of Minnesotans support a gas tax increase. The message is no new taxes. Let's find out what caused the bridge collapse -- and then let's find out what Minnesota did with its $2.2 billion annual MnDOT budget instead of discovering and repairing the problem with the 35W Bridge.
• DID MINNESOTA'S "LOW TAXES" CAUSE THE BRIDGE COLLAPSE? -- Poweline's John Hinderaker responds to Nick Coleman's disgusting commentary. UPDATE: The Department of Transportation reports that federal transportation spending has increased 46 percent in the past six years.
 

3RD DISTRICT
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• FRENZEL ENDORSES PAULSEN FOR CONGRESS -- Representative Erik Paulsen (R-Eden Prairie) receives the endorsement of former Congressman Bill Frenzel. Frenzel served as Third District Congressman from 1971 to 1991.
 

AL FRANKEN
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• THE CONTINUING SCANDAL AT AIR AMERICA -- The New York Sun takes on the Air America story and advances it by leaps and bounds, talking with the president of the non-profit which had its money taken by Air America founder Evan Cohen. It turns out that Cohen didn't just get money for Al Franken's liberal radio network, but also managed to get plenty for his own pockets. Now we have potential wire fraud, forgery, fraud by deception, and probably much much more.
• AIR AMERICA STEALS HALF MILLION DOLLARS FROM BRONX KIDS CHARITY -- From the Wash Times: Did thousands of dollars earmarked to help the elderly and inner city youth get diverted to the bank accounts of Al Franken and his liberal radio network? So far no explanation from Franken. Voters in 2008 would be wise to remember this when certain U.S. Senate candidates come looking for their vote.
 

BIG LABOR
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• EXTRA-CONSTITUTIONAL LABOR UNIONS -- In 1992, the voters of Washington state declared that unions could not use member dues for political purposes without explicit authorization from the person. Somehow the Washington Education Association (WEA) convinced the state Supreme Court that this was an undue burden on their freedom of speech. Now, in a unanimous opinion, the U.S. Supreme Court has smacked down that decision.
 

PRESIDENT BUSH
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• PEGGY NOONAN STATES THE OBVIOUS -- Former Reagan speechwriter says President Bush has torn his conservative coalition asunder. Old news but a good read.
• BUSH: "WE MUST NOT FAIL IN IRAQ" -- Transcript of the President's State of the Union Speech. Many lawmakers used the occasion to catch a nap. Some suggest that it was Nancy Pelosi's nonstop blinking that lulled them into a stupor.

CBS
NEXT SUBJECT      See also: CNN and Media Bias

• CBS POLL IS A LIE -- More "fake but accurate" news from our mainstream media. Mitch Berg exposes the fraud behind the new CBS poll that supposedly shows President Bush's approval rating at an all-time low.
• PEGGY NOONAN: After the Dan Rather scandal, American journalism will never be the same.
• FLASHBACK #1: The DFL website "Minnesota Republican Watch" criticizes SD42 Republicans for claiming that the CBS memos were fake.
• FLASHBACK #2: The Democratic National Committee releases their "Fortunate Son" ad based on the fake CBS memos literally hours after the story went out.
• MEDIA DISGRACE -- Thomas Sowell argues that when media integrity is missing, it's far more dangerous than missing explosives.

BUSTED! CBS TRIES TO STEAL ELECTION WITH FAKE DOCUMENTS
• THE PROOF: This short flash animation shows how CBS faked the documents. • THE COVER-UP: NY Times takes CBS apart. Washington Post says the documents were almost certainly forged. New Republic calls CBS an embarrassment to the profession. ABC News reports CBS ignored its own experts.
• CBS SOURCE CALLS BUSH "HITLER" -- Houston Chronicle says source of Dan Rather's forged documents has a "long history of Bush loathing." Meanwhile the father of Dan Rather's producer, Mary Mapes, says "I'm really ashamed of what my daughter has become."

CIVIL RIGHTS
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• RACISM OF THE LEFT -- Democrats in Maryland say that racism is ok if your target is a black conservative. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says that Supreme Court Clarence Thomas is not a true black person because he isn't a liberal Democrat.
• LINCOLN: HYPOCRITE OR STATESMAN? -- Anyone who has a negative opinion of President Lincoln (or believes the stuff spewed out of the mouth of Barack Obama) needs to read this essay by Dinesh D'Souza.
• ADAM SPARKS: The "GOP won't let blacks vote" myth..
 

COURTS
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• DEMS CONTINUE TO BLOCK JUDGES -- Stuart Taylor, Jr. argues that the Democrats would make a big mistake to turn down Leslie Southwick.
• BUSH DERANGEMENT SYNDROME -- Senator Russ Feingold explains to Chris Wallace that while's there no actual evidence of wrongdoing after a six-month investigation in the US Attorneys flap, he just has a gut feeling.
• GINSBURG VS. THE CONSTITUTION -- John Hinderaker, a Minneapolis attorney, discusses a recent speech by Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg where she argues that foreign law should sometimes override our constitution.
• ALITO AND THE ANGRY LEFT -- Bill O'Reilly explains why secular progressives are very angry today.
• Peggy Noonan says that Democrats don't understand that the Alito hearings were, for them, not just a defeat -- but a disaster.
• Dan Gerstein reports that the left wing bloggers view the Alito hearings from an alternate universe.
• Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee would not pass THEIR OWN TEST for confirmation.
• Daniel Henninger says that Judge Alito, like Judge Roberts before him, came to discuss the law rather than Coke cans, which puts their Democrat questioners on unfamiliar ground.
• Statistical proof that Senators on the committee prefer the sound of their own voice than to actually hear answers to questions. Worst offender: Joe Biden (D-DE).
• Democrat smears take a human toll as Samuel Alito's wife leaves the hearing in tears.
• Wall Street Journal explains how the politics of personal destruction is backfiring on the Dems.
• The American Bar Association -- the Gold Standard in determining judicial qualification -- gives Judge Alito its highest recommendation.
• INTELLIGENT DESIGN DECISION -- A judge ruled that any theistic point of view presented in a public school as potentially valid is unconstitutional. Hugh Hewitt gives the highlights of the judge's decision.
• NY APPEALS COURT REJECTS GAY MARRIAGE -- A NY state appeals judge threw out a ruling that would have allowed gay couples to marry in New York City, saying it is not the role of judges to redefine the terms "husband" and "wife."
• CARRYING WATER FOR THE LEFT -- Rick Noyes of the Media Research Center compares the news coverage of Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito with the coverage of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg's nomination. The result is as you would have expected: outrageous liberal media bias. Powerline's Paul Mirengoff argues that the major news outlets have become nothing more than mouthpieces for liberal interest groups.
• MORE LIBERAL LUNACY FROM THE NINTH CIRCUIT COURT -- In California, parents have no right to protect their seven year old kids from school sponsored sex surveys. But in Wisconsin a college student has been ordered to stop having private Bible Studies with a group of his friends because he is an employee of the state.
• ACTIVIST JUDGES -- Mark Steyn ponders the legal mess that was created by recent Supreme Court decisions on Eminent Domain and the Ten Commandments.
• THEY WERE AGAINST IT BEFORE THEY WERE FOR IT -- The Star Tribune has been campaigning fiercely in recent weeks in favor of using filibusters to block President Bush's judicial nominees. But, as the Weekly Standard points out, that was not their position when Republicans were the minority.
• TEENAGE GIRLS SUED FOR BAKING COOKIES -- In one small Colorado town, being kind to your neighbors can cost you $800. Read the story and then decide whether or not we need litigation reform.
• One reason it costs so much to live in New York City: You have to pay for people who make stupid mistakes.
 

CRIME
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CULTURE WAR
NEXT SUBJECT      See also: Religious Freedom

• Few ideas are more harmful to this country than the so-called Fairness Doctrine. Senator Fred Thompson: Democrats want laws that “force radio stations to air their views.” Ed Morrissey: Democrats want to “dictate the content of political speech.” Rich Lowry: “After five years of opposing most assertions of government power to fight terrorism, these liberals are ready to wield it to fight conservative talk radio.” Radley Balko: Democrats “don't like that people are allowed to criticize them on public airwaves.”
• The University of Minnesota has announced it will not play any sports teams from the University of North Dakota because of their offensive "Fighting Sioux" nickname.
• In Washington DC, it took an Eagle Scout to restore the word "God" to flag certificates.
• DEMOCRATS PASS "THOUGHT CRIMES" BILL -- The vote in the U.S House was 237-180. President Bush promises a veto.
• DFL SENATE VOTES FOR SAME-SEX PARTNER BENEFITS -- Is this what you thought you were voting for last November? Did this appear on any of their campaign literature?
• RUSH STILL NUMBER ONE -- Here is the list of the top 250 radio talk show hosts.
• UNPROTECTED -- Sexual freedom is damaging to students. But health officials must not judge.
• MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS GONE WILD -- School administrators COULD step in and set standards, but that would be asking too much.
• SINGLE MOMS, MANY PROBLEMS -- In a country where almost 40% of children are born out of wedlock, some commentators are cheering our tolerance for diverse "lifestyle choices". Yet, experts who have looked closely at the phenomenon continue to insist that a married household is still the best way to raise kids.
• UND WINS A ROUND IN COURT -- UND is fighting the NCAA over the use of its nickname. Katherine Kersten explains the proud history of how the University of North Dakota came to be known as the Fighting Sioux.
• NY TIMES: NEW YORK PLANS TO MAKE GENDER A "PERSONAL CHOICE" -- Does your son Robert feel like Roberta today? No problem. In New York, there's no surgery necessary.
• THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE -- One of Peggy Noonan's best columns ever. We live in a nation that values free speech. That means hearing opinions that you agree with. But it also means hearing opinions that you DO NOT agree with. That's the price we pay for freedom and "it is a really a low price for such a great thing."
• DEMOCRAT WAR ON WALMART REVEALED -- A Wall Street Journal article digs into the cozy relationship between the Democratic Party and two of the most prominent anti-WalMart groups.
• KHANG AND QUEEN -- At St. Cloud State, the new homecoming queen is the lovely Fue Khang. Woops -- Khang is a man. Tradition doesn't seem to matter to our sanctimonious liberals -- it's just another forum to press their political points.
• YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK -- If your returning University of Minnesota student avoids getting mugged or beaten, they may be in for an exciting surprise. The U of M Women's Studies program has been renamed in order to be "more inclusive of students who don't identify with a gender." So if your son or daughter's gender is missing or unidentified, they'll now feel right at home.
• ARE YOU A REDNECK? -- If it never occurred to you to be offended by the phrase "One Nation Under God", you may be a redneck. With apologies to Jeff Foxworthy.
• FIGHTING THE PC CROWD -- The University of North Dakota refuses to give up its sports nickname, the Fighting Sioux. Eric Fettmann in the NY Post argues that it is actually the NCAA, not UND, that is behaving "hostile and abusive."
• FIGHTING SIOUX FIGHT BACK -- The President of the University of North Dakota explains why the Sioux may have to sue the NCAA.
• Ben Shapiro reports how the California legislature is trying to require public schools to promote the homosexual lifestyle.
• A Wisconsin public school sex survey asks kids questions like: "Have you ever seen a man naked?" and "When did you decide you were a homosexual?" Creepy liberals again showing that they are fascinated by your kids.
• BROKEBACK HIGH? -- Gay activist organizations are being invited into Eden Prairie High School to have a word with your kids. Bonnie Gasper reports that their one-sided presentation is leaving out some fairly significant details.
• DEATH OF THE WEST -- Everyone seems to be commenting on this piece by Mark Stein. If you haven't yet done so, you need to read it.
• CAMPAIGN AGAINST WAL-MART -- If you've been wondering about the increasing volume of anti-Wal-Mart stories you've been seeing recently, Bloomberg's Kevin Hassett notes that a lot of them are the product of "a highly coordinated and heavily financed campaign."
• POLITICAL CORRECTNESS GONE WILD -- CNN now refers to blacks in other countries as "African American" whether or not they are American.
• IS WAL-MART GOOD FOR AMERICA? -- It is a testament to the public relations success of the anti-Wal-Mart campaign that this question is even being asked.
• WHY DEFEND MARRIAGE? -- If someone tells you that same-sex marriage won't affect your marriage, tell them to look at the mess they're creating in Canada.
• HOW THE LEFT HARMED AMERICA THIS WEEK -- Not a week goes by that some part of the Left does not make America less free and less safe. Dennis Prager gives three examples that especially stood out this past week.
• GETTING WORKED UP OVER TEAM MASCOTS -- The NCAA now says it will reconsider its ban on Florida State University's use of an American Indian mascot.
• WE SHALL OVERCOME? -- PETA whipped up a world of trouble during a recent demonstration when it placed images of tortured black Americans next to pictures of captive animals to in an attempt to gin up controversy for its animal rights campaigns.
• ACLU'S JIHAD AGAINST THE BOY SCOUTS -- The ACLU has won another victory against the Boy Scouts of America. The Pentagon can no longer sponsor jamborees.
• Three high schools in Maryland have bowed to pressure from a handful of parents and will stop using local churches as venues for graduation ceremonies because the ubiquitous Christian symbols make them uncomfortable. Will Minnetonka High School be next?
• Activists from PETA want an aquarium in California to stop serving fish in its cafeteria, saying that "serving fish at an aquarium is like serving poodle burgers at a dog show."
• ANYTHING ELSE? -- San Francisco's Board of Supervisors has passed a resolution banning comments that are deemed insensitive to people based on their race, religion, color, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, weight, height or place of birth. Board President Aaron Peskin assures us the move is not, however, an attack on free speech.
• DEMOCRATS DISCOVER A WIDE PARENTAL GAP -- Latest study by the centrist Democratic Leadership Council, warns Democrats that their extreme positions on cultural issues are even alienating members of their own party. For example, the study finds that 91 percent of Howard Dean supporters support gay marriage compared with only 38 percent of Democrats.
• GOD FORBID -- The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the ACLU has stepped up its assault on scouting by insisting that the pledge “to do my duty to God and my country” makes the group ineligible for any sort of government funding or support. After being dumped by public schools and others, the Scouts are busy scrambling for sponsors.
• HATE MONGERING? -- A Florida resident who runs a website which allows people to report violations of immigration law is being accused of fomenting racial hatred.
• DENNIS PRAGER: Blue America: "The land of the easily offended."
 

DEMOCRATS
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• SHAMELESS ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL -- Gerard Baker exposes how Hillary Clinton is attempting to cynically reconstruct her past. John Edwards likes to preach to you about "Two Americas" but, according to the Carolina Journal, his new estate is worth a cool $6 million. And Ed Morrissey covers the latest anti-American rant from John Kerry. Glenn Reynolds adds: “Like Jimmy Carter, he'll never forgive America for rejecting him, and he'll console himself with the approval of America's enemies.”
• COHEN CRITICAL OF DEMOCRAT SMEAR TACTICS -- It is not often that liberal columnist Richard Cohen takes his Democratic Party to task. But, to his credit, he has finally had it with the unfair and stupid attacks on Larry Summers, Tom Delay and William Bennett.

THOSE WEALTHY, ANGRY DEMOCRATS! • HARRY REID: MAN WITHOUT A PLAN -- U.S. Senate majority leader Harry Reid wraps up a busy week. First his smear letter against Rush Limbaugh backfires badly. Then he gets caught politicizing the California wildfires. Finally, he fails on the DREAM Act, his latest attempt to grant amnesty for illegal aliens. Meanwhile, we learn that the Democratic leadership is not getting its budget work done. No wonder Congress has an approval rating of only 11 percent. • CONGRESSMAN: BUSH AMUSED BY WAR DEAD -- Democrat Pete Stark says that President Bush gets amusement from seeing American soldiers' heads blown off. No matter what your opinion is of the war, comments like this are asinine and wrong." • WORST CONGRESS EVER -- Just 18 percent of Americans approve of the job the Democrat-led Congress is doing -- a new all-time low. The rating is the result of a leadership that has proved more interested in handing out subpoenas rather than governing the nation. • A FIELD TRIP TO REMEMBER -- Just a very sweet story on the difference between optimists and pessimists. • THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A DEMOCRAT AND A REPUBLICAN -- Local blogger Matt Abe provides a great illustration. • THE PARTY OF HATE -- Lanny Davis, a devout liberal and former special counsel to President Clinton, discusses the overt anti-Semitism that is beginning to engulf the Democratic Party in Connecticut. • CULTURE OF CORRUPTION -- The U.S. House of Representatives votes to strip William Jefferson (D-Louisiana) of his Way and Means post after $100,000 in bribe money is found in his freezer. • Forbes lists 15 ways to live longer. Democrats might have a problem with number two. • A former aide to Senator Chuck Shumer (D-NY) pleads guilty to stealing the private credit reports of political opponents. Meanwhile Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) demonstrates the Democrats new national security strategy by slugging a cop. • TRIBUTE TO MRS. KING TURNS UGLY -- Democrats use ANOTHER funeral as a pep rally to further divide Americans and twist Dr. King's legacy. What is it with Democrats and funerals? Can't they just pay their respects without turning it into a partisan circus? In contrast, read President Bush's remarks here. • THE "ANGRY PARTY" -- Wash Times observes that all the anger that has been spewing from the Left lately may actually be hurting their chances at the polls. • AN UNWISE OLD OWL -- After 52 years of membership, Teddy Kennedy has quit the Owl Club, a social club that bans women. • HOWLING ABOUT "SCANDAL" -- Very useful post at Astute Blogger: A list of a full two dozen "idiotic phony scandals" the Left and the mainstream media have trumped up in an attempt to smear our president. • DEMOCRAT POPULARITY PLUMMETING -- There is evidence that the hateful face of today's Democrat party -- from Dick Durbin to Howard Dean -- is turning off the voters. • FLORIDA DEMOCRATIC PARTY OWES IRS $900,000 -- You would think that a political party that is so anxious to confiscate more and more of your money would at least pay their OWN tax bill! • OBSESSED IN THEIR HATRED -- Check out this photo taken on a St. Paul street. For many Democrats, no election that they don't agree with is ever over. For them, unrelenting opposition is more than a political position - it is a way of life. BUSTED! -- Felony indictments against five Kerry-Edwards campaign staffers (including sons of two prominent Democrats) for slashing tires of 25 Republican get-out-the-vote vehicles on Election Day. The main concern of these folks seemed to center around the prospects of getting caught. The fact that what they were doing was morally wrong or anti-democratic doesn't even enter into the equation. • INSIDE A LIBERAL HATEFEST -- Ever wonder what happens at an anti-Bush rally? A San Francisco area website has the photos (WARNING: Some photos not suitable for children or work). One has to wonder about the mentality of people who simultaneously hate their fellow Americans yet want to rule them. • LIBERAL VALUES? -- Unfortunately, for many on the Left, this is what passes for tolerance and diversity. • LIBERAL HATE SPEECH -- From the Boston Globe, Jeff Jacoby reviews the year in left wing looniness (summary: when in doubt, Republicans are Nazis). The list is comprehensive without mentioning Michael Moore even once. • INMATES STILL WANT TO RUN THE ASYLUM -- If you're one of those apathetic conservatives that stays home on election day because you think “it really doesn't matter”who controls the federal government, please keep this scene in mind when 2008 rolls around.

DEMOCRAT DIRTY TRICKS • PHONY SENATORS -- Andrew McCarthy expertly dissects the latest Democrat smear against Rush Limbaugh. • SANDY BERGER UPDATE -- Clinton aide hid classified terror documents in under a trailer. • WETTERLING'S DISGUSTING AD -- Everyone is talking about this ad. But not in a good way. John Hinderaker says Wetterling is "trying to turn the Foley scandal, coupled with her own son's murder, into a political career." • BEWARE THE "REFORMED REPUBLICAN" LIE -- Calling yourself a Republican and then bashing Republicans is a cute little persuasive trick that almost always collapses when you do a little research. • JUSTICE AT LAST -- Democrat saboteurs in Milwaukee get jail time for their election day tire slashing. • WAKE UP CALL -- Another devastating loss. Matt at North Star Liberty has the roundup on the latest Special Election in the West Metro suburbs. Once again we see that dirty campaigning works. • BERGER'S BURGLARY -- Former Clinton Security Advisor Sandy Berger stole secret documents from the National Archives. The documents reportedly showed that America under the Clinton Administration was laid bare to a 9-11 style terrorist attack. But Berger now admits he destroyed the evidence and, even worse, the Democrats don't care. • BEHIND THE DFL EFFORT TO CAPTURE THE MN HOUSE -- Former Representative Jim Rhodes says the DFL ads used against him were so dirty they made his wife sick. • DFL "527" GROUP HIT WITH RECORD FINE -- DFL House Minority Leader Matt Entenza's scheme attempted to cover up $600,000 in contributions. • BEHIND THE DFL'S DIRTY CAMPAIGN -- According to the Star Trib, the DFL spent $400,000 in negative ads and mailings against House GOP candidates in 2004. Defeated fifth-term Nicollet Republican Howard Swenson counted 19 attack mailings against him, with four high-cost, four-page glossy mailings in one day. • Vandals hit the GOP headquarters in North Carolina. • Wisconsin Republicans woke up Election Day morning to learn that 30 vans they had rented to take people to the polls had their tires slashed. • Republican Party headquarters in Spokane were burglarized and vandalized. This continues a wave of violence designed to intimidate Republican volunteers across the country.   • More reports of violence directed against Republicans in 2004: Gunshots in Knoxville. Offices ransacked in Orlando. Burglary in Seattle. Vandalism in Mississippi. Storming offices in Milwaukee. Fires in Baltimore. Trashing signs in Duluth. Urinating on signs in Akron. Even more here. And another here. Having been fed a steady diet of lies by their leadership, Democrats have become completely disconnected from reality. VANDALS HIT REPUBLICAN SIGNS IN MINNETONKA GOP campaign signs on Highway 7 in Minnetonka (on private property) are regularly trashed by those who want to dictate to others how they should think.

AMY KLOBUCHAR • HOW MUCH CRIME IS ENOUGH FOR AMY? -- How many times do you have to be arrested before you start doing serious time in Amy Klobuchar's Minneapolis? Apparently four felonies aren't enough. And four DWI convictions aren't enough. Shawn Louis was arrested 44 times -- apparently that isn't enough. Sunkeria Brown was arrested a whopping 96 times. Not enough. Apparently the number is greater than 100. • KLOBUCHAR: EXTREME ON ABORTION -- Democrat U.S. Senate candidate Amy Klobuchar says it isn't enough that women have the right to abort their unborn children -- even in the ninth month of pregnancy. She also wants to use your tax money to pay for it. • ANOTHER FAKER EXPOSED -- Just days away from Minnesota's fishing opener comes evidence that U.S. Senate candidate Amy Klobuchar is a recent convert to the joys of fishing -- VERY recent.

MIKE HATCH • Hatch in a bizarre meltdown, lashing out at Star Tribune reporters for a story not yet published. • WHO IS ACORN? -- Mike Hatch declares himself "very proud" of his endorsement by a far left group called ACORN. According to their website, the group advocates massive tax increases, defense cuts, and government run health care. • DEMOCRATS BEHAVING BADLY -- Hennepin County Judge delivers a stinging rebuke of Attorney General Mike Hatch, ending his four year witch hunt at Medica. • HATCH STRIKES OUT -- The persecution of former GOP chair Ron Eibensteiner has always been about Attorney General Mike Hatch abusing the legal system to stick it to the Republicans.

HOWARD DEAN • HOWARD THE COWARD -- The Washington Post reports that Democrats are starting to fear a strong anti-Dean backlash at the polls. Michael Goodwin in the NY Daily News says that Howard Dean is leading Democrats over a cliff. • CHICKEN LITTLE -- Howard Dean runs from a debate with the GOP chairman. Meanwhile he refuses to apologize for Democrat racism in the Maryland Senate race. • SMEARING ALITO -- The source of an anonymous and ugly smear piece against Judge Alito has now been traced directly to the Democratic National Committee. • HOWARD DEAN: SADDAM TREATED WOMEN BETTER -- Another cringe-worthy moment from the chairman of the Democratic National Committee. • HOWIE'S LATEST BIG LIE -- Democrat leader Howard Dean is running around telling audiences that Republicans support Eminent Domain. Question: Does he have no shame or no clue? • MORE FUN WITH DEANO -- Howard Dean on NBC News' Meet the Press: "You know that abortions have gone up 25 percent since George Bush was President?" Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, and scores of other Democrats have been running around quoting variations of that particular false statistic. The nonpartisan group FactCheck.Org reveals that abortions have actually DECREASED under President Bush. • QUOTATIONS OF CHAIRMAN HOWARD -- A roundup of favorite quotes from the new leader of the Democratic Party. Some of these are pretty wild.

DICK DURBIN • DURBIN USES THUG TACTICS TO SILENCE CRITICS -- Democrat Senator Dick Durbin caused quite a stir when he compared American troops to Nazis. Now he is threatening to silence organizations who oppose him -- with IRS audits. Oh yeah, nothing says "free speech" quite like intimidation from the IRS! • HOW TO APOLOGIZE WITHOUT REALLY APOLOGIZING -- Chicago's mayor, Richard Daley, refused to play the game. Now, Senator Durbin has finally apologized. Or did he? The Dallas Morning News blasts Durbin's non-apology apology. • READ THE QUOTE -- Taking America-hatred to a brand new level, Illinois Democrat Senator Dick Durbin compares the mild treatment of terrorists at Guantanamo to the horrors of the Nazi Holocaust, Soviet gulags, and even Pol Pot's extermination camps. • MARK STEYN HAS THE RESPONSE -- This isn't a Democrat vs. Republican thing. Dick Durbin has slandered every American and has assisted the enemy with his sleaze. • ADL TO DURBIN: APOLOGIZE -- The Jewish Anti-Defamation League (ADL) called on Durbin to repudiate his racist and bigoted attack and apologize to the American people. • POPULARITY SOARING... WITH TERRORISTS! -- Pro-terrorist network Al Jazeera praises the Senator's remarks. • REMARKS? WHAT REMARKS? -- Wash Times notes that prominent Democrats are refusing condemn the remarks. Hillary Clinton's response was classic.

ALGORE • THE SHAME OF AL GORE -- One Vice President accidentally hurts a hunting companion. Another Vice President intentionally defames the country.

MICHAEL MOORE • FRED THOMPSON SMACKS DOWN MICHAEL MOORE -- Michael Moore is currently working on his latest "documentary" where he trashes the U.S. health care system and praises the totalitarian system in Cuba. Responding to criticism, Moore challenged former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson to a debate. Thompson's reply is short, elegant, and right on. • Michael Reagan: Michael Moore hates America. • Newsweek/Michael Isikoff: Taking apart Moore's unfair movie point by point. • Democrat Ed Koch: Michael Moore's film is "shocking propaganda". • NY Post: "Movie is packed with points that Moore assumes his audience will never check." • Slate Magazine: "Dishonest, demogogic, piece of crap."

GARRISON KEILLOR • Democrat Garrison Keillor needs a lesson in "Minnesota Nice." His latest rant suggests that Republicans should have their health care cut off and left to die "in order to reduce the surplus population."

DEMS TAKE AIM AT FREE SPEECH • Republicans debate the issues. Democrats just try to shout down or censor their opponents. Latest outrageous efforts to censor political opinions Democrats don't like. • Kerry promises to bring back the "Fairness Doctrine" -- a law that places severe restrictions on free speech. • The "Fairness Doctrine" would give the FCC power to ban conservative media outlets: No more Fox News. No more Rush Limbaugh. • Harkin Amendment (the "Hush Rush" bill) would outlaw Rush Limbaugh from Armed Forces Radio.

GEORGE SOROS -- MEDIA MATTERS -- MOVEON.ORG • MOVEON VS. THE DEMS -- Punishing Congressmen for reporting what they see in Iraq. • O'REILLY VS. SOROS -- An interesting battle is heating up between Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly and far-left billionaire George Soros. In April, O'Reilly exposed names of several organizations that receive Soros money. Now a Soros-funded website is making O'Reilly the target of their latest smear. • MOVEON SPREADS MESSAGE OF HATE -- The NY Post reports that the MoveOn.Org website is filled with anti-Semitic slurs against Senator Joe Lieberman. • SOROS GUILTY -- George Soros, the billionaire sponsor of the radical MoveOn.Org, has been found guilty of insider-trading fraud by a French court. • FAKE BUT ACCURATE AGAIN? -- You have to see this to believe it. The George Soros group, MoveOn.Org, has been caught in another fraud. • GEORGE SOROS: John Kerry lost me $26 million. • BOUGHT AND PAID FOR -- "Now it's our party" reads the typically arrogant e-mail from left-wing fringe group MoveOn.Org, referring to the Democratic Party. "We bought it, we own it". Sadly, the message is largely true. MoveOn.org and similar so-called "527" groups (named for the section of the campaign-finance law that governs their activities) did all but take control of the Democratic Party this year -- for no other reason than that the Democrats offered themselves for sale. • He wants legal drugs, abortion, gay marriage, assisted suicide, and a world without God. Hungarian tychoon George Soros has pledged his billions to defeat Bush.

BARRACK OBAMA • OBAMA PLAYS POLITICS WITH KANSAS TORNADO TRAGEDY -- And, in the process, he gets his facts really really wrong. Tornado survivors are angry and speaking out.

JOHN KERRY -- JOHN EDWARDS • THE ONION, excellent as usual: "John Edwards Vows To End All Bad Things By 2011". • PRIDE OF THE CAYMANS -- Democrat John Edwards has a great part-time job. He earns $480,000 per year helping wealthy people like him learn how to avoid paying taxes. • GETTING IN TOUCH WITH "THE OTHER AMERICA" -- Democrat John Edwards raked in millions working for a hedge fund. • REWRITING HISTORY -- There's an argument around -- in some places it's conventional wisdom -- that the Swift Boat Vets' ads that so effectively attacked John Kerry in 2004 have been "discredited". John Hinderaker of Powerline says: Not really. • HAVE YOURSELF A KERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS -- As the Washington Post's Lois Romano observes: "Nothing is ever simple when it comes to John Kerry." Even his Christmas cards are complicated. • AMERICA HATES JOHN KERRY -- Pollster Peter Brown on John Kerry: "Americans know who he is, and have pretty much decided they don't like him." Ouch -- that's gotta hurt. • KERRY: AMERICA'S SOLDIERS ARE LAZY AND DUMB -- Kerry's repugnant commentary is not only insulting to our troops but, according to the Heritage Foundation, he is factually wrong. The Minnesota National Guard has answered the pompous Senator: Their photo is burning up the internet. And don't be fooled by Kerry's "it was just a joke" excuse -- in 1972 he said almost the same exact thing. • VERY SCARY, KERRY -- John Kerry is saying that the current Lebanon crisis would never have happened if he was President. Paul Mirengoff remarks that these kind of statements remind us why Kerry should never be President. Nihilist offers up the Top 11 ways John Kerry would have averted the Lebanon crisis. • 53 PERCENT! -- John Kerry blames President Bush because "53 percent of our children don't graduate high school." But, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, graduation rates just reached an all time high -- 85 percent. Even worse is the fact that this is not the first time Kerry has promoted these bogus numbers. This man was almost your President, folks. • "D" IS FOR DEMOCRAT -- The ever brilliant John Kerry (just ask him), who was such a refreshing change from that drooling dolt George W. Bush was such a stellar student at Yale ... oh, wait. No he wasn't. He was a "D" student. Of course, during the campaign, one of the reasons given by Kerry's staff for his frequent evasions was his superior intellect. We can all have a good laugh now. • Kerry continues his whine about the 2004 election. His latest allegation is that Democrats are too stupid to know that Election Day was on a Tuesday. • John Kerry once again promises to release his military records. Sure he will.

RINOS: REPUBLICANS IN NAME ONLY • DURENBERGER RANTS -- Scott Johnson has an entertaining rebuttal of former Senator Dave Durenberger's criticism of Ann Coulter's recent visit to the University of St. Thomas. Durenberger, in case you've forgotten, also endorsed Kerry for President in 2004.

DEMS ON THE ISSUES • WITH APOLOGIES TO JEFF FOXWORTHY -- Ed Lynch in the Roanoak Times pretty well sums it up in "You might be a liberal if...." • Article in the Rocky Mountain News about how the Democratic Party has lost its way since the days of JFK. • Pioneer Press Poll reveals voters agree with Republicans: They oppose taxpayer funded stadiums, support getting tough on sex offenders, oppose same-sex marriage, support initiative & referendum.

MORE REASONS TO BE A REPUBLICAN • CONSERVATIVE GIVERS AND LIBERAL TAKERS -- Arthur C. Brooks has written a book that concludes religious conservatives donate far more money than secular liberals to all sorts of charitable activities -- irrespective of income. In other words, liberals SAY they care about the needy, but make others pay. • DEMOCRATS PAY THE PRICE FOR ANGER -- Another survey has come out showing that Republicans are happier than Democrats. • REPUBLICANS HAPPIER -- A Pew research poll says that Republicans tend to go to church more, have better marriages, and lead much happier lives. The happiness cuts across social, economic and racial lines (ie. poor Republicans are happier than poor Democrats). The lesson is clear: If you want to be happy, vote Republican. • ILLITERATES AND INTELLECTUALS -- According to pollsters, today's Democratic party gets its support from those who are the least educated and those who are the most educated. The American Spectator explains why. • RED STATES/BLUE STATES WHO IS MORE GENEROUS? -- Democrats often talk about "those greedy Republicans" but who gives more of THEIR OWN money to the poor and the needy? Answer: Republicans. • The people of Mississippi, the nation's poorest state, consistently lead the nation in charitable giving. • Connecticut, the wealthiest state per capita, is the seventh worst state for donations. • In fact, every state in the top 25 most generous are red states, all but one of the top 10 least generous (including Minnesota) are blue states. See the original report here. • PURSUE HAPPINESS: VOTE REPUBLICAN -- Peter Du Pont has uncovered the real reason Republicans win.

ECONOMY
NEXT SUBJECT

EDEN PRAIRIE CITY COUNCIL
NEXT SUBJECT

• PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT -- Good news from the EP City Council: The property tax increase for a median single family home in Eden Prairie will be $11 -- an increase of less than one percent. Thank you to Mayor Phil Young and councilmembers Brad Aho and John Duckstad for finally introducing fiscal discipline to an out of control budget process.
• PROPER ROLE OF CITY GOVERNMENT -- Eden Prairie's Karen Kirchoff applauds efforts of Eden Prairie's city council to reign in property tax increases.
• DO YOU THINK LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS BROKEN? -- Then do what the Eden Prairie Taxpayer's Alliance did . . . and fix it. Last year, members of the Eden Prairie Taxpayers Alliance (EPTA) -- who had previously focused their efforts on keeping local elected officials accountable for the promises they made -- decided instead to start at the source and endorse a number of candidates for city council. The job, of course, wasn’t easy. But after watching previous EP administrations spend ever-increasing sums of taxpayer money on “historic preservation” and car allowances, they decided it was time to act. And what of their actions? How about a 2008 property tax increase of $9? That’s right, $9. Apparently focusing government resources on the things that government is supposed to do actually works. Congrats to EPTA members (and really, all EP taxpayers) for doing the heavy “fiscal responsibility” lifting.
• NOT ENOUGH SPENDING? -- EP voters approved $6.65 million to improve the Community Center. The costs, we are now told, have reached $8.1 million (a 20% increase!). Who is to blame? Ron Case blames taxpayers who always seem to underfund EP projects (those darn taxpayers!). But fellow councilmember Brad Aho points out that the Parks Commission used faulty data when communicating the real costs to voters.
• EP TAXES OUT OF CONTROL -- Tom Briant and Paul Wendorff of the Eden Prairie Taxpayer Alliance weigh in on the Eden Prairie budget debate.

• SPEAKING UP FOR TAXPAYERS -- Interesting debate is brewing on the Eden Prairie City Council between those who believe that local government should spend responsibly and be accountable to taxpayers (Phil Young and Brad Aho) and those who think Eden Prairie families have "magical wallets" that are always available for pet projects (Lukens, Case, and Butcher). The Taxpayers League has prepared a primer to help explain how much your taxes will be going up and what you can do about it.

• EP BUDGET OUT OF CONTROL -- Did you know Eden Prairie's Social Services budget is increasing 23%? Or that they plan to spend $225,000 just to send their employees to conferences? Randy Foote says it's time EP taxpayers start paying attention to the city's out-of-control budget.
• REPUBLICAN IN NAME ONLY? -- Eden Prairie City Council members Sherri Butcher and Ron Case insist that they are Republicans. Nevertheless they find themselves voting like Democrats again.
• TAMRA HOWICK WAS RIGHT AFTER ALL -- Paul Wendorff joins the debate on Eden Prairie's finances.
• IS THE EP CITY COUNCIL "FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE"? -- Tamra Howick says no and she's got the facts and figures to prove it.
• WHO CARES WHAT THE PEOPLE THINK? -- Eden Prairie resident Paul Gallenberger tells of a particularly disappointing conversation with EP Councilmember Ron Case. He was especially struck by the council's apparently unabashed motives of putting personal self-interests above their duty to serve the public.

EDUCATION
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• Senator Hann has penned an wonderful editorial in the Star Tribune challenging the Democrat's lament over the "absence of adequate state funding" of schools. Senator Hann was one of three guest speakers at SD45's recent Chili and Chat in New Hope where he presented an engaging discussion on the history and role of education in Minnesota.Pioneer Press columnist Craig Westover applauds Senator Hann's reasoned editorial and challenges DFL demagogues to do the same.
• SCHOOL CHOICE FAILS IN UTAH -- Pete DuPont says that one reason for the defeat was the work of well organized teacher's unions. Megan McArdle writes a fine, furious reply to the critics of school vouchers.
• HOW TO CUT SCHOOL SPENDING WITHOUT HURTING KIDS -- Phil Krinke has some great suggestions.
• BILL KITTELSON: School officials caused quite a stir at this year's EP High School graduation ceremonies by prominently featuring the flags of several other countries while simultaneously hiding the American flag.
• IS EDUCATION UNDERFUNDED? -- Randy Krebs, the editor of the St. Cloud Times, exposes the lie that education is being cut.
• DFL VS. CHARTER SCHOOLS -- For parents, it's about what's best for their kids. For the DFL, it's about keeping parents on a leash. Mitch Berg smacks down Nick Coleman's latest article.
• WASTING YOUR EDUCATION TAX DOLLARS -- The Education Minnesota teacher's union spent $1.5 million last year lobbying your legislature for more money. That's $1.5 million that won't be going to books or computers or teacher's salaries. Meanwhile, schools are closing as parents and students continue to flee the failing Minneapolis public school system.
• PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS MAKE $34.06 PER HOUR -- Wall Street Journal asks: is that underpaid?. According to the same report, Minnesota teachers are paid even higher than the national average -- $35.19 per hour.
• RONTRELL'S CHOICE -- Why a South Carolina teen is forced to work his way through high school.
• RHETORIC AND REALITY -- Matt Abe discusses the International Baccalaureate controversy currently going on in the Minnetonka School District.
• SCHOOL CHOICE -- Nick Coleman accuses supporters of choice of conducting an "assault" on public education. Mitch Berg responds with a line by line rebuttal. Craig Westover cites evidence that choice is the single best hope we have of closing the achievement gap.
• SCHOOL CHOICE IS GOOD FOR KIDS -- One of the arguments against greater school choice is that parents would be unable to choose their children's schools intelligently. But there seems to be mounting evidence against that hypothesis. The Minneapolis public schools are doing such a terrible job that if your kid is black or Hispanic, odds are they won't graduate. White kids have a slightly better than 50/50 shot. Mitch Pearlstein answers that school choice will close the achievement gap.
• THE PROBLEM WITH JUST "THROWING MONEY AT IT" -- In Minnesota: School spending is up. But test scores -- are down.
• HOME SCHOOLING HAS GONE MAINSTREAM -- A quiet mutiny is underway against America's public schools. Many parents upset with declining educational standards are turning to home schooling instead. One million American kids are currently home schooled and the trend is growing at a rate of 15 to 20 percent per year.
• HIGH SELF ESTEEM AND LOW MATH SCORES -- A Washington Post article says that American kids are getting their butts kicked by other countries in math. But at least they feel good about it.
• COLLEGES DOMINATED BY LEFT-WING PROFS -- But the good news, argues Syracuse professor Arthur C. Brooks, is that they probably won't brainwash your kids.
• IT'S BACK TO SCHOOL TIME -- John Stossel explains how schools can benefit from competition. Plus take this quick five question quiz from ABC News: "How much do you know about public education?"
• DEMOCRATS SUPPORT CHOICE -- Except when it comes to education. A Star Tribune editorial argues that allowing parents to make choices about their children's education hurts public schools. But John Stossel explains how competition actually improves education and lack of choice is cheating your kids.
• WHY WE NEED SCHOOL CHOICE -- The graduation rate in Minnesota is a dismal 79%. But for blacks the figure is an unconscionable 44%.
• DEMOCRATS FOR SCHOOL CHOICE? -- By employing innovative strategies, school choice advocates are finding an unlikely ally: liberal Democrats.
• KING AND KING -- Massachusetts second graders are being read fairy tales with a gay marriage theme. Ace of Spades, a conservative blog, says that the Left's insistence on bringing children into this cultural war is "just plain creepy".
• GEOGRAPHY DEFICIT -- Nearly half of U.S. high school grads cannot find India on a map.
• WASTING YOUR EDUCATION TAX DOLLARS -- The money is not going to your kids. But $215,000 is going to the failed director of the Minneapolis teacher's pension. The money is not going to your kids. But at least $250,000 is being used to replace the failed Minneapolis school superintendent. The money is not going to your kids. But $1,000,000 is going to a misleading ad campaign to promote the Education Minnesota teacher's union.
• MISSPENDING YOUR EDUCATION TAX DOLLARS -- Minneapolis public schools have sold their Cadillac SUV -- originally priced at $48,460 -- for $9,788. Meanwhile the Education Minnesota teacher's union is spending one million dollars on a TV ad campaign that WCCO has labeled "NOT FAIR". Fancy cars and TV ads -- is that how you want your education dollars spent?
• JOBS AWAIT TODAY'S COLLEGE GRADS -- New grads will encounter the best job market in 5 1/2 years. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones index has reached another five year high. And finally, home sales have posted an unexpected gain. Another Democrat "talking point" bites the dust.
• ANSWERING TEACHERS UNIONS -- John Stossel continues to be hammered by unionized public-school teachers terrified by school choice.
• TALIBAN WELCOME AT YALE -- John Fund discusses an incredible story going on at one of the nation's most prestigious universities.
• INNER-CITY FAMILIES DEMAND SCHOOL CHOICE -- In her Wall Street Journal article, Kathy Kersten explains how school choice has led many black families to flee the Minneapolis public school system.
• TEACHERS FORCED TO TOE THE LIBERAL LINE -- Many U.S. schools of education want to regulate would-be-teachers belief systems. Frederick Hess of AEI explains why this is a bad idea.
• IS THE PRESIDENT CUTTING EDUCATION? -- The next time a liberal politician spouts off about how Republicans cut education, show them the real numbers.

• DAYTON LIES ABOUT PUBLIC EDUCATION SPENDING -- Mark Dayton makes the outrageous claim that public school spending in Minnesota is being cut. Education Secretary Alice Seagren sets the record straight. Tom Swift explains why Dayton -- and the Education Minnesota teacher's union -- want you to believe their fraudulent numbers.
• MISSPENDING YOUR EDUCATION TAX DOLLARS -- Of course, just recklessly spending money doesn't make our schools better. The Star Tribune provides one more reason why public schools consume over 50 percent of the state's budget.
• UNSERIOUS IDEAS -- Kevin Carey takes on the NEA's cynical proposal to create a minimum salary of $40,000 for all public school teachers.
• TEACHERS UNIONS VS. YOUR KIDS -- In Florida and Wisconsin, teachers unions crush educational opportunities.
• MISSPENDING YOUR EDUCATION TAX DOLLARS -- Education Minnesota, the state's 70,000 member strong teacher's union, plans to spend ONE MILLION DOLLARS -- money that could be going to educate your kids -- on television ads. Katherine Kersten suggests the ads may be politically motivated.
• THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK -- As predicted, the Star Tribune editorial page is pummeling columnist Katherine Kersten over criticism of the teachers union's million dollar advertising campaign.
• EDUCATION SCHOOLS VS. YOUR KIDS -- George Will thinks that, to improve our schools, the first thing that ought to be done is to close all of the schools that certify America's school teachers. Come on now, George, what do you really think?
• STUPID IN AMERICA: HOW LIBERALS CHEAT YOUR CHILDREN -- John Stossel reveals why schools in Belgium are better than American public schools. John Fund reports on how liberals are working to destroy Milwaukee's innovative school choice program.
• THE 70 PERCENT SOLUTION -- What if you could find a way to cut layers of bureaucracy and get more money for teachers, classrooms and classroom materials (such as computers) without raising taxes one dime? Governor Pawlenty has proposed such a plan. Similar plans are being tried in several states and are finding support among parents, taxpayers, and teachers. According to George Will, if adopted nationally, such plans could mean several billion extra dollars for our nation's schools.
• YOUR EDUCATION DOLLARS GOING TO FUND DEMOCRATS -- The nation's biggest teachers union gave $65 million in its members' dues to left-liberal groups last year.
• FLORIDA COURT: SCHOOL CHOICE IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL -- The liberal Florida Supreme Court has declared that allowing parents the freedom to get their kids out of failing schools violates the constitution.
• IS MINNESOTA UNDERFUNDING EDUCATION? -- A group of school districts (no bias there, right?) has just issued a report claiming that Minnesota schools are dangerously underfunded. Mark Yost in the Pioneer Press takes the group's findings and runs them through a shredder.
• MONEY ALONE CAN'T FIX PUBLIC SCHOOLS -- Minnesota's schools just got their biggest funding boost in 20 years. Yet the Star Tribune says that parents will see little change in the classroom. Katherine Kersten takes us to one school that is getting the job done at a fraction of the cost of public schools.
• WHY ARGUE WITH LIBERALS? -- Why should one even bother to debate ineducable kooks who spout utter nonsense? Author Theodore Dalrymple explains that when nonsense goes unchallenged, it becomes accepted as truth by default.
• CAN MINNESOTA AFFORD JOHN GUNYOU? -- Gunyou is the former finance director under Arne Carlson and is the current Minnetonka city manager. He frequently contributes articles to the Star Tribune and many of the western suburban newspapers. His neo-socialist matra basically goes like this: "Education is not getting enough money" and "Republicans who break no-tax pledges are heroes". Triple-A from Residual Forces responds to Gunyou's latest rant.
• FREE TO CHOOSE -- After 50 years, education vouchers are finally beginning to catch on. Meanwhile, John Tierney of the NY Times asks opponents of school choice a very uncomfortable question.
• MORE GROUPTHINK -- The New York Sun reports aspiring teachers who attend Brooklyn College in New York are being evaluated based on their politics and shunted aside if they don't toe the multi-cultural line by professing a commitment to "social justice." For example, students in a required language course who challenged the assistant professor's assertion that standard English is the language of oppressors while Ebonics is the language of the oppressed were accused of "bullying" their professor and given lower grades.
• BLUE CAMPUSES -- In case you had any doubt: the politically-active faculty at elite universities are very heavily Democratic. The numbers presented here are impressive.
• LESSONS LEARNED -- How school choice in Wisconsin is working well.
• HOME SCHOOL VS. PUBLIC SCHOOL -- Peter Gordon of USC has a short but powerful post on "the foremost social and economic problem of our time."
• PC ON THE COLLEGE CAMPUS -- The Collegiate Network's annual Polly Awards for outstanding achievement in the area of politically correct nuttiness on American college campuses are out.
• HOW TO RAISE CLASSROOM SPENDING WITHOUT RAISING TAXES -- George Will reports that voters in Arizona voters will soon be voting on something called The 65 Percent Solution -- a mandate that 65% of all education spending go to classroom instruction. On, that is, teachers and students, not bureaucracy.
• DFL BALANCES BUDGET ON THE BACKS OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS -- The DFL Senate caucus unveiled their budget plan. Surprisingly it doesn't include any tax increases. Instead, the DFL plans to cut education funding by $3.4 million. Governor Pawlenty calls the plan a "sideshow" and says he was "stunned to see the DFL caucus cut education".
• CLAIMS OF EDUCATION FUNDING CUTS JUST DON'T ADD UP -- Joe Soucheray observes: "There wasn't a kid standing in front of the state Capitol on Monday afternoon, or parent for that matter, who could have passed a test on why they were there. They think they were there because somehow they have it in their heads that the state of Minnesota has abandoned public education."
• ZERO INTELLIGENCE-- New site dedicated to exposing the foolishness of many schools' "zero tolerance" policies.
• THE "INTOLERANT LEFT" -- George Will lampoons the hysterics going on at Harvard. "
• BACK TO YOU NC