Patterico's Pontifications

2/3/2010

The Dead Puppy Letter

Filed under: Education — DRJ @ 11:01 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

A blogger at the Houston Chronicle’s MomHouston blog is appalled at a letter an elementary school principal wrote and sent to parents of second-graders. The principal claims it was a joke letter sent in error in which he labeled some students lazy or stupid, and complained about accommodations for allergic and other impaired children.

Here’s the letter that I will always remember as the Dead Puppy Letter.

Are you appalled?

— DRJ

Political Priorities

Filed under: Obama,Politics — DRJ @ 10:13 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

The Instapundit links an odd statement by President Obama:

“We’ve got to make sure that our party understands that, like it or not, we have to have a financial system that is healthy and functioning, so we can’t be demonizing every bank out there.”

Prof. Reynolds takes note of the bolded portion and asks: “Who wouldn’t like a ‘healthy and functioning’ financial system?” It’s a good question, and he answers it at the link.

I think the answer is politicians who have other priorities:

  • Like politicians who believe “when you spread the wealth around it’s good for everyone.”
  • Politicians who think Tea Party protesters are fair game to mock and ridicule.
  • Politicians who support universal voter registration despite its susceptibility to fraud and abuse.
  • Politicians who, despite warnings that they and their Party will be “screwed” if they don’t do more about jobs and the economy, have another agenda.
  • And politicians who offer health care reform with promises we can keep our doctors if we want to, only to admit later that some of the reform provisions violated that pledge.
  • Feel free to add other priorities in the comments.

    — DRJ

    Maguire on Yglesias on the Underwear Bomber

    Filed under: Fiskings,Terrorism — DRJ @ 9:14 pm



    [Guest post by DRJ]

    Tom Maguire fisks Matt Yglesias’ support for the Obama Administration’s handling of the Underwear Bomber. Here’s my favorite part, and note that Maguire’s comments are in regular type and Yglesias’ quotes are in italics:

    “Pressing on:

    It’s true that as an investigative technique “convince the guy’s family to convince him to cooperate” isn’t quite as bad-ass as “use Khmer Rouge torture tactics against him.” On the other hand, the non-torture way actually produces reliable information.

    And Matt knows the intel is reliable because…? People can’t lie when their sainted mum or beloved aunt is in the next room? I don’t know how the reality-based community gleaned this particular fragment of reality.”

    More at the link.

    — DRJ

    Katie Couric’s Contract

    Filed under: General — DRJ @ 8:14 pm



    [Guest post by DRJ]

    Reportedly Katie Couric is paid $14M a year or $300K a week. That’s several multiples more than most CBS employees, and apparently some of them have noticed:

    “Couric, the highest paid TV news personality in history, commands over $14 million a year, plus bumps for non-EVENING NEWS appearances.

    But her salary is now in the direct line of fire, network insiders explain, and a populist backlash against Couric’s cash is said to be forming inside the newsroom.

    “She makes enough to pay 200 news reporters $75,000 a year!” demands a veteran producer. “It’s complete insanity.”

    The angry source continues: “We report with great enthusiasm how much bankers are making, how it is out of step with reality during a recession. Well, look at Katie!”

    Couric’s $300,000 a week paycheck has become the obsession of disgruntled CBS staff, just as deep layoffs rock the fishbowl.”

    The New York Post says Couric makes $15M a year and her continued big paycheck is questionable since CBS News “laid off 150 people on Monday — including, for the first time, staffers at ’60 Minutes’.” But Politico reports CBS News and Sports’ President Sean McManus denied Couric is facing a salary cut next year.

    — DRJ

    Bipartisan Lindsey Graham

    Filed under: Obama,Politics — DRJ @ 8:05 pm



    [Guest post by DRJ]

    South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham has a new admirer:

    “The president knew he would be causing trouble but he just couldn’t resist praising Sen. Lindsey Graham’s tripartisan initiative on climate change legislation with Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Joe Lieberman, I-Conn.

    “It probably doesn’t help him for me to compliment him,” the president joked, to appreciative laughter, as he went ahead and complimented Graham, a South Carolina Republican, before a meeting of Democratic senators today.”

    The compromise requires that conservatives “go along with greenhouse gas reductions if liberals accept more domestic energy development.” Not only are the whys and hows of limiting greenhouse gases unclear, but I doubt the compromise includes waiving or restricting EPA and other regulations that will hold up nuclear and oil and gas development.

    Thus, Graham defects from his Party because he’s desperate to make Congress relevant and offers to support the President on an issue of unproven science. No wonder the President likes Graham’s offer. It’s priceless.

    — DRJ

    Oh, Retracto . . .

    Filed under: General — Patterico @ 7:08 pm



    In addition to hay — a lot of hay — Retracto the Correction Alpaca eats Big Media for lunch. I’m tossing him more easy pickins: this bit from Alex Eichler at a blog at the Atlantic:

    When spring-chicken conservative activist James O’Keefe got arrested for allegedly trying to bug Senator Mary Landrieu’s phones, many on the right couldn’t distance themselves fast enough. But O’Keefe has since found sympathetic boosters.

    If Eichler doesn’t know by now that there is no allegation of bugging, he’s just not paying attention. There is no excuse.

    Sic ’em, Retracto!

    Scott Brown to be Certified Today

    Filed under: Politics — DRJ @ 12:32 pm



    [Guest post by DRJ]

    The Boston Globe reports Massachusetts officials will certify the January 19 election results today, paving the way for Scott Brown’s swearing-in:

    “Massachusetts officials are planning to formally certify the special US Senate election results today, allowing Senator-elect Scott Brown to be sworn in at any point afterward. Aides to Brown and the Senate leadership say the induction is planned for Feb. 11.”

    Assuming, however, the State officials do their part:

    “After the council approves the results, Governor Deval Patrick and the secretary of state need to sign off on the certification. A certificate will then be given to Brown and provided to the secretary of the US Senate.”

    1,900 military ballots still remain to be tallied but they would not change the outcome.

    — DRJ

    Thank God Goodness None of the Pagans Were Vampires

    Filed under: General — Patterico @ 7:03 am



    It’s a horrific story of religious discrimination:

    The Air Force Academy, stung several years ago by accusations of Christian bias, has built a new outdoor worship area for pagans and other practitioners of Earth-based religions.

    But its opening, heralded as a sign of a more tolerant religious climate at the academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., was marred by the discovery two weeks ago of a large wooden cross placed there.

    “We’ve been making great progress at the Air Force Academy. This is clearly a setback,” said Mikey Weinstein, a 1977 graduate of the academy. He is founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, and has often tangled with the academy over such issues.

    Oh, my! A cross!

    That’s offensive to the pagans, you see.

    Mikey finds a great analogy to express how awful the appearance of the cross was:

    The reaction would have been stronger, Weinstein said, if another worship center had been involved. Had a swastika been placed in the Jewish center, “heads would be rolling,” he said.

    Now do you understand how offensive the appearance of the cross was?

    Thanks to Robert P.


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