Joe Biden: the rarest, and most commendable of public officials

See Politico: Biden to shrink VP role - big time

What a guy. Once a government office has been endowed with powers, it's extremely hard to shrink or remove them. Biden is volunteering to shrink the size of the office. I am wondering if this is due to pressure from the Obama team, the same team that relegated him to nonessential campaigning during the presidential race. In any case, he deserves a salute.

I know that the nation is fawning over its president-elect, but I get the feeling that Obama is an extremely bright guy who's going to make good decisions and (hopefully) run the country well.

The Fallujah at Our Doorstep

A nice study break for those of you who, like myself, are freaking out over our final tomorrow:

One thing Mad Dog never mentioned (maybe because it wasn't as relevant in '04 as it is today) and for some reason the MSM seems to neglect as well (which I don't understand, it has everything ratings could ask for) is the Mexican drug war and the physical danger that can occur from an increasing Hispanization of the American Southwest. Since 2006 the drug war has begun to spiral completely out of control. I don't want to spew all of the facts (you can see the rest of them here), but the statistics are incredible. The L.A. Times estimates that 6,836 people have been murdered since the beginning of 2007 in Mexico's drug war. With all the talk about our troop deaths in Iraq (don't get me wrong, the deaths of our soldiers are to be greatly mourned), it's quite sad that no one has noticed the 1,200 people who have been murdered (in sometimes horrifying fashion) in Ciudad Juarez alone so far in 2008 (as of Dec. 3), just miles from El Paso, Texas.

An L.A. Times journalist who has covered the drug war for a while has noted an increase in crime overflowing into towns and cities on this side of the border, which can hardly be unexpected considering the number of immigrants (both legal and illegal) and visitors who travel between the two countries every day.

Thankfully, an excellent job has been done so far keeping the crime south of the Rio Grande (very few cartel-related deaths have been reported so far in El Paso or any other American border town), but how long can that possibly last?

And if Sarah Palin knows so much about foreign policy since she can see Russia from her house, shouldn't we know more about the danger that we can see from ours?

Cloture, Senate procedure and Harry Reid's ineffectiveness

Nate Silver breaks down Harry Reid's job as majority leader of the Senate. Essentially, the Republicans have been using procedural filibusters (quorum calls) more and more, and actual filibusters (Strom Thurmond speaking for 24 hours straight) less. Harry Reid has been ineffective at making Senate Republicans look bad, or forcing a vote.
Per ch. 9 of Brownstein, it's possible Reid is being too nice.

The End

Tactic Proxy:

What happened to the Alinsky version?
Co-Op America





As we contemplate the American future, a couple of items are relevant to our discussion of Huntington. From the Pew Hispanic Center:

Nearly all Hispanic adults born in the United States of immigrant parents report they are fluent in English. By contrast, only a small minority of their parents describe themselves as skilled English speakers. This finding of a dramatic increase in English-language ability from one generation of Hispanics to the next emerges from a new analysis of six Pew Hispanic Center surveys conducted this decade among a total of more than 14,000 Latino adults.

From the Center for Immigration Studies:

Immigrants account for one in eight U.S. residents, the highest level in 80 years. In 1970 it was one in 21; in 1980 it was one in 16; and in 1990 it was one in 13. Overall, nearly one in three immigrants is an illegal alien. Half of Mexican and Central American immigrants and one-third of South American immigrants are illegal. Since 2000, 10.3 million immigrants have arrived — the highest seven-year period of immigration in U.S. history. More than half of post-2000 arrivals (5.6 million) are estimated to be illegal aliens

.

Huntington speaks of multiracial America. See:

?

Here's one wondering if Blagojevitch could have been more obvious about his lawbreaking. Apparently he knew he was being investigated. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/10/us/politics/10Illinois.html?hp

Rationality of Voting, revisited

Today is election day in Clayton, NC. But hardly anyone is voting, and the N&O predicts that only a few hundred will vote today in a revote for the town council. Considering that Clayton is growing very quickly, and whoever sits on the council gets to make zoning and other growth-related decisions, any single voter could have a significant effect on their own future. If I was a developer, I would certainly spend 10 minutes of my time trying to guarantee a pro-growth councilperson, in order to earn thousands more in profits. In this case, voting might just be rational.

Blagojevich arrested on curruption charges

Governor Blagojevich of Illinois has been arrested on corruption charges relating to his job of filling President-Elect Barack Obama'a vacant senate seat.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/chi-rod-blagojevich-illinois-governor-2,0,3093259.story

Picture of the day - Touching on class themes

Greater Grace Temple in Detroit recently held Mass with three SUV's on the altar. I don't want to steal the picture without permission but there are tons of Reuters pictures here, and NYT article and accompanying photo here.

Here is a seven-step process to establishing national health insurance. I won't spoil the punchline.

The Many Uses of Media

Even the seemingly harmless ad run by a large company can contain a hidden or, in this case, a not so hidden sociopolitcal message.

IKEA Commercial

Seems like IKEA might have some lingering issues with Prop 8. I heard about this ad from my mom in St. Louis, so it seems to be shown over a wide market.

And notice IKEA's choice of using an African American female. It may just be coincidence, or maybe they are trying to make a point since about 75% of African American woman voted for Prop 8.

The beauty of mass media.

Question of the day

I am wondering if today's headline in Pravda says, "In Hard Times, USA Moves to Reclaim Private Industries."

Another Blow for Newspapers

Tribune Company may be on the brink of bankruptcy.

NyTIMES Article

CNN has taken steps to create a wire service capable of challenging the AP and now the Tribune may falter. It appears the media will only continue to consolidate.

Obama's speechwriter

Here is more proof that people should be careful of pictures posted on Facebook. Obama's future White House director of speechwriting, Jon Favreau, was caught in an awkward position at a party, and the picture was posted on Facebook for a short time. Favreau is on the left...

Pre-writ amicus briefs

Over in Slate there is a piece about the increasing number of briefs being filed for cases before they are granted writ of certiorari by the Supreme Court. Filing this kind of amicus brief increases the chances the Court will hear the case. More here.

Canadian Parliament Suspended

The Canadian Prime Minister called for a suspension of Parliament from the Queen, which her representative granted today. PM Harper suspended the Parliament to prevent a no-confidence vote that could oust him from his position. Is this a common happening in other countries? Could the U.S. President do anything similar?

Can Federalism Solve America's Culture War?

In light of Wednesday's discussion, this 2006 article discusses the complications of using federalism to decide social issues. Ironically enough, the author was at Claremont McKenna at the time. Here's the link:http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2006/04/states_rights_and_wrongs.html

Social Identities and Politics - First Transgendered Mayor

We have discussed the importance of social identities for politicians. For example, being an atheist is political suicide and in New York a blended ethnic background is desirable.

Polls suggest that large percentages of Americans still refuse to vote for a homosexual, atheist, or Muslim candidate for President, no matter how qualified that candidate is for the presidency.

The election of Obama showed that race no longer needs to be an absolute barrier for aspiring African American politicians. However, in a small town in Oregon, another miracle has happened. Stu Rasmussen was elected the mayor of Silverton, becoming the first transgendered mayor in the U.S.

Huffington Post article

Side Note - To the best of my knowledge Mayor Rasmussen is gender-nonconforming and not transgender. Transgender is often used as an umbrella term, which would include gender nonconforming. However, transgender, as it strictly means, refers to someone who identifies with a gender that is the opposite of their biological sex. To my knowledge, Stu identifies with neither gender, which falls under the classification of gender nonconforming and not transgender.

Just to Clarify...

I just wanted to clarify a point in Kevin's post below. The Specter bill does not create a market for human organs, and in fact increases penalties for trafficking in organs. It merely allows states to provide noncash benefits that offset some of the costs of organ donation.

About $2.6 Billion Spent of Political Ads in 2008

Nytimes

This is an increase of 34% from the $1.7 billion spent in 2004.

How Libertarians Think

The Big Three auto companies are saying that as a part of any bailout package, the government would get a share in the auto companies. The libertarian points out that Americans can currently get a share in the auto companies without the government - GM for $4.90 a share at Wednesday's closing price. Not many Americans are buying shares in any Detroit automaker at the moment, which should tell Congress that it would be a bad idea for government, the people's proxy, to take an ownership stake in any company. Hat tip in this case goes to EconLog.

The underlying principle is that libertarians don't like being told how to spend their money. For more, read about Ricardian equivalence here.

Holder Jr. Should Find Easy Road to Confirmation Despite Tough Questioning

Obama's choice for attorney general, Eric Holder Jr., should face an easy confirmation process. The one flaw, so far, in his background is his involvement in the Marc Rich pardon under President Clinton. He was a deputy attorney general, and if the Marc Rich pardon is the only controversial item in his background that surfaces, he will be in good shape. Usually people with long histories in the Justice Department amass a more controversial record. The Republicans can choose to make an example of Holder and make his confirmation difficult, but doing so would be unwise since it would risk creating more tension between Republicans and African American voters. Holder would be the first African American Attorney General and his selection by Obama has been extremely popular.

At the end of the day the Democrats have the votes for confirmation, and the Republicans would be wise to let this one pass.

Obama & The Media

Campbell Brown looks at Obama's treatment of the media during a press conference following his announcement of Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State.

Should people be allowed to sell their organs?

Over at Political Mavens, our professor makes the case for an organ donation market makes the case that we should provide non-cash incentives, like healthcare or tax credits, for organ donors. It's an admirable goal to expect people to donate organs for free, but the result is a massive waiting list for organs and a shortage of donors. People who donate their kidneys can suffer from health problems down the road and must rest for weeks. As a result, the large majority of people donate organs because a relative needs one, not through altruism. It's unfair to the donors to ask them to take time off of work and suffer worse health without compensating them for donation. Furthermore, if donors were paid to donate organs people would not die on the waiting list. Sure the idea of selling organs is reprehensible, but I think it's far worse that people are dying because of a problem that has an easy fix.

Organ donation may be the only policy area in which Iran is the world leader.

Edited 3:45 PM Thursday December 4

Alinsky's Rules for Radicals

I found Rules for Radicals to be by far the most interesting reading we have had all year. I actually enjoyed reading it and I think a lot of Alinsky's ideas are extremely relevant today. Ironically enough, I think the Republican Party could benefit greatly from many of Alinsky's ideas. The Republican Party is divided between fiscal conservatives, libertarians, and social conservatives. A successful Republican Presidential candidate, or community organizer, has to figure out a way to keep these groups together under the banner of the same party. Fiscal conservatives, libertarians, and social conservatives have conflicting views on lots of issues - gay marriage for one. A successful Republican President, if there is ever one anytime soon, would have to emphasize issues that fiscal and social conservatives and libertarians agree on. I think a community organizer is just what the Republican Party needs, regardless of what Sarah Palin thinks.

Old News: Women and Campaign Contributions

This is an old article from Sept. 23rd but it addresses the rise in contributions from women.


http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/23/womens-campaign-giving-on-the-rise/


This is good news for Democrats if they hope to stay in control.

Chambliss Victory Should Come As No Surprise

Leading up to Dec. 2nd's run off election, various polls showed Chambliss with a 4-7% lead over Martin. However, these poll results should have been immediately viewed as too optimistic, suggesting that Martin could even get that close. Chambliss had already beaten Martin by 100,000 votes on the Nov. 4th election. The only reason Martin could even challenge Chambiss was because of a high turnout of African American voters. On Nov. 4th African Americans made up 28% of voters, and they voted for Martin 93% to 4%. Make no mistake they primarily turned out to vote in order to elect Obama, which they did by a margin of 98% to 2%, and several of them didn't even bother to vote for a senatorial candidate.

With Obama securely elected as President, Martin had little chance to hope for the same kind of turnout among minority voters. With 99% of precincts reporting, Chambliss's 14% margin of victory should come as no surprise.

Civil Disobedience

As part of our discussion about achieving your desired end:

People in Your Neighborhood

I wasn't kidding about Ralph Nader on Sesame Street (he appears at 3:32):

"Obama Unveils His National Security Team"

Earlier this morning, Obama officially unveiled his national security team, including the much anticipated nomination of Clinton for Secretary of State. I was slightly surprised that he decided to keep Gates as Defense Secretary. Any thoughts on Obama's decisions?

Rules for Radicals I

It's Hillary Clinton:






In response to questions:

• The pardon power
• Presidents-elect announcing appointments

Obama on Alinsky

Obama's Cabinet

Obama is already selecting his cabinet members. Do president-elects typically announce nominations before they are in office?

http://www.kdbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=9434564&nav=menu608_2