Inside The Cocoon
I watched a show on PBS last night that really set off the old outrage.

It was an episode of "The Morrow Report" about the impact of Proposition 13 on California public schools (Prop 13 limited property taxes and required supermajorities to raise them). The message was essentially "raise taxes or the kids get it" - a message delivered by ACLU lawyers, journalists, and leftist non-profits.

So here we have a perfect example of the liberal cocoon at work: a program funded by rich liberals, quoting rich liberals in order to persuade the rich liberals watching the show, who can tell their rich liberal friends about it, and they can agree that "everyone" knows taxes are too low.

Liz told me about a coalition meeting she attended full of union types and liberal non-profits. Someone from the teacher's union said, "Governor Ehrlich has abandoned his responsibility to raise taxes." This is what passes for common sense inside the cocoon.

Marc

The greatest website ever.
Okay, so I got tired of looking at Herzog's headshot. And I thought, well, let's not forget about Pittsburgh's longtime football anouncers, Myron Cope, Bill Hargrove and former Steeler O lineman Tunch Ilkin (I think he is Turkish). Anyway. I found this site of Myron Cope soundclips.

This shit is great...take time out of your day and listen.

Cope is credited with inventing the terrible towel, coining the phrase Steel Curtain and using the phrase Immaculate Reception, referring of course to the most amazing play in NFL history. The Raiders are still pissed about this.


And if you don't have time, though I know all of you do, at least listen to this. Take that Maurice Clarett.


Gold!

Draper

Vote!
Hey, the primaries are today! I was the 21st person to vote at my polling place at about 9AM. I voted for Edwards, as did Liz after some agonizing.

Marc

I guess I can't blame this one on Snyder
Long time Redskins radio announcer Frank Herzog has been ousted from the booth, according to today's Washignton Post. Herzog, who has been broadcasting Skins games on the radio since I was born, will be replaced by 46 year old Larry Michael, who has been doing pre- and post-game shows for the Skins since 1996. Herzog's partner's, former Redskins players Sonny Jurgensen and Sam Huff, will remain in the booth. Reports are that the move was not initiated by the Skins, and was instead a station decision.

With everything that has happened to the Redskins in the past few seasons (i.e. Spurrier, Snyder, Bruce Smith, Deion etc.), this thing has really got me pissed off. Was Herzog too old and ugly for the fucking radio? Were the listners clamoring for a younger, sexier play-by-play man? No. In fact, most fans are understandably outraged by this move, myself included. This was the best local radio booth in the NFL. It's going to be really sad when we're all old men and we don't have any legends left, because they will have all been replaced before they had that chance. Herzog had a chance to be among those in the sports broadcasting pantheon: Harry Carey, Jack Buck, Chick Hearn. Now, he's just another old guy who got bounced from his job because his overwhelming competency just wasn't sexy enough.

I don't think I even need to say this, but: Orndoff Principle, anyone?

Tony

Edwards Close In MD Primary
This ARG poll has Edwards trailing Kerry by only seven points, 42-35. Personally, I'm voting as a political junkie for Edwards and an open convention, even though I think Edwards is the only guy who can beat Bush.

Marc

Lady Liberty Gives Haitians The Finger
Does anyone else find this disgusting?

Coast Guard Intercepts Haitians on Boats

What the hell is wrong with this country? Why do you think people came here in the first place? Puritans, Mennonites, Russian Jews, Vietnamese boat people... Maybe we should have turned our guns on them, too.

To be fair, this is a policy with bipartisan support. Clinton did the same thing the last time Haiti went down the tubes. Utterly shameful.

Marc

The Real Slim Shady
From today's Pioneer Press at twincities.com:
If elected, Kerry said, he would strip the tax code of every provision that rewards "Benedict Arnold CEOs" who move their companies overseas and "stick us with the bill."

From today's Washington Post:
Additionally, two of Kerry's biggest fundraisers, who together have raised more than $400,000 for the candidate, are top executives at investment firms that helped set up companies in the world's best-known offshore tax havens, federal records show.

Tony

Finally
Finally, a high-ranking government official has come right out and stated the obvious. Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan, in testimony given to the House Budget Committee yesterday, said that Social Security benefits that have been promised to future retirees must be cut in order to deal with a ballooning long-term federal defecit. Greenspan urged Congress to consider spending cuts before tax increases, although he noted that both would probably be necessary in order to deal with the impending budget crisis. Although Greenspan again urged that current retirement benefits should not be cut, he listed two specific ways in which Congress could cut spending: gradually raise the retirment age to reflect the increased life expectancy of Americans, and linking cost of living increases to something other than the Consumer Price Index, which many experts believe over-states the rise of overall prices.

Hopefully we'll look back on this testimony as the beginning of a long and sometimes painful (but nonetheless neccessary) reexamination of entitlement programs in this country.

Tony

Quick thoughts...
How fucking stupid is Jamal Lewis?

And Marc, regarding your last post, you are still a scumbag, you just happen to be one of us who are collecting paychecks.

Draper

Scumbag No More
Hey, I got a job! Starting March 8th, I will be a circulation assistant for the Anne Arundel Public Library. It's a part-time gig and it's not in an academic library, but I'll take what I can get. I guess I'll have to start taping BallyK.

Marc

They Got A Pepper Bar!
Tony, we are not alone. Slate's Ad Report Card gives the Quizno's ad an A+. He also delves into the origin of the singing creatures, and discovers that they are called "spongmonkeys".

Marc

Hot Texas Man Love
There are rumors that Rick Perry, the governor of Texas, was caught cornholing the Secretary of State, Geoffrey Conner. Hot!

Read more at Wonkette and Magnifisyncopathological.

Marc

The Nader Of The Right?
From Politics1:

MOORE ACTING MORE LIKE A CANDIDATE. Ousted Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore (R) -- the "Ten Commandments Judge" -- is starting to act more and more like a third party Presidential candidate. For a guy who isn't running for President "right now" (to quote his spokesperson), he's sure doing things that candidates seem to do. In fact, according to the Constitution Party's website, Moore is speaking at party events in Oregon and Montana this month. With President Bush currently trailing both Kerry and Edwards for re-elction by double-digits -- according to the latest CNN poll -- that last thing he wants in November is a "Ralph Nader of the Right" draining Christian conservative votes from his essential base.

As a pro-life libertarian who supports a strong national defense, I am somewere between the LP and the Constitution Party. I like some of the stuff in their platform (banning abortion, pulling out of the UN), if not the whole thing (immigration moratorium, NAFTA repeal). But this Moore guy is a total buffoon, and I'm glad he got thrown out on his ass from the Alabama Supreme court. Here is another piece about a potential Moore run that notes the Constitution Party had its presidential candidate on the ballot in 41 states in 2000.

By the way, some guy from Glen Burnie is running for president on the Constitution Party ticket. His slogan is "God, Family, Republic". Good luck!

Marc

Thousand Yard Stare
From Mickey Kaus:

1) GOP Senator Saxby Chambliss criticizes Sen. Kerry's "32-year history of voting to cut defense programs and cut defense systems."

2) Kerry responds:``I don't know what it is about what these Republicans who didn't serve in any war have against those of us who are Democrats who did."

If Kerry's response to every substantive GOP charge about his record as a Senator is going to be 'I served in Vietnam,' it'll be a long campaign. [You mean "long"="tedious" or "long"="losing"?-ed. Both! Expand pls--ed. a) It will get old very quickly; b) It's not a rational response to a question about his defense voting record. "I support a robust defense but not wasted spending that leads to crippling GOP budget deficits" would be a rational response.]

Marc

If You Can't Beat 'Em, Cheat 'Em
Massachusetts Democrats are cooking up a plan to keep John Kerry's Senate seat in Democratic hands in case he wins the presidency. Ordinarily, the governor of Massachusetts would appoint a replacement to serve out Kerry's term - but the governor is a Republican:

Massachusetts Democrats are devising a plan to keep John F. Kerry's US Senate seat in their party's hands by blocking Governor Mitt Romney from naming an interim replacement if Kerry wins the White House.

Beacon Hill lawmakers want to pass legislation that would leave Kerry's seat vacant for two months or more, until a special election is held to fill it. That would prevent the Republican governor from naming an interim senator, as is currently required by state law.

The initiator of the proposal -- Representative William M. Straus, Democrat of Mattapoisett -- insisted he is not being partisan.

Yet another example of fair play from the party that elected a dead man's wife to the Senate from Missouri in 2000, and pulled a political dead man off the ballot at the last minute in the 2002 NJ Senate race.

Marc