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March 2008
Bush booed at Braves opener: Appropriate?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
During the ESPN broadcast of President Bush’s throwing the first pitch at the Sunday night’s Braves opener at the new Washington, D.C., Nationals stadium, it sounded like there were quite a few boos.
Was it appropriate to give the president a Bronx cheer?
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Take your mugger to dinner?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
NPR reports that 31-year-old New York social worker Julio Diaz, mugged at knifepoint, felt sorry for the robber and offered him his coat, then took him to dinner. After the meal, Diaz told the mugger he would need his wallet back to pay the check. The robber gave the wallet back and Diaz in turn let him keep $20, in exchange for turning over the knife.
“I figure, you know, if you treat people right, you can only hope that they treat you right. It’s as simple as it gets in this complicated world,” said Diaz.
What to make of this story?
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Clinton suffers ‘campaign bubble’ syndrome
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you’ve been around politics long enough, you know that something very strange happens to people working in a tough political campaign. And that “something” may help explain what’s happening —- or not happening —- in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Working very long hours side by side with fellow believers in the cause, otherwise sane people can begin to lose a sense of perspective. An “us against the world” psychology begins to take hold, and over time their counterparts in the opposing campaign —- people who in most respects are very much like themselves —- come to seem the very embodiment of evil.
For those caught up in the struggle, the outside world falls away to the point that their entire lives and being are wrapped up in the campaign. And things that can seem small and insignificant to an outsider tend to get blown out of proportion by people living inside that little world.
If you pay any attention at all to politics, you’ve seen examples for yourself. When you see a campaign spokesman —- for example, James Carville —- overreact to some minor insult or misstatement by the other side, it’s easy to dismiss the outrage as calculated spin. But often, that’s not what’s happening. It is instead an expression of very real emotion, generated by living too long in the surreal bubble that a campaign often becomes.
I’ve seen that dynamic develop even in state legislative races, occasionally leading to petty violence between campaigns. But as the stakes get higher, so do the emotions and resentment, peaking in races for the biggest prize of all, the White House.
In part, that’s because the people working incredibly long hours for John McCain, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton aren’t just trying to get their candidates elected. They also know that their own dreams and futures are intimately tied to their candidate’s fate. They know that if their champion goes to the White House, they go to the White House too. They know if they lose, they will be frozen out of influence, respect, power —- all those things they hope to acquire.
Candidates know that too. They know better than anyone that they aren’t alone on the ballot, that their success or failure means the success or failure of a lot of other people who have invested in them very heavily. If they decide to leave a race, they make that decision not just for themselves, but for all the people who believed in them and worked so hard for them.
In addition, everybody with whom the candidate interacts on a daily basis shares the same little campaign bubble. They all drank the Kool-Aid, and they all liked the Kool-Aid. So nobody on the team wants to be the first to suggest that it might be over, that all that hard work and those long days have gone for naught.
Most of the time, the system saves them that trouble, because come Election Day, the voters render their verdict and that’s that. But presidential nominating races are different. In the primary system, there is almost always another Election Day down the road that might offer cause for hope, and the candidates themselves, not the voters, are forced to decide when to end it.
For several weeks now, even before the Ohio and Texas primaries, it had become clear that Clinton could not win the Democratic nomination, and nothing since then has changed that fact. Yet, surrounded by people who look to her for hope and inspiration, Clinton cannot bring herself to admit it.
Instead, she insists that the process continue, on the grounds that the people are sovereign and must be allowed to have their say. Then, switching gears, she also argues that once the people have had their say, the superdelegates have the right to overturn the people’s verdict in her favor.
Within the bubble in which she and her advisers live, that convoluted argument makes sense, because it is the only argument that allows them to continue. But most of those outside that bubble can see the argument for what it is, a fantasy born of breathing the fumes of the campaign bus too long.
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Free Tibet? Not so much
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Florida syndicated columnist Charley Reese argues that Americans encouraging Tibetans to fight China for independence “will only get people killed needlessly.”
Writes Reese, “If you are not willing to make your way to the Tibetan plateau and face Chinese guns and prisons, then you certainly should not sit around some coffee shop and urge Tibetans to do so. Tibet is a strategic area of China, and the Chinese government is not going to give it up or grant it independence or even autonomy. To paraphrase a famous outlaw, it is enough that we know that China will do what it has to do.”
What’s your take?
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Twisting ‘100 years’ into a lie
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer writes that Democrats are misleading voters by saying that Sen. John McCain favors 100 years of war in Iraq.
McCain clearly stated that he supported a long, peaceful presence of U.S. troops in Iraq, similar to the situation in South Korea, Japan and Kuwait, not prolonged war fighting, the columnist writes. Krauthammer calls the Dems’ attacks on McCain “a dirty lie.”
What do you think?
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The Guv speaks: Sunday booze=death
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As the Legislature considers legalizing Sunday alcohol sales, Gov. Sonny Perdue explains his opposition in an opinion column.
Perdue cites a study in New Mexico to bolster his argument that allowing Sunday booze would hurt public safety. “The study found that legalizing Sunday packaged alcohol sales exacts a significant price that is paid by crash victims and their loved ones, health care providers, insurers, law enforcement and the judicial systems,” the governor wrote.
What say you to the governor?
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Long-running D.C. scam called Social Security
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The nation’s biggest and longest-running financial scam isn’t playing out in the mortgage industry or on Wall Street. It’s headquartered in Washington, D.C., and they call it Social Security.
This week, in fact, some of the leading perpetratators of that scam called a press conference, hoping to frighten the American people into extending the fraud’s lifespan. As people such as Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Labor Secretary Elaine Chao came to the microphone, you could hear the nervousness in their voices. They know that a day of reckoning is coming.
As in most such scams, there are two versions of events. One is the official sales pitch used to bring in the suckers. The second is the hidden reality, the way the racket really works.
In this case, both versions begin in 1983. That year, Congress and President Ronald Reagan agreed to increase Social Security taxes on the working and middle classes well above what was needed to support the retirement program in the near and midterm. Surplus revenue from that higher tax was supposed to go into the Social Security Trust Fund, to be drawn upon later as the baby boom generation moved into retirement.
Officially, the plan has worked pretty much as promised. The surpluses have indeed rolled in —- in fiscal 2007 alone, Social Security taxes raised $175 billion more than the program spent. Thanks to surpluses accumulated through the years, on paper Social Security is financially sound through at least 2041.
But here’s how things really work: Once collected, the extra taxes charged to the working and middle classes for Social Security haven’t gone into the Social Security Trust Fund. Instead, they have been treated exactly like income taxes and have been spent running government. As a result, after 25 years of paying extra taxes, tens of millions of lower- and middle-income taxpayers have nothing to show for it but government IOUs.
For the most affluent taxpayers, however, the 1983 deal has been sweet. First, they are largely exempt from paying the Social Security surtax. In 2007, for example, Social Security taxes were collected only on the first $97,500 of a person’s wage or salary, and not collected at all on other forms of income.
That has produced gross inequities, as billionaire Warren Buffett has repeatedly pointed out. According to Buffett, he pays less than 18 percent of his enormous income in combined federal taxes. But because of payroll taxes, his secretarial and support staff pay a combined rate of more than 30 percent.
In fact, as Buffett and others point out, President Bush’s tax cuts for the affluent would not have been possible without the trillions of surplus dollars collected from secretaries and other working Americans in the name of Social Security.
But pretty soon, that scam is going to come to an end. With baby boomers now retiring, the Social Security surplus declines every year. By 2017, when the surplus disappears altogether, two things will happen:
Without the hidden subsidy from Social Security, the true size of our federal deficit will become clear.
After 34 years in which the general fund was subsidized by Social Security, the flow of money will reverse. The general fund will be tapped to subsidize Social Security benefits, which means taxes will increase, particularly for the affluent.
That prospect has certain sectors of Washington in a low-level panic. President Bush’s Social Security “reform” was one effort to try to squirm out of the deal cut in 1983, and other efforts to solve the problem by cutting benefits to retirees are sure to follow. As Paulson put it this week, “the sooner we take action to strengthen Social Security’s financial footing, the less drastic the needed reforms will be.”
Again, on paper, Social Security’s financial footing is solid through at least 2041, and working Americans have been paying extra taxes for 25 years to make it that way.
But now, when they’re about to start collecting on the deal, their leaders want to deny the deal existed.
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Thou shalt drive a Prius?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Writer Luke Boggs takes issue with a Southern Baptist group calling for more action on global warming. Boggs, himself a Baptist, questions how the Southern Baptist Environment and Climate Initiative can speak for God on this issue and whether the church should even be involved in this secular debate. “I mean, does the Almighty actually have a position on compact fluorescents? ” asked Boggs.
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Vaccines and Autism: CDC Responds
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Anne Schuchat, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases responds to last week’s column by David Kirby on autism and vaccines. Join the debate.
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Home Schooling: Certified teachers only?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A California appeals court has ruled that parents who lack teaching credentials can’t home school their children. The ruling under appeal but Steven Greenhut of the Orange County Register worries that “The Police State Project appears to be advancing rapidly here in California.” Should the state require certification for parents who homeschool?
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A racial dialogue: Let’s have one
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Some pundits gushed that the 2008 presidential race would trancend race, that the U.S. was headed for a post-racial era. But in the last two weeks, the race seems to be all about race following the controversy over remarks by Sen. Barack Obama’s pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and comments by former vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro. The controversy has prompted a flood of reader responses to the AJC and has filled the national airwaves. In a speech last week in Philadelphia, Obama said, “Contrary to the claims of some of my critics, black and white, I have never been so naive as to believe that we can get beyond our racial divisions in a single election cycle, or with a single candidacy - particularly a candidacy as imperfect as my own.
“But I have asserted a firm conviction - a conviction rooted in my faith in God and my faith in the American people - that working together we can move beyond some of our old racial wounds, and that in fact we have no choice is we are to continue on the path of a more perfect union.”
How do we get past the racial divisions that seem to constantly resurface in America? Let’s have that civil, respectful discussion.
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Autism and vaccines: What’s the link?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Journalist David Kirby calls on federal government officials to be more forthcoming about links between childhood vaccines and autism following the government’s acknowledgment in the Hannah Poling case of a connection between the two. Kirby also suggests spreading out vaccines to ease the impact on the immune systems of children at risk. What should be done?
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Tax credits for private school scholarships?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Eric Cochling of the Georgia Family Council argues in favor of legislation allowing state income tax credits for individuals and corporations who contribute to scholarships for secondary students who wants to attend private schools. Cochling argues that increased spending for public schools has made little difference and that scholarships for private schools would allow students new choices. An AJC editorial, however, calls the effort a ” back door tactic to transfer public monies to private schools.
Our Scary Economy: Which Prez Contender Best?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With the nation’s economy on a daily roller coaster - Delta Air Lines today announced job cuts and buyouts and in California, even school teachers may get pink slips- which presidential candidate: John McCain, Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, offers the best solutions toward recovery?
Can Ga. Afford $750 million tax cut?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gov. Sonny Perdue opposes House legislation that would eliminate property taxes on cars. He called the tax cut “pandering” to voters in an election year and worries that it could hurt education and health care programs. An AJC editorial today takes a similar position. But State Rep. Mark Burkhalter, a Republican from Johns Creek, argues that the tax cut will boost the state’s economy, leading to more revenue. Who is right?
Spitzer a victim of Puritanical America?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
University of Chicago law professor Martha Nussbaum, writing from Europe, argues that America’s Puritanical view of sex is to blame for ruining one of the nation’s most promising politicians, New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer. “My European colleagues (I write from an academic conference in Belgium) have a hard time understanding what happened, but they know that it is one of those things that could only happen in America, where the topic of sex drives otherwise reasonable people insane,” writes Nussbaum. Is she right?
Weighing school kids: a lawmaker explains
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
State Sen. Joseph Carter (R-Tifton) sponsor of legislation aimed at reducing childhood obesity, explains his proposals and welcomes debate on the issue, including whether students should be weighed and school average body mass indexes posted.
What do you think about Carter’s efforts?
How conservative are Ga. conservatives?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ronald Reagan, like a lot of conservatives, often repeated the maxim “that government is best which remains closest to the people.” Back then, conservatives could still honestly claim some loyalty to concepts such as local control and small government.
But no longer. In fact, Reagan would be ashamed of those who today profess to govern Georgia in his conservative spirit. In the great legislative power grab of 2008, local control and other once-treasured conservative principles have been tossed into the trash like yesterday’s political posters, useless and outdated and in fact inconvenient to the new agenda. Which is power. (Read Jay Bookman’s entire column.)
The question: How conservative are Georgia conservatives?
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A Nation of Nonbelievers?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
John Allen Paulos writes that two surveys on American religion point to a growing number of atheists and agnostics. The surveys also indicate American attitudes towards non-believers are getting harsher. Paulos argues that because of this hostility, participants in the survey may have been reluctant to admit their lack of religious beliefs, meaning that their ranks may actually be larger than the surveys report. Is America losing its religion?
Baptists and global warming: What do you believe?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A Southern Baptist group on Monday released a new statement on climate change. But controversy and debate preceded the release. Baptist ethicist Robert Parham, argued that it is not strong enough. Meanwhile, Jonathan Merritt, spokesman for the Southern Baptist Environment and Climate Initiative, says Parham has it all wrong. What do you think about the statement and the larger issue?
Tennessee’s Sweet Water: Can Ga. Get It?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Attorney William Bradley Carver, working with Northwest Georgia elected officials and others, argues that Georgia has a good legal case for moving the border with Tennessee one mile north to correct an 1818 surveying error. That would give Georgia access to the abundant waters of the Tennessee River.
Should Georgia go for it if that means a green lawn and the ability to wash your car whenever you want ? Or is Atlanta’s thirst unquenchable and likely to only spread water shortage problems to other states?
Any way out of mortgage crisis?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Newsweek columnist Robert J. Samuelson writes that falling home prices are the only real cure for the mortgage crisis. Lower prices will make homes more affordable, ultimately leading to a market rebound, he writes.
UCLA and Harvard law professor Lynn M. Lopucki says bankruptcy judges should be given authority to force lenders to alter mortgage terms so that some homeowners can keep their houses.
Share your solutions to (or gripes about) the mortgage melt down and real estate slump.
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Do-overs in Mich., Fla.?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With Hillary Clinton’s victories in Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island, is it time to consider full-fledged primary do-overs in Michigan and Florida, where the results were invalidated because those states broke party rules by holding primaries too early?
These do-overs could be held the same day as Pennsylvania’s (April 22), Super Tuesday III. Although it would cost millions for the states to hold new elections, there would be a mass infusion of candidate campaign dollars into the Florida and Michigan economies.
Or, should the Democrats simply accept the earlier primary results, despite the fact that Clinton was the only Democratic candidate on the ballot in Michigan, and there was little or no campaigning in Florida?
Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean has endorsed do-overs, although questions remain whether the states or the national party would pay.
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Where will the Democrat’s nomination race end?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Clinton may have ended the debate about dropping out with a clear victory in Ohio and a slim win in the Texas popular vote.
But with Obama ahead in the second part of the Lone Star State’s caucuses for a chunk of the delegates, the delegate math is still on his side.
So you be the political pundit. Where does the race go from here? Does HIllary end her race sometime in the coming weeks?
Do party “elders” step in and negotiate a ticket? Does the nomination race end at the Democratic convention in turmoil with battles over seating Florida and Michigan and over those “superdelegates?”
Will Huckabee departure unite GOP?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mike Huckabee withdrew from the race for the Republican presidential nomination, praising nominee-to-be John McCain as a man of integrity. Will Huckabee’s pledge of support, coupled with an expected endorsement Wednesday by President Bush, rally the party behind the Arizona senator?
And do you think Huckabee’s graciousness might be returned with an invitation from McCain to join the ticket?
Clinton’s got an excuse to stay in the race
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It looks like Hillary Clinton will get the excuse she needs to stay in this race. She’s tenacious, she wants to be president and she’s determined to stay in this campaign if she can justify it.
Even if she only wins Ohio, it looks like Texas will be close enough to give her the excuse she needs to stay in until Pennsylvania.
That’s bad news for the Democrats since John McCain is free to campaign against both of them.
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Clinton and the fear factor
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The latest polls show Clinton’s lead growing in Ohio, while the two remain neck-and-neck in Texas. Some analysts believe Clinton has regained momentum with the “red-phone” ad questioning Obama’s fitness to be commander-in-chief.
If Clinton somehow pulls out a win in both states, then she has an excellent argument to make to the superdelegates: Voters still respond to fear.
Obama’s campaign has been based on the implicit argument that voters no longer respond to fear. If Clinton wins both states, that probably proves Obama wrong on that point.
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Sunday booze: Does the Bible tell us no?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Norcross resident B. Emory Potter argues that opponents of Sunday alcohol sales in Georgia have no Biblical argument to back their case. Read the column
Jesus turned water into wine, and He “forged the new testament with bread and wine,” writes Potter.
“It is not our Lord Jesus who commands no alcohol sales on Sunday, nor should the same be said of Christians,” Potter wrote. “It is people using the name of the Lord in vain to support their personal message of forced temperance.”
What do you think?
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Does flag pin measure patriotism
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jack Kingston, a Republican congressman from Savannah, has pointed out that Barack Obama has balked at wearing a flag lapel pin adopted in the aftermath of Sept. 11. With everybody else doing it, Kingston said, “it’s curious that suddenly there is a guy who doesn’t want to do it.”
Obama has acknowledged quietly removing the lapel pin, writes AJC Opinion columnist Jay Bookman, because he said, the pin “became a substitute for, I think, true patriotism, which is speaking out on issues that are of importance to our national security.” READ BOOKMAN’S COLUMN
Bookman writes, “It is dangerous to define patriotism as going along with what everybody else says and does. Sometimes, patriotism is measured not by a lapel pin, but by a willingness to air your doubts and dare to be different, for the good of your country.”
Should a flag pin be used to measure patriotism?
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