Poor, innocent, uninsured children

According to CNN,  Senator Lott (R-MS) said today: “Do you really believe Republicans don’t want to help poor, low-income children?”

Actually, I was surprised how many Republicans in the Senate want to help poor, low-income children.  I found the House behavior and the President’s behavior much more in line with my observations and beliefs: Republicans are only interested in health care for the unborn.  Born, they’re on their own.

CNN reports: Most Dem Pres candidates are pro-Iraq-war

Summary: The only clear anti-war candidate from either party is Bill Richardson of New Mexico. Dodd is sorta but does not give a timetable.

From CNN: The leading Democratic White House hopefuls conceded Wednesday night they cannot guarantee to pull all U.S. combat troops from Iraq by the end of the next presidential term in 2013. “I think it’s hard to project four years from now,” said Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois in the opening moments of a campaign debate in the nation’s first primary state. “It is very difficult to know what we’re going to be inheriting,” added Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York. “I cannot make that commitment,” said former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina. Sensing an opening, Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson provided the assurances the others would not. “I’ll get the job done,” said Dodd, while Richardson said he would make sure the troops were home by the end of his first year in office.

There it is, folks… and remember it was the Democrats that got the nation into Vietnam…

And parties wonder why loyalty to parties is dwindling. Maybe it’s because party loyalty to the voters is non-existent.

Another “non-lethal” torture device: the Taser

After the Boston steel-shot beanbag debacle, one might think that police departments would create rules of engagement that recognize that so-called “non-lethal” or “less-lethal” control devices still have the same potential to kill that a gun does, and subject them to the same requirements for use of deadly force which are used for firearms. It’s not like police departments should be unaware of the dangers of the Taser device; CBS news did a story in 2004 documenting 70 deaths and climbing. And yet in the space of a few days we’ve had a student Tasered for daring to believe that freedom of inquiry is permissible at a university (what gall!), and now comes word via CNN from Warren, OH, of yet another stun-crazy operator.

How much torture will American police be permitted to inflict before this is brought under control? And what kind of example does this police behavior set for the budding police forces of Iraq?

Finally, a blog that won’t keep getting features changed. I hope.

After all, it’s installed on a server I control.  Should keep things simple once I’ve gotten used to WordPress.