Quick Hits

Damn, I'm still catching up from Friday. And the next few days I'll have very limited time. So here's some quick hits:

• This was stupid politics by the Bush camp, and will just lead to a greater backlash. Although, maybe that was the point: to tweak the Democrats into reacting with partisanship, and then blaming them for it. It's kind of the play in football where the ref doesn't see the initial provocation but just the second punch, and calls the flag on the second guy. Maybe that's the strategy. It'd certainly fit in with the culture of martyrdom and victimhood in the GOP. But people are reporting on the partisan moves to confirm Bolton and ramrod illegal wiretapping through.

• Classic punditocracy hackery by Michael Kinsley here. He isn't always so bad, but in this, he looks at the Democratic platform and somehow manages to read what he wants to read, while neglecting all of the main parts of the platform that will be implemented immediately. It's like criticizng spelling mistakes on page 603 without reading pages 1-602.

• Argentina looks to arrest Iranian leaders for their role in the Hezbollah bombing of synagogues in Buenos Aires. Good. There should be consequences for state-sponsored terrorism.

• This is hilarious. Supreme Court Justice Santorum? You have to read the whole post for the comment-mining. I laughed for days.

• The Curse of The Jesus Camp: not only did best supporting actor Ted Haggard go down, but now the subject of the film, the "Jesus Camp" itself, is shuttering its doors. Amazing what a little sunlight can do.

• One of the worst things that happened Tuesday was in Michigan, where the anti-affirmative action initiative sponsored by the KKK was passed.



But saner people are fighting back.

A day after Michigan approved a proposition barring affirmative action in public education, employment or contracting, opponents filed a federal lawsuit challenging the measure as unconstitutional.

Separately, the president of the University of Michigan, Mary Sue Coleman, pledged to “consider every legal option available” to continue to fight for diversity on campus.

I believe that affirmative action is still necessary in this day and age to ensure equality of opportunity. It should be narrowly cast, but the societal benefits are enough that its repeal would not be helpful.

• College football blogging: Well, the game of the century is set. I went to Michigan, so I'm biased. And my sister went to Ohio State, so it's personal.

Now if only we can be assured that the winner will face Rutgers, provided they win out, for the national championship. If a team is undefeated and from a BCS conference, how can you pass them up for the title game in favor of a team with one loss? What a crock. The Scarlet Knights should get a chance.