Safety in schools is polarizing?

H.R. 4247, the Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act would seem like a no brainer for even the dysfunctional Congress currently in session. Sadly, no. Co-sponsored by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), co-chair of the House Republican Conference, who gave the above impassioned plea for her colleagues to vote with her, the bill narrowly passed. The final tally was: Yea 262, Nay 153, Not Voting 16. The breakdown is predictable. Democrats voted 238 to 8 for the bill, while Republicans voted 145 to 24 against the bill. Not sure what the underlying reason for voting no against this bill was, but it is symptomatic of something wrong on Capitol Hill at the moment when the safety of our children in school is a polarizing political matter. It could be worry about the Tea Bag movement. It could be the new spirit of No by the Republicans, which I am not sure does this country any good in the long term.

Anyway, here's to Rep. McMorris Rodgers for a job well done. Thanks for your hard work and dedication to this important issue.

Elections and Consequences II

Very interesting article by Jeffery Rosen about the Supreme Court and Chief Justice John Roberts in the aftermath of the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision. The truth is the elections of 2000 and 2004 will have very long lasting effects in US domestic policy. (The international policy are much more obvious.) Is the SCOTUS under Roberts a new form of pro-business activist or is a new form of judicial restraint? Either way, Rosen points to the dangers of the narrow decisions politicizing the court and setting a social reaction into motion.

A question left unanswered is what role will populist anger play in determining how the Roberts' Court is percieved? The reason I ask is because prior conservative leaning courts were conservative in more of a libertarian strain, especially earlier in the 20th century. As Rosen aptly points out, the current court is pro-business conservative, which plays counter to the current populist rage. The Citizens decision not only went over like a lead balloon for the progressives and liberals, but also for the neo-populists. Unfortunately neither I nor the media really seem to have a firm grasp on neo-populism because like the New Left of the late 1960s and early 1970s they are organized in clusters around the country and lack a centralizing organization. (For the New Left, this organization structure was intentional, and I am not sure if it is intentional or not with the current neo-populist movement.) I see this as not only a problem for the Court, but also for the Republican Party (as they are clearly the more pro-business of the two parties), and organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce.

Go and read.


image: "U.S. Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C. (LOC)" from The Library of Congress' photostream

Elections and Consequences I

FDA warning letters to companies for (un)truth-in-advertising. The FDA is flexing his muscles to, you know, protect consumers and also business. Consumers is obvious, but business needs to know that in these uncertain times it is best for businesses to be trusted. As Toyota has demonstrated recently, it behooves their bottom line to be honest and upfront with their consumers. You lie, deceive, or spin too much and consumers find out you can suffer for years -- see the US automakers.

Here is the Washington Post article on it, and here is the FDA warning letters

This also reminds me of the Health Care Summit last week when Obama was addressing Eric Cantor about cost controls. I think his analogy might have been a bit imperfect, but the terseness of the message was spot on about the role of government.




image: "Old Gold Cigarette Advertisment 1954" from jackie121467l

Been a While

I stopped posting to finish my dissertation (check), and then it was suggested that I don't start up again until I get a job as there is no need to give prospective employers anything to use against me. Well, after months of trying I am still coming up empty. That said, I am not sure I have been all that political since the election and inauguration of Obama, so I am going to keep it that way. Commentary will be down, but things that I find interesting will be up in my blog market. So enjoy.


image: "Funny pet welcome mat" from Adventurer Dustin Holmes