Juxtaposition of the day. From a California case:
A majority of the Supreme Court on Tuesday seemed prepared to uphold a court order that California reduce the population of its overcrowded prisons by more than 40,000 inmates, despite dire warnings that "people are going to die on the streets of California" if the release is approved.
As a commenter on another post noted, eight Republican senators, including Indiana's own Richard Lugar, joined most Democrats in voting down a plan to put a two-year moratorium on earmarks:
Udall, one of the proposal's co-sponsors, expressed disappointment with the vote and vowed to continue to fight earmarking.
Mike Pence, in giving up his House leadership role, made it obvious he was going to run for something. Now, it seems clear he is more interested in the White House than the governor's office. And in a major speech in Michigan, he gave signs of the economic themes that will likely inform his candidacy:
He outlined his economic vision, saying the U.S. needs to implement a flat tax, a spending limit amendment to the Constitution and other reforms designed to put the country's “fiscal house in order.”
There may be a more depressing way to start the week than staying up past normal bedtime in order to watch your football team get the crap kicked out of it, but right now I can't think of one. This Indy Star writer has a pretty good handle on the bad season we could have (or should have) seen coming from a long way off:
So, you think Sen. Richard Lugar has become too much of a Washington insider, has strayed too far from conservative principles, is far too fond of government solutions, has become a comfortable part of the ruling elite? You think someone from the right should mount a serious challenge against him in the 2012 primary? Well, you bad, bad person, you despicable political animal, you detestable voter.
Is Mike Pence being coy beyond the point where being coy makes sense?
Pence has been mentioned as a possible 2012 GOP presidential candidate and as an Indiana gubernatorial candidate. He said he is mulling over the possibilities.
"We've been humbled by the encouragement we have had around the state and the country to seek higher office," he said.
Dick, Dick, Dick. What are we gonna do with you?
I've always been taught that an instituion can't be defamed; only individuals can be. What is "defamed," after all, is a person's good reputation. But perhaps they do things differently in northwest Indiana, or maybe the stories are just being sloppily written:
An emergency room incident involving alleged patient abuse at a Crown Point hospital has escalated into dueling lawsuits between the region's largest hospital system and the patient's daughter-in-law.
A new report shows Indiana is falling behind other states across the country when it comes to using money from a 1998 multi-state tobacco settlement to pay for smoker prevention programs.
The state is ranked 28th in the study called "A Broken Promise to Our Children: The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement 12 Years Later," which was commissioned by the coalition of public health organizations.
This will drive the Hoosier road warriors insane:
Bucking a tide of resistance in state capitals and a free-spirited breed of motorcyclists, the National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday said states should require riders to wear federally approved helmets.
