Either Washington Post columnisst E.J. Dionne is delusional, or I am:
Is the Tea Party one of the most successful scams in American political history?
Before you dismiss the question, note that word "successful." Judge the Tea Party purely on the grounds of effectiveness and you have to admire how a very small group has shaken American political life and seized the microphone offered by the media, including the so-called liberal media.
Indiana's gun-friendliness gets it on a list Paul Helmke will make much of:
Nearly half of the guns that crossed state lines and were used in crimes in 2009 were sold in just 10 states, according to a report being released Monday by a mayors' group.
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Oh, thank goodness. I was afraid I'd have to deal with them myself, and I'm not quite sure they'd listen to a "Get off my lawn!" command:
THE United Nations was set today to appoint an obscure Malaysian astrophysicist to act as Earth?s first contact for any aliens that may come visiting.
Who's the biggest dunce of the day?
1. Stephen Colbert, for taking treating testimony before Congress on a serious issue as a joke:
"This is America," Colbert continued. "I don't want a tomato picked by a Mexican. I want it picked by an American, then sliced by a Guatemalan and served by a Venezuelan in a spa where a Chilean gives me a Brazilian."
2. Rep. Zoe Lofgre, who invited him to testify:
Just a tad hysterical?
More than a quarter million British children have been accused of racism since the country passed its Race Relations Act in 2000, the Daily Mail reports.
[. . .]
A little good news is always welcome on a Friday:
When retiring University of Illinois at Chicago professor Bill Ayers co-wrote a book in 1973, it was dedicated in part to Sirhan Sirhan, the assassin of Robert F. Kennedy.
That came back to haunt Ayers when the U. of I. board, now chaired by Kennedy's son, considered his request for emeritus status Thursday. It was denied in a unanimous vote.
[. . .]
Those rotten anarchist Tea Party nuts -- why, they don't want to listen to any of us!
The Indianapolis Star's Matthew Tully writes about a panel discussion on the lack of civility in politics. The basic idea, apparently, is that politicians should take a lesson from sports about how to play nice:
"What matters is whether the country respects the process," Leach said. "If you respect the process, you pull together."
Having growing up poor, my parents were always on the lookout for bargains after they moved to the Big City of Fort Wayne. I was the contrarian of the family. Whenever they said they needed to go right and and buy something because it was, say, marked down from $100 to $80, so they could "save $20!" I told they should just stay home and save $80. I still see things that way, as in:
If Americans prefer smaller government, why does it continue to grow?
