Politics and other nightmares

Goshen College, a "pacifist" school with ties to the Menonite Church, isn't the sort of place I would have gone or recommended my children go to. Its long history of not playing "The Star-Spangled Banner" (for some, because it's a "martial" song, for others because it puts country above God) is not a posture I would embrace. But now that the college is going to institute a compromise by playing an instrumental version of the national anthem before some sporting events, I have more sympathy for the protesters than I do for the school. The reason for the compromise is sadly familiar:

Republicans in recent years have gotten a reputation for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory -- if there was a way to screw up an election, they could be trusted to find it. Seems like Democrats might be heading into that territory now. Evan Bay'hs abrupt retirement announcement turned the U.S. Senate race from a probable Democratic win to a probable Republican win.

Another teacher dallies with another student:

A female Pike High School assistant teacher was being held Thursday, accused of engaging in sex acts with a 17-year-old male student.

Taine Abdullah, 40, was in the Marion County Jail on Thursday on a preliminary charge of child seduction. Bond was set at $300,000.

It's been reported that former South Bend Mayor and Indiana Gov. Joe Kernan has ruled out seeking the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Evan Bayh. Perhaps this explains why:

Clarke Air Force Base was Joe's first stop after 11 months as a prisoner in Vietnam. While in prison, he could only take cold showers. He learned those showers opened his pores, making him feel better. Making the best out of the difficult is what Joe took with him when he left Vietnam.

West Lafayette is considering a "pay as you throw" trash pickup fee. There are good arguments for such a system -- our newspaper even editorialized in favor of it when Fort Wayne was considering the idea in 1992. We said it would make people think of the real costs of trash disposal and quit forcing those of us who put out little trash to subsidize those who generate too much. But this Purdue junior, writing in the Exponent student newspaper, seems a little too enthusiastic about the plan:

"The Nation," which is further to the left than National Review is to the right, looks at the Evan Bayh desertion and proclaims Indiana "an angry state that is looking for change, and rightly so."

If they are smart, they will look for a candidate who can run hard and smart as a populist critic of free trade and big-bank bailouts and a supporter of smart investments in job creation.

The advocates of Big Government have pushed things too far, and it's started to scare people, which is what gave rise to the Tea Party movement. Those folks have managed to do in a year what my friends in the Libertarian Party haven't been able to do in two decades, which is to get the attention of those in power by changing the nature of the conversation. And that has brought us to this moment of clarity, when we can all see what the stakes are and choose sides for the battle.

The Wall Street Journal's editors aren't buying Evan Bayh's whining about a lack of bipartisanship making him sick and tired of Congress. To them, he's just another Democrat skipping town before the latest liberal crackup hits:

What's not to like about nuclear power? It's cleaner than coal-fired power. It will help meet our growing energy needs at a time when it's important to increase our energy independence. And it annoys the environmentalists. So this is win, win, win:

Worst response to a state budget crisis so far:

Reporting from Denver - At Utah's West Jordan High School, the halls have swirled lately with debate over the merits of 12th grade:

Is it a waste of time? Are students ready for the real world at 17?

For student body president J.D. Williams, 18, the answer to both questions is a resounding no. "I need this year," he said, adding that most of his classmates felt the same way.