Politics and other nightmares

The trouble with arguing historical analogies:

But Mr. Bush's statement also revived a perennial question. Whenever a public officials starts to say “the lesson of,” is that a cue to stop listening?

As much of this city as Gianni Longo is going to end up having shaped, maybe he should just move here:

I shouldn't be picking on Obama over this; I don't think many of the other candidates -- not the Democrats, certainly -- have an appreciation for federalism, either. But he has a habit of saying directly what others only hint at:

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Democrat Barack Obama said Sunday the country cannot fail New Orleans again and that as president, he would keep the city in mind every day.

Do you think the current tax code should be scrapped? If so, what would you replace it with -- a flat tax or the FairTax, which is essentially a national sales tax. Democrats don't like such talk at all, and the Republicans seem to be sort or circling around the FairTax. The idea has its critics, including a former deputy Treasury secretary writing in The Wall Street Journal:

Well, thank goodness. I'd hate to think the rest of my life will be defined by my 50s:

Sex and interest in it do fall off when people are in their 70s, but more than a quarter of those up to age 85 reported having sex in the previous year. And the drop-off has a lot to do with health or lack of a partner, especially for women, the survey found.

Headline writers can be so helpful. Here is this nice, dull little story about the work of the Indiana Commission on Local Government Reform. The writer is trying to convey the idea that the commission will try to recommend steps that won't require constitutional changes:

I didn't think anything could shut up a Chicago politician:

INDIANAPOLIS -- Chicago got a Hoosier stiff-arm here Wednesday as two top Mayor Daley emissaries were turned back from testifying to an Indiana legislative hearing on the controversial expansion of a Lake Michigan BP oil refinery.

Before you dismiss this as another crazy idea from a big-government loony, think about what it could mean to you:

Housing experts painted a grim picture of Los Angeles' real-estate market Tuesday as City Councilman Richard Alarcon called for city, state and federal funds to help bail out city homeowners who can't pay their mortgages.

What do you know? I agree with a Democrat:

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is leaping into the long-running Cuba debate by calling for the U.S. to ease restrictions for Cuban-Americans who want to visit the island or send money home.

How about that global warming, huh?

Don't forget to bundle up if you're headed out in New York City today. After all, it is August 21.

The city along with the rest of the tri-state region is feeling the chilly effect of a cold front sweeping through the region, accompanied by cool rain showers.

Tuesday's high temperature in Central Park was just 59 degrees. The normal high for today is 82 degrees. The normal low is 67.