A Chicago Blog

Beachwood Reporter takes a moment today to bash Reagan:
“People continue to be fascinated by Reagan,” the Trib’s Julia Keller writes. “There’s no explaining it - except, perhaps, by Richard Reeves, who writes of Reagan: ‘He knew how to be president.’ Such a simple but profound sentence.”
Really? He knew how to trade arms for hostages and [...]

Barry Schwartz has written a fascinating commentary for The New York Times questioning whether or not the city should be offering its public school children cash rewards for good behavior.
To paraphrase Schwartz’s (accurately I hope), financial incentives undermine the intrinsic value of education. That is, entering self-interest into the education equation will diminish the more [...]

Michael Cannon’s opinion of SiCKO:
from a policy standpoint - and I say this more in sadness than in anger - SiCKO was so breathtaking a specimen of ignorant propaganda that it would make Pravda blush.
Wow, Mike. You put me to shame.

Want to read a scathing critique of the ‘new’ Supreme Court? Here’s one. I’m not certain I agree with any of it but it is interesting from a legal standpoint. Hopefully, I’ll come across a scathing defense and be able to post it.

Beware! Watching Michael Moore’s new documentary, SiCKO, could make you a little queezy. Potential side effects can include nausea, emotional disorientation and a complete disregard for truth. If you plan on going to the movies this weekend, consider taking Dramamine to help cope with the effusive propaganda.
To no surprise, Moore makes terrific use of all [...]

A new Newsweek poll shows that 57% of voters are fed up with the Two Party system. Amen.

Would you believe that more people have “confidence” in HMOs than have confidence in Congress. Seriously. Do you think this is a problem? I do. Read the Gallup report here.

From The Hill:
Presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) has secured more earmarks in the fiscal 2008 defense authorization bill than any other Democrat except for panel Chairman Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.).
The bill contains about $5.4 billion in earmarks, or projects not requested by the Pentagon. With their slim majority, the Democrats on the panel [...]

Radley Balko is having a good debate with Jonah Goldberg about drug prohibition and the fact that ending prohibition would most certainly lead to a rise in usage. This is, for Balko, reveals the myopic logic of drug prohibition supporters. Writes Balko:
But Bennett & Co. insist alcohol prohibition was a success because it reduced alcohol [...]

This is an actual quote from Red October. Hat tip Vodkapundit(s)