Constitutional Ammendment Looks to be Doomed

Today, The Dayton Daily News becamse the latest newspaper to come out against the ammendment sponsored by The Getting It Right for Ohio’s future coalition. While some in the education establishment are banking on this ammendment, passage of this proposal doesn’t look good, and it is only January. The opponents of this measure are just getting warmed-up. With liberal papers like the Daily News coming out against it now, the ammendment has very little chance of passing.

Here are some of the harsh words of the Daily News editorial:

All the leaders of this campaign are associated with schools. They believe that schools always are hurting for money to one degree or another. They want that problem fixed, and getting protection in the Constitution seems a sure-fire way.

But their strategy is myopic — and, arrogant. As much as people want their children to be well-educated, they also want safe streets, clean water and myriad other things.

Either state taxes would have to go up in unspecified ways, or state spending on other services would have to be cut in unspecified ways. Voters wouldn’t know precisely what they’re voting for — and against — under this proposal.

The Getting It Right for Ohio’s Future campaign is about taking the responsibility for funding schools away from the politicians. While there’s much to criticize them for, they still are the right people to be making this call. Voters can hold them accountable.

The amendment’s backers need to get out more. They’ll find that informed people are sure this idea does not get it right.

The Divine Voice of Leontyne Price

From 1965, Leontyne Price singing one of her signature arias: Vissi Darte from the opera Tosca by Giacomo Puccini. Leontyne Price possesses one of the greatest voices of the 20th century. Her exquisite interpretations of the music of Mozart, Verdi, and Puccini are unrivaled in their expressive and emotional qualities. Miss Price will turn 80 on February 10, 2007.

Her magnificent tone is certainly on display in this recording. You’ll love it.

Saturday, January 27 marked the 46th anniversary of Price’s debut as Leonora in Il Travatore at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. Her appearance was marked by a forty-two minute ovation at the curtain call.

A Dose of Reality from the Washington Post

Sometimes the truth can come from the strangest sources-even the Washington Post. Robert Kagen pens a column that blasts the elite political class reigning in congressional Washington today. “Many of their proponents frankly, even proudly, admit they are responding to the current public mood, as if that is what they were put in office to do. Those who think they were elected sometimes to lead rather than follow seem to be in a minority.” Kagen goes on to honestly dismantle any logic behind any of these “grand delusions.”

To the extent that people think about Iraq, many seem to believe it is a problem that can be made to go away. Once American forces depart, Iraq will no longer be our problem. Joseph Biden, one of the smartest foreign policy hands in the Senate, recently accused President Bush of sending more troops so that he could pass the Iraq war on to his successor. Biden must assume that if the president took his advice and canceled the troop increase, then somehow Iraq would no longer be a serious crisis when President Biden entered the White House in 2009.

Betraying America

The New York Post has said it very well today. We should be reading and hearing incessant outrage from the media regarding this pathetic display by the democrats and republicans in the congress. Supporting the resolutions of non-support for the mission of our troops places these politicians on the same side as the terrorists. When Vice-President Cheney says that the resolutions reinforce the position of the terrorists and undermine our troops and their mission, he is prophetic. History will record the short-sightedness of of these hypocrites.

January 28, 2007 — What a bunch of hypocrites.

Congressional Democrats, having just given their imprimatur to President Bush’s new Iraq-theater commander, are about to declare that the officer shouldn’t have the resources he needs to get the job done.

Or, as Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday: “A resolution that in effect says that the general going out to take command of the arena” – that would be Lt. Gen. David Petraeus – “shouldn’t have the resources he thinks he needs to be successful certainly emboldens the enemy and our adversaries.”

Notwithstanding Gates’ warning – and a similar one from Petraeus – the Democrats are moving ahead with a non-binding resolution declaring President Bush’s troop surge “not in the national interest.

Grandma Pelosi’s Latest Blunder

From George Will comes the news that Grandma Pelosi has no problem violating the constitution. In a time of war, is this what Pelosi and company think is important?

“The House of Representatives shall be composed of members chosen every second year by the people of the several states…”

- U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 2

“What’s the Constitution between friends?”

- Rep. Timothy Campbell, a Tammany Democrat, to President Grover Cleveland after Cleveland said a bill that Campbell favored was unconstitutional

THERE they go again. House Democrats should at least provide variety in their venality. Last Wednesday, fresh from legislating new ethics regarding relations with lobbyists, they demonstrated that there are worse forms of corruption than those involving martinis and money.

Chuck Hagel: RINO of the week

I am so irritated with Chuck Hagel’s juvinile display of hystronics in the senate this week. This so-called Republican of Nebraska has joined with the leading liberals in sponsoring a treasonous resolution criticising the mission in Iraq. It is impossible to believe that Hagel would say on the one hand, ” we support the troops,” while on the other hand sponsor a resolution condemning their mission. When General Pratorious siad that the resolution would embolden the enemy, John Warner and several other Senators were displeased the General’s honest statement. Chuck Hagel is clearly a Republican in Name Only.

Betsy Newmark has it right again:

Chuck Hagel, who has replaced Lincoln Chafee as conservatives’ least favorite Republican, is high on the buzz he’s generated by his public opposition to the war in Iraq and General Petraeus’s plans for fighting there. So, he’s pondering whether or not he should run for president. Well, he has zero chance of winning in a Republican primary, but that could just be a stepping stone to a decision to run as an independent or as part of a bipartisan ticket, although it’s not clear which party would nominate such a hybrid.