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Saturday, February 12, 2005

Too Stupid 

From the AP:
Professors would have to include diverse opinions in classrooms under legislation being pushed in Ohio and several other states by conservatives who fear too many professors indoctrinate young minds with liberal propaganda. Such measures have had little success getting approval in the other states.

"I see students coming out having gone in without any ideological leanings one way or another, coming out with an indoctrination of a lot of left-wing issues," said bill sponsor Sen. Larry Mumper, a former high school teacher whose Republican party controls the Legislature.

The proposal in Ohio to create an academic "bill of rights" would prohibit public and private college professors from presenting opinions as fact or penalizing students for expressing their views. Professors would not be allowed to introduce controversial material unrelated to the course.

Professors dismissed the bill as unnecessary and questioned whether its supporters had ulterior motives, such as wanting more conservative professors.

Similar legislation failed in California and Colorado last year, while the Georgia Senate passed a resolution, which is less binding than a bill, that suggests adoption. The California bill, which would affect only public schools, has been reintroduced and faces opposition from professors and student groups. An Indiana bill is nearly identical to Ohio's.
This is the handiwork of David Horowitz, the well-known activist who went maniacally from the looney left (he was a hanger-on with the Black Panthers in the '60's) to the radical right. He apparently thinks that college students are too stupid to figure out the difference between fact and opinion or are too lazy to look up divergent points of view on their own. Somehow this exposure to points of view and opinions will poison their precious little minds.

Read the rest at Bark Bark Woof Woof.

Friday, February 11, 2005

Friday Blogaround 

So North Korea has nukes and Al Franken won't run for the Senate. What else? Let's see what The Liberal Coalition is up to.

  • All Facts and Opinions takes up the torch for Don't Amend.com.
  • archy challenges you to come up with a concise piece on why we must defeat Bush's plan for screwing up Social Security.
  • Bark Bark Woof Woof looks at the difference between wisdom and knowledge.
  • BlogAmy goes after Coulter.
  • bloggg on the next Princess Consort.
  • Chris battles it out between satellite channels.
  • Collective Sigh celebrates a birthday and does some math.
  • Tom at Corrente corrects Atrios.
  • NTodd has been sick, but not too ill to snap a photo or two.
  • Echidne on the new revelations of the 9/11 commission.
  • edwardpig on senseless liberals.
  • First Draft transcribes "Gannon."
  • The Fulcrum is back.
  • The Gamer's Nook is grumpy.
  • Happy Furry Puppy has papal tales.
  • iddybud on outsourcing torture.
  • The Invisible Library reviews The End of Faith.
  • Jon at KTL gets down in the mud.
  • Left Is Right takes on the "forced savings" argument.
  • Make Me a Commentator comments on the immigration "reform" law being considered.
  • Michael reviews the news. It pretty much bites.
  • Pen-Elayne on "Gannon" and other violence against journalism.
  • Republican Sinners profiles Sen. Lindsey Graham (who looks to me like he could play Robin in a school play).
  • Ugarte at Rick's plays poker on-line.
  • Rook's Rant pokes holes in Bush's plan to kill Even Start.
  • Rubber Hose apologizes for not writing and hopes to stay healthy.
  • Scrutiny Hooligans listened to Ward Churchill.
  • SoonerThought on the Reagan stamp.
  • Speedkill on the Constitution.
  • Steve Gilliard starts the Fast Boat Crusade.
  • T.Rex doesn't feel much safer.
  • Trish Wilson on the difference between "nice guys" and "jerks." (Believe me, I can relate.)
  • Wanda on our safer world.
  • WTF Is It Now?? gets on the Gannongate parade.
  • Steve at The Yellow Doggerel Democrat is a musician, and he is hearing the percussion section warming up.

    That's it for now, and to quote the late Karl Haas, have a good weekend.

    Cross-posted from Bark Bark Woof Woof.

  • Thursday, February 10, 2005

    A Purple Magazine 

    Announcing Blue And Red:

    Starting Monday, February 14th, Blue and Red Magazine is going live. Eight columns a week will be published between Monday and Friday to guarantee fresh daily content. Interviews with Senators, Governors, activists and bloggers will take a look at why America is divided and how we can bridge that divide. Our contributors are, mostly, not professional journalists and we aren't about soundbites. We are people, from the Left, Right and Center, coming together to foster honest, thought provoking dialogue in a time when the media is letting us down.
    ...
    Blue and Red is a weekly online magazine dedicated to discussing and debating politics in an open minded and respectful manner. While cable news networks spin and the internet becomes an echo chamber, we at B&R seek something different: dialogue. We still believe, even in these divided times, that common ground exists in American society and that productive and thought-provoking conversations can be had by those with differing viewpoints. That is what Blue and Red is about.

    It ain't a blog, and you should bookmark/blogroll it. More to come...



    Monday, February 07, 2005

    PS - Thanks for voting for us 

    In a heartwarming act of conservative comapassion, the Bush administeration tells injured veterans "bite my shorts."
    President Bush's budget would more than double the co-payment charged to many veterans for prescription drugs and would require some to pay a new fee of $250 a year for the privilege of using government health care, administration officials said Sunday.

    I could comment, but it speaks for itself.

    Have I mentioned lately that I really hate these guys (Condi, too)?

    Sunday, February 06, 2005

    Good News From Iraq 

    A common complaint of war supporters is that many of us on the left focus too much on everything that's going wrong in Iraq, and not enough on whatever good news happens along.  Well brace yourself, folks, because for the first time since Saddam was captured more than a year ago, there may be a real opportunity to turn things around in Iraq.

    This opportunity presents itself in the form of one Adel Abdel Mahdi, and it's likely that when all of the votes are counted from last Sunday's election, he will become Iraq's new Prime Minister.  This would appear to be a Good Thing.  He's a modernizer who nevertheless has the backing of Shi'ite cleric Ayatollah Ali Sistani, and unlike the interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, he isn't seen as 'Saddam lite'.  He played a critical role facilitating communication between the U.S. and Sistani in helping to set up Iraq's interim constitution and elections in the first place.  And he's already reaching out to the Sunnis who boycotted the election, saying "We are really willing to offer the maximum" to insure that Sunnis participate in the drafting of Iraq's permanent constitution to the greatest extent possible.  Let's hope his actions match his words.

    But wait, there's more!

    (Read about the rest of the good news at edwardpig.)

    A Cross Blog Betting Challenge 

    I'm calling out Atrios and all other Philly and New England bloggers to bet on today's Big Game between the Iggles and the Pats. Whattaya think?

    If our team loses, we will donate to your favorite charity, or post pictures of us with our heads shaved, or something. Who's with me? Lemme know in comments or via e-mail.

    ntodd

    PS--I predict that the Patriots will win 31-27.

    [it's official:

    If the Pats win, all us betting on the Eagles have to donate to the American Friends Service Committee (Ntodd's choice).

    I'm going local. If the Eagles win, all you New England losers have to donate your bet to Project Home.

    Count me in for $50. Pledge your bets in comments here or at Ntodd's place or
    on your blog, if you have one. I'll throw up a link to everyone's blog
    who's in (subject to my ability to keep up).

    I'll match Atrios' bet, but you don't have to. Bet what you want. Takers?

    BTW, as I noted over at Eschaton, AFSC is a Quakerly org, so Philly will win either way!]