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"Day without art" is ridiculous
A post on the ID Weeks blog states that, on Dec. 1, the library will cover first-floor art with black cloth in order to observe "Day without Art," in mourning for AIDS.
Yes, AIDS is bad. But so are lots of diseases. But the libraries don't normally cover the art in honor of lupus victims. Or those sufferers of diabetes. Etc.
That the libraries are discriminating against people with diseases other than AIDS is humorous in its irony- the PC crowd attempts to honor or mourn a group of people, (those with AIDS) then ends up discriminating against an even larger group of people (those with diseases other than AIDS).
Next comes the inevitable question: What does covering art actually DO? Nothing, of course.
But we like doing nothing. It's easy. It's cheap. Cover the paintings and feel better about yourself.
They'll say it's for "awareness." But who ISN'T aware of AIDS?
The simple truth is that AIDS won't be eradicated by covering art, but by loads of money funding a determined, focused effort in a laboratory. Any assertion to the contrary is ridiculous.
-Matt Hittle
Posted at 10:29AM Nov 25, 2008 by College Republicans in General | Comments[4]
Emanual is WH Chief of Staff
Illinois Rep. Rahn Emanual has accepted Obama's invitation to become the new WH Chief of Staff
Rahm Emanual has a reputation of being one of the most jarring, abrasive leaders in the Democratic Party. But he can get things done. Then again, there are many less abrasive Democrats who can get things done.
What a weird choice. Obama wants to reconcile Right and Left, yet chooses one of the most abrasive, hardcore partisans in the Democratic Party to head his staff? You'd think that he'd choose someone more positive and less divisive.
-Matt Hittle
Posted at 03:46PM Nov 06, 2008 by College Republicans in General | Comments[0]
Senator Government
Last night, McCain had a slip of the tongue, calling Barry "Senator Government." In actuality, it was the most appropriate remark all night.
Today's Wall Street Journal has a piece entitled "Senator Government" that details the massive, inescapable growth of government that would occur in an Obama administration.
-Matt Hittle
Posted at 08:59AM Oct 16, 2008 by College Republicans in General | Comments[0]
Krugman wins Nobel Prize
Paul Krugman has won the 2008 Nobel Prize in Economics
He won because of his analysis of trade theory, which was groundbreaking.
I just hope that those same critics of Milton Friedman, who separate his Nobel work from his political opinions, do the same for Krugman. He won for scientific papers, not his NYT column.
-Matt Hittle
Posted at 10:22AM Oct 13, 2008 by College Republicans in General | Comments[0]
The "carpetbagger" vs. the "native son"
I've heard the same line from many Nesselhuf supporters: "Higman is a 'carpetbagger.'" Simply, a carpetbagger is a person who moves to another geographic area to reap economic benefits.
There are a couple of reasons why that term is ridiculous when applied here:
1) The use of this term illustrates the fact that most Nesselhuf supporters are protectionist without knowing it. When they call Higman a "carpetbagger," they're essentially saying, "I don't like Higman because he came to South Dakota and is now prospering." That is protectionism in the first place and xenophobia in the second place. Most midwestern states, South Dakota included, are experiencing "brain drain." That is, the best and brightest are moving out of the midwest. So, when someone from out-of-state brings in a successful business and prospers, it should be applauded, not derided. Masaba has a $4 million payroll this year. That's an average of about $45,000 per year for each worker (of course, the actual salaries are different). This is not South Dakota money. Less than 1% of Higman's business is done in South Dakota. He is bringing in dollars from all corners of the US, helping make our little corner of South Dakota better for everyone.
Moreover, if Nesselhuf supporters wanted only native South Dakotans to prosper, our economic development would be terrible. Do Nesselhuf supporters want to build a wall around South Dakota? Around Clay County? Around Vermillion?
Nesselhuf's supporters' protectionist thinking is misguided and dangerous. Higman knows what national and international trade are. He deals with them on a daily basis. The closest Nesselhuf has come to them are in a classroom.
2) The Nesselhuf campaign recently sent out a mailing labeling Nesselhuf a "native son" or something akin to that. This is another xenophobic attack, implying that, because he's a native-born South Dakotan, that Nesselhuf is better-suited for the State Senate. So, I must ask him: What have you done? You've simply voted for bills that others wrote, then spinning wildly, said you got "special clearance" for them! There are only four years difference between you and Higman. He nurtured a small business into a multimillion dollar business and you took a decade to finish school.
It looks like the "carpetbagger" has done more for Vermillion than the "native son."
-Matt Hittle
Posted at 09:57AM Oct 13, 2008 by College Republicans in General | Comments[0]
If you want more than politics on the blog server
...post more.
-Matt Hittle
Posted at 11:10PM Sep 29, 2008 by College Republicans in General | Comments[2]
More thoughts on Nesselhuf's ineffectiveness
Joe Sneve, Volante political reporter, has a new blog. The most recent post is about the Nesselhuf's ham-handed response to my recent opinion column on Nesselhuf's ineffectual Senate term.
Here's a pertinent section:
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However, what may be relatively surprising to some is in a press release issued Wednesday afternoon in response to Hittle’s column, Nesselhuf’s camp only addressed one of the columnist’s claims, the claim accusing the senator of not doing enough to benefit the university he attends.
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This got me thinking. How many of those bills that Nesselhuf apparently supported were actually passed? This question wasn't addressed by the Nesselhuf campaign.
Shouldn't Nesselhuf's effectiveness be measured by legislation that was actually PASSED, rather than legislation that he supported, but wasn't passed?
The text of the Nesselhuf press release uses phrases like "Ben has voted" and "Ben helped" and "Ben obtained special clearance." These are incredibly ambiguous. Heck, we still haven't been told what "special clearance" means!
Something is fishy here. The Nesselhuf campaign is claiming that the Senator has been effective simply by virtue of supporting certain ideas. But it seems that actually getting those ideas codified into law is of no importance. I guess that the primary argument for Nesselhuf's reelection is: When it comes to Nesselhuf's record, it's only the thought that counts.
-Matt Hittle
Posted at 12:08PM Sep 21, 2008 by College Republicans in General | Comments[2]
McCain's new ads
I especially like the second one because I like hearing the message directly from the candidates' mouth.
"Patriotic Act"
"Foundation"
"Jim Johnson"
-Matt Hittle
Posted at 09:50AM Sep 21, 2008 by College Republicans in General | Comments[0]
Slowing Muller's and Nesselhuf's spin
*The following has not been influenced by, accepted by, or endorsed by the USD College Republicans. They are the views of Matt Hittle*
I've been detached from the uproar over my last column, as I've been out of town. But I'm pleased as punch!
Bill Muller, the Nesselhuf campaign manager sent out a press release after my column went to print.
Here it is:
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Friends of Nesselhuf,
With a mere 48 days until election day, the Republicans have begun their attacks on State Senator Ben Nesselhuf. Recently on campus, posters have surfaced against Ben and then in the current issue of The Volante there was an opinion piece personally attacking Ben. Both of these pieces originated with the College Republicans.
The attacks do not change the facts. The fact is that Ben has been a powerful voice for USD in Pierre.
- Since 2001 Ben has co-sponsored, sponsored, or voted upon legislation that would create, expand or fund a scholarship program over 21 times.
- Ben has voted 9 times to reduce tuition for specific categories of students, such as members of the National Guard.
- Ben helped bring $4.3 million in construction money to USD, including $1.8 million for the new medical school.
- Ben obtained special clearance for the Board of Regents to bond for almost $16 million for lab upgrades at USD.
His voting record shows that Ben understands what is important to USD and has provided a powerful voice for students and employees in Pierre.
It is clear that the Republican Party will go to any lengths to take down Ben, so please donate $25 to help defend Ben against these baseless attacks.
You can donate by clicking here.
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I've got a few things to say about this:
1) My column did not originate with the USD College Republicans. In an on-the-record phone call, Mr. Muller refused to fix this error and became quite angry when I said it was wrong.
2) The Republican Party will go to "any lengths" to take down Ben? I'm discussing his legislative history. It seems that the Nesselhuf campaign needs to learn the difference between issue-based and ad hominem attacks. I will VIGOROUSLY attack Mr. Nesselhuf on his legislative history, but I will ALWAYS refrain from attacking his personal life. The Nesselhuf campaign is again trying to squelch discussion of his legislative history.
3) Almost everyone who has been in the legislature for nearly a decade would have sponsored, co-sponsored- or voted upon USD-related legislation. Just the Opportunity Scholarship legislation was proposed several times, was funded by a separate bill, and there have also have been votes to change it. That amounts to several votes on one USD-related issue. Image all of the scholarships that USD provides, then imagine voting on changes to those scholarships. That amounts to tons of tiny votes- that the Nesselhuf campaign spins to appear important.
4) Mr. Nesselhuf may have voted to reduce tuition for specific categories of students, because these bills often arise in the legislature. However, they are typically opposed by the Regents because they rarely include funding to pay for the loss in tuition revenue - the burden is simply thrown back onto the other universities. Leave it to a Democrat to mandate that something occur, but not fund it!
5) As for the USD construction and lab upgrades, these were part of Regents-pushed bills that were supported by the governor. When Mr. Muller says that Mr. Nesselhuf "helped," that merely means he voted for it, not that he played an active role!
And I think we all would like to know what "special clearance" means.
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As you can see, the Nesselhuf campaign states facts in such a way that pumps up the Senator's resume. They may be true, but when you dig a bit deeper, you'll find that Mr. Nesselhuf isn't a leader, but merely follows.
-Matt Hittle
Posted at 09:14AM Sep 19, 2008 by College Republicans in General | Comments[0]
The attacks have begun
In a message to supporters, Nesselhuf campaign manager Bill Muller indicated that the political column I pen for the Volante is affiliated with the College Republicans. It is not.
I demand he correct this error as soon as possible. In an on-the-record conversation I had with him yesterday, he was extremely angry and seemed very reluctant to accommodate this demand.
The e-mail claims I personally attacked Mr. Nesselhuf. I'm not surprised. On this blog, Bill characterized discussion of Ben's legislative record as a "low blow."
Why can't we discuss Nesselhuf's legislative record? Or is Bill simply regurgitating tired press secretary lines?
At any rate, the Nesselhuf campaign needs to learn the difference between personal and legitimate attacks. We don't talk about Ben's family or his personal life. We discuss his record- his votes, his statements, and his employment.
If Bill and Ben had nothing to hide, they wouldn't have a problem with discussion of these things.
-Matt Hittle
Posted at 08:29AM Sep 18, 2008 by College Republicans in General | Comments[6]
Tim's Column
Also check out Tim Carr's columnin the Volante this week!
-Matt Hittle
Posted at 10:14AM Sep 17, 2008 by College Republicans in General | Comments[0]
The Real Women's Party
In these past few weeks, Sarah Palin has come striding onto the scene, knocking everybody back on their ….heels. She has proven herself to be ferocious (pit bull-like?) against her opponents, well-spoken, charismatic, and most of all, quite conservative. She stands for everything that I value. Her views of abortion, her real-life experience with corrupted government…I cannot find anything I don’t like about this woman.
If everything goes as it should, in January of next year, we will have our first female vice-president. But more importantly, we will have a vice-president who will have values and morals in line with most of the conservative right. The history-making is just a bonus.
And yet, the media is focusing more on Sarah Palin’s gender than her actual views and policies. We have to watch as a woman gets pummeled in the media for being a woman. And the biggest outrage, after DECADES of fighting to get out of the kitchen, the left is telling us that Sarah Palin is abandoning her family by having a career.
I honestly don’t know why every woman in America isn’t absolutely furious right now. We have gotten so far as to have a female vice-president candidate, and suddenly the left tells us that we women have made it too far. Now we have to stay home and not dirty our hands with men‘s work. Maybe they should just tie our apron strings around our feet.
The Democrats claim they are the party that supports women’s rights. But they were the party that passed on having Hillary Clinton as their VP. Instead, they chose Joe Biden, a man who actually had the idiocy to say that Sarah Palin was “obviously a backward step for women.” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijGoISc7vFc)
You know, I may not agree with Hillary Clinton on anything, but I respect her. She has made strides where no woman has ever gone before. She very nearly made the first female major-partied-backed run for president. For that alone, I respect her. But couldn’t the Democrats have the same courtesy?
They may not agree with any of Sarah Palin’s views, but that alone does not give them the right to say that the very real possibility of the first female vice-president is a “backward step for women.” If the Democrats call this women’s rights, I’ll think I’ll pass, and take my vote to a party that actually values my views, regardless of my gender.
-Lindsey Van Beek
Posted at 12:56PM Sep 11, 2008 by College Republicans in General | Comments[3]
Nesselhuf's staff: "Don't scrutinize his record!"
You may notice that the previous post has two comments. One is from an "anonymous." The other is from Bill Muller, USD student and campaign manager for Democrat Ben Nesselhuf's reelection campaign.
Notice the similarities between the two IP addresses and times:
Bill Muller (e-mail address redacted) from IP address 24.230.144.174
Posted at 8/22/08 6:12:35 PM.757
anonymous () from IP address 24.230.144.174
Posted at 8/22/08 6:05:17 PM.320
Now, I'm not throwing around any accusations, but it looks to me like someone is using an anonymous pseudonym to do his dirty work.
Anyway, back to the issue at hand.
In my previous post, I mentioned that Ben Nesselhuf had voted against the bill that would have restored students' constitutional right to carry firearms on campus. Bill and "anonymous" didn't dispute that claim, but tried to steer clear of the issue altogether by linking to Project VoteSmart.
Now as you can see HERE, Nesselhuff voted against the restoration of students' constitutional rights. No amount of poorly-presented spin will erase that fact.
As for the A- rating by the NRA Victory Fund, Bill and "anonymous" fail to mention his previous D ratings by THE SAME GROUP only four years earlier. The good scores are no surprise, as South Dakota is full of hunters. No politician or candidate for office would dare denounce guns! Therefore, Nesselhuf's score from the NRA is not necessarily all it's cracked up to be.
Finally, as for the accusations of "low blows" and "attacks" on good ol' BJ, GET USED TO IT. This isn't ad hominem. We aren't discussing BJ's personal life. We're discussing substantive issues and BJ's Senate record.
Why is BJ's campaign manager afraid to discuss his boss' record? Is he embarrassed? I sure would be.
Which leads me to an oft-used phrase: If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
-Matt Hittle
Posted at 08:15PM Aug 22, 2008 by College Republicans in General | Comments[0]
Politics and Music
I always keep my music and my politics separate. ALWAYS.
I think that bringing my politics into my stage show or into my songs is dumb, and I refuse to do it. I wish other musicians would follow that creed, too.
So if you hear about my blues band playing at Pro's tomorrow night for the Dakotans' Battle of the Bands, don't be alarmed. We play good, non-political blues.
If you like live music, come down to Pro's at 7, grab a beer or ginger ale and listen to the great acts that will be taking the stage. My group, officially the Matt Hittle Blues Band, but unofficially Oedipus and the Mama's Boys, will be taking the stage around 10.
I hope to see you there!
-Matt Hittle
Posted at 04:42PM May 01, 2008 by College Republicans in General | Comments[1]
I've been targeted by the Phelps family
You know, those fundamentalist Christians of the Westboro Baptists church who protest soldiers' funerals.
Read the comments on my most recent column.
They're beginning to sound a lot like Douglas.
-Matt Hittle
Posted at 09:26AM Apr 25, 2008 by College Republicans in General | Comments[2]
STATE COLLEGE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION THIS WEEKEND
The University of South Dakota Chapter of the College Republicans will be hosting the 2008 South Dakota College Republicans Convention this weekend on the USD campus!
Here is the itinerary:
Friday Night Social at Farber Hall
6:00pm College Republican Guests - 5-10 minute talk time for guests
7:30pm Social Hour - Pizza, Pop, and Politics
Saturday Convention at Raziel's
9:30am Opening Remarks by Melissa Stee/Dane Yde/Drew Peterson
9:45am Heritage Foundation Presentation
10:45am Sam Kephart - US Senatorial Candidate
11:15am Joel Dykstra - US Senatorial Candidate
11:45am Break - reconvene at 12 noon
12noon Lunch
12:15pm Keynote Speaker Chris Lien - US Congressional Candidate
12:45pm Break - reconvene at 1pm
1:00pm Presentation by Hugh Weber - Deep Bench Strategies
1:30pm 2007/2008 Report
2:00pm Nomination of candidates
2:15pm Candidate Speeches
2:30pm Elections and Appointments
2:45pm Closing Remarks by Melissa Stee/Dane Yde/ Drew Peterson
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We invite all USD College Republicans, as well as interested USD students to attend these events!
-Matt Hittle
Posted at 08:35AM Apr 17, 2008 by College Republicans in General | Comments[0]
To Ryan and the USD Democrats
Yesterday, Ryan Cwach and the USD Democrats issued a challenge to the College Republicans debate team:
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"I want to end with a challenge to the USD Republicans: Let's have another debate. A debate where answers end when they need to. A debate where any member can get up a speak. A debate based solely on questions posed by the audience. A free flowing debate where students can come, ask a question, and leave if they so choose. A debate that lasts as long as there are questions to be answered. What do you guys say?"
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We College Republicans heartily enjoyed Tuesday's debate. In fact, we can't wait until the next one. However, we find the above quote infeasible and unwieldy.
A "free flowing" debate that has no rules and no time limits is no debate at all. It's a shouting match. In addition, both sides would work to plant questions in the audience in order to "stump" the other side. This isn't fun for anyone, nor is it in the spirit of quality campus political discussion. Forums and debates work best with rules and time limits, as much as they are unwanted by those on stage.
The way I see it, the debate isn't only a forum to discuss your beliefs- it's a place where those on stage learn how to present those beliefs in a brief, understandable manner. We don't hear long, drawn-out speeches during the presidential debates because it's boring to hear people drone on and on about one topic. Debates need to be quick, interesting, and provocative. It's no different here at USD. The Dems' plan above would ensure a snoozer for all.
In addition, the USD College Republicans are currently juggling several projects that will come to fruition in the spring of 2008. These projects are not only interesting and fun, but they are very time consuming. Before we meet our Friends on the Left back in Farber Hall, we'd like to finish these projects. Ours is a group that DOES, not just TALKS.
In conclusion, The College Republicans are quite proud of our performance last Tuesday night. We'd love to meet the Dems to play again. However, the above suggestion won't work. We just finished a debate. We'll have another in the fall. We appreciate the offer, but no thanks.
-Matt Hittle, Drew Peterson, Tim Carr, Morgan Peck
Posted at 04:17PM Feb 11, 2008 by College Republicans in General | Comments[0]
Douglas goes too far
I don't know if you readers have seen Douglas Bryenldson's recent post about the Marines being kicked out of Toledo by the mayor. They had intended to practice urban warfare techniques.
Here's the news story:
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TOLEDO, OH -- Mayor Carty Finkbeiner on Friday ordered some 200 members of Company A, 1st Battalion, 24th Marines from Grand Rapids, Michigan, out of Toledo just before the unit was supposed to start a weekend of urban warfare training downtown.
The mayor’s spokesperson, Brian Schwartz said, “The mayor asked them to leave because they frighten people. He did not want them practicing and drilling in a highly visible area."
Toledo police said they knew about the training and had approved the unit’s use of the Madison Building and the Promenade Park area. The training was scheduled to start Friday afternoon and last until Sunday. Police said the unit’s presence would have a minimal impact on the city. Police issued a press release earlier in the week saying the Marines would be wearing green camouflage uniforms, operate military vehicles, carry rifles, perform foot patrols, and fire blank ammunition during the exercise.
Schwartz said there was a breakdown in communication between police and the Finkbeiner administration that led to the mayor’s action.
“The Marines drilled here three times during the Ford administration and once under the Finkbeiner administration. After the last visit, the mayor told then police Chief Jack Smith, that he did not want the marines back. Smith failed to inform the current police administration of the mayor’s feelings,” Schwartz said.
NBC24 spoke to Jack Smith who recalled that after the Marines last visit, he and the mayor had a heated exchange about the training.
“He told me he did not want them, as he put it, 'playing war in Toledo,'" Smith recalled. "I told him, as a former Marine, that if one young Marine’s life is saved because of training he or she received in Toledo, Ohio, then it was worth the inconvenience.”
Smith said if the mayor objected, then he should have been the one to convey those feelings to police. Smith took his run-in with the mayor as an objection to that last visit and not future training in Toledo. As a result, the Toledo police went ahead, granting approval to the 1-24th Marines to conduct the routine exercise. The police notified members of the Finkbeiner administration who were not aware that the mayor objected to units training in Toledo.
When the mayor found out, he sent a member of his staff to tell Marines they could not conduct urban operations in Toledo. The unit was notified about 3:30 p.m. after an advance team arrived in Toledo. Five buses carrying some 200 Marines traveled four hours from Grand Rapids, only to find out the training had been shot down.
The unit briefly stopped at a 1-24th Marine base in Perrysburg Township, then returned to Grand Rapids where training was expected to be held this weekend. A spokesperson for the Marines said they were disappointed by the mayor’s decision especially after the city had been so helpful in the past.
Finkbeiner held a news conference Saturday night to address the growing controversy. Finkbeiner says bad planning and communication breakdowns led to his decision to bar a Marine Corps unit from training in downtown Toledo. Finkbeiner spent much of the twenty minute news conference explaining what he didn't know, and when he didn't know it.
“I don't know when we were first asked,” he says, “were we asked Tuesday or Wednesday of this week?”
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Of course, this simple explanation wasn't enough for Douglas, who went on a several paragraph-long diatribe against the Marines and the government:
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"KUDOS TO THE MAYOR OF TOLEDO!!!!
The Mayor of Toledo justifiably gave the U.S. MILITARY a big "F*CK YOU" when he learned they were arriving en masse in his city to practice alleged "MARTIAL LAW DRILLS and URBAN WARFARE WARGAMES" - without even notifying anyone from city or state government of their intention to do so.
This brazenly hostile and arrogant dismissal of local authorities and state sovereignty ticked off the Toledo mayor so much that he reminded the U.S. Marines that they have no authority or power on U.S. soil without a direct order from the Governor or Congress.
Thus, he wisely turned the buses full of about 200 urban warfare geared stormtroopers right around at the city gates and packing back to their bases for an extended weekend vacation away from death and killing and shooting and rounding up civilians.
Now this isn't the first time the 'HOMEGUARD' - which smacks of some kind of Special Ghetto Patrol Unit straight out of Himmler's (A)SS Nazi Corp - have been deployed to perform these kinds of disturbing and unnecessary martial law scenarios in cities like Chicago, Oakland, CA and San Francisco.
FATHERLAND SECURITY... err.. wait.. HOMELAND SECURITY shocktroops have held similar military drills and wargames in which they round up legal U.S. citizens and 'detain'(read: imprison) them in concentration camps for 'their safety and protection'. As if this is necessary...
Shaah.... and hidden WMD's still might fly out of Saddam's dead butt...
Speaking only for myself, along with President Bush/Cheney, the DOD, the Pentagon, the CIA and the FBI - the U.S. Military has lost a LOT of credibility and it's function and necessity are suspect at worst and in deep doubt at the best.
Folks - there is ABSOLUTELY no reason why the U.S. Marines need to practice controlling and rounding up US - legal U.S. civilians in our own cities and homes... if this were actually training to perform these duties in countries we have invaded and seized - they could easily built a 'movie-set type' mock up of a foreign city.
This is being done to ACCLIMATE soliders and break down their innate resistance and abhorrence at having to police United States cities detaining and rounding up actual U.S. citizens. There is NO REASON the military should be policing citizen civilians - NO JUSTIFIABLE REASON WHATSOEVER.
This is a breach of your guaranteed CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS and there needs to be OUTCRY and OUTRAGE NOW!!!! Contact your represenatives, Governors, senators and let them know you do not approve of MARTIAL LAW exercises against American citizens on American soil."
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Douglas calls this the "Open and Free for the Constitutionally Protected Citizens" version of the story. In conspiracy theorist code, this means "my version, because the news story was too logical." Yahoo for free speech, bu I think that Douglas has gone way too far with this post in his Illuminati one world government BS.
A healthy cynicism is warranted when dealing with the government, but it's the conspiracy theorist "constitutionalists" who give libertarians a bad name. We're not all like this. We don't all believe that 9/11 was an "inside job." We don't all believe that the Bilderberg Group is in league with the Easter Bunny to establish a One World Government.
Douglas compares the Marines to the Nazi SS. He also maintains that the Marines were planning to "kill[ing] and shoot civilians." Of course, the true story is that they were preparing for the urban warfare they will experience in places like Iraq. Douglas has absolutely NO PROOF of anything he says in this post. Of course, with conspiracy theorists, this is par for the course. Unfortunately for Douglas, the periodicals "Big Foot Digest" and "UFO Weekly" aren't considered proper sources.
Next, the Marines notified the police, so Douglas' rant about them not notifying anyone is bunk. Also, if the Marines REALLY wanted to shoot up Toledo like Douglas maintains, why would they stop because a mayor ordered them to? Would The SS have stopped if the Jews asked? No way! If the government is out to get the citizens of Toledo, (why would they be?), they wouldn't listen to the mayor.
Honestly, I know I'm wasting my time on this, but I wanted to call it to everyone's attention. I think Douglas has gone way too far. He needs to apologize to the Marines in another post, as well as realize that, sometimes, things don't need an insanely complicated explanation.
-Matt Hittle
Posted at 04:54PM Feb 10, 2008 by College Republicans in General | Comments[3]
Pell grants? Vouchers? Either one's good
The Wall Street Journal editorial board has an excellent piece on the editorial page today.
It explains why those Pell Grants Bush discussed in the State of the Union address are probably a good thing:
"If unrestricted federal education grants are kosher for college students, why not for grades K-12 too? That's the question President Bush is asking with his cheeky proposal Monday to create Pell Grants for Kids, a program to offer $300 million in scholarships that low-income students could use to attend the school of their choice."
"Mr. Bush's proposal would give Pell grants to students stuck in public secondary and elementary schools that have failed to meet federal testing benchmarks for five years running or that suffer high drop out rates. The bulk of that money would go to inner-city students who otherwise have little chance of going to college or even finishing high school. In the same way, the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program has given 2,600 of the poorest students in Washington a better chance at a good education."
So the Democrats- the USD Dems among them- don't want k-12 students to be able to choose their own schools? Apparently not. The WSJ board gives a probable reason for this: teacher unions.
"Neither of these programs is getting anywhere in the current Congress, however, and the new Pell grant proposal was immediately denounced by Democrats. The reason, as ever, is because K-12 education is dominated by a union monopoly that can't abide parental choice. Lucky for students the same unions don't yet run American universities."
I think it's despicable that the Democrats will bow to this union pressure. They are forsaking some of the poorest children in America in order to garner votes from the union constituency. Vouchers work! Shame on the Democrats for harboring this concern for the union vote while children rot in terrible schools.
-Matt Hittle
Posted at 12:20PM Jan 30, 2008 by College Republicans in General | Comments[0]
A Glimpse Into the Future of National Healthcare
Is this what liberals want for the future of American healthcare?
This article offers only a glimpse of the mediocre NHS plaguing many European countries. For some weird reason, liberals seem blind to the fact that government-run health systems are inefficient and offer no incentive to perform well. The problems with maternity care are just a drop in the ocean of woes generated by the fool's errand of national healthcare.
- B. Reasonable
Posted at 02:22AM Jan 26, 2008 by College Republicans in General | Comments[0]
Happy Holidays!
In the spirit of love, brotherhood, and free markets, we wish everyone- even the College Democrats, (you silly rascals!)- a very relaxing break and joyous holiday, whatever that holiday may be.
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I'll be posting during the break, so keep your eye on that RSS feed.
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Finally, with regard to the College Dems' drafting of Santa into their ranks, we happily concede him. Instead, we count the baby Jesus as a libertarian.
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-Matt Hittle
Posted at 11:18PM Dec 21, 2007 by College Republicans in General | Comments[1]
Intimidation by students?
RealClearPolitics has an interesting article on universities today.
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Sowell argues that the radicalism of the 1960s instilled a fear into universities. Institutions of higher learning are now more PC and less strict with regard to punishment and enforcing regulations.
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"How did we get from there to where professors are being advised to not even have their phone numbers listed?
The answer to that question has implications not only for the academic world but for the society at large and for international relations.
It happened because people who ran colleges and universities were too squeamish to use the power they had, and relied instead on clever evasions to avoid confrontations. They were, as the British say, too clever by half.
"Negotiations" and "flexibility" were considered to be the more sophisticated alternative to confrontation.
Most campuses across the country bought that approach -- and it failed repeatedly on campus after campus, when caving in on one set of student demands led only to new and bigger demands.
The academic world has never fully recovered. Many congratulated themselves on the restoration of "peace" on campus in the 1970s. Almost always, it was the peace of surrender.
In order to appease campus radicals, all sorts of new ideologically oriented courses, programs and departments were created, with an emphasis on teaching victimhood and resentments, often hiring people whose scholarly credentials were meager or even non-existent.
Such courses, programs, and departments are still with us in the 21st century -- not because no one recognizes their intellectual deficiencies but because no one dares to try to get rid of them."
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This is fascinating. I've not noticed this here at USD, but I suspect that this is more prevalent at larger and more nationally-known universities.
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-Matt Hittle
Posted at 01:15AM Dec 18, 2007 by College Republicans in General | Comments[0]
Congressional Democrats fight each other while not accomplishing anything
Congressional Democrats have resorted to finger-pointing.
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"As they wrap up their first year in control of the entire Capitol since 1994, Democrats are trying to prove that they can be an equal partner to Bush. But their first 11 months have been politically and legislatively brutal, with congressional approval ratings dropping this week to 32 percent, a notch below Bush's 33 percent, according to the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll. Their support plummeted as the liberal base grew outraged over the Democratic inability to counter the president on any war issue, while moderates and centrists looking for bipartisan kitchen-table accomplishments instead saw partisan gridlock. The disputes have at times taken on starkly personal tones. In closed-door bicameral leadership meetings, Pelosi has questioned Reid's intentions on issues such as war funding tied to troop withdrawal timelines and an alternative minimum tax fix that is fully funded by tax increase offsets, suggesting that his words have not always matched his actions."
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This is fascinating. I remember the beginning of the 110th Congress and Nancy Pelosi's harsh words for Republicans. Their 100-day agenda was shot to smithereens, and I- for one- am quite glad for obvious reasons.
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Also, it seems that Democrats are getting frustrated with Harry Reid:
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While many House Democrats see Reid's decision-making process as mercurial, one Senate Democrat suggested that some lawmakers might confuse Reid's tone and brevity with lack of respect.
' "When Harry's done talking, the conversation's over. Boom," the Democratic senator said, mimicking someone hanging up the phone.
A top aide said that Reid and the speaker have a "natural frustration" because of the limitations they face within their chambers, but that both blame Senate Republicans, who have routinely forced Reid to round up 60 votes -- to prevent a filibuster -- on everything from a contentious immigration bill to popular ethics legislation. Even on the best of days, Democrats hold just a 51 to 49 majority in the Senate.'
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My favorite quote of the entire piece:
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' Republicans, who spent 12 years in similar battles, are just enjoying the spectacle.
"Just let 'em stew for a while," said soon-to-retire Senate Minority Whip Trent Lott (R-Miss.), a veteran of the GOP's own squabbles. '
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I sure hope that they collapse into even worse infighting and bickering.
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-Matt Hittle
Posted at 11:03AM Dec 13, 2007 by College Republicans in General | Comments[0]
On substance...
In a recent comment, "Jerry Garcia" recommended I include more substance in my posts.
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Short and sweet. That's my style. People don't want to read my term paper on judicial elections or a 1000-word diatribe about Pelosi and the Armenian genocide. I've got my Volante column to bloviate about my personal views. Heck, I simply don't have the time to write about those things every day.
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This blog should be the place for quick, concise news and views. Most readers don't have time to read long-and-involved posts. I link to a story, and insert some quick (and possibly witty/pithy) analysis. Done.
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Many times, I don't even NEED to include any analysis, as the article/story/op-ed speaks for itself.
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Occasionally, I will post longer "pieces," if you will, but I think it suits my schedule- and the readers' schedules- to be concise and to-the-point.
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The substance is here. The ancillary crap isn't.
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-Matt Hittle
Posted at 12:38PM Dec 11, 2007 by College Republicans in General | Comments[6]
USD College Republicans welcome a new CR blogger!
I'm happy to welcome USD freshman Morgan Peck into the mix here at the USD College Republicans' Blog.
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I'm sure that she will contribute a meaningful, insightful opinion on the issues of the day.
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She should be posting soon!
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-Matt Hittle
Posted at 11:03PM Dec 05, 2007 by College Republicans in General | Comments[0]
