Today’s edition of quick hits.<\/p>\n
* A couple of years ago, Labor Secretary Elaine Chao said the strength of the stock market is the “final arbiter<\/a>” of the success of the president’s economic policies. Something to keep in mind when we consider today’s Wall Street free fall<\/a>.<\/p>\n * Considering the right-wing talking points about U.S. immigrants, I found it fascinating to learn that the demand for English classes is outstripping the supply. More immigrants “are waiting months or even years<\/a> to get into government financed English classes.”<\/p>\n * Dan Froomkin has a good job exploring<\/a> what constitutes “mainstream” public opinion.<\/p>\n * ABC’s John Stossel, appearing on Glenn Beck’s radio show (now there’s<\/i> a combo) claimed that “you can’t deny that the globe has warmed” but added that global warming “may be a good thing<\/a>.” Stossel also asked: “And is it a catastrophe, where we have to wreck the lives of poor people and turn our freedom over to Al Gore and he’ll tell us what we can drive and whether we can air-condition our house? And even if he does that, it’s not going to make any difference.” Wow.<\/p>\n * Fred Barnes<\/a>: “The sudden embrace of social conservatism by top Republican presidential candidates has been widely misunderstood. It’s been portrayed, particularly in the media, as political pandering of the first order-and nothing more… But for a Republican seeking his party’s nomination, shifting to the right on social issues is hardly shocking. Rather, it’s quite normal, it’s absolutely necessary, and it’s likely to work.” In other words, the GOP candidates’ pandering is being characterized as pandering, when in fact, it’s actually pandering. Thanks to Barnes for clearing that up.<\/p>\n * Dick Cheney’s ongoing overseas trip has been marred by<\/a> electrical problems, unexpected stops, skeptical allies, and unfriendly locals. Then the Taliban apparently tried to kill him. Quite a trip, isn’t it?<\/p>\n * Ed emailed me an interesting item<\/a> about the new owners of the Seattle Sonics, who want taxpayers to finance a new * Pizza parties with John Ashcroft, now that he’s a high-priced DC lobbyist, are a no-no<\/a> for Justice Department employees.<\/p>\n * Bush’s new Lebanese friend has had some interesting things to say<\/a> about U.S. casualties and anti-Semitism.<\/p>\n * If you have a minute, Richard Perle’s interview<\/a> with NewsMax is so odd, so over-the-top, that I’m hard pressed to excerpt just one exchange. The whole thing is bizarre.<\/p>\n * I can’t think of a comparable conservative rival<\/a> to Brookings, either. On the ideological spectrum, if 100 is all the way to the left and 0 is all the way to the right, I’d put Brookings at 55. Is there a think tank that’s a 45? I can’t think of any.<\/p>\n * Remember the EFPs from Iran? They may not be from Iran<\/a>.<\/p>\narena<\/strike> pleasure palace. Now that locals have learned the same owners gave $1.1 million to anti-gay-marriage causes, their financing deal is in jeopardy.
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\n* Apparently, women’s health is 25% less important<\/a> this year than last year.<\/p>\n