MatthewMaynard.net

When you have the law, pound the law.
When you have the facts, pound the facts.
When you have neither, pound the table.

Normally I’m persuaded by the Journal’s editorials. They are typically well written and grounded in factual argument, not embarassing rhetoric. Today’s piece on the Jefferson case is disturbingly atypical. McCarthy at NRO lays out the facts of the case and does not shirk from the counterpoints of the opposition. All the Journal does is set up a straw man with this claim:

[The Speech and Debate Clause of the Constitution] also arguably includes papers and other material in Member offices that are related to legislating.

This isn’t an issue of the S&D clause; McCarthy lays out how the different search teams guaranteed the Representative’s legislative papers were specifically excluded from being seized. Quite the disappointing effort by the normally top-ranked WSJ editorialists.

You must keep after your representatives to keep them honest, because once they become dishonest, they betray their responsibility to serve you and begin serving themselves.

These are my paternal Grandfathers, Dad’s dad on the left and his dad on the right. Grandpa Harry was a Pharmacist’s Mate, 3rd Class, in the WW2 Navy. Great-Grandpa Leslie was a soldier deployed in the Philippine Insurrection a century ago.

They are the heritage I live with, proudly.

I never met either man, they both died before I was born. But I am glad of their service, and am glad to honor them today.

Memorial Day is for honoring the dead, Veteran’s Day is for honoring the living. Though neither man died in the conflict he took part in – and I am ever so thankful for that – They deserve to be remembered today. Normally I make mention on this day of all in my family who have served and passed on, but today I wanted to do something special.

Thank you, Grandpa. Thank you, Great-Grandpa.

So I’m surfing along, clicking the links on the sidebar, when lo and behold, what do I see in the Google AdSense box?

Arizona Hurricanes? It links here. I’m glad to see that the government is taking care of my hurricane-induced flood needs. Although its true that a hurricane remnant occasionally parks itself over the Old Pueblo, more often than not it just makes for cloudy skies and flowing rivers, without very much flooding. But by the time they get here, they’re not hurricanes anymore.

P.S. Jennifer is berating me for not giving her credit for taking the picture. My apologies, hon.

So, The Evil Doctor Merlin Channing Lowe Jr. has his own political cartoon.

And its leftist! How could I have missed this during all those years I lived with him?

He must be sneakier than we thought.

Hugh Hewitt on yesterday’s radio show:

HH: Okay. Well, let me know when we can talk about it, because I do want to go through that with you. All right, Lileks. You’ve cheered us up. You’ve now become officially a Sith lord.

JL: (laughing)

HH: There aren’t many of them running around. But you’re now part of the team. Thank you, James.

I know, I know, my photoshopping skills are no match for the power of the Bleat Side.

Maybe even of the year. I. Am. Thunderstruck.

Galloway says murder of Blair would be ‘justified’

The Respect MP George Galloway has said it would be morally justified for a suicide bomber to murder Tony Blair.

In an interview with GQ magazine, the reporter asked him: “Would the assassination of, say, Tony Blair by a suicide bomber – if there were no other casualties – be justified as revenge for the war on Iraq?”

Mr Galloway replied: “Yes, it would be morally justified. I am not calling for it – but if it happened it would be of a wholly different moral order to the events of 7/7. It would be entirely logical and explicable. And morally equivalent to ordering the deaths of thousands of innocent people in Iraq – as Blair did.”

Every time I think American politicians are stupid, I look for the latest quote from this guy, just to remind myself that there are worse things in life than a self-serving politician. Like a terrorist-serving one.

Movie trailers from before oh, say, 1987 are, by modern standards, awful. Pitiful. Horrid. Boring. Drivel. They tell you who made the movie, who’s in it, and how many awards they expected it to win. Modern trailers tell you the story in a short summary format, introducing the characters and the main plot line in an excellent economy of words.

That’s why I love this remixed trailer. Hat tip to Volokh:

This article reminds me of this cartoon, but with the two characters saying “Gay marriage harms traditional marriage!” instead.

I’ve read Glenn Reynolds write that he wants to abolish marriage licensing for the sake of fairness. I’ve read Andrew Sullivan write that he wants to allow gay marriage for the sake of fairness. I wish both of them would take a closer look at where their positions lead us by reading and commenting on the Stanley Kurtz article.

Too bad I’m just a crunchy crustacean in this blogosphere.