Shots in the Dark

Anyone else rooting for the Giants to beat the Patriots?

I’m delighted that Giants coach Tom Coughlin isn’t going to rest his starters for the playoffs…

Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has been assassinated after speaking at a political rally near the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.

Witnesses said Ms. Bhutto, who was appearing at a political campaign rally, was fired upon at close range by a gunman, and then struck by shrapnel from a blast that the government said was caused by a suicide bomber.

This is just terrible news—bad for the prospects for peace and democracy in Pakistan, bad for the United States. The only people who will benefit from this act of violence are those who sow hatred and thrive on chaos—Osama bin Laden and his protectors in the Pakistani intelligence services.

In the Globe, Bhutto is remembered by Harvard classmates and local Pakistanis.

In the Washington Post, American presidential candidates react to the news.

Newsweek also remembers Bhutto.

George and Laura Bush extend their condolences, hang out at the ranch.

“The Bush administration is moving forward with a clear national solution, not a confusing patchwork of state rules. I believe this is a better approach than if individual states were to act alone.” [Italics added]
—EPA chief Stephen L. Johnson, explaining the EPA’s ruling that 17 states do not have the right to establish their own carbon dioxide limits from cars.

Whatever happened to the Republicans’ faith in state’s rights over the acts of the national government? This is the clearest, most literal statement I’ve seen of the Bush administration’s betrayal of conservatism; its hatred for environmentalism has trumped its belief that the federal government should let the states do their own thing. No wonder the party has become incoherent.

By the way, ever since the Bush administration commenced, I’ve been fascinated by the anonymity and lack of qualification of his cabinet chiefs. (Yes, I’m dorky that way.) During the Clinton administration, I knew who all the cabinet heads were because they were busy making policy and because they were serious people who had accomplished quite a lot in life. I can think of only a couple of the Bush cabinet heads.

Who is EPA chief Stephen L. Johnson?

This from Wikipedia:

Johnson attended Taylor University, receiving a B.A. in biology followed by a master’s degree in pathology from George Washington University. Before working for the U.S. Government, he held a number of positions in laboratory and bio-technology companies. He was also the director of Hazelton Laboratories (now known as Covance).

Not exactly logical preparation for heading the EPA, wouldn’t you say?

During his Senate confirmation hearing, Johnson was criticized for his support for using human subjects in pesticide testing. In April, a hold was placed on his confirmation vote after he refused to cancel the Children’s Environmental Exposure Research Study, which advocated recording the effects of pesticides on children from infancy to age 3. On April 8, Johnson canceled the study. His nomination was confirmed by the Senate on April 29.

Let’s just think about that for a moment, shall we?

George Bush named as head of the Environmental Protection Agency a man who wanted to use human subjects, children younger than age 3, in pesticide testing.

The mind reels……

Oh, and if you don’t know—Taylor University? It’s an evangelical school.

Again, Wikipedia:

Students, faculty and staff are required to sign the “Life Together Covenant” (LTC) upon joining the University.^[8] Community members pledge to adhere to certain standards of conduct and refrain from certain behaviors, including social dancing (excepting marriages taking place off of school property and choreographed or folk dance), premarital sex, homosexuality, smoking, and the consumption of alcohol, with the intention of strengthening the community as a whole.

January 2009 can not come fast enough……

At the Brookings Institution in Washington yesterday, the former Treasury secretary and Harvard president lamented the Bush administration’s handling of the economy, and warned that the US could be headed for some grim economic times……

Here is Lee Bollinger’s statement on the New York City Council’s approval of Columbia’s Manhattanville development plan:

Dear fellow member of the Columbia community:

I am very happy to say that this evening by a favorable vote of the New York City Council the way has been cleared for Columbia to pursue building a new campus in the seventeen-acre area known as Manhattanville in West Harlem. Few among us can have escaped knowing, at least in general outline, the idea of a new campus in this area just north of the Morningside Heights campus. I will not, accordingly, belabor this announcement with any detail. But, just to give a sense of the importance of what the City’s process has now permitted, we should bear in mind that, when the University assembled in 1896 to lay the first cornerstones for the new campus on Morningside Heights, it dedicated a space of roughly the same size as Manhattanville.

To reach this milestone we have participated in a very rigorous review process with our City, which has involved the efforts of hundreds of people, among them our neighbors in Harlem, government officials, elected representatives, and members of our own community of faculty, students, staff, and alumni. Now, after five years and innumerable discussions, negotiations, plans, documents, hearings, and votes, we have arrived at a significant turning point on the matter of space for the University to grow-for our generation, I should add, as well as the next.

Our new campus, which will meet the highest standards of architectural and urban design, and environmental sustainability, will house our schools and academic programs, as well as provide over 800 units for faculty and graduate housing. The long-term opportunities for Columbia and the people who live and work in our community and our City are barely imaginable to us at this early moment. Perhaps what we can best say at this point is that the course of knowledge will be our guide.

At the beginning of next semester, I will offer more information about and proposals for where we go from here. For now, my deepest thanks to everyone involved in bringing this to fruition.

Sincerely,

Lee C. Bollinger

The New York City Council has approved its development of Manhattanville, which the Times boldy calls the “largest development project in recent memory.”

Thanks for the helpful factoid, NYT. It could be nice to know exactly what was the largest development project before this one, but never mind. “Recent memory” is pretty informative…..

In Australia—I think Geelong is in Australia—a shark attacked a kangaroo that was swimming some 250 feet offshore and ate it.

Where to start?

This video treats the subject with all the reverence it deserves.

“I want to state clearly without qualification: I did not take steroids, human growth hormone or any other banned substance at any time in my baseball career, or in fact, my entire life. I am disappointed that my 25 years in public life have apparently not earned me the benefit of the doubt, but I understand that Senator Mitchell’s report has raised many serious questions. I plan to publicly answer all of those questions at the appropriate time in the appropriate way. I only ask that in the meantime people not rush to judgment.”

—Roger Clemens

It’s as categorical a denial as you can make. Anyone buying it?

Here’s a story I’ve been meaning to blog about: An African-American psychotherapist is suing Columbia and Citibank on the grounds that the interest rate for his student loans constitutes “slavery.”

The lawsuit, filed in New York state Supreme Court by Brian Baxter, 57, charges the Ivy League university colluded with the banking arm of financial services giant Citigroup Inc. to lure him to its “preferred lender,” which then charged exorbitant student-loan interest rates that he is still paying off 10 years after graduating.

…“It’s modern-day slavery,” Baxter said of the alleged collusion.

“I should not be financially enslaved for the rest of my life — and that’s what the corporate giants are trying to do,” he told the New York Post.

This is, of course, part of the ongoing and deeply offensive diminution of the term “slavery,” and it sounds like someone who just hasn’t been very successful—or responsible—in life refusing to pay his debts. Not just refusing to pay his debts, actually, but hoping to turn them into profit.

Which reminds me that I recently had a conversation with a Columbia grad who, when I told her that I supported the Manhattanville Project, accused me of being a Republican.

Ouch. That wounds.

I replied that the hysteria of the opposition to Manhattanville, and the offensive and cynical use of the race card by its opponents, was the kind of financial self-interest masquerading as liberalism that discredits liberalism.

The same is true here. Are there issues with student loans and the way that they were managed by Columbia and other universities? Indeed there are. But….modern-day slavery? Brian Baxter should be ashamed of himself.

The Times weighs in on Harvard’s aid plan today with an editorial that, honestly, says absolutely nothing. But just to be fair, I’ll quote it.

Although Harvard is often a trendsetter, it is not clear that many other schools can afford to follow. Its endowment of $35 billion is the largest of any university. Most other colleges rely heavily on tuition and fees and can’t readily give up that income. There are more than 60 colleges that have endowments that exceed $1 billion that ought to move at least partially in the same direction.

A bold call to arms!

Meanwhile, on page one, Sara Rimer discovers that some schools, including some Ivy League schools, have begun putting courses online.

Revelation!

Next they’ll report that some college courses are available on iTunes.

(To be fair to Ms. Rimer, I suspect the timing of that was her editors’ choice, not hers.)

It’s not hard to understand why the Times is going through such struggles: It’s bogged down by a culture that says, It’s not news until we report it. And at one time, that was basically true. It’s not any more, but the Times hasn’t recognized that, and certainly hasn’t adapted to it. It is slow, slow, slow…..