Read it.

The Washington Post begins by assuming what it ought to be proving, and it goes downhill from there.

 THE ABSENCE of competitive congressional districts takes a toll on the political process.

Why? They never say.They just state it as if it were a law of nature. But it’s exactly wrong.

What is the purpose of a representative in a representative democracy? Is it not to represent the interests of his (or her) constituents? Of course it is.

Consider this: Is a Congressional district tailored in such a way that the vast majority of its population likes and will vote for the incumbent more or less representative than one in which the incumbent barely squeaks by (and thus can be said to truly represent only half-plus-a-smidge of the people in his district)? I suggest that it is.

An election is not a basketball game, in which it is more exciting when one side wins about half the time and the other side the rest. The goal of an election is to put the candidate in who best represents the majority of the people in the district. An ideal election would have the candidate (in a free and fair election) winning 100% of the vote, thereby signifying that every voter in the district preferred him to his opponent. And yet the Post and the other members of the chattering classes would react to such a result with horror.

Why? Because they haven’t any better notion of the objective of a representative democracy than a slug does. They just want a fight — prefereably a cliff-hanger — because it’s more interesting (and is a lot more fun for “journalists” to cover). And it sells more newspapers.

Think about that next time you hear the pot-thumpers complain about “uncompetitive” elections.

Read it.

No wonder Rush Limbaugh refers to Reuters as “al-Reuters”.

The Washington Post, of course.

It’s obvious what advantage accrues to the MSM like the Washington Post by having a “shield law” that excuses their reporters from the obligation that every citizen has to assist the police and courts in preventing and solving crimes, but what advantage accrues to the public? The opportunity to read all about it — after it happens, when it could have been prevented?

The fact that a “source” gave information to a reporter under a promise of confidentiality doesn’t trump a citizen’s obligations under the law, media mythology to the contrary notwithstanding. If reporters feel that strongly about it, they’re free to accept the consequences of breaking the law; they just want to skate free without consequence, privileged snoopers above the fray who don’t have the same duty to prevent crime that the rest of us do.

Do the public a service and slap the next “journalist” you see. You’ll feel better for it.

Read it.

Didn’t know there were so many slacker-dork ribbons out there. And now they’re making them into wristbands. Makes me long for the days of moving machinery.

Read it.

The Washington Post is shocked, shocked I tell you, to find that bureaucrats don’t like sharing information with the schlubs they govern.

Michael Kinsley demonstrates that he is as ignorant about war as he is about politics.

Sorry if the government hasn’t performed up to your expectations, dude. You’re about forty years behind the rest of us.

Read it. Now there’s a surprise. How is this news?

Read it. There are an amazing number of hate-filled moonbats in Berkeley. Could we not trade Berkeley to the Chinese for, say, Hong Kong? I’d be willing to throw in Seattle and Beverly Hills to sweeten the pot.

Read it. This seems to bother them only when their guy (or gal) is losing. The rest of the time they’re fine with their oxymoronic status.

Read it.

Read it. Actually, I’d say that’s a good sign. People are buying what they actually need rather than what the marketing industry is trying to convince them that they want.

How do you like that? People by consumer crap and the media is all over it, wringing their hands about how shallow people are. Then they cut back on the consumer crap, and the media are wringing their hands about how the economy is going to tank. I think they just like wringing their hands.

Sky is falling. Film at 11.

Read it. Of course.

Read it. *yawn* The Sky Is Falling; film at 11.

There is no recession. Deal with it. Certain politicians and journalists would like you to believe that there is a recession because if you believe that one, they can tell you another one, i.e. that they can fix what ain’t broke. It is an elementary fact of politics that you have to convince people that they need saving if you’re going to pose as their savior. This is not rocket science.

Certain people are getting hammered because they made silly economic decisions that are finally catching up with them. Clue: That’s the way the system is supposed to work. People who make bad decisions are — what’s the technical term? — LOSERS. The distinguishing characteristic of LOSERS is that they lose. Do the math.

Read it. Hint: A new one is born every minute.

For extra amusement, imagine what would happen if they tried that in a Muslim country.

Read it. The bears can move to Canada. Problem solved.

Steve Sailer is always worth reading. Heh.

The dweebs at tReason magazine are prime examples of “movement libertarianism” — sell the streets, but don’t drop the bomb. Feh.

Read it. Bear in mind that Michael Gerson is an allegedly “conservative” columnist at the Washington Post — although he sure reads like a Beltway liberal from here.

Note the assumption that if you don’t spend your time handwringing about AIDS, you lack “moral seriousness”.

Hey, Michael: People who keep their pants zipped don’t get AIDS. You can look it up.

Read it. But they’re sure as hell going to try.

Read it. My, what a surprise. Aren’t you surprised? I’m sure surprised.

Read it. The New York Times could use the exercise.

Read it. Whoa … Reuters may have a sense of shame after all. But probably not.

Notice how they published one of the more unhinged of the mail they undoubtedly got on the subject, just to point out that they were being magnanimous toward the Unwashed.

Read it. The Washington Post, of course, never saw a totalitarian intrusion into personal liberty that it didn’t like.

Robert Samuelson joins the tsk-tskers.

What is it with Americans and their homes?

What is it about being around the Ruling Class that gets everybody’s undies in a wad?

Read it. You don’t have to be a moron to be a journalist, but it’s certainly no drawback, either.

Mickey Kaus has an interesting take on the media and the housing crisis: When prices go up, that’s a bad thing, because it’s a “bubble” (Oh, no!) and housing is less “affordable” (Oh, no!). Yet when prices go down, that’s a bad thing too, because the economy is “suffering” (Oh, no!) and a lot of people can’t cash out the way they wanted to (Oh, no!). What’s a mother to do?

Read it. The Washington Post, criticizing corruption in a government, even a foreign government, not run by Republicans? Mark your calendars.

Could Cuba be next? (Hint: Naw.)

Read it. Note that the only people complaining about this are journalists.

Perhaps we could juice up the numbers by offering a bounty.

Read it. And, of course, that’s the most important issue of the day.

Read it. Is reading dead? If you think so, what are you doing here?

The unspoken assumption of this article (and who would think anything else of the New Yorker?) “reading” means “reading literary fiction”, in which (of course) Brahmin rags like the New Yorker have a natural interest.

But the reading needed to operate computers is in fine shape; in fact, the Internet has led to a great revival of reading among those who would otherwise be sitting slack-jawed in front of the Toob.

Read it. Oh, the lies these newspapers tell.

Israel only borders Gaza on two sides.

One side is ocean, and there is no naval blockade. Nothing of value comes in there because the “Palestianians” can’t be bothered to engage in commerce like other people.

One side is Egypt, a fellow Arab nation. What are they doing to help their fellow Arabs, their fellow Muslims? Not a damned thing.

The reason Gaza is “reduced to beggary” is because they are by nature a bunch of beggars, and Israel is quite properly refusing to continue handouts to people who turn right around and murder Israeli women and children. It’s just that simple.

Read it. Yeah, let’s get away from all this policy wonk business and get to the important stuff. That’s what a serious news organization does.

Read it. Personally, I don’t have a problem with it. Next!

Read it. OF COURSE everyone in Washington, D.C., is interested in the status of cows in the Sudan. It’s not as if there’s anything going on in the United States that deserves coverage. Anyway, it’s a core principle of Transnational Progressivism that “news” in one place is just as important as “news” in any other place — “news” being here defined as something unknown to the average inhabitant of Chevy Chase, Maryland, a bar so low that no tidbit of human knowledg need feel in danger of exclusion. Hey, we’re all about inclusion; Sally Quinn said so.

No link, because I agree with Christopher Hitchens — this is of NO SIGNIFICANCE outside of Omaha, Nebraska, and the fact that national news organizations are paying all this attention to it is merely an indication of how far our culture has degenerated.

Read it. Yeah, but you’re not supposed to eat fried food, so where is this “used cooking oil” supposed to come from? McDonald’s?

Read it. It is an indicator of how clueless the Washington Post is regarding religion that it would claim that China “ordained” a Bishop.

Read it. Guess this is a prelude to a stirring campaign to federalize another local issue. GOD FORBID that we should have different local policies concerning regulation of … carnival rides?

*sigh* And you guys are going to wind up paying for this crap. Hope you’re enjoying it.

More handwringing here and here, if you can stand it.

Read it. I’ll bet you thought it was just Kofi Annan that was fibbing, right?

Read it. They write about how oppressive modern Western society is and congratulate themselves on how “courageous” they’re being, yet when they come up against a real oppressive society and get the opportunity to display real courage, they fold like a wet paper towel.

Read it. No, I really have no interest in this subject — I just wanted to use that headline.

Read it. Now there’s a headline from the Washington Post I never expected to see.

Read it. Life at the Washington Post: A black Republican? How weird is that?

Read it. “Mainstream” libertarians (now there’s an oxymoron for you) try to square the circle of having a candidate who’s a fruitcake.

Or: Why most libertarians aren’t Libertarians.

Read it. And place your bets on how long they last before getting stolen. Whoever came up with this bright idea never tried to put out solar-powered sidewalk lights in front of his home.

Ruth Marcus demonstrates the remarkable propensity of those on the left to shoot their own wounded.

Read it. Women and minorities hardest hit, of course.

Read it. Would that be “selling out” or “buying in”?

Read it. But that doesn’t fit the narrative, so ignore it.

Read it. Granted, it would vastly expand the concept of Useful Idiot.

Newsweek’s profile of a religious Democratic official was a discouraging sign. The story about Leah Daughtry, the DNC’s chief of staff and a Pentecostal minister, was almost completely free of religious content.

And that’s religion for Democrats.

Read it. Only by leftists.

If you were next door to a Communist superpower for 70 years, you’d have an active gun culture too.