When Marvin Pro-Life Richardson ran for governor of Idaho in 2006, he wasn’t allowed to use his full name due to Idaho’s law against political slogans on ballots. But, according an article in today’s Idaho Statesman, the Idaho Secretary of State will allow Richardson’s full name to appear on the ballot this year, during his run for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Larry Craig. You may remember Senator Craig from his arrest last summer for allegedly soliciting sex in an airport men’s room. Richardson, a strawberry farmer and pro-life advocate, wants to charge with murder both doctors who perform abortions and the women who receive them. Recently, he legally changed his middle name to Pro-Life in order to showcase... [Read more]

In December, I reported on New York’s Airline Passenger Bill of Rights, which required airlines to provide basic amenities for passengers stuck on delayed aircraft. Although a federal district court upheld the law in December, an appeals court overturned the lower court’s verdict yesterday. The appellate court ruled that New York’s statute pre-empted a federal law that provides for the uniform regulation of the airline industry. Like many major court decisions, this one wasn’t about the substance of the law at issue. The appellate court certainly doesn’t like delayed flights, and doesn’t want passengers to have to sit for hours without water or bathrooms. The problem was that, by passing this law, the state... [Read more]

According to recent polls by Franklin & Marshall College and Quinnipiac University, Clinton holds a commanding lead among key demographics in Pennsylvania. According to the analysts at Real Clear Politics, Clinton leads by about 17%. Let’s take a look at Clinton’s lead with various groups of likely voters: Women – 57% for Clinton, 29% for Obama Union Members – 67% for Clinton, 26% for Obama Evangelicals – 45% to 38% Whites – 57% to 29% Those over age 55 – 55% to 29% The only demographic in which Obama leads is non-whites, where he polls at 76%, compared to Clinton’s 12%. Clinton also leads among voters who are primarily concerned with major issues: She leads by 15% among voters who say they... [Read more]

Having just returned from a whirlwind cross-country air travel extravaganza – with the requisite 2-hour delay in Dallas (in my humble opinion, the worst airport operation in the country) – I’d like to use this blog as an excuse to complain about some of my fellow passengers. Maybe these people irk you, too. Maybe you’re one of them. Either way, today’s topic is: People who do not comply the fasten seat belt sign! You know what I’m talking about. It’s that 5% of the traveling public that seems to be in complete ignorance of both rows of illuminated signs and repeated crew members instructions. That elite group of travelers who do not feel subject to the laws of the United States of physics itself. Was... [Read more]

Earlier today, Barack Obama danced on a third rail of American politics – and survived. In fact, he triumphed. Recently, the underlying identity politics of the race between an African-American and a woman began to boil over. Last week, Geraldine Ferraro, an advisor to the Clinton campaign, made remarks widely interpreted as racially insensitive; soon after, racially inflammatory comments by Obama’s friend and former minister began making the rounds on the political talk shows and the Internet. Some suspicious Obama supporters notwithstanding, it seems unlikely that this was coordinated by the Clinton campaign. Even so, the new overt focus on race began hurting the Obama campaign. That’s when Obama decided to make a major speech... [Read more]