Links and Minifeatures 2008 02 21 Thursday

McCain's Wisconsin Victory Speech in Wisconsin

I will fight every moment of every day in this campaign to make sure Americans are not deceived by an eloquent but empty call for change that promises no more than a holiday from history and a return to the false promises and failed policies of a tired philosophy that trusts in government more than people. Our purpose is to keep this blessed country free, safe, prosperous and proud. And the changes we offer to the institutions and policies of government will reflect and rely upon the strength, industry, aspirations and decency of the people we serve.

and

I don't seek the office out of a sense of entitlement. I owe America more than she has ever owed me. I have been an imperfect servant of my country for many years. I have never lived a day, in good times or bad, that I haven't been proud of the privilege. Don't tell me what we can't do. Don't tell me we can't make our country stronger and the world safer. We can. We must. And when I'm President we will.

I don't think John F. Kennedy could have said it any better.

As someone else has already observed, it's so wonderful to hear anybody talk about what he or she owes this country, rather than what the country owes them, much less a person who spent 22 years in the military, 5 of them being tortured as a military prisoner of war.

HT: Don Surber, who agrees with me on the character of the man.

Blame everybody but the perpetrator department: Belgrade's US Embassy Set on Fire

Serbs controlled Yugoslavia, and they ran pretty roughshod over all of the other groups. It was no wonder everyone else decided to leave. Then they used their dominance to threaten everyone else into not leaving, and their tactics got steadily worse. Slovenia went without much trouble, but then Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia and Montenegro departed, and Serbia still didn't clean up it's act, so finally Kosovo, which may have been historically part of Serbia, left (This was the location of the battle where the Ottoman Turks defeated Serbia in 1389, is in Kosovo).

But rather than admit their transgressions, they strike out at the cops who enabled their abused spouse to escape their abuse.

Department of Chickens Coming Home to Roost: Duke lacrosse players sue school, city

Treated as guilty despite the evidence, despite the fact that only a small subset of them was even accused, had their season canceled, they were tarred as a group with the alleged crimes of a few . Is this kind of treatment Ringing any bells? Any bells at all?

No similarities here either.

None here, either

(end sarcasm)

Just because they're mostly white males, largely of privileged backgrounds, doesn't mean they're not entitled to the same protections under law as everyone else.

Hurray for Utah!

Judging by the reasonably even-handed treatment this story got out of definitely left of center CNN, the tide of debate may have shifted. About time.

The results of tax the rich? Ask CA

Unless you're talking about turning into a communist dictatorship - e.g. Cuba and the former USSR - people always have the option of voting with their feet.

The Other "Other" Israel