Links and Minifeatures 2008 05 08 Thursday

FYI: Fannie and Freddie have changed things a bit, and now the temporary Jumbo Conforming Loan rates have dropped like a rock, to the point where there's only a quarter to a half point difference in cost between them and regular conforming at the same rate. Now that will make a difference for full doc borrowers. Stated Income is non-conforming, and those rates are still significantly higher. I've said all along that Jumbo borrowers were suffering by association with stated income, due to the fact that both traditionally used the same rate table for A paper borrowers. Now that Jumbo Conforming loans have broken that association, the rates (up to the new limit) have dropped. This is about as surprising as gravity.

Rudy Giuliani interviewed about the differences between John McCain and Barack Obama's likely judicial appointments. I agree with Mr. Giuliani on all counts, and that's why I'd rather have John McCain's Supreme Court picks than Barack Obama's.

Cindy McCain says she'll never release her tax returns

Sen. McCain is routinely is ranked among the richest lawmakers in Congress, but he and his wife have kept their finances separate throughout their marriage. A prenuptial agreement left much of the family's assets in Cindy McCain's name.

Translation into English: It's not his money, but hers. She isn't running for office. First Lady is not an elected position. She will appear nowhere on the ballot. It's his decision-making, not hers, that we're voting on.

This isn't a recent phenomenon, for the election. This has been the status quo for 28 years. It's not his money.

Any hopes of a Russian democracy or republic are officially dead: Putin takes Yeltsin's pen _ and much of the president's power _ to new job as Russian premier

Burma has refused US Aid for the Cyclone victims

Pentagon not warm to idea of Myanmar aid drop

Asked if it would not be helpful to victims for the U.S. to drop supplies, Mullen said: "We could. Typically, though, it's sovereign airspace and you'd need their permission to fly in that airspace."

"It's all tied to sovereignty, which we respect whether it's on the ground or in the air," Mullen said.

Entering the airspace of a sovereign country makes the aircraft liable to be shot down, should the Burmese junta so desire. I don't think they would - the international outcry that would result might be the one thing that shames the Chinese government into stopping their support - but legally, they could. The status of our air crews would be "invaders", and I don't think this falls under the heading of what they signed up for. It would be one thing if we had the desire to use force to overthrow the junta, if Congress had declared war, etcetera, but that is not the case.

Two more casualties of the drug war: a documentary about the case of Cory Maye

I've dealt with this subject before. I'm sorry for Officer Jones and his family. The fact remains that he messed up, and lost his life to a citizen protecting himself from what he had every reason to believe was a home invasion.

Volokh Conspiracy on the Duke Rape Hoax and the behavior of the "Group of 88" professors.

If they can't simply face the truth, they should put down their shovels and stop digging.

Damning.