TOUCHSTONE's David Mills writes this month about the temptation some Christians feel to embrace a so-called third way to rise above the polarities of politics. Here's his conclusion:

"Some divisions can never be transcended by any Third Way, because the two poles represent eternally opposed ideas, held (at least by Christians) to be truths incapable of surrender. The unborn child has the right to live or he doesn’t. The embryo is a human being deserving of care and protection or he isn’t. A man and a man can’t be married or they can. read more »

Did you know that an American citizen is in jail today in Nicaragua for a crime he didn't commit?

Did you know that the Nicaraguan judge was unwilling to consider the testimony of U.S. citizens as well as a prominent journalist that proved this man's innocence?

Did you know that at least one U.S. Representative's office has independently concluded that Eric Volz is innocent of the crimes he has been convicted of?

Did you know that the American media has largely ignored Eric Volz's plight?

Our friend Eric Volz is in jail today for a crime he did not commit. He needs your help.

Please contact your Congressman and ask what they are doing to intervene on Eric's behalf.

Contact your local newspaper, radio stations, and television stations and ask them why they are not covering this story and what it will take for them to start covering the story of an American citizen wrongly convicted and jailed in Nicaragua.

Additional Eric Volz websites
Friends of Eric
Friends of Eric (in Spanish)

Video: Free Eric Volz

Summary of Eric's Case
I. The Facts
II. The Arrest and Prosecution of Eric Volz
III. The Defense Case:
IV. The Court's Sentencing: read more »

I've noticed that both camps are claiming William Wilberforce as one of their own. I've read more than a few reviews (most recently by Phil Kloer in the Atlanta paper) that insist upon Wilberforce's liberalism, yet many conservatives (Hugh Hewitt, Chuck Colson, and Michael Medved come to mind) celebrate Wilberforce as one of their own. (Indeed, my wife attended a preview of AMAZING GRACE hosted by Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue and his wife.)

So, Good Will Hintonites, which is it? Wilberforce the liberal, Wilberforce the conservative, or Wilberforce neither?

By the way, I have a post at NLT in which I provide links to many of the current reviews.

I know this is hard for us political junkies to understand, but according to the latest Pew poll, more than 75% of Americans have not thought a lot about 2008 presidential election. Pew says,

The public's lack of engagement in the campaign is reflected in how people are reacting to the large slates of potential candidates in both parties. Of the announced and highly probable candidates, only a few in each party are widely familiar. The results of in-depth questions suggest that the images of even the well-known candidates are fairly thin.

One of the most interesting results is that Democrats are paying far more attention to the race than Republicans (31% - 20%) and 46% of Democrats put forward a name of a candidate they might support, only 29% of Republicans did. read more »

Since I'm enlightened I listen to country music and if the Economist is right that is a view directly into Middle America's soul. Therefore, there can be no doubt that the Iraq War is lost in the hearts and minds of Americans.

On the eve of the invasion of Iraq, Darryl Worley released - "Have you Forgotten?" with lyrics like:

I hear people saying we don't need this war read more »

National Health Insurance? - Jane Galt makes a fantastic point about some of the problems with nationalized health care.

"Which brings up one of my perennial peeves about people advocating national health insurance or any other big programme: they point out all the ways in which public choice problems make the current system suck, and then proceed to outline their future plans as if those problems will somehow magically fall away in their system. Companies won't lobby. Voters won't demand that every stupid alternative procedure they can complain about be covered, much less react to the lack of a price signal by using more of everything. People employed in that sector won't band together to keep wages high and productivity as low as possible. Bureaucrats won't shift priorities to minimizing their own political risk, rather than maximizing the level of service provided to the public. Because it's not as if those things have happened with every single other government programme ever proposed, so why on earth would we suspect they might happen in this case?"

Slush Fund Spitzer - I have never disguised my disdain for Elliot Spitzer. So I can't say that I didn't grin a little over Captain Ed's article today about the "new" Governor Spitzer.

"So much for reform. Now that he has barely warmed his seat in Albany, he has shifted his game to that of old-time politician and spoils master. He wants to pass a budget of his liking, and he's going to buy as many of his party colleagues as he possibly can to ensure it. After running a campaign that pledged Spitzer to a course that would change "politics as usual", he seems to have discovered an affinity for slush funds in record time."

What About Bill? - Considering Expat Teacher's man-love for Bill Richardson, I couldn't help but link to this post today by Daniel Larison exposing some pretty tough issues that Richardson is going to have to deal with in an election.

"His record in Congress put him much farther to the left than he is today, his record at the U.N. was basically unremarkable and his time as head of DOE was a catastrophe.

All of this will come back to haunt a Richardson ticket, should he make it that far, and the DOE tenure especially will prove potentially devastating when it comes to the whole Chinese espionage bit. Richardson boosters probably will want to not mention his time at DOE if they can possibly help it. His opponents can just keep replaying that scene from the Senate oversight hearings as Robert Byrd declares Richardson’s career finished:

"You had a bright and brilliant career, but you will never again receive the support of the U.S. Senate for any office you seek. You have squandered your treasure."

The Case Against McCain - Yesterday Mike Allen wrote at The Politico about the leading candidates for '08 and their weaknesses. (You might want to check out Wonkeette's take on this.) About John McCain, Allen wrote:

"Even though McCain is staunchly anti-abortion, conservatives don't trust him because he voted against Bush's tax cuts and championed campaign finance reform, which many activists saw as a do-gooder intervention that hurt some of their pet organizations."

Mike, can't you just pretend to be objective here? The issue for conservatives about McCain-Feingold hasn't nothing to do with conservative "pet organizations". It has everything to do with restricting the freedom of speech. Why don't people get this?

I have long puzzled at how conservatives can effectively govern if they think that fundamentally government is the problem. Apparently, there is now a lot of empirical evidence that the economy anyway, is better off in Democratic hands. Kevin Drum has the goods.

Technorati Tags: Democratic Party, Economics, Politics read more »

One of the unintended consequences of the Edwards' blogger "scandal" is that bloggers now are less likely to be hired by campaigns if they've said anything inflammatory on their blogs. I'm not sure that is bad thing, but it does mean two things.

1. Intelligent, articulate folks with expertise will be less likely to blog if they believe someday they'll go into public service. This hurts the overall conversation in the blogosphere. Only those whose voices are shrillest and whose prejudices deepest will be willing to stick their heads out there, since they probably didn't plan on getting into politics anyway. The blogosphere is enriched when experts lend their knowledge to discussion and investigation (Dan Rather's use of incorrect documentation is a perfect example). However, daily individuals bring their inside knowledge to the blogosphere and all the readers are enriched.
2. It also means that folks like me, who understand that Google has a better memory than our own mother, are not going to use their own name. I've considered on several occasions to come clean on my identity, but each time I get nervous that 20 years hence, my future employer will find out that I once considered the flat tax a good idea or Bush a fascist. My identity could be figured out with some digging, but it would take more effort than it was worth at the moment. But let's be honest, a pseudonym is not the preferred method of communication. We all have real identities and real lives and pseudonyms obscure that.

So the Edwards-Blogger "scandal" has pushed me even further into my online presence. Expat Teacher I shall stay.

Back when President Bush was filling the Supreme Court with his nominees, many conservatives and Republicans were calling for a simple "up or down" vote on the nominees. They argued that the 60 votes needed to get cloture on the debate was either unconstitutional and/or unethical. Somehow this vote that required a near super-majority was robbing the people of a voice in government and held the majority to the will of minority.

Yet this Saturday, when the Senate was debating a non-binding resolution against the Iraq surge, the Republicans successfully utilized the cloture vote to stop a simple up or down vote.

So where are the cries of hypocrisy? Where are the conservative and Republican bloggers/pundits/talking heads screaming about the right of the majority to rule? Oh wait, they are silent. Is anyone surprised?

First there was the 28,000 SF mansion. Then there was the Blogger-Gate. John Edwards has outdone himself now and has unofficially bowed out of the 2008 Presidential race.

Peter Bart noted a few weeks ago this bit about Edwards in Los Angeles:

The aggressively photogenic John Edwards was cruising along, detailing his litany of liberal causes last week until, during question time, he invoked the "I" word -- Israel. Perhaps the greatest short-term threat to world peace, Edwards remarked, was the possibility that Israel would bomb Iran's nuclear facilities. As a chill descended on the gathering, the Edwards event was brought to a polite close.

I'm not sure how this wasn't picked up by the media before now. Looks like Edwards has been infected by the Biden "Foot-in-Mouth" Syndrome.

Yesterday Georgia Sen. Eric Johnson wrote about the case of Genarlow Wilson over at Peach Pundit and SB 37. For those not familiar with the case of Genarlow Wilson, check out these two sites.

Despite the fact that various notable extremist left-wing blogs are disturbed by Wilson's sentencing, Sen. Johnson seems to think that justice has prevailed and that this is the "proper conservative way" of administering justice.

Sen. Johnson: I tremble at the thought of our state being run by people like yourself who believe this is justice. There is a concept in law called proportionality or lex talionis (that is, "an eye for an eye"). You may have heard about this concept as it comes from the Bible. The United States actually has a strong Christian tradition, especially in its judicial system, and part of that tradition has always included the idea of proportionality in sentencing.

It is for this reason that, unlike some countries that mandate cutting off hands for the crime of theft, our judicial sentencing has generally followed the idea of proportional sentencing.

Does Genarlow Wilson deserve to be punished? Absolutely. Is sentencing him for 10 years in jail for oral sex just? Absolutely not.

As a conservative Christian, I am horrified at this perversion of justice. There is nothing "conservative" about sentencing this young man for 10 years in jail. And there is nothing just about the sentencing either.

This slipped by me last week, but Professor Dan McFadden had some positive things to say about Part D (for its proponents, anyway). I have yet to read his analyses, but plan to now when time permits.

To quote a quote from Greg Mankiw’s blog:

“…but I think it is reasonable to say that the Part D market has performed as well as its partisans hoped, and far better than its detractors expected.” -McFadden read more »

This week's podcast interview features former Georgia Libertarian Party chairman, Jason Pye. Jason blogs at Peach Pundit, JasonPye.com, and the Georgia Legislative Watch.

Jason did want me to note that while he mentioned in the interview that he didn't think there were any friends of freedom in the Georgia Legislature, in retrospect he realizes that he made a huge omission by not mentioning State Rep. Jill Chambers.

Update Here

I have received very disturbing news this evening. Eric Volz has been falsely convicted of murder in Managua, Nicaragua this afternoon. One of my best friends was a key witness at the trial and told me that none of the evidence was even considered by the judge and that this verdict was "political".

Full details of this story can be found here.

Here is the update from Eric's family:

Trial Update

With the heaviest heart we inform everyone that the judge just pronounced Eric “guilty”. We are in a state of total shock and disbelief. It is incomprehensible that we find ourselves dealing with what may come next.

Our understanding from the Embassy is that Eric will be remanded back into the penitentiary system. We are, as we were before, extremely, extremely worried about his safety.

Please contact your Congresspersons immediately!!!

Go to the Friends of Eric web site to “Congressional Contact” to find the link to your Congressman as soon as possible to register your outrage at this judgment.

The prosecution presented no evidence that Eric is any way connected to, or guilt, of this crime. We strongly believe this may be a politically-based decision.

www.friendsofericvolz.com

Thank you for your prayers and hope – the vigil continues.

Eric’s family

Read more for full story details. read more »

For full details of this story, check here.

Update:
News from Nicaragua:

The trial has now concluded.

The verdict will be read by the judge at 4:00 p.m.

Please continue to pray for the:
* judge to rule on the evidence that establishes Eric’s innocence
* safety for everyone exiting the courthouse and the town of Rivas

Reading the Wall Street Journal this morning, I came across this: “Democrats Focus On Tax Relief For Middle Class", by Sarah Lueck. That is if you happen to be a subscriber.

“The AMT dates back to the late 1960s when Congress discovered that a small number of upper-income households had managed to avoid federal income taxes entirely by exploiting deductions, credits, loopholes, and shelters. The AMT has been adjusted since. But because it has never been indexed for inflation, rapidly growing numbers of taxpayers are vulnerable to its bite. The Treasury estimates that unless Congress acts, more than 23 million households will be affected by the AMT in the current tax year, many with incomes below $100,000.”

Republicans seemed to have been unable to touch this problem in the tax code. Perhaps, like Nixon making overtures to Communist countries, it takes a politician from the political party traditionally opposed to such things to be able to succeed. Charles Rangel is pushing this. When Republicans pursued this issue, they were accused of pandering to the rich. No one would dare accuse Charley Rangel, now chairman of the Ways and Maens Committee, of so pandering. read more »

I have decided to repost this article that I wrote almost exactly two years ago. As I had just started blogging when I wrote this, it is tempting to re-write and edit this piece. But I have decided to leave it as is. I'd love comments on this piece.

Faithful Progressive left me a very nice comment last week regarding a post I wrote about his characterization of the "Religious Right". I very much appreciate his desire for good dialogue rather than the typical stupid attacks back and forth that often happen with those of differing viewpoints. Fortunately we have a common bond as brothers in Christ that transcends any political viewpoints.

"Thank you for your thoughtful comments, I have posted them on my site. At some point I hope to answer them. "- FP

"I would also appreciate your thoughts on my continuing series on the Christian Right and the Enlightenment--there is no one bogeyman, but there are many Christian extremists on the right."- FP

FP wrote this post encouraging others to have this kind of dialogue.

I would like to give some perspective on the "Religious Right" for FP and any of his readers that might care. I have found that few people really understand the "Religious Right" or even try to. read more »

Last night, Expat Teacher wrote the following comment in response to my post about the John Edward's blogger (non)scandal :

Lately on GWH, there have been denunciations of the left by leftists and I think that is important in our democracy.

However, I just don't feel that the Right is being as introspective here at GWH. Considering how wayward the Republican Party has drifted, it would seem that the debate should be much fiercer than anything on the Left.

One of the first posts I ever read by Will was his post on being inside the Religious Right (anyone care to find the link?). It is a very hard hitting piece with lots of criticisms by someone who knows what he is talking about. It was compelling reading.

I've never been wooed by conservatives because I've never felt they were willing to say anything was wrong with their side. The liberals I know are much more willing to admit they have problems. Is my anecdotal evidence off, or is my experience similar to others?
read more »

Daniel Pink argues in his new book, A Whole New Mind, that America is moving from an information age to a conceptual age and those who want to succeed must use their entire minds now. Pink sees the increase in abundance, affluence and outsourcing to Asia as a revolution in civilization. It mean that what worked in the 20th century most certainly won't work in the 21st. read more »

I generally avoid "meta-conversations" about things going on in the blogosphere. While blogs are gaining in influence, often the discussion is much-ado about nothing. However, this latest flap over the hiring of two bloggers by the campaign of John Edwards is worth mentioning.

I won't bother going into details on the story as many other blogs have covered this (non) story ad naseum. (I especially enjoyed Rod Dreher's Myrna Minkoff comparison. Spot on, my friend!)

Perhaps the most disturbing thing about this story has been the almost complete silence from left-leaning Christians in the blogosphere on this topic. Most on the left have stood by Amanda Marcotte to the point of threatening to withold support of Edwards if his campaign fires Marcotte.

I do say "almost" as I discovered last night that my old friend Faithful Progressive has stepped up to the plate in condemning Marcotte and the Edward's campaign for such a bone-headed move. Big kudos to my friend for speaking the truth, even when it isn't convenient. read more »