That's what E. J. Dionne says. In fact, he leads with this:

Just say no.

The Senate's Democratic majority -- joined by all Republicans who purport to be moderate -- must tell President Bush that this will be their answer to any controversial nominee to the Supreme Court or the appellate courts.

Considering the travesty that was the Supreme Court decision in the Seattle/Louisville cases, is it any surprise that folks like Dionne are enraged?

June 29, 2007 - day #220 for Eric

Eric wrote this letter about current prison conditions over 2 months ago. The information remains true and the delay in posting it is one more example of the difficulties he experiences getting correspondence out.

Status of the Appeal: at this point there is no official news on a time frame for the Appellate Court's review of Eric's case. We are extremely frustrated with the complete lack of communication from the court. Each day there is no news is another day in which Eric languishes in the conditions he describes below. Recently, prison officials have refused to allow access to Eric's legal defense attorney and to friends bringing him food.

Disclaimer: Mitt Romney is not my candidate, at least not yet. This post is not meant to introduce a discussion of Romney per se; it's meant to introduce a larger discussion.

What do you think of the charge of flip-flopping as a criticism for a politician? I find the area fascinating for several reasons. First, that charge seems to be greatly feared by candidates, greatly focused on by the media, and hardly considered at all by voters (I don't have the data at my fingertips, but polls back this up). Patrick Ruffini's blog today suggests that presidential candidates tend to govern by the flop and not the flip: "If you look at history, how candidates run -- regardless of what they believed earlier in their career -- is how they govern once they win." Which would make the public's shrugging at flip-flop charges actually quite rational.

Like almost everything, the institution of education will be forced to change for the 21st century. I've been arguing for a year or more that schools must embrace information technology because it requires different skills than the work world of the 20th century. Now, the Washington Post has an article about the problem that Schools [are] Pinched In Hiring. The subtext is that Teacher Shortage Looms As Law Raises Bar and Boomer Women Retire.

The article is very good and should be read. Two things that made me think were:

To offset a shortfall of 280,000 qualified math and science teachers projected by 2015, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics advocates more competitive pay -- a controversial move away from a fixed salary structure that some teacher advocates say reflects a mentality that teaching is a second income.

I know that many of my dinosaur colleagues hate this idea, but it is a no-brainer.

I don't know if it is fair, but John Edwards is quickly becoming the "phony rich man" in the Democratic race. First, it was the huge place he bought to serve as his presidential retreat. Then it was the $400 haircuts. And now, the New York Times has an expose into Edward's efforts to eradicate poverty - In Aiding Poor, Edwards Built Bridge to 2008.

The organization, the Center for Promise and Opportunity, raised $1.3 million in 2005, and — unlike a sister charity he created to raise scholarship money for poor students — the main beneficiary of the center’s fund-raising was Mr. Edwards himself, tax filings show

So is Edwards' sin advocating to help the poor, while being rich or is it that he truly is a phony rich guy?

We send this tribute out on June 21st in memory of Doris, 7 months after she was killed on November 21st.

It has been very hard for Eric to deal with the way Doris has been lost in all this and he has asked us to pay homage to her in this update. He writes: "What should have been the Doris Jimenez case quickly became known as the Eric Volz case. The horror of her murder, as well as the violence and abuse that women face in this region, has been eclipsed by my trial and fight for freedom. I have made a point to mention this in every interview, but have yet to see it published. I will not let people forget the injustice of Doris' murder and once I am free I will make sure that it receives the attention it deserves."

At the end of his first letter from prison, Eric wrote: "Lastly, I would like to remind everyone that all the pain and hardship I've faced...is nothing in comparison to the loss of Doris. She was an amazing person that was loved by everyone. She is deeply missed." Eric continues to grieve the loss of this lovely woman, as do all her friends and family.

This image is one you may have seen published in various media stories about this tragedy; here is where it originated. This is Doris, as she appeared on page 59 in the 1st issue of EP Magazine in 2006. The caption to the right reads: "We are rising in the ranks of power, breaking new ground. Women of Central America"

Part of the mission of EP Magazine, along with promoting conscious living and cultural awareness, was to profile Central American/Caribbean people who are succeeding. In the 1st issue of EP a campaign was launched to encourage the rising strength and influence of Central American women. Doris was a prime example of this NEW WOMAN; putting herself through school, opening her own store, seeking to break the glass ceiling and follow her dreams. In this, we honor her memory.

In another blow to the critics of the term "Left-wing media bias", MSNBC is reporting that out of 144 journalists they identified, 125 contributed to Democratic or liberal causes in 2004. However, this is not the point of the story. The chief concern of senior editors and media board members is that the records of their reporters' donations are available to the public. As a result, many news organizations are prohibiting political donations altogether, but this has stirred up a conflict with the rank-and-file journalists.

The donors said they try to be fair in reporting and editing the news. One of the recurring themes in the responses is that it's better for journalists to be transparent about their beliefs, and that editors who insist on manufacturing an appearance of impartiality are being deceptive to a public that already knows journalists aren't without biases.

Essentially, the moral dilemma for senior management is how to maintain the appearance of fairness and neutrality. It's interesting that they prefer restricting donations over hiring more conservative journalists.

As anyone who has been following the infighting between gurufrisbee and myself about the Democratic Presidential nominee, you'll know that I support Bill Richardson and gurufrisbee supports "the front-runner" of the Democratic party. He hasn't yet declared, but he has told me on several occasions that it is pointless to support anyone but the "top tier" candidates because it will just pull the party apart and put a Republican in the White House.

I'd heard news of a press conference on my campus, and I'd guessed about its subject, but rumors are flying that Will's state representative--all-around nice guy Mike Jacobs--is about to switch parties, moving from moderate D to moderate R.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised by the vitriol being spewed at him. Party-switchers aren't popular with their ex-mates. But Jacobs hasn't officially switched yet.

I just read one of the best blog posts that I have read in a long time from my friend John Armstrong. Here are a few highlights. I encourage you to read the full post.

Popular, but widely believed, economic myths abound in every age. Some are harmless while others are actually dangerous, harming whole societies through the loss of personal freedom and the genuine opportunity to express human creativity. (Consider the human devastation of communism, primarily a failed economic theory.) Christians are not immune to these bad theories. This is often true because Christians sincerely want to address the issue of poverty in light of the major biblical witness about loving justice and pursuing the well-being of the poor.