Drexel’s President has died.  This isn’t a good day for the school. Papadakis took over when I was a Junior, and in the intervening years turned the school from a regional engineering school into a nationally recognized university. Drexel added a medical school and law school under his watch. What he did with the school was incredible, and I suspect he’s irreplaceable.
Category: Politics
Good News for Gun Clubs
Some politicians in Pennsylvania are looking to exempt non-profit food preparation from our state’s onerous health laws:
A law that has been on the books in Pennsylvania since 1945 says food that is sold at fish fries, spaghetti dinners, bake sales or any other church or community organization fundraiser, has to be made in a commercial kitchen that passes federal inspection. None of the food for sale can be made in parishioners’ homes. According to Sen. Rich Kasunic, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture never enforced the rule until recently.
Being able to serve food is an important part of running a successful match. Competitors are there all day, and it’s good to be able to feed them. This is something clubs, and I would argue even NRA, should consider getting behind. Especially to make sure shooting clubs are exempted as well as churches. Many clubs in our state are taking a chance serving food to members. We shouldn’t have to worry about that.
Obama’s Bow
Breda takes offense to Obama’s prostrating himself before the Saudi Royal Presence, and reminds us that we are still a proud people.
Join Your Local Tea Party
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HJjEERXXgk[/youtube]
Hat tip Kevin. I would also remind folks to wear your NRA hat or NRA jacket if you attend. Let them know where the gun vote stands.
Specter Turning up the Sleaze
He’s demanding Pat Toomey turns over membership lists for Club for Growth, because pretty clearly “Given the Wall Street background of your members, it seems clear that many of them would have received TARP monies.”
I hope Toomey tells Specter where he can stick his request.
Court Upholds Lancaster Discharge Ordinance
Looks like the courts are giving this the OK. We covered this issue previously here. Apparently the ordinance does have exceptions for self-defense and other activities. I should note that whether Mr. Swinton acted in self-defense or not is a question of fact, rather than of law, and is something for a jury to decide at trial.
What the judge here is saying is that, as a matter of law, the ordinance is in accordance with state law. Pennsylvania’s preemption statute does not explicitly prohibit the regulation of firearms discharge. Obviously state law has to preempt some aspects of firearms discharge, otherwise what’s to stop cities from making the discharge of a firearm unlawful under any circumstance?
Straining the Air Force
Glenn Reynolds reports that the US Air Force is having some difficulty moving Obama around with his gigantic entourage.
The large delegation traveling with the president in Europe required moving several transports, including jumbo C-5s and C-17s, from sorties ferrying supplies to Afghanistan to European bases for the presidential visit, said two military officials familiar with the issue.
Just to be clear, that a few of these, and a few of these. How much luggage are these 500 people taking?
Home Improvement: You’re Going to Jail
All of you who have given us advice or thoughts on lighting – yeah, pack your bags and open your wallets. In many states, you could risk jailtime or fines for taking on the task of interior design without state certification.
It was a trap, and you all fell for it!
Kidding, of course. I just saw this video while composing my last lighting post yesterday and thought I would share. It’s absurd. Good for Reason for highlighting this crap.
The 2010 Election Begins
Arlen Specter is already running ads against Pat Toomey. That’s rich. Arlen Specter, who voted for Obama’s Porkulus bill, is trying to suggest that Pat Toomey, who has spent the last several years heading up Club for Growth, which advocates for smaller government, has destroyed America.
I guess now it’s time to think about starting a 2010 Election category, and pondering whether I have the energy for a nasty primary, followed by a nasty general election.
Perspective
Robb things we need to start focusing on the important things. I’ve seen talk of Obama Derangement Syndrome floating around in other places too. It’s certainly a risk, but in trying to build a coalition with moderates, you have to hit on a lot of areas, in hopes that some of them will resonate with people. Whether we like to admit it or not, humans are wired to gossip about gaffes and violations of social protocol more than they are about how Obama is ruining the economy and driving us closer toward a Social Democracy along the European model. I would argue the left was actually rather effective at making Americans embarrassed by George W. Bush’s foreign policy.
During the election, I feared that Obama was a game changer. Basically someone who would fundamentally alter the American landscape and political climate, and in highly radical ways. FDR was this kind of politician. During Obama’s transition, seeing that his picks for his cabinet were Democratic establishment, rather than radicals, I started believing he might govern closer to the middle.
I think Obama has turned out to be a radical, but he is no FDR, and this isn’t the 1930s. The American population isn’t in any mood to accept a new New Deal, though they Democrats are trying to foist one on us anyway. We should be well positioned to make gains in 2010, but the real difficulty will be whether the Republicans can capitalize on Obama’s missteps. So far, they aren’t showing much leadership.