Border Deal: Disaster in the Making?

Read Power Line (subject link) and also don't miss Amnesty No! by Michelle Malkin.

White House Backs Off Alien Safeguards will get your blood boiling: "The Bush administration, trying to win an immigration agreement with Democrats, is backing away from safeguards designed to target businesses that hire illegal aliens and to prevent a repeat of the rampant fraud that resulted from the 1986 amnesty."

Unbelievable.

It's time to phone Republican Senators.

Around the Blogosphere Today

Some very miscellaneous stories of interest which I came across today:

Cataracts Key to Monet's Blurry Style (subject link): Fascinating article and photos. (Hat tip: Betsy's Page.)

Sad, Tormented Life of Empress Who Dreams of Invisibility Cloak: The Times of London on Japan's Empress Michiko. For more, see my March post, Stressed Japanese Royals.

160 Books on Must-Read List for Boys: Britain's Education Secretary has published a large list of boy-friendly books to encourage boys to read more for pleasure. I've just started checking the list out so I don't have opinions on it yet.

Minor Moonlighting Mystery: Something Old, Nothing New explains why the background music for an episode on the Season 1 DVD of MOONLIGHTING is all wrong...but right.

Sandy Berg(l)er Forfeits Law License: Sadly, this is one of the few penalities he's paid for stealing highly classified documents.

MSNBC vs. Fox: Check out the video montage put together by National Review's Media Blog comparing the inane debate questions asked by MSNBC with the substantive questions asked by Fox News. No wonder Democrats won't debate on Fox, the only reason could be they can't handle serious questions...

Jan Crawford Greenburg on The Roberts Court

A very interesting analysis of Chief Justice Roberts' attempts to narrow the Court's focus -- and in so doing, rein in the unpredictable Justice Kennedy.

(Hat tip: Patterico's Pontifications.)

60 Years at the Apple Pan

Today's L.A. Times has an enticing review of L.A.'s famed burger place, The Apple Pan.

The article includes some of the restaurant's interesting history. I loved reading that a customer found them more stainless steel cupholders on eBay.

For more, see January's post, 50 Years Working at the Apple Pan.

A Perfect Ending

The slow fade-out from the final cozy shot of Lorelai, Luke, and Rory in the diner, just as we've seen them in the opening credits all these years, was a perfect ending to a great TV series.

That said, I do agree with Kelly Bishop (Emily Gilmore) that another 13 episodes would have been the best way to go out: "I thought [the 13-episode season] was excellent because we could really wrap up the stories nice and neat and kind of give the audience a chance to say goodbye."

After the big "oops" plot turn which took up a big chunk of the season, I particularly wanted a little more time for some closure regarding Luke and Lorelai's future.

GILMORE GIRLS ranks up there in my top 10 or 12 favorite shows of all time. Stars Hollow was a wonderful place to visit. I'll sure miss it.

Fred Thompson: Priceless

I have great respect for President Bush, despite our disagreements on certain issues, but one of the things that has disappointed me about his Presidency is that he has not always been a timely and effective spokesman for conservatism and the Republican Party.

This reticence, at times, to engage in a public battle of ideas is in part due to his admirable desire to turn the other cheek and set a "new tone," but there have been a number of times when I wish he had promptly issued a response to someone or something circulating in the media. One of the President's best moves has been to hire Tony Snow as his Press Secretary, as Tony combines congeniality with being an articulate and forceful spokesman for conservatives.

All of which leads into me saying that something I am really enjoying about Fred Thompson's unorthodox run-up to a Presidential bid is his willingness to "mix it up" and share his ideas, whether it be via blog posts, radio commentaries, or Internet videos. He's not only articulate, he's got a great sense of humor, as this response to Michael Moore's letter demonstrates.

Thompson continues to poll strongly, despite not being an official Presidential candidate. In the Real Clear Politics average of seven polls, Thompson is running in third place, after Giuliani and McCain. I believe that if Thompson announces, ultimately the choice for Republicans would come down to Giuliani and Thompson, the only candidates I feel have a solid chance to beat a Clinton-Obama ticket.

Fred, there is an increasingly interested public who would like to hear a whole lot more from you in the months to come!

Update: Ed Morrissey points out that with 38 seconds of video, "a down-home rhetorical spanking that manages to both address Moore and belittle him," Thompson has overshadowed tonight's debate, and asks, "Which do you think will have a more positive and lasting impact on Republican voters -- these 38 seconds or anything said in tonight's 90-minute debate?"

Nixon Library Going Public

I was interested to read today that the Nixon Library and Birthplace, which has been privately run since it opened in 1990, is going to become part of the system of presidential libraries run by the National Archives.

What is curious to me is that the new director, Timothy Naftali, says the library will have a "new tone" which is more "balanced."

Naftali enthuses, "What an opportunity to revise Nixon. It's a historian's dream."

I'm a bit skeptical...I suspect we may be simply trading in one particular vision of the President for Naftali's. As a historian, his own opinions and perspectives on the President will surely come into play as he redesigns exhibits. Is true "balance" really possible?

Naftali is interested in putting the Nixon tapes on the Web and in appealing to baby boomers who protested the Vietnam War. While I commend making anything related to Presidential history available on the Web, will he also continue to highlight the President's achievements, along with the more controversial aspects of his Presidency? Showcasing the moon landings in the lobby, another Naftali idea, is one positive possibility.

I have visited five Presidential libraries, and in many ways I found the Nixon Library to be the finest, in terms of both the design of its exhibits and the inclusion of the late President's birthplace and final resting place on the grounds. I personally found the Nixon Library refreshingly candid about President Nixon's successes and failures. I hope Naftali will continue the library's history of excellence and remember that "balance" means telling the entire story -- the good along with the bad.

The Return of the Fairness Doctrine?

The American Spectator rumored today that Nancy Pelosi and Co. will be pushing hard for the return of the so-called "Fairness Doctrine" in coming months.

Dean Barnett reports that Pelosi's spokesman has denied the story, but I don't think many of us are buying it. The Democrats would far rather attempt to shut down conservative talk radio than attempt to deal with the "marketplace of ideas."

Thomas Sowell: The Anger of the Left

Thomas Sowell on the angry left:

"...for many on the left, indignation is not a sometime thing. It is a way of life.

"How often have you seen conservatives or libertarians take to the streets, shouting angry slogans? How often have conservative students on campus shouted down a visiting speaker or rioted to prevent the visitor from speaking at all?"

CBS News in Denial

Some executives at CBS are blaming Katie Couric's tanking ratings on sexism and the public's supposed preference for "older white guys." CBS V.P. Linda Mason, who made the "older white guys" comment, also said, "I had no idea that a woman delivering the news would be a handicap. And I'm afraid that Katie's paying a price for being the first woman."

Sean McManus, the president of CBS News, also insists "There is a percentage of people out there that probably prefers not to get their news from a woman."

This obtuseness is, in and of itself, part of CBS's problem. The ratings free fall just can't be the CBS product. It's the public's fault!

CBS refuses to admit that it has alienated a large part of its desired audience: First the network allowed Rathergate -- a false, deliberate attempt to smear a Republican President and influence an election -- which cemented the network's image as the most liberal of the three liberal networks. Then the network piled on by hiring a well-known liberal, Katie Couric, to replace Rather.

I have no interest in Katie Couric's slanted view of the world, and it appears large numbers of Americans feel the same way. For many Americans, Couric's gender has nothing whatsoever to do with their refusal to watch CBS News.

To paraphrase a favorite liberal line, "It's the politics, stupid."

A postscript, this is the same network that is airing an interview tonight in which Mike Wallace asks Mitt Romney whether he and his wife engaged in premarital sex. Can you imagine a CBS reporter asking this of Mrs. Clinton? Or any other Democrat candidate?

The Real Thing: Diet Coke's Silver Anniversary

Yes, I admit it. I'm one of the legions of Americans addicted to Diet Coke.

I still vividly recall my very first Diet Coke. Disneyland had a party for cast members to celebrate the opening of New Fantasyland in 1983. I disliked regular "Classic" Coke and always avoided it, but they were handing out free soft drinks at the Village Haus so I tried the Diet Coke, and I've loved it ever since.

The National Primary

Linda Fowler of Dartmouth College has written an interesting article on our nation's move to what will, in essence, amount to a national primary.

I've never been a fan of the undue attention paid to Iowa and New Hampshire, and I also don't think it was right that the nominees were virtually always decided by the time California had its primary in June. But having the contest finished, or close to finished, by the first week of February doesn't make sense either.

What to do?

I'd really like to see the states agree to a system whereby the states are divided into four or five groups roughly equal in population size. Each Presidential election year, the order in which the primaries are held would rotate among the groups of states, so that no one state would always be first or last. The primaries would be held monthly from February to May or June.

It seems so simple. Why wouldn't it work?

Commencement Address By Tony Snow

A beautiful speech by one of my favorite people.

As the saying goes, read the whole thing.

(Hat tip: The Corner.)

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!!

Today at Disneyland

Today we celebrated the end of our oldest daughter's first year of college by taking the day off and spending it at Disneyland. It was an absolutely gorgeous day. The flowers at Town Square were dazzling:


We had an unusual experience, as the Monorail broke down while we were on the track in Tomorrowland. We were stuck for roughly 20 minutes. Here comes the "tow Monorail" to pull us back to the station:


We were treated very nicely and given a special Fastpass, to use on any ride at any time later in the day, to apologize for the time we were stuck on the track.

The Submarine Voyage is almost ready! We had a great view from the Monorail of the finishing touches being worked on behind the blue walls. For anyone who loves Disneyland, it's just a bit emotional seeing the lagoon "alive" once more after all these years:


The Subs are looking great:


Meanwhile work proceeds on the Pirate's Lair at Tom Sawyer Island:


The Mark Twain is being rehabbed behind the tarps.

And here are some lovely flowers in New Orleans:


A great day was had by all.

Junior Rocks NASCAR Nation

Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced today he is leaving Dale Earnhardt Inc., the company founded by his late father.

He has not yet decided on plans for next year, but his main sponsor, Budweiser, is expected to follow him. The future of his car number, 8, is not known.

Background on his decision from the L.A. Times.

All the latest can be found at Jayski's Silly Season and NASCAR.

Study Casts Doubts on Gardasil Vaccine

From the L.A. Times: "New data on the controversial HPV vaccine designed to prevent cervical cancer have raised serious questions about its efficacy, researchers reported today, potentially undercutting the efforts in many states to make vaccination mandatory.

"...the data also hinted that blocking the targeted strains might have opened an ecological niche that allowed the flourishing of HPV strains previously considered to be minor players, partially offsetting the vaccine's protection."

An editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine, responding to the new information, urged parents to take a "cautious approach" to the vaccination.

In light of this new information, it is to be hoped that those governors and legislatures who insist this vaccine for a non-communicable disease should be mandatory will have second thoughts. The approach of governors such as Rick Perry of Texas, requiring schoolgirls to have the vaccine, has been anything but "cautious."

Attention So. CA Gilmore Girls Fans

As any Southern California fan of GILMORE GIRLS likely already knows, Rory's graduation from Yale (or maybe we should say USC) was pre-empted last night due to coverage of the Griffith Park fire.

KTLA has announced last night's pre-empted episode of GILMORE GIRLS will be run in its entirety this Saturday night, May 12th, along with the pre-empted episode of VERONICA MARS.

Speaking of the fire coverage, I was somewhat amazed to realize that Stan Chambers is still covering breaking news for KTLA! Next December marks his 60th anniversary with the station. That's right, 60 years!

I found Stan's book, NEWS AT TEN, to be very enjoyable when I read it a few years back.

Just to tie all this news together, Stan is a graduate of...USC.

Around the Blogosphere Today

I'm in the midst of a big work project which hasn't left much time for blogging, but here's a rundown on some varied articles which caught my eye today, for your reading pleasure:

Kathleen Parker asks: "Can Fred Thompson Fill GOP's Vacuum?" (See subject link.)

Real Bad Week for Katie Couric: It couldn't happen to a nicer network.

Edwards Discusses Hedge Fund Job: John Edwards, with a growing reputation as a hypocrite, says he invested and made money in a hedge fund in order to learn more about poverty.

All Profile, No Courage: Power Line's Paul Mirengoff on the hypocrisy of Edwards supporting "rental vouchers" but not school vouchers.

The Political Tornado in Greensburg: You'd think by now female Democratic governors would be embarrassed to be whining about the "Big Daddy" federal government supposedly not taking care of their states in a crisis. Are these governors competent executives, or not? Fortunately the White House and Senator Brownback acted quickly to bat down Governor Sebelius's claim that the Iraq war led to a lack of resources (i.e., the National Guard) to deal with the tornado tragedy.

Obama Overstates Tornado Deaths: Ummm, that's the understatement of the year. Can you imagine the derision if a Republican made this gaffe? Unfortunately Obama has picked up on the falsehood that there was inadequate help from the National Guard due to the Iraq War.

Feinstein Conflict Allegations "Aren't Going Away," Watchdogs Say: We can only hope.

Bill May Be "Conflict of Interest" For Pelosi: The "most ethical Congress in history" marches on.

NCIS Creator Is Leaving His Show: Finally, some Hollywood gossip about one of the few primetime shows in which I take an interest. Word has it that Mark Harmon was fed up with a "chaotic" set and 16-hour days. As this is a successful show that can stand up to AMERICAN IDOL, it seems that CBS decided to keep its star happy and worked out a deal for Donald Bellisario to leave the show. Hopefully Harmon can now have a life off the set and the series will retain its quality.

Enjoy!

New on DVD: Pirates of the Golden Age, The Waltons

Today's release, PIRATES OF THE GOLDEN AGE, looks like a lot of fun. The set contains four films: AGAINST ALL FLAGS with Errol Flynn and Maureen O'Hara, BUCCANEER'S GIRL with Yvonne DeCarlo, DOUBLE CROSSBONES with Donald O'Connor, and YANKEE PASHA with Jeff Chandler.

I've never seen any of the movies. I'm especially anxious to see AGAINST ALL FLAGS, which I think is probably worth the price of the set.

There are no extras other than trailers.

Today also sees the release of Season 5 of THE WALTONS.

It is really rather amazing that my 12-year-old is growing up with this show, just as I did at her age, only she's doing it via DVD rather than watching it on CBS Thursday nights. :)

As a parent, I am impressed anew with the positive messages communicated on THE WALTONS, and also mildly surprised to be reminded that the program relatively regularly discussed religious issues. (And of course, there were always those moments where Grandma sent temperamental Mary Ellen to memorize another set of Bible verses...) You just don't tend to see that kind of comfortable attitude toward religion in today's TV shows.

Last month my daughters attended a theater production of 12 ANGRY MEN, and my 12-year-old was thrilled beyond words when Richard Thomas signed her program at the stage door. Here again, she was somewhat reliving my own childhood, as I met him at roughly the same age, visiting the set of THE WALTONS thanks to the kindness of friends with "connections." (George Wendt was also very gracious about signing their programs!) They loved the show, which apparently will be touring into 2008, as I just received a mailer advertising it coming to Orange County next year.

For more on today's releases, see the roundup at The Shelf.