Culture of Corruption...

It's 2004; George Bush and John Kerry are locked in an incredibly close battle for the U.S. presidency. There's a very real possibility that John Kerry would win. If he did, he'd give up his Senate seat and the Governor of Massachusetts would appoint someone to finish out his term. The Democrats controlled the state legislature, but the Governor was Republican Mitt Romney.

The other Democratic Senator from Massachusetts was Ted Kennedy. He spearheaded a successful effort to have the legislature pass a modification of the law. With the change, a special election would have to be held to choose the replacement for John Kerry, and any future replacement Senators.

In other words, we don't like the law, so we'll just change it.

Bad. But now it gets worse.

Fast forward to 2009. Ted Kennedy is dying of a brain tumor. He's not likely to live long enough to serve out his term. A special election would then have to be held to replace him, thanks to the law he fought for just 5 years ago. Now Massachusetts has a Democratic governor. Now Ted Kennedy is worried about not having a replacement for himself rapidly, as the Democrats in the Senate have only the thinnest of a majority. So what does Ted Kennedy do? You guessed it: he's agitating for a quick return to the old method of letting the Governor appoint a Senatorial replacement.

Rope (great hanks of it).
Trees (lots of them).
Some assembly required.

Funny Graphics...

My favorite:

Go see the rest.

Al Megrahi...

Well, the expected actually happened: the Scots, in a self-congratulatory fit of compassion, have released the Libyan terrorist. He flew home on Ghadaffi's private jet, and was given a hero's welcome when he got home.

Today's Wall Street Journal has an excellent editorial. It's conclusion:

More significantly, Megrahi's release is a reminder of what happens when terrorism is treated as a problem for the criminal justice system. Mr. MacAskill did not stint in congratulating Scotland (and himself) on the superior virtue his decision supposedly evinces. Terrorists will surely draw a different lesson about the will of the West to confront and punish them. And the compassion that is still owed those made bereft by the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 has now been tainted by a second Lockerbie outrage.

Exactly.