This Thomas Meaney piece is an interesting perspective on the Democratic candidates to date, particularly Wesley Clark.
The Clark Campaign
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Victor Davis Hanson
Victor Davis Hanson has been one of the most insighful commentators on the Bush Administration’s policy in fighting the war against the Islamic fascists. Dr. Hanson weighs in again with another excellent piece in National Review Online that sorts out the many agendas regarding the war in Iraq.
Great Quotes
From Ryan Lizza’s campaign journal at The New Republic, on the difference between the Howard Dean and John Edwards’ campaigns:
“If Dean’s events sometimes look like the bar scene from Star Wars, Edwards’s traveling show has the feel of an Abercrombie and Fitch fashion shoot.”
And James T. Hamilton, describing his theory of rational ignorance in his new book, “All the News That’s Fit to Sell“:
“The logic of rational ignorance predicts that many viewers will not choose to learn about politics and government, a logic confirmed every day by the relatively low audience for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer on PBS.”
Hounding Martha But Not Kenny Boy?
In an earlier post, I noted a report that the Justice Department is currently focusing on whether to indict former Enron Chairman and CEO Ken Lay. In a NY Times piece today, the timing of which is not good for Mr. Lay, Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind –authors of the best Enron debacle book to date, “The Smartest Guys in the Room“–question why Martha Stewart is enduring a securities fraud trial over a relatively trifling matter while Mr. Lay has still not even been indicted?
The probable answer is that the criminal case against Ms. Stewart is simpler than any possible criminal case against Mr. Lay in regard to the hyper-complicated affairs of Enron. However, the more troubling issue is whether Ms. Stewart’s high profile status has generated a high publicity prosecution by the Justice Department attorneys in a case that probably would have never been prosecuted (or at least been settled quietly) had the defendant not been as high profile as Ms. Stewart.
Halftime Show Controversy
McNair is on a Serious Roll
Bob McNair, the majority owner of the NFL’s Houston Texans, is an old friend and a wonderful man. Bob and the Texans just completed a masterful job in leading Houston’s hosting of the highly successful Super Bowl XXXVIII, and now it appears that Bob may have struck gold again.
Drew Henson, the former University of Michigan quarterback and NY Yankee minor leaguer, announced today that he has finally given up on baseball and is going to play in the NFL. In last year’s NFL Draft, many folks scratched their heads when Bob and the Texans used a sixth round draft choice on Henson. The Texans already have a young franchise QB in David Carr and Henson was still playing baseball with the Yankees AAA team at the time. However, Bob and the Texans knew what they were doing.
Henson’s poor on base average and mediocre slugging percentage in AAA reflected that he was not a Major League Baseball prospect. However, Henson is an excellent football talent, and many scouts considered him a better prospect than Tom Brady, the Super Bowl MVP who was his teammate at Michigan. With Henson now turning to football, the Texans retain his contract rights until this year’s NFL Draft, and there will be several teams bidding for his services. The Texans will likely come out of this deal smelling like a rose, and likely will pick up at least a higher draft pick in this year’s draft in return for the right to sign Henson.
My early bet on the Henson sweepstakes: the Miami Dolphins.
Lawyers Need Lawyers
Many of my friends in business complain regularly (and with much validity) about how often they are required to consult attorneys. They will derive much pleasure from this NY Times article, which explains that now law firms are hiring general counsel to advise their lawyers on the difficult client issues that many firms face in the post-Enron world.
Health Care Finance Concerns Continue
The New York Times carries a front page story today regarding the increasing trend of employers to restrict health insurance coverage for their retirees. In my view, the failure of the Bush Administration to address the spiraling problems in the health care finance system in the United States is an issue that will cause President Bush trouble in the upcoming Presidential Campaign.
Volcano Knight Ready to Erupt
Based on this article from the Lubbock Avalanche, it looks like Bobby Knight is ready to implode again. Knight’s mercurial career as basketball coach at the University of Indiana ended as a result of incidents similar to this one.
For all his faults, Knight is not the poster boy for the hyprocrisy of college athletics. An undeniably great basketball coach, his ill-tempered personality has everyone around him walking on egg shells for fear of provoking an outburst. On the other hand, he genuinely cares for his players, and the percentage of players from his teams who graduate from college is one of the highest of any other major college program in the United States.
Knight is the subject of one of the most interesting sports sociology books of the past 20 years, John Feinstein’s “A Season on the Brink.”
And you thought your Mercedes was nice?
One of my many bright nephews suggests that this car is the one he really wants.