How to talk to a hoplophobe

A guy seldom runs across a piece of writing he can call beyond improvement, but Joel is close, if not actually there. 

It illustrates, among other things, that you can create intelligent answers to idiotic questions.
.

Political Quick Take -- The Pledge to America

The Republican "Pledge to America" was a mistake, the seriousness of which remains to be seen. Anti-Democrats were on a roll. Obama-ite iberals looked  at November in despair.

The "pledge" gives them a fresh target and a news peg to reopen dialogs on points already conceded to the GOP by likely voters. It violates a first principle of campaigning: When you're ahead, don't debate.

 .

Besides, most everyone knows they don't mean it.

An addition to the TMR blog roll. 

Cowboy Blob. 
.

Shhhh. It's a secret.

In Waukee, Iowa, the city manager has big plans.  He'll try to spend a few million tax dollars on "development."   When it is all gone, the chumps paying the bills will get to know where it went.

This guy has put the city development plans in his personnel file, making them secret under the law. And the mayor and city council go along.

"The public trusts us when they elect us to efficiently run the government and the city," (Mayor) Peard said. "They trust that we manage the city (administrator) and that the city (administrator) manages his administration. I guess the evaluation factor comes (at election time) with how good of a job they think we've done."


So, Waukee folks, y'all go ahead and vote,  then take a two-year nap. Just like your buddies out in Bell, California.


Actually, the mayor and council are probably relatively honest people, as politicians go.  Just naive.


 I don't know which is worse, to be governed by  a thug or by a stupe.