Republican Policy On Public Health: Wait Til The Bodies Show Up

by Stuart Shapiro

You have to keep your eyes on amendments to spending bills in Congress.  Two weeks ago, Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT) attached one that would require FDA to wait for “hard science” before acting on threats from food, tobacco and medical products.  The FDA explained the problem with this seemingly innocuous language (h/t OMB Watch).

“Public health is all about prevention,” said Michael Taylor, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for foods. “FDA prides itself in being a science-based agency that wants to use the best available science to protect people. And legislation that would require us to wait …

Did Sarah Palin Quit Her Bus Tour?

Is it because the media had actual news to cover?

Though Palin and her staff never announced a timeline for the remaining legs of her trip, aides had drafted preliminary itineraries that would have taken her through the Midwest and Southeast at some point this month. But those travel blueprints are now in limbo, RCP has learned, as Palin and her family have reverted to the friendly confines of summertime Alaska, where the skies are currently alight for over 19 hours a day and the Bristol Bay salmon fishing season is nearing its peak.…

49% Concerned About Repubicans Taking The White House

40% concerned about Obama reelection

30% say they’ll vote Obama, 36% say no…

Al Gore: Extreme Weather Means We Need Action On Climate Change

Wildfires in Arizona, droughts in Texas, flooding along the Mississippi

“At what point is there a moment where we say ‘ oh, we gotta do something about this’?”…

Newt Gingrich Had A Second Line Of Credit At Tiffany’s

Worth as much as $1 million, all paid off…

Are Today’s Students Dumber?

by Stuart Shapiro

Earlier today, Alan posted about how Rick Santorum was blaming liberals for recent poor test scores in history.  And yes, I’m sure someone will blame conservatives at some point as well.  But while the scores are bad, they are not atypical for American students.

And yet it may be that, while kids aren’t getting better, they’re not getting worse. The history of history-education evaluation is littered with voguish pedagogy, statistical funny business, ideological arm wrestling, a disproportionate emphasis on trivia, and a protocol that insures that each generation of kids looks dim to its elders. “We haven’t …

On Tuesday’s Radio Show…

• Richard Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, explains why he’s calling for a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants.

• Is Obama bringing our troops home quickly enough? Alan previews the president’s speech on Afghanistan.

• Does Rick Santorum honestly believe that liberals don’t want kids to know American history? Alan grades Santorum’s claim.…

Now You Can Submit A Post On Liberaland

If you are logged in, on the right side of the page is an area where you can submit a post for this page.  Please include your byline and the source of your story. If you click the visual editor button you’ll be able to use links and other editing tools.  Posts will be moderated, which means they will only appear here if we feel they are in keeping with the spirit and tone of the site.  Rather than use the comment section, which fewer people see, this is a better way to do it. Have fun!…

Christine O’Donnell Book Due In August

Troublemaker is “the real, raw story of my life”…

Santorum: Bad History Scores Are The Fault Of Liberals

“a conscious effort on the part of the left… to desensitize America to what American values are”

…

Man Robs Bank To Get Prison Health Care

That’s why James Verone took only a dollar

“I wanted to make it known this wasn’t for monetary reasons, but for medical reasons”…