*Ann Althouse wants cameras in the Supreme Court, in part as a way of subtly pressuring aging Justices to retire when they can’t do the job anymore. I’m not sure how many cases that would work in, but I strongly agree with Althouse and Dahlia Lithwick on this one: unlike at the trial court level, where TV cameras can affect the behavior of non-lawyer participants (witnesses, jurors) whose impartiality the system makes great effort to preserve, the dangers of cameras in the appellate courts are pretty minor, and at their lowest ebb at the Supreme Court, whose members have life tenure and nearly never have any further career ambitions.
*The Phillies dump Vincente Padilla, apparently on the theory that they have too much quality starting pitching.
*I like the White Sox’ acquisition of Javier Vazquez – unlike the Phillies, the ChiSox apparently aren’t complacent about their pitching staff – who seems like he should still have some good years left, but I do wonder if homer-friendly US Cellular Field is the best place for him.
*McQ has some thoughts on Iranian mischief in the south of Iraq.
*Dean Barnett has a great post noting Kos’ criteria for front-page contributors:
Markos made it clear what criteria he was and wasn’t using in selecting the new guard:
“I made my decisions, like I have in the past, based on two factors — the first is merit. I don’t concern myself with sex, race, ethnicity, or any of that stuff. This is a site about politics, and I wanted the best commenters on politics…That’s how I like it, no matter how controversial that might be.”
For clarity’s sake, I should point out that Markos never got around to identifying the second factor.
*Per Jonah Goldberg here and here, this sure looks like a deliberate policy of subsidizing suicide bombings.
*So, Joe Lieberman is loved by the GOP and hated by Democrats. Meanwhile, conservatives hate Lincoln Chaffee and Arlen Specter. But if Republicans traded Chaffee or Specter for Lieberman – even leaving aside questions about re-electability (Lieberman and Chaffee are up in 2006, Specter was elected to his final term in 2004), would we Republicans get a good deal? I’m not so sure. All three, like George Pataki and Christie Whitman, represent to a greater or lesser degree a New Republic-style brand of socially liberal, tax-cut-supporting, strong-on-defense, tough-on-crime, moderate-to-liberal on spending and regulatory issues Northeasterner who is poorly represented by both parties. But at least on domestic policy, Lieberman’s been a more loyal soldier for his party: the American Conservative Union gives lifetime ratings of 41 for Chaffee and 44 for Specter, compared to 17 for Lieberman.
*Scott Adams on good and bad jobs in the War on Terror.
*Don Rumsfeld on the media’s incomplete picture of Iraq.
*This Angry Bear chart of federal spending growth is a keeper, and provides great context. Via Instapundit.