Hate mail to editorial cartoonists?

I stumbled across this article today from Politicker.com about how editorial cartoonists in the United States receive reader hate mail and how that inspires them to keep doing what they do, presumably because they take it as a sign that they're being "edgy" or "controversial" and therefore standing up for "free speech". The cartoonists had a big laugh and shared with each other their favorite reader responses at the annual convention of the American Association of Editorial Cartoonists.

Ted Rall took a shot at firefighters in New York, calling them "psychotic" after their vocal response to his cartoon that suggested the New York Fire Department was receiving outrageous amounts of money donated after 9/11.

Well. That certainly makes him a hero in my book, standing up for his freedom of expression like that.

Except maybe these cartoonists would do better to at least attempt to support their fellow cartoonists in Denmark, who, as recently as this February (2008), are still receiving death threats from angry Muslims for daring to publish editorial cartoons satirizing Muhammad, cartoons that were originally published in September 2005. Too bad most publishers in the United States (and for that matter, worldwide) caved in to death threats and sought to appease the Islamist censors. So much for free speech.

These guys can't hold a candle to Kurt Westergaard:

When Tax-Hikes Make Sense

As anti-tax as I generally am, I have to admit that there are times when tax policy, including significantly increased taxes, can and should be used to provide certain incentives for people to behave in desired ways.

Starkly contrasting Hillary Clinton's and John McCain's idiotic proposals earlier this year to suspend the federal gas tax, Charles Krauthammer proposes further increasing gasoline taxes because, as we are seeing now, higher gas prices cause consumers to alter their driving and car-buying habits, which in turn puts pressure on manufacturers to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles. It is a market-based approach that would be much more efficient, and more beneficial to the national economy, than a government-mandated corporate average fuel economy or ethanol mandates or suing the Saudis or whatever politically-inspired energy scam is en vogue this week in Washington, DC.

Will people like it? No. Will it be difficult to adjust to, at least in the short-term? Yes, especially for politicians for whom any tax-hike is a career-killer (which is all of them). But it would be effective.

Where in the World?

Give me a break. I've been in the middle of a move to Kosovo.

McCain Seeks a Veep; Let it be Anyone other than Bobby Jindal

Recent reporting suggests John McCain is hosting three possible Vice Presidential picks at his home in Sedona, Arizona. The three reportedly are Florida Governor Charlie Crist, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

I pray that McCain does not ask Jindal to be his VP nominee. And I pray that if he does, Jindal will not accept. The way I see it, Governor Bobby Jindal is the real deal, the much-vaunted "change" that Barack Obama wishes he really represented. While Barack Obama's speeches are full of self-gratifying rhetoric, Jindal's speeches are full of serious proposals for reform and are genuinely inspiring, no matter one's political persuasions.

While Jindal is probably the most exciting Republican politician of recent years, this is not the time for him to be a candidate for national office, Vice President or no. He would definitely add a strong reformist streak to McCain's campaign, but his nomination now as VP would be detrimental to his future political career, especially if McCain's campaign for the presidency fails.

Jindal is new to his position as Louisiana governor, having just been elected in 2007. He is full of political potential, but his relative lack of executive experience could be detrimental as a vice presidential nominee. Jindal, Louisiana, and the United States would be far better served by his successful completion of at least one full term as Louisiana governor, one in which he could enact significant reforms and change the political culture and economic climate of the state. Two successful terms would be even better.

Let's face it: John McCain will never be conservatism's standard-bearer. Bobby Jindal may be. At 36, he has a long, fruitful political career ahead of him. After four, or eight, years of accomplishment under his belt, he will be the strongest Republican candidate on a national ticket come 2012 or 2016.

It would be a well-intentioned mistake for John McCain to choose Bobby Jindal as his running-mate. Let us pray he is not asked to abandon his current task of reforming Louisiana.

Obama and Double Standards

Congratulations to Hillary Clinton on her 41% margin of victory win over Barrack Obama in Tuesday's West Virginia primaries. He still has the nomination virtually locked up but it is good to see that the voters of West Virginia are much saner than those of Virginia or North Carolina.

And since he has the nomination almost within his grasp, Obama seems to be proposing new rules for campaigning, or, to be more accurate, new rules for John McCain to follow while campaigning.

Among the new rules: 1) No criticism of his liberal stances as liberal, 2) No criticism of his weakness on the war on terror, and 3) No criticism of his stances on social issues.

Please, Senator Obama, will you tell me how to wage an effective campaign if you make all your policy positions and political philosophy off-limits to criticism?