Politics

Absentee Voting

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Atrios thinks absentee voting disrupts the rhythm of a campaign:

…but more generally I really really don’t like the proliferation of easy vote-by-mail. I know many disagree with me on this subject, but a campaign has a certain rhythm to it and voting weeks in advance tends to undercut that.

Well, the ‘rhythm’ of a campaign means little to me. I sometimes make my election decisions early and sometime the day before. When I complete the process I seal the envelope, lick the stamp and put it in the mail.
I find that I put much more effort into the process then I ever did when I headed to the voting booth especially for the minor offices.
Atrios, go to the booth if you like. I’m all for voting by mail. And will be, as well, for internet based voting when the muiltitude of security issues are resolved.
Via NTodd.

Buying Congress

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Henry at Crooked Timber offers congratulations to Congressman Billy Tauzin a republican from Louisiana:

CT extends its hearty congratulations to Congressman Billy Tauzin (R-La), who�s demonstrating his sincere attachment to free market virtues by retiring from politics and selling himself to the highest bidder.

Well, yea, Henry is being a bit tongue in cheek. Tauzin’s retirement plans (R) do have a peculiar (though common in Washington) stench.
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Henry also notes that:

Needless to say, Tauzin has been assiduous in his efforts to protect the interests of big pharma and the content industry over the last couple of years; it�s hard to believe that his grossly inflated salary is unconnected to services previously rendered.

If this assessment is true, and I agree with it, it appears to directly conflict any idea of “…attachment to free market virtues…” Rather more likely is that Tauzin has dedicated himself to both protecting the interests of his suitors not the citizens he his supposed to serve andstealing money from taxing you and I and finding ways to put the proceeds, unearned, into the pockets of others. This has nothing to do with free market virtues.
There is an interesting discussion in the comment thread regarding the causes of this long standing environment of subtle and not so subtle corruption that permeates the relationship between government at all levels and the clients the goverment protects regulates.
Update (Jan 25): Also see Marx, Incentives and Liberalism at Catallarchy.

Keep’m Out

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Here is a view of the Texas redistricting hoax, from Alex Knapp, that I hadn’t thought about:

If there’s one thing that Republicans and Democrats can and do agree on, it’s outrageous election rules that make any viable third party practically impossible.

Alex was inspired by this Chris Muir day by day cartoon.

Another Political Quiz

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Now here is a real quiz! Sure it is multiple choice but as Froz Gobo says:

The multiple-choice answers are very detailed and differ very subtly, so much so that for only 2 out of 10 was the selection easy. I suggest taking it primarily because of the exercise of debating those last 2 possible answers to each question. I wish the test could be conducted rating the 4 possibilties from “most like your opinion” to “least like your opinion.”

Plan on spending 5-10 minutes to find out whether you are a neocon, liberal, realist or isolationist.
It rated me liberal which is not how I describe myself.