'Hope' for 'Change'? Try "Business as Usual"

President Obama rejected the views of top lawyers at the Pentagon and the Justice Department when he decided that he had the legal authority to continue American military participation in the air war in Libya without Congressional authorization. 
Obama's view is that the Libya campaign is not covered by a provision of the War Powers Resolution that requires presidents to halt unauthorized hostilities after 60 days.
With drone attacks and spending in excess of $10M per day, the Office of Legal Counsel disagrees. Only the President or Attorney General can override OLC decisions. 

"From the outset of this operation, Members of the House have demonstrated respect for the authority granted to the Commander-in-Chief," John Boehner said in a statement. "Unfortunately, the President has not exhibited a similar appreciation for Congress' important job of providing oversight and accountability. Even worse, he has failed to communicate to the American people why continuing this mission is critical to our national security."

In 2007, President Bush ignored the legal conclusions of his top lawyers over NSA's warrantless wiretapping program. 

Mitch Daniels bows out

Official Statement: "Over the last year and a half, a large and diverse group of people have suggested to me an idea that I never otherwise would have considered, that I run for President. I’ve asked for time to think it over carefully, but these good people have been very patient and I owe them an answer.

The answer is that I will not be a candidate. What could have been a complicated decision was in the end very simple: on matters affecting us all, our family Constitution gives a veto to the women’s caucus, and there is no override provision. Simply put, I find myself caught between two duties. I love my country; I love my family more.
I am deeply concerned, for the first time in my life, about the future of our Republic. In the next few years Americans will decide two basic sets of questions: Who’s in charge here? Should the public sector protect and promote the private sector or dominate and direct it? Does the government work for the people or vice versa?

And, are we Americans still the kind of people who can successfully govern ourselves, discipline ourselves financially, put the future and our children’s interests ahead of the present and our own.

I am confident that the answers will reaffirm the liberty and vitality of our nation, and hope to play some small part in proving that view true."

Mitch Daniels 2012 gains momentum

This past month has seen a flurry of articles from political insiders and national pundits boasting Mitch Daniels at "the It boy" likely to receive the 2012 GOP bid. As noted in my previous post, it picked up steam right after CPAC - which Ron Paul actually won, but that sparked a mention of Mitch on the cover of TIME magazine, Jon Stewart commenting on Mitch's chances based on his "height and hair", ABC News says he's a "nerdy chic" choice, and now George Will says Daniels has "the low-key charisma of competence." Will he enter the race or let the deadline pass without blinking?

My Man Mitch Speaketh

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels addressed the CPAC crowd tonight in Washington DC, noting the growing federal debt is threatening the survival of the nation, and conservatives must unite themselves and the country behind defeating the 'new Red Menace' of red ink.
Daniels, who served as political director under former President Ronald Reagan and budget director under former President George W. Bush, said the necessary changes include restructuring Social Security and Medicare for later retirees, putting at least a moratorium on new regulations, if not adopting a "self-certification regime," making the tax code "lower and flatter," ramping up domestic energy production and not exempting defense spending from budget scrutiny. Daniels said it's up to conservatives to be specific on "the best way back to greatness." But that doesn't mean they should hold out for an ideal solution.

"Should the best way be blocked, while the enemy draws nearer, then someone will need to find the second-best way. Or the third, because the nation's survival requires it," Daniels said. "Purity in martyrdom is for suicide bombers."
Getting enough support for the changes, he said, requires showing a "special passion for those still on the first rung of life's ladder. Upward mobility from the bottom is the crux of the American promise, and the stagnation of the middle class is in fact becoming a problem, on any fair reading of the facts," Daniels said. "Our main task is not to see that people of great wealth add to it, but that those without much money have a greater chance to earn some."
"Mitch Daniels is the one person who hasn't been trying to toot his own horn for the past three years," Yale senior Max Eden said. "We're trying to just help get the word out about him because everybody we talk to about him loves him, but not enough people know about him yet." 
His student group distributed T-shirts modeled after the Obama "Hope" poster, replaced with Daniels and the word "Solvency." The group also distributed buttons and cards promoting Daniels' "legacy of leadership" and his "results not rhetoric."

Indiana Coaches to Lead USA Basketball

Purdue's Matt Painter was selected as head coach and Butler's Brad Stevens as an assistant for the U.S. men's basketball team that will play in August's World University Games in Shenzhen, China. USA Basketball also selected Missouri State coach Cuonzo Martin, a former Purdue player and assistant coach, as an assistant. Selections were made by the USA Basketball junior national team committee, chaired by Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim.
The US has claimed a medal in every World University Games since beginning play in 1965, and captured a record 13 golds, three silvers and three bronze medals in the 19 WUGs in which a USA Basketball squad has competed. Overall, the USA owns a 131-8 record. The United States captured six of the first seven gold medals awarded in World University Games competition and strung together six consecutive gold medals from 1989 through 1999. Most recently, the 2009 team earned the bronze medal after finishing 6-1 and losing by one point to Russia in the semifinals.
The University Games will be Aug. 12-23. Training camp to select the 12-member team will be July 30-Aug. 8 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

via IndyStar

Louisville teen wins Miss World

Earlier this year, we learned that our southern neighbor won Miss Universe, but a much closer southern neighbor has now won Miss World.  Alexandria Mills, 18, KY, won the pageant featuring 115 other contestants from around the globe, surpassing runners-up Botswana and Venezuela. 
Mills’ victory came amid a reported controversy however; critics claimed her biggest rival (Miss Norway Mariann Birkedal) was cheated out of the title due to difficult relations between her home country and the show’s host country, China.

Mills says that she wants to pursue a career in teaching...

 ...let's hope she stays in the area!

Hoosier golfer unlikely Ryder Cup star

Although the Americans eventual fell to the Europeans, one Ryder Cup rookie was screaming "Boom Baby!" after holing out from the fairway for Eagle on the 8th hole.

While Tiger and Phil had difficulty matching their counterparts, Jeff Overton not-so-calmly led the fight to keep the US hopes alive.

Maybe it was his Midwest golfing background that suited him well in chilly Newport, Wales. Or maybe he's just hungrier? After all, he still hasn't won a single PGA tour event.
Either way, my new favorite golfer will surely be tearing up the courses for years to come.

USA beats UK

BP still gets last laugh by killing our Gulf Coast  

RunnerUp Champs

So far in 2010, Lawrence Central has lost to Brebeuf 3 times in County, including runner-up champions in both Golf and Baseball. Sure high school is a much smaller scale than the NFL, Olympics, NCAA basketball, WNBA, Confederation Cup and yes, even minor league hockey - the commonality is they're all teams in the § galaxy that have been to the championship this past year only to lose.

Update: Chalk up 2 more: Notre Dame LaX just lost to Duke in the Natl championship and LC Boys Track placed runner-up at State - but hey, at least the Girls won!
Update #2: LC football lost the State Championship to Fishers Tigers. The curse continues!

Americans in the 2010 Winter Olympics

Some of the stars you may remember from 2006 include Shaun "Flying Tomato" White, Bode Miller and Apolo Ohno. By now, you've probably also heard of Lindsey Vonn and Chani Davis.  Some other athletes NBC will surely focus on: ice skater Tanith Belbin, hockey player Natalie Darwitz, XC skier Kikkan Randall and skeletoneer Noelle Pikus-Pace...

But my favorite story so far is that of the US bobsled team, and how the driver of the 'Night Train' was legally blind until recent surgery. His commitment to feeling the track - rather than seeing it - has led to the Americans being heavy favorites in a sport they haven't won since 1948. He keeps his helmet visor intentionally blurred to remind himself that steering the sled by memory is better. 

Daniel Kirkwood, American hero

IU Mathematics professor from 1856 to 1886 was fundamental in proving theorums regarding celestial objects. Notably, Kirkwood's law says that

"The square of the number of rotations made by a planet during one revolution around the sun, is proportional to the cube of the diameter of its sphere of attraction; or ."

His advancement in astronomy led to the campus Observatory being named after him, as well as Kirkwood Hall and Kirkwood Ave.

Top10 Health Care Reform notes

1. The constitution-loving US citizens are worried Obama's health care proposals will lead to a government takeover of health care, so worried that they're not only exercising their First Amendment rights at Town Hall meetings, but also their Second Amendment rights. Here's what being proposed:

2. Single-payer: Under a single-payer system, the financing system relies on one "payer" -- which could be a government-run agency -- to fund all health care costs billed by doctors, hospitals and other health professionals.

3. Public option: A public option is a government-funded, government-run health care option, similar to Medicare. Under the plan, people would pay premiums 10 to 20 percent less than private insurance.

4. Private insurance: Private insurance is coverage offered by a company other than the government.

5. Co-op: Nonprofit health cooperatives are being proposed as an option to compete with the private sector and as an alternative to a government-sponsored public health insurance option. Co-ops are owned and governed by the same people they insure.

6. Mandated coverage: Some lawmakers have proposed mandated coverage, which would require all Americans to get a minimum amount of insurance. The mandate could be enforced with a tax penalty.

7. Blue Dog coalition: The Blue Dog coalition is a group of 52 fiscally conservative Democrats in the House. The Blue Dogs insist that health care reform should preserve patient choice and maintain competition in the marketplace without adding to the national deficit. They'll play a critical role in getting a bill through the House.

8. eRecords: President Obama wants to computerize all records within 5 years as a way to increase quality of health care and decrease costs. Under his plan to modernize health care, all health records would be standardized and electronic.

9. rescission: Health care rescission is the process by which insurers cancel coverage, often after finding that a person omitted pertinent information on his or her application. Some companies have been accused of improperly rescinding policies as a way to avoid paying for expensive treatments.

10. end-of-life counseling: The current version of the House bill contains a provision for end-of-life counseling for Medicare beneficiaries who want it, as long as that individual has not had an end-of-life care or "advance care planning" consultation within the last 5 years.

Bonus: Medicare and Medicaid are public health options. Medicare is a government-sponsored program for people 65 years or older. Medicaid is a health care program for low income individuals and families.

USA plans to build a lunar outpost