Plenty of recent news and other happenings to catch up on.
Former Republican House Leader Tom DeLay has announced his resignation from Congress, effective in June. Predictions of DeLay's political demise have long been circulating, but this one actually surprised me. Indeed, he's been accused of corruption, conspiracy, gerrymandering, involvement with Jack Abramoff, and who knows what else, but given the flimsiness of genuine evidence against him, I expected him to persist into another term. But DeLay himself felt his re-election chances slipping, and this, in his own words, prompted him to quit.
Daniel Pipes explains how Israel can simultaneously defeat and reform the Palestinians: by crushing their war morale. Interestingly as well, Pipes claims that the U.S. government has been the primary factor in holding Israel back, an argument that echoes the frequent claims of Dr. Francisco Gil-White, an investigative journalist often quoted on Israpundit. Personally, I disagree; from everything I've seen, Israel's own government bears far more responsibility. But it's certainly intriguing to hear Pipes say this, and in any case, Israel is always better off acting in its own interests rather than attempting to placate the ridiculous demands of the "international community."
Yet another person in the know (this time U.S. Federal Agent Dave Gaubatz) confirms it: Saddam had WMDs.
National Review's Mark Goldblatt incorporates Mathematics Awareness Month into a sharp reality check for leftists who have falsely accused President Bush and the Republican Party of outrageous acts. On a similar note, Steven Plaut at The Autonomist discusses the differences between naive leftists and nefarious Communist-Marxists.
Victor Davis Hanson tells why assimilation, and not legality, is the real key to solving America's immigration issues. An excellent, pro-American, non-partisan analysis.
Tom Bevan of Real Clear Politics on reducing the absurd complexity of America's tax system. One prominent idea in this direction has been proposed by Steve Forbes in his book Flat Tax Revolution, and I plan to review it during the days leading up to our April 15 deadline.
Blog of the Day: The Beak Speaks
