Texas schools are above average

I didn't type that with a straight face.

However, one of Texas AG Greg Abbott's minions witness-stand did say that, reportedly with a straight face, during the Texas school finance lawsuit.

Oh, and the fact that George Whitehurst, an ex-Bushie from the Bush-era Department of Education now works for Brookings is yet more proof it's not a "liberal" think tank. (Its neocon bloodthirstiness over Iraq should have dispelled that long ago, anyway.)

Here's a key statement:

Whitehurst also refuted conclusions by school-district witnesses that Texas schools are underfunded by billions of dollars per year. He said that, in general, the study of education and educational outcome has lagged far behind research in other areas and is something of a “backwater.”

Even more scary? If Rick Perry stands behind what Whitehurst says, will he propose whacking even more from the education budget in January?

With gays like this ...

With a gay man like Jonathan Rauch defending California's Prop. 8, and with an argument that could have been used to defend "separate but equal" AND defend the idea that the Supreme Court had no right considering Brown as a case, gay marriage advocates don't need the Mormons, the Christian Religions Right or any other enemies.

Rauch is also, along with people like Michael O'Hanlon on foreign warmongering policy, more proof that Brookings is NOT a "liberal" think tank.

Brookings – drug war failed

We all know that’s true, but a major think tank has finally admitted the obvious. And, in shades of the so-called “War on Terror,” the report says a large part of the problem is pursuing a force-only strategy against drugs, rather than addressing the demand side, and what drives the demand side.
The reason? Harper and his finance minister haven’t offered a stimulus package yet.

Beyond all the other areas in which he has pledged “change” (and so far, lied or deceived about that), here’s an area to make a HUGE difference.

First, he own Veep’s name is on another report describing the failures of Plan Columbia.

Second, as America’s first minority president, and a self-identified African-American, Obama KNOS what the WoD has done in black neighborhoods.

And, former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo, the listed author of the Brookings report, known’s how much the WoD has failed from the other side of the fence.

Iraq and even Iran aren’t enough? Well, let’s invade Pakistan!

Michael O’Hanlon continues to prove that he and Brookings aren’t anything close to liberal, as O’Hanlon teams with Fred Kagan to call for military action to “stabilize” Pakistan. Among the options they support is, though they say it much more politely, U.S. troops moving in to back up a military coup. I would guess they’re scrolling through the ranks of Pakistani generals as we speak to find the Punjabi Augusto Pinochet.

Just when you think neocons and their “fellow travelers” (yes, that’s you, O’Hanlon; can’t Brookings can his ass?) can’t get any more nutbar, they pull some new surprise rabbit out of their collective asses.

Cry me a river, Michael O’Hanlon

I won’t eat up too much space here on his , puerile response to critics of his and Ken Pollack’s original op-ed saying everything is hunky-dory in Iraq.

I will quote one comment, though:

Unfortunately, much of the blogosphere and other media outlets have emphasized the wrong question, challenging the integrity of anyone who dares to express politically incorrect views about Iraq. (My emphasis)

His views aren’t politically correct to the Bush Administration that he and Ken Pollack try to give intellectual props to, every chance they get.

And, this bullshit that somehow, after hunkering down in the Green Zone in Baghdad for a week, he and Pollack are somehow “daring,” is ludicrous.

I’ve said more than once that Brookings is NOT a liberal think tank. It could prove otherwise by canning people like O’Hanlon.