SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:31 P.M. ET: 

HONORABLE ACTION – From The New York Times:  "Prime Minister Chung Hong-won, the No. 2 official in the South Korean government, apologized and offered to resign on Sunday, as the country remained angry and saddened over the sinking of a ferry that left 302 people, a vast majority of them high school students, dead or missing.  The government has come under fire as early investigations revealed a slew of loopholes in safety measures and a lax regulatory enforcement that investigators said contributed to the sinking of the 6,825-ton ferry, the Sewol, 10 days ago."  We don't have the tradition of presidential resignations here, but we should.  Only one president, Nixon, has resigned, and then only to avoid impeachment.  We need a better way to ease presidents out when they are failing miserably, like now.

THROWING IN THE TOWEL? – Increasingly, Republicans seem prepared to accept that Obamacare is here to stay, although they vow to change it.  From the Spokane Spokesman-Review:  "With the news this week that more than 600,000 Washington residents have acquired new health care plans through the state exchange, U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers said it’s unlikely the Affordable Care Act will be repealed.  'We need to look at reforming the exchanges' the Eastern Washington Republican said Thursday.  The five-term congresswoman and chair of the House Republican Conference kicked off her re-election campaign this week with visits to Walla Walla, Colville and Spokane. She faces Democratic challenger Joe Pakootas.  McMorris Rodgers has been part of the Republican leadership in the House that has voted multiple times to repeal parts or all of President Barack Obama’s signature health care law. GOP members have said the law is unworkable, will increase costs for some and force others into inadequate coverage or plans they don’t want."
It's the old story:  Once en entitlement is law, it's almost impossible to get rid of it.  But it's an awful plan, and Republicans had better come up with ways to alter it drastically or become irrelevant.

CHILLING – The attempts to politicize the American educational system from the political left, already largely successful, continue.  From CBS:  "SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A bill that passed the Assembly with unanimous bipartisan support Thursday encourages California schools to teach students about the racial significance of Barack Obama’s presidency.  The Assembly approved AB1912 with a 71-0 vote and no debate or discussion. It now heads to the state Senate.  The bill by Assemblyman Chris Holden, D-Pasadena, asks state education officials to include Obama’s election in history and social studies standards laying out what students are expected to learn.  High school history students already learn about recent presidents. But Holden says lessons about Obama also should focus on what his election meant for racial equality and civil rights."  I wonder if they'll also teach that African-Americans have largely lost ground under Obama.  I guess Republicans thought the measure harmless and voted for it, or were fearful not to.  Also, I wonder what's taught about Reagan.  I'm afraid to ask.

April 26, 2014