"Science" sez stupidity, conservative beliefs, and prejudice are linked

I wouldn't consider this "science" as being settled:

Low IQ & Conservative Beliefs Linked to Prejudice

These paragraphs appear to drive the headline:

There's no gentle way to put it: People who give in to racism and prejudice may simply be dumb, according to a new study that is bound to stir public controversy.

.... [snip] .....

Polling data and social and political science research do show that prejudice is more common in those who hold right-wing ideals that those of other political persuasions, Nosek told LiveScience.

.... [snip] .....

As suspected, low intelligence in childhood corresponded with racism in adulthood. But the factor that explained the relationship between these two variables was political: When researchers included social conservatism in the analysis, those ideologies accounted for much of the link between brains and bias.

The lead researcher does note that this is a "study of averages":

Hodson was quick to note that the despite the link found between low intelligence and social conservatism, the researchers aren't implying that all liberals are brilliant and all conservatives stupid. The research is a study of averages over large groups, he said.

"There are multiple examples of very bright conservatives and not-so-bright liberals, and many examples of very principled conservatives and very intolerant liberals," Hodson said.

 How kind of him.  And how .... unbiased .... of the media to use such a thoughtful headline. 

Me, I'm reminded of the old rule of thumb:  "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."

A Review of a recent PBS "News" Hour broadcast...

...on the U.S. Manufacturing Jobs Controversy.   Which is to say, PBS was anything but "spot on".  Not even close.  And they even get some gratuitous conservative bashing in at the same time.  The review highlights a lot of reasons why taxpayers shouldn't be funding PBS. 

Brought to you by the ever excellent "Coalition Of the Swilling"

Washington State Legislature Considers Porkulus Clone

Remember the original Federal stimulus, a/k/a "The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act"?  That didn't go very well.  It was supposed to:

• Create new jobs and save existing ones
• Spur economic activity and invest in long-term growth
• Foster unprecedented levels of accountability and transparency in government spending

Anyone see these goals met?  I sure haven't.  Last time I looked we still have high unemployment in the midst of a major recession. And that's my concern as our state legislature is considering a smaller version of the Federal Porkulus: 

Washington eyes $1B stimulus plan to aid construction

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — A $1 billion stimulus plan that Washington lawmakers are now considering seeks to create construction jobs by funding a variety of infrastructure projects around the state, officials said Wednesday.

Democratic Rep. Hans Dunshee said there is a sense of urgency because of high unemployment in the construction industry. A plan he released Wednesday includes funding for projects in schools, state parks and environmental management.

 Sound familiar?  And probably equally doomed to failure.   Yes, it'll put a few dollars into the pockets of people who need to feed their families.  No argument.  But it won't "strengthen the economy", as one labor representative stated.  It's just a variation of unemployment, the extension of a familiar entitlement that will end when the contracts are complete. 

Taxes spent on government contracts are not "investment", it's corporate welfare.  Which, in theory, liberals oppose. 

I recommend that you contact your state representatives (you can find their contact information, or send an e-mail, here), and urge them to vote this down.  We can't afford our very own Porkulus.

President Proposes Federal Controls on College Tuition

Well, Obama didn't say THAT, of course.  What he said was:

College tuition costs: Hold 'em down or else, Obama says

"I'm telling Congress we should steer federal campus-based aid to those colleges that keep tuition affordable, provide good value, serve their students well," Obama said. "We are putting colleges on notice _ you can't keep _ you can't assume that you'll just jack up tuition every single year. ... We should push colleges to do better. "

In my opinion, this is tantamount to Federal price controls, and an extension  of Federal authorities into the authorities of the States.  In short, yet more Federal overreach, of which we have too much already. 

You can read the full article at the Christian Science Monitor (registration is not required, but you have to answer a question or "Like" it for Facebook), but here's the closing paragraph:

"I have a lot of student loans, and I would have like to hear more about where he's going to get the money for these programs," said Weber. "It's pretty scary, but the university here does a pretty good job of offering grants and aid. This might end up being more of a financial burden on all students."

It's good to know that some (if not many) young people are thinking for themselves.

Waiting for the headlines......

You may be familiar with Sheriff Joe Arpaio, of Maricopa County, Arizona.  He's an outspoken critic of the liberal policies that have brought a lot of problems to our country, and a firm believer in law and order.  Sheriff Arpaio has gone toe-to-toe with Federal agencies and liberal figures before.

And, whether or not you are a "Birther", this death threat against Sheriff Arpaio and his family (link is to a PDF file) by a supporter of President Obama is disturbing.A legal investigation, at no expense to the taxpayers, should not result in such vile threats.

And while it's still early (the press release only came out yesterday), a similar threat made against any Democrat in office would be headline news by the major media outlets.  So, I'm waiting to see if that happens.  If it does.  Which I doubt, given the bias by the media in favor of the Obama Administration.

Expect updates if I'm wrong.

Thanks to GWR for the link to the press release.

President Obama's Arizona Reception.....

....started with a personal chat on the tarmac between himself and Governor Jan Brewer....

(Governor Brewer provides personal commentary on this example of bipartisanship here.)

.....followed by a warm welcome from citizens of the Great State of Arizona.

By the way, President Obama provided at least one economic boost to Arizona as a result of his visit: the sales of Governor Brewer's book, Scorpions For Breakfast, clearly got a major boost in sales.

Remind me, who's in the 99%?

Great news: The “fair share” administration owes over $800,000 in back taxes.

Hope and Change, my achin', dyin' posterior......

Ladies and Gentlemen, Barack Obama, President of the United States of America:

The good news: this is his LAST State Of The Union address.

UPDATE:  Did you watch the SOTU last night?  Did you think it was really long?  You are not alone.....

ONE THOUSAND DAYS......

....and Boehner’s Getting Pretty Cagey Trumpeting the Big Event. 

Click to get the whole message.

UPDATE:  1,000 Days Without a Budget: Facts on the Senate’s Failure

The REAL State Of The Union.....

....can be seen right here:

H/T: Paco Enterprises