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Lightning Round - 071312

Written by Mark Heuring.

Haven't done one of these in a while and since a thunderstorm is rolling through here as I write, it seems appropriate:

  • There's not much to say about the report on the Penn State sex abuse scandal other than to call it what it was -- a comprehensive failure at all levels. Joe Paterno isn't here to defend himself, but perhaps that's just as well, because there's really no defense for him. Or for anyone else at the university.
  • The Obama campaign and its allies in the media, specifically the Boston Globe and the Associated Press, continue to recycle canards about the timing of Mitt Romney's departure from Bain Capital. It doesn't matter that it's been "fact-checked" before and found to be crap, apparently. I guess if I had to run on Obama's record, I'd be doing everything I can to tear down my opponent, too.
  • Tim Droogsma has been bird-dogging the coverage of the death of Clarisse Grime, a Harding High School student who died when an out-of-control driver crashed into her. Much like the case of the driver who crashed into a school bus in Cottonwood, MN a few years back, the identity of the driver is something that the media apparently would rather not discuss. He also notices something that regularly drives me nuts:
Clarisse's death is an uncomfortable story for the Star Tribune. As we've written before, the man charged with her killing - Carlos Viveros-Colorado - was an illegal immigrant who had no driver's license and a series of traffic violations - including a 2001 DWI - in his past. He went through a "voluntary deportation" a few years ago but quickly returned to the United States.  The Star Tribune's "reporters" have done their very best to minimize these facts, and the headline writers have chosen instead to focus on the vehicle, as if the type of vehicle were relevant to the story.

A search for "Clarisse Grime" on the Strib's web site reveals three stories, one photo gallery and one video about Clarisse's death. Here are the five headlines:

Out-of-control SUV kills 16-year-old St. Paul girl
Students mourn girl killed by SUV
Teenager killed by SUV
Driver of SUV that killed teen in St. Paul had no license
SUV driver is charged in St. Paul student's death

Got it? Clarisse wasn't killed by an illegal immigrant who shouldn't have been driving, she was killed by one of those evil SUV's! It's a good thing Carlos wasn't driving a Prius or the story might not even have made the paper.

SUVs -- the shame of a nation.

  • Walter Russell Mead is always worth reading and his thoughts on the developing LIBOR scandal are spot-on, especially his takeaway:
We need a new generation of religious, spiritual and personal leaders. Otherwise we will see a cycle of decline. Weak, immoral and greedy business leaders will make bad choices. Society will pass stricter and stricter laws in the effort to control this behavior. The laws will become less and less effective as the influence of money grows and people lose self restraint.

This vicious cycle has already begun. The only question is, how far down the spiral will it take us? Much of our national business elite is losing its morality. A generation ago, it lost its faith. Unless something changes, loss of freedom will follow.

Yep. Read the whole thing.

Cross-posted and comments welcome at Mr. Dilettante's Neighborhood.