Free kibbles

More illegal aliens self-deporting because of enforcement of the law. It really is just that simple.

52% of Americans think we will succeed in Iraq. Those votes go to McCain.

Sarkozy's personal life is hurting his popularity and his reform agenda. When will politicians realize that there are consequences for all their actions, professional and personal.

Report claims 1/3 of Iraqi oil is diverted to the black market and funds the insurgency. We should have been prepared for this, and Congress should have exercised oversight over Iraq's oil instead of rubber stamping and playing partisan games. At least they finally started. With al Qaeda virtually defeated, economic incentives may be the biggest factor in attracting insurgents. It's a stunning failure that we haven't been able to shore up Iraq's economy in 5 years.

Study shows that having an abortion can lead to mental health problems. Duh. The amazing thing in this article is that doctors thought that having babies carried a worse risk of mental health problems than aborting them. That's nuts. Women are genetically programmed to want and have babies. Voluntarily terminating pregnancies goes against that programming, and that certainly can lead to mental health problems.

Over 400,000 immigrants moved to Canada last year, a record. Oil prices translate to wealth in Canada.

While the press focused on Eliot Spitzer, Republicans suffered a series of setbacks, including losing former speaker Dennis Hastert's seat.

Fund raisers threatening to boycott DNC over Michigan and Florida votes.

Obama picks up 7 of Edwards' delegates in Iowa.

Clinton is laying the groundwork to attempt to steal Obama's committed delegates at the convention.

While Clinton and Obama continue their bitter struggle, McCain tours the world looking like a future president, starting in Iraq.

Teacher has sex with student just 4 days before he student turned 18.

Dayton Police drive around a 20 year old man trying to sting stores for selling beer to a minor, with no takers. My tax dollars at work.

50 scientific oddities.

George Will shows how governments use subsidies to plan business. Government understands that low taxes attract business. They're constantly negotiating subsidies to attract businesses. So why not just change the tax code to be business friendly for everybody to begin with? Why not adopt the FairTax? Power. Government wants it, and they use punishing taxes and tax breaks to exercise it over the people and businesses.

The Washington Times slams the State Dept. for upgrading China'a human rights rating above the lowest rating in spite of the facts.

Author seems to be making the case that the lesson we should have learned from Iraq was that we did the right thing by invading. What kind of lesson is that? Shouldn't we at least learn the lesson from our overwhelming mistakes? Shouldn't we learn how we might have contained both Saddam and Iran without invading?

Mark Steyn says Obama's bitter minister is a reminder of black grievance-mongers, as is the rhetoric of his wife, and wonders if that is the reality behind Obama's campaign.

The danger from warrantless wiretaps is that presidents will spy on political adversaries. I agree. The danger is not that they will spy on average Americans, it is that they will spy on targeted Americans, like their wives and girlfriends, as well as political enemies. That's why the president himself should sign off on every wiretap. That way he can't escape the consequences of abuse which are being voted out of office, impeached, or charged with a crime. The buck stops with him.

Obama plans full assault on Clinton? With what, pillows?

Michael Barone applauds President Bush for removing Centcom commander Adm. Fallon for publicly undercutting his policies, reaffirming civilian control of policy and the military, and wonders why he has been so tolerant of other officials who have undermined American policy. Me too. He should fire anybody in government who damages US policy by undercutting it.

This article on the Presidents Working Group on Financial Markets is particularly vague, but the good news is that the group prefers free market solutions to regulatory solutions to the problems of the financial market. You can bet that plenty of people are losing jobs and smart people with good ideas and good incentives are rising as the market corrects for this problem.

Identity politics and political correctness are wasting the Democrat primary. This article is worth reading just for its title: Monsters and Racists and Sexists, Oh My! Pat Buchanan puts it in stronger terms - the Obama camp is inoculating him by calling all critics racists. It's a farce, and Hillary is conceding the point.

Gen. Ray Odierno, just back from Iraq where he served as Gen. Petraeus' counterinsurgency commander, gives a presentation on consequences of the surge.