Private Schools And Special Needs Children Get Victory Today

I am reading this opinion now. More later.

In a second decision, the Court by a 6-3 vote ruled that parents of a disabled child, who decide on their own to transfer the child to a private school, are entitled to tuition reimbursement from the local school district even if the child had never received any special education aid previously. If a public school fails to provide an adequate education for the child, the Court said in the opinion written by Justice John Paul Stevens, the parents are entitled to be repaid for the money they spend at a private school as an alternative. (Forest Grove School District v. T.A., 08-305).

Update
The Opinion is here.

Southern Republicans and Black Politico Incumbents Rejoice- Section 5 Voting Rights Act Still Constitutional (Updated)

Yes the incumbent voters right act is still alive. The Supreme Court basically upheld Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act today in their opinion Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District Number One v. Holder. Southern Appeal that has the link to the Opinion is also disappointed. See Missed Opportunity It seems Thomas partly gets it though

Further despite all the concerns voiced by the conservative Justices the South is for some reason still under this very expensive second Reconstruction.

The headlines from the more liberal sources that will hail this Opinion will not at all reflect the title of my header. So the little secret between Republicans and often African American politicos will go largely ignored

That is hey give us a Super Black majority district and in return your districts get to be less black and democrat and thus more Republican leaning. WIN WIN WIN.

Well a win for all those except for perhaps black democrats (or those of other parties for that matter in other districts that have found their influence and political power severely diminished.

Not largely a win for white democrats that have less chance to win.

It is not a win for the Civic practice of Coalition building.

It is not a win for those of use that see this as a hindrance to getting beyond race and dealing with each other

It is not a win for party building and diversity of ideas on each side.

And it certainly is not a win for largely rural Southern States that have divert precious monetary resources every time it needs to change political subdivision lines.

Oh and Federalism took another big hit today.

It seems that many of the Justices had concerns and still do. At least that is a hopeful sign. Hopefully they will pull the trigger next time.

I will hopefully update with most astute analysis from other legal bloggers later.

Update-
I will be updating this throughout the day

SCOTUS BLOG HAS Section 5 survives and Analysis: Is Section 5’s future shaky?

Stuff White Evangelicals Like

A funny sort of rip off on What White People Like. Again it paints with a broad brush(like the other site does ) but parts are pretty funny See Stuff Christian Culture Likes

An example of painting with a tad of a broad brush is found on the entry #82 Not Environmentalism.

Many white evangelical Christians care about the environment of course. They just often do it though in different ways. Like Ducks Unlimited which if truth be told probably does more to help the environment than many other green groups.

Tip of the Hat to Crunchy Con

A Catholic Pro- Life Horror Book (Reaching the Young)

This is the second time I have seen this reviewed. Inside Catholic has Catholic Writer Tells a Pro-Life Horror Story

Juan Williams Now Blasts the Press On Obama

He is adding his voice to a growing concern(Finally).

So you know, the problem here is he’s not being treated as a politician. The press is not being sufficiently adversarial, which is its role, to hold him accountable. And part of this, I think, goes back to the campaign.
I think a lot of people think, “Well, he’s a black man. He’s the president of the United States. This is unbelievable. This is historic. We better get on the bandwagon. We better get on the right side of history.”
But that’s not the role that the press should play. And just the way that you can condemn someone because of their race or because of difference, I fear that they’re now celebrating him and hold him — holding him and Michelle up to unreasonable standards and that they will jump off.

Pope Benedict Visits Padre Pio

Whispers has it at Padre's Day at Pio's Place

Marco Rubio Gaining Steam In Republican Primary Race for the Senate

I am not anti Governor Crist by any means. I just would prefer that Rubio would get the nod. Here comes some hopeful news that Rubio is gaining steam

I really think this guys has got something to him that will help the party and country long term. I first came to know about him when he went out on a limb and endorsed Huckabee. Very impressive

Further benefits:
In these times for the GOP I think it would be very helpful for the GOP to replace a Latino with a Latino. We need that only that symbolism but we need someone that can actually go and be an effective voice nationwide to Latinos and Hispanics nationwide

Second I like the fact that he is a strong Catholic Pro-lifer. Something the Senate needs more of to balance the scandal of so many "Catholic" Pro-choice folks. I think he would be an effective voice.

A Black Gospel Mass and A Catholic Anglican Use Mass In the Same Parish (More Stuff Out of Kansas City)

Again it seems like the most productive and interesting things in the American Catholic Church is occuring in this Diocose. Also note the reference to "Simple House" that I talked about last year at the end of the article.

The Catholic Key has

'Gospel' and 'Anglican Use' Masses Exist Side-by-Side at Kansas City Parish

What Gomer Pyle could teach Sen. Boxer (UK Daily Mail)

LOL I recall this episode.

LSU Baseball Punches Ticket to Championship Game (Front page of Baton Rouge Advocate)

(Click on Pic For Larger Pic)

New York Times- New Orleans Great Place To Ride Out Recession

Who Knew? Rod Dreher looks at this article at Louisiana: It's not like America

Update- I left this comment at Rod's

Rod in some ways I agree with you but when are now entering the third decade of migration out of the State things have to change

The whole question will be pretty mute if don't get Coastal erosion under control and the dead zone in the gulf. Something that sadly those outside Louisiana regardless of party do not care about

However I think we need some reality here. While New Orleans has had corruption in its history for a good part of the time things actually worked.

Lafayette Louisiana is very South Louisiana(thought different from New Orleans in obvious ways) and it has sort of the mentality and culture that you allude too. The difference is things work there!!

At least we are not Detroit I guess which makes New Orleans look like Plato's Republic in comparison

Another example is Mississippi. I am not sure why Louisiana gets all the corruption labels. Heck Mississippi is just as about bad and in fact I am willing to bet worse. But look at the Coast. It works.

Senator Boxer- Call Me Senator Darn It!!

I agree with Southern Appeal on this at Sen. Boxer dresses down Brig. Gen. for addressing her as “ma’am”

I can recall some of the faux outrage when President Bush was overheard saying "Yes Sir" to the Pope in their private meeting.

I am big on private titles. But I am also aware in back and forth conversation people often go into their default conversation mode that has it own form of respective titles.

Louisiana Legislation- Stupid New Sex with "Minors" Law

This is so stupid on so many levels

First I am not big on making criminal consensual sexual relation between people that are 18 and other adults. The law currently as to these things is a tad better than it was when we had High School Kids actually getting felonies(usually Seniors) that had sexual relations with lets say Sophomores or Freshman. Not too long ago back in my days of High School such things were handled between the parents.

But the question is this as to this bill between Children and Teachers. Is not the bigger problem that we have 20 year old kids in HIGH SCHOOL.

Update- Perhaps the target of this is kids that have some severe learning disabilities. If so it should have been much more narrowly drawn up then

Pope Benedict Kicks Off the Year of the Priest!!

Option C has Benedict's letter here at The “Year for Priests” inaugurated

The Islamic Apocalyptic Theology in the Iran Political Crisis

Get Religion that examines religious reporting points out the media is missing a crucial aspect of this. See What would the Mahdi do?

The Threat to Catholic Health Care- A Review of Diagnosis Critical

Amy Welborn has a good review of this book that perhaps should be on every American Catholic's reading list.

See Diagnosis Still Critical

Sacred Heart Cookies !!!

Catholic Cuisine has the details at Sacred Heart Cookies

Vanderbilt University Professor Talks About Racist GOP

Oh this gets old fast.

Let me add another fact. That is Richard Nixon. It is really a crime that Richard Nixon never gets the credit he deserves on Civil Right issues. He really did the heavy lifting when the various desegregation decrees were implemented.

Free Speech and Responding To Anti Catholicism At Ole Miss

I thought this was an interesting article at Inside Catholic from an Ole Miss Catholic Prof. See Anti-Catholic Free Speech

Though I make fun of Ole Miss I cannot imagine there is anymore anti Catholicism there than anywhere else. In fact I suspect for a Protestant area there is far less than the average. The Prof goes out of his way to point that out:

Before going further, let me note that there is a vibrant Catholic community at Ole Miss. The dean of the graduate school, the dean of students, the associate deans from engineering and law, the most recently retired provost and dean of liberal arts, the current baseball coach, and the last two football head coaches (though not the current one) are all Catholics. In fact, I once read that about one third of the faculty here self-identify as Catholic. Still, presumably because of the kind of work that I have done, people expected me to be the one to respond to the article in question.

Anyway good read

Democratic Congressman Charlie Melancon To Run Against Senator David Vitter (A Look At the Race)

According to a pretty good Louisiana political reporter.

A few observations.

What is not mentioned in the article is that Melancon might be considering a run because his District is likely not going to be existing after the next Census. Most proposed maps that are circulating show his District being parts of the surrounding ones. I find it very doubtful that he could win in any of those.

So Melachon might see this as his main chance to continue his political career.

I think Vitter is pretty strong all things considering. In fact I would suspect that Vitter would pick up a good number of votes in Melancon's district which is a blue dog democrat Bayou Cajun district that is fairly conservative.

Further this is State that on the whole is pretty anti Obama. The President has done himself no favors by moves against the energy industry. Further on the whole it does not appear that the Democrat Administration or Congress seems to care much about the Coastal Erosion problems or the ever increasing dead zone off the Coast. If I was the Obama administration I would be finding major funds for these projects to give him some cover.

Despite everything that Vitter has had happened he seems to still have substantial support. Despise the sex scandal it looks like his support among religious and social conservatives is solid. He angered so by supporting Rudy for the GOP nomination but it appears to me that most has been forgiven an there has been no long term consequences.

Vitter is helped by a pretty competent staff in the ground in Louisiana too. From personal experience his North Louisiana staff is excellent. Holding these North Louisiana Parishes will be critical for Vitter and I think at this point he will do quite well with them. If he keeps North Louisiana he is likely to keep the very conservative Lafayette Parish. I would not expect Vitter to have substantial losses in the other Republican bastions surrounding areas around New Orleans that is his natural base.

One thing the GOP has to do is too step in and stop the silly feud between the Jindal and Vitter staffs. This is getting beyond counterproductive. Also from where I sit this is mainly a Jindal Staff problem. Time to grow up.

Melachon to win (or for any democrat for that matter) is going to have to make a strong case that keeping a filibuster proof Senate for all practical purposes is a good thing for Louisiana. How he makes this case to the people of South Louisiana that are not pleased with bans on further off shore drilling bans and other matters will be one tough task.

Vitter has soft spots that of course can be attacked. However he is far less vulnerable than many in the pundit press outside Louisiana portray.

A LSU FAN And Student that Lost His Life Returning From the College World Series

I alluded to this the other day. This young man in fact was returning from Omaha and the opening games from the College World Series. I saw on the LSU boards that in fact he had just dropped someone off in Shreveport before continuing on to Baton Rouge. Sadly he died in a freak Car accident just North of Alexandria Louisiana.

Here is his pic and obit for Benjamin Patrick "Ben" Michael (also known as ShooterMcGavin on the Tiger Droppings Forum) that is in the paper today.

O God, Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of your servants departed full remission of all their sins, that, through the help of devout supplications, they may obtain the pardon of which they have always been desirous. Who livest and reignest, world with out end. Amen
V. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
R. and let perpetual light shine upon them.
V. May they rest in peace.
R. Amen

I saw this on a LSU board

Ben and a friend had driven up from Shreveport to Omaha to make it to Game 1 of the CWS. They made it up around noon the day of the game and we spent the rest of the day eating, drinking and playing pool at Upstream Bar downtown. We also tailgated and hit up one of those Miller Lite tents on the side of 10th street and chatted baseball and Louisiana with some of the locals. He stayed in a room here at the Embassy Suites with me, my father, and one of our fraternity brothers. He woke up in the morning, thanked us, and made his way back to Shreveport. He had contacted us that night and told us he had made it safely to Shreveport and was going to BR in the morning for work. That was the last thing I had heard from him. It is so damn ironic that he said to me the day we spent together in Omaha, that it was his dream that before he died he wanted to see a Final Four, a BCS National Championship, a CWS game at Rosenblatt, and a game at Wrigley. And after that day he had accomplished 3 of the 4. It is a damn shame he wasn't able to make it to Wrigley. (I hope one day I will be able to go to Wrigley and uphold his lifelong dream for him). He was my big brother in the fraternity and was an idol for me to life up to. Someone I could always call to talk sports, hang out, watch tv, or just spend nights shooting the shite watching tv or random stuff online. He will be greatly missed and I will forever hold him in my heart as a man who's life was taken too soon.
RIP Ben "Body" Michael
Life Ever, Die Never...

American Bishop Approve Pro-Life Mass Tells Obama Yo Fix Immigration

The United Bishops are meeting in Houston and being busy little beavers. Whispers has been covering it and has a entry here.

As to the Pro-Life Mass

Along with the text-drop, the morning session likewise saw the body complete a project begun some two decades ago, approving a votive Mass of Thanksgiving for the Gift of Human Life by a vote of 183-2. As with all liturgical action-items, the rite must receive the recognitio (confirmation) of the Holy See before being permitted for use.

TWO DECADES AGO!!! Good grief.

LSU Baseball Players Visits the Omaha Zoo- Too Funny

DON"T CHASE THE PEACOCKS!!! Zoo coverage starts about a minute in on the vid.

Also see this phot gallery Day 6: Baseball Visits Zoo, Enjoys Team Party

LSU Versus Arkansas in College World Series- Will Familiarity Leads to Complacency

Thoughts by former Baton Rouge Advocate Sports Writer Carl Dubois at Tigers, Razorbacks and a whole lot of familiarity

A Catholic Bishop That Blogs On Church and State Issues

This is the blog of Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Curry of Los Angeles

Pretty cool. Hopefully he will blog more.

Obama Give President’s Council on Bioethics Members the Boot

Well that is tragic but to be expected.

Should Republicans Be Allowed in Catholic RCIA Classes?

One gets the indication at times we GOP folks are the greatest threat to the Church since Martin Luther, the attempted Islamic conquest of Europe, and the sacking of Rome.


If you have the misfortune to be a Neo-Con (THE GREATEST EVIL EVER KNOWN) your entry into Holy Mother Church might be stopped because you will not repent of supposed unjust war , your support for Israel , and other vast sins.

Thankfully we do not live in that Universe though I would not be shocked that in some Parishes people might be getting the cold shoulder.

You see this dynamic on the political left and the political right (people on the right have a bad habit of throwing around the word socialism a tad too much) in Catholic circles but it does seem this year that Catholic Republicans are really getting it.

However Republican , and other various Conservative Catholics do have something to say on these issues and it should be met with dialogue.

Again going back to one of the best election quotes I saw last year at Mirrors of Justice from Prof Rick Garnett. Just change the names of the characters with people from the past or put in hypothetical people for the future in place of Obama and McCain. Rinse Wash Repeat its a lot like the movie Groundhog Day.

It seems to be a premise of many of these "for whom should Catholics vote?" discussions that "on every issue that matters, other than abortion, the election of Sen. Obama will actually yield meaningful policy actions that are edifyingly in concert with the Church's social teaching, while the election of Sen. McCain will actually yield meaningful policy actions that are distressingly in conflict with the Church's social teaching." But, this premise is false. It is false because it ignores, or at least downplays, the political, social, cultural and economic realities that will almost certainly prevent dramatic changes with respect to most matters, and so it overestimates the "good" stuff about an Obama administration that, it is proposed, outweighs the "bad" stuff.

It is also false because Sen. McCain's views (or, more precisely, the policies likely to be pursued by his administration) on a number of matters -- not just abortion -- are, in terms of consonance with the Church's social teaching, preferable to Sen. Obama's. Or, so a faithful, reasonable, informed, non-duped, non-Republican-hack, Commonweal-and-First Things-reading Catholic could conclude. It's a sad thought, but . . . I'm not sure that productive conversations -- even among friends -- are possible so long as this false premise is assumed.

Acton University Is Starting Up- Faith and Economics

Father Z has this Report on Acton U - III



AU will bring 400 people together from almost 50 countries. 33 lecturers offering more than 60 courses. 100 different events includes meals, meetings, receptions and panels and networking groups. A couple of the major groups will be almost 30 Catholic High School teachers working on curriculum and bringing economics into the CHS curriculum, and 30 Protestant seminary professors discussing culture and needs at seminaries across the country. Attendees primarily Christian, though the conference will include lectures on Islam by Mustafa Akyol, and a handful of Muslims and Buddhists are participating to learn more about the intersection of Christianity and Free Market Economics.



Always some good stuff.



The Action Inst Blog is here

Here is a list of topics that are too same the least are very interesting.

They say some of these talks will posted online later this week.

Here is some podcasts from last years conference that are very very good

See the latest roundup on whats going on here

Pope Talks Church Fathers -Cyril and Methodius

I am going to start up highlighting the Weekly Wednesday Audience of the Pope again. I don't know Hiw I got away from that. THis is againa good one. The text is here at On Cyril and Methodius "Each People Should … Express the Salvific Truth With Their Own Language"

USA Has A Nice Article on LSU Baseball

See here

Carl Dubois that used to write for Advocate has new post up. See Off-day thoughts about CWS, the Tigers