Diogenes-Light: Me and My Obamaphones

Breaking News

August 1, 2013

Today, Jim and the rest of the crew are steaming toward the Norwegian fjords. If we get any pictures, we'll be sure to share. But in the meantime . . .

Jillian Kay Melchior works for National Review, and no matter how much truth there is to the perception that publishing doesn't pay, she doesn't qualify for food stamps or any other federal welfare assistance. Yet Jillian was able to get not one, not two, but three cell phones paid for by the federal government, or "Obamaphones." And now, all of us (yes, all of you too), are paying her phone bills. Don't worry, she's sending them back . . . it was just for this story — Me and My Obamaphones.

Ramesh Ponnuru is already thinking about tomorrow, well, 2016. Ramesh lays out the 2016 Republican field for us. Who will be it (deep breath) — Paul, Cruz, Santorum, Perry, Ryan, Jindal, Rubio, Bush, Walker, or Christie? Find out here.

Where does the House stand on immigration reform? National Review Online has the strategy straight from the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Representative Bob Goodlatte.

NRO has much more today, including Cliff May's latest on the return of al-Qaeda and Victor Davis Hanson on the dearth of any political party looking out for the middle class.

And as promised, here is today's nugget from Jim (remember, you will need to have read yesterday's news to follow today's).

Something Worth Hating About Modern Politics, Part One

The sense among political operatives that everything is fair game, as long as it works.

Ever think about running for office? I'll bet you have, maybe once or twice, perhaps long ago. You look around your community and you see problems. You see people in government either ignoring the problems, pursuing solutions doomed to fail, or insisting that nothing can be done until they're given a much larger budget — when they've done so little with the budget they already have. You fume, conclude you could do their job better, and then you realize you probably could do their job better, and perhaps a whole lot better.

And then it hits you. Have you ever done drugs? A reckless driving charge, decades ago? Ever get in any other trouble with the law? Ever have an affair or a messy divorce? Do you have a loved one or relative who did? Even if it's decades ago, it's news if some news organization decides you and your reputation need to be hurt, as Marco Rubio learned:

On the night of July 5, Rubio received a call from his sister, Barbara Cicilia. She was distraught. A Univision reporter had called her about the arrest and incarceration of her husband, Orlando Cicilia, in the 1987 federal bust called "Operation Cobra." Rubio was 16 at the time. Before Rubio was elected to his first legislative seat, in 2000, Cicilia was cleared for early release.

The opposition will always find some source — some site desperate enough for traffic — eager to put their opposition research front and center. And then many other media entities will justify their coverage by covering the coverage.

Even unsealing divorce records, over the objection of both former spouses.

Even if you've got the strong stomach, thick skin, and hard head to deal with the maelstrom of mudslinging that will come your way . . . does your family? Do you want to put them through all that?

To read more, visit www.nationalreview.com

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