The death of common sense

New York Post details the absurd new program required by Mayor Bloomberg for the schools. Never mind that the NEW light bulbs cannot be changed without major precautions being taken. This scare is costly; but who cares?

After weathering a winter of intimida tion, Mayor Bloomberg has appar ently capitulated to an Environmental Protection Agency scare campaign.

The issue: PCBs -- three little letters that are about to sock New York schools with another $700 million funding drain.

The supposedly toxic chemicals are found in old light fixtures in classrooms all over. The feds want them replaced -- no matter the cost.

 Michael Goodwin at the NY Post has a revealing column today regarding The One's remarks about wanting to be president of China. He concludes, "He's in over his head and he knows it." No kidding.

There are two ways to read the remark, which is attributed to anonymous aides. One is that Obama resents the burden of global leadership that comes with the American presidency. The other is that he longs for an authoritarian system, where he need tolerate no dissent.

Under either or both interpretations, his confession carries a dose of self-pity that means Obama has hit a wall.

  And DC, after having fired Michelle Rhee and Mayor Fenty in their attempts to reform the school system, is disappointed with the questionable character they voted into office. The discontent with Fenty was stirred up by the teachers' union. Now they have what they want. Washington Times:

D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray has been in office just 2 1/2 months, but his administration already is reeling under allegations that cash payoffs were made during his campaign and that he doled out high-paying city jobs to political friends who were either underqualified or had undisclosed criminal pasts.

U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. made a rare disclosure last week that his office is working with the FBI to evaluate the allegations. 

  And HInderaker blesses the death of the "new civility," which was more stillborn than alive. Powerline:

One would think that if anything is uncivil it is a death threat. Local news outlets in Wisconsin report that a number of Republican legislators have received such threats. Democratic Party activists have gone to Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald's house and pounded on his windows, demanding that he come out, at 6:00 in the morning. Crazed mobs have repeatedly menaced Republicans, who had to be spirited out of the state Capitol by armed state patrolmen. If this isn't uncivil, what is? 

  All the world's insane, one might conclude in a solitary down in the cups moment.