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In 74 A.D., Mt. Vesuvius erupted. And if you're interested in catastrophic eruptions I highly recommend Simon Winchester's Krakatoa, a delightful read from my summer reading list....

Quentin noted earlier the South Dakota Democrat's new Communication's Director (hired with money from Howard Dean), Elesha Carr, a self-proclaimed vegetarian and animal activist (which is about as aberrant as transplanting African animals here). Now, I have no qualms against...

I wouldn't go so far to say that John Roberts's confirmation is assured, but this surely must make those that hope for a good outcome gleeful:Two weeks before senators begin questioning the Supreme Court nominee, John G. Roberts Jr., the...

With the decision this morning by an 8-1 vote, South dakota's Ellsworth Air Force Base was removed from the list of recommended closures by the BRAC Commissioners.

Some coverage on the facts of the decision in the Rapid City Journal...
Ellsworth saved

Like the phoenix from the ashes, the status of Ellsworth Air Force base rose from expendable to essential in a matter of seconds when the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission, or BRAC, voted Friday to save the base.

South Dakota's top lawmakers and the head of the Ellsworth Task Force were at the edge of their seats in the suburban Washington, D.C., hearing room when BRAC commissioner Samuel Skinner made a motion to reject the Pentagon's recommendation to close Ellsworth and move its 29 B-1B Lancer bombers to Dyess Air Force Base.

Looking for at least five commissioners to raise their hands in support of Skinner's motion, the South Dakotans instead saw all but one of the nine-member panel vote to save Ellsworth.

...and in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader:

ELLSWORTH SPARED

Ellsworth Air Force Base was taken off the Pentagon?s recommended list of closures this morning, a decision that sent jubilant Rapid City residents leaping to their feet as they watched the proceedings on live TV.

The nine-member independent commission voted 8 to 1 to reject the Pentagon?s recommendation to close the base as part of the Defense Department?s plan to restructure the military.

Meanwhile, some of the politics of the situation which provide a boost to Sen. Thune's position were not lost on others:

Base Closing Choices Impact Politics

When the Pentagon announced that it wanted to shut down Ellsworth Air Force Base, it was an enormous setback for Sen. John Thune. The Republican got elected in part by repeatedly telling voters he could save the base because of his close ties to President Bush.

Thune responded to the Ellsworth news by going on the offensive: He and fellow South Dakota leaders from both parties launched an intense lobbying effort. He also stopped fund-raising for the Republican Party and opposed the Bush administration on a few important Senate votes.

On Friday, Thune's political future got a big boost when a federal commission decided to save Ellsworth, home to B-1B bombers and a major player in the Cold War. He and other South Dakota politicians hailed the decision as the result of an extraordinary bipartisan campaign that convinced the commission that the military and nation need Ellsworth.

All in all, a very good day for South Dakota!

Federal Judge OKs Global Warming Lawsuit

Although the status of Global Warming, and even more so, the extent of human involvement in causing it is very much in question (in spite of the MSM mantras to the contrary), this judge has declared that envirowacko groups have the unprecedented right to sue companies for "damage" to the plaintiffs caused by projects overseas!

Let's see now. A claim for damages to a moonbat in San Francisco from a project in Sri Lanka, for example, may be grounds for a lawsuit for specific damages to said moonbat.

The Chief sure has trouble tracing the causal chain on THIS one, but then again, for a "progressive" judge, anything goes.

After Daschle paid his former staffers all year to bash Thune about Ellsworth, which they claimed to be the biggest campaign issue last year (it wasn't that big a deal of you followed the race), now Daschle finally admits it...

Michael Baronne's Almanac of American Politics is out, and it contains a lead essay that is very happy reading for Republicans, at least if the Washington Times summary is accurate. I recommend it, but here are a few highlights.? In...

From the New York Times: The 8-to-1 vote is a big victory for Senator John Thune, the Republican who last fall defeated Tom Daschle, then the Senate's Democratic leader, on a promise to use his clout to spare the base....

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