Sen. Vitter Blocks Pay Increase, Swiss to Shut Down Nuclear Plants

And Other News That Needs Commenting On

The WP reports that Sen. Vitter (R, La) is blocking a pay increase for Secretary of the Interior Salazar in order to force him to issue more deep well permits for drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.  What do you call withholding payment to someone to force them to do your bidding.  In the legal world it is called extortion, in the Conservative world it is called politics as usual.

Switzerland is moving to shut down all of its nuclear power plants.  This seems unusual in that one does not expect a tidal wave to hit Switzerland at least not any time soon. Maybe the Swiss have discovered what the rest of already knew.  Nuclear power is a great solution to the energy crisis, as long as you have a good, safe disposal plan for the radio active waste.  Switzerland probably does not, but then neither does the U. S.

The AP is reporting that the U.S. may soon indict failed (in more ways than one) former Presidential candidate John Edwards for misusing campaign funds to support/hide/payoff his mistress.  Mr. Edwards made fame and fortune as a defense attorney, here’s hoping he will get to put those skills on display.

While this is not big news for most of the country, it is big news for North Carolina BBQ fanatics, of which The Dismal Political Economist is one of.

Ed Mitchell to Open New Restaurant.

President Obama in England has said that our common values unite us.  One that doesn’t is freedom of the press.  We have it, they don’t.