This Week From AAI

 

President Me, Scumbaggery, & Cash Organs

The Arkansas Project

Four members of Occupy Little Rock were arrested last week. Why did they feel they had the right to indefinitely occupy public property? We take a look at their perverse logic. And how can you exercise or defend your rights if you do not know them? Brush up on your right to know, via the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.

Obama and GM Cook the Books

Three years ago Obama invested more than $100 billion in taxpayer money to bail out General Motors. On Tuesday, the entire company was worth less than $34 billion. Yet over the last few days the Obama campaign, in a $25 million marketing blitz, has flooded the airwaves with ads in battleground states, claiming the bailout should be counted a rousing success. More from John Lott of NRO.

41 Percent Say It's OK to Pay Organ Donors in Cash Money

At long last, Americans are warming up to the idea of a market for all of the spare kidneys, bone marrow, liver chunks, and other life-saving organs that walking, talking, still-alive humans have to offer.  Katherine Mangu-Ward explains at Reason.

President Me

Reflecting on his two terms in office, President George W. Bush said in 2010, "You realize you're not it. You're a part of something bigger than yourself." This is a sentiment President Barack Obama did not inherit from his successor. More from Heritage's Morning Bell.

We Find the Defendant, John Edwards, Guilty of Scumbaggery

If John Edwards were on trial for cheating on his dying wife, fathering his mistress's child, lying to everyone about the affair, and squandering other people's money in a vain attempt to keep these secrets, there would be no room for reasonable doubt. Jacob Sullum explains at Reason. For a contrary view, see Hans A. von Spakovsky's assessment at NRO.

Generation Pap

At graduation ceremonies across the country, politicians, authors, actors, and businessmen take to the stage to tell young people they are fantastic simply because they are young. This year, the ritual is more pathetic than usual because there's a presidential election in the offing. Read Jonah Goldberg's take at NRO.

Extend the Bush Tax Cuts Now

The uncertainty over the Bush tax cuts already has caused a number of business leaders to threaten a hiring freeze and a dampening of investment until they can figure out the after-tax cost of capital and rate of return on investment. Larry Kudlow issues a warning at NRO.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Expiring Bush Tax Cuts

Billions of dollars in tax cuts are set to expire at the end of the year.  Read this story from the Tax Foundation for brief explanations of some of the often-asked questions regarding the Bush Tax Cuts.

Questioning Homeownership as a Public Policy Goal

It is not a stretch to say that the bust to owner-occupied housing in the United Stated led to a sizeable contraction of global economic output, says Morris A. Davis, an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin--Madison, School of Business. Read more from the National Center for Policy Analysis.

A Tale of Two Commencements

Two days after Mitt Romney delivered the commencement speech at Liberty University, the big evangelical Christian school founded by Jerry Falwell, Barack Obama tutored graduates at Barnard College, the intensely liberal all-women's school adjacent to Columbia University. As you might guess, the wisdom these two political elders imparted to the Class of 2012 was not the same. Daniel Henninger elaborates at The Wall Street Journal.

The Good News About Race in America

Trayvon Martin. Voter ID laws. Color-conscious college admissions policies heading for the Supreme Court again. It seems like a good time to check in with Abigail Thernstrom, a reliable fount of honesty and uncommon sense on matters racial. More from Jason L. Riley at The Wall Street Journal.