Random Links and Comments for 30 April

Starting with the positive, here is a story of good sportsmanship we can all take to heart.

Justice Scalia On The Record. That link provides the transcript to the 60 Minutes interview of Justice Scalia by Leslie Stahl. What I really like about Scalia (beside the fact that he normally agrees with me) is he speaks in such a way that almost anyone should be able to understand. To get a better understanding of how polarizing the left finds Scalia, there are 146 pages of comments that follow the CBS story. I didn't have the stomach (or time) to read all 146 pages, but in what I did read there wasn't one supportive of the justice's originalistic point of view.

It is not often you find stories that where one answers the other as quickly as the following two. First Bob Novak penned "For Pro-Choice Politicians, a Pass With the Pope" which talked about how some former Catholics were able to prominently receive Holy Communion during the Masses celebrated in National Park and Yankee Stadium. Novak specifically called out Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington and Cardinal Edward Egan, archbishop of New York for specifically inviting the wayward politicians. Turns out Cardinal Egan had already specifically criticized Rudy Giuliani for presenting himself for Communion in violation of a previously private agreement between the cardinal and the former mayor.

Egan says he had "an understanding" with Giuliani that he is not to receive the Eucharist. The Catholic Church teaches "that abortion is a grave offense against the will of God," Egan said. The cardinal said Monday that Giuliani broke that understanding when he received the Eucharist during Pope Benedict XVI's visit earlier this month. He received Communion during the April 19 service from one of the many clergymen who offered the sacrament.

Egan says he will be seeking a meeting with Giuliani "to insist that he abide by our understanding."

Good for Cardinal Egan. There is considerable confusion about the whole excommunication thing. The church doesn't need to issue a proclamation declaring someone excommunicated. No, each individual Catholic understands if they have abandoned the faith. You don't present yourself for Communion if you are not in a state of grace. Separately, I'm a little ticked off that with limited seating for the papal Masses in DC and NY that pro-abortion politicians were even invited. The Washington arch-bishop couldn't find practicing Catholics to invite instead of Ted Kennedy, John Kerry and Nancy Pelosi??? Those three and others have consistently and publicly rejected the church's position on the sanctity of life and they don't rate a front row seat to see the Pope!

I doubt anyone this is considering living in San Francisco, but here is one more reason to avoid that area of the country:

San Francisco residents, already facing some of the highest housing prices and parking fines in the nation, now have a new nightmare to watch out for - $100 tickets if their garbage or recycling cans can be seen from the street.

Speaking of San Francisco, here is a laugh from last week, Cindy Sheehan is challenging in the Democratic primary for Nancy Pelosi's congressional seat. What makes this funny is Sheehan's reason for running is she believes Pelosi is too moderate or conservative. Only in San Fran could an extreme liberal like Pelosi be considered unacceptably conservative.

To win in November Sen. Obama needs more headlines like this:

SHARPTON RAPS OBAMA

Obama's chances rest on the average, regular folks not thinking he is beholden to the race baiting poverty pimps like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. On the other hand, Sharpton and Jackson (and of course Wright) know that an Obama victory would undermine their "It's All About Race" argument that they have used to line their pockets for decades. So, don't be surprised to see some of these characters continue to undermine Obama's campaign.

Here is a scary headline:

Expert: U.S. population to hit 1 billion by 2100

A couple months ago Roger Clemens sued his former trainer for defamation of character because the guy gave testimony during the Mitchell Investigation. As these thing often turn out, Clemens suit is actually resulting in a spotlight shining on his life that is going to tarnish his reputation much more than if he had not sued. Here is the latest in the slow trickle of negative info coming out.

Here is a scary thought for those who feel the senate has become too populated with self-important blowhards.

The possibility of the host of MSNBC's "Hardball" Christopher Matthews, running against Senator Specter of Pennsylvania, a Republican, for Mr. Specter's senate seat in Pennsylvania is intensifying.