Odds and Ends

1. Let's agree that everyone thinks that the other side is a bunch of rigid ideologues who cling to their beliefs on pure faith and are impervious to even the most basic elements of logic or evidence. This will save us all a lot of typing.

2. "X-ism is a good idea, but the X-ist movement has been hijacked by a bunch of crazy extremists" is an awfully convenient thing to believe. On the one hand, it gets you off the hook of having to disagree with a cause that is morally compelling (e.g. feminism) or has a lot of social clout (e.g. religion). But on the other hand, it also gets you off the hook of having to do anything. Only wild ideologues would insist on making additional progress.

3. Harriet Miers will be confirmed. There's plenty of bellyaching going on now, but when push comes to shove, very few Senators will be willing to defy the president.

4. It's popular to argue that one's political opponents are not just ideologically mistaken, but dishonest and immoral too. Last night the Senate was given as clear a non-ideological test of its integrity as you're likely to see -- and it turns out both parties are mostly made up of scumbags.

5. Rabi makes a good point.