Quacks to the Charles H. Lundquist College of Business for incorporating students’ opinions into the selection process for the school’s new dean. It is only fair and sensible to include the viewpoints of those who will be directly affected by the choice.
Smacks to the federal deficit being $1 trillion worse than predicted in August, and to the budget monkeys who made the gross numerical estimations. For reference, written out, that’s $1,000,000,000,000.
Quacks to NASA for successfully landing its second spacecraft on Mars. Fewer than half of Mars missions have been successful, but this mission’s success has produced stunning images from another world.
Smacks to President Bush for hinting at a federal marriage amendment in his State of the Union address. Not only is the Constitution the wrong place to define a marriage policy, but the specific language of the currently-in-progress amendment looks like a step backward for tolerance.
Quacks to $3 pitchers at Sakura. Enough said.
Smacks to former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean for making a fool of himself at the Iowa caucus. His “I Have a Scream” speech, however impassioned, is a step backward for decorum in the political forum.
Quacks to University physics graduate student Brian Stubbs for challenging an evidently illegitimate Oregon University System policy banning concealed handguns on campus, even among concealed handgun license holders.
Smacks to the more than 500 American deaths in Iraq. The casualties are mounting, but successes in the region don’t seem to be keeping pace in recent months.
Quacks to the EMU’s Erb Essentials for stocking Coca-Cola. Now that the mart’s exclusive contract with Pepsico Inc. expired, students have more options in at least one more way.
Smacks to Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, and the Rev. Al Sharpton for not having yet dropped out of the Democratic presidential nomination race. Bottoming out in the polls and finishing poorly in both the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary, they’re contributing less to democracy than they would as public figures outside the race.
Quacks to Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., for rising out of the second tier of candidates and winning both of the major nomination contests to date. It goes to show that media attention isn’t everything, and that voting is still absolutely critical to the democratic process.
Smacks to shoddy prewar intelligence. David Kay, the former top U.S. weapons inspector in Iraq, told the Senate Intelligence Committee that, although it’s possible that stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction will be found, it is “highly unlikely.”