The Daily Top Five

For December 13, 2006

1. If you are interested in education like I am, be sure to check the 97th Edition of the Carnival of Education and the 50th Edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling.

2. The FEC has levied three fines against 527 organizations for a total of $630,000 for failing the major purpose test. What is interesting is that at least for some people like Allison "The Skeptic" Hayward notes:

Apparently the FEC is of the view that a vague line in the caselaw about "major purpose" (or the retroactive application of regulations) trumps the statutory language requiring a $1,000 threshold in contributions or expenditures before a group can be regulated as a political committee.

A similar ongoing dispute between the Club for Growth and the FEC is being played out in the courts right now.

3. LaShawn Barber reports on a call by North Carolina Congressman Walter Jones to investigate Durham County, NC District Attorney Mike Nifong for violating the civil rights of the Duke lacrosse players accused of rape. While I have followed the case, I have usually not posted on it. But Barber notes:

If DOJ opens an investigation, which I’m praying it will do, first on the list will be the photo ID process. In violation of standard procedures, the photo ID array did not include photos of people not associated with the so-called crime. The stripper-accuser looked at photos of white Duke lacrosse players and pointed to random men she wanted to frame for the alleged gang-rape.

If this aspect is true and I have no reason believe it not to be true, this is certainly a violation of standard police procedure as well as potentially a violation of constitutional criminal procedure. I certainly believe that Nifong has handled the in an amateurish manner at best and probably in an unethical manner.

4. I know that stories of liberal bias on college campuses is old news, but Michelle Malkin points to a very good article on the subject. I suspect that despite accusations that the matter is some sort of conspiracy, I would argue that the dominance of the left on college campuses is a cyclical thing and in 50 years liberal commentators will be making the same arguements. But extremism on both ends is not good and colleges should do a better job of trying to find some sort of, if not a happy at least a tolerant, medium.

5. For those who didn't know, the issue of slavery is still alive and well in the United States. More specifically, slave reparation lawsuits have been filed in many places. Judge Posner has issued a decision on the issue, affirming dismissal of such cases in the lower courts. Check out the opinion here.