Immigrants & Oranges

The debate over immigration reform may mean you'll pay more for orange juice this year.

Citrus growers in Florida say as many as six-million boxes of Valencia oranges will rot on the trees. They don't have enough workers to pick the fruit. And they say that's because of the uncertainity over immigration laws. It's creating a shortage of fruit pickers. (St Pete Times)

States Step up Immigration Reforms

While Washington's still trying to hammer out an immigration plan, states are pushing forward with their own reforms.

USA Today reports at least 30 states have come up with new immigration laws making it harder for illegal immigrants to find work or get government services.

USA Today also has a state-by-state look at what's being done. (USAToday)

The Political Edge

Howard Kurtz at the Washington Post looks into the YouTube Revolution and how homemade political ads may play a role in the next Presidential campaign.

Mr Kurtz refers to this ad suggesting the Sen John McCain (R-AZ) is a "flip-flopper" -- but still better than Sen Hillary Clinton (D-NY) for President:



Mr Kurtz suggests the ads can take on an edge that campaigns may shy away from. They can also skirt campaign finance laws.(WashPost)

Washington Revolving Door

Washington has some pricey revolving doors. Take the case of Jeffrey Shockey. The Washington Post's Jeffery Birnbaum describes the windfall for the lobbyist turned congressional aide:

"The 40-year-old congressional staffer last year collected nearly $2 million in severance payments from his former employer, a lobbying firm that specializes in winning benefits from the committee he now serves. Many longtime Washingtonians are shaking their heads in disbelief over the payout's enormous size, its ad hoc method of calculation and the fact that Shockey received it while working as a senior congressional aide."

Passing through the revolving door between lobby firms and Congress can be the more damaging kind of "spin" as far as taxpayers go.

Mr Shockey has been back and forth between working for Congress and working for lobbying firms multiple times. (WashPost)

Well, "Slam Dunk" Tenent DID Get the Medal of Freedom

The Department of Veterans Affairs -- which recently lost the personal info of 26 million veterans in a burglary -- has been awarded an honor for the way it keeps electronic health records.

Harvard University honored the VA with its Innovations in American Government Award. (USAToday)

Scary Stuff: Nukes, Global Warming, and President Bush Sings U-2

Kim Jong Il's missiles, a terrifying message from Al Gore, and President Bush sings "Sunday, Bloody Sunday."

Poll Position: Iraq's Future & America's Past

Americans confused over Iraq's future & not so patriotic about America's past.

Homeless in Paradise

White sands, blue water, and homeless people sleeping everywhere.

That's the scene at Hawaii's Leeward Coast. Around 4,000 homeless people are sleeping on the beach. The state's rushing to create emergency homeless shelters -- in places like empty warehouses -- to deal with the problem. (Honolulu Advertiser)

Powell's Colon Trouble

So, former Secretary of State Colin Powell and former President Bill Clinton walk into a restaurant in Aspen.... no, I'm not making this up.

Anyway, the sit down to brunch and Mr Powell gets sick. Police say it was a combination of altitude sickness and something he ate.

Mr Powell was reported in good spirits after being treated and released from Aspen Valley Hospital.

It's been a bad week for Aspen. Take this line from the Powell story on the MSNBC website:

A nursing supervisor at the hospital, where former Enron CEO Kenneth Lay was rushed to and pronounced dead early Wednesday, refused to comment [on Powell's condition].

(MSNBC)

Al Gore Goes to Wal-Mart

Al Gore will be a guest speaker at a quarterly gathering of Wal-Mart executives. The former Vice President turned documentary producer will discuss global climate change at a Wal-Mart conference on sustainability. It's part of Wal-Mart's effort to corner the market on environmentally friendly big-box shopping.

The company actually has 14 internal groups working on ways to make the company's business practices more enviromentally friendly.

And besides. They have everything at Wal-Mart. Mr Gore may be able to pick up a new lock-box at everyday low prices! (WSJ/HT: Think Progress)

Sunday, Bloody Sunday

President Bush does U2 with help from Rx.



(ThePartyParty.com)

Ken Lay Died Doing What he Loved

Let me get this straight.

Because Enron founder Ken Lay died after conviction and before sentencing, it wipes his conviction off the record and the money -- owed to his creditors -- could go to his heirs instead.

His lawyers now have to sue his estate to get the fees for representing him.

And it may make the judge issue a harsher sentence to Jeff Skilling.

At least Ken Lay died doing what he loved doing: Screwing people over! (WashPost)

A Terrifying Message from Al Gore

Bender from Futurama helps promote Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth.

I haven't seen the movie yet, but apparently the former Vice President plays a "streetwise pimp with a hybrid pimpmobile."

Fourth of July

Independence Day celebrations in Washington, DC featuring scenes from the National Archives and fireworks seen from the Iwo Jima Memorial.

Double Standards & Kinky Ads

Politicians and their double standards on leaks to the media. Fake farmers are making real money from your taxes. Kinky commercials play in Texas.

Poll Position 7/1/2006: Deja Vu & Kinky Ads

Numbers keep adding up for Democrats and Kinky commercials start running in Texas.

Farm Livin' is the Life for Me

Washington spends 50% more propping up farm subsidies than it does on welfare.

Thing is -- lots of the people getting farm money from your tax money -- are not farmers.

The Washington Post spent nine months looking into farm subsidies. Some of the things they found:

• A suburban Texas McMansion and yard getting $1,300
• A Houston surgeon collecting $490,000 over ten years
• Suburban homeowners having their land assessed at $55 an acre instead of their neighbors' $3,000 an acre because they got their yards declared "for agricultural use."

These folks aren't raising a single crop. But taxpayers need to raise cain over it. (Washington Post)