From Tim Huelskamp:

May 1, 2009
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Dear Friend,

Wanted to give you a quick update on this past Legislative session, as well as an update on our campaign for Congress…
First, this was a very exciting session, as we were able to pass important bills defending the 2nd Amendment, protecting Life, and balancing our budget. (more…)

From CWA:

http://www.jillstanek.com/archives/2009/05/breaking_news_k_6.html May 1, 2009
Breaking news: KS Planned Parenthood caught on tape THIS WEEK helping cover up adult rape of minor (more…)

From Olathe Rep. Mike Kiegerl:

Go to mikekiegerl.com

RECESS ENDS APRIL 29, BAD NEWS ON THE BUDGET.
While the legislators were home for the recess the Consensus Revenue Estimating Group (CREG) came up with the latest revenue shortfall numbers and they are not pretty. Receipts are $159 million less than anticipated for this fiscal year which ends June 30th. This means the reductions in spending and cuts in the 2009 budget are insufficient and we will not only need to do more of the same for this and also for next year. A little history might explain how we got into this mess. (more…)

From the Huelskamp campaign:

Karl Peterjohn Endorses Tim Huelskamp for Congress
Kansas Anti-Tax Leader Notes Huelskamp Always Honored ‘Taxpayer Protection Pledge’
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Brian Weber 620-253-0255

Fowler, Kansas–Conservative anti-tax Kansas crusader Karl Peterjohn today announced his endorsement of Republican Tim Huelskamp (KS-01) for Congress.

According to Peterjohn: “Some others in this race have bragged about being the first to sign the ‘no tax’ pledge. Well, I’m here to tell you that Tim Huelskamp signed American’s for Tax Reform’s ‘Taxpayer Protection Pledge’ thirteen years ago — and despite great pressure to break his pledge on several occasions - he has always honored his promise to Kansas taxpayers. I am proud to support his bid for Congress.” (more…)

From Todd Tiahrt:If you are having trouble viewing this message, please click here.

U.S. Capitol Update
April 25, 2009

Dear Friend,

Welcome to this week’s U.S. Capitol Update.

Gracia Burnham Receives Special Courage Award from DOJ
This week I had the pleasure of meeting with Gracia Burnham while she was in Washington to receive the Special Courage Award from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime. Vicki was honored to escort Gracia in Washington as they attended the award ceremony and other events surrounding her award from the Department of Justice.

Gracia Burnham is a great woman of faith and courage who has been an inspiration to Vicki and me along with countless others around the world. We have been touched by her story, her bravery and her unshakable faith in God. Her courage in adversity, forgiving spirit and pursuit of justice are to be commended. (more…)

Tim Huelskamp:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: Senator Tim Huelskamp 620-646-5413

April 23, 2009

Sebelius: Radical Commitment to George Tiller and Late-Term Abortion

Fowler, KS - Just minutes ago, Governor Kathleen Sebelius vetoed another common sense pro-life measure - SB 218. This measure would have provided additional reporting requirements for late-term abortionists like George Tiller, protected women from coercive actions by the abortion industry, and further restricted partial-birth abortion.

Senator Tim Huelskamp (R-Fowler), one of the pro-life leaders who shepherded SB 218 through the Legislature, decried this outrageous veto: “The pro-abortion veto by Governor Sebelius in the last hour of the last day of her 10-day period demonstrates her radical commitment to George Tiller and late-term abortion. It is simply shocking that someone so indebted to the late-term abortion industry is still being considered for Secretary of HHS.”

George Tiller is a late-term abortionist based in Wichita, Kansas. During Sebelius’ political career, Tiller has been the single largest contributor to PACs and campaign committees controlled by Sebelius. She has vetoed numerous other pro-life bills including limits on Tiller’s specialty in late-term abortions and a requirement for sanitary conditions in his and other abortion clinics.

-30-

Paid for by Kansans for Huelskamp

From Congressman Tiahrt:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Josh Bell - 316.265.2517

Todd and Vicki Tiahrt Joined Thousands in Tea Party Rallies across Kansas

WICHITA-U.S. Congressman Todd Tiahrt (R-Goddard) and Vicki Tiahrt traveled across Kansas this week joining with thousands of other Kansans at tea party rallies to protest high taxes, new government programs and bailouts for failing corporations. Speaking in Wichita, Overland Park, Salina, Emporia, El Dorado and Kansas City, the Tiahrt’s expressed their outrage at the out-of-control spending in Washington, the burdensome tax system that punishes success and the endless bailouts that are putting Americans further in debt. (more…)

The Scorecard:

Former Ohio GOP congressman and O’Reilly Factor guest host John Kasich will be running against Gov. Ted Strickland (D-Ohio), per the Columbus Dispatch:

Republican John Kasich is expected to file papers today so that he can begin raising money for the 2010 race for governor.

Sources told The Dispatch that the former congressman from Westerville will file papers this afternoon with the Ohio secretary of state designating a treasurer for his gubernatorial campaign. The move will permit Kasich to raise cash and hire staff for his anticipated campaign against Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland.

“We’re off and running,” said a source who has been helping Kasich prepare for a gubernatorial bid.

Kasich, a former 18-year congressman and a Fox News on-air personality, is expected to formally declare his candidacy by early June.

UPDATE: Newt Gingrich predicted Kasich’s candidacy on the O’Reilly Factor last night, and touted the Ohio GOP ticket of Kasich and Rob Portman at the top of the statewide ticket in the Buckeye State.

Rasmussen:

Just 25% of voters have a favorable impression of Specter, including six percent (6%) whose view is Very Favorable. Fifty-three percent (53%) regard the longtime senator unfavorably, with 27% whose opinion of him is Very Unfavorable. However, 22% apparently don’t know enough about the 29-year Senate veteran to have an opinion one way or the other.

Democrats have a much higher regard for Specter than Republicans. While 41% of Democratic voters view the longtime senator favorably, just 12% of Republicans - and 17% of unaffiliated voters - agree. Seventy-four percent (74%) of GOP voters have an unfavorable opinion of Specter, including 41% Very Unfavorable.

Rasmussen:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Friday shows that 34% of the nation’s voters now Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Thirty-two percent (32%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of +2 (see trends and recent demographic highlights).

The Presidential Approval Index is calculated by subtracting the number who Strongly Disapprove from the number who Strongly Approve. It is updated daily at 9:30 a.m. Eastern (sign up for free daily e-mail update). Updates also available on Twitter.

Overall, 54% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President’s performance so far. Forty-five percent (45%) disapprove. A summary of Obama’s numbers after 100 days is also available. For more Presidential barometers, see Obama By the Numbers.

Pollster:

Prime Buzz:

The more often Americans go to church, the more likely they are to support the torture of suspected terrorists, according to a new survey.

More than half of people who attend services at least once a week — 54 percent — said the use of torture against suspected terrorists is “often” or “sometimes” justified. Only 42 percent of people who “seldom or never” go to services agreed, according to the analysis released by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

Chris Cillizza:

10. Hawaii (R-controlled): Until the Democratic field shakes out, it’s hard to know exactly where this race will go. Rep. Neil Abercrombie is in the race while two potential heavyweights — Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann and state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa — remain undecided. Republicans have largely united behind Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona and he could benefit from a divisive (and expensive) Democratic primary. (Previous ranking: 9)

9. New Jersey (D-Controlled): There’s little doubt that Gov. Jon Corzine (D) is in trouble heading into the fall election as voters have soured on him and his Wall Street background. But, it remains far from clear whether former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie is the superstar candidate that many in the GOP have billed him. Former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan is running surprisingly strongly against Christie in the Republican primary and while Christie is still the heavily favorite — given the heavy backing he enjoys from the party establishment — the fact that he has taken on some water over questions on his ethics isn’t a good sign for Republican hopes in the fall. (Previous ranking:

8. Virginia (D): Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe still looks like the frontrunner in next month’s primary but polling shows the race could be won by any of the three candidates — McAuliffe, former state Del. Brian Moran or state Sen. Creigh Deeds. (We were impressed — and a little surprised — by the strength of Deeds’ fundraising over the first three months of the year.) State Attorney General Bob McDonnell has largely avoided the spotlight, content (smartly) to let the Democrats beat one another up while he stows away cash for the general election. If McAuliffe winds up as the Democratic nominee, this race will take on a national profile almost immediately — a development that could work in McDonnell’s favor. (Previous ranking: 10)

Sources:

• Chicago Tribune
• US Senate roll call

HT Drudge

The Swamp:

Kasich described the state of Ohio that he first came to know in the 1970s and said the state has come to have higher taxes and unemployment with fewer people to support it all.

“The most important thing is to point out we need a major change in Ohio’s economics,” he said. “We need to restructure Ohio’s government to help bring down the economic barriers so we can have good, high-paying jobs in Ohio.”

Kasich, a native Pennsylvanian, is a graduate of Ohio State University, was elected to the state Senate at the age of 26 and then Congress at the age of 30, in 1982. He represented the 12th district for 18 years before going into business - he served as managing director at Lehman Brothers in its investing banking division.

He also served as chairman of the House Budget Committee when Republicans ruled the House.

CNBC’s blog “Warren Buffet Watch”:

We should get an update at this weekend’s Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting on Warren Buffett’s long-term bet against Wall Street.

Last June, we learned that Buffett had agreed to a 10-year, $1 million wager to back his long-held argument that “experts”, specifically hedge fund managers, don’t do better than the stock market as a whole, especially when you factor in the big fees those experts collect from investors.

Sanford in Human Events:

For better or worse, many Americans invested a great deal of hope in President Obama’s election, and while we clearly can’t pass judgment on the entirety of Barack Obama’s presidency after just a hundred days, now seems like a reasonable time to take a step back and evaluate his administration to date.

Based on the campaign that President Obama ran, and the expectations that he therefore set for his presidency, it seems to me that there are two arenas in which it is fair to judge him — on policy and on political terms. On the policy front, those judgments are fairly straightforward: do we believe the decisions he’s made will in the end have a positive or negative effect on our nation? On the political front we have a different metric, one set by the President himself: has he truly ushered in an era of the “new politics” we were promised or are we — using words we heard a fair amount last year — looking at more of the same?

Club for Growth:

Comedian Dennis Miller, the “duke of droll”, gives his thoughts on Arlen Specter:

Listen, I haven’t trusted Specter since James Bond warned me about him in “Dr. No.” This is the nut who hatched the single bullet theory back during the Warren Commission. You know, that bullet went down here, hung around, went down here, went through Connolly’s wrist. I mean, I thought he’s been a bit of an odd duck since then, but he’s 79 years old now. What else is he going to do? Is he going to go back to Philly and be the weird coot that lives down at the end of the street? Of course he isn’t. He’s going to walk around the Hill now, change party affiliations, because up there he realizes there’s a kid whose college credit is predicated on following him around with a drool cup and catching the discharge on an hourly basis. He’s going to be there forever. This is another one of those pro- choice - white pro-choice lifers, and he is going to make Zac Efron and Robert Byrd look similar before you pry him out of there. Try to get Arlen Specter out of Capitol Hill. He’s going to look like a raccoon in a flashlight at your trash bin at 3 in the morning. And you know something? Good riddance. Let him go over to the Dems for a while. Let them be embarrassed to be in bed with this whack job for a few years.

Club for Growth:

From GrassrootsPA.com:

In an interview with the Washington Times editorial board this week, House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) made the following remarks about Pat Toomey’s candidacy for U.S. Senate:

“‘I’m a Toomey supporter, he’s been my friend for a long time since he first ran for Congress, strong Republican, strong conservative, and someone who’d make a great U.S. Senator.’”

While Toomey is seeking the seat held by now-Democrat Senator Arlen Specter, he has proven before that he can win in a swing district. Toomey previously represented Pennsylvania’s 15th Congressional District which has a Cook Partisan Voting Index of D+2. He has wide appeal among voters for good reason: his first concern is reforming government and easing the burden on taxpayers. And he’s devoted to reining in the national debt so our kids and grandkids aren’t paying for the reckless spending of today.

Ben Cunningham:

Link

A BEDRIDDEN war veteran was found on Anzac Day with bloody ears, hands, face and neck after being “severely chewed” by swarming mice at a southwest Queensland nursing home.

Opposition MP Ray Hopper said Queensland Health had been slow to respond to a mice plague at the Dalby Hospital, which includes a nursing home, leading to the attack on the 89-year-old man.

[...]

He said it was normal to see an increase in mice in Dalby and the Darling Downs at the onset of winter, and the problem was handled with chemical sprays

“But the bureaucrats said no sprays this year because it uses agricultural chemicals, and that’s not allowed to happen at a health facility,” he said.

Kansas Liberty:

Republican Sen. Sam Brownback today endorsed the introduction of legislation that would require 50 percent of new cars to have the capability to operate on gasoline, ethanol and methanol or diesel or biodiesel.

The Open Fuel Standards Act would be set in motion 2012, and by 2015 the required percentage of flex fuel vehicles would be increased to 80 percent.

“The Open Fuel Standards Act is an important step toward making our nation energy independent,” said Brownback in a statement. “Giving drivers more choices at the gas pump will ultimately increase the supply of available transportation fuels, while at the same time lowering the overall cost to consumers.”

Kansas Liberty:

State Representative Lance Kinzer, R-Olathe, and sponsor of the abortion legislation Governor Sebelius vetoed yesterday, said he was not surprised by the points made by Sebelius in her veto explanation.

Kansas Liberty:

Unencumbered Cash at a Glance

As of July 1, 2008, for 294 Kansas school districts
Statewide total: $1.36 billion
Average district total: $4.6 million
Highest district total: Wichita, Sedgwick County, $133.4 million
Lowest district total: Skyline, Pratt County, $118,471
Statewide average per student: $3,045
Highest per student: Greensburg, Kiowa County, $81,788
Lowest per student: Skyline, Pratt County, $321

Top five districts total unencumbered cash as of July 1, 2008
Wichita USD 259                      $133.3 million
Blue Valley USD 229                 $106.8 million
Shawnee Mission USD 512       $ 91.9 million
Kansas City USD 500                $ 81.8 million
Olathe USD 233                        $ 66.8 million

Jack Cashill column:

More Thought-Policing In Mid-America

by Jack Cashill
Published in WorldNetDaily.com - April 30, 2009

In last week’s column, I detailed how an informal cabal that included the local media, Democratic office holders, liberal clergy, and self-described “watchdog” groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League conspired to defame, bankrupt, and even imprison individuals who flouted the liberal orthodoxy in the Heartland, specifically in Kansas and Missouri. (more…)

Kansas Liberty:

House Majority Leader Ray Merrick, R-Stilwell, said he thought Parkinson’s speech was reminiscent in statements Sebelius had made in the past.

“I didn’t really hear anything new today,” Merrick told Kansas Liberty.

Merrick said he didn’t agree with Parkinson’s support of manipulating taxes to close the deficit gap, including the proposal to suspend tax cuts and to decouple from the federal tax code.

“Lets just call this what it is - a tax increase,” Merrick said.

Sen. Mike Petersen, R-Wichita, also said he thought most of the tax proposals would equate to a tax increase.

Kansas Liberty:

A penny for your thoughts? More like jail time, say some critics of a Democratic statute intended to make some thoughts criminal offenses.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Ted Kennedy (D.-Mass.), passed the House 249-175, with Democrats generally voting in favor and Republicans voting nay.

Poll:

Way to go! The majority of participants in this week’s Rasmussen Prediction Challenge (68%) correctly predicted that Matt Giraud would be the contestant eliminated from “American Idol.”

Only 18% said Allison Iraheta would be eliminated last night. Six percent (6%) predicted Kris Allen or Adam Lambert would be the next to go. “Idol” voters placed Allen and Lambert in the bottom three with Giraud, but Giraud, who two weeks ago was “saved” by the judges, received the fewest votes of all.

This is the first week the majority of our “American Idol” predictors were right. Last week, their top choices for elimination were Giraud and Lil Rounds, but it was Rounds and Anoop Desai who actually got the boot. The week before, 45% thought Desai would be leaving the show, although Giraud ended up as the lowest vote-getter. But the judges then used their “save” to keep Giraud’s chances alive.

Pollster:

Gallup Poll
4/24-45/09; 1,044 adults, 3% margin of error
Mode: Live Telephone Interviews

National

Would you favor or oppose a government investigation into the use of harsh interrogation techniques of terrorism suspects?

All Americans
51% Favor
42% Oppose

Following story very closely
40% Favor
58% Oppose

Based on what you know or have read, do you think the use of harsh interrogation techniques for terrorism suspects was justified or not justified>

All Americans
55% Justified
36% Not Justified

Following story very closely
61% Justified
37% Not Justified

(source)

Reuters:

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Time Warner Inc’s AOL has asked a federal court to rule that it is not infringing patents held by Yahoo Inc.

The request, in the form of a complaint seeking declaratory relief, cites an ongoing intellectual property dispute between Yahoo and Quigo, an online advertising company that AOL acquired for $340 million in 2007.

Media Watch:

The big winner this year, without a doubt, is the much-maligned New York Times, taking five Pulitzers after winning one and sharing one last year. St. Petersburg Times, which last won a Pulitzer in 1998, is a multiple winner for the first time Politico cartoonist Matt Wuerker became the first finalist for an online-only publication.

The Washington Post didn’t fare as well, with columnist Eugene Robinson as its lone winner for commentary. In 2008, the Post won six Pulitzers in public service, breaking news, feature, commentary and both national and international reporting. Wall Street Journal is shut out for the second consecutive year, its reporting on the financial crisis losing out to the St. Pete Times.

From K-State:

In today’s news from K-State for Monday, April 13, 2009:

1) RESEARCH: Connecting Materials Science With Biology, K-State Engineers Create DNA Sensors That Could Identify Cancer Using Material Only One Atom Thick

2) TIMELY: U.S. Army Strength Display Part Of K-State’s All-University Open House April 18

3) MANHATTAN interest/ TIMELY: Members Of K-State’s Diverse Mass Communicators Plan Week Of Special Events

4) MANHATTAN interest/ TIMELY: U.S. Army Chief Dietitian To Speak At K-State Libraries

5) David Hodgson Receives K-State’s E.R. Frank Award (Hometown interest for
MANHATTAN)

6) RESEARCH: K-State Survey Research Looks At Attitudes, Obstacles To Walking And Biking To Work (Hometown interest for OLATHE)
(more…)

From KU:

KU NEWS 4/14: Bob and Elizabeth Dole to speak at KU; Student journalists advance in national contestToday’s News from the University of Kansas
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FROM THE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY RELATIONS  |  http://www.ur.ku.edu

Headlines:

* Bob and Elizabeth Dole to speak jointly at KU
http://www.news.ku.edu/2009/april/14/dolelecture.shtml
The Dole Lecture is held annually to commemorate Bob Dole’s recovery after he was wounded during a World War II battle April 14, 1945, in Italy.

* KU members of Society of Professional Journalists advance in national contest
http://www.news.ku.edu/2009/april/14/spjawards.shtml
The awards honor outstanding work in print, broadcast and online collegiate journalism produced in 2008. HOMETOWNS: Lawrence, Shawnee and Salina, Kan.; Lafayette, Ind.; Kansas City, Mo.; and Baxter, Minn.

* 15 graduate students win prizes in campus research competition event
http://www.news.ku.edu/2009/april/14/research.shtml
A record 116 students entered the 2009 Graduate Student Research Competition held in February on the Lawrence campus. HOMETOWNS: Andover, Lawrence, Overland Park and Shawnee, Kan.; Champaign, Ill,; Newton Upper Falls, Mass.; Talequah, Okla.; Kennewick, Wash.; Chittorr and Hyderabad, India; Istanbul, Turkey

* Hillcrest Elementary sixth-graders to attend KU math department workshop April 15
http://www.news.ku.edu/2009/april/14/hillcrest.shtml
The workshop is part of KU’s annual observance of national Math Awareness Month. HOMETOWNS: Lawrence, Topeka and Wichita, Kan.; Waterville, Maine; Sioux Falls, S.D.; Hortonville, Wis.; Roorkee, India; Istanbul, Turkey
(more…)

Reuters:

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Axl Rose may have spent 15 years fine-tuning the 14 tracks on “Chinese Democracy,” but it took only five months for the album to make its way into the “Rock Band” video-game franchise.

“Chinese Democracy” will be released in its entirety on the Rock Band Music Store on April 14, and gamers will be able to download and play all 13 songs from the record, Harmonix and MTV Games announced Friday. “Shackler’s Revenge,” the first track to emerge from the album, made its debut in the “Rock Band 2″ release.

National Review editors:

Arlen Specter belongs to a type familiar to Congress: the time-serving hack devoid of any principle save arrogance. He has spent three decades in the Senate but is associated with no great cause, no prescient warning, no landmark legislation. Yet he imagines that the Senate needs his wisdom and judgment for a sixth term. He joined the Republican party out of expediency in the 1960s, and leaves it out of expediency this week.

Those who attribute his defection to the rise of social conservatism are deluding themselves. It is not as though he has been a reliable vote for any other type of conservatism. He has stood apart from the mainstream of his party on welfare reform, trade, taxes, affirmative action, judicial appointments, tort reform, and national-security law. The issue that finally caused an irreparable breach with Republicans was the stimulus bill. Some Republicans are blaming Pat Toomey for pushing Specter out of the party by challenging him from the Right. But it is not Toomey’s fault that Specter is out of step with Pennsylvania Republicans. Whatever they think of the prudence of his challenge at the time he announced it, conservatives should be rooting for Toomey now.

Matt Lewis at Politics Daily:

Putting the finishing touches on a long career of political expediency with a coup de grace to the GOP– Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter has decided to switch parties and become a Democrat.

Sadly, some will learn the wrong lesson and blame former conservative Congressman Pat Toomey – who was planning to “primary” Specter — for this incident (which is sort of like blaming the police for your speeding ticket). As Ben Domenech notes, by taking this drastic step, “… Specter admits it is he who is out of step with his electoral base-not just in policy, but in manner-and only a political move this desperate could bring him any chance at the victory he craves.”

Newsmax:

Martin Weiss, president of Weiss Research and editor of the Safe Money Report, has some simple advice for anyone waiting to get into this stock market.

Just wait.

His new book is called “The Ultimate Depression Survival Guide,” and in an interview with Moneynews.com, he pulls no punches. A depression is “inevitable” and the really smart money will stay out of stocks until things settle down, way down, as in Dow 1,500.

Andy Roth:

The Union Leader’s Drew Cline points to this dumb regulation in New Hampshire, making it the first blog post about the Granite State in our Dumb Laws blog. Excerpt:

The City of Concord allows businesses to have electronic sign displays, but only if the electronic message displays nothing more than the date, time and temperature. Why this makes sense to anyone is a subject worthy of scientific study. How is a driver less distracted by the lit-up words, “10:30, April 24,” than by the words “$9.99 dinner specials”? Does the city think drivers will get too distracted by the thought of tasty, inexpensive meals or cheap dry cleaning that they’ll cause accidents?

NRSC:

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), issued the following statement today regarding U.S. Senator Arlen Specter’s (R-PA) decision to switch political parties in the face of a seemingly insurmountable bid for re-election next year:

“Senator Specter’s decision today represents the height of political self-preservation. While this presents a short-term disappointment, voters next year will have a clear choice to cast their ballots for a potentially unbridled Democrat super-majority versus the system of checks-and-balances that Americans deserve.”

Politico:

The religious right, which vehemently opposed Rudy Giuliani’s 2008 bid for the Republican presidential nomination, is rallying to the former New York mayor’s defense against attacks from gay rights groups.

The skirmish began when Giuliani in an interview with the New York Post opposed New York Gov. David Paterson’s proposed gay marriage bill and asserted it would spark a backlash against Democrats.

Gay rights advocates, who have counted Giuliani as a rare ally in the GOP, quickly accused him of political posturing for a possible 2010 gubernatorial campaign. But social conservatives are applauding him for his stance on an issue over which they have often been at odds with him.

RCP:

Former Japanese finance minister Shoichi Nakagawa (last seen nodding off in what many suspected was a drunken stupor during the G7 conference in Feb.) suggested in a speech today that the country should acquire nuclear weapons: “It is common sense worldwide that in pure military terms, nuclear counters nuclear.”

While this would certainly run afoul of President Obama’s disarmament aspirations, I can see a number of upsides. A nuclear-armed Japan would further tilt the balance of power in Asia in our favor. It would serve as a useful deterrent to both China and North Korea. And I doubt that the Japanese would constitute a major proliferation threat.

That’s not to say it’s all upside. Naturally, it’s not. But kick-starting a debate about whether Japan should acquire a nuclear deterrent would be useful for the U.S. as well as Japan. For decades, we’ve treated the country as a U.S. protectorate. There were good reasons for doing so in the immediate aftermath of World War II and during the Cold War, but there’s much less reason to do so now.