Tuesday Roundup: You Know You're A Terrorist When...

you can't get a home loan?

The Washington Post reports today on businesses using a suspected terrorists list from the Treasury Department as a criterion for denying "home and car loans, apartments and even exercise equipment" in response to an executive order issued by President Bush after 9/11. Last names that match one on the list are apparently being reported on standard credit checks as well. The list is publicly available on the Office of Foreign Asset Control's web site — you may want to check in and make sure you or someone you know isn't a terrorist. I was a little worried, myself, but it looks like I'm OK to buy that Bowflex I've been longing for.

The WaPo also has a piece on why the bill that everyone was complaining was "watered down" is actually being pretty darn effective both at drawing the line for our involvement in Iraq and at proving the resolve and effectiveness of the House Democratic leadership. Since it seems like congressional Republicans don't have the chutzpah to actually fight the Democrats on a bill they know their constituents want, the President instead will get the opportunity to give himself a hit in approval rating. Seems like sound logic to me — after all, at this point, would it even matter if it got any lower?

It seems that certain people in the administration, not wanting to be associated with the general air of incompetence in the White House, are being quite the go-getters at their job — which basically requires simply actually doing one's job these days, I suppose. Condoleezza Rice announced today that after discussions with both sides, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have agreed to meet biweekly to discuss day-to-day issues as well as future goals. It's not exactly peace in our time, but at least it's a start — and not too shabby for only four visits to the area in four months. Of course, now they both have to follow through on the promises to meet. No initial meeting date has been declared as of yet.

In a recent story, Josh discussed a bipartisan letter sent to Lt. Governor David Dewhurst while Perry was off pleasure-cruising in Dubai, imploring him as acting governor to place the TYC under a conservatorship. Dewhurst deferred so he could stay on a high-five basis with Perry. The Lege got feisty and took matters into their own hands, with the House Corrections Committee voting to create a conservatorship which would have hire/fire authority as well as investigative energy. Dewhurst totally missed his chance to be a hero in this whole mess, but what needs to be done will seemingly still get done.

The Top Ten Percent rule for Texas colleges is getting the hairy eyeball again, from legislators who argue in favor of the ten percent below the top ten percent. The law promotes racial as well as geographic diversity in Texas colleges. It seems likely that Senator Royce West will muster up enough votes to block attempts in the Senate to water down or kill the rule, as it's getting support from a number of Senate Republicans whose constituents benefit from the rule as well.

And finally, radio personality and Republican Senator Dan Patrick got a stern talking-to in the Senate yesterday. Senator Patrick rolled onto the Senate floor with a camera crew in tow Monday afternoon, much to his colleagues' concern. Senator John Carona more or less forced Patrick to swear he wasn't wearing a wire. That's just awkward. But he tops that by trying to hijack fellow freshman Senator Glenn Hegar's bill to allow physicians' assistants and nurse practitioners to give handicapped permits in short-staffed rural areas, by proposing as an amendment to insert his bill generally expanding medical authority for said practitioners and assistants across the board. The problem? Not only is his bill heavy-handed, but it's currently under consideration in the Health and Human Services Committee — where it should probably stay — and apparently H&HS chairman Jane Nelson did not appreciate the attempt at an end-run around her committee's authority. Go figure. Hijinks ensue on the Senate floor. And to think — all this on camera! I wonder how soon we'll be seeing that footage.