No Straw MenEnlightened discourse proscribes arguments that are weak or imaginary, like straw, set up only to be confuted summarily.

links for 2008-05-18

• The Allure of the Forever Stamp - Mike Nizza, The Lede
  For the past year, branches have been selling “The Forever Stamp” for 41 cents each. Unlike the 401(k)’s and social security accounts that keep many of us up at night, these have a guarantee from the most trusted government agency for the past four
• NARAL Reeling from Obama Endorsement - Beth Frerking, Politico.com
  With the clock running down on a long-fought primary, NARAL Pro-Choice America leaders sent state affiliates reeling this week by endorsing Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois.
• Real Spies Grow Harder to Find - Christopher Caldwell, Financial Times
  New details emerged this week of how Syria managed to conceal the secret nuclear plant it was building with North Korean help, and how close to producing plutonium it was before it was destroyed by an Israeli air strike last autumn.
• Israel at 60: The Long View - Tim McGirk, Time
  As Israel marks its 60th birthday, its citizens would seem to have plenty to celebrate.
• How to End a PR Crisis - Andrew Romano, Stumper
  Shortly after 4:00 p.m. this afternoon, the Republican National Convention announced that it had accepted Goodyear’s resignation, setting a new land speed record for shortest time lapsed between the “story breaks” and “ax falls” phases of a political scan
• How Actual Journalism Works - Joe Klein, Swampland
  That is how I report on the war in Iraq–in fact, that’s how most of the journalists I respect report on the war, from Spencer Ackerman on the left to Max Boot on the right. It is about as far from simply relying on some TV general as you can get.
• This Is Grass-roots? - Dimitri Vassilaros, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
  For an organization that claims “We are grassroots to the core,” Grassfire.org acts as if it is hiding a lot of AstroTurf.
• John McCain: Tolstoy in My Inbox - Patrick Ruffini, PatrickRuffini.com
  McCain’s e-mail start off with the anachronistic “From the Desk of John McCain”—a 1970s-era direct mail device I haven’t seen on a piece of real stationery in a decade.
• RNC: Federalism Is Unconstitutional - Radley Balko, Hit and Run
  If you think the president must continue paramilitary raids on convalescent centers in states that have approved medical marijuana, and that anything less wouldn’t be keeping with his oath to uphold and protect the Constitution, well, then you should vote
• On the Media’s Take on Ayn Rand (Featuring Reason’s Nick Gillespie) - Hit and Run
  NPR’s On the Media did a long segment over the weekend about Ayn Rand’s continuing popularity and influence.
• How to Find Images on the Internet - Kurt, Random Knowledge
  Below you’ll find some interesting gateways to larger image collections. Some are for free, some ask for hard bucks. Some are copyrighted, others are not or even others have a Creative Commons license.
• Sanford Vivifies a Vigorous Veto - Radley Balko, Agitator
  With the stroke of his pen, though, the governor, who served three terms in Congress and oversees a state of 4 million heads, did away with a requirement that a person must complete 1,500 hours of instruction to shampoo hair in a salon.
• Presidential Election Logos - LogoBlink.com