We can understand President Bush’s frustration – his ratings are in the tank, he’s getting smacked around by geriatric judges and his administration is about as effective as Rosie O’Donnell running a marathon. But that’s still little justification for Bush’s latest offense, in which he called former senior aide Matthew Dowd’s newfound opposition to the Iraq war an “”emotional issue”” that is “”obviously intensified because his son is deployable (to Iraq).”” The logical conclusion of Bush’s charge – that leaders shouldn’t be affected by their own decisions – is silly enough, but what Bush probably failed to realize is that his ill-conceived remarks only vindicate Dowd’s accusations – that Bush is “”secluded and bubbled in.”” For failing to realize that real families are losing real sons and daughters, President Bush gets a Fail.
Score one for private philanthropy: In the largest public health initiative of its kind, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation announced this week that it would spend $500 million over the next five years to combat childhood obesity. That should prove a boon to health officials warning about the dangers of childhood obesity, especially since government funding for obesity research are reportedly at all-time lows. For proving that private dollars can be more beneficial than government intervention, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s obesity plan gets a Pass.
Another year, another heap of accolades poured on UA students: Tuesday, the Arizona Daily Wildcat reported that Joe Fu, a UA senior majoring in molecular and cellular biology and philosophy, won a Truman Scholarship, a prestigious award that provides $30,000 for graduate study as well as internship opportunities within the federal government and other perks. Fu’s accomplishment is certainly noteworthy, but even more notable is the UA’s winning streak – UA students have won the Truman Scholarship in four out of the last five years. For consistently proving academic excellence, Fu (and the UA) get a much-deserved Pass.
The Snake Bridge wasn’t enough. Apparently, Tucsonans need an arena that looks like a desert tortoise shell to remind them that they’re in the desert. At least that’s what the Tucson City Council seems to believe after they hastily (and excitedly) approved a $130 million-dollar plan to expand the Tucson Convention Center and build a 12,000-seat arena yesterday. Set aside all economic hurdles (the price tag, the necessity of a new downtown hotel) and you’re still left with the fact that, in less than a week, the City Council approved a massive project with little public input and a hefty timeline. Evidently, the City Council still hasn’t learned their lesson from Rio Nuevo, and for ignoring the people, they receive a Fail.
