Headlines: 12 June 2008

• No renewal for renewables: Two bills failed to achieve cloture in the Senate on Tuesday, the Consumer First Energy Act and Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act. The former would have taxed oil companies' windfall profits and used the taxes to invest in renewable energy. Oil companies could avoid the tax by investing in the energies themselves. The latter bill would have extended tax breaks for renewable energies and would have funded it by closing loopholes in the tax code. Key quote from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell: "Republicans are determined to lower gas prices the only way we can: increasing supply." What about decreasing demand? Even if you don't believe in global warming, we don't have an infinite supply of oil. Sir, you and your colleagues have the farsightedness of Mr. Magoo.
• Justices Rule Terror Suspects Can Appeal in Civilian Courts: "What? Due process? Argh! Justice Kennedy, you have killed us all!" said Justice Antonin Scalia. This would be funny if he didn't actually say that the ruling "will almost certainly cause more Americans to get killed."
• Zimbabwe Detains Opposition Leaders: MDC's secretary general was detained almost immediately after his return from South Africa.

Meanwhile in Zimbabwe

Recounts of last month's parliamentary elections have changed nothing: control of Zimbabwe's Parliament will pass to the opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) for the first time since the country won independence from Britain in 1980. However, the recounts have been used to stall the presidential elections, allowing incumbent Robert Mugabe to intimidate his people with violence and cruelty:

Twenty-four babies and 40 children under the age of six were among the 250 people rounded up in a raid on Friday, according to Nelson Chamisa, spokesman for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Yesterday they were crammed into cells in Southerton police station in central Harare...."In Mugabe’s Zimbabwe even children are not spared the terror that befalls their parents[," said Chamisa.]

Jendayi Frazer, assistant Secretary of State for Africa, is doing a fantastic job urging other African leaders to condemn Mugabe's actions. But I have heard nothing about other American officials. Secretary Rice, President Bush, and Congress should condemn Mugabe in no uncertain terms and strive to increase international pressure against him.