Super PACs: Money Well Spent | John Samples | Cato Institute: Commentary

Super PACs: Money Well Spent | John Samples | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'So are super PACs shaping up to be a disaster for democracy in 2012? Hardly. The $14 million in Iowa super PAC spending funded an assault on Gingrich for committing ethics violations, being soft on illegal immigrants and teaming with Nancy Pelosi on global warming issues. The Gingrich ad to come apparently says Romney's company, Bain Capital, looted companies and left people unemployed.'

'Do these ads constitute legitimate political speech? Wouldn't voters want to know if Gingrich had violated ethics rules, received large payments from Freddie Mac despite claiming to be against big government and had supported positions contrary to the views of most Iowa Republicans? Romney says he is a businessman who knows how to create jobs. Should voters hear claims to the contrary? Of course.'

'John Coleman, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, found that spending on negative ads increased voter information about candidates, especially among those who were least informed prior to the ads.

Other political scientists have found that, contrary to the caricature, negative advertising increases voter turnout and reduces the advantages normally held by incumbent officials. Perhaps it is not surprising that Republican turnout in Iowa was higher than experts expected.'

'the alternative is greatly restricting the rights of outside individuals to fund speech criticizing politicians (a right that many paid commentators on television, the radio and online, many of them wealthy, already happen to have, by virtue of being members of the media).

This seems to me to be a far scarier outcome.'

Sen. Paul Announces Taxpayer Savings at Louisville Press Conference Rand Paul | United States Senator

Sen. Paul Announces Taxpayer Savings at Louisville Press Conference Rand Paul | United States Senator: 'U.S. Sen. Rand Paul today announced that he is returning $500,000 to the United States Treasury - money unspent from his official operating budget. The total amount being returned is more than 16 percent of Paul's original office budget. As far as is known, no U.S. Senator has returned as much to taxpayers.'

'Paul achieved the savings while also having the most active office for a freshman in the U.S. Senate. In his first year, he introduced more legislation and amendments than any other freshman legislator, often teaming-up with fellow Senators to support legislation.'

'Paul's office was one of only three in Washington to produce an entire fiscal blueprint for the federal government, a promise he made while campaigning in 2010. His plan, introduced in the first few weeks of his term, would balance the federal budget in five years.

Paul also kept his promise to work to reform Social Security. His proposal, introduced with Sens. Lindsay Graham and Mike Lee, would fix the entire system for 75 years. Later this month, Sen. Paul will introduce a plan to save Medicare.'

Will Romney End PBS, Public Radio Funding? | Nat Hentoff | Cato Institute: Commentary

Will Romney End PBS, Public Radio Funding? | Nat Hentoff | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'For decades as a reporter, I have continually found vital information on public radio and television that at first was available nowhere else.'

Just because a program has benefits doesn't mean that it is good overall? The "bridge to nowhere" also had benefits.

More importantly, where is the constitutional authority for the federal government to fund that?

'"In the commercial market ... the stuff for kids is targeted to sell things to kids, not to educate them"'

If children and parents choose to watch those shows, then that is the kind of shows that will be produced. I do see popular shows that sell products related to the show but I don't see popular shows that advertise to kids -- but maybe those shows exist and we don't watch them.

'In an era of media consolidation, fewer national and foreign bureaus and mass newsroom layoffs, NPR is one of the only media outlets actually bringing listeners more reporting (actual reporting, not warped pontificating) from around the country and around the world.'

TV broadcast media isn't the only media anymore -- welcome to the 21st century! I think mass-broadcast media is outdated and on its way out. It is being replaced by media where the time, place, and content can be much more customized to the user (i.e. internet delivery).