Markets Work -- Even in New Jersey.

An amazing story out of New Jersey picked up in the New York Times ... it seems that insurance rates are coming down now that regulators are standing aside and letting the market work. In the past, politicians had forced insurers to make up losses in high loss areas such as Newark through increased rates in the suburbs (redistribution at its finest).

Of course, the insurers responded by not picking up the phone when calls came from Newark, so the bad drivers could not buy insurance and the people in the suburbs were gauged, so they bought less. That, of course, meant a smaller insurance pool and the start of a downward spiral.

Things hit bottom three years ago and regulators finally threw in the towel, opening the market and letting insurers set rates by their own formulas.

Miracle of miracles, even the bad drivers in Newark are paying less than they were before in some cases.

Kerry in need of "relativism refresher"

John Kerry's last mailer contained this gem.

"If the Bush administration could plan and execute the war on terror as well as it executes its shameless pre-election fear-mongering, we'd all be a lot safer."

If Bush's opponents were as organized and intelligent as the terrorists in planning and executing their fight, perhaps they would have won the last presidential election...

Juba the Sniper is Dutch?

There is (was?) sniper(s) on the loose in Baghdad going by the name of "Juba" who filmed himself sniping at (and presumably killing) American soldiers. It seems that in July 2005 he failed to finish off one of his targets -- Pfc. Stephen Tschiderer -- and was captured by U.S. soldiers (video).

Though it is now old news, this is the first I have heard of Juba. What is most interesting is that he appears to be of Dutch citizenship and was born in Morocco. Still, I guess he was a hero to some Iraqi's and that his DVDs are a hot item on the Iraqi streets.

The Dutch Juba was wounded and captured in a van outfitted with mattresses four soundproofing, according to various Web sites. Apparantly the attacks are still continuing.

Why No Attacks Since 9/11?

Despite daily bombings in Iraq, train bombings in England, Spain and India, rocketing of Israelm, bombings of Indonesia, there have been no organized terrorist attacks in the past five years on U.S. soil Why not? Eleanor Clift has the answer on this week's McLaughlin Group:

The fact that they haven't attacked for the past five years is not because President Bush is keeping us safer; it is because they are really methodically plotting something and they do not want to do something that is anti-climatic.

That's right Eleanor. I can see the weekly planning meeting now:

Meeting Leader: "C'mon people. We need good ideas! Who has one ... and Ali, the meeting to poison the watermellon at the IBM corporate picnic was a good one, but not big enough. We need to think bigger!

Assembled group gives blank stares, all look down at table.

ML: O.K. People, sometime and place next week, but bring ideas!

Yeah, that's the reason. Keep thinking hard Eleanor.