Editorial roundup: excerpts from recent editorials in newspapers in the US and abroad.

Excerpts from recent editorials in newspapers in the United States and abroad:

March 26

Los Angeles Times, on the Vienna Convention:

The U.S. Supreme Court got it half-right Tuesday when it ruled that President Bush lacked the authority to tell courts in Texas to honor a decision of the International Court of Justice and reopen the case of a Mexican citizen on Texas' death row. But it should have acted on its own authority to give Jose Medellin another day in court. By not doing so, it sends the message that the United States isn't serious about honoring its treaty obligations. ...

The role of the Supreme Court is to decide "what the law is," as Chief Justice John Marshall observed, not to worry about how its rulings will affect foreign affairs. Even so, the majority's refusal to apply the Vienna Convention in this case will have consequences for U.S. diplomacy and for the way Americans are treated abroad. If police in this country can successfully flout the treaty, so can police in other countries.

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On the Net: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-mexico26mar26,0,367581 .st ory

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March 25

The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J., on handling presidential candidate records:

The federal government knows presidential candidates will be the target of extraordinary scrutiny, even snooping. And federal agencies also know they have a duty to release all information on the candidates that properly can be made public while safeguarding any data that cannot. ...

The State Department fell down badly with its weak response to the workers who improperly accessed passport files of Republican candidate John McCain and Democrats Barak Obama and Hillary Clinton — and by making only a very belated acknowledgment of the file-peeping. ...

The National Archives, meanwhile, has shown it takes its information-handling duties seriously indeed. ...

The general rule is that requests are answered in the order they are received. Beyond that, simple requests are put in one line while complex ones. ...

Ideally, the archives would have more workers, so requests could be answered in less time. But short of hiring an army of new help, the archives should stick to its current approach.

The existing rules properly treat everyone the same, whether the requester is a massive media outlet, a college researcher or an average Joe or Jane. It's hard to get more democratic than that.

The State Department should match that commitment to ensuring that the rules are followed.

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On the Net: http://www.nj.com

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March 24

Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel, on rail companies transporting dangerous chemicals:

Why bother insisting that new rules concerning the moving of toxic chemicals by rail actually will make the nation safer, as Bush administration officials are doing? ...

Here's the problem. If a terrorist detonated a 90-ton freight car packed with chlorine, it could kill everyone within five miles. Ditto if it were exploded with a rocket-propelled launcher.

Yet the administration plans to leave the decision about rerouting those cars to rail companies, driven like other businesses by economics. And what makes economic sense to them, surely, are quick, direct routes — often through big cities.

... The administration is downplaying the danger a toxic chemical-carrying rail car poses to a heavily populated city — or anywhere else. "The chances of somebody being able to fire (a rocket-propelled grenade) at a tank . . . in motion (aboard a train) are pretty small," says the nation's homeland security chief.

Well, now. ... Commercial jets move quite a bit faster, yet the administration is planning to test anti-missile technology aboard those.

The administration ought to kick this new rail rule in the caboose, then craft a tougher one.

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On the Net: http://www.orlandosentinel.com

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March 24

Rocky Mountain News of Denver, on Hillary Clinton's schedule as first lady:

The accounts of the 11,000 pages of Hillary Rodham Clinton's schedule as first lady make one thing rather startlingly clear: If she had had the political skills in 1993 that she has today, her signature health-care-reform initiative might have passed. Two successful runs for the Senate and an ongoing presidential campaign will do that for you.

The woman hit the ground running after inauguration, with her schedules showing constant meetings with health-care experts, medical groups, lawmakers, industry reps and lobbyists.

But the arrogance and secrecy of her proceedings, and a seeming unwillingness to share credit if the plan passed, spelled doom. After that humiliation, reporters who have studied her schedules say, she reverted to a more traditional role as first lady. ...

The schedules themselves do not support her claim to have been in on passage of the Family and Medical Leave Act, but they do show that she helped promote the North American Free Trade Agreement, a landmark she now says she opposes.

As for foreign policy, the schedules for her overseas travels show her socializing with other first ladies, visiting schools and clinics, and attending exhibitions of the local culture.

This is very important in terms of diplomacy and protocol, but it is not training for that now-fabled 3 a.m. phone call in the White House family quarters.

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On the Net: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/mar/24/a-dearth-of-3-m-c alls/

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March 23

The Knoxville (Tenn.) News-Sentinel, on Democratic presidential race:

Gov. Phil Bredesen is offering the Democratic Party a potential tiebreaker for the tight contest between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton for the presidential nomination. The proposal to hold a convention of superdelegates in June bears consideration and discussion, certainly not a premature dismissal. ...

Bredesen's suggestion is to schedule a superdelegate primary in early June after the final state primaries. Bredesen is not proposing a mini-convention but a two-day business meeting with rules determined by the Democratic National Committee. Candidates would have a final opportunity to make their case to the superdelegates, then one transparent vote will be taken. ...

In a practical sense, it might be good politics for the Democrats. In Detroit last week, Clinton told a union gathering, "If the Democrats send a message that we don't care about your votes, I'm sure that John McCain and the Republicans will be happy to have them."

Meanwhile, with remaining primaries the central focus, it is a good time to begin discussion of Bredesen's plan for a superdelegate gathering. Party leaders who don't want a long, hot summer should put it high on the priority list.

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On the Net: http://www.knoxnews.com

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March 23

The State Journal of Frankfort, Ky., on Good Friday and government jobs:

Did you see all those state workers heading out for church on Friday? ...

There's no telling how long government employees have been getting half a day off for Good Friday. ...

The American Civil Liberties Union, which has been known to question church-state connections, has no plans to contest Kentucky's policy, according to Michael Aldridge, executive director of the state ACLU. ...

While the Personnel Cabinet had no figure on how much the mini-vacation costs state government in lost time, Franklin County Treasurer Susan Laurenson estimated it sets the county back $16,000 to let its 217 workers off for that length of time. Applying the same rate to 33,000 employed by the state works out to almost $2.5 million across the commonwealth. ...

Rest assured that this commentary is not intended to cast a pall over the joy of Easter. If you are among the millions who profess the Christian faith, by all means, celebrate this day to the fullest. ... But don't ask the government to keep providing workers a paid afternoon off for activities that rarely have much to do with these venerable traditions and beliefs.

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On the Net: http://www.state-journal.com/news/article/3507621

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March 21

Poughkeepsie (N.Y.) Journal, on gun control:

The U.S. Supreme Court is doing something it has put off for decades: taking a hard look at the Second Amendment and whether it gives individuals the right to own guns. When it rules on this case, it must not impede the efforts of elected officials to enact reasonable gun-control laws aimed at keeping their streets safe. ...

As with many controversial, emotional issues in this country, nuance is often sacrificed at the altar of fear-mongering and extremism from both sides.

For starters, few individual rights are absolute. ...

Moreover, if people in a given city or state opt to elect representatives who approve strict bans on weapons, it's reasonable to allow those bans to exist. That is what has occurred in Washington, D.C., the crux of the Supreme Court case. ...

Through the ballot box, residents are empowered to tell elected officials when they have gone too far here. The Supreme Court should be cautious not to impede that process.

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On the Web: http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com

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March 20

The State Journal-Register of Springfield, Ill., on fifth anniversary of the Iraq war:

... Today marks Day 2 of Year 6 of the Iraq war.

We concede that's a pessimistic way of viewing Wednesday's fifth anniversary of the war, yet we believe it reflects our need to look forward in Iraq, not back to March 19, 2003. ...

Our focus now must be on a strategy for extricating our forces and forcing the Iraqi government to assume control of its own country. Preventing Iraq from becoming a terrorist haven will require diplomacy with other countries in the region, including Iran, not veiled threats of another war. ...

If there is one aspect of this week's anniversary that merits a look backward, it is the cost of the war. The human toll is devastating: 3,991 Americans have been killed in Iraq as of this week. More than 300 coalition troops have died. Iraqi civilian deaths number between 82,000 and 90,000, according to Iraq Body Count, a civilian volunteer effort that scans hospital, morgue and official figures for its data.

The Pentagon says the war so far has cost $600 billion. The Congressional Budget Office puts it between $1-$2 trillion. The economist Joseph E. Stiglitz, a Nobel laureate, estimates in a new book that it has cost $4 trillion.

No matter who you believe, it's a far cry from the $50 to $60 billion the Bush administration estimated the war would cost.

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On the Net: http://www.sj-r.com

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March 26

The Hindu of Tamil Nadu, India, on Tibet:

If you go by western media reports, the propaganda of the so-called Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharamsala and the votaries of the Free Tibet cause, or by the fulminations of Nancy Pelosi and the Hollywood glitterati, Tibet is in the throes of a mass democratic uprising against Han Chinese communist rule. ... The reality is that the riot that broke out in Lhasa on March 14 and claimed a confirmed toll of 22 lives involved violent, ransacking mobs, including 300 militant monks from the Drepung Monastery, who marched in tandem with a foiled March to Tibet by groups of monks across the border in India. ... Visual images and independent eyewitness accounts attest to this ugly reality, which even compelled the Dalai Lama to threaten to resign. ...

New Delhi has allowed too much latitude to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan discontents for their political activities on Indian soil, which go against the stand that they are not allowed "to engage in anti-China political activities in India," a principle reaffirmed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee in Washington on March 24. The time has come for India to use the leverage that comes with hosting the Dalai Lama and his followers since 1959 to persuade or pressure him to get real about the future of Tibet and engage in a sincere dialogue with Beijing to find a reasonable, just, and sustainable political solution within the framework of one China.

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On the Net: http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/26/stories/2008032655431000.htm

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March 26

Khaleej Times of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on the U.S. war in Iraq:

The Iraq war two important milestones registered this week, the fifth anniversary of the (mis)adventure and U.S. casualties reaching the 4,000 mark.

Yet both President Bush and Vice-President Cheney reconfirmed their combined opinion that the initiative has been a success, just in case the daily news of death and destruction was leading the world to believe otherwise. That a good 97 per cent of the deaths occurred after Bush boasted "mission accomplished" in May '03 speaks volumes of the lack of preparation as well as the real intentions of the ill fated campaign. ...

Lost in all of America's official argument is the pain coming the Iraqis' way, with untold numbers having perished, made homeless, destitute and pushed to starvation. No doubt Bush and Cheney will not shift from their 'victory' slogan till they leave office soon, but there should be a mechanism to check hostilities that will keep the 4,000 number growing long after the neocons have left the House.

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On the Net: http://tinyurl.com/33ao6h

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March 23

Jerusalem Post, on Cheney's visit to Israel:

U.S. Vice President Richard Cheney is not known for making flamboyant speeches, but sometimes less is more. If the U.S. had limited itself to the gist of what Cheney said in Jerusalem on Saturday night, and to elaborating in this same spirit, it is likely that the prospects for peace and moderation in this region would be substantially greater. ...

The question, essentially, is whether the conflict is about borders or existence. If it is about borders, then it is a matter of pressing "both sides" to negotiate a deal. But if the heart of the matter is an Arab refusal to accept Israel in any borders, than the focus must be on compelling the Arab world to take that fundamental step.

A peace process designed to produce Arab acceptance of Israel would start with simple statements of the problem. ... The next important step would be to demand that the Arab states lead by example, rather than waiting for the divided and radicalized Palestinians to move first. Indeed, the Arab states are behind, in that Mahmoud Abbas routinely meets Israeli leaders, but the leaders of Saudi Arabia and other Arab states will not.

The U.S. could also start routinely stating that the demand of a "right of return" to Israel, rather than to a future state of Palestine alongside Israel, is tantamount to rejecting Israel's right to exist. This would help expose the double game of those who claim to accept Israel, yet push for Israel's demographic destruction with greater fervor in Arabic to their own people. American reticence on this may seem to help Abbas in the short run, but it is harmful to the cause of peace.

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On the Net: http://tinyurl.com/34ggxo

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March 22

Asahi Shimbun of Tokyo, on the U.S. financial situation:

The financial meltdown in the United States is deepening and the turmoil in financial markets continues. A strong uncertainty has developed, with concerns of how long the situation of falling stock prices and a weakening dollar will remain throughout the world and whether a global recession is on the horizon. ...

However, this crisis will not be solved simply by slashing interest rates. The root of the problem is a collapsed housing bubble that has led to capital shortfalls at many banks and securities firms. Unless that is corrected, the financial system will continue to be paralyzed.

Banks' self-supporting efforts by reinforcing capital will not be enough, and the government will eventually have to inject public funds to solve the problem. ...

However, if major financial institutions declare bankruptcy, financial markets throughout the world will fall into chaos. Financial authorities have no choice other than to prevent such bankruptcies. ...

In today's world, where massive amounts of money move freely across national borders, central bank leaders should be in close contact with each other to quickly deal with disorder in financial markets.

Concerns about worldwide inflation are also rising. It is not necessarily ideal for many countries to ape each other by slashing interest rates. The central banks in each country have to make their own difficult decisions.

In light of the teetering global economy, Japan must appoint the next BOJ governor as soon as possible.

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On the Net: http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200803220063.html

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March 23

The (London) Observer, on Obama's speech on race:

It is a brave man who, in seeking to be elected U.S. President, starts a speech with the idea that the nation was founded on the 'original sin' of slavery. But that is what Barack Obama did last week.

It would have looked braver had Senator Obama not been forced into addressing the issue by a controversy over statements made by Jeremiah Wright, his church pastor and friend. Rev Wright lambasted the U.S. for ideological hypocrisy in terms deeply offensive to most Americans.

The fact that Obama's speech was a reaction to controversy meant that U.S. media focused more on its effectiveness as damage-limitation than on the ideas it contained. ...

The analysis rings horribly true of Britain too. Although public discourse conforms to liberal anti-racist orthodoxy, skin colour, sadly, still matters. ... If they are not tackled overtly, it is because politicians daren't touch the subject for fear of stoking just the same resentments that Obama described and because none of our political leaders can draw upon the experience that Obama brings to the subject. Westminster, as much as Washington, is largely a club for white men.

It would be a tragedy if Barack Obama's speech, 'A More Perfect Union,' were remembered only as a tactical bid to smother a controversy in an election campaign. It was the most incisive account of race politics in America — and beyond — for a generation. Delivered with dignity, authority and humility, it deserves a place in history as one of the most impressive pleas for a new beginning on race relations since the famous orations of Martin Luther King.

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On the Net: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/mar/23/barackobama. ace