BROWNOUT
Some conservatives are grumbling that the GOP--and specifically, the NRCC-isn't doing enough to win the Congressional seat left open by the death of Democratic Rep. George Brown. It's a tough district for Republicans, they admit, but a win in California would be a huge morale-booster in a state that hasn't exactly been a happy-hunting ground in recent years. What's more, the Democrats are fighting a bloody primary, with most of the party establishment backing Joe Baca against Brown's widow. Replies the NRCC's Jill Schoeder: "We have low expectations right now, and we'll reassess the race after the primary a week from this Tuesday." Meanwhile, the National Rifle Association--one group that can really make a difference in these special elections--looks like it will sit out the race. Both Baca and his GOP opponent, Elia Pirozzi, are opponents of gun control.

THE NEW MORAL EQUIVALENCE
Rep. Jim Leach (R., Ia.), in a New York Times op-ed on Russian thievery: "America may be as challenged today by the threat of a deterioration of values--galloping corruption--as it was yesterday by Marxist ideology."

ENGLISH SPOKEN HERE
Hockey is perhaps the most international major professional sport played in the United States. The ranks of the NHL are filled by not just Americans and Canadians, but also Swedes, Czechs, Russians, Germans, Finns, and so on. As a result, many teams are starting to enforce English-only rules as a way of promoting team cohesion. The Washington Capitals recently adopted this policy and, as the Washington Post reports, "several players have already accrued small fines from the team's mock court."

Sounds like a sensible policy, and we know the Caps need all the help they can get. But how long can it last? The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says English rules "create an atmosphere of inferiority, isolation, and intimidation based on national origin which could result in a discriminatory working environment." That's apparently even worse than a bunch of booing fans at the MCI Center.