Got Nuclear Waste?
Send it to Vermont.

By Ramesh Ponnuru, NR senior editor
January 16, 2002 4:00 p.m.

pence Abraham, the secretary of energy, is recommending that nuclear waste be stored at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. The state's pols — including a Republican governor and a Republican senator — are pretty miffed. Here's what Kenny Guinn, the governor, says he said when Abraham called him about his decision: "I told him that I am damn disappointed in this decision and to expect my veto. I explained to him we will fight it in the Congress, in the Oval Office, in every regulatory body we can. . . . I also told him that on behalf of all Nevadans, I am outraged that he is allowing politics to override sound science. At the conclusion of the call I told the secretary that I think this decision stinks, the whole process stinks, and we'll see him in court." As I said, miffed.

There is, however, a solution that should make both the Nevadans and Abraham happy: Send the nuclear waste to a mountain in Vermont. This wouldn't be payback to Jim Jeffords for giving the Senate to the Democrats. That would be petty. It would be payback to Jeffords and to Pat Leahy. Heck, the president could even make a deal with the latter: Confirm Miguel Estrada. Or glow in the dark.

Riordan Roundup
Richard Riordan, the former mayor of Los Angeles now running for governor of California, is regarded in some quarters-the White House, for example-as the potential savior of the state's hapless Republican party. Sure, some of his views are liberal, runs the argument. But it's a liberal state, and you do what you have to.

But some things you don't have to do. Last week, Riordan went to a dinner held by the Greenlining Institute, a lefty outfit that wants new taxes on the "super-rich," on cars, and on Internet sales, with the proceeds going to social programs. At the dinner, Congresswoman Barbara Lee got a "Profile in Courage" award for having cast the only vote against military action after the September 11 attacks. When another speaker talked about protecting the poor from budget cuts, the Los Angeles Times reports, Riordan "put down his silverware and applauded."

At the same event, Riordan was asked about his commitment to appointing people of southeast Asian descent to his administration. He responded by talking about his "diverse" appointments as mayor, citing Chinese-American aides. Informed that China isn't southeast Asia, he replied, "I don't know who southeast Asians are. . . . I'll need to be educated on that."

Riordan also said that he was open to taxes on Internet sales.

The headline on the Times story was "Riordan's Campaign Atypical for Republican." Actually, Riordan's campaign is probably going to be typical of California Republican campaigns in the most important respect: He'll lose.

Microsoft: Your Chance to Weigh In
The Justice Department is soliciting comments on the settlement with Microsoft. Anyone who has one can send it to microsoft.atr@usdoj.gov. Put "Microsoft Settlement" in the subject line.