John Carlson, former KVI blatherer extraordinaire, is now on the job hunt thanks to his assiduous attacks on affirmative action. It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy--and, so, apparently, do his former bosses and friends believe, to judge by the odd references they concocted in interviews for a recent P-I story (2/6/96).

Bruce Chapman of the Discovery Institute was impressed by Carlson's ability to "recite Irving Kristol with ease." Clearly we're dealing with genius material here--all three of them.

U.S. Rep. Jennifer Dunn remarked that Carlson was "sharp as a penny." We couldn't have said it better.

And state Sen. Pam Roach (R-Auburn) spoke highly of Carlson's "helping the people use a tool the framers (of the Constitution) gave them--the referendum process." That would be the same referendum process inaugurated by the Populist movement about a century after the Constitution--with its numerous provisions to minimize direct public participation in government--was written. Good thing Ms. Roach is familiar with the document she's sworn to uphold.

All of which leads to the inevitable question: who are these people and what are they doing running the country?