Free Republic

ongress helps college students with loan relief By The Rice Thresher Editorial Staff | Thresher Editorial Staff Given a lack of monetary influence, college students are an oft-ignored demographic in the policy making process. That is why we are so glad to see that one of the 110th Congress’ first moves was a bipartisan supported bill to lower interest rates on need-based student loans. H.R. 5, The College Student Relief Act of 2007, will lower interest rates from 6.8 percent to 3.4 percent over the next 5 years. Once fully implemented, this step will save the average borrower — students...

For American politics in 2007, the focus is largely on the Democratic Party’s sweep into power on a wave of Republican corruption and failed policy. But just to the west of Rice, the deep-red District 7 bucked the trend, electing conservative talk radio host Dan Patrick to the Texas Senate. Patrick goes beyond the talk radio stereotype of the millionaire egocentric self-promoter who repeats the xenophobic talking points that allow white, middle-age males to think they are an oppressed minority. On air, Patrick cornered the market on attacking not just the usual political enemies — the growing Hispanic population and...