American Thinker Blog
September 30, 2005
Secret Republicans
Jay Homnick writes a fascinating essay today at The American Spectator on two topics he thinks are closely related: secret Republican voters and fiscal discipline. He identifies a vast segment of the Republican frequent voters, those people who do not publicly... More
September 30, 2005
Richard Baehr speech webcast now available
The speech Richard Baehr gave to the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, whose transcript we published yesterday, is now available for viewing online. It is in two parts, and is accessible here, along with comments by Senator Lieberman, Mayor Giuliani,... More
September 30, 2005
No looter guy in Texas
The image of a New Orleans looter carrying a tub of Heineken beer has become an icon of the lawless chaos in that community, and even inspired a website. For some reason or other, no such images have emerged from Texas.... More
September 30, 2005
More controversy over Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine
One of America's strongest allies in the war on terror is the middle of a growing legal debate that has major implications for diplomatic relations across Asia. Two conflicting court decisions in Tokyo and Osaka have pushed Japan's Prime Minister... More
September 30, 2005
Fox News under threat?
Frank Gaffney picks up on a securities transaction that is raising alarm bells among conservatives, in Front Page Magazine. Saudi Prince Al—Waleed bin Talal has purchased a 5.46% share in the voting equity of the parent of Fox News, News... More
September 30, 2005
Machisma
David Gelernter identifies and names a plague which has engulfed America over the last few decades: "machisma." The feminine counterpart of machismo is a mirror—image form of bullying, basically the requirement that someone share his or her feelings. Picking up... More
September 30, 2005
Ed Lasky on the air
Ed Lasky, who plays a major behind—the—scenes role at AT, wrote a great two—part series on meritocracy in America. Today, Ed will be a guest on the Jerry Doyle show, which is syndicated to 220 radio stations throughout the United... More
September 30, 2005
Template watch
Mediacrity has begun a new feature clled "template watch" cataloguing what does and doesn't make the pages of the New York Times, unaccountably still regarded as "the newspaper of record" among those who don't much attention to facts. It looks... More
September 30, 2005
The newest FDNY chaplain
The latest person appointed to be a chaplain of the New York Fire Department embraces the lunatic assertion that the collapse of the World Trade Center, which killed so many brave firemen, was an inside job, a conspiracy, in other... More
September 30, 2005
The Democrats' abortion problem
Amy Sullivan, an editor of the liberal Washington Monthly, writes in the liberal Boston Globe about all the havoc the pro—abortion (euphemistically called "choice") extremists are creating for the Democrats. She cites the disastrous NARAL ad against Chief Justice Roberts,... More
September 30, 2005
Harry Reid: middleman between crooks
Senator Harry Reid has gotten himself into a difficult position. Of colurse, the national media is uninterested in publicizing Democrat lapses, so don't look for anything resembling the feeding frenzy surrounding the trumped—up inductment of Tom Delay, when it comes... More
September 29, 2005
China's declining competitiveness
In recent months the mainstream media has been overflowing with articles discussing the economic threat that China poses to the global economy in industries ranging from textiles to autos. But according to a report recently released by the World Economic... More
September 29, 2005
If you think your phone company is bad...
If you think of your phone company as a fat monopoly that has stood in the way of fast home internet connections for at least a decade, well, you're right. On the other hand, for a good laugh check out... More
September 29, 2005
Osama's asylum request
The Times of London reports that in 1995 Osama Bin Laden sought asylum in Great Britain which was denied. HE CLAIMS to hate everything the West stands for. But yesterday it emerged that Osama bin Laden sought asylum in Britain... More
September 29, 2005
A favorite
Conservatives by definition respect tradition. Not all traditions are worth retaining, of course, but when they offer enduring values, they are to be treasured. The oldest restaurant in San Francisco, the Tadich Grill, is one such tradition. When I entertain... More
September 29, 2005
American higher education and the left
Bill Palmer, of Orange County, California, wrote us a thoughtful letter about Steven Warshawsky's article published here yesterday. It is worth sharing: Dear Editor, I enjoyed Mr. Warshowsky's article in the American Thinker. Three observations immediately come to mind. 1.... More
September 29, 2005
Victor Davis Hanson errs
Victor Davis Hanson, the incomparable historian and commentator, makes a small error today in an article today. He says: 'Russia, India and China are Iran's new apologists.' India!? I agree with the rest of the piece, but this reference to... More
September 29, 2005
Three-way marriages in the Netherlands
According to the Brussels Journal, polygamy has been legalized in the Netherlands and Belgium in all but name. Last Friday saw the first wedding of three people, a man and two women. However, the Netherlands recently confirmed its three—day waiting... More
September 29, 2005
Beltway Bloodsport
Here is Tom DeLay's win—spin at the end of his interview with Brit Hume the evening of 28 September: HUME: Tell me about the caucus today where the decision was made that Roy Blunt would step up to assume most... More
September 29, 2005
More on higher education and the left
Another letter about Steven Warshawsky's article yesterday is worth sharing. Sir: My Faculty colleague, Arthur Pontynen, sent me a copy of Mr. Warshawsky's prescient commentary in American Thinker for September 28. I think he is right on track, and arguing... More
September 29, 2005
Is there a reason why we have a Senate?
Chivalry is not dead. Isn't it comforting to know that the United States Senate is one of the few remaining bastions of chivalry? Where else could Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco go and receive kid glove treatment in the aftermath... More
September 29, 2005
The ancient jihad
Melanie Phillips recalls a bit of history the Islamofascists and their friends on the world left would rather forget: the kidnapping and enslavement of Western Christians in the name of jihad. Facts are stubborn things, though the airbrushers of the... More
September 28, 2005
Madrid: "Cuba, si; Yanqui, no"
Barcepundit discovers that Spain's socialist government (courtesy of the 3—11 train bombers) finds Cuba and Venezuela more accepatble than America, when it comes to military parades: REMEMBER THAT last year US troops were disinvited for the October 12 parade in... More
September 28, 2005
Another milestone for feminists
American feminists love to celebrate the "first woman" to smash all sorts of barriers. I await Patricia Ireland and Gloria Steinem commentary on this exploding of gender seterotypes. Hat tip: Lucianne.com Thomas Lifson 9 28 05... More
September 28, 2005
The lies accumulate rapidly at the NYT
The blogosphere is having a red letter day today pointing our the embarrassing behavior of the men and women paid substantial wages to put together the New York Times. Mediacrity deconstructs its fact—chellanged editorial today on the violence in Gaza.... More
September 28, 2005
Stand by your man's slurs
The Democratic National Committee is making an embarrassing slur of the President into something like official party doctrine. The New York Sun reports that the party declines to repudiate Charles Rangel's absurd comparison of President Bush to Bull Connor, the... More
September 28, 2005
New York Times corrections gone wild
The New York Times has been careening wildly in recent days with its corrections of false material it is caught publishing. Just the other day it created the concept of "figurative reference" (as opposed to "factual assertions") in its correction... More
September 28, 2005
NPR: "It's not my fault, man!"
Mike from Kennesaw, Georgia writes us about what he heard this morning on taxpayer—supported NPR: This morning, NPR aired a story ("Coroner: No Evidence of Evacuee Murders", ) that smells like an excuse for its false reporting of horrific crimes... More
September 28, 2005
Washington Post's difficulty with basic economics
Don Surber takes apart the basic economic errors of a silly Washington Post editorial on taxing gasoline, while at the same time getting in a dig at Paul Krugman, Enron consultant and economics professor at Princeton, at least when he... More
September 28, 2005
Japan's "secret" defense plans
As the glow of Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's stunning victory in recent parliamentary elections fades away, a newly uncovered report from the country's defense department is bound to fan the flames of anti—Japan sentiment across the rest of Asia. ... More
September 28, 2005
The deterioration of the UK's MSM
Like many American conservatives, I tend to regard the UK newspaper industry as more diverse than our own. At least some of the major papers, the Telegraph and the Times, are overtly conservative, while the Independent and Guardian are reliably... More
September 28, 2005
Thank-you, Representative King
I owe Representative Steve King (R—Iowa) a personal thank—you. Congressman King rallied Republicans to defeat an effort to name the Berkeley Main Post Office for Maudelle Shirek, long an ultra—leftist member of the Berkeley City Council. The most left wing... More
September 28, 2005
Iran's Second Front stymied
The Times of India reported today what is a major victory over Iran in the Global War on Terror. India voted with the US, the EU, Japan, and several other countries on an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) resolution to... More
September 28, 2005
That's me: the nightmare
It sounds like a bad joke but sure enough, Bolivia's leftist dictator wannabe, Evo Morales, seeking to join the Cuba—Venezuela axis of Marxism, declared his rabidly anti—American campaign platform to his pals in the castroite press this morning. Cuba's state—owned... More
September 27, 2005
IDF given green light for Gaza operations
The Jerusalem Post is reporting that the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) is 'under no restrictions' in conducting both air and ground operations to halt terrorist rocket attacks on Israeli territory. Residents of Sderot and the western Negev were placed on... More
September 27, 2005
A New York Times Exclusive?
Today's New York Times reports something no other media outlet seems to have mentioned in its coverage of the conviction of Pvt. Lynndie England on several counts of abuse of prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison, in a story as related... More
September 27, 2005
Democrats in delusion
E. J. Dionne sees the "Democrats in disarray" today, in his Washington Post column of the same title. And he actually gets it right on a couple of points. But he can't quite put together the bigger picture. Although an intelligent... More
September 27, 2005
No Science, Please – We're British
The report that a hospital in West Yorkshire has banned visitors from cooing at new—born babies is, in fact, only the second dumbest thing the Brits have lately done. They've also removed science from the school curriculum. New regulations just announced... More
September 27, 2005
PC versus human nature
Some kind of milepost has been passed in the realm of political correctness, whereby one of the most powerful forces of nature — the natural human response to newborn babies — has been declared off—limits by a British hospital. That's... More
September 27, 2005
Excellent point
Just One Minute asks a very interestign question, in light of all the criticism the President has endured over Iraq and katrina: Its hard to believe we will see a wholesale revision of the Katrina story, but (and we are... More
September 26, 2005
Media lies confirmed
The lies have been spread all over the world, defaming America and sullying its president who is blamed by the same media spreading the lies. The death toll in New Orleans was exaggerated to a degree of magnitude impossible to... More
September 26, 2005
Shape of things to come
Whether the rank and file in the Republican party are out of touch with the leadership, or, as seems more likely from the gist of this piece over at The American Spectator, the leadership is faced with an increasingly vocal... More
September 26, 2005
A worried Democrat
Mark Shields, the Democrat CNN pundit/activist, is worried that the public has caught on to the fact that the Democrats are pawns of their interest groups. In explaining his opposition to Judge Roberts, Reid told the Senate he had been... More
September 26, 2005
Atta in Prague: the Spanish evidence
The strongest evidence of Iraqi complicity in 9/11 , the reports of the Czechs that Atta met in Prague with Iraqi intel prior to 9/11 were dismissed by the Commission on the basis of a jiggered timeline. Spain has a... More
September 26, 2005
LA Times bias bites back
In a piece explaining why Arnold Schwarzenegger excluded the Los Angeles Times from a round of interviews granted last week, the Washington Post's Howard Kurtz reports that Mike Murphy told a Times reporter in an e—mail: "I'm sorry to say... More
September 26, 2005
Ginsburg's offense
Jed Babbin makes the case that Justice Ginsburg's public comments require her to recuse herself from considering cases on abortion and opther issues. He cites the precedent of Justice Scalia. The problems in actually forcing such a recusal are enormous.... More
September 26, 2005
Awareness, not despair
Where Thomas Lifson sees despair I see dawning awareness. Isolated, the Katrina spending may be debatable as policy. But as a predictable pattern of spending it cannot be debated. The Administration's conservative approach is always theoretical, the currency spent is always hard... More
September 26, 2005
Kerry campaign killer coming today
A Film on Kerry's presidential campaign to be released this week. This should kill his chances for 2008. Lloyd Grove of the New York Daily News reports: I hear that John Kerry loyalists are kicking themselves for cooperating last year... More
September 26, 2005
The Pelican Project is for the Birds
With an obvious tin ear to the anger directed at the state's misuse of levee and Homeland Security funds and its pervasive corruption, the Louisiana congressional delegations has tagged on at least $10 billion in pure pork projects in its... More
September 26, 2005
Could federal prosecutors be after campaign funds?
Crain's Chicago Business reports on some interesting circumstances suggesting that federal prosecutors may be targeting the substantial campaign war chest of incumbent Illinois Governor Blagojevich. This would be a first, and raises some disturbing questions. It is all very speculative, but... More
September 25, 2005
Even Steyn
It is a rare day when I take issue with the great Mark Steyn. But The Master has given in to despair on the subject of President Bush's response to Katrina in his Chicago Sun—Times column today. He laments to... More
September 25, 2005
BBC spins for Bolivia's Marxists
BBC calling again, as usual, with a biased error betraying its true leftist agenda. This time, they were caught giving aid and succor to none other than Bolivia's Marxist Evo Morales' identified in Investor's Business Daily this week as Cuban... More
September 25, 2005
The real Hugo Chavez
In the past week, Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez gave a number of interviews to journalists, including Ted Koppel of Nightline and Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! Koppel did the best he could, and Goodman spent most of her time flattering... More
September 25, 2005
Reaction to Calame's rebuke
Common Sense Political Thought, a blog new to me, has a sensible and thoughtful reaction to the question I raised yesterday about the future job tenure of New York Times public editor Byron Calame, after his rebuke of the paper's... More
September 25, 2005
Black victims of crime
Many in the media and the Democratic Party spotlight black suffering only as a way to score political points against George Bush and the Republican Party. The media, in particular, routinely ignores black victims of crime and focuses attention only... More
September 25, 2005
Don't believe the media
Dr. Steven Lerner, a physician who dropped everything to fly to Louisiana in the wake of Katrina, writes in the Washington Post about his experience — which turned out to be a waste of time. Not because Bush failed at... More
September 25, 2005
The left continues to crumble
It is hard to believe that the Washington Post would publish such an attack as this. Even in a piece of opinion journalism. The writer accuises her neighbors, basically, of supporting Bush because they are in a panic, stupid ,... More
September 25, 2005
O'Reilly vs. Donohue
Last week, Phil Donohue was on the O'Reilly Factor, locked in a debate about Cindy Sheehan and the anti—war movement that has been Donahue's passion his entire career. 'Do you really want to send more young men and women to die in... More
September 24, 2005
Shame apparently works
Byron Calame, the New York Times' "public editor" has taken to the web and (apparently) print to upbraid Alessandra Stanley's lie about Geraldo Rivera, and opinion editor Gail Collins's failure to follow the Times policy on corrections. Calame has been... More
September 24, 2005
Mother Sheehan: Pay no attention to Rita! Look at me, me, me
Mother Sheehan has had with people paying too much attention to Hurricane Rita. Why, doesn't CNN realize that she sacrificed her only begotten son? She took to the Daily Kos site very quickly after addressing the "biggest rally in DC... More
September 24, 2005
Thanks are due
To George Soros and Teresa Heinz (the latter via the Tides Foundation) for funding today's "anti—war" rally. By all accounts running a tape of it will be all the advertising the Republicans will need to win the 2006 mid term... More
September 24, 2005
Fantasies of racism
Terry Michael, former press secretary for the Democratic National Committee, takes to task media and politicians who rush to pronounce racism as the explanation for so much at Real Clear Politics. A half century ago, right—wing zealots could see a... More
September 24, 2005
The paradox of fuel efficiency
Jeff Jacoby's excellent new article illustrates an important point about human behavior and buyer psychology. His main contention is that our national fuel consumption would not decrease even if vehicle fuel efficiency markedly improved. This may very well be true.... More
September 23, 2005
France steals our secrets
France's intelligence services target America, in order to steal our business and technology secrets, according to Colonel David Hunt, a retired senior officer in the CIA's Directorate of Operations. While perhaps unknown to the general public, this targeting of American... More
September 23, 2005
More Democrat hysteria
Charles Rangel, the Democrat Congressman from New York, continues the new party tradition of ludicrous comparisons of President Bush with historic symbols of evil: "Bush is our Bull Connor...." The New York Sun reports: Comparing President Bush to the Birmingham,... More
September 23, 2005
China's disaster death tolls remain secret
As President Bush gets blamed for the death toll of Hurricane Katrina, China continues to keep its own disaster death tolls secret, despite the ap[earance of reform. The South China Morning Post reports (paid subscription only): Beijing will not revise... More
September 23, 2005
NRA files suit to stop NoLa firearms seizures
Last week it was reported in the New York Times that New Orleans law enforcement officials had ordered that all private citizens would have their personal firearms confiscated. ABC News also reported that the New Orleans deputy police chief said... More
September 23, 2005
Muslim gagnsta rappers in France
Our frequent contirbutor Olivier Guitta has a startling article today on the Weekly Standard website about Muslim (and black) rappers in France, a nation with very strong anti—"hate speech" laws, usually used to suppress even mild criticism of Islam. Some... More
September 23, 2005
Widening income gap in China
The Wall Street Journal ($link) highlights the extensive recent domestic Chinese press coverage of growing social and political tensions arising out of the sustained rapid economic growth China has experienced. If the hand—wringing about income inequality in China translates into... More
September 23, 2005
Is the Senate the Land of Oz?
Democrat senators are more concerned with Roberts's heart than his head. What? Is Ameirca now the Land of Oz and is Roberts the Tin Man? Or does this just play to the Democrats who believe no Republicans have a heart?... More
September 23, 2005
Of all places....
The Boston Globe's Scot Lehigh takes to task Massachusetts senators Kerry and Kennedy for their opposition to the nomination of John Roberts. HOW SHOULD Senate Democrats respond to the example Ted Kennedy and John Kerry set Wednesday in declaring their... More
September 22, 2005
Getting the news out
Jeff Jacoby celebrates one man who has made a difference: blogger Arthur Chrenkoff, whose posting of the considrerable good news from Iraq has bypassed the mainstream media filter, which seeks only bad news. Ed Lasky 9 22 05... More
September 22, 2005
Suppose they had a telethon...
Imagine a Jerry Lewis telethon to support children killing children. Would you send in your money? No, don't bother. I know your answer. But not the Saudis, apparently. The Saudi Government—sponsored Iqra TV had a charitable telethon a few weeks... More
September 22, 2005
Hideous, yet oddly appropriate
The New York Sun reports that Hamas is planning to convert a former Synagogue to a weapons museum, featuring weapons used to murder innocent civillians. From a house of God to a charnel house.: Emboldened by Israel's withdrawal from Gaza... More
September 22, 2005
Missing headlines (continued)
Iraqi Forces Show Signs Of Progress In Offensive The Tall Afar offensive, which began Sept. 2, is the largest urban military operation in Iraq since November's siege of Fallujah. Unlike many previous joint offensives, however, it is the Iraqi army... More
September 22, 2005
Missing headlines (continued)
Household Net Worth Rises ($link) The net worth of American households climbed again in the second quarter, bolstering the ability of families to weather soaring energy prices. In its quarterly "flow of funds" report, the Federal Reserve said U.S. household... More
September 22, 2005
Thinking outside the box (a series)
Michael Barone continues to demonstrate that he is one of the most insightful thinkers in America. To meet the costs of Katrina (and now Rita?) he passes along a proposal from a public servant in Louisiana: sell bonds backed by future royalties... More
September 22, 2005
Hillary agrees to meet Mother Sheehan
The stranglehold of the left wing extremists on the Democratic Party is once again demonstrated int he decision of Hillary Clintoin to meet with moonbat Cindy Sheehan, coiner of the immortal phrase "occupied New Orleans." Front Page Magazine analyzes the situation.... More
September 22, 2005
Hollywood management
Edward Jay Epstien wants to believe that Hollywood studios are run by rational intelligent executives. But then he takes a look at some of the evidence to the contrary. And he does not neglect to mention the ket three—letter word:... More
September 22, 2005
One liberal who gets it
Mickey Kaus is one of the most honest and preceptive liberals in the public square. His latest posting at Slate takes on unions, and imagines liberalism without unions. If more liberals start thinking this way, there might be hope of... More
September 22, 2005
Never give Bush any credit
The New York Times editorializes on the Afghan situation, where a successful election was carried out for second time since the Taliban was ousted by America and its allies. But the Times does not credit America or, it seems. the Afghan people... More
September 21, 2005
Bobby Jindal on rebuilding
Congressman Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, who was narrowly defeated in his run for governor by the hapless Governor Blanco, demonstrates again why he is one of the most promising figures for the future of the Republicans in an op—ed in... More
September 21, 2005
The French are practicing eugenics
France shows signs of understanding that the trend toward educated and professional career women avoiding motherhood can be fatal to the life of a nation, a point our own Herb Meyer superbly made in his DVD, The Seige of Western... More
September 21, 2005
Jet Blue lands safely at LAX
What a joy to see Jet Blue #292 land safely at LAX with its front landing gear 90 degrees out of alingnment. Even though I have been a very frequent flyer for over 3 decades, I still experience a slight... More
September 21, 2005
Do greenies have a sense of irony? How about shame?
Surely I'm not alone noticing that there is an Irony Meter somewhere, pegged out. For decades "environmentalists" fought to prevent New Orleans' levee projects on the basis of irreversible damage to Lake Pontchartrain's eco—system. How many decades it will take to... More
September 21, 2005
China-Japan conflict over oil heats up
While much of America's attention has been focused on hurricanes, the Supreme Court, the close German election and unpredictable North Korea, Japan and China have continued their fighting over natural resources beneath the East China Sea. Both of these economic... More
September 21, 2005
North Korean nuke deal
Austin Bay has an insightful analysis on Real Clear Politics of the recently—announced deal with North Korea to, well, continue to negoatiate to end its nuclear weapons program. A nuclear—armed, impoverished rogue in one of the planet's most economically productive... More
September 21, 2005
Another left wing paper supports Roberts
The San Francisco Chronicle joins the Los Angeles Times in endorsing John Roberts as the nation's next Chief Justice. But is has the appearance of a tactical retreat, inspired by a desire to oppose whomever is nominated for the vacant... More
September 21, 2005
Maryland Democrats' dirty tricks
Threatened by a black Republican, Maryland Dems engage in some black—bag type of operations to break the law and get a credit report on prospective Senate candidate Michael Steele. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said Tuesday that two of its... More
September 20, 2005
Kerry cashes in
John F. Kerry is using email and a speech to attack President Bush on Katrina and to raise money. Not for the victims, but for himself. The man is never without an ulterior motive. Ed Lasky 9 20 05... More
September 20, 2005
Maybe Bush isn't a racist, but...
Richard Cohen of the Washington Post, no fan of the president, admits that George W. Bush is no racist. But Cohen still attacks him indirectly by saying he is supported by Republicans who are racists. The GOP, after all, became a... More
September 20, 2005
North Korea is playing games
The idea that North Korea has been playing games with the world received new support today when the New York Times reported that the last Stalinist regime has demanded billions of dollars to build nuclear reactors in exchange for... More
September 20, 2005
Breakdown of Gaza border
Within days after Israel withdrew from Gaza, Palestinian mobs have burned down twenty—five Jewish synagogues. Warfare has broken out between Palestinian factions, including the murder of Yasser Arafat's cousin Moussa Arafat and his son. The Palestinian Authority has not been... More
September 20, 2005
Is North Korea having nuke problems?
North Korea seems to be following the same playbook as their brethren in Iran. That is, agree in principle to a deal that would allow development of a nuclear commercial power reactor in exchange for giving up on its weapons... More
September 20, 2005
Thinking outside the box (a series)
If you are a parent or concerned citizen, you have probably bemoaned the schools' lack of attention given to teaching the basics of financial common sense*. While op—ed writers and pundits criticize the lack of personal savings by Americans, the foolhardy financial... More
September 20, 2005
"For the greater good"
Am I the only person in the cable news television audience who finds the frequent ads from TIAA—CREF (the pension fund manager for teachers, professors and other groups*) downright creepy? I refer to the ones which end in the tagline... More
September 20, 2005
Sam's right again
The great American folk philosopher Sam Goldwyn once said,"If people don't want to go to the picture, nobody can stop them." And he's proven right again, as the readers refuse to go along with the partisan reportage of America's newspapers. The... More
September 20, 2005
Gaza chaos not surprising
The Gaza—Egyptian border breakdown that has resulted in increased arms smuggling, warfare between rival Palestinian factions and violent chaos in general, though 'worrisome to Jerusalem,' are not unexpected to Ariel Sharon and the IDF. The withdrawal of Israeli settlements from... More
September 20, 2005
The Bush-Clinton Political Puzzle Solved
Many on the Right, conservative columnists and talk show hosts in particular, have been puzzled as to why the Bush administration would keep calling on William Jefferson Clinton to be part of the team. Like Hawaii 5—O's Jack Lord, they... More
September 19, 2005
Clear thinking from the New York Times
Every other Monday, The New York Times makes space for what it calls "a critic's perspective on arts and ideas." Today, we are treated to a bit of sanity from Edward Rothstein on the subject of hate crimes. Although tailored... More
September 19, 2005
No Surprise
It is fairly comical to see the uproar among some conservatives reacting to the President's New Orleans speech. Have they been asleep for five years? From day one of his Administration George W. Bush has been nothing if not consistent... More
September 19, 2005
Shine a light into the heart of the night
Ray Nagin, Mayor of New Orleans, was blown away by the reality that befalls a city armed with a category three defense in the face of a category four hurricane. Whereas Noah heard from God and followed His instructions to survive... More
September 19, 2005
Wal-Mart triumphs in Oakland
Wal—Mart, the company liberals love to hate, has pulled off a triumph in the nation's most politically left wing big city, Oakland, California. It has opened a very large store there, and it is a hit, even among locals who... More
September 19, 2005
FEMA's entitlement program
This is my shortest blog ever: if you've been reading AT for the past year, this is not earth—shattering news. Doug Hanson 9 19 05 ... More
September 19, 2005
Salvador Allende, KGB agent
Salvador Allende Gossens of Chile was an icon of the American left, the first Marxist to assume office via the ballot box. The CIA has been blamed for his overthrow and death, further enhancing his cult standing in Cambridge, Berkeley,... More
September 19, 2005
Howard Dean's standing
Howard Dean appearance on ABC television's The View followed Danny Bonaduce and a guy who has lived in a college frat for 15 years. Enough said about his esteem (self or otherwise). Ed Lasky 9 19 05... More
September 19, 2005
NYT punts on serious correction of Krugman's lies
Mediacrity takes New York Times public editor Barney Calame to task for burying the correction of Paul Krugman's blatant misrepresentation of the facts (A.K.A. "lies") in his columns, a topic we addressed here. Krugman made his goof in his print... More
September 19, 2005
No British Jews murdered in the Holocaust? Sacre bleu!
Haaretz investigates a report of an amazing gaffe by the French Foreign Minister, and finds it true: The French satirical magazine Le Canard Enchaine reported in its September 14th issue that during the visit of French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste—Blazy to the new... More
September 19, 2005
Good comic strip today
The comic strip Gaggle has a particularly cutting number today, relevant to coverage of the katrina disaster followup by ABC.... More
September 19, 2005
Church of England in disgrace
Our friend in Britain Peter Glover is taking his gloves off in addressing the Church of England House of Bishops, who want to apologize to "the world" for Britain's part in the war in Iraq as the government "is not... More
September 18, 2005
Just what the professor ordered
Yale Law School Professor Ian Ayres is to be commended for his New York Times op—ed on the problem of textbook prices in college. He identifies a key problem: IN time for the new school year, the Government Accountability Office... More
September 18, 2005
The Sheik in the Kremlin
That's Jim Hoagland's term for Vladimir Putin, because Russia is now such a big oil exporter, and benefitting mightily from high oil prices on its 6 million barrels a day sent abroad. All very true, though I think oil is... More
September 18, 2005
Send the elderly abroad?
Walter Russell Mead of the Council on Foreign Relations, a genuine establishment thinker, writes in the Los Angeles Times of the virtues (for America) of "sending" our elderly to retirement in low wage countries like Mexico and Costa Rica, where over a million... More
September 18, 2005
Taking back Islam
David Ignatius writes in the Washington Post of the internal battle within the Dar al Islam over the future of that faith of over a billion people. The Salafists, or radical Islamists, are a cult, Ignatius avers, and it is up... More
September 18, 2005
What Clash of Civilizations?
Britain's Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, reassures the United Nations Assembly in this report from the BBC: Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has said there is no fundamental difference between the Islamic world and the West. He told the United Nations Assembly,... More
September 18, 2005
Chavez's Curacao ambitions
In New York this week, Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez blustered continuously about a U.S. naval ship port call to Curacao last February, arguing against our own American Thinker scoop that said a minor contingent of U.S. troops who visited the island... More
September 18, 2005
Bill Maher exposed for who and what he is
Fatuous, hypocritical, self—obsessed, a parody of himself? It is all here in the New York Times Magazine Q and A with the comic who despises religion, hates George Bush, and has a very sour mood about America—while he lives it up... More
September 18, 2005
The Kremlin's Nightmare Scenario
Allow me to flesh out Thomas Lifson's very perceptive point about the de—population of Siberia, and Russia's growing concerns about hanging onto its oil: Russia covers one—sixth of the earth's land surface, and its birth rate is so low that by... More
September 18, 2005
CENTCOM Reports
This week's CENTCOM Report highlights combat operations around Iraq. Action in Tall Afar is important in stopping Syrian support of terrorists in the fledgling democracy. As many AT readers know, the Horn of Africa is critical to prevent further expansion... More
September 18, 2005
Not much news here: pay no attention
Mediacrity is spot on with its criticism of the New York Times for downplaying the orgy of violence and the systematic violations of agreements in the handover of Gaza to Palestinian control. One of the most prolific yet easy to... More
September 17, 2005
Stupid San Francisco tricks
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is a unique political body, serving as the legislative arm of the only government in California (and probably America) which combines the functions of a city and a county. It is also home to... More
September 17, 2005
The battle over battleships
The latest salvo has been fired in the ongoing debate between those who want to modernize old battleships and those who want to fund a new fleet of destroyers. Many billions, not to mention our military effectiveness, are at stake.... More
September 17, 2005
Deport preachers of hate
Investors Business Daily this morning editorializes with great clarity on the necessity of ridding ourselves of those who incite actions like the London bombings. We do not need anyone preaching hate. An increasing number of foreign imams preaching in America... More
September 17, 2005
Class action fraud is widespread
A Wall Street Journal editorial (subscription required) entitled 'The Silicosis Sheriff' covers the painstaking efforts by Texas federal Judge Janis Graham Jack, a Clinton appointee, to uncover the massive fraud in nationwide silicosis litigation. Lawyers, doctors, plaintiffs and screening companies... More
September 17, 2005
Japan and China move toward open clash
While the world is preoccupied with the Middle East, a serious conflict is brewing in East Asia, between two powers with a history of military conflagration rather fresh in mind. For centuries Japan and China have disputed the ownership of the... More
September 17, 2005
Hillary worried about hidden sex
The following headline and article are just too, too ripe for stale, sour, perverse, predictable and also extremely funny comments. Go ahead. Clinton Urges Inquiry Into Hidden Sex in Grand Theft Auto GameWASHINGTON, July 13 — Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton... More
September 17, 2005
Hope for the French?
Chirac, the Jacques—ass, languishes in the polls, but another figure, Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, is soaring. Strangely enough, the French populce is backing a man who seems imbued with common sense. And, wonder of wonders, he commends Tony Blair and George... More
September 17, 2005
Kerry's absurd non-sequitur
Mass. Democratic politicians have roundly attacked Senator Santorum's recent comments regarding how the liberal culture of Boston may have contributed to the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal. This was to be expected, given that Boston is sacred ground for liberals... More
September 17, 2005
Not enough discrimination for UC
It is ironic that the University of California system is dropping National Merit Scholarships offered by the school because of lack of recipient diversity as diversity of another sort——some would call it outright discrimination——is built into the allocation of scholarships. ... More
September 17, 2005
Colorblind merit has no merit for University of California
The University of California continues to flout the spirit, if not the letter, of the law passed by the voters of California requiring no state agency discriminate on the basis of race. UC, you see, desperately wants to engineer what... More
September 17, 2005
Hillary's village will feed your children
Positioning herself as an oh so concerned parent/citizen Senator Hillary Clinton (D—NY) has published a six step plan for healthier living for children in her New York state constituency's largest newspaper. At first glance packed with common sense and helpfulness, this... More
September 17, 2005
An insurgent by any other name still stinks of terrorism
When is an insurgent not an insurgent? When is a militant no longer a militant? When does an activist cease being one? The Dallas News answers. These children were not collateral damage. They were targets. The SUV driver was no insurgent. He... More
September 17, 2005
Israeli terror target in Los Angeles?
Last year the Wall Street Journal ran a front—page story regarding the role that Muslim imams who visit prisons might play in radicalizing prisoners. This may no longer be simply a theoretical possibility as it seems that some Los Angeles... More
September 17, 2005
Political koans (continued)
Who is the Martin Luther of Islam?... More
September 17, 2005
The whole world hates us??
People are voting with their wallets and their appetites. They have an appetite for America that is not shared by the New York Times and other liberal outlets which propagandize that the world hates America. How about a new index: the... More
September 17, 2005
No Child Left Behind is working!
The progress made among the younger cohort bodes well for improvement in the years ahead. Older children are not benefitting as well because they have had years of weak schooling that has hurt their potential. Now, under George Bush's No... More
September 17, 2005
Chuck Schumer? Yes!
"Fatuous creep" is Roger L. Simon's description of Charles Schumer, everyone's favorite senior Senator from the Empire State. As a safety precaution, last night Brit Hume reminded the "Panel" and his viewers that the most dangerous place in Washington is... More
September 17, 2005
Case closed
Joseph Wilson: "My wife was not a covert agency when Novak wrote his column" Clearly, Wilson himself could have said this years ago, but for political reasons he wished to use his wife as a targeted weapon against the Bush... More
September 17, 2005
Support for bin Laden drops in Muslim world
But wait, I thought (according tho the Democrats) that America was creating terrorists around the world? And that terrorists are created by the Israel Palestinian conflict. So says Tony Blair. Ed Lasky 7 15 05 ... More
September 17, 2005
Too many human pinatas
You hit them and they dispense candy. The day after the London bombing attack Blair proudly announces $9 billion in aid to the Palestinians. Now he will seek to push Israel to give more concessions . I prefer a BOBO... More
September 17, 2005
Missing headlines (continued)
"Consumer Prices Stable" The absence of bad economic news continues to anger the liberals. Consumer Inflation Absent Again in June By MARTIN CRUTSINGER, AP Economics Writer 37 minutes ago WASHINGTON — Consumer prices in June were well—behaved for a second... More
September 17, 2005
al Guardian
Charles Johnson of Little Green Footballs had earlier renamed the UK's left wing newspaper with an appropriately Arabic prefix. Now, a rival lefty (but saner, usually) UK newspaper The Independent has discovered that al Guardian emplys a member of a hard—line... More
September 17, 2005
New York Times home market circulation: From first to third
Imagine how angry you would be as a shareholder of a company which sat back and watched its home market share slip to third place from its perennial first place tradition. What if it had lost 30% off its share price... More
September 17, 2005
Caught!
Mediacrity has spotted the Jew—baiting site Counterpunch engaging in what might be fraud. Of course I am not a lawyer and I don't know all the facts, so this is not a libelous accusation. Not in the least. You be... More
September 17, 2005
Our troops
No, they do not behave in a manner at all reminiscnet of Nazis, no matter what Senator Durbin says. Consider Army Pfc. Stephen Tschiderer: During a routine patrol in Baghdad June 2, Army Pfc. Stephen Tschiderer, a medic, was shot... More
September 17, 2005
Shame on Tancredo
Rep. Tom Tancredo (R—Col.) said that if terrorists used a nuclear weapon against us, we should bomb Mecca. His comment is wrong, and he should apologize for it. We should not punish nearly a billion people by destroying their holy site,... More
September 17, 2005
The Hawk rules
Iowahawk is up to his usual tricks, hilariously skewering the left wing intent to oppose any Bush nominee for the SCOTUS. Read it here. Clarice Feldman 7 20 05... More
September 17, 2005
Schumer v Roberts
We are in for a lively confirmation process. To be sure, there will be serious discussion of legal issues, somewhere. But the most entertaining aspect will remain mostly unspoken. Because it is all about vanity. New York's senior Senator, Charles... More
September 17, 2005
Well-deserved
Tony Blankley delivers a well—deserved thrashing to a recent report of Chatham House, aka the Royal Institute of International Affairs, a venerable organization once highly respected. Chatham House, formerly known as the Royal Institute of International Affairs, announced its considered... More
September 17, 2005
Look who's talking
Well, look who are the top talkers in the bluest of the blue areas, New York, New York, according to Drudge: LIMBAUGH TOP POLITICAL TALK NYCAPRIL—JUNE 2005[ALL LISTENERS] LIMBAUGH 139,000 [QTR HOUR]HANNITY 99,100O'REILLY 72,700SAVAGE 61,900 AL FRANKEN 61,400 Midwesterner Rush Limbaugh has... More
September 17, 2005
Different strokes
Compare the solicitous attitude that New York Times managing editor Bill Keller shows for Judith Miller to the complete apathy shown by Mainstream Media for the plight of the Iranian pro—democracy activist and journalist Akbar Ganji who is thought to be... More
September 17, 2005
Our German allies
Ray D., writing on DavidsMedienkritik, critically dissects the Schroeder — Fischer — German Media "Axis" and how it warps German public opinion. Long and worthwhile.... More
September 17, 2005
An honest intellectual
Caleb Carr is a talented novelist, whose first delightful book, The Alienist, presented social and intellectual history in the guise of a thriller. I think that I remember seeing indications in the press that he was more—or—less politically acceptable in... More
September 17, 2005
Follow the Soros
George Soros is making an investment in training, [make that 'empowering'] the next generation of left wing activists. Campus Progress, a project of billionaire George Soros's Center for American Progress, just held a national student conference, supposedly to work on the... More
September 17, 2005
Plame Dame Game Shame
Mark Levin today on NRO "This is the real scandal. Plame lobbied repeatedly for her husband (to go to Niger), and she knew full well that he was hostile to the war in Iraq and the administration's foreign policy. ...... More
September 17, 2005
Thanks, Mr. von Drehle
From an online discussion with David von Drahle, author of the Washington Post article cited here. Orange County, Calif.: Mr. von Drehle, I linked to your article from a favorite blog, americanthinker.com, and was delighted. Thanks for a great piece. The "Founding... More
September 17, 2005
Political koans (continued)
What is the sound of one Bilderberger conspiring?... More
September 17, 2005
How the BBC sees us
This is how the BBC reports on America. It's a crazed place, where 11—year old Mexican girls are persecuted for throwing a stone at a group of boys. The Euromedia drop these stories in an endless stream. In many cases,... More
September 17, 2005
Venezuela's oil firm drops from Fortune 500
The biggest companies in America are oil companies. And why shouldn't they be? For just one speculative oil well, drilling to seek commercially extractable oil, the bill can easily come to $50 million. And that's just to find it. Getting... More
September 17, 2005
The Democrats' losing hand
We have an interfesting prospect at hand: John G. Roberts Jr.Born Buffalo, NY (more likely Hamburg, NY, a conservative suburb)Attended St. Bernadette's (Catholic) Grammar School until 2nd grade.Father, an electrical engineer for Bethlehelm Steel who was transferred to Gary, IndianaGrew... More
September 17, 2005
The Greatest Invention of the 1950's?
Late Night TV King, Johnny Carson, died last year. Now, Gerry Thomas is gone. If you've ever pulled a serving tray over your knees while sitting to watch the flickering light coming from a rectangular box in the living room,... More
September 17, 2005
The NYT relies on Counterpunch for facts?
I read this offensive New York Times article late in the day and was going to do some research on he author and the subject of the article (civilian body counts in Iraq). I thought that one of he more... More
September 17, 2005
Two phony body counts
The left has now published TWO phony counts of civilian deaths in Iraq.The first (100,000) in Lancet has been thoroughly debunked, though it still shows up everywhere. Now there's a figure one—fourth as high, but it's no better: SPLASHED ON... More
September 17, 2005
July 20th: A personal recollection
Wednesday July 20th 2005 was the 36th anniversary of one of mankind's greatest achievements. On that day in 1969, Apollo 11 landed safely on the moon, in the monumentally—historic '...one giant leap for mankind.' Our family was at Fenway Park... More
September 17, 2005
Plame press coverup?
JustOneMinute makes a reasonable case on the public information that there is a substantial press cover—up in the Plame case just as the media is making its arguments to Congress that the press should get receive a testimonial privilege shielding them... More
September 17, 2005
Democrats' hypocrisy on public broadcasting
The hypocrisy of the left regarding public broadcasting: while demonizing CPB head Ken Tomlinson for wasting money when he hired consulatants to examine the issue of bias at CPB, the ruling powers—that—be have been doing the same (and much worse)... More
September 17, 2005
New York Times ignores GOP senators' efforts
How is this for a lead sentence: "Under pressure from Democratic senators, the board that rates video games assigned the latest installment of the Grand Theft Auto series an adults—only label yesterday, effectively removing it from the shelves of most... More
September 17, 2005
Scientific? American?
In a favorable review of the book The Looting of the Iraq Museum, Baghdad: The Lost Legacy of Ancient Mesopotamia, the August 2005 issue of Scientific American says that a statue of a woman's head dating from the ninth or... More
September 17, 2005
Look who's listening in the big blue cities
Yesterday the ratings numbers for talk radio indicated Rush Limbaugh was a hit in deep blue New York. And that's no one city quirk. Apparently the man those tolerant liberals love to hate is also wildly popular in bluest Chicago and... More
September 17, 2005
That's a lot of converts
Did you know that 60 million Christians in the United States have converted to Judaisim? No? Well, neither did I. But Hizbullah's Al—Manar TV presented retired Lebanese general and public relations expert Dr. Hisham Jaber in a discussion of "global Zionism"... More
September 17, 2005
The hundred billion dollar game of chicken
The World Trade Organization (WTO) announced yesterday that it will flormally investigate charges of illegal subsidies to Airbus, and the counter—charges of illegal subsidies to Boeing. We have previously written about the combat between the two jetliner makers, which involves... More
September 17, 2005
NYC subway searches
The New York Post publishes a painfully accurate cartoon mocking the searches underway in New York subways. Dick Weitz 7 24 05 ... More
September 17, 2005
The root of delusion
Why does the left (see the BBC and Michael Moore, for example) insist that terrorism doesn't exist? Here's as good an explanation as I've seen. The website Dr. Sanity writes: The Left calls international terrorism an "illusion." I call the... More
September 17, 2005
A ten step program
In an editorial yesterday, the Telegraph of London has proposed "Ten Urgent Steps to Make Britain Safer." But in its very phrasing the Telegraph itself advanced what George Orwell would have thought to be the single most important step: a clear... More
September 17, 2005
Cuba arrests dissidents
Cuba remains a tyranny, albeit one excused by many on the American and European left. The latest evidence is the arrest of several prominent dissidents, many of whom were involved in the May rally on which we reported here. The... More
September 17, 2005
Who is "out of touch"?
The Los Angeles Times carries an editorial today about what it calls President Bush's "creepy" "obsession" with exercise: "Given the importance of his job, it is astonishing how much time Bush has to exercise . . . There's no denying... More
September 17, 2005
Scriptural sanctions for violence in Islam
Irshad Manji, a Canadian Muslim and well—known author living under threat of a fatwa calling for her death, writes today in the Los Angeles Times about the same problem addressed by Dr. N.S. Rajaram on AT today: the Quranic roots... More
September 17, 2005
Bill Moyers, the homo-hunter
Well, well ...the uber—liberal should be ashamed. Why didn't he do a mea culpa sometime over the last 30 years? Only a few weeks before the 1964 election, a powerful presidential assistant, Walter Jenkins, was arrested in a men's room... More
September 17, 2005
Subsidizing those who would destroy you
This article brings to light a fact unknown to many: England and other governments in Europe (and Canada) not only offer asylum for many Islamist extremists, but also puts them on the dole. So not only do they flout their... More
September 17, 2005
Numbers game
John Leo reminds us of the numbers games played by lefty advocates on everything from war casualties to the homeless: Isn't it awful, a friend said at dinner the other night, that 100,000 Iraqi civilians have died since the U.S.... More
September 17, 2005
Roberts and Kennedy on the Court
Amidst the fear and loathing on the left that John Roberts will be quickly confirmed, and move the Court to the right, Britisher Quentin Langley posits a more sober and thoughtful perspective. If the existing Court with O'Conner consised of... More
September 17, 2005
I hope Ann Coulter is wrong
Last week the best—selling author and queen of anti—liberalism, Ann Coulter, wrote an article about the recent nomination by President Bush of Appeals Court Judge John G. Roberts Jr. that has since caused many conservatives to get downright snippy toward... More
September 17, 2005
The CIA and Plame
Rick Moran profiles some of the CIA partisans who have attacked the White House over the Plame affair on his blog, The Right Wing Nut House. This continues his investigative work on the CIA connections with the case.... More
September 17, 2005
Americans divided on use of A-bombs on Japan
If this is accurate, it does not bode well for our battle against Islamic terrorism. As the 60th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Japan approach in two weeks, one major poll shows that Americans, in a historical switch, now... More
September 17, 2005
Untouchable gambling interests
My friend Gary Larson (not the cartoonist) has written an insightful essay in the Intellectual Conservative, on the subject of Indian casinos and America's treatment of its indigenous people. Located in my home state of Minnesota, Gary places in historical... More
September 17, 2005
Arab reformers speaking out
I find it hard to tell moderates from extremists in Islam, in part because there is open permission to tell lies to enemies of Allah. But MEMRI has the expert knowledge to do it ——— and these translations show... More
September 17, 2005
The most under-reported story
The labor union break—up is far and away the most important political story of the summer —— vastly more important than the Valerie Plame kerfuffle —— but I doubt the press will understand. But the professional politicians will understand it, and the implications... More
September 17, 2005
Arab backlash against al Qaeda
Don Surber puts together pieces of evidence indicating that at long last a backlash against terrorism and AQ is building at his blog site.... More
September 17, 2005
One is quite enough, thank-you
John F. Kerry's brother Cameron is contemplating a run for Secretary of State in Massachusetts. In that position he would oversee elections. Ed Lasky 7 27 05... More
September 17, 2005
Democrat Reps in arrears
Further evidence of the crumbling of the Democratic Party is provided by the spectacle of widespread failure of Democrat Congressional Representatives to pay their dues to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). Millions of dollars are involved, and the DCCC... More
September 17, 2005
Our friends in Egypt
Freedom of religion remains a marginal concept in much of the Middle East. Memri reports on Egyptian objections to a satellite TV channel reporting on the affairs of Coptic Christians. The weekly show "Questions About Faith" on the Egyptian based... More
September 17, 2005
Sense from the Guardian
Jonathan Freedland of the leftist Guardian reads the riot act to London Mayor Ken Livingstone, who has been playing footsie again with Islamic terror supporters. Of note because it is in the pages of the Guardian, he explains why holding... More
September 17, 2005
The Guardian falls to blogs
Score one for the good guys of the blogosphere! The Guardian, the once—prestigious left wing U.K. newspaper, has been forced to fire an intern, Dilpazier Aslam, who was a member of an extremist Islamist political party and who had not declared... More
September 17, 2005
Grievances
Eleanor Clift on last Sunday's McLaughlin Group, discussing the London bombings: "And so you have these large Muslim populations with many young men who are aggrieved, and I think it's going to be incumbent upon all of the world to... More
September 17, 2005
Apostacy, according to Hamas
This article by the former Kuwaiti Education Minister argues that the Muslim Brotherhood (i.e., Hamas) has declared that all other Mulsims are "takfir" — accused of apostacy — for which the punishment is death. That's the rationale for the Egyptian... More
September 17, 2005
Big Labor's Boss, after his loss
In the wake of the split in Big Labor, discoverthenetwork.org provides a detailed profile of John Sweeney, just re—elected head of the downsized AFL—CIO. It is an engrossing read because there are so many revealing details. I hadn't realized the... More
September 17, 2005
It's the economy smartie!
Hear ye, hear ye doomsayers and the hate America crowd——you're wrong. Again. This time you're wrong about the economy. People are working, businesses are expanding, investment is growing. Several Indicators Point to Brisk Economic GrowthBy VIKAS BAJAJPublished: July 28, 2005Sales... More
September 17, 2005
Insider advantage
Carol Platt Liebau makes a compelling case in The American Spectator that the GOP is better off picking Supreme Court nominees from the Washington DC talent pool. She notes that Thomas, Scalia, and Rehnquist, who all made their careers in DC,... More
September 17, 2005
Which brilliant Dem dreamed up this title?
According to ABC News: Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D—NY) and Rep. Danny Davis (D—IL) attend an event titled "The Black Male: Endangered Species or Hope for the Future?" at 2:15 pm ET at the Washington Convention Center. "Endangered Species"?... More
September 17, 2005
The "very elegant" Saddam Hussein
The Media Research Center reports the stunning remark of Peter Arnett, former CNN and NBC star correspondent. Peter Arnett, who was dismissed as an NBC News correspondent after he went on Iraqi TV on March 30, 2003 to boost the... More
September 17, 2005
American Muslims
Ever since 9/11 I've been very troubled by the dearth of condemnation of terrorist by American Muslims. I felt that If they were not to be considered the targets of suspicion and prejudice, they should be in the forefront of... More
September 17, 2005
French take money from anti-Semitic donor
Today it was proudly announced that the citadel of French culture has fallen — just as the Bastille did two centuries ago. The Louvre Museum proudly yet cravenly proclaimed that it has accepted a $20 million donation from Saudi oilyarch*... More
September 17, 2005
With forked tongue
David Kaspar of Davidsmedienkritik, notices that Germany's largest online news site, Spiegel Onine (SPON) presents a very different face to its English Language readers abroad than it does to its German Language readers at home. In its magazine and on... More
September 17, 2005
Stone's cold change of heart
It seems Oliver Stone has had a change of heart over the past couple of weeks. Here, all he can talk about is how his new flick will tell the story of 9/11 heroes. But I guess that didn't get... More
September 17, 2005
Iran's new president glorifies martyrdom
The new president of Iran is certainly no reformer. MEMRI provides translation of excerpts from a televised speech of President—Elect Mahmoud Ahmadi—Nejad: "We want art that is on the offensive. Art on the offensive exalts and defends the noble principles,... More
September 17, 2005
Alienating the Kurds
The Kurds have been our most reliable allies in Iraq. Far more secular and democratic than the Sunni and Shia Arabs, the Kurds are justifiably uneasy about Iraq's disturbing new draft constitution. That document would put Iraq well on the... More
September 17, 2005
CAFTA passes
Investors Business Daily publishes an editorial on CAFTA that goes out and talks to some of the people in Los Angeles who will be most affected by it, the Central Americans living there. Turns out that a lot of things are... More
September 17, 2005
Tomfoolery (a series)
New York Times foreign affairs columnist Tom Friedman engages in more Tomfoolery at the expense of intellectual insight and plain common sense today. In this column he opines about the changes in the Middle East and the demise of the... More
September 17, 2005
Guardian enmeshed in blog-generated scandal
Score another one for the blogosphere! Scott Burgess should be commended for his fine work on this scandal. For background go to his site. Rathergate is being reprised as Sassygate in England, and the left wing stalwart Guardian is standing... More
September 17, 2005
Chicago-style freedom of speech
Democrats often invoke freedom of speech to justify the right of anyone to utter the most outlandish, the most hate filled or even the most treasonous speech. Well and good but of course when applied against them these lofty principles... More
September 17, 2005
ABC News airs terrorist, irks Russians
ABC news seems to have a soft spot for terror. Peter Jennings is notoriously indulgent to the Palestinian cause. His ethos now may pervade the entire organization. Recently, ABC News program Nightline ran an interview with Chechen terrorist Shamil Basayev, Basayev... More
September 17, 2005
Border state crime soars
America's new crime capital is Arizona, prominent member of the small club of Mexican border states. Former Clinton administration appointee and current Arizona Governor, Janet Napolitano, must have some friends in high places at the Arizona Republic. Buried on the... More
September 17, 2005
Can private enterprise save the space program?
NASA has held a monopoly on human space exploration in the United States. It has been magnificent, and is now out of date. As the Director of NASA just admitted, the space agency should not have launched Discovery, because even... More
September 17, 2005
Separation anxiety
During the debate over the "nuclear option" regarding changing Senate rules so as to prohibit the filibuster of judicial nominees, our favorite Democratic Senators were invoking the "separation of powers" doctrine in support of continuing the practice. Never mind that... More
September 17, 2005
Admiral Inman and Plame
I received a comment on my article on Admiral Inman (republished on my site) from someone purporting to be Larry Johnson: Hey boneheads,I actually spoke with Admiral Inman. He said he was misquoted (Gee, what a surprise, the NRO can't get... More
September 17, 2005
Missing headlines (continued)
"Economic growth firmly entrenched" Confirming the continuation of the solid, steady expansion that finally became firmly entrenched during the second quarter of 2003, the U.S. economy grew at an impressive 3.4 percent annual rate last quarter. It was the ninth... More
September 17, 2005
The coming pandemic?
Contributor Rick Moran, at his site Rightwing Nuthouse, outlines the alarming reasons he sees a coming pandemic, when the bird flu virus makes the leap from animals to humans, something it has started to do in Asia, where humans and animals... More
September 17, 2005
Rice, the powerful Secretary of State
A Washington Post article notes Condi Rice's enhanced power at State (compared to Colin Powell), due in part to her closeness to President Bush, and in part to her own willingness to travel and lead. [Powell was the least traveled... More
September 17, 2005
You can't fight something with nothing
Niall Ferguson makes the case that Europe's spiritual emptiness makes it a soft target for Islamofascism. Richard Baehr 7 31 05... More
September 17, 2005
Confronted with our own decadence
It is interesting that the following article by Minette Marrin should appear in today's Times (London). Yesterday, Theodore Dalrymple, aka Anthony Daniels, was on BookTV speaking at the Manhattan Harvard Club on June 2nd of this year. The occasion was... More
September 17, 2005
Seeing the same film with different eyes
Chris Adamo's article, "War of the Worldviews" told us that Hollywood leftists hoped we'd see the new Speilberg movie in an anti—Administration way. But most people seeing it think differently. This is reminiscent of something I read a long time ago concerning... More
September 17, 2005
Islam reform? Don't hold your breath
Mohammad Naseem, considered a moderate, is the chairman of the city's central mosque. He called Tony Blair a "liar" and "unreliable witness." He also questions the reliability of DNA evidence and the targeting of Muslims in the war on terror.... More
September 17, 2005
EU to WTO: Get Lost
Hmm..imagine that..the EU defying an international organization. Sacre bleu! The EU has been favoring its former colonies in terms of importing bananas. Latin American producers cried foul to the WTO—which has now ruled that the EU has been and apparently... More
September 17, 2005
Jihad Jane (a poem)
Jihad Jane With a hat tip to Ollie North for the title What a prize to show for her life of toil,A bus that runs on vegetable oil;To keep it running will prove no strain,Run a fuel line from her... More
September 17, 2005
The Air America scandal slowly emerges
Several leading bloggers have been following the story of an apparent "loan" of substantial funds from a non—profit organization, a boys and girls club serving minority youth in NYC, to the former corporate parent of Air America, at the time... More
September 17, 2005
Dem pols find a religion they can like
It is Scientology. A New York Post editorial traces the links between city funding for a Scientology—based center for "the New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project" and massive campaign donations by Scientology members to politicians sponsoring New York City grants... More
September 17, 2005
Lawrence of Iraq
The Brits, we are often told, do foreign affairs better. Centuries of colonialism taught them lessons in exercising power over other societies, taking advantage of local customs and institutions, to make acceptable the foreign domination. The Brits ruled vast India... More
September 17, 2005
Blair v Blair
As we look out over the horizon, there is increasing evidence that the leftist hodgepodge of multiculturalism and tolerance of Islamic intolerance is losing favor in Holland, France and now the UK. But there is one standout, Cherie Blair. [quote]... More
September 17, 2005
A familiar Kennedy theme
Sen. Edward Kennedy's reaction to President Bush's recess appointment of John Bolton as United States ambassador to the United Nations was typical and not surprising: "The abuse of power and the cloak of secrecy from the White House continues. It's... More
September 17, 2005
Berlin pols seek to honor Lenin
David Kaspar covered the destruction of the Checkpoint Charlie memorial in Berlin, whose crosses commemorated those killed trying to cross the wall to freedom. Now his site Davidsmedienkritik tells us that left wing politicians in Berlin want to restore a statue... More
September 17, 2005
MSNBC loses, 5-1
MSNBC is at it again. In a story on their web site today regarding the recess appointment of John Bolton as UN ambassador, their "objective, accurate" reporting uses quotes from five senators sharply critical of the President's move, with only... More
September 17, 2005
Let the ranting and raving begin
President George Bush exercised his presidential prerogative and bypassing the Senate by appointing his candidate, John Bolton, as US representative to the UN as a recess appointment. Predictably the Senate rantings have begun. A revealing sample——mainly from Democrat stalwarts. Senate Democratic... More
September 17, 2005
Power struggle in Iran
The best description of what is happening in Iran and why the Mullahs so fear the "democracy bomb": [quote]One of my favorite reporters called late last week, saying he had learned that Coalition forces in Iraq had captured an Iranian... More
September 17, 2005
Bolton and his predecessor
Supposedly chastened by the Left, 'bad boy' John Bolton was welcomed to the U.N. by Kofi Annan this week. Bolton told Annan that he was 'glad to be here.' He also met with his new staff. Did you know that... More
September 17, 2005
PC Doubletalk in San Francisco
How do you know if you are entering a particularly dangerous neighborhood in San Francisco? Of course! You would look for a sign which calls the area a "Peace Zone." San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom poses with the latest example... More
September 17, 2005
The disintegration of Canada
Quebec has had separatism as its own issue for decades now. But, as I have long noted, Quebec is not the only province with an argument that it gets a raw deal. In particular, Western Canada, especially Alberta, is exploited... More
September 17, 2005
SEIU local backs Bloomberg
When Andrew Stern split organized labor by walking out of the AFL—CIO, he promised to decouple big labor from the Democrats. The process has already begun. According to the New York Post, Service Employees International Local 32BJ in New York... More
September 17, 2005
Miracle? Or pilot error?
Let's put together some bits and pieces regarding Tuesday's aircraft destruction and passenger evacuation drill brought to you courtesy of Air France at the end of a flight from Paris to Toronto. One, there were severe thunderstorms in the vicinity... More
September 17, 2005
Iran's nuke threat underestimated by NIE
The revelation by Herb Meyer that the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) cited by Rick Moran is, in fact, a finished product indicates serious problems within our intelligence community or our Administration. Sadly, the available evidence points to Herb's second possibility, which... More
September 17, 2005
What's Up with this New NIE on Iran?
I've just read Rick Moran's superb piece about the leaked National Intelligence Estimate, which concludes that Iran is nowhere near having nuclear weapons, and also the various newspaper articles on which Rick's piece is based. It turns out that the... More
September 17, 2005
WaPo article draws more criticism
Yesterday's Washington Post article on Iranian nuke capability criticized by Rick Moran today on AT also drew the attention of Roger L. Simon today. It is "repellent and dangerously close to disinformation", he says: Today's Washington Post article on a new... More
September 17, 2005
The New York Times and John Bolton
David Frum points out the fallacy of the NYT news story that much of the reform of the UN has already happened and that Bolton is irrelevant. Of course, this dovetails with their EDITORIAL position today,that the silver lining behind... More
September 17, 2005
No more Mr. Nice Guy
During his 16 year career with the hapless (sorry fans, including George Will) Chicago Cubs Ryne Sandberg was a quietly outstanding player. Unlike some of his (nameless) team mates and (ditto) colleagues who had their tantrums and pettiness, their flourishes... More
September 17, 2005
Youth culture as imagined by Al Gore
Dana Stevens has nailed Current, Al Gore's new cable channel. Writing today on Opinion Journal, it is irrevocably dubbed 'youth culture as imagined by Al Gore.' Some other gems: Despite its almost serenely dated, retro feel, Current is very interested... More
September 17, 2005
Promises, promises
Remember back in the early days of Bush's second presidential win when self styled tolerant, open minded, diversity loving, democracy advocates shrieked they couldn't live under four more years of a Bush regime so they were decamping to Canada? Well,... More
September 17, 2005
Corzine's love troubles
His "loan" to a former lover who, as part of her job, negotiates with the Governor's office, could prove destructive to Democrat John Corzine's campaign for New Jersey Governor this year. New Jersey voters proved with former Democratic Senator Bob Toricelli, that... More
September 17, 2005
Plame Affair drops from public discussion
Last month, Clifford May puts it all together on NRO, analyzing the Plame Affair. He made a very strong case that the actual crime of outing Valerie Plame as a covert ops agent was copmmitted by Joe Wilson, in revealing to... More
September 17, 2005
Multifaceted picture of John Roberts
He's not the heartless conservative as have some on the left have depicted. The Los Angeles Times reveals that Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts Jr. worked behind the scenes for gay rights activists, and his legal expertise helped them... More
September 17, 2005
Mauritania falls
A military junta has overthrown the leader of Mauritania, an ally of America in its fight against terror and one of the few Muslim nations that had diplomatic relations with Israel. The former President, Maouya Sidi Ahmed Taya, was replaced... More
September 17, 2005
Open letter to the noble citizenry of Western Canada
I've often thought that we should offer statehood to the four western provinces of Canada — British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Perhaps BC would have to change its name to "The Former British Columbia" or "FBC" for short. Or,... More
September 17, 2005
George Galloway in Syria
British MP George Galloway has just told the fascist regime in Syria that "Foreigners Are Raping Two Beautiful Arab Daughters — Jerusalem and Baghdad." This language is obviously designed to promote peace and the spirit of compromise in the Arabic... More
September 17, 2005
The atomic bomb gave peace a chance
Sixty years ago the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima followed by another three days later at Nagasaki. As a result the Japanese promptly surrendered, thereby saving thousands of lives Japanese as well as American. Most sensible... More
September 17, 2005
China buys Boeing
China has just signed a deal for 42 copies of the new Boeing jetliner, the 787 Dreamliner, for roughly $5 billion dollars. While the amount involved is small compared to the overall trade deficit with China, it is nonetheless significant.... More
September 17, 2005
SEIU funds new Democrat think tank
Desperately in search of ways to start warding off the evil eye of Karl Rove, fat cat Dem donors and Andrew Stern's SEIU are finding a new think tank. The Hill reports: [emphasis added] Silicon Valley progressives, a major labor union... More
September 17, 2005
Air America scandal leaking into MSM
David Reinhard, an associate editor of the Oregonian in Portland, pens a wicked essay on Air America and the hypocrisy of its founders and allies. Little by little, the cordon sanitaire errected by the New York Times is crumbling before... More
September 17, 2005
BBC loses sneer quotes
BBC News may be teetering on the verge of calling terrorists "terrorists." This is big news. Just a few weeks after bloody carnage exploded in the center of London, even the leftwing BBC, which has refused to use the word... More
September 17, 2005
The destruction of Mecca
The Independent of London headlined this weekend that "Historic Mecca, the cradle of Islam, is being buried in an unprecedented onslaught by religious zealots." These particular zealots do not think they are enemies of Islam; they are the radical Wahhabi... More
September 17, 2005
Farewell to another tradition
The NCAA's ruling on Indian mascots and team names in post—season play will trash tradition at many teams around the country. One of them is the Utes of the University of Utah. The fact that the Ute Tribal Council specifically... More
September 17, 2005
Going public with terror ties
A satellite broahcasting firm named WorldSpace recently raised $250 million in an offering underwritten by UBS Warburg and SG Cowan, despite a prospectus that warned:" "Allegations of ties between certain of our investors and terrorism could negatively affect our reputation... More
September 17, 2005
Another Steyn gem
"Air America looks like the broadcast version of the U.N. Oil—for—Food program, whereby money earmarked to save starving moppets somehow winds up in the bank accounts of bloated self—described do—gooders with political connections." Read the whole thing.... More
September 17, 2005
Farewell to the left
Nick Cohen, a British leftist, recounts his "excommunication" from the left for daring to point out that alliances with fascistic, homophobic, brutal thugs may not exactly be progressive. Cohen is no fan of Bush or Blair, but he sees through... More
September 17, 2005
Nip tuck
Bit by bit Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is touching up his appearance, presumably to look youthful and vigorous no matter how the years may advance. After all, he is a billionaire who built his fortune in the media, and... More
September 17, 2005
Europe caves
I don't know whether to laugh or cry — but the Europeans have just collapsed to the crazies in Tehran. They offered the same deal to the Mullahs that Bill Clinton gave to North Korea. Iran will get help with... More
September 17, 2005
NCAA won't hail the Chief
The NCAA has officially banned Chief Illiniwek (and all other Native American mascots) from performing in post—season games. Richard Baehr examined the issue with insight and humor during the NCAA Big Ten Tournament, when the Chief was unofficially banned. Richard wrote:... More
September 17, 2005
India rising
Lawrence Kudlow, writing with William P. Kucewitz, covers many themes in his analysis of India on NRO today, a nation whose strategic importance and desirability as an ally we have highlighted since our beta—site debut. As a market gurus, the authors focus... More
September 17, 2005
Get Denny
The Democrat—friendly media machine launched an attack on the Speaker of the House. It is the latest round of manufactured scandal charges, intended to brand the GOP as corrupt, and convince the inattentive that where there is so much smoke... More
September 17, 2005
Archaeology and politics
The Anchoress covers the re—discovery of the Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem, a place of ritual bathing, and the likely site of a miracle of Jesus. As with everything in the Middle East, the political implications are profound. Earlier disgraceful... More
September 17, 2005
The charity industry
My epiphany about non—profit organizations took place when I was a second—year Harvard Business School student, talking with my classmates about job—hunting. One of them, a cynical fellow, told me he intended to make his career in the non—profit sector.... More
September 17, 2005
Hot spot
Mediacrity, one of my favorite new blogs, must be the nightmare site of New York Times "public editor" (ombudsman) Barney Calame. Of course, being P.E. for the Gray Lady is no bargain in any event. One has to project the... More
September 17, 2005
That leaked National Intelligence Estimate
The Washington Times editorializes about the National Intelligence Estimate putting Iran's nuclear weapons capabilities into the distant future of a decade from now. It does not spare its local rival, The Washington Post, from criticism either, since it was the... More
September 17, 2005
Hillary tells lawyers to speak up
Although over 90% of senators and representatives are lawyers, including the present junior senator from New York, Hillary Rodham Clinton, what does she tell an adoring women's legal organization that she formerly headed and gave her an award at the... More
September 17, 2005
The end of Israel?
Cal Thomas looks into his crystal ball and traces the dangers facing Israel as it withdraws from Gaza. It is a chilling picture he paints. The "disengagement" later this month (which is actually a retreat and is seen that way... More
September 17, 2005
Housing (cont.)
Thomas Lifson's take on housing policy is interesting. I have been an elected official in a surburban Boston community for over 20 years. One of the most aggravating state programs ever foisted on the suburbs is called chapter 40B affordable... More
September 17, 2005
Oh, Canada
Well, that was different. And interesting. And thought provoking. The interview on news talk radio CKOM originating from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada, that is. Seems Canadians have a fair interest in what Americans are thinking. Or, in this case, blogging. Canada... More
September 17, 2005
Interview skills
Matt May cannot bear to mention the name of Detroit 's disgraced King of All Media, Mitch Albom. Nevertheless, he eviscerates the conduct of the onetime MSNBC talker interviewing Cindy Sheehan, the mom who is holding a vigil in Crawford,... More
September 17, 2005
Able Danger and the jiggered timeline
In its latest response to the report that it failed to account for the Able Danger report, the 9/11 Commission spokesman indicates the report was inconsistent with the INS records as to the date of Atta's entry into the US.... More
September 17, 2005
The PC NCAA
Now that the NCAA has banned the use of Native American nicknames and mascots during tournament competition, it's time to make sure all other offensive nicknames and mascots are likewise eliminated. To begin, Oklahoma State and Wyoming need to discard... More
September 17, 2005
Cindy Sheehan's anti-Isarel rhetoric
Ben Johnson, writing in Front Page Magazine, explores the background, associates and beliefs of Cindy Sheehan, and finds anti—Israel rhetoric. This woman is unsavory. Sheehan does not just lay the blame for her son's death on evil America, though. She recently... More
September 17, 2005
The Last Commissioner
"I have a very strong commitment to the facts, and I wanted very much to make sure the facts were all before us and they were appropriately understood." The words of Jamie Gorelick, the tenth and last commissioner appointed... More
September 17, 2005
Questions for the United Church of Christ
Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal ran an article ($link) describing efforts by the United Church of Christ to ban the use of language and sport team insignias that refer to Native Americans (such as the Seminoles, Indians, Braves, Washington Redskins). The... More
September 17, 2005
Peter Jennings
We held our silence during the tributes to Peter Jennings after his cancer death. Any man's death merits a period of peace, of mourning, of being left alone in grief. Those who loved him or who miss him deserve no... More
September 17, 2005
Clinton campaign manager under investigation
David Wilhelm, Bill Clinton's campaign manager in 1992, is under investigation in an expanding scandal regarding investment of teacher retirement funds in Illinois. Public employee pension plans all across America have been subject to political influence, and since their investment... More
September 17, 2005
An MSM Deficit
Once again, the MSM is refusing to present any economic news in a way that might shed some favorable light on the Bush administration. This time, both the New York Times and the Washington Post trumpet AP headlines about "Record... More
September 17, 2005
San Francisco homeless numbers plummet
Despite intense, sometimes hysterical criticism of his alleged heartlessness, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom ended direct cash grants to homeless people. Instead, specific services, such as housing, were purchased and provided to ligitimate claimants. In other words, no more free money.... More
September 17, 2005
Move Over Joe Camel
If Joe Camel was sent into exile because the cartoon camel made kids smoke, what are we going to do with the recently discovered nicotine addicted frogs? Scientists, who believe these certain frogs 'evolved' into poisonous frogs by eating alkaloid—rich... More
September 17, 2005
Taking the offense
Mackubin Thomas Owens argues in the New York Post that one reason we are suffering larger casualties lately is because we are quietly (in the media) on the offensive, attacking the ratline corridors bring in materiel and warriors. "Multinational Force... More
September 17, 2005
Signs of the times
Tha Bay Area's BART mass transit train system is asking passengers to be on alert for bombs, borrowing posters created for London. A bomb exploded in a train running in a tube under the Bay could be horrific, and cripple... More
September 17, 2005
Housing (cont.)
This will help ensure the immigrant lobby will support Democrats. Using our taxpayer dollars to help illegal immigrants buy houses. Ed Lasky 8 10 05 ... More
September 17, 2005
A practical move in Gaza
Why is Israel withdrawing from Gaza? A thoughtful analysis is given in the Times of London by Oliver Kamm. The key is a new practical consensus in Israel. * The realistic Left has given up its wild hopes for a... More
September 17, 2005
A leap in weapons capability
America's military is taking a giant technological leap forward. Not that you'll hear much about it in the mainstream media. The scale of deployment of some of our most potent and promising weapon systems can now be expanded to an... More
September 17, 2005
Get a (Democratic) life
While Howard Dean persistently insists the Democrats are the party of the people as opposed to the Republicans who are the party of white Christians who have never worked, some of those Democrats haven't been listening. Take this amazing exchange between... More
September 17, 2005
The joke's on the NYT
Noel Shepard raised issues of subtle press bias yesterday. I am 57 and old enough to remember a day when the press did not push leftist line, subtly or not. The New York Times in the early 1960s, as best... More
September 17, 2005
Iran's big explosions
Is Iran getting more dangerous? The signs point that way. The new President of the regime was a leader of the radicals who took over the American Embassy in Tehran in 1979, an act that finished Jimmy Carter's presidency. He... More
September 17, 2005
Hail to Chief's chief chef
Congratulations to Cristeta Comerford, newly appointed as executive chef at the White House, following a cook—off among finalists for the position. Her baptism of fire apparently was the dinner for 134 guests she cooked in July for the visit of... More
September 17, 2005
Who are they?
"They sleep six or more to a tiny, ramshackle room; they are often supplied only with some blankets to sleep on the raw concrete floor, a single window that provides the only access for a cooling breeze, if it ever... More
September 17, 2005
Slow down Mr. Chairman
This week the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee met and raised the Fed Funds rate another 25 basis points to 3.5%. This is the tenth consecutive increase since June of 2004 when the rate was at a 50 year low.... More
September 17, 2005
Getting outta Dodge
Hmmm... David Wilhem...ex—Clinton campaign manager and Democratic bigwig...who was last seen on AT at this post is moving out of the state of Illinois. Well...let's see a short timeline: He has lived in Chicago for years, his investment firm takes a... More
September 17, 2005
A significant enemy loss?
Reuters reported yesterday that a Taliban commander was killed in a fight with US Paratroopers and Afghan soldiers. This positive news item amazingly makes the lede in a Reuters article before it reverts to the standard MSM template of gloom and... More
September 17, 2005
A Howard Dean compliment
Hey there New England Republicans——Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean just gave you a compliment. Sort of. At a fund raiser in New Hampshire for the state's Democrats he said ... Republicans in this area are easier to deal with than... More
September 17, 2005
Chief Iranian nuclear negotiator on how Iran bought time
As this link shows, the new Iranian regime is amazingly brazen —— which is good, in a sense, since they don't bother to cover their real aims. What is not so good is their apparent calculation that sheer brazen intimidation... More
September 17, 2005
Soldiers raid terrorist chemical facility
CNN reports that Task Force Freedom, which is based in Mosul, Iraq, has found an 'insurgent' chemical facility. US forces were led to the building based on information gleaned from detainee interrogations. In addition to the chemical production equipment, over... More
September 17, 2005
Who owns the Taj?
Controversy surrounds the Taj Mahal. This recent dispute pitted a Muslim trust which claims Islamic ownership of the great Mogul monument against the Indian government, which asserts it to be national property. Now, India's archaelology agency joins the fray. Of course, the Muslim claimants... More
September 17, 2005
Thank you Halliburton/KBR
Often overlooked in the MSM's daily casualty tally is the toll taken on our contract support workers in Iraq. On August 3, a wall hanging was dedicated in Baghdad honoring the 43 men and women of Kellogg, Brown, and Root... More
September 17, 2005
A Hopeful Sign of a Cohesive Iraq
Here's a promising report: BAGHDAD, Aug. 14 —— Rising up against insurgent leader Abu Musab Zarqawi, Iraqi Sunni Muslims in Ramadi fought with grenade launchers and automatic weapons Saturday to defend their Shiite neighbors against a bid to drive them... More
September 17, 2005
MSM self-delusions
D.J. Drummond of polipundit.com assembles various MSM tributes to the late Peter Jennings as the paragon of journalistic virtue, and then offers some of PJ's biased comments along with his claim that 'We all have baggage, but one of the... More
September 17, 2005
Good news in the war with Islamists
The Washington Post brings us two encouraging stories today, one from Iraq, and one from Afghanistan. In Iraq, for the first time ever (apparently), Sunni Iraqis have come to the defense of their Shiite neighbors: Rising up against insurgent leader... More
September 17, 2005
Iran's hard-line agenda
Iran's recently nominated president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad continues to cement the hardline anti—West and anti—reform nature of regime by appointing cabinet ministers known for their intractability. Mr. Ahmadinejad recently stated, "The wave of the Islamic revolution will soon reach the entire... More
September 17, 2005
Front-loading news unfavorable to the GOP
The Washington Post front loads an article about controversy surrounding the Carlyle Group with information about Republicans. Democrats are barely mentioned until the very end when we learn of an actual indictment. Of a Democrat. This is the same phenomenon described by Noel... More
September 17, 2005
No logic please, we hate America
A brave Canadian, in simple words, finally noted the hypocrisy of those self righteous liberals, loudly condemning the US for dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki but deafeningly silent on Iran's nuclear work. It is ironic that, hard... More
September 17, 2005
Second thoughts at the AP and NYT?
Katharine Q. Seelye writes an article remarkable only for its appearance in the New York Times. It ponders the question of whether press coverage of Iraq has focused too much on the body count. ...an unusual discussion last month in... More
September 17, 2005
Who's exploiting the war dead
Matt May raises an important point on his blog: In various video and still photographs of the Cindy Sheehan Circus, there appears to be a spot near the big tent where white crosses have been set with the names of... More
September 17, 2005
Support for Koizumi
The Washington Post publishes an editorial today supporting Japan's Prime Minister Koizumi, who has called an early election over the issue of postal savings system reform. Painful though it must be for the Post to support a conservative, the paper... More
September 17, 2005
If you thought the Kelo Decision was bad...
You'll be as outraged as I am to read the latest development in the case: [quote] Those who believe in the adage "when it rains, it pours" might take the tale of the plaintiffs in Kelo v. New London as... More
September 17, 2005
Hugo Chavez --- sly or stupid?
President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela has his panties in a bunch about US "aggression" — such as complaining about his refusal to help fight the drug trade. In retaliation, he told a youth festival, Venezuelan oil might not be sold... More
September 17, 2005
Liberals and crosses
I'd like to know if the same liberals who felt uncomfortable about having to sing Jingle Bells in school or see Nativity scenes on public property also feel uncomfortable about seeing all those crosses along the roadside in Crawford, Texas? Haven't... More
September 17, 2005
No room in Sandy's pants?
A very interesting memo from former US Attorney for Manhattan Mary Jo White apparently escaped being smuggled out of the National Archives in Sandy Burglar's pants. It turns out that White, who aggressively prosecuted terrorists responsible for the first WTC... More
September 17, 2005
The Ghosts of Unit 731
While America celebrated the sixth anniversary of the end of the World War II, two recently released documents show the Allies gave monetary rewards to a group of the Imperial Japanese Army officers responsible for some of most horrific and... More
September 17, 2005
A question for the Archbishop
Now that Israel has forcibly deported thousands of its crying and praying citizens from their homes in Gaza, I have a question for Dr. Rowan Williams. Dr. Williams is the Archbishop of Canterbury, the head of the Church of England.... More
September 17, 2005
NYT, BBC shill for Chavez and Castro
There's been an upswing in pro—Chavez and pro—Castro propaganda in the mainstream media that is getting a little disturbing. Two instances are obvious from the past day. Today's New York Times, in an atrocious news "analysis" makes an effort to... More
September 17, 2005
The United Nations to control the Internet?
Does a spider give control of her web to other arachnids that have contributed nothing towards its creation? The question is absurd for creatures in the insect world, but in the human domain it has become a topic of discussion. To... More
September 17, 2005
The war on the War on Drugs
Hugo Chavez, the left wing dictator of Venezuela, is declaring war on America's War on Drugs, ending all bilateral antidrug cooperation, and expelling Drug Enforcement Administration employees. The Boston Globe reports: On Wednesday, the head of the Venezuelan antidrug agency said... More
September 17, 2005
China's new "terrorist police"
Let's see: we have not seen a lot of press about terrorist attacks in China but in a Financial Times article entitled 'China sets up squads to combat terrorism' it says "...the authorities dealt with 74,000 protests and riots nationwide... More
September 17, 2005
Praise from Bush is poison at UN?
If you are a UN official, you'd better hope that President Bush doesn't praise your work. Carina Perelli, the UN's top elections official won praise from him, and now stands accused by the U.N.'s personnel department of presiding over an... More
September 17, 2005
Coulter nails it
Ann Coulter's columns are famous for being caustic and bitingly sarcastic. Her over—the—top style often overwhelms the legitimacy of her writing, and therefore many people just tune her out. But every once in a while she just gets it so... More
September 17, 2005
Walking Into Heaven
Our dear, sainted Mother, Mary Louise Dwyer, the love of our lives, the heart of our hearts, died peacefully last Friday surrounded by her loving family. Mom's 89 years were energetic and joyous. In our family, headed by a strict,... More
September 17, 2005
The Flop of The Secret Man
The NYT has reported that The Secret Man, Bob Woodward's book that officially outed Deep Throat of Watergate fame, has sold far fewer copies than the publisher (and the NYT) expected. Here was a book from the author who brought... More
September 17, 2005
The NYT's ombudsman
Byron Calame, the NYT's second "public editor" (their term for ombudsman), has finally admitted in his web journal that the paper was slow in covering the Air America scandal. Mediacrity is all over the case. Here's my analysis. Calame wrote... More
September 17, 2005
The friends of Paul Krugman
Enron adviser and NYT columnist Paul Krugman has also been employed by ex—Malaysian strongman Mahathir Mohammed. Krugman absurdly defended him against charges of anti—Semitism and ignored his role in framing deputy Prime Minister Anwar as corrupt and homosexual, in order to deny Anwar the possibility of replacing... More
September 17, 2005
Schooling for hatred
The Los Angeles Times reports that Pakistan's public schools are teaching jihad and hatred. America provides hundreds of millions of dollars to aid to Pakistan. Why shouldn't come with some requirements? Is a nation training its youth to hates us... More
September 17, 2005
Israeli Arabs
Why is the world so uninterested in Israeli Arabs? Could it be that they are modern, that women enjoy full rights, that they are well—educated, enjoy great medical care, and have hope for the future in a dynamic Western democracy?... More
September 17, 2005
Bolton's voice now heard at the UN
John Bolton's recess appointment to the UN ambassadorship is already paying dividends. The New York Sun reports: The United Nations' funding of a Palestinian Arab propaganda campaign timed to coincide with Israel's pullout from the Gaza Strip has increased tensions... More
September 17, 2005
Another nail in the newspaper coffin
The daily newspaper industry continues to die before our very eyes. It is battling an expanding array of competitors, from proliferating cable TV outlets to the internet bloggers, seeking the eyeballs of news—hungry readers. None of these competitors has to... More
September 17, 2005
Jamie Gorelick's other job
The lid is being blown off the 9—11 Commission scam in grand fashion, particularly as it relates to the role that the legal wall played in preventing military intelligence analysts from sharing information on terrorists with domestic law enforcement agencies. ... More
September 17, 2005
Comment on Conservative Lament
I quote Andrew Sumereau Conservative Lament today: "Tragically, as Republican ascendancy reaches its apex, the conservative ideal as a practical contributing force to our national government, like Marley's Ghost, is "dead as a doornail."" This statement is badly mistaken. Andrew assertions... More
September 17, 2005
Our Saudi Friends (cont.)
Olivier Guitta takes us inside the Saudi regime's theocratic support base in a Tech Central Station article, full of fascinating insight on the dynamics of that feudal family's hold on power.... More
September 17, 2005
Sweetness & Light
A brand—new blog, Sweetness & Light, has appeared, and you should bookmark it. The anonymous proprietor is known to me as an extraordinary sleuth. You can count on him to dig up past statements, documents, and the like, which cast... More
September 17, 2005
The oil refining weapon (cont.)
The Wall Street Journal has an article today ($link) on the rage Chinese citizens are feeling regarding gas shortages and high prices caused by China's lack of refinery capacity. This artificial demand was created by a Chinese government juggling act "that... More
September 17, 2005
France reveals its understanding of Palestinian terror
France threatens to halt aid to Palestinian Authority if a French journalist held hostage is not freed and returned. Doesn't this imply that France believes the PA controls violence in Gaza? The natural and logical corollary to this would be... More
September 17, 2005
Iraq lost?
It was reported today that Islam will be the main source of Iraq's law and her parliament will observe religious principles. Parliament will also be restricted from passing laws that contradict Islamic principals. This news will not be greeted well... More
September 17, 2005
Tipped?
The following comments are in reponse to Dennis Sevakis's column on August 19th, Today I Tipped. 'Today I tipped?' Nossir, with all due respect, I 'd say you slipped. Yep, slipped big time on the Liberal Democrat banana peel of... More
September 17, 2005
Fisking the NYT on Gaza
Daoud Kuttab has written a piece in the New York Times which raises the question of whether they have any regard at all for the truth. My comments on the story are in brackets and appear in italics. SOMETHING strange... More
September 17, 2005
Reply to Russ Vaughn
I appreciate Mr. Vaughn taking the time to respond to my article but I fear that we are bloggers passing in cyberspace. Essentially, we are talking past one another. First, I cannot quarrel with any of what Mr. Vaughn relates... More
September 17, 2005
How not to prosecute GWOT (the Global War On Terrorism)
Over at the American Spectator Jed Babbin reinforces opinion expressed here at American Thinker. This is a good example of an instance in which having one's thoughts affirmed confers no satisfaction whatsoever. Today is Day 1 of the President's 5—day... More
September 17, 2005
The BBC doesn't bother hiding its bias - until noticed
Little Green Footballs caught and saved an image from the BBC home page, showing the Israeli flag in flames. It appears that once people noticed and complained, the image was removed. UPDATE: Al Jazeera now uses the same image.... More
September 17, 2005
Dear Cindy
J.D. Pendry has written an open letter to Cindy Sheehan, well worth reading. Authentic voices refuting her message are important. A highlight: When I enlisted into the Army, I didn't intend to stay one day more than my three year... More
September 17, 2005
Senator Hagel's Vietnam analogy
Despite his service in Vietnam, Sen. Hagel's comparison of Iraq to Vietnam is incorrect and is a harmful influence on public opinion and troop morale. What's up with this guy? Is this just posturing as he contemplates a presidential run? Frederick... More
September 17, 2005
Gorelick memo a smoking gun?
William Tate believes he has identified what amounts to the smoking gun in placing responsibility where it belongs for the failure to connect the dots on Atta and his gang. He points to a memorandum issued by Jamie Gorelick in 1995. Writing... More
September 17, 2005
Frank Rich
Mediacrity holds Frank Rich responsible for what he wrote today about Mother Sheehan on the op—ed page of the New York Times. It isn't pretty, but it is worth reading. Ed Lasky adds: Notice the whitwashing of the anti—Semitism—swept under... More
September 17, 2005
Krugman
John Hinderaker's critique of Paul Krugman's Big Lie" column is not to be missed. Once a distinguished academic, Krugman, who still teaches at Princeton, has fallen hard, and now openly engages in deception. Does Princeton University require that its faculty... More
September 17, 2005
NYT rewrites history
The New York Times' Elizabeth Bumiller fudges facts today, writing about the first meeting Cindy Sheehan had with Bush. Bumiller writes that Sheehan met with Bush in June 2004 when she said "he was disrespectful' for calling her "Mom". Bumiller... More
September 17, 2005
More baloney from Krugman
Paul Krugman, tries to respond today to withering attacks on his column from last Friday in which he declared that a full statewide manual recount would have given Al Gore the victory in Florida in 2000. Somebody at the New... More
September 17, 2005
The Senator's service
Seemingly, Senator Chuck Hagel's service in Vietnam has endowed him, in the minds of Democrats and the mainstream media, with the aura of having the absolute moral authority that Maureen Dowd and others have granted Cindy Sheehan. As Eliot Cohen... More
September 17, 2005
Japan discovers Central America
With the hard—fought U.S. passage of the Central American Free Trade Agreement, there are signs of a welcome new alliance beginning to blossom — the permanence of the treaty means that Japan is looking to invest in poor, but stable... More
September 17, 2005
Clinton had his Cindy Sheehan and nobody noticed
Bill Clinton once faced—down an angry parent of a soldier killed in action, a Medal of Honor winner, no less. Herbert Shugart refused to shake Bill Clinton's hand following the ceremony at which the Medal of Honor was posthumously awarded to... More
September 17, 2005
BRAC votes quickly on Army installations
The Base Realignment and Closure Commission voted today to close five major Army posts in Georgia, New Jersey, Virginia and Michigan. The also panel voted to close nearly 400 Army Reserve centers and National Guard armories and to consolidate these into... More
September 17, 2005
Credit where it is due
Reader Irwin Baker, of Grand Rapids, MI, has written us with a valuable citation of source material, used by Richard Baehr in this article. Just a quibble: Since you are a stickler about Mr. Krugman's sources, I'd thought I'd let... More
September 17, 2005
Tony Blankley on victory in Iraq
Tony Blankley is thinking serious thoughts about the War in Iraq, and achieving victory. His logical approach is highly meritorious. Like our own Herb Meyer and Dennis Sevakis, Tony is worried that we may not have enough troops there, and that... More
September 17, 2005
More BBC distortions
The controversy over Intelligent Design theory has become one of the most fascinating intellectual disputes of our era. Particularly remarkable is the tendency of one side to affirm that it is the sole custodian of scientific inquiry, while at the... More
September 17, 2005
Play hardball with Iran
The Big Pharaoh, a blogger in Cairo whose writing I enjoy, makes a provocative and possibly very useful suggestion for confronting the mullahs of Iran. He notes that they are infiltrating Iraq and sponsoring terror, as well as putting in... More
September 17, 2005
Sistani speaks. And says, "NO!"
The Kurdistan Observer reports that Ayatollah Sistani, Iraq's revered Shiite religious leader, says an emphatic "no" to the Kurds reclaiming Kirkuk for themselves. Never mind that historically it was the Kurds who occupied Kirkuk until Saddam engaged in an Arabification... More
September 17, 2005
Another MSM nuclear deception
Today's Washington Post reports on a team of scientists who have met in secret, and who have pronounced that Iran does not have a 'clandestine' nuclear weapons program. And how do they know this? Because they found traces of weapons—grade uranium (generally... More
September 17, 2005
Unmasked
The New York Sun shines the light of investigative journalism on the Council on Foreign Relations, and its point man on the Middle East, Henry Siegman, 'senior fellow and director, U.S./Middle East Project.' Siegman has leant a veneer of seriousness... More
September 17, 2005
Democrats and election honesty
John Fund had a characteristically excellent article yesterday on Democrats and their obsession with claims that they have been cheated out of victory by electoral fraud. It makes a great companion piece to Selwyn Duke's article today. Isn't it about... More
September 17, 2005
The Islamist squirm factor
Once in a blue moon the BBC gets things right about Islam on their own soil. This report on Panorama (equivalent to Sixty Minutes) offers some hard—hitting interviews with British Muslims. The reporter, John Ware, does not back down. The Muslim... More
September 17, 2005
"Progressive" anti-Semitism
Oh—so—liberal Seattle has seen an elected public official has let slip some blatant anti—Semitic rhetoric. When will America's Jews wake up and recognize where the locus of anti—Semitism lies? Sam Ser of the Jerusalem Post reports: An elected official involved... More
September 17, 2005
Great website
We've recently made the acquaintnce of Tyler Cowan of the Marginal Revolution blog, a wonderful free market economics site of very eclectic and wide—ranging nature. You will find really smart, interesting, and yes, funny, economists taking on all kinds of... More
September 17, 2005
The New York Times retreats
The New York Times editorial page has been in retreat mode this week. It began with the serious savaging by many informed critics of Paul Krugman's column from last Friday, and a partial but incomplete surrender by Krugman on Monday. Now add... More
September 17, 2005
Untipped?
If the troops are really this pumped up, guess I should be patient a tad longer. Dennis Sevakis 8 24 05 UPDATE: Even more encouraging than the attitude of our troops in Iraq... if, and only if, this is substantially true.... More
September 17, 2005
Behind the times
The putative newspaper of record has broken some "news" that is 38 years old. A hand—wringing article in today's (August 26) edition of the New York Times blares the 'fact' that: Israel Confirms Plan to Seize West Bank Land for Barrier... More
September 17, 2005
Pessimism about the war in Iraq
I can't help wondering why there's so much doom and gloom about the war in Iraq. You do realize that the resistance movements in Iraq are basically ineffective. They don't imperil our major objectives, they can't stop the formation of... More
September 17, 2005
America's Boer War?
If you're in for a change of metaphor, Mr. Timoth Garton Ash of The Guardian substitutes the Boer War for Vietnam as the basis for analyzing what Iraq means for the U.S., its role in the world and the staggering... More
September 17, 2005
Don't expect big changes in Germany
David Kaspar of DavidsMedienKritik, the invaluable German political and journalistic blog, writes about the post—Schroeder scene, once he loses the forthcoming election. The rhetoric may be milder, but the policies won't change much: I'm just not sure what a new... More
September 17, 2005
The notoriously racist epithet
Some in the U.K. are having second thoughts about new hate crime legislation that allows police to add racial or religious prejudice to underlying crimes, and requires courts to take the additional offense into account. The newly criminalized word is... More
September 17, 2005
Hackers attacking
Coming just days before Chinese President Hu's visit to Washington, a new report is bound to fan the flames anti—Chinese feeling and strengthen the hand of hawks in the Pentagon calling for a stronger policy 'to contain' the Middle Kingdom. According... More
September 17, 2005
Bolton under fire from UK left
Peter Glover notes an extraordinary attack on John Bolton in the UK Independent in his blog Wiresfromthebunker. I knew instantly I was going to love this when I read on the paper's website the opening line: "America's controversial new ambassador to... More
September 17, 2005
NPR station hires Islamist
Solomonia asks: "Where do Islamist journalism students go when they graduate?" And answers: "Why, to NPR, of course." Our tax dollars are at work. Sigh. ... More
September 17, 2005
The Rudy solution for Mexico?
Are they migrants or illegals? In any event, they now own a ranch in Janet Napolitano's Arizona. It seems two men from El Salvador had an encounter with a group called Ranch Rescue. One of the men said he was... More
September 17, 2005
New York street scene
Just got back from transferring buses from the 42nd Street Crosstown to the First Avenue line —— right at UN headquarters. Thousands of UN employees were streaming out of the building and being guided by UN security/police, some equipped with bullhorns,... More
September 17, 2005
Teams
Hugh Hewitt signals he is speaking in fun ["on a "lighter note"] when he proposes outlawing team building efforts as described in a New York Times article. Fair enough. Some activities amount to an excuse to go enjoy a fun... More
September 17, 2005
Jonas Salk on the ID-Evolution Debate
As the argument heats up between proponents of Intelligent Design and proponents of evolution, perhaps a word of advice from one of history's greatest scientists might be helpful to those of us struggling to follow the debate. As developer of... More
September 17, 2005
Fatwa on football
Saudi clerics have now declared football (presumably, they mean the game we call soccer) un—Islamic. Because the players wear shorts and waste valuable Jihad time. Via Little Green Footballs: Ulema in Saudia Arabia have issued a fatwa (religious decree) declaring... More
September 17, 2005
South Korean drama hits America
No the political kind, rather the literal drama, as in stories told by actors. South Korea's television soap operas are finding big audiences overseas, including here in the Bay Area, as well as other major American cities with large Asian populations.... More
September 17, 2005
Whitewashing the green flag of Saudi Arabia
The New York Times has reached a new low, if that is possible. Interviewer Deborah Solomon in the New York Times Magazine interviews Prince Turki, new Saudi Ambassador to the US. Here are the two smartest questions of the interview:... More
September 17, 2005
Jesse in Caracas and the folks back home
Jesse Jackson visits Caracas, and a Chicagoan looks homeward. Richard J. Daley, da mare of da people uh da city uh Chicago, recently declared one of the five best mayors in the nation because of his admitted ability to make... More
September 17, 2005
Hope for UN reform?
The Times of London casts doubt on the ability of John Bolton or anyone else being able to reform the UN, without a threat by Congress to withold funding, and introduces an interesting new book. Gotta love that title. Pedro... More
September 17, 2005
Katarina and politics, inevitably
Hurricane Katrina may well be a historic catastrophe for New Orleans, the Gulf Coast, and our oil supplies. Of course, our Islamist enemies will portray this as the wrath of God visited upon the Great Satan. When Muslims were hit... More
September 17, 2005
JFK considered a nuclear strike against China
The Democrats revere John F. Kennedy as a sainted figure, even though his actual policies often were those which would be demonized today. Tax cuts. Strong national defense. Willingness to exercise military force in the national interest. Now comes news... More
September 17, 2005
Jesse Jackson visits Caracas; blood runs in the streets
Jesse Jackson's traveling circus reportedly flew to Caracas yesterday for a grandstanding visit with Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez. The announced visit came in the wake of ill—considered remarks from televangelist Pat Robertson who declared that the U.S. ought to try... More
September 17, 2005
Protect Houston!
I respect the BRAC process, but I am a bit disturbed that Ellington Field in Houston is losing its F—16s, leaving the nation's 8th largest city, and even more importantly, our largest oil/petrochemical complex vulnerable. I could be wrong, but... More
September 17, 2005
The cyberwar on terror
The latest attack on the Internet by two young men, one from Morocco and the other from Turkey, once again underscores the vulnerability of the World Wide Web. It is believed that these men wrote the Zotob and Mytob worms... More
September 17, 2005
Surprising, considering the source
Look what's running in The Arab News (of all places): End the Debacle Ms. SheehanSteve Darnell, Arab News It is time to put an end to the 'Cindy Sheehan debacle' in Crawford, Texas. Since I am not one to sugarcoat... More
September 17, 2005
Able Danger blogroll
Vi Adkins, of the QT Monster blog has started a left hand column blogroll of Able Danger postings. Looks like a good place to keep current on the story, which could be the biggest political scandal since Watergate. Covering up a... More
September 17, 2005
Mark Edelstein's different truths
Mark Edelstein is the president of Diablo Valley Community College in suburban Contra Costa County, a few miles east of Berkeley. He is also a public official who is willing to condone the indictrination of students with porven lies. For... More
September 17, 2005
Uncircle the wagons
'Tis the weekend and talk of politics and war can bore. If nothing else, save this link for a later read, because this Weekly Standard essay by Christopher Hitchens is not to be missed. The insularity exhibited by the Bush... More
September 17, 2005
China's threat
Frederick Stakelbeck, Jr., a frequent contributor to this site, is in very good company in a symposium published by Front Page Magazine, regarding China's potential as a threat to the United States. You can read Fred's most recent article for... More
September 17, 2005
Congressional reaction to BRAC
Some members of Congress are not too pleased about the votes cast by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission to close and realign our nation's military installations. We don't need a crystal ball to tell us that politicians will fight to keep... More
September 17, 2005
Islamist websites
Lawrence Henry makes the case in The American Spectator for shutting down terrorist websites, and makes it well. The matter is more complicated than y=one might assume, because they also provide intelligence to us (not to mention disinformation, quite possibly).... More
September 17, 2005
The broken record of the NY Times
So what's with the New York Times and its fabled fact—checkers? Is ideology driving facts——or non facts——to fit the mind set of the increasingly out of step editors? It sure does seem that way. Consider some recent examples which are... More
September 17, 2005
European leftists hate us anyway
Today a New York Times editorial continues the campaign to spring reporter Judith Miller from the confinement imposed on her for defying a federal court order requiring her to disclose her source of information regarding the Valerie Plame story. The... More
September 17, 2005
The MSM wakes up to Balkans terror connection
The Associated Press reports via FoxNews.com the arrest of a top terrorist fugitive in Serbia. A Moroccan by the name of Abdelmajid Bouchar was arrested at a Belgrade railway station this past June. He was wanted for complicity in the... More
September 17, 2005
Katrina oil rig damage
As Hurricane Katrina passes over New Orleans, the first concern is potential loss of life. The second is cultural and aesthetic, when when consider the potential destruction to one of America's most treasured cities. But the third is most likely... More
September 17, 2005
France in a funque
The country Democrats seem to most admire, France, is down in the dumps. Reuters reports that less than a third of the French are optimistic that their children will enjoy better life, an astounding drop of 28 points in 19... More
September 17, 2005
Intelligent Design is untestable
Reader Christian Toth writes us about challenges to Darwin: This is a reply to "Why Intelligent Design Theory Ought to Be Taught" by Jonah Avriel Cohen as it appeared on 8/25/05. I would like to thank Prof. Cohen for his... More
September 17, 2005
An odd MSM perspective
Phil Gallagher writes us: A really fine piece today by James Lewis. The paralells between our Constitution and the Iraqi document are striking. It is odd how our media would chose to focus on the former masters (but now a... More
September 17, 2005
Chirac tax discourages tourists flying to France
French President Jacques Chirac makes yet another empty gesture. He wants to add a fee to airline tickets to and from France, and send the proceeds to a fund designed to combat AIDs, TB, and other diseases in Africa. He... More
September 17, 2005
France still in a funque
August is over, September is here and the French have the Monday morning blues. As mentioned earlier, the French are in a funque. And now another Brit expands on the theme, duly noting terrorism and the nanny state are contributing to French... More
September 17, 2005
Conflict in the East China Sea
While many Americans are focused on Iraq and the Gaza pullout, tensions in East Asia between Beijing and Tokyo continue to escalate. While these two Asian giants have continuously argued over Japan's wartime aggression, the current debate involves natural resources... More
September 17, 2005
Caution: scientists at work
The New Scientist publishes a startling short article summarizing the findings of John Ioannidis, an epidemiologist, who says that small sample sizes, poor study design, researcher bias, and selective reporting and other problems combine to make most research findings false.... More
September 17, 2005
Clueless, vain, and ignorant: More MSM nonsense
Nina Easton, of the Boston Globe (and recently of Fox News, too), writes a preposterous column today about Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's religion (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) and the electorate. She raises the question of resistance... More
September 17, 2005
Money and the National Council of Churches
Mark D. Tooley, writing in the Weekly Standard, reveals another reason why the National Council of Churches is skewing leftward: it is raising increasing amounts of money from liberal and left wing foundations, such as the Teresa Heinz Kerry—supported Tides... More
September 17, 2005
Who is dumb? Or who is cynical?
Washington Post columnist Harold Meyerson manages to sneer at the intelligence of Republicans, cast doubt on their integrity, and simultaneously put in play the very same questions about himself. He writes: It seems that the advocates of fast—forward "intelligent design"... More
September 17, 2005
A mind is a terrible thing to waste
This is the mindset of a liberal columnist. Our armed forces are not seen as defensive but offensive (in more ways than one). They are, of course, defending America, not making war for war's sake. Derrick Jackson of the Boston... More
September 17, 2005
The end of Fukuyama
Let's hope this is the end of Fukuyama. After all, the book that made him famous and worthy of a New York Times op—ed was The End of History and The Last Man, which asserted that the endpoint of world history... More
September 17, 2005
Shameless
Richard Clarke, the counter—terror official on whose watch Able Danger warnings were ignored, has apparently taken his reported 7 figure book advance and founded a consultancy. That might explain why he makes some downright peculiar comments in an interview with... More
September 17, 2005
Airbrushing a looming presence
Sweetness & Light catches Cindy Sheehan's promoters airbrushing out of a picture the hulking presence of America's foremost propagandist. S&L has been doing fantastic work gicing us the real picture (literally) of what's doing in Crawford. I expect further delight... More
September 17, 2005
Darwin agnostic on the origin of life
Our friend Steve Collins, a distinguished cancer researcher and professor of medicine, writes regarding the question of Darwin and the creation of life: Darwin did not concern himself with how life was initially established on Earth but rather his theory... More
September 17, 2005
Internet database needed for Katrina refugees
Gary DeYoung of San Antonio writes with an excellent idea and a kind offer: With the thousands of displaced families spreading out from New Orleans looking for a place to live while their city is rebuilt, you might think that... More
September 17, 2005
NYT and WaPo publish diametrically opposed accounts
What universe does the New York Times report from? Their version of an attack against insurgents in Iraq focuses on claims that only civilians were killed — ignoring the fact that rival tribes exist in the area and that one tribe... More
September 17, 2005
Guilty plea not getting much attention
The suburban Chicago newspaper, the Daily Herald, reports a guilty plea expected from a Congressional spouse: Bob Creamer, the husband of U.S. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, is scheduled to appear in federal court today to plead guilty to at least some of... More
September 17, 2005
Not the best and the brightest? Blame unions
The federal government isn't getting a proprotionate share of the best and the brightest, fret Linda Bilmes and W. Scott Gould in the company town rag, the Washington Post. It seems to me that unions are a big part of... More
September 17, 2005
Red states in the lead in education
The liberal pundits are endlessly denigrating the Republican South as the land of boobs, underfunded educational programs, creationist—acracy. Yet, this Boston Globe op—ed notes studies highlighting the importance of full—day Kindergarten for the development of our children. Oddly enough, only... More
September 17, 2005
Simply loathsome
Our contributor Edward Daley has posted his thoughts on the exploitation of Katarina by the left on the Daley Times—Post. ...even before the true scope of the devastation has been fully assessed, and the bodies of the dead can be... More
September 17, 2005
Exploiting Katrina
James K. Glassman, nationally syndicated columnist, host of the website TechCentral Station and former resident of New Orleans, has written an article regarding Hurricane Katrina and the exploitation occurring. Some are trying to blame the hurricane on global warming and specifically on... More
September 17, 2005
Presbyterian denominations vary
DiAnne Rivette of Atlanta, writes us with an important note to add to Donald Baker's article "The roots of root causes" Mr. Baker, Please, please, when naming Christian denominations, remember that there is more then ONE group using the name "Presbyterian." You... More
September 17, 2005
Not the best and the brightest? Blame more than unions
Donald MacQueen writes with some further thoughts on the problem of attracting highly capable idividuals to government service. Unions are not the only reason bright people, especially white men, shun government service. The Clinton administration graded civil service managers on... More
September 17, 2005
Exploring the Possibilities
Walter Williams has an interesting article that puts the current price of gasoline into an historical context. He also raises the question of the OPEC countries possibly being allied with US environmental interests to restrict domestic exploration and production, as... More
September 17, 2005
The sky is falling at the UN
The sky is falling at the UN. Or at least the Associated Press seems to think so. Under a headline of "U.S. tries to exclude some from U.N. Group," AP's Barry Schweid writes that "The Bush administration is trying to... More
September 17, 2005
The public disintegration of a new icon
Cindy Sheehan continues to say such embarrassing things that the left is beginning to shun her, according to Bill Sammon of the Washington Times. But that isn;t stopping her from attracting other lefty icons, intent on demonstrating their lack of... More
September 17, 2005
It's always Bush's fault at the NYT
The New York Times cannot help itself. Fearing that complaints regarding the causes of the Katrina aftremath and the difficulties with survivor efforts might lead people to temporarily forget about Iraq, the Times editorial board stretches by yoking problems in... More
September 17, 2005
Able Danger coverup
Captain Ed of Captain's Quarters continues his invaluable work on Able Danger and the coverup of the 9/11 Commission, asking some questions and finding answers that don't add up. Right now, the public attention is diverted to Katrina's aftermath. But... More
September 17, 2005
The Napoleonic Code
Scott Collier, of Edinburg, Texas, writes us with a further perspective on the difference between New Orleans and Houston: Mr. Lifson's article on the disparity between New Orleans and Houston was informative but missed the salient point. Louisiana is the only... More
September 17, 2005
NYT hits bottom
The pictures of the dispossessed of New Orleans, mostly poor and black , has to strike a responsive chord with all who see the horror they are living in. But the New York Times sees it as yet another occasion... More
September 17, 2005
Allah and Gaia agree
Oddly enough, on the question of who is really responsible for Hurricane Katrina there is now perfect agreement between a senior Kuwaiti Minister and such dingbats as Ross Gelbspan in the Boston Globe, who just knows — knows with... More
September 17, 2005
New Orleans hospitality, circa 1975
A reader who prefers to remain anonymous emails the following colorful anecdote: The anarchy within the city of New Orleans has not surprised me one bit. Back in the wild days of my youth, the Spring of 1975, I spent... More
September 17, 2005
The return of consequences
Perhaps the Old Testament—style destruction of an entire city can steady our nation. Not because New Orleans was lost. What matters is why it was lost. We established ourselves precariously, well below water level in unstable land, and our labors... More
September 17, 2005
Fragile X
Steven Strom of Raleigh, NC, writes to us about the Fragile X syndrome mentioned in this article: Dear Editor, As a parent of a child with Fragile X Syndrome, I wanted to clarify that Fragile X Syndrome is not... More
September 17, 2005
No price gouging allowed
Richard Vertrees writes: Ok ....I can't take it. Turn on your TV. People are dying in their chairs right now at the superdome from heat prostration. They are dropping like flies. Why...because someone told Bubba that if he got in... More
September 17, 2005
Chavez mocks US over hurricane damage
Hugo Chavez, who famously turned away three U.S. Navy relief ships full of construction engineers to help Venezuelan mudslide victims in 1999, is now sneering at the U.S. for its hurricane disaster in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Alternately offering... More
September 17, 2005
Who killed Muhammad al-Dura?
The current issue of the estimable magazine Commentary has a thorough and insightful article by Nidra Poller on the facts behind the myth of the shooting of Muhammad al—Dura. He was the 12—year old Palestinian boy shot and killed during a... More
September 17, 2005
Media prejudice
Matt Towery, writing on Townhall.com, exposes yet another aspect of media prejudice and narcisism: Wednesday's declaration by the mayor of New Orleans that "thousands may be dead" —— whether confirmed or not at the time —— should have justified an... More
September 17, 2005
NPR Poet slams business, big oil, global warming deniers
Andrei Codrescu, NPR Poet Laureate and a professor at Louisianna State University (located 90 miles away from New Orleans) pays homage to New Orleans in a brief essay found here. While you might expect some degree of sympathy for the... More
September 17, 2005
Support our Troops – in New Orleans
At a time when American soldiers and Marines are risking their lives to stabilize Baghdad and Fallujah it's outrageous — utterly, totally disgusting — that our troops fighting to stabilize New Orleans should also be under fire. Thirst, hunger, fear... More
September 17, 2005
Sunday 9/11/2005 panel discussion
Michael Medved will moderate a panel discussion with our own Richard Baehr, David Horowitz, and John Podhoretz , next Sunday, September 11. The title of event is 'Liberal Roots and Conservative Solutions.' Chicago—area readers are welcome to attend the event... More
September 17, 2005
Chavez spreads his influence in the US
About six months ago, Venezuelan dictatator Hugo Chavez scrapped his Global Exchange—stocked team of advocates charged with influencing relations with the U.S. and began courting a new class of propagandists. They are a creative group who operate on several fronts. We... More
September 17, 2005
World press reaction to New Orleans
The BBC compiles a varied sample of what they're saying about us in the press overseas. What they see oviously depends on what they're looking for. This is almost a classic demonstration of the truism. Hat tip: Pat Thomas Lifson ... More
September 17, 2005
The roots of the New Orleans chaos
George Neumayr of The American Spectator fills in more of the picture on the pre—existing rot in New Orleans, which laid the foundation for the anarchy apparently spreading through much of the flooded city. New Orleans has one of the... More
September 17, 2005
Open letter to President Bush
Mr. President, As I write this I am listening to the voice of a brave nurse, named Jerrilyn, marooned in Charity Hospital in New Orleans. She and a number of other physician and nurse providers have volunteered to remain in the... More
September 17, 2005
The Battle of New Orleans
THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS(after lyrics by Jimmy Driftwood, sung by Lonnie Donegan) In August '05 we took a little tripVolunteers and Guardsmen down the mighty Mississip.We took a little bacon and we took a little beans And we caught... More
September 17, 2005
New Orleans disaster plan excerpts
Lee Young has looked into the disaster planning on record for New Orleans. Here is what he writes: With the scope of the disaster becoming more evident with each passing hour, the critique of this event will undoubtedly focus on... More
September 17, 2005
MSM foiled again!
Apparently, in the words of General Honore, the American people are not "stuck on stupid" and the left—MSM anti—Bush campaign has failed. I suspect those like RFK Jr. are not the only losers in this. Certainly, this reflects a substantial... More
September 17, 2005
Another UN Blunder
The United Nations is launching a bizarre advertising campaign in New York City, which insults the intelligence of its audience. The campaign portrays New Yorkers as unsophisticated country bumpkins and makes light of a particular gripe of New Yorkers: the... More
September 17, 2005
Congressional leadership
We're always told how important it is to drive fuel—efficient cars. Global warming, OPEC, rising prices, yada, yada, yada. So what do our Congressional scolds drive ont he taxpayers' dime? Charles Rangel, whose densely populated district is awash in mass... More
September 17, 2005
You might be a brainwashed leftist if...
Our contributor Edward Daley has updated the old "You might be a redneck if..." routine of Jeff Foxworthy to encompass our brainwashed fellow citizens on the left. You might be a left wing extremist brainwashing victim if: You believe that... More
September 17, 2005
Cindy's lawyer a fake
Sweetness & Light focuses attention on one of Cindy Sheehan's (remember her?) legal team, Ward Reilly. Seems his self—description as a Vietnam Vet doesn't hold water. But he is apparently the guy on the receiving end for the loot being... More
September 17, 2005
Another IAEA delay
Nearly two weeks ago, American Thinker readers learned that the stage was being set by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to excuse any Iranian nuclear malfeasance. The IAEA was producing questionable analytical work from a secret group of scientists, and this... More
September 17, 2005
Once up a time in Washington...
Betsy's Page finds some valuable perspective in C—SPAN's re—running of Justice Scalia's confirmation hearings: I happened to catch a short portion of Scalia's confirmation hearing from 1986 which was being rerun on C—Span 3. What a switch from how things are done... More
September 17, 2005
Jaw-dropping chutzpah
Sweetness & Light uncovers shamelessness of a rare order on the part of the Cindy Sheehan bus tour pals, Veterans for Peace. Veterans For Peace, the rabid hate—America group who's impeachment tour Cindy Sheehan glommed on to, has decided to... More
September 17, 2005
Toxic waste in New Orleans
It is already certain that there will be a need for widespread toxic waste abatement in New Orleans. The city is covered in a poisonous toxic brew, and not all of it will be pumped out. Fortunately, America has developed... More
September 17, 2005
Beware fear-mongers
Environmentalists and anti—nuclear power crusaders long have used the accident at Chernobyl as the poster child for their efforts to end the use of nuclear power. This is despite the fact that using nuclear power would cut energy imports, help... More
September 17, 2005
Guess Who Missed the Bus?
It's readily apparent to most of usThe New Orleans mayor missed the bus,Ordering those with cars to evacuate,But those without to sit and wait;To wait for busses that never came,Never left the lot to Hizzoner's shame.Now water swirls around their... More
September 17, 2005
The mind of a liberal
Someone calling himself David Hall has written us a classic email, the pure ritual incantation of liberal dogma. Somehow, it is one of the elect epistles surviving our current email difficulties. The absence of any specifics or logic highlights the... More
September 17, 2005
Zinfandel, America's heritage grape
The San Francisco Chronicle features an informative article on wine made from the Zinfandel grape, a particular passion of mine. Longtime readers know that I am a partner in a winery prominently featuring several different Zinfandels, each made from grapes from a... More
September 17, 2005
Tom Tancredo's excellent suggestion
Congressman Tom Tancredo has made an immenently sensible suggestion about the handling of hurricane relief funds to Louisiana. WASHINGTON, DC. — Congressman Tom Tancredo (R—CO) wrote a letter to Speaker Hastert, urging him to direct federal hurricane relief aid through... More
September 17, 2005
Battleships, the Congress, and national defense
Another salvo was fired in The Washington Times this morning in the fight over the reactivation of two WW II era battleships. The author of the opinion piece is William M. Stearman, who is executive director of the U.S. Naval... More
September 17, 2005
Why did the levee break?
Did Sierra Club machinations cause the levee to break? John Berlau examines the complicated question on National Review Online today. Ed Lasky 9 08 05... More
September 17, 2005
Good news from Iraq
Sunnis are registering to vote in large numbers. Once they accept the framework of a new democratic Iraq, as they seem to be doing for now, quashing the resistance will become a matter of securing the borders and mopping up.... More
September 17, 2005
Learn from the French!
The French are not always wrong, despite their best efforts to provide evidence to the contrary. Our contributor Olivier Guitta examines how the French handle counter—terrorism efforts against domestic residents in Front Page Magazine. Of course, a unitary state and... More
September 17, 2005
NYT battles Bush on all fronts
Times Watch catches the New York Times politicizing sports writing, in order to score Katrina points against Bush: Want to take your mind off the tragedy in New Orleans with some tennis coverage? Too bad. Page One of Tuesday's sports... More
September 17, 2005
EU schadenfreude over Katrina
The European Union Ignored racial, ethnic,and class—based issues which impacted the scope and extent of the damage after the Asian tsunami, but focused great attention on those aspects when commenting on Katrina. I wonder why? Not. Ed Lasky 9 08... More
September 17, 2005
No good deed goes unpunished
Joan Vennochi of the Boston Globe proves that no good deed goes unpunished, at least when liberals have something to gain. Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney spent money to aid Katrina victims, and the Globe wants it spent on the folks... More
September 17, 2005
And now for something completely different
Maybe the time has finally come for a some comic relief on Katrina. I nominate Iowahawk, the web satirist of enormous talent and no pretension whatsoever. (Full disclosure: he is a friend in what might be called real life.) His... More
September 17, 2005
Janice Rogers Brown and the Supreme Court
Janice Rogers Brown: nominate her and we'll see who 'hates black people' 'A circuit court judge is bound by stare decisis. They don't get to make new law.' Spoken by Joe Biden on Face the Nation on July 3rd, these... More
September 17, 2005
Blaming the Iraq deployment for Katrina (continued)
I'm really starting to get frustrated with the Washington Times. See this editorial. Of course their best equipment is in Iraq. How, exactly, are infantry fighting vehicles supposed to help New Orleans? Well... except for looter control. Doug Hanson 9... More
September 17, 2005
There are no facts, only opinions
Western Civilization surpassed other civilizations on the basis of a belief in discoverability of truth through the use of man's ability of reason and experiment. With the rise of Postmodernism, which holds that there are only alternative narratives, and denies... More
September 17, 2005
NYT embarrasses itself (a series)
Sweetness & Light catches serious, serious sex hate speech on the part of the New York Times. Unkindly, it publishes the malesfactor's image.... More
September 17, 2005
Bush destroyed New Orleans
That's sure to be the theme of Michael Moore's next movie, at least if Jeanette Wells sees her puffery of the portly poltroon come true. Hat tip: Jim Leggette 9 08 05... More
September 17, 2005
Bookends go bonkers
Not for the first time, we are embarrassed for Richard Cohen, the Washington Post columnist. His work today plumbs a new low in opposition to the nomination of John Roberts: he's too perfect. He should be more like Richard Cohen, flunking... More
September 17, 2005
Castro's bad medicine
Fidel Castro loudly volunteered the services of 1,600 Cuban doctors to New Orleans, making a bet that if the U.S. didn't take them, it could look like vicious meanie on the world stage. For him, that's a propaganda victory. Naturally,... More
September 17, 2005
MSM iron law confirmed
It is an iron law of the mainstream media that the only time it is permissible to present a Republican in a favorable light is when he or she criticizes another Republican. Senator John McCain's scrapbook provides all the evidence... More
September 17, 2005
Krugman v. Krauthammer: no contest
Paul Krugman and Charles Krauthammer coincidentally use two similar titles in their columns today regarding Katrina. Krugman's New York Times column is filled with emotional invective and assiduosly provides no facts to support his allegations. Simplistically, he scapegoats George Bush.... More
September 17, 2005
Missing headlines (continued)
"American workers happy in their jobs" Quote: How satisfied are American workers? According to a Gallup survey included in the AEI compilation, most American job holders say they would continue to come to work even if they won a $10... More
September 17, 2005
Higher mis-education
Cooper Union satirizes 9/11 to bash Bush, mocks Pat Tillman, indulges in anti—American imagery. This from the site of Lincoln's famed speech. What are universities teaching our children? I am afrraid the answer is self—evident.Ed Lasky 9 09 05 Jack Kemp... More
September 17, 2005
It's all about me
Colin Powell, the "it's all about me" guy, unburdens himself to ABC News. I wonder how many ex—Secy of States become oracles for MSM on other subjects than foreign policy? He says Iraq is a mess; his UN speech "a... More
September 17, 2005
No shame
Have they no shame? Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee manipulates a "Fire FEMA head" petiiton to raise money for Democratic candidates While New Orleans suffers, Schumer plays politics. Ed Lasky 9 09 05 Richard Baehr adds: Schumer know he... More
September 17, 2005
America has ignored racism?
Eugene Robinson, columnist for the Washington post, joins the hysterial reaction of the left to a hurricane and flood, claiming that America has ignored racism and povert for twenty years prior to Katrina. IGNORED? Poverty and racism are two linchpins... More
September 17, 2005
Helping the least among us
The outpouring of contributions to the victims of Katrina from their fellow Americans is both unprecedented and laudable. Despite the disgraceful attempts by contemptible opportunists like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton to use this terrible tragedy to drive one more... More
September 17, 2005
Ophelia and race
Robert Sciolino wonders what is next, if Hurrican Ophelia becomes a disaster: When (if) Hurricane Ophelia hits North or South Carolina on Monday, the race card will once again come out again as there are many more whites in that... More
September 17, 2005
Interesting possibility
Bob Keir of Pittsburgh writes with an intriguing suggestion: Let the Navy help: It seems to me that emergency management officials along the Gulf Coast are having a power problem, a lack of it. The equipment that helps provide life's... More
September 17, 2005
Not yet cold in the grave
The Boston Globe's most radical columnist (and that's saying a lot) demonstrates his usual lack of class and common sense, speaking ill of the recently departed Chief Justice. Ed Lasky 9 10 05... More
September 17, 2005
Japan and China in confrontation
A longstanding territorial dispute between Japan and China is heating up, according to the Japan Times. Oil deposits as well as national pride make this a potentially explosive situation: Five Chinese naval ships, including a guided—missile destroyer, were spotted Friday... More
September 17, 2005
9/11 and NoLa aftermaths: compare and contrast
While in Las Vegas this week, I happened to turn on the evening local news on television and saw one of the New Orleans police officers who had accepted a vacation in Las Vegas talk about walking around Sin City... More
September 17, 2005
Homeland insecurity
Louisiana and New Orleans aren't the only places to have eagerly gobbled up hundreds of millions of federal homeland security dollars to little or no effect. Today's San Antonio Express—News has a long, detailed article on similar problems in Texas... More
September 17, 2005
Omedetoo gozaimasu ("congratulations!") to PM Koizumi
A new era will continue in Japan. Call it thie Koizumi Era: a restoration of Japan's prominent role in world affairs. As the second largest economy in the world and a key democratic ally in the Pacific, Japan has begun bolstering... More
September 17, 2005
What worked, and what didn't work
Does it strike you as ironic that the three institutions that liberals despise the most have been the ones that have been most responsive and effective in dealing with Katrina? The military (once governmental incompetence was no longer a barrier),... More
September 17, 2005
Pittsburgh columnist
There's good news and bad news, I guess. The good news is that a columnist has chosen to base one of his columns on an old column of mine. Even better, he quotes me by name and even gives me... More
September 17, 2005
The new New Orleans
Joel Garreau's column today in The Washington Post superbly analyzes the prospects for New Orleans. I came to the same conclusion as he, but his analysis is richer. New Orleans will be a much smaller city, confined to the high... More
September 17, 2005
Blanco put PR ahead of disaster management
Jack Risko of Dinocrat.com has put together an awkward timeline for Louisiana Governor Blanco. Blanco contacted [Clinton's former Federal Emergency Management Agency director James Lee] Witt on Thursday, September 1, according to the Boston Globe. Then on Friday, Nagin made... More
September 17, 2005
9/11 thoughts
From our faiths, our families, our friends and neighborsWe draw strength. From our Declaration, our Constitution, our history and our heroesWe draw resolve. From the majestic sweep of our continent, veined with rivers, spired with mountains,Clothed in farms and fields,... More
September 17, 2005
Damned lies
Hugh Hewitt catches a bunch of lies in the mass media—induced hysteria. He documents that the MSM carried false reports about the Superdome and Convention Center. Remember the 40 bodies in the freezer, the 7 year old rapee with the slit... More
September 17, 2005
Argentina permits only blame-Bush protests
Argentina's leader, Nestor Kirchner is a leftist jackass who's best remembered for sending his Hillary—ish first lady to sit in a prominent place at the 2004 Democratic National Convention to nominate John Kerry. Argentina was a big presence in the ranks of... More
September 17, 2005
Going soft on Chavez
With the lonely pathetic exception of the New York Times, editorial pages across the country are unified in warning America about the danger posed by Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez to his own country and our entire hemisphere. It's not just... More
September 17, 2005
Greenies' chickens coming home to roost
Words fail me. New Orleans was flooded even though a law was passed that would have prevented it, if not blocked by greenies. In the wake of Hurricane Betsy 40 years ago, Congress approved a massive hurricane barrier to protect... More
September 17, 2005
Juan Cole says something nice about Israel
Juan Cole loathes Israel, and is no big fan of American neocons, either. But he wrote an aticle on Iraq last month, that was surprisingly realistic, in response to a challenge by daily kos to come up with a solution,... More
September 17, 2005
The elephant in the bathtub
John Hindedraker's observation describes what the MSM refuses to show: Mary Landrieu has gone stark raving mad. It's funny, though, how seldom these MSM interviewers ask her about the fact that her brother is the Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana. Plus, of... More
September 17, 2005
More reasonable opinion
The Arab News publishes a column telling its readers that it is silly to blamce President Bush for Hurricane Katrina's devastation. This Saudi website is prone to the occasional sensible article. For whatever reason. Hat tip: Eric Schwappach 9 13... More
September 17, 2005
NYT lauds the network of faked emotion
The New York Times lauds CNN talking head Anderson Cooper for his emotional reporting regarding the effects of Katrina. The Times touts it as realistic and uncontrollable on his part — just like us! Of course, his outrage is directed... More
September 17, 2005
Sleeper hit
Yet another film is following the path of National Treausure, and even The Pasion of the Christ, doing very well at the box office despite horrible reviews from most of the critics (average critic: C+ according to Yahoo). This demonstrates... More
September 17, 2005
CENTCOM Reports
In a special update to The American Thinker, CENTCOM has provided a series of stories about on—going combat operations in North—Central Iraq and Al—Anbar Province. While the media have been focused on Hurricane Katrina, Coalition and Iraqi forces have stepped... More
September 17, 2005
Let the miscreant pontificate
Benon Sevan is a miscreant who cooperated with a genocidal and serial war—monger (Hussein) to corrupt the oil—for—food program for personal pecuniary gain. His friend Kofi Annan extended diplomatic immunity to him as a form of protection, conditioned on Volcker... More
September 17, 2005
Kristallnacht: the sequel
The Nazi frenzy and insane hatred of the Jewish people reached its apotheosis in the Holocaust — an event that many Arabs believe is a fabrication. This horror was presaged and, in a sense, foretold by Kristallnacht, "The Night of... More
September 17, 2005
Guess who doesn't want reform at the UN?
The New York Sun identifies the cast of characters obstructing reform at the United Nations: At 6 p.m., however, with the mandate of the General Assembly's 59th session about to expire, representatives of such countries as Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, Sudan,... More
September 17, 2005
New Orleans and bowling pins
Imagine a bowling lane with the pins set up in the usual pattern. Bowling balls come down the lane haphazardly and knock down some of the pins. The pinboy sets the pins back up again, the balls roll again, the... More
September 17, 2005
Carter insults Houston
Houston, the open—hearted city taking in more evacuees (they are seeking refuge, but we can't call them "refugees" — somehow that would be racist) than any other, is getting a hard time from the left. Smeared by the New York Times,... More
September 17, 2005
Frank Rich joins Paul Krugman in the liar's club
In an address to students at Oberlin College, New York Times entertainment critic Frank Rich, who now sidelines as Republican—baiting ideologue in a regular op—ed column, bemoans the state of news reporting in America. He claims that the miniseries Roots... More
September 17, 2005
Press attention to AT
We are always happy to see newspapers citing The American Thinker. For all our bravado as bloggers on the cutting edge of political journalism, we grew up in an era when getting your name in the paper was either a... More
September 17, 2005
Canada steps up
Canada has responded with its traditional humanity and its once—traditional affection for America in response to Katrina. North of the border, their media naturally focuses on how Canadians are helping their neighbors. Our friend Carol Graham, who lives in Canadam... More
September 17, 2005
Mayor Nagin attempts to disarm his own citizens
While the New Orleans mayor and his family are getting settled in Dallas, Texas, his latest, and hopefully final official act was carried out by his police superintendent last Thursday. The National Rifle Association reports that the superintendent has declared... More
September 17, 2005
Phony poll watch
AnkleBtitingPundits catches The Washington Post oversampling blacks in a national poll, and then covering it up.Why oversample by such a wide margin when the poll was depicted as a national poll regarding Bush—not a poll regarding African—American views?Ed Lasky 9... More
September 17, 2005
Missing headlines (continued)
Case against DeLay associate dismissed A Texas judge dismissed a civil case against a major fundraiser for House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R—Texas) last Friday. The federal district—court judge dismissed the case brought by two Texas Democrats against John Colyandro,... More
September 17, 2005
Hugo Chavez at Columbia (the university, not the country)
Columbia University's President Bollinger is to host Venezuela's communist dictator Hugo Chavez. Chavez wants protection from Pat Robertson. Despite Chavez's own attempt to kill a certain other president. Ed Lasky 9 15 05... More
September 17, 2005
Wiretap mosques, says Romney
Does this mean the end of his presidential candidacy? Or are we ready to discuss this without the rhetoric? Ed Laksy 9 15 05... More
September 17, 2005
MSM collusion: a secret of ten years is revealed
Is this copycat journalism? Is this an exercise of independent journalism? No wonder so many people believe that the Times sets the agenda for the news. When The New York Times on July 16 broke the story of a 2003... More
September 17, 2005
Germany corroborates Balkan terror network
Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (BND) told the German News Agency, DDP that the terrorists responsible for the Madrid bombings, and some involved with the attacks in London, had contacts in Bosnia, and that Al—Qaeda may have an intact terror network... More
September 17, 2005
More press attention to AT
Although our server transfer gave us a lot of trouble this week, the international newspaper industry has stepped in to give us an unprecedented (for us) amount of attention. The Jerusalem Post's columnist Saul Singer favorably mentions and comments on... More
September 17, 2005
Scandal watch
The Governor of Illinois is enmeshed in a growing scandal. Did I mention that he is a Democrat? How much attention do suppose the national MSM will pay? Ed Lasky 9 14 05... More
September 17, 2005
French wines in crisis, while American exports soar
Plummeting exports of French wine have forced drastic action on the part of the dirigiste mandarins in Paris. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Makers of Bordeaux wines have been told to reduce their output this year by an unprecedented... More
September 17, 2005
If only Red Adair were alive now
Red Adair is one of my personal heroes. If our schools were run to actually teach children how to live their lives, Red Adair's life and achievements would be part of the curriculum in junior high school, when children begin to... More
September 17, 2005
Interfaith meeting in the nation's capital
One of our favorite organizations is the International Fellowship of Jews and Christians. Our readers are cordially invited to their upcoming meeting in Washington, DC. Here is their invitation: Please join the International Fellowship of Jews and Christians, one of... More
September 17, 2005
Asbestos fund bars 9 doctors and 3 X-ray screeners
One of the oldest and largest trusts set up to compensate victims of asbestos exposure has barred payments to claimants who rely on reports by nine doctors and three X—ray screening companies. Ed Lasky 9 15 05 ... More
September 17, 2005
Gore: schools should teach creationism
Recall a few short weeks ago, when the Mainstream Media and Democratic spokesmen and activists roundly criticized President Bush for his belief that schools should discuss "intelligent design" alongside evolution when teaching students about the creation of life? He went... More
September 17, 2005
Playing politics as president
Washington Post reporter Dan Froomkin writes as if President Bush were playing politics as President. Of course, he makes no mention of the most poll—driven Presidency in history, Bill Clinton's. Ed Lasky 9 16 05 ... More
September 17, 2005
The fattest impoverished people in world history
Mike McLeod of Kennesaw Georgia, noticed that Newsweek is running a cover story on "Poverty: Race & Katrina, Lessons of a National Shame." He astutely asks, "Do you think a photo of an obviously well—fed [Mike is being polite —ed.] child... More
September 17, 2005
An interesting take on New Orleans.
Larry Henry, of The American Spectator, has an interesting essay on New Orleans, a city in which he once lived as a musician. In a sense, it is a consideration of the virtues of a slacker—friendly environment. Like a number... More
September 17, 2005
Durbin: use the Paris Hilton cellphone investigator
Senator Richard Durbin is asking for a new prosecutor for the Memogate investigation. He sent a letter to Attorney General Gonzales demanding that a new layer be assigned to investigate what has become known as Memogate. A top aid to... More
September 17, 2005
Tony Blair gets BBC bias
Every single day we can count on the BBC News for at least one "hate America" story. The American Thinker has tried at times to call attention to blatantly biased BBC coverage of the United States.But when Prime Minister Tony... More
September 17, 2005
China and America's banks
China's financial and banking system is rudimentary for a nation of its size. With that underdevelopment comes opportunity for sophisticated foreign banks. Our largest banks are investing billions of dollars in China, in addition to the loans they extend. But... More
September 17, 2005
Al-Zarqawi Declares
Overlooked in the US media is the war that al Qaeda has been waging on the Shiites of Iraq, recklessly slaughtering hundreds of Shitte civilians by exploding truck bombs in mosques and market places. Just to remove any last doubts,... More
September 17, 2005
Katrina's Test: Inspiring Greatness
How did FEMA become part of the Department of Homeland Security? Recall that due to the defection of Jumpin' Jim Jeffords, Democrats controlled the Senate during the period when the Department of Homeland Security was formed. The Senate committee behind... More
September 17, 2005
Krugman rebuked (quietly) by NYT public editor
Byron Calame, the New York Times public editor, may be starting to grow a spine. I am reminded of the pictures of young in utero babies, as they start to differentiate and a skeleton appears first with the spine. It's... More
September 17, 2005
The shadow presidency
Bill Clinton seems to think he is still in office . "Clinton gathers world leaders" blares the headline in the Washington Post. Since when does America have a "Shadow Presidency"—especially run by a former President whose wife would clearly benefit... More
September 17, 2005
We're back
Our server problems have been solved. We are now positioned to begin adding features to our site, the first of which is our long—awaited new RSS Feed. Please email is with reports of any problems you might encounter with it.... More
September 17, 2005
How low can a man go?
Not much lower than this. The death penalty is far too lenient for an HIV positive man who raped his young stepdaughter multiple times, aware of the danger of disease transmission. I suppose that mass murderers are worse, but the... More
September 17, 2005
FEMA cracks down on fraud in Louisiana
The Los Angeles Times breaks the story today that several 'senior officials' in Louisiana's emergency planning agencies were under indictment for waste and fraud concerning expenditure of federal funds for disaster mitigation before Katrina hit. Federal auditors are still trying... More
September 17, 2005
Hezbollah bust in Ecuador
On the same day Mexico detained and released a possible al—Qaeda in Baja California, a less noted story is Ecuador's breakup of a drug ring believed to ship 70% of its narco—profits to the monstrous Middle Eastern terrorist group Hezbollah. It's a... More
September 17, 2005
Burning the flag
Like the proverbial stopped clock, Hillary Clinton and I now agree on something (gag!)——the flag burning amendment (gag!) just passed by the House of Representatives is unnecessary and should not be approved. WASHINGTON — A constitutional amendment to outlaw flag... More
September 17, 2005
Rasmussen poll: 70% okay with Gitmo treatment
The Rasmussen poll, which had the best track record in the past presidential election, has polled Americans on the treatment of Gitmo prisoners. A Rasmussen Reports survey found that 20% of Americans believe prisoners at Guantanamo Bay have been treated... More
September 17, 2005
Durbin's other slander of America
By now, everyone knows the outrageous comments spoken last week by Illinois Senator Dick Durbin. No, wait, I'm talking about these comments: President Bush, Durbin said, "doesn't understand what every American understands: As long as our economy depends on the... More
September 17, 2005
Talking scared silly
It is not only the New York Times that is obsessed with genetics as destiny in all the wrong places. Discovering more about the human condition is valid scientific inquiry; distorting the discoveries is not. And distortions abound. Maybe the... More
September 17, 2005
Airbus plays the subsidy game in America
Airbus Industrie counters United States accusations of unfair subsidies with its own claim that Boeing receives subsidies from state and local governments when it builds factories. But Airbus is not above playing the very same game in America. Because of criticism... More
September 17, 2005
My kind of Dem
Richard Daley, the mayor of Chicago, sometimes seems like the only Democrat who gets it. Where was Joe Lieberman when Dick Durbin handed terrorists and America—haters ammunition? Deferring to his Senate colleague? Close ties within the Illinois Democratic Party did... More
September 17, 2005
Lessons from a female terrorist
Honestreporting.com has an excellent article, complete with a video link, on the case of Wafa al Bas, a female Palestinian suicide bomber apprehended before she could kill. This episode highlights three important points that remain largely ignored or misrepresented in... More
September 17, 2005
Protecting children?
Democrats have engaged in hyperbole and mudslinging in trying to frustrate Ken Tomlinson's efforts to ensure that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting obey its legal mandate to provide unbiased and objective programming. They have used an age—old Democratic trope to... More
September 17, 2005
Democrats and anti-Semites
We are not alone. Other thinkers are joining Richard Baehr in noting that the Democrats are sliding down the slippery slope toward becoming the party of anti—Semites. This is a tragedy not just for American Jews and Israel, but for the... More
September 17, 2005
Homosexuals and Islamists
The New York Observer today highlights an issue which has great importance in its own right, but which also has the potential to affect domestic patterns of political alignment: the extreme pathological hatred of homosexuality by militant Islam. The softness... More
September 17, 2005
Democratic Liens
Ethel, you are a mature individual. You must not gloat; you must not declare "I told you so;" you must not shriek "Nah, nah, nah, nah."But of course what else could anyone's reaction be upon reading this? TALLAHASSEE, Fla. ——... More
September 17, 2005
Marx named favorite philosopher in British poll
Moral blindness to the evils of Communism, the murderous philosophy responsible for the deaths of scores of millions in the last century, is endemic to Europe, and certain circles in America. Even the United Kingdom, which is generally a bit... More
September 17, 2005
Lions rescue Ethiopian girl
A 12—year—old Ethiopian girl who was in the pitiful state of beating off a pack of thugs who wanted to force her to marry one of them, got help from an unexpected source. Three magnificent black—maned Ethiopian lions, leaping and... More
September 17, 2005
Ralph's folly
Christopher Orlet has a delightful tongue—in—cheek article today on The American Spectator about the proposed Museum of Tort Law that Ralph Nader wants to establish in his home town, Winstead, CT. Thomas Lifson 6 21 05... More
September 17, 2005
PBS violating its mandate
PBS appears to be using public resources (its publicly funded broadcasts and the publicly—owned airwaves) to engage in political lobhbying on its own behalf. The Media Research Center reports: PBS viewers in and around Washington, DC, as well as across... More
September 17, 2005
Biology as destiny?
The New York Times is obsessed with genetics and biology—as—destiny these days. The Gray Lady finds biological reasons that may be responsible for homosexuality, Jews being smarter than other groups, and now one's political orientation. This type of thinking lead... More
September 17, 2005
A simple misunderstanding
The AP reports this morning that Gov. Bill Richardson and his staff were pulled over by New Mexico state police for speeding. An Albuquerque police officer in an unmarked cruiser saw an SUV speeding on a local interstate and tried... More
September 17, 2005
Is it Durbin? or Al Jazeera?
Don Surber is raising hackles among the lefties by comparing Al Jazeera content and their own. Don't miss the comments.... More
September 17, 2005
Battle for battleships
The battle over renovating and recommissioning battleships continues this morning in the Washington Times. We have addressed the issue here and here. And we still don't know what should be done. This is obviously a highly technical and important question.... More
September 17, 2005
Annan doesn't mention US
There is obviously a lot of Congressional heat on Kofi Annan. Why else would he write an article highlighting how effective the UN has been in promoting progress in Iraq. He is trying to justify continued US funding of the UN,... More
September 17, 2005
The coming coup in Iran
Regime Change Iran highlights the work of Iranian blogger, Hoder.com: Things are really getting nasty here. After Karrubi's unbelievably blunt letter to the Supreme Leader, everything is suddenly changing. All non—fundamentalists are rallying behind Rafsanjani. Many are talking about a... More
September 17, 2005
Friends of the Library Association
The American Library Association, whose campaign to keep America's libraries free from FBI scrutiny so that al Qaeda feels free to read bombmaking books in comfort, recently won a court victory against the Patriot Act. But that is not enough... More
September 17, 2005
Conyers and LaRouche
An enterprising blogger,Daly Thoughts, has uncovered some interesting links between Conyers,LaRouche and the playhouse hearing star witness,McGovern: On Friday, Mississippi State Rep. Fleming [D] announced his candidacy in 2006 against incumbent US Senator Trent Lott [R]. "It is my hope... More
September 17, 2005
Canada frees a monster
Karla Homolka, a grotesque sex criminal/killer with a beautiful face, is being released by Canadian authorities at the ripe old age of 35, after only 12 years in prison for multiple counts of drugging, raping, torturing, and killing teenage girls,... More
September 17, 2005
Durbin and the troops
Dick Durbin does support the troops — when there's money in it for his state. (AP) — The Pentagon has yet to give Illinois' U.S. senators thousands of documents they need in order to evaluate whether proposed changes to the state's... More
September 17, 2005
Teddy K "rules out" Clarence Thomas for Chief Justice
Real Clear Politics noticed an odd news dispatch buried last Friday. Edward Kennedy, the moral voice of the Democrats, has "ruled out" Clarence Thomas as a possible Chief Justice. This sounds a lot like a threat of a filibuster. If... More
September 17, 2005
So many victims....
The world should donate Antarctica to Amnesty International so ALL it's members can move there with all the people they want to protect from the big bad industrialized world. The BBC examines conditions in UK detainment camps for illegal... More
September 17, 2005
Only rocking for Africa
Well whaddaya know. Bob Geldof, who is organizing the Live 8 concerts to draw attention to the plight of Africa's poor, has some decent things to say about President Bush and the US. GELDOF America doesn't have a lack of... More
September 17, 2005
What if we hadn't gone to war in Iraq?
What if? What if? A useless question to be sure but one that haunts us all as we wonder about the path(s) not taken and ponder the one(s) we did. And so with the current situation in Iraq. What if... More
September 17, 2005
If....
Matt May engages in some useful fantasy, imagining what he would say about Dick Durbin if he were a Senator. Read it here.... More
September 17, 2005
Dour Israeli leftists
In an earlier AT article, The Arab Constituency in Israel, we took favorable note of the surge in the number of Arabs in the Labor Party of Israel. This development represents a sea change in Israeli politics, since there are parties... More
September 17, 2005
Examining de Villepin
Olivier Guitta, a frequent contributor here, has an op—ed in the Jerusalem Post today about France's Dominique de Villepin, elevated to Prime Minister recently by President Chirac. Born in 1953 in Morocco, he lived most of his privileged life abroad. He... More
September 17, 2005
Now and then
Our contributor Edward Bernard Glick applied contemporary attitudes of the left toward Iraq to World War II, and came up with a revealing set of questions and answers. You can read the entire essay on the Hudson Institute's American Outlook... More
September 17, 2005
The Master at work
I have to assume that nearly everyone who reads this website follows the work of Mark Steyn, the impossibly brilliant and funny columnist. That Steyn has never won a Pulitzer while Maureen Dowd has is, to paraphrase Senator Durbin (or... More
September 17, 2005
Ridiculing Richard Cohen is now a popular sport
Some time ago, I wrote up a blog item about Richard Cohen's idiotic column, in which he claimed he knew who Deep Thorat was but wrote that it could have been a secret service technician. The New Republic has ridiculed him... More
September 17, 2005
Byrd the Butcher
I have often read that Tom DeLay was a former exterminator and that Dennis Hastert was a former wrestling coach. These characterizations have been a way to disparage these Republican leaders. Why is Senator Robert Byrd never mentioned as having... More
September 17, 2005
Who are EU to give advice?
The Washington Post's Jim Hoagland rightly points out the absurdity of EU people telling Iraqis how to write a constitution. Ed Lasky 6 19 05... More
September 17, 2005
Real torture in Iraq
Listen up Amnesty International! Pay attention Senator Durbin! All your flippant torture talk, which is really a cover for your anti American, anti Bush vendetta, is distracting attention from real torture. In Iraq for example. The American military has found... More
September 17, 2005
Iran's sham polls exposed in the U.S.
Care to know just how bad the Iranian election is? It could not be more unlike Iraq's....Blogger Robert Mayer at PubliusPundit has taken the trouble to check out the polling up close in the states, reporting from Tucson. His fellow bloggers have joined... More
September 17, 2005
If the wrong people win, change the criteria
The University of California is in the process of shamelessly rigging the awarding of scholarships under a merit—based system, because certain racial groups (Asians and Caucasians) win too many awards, while certain more—favored minorities do not perform well. A key... More
September 17, 2005
More scientific fraud uncovered
Yet another case of fraud in science has come to light. A highly cited 1997 paper on transcription—coupled repair was retracted by Science this week, after coauthor Steven Leadon, formerly of the University of North Carolina, was found guilty by... More
September 17, 2005
NYT on the Patriot Act
In a short editorial — just 265 words excluding title and date — the New York Times gleefully congratulates the House Republicans who joined the Champions—of—Freedom Democrats in voting to eliminate the library and book store records seizure provision of... More
September 17, 2005
Another feminist triumph in the military
Like Captain Nicole Malachowski, Sergeant Leigh Ann Hester got her military honors, in this case a Silver Star, the hard way: she earned it. Hester's squad was shadowing a supply convoy March 20 when anti—Iraqi fighters ambushed the convoy. The squad moved... More
September 17, 2005
Iowahawk is on the case
Just when America needs him most, Iowahawk has returned from his hiatus with a collection of letters from the desk of Senator Dick Durbin. Here is an example of the web's leading satirist's much—needed perspective: Customer Relations DepartmentUnited AirlinesElk Grove... More
September 17, 2005
The argument of BIG vs Little
It's been with us for ages: hot rodders arguing over cubic inches vs turbo charged high tech engines, massive mainframe computers serving hundreds of users, against a distributed network of linked personal computers. Now this argument is applied to the battleship... More
September 17, 2005
Great new blog
Ultima Thule is a terrific new blog from a name very familiar to me as an eloquent poster on Lucianne.com, with the handle of Aussiegirl. She describes herself this way: An American citizen of Ukrainian heritage, who washed up on... More
September 17, 2005
Hold on for the next Halliburton charge
Wouldn't you know it, Halliburton has been contracted to build a new prison at...Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. It all comes full circle (if you're a leftie) doesn't it? The $30 million dollar job will be carried out by KBR, a subsidiary... More
September 17, 2005
A feminist triumph
We are counting the hours, waiting for NOW and other feminnazi leaders to hail the latest milestone in feminine achievement. According to CNN: Just weeks after a high—profile debate about the role of women in the military, the Air Force... More
September 17, 2005
Taxpayer funded fantasy
Rep. John Conyers (D—Michigan) apparently leads a rich fanatsy life. And he is using government facilities and resources to live out his fantasies in public. In the Capitol basement yesterday, long—suffering House Democrats took a trip to the land of... More
September 17, 2005
The PETA massacre
Animal cruelty is certainly despicable, and there are plenty of studies suggesting that chidren who are cruel to animals, frequently turn into miserable adults — as child molestors, wife beaters, and criminals who commit other violent acts. So what are... More
September 17, 2005
APB for McCain
Matthew May, our frequent contributor, has made a superb observation on his blog site, Matt May. Why hasn't Sen. John McCain taken to the Senate floor to denounce Sen. Richard Durbin for Durbin's remarks comparing the United States prison guards... More
September 17, 2005
Story placement and bias at the NYT
The editor of a newspaper is the journalist responsible for selecting which news stories are deserving of being published, and who determines their placement within the newspaper. By doing so, he signals his judgment about the levels of importance of... More
September 17, 2005
Sidney Goldberg, R.I.P.
Jonah Goldberg has a very moving tribute to his father, Sidney Goldberg, on National Review Online today. Although I never met Sidney, I almost felt that I knew him via his frequent appearances on the Lucianne Live! syndicated talk show,... More
September 17, 2005
Interrogation by any other name
Suspected masterminds of a hostage taking and killing incident were handcuffed and in their underwear. Bruises could be seen on their faces and one had stitches across his forehead. Surprisingly Senator Dick Durbin (D—IL) hasn't denounced this treatment; Amnesty International... More
September 17, 2005
Subsidized failure
The rule of government bureaucracy is to reward failure upward and define deviancy downward. By any rational calculation, Airbus has been a resounding failure. To be sure, it has bought market share in civilian airliners at the expense of Boeing,... More
September 17, 2005
The Next Tiger is coming.
The U.S. Open at Pinehurst, N.C. is underway. Tiger Woods is among the early leaders this morning. Mr. Woods, having already won the Masters in April, is chasing the Grand Slam...that is, winning all four majors in one year. This... More
September 17, 2005
Senator Durbin, what if....?
Reader Scott Wright raises an excellent point regarding Senator Durbin's comments: Senator Durbin's comments comparing mistreatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay by U.S. military interrogators to that of Nazis are particularly ironic considering the fact that most of the allegations... More
September 17, 2005
Durbin dishonors true victims of tyranny
Senator Richard Durbin (D—IL) outraged many by equating American interrogation at Guantanamo with the methods used by the Nazis and the Soviets. However, not only has he refused to apologize he insists ...the Bush administration should apologize for... More
September 17, 2005
Sean Penn, boy reporter
The ever changing, ever sensitive Oscar winner, Sean Penn, on assignment for the San Francisco (naturally) Chronicle bravely told a film student during a visit to Iran's Film Museum in Tehran on Monday that the "Death to America" slogan chanted each... More
September 17, 2005
Citgo mislays $718 million; SEC opens probe
Awhile back, the New York Times, in an unexpectedly excellent (and not just for them) story, exposed an incredible array of mismanagement over at Citgo, the U.S. oil refiner and marketer of Venezuelan crude oil that has had the misfortune of... More
September 17, 2005
American Thinker accused of lying and propaganda
We are very pleased to have played a small role in bringing to public attention the ridiculous vile accusation of Senator Durbin that the United States is comparable to the regimes of Hitler, Stalin, and Pol Pot in its treatment... More
September 17, 2005
Spain beginning to despise Zapatero
Spain's cowardly, anti—U.S. Prime Minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, has finally gotten what was coming to him, as Spain's voters realize just what a loser they have in front of them. Franco in Barcelona writes that Spain's polls are showing... More
September 17, 2005
What is Senator Durbin on?
Reader Greg Richards writes us regarding J. James Estrada's characterization of Senator Durbin's disgraceful comments: Of course, we know what he is on — his high horse.What Sen. Durbin doesn't understand is that there is a purpose to these interrogations. Not only... More
September 17, 2005
Sure they were....
PBS is claiming that it began a review of its standards for political balance before there was any threat of a funding cut, now something that is a very real possibility. The AP reports: PBS, which rejects accusations of liberal... More
September 17, 2005
Gopinion.com
Gopinion.com is a new website featuring selected articles from the blogosphere, in a very readable newspaper—like format. So far, the selection of sites and information has been very promising, indeed. We are happy to welcome them to the blogosphere, and... More
September 17, 2005
Stem cell hype
The British medical journal, The Lancet, which is no conservative organ, has warned its readers of the hype surrounding stem cell research, especially embryonic stem cell research, according to a dispatch from the Cybercast News Service. So great has been... More
September 17, 2005
Update: Professor Klocek and DePaul University
Several weeks ago The American Thinker informed its readers about the plight of Professor Thomas Klocek, who was fired for daring to question the rabid anti—Israel display by some Moslem students at DePaul University, a Catholic university, in Chicago. Klocek, who... More
September 17, 2005
Illinois Senator losing his mind?
Senator Dick Durbin's remarks from the Senate floor last night will lead one to conclude that the man is crazy. Durbin was on the floor to debate a portion of the Energy Bill and then went off on this tangent... More
September 17, 2005
The Rupert-Hillary alliance?
Odder pairings have happened in history than an alliance between New York Senator Hillary Clinton and News Corp. honcho Rupert Murdoch. The Hitelr—Stalin Pact, for instance. But it is nevertheless a surprising speculation, as laid out by Ben Smith in the... More
September 17, 2005
Corzine bit the hand which fed him his fortune
The financial disclosure form of Sen. Jon Corzine (D—NJ) shows the former head of Goldman Sachs Group Inc. did quite well — between $425,000 and $1.6 million worth of well — last year, after those who handle his blind trust... More
September 17, 2005
Richardson's smart move
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson is one of many testing the waters for 2008 by making the obligatory visit to New Hampshire. Richardson, a competent and respected Cabinet member in the Clinton administration, is attempting to create a Western regional primary... More
September 17, 2005
Re: the McCain gambit
Reader Michael Easton of Kansas City, MO writes us about Richard Baehr's article today: I'd like to think this "gambit" story is a mistake. Mainly because I think it is a mistake. Certainly, McCain can appeal to moderates on both... More
September 17, 2005
Missing headlines (continued)
"State Budgets Get Relief" Wall Street Journal Strong gains in corporate profits, household income and home sales are swelling tax revenues for states nationwide, helping to close budget gaps and boost spending. State—tax revenue for the July—March period of the... More
September 17, 2005
NYT misses the obvious
The New York Times is zealous in framing all issues as contests between religious forces (associated with backwardness) and "secular" forces associated with sophistication and intelligence. Here they impose the same framework reporting the Italian vote to ease fertility laws — which... More
September 17, 2005
Harvard's PR leads to censorship
The AP reports that Harvard University's admission office altered the image in a brochure being sent to 150,000 prospective applicants: A Harvard brochure sent to thousands of prospective students included a doctored photo of the student newspaper's front page that... More
September 17, 2005
Flag Day
Today is Flag Day. To commemorate the occasion, Stars and Stripes, the daily military newspaper, is publishing a special section honoring the heroes of the War on Terror. You can link to a DoD announcement about it here. The supplement... More
September 17, 2005
Green with envy
Jason DeParle, a New York Times writer adept at sneering through his word processor, cannot help himself and lets the envy show a bit in his article today about the 64 summer interns working at the Heritage Foundation. The familiar... More
September 17, 2005
Coalition dreaming
It strikes me that the coalition that won WWII was forged when the Left flipped after Hitler invaded Russia. The anti—Communist coalition in the US won when the labor movement expelled Stalinists. The war against Islamist terror may be won... More
September 17, 2005
Hope for sanity in Berkeley
Two brave members of the Berkeley Unified School District Board have expressed doubts about renaming Jefferson Elementary School, because the Founding Father and president owned slaves. Faculty and staff of the school have already voted to re—name it Sequoia Elementary... More
September 17, 2005
The double standard lives
I admire Peggy Noonan's writing and I enjoy her style. She has a wonderful way of being "soft—hard": that is, she can express hard—edged opinions with softness and subtlety. It's masterful, elegant, and sophisticated. But as much as I... More
September 17, 2005
Schumer's Turnin' Back the Clock
Senator Chares "Chuck" Schumer, during an Executive Session of Congress on May 18th, accused Janice Rogers Brown of standing for the 'philosophy of the 1890's'. Senator Schumer was attempting to demonstrate the merits of the Democrats' vehement opposition to Judge Brown... More
September 17, 2005
Byrd rising from the ashes
Not a phoenix, but KKK kleagle Robert Byrd, who, as our friend Don Surber points out, rose from the ashes of burning crosses to first win election to Congress in 1952. In that year, six blacks were lynched. Don can write... More
September 17, 2005
Widespread fraud in science
The next time you are warned about the dangers of global warming, or the need for fetal stem cell research, consider this report. ...according to the first large—scale survey of scientific misbehavior. More than 5 percent of scientists answering a... More
September 17, 2005
Welcome aboard, Ben Stein
The notable Ben Stein, of television, film, literary, and American Spectator fame, has joined Ed Lasky in noting the disgraceful story in the New Yorker about a traitorous journalist. Ben joins Ed in noting that not journalist quoted in the... More
September 17, 2005
Tom Friedman is flat - and stale
Jack Shafer delivers a well—deserved thrashing to Tom Friedman for his relentless self—promotion via his column in the New York Times. in addition to mentioning his new too much, Friedman is also endlessly recycling his old ideas. If he can't... More
September 17, 2005
Getting what you pay for
If British taxpayers pay for iPODS to be given to students to bribe them to attend school, how much will you have to give them to get them to stop committing mayhem and violence against teachers and fellow students? Ed... More
September 17, 2005
The stem cell money trail
Ed Feulner argues in the Washington Times that the absence so far of major investment capital into embyronic stem cell research is telling. When medical research has to rely on the public sector for funding, it is often an indication... More
September 17, 2005
Oops
This is what happens when you have mob rule—a group of people led astray by similarly wrong—headed people: A protest organized June 1 by MoveOn, a liberal political action committee, drew about 20 people to the Michigan Avenue office... More
September 17, 2005
Translating
It seems the post 'non' mood around Paree wasn't as gay as usual. So on Wednesday the new French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepinhead gave his subjects what we less sophisticated yanks like to call a pep talk. You can... More
September 17, 2005
He who laughs last, laughs best
The David M blog catches Howell Raines in an embarrassing quotation. You remember Howell Raines, don't you? He used to be editor of the New York Times — before he got fired. "Does anyone in America doubt that Kerry has... More
September 17, 2005
Defend Professor Klocek
Several weeks back, we described the almost unbelievable situation surrounding De Paul Professor Thomas Klocek, who lost his job at the Catholic university for the "crime" of daring to argue with some Muslim and Palestinian students in a cafeteria about some... More
September 17, 2005
Doomed?
This guy hacks into the Pentagon and NASA systems and it released on bail and told not to go online? This, while some brainwashed kid points a gun at an American soldier in a remote mountain range in Afghanistan and is... More
September 17, 2005
Honest reporting
Remember Proposition 200? This is the Arizona initiative which passed with 56% of the vote last November. It calls for 'proof of citizenship to register to vote, photo ID to vote, and proof of eligibility for non—federally mandated public benefits.'... More
September 17, 2005
Schadenfreude
Tony Blankley mulls the deeper significance of the sudden rise in usage of the word "schadenfreude." As you might expect, it does not say anything good about us. Hat tip: Joe Crowley... More
September 17, 2005
Daniel Pipes becomes mildly more optimistic
Daniel Pipes is the rarest of pundits, one who openly revises his views when he gets new and contradictory information. Here, he revises his pessimmistic view on Turkey's prospects for Islamist government, though he leaves the question open. Thomas Lifson ... More
September 17, 2005
Carter joins the shut down Gitmo chorus
Jimmy Carter, the President who helped weaken our defenses by cutting military budgets and leading an Administration that gutted the CIA and who oversaw the disastrous and embarrassing Iranian hostage rescue efforts and who has spend his retirement helping North... More
September 17, 2005
Torture on British soil - where is Amnesty International?
George Galloway had apparently been on the payroll of Saddam Hussein via a faux charity he set up as a conduit to benefit from the oil—for—food scandal. He used his access to the media and politicians to defend Saddam to his... More
September 17, 2005
The new Russian revolution?
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, a man who knows what a real gulag is, warns that Russia could be facing an orange revolution (like Ukraine's) in the near future. In his first television interview since 2002, he said "We have nothing that resembles... More
September 17, 2005
Most likely to be ignored
Today's candidate for the line to be least—quoted by the major media: "It's hard to put the United States in the center, or blame everything on the U.S.," said Alyson J.K. Bailes, the institute's director, adding that "despite all the... More
September 17, 2005
Endangered species
The lingering death of the daily newspaper industry is taking with it an institution which has added texture to New York City's streets, along with a handful of other crowded American cities: the news stand. The New York Sun reports... More
September 17, 2005
Kofi Annan treated as a sage
The Media Research Center has caught crazy Katie Couric fawning before scandal—plagued Kofi Annanm and urging him to interfere in US politics. NBC's Katie Couric treated UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, who is mired in a scandal Couric only lightly... More
September 17, 2005
Hillary's mouth
Hillary Clinton tends to get in trouble when speaking before a friendly audience. Because she is a control freak and an utter phony, the real Hillary is normally hidden behind a facade of moderation and politeness. Speaking to group of... More
September 17, 2005
Never enough
The leftwing UK Guardian reports: George Bush is expected to meet Britain's Africa agenda only part way with the announcement of £370m for famine relief when he appears at a joint press conference in Washington today with Tony Blair. [emphasis... More
September 17, 2005
Dean debacle develops
Could Dean's attacks on malefactors of wealth be offending rich Democrats? The Dean travails continue. 3 Top Fundraisers AT DNC quit Ed Lasky 6 7 05 ... More
September 17, 2005
It's good to be the king (or a Eurocrat)
No one likes paying taxes. Especially those big—hearted public servants in international institutions that work selflessly for the common good. The Financial Times (subscription required) describes a wonderful tax dodge availablke to Eurocrats. Those working in Europe have since... More
September 17, 2005
Oh, never mind
The U.K. government is considering dropping the planned referndum on the EU constituion, in the wake of French and Dutch electoral rejection of the bloated framework for absolutism. But according to Jack Straw, they may simply impose it. What a... More
September 17, 2005
Ridicule is powerful
The Daily Scorecard references an article in the Hollywood Reporter, about a new film which has debuted at the usually—leftist Sundance Film Festival to great acclaim. Filmmaker Marc Levin's Protocols of Zion examines the revival in popularity of the fraudulent... More
September 17, 2005
Bring back the big guns
It is fitting that on the 61st anniversary of D—Day that Dennis Reilly urges the US Navy to reactivate the two Iowa—class battleships remaining on the Navy's register. Mr. Reilly is the science advisor for the US Naval Surface Fire... More
September 17, 2005
Hell's Kitchen
The viewing public is condemned to being fed a steady diet of Apprentice rip—offs, it being an iron law of television that a successful show will spawn numerous bastard offspring. My antipathy to Donald Trump being what it is (I... More
September 17, 2005
Violent pacifists
KPFA, the Mother Church of public broadcasting (in the sense of stations licensed to nonprofit groups which air left wing propaganda and don't pay taxes), continues to amuse. The denizens have taken to throwing chairs at each other in their... More
September 17, 2005
Amnesty International's head's moral status
It appears that Irene Khan, head ("Secretary—General") of Amnesty International, was a passive participant, doing nothing about it as a Jewish lawyer was barred from the 2001 UN "World Conference against Racism" (but not necessarily anti—Semitism). Anne Bayefsky, in the National Review... More
September 17, 2005
Left wing moonbat theories on German TV
David Kaspar, publisher of David's Medienkritik, a wonderful blog covering the German media, writes us with stunning information on a TV movies shown on the government—supported network. "The ultimate insult to our intelligence: Germany's PBS station ARD alleges the Bush... More
September 17, 2005
Conceding the obvious (and that's progress)
There's a piece in today's U.K. Guardian you might enjoy. It's opening line is very encouraging. "France's Socialists were in crisis yesterday..." Some of the language employed by this left wing newspaper is startling in its honesty about the reactionary... More
September 17, 2005
Peddling the same failed policy
George McGovern is baaaack. It seems we have heard this solution before from him — withdrawal — which led to mass murder and the domination of that corner of South East Asia by dictatorships. Ed Lasky 6 6 05... More
September 17, 2005
SUNY among the Sunnis (and Shiites and Kurds)
There must be some patriots at the State University of New York (SUNY). In contrast to the elite campuses which forbid ROTC recrutiment, SUNY's Sullivan County Community College is on the scene in Iraq, giving our Soldiers the opportunity to earn... More
September 17, 2005
The wondeful world of academia (a continuing series)
It looks as thought this Columbia University literature professor has run his ideas through the Random PoMo Generator. James Lewis 6 6 05... More
September 17, 2005
Just can't win
Is there anything more illustrative of the media's all out attempt to Bash Bush? All of sudden a diplomat is too nice? Damned if you are; damned if you are not. Ed Lasky 6 6 05 ... More
September 17, 2005
A picture is worth....
If there's any doubt in your mind who George Bush's friends and associates are, and who Hugo Chavez's are, and whether there's a difference, check out the photo show over at Miguel Octavio's Venezuelan blog, which in stark terms shows just... More
September 17, 2005
Doubletalk at the University of Oregon
Like so many other academic institutions, The University of Oregon is twisting itself into a pretzel, trying to reconcile preferences for certain groups with the legal requirements of non—discrimination. It took UO a reported 5 year effort by a group... More
September 17, 2005
Cruise picked wrong target
Celebrity gossip is not the usual subject for blogging here. But it is the weekend, and I am feeling frisky. It is heartening to see that Brooke Shields is defending herself against the criticism Tom Cruise has made of her use... More
September 17, 2005
Become a postmodern academic!
It's easy. Baffle your friends! Amaze your enemies! Intrigue liberals with your newfound depth! And best of all, it's free! Follow the link here, and scratch your head as you try to decipher the esoteric content of a postmodernist essay.... More
September 17, 2005
White Aid?
So, the question must be asked——why are all these Brits and other Europeans not allowing more Africans to help themselves? Or is it just easier for these Europeans to blame the US and the free market for the troubles of... More
September 17, 2005
NYT "Qu'ils mangent de la brioche" '05
As you read this there's a New York Times story about the disparity of incomes in America that's falling on thousands, if not hundreds of deaf ears. This thinly veiled anti—Bush piece about the rich gettin' richer (thanks to Dubya's... More
September 17, 2005
ACLU shredding scandal
Must not gloat. Must not gloat. Must not gloat. Ethel, you are mature; chronologically an adult so you must not gloat that The American Civil Liberties Union has been shredding some documents over the repeated objections of its records manager... More
September 17, 2005
Diversity in farming
Why did the racists——whoops! excuse me——diversity advocates selectively pounce on just one segment of Lawrence Summers's now notorious musings? Perhaps because such a fuss was made over delicate Nancy Hopkins, who suffered a case of feminine vapors upon hearing reason... More
September 17, 2005
Confidence games
While carefully selected elite students at elite universities acting with appropriate elite behavior, throw sometimes violent temper tantrums to diminish freedom of choice by demanding the removal of ROTC and military recruitment on their elite campuses, most Americans have a... More
September 17, 2005
Embryonic stem cells
Steve Chapman, a libertarian columnist for the Chicago Tribune, wrties a very sensible commentary on the embryonic stem cell research debate. It is must—reading for informed debate on the topic. Richard Baehr 6 5 05... More
September 17, 2005
The fall of Europe
Douglas Davis of the Jerusalem Post writes encouragingly about the wave a change he sees sweeping Europe, a once—in—a—generation phenomenon: Europe is in the grip of a leadership crisis. And nowhere is the crisis more acute than at its very... More
September 17, 2005
Don't give up on Spain
Franco Aleman, Barcepundit, is live—blogging a huge demonstration in Madrid (via satellite TV in Barcelona). Between 850,000 and a million demonstrators are protesting the Zapatero government's announced intention to negotiate with Basque separatist ETA terrorists. Spain, the home of machismo,... More
September 17, 2005
Intellectuals and politics
An Australian scholar, Imre Salusinszky, has written a wonderful short essay in The Australian, Rupert Murdoch's left—leaning national—circulation daily in Australia. Using popular criticisms of George W. Bush as an intellectual boob as a starting point, he diagnoses the problems... More
September 17, 2005
CJR picks a winner
The Columbia Journalism Review has named The Nation editor Victor Navasky to revitalize the magazine and restore its old role as the watchdog of the press. Don't tell them, but unwittingly they've just decisively handed over the Watchdog Role of the media to... More
September 17, 2005
Bitter fruit of capitulation to idiocy
Heather Mac Donald exposes for all to see the ridiculous anti—intellectualism behind Harvard president Lawrence Summers's grovel before the goddess of diversity. Summers is a man I used to admire. But his abject surrender to the worst kind of anti—intellectualism,... More
September 17, 2005
Podcasting
Not only Rush Limbaugh and preachers with sermons are turning to podcasting. NPR informs us that newspapers, too, are beginning to podcast. Meanwhile, one NPR tech program is overhwhelmed by demand for its podcasts: The week—old Open Source radio program... More
September 17, 2005
Byrd dropping
Our pal Don Surber reports from West Virginia that the latest polls have Senator/Kleagle Robert Byrd's lead over his probable opponent Rep. Shelley Moore Capito within the margin of error. For an incumbent, much less one of Byrd's power and longevity... More
September 17, 2005
NYT news judgment
Two big articles from the New York Times, one tof them oday, both trumpeting supposedly genetically based homosexuality. I am ambivalent on the subject, generally taking a libertarian approach about what people do as long as it does not harm... More
September 17, 2005
Hermetically sealed philosophies
Chill. Joe Crowley and American Thinker editors/readers. Relax your prickly spines——there is no threat to Christianity or any other religion afoot; just a new dimension. Removing Bibles from hospital (and hotel) nightstands is not an indication of "political correctness gone... More
September 17, 2005
Missing headlines (continued)
"New York Times Company Shares Hit Record Low" There is a God. $31.04. Read it and weep Paul, Maureen, and Pinch. Ed Lasky 6 3 05... More
September 17, 2005
EU's crisis
Across the Pond, Anthony Browne of The Spectator evaluates the outcome of the Dutch and French rejection of the EU Constitution. The EU has finally foundered on its central problem — the one it has with the will of the... More
September 17, 2005
Deep pockets and short arms
Remember Hollywood's version of the Watergate scandal, All The Presidents Men? Silly question, right? Right. But even if you only read the book, who can sift through their memories (with the possible exception of Mr. Felt himself) without picturing a... More
September 17, 2005
Not too keen on democracy
The President of Council of Foreign relations does not think much of Democracy. This is emblematic of our "foreign policy elite." The CFR publishes Foreign Affairs magazine, and membership is considered by conspiracy theorists a badge of admission to the higher... More
September 17, 2005
Latvia didn't shut up; Chirac OK with it?
Hey, Jacques Chirac, at least Latvia (part of the new Europe you told to shut up) approved the EU Constitution. Recall that the French President haughtily told them that they missed an opportunity to shut up? Sit down and shut... More
September 17, 2005
The ACLU way
Presumably the ACLU would be very happy is the United States behaved more like Spain in its treatment of al Qaeda suspects: Spain freed on bail an alleged member of al—Qaida accused of videotaping the World Trade Center and other... More
September 17, 2005
Hermetically sealed religion?
Is removing the Bible from hospital nightstands political correctness gone mad, part of a new and growing intolerance to Christianity in any way, shape or form, or a genuine fear of the spread of the so—called 'superbug' MRSA (Methicillin—resistant Staphylococcus... More
September 17, 2005
Minority leader in Rolling Stone
Senator Harry Reid, leader of the Senate Democrats, is interviewed in the latest issue of Rolling Stone. Is appearing in Rolling Stone magazine reaching the crowd that all experts tell the Democrats they must appeal to? Are the rural, the... More
September 17, 2005
Airbus runs into rough weather
Airbus is emblematic of the entire EU: bloated by bureaucrats and run by incompetents who overpromise and underdeliver. Airbus was designed to puncture Boeing, formerly the dominant producer of civil airliners. Airbus was to be one of the business components of the... More
September 17, 2005
The long hangover
Culturally, the era we call "The 1960s" (which actually lasted well into the 1970s) simply will not die. Like the lingering effect of too much gin the night before, the 60s continue to inflict themselves upon us. A reader writes... More
September 17, 2005
Investing public money to fund retirement benefits
Don Surber notes that at least some Democrats seem to believe in using investments in securities as way to fund pensions, even as national Democrats and the AARP trash Bush's proposal to allow Social Security funds to be so invested.... More
September 17, 2005
A wonderful choice
President Bush has made a wise decision in selecting Representative Christopher Cox to head the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although his prominent role in the House of Representatives will be greatly missed, he will be in a position to do... More
September 17, 2005
Quotas in press conferences?
Now reporters are crying that Bush did not call on enough women reporters at his press conference. From yesterday's White House Press Briefing: Q Scott, at the press conference yesterday, approximately 25 percent of the journalists were women, and the... More
September 17, 2005
More influence for Soros?
Owners of sports teams in Washington have always seen them as avenues to garner political influence. They are one of the few non—partisan events that both Democrats and Republicans can attend together, and tickets in boxes always are difficult to... More
September 17, 2005
Journalistic cat fight
The New York Times, usually diplomatically deferential in protecting and favoring journalists (particularly their own—see Jayson Blair [until caught], Judith Miller, Paul Krugman), seems to take a different approach when it comes to covering Bob Woodward, the famed Washington Post reporter... More
September 17, 2005
EU = bureaucrats' heaven
James Lewis aptly points out today that the EU has become a vehicle of the bureaucrats, by the bureaucrats, and for the bureaucrats. The EUs "devoted" public servants use tax dodges to avoid the taxes others must cough up. No... More
September 17, 2005
Guilty of anti-Israel defamation - in France!
A French Court finds a pillar of the French media. Le Monde, guilty of defamation against Israel and the Jewish people. The Wall Street Journal reports: A French court last week found three writers for Le Monde, as well as... More
September 17, 2005
False comparisons
A Los Angeles Times op—ed by Margaret Carlson uses the McCain cable TV biographical movie to compare US prison in Bagram to North Vietnam's Hanoi Hilton. Well, that was predictable. On Memorial Day, I watched the A&E movie about former... More
September 17, 2005
Not so simple for Europe
Page one of the leftist British paper The Independent asks "What now for Europe?" in 20 different languages. Hellooooo! Doesn't the mere fact that they have to ask the question in 20 disparate tongues register as one of the main... More
September 17, 2005
Targeting journalists
Linda Foley, head of the Newspaper Guild, the labor union for journalists which claims 30,000 members, has been resurrecting the Eason Jordan claim that U.S. Soldiers deliberately target journalists. I wonder if she will claim that this assasination of a journalist... More
September 17, 2005
Thuggery in France
There is a disturbing tendency on France for those who feel threatened by economic competition to use violence against others who win the favor of consumers. Case in point the McDonalds Hamburger restaurant torched by Jose Bove, and the heroic... More
September 17, 2005
German storm over report on leaving the euro
According to the BBC: A political storm has broken out in Germany over reports that the government may be distancing itself from the European single currency. Stern magazine said that Finance Minister Hans Eichel had been present at a meeting... More
September 17, 2005
Unbelievable!
The AP sees the defeat of the EU referendum as a defeat for...George Bush: The United States is sitting out the argument in Europe this week over the fate of the long drive to unite 25 nations under a single... More
September 17, 2005
How the left lost
Don Surber has very worthwhile thoughts on how the left lost the war on terror. Be prepared for his new blog to get more and more attention. As Senator Byrd faces yet another election in West Virginia, Don should become... More
September 17, 2005
Hysteria among the Euro-elites
The lack of confidence and respect that the mandarins of the European Union have for the citizens of their stillborn commonwealth is displayed by the hysteria that is gripping them, now that the people of France (and by the time... More
September 17, 2005
Tom Friedman has it wrong again
From Tom Firedman's column today: In part it is the awful barriers that now surround the U.S. Embassy in London on Grosvenor Square. "They have these cages all around the embassy now, and these huge concrete blocks, and the whole... More
September 17, 2005
Disparate treatment of whistleblowers
Whittaker Chambers is condemned to this day on the left, though now all reputable experts consider his charges (long derided as fabrications) as truthful. The Hollywood Ten are still treated as martyrs, those who testified against them as traitors. ... More
September 17, 2005
Media rallies around Deep Throat
Columnists (Cohen calls Felt a "Brave Friend") across the nation are rushing to honor and praise Mark Felt for his role as Deep Throat — the No.2 man at the FBI during the Nixon years who helped to reveal the secrets... More
September 17, 2005
Look at how arrogant Richard Cohen is
claiming he knew and had kept quite about Mark Felt being Deep Throat—talk about shoving himself into the light shining on Woodward and Bernstein.If he knew it was Mark Felt why did he write a piece suggesting he could have been... More
September 17, 2005
The NYT and Valerie Plame
There were claims that Valerie Plame was outed as a CIA agent* (she wasn't an undercover agent at the time) and that this was a crime on the part of someone in the Bush Administration. It seems to me that the... More
September 17, 2005
Can't fool all of the people all of the time
David Limbaugh speaks an important truth in his latest column. Recently, Stanley Greenburg has made the point that the public supports the GOP because they know what the GOP believes in, even if they don't necessarily agree. Greenburg and others... More
September 17, 2005
The vicar and the virago
The great Dr. Theodore Dalryple makes the most cogent and persuasive case against the Balkanization of literature and as with everything he writes,he does it in the most appealing and heartfelt way. Clarice Feldman 5 31 05... More
September 17, 2005
MSM feeling sorry for itself
Jon Caroll is a very talented columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, who is more—or—less in the mainstream of that paper, that is on the "progressive" end of the spectrum. His column today betrays a bit of self pity and... More
September 17, 2005
Kerry's Testament
Praise the Lord and pass the collection plate! John Kerry has 'reread' the New Testament! "I went back and reread the whole New Testament the other day. Nowhere in the three—year ministry of Jesus Christ did I find a suggestion... More
September 17, 2005
SF Chronicle likes "24"
Although it does note the sheer implausibility of Jack Bauer's ability to cheat death so often, as well as his "ruthless penchant for torture and strategic murder," The San Francsico Chronicle editorial board shockingly likes "24," a show which no... More
September 17, 2005
French bloggers, too
According to Frank Barnako of Marketwatch.com, French blogger Etienne Chouard is being hailed as leading a one man vrusade against French approval of the proposed EU constitution. Ed Lasky 5 31 05... More
September 17, 2005
Aid and comfort
The New York Times helpfully supplies our enemies with data on how the United States conducts its strategies and tactics in fighting them. As lawyers like to say, "Res ipso loquitor" — "The thing speaks for itself." Ed Lasky 5... More
September 17, 2005
How the French treat terror suspects
The French, so quick to denounce America as a savage abuser of human rights, does not exactly coddle their own terror suspects. The Pittsburgh Tribune—Review outlines the treatment received by French detainees formerly held at Guantanamo Bay and subsequently transferred... More
September 17, 2005
Chavez no longer missing
El Universal reports that he says traveled to a distant city to see his 7—year—old daughter, Rosaina. And that he really wanted everyone to watch this volleyball match (which Venezuela lost to Brazil). Not believable. He appeared on TV in... More
September 17, 2005
Retiring your flag with appropriate honors
Having spent a couple of hours at a Memorial Day ceremony in a large flag—bedecked cemetary, I am happy to pass on the following information from people who really care about honoring our flag. "You can retire your tattered, worn... More
September 17, 2005
EUtopia
There have been many fine essays published this weekend on the significance of the French "non" vote, but, once again, Steyn nails it better than anyone. Here's a sample: Europe's "consensus" politics has ruled more and more topics unfit for discussion,... More
September 17, 2005
French say "non"
Jack Risko, of Dinocrat.com, has some good perspective on the French rejection of the EU Constitution. If the French felt they were running the Common Market, rather than it running them, they would have voted oui in a trice. It... More
September 17, 2005
Chavez is missing
Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez, who's never missed the opportunity to be star of the show in his entire life, raised eyebrows in Caracas for not showing up at a rally he called yesterday. The sclerotic Vice President Jose "Vissarionovich" Rangel (as... More
September 17, 2005
Fisking the NYT on PBS
The Media Establishment is closing ranks in defence of PBS. Katharine Q. Seelye of the New York Times writes about the decision of the Organization of News Ombudsmen to reject the newly appointed ombudsmen from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting,... More
September 17, 2005
Quagmire fans
Gaary Larson, the columnist, not the cartoonist, has some thoughts about those who politicize war casualties.... More
September 17, 2005
When leftists politicize military deaths
Don Surber, our friend in West Virginia, has taken on Gary Trudeau (Doonesbury's creator) in a way most appropriate for Memorial Day. See his blog site.... More
September 17, 2005
BBC bias
A fairly shocking example (in a sports show!) via the USS Neverdock. I hope they stay on strike forever. Hat tip: Instapundit... More
September 17, 2005
Democracy for Egypt? When?
The Big Pharaoh does not disappoint. A welcome new voice in the blogosphere writes pointedly and with wit. He recounts a conversation he had in a Cairo pub. Sometimes, democracy needs some groundwork before it can work. Check it out.... More
September 17, 2005
Vietnam KIA remembered on Memorial Day, 30 May 2005
Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) Class 67—C, Williams AFB, Arizona, 29 Oct 1966 Given below are the names of the individuals killed in the Vietnam War with whom I went through Air Force pilot training. Al Rodriguez, one of those lost, Ron... More
September 17, 2005
Trouble ahead for San Francisco
The San Francisco Civil Grand Jury is a Progressive Era institution, designed to keep an eye on the crooks in city government (San Francsico is unique in that alone on California it combines the functions of a city and a... More
September 17, 2005
Good news when our allies solidify their links
Australia and Japan are both bedrock allies of the United States, founding members of what I call the "Coalition of the willing and able." Along with the UK, and possibly India, they are bulwarks of our new security alliance confronting China,... More
September 17, 2005
Burning the Koran in public
It's been done. And nobody in the Islamic world rioted. It seems that mere accusations of Koran abuse by Americans is much worse than public burning of it, accompanied by photographs, when the abusers are non—American and non—Christian. A new... More
September 17, 2005
Long and worth reading
The LA Weekly has a long and fascinating article about a major drug case, its ultimate disposition, and hints of the implications for understanding just who is running Los Angeles politics and law enforcement. It involves a case brought by... More
September 17, 2005
Never fear, Harvard is here
Sometimes it pays to get a bit off the beaten path. By "off the beaten path" I mean reading the Harvard Business School Alumni Bulletin, a publication of limited circulation. Nevertheless, in the latest issue 'Briefs' section is the tale... More
September 17, 2005
Another UN failure
Liberals continue to invest their faith and hopes in the United Nations. At best it is incompetent and feckless. At worst it is corrupt, arrogant, unaccountable, and irresponsible, leading to horrific reports of child sex abuse which make the worst allegations... More
September 17, 2005
Hollywood baffled by box office decline
Laura Holson's article in the New York Times, "With Popcorn, DVD's and TiVo, Moviegoers Are Staying Home," overlooked a glaringly obvious reason why people are staying home from the movies — most movies are family—unfriendly. Experience shows that more people attend family—friendly... More
September 17, 2005
Shopping spree hopes dashed
Remember the Daniel Ortega? The man Ronald Reagan dubbed "the little dictator" of Nicaragua got his 15 minutes of fame in New York some years ago by spending tens of thousands of dollars there on a shopping spree for mirrored... More
September 17, 2005
Missing headline: worker income soars
The income of US workers is growing much faster than previously thought, a positive sign for economic growth. Wage and salary income, which includes income in the form of stock options and bonuses, was $92 billion higher in the first... More
September 17, 2005
New York Times desperate for ad revenue
In imagery reminiscent of the Nazi newspaper Der Sturmer, the New York Times runs a full—page ad ad attacking the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. AIPAC is a well—respected group seeking to enhance understanding of Israel in America. The... More
September 17, 2005
WaPo oped compares Rupert Murdoch to Star Wars Sith
The attacks on the conservative media continue...while the liberal media complains of the unseemliness of the conservatives attacking them for liberal bias. Hypocrisy reigns. This comparison is a compliment to Sith — Murdoch has brought fresh air to the stale... More
September 17, 2005
MSM whining
E. J. Dionne is whining about an "assault" on the media. Note to Dionne: see Democratic John Conyers's attempt to use his Congressional powers to attack the press for conservative bias. Second Note: The allegation that Vince Foster was murdered was... More
September 17, 2005
Our allies?
In his column today, Tom Friedman characterizes the British press as "our allies." He is conflating his liberal allies in the British press with the U.K.. As for "plowing under" Gitmo, we would never be able to imprison terrorists within... More
September 17, 2005
First – do no harm
During the last month prior to the 2004 presidential election, John Edwards, while speaking at a campaign rally in Newton, Iowa, said the following regarding his position on stem—cell research: If we do the work that we can do in... More
September 17, 2005
DePaul University update
Marathon Pundit has valuable new data on the very bad situation at DePaul University, the nation's largest Catholic institution of higher education, including an interview with Professor Klocke and excerpts from Alan Dershowitz's denunciation of Holocaust—denying DePaul professor Norman Finkelstein.... More
September 17, 2005
The spirit of Paris: appeasement
Iran has hidden a nuclear weapons program for two decades, imports centrifuges for uranium enrichment, is building a heavy water reactor to process plutonium for nuclear weapons. They have smuggled uranium into the country, paid off the Pakistani nuclear weapons... More
September 17, 2005
AUT membership overturns its boycott of Israel
The shamefull boycott of Israel by the British trade union of university faculty, the AUT, was imposed by the leadership. It has just been overturned by a vote of the membership: British Lecturers overturned their decision to boycott Haifa and... More
September 17, 2005
Gee, what a surprise!
A Muslim woman is Secretary General of Amnesty International and she introduced the instantaneously notorious report on human rights so biased against the US (calling Guantanamo Bay our American "Gulag") that no less than the Washington Post took exception to... More
September 17, 2005
Living in the moment
The incomparable Mark Steyn writes about the EU constitution and much, much more. Because his essay appear's in Boris Johnson's Spectator, Mark has enough room to incorporate Goethe's Faust in a brilliant metaphor. Must—reading. Thomas Lifson 5 26 05... More
September 17, 2005
Where's the indignation?
John Conyers not only wants to protect Islam from criticism, he is making barking mad criticism of the Mainstream Media for not adequately covering the mistakes of the Bush administration. "The vast majority of the mainstream media is not only... More
September 17, 2005
Who needs the BBC?
Boris Johnson is both a Member of Parliament and editor of The Spectator, in the United Kingdom. In the Telegraph, he pens a wonderful essay in the form of an open letter to the BBC license fee tax—collectors, who have... More
September 17, 2005
Some religions are more equal
Rocco DiPippo notices that Representative John Conyers (D—MI) proposes to suspend First Ammendment protections on free speech in order to shelter Islam and the Koran. Church—state separation evidently doesn't apply to Islam. It is well worth reading at Moonbat Central... More
September 17, 2005
Democrats' Ethnic-bash Cubans
You would have thought it went out with the Know—Nothings in the 1850s, but ethnic—bashing is alive and well among Democrats and other leftists in the establishment. They regularly cite 'the Cuban Mafia' as a mantra, completely insulting the Cuban—American... More
September 17, 2005
Peggy does DC
Be sure not to miss Peggy Noonan's column "Mr. Narcissus goes to Washington" in today's Opinion Journal. Laudable use of her soapbox to state the obvious. If naught for purpose other than to let our fearless Senators know they are... More
September 17, 2005
Bestiality broadcasts OK in UK
Interspecies love, a.k.a. bestiality, a.k.a. humans having sex with animals, has just been declared within the bounds of broadcast propriety by Ofcom, the Office of Communications in the United Kingdom. "[What about] a programme about sex with animals? Yes, it's... More
September 17, 2005
Where's Amnesty Internatrional?
The Daily Scorecard website has found a case of outrageous human rights violations of apparently no concern to Amnesty International (which has lately called Gitmo the Gulag of the World). What was my "crime"? Being a living contradiction: a Zionist... More
September 17, 2005
Why the news from Iraq is as it is
The most fascinating report from the field about journalism in Iraq and why it is so unremittingly one—sided: The formula followed by foreign (non—Iraqi) journalists here is different than that used by the local papers back home. Western media... More
September 17, 2005
How the Democrats won the McCain Mutiny.
Nobody can seem to decide who won the "compromise deal" on President Bush's conservative nominees. Here's why the Democrats won. Second—term presidents have only a short time to govern. The president starts to bleed power, starting with Inauguration Day. It's... More
September 17, 2005
Melanie Phillips on Herbert Meyer
Melanie Phillips, who writes for the Daily Mail in the UK, and whose website is must—reading, is one of our favorite commentators. How delightful to see that she takes to heart the insight on intelligence that Herbert Meyer has offered our... More
September 17, 2005
What elites think
The World Economic Forum just held in Jordan yielded some surprises, according to the Wall Street Journal's Political Diary (via paid subsription only). Keep in mind that this forum draws movers and shakers, many of them Arabs. At a town hall—style... More
September 17, 2005
Derb does digital
It is never surprising to discover that John Derbyshire has penned an elegant and thought—provoking essay. But it is gasping—for—air shocking when he tells us that popular culture may in fact be more than filth, and actually good for you.... More
September 17, 2005
The thoughts of Chairman Timmy
Fascism on the left is becoming more and more blatant. Not all leftists are incipient fascists, to be sure, but some of the now—foundational ideas embraced by the left would have been right at home under National Socialism. Group rights... More
September 17, 2005
Men gone pretty
Is America rebelling against metrosexual, gay enough, emo—boy, in short, against becoming more gay? Check out the new Levi's spot. Then read this lament (warning: it's quite raw, unsuitable for children or those uncomfortable with vivid sexual imagery) of a woman in... More
September 17, 2005
Not fit to print?
The New York Times has chosen a new way to show its utter disdain and disrespect for the American military. While never short of space to describe and hype abuses and embarrassments caused by a handful of US military personnel... More
September 17, 2005
US talks with the Islamists
Olivier Guitta, our formerly frequent contributor, has discovered that the United States is holding secret talks with Islamists, and is not pleased.... More
September 17, 2005
Think it over, smarty-pants
George Neumayr swats Michael Kinsley soundly in his American Spectator column today. Kinsley, who suffers from Parkinsons, is anxious to see human embryos, which he refers to as "biologically more primitive than a mosquito," exploited to cure ailing adults like... More
September 17, 2005
The wrath of McCain
In a scene from Star Trek II — The Wrath of Khan Ricardo Montalban, playing the title role, steals a line from Moby Dick when he vows, from even the depths of hell, to seek eternal vengeance against William Shatner's... More
September 17, 2005
Germany's regression under Schroeder
The news today is that Gerhard Schroeder is in political trouble in Germany. He may finally be on his way to defeat ——— a well—deserved one, because Schroeder is unquestionably the worst German Chancellor in fifty years. Not just because... More
September 17, 2005
The spirit of Bob Dole
The spirit of Bob Dole lives. The Great Compromiser from Kansas has found seven pairs of shoulders for his mantle. In the Senate filibuster deal, seven Republicans broke ranks and signed a deal with the devil. At least Bob Dole, to his... More
September 17, 2005
Frenchmen crying in their beer
MONTPELLIER, France Over sausage sandwiches and vast amounts of beer and local wine, the thousands of Frenchmen stood around and argued over how best to save France. Save France from Europe......The worker, the person in the street, doesn't understand the... More
September 17, 2005
What's the deal?
There was a lot of teeth gnashing as the judicial deal was announced...mostly on the right though PFAW which had spent so much to defeat Owens, Brown and Pryor weren't doing cartwheels either. Here's why: The Democrats weren't going to filibuster... More
September 17, 2005
Softball politics
Dennis Sevakis analyzed here the widespread Republican unwillingness to play politics as hardball a month and a half ago. Somehow, it seems appropriate to look it over again today. The problem is that the President and the Republican Congress have... More
September 17, 2005
More evidence of links between Saddam and al Qaeda
Despite all the yammering that there was no evidence of any links between Al Qaeda and Saddam , evidence of these links keeps popping up. Here are some more: Baghdad, 23 May — The number two of the al—Qaeda | 
