On Thursday evening, April 21 in Washington DC, at the posh JW Marriott two blocks from the White House, the Media Research Center (the excellent media watchdog organization run by Brent Bozell) held its annual awards dinner and gala called the 'More

The Baehr Essentials

The mainstream media are full of news stories, written with barely concealed glee, suggesting a GOP crackup is near. The accepted story line is that far right Christian conservatives have rocked the political boat too hard, and moderate Republicans and... More

The European Union thinks it has the answer to war and peace and limitless welfare for all. That kind of grand delusion was brilliantly skewered two centuries ago by Alexis de Toqueville, one Frenchman who wasn't fooled.

Incredibly, the European Union has grown into a continental empire... More

Poker has become a very popular spectator sport. If one has cable or satellite service, one can usually find Texas hold 'em being played on some channel almost any time of the day. The game is a variation of seven—card stud wherein the... More

Looking rather like a fat bratwurst sausage with wings, the massive Airbus A—380 supercolassalextrajumbosizeXXXLplus jetliner completed its maiden flight Wednesday. The taxpayers of Western Europe, who have once... More

Russian President Vladimir Putin's trip this week to Israel will be the first ever by a Russian president. An elated Israel Vice Premier Shimon Peres described Putin's visit as 'historic,' stating, 'This is a sign of the changes that have occurred in Russia itself, in Israel—Russia... More

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is in big trouble. At least that is what one might believe from the liberal press accounts of his participation in a Family Research Council—sponsored event last Sunday.

By appearing at the gathering (albeit in a videotaped speech), Frist ostensibly... More

If the Senate Democrats who are trying to stop John Bolton's appointment as our UN Ambassador weren't doing so much damage to our country, their shenanigans would be hilarious.

We have just completed more than three years of non—stop investigations of our Intelligence Community's... More

Senate Democrats appear to realize that they have painted themselves into a corner. Republicans are calling their bluff on the threat to filibuster appeals court judicial appointments, by threatening to change Senate rules to restore the status quo ante of no filibustering of judicial... More

When Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was briefly overthrown in a coup on April 11, 2002, he was restored to power by a corps of elite troops who effectively proved their loyalty. And for that, he owes them a debt of gratitude, something he appeared to show in film clips back then, sweatily... More

While President Reagan enjoyed a reputation as the 'Teflon President,' able to prevail against critics determined to besmirch his reputation, one figure handily eclipses him in his ability to avert any criticism by the mainstream media: Colin Powell.

Knowledgeable insiders have long... More

A dirty little secret is that totalitarian ideologies always empower intellectuals. The best name for all the... More

The most influential conservative of the last fifty years, the founder of National Review, and the intellectual inspiration of the Reagan Revolution, William F. Buckley Jr., threw a bomb the other day. A bomb delivered and detonated in the epicenter of the new conservative on—line... More

I have a dream.  That one day Roe v. Wade, as dreadful a decision as Dred Scott, will either row or wade into the deep waters of oblivion and remain forever marooned as the narcissistic transgression of a morally indigent court.

I have a dream.  That one day... More

Over the April 16/17 weekend, according to The Hill, George Soros led his progressive billionaire friends in an important strategy meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona.  The idea was to lay out... More

Weir thinking about it

When California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger said the United States should close the borders in California and throughout the border states with Mexico, he was saying what most Americans are probably thinking. The former Hollywood action hero went... More

Ecuador's riots of the past week were triggered by the return from exile of a wacked—out Ecuadorean ex—president named Abdala 'El Loco' Bucaram. If you have any negative stereotypes about South American presidents, rest assured that this guy outdoes them.

El Loco was thrown... More

On March 29, 2005 the London Arab daily Al—Hayat published a report on Iran's current preparedness for an American or Israeli attack. The report was translated by www.memri.org... More

On the blogosphere, we often think of the risks bloggers face in countries like Iraq, Iran, and Venezuela, given the power of their words to fuel revolution. The danger is real, and for that, we pay closer attention. Bloggers encounter the force of the law, not only in Iran but even in Canada,... More

I attended a banquet in New York City April 2, 2005, celebrating Professor Vahakn Dadrian's  distinguished career, most notably, his singular contributions to the study of the Armenian genocide.... More

Among the greatest ironies of history is that during the first part of the Twentieth Century two World Wars and a 'Cold War' were fought on the European continent, for the specific purpose of preventing its consolidation under one governing authority. Yet by the end of the century Europeans had... More

Most Americans don't know the difference between a severe concussion, a coma, wakeful coma and brain death. But even those of us who have never been to a day of medical school know the difference between a person and a vegetable. A person walks and talks, eats, puts on clothes, takes a shower,... More

It's important to be nice to people, don't you think? Politeness counts for a lot, as does never, ever raising your voice, no matter what. If someone expresses displeasure, that someone should not yell, scream, or put his or her hands on hips in anger. The proper response is to politely... More

Muslim apologists over the worldwide web quote Luke 22:36 in which Jesus says that if his disciples do not have a sword, they should sell their cloak and buy one. Therefore, why would Christians complain about jihad and the sword in Islam since Jesus endorses the use of a sword?

The... More

Recently, a very amusing Internet piece entitled 'A Message from the Ghost of General Patton' [http://www.endglobalterror.org/media/patton/patton.htm  or www.usncwo.com] has been making the rounds. Based on the opening speech delivered by George C. Scott... More

Pope Benedict XVI instantly became one of the most important figures in the world yesterday. As a non—Catholic, I am in no position to comment on his spiritual role, by far the most important aspect of his job. But his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, has made the papacy a profoundly... More

Weir thinking about it

Zacarias Moussaoui, the only person charged with the 9/11 attacks, has notified the US government that he intends to plead guilty to his alleged role and could enter the plea as early as this week, if a judge finds him mentally competent. He's... More

Living in a Los Angeles suburb as I do, Chinese culture is inescapable. Here in the San Gabriel Valley, formerly lily—white towns like Monterey Park and Temple City have become Sinicized; wags have dubbed such former WASP strongholds as San Marino and Arcadia 'Chan Marino' and 'Arcasia' as... More

There are moments in history when time and circumstance come together in the most appropriate fashion. Such is the case today when President George W. Bush is scheduled to travel to Springfield, Illinois, to participate in the official dedication of the More

There is something achingly sad about the life of Andrea Dworkin, 58, the feminist firebrand who died April 9 of undisclosed causes.  Daughter to a 'committed socialist' Jewish postal worker, she went to progressive schools and lived as an activist from childhood.  She first hit the... More

Then

The death of Pope Clement IV on 29 November 1268 began a papal interregnum of almost three years, until Teobaldo Visconti was elected on 1 September 1271, then crowned with the name of Pope Gregory X on 27 March 1272. Conclave, the tradition of isolating the... More

[satire]

The Bush Administration, today, announced its intention to offer amnesty to all undocumented drug traffickers beginning in the year 2006.

The announcement came as pressure increased from vocal anti—drug lobbyists and beleaguered Congressional... More

DePaul University in Chicago is one of the fastest growing universities in the country. It has become the largest Catholic—affiliated university in America. Muslim and Arab students are one of the segments of DePaul's student population that has seen the greatest increase in numbers in... More

It seems the terror regime in Iran has found a kindred fascist government in the new world in an attempt to form a new energy alliance.  In a report  in February, Alexander's Oil and Gas Connection notes that the... More

When one starts down the path of imposing fantasies upon and against  the basic categories of natural history, and insists that your own imagination, not nature itself, ought to be the basis for determining action, no end of trouble and confusion will come your way.  As the greenie bumper... More

Before Tiger Woods turned pro, I met him.  Met him?  I got his autograph.  It was the spring of 1996 and Tiger was playing college golf for Stanford.  He had just played for the second time as an amateur at The Masters and would soon thereafter make his famous pronouncement... More

In January, the Democrats in Congress were all saying that Social Security didn't need saving. Today, most of the Democrats have seen the polls and because of this, they are admitting there is a problem with Social Security. They don't want the public to think they're being less than honest.... More

Isn't it amazing how many wonderful things former President William Jefferson Clinton would have done for this world if it weren't for the Uncalled—For Meddling of Special Prosecutor Ken Starr? 

The most recent such revelation suggests that Mr. Clinton would have reformed... More

The US is executing a well—planned regional and global strategy in our war against Islamo—fascism, as indicated in recent reports.  The geo—political thrusts and counter—thrusts in this conflict are being deftly managed by Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and the... More

The last few months have seen a range of news stories regarding the United Nations, the oil—for—food scandal, and the role that the Annan family has played in the decline of the United Nations. Flying under the radar screen has been the extent to which Bill Clinton and his allies... More

I was just about ready to give up on the French. Again. But this morning I am pausing to wonder if there might be some hope for their redemption.

France presents many dilemmas for me. Despite all the reasons they have given us to dislike them, there are many aspects of French society and... More

With the passing of Pope John Paul II, the world rightly recognizes in a unique way the end of an era, and, like a sober reveler on New Year's Eve, pauses for a moment amid the sound and fury of the present age, to take stock, evaluate, and come to terms with things that are, should be, or will... More

Not every foreign leader gets invited to the Bush ranch in Crawford. In fact very few do. There have been no barbecue foie gras fests the past few years at the ranch. That Ariel Sharon, who has a ranch of pretty decent size himself in Israel, was invited to Crawford this week, should have... More

The death of Terri Schiavo, caused by starvation and dehydration, is only the latest manifestation of a trend which has been building for a long time. In 1977, in an address entitled "The Slide to Auschwitz," given to the American Academy of Pediatrics, former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop,... More

It has been over sixteen years since President Ronald Reagan saluted us from the steps of Marine One and left the world stage. Yet the power of his vision is still being felt. While it was not the centerpiece of his Presidency, Ronald Reagan was an early advocate of personal accounts for Social... More

As the world's attention is focused on the Vatican Conclave of Cardinals selecting the next pope, a nearly—forgotten epic film from the early 1960s's, The Cardinal, has been released on DVD, and is available for rental from subscription DVD rental services like Netflix, and maybe... More

A public protest in Washington,  DC, April 5, 2005 highlighted the current (ongoing, for centuries) plight of black Mauritanians enslaved by Arab masters. The final two decades of the 20th... More

The tragic sound of one hand clapping in the Quran.

Ever since 9/11, we have been careful not be overly critical of Islam because we do not want to insult the religion or to paint it with a broad brush, lumping together the bad Muslims with the good ones.

We... More

China is busily building a fleet of the largest container ships the world has ever seen. That is a boon for its export trade and economic efficiency. But like the Trojan Horse of ancient Greek civilization, the fleet could potentially be used by China in a spectacular, lightening invasion of... More

Ever since the death of John Paul II, people have been generously offering to help plan the future of the Catholic Church.  They recognize that the Church occupies a unique position in the world, and they want it to succeed. [Snort, cough, giggle.]

Okay,  they just want to graft... More

Politics is certainly a contact sport. 'Hard ball' not just in name or description only. It's the real thing. Knock 'em, sock 'em, get down and roll in the mud. Take no prisoners. No quarter given nor expected. Bare knuckled combat with with neither gloves nor Queensbury rules.

I must... More

Constitutional purists 'can't get there from here' — or can we?
 
Legend had it that whoever could untie the Gordian knot would rule Asia. So Alexander the Great thought he would have a go at it. Drawing his sword, he cut the knot apart; that, he declared,... More

Inside sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, have revealed that the New York Times' supply of little gold stars has been completely exhausted by the Saturday edition's appearance, leaving the paper's office management and procurement staffers phoning frantically around the city... More

Dr. Hilda Molina, a top neurosurgeon, had it all in Castro's Cuba. She was honored in the medical profession, wrote for international medical journals, got invited to a lot of conferences, took a seat in Cuban parliament, and was a confidant of Fidel Castro.
 
She threw it all away... More

Over forty years after the Cuban Missile Crisis, America once again finds itself in the crosshairs of a determined, Cuban—based adversary possessing the capability to inflict incalculable damage to U.S. democracy efforts and regional stability. That adversary is China.

For two... More

You may know the name Mitch Albom — incredibly successful author of sappy books for self—help section addicts, nationally syndicated radio host, cable sports television personality, and columnist for the Detroit Free Press.

Albom has also, in the last decade, become... More

Hi soldier, let me sign my book,
And I'll personalize it too.
Well pardon me, why that hard look?
That stare that goes clear through.
My word you'd think I'd done some wrong,
To merit such disfavor,
Oh come now, that's all gone so long,
It's future fame I... More

On March 18th, a shocking crime took place in Berkeley, California, at a spot famous for sweeping Bay views, distinguished... More

Weir Thinking About It

As we struggle to maintain the freedoms our forefathers designed for us, we must not be blinded by the enemies of that freedom; enemies who use the very liberties we hold dear as the bludgeon to batter us into extinction.

It doesn't... More

"Last year, when I was in the Archives reviewing documents, I made an honest mistake. It's one that I deeply regret. I dealt with this issue in October 2003 fully and completely. Everything that I have done all along in this process has been for the purpose of aiding and supporting the work... More