Monthly Archives: February 2005

February 28, 2005 — Paul Mirengoff

Let the Democrats be Democrats

We’re big fans of Andrew McCarthy. However, I’m unable to find any merit in his suggestion in today’s NRO that the Bush administration consider conferring with a “bipartisan” group of Senators about judicial nominations. McCarthy notes that Senator Charles Schumer has proposed the creation of a “small, bipartisan group” of senators that “should meet with the president sometime in the next few weeks and eventually even make joint recommendations to »
February 28, 2005 — Paul Mirengoff

Syria again

Israel says it has evidence of Syrian involvement in Friday night’s suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, according to the Jerusalem Post. There are two aspects to Israel’s claim: (1) that the orders came from Islamic Jihad in Syria and (2) that Syrian intelligence was involved and provided logistical support. If Israel’s “irrefutable proof” (which a government spokesman told Geraldo Rivera consists of transcripts of recordings) extends to the second element, »
February 28, 2005 — Scott Johnson

A word to the Times from Steve Hayward

Over the weekend we took note of Jacob Heilbrunn’s crude New York Times Book Review essay attacking “neoconservatives” for claiming the mantle of Winston Churchill (click here for our post). Among those lumped in with the Churchill-admiring “neoconservatives” by Heilbrunn was our friend Steve Hayward, author of books on both Ronald Reagan and Churchill as well as the forthcoming (in October) Greatness: Reagan, Churchill and the Making of Extraordinary Leaders »
February 28, 2005 — John Hinderaker

Lebanese Government Resigns

Things are happening so fast in the Middle East that it’s hard to stay on top of events. This morning the government of Lebanon, which has generally been regarded as pro-Syria, resigned. Outgoing Prime Minister Omar Karami said: I am keen that the government will not be a hurdle in front of those who want the good for this country. I declare the resignation of the government that I had »
February 28, 2005 — Paul Mirengoff

The march to nowhere

La Shawn Barber on Chris Rock and his “triumph of ignorance and vulgarity” at the Oscars. I didn’t watch. The last time I watched, Bob Hope was presiding, I think. Heck, with rare exceptions, I don’t even watch new Hollywood movies these days. To me the Oscars represent another example of the left’s march through our institutions. The left has captured nearly all of the organizations and phenomena that meant »
February 28, 2005 — John Hinderaker

No One Here But Us Tolerant Folks

Howard Dean was in Lawrence, Kansas, yesterday, taking his message to the party faithful. It doesn’t sound as though his new status as DNC Chairman will tone down Dean’s rhetoric any; here are a few quotes from the Lawrence fundraiser: “The issue is not abortion. The issue is whether women can make up their own mind instead of some right-wing pastor, some right-wing politician telling them what to do. “Moderate »
February 28, 2005 — John Hinderaker

Deadly Bombing in Iraq

Earlier today, a suicide car bomber ignited an explosion that reportedly killed at least 110 Iraqis at Hillah, Iraq. The explosion took place outside a medical clinic where recruits for Iraq’s police and national guard were waiting to take physicals. A group of people believed to be Sudanese were arrested following the blast. The explosives packed into the vehicle appear to have been unusually powerful; the photo below depicts the »
February 28, 2005 — Paul Mirengoff

The baby looks good but we deplore the labor pains

Please don’t miss Noemie Emery’s column in the Weekly Standard called “Election Shock Treatment.” Noemie airs this question: can the Democrats find a way to talk about the Iraqi elections that isn’t madness personified? So far, the answer is no. Instead, the Democrats are serving up “nuance” as embodied in this distillation of the utterances of Harry Reid, Tina Brown, Hendrik Hertzberg, et al: The elections succeeded in spite of »
February 28, 2005 — Scott Johnson

In Hviezdoslavovo Square

The White House has posted the moving speech President Bush gave last Thursday in Bratislava’s Hviezdoslavovo Square: “President addresses and thanks citizens of Slovakia.” In the photo below by White House photographer Eric Draper, President Bush gives his thumbs up as he leaves the stage with Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda of Slovakia after the speech. In his Washington Times column today, Lawrence Kudlow locates the common themes in President Bush’s »
February 28, 2005 — Scott Johnson

The migration of the paranoid style

The late Columbia University historian Richard Hofstadter was the author of the influential 1964 essay “The Paranoid Style in American Politics.” At the time it was published Hofstadter’s essay seemed to apply mostly to the denizens of the fever swamps on the right who thought that municipal water fluoridation was a Communist conspiracy. To whom does Hofstadter’s thesis apply today? I’m not naming any names, so to speak, but you »
February 27, 2005 — Paul Mirengoff

Dead man walking?

We’ve been following with great interest the clash between Mark Steyn and Austin Bay over the future of Europe. I first commented about it here. Rocket Man linked to the latest installments earlier today. My general take is that Steyn has the better sense of how profound Europe’s problems are and how little we now have in common with the Europeans. Indeed, my comment on MSNBC last week that the »
February 27, 2005 — John Hinderaker

I Changed My Mind

I don’t like the Academy Awards much, and hadn’t planned on watching, although my three daughters are already glued to pre-event coverage of the “red carpet.” Among other things, the last thing I need to hear is moronic anti-Bush commentary by “comedians” and actors. But, cruising Yahoo News photos as I often do, I ran across this photo, hot off the press (so to speak), of Beyonce Knowles, who will »
February 27, 2005 — John Hinderaker

Where Do You Go for Commentary?

There are many excellent sources in the mainstream media, of course, including, frequently, bloggers like us. But the interactivity of the blogosphere gives it an edge that conventional media just can’t duplicate, certainly not with the same speed or verve. A case in point: Mark Steyn argued in a Daily Telegraph column a few days ago on the future of Europe that the the idea of “the West” is dead. »
February 27, 2005 — John Hinderaker

Feeling the Heat

The beneficent effects of the administration’s Iraq policy continue to be felt. Municipal elections have taken place in Saudi Arabia; Lebanese citizens march for self-rule; Egypt announces a plan for competitive elections, which, the International Herald Tribune says, responds to “stepped-up pressure from the United States,” but also to the fact that the Arab world is “bubbling with expectations for political reform.” These steps are, of course, halting and imperfect, »
February 27, 2005 — Scott Johnson

A fashion note on Mrs. World

Reader Cassandra Shore supplements our coverage of the Mrs. World competition last night with an informative fashion note: I am a regular reader of Powerline, although my profession is teaching Arabic dance, a world very far removed from the world you folks inhabit (a world far removed from most everyone’s daily life for that matter!). I teach said dances as an art form that has been given to the world »