The American Spectator

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Bolton Out of the Blue

1.23.08 @ 12:01AM

PRINCIPLED SERVICE
Re: Jeffrey Lord's The Coming Conservative Platform Fight:

Ambassador Bolton stuck to his principles in his role for the writing of the 1984 Republic Platform. He paid a price for his standing on principles when he was denied Senate approval for his post as U.N. Ambassador. Will true Conservative and Libertarian Republicans be willing to stick to their principles when they fight the Moderates (i.e., RINO's)? If the GOP is to survive as a viable party, the platform must be a formal statement of fiscal, social and moral responsibility. With Senator Fred Thompson dropping out of the race (what was the point of running, Senator?) the remaining candidates all fall short on Conservative bona fides. Governor Romney, his record is, at best, inconsistent. Mayor Giuliani, even with his pledge to nominate conservative judges to all levels of the court, would be a bitter pill to swallow for social conservatives. Governor Huckabee, well, he will be out of money and then the race soon enough. (Good riddance. His lack of fiscal restraint, questionable judgment and backwoods charm and willingness to pander to audience -- e.g., his talk about the Confederate Battle flag while campaigning in South Carolina -- was sickeningly reminiscent of another Arkansas Governor.) Now is the time for all good Conservatives to rally to the protection of their country. Without a solid platform to stand upon, no matter who our nominee might be, he will be standing on shaky ground.

Although the late, great comedian Red Skelton spoke the following words, his meaning is deadly serious:, "Our principles are the springs of our actions. Our actions are the springs of our happiness or misery. Too much care, therefore, cannot be taken in forming these principles."
-- Ira M. Kessel
Rochester, New York

I would like to express my appreciation of the work that Mr. Bolton has done for the country and the Republican Party. My hope is that his tenacity will endure and he will continue to influence the platform in the coming election. He is a rare breed in the land of bureaucracy, man who stands by his convictions.
-- Tom Bullock
West Covina, California

ROMNEY ROOTER
Re: Jeremy Lott's Mitt's Premature Obits:

I appreciated Jeremy Lott's article on Romney today. It was the one article throughout the 'net that recognized that Romney does indeed have a chance to win the GOP nomination.

The Novaks, Barneses and the like are consummate Washington insiders...all they want to do is promote McCain. George W Bush would have faced the same resistance if it hadn't been for his name as well as the enthusiastic support of a wide spectrum of talented GOP governors. President Bush hasn't played the insider game, either, opting to do his job, go to bed early and keep a tight reign on his administration. That doesn't make him popular among conservative "insiders." The Beltway insiders realize they would face the same with Romney. He would treat them with the same relative disdain that Bush has.

Another thing Romney is facing is out and out class warfare, even in the GOP. All the other candidates resent that Romney has the money and is willing to "put that money where his mouth is." Of course, being someone who cares little about Washington insider politics, Romney needed to do that if he had any chance of winning. He certainly wasn't going to get the good press that their buddy McCain has.

If the new Florida Rasmussen poll is any indicator at all of the movement in the Florida primary, maybe, just maybe, people are taking a look at Romney despite all the bad press he gets from the well-known Washington mouthpieces. Maybe, just maybe, the rest of the country will start looking past the negativity of the standard columnists as well. If so, Romney will start leading the pack as the candidate most closely aligned with the GOP. It remains to be seen.

One other thought that I have yet to see written anywhere:
People are fed up with the partisan bickering in Washington. Knowing their approval rating is lower than low because of the bickering, the Congressional Democrats are playing nice with President Bush right now on the stimulus package. They realize there is an election coming up for them, too.
-- Sue Evans

THREE AMERICAS
Re: G. Tracy Mehan III's More Sadness:

The points made by G. Tracy Mehan need saying and re-saying. Sometimes a little perspective is necessary. We gloss over the fact that the 40 million choices made since Roe v. Wade meant that 40 million souls were never allowed to live through their gestation. We're often smug in our perceived goodness, and like to think of the United States as the "shining city on the hill," and the one-way traffic at the borders would tend to confirm it. But we neglect to look at ourselves as God would.

Forty million lives taken. Kind of makes Hitler and Eichmann with their 6 million, look like amateurs, doesn't it? And we're gaining on the evil empire, and the Chi-Coms who both took near 100 million while imposing the joys of Communism on their respective populations. We need to remind ourselves that Christ died for our sins too, and there are a bunch of them.
-- John T. O'Connor
Wallingford, Connecticut

The sanctimonious pontificating by G. T. was just a tad too much. What is there about the word "choice" does he (and others in the Morality Police) not understand?

Scoffing and lecturing about the evils of abortion, gay crap and stem-cells can be very annoying when harped upon so relentlessly (and I sure can see the replies coming!), but the fact remains: My wife and I were/are pro-Choice, and we had three kids.

Letter to the Editor

topics:
Taxes, Trade, John McCain, Bill Clinton, Religion, Islam, Abortion, Constitution, Law, Military, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, NATO, Communism, Fascism, Conservatism, Nuclear Weapons, Oil