The American Spectator

U.S. Department of State Diplomacy in Action
The Hon. Hillary Rodham Clinton, the greatest secretary of state since Elihu P. Root and husband of Boy Clinton, sends felicitations to a fledgling superpower in hopes of creating another Axis of Benevolence:

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am delighted to send congratulations to the people of San Marino as you celebrate your national holiday, the Feast of San Marino, this September 3.

The Republic of San Marino is an inspiring example to the world. You have transcended centuries of political turmoil, and today you are unwavering in your commitment to democracy and human rights. Around the world your contributions to development and humanitarian assistance, and your continued partnership in international organizations, have impacted the lives of so many.

As you celebrate this special day with family, friends, and loved ones, know that the United States stands with you as a partner and friend.

(September 1, 2011)

New York Times
The hyena in Doctor Paul Krugman finally emerges on his blog at the fabulous Times:

Is it just me, or are the 9/11 commemorations oddly subdued?

Actually, I don’t think it’s me, and it’s not really that odd.

What happened after 9/11—and I think even people on the right know this, whether they admit it or not—was deeply shameful. The atrocity should have been a unifying event, but instead it became a wedge issue. Fake heroes like Bernie Kerik, Rudy Giuliani, and, yes, George W. Bush raced to cash in on the horror. And then the attack was used to justify an unrelated war the neocons wanted to fight, for all the wrong reasons.

A lot of other people behaved badly. How many of our professional pundits—people who should have understood very well what was happening—took the easy way out, turning a blind eye to the corruption and lending their support to the hijacking of the atrocity?

The memory of 9/11 has been irrevocably poisoned; it has become an occasion for shame. And in its heart, the nation knows it.

I’m not going to allow comments on this, for obvious reasons.

(September 11, 2011)

Seattle Times
On the correspondence page of a great daily, Joe from Seattle climbs the literary heights to boom a cult leader from the Big Apple:

Ignorance is “tragic”
Paul Krugman is right to call attention to the benighted anti-intellectualism that pervades much of the GOP [“Don’t dazzle them with science,” Opinion, Aug. 30].