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Saturday, November 18, 2006
Re: O.J. Simpson Genre
Posted by on 11.18.06 @ 10:40AM
Sorry, Phil, your grammar is too good. The Kennedy title should be If I Drowned Her.
Bill O'Reilly actually wrote in his column, describing the O.J. book and TV interview, the phrase "if he had did it." The O.J. case did something -- or revealed something -- about the national brain.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Ten Steps to Success
Posted by on 11.17.06 @ 8:04PM
May I present a weekend roundup of contrarian suggestions -- some you might like, some you might not -- to right this slovenly ship of state and society. Many of them inspired by posts here, I might add; generally speaking, a Last Big Push before the holidays to gain some perspective on the whole mess.
Mass Care Not Working Out--Part IX
Posted by on 11.17.06 @ 4:54PM
Not only will Massachussets force residents to purchase health insurance, it is will also dictate exactly what kind of insurance:
The program's success in part hinges on allowing Massachusetts insurers to offer affordable products to different segments of the population, such as young people between 19 and 26. But the challenge is making those offerings affordable and equitable, said [Robert] Carey [director of planning and development for the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector]."We still have to establish what is minimal creditable coverage," said Carey, adding that the connector board would be making that decision within the coming weeks. The Commonwealth Connector is an insurance clearinghouse that will allow people to choose a state-approved insurance product that meets their needs.
Policy spending limits, such as a lifetime cap of $100,000, for example, would not be acceptable coverage, he said.
Yep, give up an inch of your freedom to do-gooders, and they will take a mile.
Re: Boehner's Win
Posted by on 11.17.06 @ 4:32PM
David, that Boehner quote is telling, and it's worth expanding on how problematic it is. Everyone knows that in
O.J. Simpson Genre "Fiction"
Posted by on 11.17.06 @ 3:40PM
In today's Washington Post, Eugene Robinson writes:
O.J. Simpson's forthcoming book, "If I Did It," could launch a profitable new series for publisher Judith Regan and her parent company, Rupert Murdoch's media empire. Let me suggest that she follow up with another snuff book, maybe "If I Shot My Wife in the Head," by Robert Blake, and then diversify into non-capital crimes with "If I Molested All Those Kids," by Michael Jackson.
How about If I Had Drowned Her, by Ted Kennedy?
Unwise GOP
Posted by on 11.17.06 @ 1:17PM
The Democrats wisely chose Steny Hoyer to lead their congressional majority. The Republicans chose instead to stick with the status quo, the old leadership. This, when added to the White House foisting of Sen. Mel Martinez on the GOP as its titulaur Party head, does not bode well for the Party's ability to successfully rebound from its devastating loss of majorities in both the House and the Senate.
Boehner's Win
Posted by on 11.17.06 @ 12:48PM
Damn! I wish I had remebered this earlier! This from the pen of John Boehner three years ago:
Even though we share many ideological similarities, Republicans are not libertarians. Libertarians are generally more hostile to government involvement of any kind on any level; Republicans share this antipathy to the extent that wherever and whenever possible, power (wrongly usurped in the first place by Democratic leaders) should be devolved from the federal government to the hands of states and localities.But Republicans also are far from being purely conservative. A conservative would like to see the government shrink; a Republican does too, but -- in acknowledging political realities (a new defensive posture after September 11th for one) and the multitude of stakeholders in government after years of liberal control -- has often had to settle for simply slowing its rate of growth. Republicans have accepted such realities as the burdens of majority governance.
If I ever see Boehner, I plan on bringing this up and asking if the GOP ever even succeeded in "slowing its rate of growth."
Barking Cats
Posted by on 11.17.06 @ 12:27PM
Phil: That was surely one of Friedman's best metaphors. I used it a few months ago when examining the left's complaints about the Medicare prescription drug program. Here is the quote in full:
What would you think of someone who said, "I would like to have a cat provided it barked?" The biological laws that specify the characteristics of cats are no more rigid than the political laws that specify the behavior of governmental agencies once they are established.
La Politique Française
Posted by on 11.17.06 @ 12:12PM
In France, Ségolène Royal has won the Socialist Party's presidential nomination. Jim Geraghty noted on Wednesday that Royal's views on Iran aren't quite what you'd expect from a French Socialist. She and Gaullist frontrunner Nicolas Sarkozy are in a dead heat in the polls. Either would probably be an improvement over Chirac, who's coyly leaving open the possibility of running for a third term until the last minute, saying he'll decide in March. The election is in April.
Blame Game
Posted by on 11.17.06 @ 11:54AM
In an unfortunate column, Charles Krauthammer now joins those who are blaming the "Iraqis" as the reason for our inability to win in Iraq. At least he's not blaming Don Rumsfeld for not sending in more troops. "The root problem lies with Iraqis and their political culture," he writes. Well, duh. He didn't know that in 2002?
No Split Ticket
Posted by on 11.17.06 @ 10:53AM
In all my blogging about the outcome of the Boehner v. Pence race, I haven't noted that Blunt also defeated Shadegg, so any hope that House Republicans would throw conservatives a bone with the whip position is gone. Make no mistake about it. This was a landslide victory for the old guard and a thumpin' for believers in limited government.
Re: Boehner
Posted by on 11.17.06 @ 10:52AM
I'm not sure if I'm totally convinced by it, but David Frum's Pence-skeptic take from the other day might cheer a few people up.
By the way, Blunt also beat Shadegg for Whip, 137-57.
Boehner and the Barking Cat
Posted by on 11.17.06 @ 10:41AM
Last night, as I mourned the loss of Milton Friedman, I removed a copy of his book, Bright Promises, Dismal Performance, from my bookshelf. Inside the cover, I found clippings of some of his WSJ op-eds that I saved over the years. The subjects covered such issues as the minimum wage, free trade and medical savings accounts--all remain fresh and relevant, of course. But there was one article that I found particularly relevant. Written in the early days of the Republican Majority, when the party was already backing away from some of its pledges to restrain spending, Friedman argued that to expect politicians to match their rhetoric with actions was to expect the impossible. Only he stated it much more eloquently:
"Those of us who are repeatedly frustrated by the failure of elected representatives to fit the deed to the word are asking for a barking cat."
With the results of this morning's Minority Leader race now in, it seems that those of us who were hoping Republicans would learn a lesson from defeat and return to their small-government roots, were, in reality, asking for a barking cat.
RE: Boehner Wins Minority Leader Tally
Posted by on 11.17.06 @ 10:18AM
It's pretty sad not just that Boehner won, but that his margin of victory was so wide. Given how much support Pence had among grassroots conservatives, this is a pretty strong signal by House Republicans that the base doesn't matter. The party has made a statement that it is content to stick with the status quo rather than shake things up, despite it's recent thumpin'. I wouldn't expect the Republican Party to return to the Reaganite principles of limited government anytime soon.
Boehner Wins Minority Leader Tally
Posted by on 11.17.06 @ 10:01AM
Sorry, Pence fans; it was 168-27, with 1 vote for Rep. Joe Barton (who'd dropped out of the race earlier this week).
Re: Major Virginia Parishes
Posted by on 11.17.06 @ 9:02AM
Lawrence, I didn't mean to claim any superlatives for Truro and Falls Church. Whole dioceses leaving are certainly significant events. In symbolism, the loss of these two parishes is quite a blow for the ECUSA. The parishes date to the 18th century, and many of our Founding Fathers attended services there. Heck, the city of Falls Church was named after Falls Church. So if any parish should have historical pride, and those emotional ties to the Episcopal Church, those two are prime candidates. And they also considered this decision after great soul searching. Which is to say, the word among Episcopal communities 'round here was that this was the event to look out for. We will see what the consequences are.
Re: Major Virginia Parishes
Posted by on 11.17.06 @ 6:22AM
Dave, perhaps you'd better explain how the departure of the two Virginia Episcopal parishes is more consequential than, say, the departure of the entire diocese of Pittsburgh a couple of years ago. Is it the amount of property involved and the potential rulings on that property?
See my 2003 column, "Taking Back a Church," here
.Thursday, November 16, 2006
Friedman and Rumsfeld
Posted by on 11.16.06 @ 9:14PM
A transcript of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's engaging remarks from our dinner last night has been released by the Defense Department. It includes some memorable moments, particularly when Rumsfeld discusses Milton Friedman, and the article by Friedman that he had come across while browsing through our very first issue (from 1967). To think that last night, Milton Friedman was still with us.
I looked at the first edition the other day, and the -- they sent me the people who'd written in it, and Milton Friedman had a piece in there on the all --- the case for the all-volunteer Army. And I think it was your very first edition. And Milton Friedman, God bless him, who's still going strong and is such a talent, he had piece in there, and the Spectator printed it. And here we are today, with the finest force on the face of the Earth, the best-led, the best-trained, the best-equipped. And there's never been a military like the military we have today, and its all volunteers. (Applause.)Every single person in it is a volunteer. They raised their hand and said, "Send me." And God bless them for it. (Applause.)
Mass Care Not Working Out--Part VIII
Posted by on 11.16.06 @ 8:03PM
Looks like Romney's plan will increase state government health-care spending in the Bay State by $276.4 million in 2007, $151 million more than what was sold to the public.
Sally Pipes has more.
Spinning Like A Top
Posted by on 11.16.06 @ 6:08PM
Don Luskin nails Dean Baker of the leftist CEPR on whether Social Security reform had any impact on the election.
How They Treat The Terminally Sick In Britain
Posted by on 11.16.06 @ 5:52PM
A diary excerpt from a woman with terminal cancer and her experience with the National Health Service:
A specialist nurse called from the hospital to say she'd had a chat with my oncologist and that "radiotherapy was now an option again". Problem is, I haven't seen my oncologist for ages, and no-one seems to be in charge of me. It's just a succession of departments and people calling all day with no coordination whatsoever. I want to have radiotherapy, in a couple of weeks, but should I book it now in case I lose my slot? What about my bone scan? It's never been mentioned again.
Read it all.
Noodling Classical Liberalism
Posted by on 11.16.06 @ 5:07PM
In an age of Big Government Conservatism, American Greatness Conservatism, Christian Conservativism, Crunchy Conservatism, South Park Republicanism, and more, it may be worth another look at a great political paradigm. Classical Liberalism awaits.
It's been a long time since many of us in the "conservative movement" have protested that we are not truly conservatives, but are rather classical liberals. The media refuses to pick up the distinction and the mass society doesn't grasp the point.
S.T. Karnick is a stubborn classical liberal who insists on prolonging the conversation on classical liberalism, what it means, and how it fits into the current American political scene.
If you'd like an education on the point or would just like to get geeky in debate, Professor Karnick is holding a clinic. In order of appearance, you can get his posts on the topic here, here, and here.
Re: Milton Friedman, RIP
Posted by on 11.16.06 @ 2:58PM
A great man, but don't be too sad -- he was 94 years old. Marx died at 64, and Keynes died at 62. Conclusion: Free-market economics is much healthier than the alternative!
Major Virginia Parishes Leave Episcopal Church
Posted by on 11.16.06 @ 2:25PM
Big news from Truro and Falls Church parishes: they're out. This is the big moment that many in the Episcopal Church had expected.
RE: Milton Friedman, RIP
Posted by on 11.16.06 @ 2:09PM
His books Capitalism and Freedom, and Free to Choose, which he co-authored with his wife, Rose, are as relevant today as when they were written.
RE: Milton Friedman, RIP
Posted by on 11.16.06 @ 1:56PM
A sad day. A great economist and defender of liberty. His writing was an inspiration to me, and I'm sure to many of those who make their careers defending the values of capitalism and freedom.
Milton Friedman, RIP
Posted by on 11.16.06 @ 1:36PM
The great champion of liberty has passed on, at age 94.
Re: No Leadership for Murtha
Posted by on 11.16.06 @ 1:31PM
Dave: Hoyer's resounding win does suggest he had the votes all along -- but what Abscam did was add to the Nancy's stunning self-inflicted humiliation in this entire affair. Even before she's sworn in as speaker she's effectively a lame-duck, dead duck, symbol of ineptness and tolerance for serious corruption. She would have been better off signing a lucrative book deal or two (though one suspects she would not have attracted as juicy a contract as Newt did).
You knew she was in trouble when Democrat goon Jim Moran emerged as her leading defender on Murtha. What he told the Hill will go down in risible infamy: "She will ensure that they [Mr. Murtha and his allies] win. This is hardball politics. We are entering an era where when the speaker instructs you what to do, you do it."
That new era sure didn't last long. At this point, unless she has a dog, George W. Bush is going to end up Nancy's only friend in Washington.
RE: Hillary Presidency?
Posted by on 11.16.06 @ 1:11PM
The interesting thing about candidate Hillary (and I do think she's running) is that I haven't met one Democrat who is actually excited about the prospect of her winning the nomination. Obviously, polls showing her way ahead contradict my anecdotal evidence, but still, I think most Democrats would prefer an alternative. For much of the year I thought that Mark Warner was well-positioned to challenge her, but obviously now he's not running. It's pretty clear that John "botched joke" Kerry is out of the picture. Al Gore could conceivably make a comeback a la Richard Nixon in 1968. However, my theory is that his renewed popularity is rooted in the fact that he's not running for anything, so he's more relaxed, and comfortable in his own skin. Were he to transform into a candidate once again, I think he'd revert back to being the man of wood that people found so annoying in 2000. There's a lot of hype surrounding John Edwards, but he didn't live up to the hype in 2004, and he won't this time around. You hear Evan Bayh's name tossed around, but he may be too moderate to appeal to the party's base. So, perhaps that leaves them with Barack Obama, who I see as too inexperienced, but he clearly has more charisma than any other Democrat and has appeal across the ideological spectrum of the party.
RE: No Leadership for Murtha
Posted by on 11.16.06 @ 12:53PM
That's a pretty sharp rebuke of Pelosi. It would be one thing if she quietly supported Murtha, but given how far she went out of her way to publicly push his candidacy, this is a pretty big blow and demonstrates that she doesn't have much control over her caucus.
No Leadership for Murtha
Posted by on 11.16.06 @ 12:38PM
He thought taking bribes might endanger his prospects as a leader in the House. Just considering the offer may have done the job. Hoyer is the new House majority leader.
Still... who knows? Hoyer may have had the votes all along, and would have defeated Murtha, Abscam publicity or not.
Re: Hillary Presidency?
Posted by on 11.16.06 @ 8:47AM
My sources, such as they are, still say Hillary won't run, or at least has made it clear, for now, that she won't. But if the judgment is right that McCain and Giuliani are doomed, even if she does run, this puts Romney in the spotlight as far as I can tell. I would count this as a good thing. By '08 we may well be in a national Salt Lake Olympics situation anyway.
RE: Ethics = Crap
Posted by on 11.16.06 @ 6:30AM
We also had a war going on and all sort of other issues to deal with in February 2008. However, that didn't prevent the media from running with the Bush National Guard story, despite the fact that it had occurred thirty years prior and had already been hashed out in the 2000 election.
I guess I missed the Murtha press appearance denouncing that as "crap."
Pelosi Blunders With Murtha
Posted by on 11.16.06 @ 6:27AM
Take notice: Bob Novak and Joe Conason agree (and we aren't talking about foreign policy).
RE: David Hogberg's Map to a Hillary Presidency?
Posted by on 11.16.06 @ 6:22AM
Oh, sure John, blame a Hillary win on me!
David Hogberg's Map to a Hillary Presidency?
Posted by on 11.16.06 @ 4:03AM
If it's true that neither Giuliani nor McCain has a chance at the Republican nomination, what are the odds that the next president will be a Republican? That the question gives one pause is evidence that both men do, in fact, have a shot at the nomination. Most primary voters won't consider supporting a candidate without being convinced that he can win the general election.
Re: CNN Tonight
Posted by on 11.16.06 @ 2:27AM
Our annual dinner kept me from seeing the Anderson Cooper show's segment on Murtha last night, but to judge from the transcript CNN's Joe Johns (who once wrote for The American Spectator) went quite easy on Murtha and his Abscam record, barely finding time to run a single comment from Dave Holman, who broke the Murtha Abscam tape story on this website last September 29.
Incidentally, what is Johns doing referring to Dave as "the guy who came up with the tape"? In my book, "guy" is a pretty derogatory term. In fact, the only other time it was used on last night's show, it was in reference to O.J. Simpson in a later segment. Fred Goldman, father of one of Simpson's victims, says about Simpson, "This is a guy who viciously, brutally murdered two people."
So what was Dave's crime? His being, as Johns introduced him, "a writer for the conservative 'American Spectator' magazine"? Or his performing what Murtha is calling a "right-wing smear job"? Trying to decide between those two possibilities is likely to result in a hung jury at CNN.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Ethics = Crap
Posted by on 11.15.06 @ 10:53PM
Suffice it to say Murtha did not tell the truth tonight on Hardball about when he knew that his fellow congressmen were receiving bribes. (And Matthews did a much better job questioning him than many have, such as Wolf Blitzer.) Civil procedure outlines are calling. But his opinion about the current focus on ethics is worth tossing out there:
CNN Tonight
Posted by on 11.15.06 @ 10:01PM
For you late-night readers, I taped a short segment for tonight's Anderson Cooper 360 earlier this evening. They have not given me a time, but look out for more on the Murtha mess sometime during the 10 p.m. hour.
Mass Care Not Working Out -- Part VII
Posted by on 11.15.06 @ 7:23PM
As I've noted before, Governor Romney didn't seem to take into consideration the unintended consequences of his health care plan. Here are some more of said consequences:
Associated Industries of Massachusetts, the state's largest business group, originally opposed the employer requirement but later acquiesced.But AIM president Rick Lord said many of his group's members are eager for specifics about how they and their employees will be affected by the law.
Many employers with part-time or seasonal employees who aren't insured by the company want to give their employees information about plans that will be offered through the state, he said.
And employers are also wondering how much their expenses will increase if their employees who are eligible to get insurance through them, but now choose to go without, suddenly start signing up to comply with the law's requirements.
Lord said that employees who previously didn't care whether their job offered insurance may suddenly be in the market looking for one that does.
''Employees may get more picky about who they work for,'' Lord said. ''We're going to have all these new dynamics going on.''
Mass Care Not Working Out -- Part VI
Posted by on 11.15.06 @ 7:19PM
Looks like the folks in Massachusetts are getting measured for their chains:
A majority of Massachusetts residents surveyed say they support the state's plan to offer health coverage to more people -- and they're willing to pay for it.In the first broad gauge of support for the state's new health care law, 70 percent of residents surveyed said they expect their taxes to go up as a result of it - but 60 percent of those still support it. The survey, funded by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, was released today.
But don't toss out the keys just yet:
Only a slight majority - 52 percent - of those surveyed - said they support the idea that people should be required to have insurance or pay a fine.Among those with incomes less than $25,000, 49 percent said they oppose the requirement and 43 percent said they support it.
Broader Look at Conservative Leadership
Posted by on 11.15.06 @ 5:50PM
Today at the Guardian (England) online publication, I provide a bigger-picture view of the House leadership fights. For what it is worth.
Pence Racks Up More Support
Posted by on 11.15.06 @ 5:38PM
Again, I apologize if I miss anybody, but my latest list of Pence endorsers (for Minority Leader) includes the following:
The Manchester Union Leader
The Family Research Council
Q and O Blog
Dallas Morning News
San Diego Union Tribune
and I know I am missing some others
Re: Rudy Time?
Posted by on 11.15.06 @ 5:09PM
David, regarding your post on Giuliani, I have a few points. It's not that I don't think that social issues will matter in 2008, it's just that I think that national security will be far more important to voters. In 2004, Republicans had no choice but to stick with President Bush as their commander-in-chief. In 2008, in the wake of 9/11, wars in
With Kudlow (and Ben)
Posted by on 11.15.06 @ 2:46PM
I'll be on with Larry tonight, joining Ben Stein, to talk about Iraq, politics, and whatever is on Larry's fast-moving brain tonight. Then off to London for the rest of the week. I really regret missing tonight's dinner with Secretary Rumsfeld.
Is It Just Me...
Posted by on 11.15.06 @ 2:23PM
...or is The New Republic letting off a big sigh of relief induced by an inferiority complex?
A lot of things have come crashing down with this election. One of them is the absurd cultural prestige enjoyed by President Bush and his supporters. Since 2000, they have continuously bludgeoned their critics with the notion that the only authentic Americans are those living in the red states. Democratic voters have been endlessly told that they are nothing more than a tiny, alien coastal remnant, and many of them started to believe it.Well, it's hokum. Bush and his vision for the country have been before the voters four times now. Twice (in 2002 and 2004) a narrow majority of voters supported him; once (in 2000) a narrow majority rejected him; and now a substantial majority has rejected him. Bush is not the incarnation of the popular will, and his critics are not anti-American freaks.
Re: Meet the New Boss
Posted by on 11.15.06 @ 1:45PM
Paul, that is just what I was thinking. Why, replacing failed leadership with more of the same would be as silly as appointing bribable congressmen to leadership positions!
Apparently, last week's "thumpin'" meant something different to those in power. Mel Martinez, Trent Lott... while we are at it, Speaker Hastert for minority leader.
The Search For The Real Killers
Posted by on 11.15.06 @ 1:30PM
You just can't make this stuff up:
In a new TV interview and book, O.J. Simpson discusses how he would have committed the slayings of his ex-wife and her friend "if I did it."The two-part television interview, titled "O.J. Simpson: If I Did It, Here's How It Happened," will air Nov. 27 and Nov. 29 on Fox, the TV network said Tuesday.
"O.J. Simpson, in his own words, tells for the first time how he would have committed the murders if he were the one responsible for the crimes," the network said in a statement. "In the two-part event, Simpson describes how he would have carried out the murders he has vehemently denied committing for over a decade."
What Election Results Was Martinez Watching?
Posted by on 11.15.06 @ 10:12AM
President Bush's choice to head the Republican National Committee, Florida Sen. Mel Martinez, is sounding more like a Democrat:
"I think we have to understand that the election did speak to one issue, and that was that -- it's not about bashing people, it's about presenting a hopeful face," said Mr. Martinez, who won his seat in 2004.
He was one of the authors of the Senate compromise that would have allowed most illegal aliens to remain in the United States and pay small fines in return for a path to citizenship.
"Border security only, enforcement only, harshness only is not the message that I believe America wants to convey," Mr. Martinez said.
In election post-mortems I have heard corruption, Iraq, and spending were among the major issues that cost the GOP, yet Martinez says voters spoke "to one issue" -- immigration. The Democrats aren't even attributing much of their success to that. And this guy is going to lead the Republicans into 2008?
Guiliani Time?
Posted by on 11.15.06 @ 9:32AM
Phil: I just read your piece and Terrence Jeffries'. Frankly, I think Jeffries has the stronger case for two reasons.
First, national security will play an important role in 2008, but it will not "dominate" as you suggest. Values issues played big roles in 2004 (remember "values voters"?) and 2006, elections that are closer to 9/11 than will be 2008. There is no reason to think that they won't play as big a role in 2008, especially in the GOP primaries.
Second, it seems that Jeffries has the goods on Guiliani's position on gay marriage:
Giuliani's pro-gay rights position is so extreme, he advocated stripping away the special legal status of traditional marriage. In 1998, he pushed a municipal ordinance that wiped out all distinctions between married and unmarried couples in New York City law, regardless of their gender.
You can bet that Guiliani's opponents will use that to no end in attacking him in Iowa and New Hampshire.
The fact is most if not all of the Republican candidates will emphasize their strength on national security. The deciding factor will be social issues, and on that Guiliani loses hands down.
Chairman Gillespie
Posted by on 11.15.06 @ 9:32AM
There are reports that Ed Gillespie may chair the Republican Party of Virginia. Kate Obenshain Griffin resigned this week (a likely preemptive strike before being asked to resign) -- she is headed to D.C. to serve as George Allen's chief of staff. Folks expect her to run for lieutenant governor in 2009.
Dean (Not Howard) vs. Dole?
Posted by on 11.15.06 @ 9:17AM
Sensing vulnerability after widespread criticism of her performance as chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, North Carolina Democrats are searching for a strong candidate to challenge Sen. Elizabeth Dole in 2008. Trouble is, despite the hit to her reputation (however bad or not-so-bad it might be), she is still popular here and considered formidable. She easily defeated Erskine Bowles four years ago, by a nine percentage point margin.
State Democrat Party Chairman Jerry Meek has taken to the Web for suggestions of candidates he might recruit. Among them are current Gov. Mike Easley (term limited out in 2008), Elizabeth Edwards, and former UNC basketball coach Dean Smith (75-years-old).
Charlie Wilson and Jack Murtha
Posted by on 11.15.06 @ 7:59AM
John Fund adds a twist to my article last month on Congressman Murtha's involvement in the Abscam scandal (and without a nod -- no love from a fellow TASer): a short part of George Crile's book Charlie Wilson's War.
In it, Crile reported that Speaker O'Neill was responsible for placing Charlie Wilson on the Ethic Committee to quash the probe on Murtha. The problem with this passage (and the reason I didn't use it) is because is cannot be corroborated. Crile, as Fund mentions, died this year. Fund reports that he talked to Crile before he died and the author maintained the accuracy of his account. But Charlie Wilson won't corroborate it. He offered Fund "no comment."
In fact, the only guy with a sharp memory about what happened on that the Ethics Committee, former Congressman Don Bailey, claims that he was responsible for stopping the probe, persuading his colleagues (or at least the Democrats) of Murtha's innocence.
Without decent corroboration, it is difficult to say that Crile's account of Charlie Wilson's role in the Murtha investigation is accurate. Crile did not footnote. Is it the untold story, or the grandiose ramblings of Wilson, not exactly your strongest character witness? Who knows.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Coupla Things
Posted by on 11.14.06 @ 9:38PM
First off, Quin, rather than emailing you I'll give my Official Pence Endorsement here, heavily foreshadowed by a lot of commentary over the past howevermany months, and recently copped to in these pages. I'd tap Pence on his own recognizance, but on top of it, there is simply no one else at hand of matching stature, composure, content, and command.
Second, there's a bit of a heinous froth developing over a certain schadenfreude-laden mock-job on That Photo of Santorum's weeping daughter. (Since it's out, about, and full of salty comments, I'll elide the link.) As these things usually play out, this one involves a relative insider making a joke that, in the company of his fellows, would elicit equal parts laughs and groans; yet since this joke is posted nationally it elicits a reinforcedly rabid overreaction on the part of defenders and offendeds who appear to be relative outsiders. Spontaneity of posting meets spontaneity of temper. This is one of the dangers of blogs, tantamount to trying to express sarcasm on IM. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But the size of one's audience, as any good politico knows, impacts the tenor of one's statement. A word to the hip.
Finally there's a real live moral dilemma covered here, on the topic of "call[ing] for severely disabled babies to be killed at birth." I've got something heavy to say on it but it's a busy week and the thought needs to, y'know, gestate.
And that's that.
The Kyoto Survival Kit!
Posted by on 11.14.06 @ 9:19PM
Introducing Kyoto Airlines, Kyoto Air Conditioning, Kyoto Health Care, and many other items developing countries will need when the Kyoto Global Warming Treaty condemns them to being economic backwaters.
Here's the press release from the National Center for Public Policy Research.
Who's The Stupid Party?
Posted by on 11.14.06 @ 7:36PM
Barely a week since the election and:
The incoming U.S. Congress will review the law mandating 700 miles of fence along the U.S.-Mexico border, and may seek to scrap the plan altogether.Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., told reporters this week that he expected to "re-visit" the issue when he becomes chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee in the 110th Congress, which has a Democratic Party majority.
He said that the high technology Secure Border Initiative, or SBI Net -- essentially a set of monitors, cameras and other integrated surveillance systems to monitor the border -- was a viable alternative.
"We might do away with it, or look at (integrating it into) SBI Net," he said, "A virtual fence rather than a real one."
Quotes From Pence
Posted by on 11.14.06 @ 7:20PM
It must be said that Mike Pence is a very eloquent man, an excellent communicator who, like Reagan, got his start as a broadcaster. Herewith some quotes from his meeting earlier today with a large group of conservative bloggers, held (as are ongoing appearances by all the candidates for Republican leadership posts) through the good (and neutral) graces of the Heritage Foundation:
"I believe that fundamentally the foundation of public confidence in Republicans [was lost] when we departed from limited government and fiscal discipline and reform."
"We simply have to have the ability and the credibility to speak to millions of Americans" on behalf of limited government and traditional moral values.
He believes the Minority Leader and the GOP caucus should be "vigorously opposing the big-government and socially liberal policies... of the Democratic majority."
"I bring a certain cheerful pugilism" to a "target-rich environment." And, he hopes, "a substantive, thoughtful, mainstream conservative alternative--and a smile.:
To fight outrageous earmarks, he advocates "greater transparency, greater accountability, and greater challenge-ability."
...There. That's a pretty thorough overview of what he said. Decide for yourselves, dear readers.
Pence Adds Jawa
Posted by on 11.14.06 @ 5:41PM
I meant to include in the post below that the Jawa Report has done one heck of a video endorsing Pence (and John Shadegg for Minority Whip).
Pence Endorsers
Posted by on 11.14.06 @ 5:25PM
So far, I have been able to compile this list of conservative bloggers, media, intelligentsia and other leaders who have either endorsed or (where indicated) strongly hinted (or I have interpreted their remarks to be strong hints) at support for Mike Pence for Minority Leader. In no particular order:
Our own Philip Klein. And me, elsewhere.
Red State
Human Events
David Keene, ACU
National Review editors, sort of
Robert Novak (hinted)
Wall Street Journal (hinted)
Kim Priestap
The Washington Examiner
Captain's Quarters
Dick Morris (a semi-conservative, sometimes) (hint)
Club for Growth
Right Wing News
Jon Henke
Socrates
My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
Reports Stephen Moore in the Wall Street Journal: "Mr. Pence seems to have corralled most of the support from major conservative voices, ranging from Rush Limbaugh to Paul Weyrich. John Berthoud, the president of the National Taxpayers Union, gushes: 'Mike Pence is one of the few Republicans of late we could always depend on to take the principled position, not the K Street position." He adds, "He's the obvious choice. When you've got a Roger Clemens, you put him on the mound.' "
Investors Business Daily (hint)
Laura Ingraham (hint)
Larry Kudlow
Fred Barnes (hint)
Tapscott's Copy Desk
I'm sure there are plenty of others. If anybody knows of them, please e-mail me at qhillyer@gmail.com. Thanks.
Civil Primaries and 2008
Posted by on 11.14.06 @ 2:01PM
One thing to look forward to in the 2008 Republican presidential nomination fight is that given the field of potential candidates, there's a good chance that we can have a civil primary season where candidates actually have intelligent debates about their different visions for the country. The chances of this have improved exponentially now that George "my opponent wrote dirty novels" Allen is out of the picture. Say what you want about the likes of McCain, Giuliani, Romney and Gingrich, but they are all intelligent and articulate politicians who have thought through their positions.
Delaying The House Leadership Race
Posted by on 11.14.06 @ 11:45AM
The Washington Times makes the case.
RE: Running Rudy
Posted by on 11.14.06 @ 11:33AM
Dave, I'm working on a longer piece on the news, but a few quick points:
--In 2008, national security/terrorism will be the most important issue in the Republican primary as voters decide who will succeed Bush as commander-in-chief. Rudy Giuliani is the best positioned on this issue.
--A viable conservative alternative has not emerged. We all know that John McCain, despite his conservative social views, is at least as unpopular if not far more unpopular than Giuliani among grassroots conservatives, for a number of reasons. Mitt Romney has a record of supporting abortion and gun control, even though he's now singing a different tune. Furthermore, he has no experience to speak of on the national security/terrorism front. Newt Gingrich, while popular among conservatives, does not have a realistic chance of winning a general election.
If this were a pre-9/11 election focused primarily on domestic issues I'd agree that Giuliani doesn't have a prayer. If there were a socially conservative candidate who was strong on national security and had a good chance of winning a general election, I'd also agree with you that he doesn't have a shot. But given the very unique circumstances of the 2008 election, I would not write off "
(Though perhaps I should know better than to question Mr. Hogberg, the Nostradamus of political prognostication.)
Re: Pence, Shadegg and Blogs
Posted by on 11.14.06 @ 11:06AM
Quin: Yes, perhaps unity among conservatives will sway some votes into the Pence/Shadegg camp. And if both lose despite a groundswell of support among the grassroots, it will show that House Republicans simply don't care about conservatives. In many ways, I think Boehner/Blunt maintaining their leadership posts would be a bigger blow to conservatives than last week's election results. At least there was some hope that after an electoral "thumping," Republicans might return to their limited government roots. Reelecting the old gaurd would virtually guarantee more of the same. I have been arguing that last week's election results were a defeat for Republicanism, but if Pence and Shadegg both lose, it will be a defeat for conservatism.
Pence and Shadegg Win the Blogs
Posted by on 11.14.06 @ 9:44AM
Philip has been doing an excellent job covering the insurgent efforts of conservatives Mike Pence and John Shadegg to be elected to House GOP leadership posts this week. It is worth adding that there is an enthusiastic and increasingly well organized move afoot in the conservative blogosphere (and backed by much of the conservative intelligentsia) to support those efforts by Pence and Shadegg. Later today I will be compiling a list of all those I know to have done so. There is a chance that such unity might actually sway some members; we'll know by week's end.
RE: Running Rudy
Posted by on 11.14.06 @ 9:38AM
After the Democrats won the House and the Senate by running candidates who were more conservative on social issues, is it wise for the GOP to consider a nominee who is pro-gay marraige, pro-abortion (even partial brith), and pro-gun control?
I doubt that such a nominee will make it through the Republican primaries, even if he is "America's Mayor." Guess we are going to find out.
Tierney Leaves Times Op-Ed
Posted by on 11.14.06 @ 12:37AM
No, he's not being forced out. But nonetheless, news that John Tierney -- broken in his final piece today as a regular New York Times columnist -- is leaving for the paper's Science Times section can't be happy news. Without its most independent voice, what could possibly make the Krugman-Dowd page worth looking forward to? But Tierney leaves on a happy note. Addressing his "libertarian comrades" (though isn't that an oxymoron?), he notes the timing is right. "We've voted out big-government conservatism, and the result is the happy state of gridlock."
But what if gridlock doesn't return? Will he then?
Monday, November 13, 2006
Rudy 354; Hillary 184
Posted by on 11.13.06 @ 10:54PM
That would be the electoral vote outcome in a hypothetical Giuliani v. Clinton race, according to SurveyUSA.
Via Giuliani Blog.
Re: Running Rudy
Posted by on 11.13.06 @ 10:27PM
Glad to see he's removing some of the doubts about whether or not he would run. Maybe he's been reading this blog.
See Rudy Run
Posted by on 11.13.06 @ 9:39PM
America's Mayor has formed an exploratory committee, the first step toward becoming America's President.
"Government Needs the Money"
Posted by on 11.13.06 @ 5:50PM
Who said that? Hillary Clinton? Howard Dean?
No, our own Ben Stein on the Neil Cavuto show, arguing for a tax increase on the rich.
Oh, Ben, say it isn't so!
Worse, Ben said that the reason we had a surplus in the 1990s was due to Bill Clinton's tax hike. Well, it also had a lot to do with the spending restraint imposed by the GOP under Gingrich.
New taxes usually lead to eras of new spending.
Oh, Ben, please repent your ways!
More On That Idaho Case
Posted by on 11.13.06 @ 4:52PM
The Idaho State Legislature is considering a change in the law due to Mrs. Mueller's experience. This has all of the activists, do-gooders and other altruistic scum-of-the-earth out telling us that they know what is best for the rest of us unwashed masses:
Dr. Jerry Hirschfeld, administrator of St. Luke's Children's Hospital: "Most of us running around are reasonable people, but most of the population does not have the experience needed to define child abuse and neglect."Susan Hazelton, executive director of the Family Advocate in Boise: "(The proposed law) will say you have to have all the relevant facts before you report, and I don't think it's feasible for an ordinary citizen to have all the relevant facts."
Leah Lamb, a forensic pediatric physician with St. Luke's Child At Risk Evaluation Services: "There needs to be legislation that stands for children. Parents can call lawyers; they have methods to protect themselves."
Mad Malaprops
Posted by on 11.13.06 @ 4:29PM
Front page online, CNN reports: "Dr. King showed us that
a life of conscious [sic] and purpose can
lift up many souls," said President Bush.
For All Those Folks Who Think...
Posted by on 11.13.06 @ 2:56PM
...the government should run health care. The Idaho Statesman recounts a story from a few years back about Corissa Mueller, a mom who brought her baby to the ER because the baby suffered from a fever. Figuring that the baby had contracted the cold going around the family, and worried about the risks of the spinal tap the doctor was recommending, she declined to have the baby tested for meningitis:
Mueller asked doctors to wait to perform the lumbar puncture until initial lab results were returned and Erickson had a chance to confer with the doctors. As intravenous fluid dripped through Taige's veins, her fever began to drop. Noting Taige's improvement and weighing the risks associated with spinal taps, steroids and antibiotics, Mueller continued to decline administration of the drugs and procedure but consented to a urinalysis, blood test, X-ray and I.V.That decision was made in the best interest of her child, Mueller said.
Mueller did not know that that decision would prompt a hospital nurse to call Child Protective Services.
Under Idaho code 16-1612 of the Child Protective Act, a child may be removed from the care of a parent without a court order "only where the child is endangered in his surroundings and prompt removal is necessary to prevent serious physical or mental injuries." Statute 16-1616 of the same act says a court may authorize the medical treatment of a child when a physician informs the court, either orally or in writing, that "in his professional opinion the life of the child would be greatly endangered without certain treatment and the parent, guardian or other custodian refuses or fails to consent."
As the night wore on, Mueller noticed Taige's condition began to improve. According to the tort claim Mueller filed in district court, an attending physician introduced Mueller to a detective from the Boise Police Department shortly after Mueller asked if she could take Taige home. Mueller said the detective told her she was endangering Taige by postponing antibiotics and the spinal tap.
Taige's temperature rose to 101 degrees. Mueller said that as she went toward a telephone to confer with [her naturopath] about going ahead with the spinal tap, antibiotics and steroids, the detective stepped in front of her and delivered notice that Taige was to be seized and removed to a shelter. As Mueller turned around, she said, she saw her child taken away. Mueller was dragged down the hall by two police officers.
Mueller, outraged and frantic, demanded her nursing infant be returned.
Hmmm....I wonder how many people will now delay bringing their infants in for medical attention due to worries about having their child seized from their custody?
Conservatism Didn't Lose
Posted by on 11.13.06 @ 12:56PM
Cato has done an analysis of the voting records of the Republicans who lost in last week's elections. The conclusion? "The great majority of losing Republicans were economic moderates or liberals."
Via Red State.
Rockin' The Boat
Posted by on 11.13.06 @ 11:12AM
Now I have in my head the lyrics from that "Guys and Dolls" song:
People all said sit
down
Sit down you're
rockin' the boat.
And the devil will drag you under
By the sharp lapel of your checkered coat,
Sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down,
Sit down you're rockin' the boat.
I imagine there are some House Republicans who feel that way about Mike Pence and John Shadegg.
Re: Haven't Learned A Thing
Posted by on 11.13.06 @ 11:11AM
David, I was thinking the same thing when I read the Novak piece this morning. It just shows you how powerful the impulse is in
Let's just hope Novak is wrong and the Pence/Shadegg team can take over.
They Haven't Learned A Thing
Posted by on 11.13.06 @ 8:33AM
It's almost as though last Tuesday never happened. According to Robert Novak:
In private conversation, Republican members of Congress blame Majority Leader John Boehner and Majority Whip Roy Blunt in no small part for their midterm election debacle. Yet, either Boehner, Blunt or both are expected to be returned to their leadership posts Friday. For good reason, the GOP often is called "the stupid party."
And,
In fact, the voting records of Boehner and Blunt are nearly identical to Pence's and Shadegg's. The difference between them was demonstrated last Thursday when Blunt went to the Heritage Foundation to campaign for his retention as whip. He delivered a defense of earmarking, echoing the House appropriators' claim that the elimination of earmarks would do "nothing but shift funding decisions from one side of Pennsylvania Ave. to the other."
Read it all, as they say.
Very Classy!
Posted by on 11.13.06 @ 8:28AM
Julian Sanchez of Reason magazine posts a picture of Rick Santorum's daughter crying with the headline, "Your Tears Are So Yummy And Sweet".
And for even classier stuff, read the comments section. As one commenter put it, "When did this web site turn into DailyKos?"
Bruno's Attack on the Urban World
Posted by on 11.13.06 @ 1:38AM
Robert VerBruggen complains about Borat's anti-rural bent. But if you want to see Sacha Baron Cohen skewer urbanites, turn not to Borat but to Bruno, Baron Cohen's gay Austrian fashionista character. Deployed to the chic corners of New York and Los Angeles*, or in the studio* with ethics-free entertainment "journalists," Bruno gets the ultra-hip to nod along as he not-so-subtly advocates genocide for the unfashionable, praises the fashion sense of Hitler and bin Laden, equates a poorly-dressed Oscar nominee to a "mini-9/11," laughs at the poor, and more.
I must say, though, I don't see how a Bruno movie (which is reportedly in the planning stages) will work. The hipsters should be mostly on to Baron Cohen by now, and the other half of Bruno's schtick, where he expose people you'd expect to be uncomfortable with flamboyant homosexuality to indeed be uncomfortable, is much less successful.
By the way, our own Bob Barr appears briefly in Borat; he comes off as well as one of Baron Cohen's marks can.
*Warning: Salty language.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Iran at AFF With JGP
Posted by on 11.12.06 @ 4:43PM
This Wednesday evening, our own James G. Poulos will be moderating a panel in Washington for the America's Future Foundation, discussing what to do about Iran. Details here.
Last Night on Heartland
Posted by on 11.12.06 @ 11:53AM
In case you missed it, my segment with John Kasich last night on FNC was a pretty blunt discussion on the options for Iraq. You can see it here.
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