The American Spectator

The Army Responds to "Scott Thomas"

Posted by John Tabin on 7.21.07 @ 3:02PM

This comes care of milblogger Matt Sanchez -- I emailed Sanchez to enlist his help, figuring (correctly) that he'd know better than I would who in the military to contact. Here's the official word. (Note that the pseudonymous columnist is, throughout this message, referred to incorrectly as a blogger, presumably because Major Luedeke got word of this over the internet and didn't realize he was reading articles from the print edition of TNR.)

Major Kirk Luedeke
Public Affairs Officer
4th IBCT, 1st ID
DRAGONS

Here are the facts as best I have established them, along with the actions I have taken here at Falcon.

1. I was notified of the New Republic blog entries yesterday (Friday) by documentarian JD Johannes, who had spent time with us as an embed in May. He was concerned about the reports, but also expressed doubt in their veracity. He provided the New Republic and Weekly Standard response to the blog entry links.
2. I was able to immediately refute the assertion that a mass graveyard of children's skeletons was found; an event such as this would have been reported during the construction of Coalition Outpost Ellis, the only such COP that exists in the area the blogger described (rural, south of BIAP).
3. The stories of the burned woman and hitting dogs with Bradleys can't be as decisively disputed, however, I have not encountered a woman matching that description at any time on Falcon since arriving here on 17 Feb. You would think that someone with such visible wounds would stand out in memorable fashion. This doesn't mean that she wasn't a visitor at some point, but I find the account of Soldiers mocking her dubious at best
. 4. I immediately notified MAJ Lamb of MND-B PAO, who advised me to send him the link and pertinent information on the New Republic's blog posts, which I did. He informed me of his intent to engage the CENTCOM blog team to see if they could take action, and at the very least, make them aware of the situation.
5. I contacted the only unit in our brigade that has Bradleys, 1-18 IN, and advised their XO of the situation, recommending that they talk to their Soldiers about Army values and the Warrior ethos, reminding them of the rules for blogging in uniform and also reminding them of integrity and telling the truth. The bottom line: If you put something out there you should be willing to put your name next to it and stand by it. That he and New Rpublic are insisting on anonymity is very telling here.

Per COL Boylan's request, I have prepared the following:

1. There was no mass grave found during the construction of any of our coalition outposts in the Rashid District at any time. Such a discovery would have prompted an investigation and close attention paid at levels higher than ours to making sure that the victims were properly interred and attempts would have been made to determine their identities. It is difficult to fathom that a unit's leadership would condone Soldiers disrespecting the remains of anyone in the fashion described.

2. Due to the threat of IEDs, our combat vehicles are driven professionally and in control at all times. To be driving erratically so as to hit dogs or other things would be to put the entire vehicle's crew at risk and would be gross dereliction of duty by the noncommissioned officer or officer in charge of the vehicle. Drivers aren't allowed to simply free-wheel their vehicles however they see fit, and they are *not* allowed to be moved anywhere with out a vehicle commander present to supervise the movement. Therefore- claims of vehicles leaving the roadways to hit animals are highly dubious, given the very real threat of IEDs and normal standards of conduct.

3. As for the alleged woman with severe burn scars, we have nobody matching that description here at FOB Falcon. As Soldiers, we practice the value of Respect: "Treat people as you want to be treated." If the blogger and his friends can't live the Army value of respect, I have little doubt that someone around them who does would have made an on-the-spot correction. The Falcon dining facility is not a spacious one. Anyone being rude, loud or raucous calls immediate attention to himself. It is hard to fathom that anyone would be able to get away with such callous behavior without somebody intervening and stopping it from happening.

Add a Comment

topics: Military

Have You Been "Mitchslapped"?

Posted by David Hogberg on 7.21.07 @ 9:37AM

It's pretty clear that Harry Reid has been.

1 Comment | Add a Comment

topics: Harry Reid

So L.A., So Dark Ages

Posted by Shawn Macomber on 7.20.07 @ 7:38PM

...Yes, but what was the exploding steam pipe's motivation?

James Poulos put his ear to the pavement and, aside from the roaring steam, heard not fear, emptiness, despair or public policy suggestions but, rather...nothing.

Add a Comment

Frank Foer Breaks the Silence

Posted by John Tabin on 7.20.07 @ 5:15PM

A Note to Readers at The Plank:

Several conservative blogs have raised questions about the Diarist "Shock Troops," written by a soldier in Iraq using the pseudonym Scott Thomas. Whenever anybody levels serious accusations against a piece published in our magazine, we take those charges seriously. Indeed, we're in the process of investigating them. I've spoken extensively with the author of the piece and have communicated with other soldiers who witnessed the events described in the diarist. Thus far, these conversations have done nothing to undermine--and much to corroborate--the author's descriptions. I will let you know more after we complete our investigation.

1 Comment | Add a Comment

topics: Iraq

Still More 'Scott Thomas'

Posted by John Tabin on 7.20.07 @ 4:09PM

Several readers write in to suggest that the line about the shell casing with a "square back" may be a (rather peculiarly phrased) reference to a distinctive imprint left by the Glock's firing pin. Still no word on the rivers of sewage. And no, Frank Foer still hasn't called me back.

UPDATE: Bob Owens offers:

But far more damning than Thomas' incompetence is the demonstrably false assertion he made that "the only people who use Glocks are the Iraqi police." Glock pistols have been on the commercial market for decades, and are quite common worldwide. Glocks are a common and favored handgun on the Iraqi black market:

Glock pistols were also easy to find. One young Iraqi man, Rebwar Mustafa, showed a Glock 19 he had bought at the bazaar in Kirkuk last year for $900. Five of his friends have bought identical models, he said.

There are literally dozens of stories of Glock pistols being recovered from insurgents, terrorists, and militiamen. They have been captured in cordon-and-search operations, in targeted raids, in weapons caches, and of course, from the dead and wounded in violent confrontations.

American soldiers have them, as do civilian contractors from many nations in many lines of work. Ordinary Iraqi civilans (men and women) buy them to protect their families as well. Glock are quite likely the most ubiquious handgun in Iraq, carried officially or unofficially by those on all sides, and those on no side at all.

For "Scott Thomas" to claim that "the only people who use Glocks are the Iraqi police" is laughable, and coming from someone who claims to be a United State soldier in Iraq who would certainly know that to be a false statement, is perhaps as clear an audacious a display of willfully libeling the Iraqi police as has been written in the American media.

Add a Comment

topics: Iraq

The Perils of Telling It Like It Is

Posted by Philip Klein on 7.20.07 @ 2:49PM

Jim Geraghty laments:

And just as Reagan had had it up to his keister with leaks, I've had it up to there with people whining that I'm unfair and biased against their guy (since I'm getting it from every direction). Sorry, McCain fans, but your man has had a lousy month in the polls and the base loathes his position on immigration. Sorry, Fredheads, but Thompson's handling of the abortion lobbying inquiries will not be studied for years to come as a triumph of p.r. crisis management. Sorry, Rudy fans, but Rudy's speeches do sometimes fall flat and some of his debate answers have looked haltering and tentative. Sorry, but Mitt Romney's dog-on-the-roof story will go over about as well as a dog-walking service sponsored by Michael Vick and pointing out that some voters will never vote for a Mormon does not make me "an accomplice to bigotry." If Sam Brownback doesn't want to get whacked around for switching his vote during the immigration deal, he ought to lay off making attacks on other candidates for flip-flopping.

Ladies and gentlemen, I didn't get your candidates into these messes, your man did. Stop giving me grief for noticing the flaws of Republican candidates on what is first and foremost a news site. You want nothing but happy talk? Go visit your candidate's web site, 'cause this ain't it.

Oh, and Ron Paul will never become president. There, I said it. Live with it, Paulites.

Add a Comment

topics: Abortion, Law, Immigration

Told Ya They Were Getting Snippy

Posted by Jennifer Rubin on 7.20.07 @ 2:03PM

From a Romney clip today: "June Bond, a local GOP activist and one of Romney's county organizers, introduced Romney and his wife, Ann, as a 'family of faith.' Bond said she pledged her support to Romney about two years ago: 'After all, I could still be waiting on Fred Thompson. '"

Add a Comment

Advice For Thompson

Posted by Jennifer Rubin on 7.20.07 @ 1:50PM

Add a Comment

Rudy a '10'

Posted by Philip Klein on 7.20.07 @ 1:50PM

For what it's worth, Bo Derek has endorsed Giuliani.

Add a Comment

'Scott Thomas,' Continued

Posted by John Tabin on 7.20.07 @ 12:04PM

An email from a reader:

I know for sure that the round fired by the Glock 17 (their standard 9mm service pistol) fires the same round as the 9mm Beretta, the M9 (known in the civilian world as the 92... I know quite a bit about guns, and I have NEVER heard of a 9mm round with a "square back". In fact, I've never heard of ANY centerfire cartridge with a squared-off rim. A square rim would screw up how the round would sit in the magazine, and how it would feed into the chamber. The only "square" "cartridges" I've ever heard of came with caseless rounds, and weapons using caseless ammunition is so complex that it has yet to be fielded in any form.

UPDATE: Several readers suggest that the "square back" line may be an oddly-phrased reference to a distinctive imprint left by the Glock's firing pin.

Add a Comment

Fighting Fire With Fire

Posted by Philip Klein on 7.20.07 @ 11:50AM

The Giuliani campaign touts the endorsements of nearly 200 firefighters and first responders in South Carolina.

Add a Comment

RE: Thompson and Campaign Finance Reform

Posted by Philip Klein on 7.20.07 @ 11:47AM

I don't see this being a major problem for Thompson, because he's in a field with McCain, as well as Giuliani and Romney, who all supported campaign finance reform in different ways. I think in McCain's case it ended up being a big deal because it represented the beginning of his break with conservatives, which was later compounded by his failure to support the Bush tax cuts, his stance on immigration, etc.

What this does, if anything, is help other candidates with the "See, Thompson's not really that conservative" narrative. So, if you liked Giuliani, McCain or Romney, but switched to Thompson because you got swept up in the hype that he was the second coming of Reagan, this may make you consider the other candidates again.

Ultimately, though, I don't think individual issues are going to sink Thompson. As I've said before, his problem will be in explaining what he has accomplished in his life that would actually make him effective at being president.

Add a Comment

topics: Immigration

Pork Slices

Posted by John Tabin on 7.20.07 @ 9:59AM

Want stories about dumb ways that Congress spends your money? Get 'em while they're hot in my Brainwash column today.

Add a Comment

If Bill Clinton Had Any Shame...

Posted by Quin Hillyer on 7.20.07 @ 9:48AM

To me, this statement by Bill Clinton, a former president and COMMANDER IN CHIEF, borders on...well, let's just say that it is wildly irresponsible: "The point is there is no military victory here," former President Bill Clinton told Diane Sawyer on ABC's "Good Morning America." But former presidents have responsibilities and restrictions (of honor, not of law) that are greater than those of candidates or ordinary citizens. Statements like this one can easily be interpreted as undercutting our troops. They harm morale in a way that no columnist or blogger could ever do. This statement was outrageous, and it should be met with great condemnation.

Add a Comment

topics: Bill Clinton, Law, Military

The Reporting of "Scott Thomas"

Posted by John Tabin on 7.20.07 @ 9:40AM

Since the piece I mentioned yesterday is pretty well picked over ("Greyhawk" seems have the most thorough and convincing debunking), I'm digging into the pseudonymous Baghdad Diarist's two earlier New Republic contributions. I wonder if readers can help me out. The first, from January, was "War Bonds" (subscription required). It begins thus:

In Baghdad, a busted infrastructure has left entire neighborhoods navigable by vehicle only. The sector we soldiers patrol is known unaffectionately as "Little Venice" because of the dark brown rivers of sewage that backwash from broken pipes. The biggest fear in these parts isn't sniper fire or IEDs, but a flat tire that forces you to wade through the reeking fluids.

The second Thomas piece was "Dead of Night," which appeared last month (again, sub. required). I'm not an expert on firearms, but this seems weird to me:

Someone reached down and picked a shell casing up off the ground. It was 9mm with a square back. Everything suddenly became clear. The only shell casings that look like that belong to Glocks. And the only people who use Glocks are the Iraqi police.

If you have any insight, contact me through john at johntabin dot com.

Add a Comment

topics: Iraq

Cop Killers And Their Enablers

Posted by David Hogberg on 7.20.07 @ 9:05AM

Is there anyone better at chronicling the poisonous relationship between crime and race in the Big Apple than Heather MacDonald? Not that I know of:

The Times's editors and its columnist Bob Herbert fit this episode of sound preventive policing [the arrest of members of the Pretty Boy Family gang] into the usual story line about racist officers preying on innocent minority youth. In article after article, they portrayed the gang members as law-abiding paragons, taking their description of the events as unimpeachable and even giving them a large photo spread, suitable for framing.

Then it was on to the next alleged police atrocity. Herbert generated a series of columns from a New York Civil Liberties Union report claiming that police officers assigned to city schools routinely abused students and arrested them for innocuous high jinks. No reporting, of course, on the 192 robberies, 5 rapes, 247 felony assaults, 138 burglaries, and 580 grand larcenies that students committed in school in 2006-07-a fearsome total, but 26 percent smaller than six years ago, thanks in part to the NYPD. The Times's writers cribbed an editorial off Herbert's columns, repeating his charges and calling for the New York City Council-that esteemed body of public-safety experts-to scrutinize all student arrests and convictions for misuse of police power.

Read it all.

1 Comment | Add a Comment

topics: Law

Re: Politics Ain't Beanbag

Posted by John Tabin on 7.20.07 @ 8:45AM

Here are those "Fred loved McCain-Feingold" clips that Jennifer mentioned. It's striking to note that at one point the act actually was called "McCain-Feingold-Thompson."

John Fund talked to Thompson about this issue in March:

Many on the right remain angry Mr. Thompson supported the campaign finance law sponsored by his friend, John McCain. "There are problems with people giving politicians large sums of money and then asking them to pass legislation," Mr. Thompson says. Still, he notes he proposed the amendment to raise the $1,000 per person "hard money" federal contribution limit. Conceding that McCain-Feingold hasn't worked as intended, and is being riddled with new loopholes, he throws his hands open in exasperation. "I'm not prepared to go there yet, but I wonder if we shouldn't just take off the limits and have full disclosure with harsh penalties for not reporting everything on the Internet immediately."

Add a Comment

topics: Taxes, John McCain, Law, Iraq

Politics Aint Beanbag

Posted by Jennifer Rubin on 7.20.07 @ 5:53AM

Add a Comment

topics: Law, Iran

Fabulism Returns to TNR?

Posted by John Tabin on 7.19.07 @ 10:52PM

You'd think that the Stephen Glass episode would have made The New Republic's editors extra-sensitive to too-good-to-be-true reporting. Alas, the evidence that Michael Goldfarb has been collecting suggests that they've printed an almost-certainly-bogus "Baghdad Diary" (subscription required) that paints our troops as a bunch of sadistic monsters.

Add a Comment

Market Friendly and Family-Friendly

Posted by John Tabin on 7.19.07 @ 5:57PM

Why does Ross Douthat think that "a set of reforms designed to make it easier for women to work full-time while they have children" is "a market-friendly program?" It's not; it's just plain old liberal social engineering. To be market-friendly is to leave the market alone.

Add a Comment

Mass Care Not Working Out--Part XXI

Posted by David Hogberg on 7.19.07 @ 5:49PM

Once you give the social engineers an inch, they'll soon be looking for that mile. From the Boston Globe:

The state Legislature will probably make a round of changes in the one-year-old law mandating near universal health insurance, but not before late fall, according to Senator Richard T. Moore, co-chairman of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing....

During testimony, Moore said he endorsed a proposal to require that businesses pay at least 50 percent of the premiums for employees' health insurance if they want to avoid a penalty of up to $295 per employee. Currently, the requirement is 33 percent, set by the administration of former governor Mitt Romney. Two weeks ago, Moore asked the administration of Governor Deval Patrick to make the change.

If they don't, he said, "it's my intention that would be put into the statute." But he said there was no rush to do that.

Other changes proposed at the hearing included setting the maximum that anyone would have to pay for insurance at 10 percent of income. The Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector, the state agency implementing the law, has set limits based only on premiums, and costs for many individuals and families are certain to top 10 percent.

1 Comment | Add a Comment

topics: Health Care, Business, Law, NATO

1800 Miles of DEEP, SOUL-CRUSHING POVERTY!

Posted by John Tabin on 7.19.07 @ 5:26PM

Paul: I see your John Edwards YouTube clip and raise you a much, much, much better one. (Warning: There's a bit of profanity.)

Add a Comment

Count Your Blessings

Posted by John Tabin on 7.19.07 @ 5:14PM

I doubt they realize it, but the dismissal of the Wilsons' lawsuit against Cheney et al. is probably a gift. The more time that Joe and Val spend in courtrooms, where they would presumably have to testify under oath, the more likely they are to get in trouble for their questionable relationship with the truth.

"I certainly hope the timing of this dismissal doesn't hurt any of the Wilson's book and media deals," snarks Tom Maguire.

Add a Comment

topics: Law

Thompson

Posted by Jennifer Rubin on 7.19.07 @ 4:26PM

There is one final factual point I'd like to clarify. Thompson surrogates today have suggested that the LA Times misinterpreted Thompson spokesman Mark Corallo's denial that Thompson had lobbied Sununu and wrote its story so as to appear Thompson was denying lobbying anyone at the White House. On July 10 in an email response to a question from me "Is it still his position that he never lobbied Sununu or the White House?" Corallo answered "Yes." This seemed to corroborate the LA Times version that Corallo had denied any lobbying by Thompson. Today Corallo says that he should have said in response to my July 10 question that Thompson did not recall any lobbying, rather than give me a "yes"(meaning he was still denying it). The last final position is --I think-- he still doesn't recall lobbying anyone or talking to the pro-choice group's president. If you get the sense this is all a lot of fumbling and stumbling as the great Keith Jackson would say I share that view. People can quibble about whether Thompson was and continues to be candid but one thing is certain. They simply must do better to compete in a presidential election with the opposition they face.

Add a Comment

More Giuliani and Nixon

Posted by W. James Antle, III on 7.19.07 @ 3:22PM

Ross Douthat offers a good summary of where the parallels hold and where they do not.

Add a Comment

And the Big Deal Is?

Posted by Paul Chesser on 7.19.07 @ 1:47PM

Watch this video clip from John Edwards's poverty tour, in which he visits with workers from a poultry processing plant, and then somebody please tell me why he thinks there is a problem here, and just what that problem is:

He starts with a straw man: "The perception exists in America that a lot of people who live in poverty are just ne'er-do-wells, they don't want to work, they don't care about working hard and supporting their families."

Then he talks about how some of the plant workers have to "work 48, 50 hours...sometimes 70-plus hours a week"...and they have a hard time paying their bills." And?

Then there's testimony from one plant worker who has to work sometimes 48, 52, 53 hours per week, 9 hours per day and 9 on Saturday...and "we're not getting paid for breaks...." Someone please show this woman some mercy!

And it concludes with Edwards alleging the workers are "being taken advantage of and not being paid the way they should be paid"...and because of that they live in poverty. Obviously Edwards knows much better than poultry business owners what their workers should be paid.

Well, now it's my turn. John Edwards, please come and expose the plight of us employees in the nonprofit think-tank industry, who are also grossly under-compensated and struggle to pay our bills. Sometimes we even have to work at home at night when we should be spending time with our families, and sometimes have to go to events outside of regular business hours. I, for one, sit in an ergonomically-unfriendly seat most of the day and am often made to think beyond what my educational background will sustain. If you come and listen, I will sit in a semi-circle at any local church you choose and tell my story too. Promise!

Add a Comment

topics: Education, Business

Mayor Fenty Is Clueless

Posted by David Hogberg on 7.19.07 @ 1:34PM

The news reported the other day that the D.C. government will appeal the ruling in Parker v. the District of Columbia. Here is Adrian Fenty's "logic" for the appeal:

"We have made the determination that this law can and should be defended and we are willing to take our case to the highest court in the land to protect the city's residents," Fenty said in a press release. "Our handgun law has saved countless lives -- keeping guns out of the hands of those who would hurt others or themselves."

I wonder if Fenty said that with a straight face. If the hand gun ban has saved "countless" lives, why does D.C. has one of the highest murder rates in the nation (and often the highest)?

If you follow Fenty's logic to its conclusion, then D.C. residents are, on average, quite a bit more violent than elsewhere in the nation, and would have acted on their violent urges if they had access to guns.

The logic behind gun control has been obviously faulty for quite some time.

Add a Comment

topics: Law

Bush Stands Firm...

Posted by David Hogberg on 7.19.07 @ 12:05PM

...on SCHIP.

1 Comment | Add a Comment

The Harry Potter Leaks

Posted by John Tabin on 7.19.07 @ 11:51AM

VodkaPundit co-blogger Will Collier exposes an AP error: They said someone selling Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows on eBay "declined immediate comment when e-mailed by The Associated Press." The seller turns out to be Collier. "I have not been contacted by them either by email or in any other medium, and as such I have not declined to talk to them." Even if they tried to email him and didn't get an answer, the proper phrase would be "couldn't be reached" -- "declined immediate comment" implies that they know he got the message, which he didn't.

On NRO, Collier tells the story of how he got the advance copy from DeepDiscount.com (a company which might be sued by Scholastic). The best part is his reaction to having sold the book for $250 -- to Publisher's Weekly:

Well, this was great stuff. Not only did I make a very nice profit, I got the best of all possible outcomes: Instead of taking a desperate Harry Potter fan to the cleaners, I got to fleece a media organization. I will sleep with a profoundly clean conscience.

UPDATE: Sean Higgins emails to note this Washington Post story:

In lieu of further details, Collier responded by offering for $300 a written account of his story, which he'd sentimentally titled, "I Was an eBay Voldemort." [That's the piece that's on NRO. -JT] The Washington Post declined.

ANOTHER UPDATE: This keeps getting funnier. J.K. Rowling's literary agent bullied eBay with a bogus copyright-violation claim into... giving Collier more money:

That's right--not only did The Christopher Little Literary Agency's nastygram accomplish the decidedly quixotic feat of cancelling an auction that had already been over for about seventeen hours--they made sure that eBay would give me back everything I was charged to advertise sell the book in the first place. I just went to my account and checked; sure enough, eBay's mindless bureaucracy has given me a full credit for all fees, a sum I'm more than happy to add to the profits I've already collected on the "Hallows" sale.

Oh, and incidentally, I got a nice email from Robin Lenz at Publisher's Weekly while I was typing up this post; she's received the book and is quite pleased with her purchase.

So, let's all enjoy a fine laugh at J.D. Nimrod and his firm of officious idiots. Nice work, guys. Be sure and bill the good Ms. Rowling for all the many hours you've spent in making yourselves look like utter morons.

Add a Comment

RE: Thompson

Posted by David Hogberg on 7.19.07 @ 11:41AM

John, that's kind of bleak. True, but bleak.

1 Comment | Add a Comment

Petraeus on the Surge

Posted by John Tabin on 7.19.07 @ 11:40AM

I take Phil's point that a show as partisan as Hugh Hewitt's might not be the best place for Gen. Petraeus to be doing an interview, but if you read the transcript (which you should) I think you'll agree that Petraeus, while cautiously optimistic, is very restrained about declaring victory prematurely (it's actually funny at times the way he resists as Hewitt tries to push him toward triumphalism). This contrasts notably with some of his predecessors. Even if the surge doesn't stabilize Iraq in the long run, it's going to be hard to look back and not think that things would have gone much better in Iraq if someone as impressive as Petraeus were in charge from the beginning. (The blame, of course, falls on President Bush, who has been loyal to his generals even when they clearly weren't delivering.)

Petraeus, incidentally, doesn't seem to think the branch of al Qaeda that's in Iran is particularly close to the regime, going so far as to say that "we believe, in fact, that Iran may have actually taken some steps against them as well. They're not sitting there at the invitation of Iran, but it's a very, very rugged area, and a fairly substantial area as well." Given the reputedly spotty read that our intelligence community has on the Islamic Republic, who knows.

Add a Comment

topics: Islam, Iraq, Iran

Middle East Oppourtunity?

Posted by Philip Klein on 7.19.07 @ 11:07AM

Though I consider myself a skeptic, Mark Helprin has a characteristically thoughtful (though uncharacteristically dovish) piece in the NY Times, arguing that this may be the best chance for peace between Israel and the Palestinians since Egypt and Israel came to terms almost 30 years ago. Helprin takes a contrarian view on the Lebanon War, arguing that it actually "chastened" Hezbollah. He also believes that Hamas overplayed its hand, and supports the strategy of helping Mahmoud Abbas economically develop the West Bank:

Egypt, the Persian Gulf states and Jordan have so much to contend with at home and in the east that they cannot afford an active front in their midst, and are therefore forming ranks against Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas, bringing most of the rest of the Arab states with them.

Add a Comment

topics: Iran, Israel

Re: Thompson

Posted by John Tabin on 7.19.07 @ 11:05AM

I must say it's a bit liberating to not care a whole lot about abortion this election cycle. If you're a committed pro-lifer, and you aren't interested in casting a protest vote for one of the also-rans, your options are:

A) Giuliani - a pro-choicer, but one who at least has a team of great lawyers who will steer him toward appointing the right kind of judges.

B) Romney - a guy who became pro-life roughly 10 minutes before deciding to run for president, but who at least is willing and able to somewhat plausibly assure you that his change of heart is genuine.

C) Thompson - a guy who became pro-life more than a decade ago, but who doesn't tell the truth about his pro-choice history.

D) McCain - a guy with a sterling record of voting the right way, but who has a habit of oozing contempt for you (and whose chance at the nomination is pretty much sunk).

Pick your poison.

Add a Comment

topics: Abortion, Law

A 'Fairly Banal 'Stand By Your Man' Ad'

Posted by Shawn Macomber on 7.19.07 @ 10:44AM

Pat Hynes, former political ad writer/producer, has begun a series over at Ankle Biting Pundits deconstructing this season's ads. First up, perennial AmSpec blog favorite John Edwards. A sample:

The script is so devoid of meaningful rhetoric or catchy cadence, one has to suspect it was written and approved by a committee of at least three advisors-the one who thinks "optimism" is the Edwards brand plus the one who thinks "toughness" is the brand plus the guy who thinks it's Edwards's "smarts." How do I know? Well, because those are the words the candidate's wife uses in the ad; she just avers it, without any interesting anecdotes or third party substantiation to support the idea that John Edwards is "optimistic," "tough and "smart."

Lost in all this mush is the fact that everyone who supports a presidential candidate (to say nothing of each candidate's spouse) is certain that his or her guy or gal is the most optimistic, toughest and smartest candidate in the race. So the Edwards campaign is trying to brand itself with meaningless, undifferentiated words uncoupled with evocative images or unbiased perspective.

The rest here.

Add a Comment

topics: Books

RE: Thompson's Lobbying

Posted by Philip Klein on 7.19.07 @ 10:40AM

In John Hinderaker's defense of Thompson that Jennifer noted below, he writes:

"The firm consulted with Fred Thompson," he said. "It is not unusual for a lawyer to give counsel at the request of colleagues, even when they personally disagree with the issue."

This reinforces the point James Poulos makes in his excellent piece on our main site, that it's time for Thompson to end his shadow campaign and formally throw his hat into the ring.

Add a Comment

topics: Abortion, Law

Thompson Lobbying

Posted by Jennifer Rubin on 7.19.07 @ 9:48AM

Add a Comment

RE: The Waters May Get Cooler

Posted by David Hogberg on 7.19.07 @ 7:49AM

Jennifer: I dunno. The Times story states:

According to records from Arent Fox, the law firm based in Washington where Mr. Thompson worked part-time from 1991 to 1994, he charged the organization, the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, about $5,000 for work he did in 1991 and 1992.

22 hours 15 years ago? Having a hazy memory about that is far from improbable.

On the other hand, I will say that the Thompson camp has handled this pretty clumsily. When the question first arose, Thompson or his handlers should have said that they were unsure whether he had done such work, but that they would examine the records. Once they knew the facts, just admit it and then say that such work no longer represents his position on abortion--something easily proven by his voting record in the Senate.

Given the withering scrutiny Romney has endured for his flip-flopping, you'd think the Thompson camp would be extra careful on these things. Even successful campaigns have a few mishaps. But this will (and should) raise questions as to whether Thompson is ready for prime time.

1 Comment | Add a Comment

topics: Abortion, Law

The Waters May Get Cooler

Posted by Jennifer Rubin on 7.18.07 @ 11:22PM

Add a Comment

NYC

Posted by Jennifer Rubin on 7.18.07 @ 9:53PM

You wonder whether there will be a time when your heart doesn't leap and hands don't go cold when you first get word of these incidents. "It's only a..." has replaced "oh my gosh did you hear..." as the way we break news to our friends and family. A sober reminder that it matters terribly who is in charge and how he handles disasters big and small.

Add a Comment

Explosion in New York

Posted by John Tabin on 7.18.07 @ 8:27PM

There's been an explosion in Midtown Manhattan. One dead, at least a dozen others are injured. It doesn't seem to be terrorism, just a burst steam pipe. (The cable news channels have already returned to their regularly scheduled chat-fests.)

Add a Comment

Christians for Israel

Posted by Philip Klein on 7.18.07 @ 7:16PM

Last night, I attended the Christians United for Israel’s “Night to Honor Israel,” and I must say it was quite a scene to watch thousands of evangelical Christians wave American and Israeli flags, dancing in the aisles to the sounds of Havenu Shalom Aleychem. Although I have read a lot about evangelical support for Israel, this was the first time I had encountered it up close. Earlier in the day, I attended a press conference featuring Pastor John Hagee, the chairman of CUFI, who was besieged by questions about the motives for evangelical support for Israel. “Our support for Israel has absolutely nothing to do with End Times’ prophecies or eschatology,” he insisted. Instead, he stated that Christians had “a clear biblical mandate to support Israel.” This is embodied in such portions of the bible as Isiah 62:1, which says, “For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, til her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch.” He also said that all Christians owed a debt to the Jewish people because of their shared heritage. During last night’s festivities, Hagee declared that “the sleeping giant of Christian Zionism has awakened.” He called for moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and for considering a pre-emptive strike on Iran, and also blasted Jimmy Carter. Other speakers included Newt Gingrich, Gary Bauer and Benjamin Netanyahu (via video).    

Add a Comment

topics: Iran, Israel

Petraeus and Hewitt

Posted by Philip Klein on 7.18.07 @ 5:37PM

While Andrew Sullivan is a bit hyperbolic in his reaction to David Petraeus appearing on the Hugh Hewitt show, I do believe that it would be better if Petraeus maintained an image of a non-partisan commander capable of rendering unbiased judgments on the situation in Iraq. For those of us who support giving the surge a chance to work, one of the few remaining arguments that is potentially politically viable is that we should give Petraeus the time he asks for. Anything that helps Democrats portray him as a partisan general will make it easier for them to undermine his credibility, and thus harder for Republicans to make the case for the surge.

Add a Comment

topics: Iraq

In Search of the Libertarian Democrat

Posted by W. James Antle, III on 7.18.07 @ 4:17PM

Dave Weigel takes a look at Bill Richardson's claim to the libertarian Democrat mantle.

Add a Comment

Al Qaeda in Iran

Posted by John Tabin on 7.18.07 @ 4:01PM

Eli Lake reports on the al Qaeda leadership council that, according to the National Intelligence Estimate, meets regularly in Iran. The question is how closely Tehran and al Qaeda cooperate:

"We know that there were two Al Qaeda centers of gravity. After the Taliban fell, one went to Pakistan, the other fled to Iran," Roger Cressey, a former deputy to a counterterrorism tsar, Richard Clarke, said in an interview yesterday. "The question for several years has been: What type of operational capability did each of these centers have?"

[...]

Mr. Cressey said the Iranian regime's relationship with Al Qaeda is one of tolerance as opposed to command and control.

"I think the Iranians are giving these guys enough latitude to operate to give them another chit in the game of U.S.-Iranian relations," he said.

An intelligence official sympathetic to the view that it is a matter of Iranian policy to cooperate with Al Qaeda disputed the CIA and State Department view that the Quds Force is operating as a rogue force. "It is just impossible to believe that what the Quds Force does with Al Qaeda does not represent a decision of the government," the official, who asked not to be identified, said. "It's a bit like saying the directorate of operations for the CIA is not really carrying out U.S. policy."

Add a Comment

topics: Iran, Pakistan

The Case for the Death Penalty

Posted by W. James Antle, III on 7.18.07 @ 3:48PM

As a pro-lifer who also has some libertarian sympathies, I'm frequently tempted to reconsider my support for capital punishment. And then I read something like this.

Add a Comment

topics: Law

Gerson and Giuliani, Round Two

Posted by W. James Antle, III on 7.18.07 @ 3:34PM

John Podhoretz had a different reaction to Michael Gerson's column than I did. I think most of his criticisms are fair. Gerson does conflate economic and social liberalism without looking at Giuliani's actual economic record. And since when was Gerson such a foe of big-government conservatism anway? When its face is Nixonian rather than compassionate?

But Podhoretz leaves untouched what I took to be Gerson's main point: a willingness to stick one's thumb in the eyes of the cultural left isn't the same thing as serious social conservatism, and social conservatives who support Giuliani because the ACLU doesn't like him ought to realize this fact.

Add a Comment

topics: Conservatism

Do We Really Need To Explain This?

Posted by John Tabin on 7.18.07 @ 3:26PM

Even if they have a philosophical libertarianism in common, a committed anti-Communist who called for rollback rather than containment has a very different role in Republican politics than someone whose support is animated almost entirely by an approach to radical Islamism that can be most charitably described as strategic retreat. I'd expect Justin Raimondo to be this dumb (fun fact: Raimondo's hero, Murray Rothbard, was one of the only libertarians who endorsed LBJ in '64 on peacenik grounds), but I'm a little disappointed in Brian Doherty.

Add a Comment

topics: Islam, Libertarianism

Obama's Creeping Socialism

Posted by Philip Klein on 7.18.07 @ 3:08PM

Dana Goldstein at Tapped writes about Obama's speech to Planned Parenthood in which Obama argued for "'updating the social contract' with gender pay equity, paid maternal leave, and longer school hours that make it easier for mothers to work." This drew raves from Ezra Klein, who pointed out the similarities to the writings of Karen Kornbluh, who has become Obama's policy director. In an article she wrote for Democracy last fall, Kornbluh argued for a new social insurance program to meet the changing dynamic of modern American families, and said such a program "could be financed through a combination of a more progressive payroll tax (starting at a higher wage rate and not capped by income) and general revenue to reflect the fact that everyone in society, not just wage-earners, benefits from the work parents do raising the next generation of citizens."

It is mind-boggling that at a time when economically stagnant European governments facing high unemployment and unsustainable budgets are seeking ways to scale back the welfare state and loosen labor restrictions, people in the U.S. are calling for America to move toward those very policies.

This doesn't mean, however, that such ideas will not have any appeal. One of the points I make in my Obama article in our July/August issue is that an Obama presidency would be a much bigger threat to small government conservatism  than a second Clinton presidency, because Obama will be a more charismatic and effective salesperson for progressive ideas than Hillary Clinton will. And whereas Clinton, like her husband, will be perfectly happy to stray from liberalism if it helps her stay in power, I think Obama is much more principled, and therefore more likely to consistently fight for liberal policies no matter what the polls say.

Add a Comment

topics: Hillary Clinton, Conservatism

Media Myths and Misses

Posted by Quin Hillyer on 7.18.07 @ 2:06PM

Our friend Lorie Byrd has launched a new website aimed at keeping the media honest. More power to her! Many congratulations to her for her work, and best wishes for its success.

Add a Comment

Rudy Makes Strides

Posted by Quin Hillyer on 7.18.07 @ 1:27PM

Objectively speaking (from a pure horse-race standpoint), Rudy Giuliani has been making some impressive strides this week. First came the Wow-inducing list of advisors for his on judicial matters that included Steve Calabresi, Ted Olson, Miguel Estrada and Larry Thompson. Now, just out, comes his list of Georgia regional chairs, including this one: Greater Atlanta Co-Chair Rusty Paul
Rusty Paul is the founder and CEO of Isquared Communications, a marketing, public relations, advertising and government relations firm. He is a past chairman of the Georgia GOP and a former Georgia state senator with more than 30-years of experience in Georgia politics.

For those in the know, Rusty Paul is a big "get." He has been a party power in Georgia for years. And he is a major economic conservative, having been in tight with Jack Kemp at one point. In my own (few) dealings with him, I have found him to be a very good guy, very approachable.

Add a Comment

topics: NATO

Legal Roll

Posted by W. James Antle, III on 7.18.07 @ 12:40PM

Is that a new lobster roll at Legal Seafood?

Add a Comment

Legal Day #2 for Rudy Team

Posted by Jennifer Rubin on 7.18.07 @ 11:31AM

Add a Comment

topics: Law

Scientist Challenges

Posted by Shawn Macomber on 7.18.07 @ 11:23AM

From Discovery Channel:

Associate Professor Cynthia Mitchell, of the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), said the world's deposits of phosphorus are due to run out in about 50 years. She believes recycling the 132 gallons (500 liters) of urine each person produces a year is the solution.

***
But Mitchell blames a 'poo taboo' for the failure of governments to move on the issue of recycling urine.

I think this might have been what Metallica's James Hetfield might have been getting at post-Live Earth:

"I really avoided the press around the Live Earth day. I didn't quite agree with what was going on there...I really believe that humans will survive. I have a lot of faith in mankind that we will overcome and adapt - whatever it is; whether it's man-made or God-made, or Earth/Mother Nature - we have a lot of smart people on this planet that will make something good out of bad."

Or at least make some good out of 'bad' urine...if the poo taboo can be overcome. Godspeed, brave scientist!

Add a Comment

Legal and Social Conservatives

Posted by Jennifer Rubin on 7.18.07 @ 10:36AM

James, you and Michael Gerson have touched on the tension between social and legal conservatives. In broad strokes these groups are after different things which sometimes coincide and sometimes not. Social conservatives want an outcome certain, such as reversal of Roe. Legal conservatives want to get away from judges who seek policy objectives and re-establish the normative rule that judges judge and legislators legislate. We saw the conflict between the two with Harriet Miers. Many social conservatives were, at least initially, willing to give her a shot on the theory she would "get it right" on abortion and other issues. Legal conservatives were horrified and became more so when President Bush offered assurance she would in essence be loyal to his views. In the end, an excellent jurist, Alito, satisfied both groups. Legal conservatives will argue that at the end of the day social conservatives' goals are best served by re-instating the separation between law making and judging and sending social policy back to the representative branch where social conservatives have been remarkably successful in making their case to the voters.

Add a Comment

topics: Abortion, Law

A Gerson Column I (Mostly) Agree With

Posted by W. James Antle, III on 7.18.07 @ 9:41AM

In today's Washington Post, Michael Gerson does a good job outlining why Rudy Giuliani's culture-war overtures to the right don't constitute social conservatism in any meaningful sense. It ought to give thoughtful social conservatives pause. Though I think it would have been fair to acknowledge that Mayor Giuliani's economic record in New York City was more conservative than "Nixonian."

It's also worth noting that social conservatives voted for Richard Nixon.

Add a Comment

topics: Conservatism

C-SPAN Chappelle

Posted by W. James Antle, III on 7.18.07 @ 9:21AM

Did Dave Chappelle attend the Senate slumber party last night? Maybe that's why he's so tired.

Add a Comment

Superman

Posted by Amy M. on 7.17.07 @ 9:24PM

If you haven't been reading Michael Yon's dispatches from Iraq, you should be.

Check out his latest here.

1 Comment | Add a Comment

topics: Iraq

Re: News Flash, Hillary White

Posted by Lawrence Henry on 7.17.07 @ 6:59PM

Phil, Dan Jenkins wrote about the time he submitted the wire lead, "Arnold Palmer won the Masters Sunday on greens slicker than Sam Snead's head." Editor's task? Insert "champion golfer" in just such a way as to destroy the rhythm.

Add a Comment

RE: Rudy and Roe

Posted by W. James Antle, III on 7.17.07 @ 6:53PM

Giuliani's all-star judicial team is quite a coup and will indeed help him reassure many conservatives. But I think the team also illustrates the limits of the judicial strategy in reaching out to social conservatives.

While it would be nice if the electorate was dominated by principled originalists, we're kidding ourselves if we don't acknowledge that many voters hear "conservative judges" as code words for their policy preferences on abortion, affirmative action, religion in the public square, and crime. To the extent that Giuliani's legal team has to explicitly disavow any necessary inclination to reach those desired policy outcomes, the benefit of the judges issue might be mitigated.

There are, as Phil notes, strong political and strategic reasons to not be too emphatic about one's opposition to Roe during the presidential campaign. But past Republican presidential candidates have been able to get away with avoiding litmus tests because they were seen as broadly sympathetic to pro-lifers and thus inclined to appoint anti-Roe judges on that basis. It will be harder for Giuliani to appeal to these voters by promising to appoint conservative judges who may or may not uphold Roe, especially when judges nominated by presidents to his right on abortion have disappointed.

Take Charles Fried, for example. As solicitor general under President Reagan, Fried defended his boss's position that Roe should be overturned. President George H.W. Bush called Fried back to argue for the reversal of Roe in 1989's Webster v. Reproductive Health Services. But Fried is personally pro-choice and emphasized his support for legal abortion to skeptical Democrats when he was nominated to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.

People who like conservative judges because they prefer a stricter construction of the Constitution would have good reason to be pleased if President Giuliani nominated Fried to the U.S. Supreme Court. People who like conservative judges because they are pro-life would have good reason to ask serious questions about where Fried would actually come down on the cases that matter most to them.

Add a Comment

topics: Religion, Abortion, Constitution, Supreme Court

Rudy and Roe

Posted by Philip Klein on 7.17.07 @ 5:23PM

I attended the Giuliani campaign press conference announcing his judicial team. Ted Olson presided with Miguel Estrada and Steven Calabresi chiming in, among other members. One notable point came when a reporter asked whether they were going to try to talk Giuliani into taking a harder line in opposition to Roe v. Wade. In response, Olson, Estrada and Calabresi emphasized that they didn't think it would be appropriate for a president to have a litmus test on a single case. What is important is appointing judges who have the correct judicial philosophy, and who believe in interpreting the law rather than rewriting it. Estrada said, "I cannot imagine that there is anyone running for president on the Republican ticket, including the most vociferous enemy of Roe v. Wade, who could on a principled basis say that they would pick somebody for the Supreme Court on the basis of that or any other issue." Calabresi concurred, pointing out that 6 of the 9 Supreme Court justices will be over 70 when the next president takes over. "I believe that [Giuliani] will in fact appoint judges who will interpret the law and not make it, and I don't expect him to, and don't think it would be appropriate to impose a litmus test."

I'd also add that even though conservatives would prefer for Giuliani to come out and emphatically say that Roe was wrongly decided and should be overturned, and even though they squirm when he suggests that a strict constructionist could theoretically vote to uphold it by determining it has become precedent, if he changed his rhetoric to please conservatives, it would make the judicial confirmation process a lot more difficult were he elected president, especially with Democrats in control of the Senate.

It's understandable that conservatives would want Giuliani to emphatically come out against Roe -- and perhaps be even more demanding than with other candidates -- given his support for abortion rights. Nothing that Giuliani says now could make up for the fact he is pro-choice. However, lining up an impressive list of conservative judicial advisors can help him make conservatives who may otherwise be inclined to support him, comfortable enough that he would appoint good judges, to look beyond his views on abortion. When it was just Olson out there defending him, people could chalk it up to the fact that they are old friends. But rolling out this team shows that the Olson endorsement was not an outlier.

Add a Comment

topics: Abortion, Law, Supreme Court

Onion Skewers

Posted by John Tabin on 7.17.07 @ 5:13PM

The John Edwards campaign, summed up. Plus, Jim Gilmore's campaign ends, and the man-on-the-street reacts.

Add a Comment

"Ron Paul Doesn't Speak for All of Us"

Posted by John Tabin on 7.17.07 @ 3:56PM

Randy Barnett explains that libertarians are divided on foreign policy.

Prof. Barnett will now receive a pile of idiotic email from people who think you aren't a "real" libertarian unless you agree with everything that Murray Rothbard ever wrote.

Add a Comment

topics: Foreign Policy

Geography Test

Posted by John Tabin on 7.17.07 @ 3:29PM

What's wrong with this passage?

The shoes' original home was Boulder, Colo. The early Crocs customer was probably a Pacific Northwesterner who liked to boat or garden-this was a niche shoe, after all. He or she was drawn in by the "no slip" grip on the sole, by the aerating holes, and by the featherweight heft of the thing (a pair weighs a mere 6 ounces). The clunky look was not a drawback (this is the region, after all, that brought us grunge), and many customers were pleased that the shoe was made of a proprietary nonplastic resin formula (known as Croslite)-it was, as one testified, "vegan." Because the material is soft, bacteria-resistant, and has a strangely "natural" feel, the Croc fits in with the Northwest's typically green and mildly counterculture ethos.

Add a Comment

What would a Rudy Supreme Court Look Like?

Posted by Jennifer Rubin on 7.17.07 @ 2:32PM

Ted Olson, former Solicitor General of the United States

Miguel Estrada, former Assistant to the Solicitor General of the United States

Steven Calabresi, Co-Founder of the Federalist Society

Larry Thompson, former Deputy Attorney General of the United States

Charles Fried, former Solicitor General of the United States

Add a Comment

News Flash: Hillary Clinton is White

Posted by Philip Klein on 7.17.07 @ 12:46PM

As a former wire service reporter, I know that wire service editors often force their reporters to explicate the most obvious of details, keeping an international audience in mind. The results can be comical. When I worked at Reuters, a colleague of mine wrote a story that referenced Halloween, and she had to add something along the lines of, "a holiday in which costumed children go door to door to ask for treats."

With that in mind, my heart went out to the writer of this AP story:

Add a Comment

topics: Barack Obama, NATO

Romney and Kerry Not Oceans Apart

Posted by W. James Antle, III on 7.17.07 @ 12:19PM

Memo to Mitt Romney: When John Kerry is calling you a flip-flopper, there is a problem. Though I don't think it is accurate to assert, as Kerry does, that Romney flipped on the war or marriage. Romney has occasionally vacilated on some details about the war's prosecution and has changed his emphasis on same-sex marriage, but has always supported the former and opposed the latter.

Add a Comment

McCain Was Never The Frontrunner

Posted by Philip Klein on 7.17.07 @ 11:52AM

I explain why over at the Politico.

Add a Comment

Bauer on Rudy

Posted by Philip Klein on 7.17.07 @ 11:50AM

I caught up with Gary Bauer this morning at the Christians United for Israel summit here in D.C. and asked him whether he thought Rudy Giuliani could use his strong record of support for Israel as a way to reach out to evangelicals who may otherwise be disinclined to support him because of his views on social issues. In his warmly received speech at Pat Robertson's Regent, for instance, Giuliani talked about how the world had been romanticizing Arafat in the 1990s. Here was what Bauer had to say:

Add a Comment

topics: Foreign Policy, Military, Israel

Edwards the Integrator

Posted by Shawn Macomber on 7.17.07 @ 11:14AM

Jim--Excellent point! I detailed some similar rhetoric last year in this piece. Here's the relevent bit:

"If we believe [in equality], when are we going to start living together?" Edwards demanded of the gathered upper middle class whites whose interaction with people of both color and lesser means in this city is almost entirely facilitated by cable television. A cheekier skeptic might have shouted, "Who? Presidents and mill workers?" but instead the question lingered in the air, unanswered, awaiting the explication it soon received.

"A flood of whites move out to the suburbs, send their kids to private schools," he continued. "Or they move into the richest areas of town. This is so unhealthy. It is unhealthy for our democracy. It is unhealthy for our country."

It's a fascinating argument from someone who bought a 100-acre plot in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, last year, which he has presumably not adapted into a refugee camp for the Other Americans.

Add a Comment

topics: Television

Edwards: A Throwback for the Future

Posted by W. James Antle, III on 7.17.07 @ 10:19AM

As polarizing as Hillary is, I've long felt that the weakest nominee the Democrats could put up is John Edwards. That's because the current version of Edwards, in his new post-DLC, progressive guise, supports the kind of policies that led liberalism to fall into disrepute in the first place.

The subtext of his "Two Americas" shtick has always been redistributionism and a return to welfare as we knew it before the mid-1990s. Now among his ideas for diversifying inner-city schools, as described in a Politico story, is something that sounds awfully close to forced busing. The rest of it is reminiscent of the well meaning but ineffectual nostrums of the Great Society. I'm not sure the country has moved that far to the left.

Add a Comment

Culture Wars

Posted by Jennifer Rubin on 7.17.07 @ 8:03AM

Add a Comment

topics: Abortion, Hollywood

Oceans 11

Posted by W. James Antle, III on 7.16.07 @ 6:49PM

Chris Cillizza's take on metaphor-happy Mitt Romney.

Add a Comment

Tancredo's Minority Outreach

Posted by W. James Antle, III on 7.16.07 @ 6:03PM

I have often criticized Tom Tancredo's presidential campaign, so I should take note when he apparently does something right. Surprisingly, his appearance at the NAACP convention was well received. This was partly because African-Americans are acutely concerned about illegal immigration, and partly because he was the only Republican to actually show up.

Add a Comment

topics: Africa, Immigration

Kristol Backs Bush

Posted by Quin Hillyer on 7.16.07 @ 4:25PM

Again and again for the past ten months or so, I have written columns and blog posts saying that if conservatives are actually adults, we will not write off President Bush but instead find those issues where he has indeed held the conservative line and, on those issues, rally around the president and try to help him make his presidency successful. I have also said that this presidency is not dead yet, that it can still be a success. Now the eminent Bill Kristol has written much the same thing, more concisely than I ever did. Kristol has never hidden his disagreements with Bush. At times he has been pretty scathing. His defense of Bush, therefore, merits even more attention. I believe Kristol is right.

Add a Comment

Poor Huckabee

Posted by Philip Klein on 7.16.07 @ 3:55PM

Dave Weigel cites a list of second-quarter fundraising numbers and speculates that the paltry $763,000 raised by Mike Huckabee means he may drop out in September if he has a week showing in the Ames straw poll. I'd like to add that for all of the rave reviews Huckabee received from pundits following the three Republican debates, none of it has translated into either fundraising or movement in the polls. That says to me that either there is a severe disconnect between what pundits think will appeal to grassroots conservatives and what actual grassroots conservatives find appealing, or that most Americans have better things to do with their time right now than watch presidential debates. So, candidates looking to gain support by making a big splash at the debates may have to keep looking.

Add a Comment

Livingston on Vitter

Posted by Quin Hillyer on 7.16.07 @ 2:54PM

In a candid, thoughtful, and lengthy interview, former Rep. Bob Livingston comments on the Vitter/"DC Madam" scandal and how it differs from his own problem that came to light in 1998. Agree wtih Livingston (my former boss) or not, any observer will see Livingston's essential decency shine through. This interview clip, by the way, comes courtesy of the Capitol Hill Broadcasting Network, an innovative site run by Livingston's son David.

Add a Comment

Obama Should Just Say No To Clinton

Posted by Philip Klein on 7.16.07 @ 1:18PM

Anna Quindlen proposes that if Hillary Clinton wins the Democratic nomination she should tap Barack Obama as her running mate to create "the first real 21st-century ticket." While there are plenty of reasons why Hillary would want to choose Obama, it would be a huge mistake for Obama to accept such an offer. The best thing that Obama has going for him is that he offers a "new kind of politics," that he's an honest, decent, person who wants to change the tone in Washington. From the moment he becomes Clinton's running mate, Obama would be associated with all of the Clinton family's corruption, a party to the dirty campaign they will no doubt wage, and if the ticket wins, he'll be tainted by whatever scandals emerge from a second Clinton presidency. The Clintons have a history of using people for as long as they serve their purpose, and then kicking them to the curb. Al Gore ended up losing in 2000, in part, because Bush promised to restore diginity to the White House--while Gore was a partner with the occupant of the White House. If he loses the nomination, Obama would be better off maintaining his image, and going back to the Senate to gain more experience. If Hillary doesn't win in November, he can run again in 2012 as the likely frontrunner, and if she wins, he can wait until 2016--and he'd still only be 55.

Add a Comment

topics: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton

Breaking Up With a Movie Isn't So Hard to Do

Posted by Shawn Macomber on 7.16.07 @ 12:56PM

One of the most interesting conservative writers around, Michael Brendan Dougherty, takes a few moments away from his American Conservative day job to renounce his fizzled love affair with the film Magnolia:

It's really not "mind-blowing" or "amazing." Everyone drops the f-bomb as frequently as the screenwriter/director. The film emphatically does not deliver on the expectations set by it's incredible opening. It embraces the failure by covering the whole of downtown L.A. in frogs. And I'm supposed to be satisfied with one tear streaked smile at the end?

More here. Lord, I'd be lying if I said I didn't love the frogs and some other aspects of this movie, but Dougherty is right: There's a whole lot of promise in the premise scuttled in favor of a ridiculously large ensemble cast. Somebody at the studio should've clipped Anderson's wings a bit and told him he had great material for three or four dramas that equaled a convoluted mess when press into one.

Add a Comment

As Ohio Goes

Posted by W. James Antle, III on 7.16.07 @ 12:28PM

GOP pollster Frank Luntz has some advice for the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, as well as some predictions concerning the party's prospects for victory: "Yes, it could happen. No, don't count on it."

Add a Comment

Richardson, Fiscal Conservative--Not!

Posted by David Hogberg on 7.16.07 @ 11:38AM

Paul Gessing takes a look at Governor Bill Richardson's claim to be a fiscal conservative and find its wanting (WSJ--subscription required). His profilgate spending has included this boondoggle:

Mr. Richardson also likes trains. One of his pet projects is the Rail Runner, a commuter train that connects the northern and southern suburbs of Albuquerque and has been beset with financial problems, although its full length has yet to be completed. An anticipated $75 million in federal financing for the project has fallen through, so state residents will have to foot the entire bill.

To complete the project, 20 miles of track will need to be run through the desert to Santa Fe at a total cost of about $400 million (not a small sum in this state). This for a train that will take an hour and 20 minutes to complete a trip that takes just one hour by car.

Usually, commuter rail is built to take automobiles off of the roads during rush hour. But Santa Fe is a city with just 70,000 residents, and some people wonder: How many cars can this train really replace? While there are isolated pockets of congestion, the problem in New Mexico isn't too many cars but too few overpasses and too many stoplights.

Add a Comment

RE: McCain Still Matters

Posted by W. James Antle, III on 7.16.07 @ 11:08AM

Jennifer, it is nevertheless a pretty good indicator of how far McCain has fallen that he has gone from being described as the frontrunner to being described as someone who may arguably still matter. It is better to be able to beat the other candidates than to keep them honest in the debates.

Add a Comment

McCain Still Matters

Posted by Jennifer Rubin on 7.16.07 @ 10:51AM

Add a Comment

topics: Iraq, Oil

Rudy's Judicial Team

Posted by Philip Klein on 7.16.07 @ 10:19AM

The Giuliani campaign is set unveil its "Justice Advisory Committee." In addition to Ted Olson, who is chairing the committee and has already endorsed Giuliani, it will include former Bush administration deputy attorney general Larry Thompson and Miguel Estrada, who would be on the U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C. today were it not for Democratic filibustering. The Estrada endorsement is especially helpful, as CBN's David Brody puts it:

Add a Comment

topics: Law

Hungry Yet? Only 400 Hours Left 'Till Dinner...

Posted by Shawn Macomber on 7.16.07 @ 9:56AM

I've been planning on writing something about Mall of America's upcoming 15th anniversary, so I asked the Mall's publicity department to keep me abreast of what's happening over there. Today I recieved an email entitled "Construction on Castle of Spam Begins TODAY at MOA." A bit of the text from "Recipe for 10,000 pound Castle of SPAM":

Prep time: 400 hours

Cooking time: 1200 construction hours

Cooking temp: 72 F

Ingredients:

2,817 cans of SPAM^® Classic

2,054 cans of SPAM^® Hickory Smoked

1,620 cans of SPAM^® Hot and Spicy

1,088 cans of SPAM^® Golden Honey Grail

4,282 cans of SPAM^® Oven Roasted Turkey

104 cans of SPAM^® with Bacon

536 cans of SPAM ^® with Cheese

780 cans of SPAM^® Lite

700 additional SPAM^® lids

Add a Comment

Ohio and Michigan Jump the Line

Posted by Jennifer Rubin on 7.16.07 @ 5:48AM

Add a Comment

Phil Clubs Scotland

Posted by Reid Collins on 7.15.07 @ 4:25PM

Mickelson must be using an al Qaeda driver.

Add a Comment

topics: Sports

The McCainiac: A Species Going Extinct

Posted by John Tabin on 7.15.07 @ 3:43PM

There's lots to chew over in Bill Kristol's case for optimism about the Bush legacy, but I was struck by this line:

A little mutual assured destruction between the Bush administration and Congress could leave the Republican nominee, who will most likely have no affiliation with either, in decent shape. [Emphasis added]

Add a Comment

topics: John McCain

Iowahawk for President

Posted by John Tabin on 7.15.07 @ 2:11PM

The ever-hilarious blogger Dave "Iowahawk" Burge has thrown his hat in the ring. The campaign, he writes, "continues to gain momentum - building up a fearsome head of downhill steam, packing enough potential energy to crush other fringe vote candidates like Mike Gravel, Ron Paul and John McCain."

Add a Comment

topics: Energy