Bible Out of ContextRandom Quotes from the Bible
1The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock. 4And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. KJV: 1 Peter 5:1-4
1Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; 3nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. 4And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. NASB: 1 Peter 5:1-4
1To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers - not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. NIV: 1 Peter 5:1-4
...Random blessings from the Word of God...
Put His Word in the context of your life!
www.Christ.com
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Forgiven and Set Free: A Post-Abortion Bible Study for Women (Paperback) by Linda Cochrane
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Index of Watchtower Errors: 1879 To 1989 (Paperback) by David A. Reed, Steve Huntoon, John Cornell
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Bible Out of ContextRandom Quotes from the Bible
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. KJV: John 6:35
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. NASB: John 6:35
Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. NIV: John 6:35
...Random blessings from the Word of God...
Put His Word in the context of your life!
www.Christ.com
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Darwin on Trial (Paperback) by Phillip E. Johnson
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The New Hiscox Guide for Baptist Churches (Hardcover) by Everett C. Goodwin, Edward T. Hiscox
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Bible Out of ContextRandom Quotes from the Bible
1The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock. 4And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. KJV: 1 Peter 5:1-4
1Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; 3nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. 4And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. NASB: 1 Peter 5:1-4
1To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers - not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. NIV: 1 Peter 5:1-4
...Random blessings from the Word of God...
Put His Word in the context of your life!
www.Christ.com
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John Wesley's Theology: A Collection from His Works (Paperback) by Robert W. Burtner (Editor), Robert E. Chiles (Editor)
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The Oxford Book of Carols: Music edition (Paperback) by Percy Dearmer, R. Vaughan Williams, Martin Shaw
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Bible Out of ContextRandom Quotes from the Bible
He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth. KJV: Proverbs 10:17
He is on the path of life who heeds instruction, But he who ignores reproof goes astray. NASB: Proverbs 10:17
He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray. NIV: Proverbs 10:17
...Random blessings from the Word of God...
Put His Word in the context of your life!
www.Christ.com
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Turning Around the Mainline: How Renewal Movements Are Changing the Church (Paperback) by Thomas C. Oden
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The Gnostic Empire Strikes Back: An Old Heresy for the New Age (Paperback) by Peter Jones
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Bible Out of ContextRandom Quotes from the Bible
3Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 4But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. KJV: 1 Peter 3:3-4
3Your adornment must not be merely external--braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; 4but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. NASB: 1 Peter 3:3-4
3Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. 4Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. NIV: 1 Peter 3:3-4
...Random blessings from the Word of God...
Put His Word in the context of your life!
www.Christ.com
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Hymns & Spirituals for Fingerstyle Guitar (Paperback) by Mark Hanson
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Chosen but Free: A Balanced View of Divine Election (Paperback) by Norman L. Geisler
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National Review: Corner
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| The Corner | Give Me Compromise Or Give Me Death
Yesterday, Matthew Yglesias discussed his 'mixed feelings' on the occasion of America's 232nd birthday:
Ultimately, I think the United States is a pretty awesome country but it very plausibly would have been even awesomer had English and American political leaders in the late 18th century been farsighted enough to find compromises that would have held the empire together.
Krugman on Wesley Clark
Paul Krugman used to be interesting on economics, but he brings no knowledge or insight to politics, so I generally skip his column. Reading yesterday's bit about the 'fake scandal' about Wesley Clark confirmed the wisdom of my rule. Krugman writes that Clark's comments were 'lifted out of context and willfully misinterpreted.' 'What General Clark actually said was that Mr. McCain's war service, though heroic, didn't necessarily constitute a qualification for the presidency. It was a blunt but truthful remark, and not at all outrageous.'
If all that Clark had said was that McCain's being a war hero does not, by itself, give anyone a reason to vote for him, then it would have been a perfectly reasonable remark. But Clark did a lot more than that. He said that McCain's leadership of a squadron didn't matter because he didn't lead it in wartime, and he tossed in a bitchily dismissive remark about McCain's having been shot down. Taking offense at that is enough for Krugman to call McCain and his associates the worst thing he can think of: acolytes of Karl Rove. But the only distortion going on here is that committed by Krugman himself.
Liberal Open-Mindedness
is vastly overrated.
NYTimes & Obama: Which Is It?
My buddy TigerHawk has some insightful fun laying out the possible reasons why the Gray Lady is in a snit (at least for public consumption) over Obama's flip-flops:
Well, in what is obviously a gust-busting turn, the editors of the New York Times are beginning to worry that they are the rubes. In this morning's lead editorial ('New and Not Improved'), they detail and denounce many of Obama's post-Hillary pivots to the center. As their irritation builds, I'm thinking that there are only three positions that could explain this editorial. First, that the editors genuinely believe that Obama could win the general election with his primary season policy ideas. It is believable that they think this because they live inside a Manhattan cocoon, but silly. Second, that the editors would rather that Obama lose than compromise his principles. This seems unlikely in the cold light of a November morning, however satisfying it might feel to spew such romantic drivel on the Fourth of July. Or, third, the editors know that Obama's pivots will be much more believable to the swing voters if the Times denounces them. This theory holds that the editors are pretending to be outraged so as to further deceive the rubes who prefer the Flop to the Flip.
I've spent a lot of time in the cocoon recently, so I am going with Choice One. (Having watched the Times during the Clinton years, I discount the possibility of Choice Two. I'd have much more respect for the Times if I thought Choice Three was likely, but no one that shrewd would run the drivel the Times runs every day yet wonder why readership is plummeting. Yeah, definitely Choice One.)
Good Girl Role Models, Good for Boys, Too
I love this e-mail, from a dad: I was interested in your 'Good Girl Role Model' discussion. I have no daughters, I am the father of a 12 year old boy, but the topic does concern me. Looking towards the time, in not so many years, when my son will be looking for someone to spend his life with, I read the discussion yesterday with great interest.
As background my son is 5' 10' and 150 pounds, a baseball and a basketball player of some skill; and he has become of great interest to the girls in our neighborhood this summer. I have commented many times to friends recently that little girls are much more aggressive than I remember at 12. My son is still more interested on sports and his PS3, but I am expecting that to change at any moment. God help me :-).
He and I have had several discussions recently about the opposite sex and what is considered appropriate in our family, ( I won't go into details, but we are Evangelical Christians who believe in waiting until marriage to have sex. Pretty radical huh?) and how he should think of sex in the context of finding someone he wants to be in a long term committed relationship with. I didn't expect to be having this type of conversation with him at 12, but the society we live in demands a proactive and early inoculation/preparation
In light of these conversation, after reading the article on Agata Mroz, I had my son read it as well. After he finished reading the article I asked him what he thought. I didn't get the typical (almost) teenager response; He said ' Well, it's real sad about the cancer, but she seemed happy to be a mom' I reminded him of our conversation about girls and he said, ' She (Agata) seems like the kind of girl we were talking about' I told him yes and left it at that.
I appreciate your providing me with a sad, but strong example As a parent I'll take my lessons any way I can get them.
I thought you might be interested in the issue from the other side of the aisle,so to speak.
Another Good Girl Role Model
An e-mail: Thank you for sharing the article about Agata Mroz. She is an excellent role model.Frances Koons is our role model. She is optimistic, hard-working, pleasant in the face of adversity, and humble, and pious. She just finished running in the semifinals of the women's 1500m Olympic Trials in Eugene. She didn't make it to the finals, but she did reach a lot of goals this year, including beating kidney cancer, diagnosed just over a year ago. Her diagnosis came just weeks before her older brother started serving in Iraq. She used his service and sacrifice as inspiration to stay positive, and get well.
re: Civics
A totally crazy Saturday-morning thought: Wouldn't George W. Bush make an awesome high-school government teacher? Wouldn't it be something if his post-presidential life would up being that kind of post-service service? How's that for a model? Who needs Harvard visiting chairs and high-end lectures? How about Crawford High? (Or wherever?) Reach out and touch the young before they are jaded, or break them of the cynicism pop culture and possibly their parents have passed down to them. Whatever you think of President Bush, he's a likable guy in love with his country with some history and experience to share.
Like I said, crazy. Saturday. Have a good one.
Fourth of July Deaths
This one, from 1596: Blessed Henry Abbot, who was martyred in York, England, for daring to explain the Catholic faith to a minister pretending to want him to (who turned him in for doing so). He was among four condemned, Abbot's execution saved for July 4, 1597. There are so many reminders of how precious freedom is and how devoted we must be to its protection, but those July 4th ones do have a way of making a special impression.
I understand the frustration with George W. Bush's insistence that we can bring all our freedoms to parts of the world who don't seem to want it -- I share it. But I also get where he's coming from, and it's not a bad thing to encourage, at least on a civics level. What's more precious? What's a greater gift, other than life itself, which is innately tied to freedom? (If our parents don't protect our freedom to live, there is no life....)
Good-Answer Man
Here's are some of Jay's answers to our summer questions:
Is there one book that you'd recommend to uplift and inspire depressed conservatives this summer?
I should probably say the Bible. In fact . . . maybe I will.
What's your favorite WFB book and why?
Don't have a favorite -- have many. Probably my favorite novel: Stained Glass. Maybe my favorite collection: Right Reason. (But it could be that that just hit me at the right time.) I'm amazed at The Unmaking of a Mayor. This is probably the most dazzling book about American politics I know.
And umpteen other books are dazzlers, too.
Why do I love these books, or all WFB books? For the same reasons one loves him.
What's your favorite political movie and why?
Would On the Waterfront qualify? Would The Lives of Others? They share a great theme: standing up to the bully.
Mention Casablanca?
If you could read or reread one classic this summer, what would it be? What are the odds you actually do?
The Odyssey or Hamlet. Zero.
Is there any recent book that's made you want to buy copies for everyone you know and love? Did you actually make the purchases?
Every once in a while, you read a book that you want to thrust into the hands of every person. You want to say, "See? See?" World War IV: The Long Struggle Against Islamofascism (N. Podhoretz) is such a book for me. I have bought it for people, yes.
More lightheartedly -- Miguel Street, an early Naipaul, is a treat. Just to hear the language of the Trinidadian street (c. WW2) is wonderful. Also, the short stories of R. K. Narayan -- an early inspiration for Naipaul.
...
Name one book we're going to be shocked you read.
This isn't especially a shocker, but, when it came out -- in 1985 -- I read Brooke Shields's autobiography. Liked it.Brookhiser, Skelly, Charen, D'Souza, Hemingway, and more here.
Racing Every Which Way
Obama goes NASCAR.
SEALed with a Click
FNC:
A little-known tribute some Navy SEALs gave to a fallen comrade is gaining notice.
Petty Officer Michael A. Monsoor was killed in battle in Iraq in September 2006, and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in April.
His funeral in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego was attended by "nearly every SEAL on the West Coast," President Bush said.
During the service, as Monsoor's coffin was taken from the hearse to the gravesite, Navy SEALs lined up in two columns. As the coffin passed, video shows each SEAL slapping down the gold Trident from his uniform and deeply embedding it in Monsoor's wooden coffin.
The slaps were reportedly heard across the cemetery.
The symbolic display moved many, included Bush, who during his speech in April's Medal of Honor ceremony spoke about the incident.
'The procession went on nearly half an hour,' Bush said. 'And when it was all over, the simple wooden coffin had become a gold-plated memorial to a hero who will never be forgotten."
Glick on Iran
From her NRO interview: Lopez: You recently wrote, "Today the Gaza strip is a terror state run by an Iranian proxy." What can be done?
Glick: Iran's proxy -- Hamas -- must be defeated militarily. Israel must overthrow its regime in Gaza by force of arms. And Israel mustn't agree to simply replace Hamas with Fatah.
Fatah is an unacceptable alternative to Hamas for two main reasons. First of all, Fatah refuses to fight Hamas and is far less popular than Hamas among Gazans, so transferring control over Gaza to Fatah would simply permit Hamas to regenerate and reassert control. Second, Fatah itself is a terrorist organization. Even today with Hamas in power in Gaza, Fatah terrorists continue to attack Israel with missiles from Gaza. Indeed, it bears recalling that until its government was overthrown by Hamas in June 2007, Fatah smuggled more Iranian weapons into Gaza from Egypt than Hamas did.
Of Course We're Gonna Win, But...
At what cost? Caroline Glick is one of the smartest people around, and she's got a lot to say in this interview. Bottom line:...there is no doubt that the war will end in a US victory. For the US then it is not victory but the cost of victory that hangs in the balance.
In Israel's case, prospects are less clear. If Israel doesn't move to elections and responsible leaders do not take over soon, the road to the medium and long term could be rather deadly... democracies are always slow to act. But once we do, our enemies are no match for us. The trick today is that our actions mustn't come too slowly.
Just so. And don't forget her book, Shackled Warrior. There's a reason it's doing so well.
Helms on Helms
From that 2005 Nordlinger interview:
In some quarters, you are considered anti-black. What do you say?
Of course I am not anti-black, and any number of African-American friends and Capitol Hill staffers who have known me over the years would be happy to set that record straight. I have always been opposed to violence from any quarter; to unconstitutional quotas; and to politicians who try to rob people of their ability to dream their own dreams and reach their own goals through their own efforts by selling them the lie that they can't succeed without the government running their lives. I have always believed that the American Dream is the birthright of every American and that the free-enterprise system is the route to secure that dream.
....
What do you regard as your greatest senatorial achievement?
This is not a question I can answer. History will handle it. I can tell you that my wife thinks that one of the most important changes we helped bring about was to make roll-call votes a routine. When senators had a voting record that the voters back home could examine, they could no longer talk one way during the campaign and vote another in Washington. Those voting records helped send a lot of liberals into early retirement.
You were known as "Senator No"--what did you think of that nickname?
I was tempted to send a thank-you note to the newspaper that first called me by that name. I enjoyed being known as Senator No because it summed up my purpose in helping to stop a lot of bad government policies and proposed laws.
Do you feel the War on Terror is as tough a challenge as the Cold War?
The War on Terror is every bit as tough a challenge as the Cold War, probably more so because those who oppose us are ideologues who are not interested in our defeat so much as they are our demise. But, as I said earlier, that does not mean this war is any the less winnable. We will win if we do not give in to those who would try to appease the enemy.
AP on Helms
'Jesse Helms: a polarizer, not a compromiser'
The President Remembers Helms
Laura and I are deeply saddened by the passing of our good friend and a great American: Senator Jesse Helms. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Dot, and all the members of the Helms family.
Throughout his long public career, Senator Jesse Helms was a tireless advocate for the people of North Carolina, a stalwart defender of limited government and free enterprise, a fearless defender of a culture of life, and an unwavering champion of those struggling for liberty. Under his leadership, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was a powerful force for freedom. And today, from Central America to Central Europe and beyond, people remember: in the dark days when the forces of tyranny seemed on the rise, Jesse Helms took their side.
Jesse Helms was a kind, decent, and humble man and a passionate defender of what he called "the Miracle of America." So it is fitting that this great patriot left us on the Fourth of July. He was once asked if he had any ambitions beyond the United States Senate. He replied: "The only thing I am running for is the Kingdom of Heaven." Today, Jesse Helms has finished the race, and we pray he finds comfort in the arms of the loving God he strove to serve throughout his life.
It should be noted that the president's chief speechwriter, the wonderful Marc Thiessen, was a longtime Helms aide. He did the senator historic justice.
Death of a Conservative Great
I wish the Helms family peace, and I thank Jesse Helms for helping to ensure the election of Ronald Reagan, being a warrior against the Soviet Union and for the release of Soviet Jews and other abused minorities, and being a voice for millions of unborn babies.
I have noticed some of the smears lobbed at William Buckley in other places since his death; Jesse Helms is in for even more of it. Other prominent conservatives will face the same. Unfortunately, such is the nature of these things now.
A Helms Portrait
John Hood: I think you can get a clearer picture of what made Helms unique -- and how he came to be respected by millions both inside and outside his home state, often to their surprise -- by considering the story of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's visit to the United States in 1975. Solzhenitsyn was a hero to Helms. After just one year of service in the Senate, Helms introduced a resolution to make Solzhenitsyn an honorary American citizen. It failed in the House. Then Helms helped to arrange a Washington visit for the exiled Soviet dissident the following year. At every turn, he faced obstruction by key figures in the Ford administration, led by secretary of state Henry Kissinger. When, thanks to the diligent work of Helms's staff, Solzhenitsyn was indeed brought to the country, Helms tried to set up a meeting for him with President Ford.
Not only was he rebuffed, but the State Department even forbade its employees to attend Solzhenitsyn's major speech (to the AFL-CIO). So what did the freshman senator from North Carolina do? He went to the floor of the Senate, called it a "sad day for our country," and accused Ford of "cowering timidity for fear of offending Communists." It was a public-relations disaster for the White House. Among the conservatives angered by the administration's parade of limp-noodle lickspittles was Ronald Reagan, who lambasted Ford in his newspaper column. Trying to rectify the situation, the White House approached Helms about a meeting with Solzhenitsyn, but refused to issue a written invitation for fear of supplying tangible evidence of caving in. Lacking such an invitation, Solzhenitsyn refused.
Jesse Helms
A January 11, 1995 Jesse Helms interview to the Middle East Quarterly.
America's Game
Today, major-league baseball players will wear special Fourth of July caps. Nice idea.
Dumping on Helms
The first sentence of the NYT obit:
Jesse Helms, the former North Carolina Senator whose courtly manner and mossy drawl barely masked a hard-edged conservatism that opposed civil rights, gay rights, foreign aid and modern art, died early Friday.
He 'opposed civil rights'? Uh, no. He opposed a particular vision of them.
A Good Girl Role Model
Continuing yesterday's thread a little... Agata Mroz:
a famed Polish volleyball champion, who died one month ago today at the age of 26.
The daughter of basketball and volleyball coaches, Agata became a superstar in her home country when she led the Polish national volleyball team to European championships in 2003 and 2005. When she wasn't competing in international competition, she was leading her Polish-league team to championships in 2003, 2004 and 2006 and guiding a Spanish-based team to victory in 2007. Once nicknamed the "great wall of China" for her excellence as a blocker, she had a knack for turning what seemed to be opponents' advantages into points for her side.
Her fame was magnified by her beauty, which helped to make the stunning six-foot-three-inch slender blonde a regular fixture in newspapers, magazines and on television. She was one of the principal reasons why the Polish women's volleyball team ended up being dubbed the "Golden Girls," a testimony not only to their fair hair and multiple gold medals in international competition, but to their marketing draw.
She was a very popular player among her teammates. One of them, Dorota Åšwieniewicz, said about her constant cheerfulness. "It was incredible seeing the joy she had with each point she won, her hands up in the air; this gesture was typical of Agata after a successful serve, block or attack and it will stick in my mind forever."
She also had a positive, mature influence on her coaches. Coach Andrzej Niemczyk recalled, "She was a wonderful, smiling and honest girl. During one of the camps in Szczyrk, I sat up late in a bar with a glass of whisky. It was way past midnight when I heard someone entering the bar. Agata sat next to me, took my arm and said 'Coach, you need some sleep because there are two training sessions tomorrow,' and she took me away from the bar. She took care of me."
When Agata was 17, she was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, a collection of disorders that prevent the bone marrow from producing sufficient blood cells. Some forms of MDS progress to leukemia, and Agata's did. In the prime of her sports career, Agata needed to take a sabbatical in 2007 to fight the disease. The first part of her treatment involved many blood transfusions. When her fans discovered that she needed blood, they formed a queue to be donors, giving 3,170 pints.
Her condition worsened as she was preparing to marry Jacek Olszewski on June 9, 2007, leaving her too ill to go on a honeymoon. Because of her illness, doctors cautioned her against getting pregnant, but she tried anyway. She was realistic about her slim prospects to beat the disease and, if she were going to die, she at least hoped to be able to give life.
She became pregnant soon after marrying. "The news about the child made me feel lucky again," she said in a February news interview. "I felt happy that I would know what it is to be a mother and that I would give my husband something good of myself."
A few weeks later, doctors discovered her cancer had progressed. They told her that she urgently needed a bone marrow transplant, but she opted to wait until after delivery to receive the transplant lest she imperil her child's life. She clearly knew the risk she was taking, but considered the reward worth the danger, putting her child's life above her own. She gave premature birth to a daughter, Lilliana, on April 4.
By the time of childbirth, her immune system was so compromised that her doctors did not allow her to hold Lilliana, except to touch her palms briefly before she was moved to another hospital in preparation for the transplant, which was done on May 21. The doctors said that it would take ten days to a month for the new bone marrow to begin to function properly. On Wednesday June 4, however, she caught an infection and despite her doctors' best efforts and her fighting spirit, they were not able to save her life.
Five days later, on what would have been the first anniversary of her marriage, she was buried from the Church where she had joyfully exchanged vows. Her funeral was preceded by two days of mourning in her native Tarnow. At the beginning of the Mass, which was attended by thousands, her husband Jacek rolled a stroller with a sleeping Lilliana to the front of the Church and placed an orange rose next to her remains.
In his homily, the celebrant of the Mass, Bishop Marian Florczyk, said that Agata's life is a witness of "love of life, motherhood, the desire to give life and the heroic love of an unborn child." He added that she had "passed into a different world, to a different team, to our primary Coach."
Agata Mroz learned the lessons of sports and applied them in life. Accustomed to giving all she had on the court, Agata indeed gave the best of herself to her husband and every last ounce of herself to her daughter. She learned that there were things more important than herself, and she valued Lilliana's life more than her own -- even before she was conceived.
Â
re: The Helms Ad
Roger: I just did an interview on Helms for a radio syndicate and the question of the ad came up, as I knew it would. Every obituary written by a liberal will mention it. But consider what the ad was about: racial preferences in hiring and college admissions. Liberals were (and are) for them. Helms was against them. He cut an emotional ad on the topic in a tight race against a black challenger. That was provocative, but it was hardly racist. In accusing Helms of racism over this ad, the Left is simply try to avoid a debate that it doesn't want to have. It would prefer to demonize those who disagree with its politically correct pieties. The alternative is making an argument as to why people should be judged by the color of their skin rather than the content of their character.
The Jesse Helms "Racial Quota" Ad
Predictably, liberal obituaries will mention prominently the famous--the Left says infamous--TV ad that Jesse Helms used to defeat Harvey Gantt in 1990. Here's an example already, which also allows you to view the ad.
Sorry, but the ad looked perfectly legit to me then, and still does. It's become accepted in liberal circles that it was somehow racist, but it was not, and it's wrong to suggest that Helms was wrong in running it.
Re: The Gamblers
An e-mail response to that story about the candidates' preferred games-of-chance (McCain is a craps player; Obama likes poker): Shortly after the Iranian hostage crisis began, Pres. Carter announced that the US would not resort to military force against Iran. My initial thought was, "Has that man never played poker in his life?" (And his handling of the crisis eventually turned me into a conservative).
I actually take some comfort from the fact that Obama plays poker. I'm not much of gambler myself, but foreign policy requires some sense of weighing and taking risks.
I play poker, and all things being equal I would prefer to have a poker player in the White House. But setting a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq -- the policy Obama favors -- is like playing poker with your cards face-up.
Happy Birthday America
From my neighborhood Fourth of July parade:
Biofuels Push is Driving Up World Food Prices
That's according to a new report from the Department of the Obvious:
Biofuels have forced global food prices up by 75% - far more than previously estimated - according to a confidential World Bank report obtained by the Guardian.
The damning unpublished assessment is based on the most detailed analysis of the crisis so far, carried out by an internationally-respected economist at global financial body.
The figure emphatically contradicts the US government's claims that plant-derived fuels contribute less than 3% to food-price rises. It will add to pressure on governments in Washington and across Europe, which have turned to plant-derived fuels to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and reduce their dependence on imported oil.
Amazing. Who would have thought that converting a third of the U.S. corn crop into ethanol would have an impact on food prices?
His Last Act?
First and foremost, Helms was a Cold Warrior who hated communism and the Soviet Union.
Last year, I wrote for NR on the creation of the Victims of Communism Memorial in DC. Helms played a significant role in its final realization:
One of the most important contributions came from retired senator Jesse Helms, who was an original sponsor of legislation authorizing the memorial. From his nursing home in North Carolina, he signed a letter that inspired a gift of $25,000. "That letter was probably the last official communication of his political career," says John Dodd, head of the Jesse Helms Center at Wingate University.
It's too bad that he's gone, but everybody has to go--and isn't it kind of wonderful that he died on the Fourth of July?
The Helms Legacy
When you think of the most consequential conservative politicians of the 20th century, a single name floats to the top of the list: Ronald Reagan. Next, arguably, is Barry Goldwater. Third? A good case could be made for Helms. He's probably in the top five, almost certainly in the top ten.
"Senator No" in NR
Jay's 2005 interview with Senator Helms.
Mitch McConnell on Helms
Today we lost a Senator whose stature in Congress had few equals. Senator Jesse Helms was a leading voice and courageous champion for the many causes he believed in. Jesse and Dot were great friends to Elaine and me. We mourn his passing and extend our deepest sympathies to the extended Helms family.
Bush on Helms
From 2005: 'Throughout his long public career, Senator Helms has been a tireless advocate for the people of North Carolina; a stalwart defender of conservative values of limited government and individual liberty; an unwavering champion of those struggling for freedom; and a fearless defender of a culture of life. Senator Helms has always stood up for what he calls 'the Miracle of America' -- and America is a better place because of his service.'
re: R.I.P.
It's true. Our condolences to his family and salute to the public servant.
Jesse Helms, RIP
I'm hearing that the longtime senator, a conservative stalwart, has died.
Kissing Cousin
More from our summer symposium, this time from Dinesh D'Souza:
If you could read or reread one classic this summer, what would it be? What are the odds you actually do?
Pascal's Pensees. The best apologetic for Christianity, and not so well known.
Is there any recent book that's made you want to buy copies for everyone you know and love? Did you actually make the purchases?
No. But Bernard Lewis's Islam and the West should be distributed to Congress at taxpayer's expense.
Are there any summer movies you're looking forward to?
No. Maybe Hollywood is past its heyday, but can't they at least make comedies as good as My Cousin Vinny?
Would you rather listen to John McCain's convention speech or read Dick Morris's new book?
Morris.
Name one book we're going to be shocked you read.
John Milton, Paradise Lost. About which Samuel Johnson wrote, "None ever wished it longer than it is."
More here.
Four of July Flopitis
The question is no longer on what has Obama backtracked, but rather on what has he not?
The political problems with Obama's flopitis are twofold: one, it is coming late in the season. To defeat Hillary he went hard left in the void left by Edwards. But the primary dragged on so long, that when he just recently flipped and flopped to leave the hard left on NAFTA, Trinity Church, Rev. Wright, FISA, gun control, campaign financing, death penalty, Iran, Iraq, Jerusalem, etc. he did so in the near summer, not late winter. The result is that his formerly left positions were showcased longer than most go-to-the-center politicians and thus his abandonment of them more striking and fresh in our memories. For each inoperative 'I can no more disown Rev. Wright' statement, there comes another each day about not quite pulling out of Iraq or wire-taps sorta OK, or NOT meeting John McCain 'anywhere, anytime.' Every opportunist knows that in presidential politics such shamelessness should be over and done with by March.
Second, to employ a well-known Obamism, Obama 'raised the bar' so high with his 'hope and change' sophistry about transcending lobbyists, tawdry campaign financing, et al. that he is now being hoisted on his own petard -- flip-flopping is the normal sort of rank opportunism, but for a messiah it is tantamount to sacrilege and heresy.
Some of us have been ad nauseam suggesting Democratic buyer's remorse soon, and still stand by that prediction. The problem is not that the Left will abandon him; they won't, and will gladly put up with an Iraqi war-fighter, huge private cash raiser, wire-tapper, free-trader, and gun-rights/death penalty advocate if he brings them all back to power. (But watch their furor if Obama sinks below McCain in the polls.) Instead the rub is that Obama's new legions of hopers and changers won't register, work, and turn out in sufficient numbers if they feel that they've been had and made to look silly, and Obama is just another Jimmy Carter/Walter Mondale/John Kerry. Nor will all this triangulation necessarily win the 'clingers' vote, even though the about-faces are done on their behalf.
What's going on? Obama's handlers knew that their candidate had boxed himself into orthodox left-wing positions during the primary, but they counted on his prophet-like charisma and landmark 'new candidate' appeal charming almost anyone as he 'evolved.' We will see whether such brazenness will necessarily work with either tough-minded Ohio or Michigan working people or cynical you-tubers.
Usually the in-party gets blamed for all the bad news--in this case gas prices, wars, weak dollar, shaky stock market, financial instability, mortgage crisis--but if a magnetic candidate like Obama loses in a made-for-order year like this, Democrats will have to call in Bill Clinton to relearn the art of triangulation, and how to disguise the liberal agenda with a southern accent, bubba aw-shucks populism, and trivialities like school-uniforms and Sister-Souljah moments.
In his defense, we forget that Obama is trying to be the first liberal Northern Democratic candidate to make it since JFK--and I don't think, for all his talents, he is quite a JFK.
Next flip? I expect he will soon 'refine' his view of lifting the Social Security tax ceilings--once we start hearing about 60%-plus state and federal tax bites.
300 and Counting
The report came in late yesterday with the staggering news that we've just booked the 300th cabin on the National Review 2008 Post-Election Caribbean Cruise. Less than 40 remain available. They'll be gone by the end of the month (maybe we can get our hands on a few more, but that's doubtful). Anyway, if you want to join the festivities (November 8-15 aboard Holland America Line's new Eurodam) sign up ASAP at www.nrcruise.com. A Happy Fourth to All!
Friday Stuff
From Debby: Firework effects to watch for. And here's And an interesting ending to the Indianapolis fireworks tonight and The Man's Ultimate Guide to Explosive Fireworks. How to Start Your Own Country. The neuroscience of the itch. Related, sort of - why scientists think some people are mosquito magnets. CT scans may explain Stradivarius violins' sound. How we read online. Before he was a noted author, Kurt Vonnegut was a POW in Nazi Germany. In this 1945 letter to his family, he relates the experiences that would become Slaughterhouse Five. The history of the Super Soaker. Stroke survivor regains speech, but with an accent. The question of Julius Caesar's arrival date in Britain is seemingly answered once and for all. 7 Famous Executioners. Chinese anti-terror police on scooters. Boston SWAT team evacuates neighborhood for woman mixing household cleaners. 'Bozo The Clown' Dies At 83. Woman Dead for 42 Years Before Someone Noticed. Dumb laws still on the books. A new clothing brand may be born out of the Texas raid on the FLDS polygamous sect. How smart is the octopus? 20 Deadliest Plants on the Planet.
25 Clever Bar Pick Up Lines.
"no bonus, no matter the size, can adequately compensate you for the contribution each of you makes as a custodian of our nation's defenses."
God bless every last one of them: BAGHDAD - How are you spending your 4th of July holiday? While most Americans probably slept, 1,215 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines raised their right hands and committed to a combined 5,500 years of additional service during the largest reenlistment ceremony in the history of the American military. Beneath a large American flag which dwarfed even the enormous chandelier that Saddam Hussein had built for the Al Faw Palace, members of all services, representing all 50 states took the oath administered by Gen. David Petraeus, Commander of Multi-National Forces Iraq.
More here. Thank you, Major Bob, for the report!
Mea Culpa
That our Independence Day banner is down is a technical glitch, not an editorial statement. I hope there will be a change soon!
New Today on NRO
VDH is grateful to be an American in 2008.
David French from Iraq. Andrew Grossman on another bad court ruling -- this one should serve as a FISA kick to Congress.
Charen on Colombia.
Parker on Dubya, from the Oval Office.
Jonah and Charles K. on Obama.
Murdock on the WTC.
Holy Independence Day, Batman!
Even Google is celebrating!
(Interestingly, by the way, the movie that comes up the most in our summer symposium? Batman is one some here are looking forward to.)
Today Is the Day
Twilight Zone marathon time.
This Should Help Germany's Plummeting Birth Rates
From the NYT:
Assisted Suicide of Healthy 79-Year-Old Renews German Debate on Right to Die
FRANKFURT -- When Roger Kusch helped Bettina Schardt kill herself at home on Saturday, the grim, carefully choreographed ritual was like that in many cases of assisted suicide, with one exception.
Ms. Schardt, 79, a retired X-ray technician from the Bavarian city of Würzburg, was neither sick nor dying. She simply did not want to move into a nursing home, and rather than face that prospect, she asked Mr. Kusch, a prominent German campaigner for assisted suicide, for a way out.
RE: Che Shirts
From a reader:Of course, now I can ask the next nimrod who I see with a Che shirt on if he is expressing solidarity with the Colombian Army.
And another reader:
You know, the really sweet part is the deep suspicion anyone wearing a Che Shirt will meet when they wear them to South America.
UPDATE: Somebody really doesn't get the joke.
Obamautomatons
Obama flip-flopped on FISA even though not caving in to allow telecom issue was pretty much a signature issue for the netroots, and respected liberals opposed it on constitutional grounds. Russ Feingold called the wiretap program 'one of the most intrusive government powers imaginable.' As a result, Obama had a minor blog riot on his hands. Jeff Jarvis observed that what followed might be a campaign first, 'Barack Obama supporters used his own network to organize a protest against his actions on telecom immunity.'In order to quell the storm, the Obama campaign released a statement from Barack on the website and made three policy staffers available to answer questions in the comments of the campaign's official blogs. If you were worried significant numbers of his supporters would hold him accountable for his brazen reversal, here's the fifth comment in the aforementioned discussion thread:
Thank you Senator Obama for taking the time to respond to the dissent among your supporters. You exceeded my expecations... you continue to inspire me with your frank openness and I'll happily send another donation today after more fully understanding your position, I tend to agree with you 100%....Given that kind of backing, I'm going to go ahead and guess Obama's not too daunted by any potential backlash from his decision to 'refine' his position on Iraq withdrawal either.
RE REFINING ON IRAQ
I, for one, will not criticize Obama if he is moving to the right on Iraq. Iraq is the most important front in the global war being fought by our jihadist enemies. They have told us so - and they get a vote (in addition to habeas corpus rights).
If Obama now grasps that to be defeated tin Iraq - by al-Qaeda and/or Iran - would invite terrible consequences, I say bully for him. But this quibble: Obama said today that as president he would give his generals a new mission: "End this war." What he does not seem to comprehend is that the only way they can end the war is by staying in theater long enough to defeat AQ and the Iranian-backed militias, gradually shifting responsibility for defense to Iraq's elected government.
If we withdraw prematurely or even on an inflexible timetable, the war won't end - it will continue, though without Americans exercising influence over its outcome. Others will assume that role.
Consider: In 1943, could you have ended WWII by pulling out of Europe and Asia? No, doing that would only have ensured that the war would go on until such time as was Germany and Japan decided to put an end to it.
BTW, I'm to be on CNN tonight about 8, attempting to put forward such ideas
For the Fourth
The Fourth is the birthday of the modern world. And here is its symphony.
And We'll Put An End to Divisive Fourth of July Statements
DNC chairman Howard Dean has released his Independence Day message:
This Independence Day, families and neighbors across America will come together to celebrate freedom, liberty, and patriotism, values that make our country great. We will also take the time to thank the brave men and women in uniform, those who have served and those currently serving, who put their lives on the line everyday to defend our country and its freedom. And we will reach across the street and the aisle, as we bring an end to the divisiveness that has plagued America and work to bring our country the kind of change we can all believe in.
Morris on Combatants
Continuing his critique of the Supremes (see my last post on this), Dick Morris focuses on Boumediene, the enemy combatants decision. He starts out with some critical information, but when he gets to a legal solution, he misfires. He says: [T]he Court's decision to grant habeas rights to Guantánamo terrorists is a vivid example of reprehensible judicial lawmaking. To decide that men whose only nexus with the United States is that they shot at our troops is insane. In our book Fleeced, Eileen McGann and I reveal that 50 of the 420 inmates freed from Guantánamo so far have been identified as fighting against our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. We know because we have had to kill or recapture them.
This is great information. In his Boumediene dissent, Justice Scalia alludes to the figure of 30 Gitmo detainees who've returned to the jihad. Dick's number indicates (a) the figure of known instances is significantly higher than previously thought, and (b) common sense says it is higher still ... unless you think we've killed or captured the only ones who rejoined the fray. (I'd note that at least one killed himself in a suicide bombing in which he killed several others.)
But Morris concludes:
The obvious answer to the Court decision on Guantánamo is to invoke the Geneva Convention and accord the inmates prisoner-of-war status. We clearly cannot hold them unless we do. As long as we keep them in judicial limbo, suspended between POW status and regular criminal law, the justices will be unable to resist opening the cell doors and turning them loose....
Nope. The Court in Boumediene did not say the combatants had to be released, and the Court in Hamdi (2004) -- a case involving an American citizen combatant -- acknowledged that detention under the laws of war is permissible. What we're now arguing about is the process required to justify detention. The combatants have already been given Geneva Common Article 3 rights to humane treatment and regular court proceedings. If you needlessly give them POW status, (a) you would be saying that terrorists who slaughter civilians are honorable combatants, (b) you can't interrogate them, which -- in a war that is vitally about intelligence -- constitutes one of the main reasons for detaining them, and (c) you would not be solving the judicial problem.
The Court is now saying that if you detain them, they are entitled to a certain degree of due process to test the validity of the detention, not the conditions of confinement. POW status would mainly address the conditions of confinement (and probably make it impossible to subject them to military commissions for war crimes). That is, it would give the jihadists grossly undeserved benefits, undermine the civilizing purpose behind the Geneva Conventions (which is to discourage barbaric attacks on civilians), and yet do nothing to obviate judicial inquiry into whether we're holding the right people.
Re: Iran Blinks?
Jonah, while I don't doubt your reader is right, I suspect what the mullahs want is the North Korea deal which, at least in the Norks' case, seemed to be available right now. Maybe if they just start building some nuke plants in Syria, the Israelis could bomb those plants, and then we could move on to the logical next step of removing Iran from the list of state sponsors of terrorism ...
Dick Morris on the Supremes' Gun Case
I generally enjoy Dick Morris's insights about politics because, even if you don't agree with him, he is a master tactician. But when he writes about law, he is often out of his element, as this column in the Hill demonstrates right from the opening sentence (italics mine):
The nine august justices of the United States Supreme Court -- or at least the five conservative Republicans -- chose the wrong time to make a sea change in constitutional law, admitting the Second Amendment to our pantheon of civil liberties.
By demonstrating how willing they are to toss aside decades of jurisprudence in pursuit of a conservative agenda, they sent a chill into the souls of women all across the nation and resurrected fears that Roe v. Wade is next on the chopping block. At a time when the GOP should try to assuage the concerns that lead women to vote Democratic by 10 points more than men do, the Supremes have escalated the angst on which Democrats can and will play in the run-up to November.
Where to begin? Would that there were five conservatives, Republican or Democrat, on the Court. In fact, there are seven Republicans, but only four conservatives.
Second, a sea change that has toss[ed] aside decades of jurisprudence in pursuit of a conservative agenda? What is he talking about? He says he's talking about the ruling in Heller, the gun case (which he calls 'the [Justice] Alito opinion striking down the D.C. handgun ban' though it was actually written by Justice Scalia). But there's no sea change because there was no jurisprudence to speak of. Almost all the Lefty pundits who have weighed in on this have conceded that there is not abundant Second Amendment caselaw. Instead, their pitch has been that the Court has settled (incorrectly, by their lights) a question that -- precisely because of the lack of any Supreme Court authority -- has been in doubt for decades. (In truth, all the Court has said is that the Second Amendment means what it says. That was in 'doubt' only to the extent that the commentariat took it upon itself to doubt that the Amendment means what it says: it is 'the right of the people to keep and bear Arms.')
Third, if the gun ruling is likely to be so unpopular and preserving gun rights is such a loser, why did Obama suddenly decide to be in favor of the Court's ruling?
Fourth, Heller was decided not in a vacuum but in rough conjunction with Kennedy (invalidating capital punishment for child rapists) and Boumediene (establishing constitutional habeas rights for alien enemy combatants). No one who followed the last well-publicized weeks of the term (or, for that matter, the last half-century of the Court's rulings) could conceivably think the Court is determined to pursue a conservative agenda.
Fifth, the comparison to Roe is way off the mark. As I said, there is a dearth of gun jurisprudence. By contrast, as Ramesh, Ed Whelan and others have detailed, the Court has repeatedly upheld abortion rights even as it has conceded some of Roe's many jurisprudential flaws. And anyone who actually follows this stuff knows that Justice Kennedy, in the majority in the gun case, has worked hard to preserve the right vouchsafed in Roe.
Sixth, the gun case did not purport to invalidate any state laws and left miles of space for gun control regulations -- such, I suspect, was the price of getting Justice Kennedy's vote.
Seventh, Morris asserts:
[T]he sight of the Supreme Court shattering precedent and finding a right to bear arms by a simple 5-4 vote makes it apparent how powerful the Court is and how important this election will be in determining its future direction. These calculations cannot but strengthen the Democratic Party and its appeal to liberals and women anxious to preserve Roe as the law of the land.
Ramesh and others may have better informed insights than I have about how anxious women are to preserve Roe as the law of the land, but I suspect it's not nearly as one-sided as Dick suggests. Indeed, Morris undermines his own argument by acknowledging that 'were Roe repealed, most states, including all the big ones -- except possibly Texas and conceivably Florida -- would affirm a state right to choose.' Right, that's why the prospect of a Roe reversal should not chill anyone's soul: If you put bombast aside, there's not a woman in America who would not be able to get an abortion someplace if she really wanted to.
But that aside, I think the members of the public (as opposed to the commentariat) who are very concerned about the power of the Supreme Court feel that way because of the justices' penchant for the latent discovery of left-wing pieties purportedly guaranteed by our Constitution. Those people are more likely to be McCain voters than Obama voters. Again, why does Dick suppose Obama felt he had to agree with the gun decision? And disagree with the rape decision?
Morris has some thoughts on the enemy combatants, on which he's done some important research. I'll try to discuss those in a separate post.
Heaven Help Us
'Sharia law SHOULD be used in Britain, says UK's top judge'
The Gamblers
TIME contrasts the candidates' preferred games-of-chance:
Over time he gave up the drinking bouts, but he never quite kicked the periodic yen for dice. In the past decade, he has played on Mississippi riverboats, on Indian land, in Caribbean craps pits and along the length of the Las Vegas Strip. Back in 2005 he joined a group of journalists at a magazine-industry conference in Puerto Rico, offering betting strategy on request. 'Enjoying craps opens up a window on a central thread constant in John's life,' says John Weaver, McCain's former chief strategist, who followed him to many a casino. 'Taking a chance, playing against the odds.' Aides say McCain tends to play for a few thousand dollars at a time and avoids taking markers, or loans, from the casinos, which he has helped regulate in Congress. 'He never, ever plays on the house,' says Mark Salter, a McCain adviser. The goal, say several people familiar with his habit, is never financial. He loves the thrill of winning and the camaraderie at the table. [...]
Poker may be sedentary, but it is no less competitive. Obama played most regularly as an Illinois state senator in the late 1990s. The legislature met in Springfield, which had little to recommend it after hours, except on Wednesday nights, when 'The Committee Meeting,' as it was nicknamed, convened in state senator Terry Link's basement. Obama and fellow senators made up the 'core four.' The game began at 7 p.m. and often lasted until 2 a.m. There were pizza and chips, a fridge full of beer, and enough cigars for a smoke-filled room. Obama usually showed up in a baseball cap and sweats. He cadged cigarettes and drank a beer, kept up with the boys'-night-out banter and roared at the off-color stories. When he lost a hand, Obama joked that he couldn't afford gasoline to drive home.
But he always had his head in the game. The stakes were low enough -- $1 ante and $3 top raise -- to afford a long shot. Not Obama. He studied the cards as closely as he would an eleventh-hour amendment to a bill. The odds were religion to him. Only rarely did he bluff. 'He had a pretty good idea about what his chances were,' says Denny Jacobs, a former state senator from East Moline.
I suppose McCainiacs should take comfort in knowing that their guy likes to play against the odds.
The Fix Is In
Yesterday I posted that I had so far posted 17,124 times. Well, after vigilant posting my count hasn't changed. I suspect Chaka of perfidy. Perfidious Chaka shall be his name forever more.
Wrong Cake!
In response to this post, generous and kind readers keep sending me a recipe for Almond Joy cake. Unfortunately, this
ALMOND JOY CAKE 1 (2 layer) chocolate cake mix
1 c. evaporated milk
1 c. sugar
24 lg. marshmallows
1 (14 oz.) pkg. coconut
1/2 c. evaporated milk
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
12 oz. chocolate chips
1 (3 oz.) pkg. sliced almonds
is not the same cake they served at the Empire Grill. Not even close. But thanks.
Obama the Tory?
Andrew Sullivan argues here that, seen from a British context, Obama is a 'one nation' Tory. It's an interesting idea, but the argument is a stretch. While 'one nation' Tories tend to be more interventionist that their Thatcherite counterparts, they typically retain a certain innate wariness about how far the power of the state should extend, a wariness of which there is little trace in Obama's busybody scheming. What's more they tend to be a skeptical lot, doubters and pragmatists who may believe in adapting to "change" where necessary, but would be reluctant to embrace it as mantra. Wide, overarching visions are, by and large, just not their thing. Present Disraeli, the prototypical one nation Tory, with Obama's musings, say, on creating a "kingdom" right here on earth, and he would, I am sure, laugh. If you want a British analogy to Obama, it's probably more fruitful to look at the Labour Party of the first half of the Twentieth Century, at Nye Bevan, George Lansbury and Clem Atlee. If it's a one nation Tory you're looking for, John McCain, for better and for worse, and however imperfectly, comes somewhat closer.
Get Out of the Way
Today's Wall Street Journal has an interesting piece (sub. req.) on the McCain campaign's weak financial position and how some Republican groups plan to shore it up:The Republican governors group and its Democratic equivalent are a different breed of 527 organization, the only ones formed by the parties themselves. Because they aren't set up to contribute directly to presidential elections, they -- like other 527 groups -- aren't subject to the McCain-Feingold caps on donations.
The Democrats say that should prevent them from influencing presidential campaigns. But the Republican group intends to use indirect methods to play a major role: 'We are the equalizer in this campaign,' says executive director Nick Ayers.
The Republican governors' fund-raising strategy was conceived by Mr. Ayers, a 25-year-old political prodigy. The contention of Mr. Ayers and the group's fund-raising head, former RNC Chairman Haley Barbour, is that helping Republican gubernatorial candidates in key states with advertising and voter outreach will help put the McCain campaign over the top in those states as well.
Therefore, they are telling donors, unlimited donations they can give for state races will benefit Sen. McCain. That promise, in turn, helps raise more big donations for the group. [...]
#more#
To persuade skeptical donors, Mr. Ayers says he provides case studies of elections where money spent on behalf of gubernatorial candidates in the 1990s also helped elect Republican senators, and he says the same theory will work for the presidential race this year.
Mr. Ayers says he has seen a 'significant' increase in contributions from individual donors since he began mentioning the side effects for Sen. McCain's campaign. The group has doubled its take in the first six months of 2008 to $14 million, compared with the same point in the 2004 election cycle, according to figures to be announced as early as this week. That outpaces the Democratic Governors Association's total by $3 million. [...]
Questions about the legality of the governors group's practice arise on both sides of the aisle. In 2005, the FEC banned political organizations from raising uncapped donations by saying the money would 'support or oppose the election of a clearly identified federal candidate.'
The governors association tells its donors their money will only indirectly support Sen. McCain, such as getting voters to the polls to pull the lever for Republican governor candidates, which can also boost Sen. McCain's totals -- and not for messages focused directly on the presidential election.
It's a risky strategy. The Federal Election Commission has been handing out steep fines to 527 groups for this kind of thing. On the other hand, the Supreme Court has recently tilted against the electioneering provisions of McCain-Feingold, and a group called SpeechNow.org is suing the FEC to overturn its constraints on independent groups. (I'm not sure how the governors groups' ties to their respective parties affect how they're covered under the law. Any Corner readers know?)
Unsurprisingly, the McCain campaign is hostile to the idea:
The McCain campaign itself takes some issue with the group's stated strategy. 'If it is in fact telling its donors their money will help elect McCain they are being inaccurate,' said spokesman Brian Rogers, noting the group cannot legally attempt to sway a federal race. But he said that because he had not yet seen evidence the group is campaigning on Sen. McCain's behalf, 'It's not an issue.'
My take? Obama's decision to reject public financing and spend as much as he can opens a window for McCain to drop his (wrongheaded) opposition to outside groups. McCain is facing a huge financial disadvantage. If outside groups want to help him, he needs to just get out of the way.
Refining on Iraq
Reuters reports that "Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama left open the possibility on Thursday of revising his 16-month timetable for withdrawing U.S. combat forces from Iraq, saying he could 'refine' his stance after he visits the country."Obama's rightward lurch since the end of the primaries is really an astonishing display of cynicism. It is an old cliché that presidential candidates play to the base during the primaries and then run to the center in the general election, but I don't know when we've seen nearly as clear and shameless an example as we are now witnessing with Obama. If you actually look at the last few decades of presidential elections, most candidates have not been all that different before and after clinching the nomination. Bush was a 'compassionate' conservative in both cases, Clinton was a new Democrat in both, and the senior George Bush and Ronald Reagan certainly didn't attempt any huge changes in persona either. Surely none have reversed themselves on quite as many prominent issues quite as quickly as Obama: from trade to wiretapping, gun control to Iraq.
The substantive moves are all welcome from where I sit, to be sure, but the underlying cynicism has got to worry everyone on all sides. If he can reverse himself so easily now, where will he end up if he were elected? It all raises--in policy rather than rhetorical terms--the same question suggested by his speeches in the primaries: is there a real Barack Obama?
RE: Way to Go Colombia
From a reader:
While Colombians risk their lives to save American hostages, Democratic members of Congress do the politically expedient thing and oppose a free trade agreement with Columbia. It's so embarrassing.
From another reader:
Che Guevara shirts! Isn't that perfect? Once the rebels had ascertained that the crew of the helicopter weren't stupid American college students with trust funds, of *course* they'd assume that they were fellow thugs.
I was already giddy over this story, but that detail makes it even better.
Go, Dad!
Another e-mail, this time from a father: K-Lo:
My daughter, while not famous, could/should be an excellent role model. Still living chastely, she's entering her sophomore year at RPI as a Biology major and a Naval ROTC midshipman. She's a natural leader who wins people over with her charm, intellect, character, and integrity. (Okay, I'm proud, but it ain't braggin' if it's true!)
Happy Independence Day!
Happy Independence Day
Don't declare your independence from NRO though! We'll be here with a new VDH, a report from Iraq from David French, and your Friday Krauthammer, Goldberg, Parker, Charen .... see you tomorrow.
Re: Dear Abby
Kathryn - That's amazing. But I find Abby's answer a bit disheartening. I understand that there's a craft here. You need to advise without scolding, lest the advice-seeker shut you out defensively. Or something like that. But the guy's a sex offender. And this is Abby's response: DEAR CONFUSED AND TORN: Wanting to be with someone you love isn't silly, but it's time for you to think maturely and realize the consequences of your decision. After six years with Wade, you are still single. You could be single forever.
When you became a mother, life stopped being all about you. Wade is a sex offender. What if you should become pregnant again? Is it fair to your parents to dump your daughter on them like an unwanted pet? What effect could it eventually have on the child? Do you fully understand that what you have in mind will isolate you from relatives and friends who have minor children?
While I can't dictate what you should do with your life, I can say you're heading in the wrong direction. Please step back and rethink this.
So, for starters you're not silly for loving a sex offender.....Okay. Then the first argument is that the sex offender can't commit! 'After six years you are still single.'
The whole thing seems so non-judgmental. I mean, how bad a person do you have to be for an advice columnist to say 'Drop him like a hot rock'?
Update: A few readers complain/suggest that maybe the guy isn't like a pedophile sex offender, but maybe merely someone who was 21 who slept with a 19 year-old or some such. I suppose this is possible as there has been a rise in the number of sex offenders who shouldn't be lumped in with rapist, pedophiles and the like.
But if you read the actual letter, it seems like a fair reading goes the other way. The guy can't be around kids. Maybe there's extra information that Abby is privy to. But the ambiguity here doesn't reflect well on Abby or her editors.
Go, Mom!
An e-mail:
I have an 11-year-old daughter. Some of her greatest role models are the female animal-control officers on the Animal Planet show "Animal Precinct." This show is very popular with kids. It's important to encourage girls when they are much younger to adopt role models like these real-life heroes, rather than one-dimensional fictional characters on TV sitcoms. She plays soccer and Mia Hamm is also a great role model to her. She has a female piano teacher who has become a role model. We go to a church with a female priest and she is a role model for all the girls in the parish - she is relatively young and pretty hip for a priest. We have a wonderful youth group at our church and a great group of teenage girls who do tons of community service, sing in the choir, babysit the younger kids, etc. My daughter can't wait to join the youth group next year. It's positive peer experiences like this, I believe, that are more important to provide to girls than "good girl" characters on TV shows.
And her most important role model, quite frankly, is me. I have worked full time since she was born and I still have found time to teach her to knit, sew, cook, bake cookies, and play soccer. She thinks I am the greatest mom in the world. She has learned from me that you do have to work, sometimes more than you want, to buy the creature comforts that so many kids take for granted. She has learned that making something herself is much more satisfying than buying it. She has learned that you don't give up if you don't get something right the first time, or even the second time. She knows that girls can go out and have careers and make lots of money, and still be moms and have fun. She has classmates who are very selfish and snotty and fashion plates and all that stuff, and she doesn't want to be one of those girls.
I suppose it's possible that when she turns 15 all that stuff will go out the window and she'll turn into an obnoxious, materialistic slut. But I doubt it.
Iran Blinks?
From the Jerusalem Post:Iran expressed readiness to freeze its uranium enrichment program in return for lifting the international sanctions imposed on it, Channel 2 analyst Ehud Ya'ari revealed Thursday evening.
He cited unnamed Western officials as the source of the new development.
Update: From a reader (who I think is probably right -- about Iran):
Iran Blinking?!?
I hope that whatever caused your momentary oxygen deprivation is gone. Of course it's a stalling tactic to await the enlightened Presidency of Obama.
Way to Go Colombia
If you haven't yet actually read the AP account of how the hostages in Colombia -- including three U.S. citizens -- were rescued yesterday, you should. It's an incredible story, and the Colombian army deserves major thanks from on behalf of all Americans for their skill and heroism:The stunning caper involved months of intelligence gathering, dozens of helicopters on standby and a strong dose of deceit: The rebels shoved the captives, their hands bound, onto a white unmarked Mi-17 helicopter, believing they were being transferred to another guerrilla camp.
Looking at helicopter's crew, some wearing Che Guevara shirts, Betancourt reasoned they weren't aid workers, as she'd expected -- but rebels. This was just another indignity -- the helicopter 'had no flag, no insignia.' Angry and upset, she refused a coat they offered as they told her she was going to a colder climate.
But not long after the group was airborne, Betancourt turned around and saw the local commander, alias Cesar, a man who had tormented her for four years, blindfolded and stripped naked on the floor.
Then came the unbelievable words: 'We're the national army,' said one of the crewmen. 'You're free.'
The helicopter crew were soldiers in disguise. Cesar and the other guerrilla aboard had been persuaded to hand over their pistols, then overpowered.
'The helicopter almost fell from the sky because we were jumping up and down, yelling, crying, hugging one another,' Betancourt said.
Read the whole thing here.
Wading in the Criminal
Via Laura Ingraham:
DEAR ABBY: I have been in a relationship with "Wade" for six years. The situation is this: He has gotten into trouble and can't be around children because he's a registered sex offender. I have an 11-month-old daughter by him. I want to be with Wade and work our relationship out, but if I do, I'll have to give custody of my daughter to my parents and live in my own place with him.
I'm in love with Wade, but I don't know if he loves or wants to be with me anymore despite the fact he keeps saying he wants to be with me. Am I being silly for still wanting to be with him? Your thoughts, please. -- Confused and Torn in Illinois
Hasina Khan
Via the London Times:
A female Muslim councillor has been subjected to a hate campaign by Muslim men in her ward, leaving her unable to visit some of the streets that she represents. Hasina Khan, 38, the only Muslim councillor in Chorley, Lancashire, said that she had suffered a barrage of threatening phone calls, verbal abuse and insulting graffiti because the men objected her public role. Mrs Khan, a mother of three, said: "I've had to totally change the way I go about my job. I used to do ward walks all the time, but now there are some streets I can't even walk down." The hate campaign began when she put herself forward as a Labour candidate three years ago. "It is just a few members of the community who think I should be at home with a veil over my face, although if other people choose to do that, then I respect their choice," she said. "However, I feel that if it was a male Asian councillor then he would be treated as a hero. Because I am a woman I get the opposite treatment. They can't understand my mainstream views and those of 'live and let live' and how the British culture should be respected ... It has been extremely hard for me and my family and if it wasn't for my British constituents, I don't think I would have been able to get through it." Terry Brown, the Mayor of Chorley, who represents the same ward as Mrs Khan, said: "Because she's a female Asian woman their view is that she should be at home producing babies. "It's a shame. She's a well-respected member of the community and ... an exceptionally talented woman.
A shame indeed
I Officially Have a Very Low Opinion of the Kansas City Star
A week or two ago there was that awful cartoon on their website by their house cartoonist. Now, this: 'Rush Limbaugh is a big fat rich idiot' from a 'Contributing Writer.'
Good Girl Role Models?
An interesting submission: I don't know if I'm qualified to answer this since i'm not a teenage girl.... or a girl... but here are my 2 cents...
I think the one female character that is a good role model for girls right now is Pam from The Office. Though they've made reference to her having premarital sex (try and find one that hasn't), she is seen as a hero because she escaped a dead-end relationship with a grown child in favor of the relationship with the truly decent and grown up Jim. Also, her first fiance, Roy was opposed to her returning to art school to pursue her dreams while Jim has encouraged her to use her gifts.
Another example I am sure you will hear is Tina Fey. Tina represents all that is cool to young women right now. She's successful, professional, funny, and cute. Her character on 30 Rock is a single, insecure woman but yet she is so gracefully awkward. I think a lot of girls need women like Tina Fey to look up to as someone that is imperfect but significant.
On the Pam point: The e-mailer says: 'try and find one that hasn't -- this is part of my point. Are there any cool models out there of real or fictional single gals living differently (chastely)? Not the 90210 newspaper editor who's infamously a virgin ... well, until she gets her repressed self pregnant. Not the Britney who pretends while slutting herself out on stage. Real, normal, cool 20somethings whose lives are so full and they are so loved or at least have such self-respect that they don't need all that wonderful stuff until they're married.
I should point out that Wendy Shalit in Girls Gone Mild offers some real life gals who happily live young lives of modesty and self-respect.
Timewaster
It's a general political knowledge quiz. Takes too long to get on the high score board.
Oil Prices and Market Failure
Here's the always-interesting (but not always right) Anatole Kaletsky on the oil price. I don't agree with everything he suggests (I'd be considerably less gung ho about boosting oil taxes (already very high in many nations) than he is, and the thrust of any government regulation should, for the most part, be to encourage rather than to prohibit) but some of the points he makes are at least worth pondering:
But the market is not always right. It is usually right, but sometimes it is spectacularly wrong - as in the recent sub-prime saga. To acknowledge that governments must sometimes correct market failures is not to reject the economic lessons of the 1980s but rather to apply a proper understanding of economics. There are three main reasons why the market cannot be trusted in the case of oil. First, there is the enormous gap between the cost of producing oil in areas where it is abundant and the cost of producing any close substitutes for this oil. Easily accessible oil in places such as Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Nigeria costs only a few dollars a barrel to pump once an oilfield is producing. Even including exploration expenses, the total cost of production of Opec oil is well below $10 a barrel. However, the cost of any substitute runs to $50 or $60 a barrel, whether the Opec oil is replaced by oil from more hostile environments, such as deep-sea drilling in the Arctic, or by some other energy source such as nuclear or wind power. The gap between cheap Opec oil and any other energy source creates an enormous "rent", beyond any normal return on capital and costs of production, which either accrues to Opec as profits or to consumers as the benefit they enjoy from an energy source cheaper than any alternative in their own economies. This rent, currently running at around $2 trillion annually, is at the heart of the perennial struggle between oil-producing and consuming governments.
Read the whole thing.
What Is Fascism?
So ask the folks at Exurban League.
Oh, and by the way, the LFB has quite a few new posts for those interested in such things.
Progressives & Patriotism, Again
Whenever I start to feel like a heel for pointing out that liberals have some internal contradictions that come to the surface when the discussion turns to patriotism, I'm always grateful when some proud progressive offers meditations like this.
Political Fiction
John Podhoretz e-mails:
I am shocked, shocked that no one mentioned what is without question the best political novel ever written -- Phineas Finn, Anthony Trollope's account of an idealistic young member of Parliament and how his naive belief that he can do good things in London is tested by the complicated realities of how power is wielded, how money influences policy, and how compromise is a necessary evil. It is witty and wise and timeless. It is not just the best political novel; it may be the best book about politics ever written.
Let's Not Go with "Change"
Fred Thompson vs. Wesley Clark and Obama:
Recently, Democratic minions, including former General Wesley Clark, have been sent out to denigrate the importance of Senator McCain's honor and courage during times of war. Apparently Team Obama believes that just like timeless principles, character you can depend on is not a particularly important qualification to be President of the United States. They are dead wrong.
In light of our country's history and what likely lies ahead, personal honor, courage and integrity are the most important qualifications for a President. I am disappointed that Wes Clark chose to allow himself to be used this way. He really shouldn't have. It too easily invokes the image of a bantam rooster trying to belittle an American eagle.
Even more important to our future than how we view the candidates is how we view ourselves. Do we see our nation as one in decline, populated by helpless victims for whom every misfortune and every economic downturn is a conspiracy against them?
Or do we still see that we are a people of free will, willing to accept our responsibilities?
Are we a people who - as generations of American before us did - believe that our best days are ahead of us?
Will we realize and appreciate what we have and what we have achieved?
Will we remember who we are, what we stand for, and what we represent to the world? That we are free people ... who respect life ... who love liberty.
I believe we will. And for those who have lost sight, there are the the principles we believe in to guide them.
We've had them for a long time. And these principles do not change. And will not change.
I Have a Question for Moms and Dads of Teenage (Plus) Girls
Are there any cool characters in pop culture right now that are good-girl role models? I think this was Hannah Montana at some point? But I'm thinking a few years older -- because girls look to the older girls. I ask this in part because I've noticed increasingly 20 somethings from traditional-type backgrounds having (and still) Carrie Bradshaw and Bridget Jones, etc. as their cultural benchmarks. Do they seek to live their lives? Probably not entirely. But they relate -- or think they relate -- and, I'm thinking, Do they really have other options?
re: Code of Conduct
An e-mail: 'Heroism' (in the military sense) is performing an action 'above and beyond the call of duty.' The Code of Conduct (at the time as well as now), says that a military member should not accept early release, or other preferential treatment. The reasons are fairly obvious and include, but are not limited to, giving the enemy a propaganda advantage.
But the normal construct is wherein the enemy exploits the early release of a more senior person ahead of a more junior person. In the case of LT McCain, the propaganda value of his taking an early release would have been substantially greater, as his father was the supreme military commander of the entire Pacific region. His would not have been a case of any O-3 accepting release ahead of more junior persons, hence the pressure on him, caused by the potential payoff to his captors, was 'above and beyond' the norm.
A good analogy would be to compare Lt McCain to CAPT Stockdale, who I believe (but may be mistaken) was selected for promotion to Read Admiral while in captivity. The propaganda value of an admiral-select accepting early release would have been much greater than that of an unknown Lt. And Admiral Stockdale received the Medal of Honor for his actions as a POW, including his refusal to accept early release.
So, yes, Lt McCain was heroic.
Calling Andy McCarthy (Again)
Mea culpa: We got our segments out of order in the Uncommon Knowledge, and I first put up this post yesterday, when I should have waited until today. Anyway, in today's segment--and this time I really do mean 'today's segment'--I have an exchange with Philip Bobbitt, author of Terror and Consent: The Wars for the Twenty-First Century, that goes like this: First Bobbitt argued that the war on terror means the U.S. government must obey the law more scrupulously, not less so, holding this country up as the very model of a society based on the consent of the governed.
Do you approve of the President's decision to detain alien combattants at Gitmo? I asked. Bobbitt indicated that he most certainly did not. Well then, I countered, suppose that the President had some four or more years ago made a dual announcment, letting Americans know, a) that he intended to go right on sequestering enemy combatants at Gitmo until someone came up with a better idea, but that, b) he was also appointing a panel of distinguished jurists in the hope that they would do just that. He would instruct the jurists to study the matter, consulting the finest legal minds in the nation, and then to recommend new laws for dealing with enemy combatants--that would both respect the demands of national security and comport with American norms of fairness, including our devotion to habeas corpus. What about it? I asked. Would you have supported the President if he had given a speech like that?
Why, said Philip Bobbitt, I wish you'd written the speech yourself.
Andy McCarthy, would you take a look at this segment? You know the law, and you know the war on terror. Do you agree with Bobbitt? Or did I let the man off too easy?
Iran News Round Up
[Thanks to Ali Alfoneh for his compilation; (E) signified English link].
Military and Security
Director General of the Counter Espionage Bureau of the Ministry of Intelligence warns against increased hostile espionage activity in the country.Agah-Sazi warns Iranian citizens against foreign hostile espionage activity.According to Agah-Sazi, an assassination attempt against Revolutionary Guards Colonel Abolqasem Amangah was foiled. Amangah was decorated for capturing British sailors on Arvand-Roud.Revolutionary Guards undergoes structural changes; every province to have a Guards' unit center. Religion, Culture, and Society
#more#
Seyyed Kazem Rasoul-Zadeh Tabatabayee, head of Department of Psychology at the Pedagogical University of Tehran, has published a new report on prostitution in Tehran: 'In the 1980's and 1990's prostitutes were more than 30 years old, but today prostitutes are 15 years old and up...Previously, prostitution served the purpose of covering primary needs, but today it serves secondary purposes. In the past, prostitutes were to be found among singles, but our investigations show that prostitution among married women has increased and is undergoing rapid growth...The prostititution phenomenon was more prevalent among non-residents, but today an equal percentage of residents and non-residents are engaged in prostitution, and one can't consider prostitution a result of migration...Some time ago most prostitutes were uneducated, but today we see this phenomenon among the educated individuals...' Another researcher, Ali Zahedi-Pour says 11 percent of prostitutes in Tehran are engaged in prostitution with the knowledge of their husbands.' The Islamic Republic establishes an organization specializing in 'correcting fashion.' Minister of Science and Higher Education defends the deputy disciplinary committee agent at Zanjan University who was caught on camera while attempting to establish an intimate relationship with a female student, and says it was a 'conspiracy.'Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani claims 'the theologians have all accepted the Velayat-e Faqih [Guardianship of the Jurist], short of its application to the realm of politics.' Politics: Montajab-Nia affair
E'temad assistant editor, and National Trust Party number two, Hojjat al-Eslam Rasoul Montakhab-Nia's personal website: 'Petition to the sources of emulation and scholars of theological seminaries: Without doubt, the great Shi'a scholars have guarded the realm of ideas and rulings of Islam and the Shi'a sect, and have countered deviation fiercely to the degree that some of their best have been martyred. One religion deviation is bid'at [innovation] and additions to to Islamic concepts and rulings by charlatans and opportunists...whose hands have been cut from religion. Therefore, sultans, kings and imperial powers have hitherto not been able to dirty Shi'ism, and the infallible household of the Prophet...One of Shi'a beliefs which could be exploited by charlatans is belief in the principle of Mahdi-hood and the progressive and dynamic thought of entezar [awaiting] in which adherents to all heavenly religions believe, and await the coming of the savior of man...In order to forestall deviation and abuse...it is stressed upon that:It is prohibited to determine the time of emergence of that holiness...and the saying that 'Those who claim to know the time of emergence are liars'...In addition to this, it is stressed upon to deny any claims that someone has seen or worshipped His Holiness the Mahdi (May God Hasten his Emergence)...Ever since the advent of Mr. Ahmadinjead and his government, among elites and lately also among the commoners of the people, which means the man on the street, some matters are being discussed regarding the president and his close associations. Some of these matters are documented and the time and place of the utterance has been publicized. For example: (a) During the first year of the presidency of Mr. Ahmadinejad, two people claimed that the president, during a trip to Sistan va Baluchestan province, answered one of the deputies that the financial means of the country are limited, so why does the president give billions of Tomans of promises to each city he visits? The president answered: 'Don't worry. Two years from now the Lord of the Era will emerge and he will solve all problems.'(b) A member of the Iranian parliament told me that the Iranian president, after leaving a stormy meeting with the Supreme Leader had said: 'He [The Supreme Leader] thinks he is I am his president. I am the president of the Lord of the Era.'(c) After the trip to New York and participation in the U.N. General Assembly, [the Iranian president] visited Ayatollah Javadi-Amoli and said: 'While delivering my speech [at the U.N. General Assembly] I saw a halo around my had and face, and all present were nailed to their seats and charmed by me.' [This claim] was ignored by Ayatollah Javadi Amoli and the CD of this meeting was distributed widely in the public.(d) Among the elites, it is widely rumored that when eating, a plate along with spoon and fork is left empty for the Lord of the Era.(e) A certain gentleman has claimed that once someone from the Iranian president's entourage invited me to participate in the 'group prayers of the Lord.' I thought the the prayers would be led by the Supreme Leader and went somewhere with him. When I stood in line to pray I noticed that there was no prayers leader, and only a prayer mat is on the ground. I asked when the Supreme Leader will arrive. They answered me: Lower your voice, for Lord of the Era leads the prayers.(f) Lately, the Iranian president and his deputies, [and] advisors...say that this government is managed by the Lord of the Era...(g) During the last couple of days, Mr. President has called those who deny existence of the halo of having insufficient or deficient [religious] belief...and has ordered them to reconsider their belifes... Some questions to the president: 1. Are such tales and rumors prevalent in public and private places truth or false? Please answer clearly and without generalization without accusations against others. 2. In case even one of these is true, what is the religious source of your claims which are against theories of all Shi'a scholars from the very beginning until today? What is your answer to the sources of emulations and their sayings? 3. In case the rumors are true, what is your true intention? Do you believe you can excuse rising prices, inflation, mismanagement of the government...?Some questions to the sources of emulation and the learned: 1. Have you ordered an investigation of such sayings and rumors? 2. Do you think such rumors are lies? 3. In case even a single case is true, is not the time to oppose it forcefully and defend the realm of Islamic and pure Shi'a beliefs? 4. Is the saying of the deputy of the president 'The learned clerics support the Lord of the Era's special benevolence towards the president,' True or False? 5. In case it is true, why? And if a lie, why don't you deny? Alef News Agency condemns Montajab-Nia's article criticizing the Iranian president's claims of having contact with the Lord of the Era. Ali-Akbar Javan-Fekr, media advisor of the Iranian president, defends Ahmadinejad and says Montajab-Nia is engaged in character assassination of the president. Parliamentarian Rouhollah Hosseinian condemns ridicule of the Iranian president's beliefs on the Lord of the Era.The Tehran branch of the Revolutionary Court issues arrest warrant for Montajab-Nia. Overview article on reactions to arrest, here. Politics: General
The Organization of Friday Prayers Leaders appoints five new leaders. Iran repeats some of the central allegations and accusations of Abbas Palizdar against 'corrupt enemies of the Ahmadinejad government.'A senior judiciary representative claims Palizdar and his 'gang' have been involved in 'theft of documents on the nuclear issue and national security.'Masoud Dehnamaki, former member of the Ansar-e Hezbollah vigilante group since turned intellectual, urges the Iranian president to be patient, but persistent in his fight against injustice.Agah-Sazi publishes a chronology of the life of Ahmad Fardid, theoretician of violence in the Islamic Republic. Notes on Fardid's speech on 'The crisis of Westoxification.' Compilation of comments on Fardid in other people's memoirs, here, here, and here.Student organizations close to the Ahmadinejad government demand the Judiciary to attend to the problem of 'economic corruption.' Former Interior Minister Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi appointed to head of the Central Investigations Bureau of the Islamic Republic.Governor of Bushehr resigns. Media
The Ministry of Culture soon to issue a ban order upon E'temad-e Melli. Diplomacy
Minister of intelligence backs up the Iranian president's claims about U.S. plots to kidnap him while visiting Iraq.Elaboration on attempt to kill Ahmadinejad by X-Ray radiation.Former foreign minister and foreign policy advisor to the Supreme Leader, Ali-Akbar Velayati considers the Supreme Leader as the ultimate foreign policy decision maker of the Islamic Republic.Manouchehr Mottaki, minister of foreign affairs, says establishment of an interest section in Tehran by the U.S. is under investigation.According to Shahab News Agency, Houshang Amirahmadi, Rutgers professor and Hamas supporter, is again in Tehran. Human Rights and Labor
The Iranian parliament presented a law increasing application of death penalty for various crimes against the 'psychological societal security.' Nuclear Issue
201 parliamentarians urge Iran to leave the NPT. Trade
The Islamic Republic builds dams in Nicaragua and, in return, gets $200 million of coffee.
Looking for a Book to Read? A Movie to Watch?
One of our traditions here on NRO is summer reading recommendations. We did it a little differently this year. Let me know what you think. Here's some of what Mona Charen had to say: What's the best political novel you've ever read? Why is it the best?
I confess that the political novel is not a genre I've sampled much. Read Advice and Consent in high school. It was okay. If I'm going to read fluff, I usually choose a thriller or historical fiction. Still, I'll give you one I did enjoy: Full Disclosure by William Safire. It features a president who is blinded by an assassination attempt. Very entertaining and Safiresque, though no doubt quite dated now -- it was published in 1977.
If there were only one book on conservatism you could recommend to a newcomer, what would it be and why?
Impossible to name just one! Modern conservatism, that wisest of sensibilities, is composed of many elements: realism about human nature particularly with regard to sex differences, skepticism of state power, appreciation for the American heritage of ordered liberty, hostility to collectivism in all its forms, and impatience with liberals who fail to recognize and confront evil. There is no one book that encapsulates all of that. So here's a partial reading list taking each of those elements in turn: Men and Marriage by George Gilder; Losing Ground by Charles Murray and anything by Thomas Sowell; John Adams by David McCullough and Free to Choose by Milton and Rose Friedman; The Black Book of Communism by Stephane Courtois et al; and um, with all due modesty, cough, cough, Useful Idiots by yours truly.
Is there one book that you'd recommend to uplift and inspire depressed conservatives this summer?
America Alone by Mark Steyn. It's the wittiest and funniest book on a dead serious subject I've ever read.
What's your favorite WFB book and why?
Cruising Speed. It was Bill in his prime. His life was outsized in every way -- and in this book, he allows the reader to share it for one exhilarating week.
What's your favorite political movie and why?
In the early 1960s, Billy Wilder made perhaps the only Cold War comedy, One, Two, Three. It starred Jimmy Cagney as a Coca Cola executive working in Berlin just before the wall was built. Hilarious, with plenty of digs at the Soviets and excellent use of The Saber Dance by Aram Khachaturian.
Rick Brookhiser, Dinesh D'Souza, Jay Nordlinger, and a whole lot more here.
Speak Up
No more book promotion, I promise, but anyone who's interested in having me come speak to their group about the book, please let me know.
Eye of the Snail Darter
From a reader:
The late great Wade McCree, 6th Circuit judge, Solicitor General of the
U.S., and law professor, wrote the best snail-darter poem.
McCree, known as the Poet Laureate of the Sixth Circuit, used to write
great limericks off the top of his head. He was on the panel in TVA v.
Hill, a case in which the TVA tried to build a dam in violation of the
Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Sixth Circuit said they couldn't
continue.
McCree wrote:
Who can surpass the snail darter?
The fish that would not be a martyr.
It stymied the dam,
near the place where it swam,
Can you think of a fish any smarter?
The Supreme Court affirmed 7-2. Congress took action and specifically
exempted the dam from the ESA in 1979. The dam went into operation and
the habitat was destroyed, but the next year, the Fish and Wildlife
Service discovered living snail darters, quite non-extinct, in a creek
eighty miles downstream from the dam.
"As Our Case Is New, So We Must Think Anew"
Over on the homepage, Kathryn does a Q&A with me about my new book, published today.
The FBI, Terrorism, and "Racial Profiling"
The FBI is considering using ethnicity as one factor in potential terrorism probes, according to news reports like this one. NRO readers will recall that this issue was much discussed in the more immediate aftermath of 9/11. I am no fan of racial (or ethnic) profiling, but my conclusion then, and now, is (a) this is not really 'racial profiling' (since we are investigating a particular group involved in a particular criminal conspiracy -- more analogous to using race to find a particular criminal suspect in a specific mugging, than to using raw statistics to conduct random stops); and (b) even if it is, it is justified, as both a legal and policy matter (since the 'government interest' is so 'compelling,' to put it in constitutional-lawyer jargon).
Speaking of Humiliating Communists . . .
. . . David Frum recently posted a long series of Soviet jokes, just for old-times' sake, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. One of the jokes (about the plumber coming 10 years from now, in the morning) I'd actually heard myself in the Soviet Union. Another one:Question: How can you tell when the stores have run out of toilet paper?
Answer: Because people are lined up around the block to buy the new edition of Pravda.was probably made up in the West, because when I first arrived in the Motherland of Socialism in 1984 I tried to use Pravda for this purpose, just for the principle of the thing, and it was too brittle -- even their newsprint was inferior.
David's final post on the subject quotes a reader asking for the genre to be updated with anti-Islamist jokes. But please send them to him, not me.
The Democratic Temptation
The Democrats may have a three-day convention! Praise the donkey! If John McCain promised a one-day convention, I'd finally be rallied.
I suspect I'm not a good focus group, though. Most Americans will largely ignore the conventions, whatever their lengths.
Darter, Darter Burning Bright
From a reader:
Hey Jonah,
You said they could not be found. But I say, behold! The snail darter honored in verse!
I think and I think, but it couldn't be harder,
To say something noble about the snail darter.
It's small, it's wriggly, and despite how you wish,
In the end and beginning, it is just a fish.
Teams called "Snail Darters" are absent in sports,
And few lawyers are dubbed "the snail darter of torts."
Now, tigers are big and stealthy and swift,
Making small fish fans regrettably miffed.
But the wee snail darter has one claim to fame,
A great feat a tiger can never proclaim;
Yes, tigers all over will have to be slammed,
A tiger has never, ever knocked down a dam.
Maybe There's a Use for Those "Che" T-Shirts After All
Disguise: Santos said that ring, commanded by a rebel known by the alias Cesar, was tricked into believing that the FARC's leader had called for the hostages to be brought to him.
Yesterday, two white helicopters arrived in a jungle clearing where the hostages were being held. The men in the helicopters looked like guerrillas, Betancourt later said, describing details of the rescue at the military airport.
'Absolutely surreal,' she said, noting that some of the men who got off the helicopter wore T-shirts emblazoned with the iconic image of the Argentine revolutionary Ernesto 'Che' Guevara. 'I thought this was the FARC,' she said.
The political harm of this hostage rescue to the commies is much greater than if there had been a firefight or some Entebbe-style rescue; the rebels weren't just defeated, they were humiliated, made to look like complete fools.
Holy See Celebrates, Too
VATICAN CITY, 3 JUL 2008 (VIS) - Yesterday evening, Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J. expressed the Holy See's contentment at the liberation of 15 hostages held by the FARC group in Colombia, among them former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt.
'This is good news', Fr. Lombardi affirmed, 'that creates much satisfaction and gives reasons for hope for the country'.
'It is', he went on, 'a sign of hope for so many other people' and for 'the pacification of a country that has suffered from so much violence'.
Boumediene and KSM's Nose
One of my favorite stories of the week is in the New Yorker's Talk of the Town section. It's about a woman named Janet Hamlin, who has been working off-and-on for the last couple of years as a courtroom sketch artist in Guantanamo. Her most recent visit was early last month when Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was to make an appearance in court:
Hamlin was escorted to a viewing room, separated from the court by glass. No binoculars or other visual aids were allowed, and audio was piped in on a twenty-second delay. "So it was like watching a bad Japanese movie," she said. "Imagine yourself in a room behind the court, and K.S.M. was probably a few trees back," she continued, looking out the window toward her back yard, where her dog, Molly, was yelping to be let in. "He had these big goggles on, with an elastic safety strap, and he would do this occasionally"--she craned her neck and raised her hand to an imaginary set of goggles--"and then look at me, as if posing." Hamlin was surprised at K.S.M.'s vanity, give |
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