May 24, 2013 — John Hinderaker

Al Franken Resists Impulse to Slug Reporter

Featured image This video of Jason Mattera trying to interview Al Franken and Chuck Schumer about their two letters to the IRS, asking the agency to crack down on tax-exempt “social welfare” groups, is pretty entertaining. Only I don’t think Breitbart TV, which posted the video, described it correctly. Breitbart wrote: Sen Al Franken (D-MN) was using such a circuitous “serpentine” walking pattern in an effort to avoid TRN’s Jason Mattera’s tough »
May 24, 2013 — Paul Mirengoff

This day in baseball history

On May 24, 1963, the first place San Francisco Giants took on the second place Los Angeles Dodgers at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. It had taken a dramatic playoff series (won by the Giants) to separate the two teams in 1962, and well into the 1963 season, they were separated by only one game. To add to the drama, the pitching matchup featured Sandy Koufax for the visitors and »
May 24, 2013 — Steven Hayward

A Second Amendment Celebration

Featured imageOne of my favorite Facebook groups is “2nd Amendment Hotties,” and apparently more than a few other people like it too, as it has something like 16,000 “likes” on FB.  Would seem an omission not to share some of its awesomeness with Power Line readers, especially since we’re still in a too-long hiatus of beauty pageants worthy of John’s coverage.  So enjoy this respite from scandalmania for a holiday Friday. »
May 24, 2013 — Paul Mirengoff

Americans are tired; Obama is tired — but not of the same thing

Featured imagePresident Obama’s legendary intellectual dishonesty was on full display once again in his “The Future of our Fight Against Terrorism” address. In essence, the speech called for a pullback, if not an end to, the “war” on terrorism. He prefaced this call with a quote from James Madison: “No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.” And he pushed it home by emphasizing the duration of »
May 24, 2013 — Steven Hayward

When “Diversity” = Hate

Featured imageIf memory serves, Irving Kristol once remarked that the term “peace,” as it was used by the left, “is a Stalinist concept,” since the intent of the so-called “peace movement” was the unilateral disarmament of the West and the triumph of Communism.  Today the term “diversity” works the same way: it has become a term meaning the opposite of its dictionary meaning, and is a vehicle for racial division and »
May 24, 2013 — Paul Mirengoff

Fox News trots out Rubio to promote amnesty once again

Featured imageI have written before about the lack of expression of opposition to the Schumer-Rubio amnesty legislation on leading Fox News programs such as Sean Hannity’s. While amnesty opponents receive little or no air time, Marco Rubio appears fairly regularly with Hannity to field mostly soft-ball questions. Now comes word that Rubio will appear tonight on a “special edition” of Hannity to field questions from an audience of experts on immigration. »
May 24, 2013 — Scott Johnson

Weiner envy

Featured imageSince the rancid Weiner (Anthony) announced his campaign for the mayoralty of New York, I’ve been looking for an excuse to enter the Weiner (punning) sweepstakes. Now I think the Houston Chronicle may have provided the fodder. Finding the local angle in a New York story, the Chronicle reports on Weiner’s incredibly efficient rehabilitation in Houston: Anthony Weiner’s New York mayoral candidacy was only made more improbable today after he »
May 23, 2013 — Paul Mirengoff

Obama signals retreat in the fight against terrorism

Featured imagePresident Obama delivered an address today at the National Defense University called “The Future of our Fight Against Terrorism.” Actually, part of the speech was about the past, including much self-congratulation and some shots at President Bush. This part of the speech is revisionist rubbish. As Max Boot explains: Obama said, for example, that after he came into office, “we unequivocally banned torture, affirmed our commitment to civilian courts, worked »
May 23, 2013 — John Hinderaker

Two Presidents In One

Featured imagePresident Obama’s response to criticism over his Justice Department’s seizure, without notice or the opportunity for a hearing, of phone records from the Associated Press and emails in Fox reporter James Rosen’s personal account has been surpassingly strange. Whenever he has addressed the issue, he has cited his own support for a media shield law as if that were somehow exculpatory. Thus, in today’s national security speech he said: I’m »
May 23, 2013 — Paul Mirengoff

Obama on the verge of becoming one of America’s most successful presidents ever

Featured imageWith so many scandals in the picture or looming, it’s easy to miss the fact that President Obama may soon become one of the most successful presidents in American history. I’m defining success as fulfilling Obama’s mission of substantially transforming America. The Obama administration scandals matter because, to one degree or another, they involve scandalous conduct. But step back for moment. In 20 years, very few people will remember any »
May 23, 2013 — Steven Hayward

They’re Right: Obama Is No Tricky Dick

Featured imageThere’s an old adage in the public relations trade that if you’re on the defensive, you’re losing the PR battle.  And so it is rather delicious to watch Obama’s defenders on the left furiously spinning that no, no—no way is any of this like Nixon!  Scott already took down Steve Chapman’s “false equivalence” column; the Washington Post editorial board—and who is more authoritative on Watergate than them??—thinks the comparison risible.  »
May 24, 2013 — Scott Johnson

On section 1203: A footnote

Featured imageA knowledgeable reader who asks us to withhold his name writes to comment on our post “On section 1203.” Our reader writes: I’m writing to comment on your post on the IRS and section 1203. Like the retired CID agent you quote, I’m a regular reader and a fan. I’m also an attorney with many years of service with Chief Counsel’s Office of the IRS. I agree with most of »
May 24, 2013 — Scott Johnson

The Ailes manifesto

Featured imageI have greatly admired the work of James Rosen over the years. He seems to me a classic old-fashioned reporter, as the events of the past week have strongly suggested. And while working his day job at Fox News, he also wrote an intensely interesting biography cum history, The Strong Man: John Mitchell and the Secrets of Watergate. Rosen’s biography of Mitchell was unjustly neglected upon its publication in 2008. »
May 23, 2013 — Paul Mirengoff

The Breadwinners

Featured imageJohn Hay’s The Breadwinners: A Social Study (1883) is hardly a great novel. But it is, I’m confident, the best novel ever written by a future U.S. Secretary of State. And it’s a nice send-up of the “professional reformer” of the late 19th century — precursor of the modern “community organizer.” Indeed, the only fully realized character in The Breadwinners is its villain, a professional reformer. Claiming a commitment to »
May 23, 2013 — John Hinderaker

Is Europe Giving Up on “Green” Energy?

Featured imageLeaders of the 27 European Union countries met yesterday to discuss energy issues. The meeting, as described by AFP, represents a turning point in European energy policy. Europe’s leaders are ready to join the shale oil and gas revolution to avoid being left behind economically: EU leaders agreed Wednesday to face up to the challenge posed by the shale oil and gas revolution which has slashed US energy prices, undercutting »
May 23, 2013 — Paul Mirengoff

White House counsel met with top treasury lawyer three times last year after learning of IRS audit

Featured imageThe Daily Caller reports that White House Counsel Kathryn Ruemmler had three unprecedented one-on-one meetings last year with the Treasury Department’s chief lawyer, Chistopher Meade. The meetings were in September and December of 2012. Meade had known about the inspector general’s investigation of the IRS’s targeting of conservative nonprofits since at least June 2012. According to the Daily Caller, Ruemmler had never previous met with Meade one-on-one. Meade and Ruemmler »
May 23, 2013 — Steven Hayward

Environmentalists for Nuclear Power

Featured imageI’ve had occasion to write before about my enviro-dissident pals Ted Nordhaus and Michael Shellenberger of the Breakthrough Institute in Oakland (here, here, here, and here, and also in National Review), describing them on one occasion as “my existentially-challenged progressive pals.”  Well, now they’ve really done it: a piece in today’s Wall Street Journal on why environmentalists should support nuclear power. Along the way, they really deliver some well-deserved smack »