Monthly Archives: November 2002

November 25, 2002 — Paul Mirengoff

Jules Witcover of the Baltimore

Jules Witcover of the Baltimore Sun covered politics during Nixon’s pre-presidential days. He finds similarities and differences between the Nixon of that time and the Al Gore of today. Witcover’s theme is one that I mentioned briefly when I first compared the two — the post 1960 Nixon was cautous and highly disciplined, whereas Gore claims he is going to throw caution to the wind. I don’t actually believe Gore »
November 25, 2002 — John Hinderaker

This, folks, might ruin your

This, folks, might ruin your day. A writer in Salon (via FrontPage Magazine) details the threat posed by shoulder-fired infrared-guided missiles, which can easily shoot down American commercial airliners. I had been vaguely aware of this threat, but had not realized that since the 1970’s, shoulder-fired missiles have already hit at least 42 civilian aircraft in various countries. Some possible defenses exist, but at present, American civilian airliners are completely »
November 25, 2002 — Scott Johnson

Studies in liberal governance: This

Studies in liberal governance: This morning’s Star Tribune carries another story on the murder of 12-year-old Tyesha Edwards. The mayor feels the family’s pain: “Mayor consoles Tyesha’s family as police seek clues.” »
November 25, 2002 — John Hinderaker

Oops. Now lawyers for September

Oops. Now lawyers for September 11 victims are alleging that Princess Haifa al-Faisal, wife of the Saudi Ambassador, had at apartment in Washington, D.C. which was occupied in 1997 by one Mansour Majid. Majid then allegedly moved to Dearborn, Michigan, where he roomed with three men who were convicted of terrorist activity last August. They may have been part of a sleeper cell. Now, it is possible that Majid was »
November 25, 2002 — Scott Johnson

Yesterday’s Los Angles Times carried

Yesterday’s Los Angles Times carried Professor Shlomo Avineri’s “A Haunting Echo.” Professor Avineri is a renowned teacher of political science at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. I received a copy of his piece by e-mail via Laurie Mylroie’s Iraq Newsletter. I am unable to link to the piece and am therefore taking the liberty of pasting it in below: JERUSALEM — Let me start on a personal note: Three of my »
November 25, 2002 — Scott Johnson

Stephen Schwartz is the guy

Stephen Schwartz is the guy we want to read on the latest revelations regarding high-level Saudi complicity with our enemies: “The real axis of evil.” »
November 25, 2002 — John Hinderaker

The Washington Times reports that,

The Washington Times reports that, in the wake of this month’s elecoral victories, the Administration will introduce legislation accelerating the scheduled tax cuts, expanding IRA and 401(k) plans, and providing additional incentives to business investment. All of this will be billed as a stimulus package to boost economic growth. I think this is great on public policy and fairness grounds; how much it will boost the economy is debatable. But »
November 24, 2002 — Paul Mirengoff

National Review Online’s Rod Dreher

National Review Online’s Rod Dreher reports that a California-based Muslim legal group has filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Bar requesting disciplinary action against Alan Dershowitz. The essence of the complaint is that Dershowitz advocated war crimes in an op-ed piece in which he supported leveling Palestinian villages known to have harbored terrorists, after giving residents 24 hours to evacuate. Dershowitz denies that the Geneva Accords prohibit what he’s advocating. »
November 24, 2002 — Paul Mirengoff

Thomas Edsall of the Washington

Thomas Edsall of the Washington Post delivers one of the more thoughtful pieces I’ve seen on the “serious structural ailments” of the Democratic party. He identifies three main fault lines: (1) erosion of support among women due to concerns about terrorism and Republican gains on issues like education, (2) new tensions between black and white Democrats, this time pitting public-sector blacks and Hispanics against well-educated whites, (3) inability to connect »
November 24, 2002 — Paul Mirengoff

Shortly after the arrest of

Shortly after the arrest of the D.C. area snipers, Rocket Man wrote that, next time, the police work will have to be better. Apart from that comment, there has been little public criticism of our local police chief, Charles Moose. However, here, a Maryland criminologist named Susan Paisner, writing in the Washington Post finds much to criticize in the Moose-led investigation. »
November 24, 2002 — Paul Mirengoff

Rocket Man, the person here

Rocket Man, the person here in Washington whose opinion I trust most about the Senate (a former high-level staffer) says that Landrieu is a lightweight who has never created a “Senatorial” impression here. If Terrell is turning out not to be particularly lightweight, one can understand Landrieu’s frustration. I don’t know much about Terrell, but as far as I’m aware she has made it without the kind of assistance Landrieu »
November 24, 2002 — Paul Mirengoff

Rocket Man, I enjoyed your

Rocket Man, I enjoyed your blogs from last night about Kennedy and Nixon. As to Nixon’s liberal domestic policy, I believe, based on what Leonard Garment and others have said, that Nixon didn’t care much about domestic policy. He saw himself as a world figure and just wanted to do well enough in domestic affairs to stay in office, thereby maintaining his position as the primary actor on the world »
November 24, 2002 — John Hinderaker

Lately we’ve heard more from

Lately we’ve heard more from the Administration about disarming Iraq and less about regime change. I understand the forces pushing in that direction, but it would be a tragedy if Saddam Hussein were allowed to remain in power. In this article in yesterday’s Toronto Globe and Mail, Margaret Wente describes the horrific reality of life in Iraq, through the eyes of an escapaee from Saddam’s prisons. Colin Powell needs to »
November 24, 2002 — John Hinderaker

I didn’t see the Terrell/Landrieu

I didn’t see the Terrell/Landrieu debate on CSpan, but PoliPundit did. He says that “Unlike her performance on Meet the Press, Terrell seems to be sure of herself. She’s confident, holds her own against Landrieu and looks Senatorial.” Maybe that explains Landrieu’s post-debate meltdown. PoliPundit has much more interesting commentary. »
November 24, 2002 — Scott Johnson

One of our faithful readers

One of our faithful readers is a California resident who recently visited the Twin Cities and has written us regarding the items I’ve posted on Minneapolis’s gang presence. Deleting only his kind words about the Power Line, I’m posting his message in its entirety as follows: “Concerning the comments of the Trunk concerning the silence as to gang violence in the Twin Cities. I live in central California in an »
November 24, 2002 — Scott Johnson

Don’t know how we missed

Don’t know how we missed Mark Steyn’s latest: “Hey, Roeper! I was right.” (Courtesy of our friends at RealClearPolitics). »
November 24, 2002 — John Hinderaker

When it broke, we posted

When it broke, we posted on the story about the Saudi princess, wife of the Ambassador to the U.S., who paid $2,000 a month into the bank account of a man who later gave financial assistance to two of the September 11 hijackers. Over the last day or two, this story has been the occasion for considerable hysteria in the blogosphere, as various critics have excoriated the Administration and the »