Monthly Archives: February 2004

February 23, 2004 — Scott Johnson

He’s heavy, he ain’t my brother

Is there a foreign policy or defense issue that John Kerry has gotten right in the past 20 years? Joshua Muravchik reviews the evidence in a Washington Post column: “John Kerry’s inner dove.” John Podhoretz explores Kerry’s protest of the 1970 National Guard Convention held in New York: “Protesting America.” And Vietnam vet Fred Gardner expresses no fraternal feelings toward the big guy: “John Kerry ain’t my brother.” Can Max »
February 22, 2004 — John Hinderaker

Things That Make You Think

Tim Blair has a wonderful dissection of the old canard about how offensive things are good because they “make you think”: A year or so ago I was in some radio debate with a Michael Moore supporter. Moore »
February 22, 2004 — Scott Johnson

Notes for an after action report

My presentation on Winston Churchill at St. Olaf College yesterday turned into an unexpectedly exhilarating experience. Rocket Man trekked down to Northfield with his son Eric to lend moral support. I’m grateful for Rocket Man’s generous remarks below on the event and Eric’s perceptive comments on it afterwards. Please indulge these additional notes. I was originally invited to submit an application to lead one of 40 seminars to be given »
February 22, 2004 — John Hinderaker

Speaking of Jimmy Carter…

…or, for that matter, Bishop Desmond Tutu, France, Germany, the U.N. and the Democrats, if it were up to them, this would still be going on in Iraq: “Iraqi Finds Home Became Torture Chamber:” Dhia al-Hariri returned to Iraq after decades in exile to reclaim his father’s beloved home, only to find Saddam Hussein’s regime had turned it into a house of horrors. »
February 22, 2004 — John Hinderaker

An Optimistic View of the Polls

Donald Lambro in today’s Washington Times has a positive perspective on recent polls, some of which have shown President Bush trailing John Kerry and other Democrats badly: [T]he [Gallup] poll’s footnotes suggest the Massachusetts senator’s spurt in the polls may have more to do with the sharp increase in the number of Democrats who described themselves as ‘likely voters’ than with any change in the way voters perceive the president’s »
February 22, 2004 — Scott Johnson

The default guy v. Edwards and Bush

Mark Steyn’s buoyant Sunday Telegraph column sizes up Kerry and Edwards, and provides me needed assistance in my anger management therapy: “So which would America rather have: Pretty boy or long face?” On a more serious note, in his Chicago Sun-Times column Steyn sizes up President Bush and concludes by contrasting him with Kerry: “Bush is winning the war that matters now.” »
February 22, 2004 — Scott Johnson

Arafat speaks

Here’s the Jerusalem Post story on the latest bus bombing in Jerusalem: “Seven people killed in Jerusalem bus attack.” The story reports that the bomber was Muhammad Za’al, a member of (Arafat’s) al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades. »
February 21, 2004 — John Hinderaker

Speaking of Pre-emptive Attack

John Kerry has launched a bizarre attack against President Bush, making public a letter he wrote to the President which says: As you well know, Vietnam was a very difficult and painful period in our nation’s history, and the struggle for our veterans continues. So, it has been hard to believe that you would choose to reopen these wounds for your personal political gain. But, that is what you have »
February 21, 2004 — John Hinderaker

I’m Off to Colombia

Growing up as a Lutheran in the Upper Midwest, Lent was only modestly observed, and there was certainly no thought of a Carnival preceding it. In recent years, I have followed somewhat enviously the annual Brazilian Carnival. I didn’t know that they had one in Colombia too, but this year, Reuters went to Barranquilla, Colombia. It turns out they have Carnival there. Do they ever: This is the kind of »
February 21, 2004 — John Hinderaker

Bin Laden Trapped?

That’s what London’s Sunday Express says. Its articles aren’t available online, but here is what tomorrow’s Express looks like: The Telegraph reports: The paper claims he is in a mountainous area to the north of the Pakistani city of Quetta. The region is said to be peopled with bin Laden supporters and the terrorist leader is estimated to also have 50 of his fanatical bodyguards with him. The claim is »
February 21, 2004 — John Hinderaker

“Peace Through Strength”

The Trunk delivered his lecture on Winston Churchill in the 1930’s before a packed house of college students this morning. As the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported this morning, St. Olaf College is the host to this year’s Nobel Peace Prize Conference, featuring keynote speaker Jimmy Carter. We have already detailed the history of this event, and its laughably leftist and pacifist tinge, featuring fifty seminars on “Peace Through Dance,” “Peace »
February 21, 2004 — John Hinderaker

“Peace Through Strength”

The Trunk delivered his lecture on Winston Churchill in the 1930’s before a packed house of college students this morning. As the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported this morning, St. Olaf College is the host to this year’s Nobel Peace Prize Conference, featuring keynote speaker Jimmy Carter. We have already detailed the history of this event, and its laughably leftist and pacifist tinge, featuring fifty seminars on “Peace Through Dance,” “Peace »
February 21, 2004 — Paul Mirengoff

New myths and old realities

The Economist explains why (a) the economic recovery is not, and will not be, a “jobless” one and (b) the outsourcing of jobs to foreign enterprises is part of the normal job churning process that has always created, and will continue to create, many more jobs than it destroys. »
February 21, 2004 — Paul Mirengoff

The media’s protection racket

Hugh Hewitt has more on John Kerry’s 1971 testimony to Congress. Hugh notes a strange (unless you experienced first-hand the radical movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s) tidbit in which Kerry testified approvingly about the “Indian nation” that had been established illegally on Alcatraz. Are there any period-peace leftist causes that Kerry didn’t embrace? Hugh also adds an excellent discussion of the mainstream media’s unwillingness to examine Kerry’s »
February 21, 2004 — Paul Mirengoff

International justice at its best

The Jerusalem Post reports that the International Court of Justice in The Hague has rejected the request of Israeli terror victims’ families to participate in the court’s hearing regarding the West Bank security fence. Little Green Footballs has the right line on these proceedings: “The International Kangaroo Court in The Hague is organizing a lynch mob of Arab countries and Euro-dhimmis, at the behest of Kofi Annan and his gang »
February 21, 2004 — Paul Mirengoff

Tom Daschle’s one decent year in six begins

Facing a tough re-election race, Tom Daschle has praised the Bush administration’s war and nation-building work in Iraq, and stated, magnanimously, that he has no serious concerns about the lack of weapons of mass destruction, according to the Rapid City Journal. In a speech before the state’s chamber of commerce, Daschle added that he is satisfied with the way things are going in Iraq. What statesmanship! Shades of Arthur Vandenberg. »
February 21, 2004 — Scott Johnson

Media alert

I’ll be discussing the Nobel Peace Prize Forum and the teach-in on Winston Churchill at St. Olaf College with David Strom at 9:05 a.m. on AM 1280 in the Twin Cities. I’ll be speaking in Mellby Hall at St. Olaf at 11:00 a.m. in a program that is open to the public. The students who are my hosts will be leafleting Jimmy Carter’s keynote presentation at 1:30. I’m sure they »