Monthly Archives: May 2004

May 21, 2004 — Paul Mirengoff

Cut the crap, part II

As I reported a few days ago, Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich recently denounced multiculturalism as “bunk” and “crap.” In this column in the Baltimore Sun, H. George Hahn II, a professor at Towson University, provides eloquent amplification on this matter. As Hahn concludes: “America may be gloriously multiethnic, but it is not multicultural. For the better of all hyphenated Americans, starting with the language, it is an English culture. And »
May 21, 2004 — Scott Johnson

The raid on Chalabi

Former Coaliton Provisional Authority adviser Michael Rubin has written a column for NRO compiling an incredibly damning indictment of Paul Bremer in connection with the raid on the quarters of Ahmed Chalabi yesterday: “The growing gap.” Unlike much that is in the papers today about Chalabi and the raid, Rubin’s column appears to be based on personal experience and insider knowledge. In any event, it is fascinating. UPDATE: Dafydd ab »
May 21, 2004 — Paul Mirengoff

Curse lifted

Wednesday’s Game Seven between Minnesota and Sacramento was a satisfying one for me and other members of the anti-Chris Webber crowd. The injured Webber played valiantly and effectively for the Kings, yet was powerless to stop Kevin Garnett, a player to whom he was once compared, from dominating the proceedings. Additionally, Webber missed a layup in the final minutes, and then saw his three-point shot at the buzzer — one »
May 21, 2004 — Scott Johnson

Nixon’s mythical secret plan

Following up on my reference yesterday in “A secret plan” to Nixon’s “secret plan” to end the Vietnam war during the 1968 campaign, our friend Steve Hayward writes: Nixon’s so-called “secret plan” is one of the great myths about Nixon that I took up in The Age of Reagan. Here is the passage (from Chapter 7): That Nixon had advertised a “secret plan” to end the war during the 1968 »
May 21, 2004 — Scott Johnson

His hometown

On a day when comic relief seems desperately to be needed, at least by me, the Minneapolis Star Tribune features Chris Riemenschneider’s story on Minnesota’s new tourist hot spot: Hibbing, Minnesota: “Times are a’changin’ in Dylan’s hometown.” This weekend Hibbing is host to Dylan Days, timed to coincide approximately with Dylan’s birthday. He turns 63 on Monday. Click here for a complete listing of Dylan Days activities. Don’t miss “Blowing »
May 21, 2004 — Scott Johnson

More troubling news

In addition to the new revelations of abuse at Abu Ghraib, the troubling news from Iraq includes Ambassador Bremer’s interference with the Iraqi Governing Council’s investigation of the oil-for-food scandal, “Kofi’s cover up,” and the raid on Ahmed Chalabi’s quarters in Baghdad, “Bungling in Iraq: The Chalabi raid.” The linked column by Jim Hoagland, who first met Chalabi in 1972, does not address the leaked allegations that Chalabi transmitted intelligence »
May 21, 2004 — Scott Johnson

Jimmy’s party

In the Washington Times our friend Steve Hayward (author of The Real Jimmy Carter) demolishes Chuck Todd’s recent comparison of George Bush to Jimmy Carter: “Jimmy’s party.” In this context Steve has an important and timely point to make: Mr. Todd has it exactly backward. Mr. Kerry is the product of a Democratic Party that has been fully Carterized, and if the voters grasp this in a time of war, »
May 21, 2004 — Scott Johnson

Wallowing in Abu Ghraib

The Washington Post features new revelations in the Abu Ghraib scandal: “New details of prison abuse emerge.” The “new details” derive from the Army’s own investigation earlier this year: The fresh allegations of prison abuse are contained in statements taken from 13 detainees shortly after a soldier reported the incidents to military investigators in mid-January. The Post also runs a companion story: “Videos amplify picture of violence.” I haven’t thought »
May 21, 2004 — Scott Johnson

The wedding party

Belmont Club has a brilliant post about the American assault on the house near the Syrian border in Iraq: “The wedding party.” The details of the assault seemed not to be credible to me at the time they were initially reported; Wretchard supplies additional grounds for skepticism: [The] stories evolved from a categorical description of an American attack on a wedding party, to a middle stage in which the wedding »
May 21, 2004 — John Hinderaker

President’s Job Approval Rebounds

Rasmussen has President Bush’s job approval rating back at 52%, compared to 47% disapproval, suggesting that the media’s all-Abu Ghraib, all the time coverage may be having only a transitory political effect. In other polling news, Fox reports the absolutely bizarre finding that 49% of Americans say that for them and their families, it “feels like the economy is getting worse.” (Thirty-one percent say “better”.) The biggest reason, cited by »
May 21, 2004 — John Hinderaker

Typhoon Warning

But, as so often happens in the U.S., it was a false alarm. We got a nice rain last night, but the typhoon stayed out to sea and mainland Japan woke up to a beautiful, sunny day. During my two weeks in Osaka, I’ve been on the lookout for signs of the anti-Americanism that is alleged to be rife here, as elsewhere around the world. In “official” Japan, it’s certainly »
May 20, 2004 — Scott Johnson

My favorite Democrat, part 13

We’re a little late getting to coverage of Senator Zell Miller’s statement on the Abu Ghraib discussing the situation at the Abu Ghraib prison, but it’s a result of our failure to find any news stories on it. Reader Quint Heckert has kindly directed us to Senator Miller’s press release on his statement made on the floor of the Senate: “Miller: Finger-pointing, Apologies Over Prisoner Treatment Only Boost Enemy.” »
May 20, 2004 — Scott Johnson

Kerry’s secret plan

Upon further reflection, I think Kerry’s secret plan to end the war warrants a Nixonian characterization. I think Nixon would characterize the plan as a modified limited bugout. »
May 20, 2004 — Scott Johnson

More hash

On NRO Barbara Comstock provides a telling overview of Seymour Hersh’s truth-challenged career: “Hersh’s history.” Comstock writes: Hersh is best understood as the Geraldo of print investigative reporters. While his untruths and near slander have been eclectic and bipartisan »
May 20, 2004 — Scott Johnson

An obsolete model

On NRO this morning Professor Jon Lauck assesses the model on which the current Daschle campaign is being run as obsolete: “South Dakota heats up.” »
May 20, 2004 — Scott Johnson

A secret plan

In an interview with the Ron Fournier of the Associated Press yesterday, John Kerry promised to withdraw American soldiers from “the death zone” in Iraq during his first term while preserving American interests there: “Kerry could back antiabortion judge.” Both to Fournier and to me Kerry’s Iraq “plan” sounds a little like the secret plan Richard Nixon campaigned on in 1968 to resolve America’s involvement in the Vietnam war: If »
May 19, 2004 — Scott Johnson

Daschle poll shocker

Professor Jon Lauck of the Daschle v. Thune site has posted information concerning the latest poll in the race: “New poll shocker.” »