Monthly Archives: November 2004

“Rather’s Ruin”

A couple of days ago, we quoted from an article on Rathergate by Chris Weinkopf in American Enterprise. Reader James Phillips points out that it’s now available online, here: Seldom in the course of a Presidential campaign does a media drama upstage the election itself, but for a short while in September, Americans tuned out politics and tuned in to “The Decline and Fall of Dan Rather.” The drama began »

My Children Revile Me

Speaking of my election night adventures, one of my favorite moments was when I was walking along the concourse at 30 Rockefeller Center (“30 Rock,” as apparently everyone but me knows) and I heard a raspy, New Yorker voice behind me calling, “Rocket Man! Rocket Man!” I turned back and shook hands with a young man who was evidently working at the building. I took him for a custodian; he »

Anti-semitism and the Augean stables

At NRO, Anne Bayefsky demonstrates in painful detail why the United Nations is a contemporary version of the Augean stables and suggests why the removal of Kofi Annan from the premises barely begins the Herculean task of cleanup: “Fatal failure.” And she doesn’t even directly address the institution’s absurd governance. »

Now the Story Can Be Told

Via InstaPundit and Taegan Goddard, we learn that Brian Williams, who will replace Tom Brokaw at NBC, has been knocking bloggers. CBS Marketwatch reports: Williams, 45, is capable of showing good humor and a dry wit in public. When Time magazine held a lunch to discuss candidates for its person of the year, he exposed a side of his personality that is seldom seen on the air. When a fellow »

Coleman calls for Kofi break

In tomorrow’s Wall Street Journal, Senator Norm Coleman declares: “Kofi Annan must go.” HINDROCKET adds: See also this item from today’s Washington Times: U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said yesterday he was disappointed in his son for accepting payments from a key contractor in the oil-for-food program for more than four years longer than had been previously acknowledged. Kojo Annan, 31, had been employed from 1995 to 1997 at Cotecna Inspection »

Millenium responds

We have received many inquiries about Millenium Information Services (Steve Gardner’s former employer) in connection with Steve Gardner’s termination and subsequent financial difficulties. We chose to focus our efforts on assisting Mr. Gardner because we are in no position to adjudicate factual issues regarding the termination of Mr. Gardner’s employment. We know only that we owe Mr. Gardner a debt of gratitude for his testimony regarding his service with John »

How Appealing

For comprehensive coverage of news, analylsis and developments in the FAIR case, Howard Bashman’s How Appealing site is invaluable. Bashman is an attorney and appellate specialist. Although he filed an amicus brief in the FAIR case (scroll down on his site for the link), Bashman is a relentless and impartial reporter. He has posted several links to items of interest regarding the case. He has noted, for example, each of »

Unsolomonic…and erroneous

One of our readers has taken a close look at the Third Circuit’s FAIR decision with an insider’s eye. He writes: Is it too late to raise a cry against the confusion in our entitlement culture between the withholding of a benefit and the deprivation of a right? Probably. This decision is dead on arrival. It is in line with recent intermediate appellate court opinions where they impudently attempt to »

WSC turns 130

Today is the 130th anniversary of the birth of Winston S. Churchill. Our friend Steve Hayward notes the occasion at the Corner here as does Peter Schramm at No Left Turns in “Remembering Winston Churchill.” »

Unsolomonic…and unfair

Reader Patrick P. writes to comment on my notes on the Third Circuit decision posted below in “An unsolomonic decision” as follows: As a recent graduate of the Yale Law School I was present during most of the events that you discussed regarding the Solomon Amendment and JAG recruiters. My strongest memory from the whole incident was the sense of self-righteous hypocrisy that permeated most of the student body and »

Paypal for Steve Gardner (corrected)

Tony Snow has provided us the information that so many of you have been asking for in order to help Steve Gardner: Here’s the info I have from Steve. He has a paypal account through his email: [email protected]; there’s also a snail-mail address: P.O. Box 908; Clover, SC 29710. P.S. Tony has made me a hero at home. He’s coming through on the autographed photo for Mrs. Trunk. UPDATE: We »

Tony Snow to the rescue

Today’s day brightener comes via Tony Snow and Griff Jenkins, the producer of the Tony Snow Show on Fox News Radio. Griff writes: KUDOS to you guys on Steve [Gardner]! We’ve made it our goal to help Steve in some significant way this way by encouraging conservatives to commit acts of compassion and get Steve a job!! Steve’s on Tony right now – 09:35a ET – he’s doing very well! »

Saluting Sgt. Maj. Jordan

Sometimes I get the impression that one or two of the folks on the editorial staff of the New York Post read Power Line. Today’s Post carries an editorial based on the Fayetville Observer story on Command Sgt. Major James Jordan that we linked to and commented on this past Sunday: “One soldier’s leadership.” You read it here first! »

An Unsolomonic decision

I learned about the FAIR lawsuit against the Solomon Amendment last year while visiting Yale over Parents’ Weekend. These are the notes I posted on Power Line at the time about the facts and arguments that relate to yesterday’s Third Circuit decision enjoining enforcement of the Solomon Amendment requiring federally funded educational institutions to allow military recruiters on campus. Rereading these notes, it seemed to me that they facilitate an »

Democrats Launch Smear Campaign Against Mehlman

Reader John Jensen alerted us to the fact that the Democrats have launched a whispering campaign against Bush-Cheney campaign manager and incoming Republican National Chairman Ken Mehlman, alleging that he is a homosexual. Apparently this has been going on for a while, but far off our radar screen. The “evidence” that Mehlman is gay apparently consists of the fact that he is 38 years old and unmarried. One Bill Berkowitz »

A First-Hand Account From Kiev

Reader Len Ruggiero sent us an interesting account of events in Ukraine from Michael Bleyzer, the CEO of a Ukraine-based private equity firm called SigmaBleyzer. Here are excerpts from Mr. Bleyzer’s description of recent events, dated Nov. 27: It is difficult to describe what is going on here. No news footage on your TV screens can express the feeling you get being surrounded by a million people. The most amazing »

Philosophizing disgrace

In 1995 Congress enacted the Solomon Amendment requiring universities to treat military recruiters like other prospective employers on campus as a condition of the universities’ receipt of federal funds. Last year the Forum for Institutional and Academic Rights (“FAIR”) brought a lawsuit to enjoin the government from enforcing the Solomon Amendment. I compared the merits of FAIR’s lawsuit to the merits of the obesity lawsuits — “slim to none” — »