Monthly Archives: June 2005

June 21, 2005 — Scott Johnson

A very poor choice of words

Senator Dick Durbin characterizes his incessant imputation of heinous misconduct to the American military as “a very poor choice of words”: “Sen. Durbin apologizes for Gitmo remarks.” Does he retract his comparison of our soldiers to mass murdering Nazis and Communists? The answer, the Minneapolis Star Tribune will be happy to know, is “no.” »
June 21, 2005 — John Hinderaker

Americans Heart Gitmo

Via a number of other bloggers, here are poll data on Guantanamo Bay from USA Today: 30. As you may know, since 2001, the United States has held people from other countries who are suspected of being terrorists at a detention facility in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Based on what you have heard or read, do you think the US should continue to operate this facility or do you think »
June 21, 2005 — Scott Johnson

Col. Repya writes the Star Tribune

Lt. Col. Joe Repya makes us proud to be Americans from Minnesota. He is a retired Army Reserve Officer who re-upped for active duty at age 58. He is now 59 and serving in Iraq. We wrote about him this past September in “Col. Repya reports for duty.” This morning he writes from Camp Victory in Baghdad: I was so upset when I read the Star Tribune’s Editorial today that »
June 21, 2005 — John Hinderaker

A Stand-Up Guy

Douglas Wood, who was freed by Iraqi and American soldiers after being held as a hostage by Iraqi terrorists for nearly seven weeks, has apologized to President Bush and Prime Minister John Howard for his coerced plea that coalition troops be withdrawn from Iraq: “Frankly, I’d like to apologize to both President Bush and Prime Minister [John] Howard for the things I said under duress,” said Mr. Wood, with his »
June 21, 2005 — Scott Johnson

The Star Tribune’s message

Last night in “The Star Tribune is Fonda Durbin,” I took a look at the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s truly disgusting editorial today: “Durbin’s message/U.S. must end prisoner abuse.” According to the Star Tribune, “The issue of whether Durbin’s rhetoric crossed a line is small potatoes…” According to the Star Tribune, the United States is guilty of “outrageous violations of international law and human rights…in Guantanamo.” The Star Tribune is a »
June 21, 2005 — Scott Johnson

Wrong time, wrong place

The New York Post’s Andrea Peyser covered the press conference of 9/11 families opposing the construction of the International Freedom Center at Ground Zero: “Wrong time, wrong place for PC prattle.” Some of the press conference statements are posted at Take Back the Memorial. Jeff Jarvis has more here. »
June 21, 2005 — Scott Johnson

Deja vu with a difference

RealClearPolitics has posted Austin Bay’s current report from Iraq: “My return to Baghdad.” »
June 21, 2005 — Scott Johnson

Mixed up, take 2

Josh Gerstein of the New York Sun and freelancer Thomas Lipscomb are the only two reporters who have undertaken to resolve the mystery of John Kerry’s SF-180. Earlier this month we noted their stories on the subject in “Mixed-up.” Having received copies of the three Kerry SF-180 forms (posted below) pursuant to a FOIA request, Gerstein returns to the subject today in “Kerry grants three reporters broad access to Navy »
June 20, 2005 — John Hinderaker

You Saw Them Here First

Via the Freedom of Information Act, a reader obtained copies of the Form 180s that were recently signed by John Kerry to permit, at long last, the release of his military records. Here are the three documents that Kerry signed; on their face, I don’t see anything wrong with them, but then, I’m no expert in military personnel records. We look forward to our readers’ comments. Here is the first »
June 20, 2005 — Scott Johnson

The Star Tribune is Fonda Durbin

Tomorrow’s Minneapolis Star Tribune editorial endorses the vile, ignorant fulminations of Senator Durbin and chides Durbin only for not standing fully behind them: “Durbin’s message/U.S. must end prisoner abuse.” The Star Tribune’s criticism of Durbin for buckling is as ill-founded as its support of the aid and comfort Durbin’s trash talk has lent the enemies of the United States. The Star Tribune says Durbin got it right and shouldn’t have »
June 20, 2005 — Scott Johnson

The wages of mitzvah

Today we received a phone call that was like a stab in the heart, from an Israeli in California referring to a story he read in Haaretz this morning. Here’s the story our caller referred to: IDF troops arrest would-be female suicide bomber Several hours after the deadly West Bank shooting attack [referred to earlier in the Haaretz story], IDF soldiers caught a female would-be suicide bomber at the entrance »
June 20, 2005 — John Hinderaker

They’re Not Kidding

Some of our readers, who are themselves well-balanced and don’t spend as much time in the fever swamps of the left as we do, may assume that Dick Durbin must have mis-spoken in comparing our troops to Nazis, etc., because that claim is so ridiculous. But, in fact, Durbin expressed (in a prepared speech, not impromptu remarks) what many leftists really think. As is illustrated by this cartoon by “self-described »
June 20, 2005 — John Hinderaker

Dean’s Approval in Tailspin

From Real Clear Politics: THE DEAN DIVE: There’s been a lot of talk about President Bush’s sagging poll numbers, but not so much talk about this: Howard Dean Favorable Ratings Poll__________________Favorable_____Unfavorable______+/- Diff Fox News (6/14-15)______23______________41____________-18 Rasmussen (6/13-14)_____25______________40____________-15 There’s no trend on the Rasmussen poll but on the FOX poll Dean’s favorable rating is down ten points since the beginning of March and his unfavorable rating is up nine. »
June 20, 2005 — John Hinderaker

Two Elections

In Lebanon, an anti-Syrian coalition won what the New York Times termed a “stunning majority victory.” Notably, the coalition crossed over religious lines. This victory assures an anti-Syrian majority in the next Lebanese Parliament. The Times says: It was a startling change in the way politics have usually been carried out here – along strict clan and religious lines and long under the control of Syria – and perhaps an »
June 20, 2005 — John Hinderaker

Durbin Update

I called Senator Dick Durbin’s office this morning at (202) 224-2152 and, after being on hold for a while, laid out the reasons why I think Durbin should resign from the Senate. His staffer told me that as of this morning, he is standing by his statement comparing American soldiers to the Nazis, the Communists and the Khmer Rouge. There was one caveat, however: the staffer told me that Durbin »
June 20, 2005 — Scott Johnson

The wisdom of dogs

If I recall correctly, in book 1 of the Republic, Socrates jokingly observes that dogs are philosophers, because they determine who their friends are based on knowledge. If American Jews had a fix on who their friends are, I doubt that 70 percent of them would continue to constitute themselves among the core of the Democratic Party. One would think that the presence of Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Cynthia McKinney, »
June 20, 2005 — Scott Johnson

Tunes, tools, knaves and fools, take 2

The Standard has posted Hugh Hewitt’s outstanding column explicating Dick Durbin’s thoughts on Guantanamo: “Breaking the Durbin code.” Hugh performs a herculean task visiting the Augean stables of Durbin’s mind. The column valiantly performs a public service that none of the doyens of the mainstream media have even attempted. Hugh observes that Durbin’s comments last week represent “an escalation in the political rhetoric of the left, which is designed to »