Monthly Archives: May 2007

May 24, 2007 — John Hinderaker

Coleman’s Anti-Sanctuary Bill Defeated

One of the most shameful spectacles of our times is the practice of cities and towns declaring themselves “sanctuaries” for illegal aliens, and refusing to cooperate in the enforcement of federal laws. Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman offered an amendment to the pending immigration act that would prohibit cities from banning the obtaining of information on immigration status by their own law enforcement agencies. You can read about the amendment on »
May 24, 2007 — Paul Mirengoff

Monica Goodling speaks, Part Three

The Washington Post’s coverage of Monica Goodling’s testimony was so poor as to warrant mention. I won’t even bother with Dana Milbank’s buffoonish account. I’ll focus on the Post’s attempt at serious news coverage, rather than its attempt at comedy. The Post’s report by and Dan Eggen and Paul Kane presents a misleading and in some cases inaccurate picture. First, consider this breathless comment: “Goodling’s appearance opened broad new avenues »
May 24, 2007 — Paul Mirengoff

Monica Goodling speaks, Part Two

The list of Alberto Gonzales’ offense keeps growing. First, he signed off on the dismissal of eight U.S. attorneys whose terms had expired and who served as political appointments at the pleasure of the president. Next we learned that his staff had, at one time or another, considered dismissing other U.S. attorneys. And yesterday it was revealed that one of Gonzales’ aides felt “a little uncomfortable” during a meeting on »
May 24, 2007 — Scott Johnson

The real Rachel Paulose

Star Tribune columnist Katherine Kersten takes her own look at Minnesota United States Attorney Rachel Paulose and reports “what they didn’t tell you.” Looking with her own eyes, talking to people who have known and worked with Rachel, Kathy finds, shall we say, a somewhat different person than the one depicted by “them,” particularly including Kathy’s fellow Star Tribune columnist big swinging Nick. Power Line readers won’t be surprised, but »
May 24, 2007 — Scott Johnson

Not dark yet

Today is the birthday of Minnesota’s own favorite son, Bob Dylan; he turns 66. Martin Scorsese’s recent Dylan documentary occasioned some fine retrospectives of Dylan’s career, among which was Ben MacIntyre’s preview of the documentary for the London Times: “Minstrel Boy, Forever Young.” In his outstanding City Journal essay on Pete Seeger (“America’s most successful Communist”), Howard Husock placed Dylan in the line of folk agitprop in which Seeger stood »
May 24, 2007 — Scott Johnson

Joel Mowbray reports: Blaya deceives Congress

Joel Mowbray ([email protected]) has filed the another installment of his series on the government-funded Al Hurra television network. Joel reports: Even by the normally low standards inside the beltway, the doozy delivered at a Congressional hearing last week was jaw-dropping. Testifying at a session investigating the new direction of U.S.-funded Arab TV network Al-Hurra, oversight board member Joaquin Blaya snookered Congress into believing that the network, until very recently, had »
May 24, 2007 — Paul Mirengoff

Monica Goodling speaks

I spent a substantial portion of the evening listening to Monica Goodling’s testimony before the House Judiciary Committee from earlier today. Goodling was a Justice Department employee who served as liaison with the White House. She was involved in the process which led to the dismissal of nine U.S. attorneys. Initially, she invoked the Fifth Amendment and refused to testify. She testified today under a limited grant of immunity. If »
May 23, 2007 — Paul Mirengoff

No way out?

Michael Gerson, formerly President Bush’s speechwriter extraordinaire, is now a columnist for the Washington Post. Today, he focuses on Rudy Giuliani’s position on abortion, which Gerson describes as “a muddle.” Giuliani says he hates abortion and considers it morally wrong, but nonetheless opposes legislation to outlaw the practice because he thinks the person carrying the baby has the right to make her own choice. Gerson considers this position “incoherent” because, »
May 23, 2007 — John Hinderaker

Romney Blasts ABC News

This morning, I commented on the leak by the CIA and ABC News of information about a recently-authorized covert action program against the Ayatollahs in Iran. I allowed for the possibility that the leak may have been deliberate on the part of the administration. Mitt Romney doesn’t think so; he blasted ABC News today. Watch Romney light into ABC at the Candidates’ Forum and leave your own thoughts on the »
May 23, 2007 — John Hinderaker

Another Secret Blown

Yesterday’s ABC News Blotter carried an item that began: The CIA has received secret presidential approval to mount a covert “black” operation to destabilize the Iranian government, current and former officials in the intelligence community tell the Blotter on ABCNews.com. The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the subject, say President Bush has signed a “nonlethal presidential finding” that puts into motion »
May 23, 2007 — John Hinderaker

How to read the AP

A reader writes: The AP Breaking section on Drudge’s site has a story this morning about Minnesota State Senator [Jim] Metzen being arrested for DUI. I read the story three times trying to determine which party Metzen was from. The lack of party identification tells me he’s a dem. True? Senator Metzen, president of the Minnesota State Senate, is a Democrat. Senator Metzen was driving home after celebrating the adjournment »
May 23, 2007 — John Hinderaker

The Wright stuff

The New York Times covers Dartmouth President (and former Marine) James Wright in his mission to counsel wounded veterans at Bethesda and at Walter Reed Army Medical Center: “The few, the proud, the Dartmouth-bound.” Tamar Lewin reports: When he first met James Wright, the president of Dartmouth College, two years ago, Samuel Crist was in a hospital bed at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., recuperating from gunshot »
May 23, 2007 — John Hinderaker

Indoctrinate U

Wunderkind Evan Coyne Maloney has completed his documentary Indoctrinate U about thet tyranny of political correctness in higher education. Now all he needs is a distributor! Surely there is an audience for this film and it should see the light of day. Sonny Bunch tells the story of the film in his Daily Standard column “Academic thuggery.” At NRO, Stanley Kurtz takes an extended look at the film in “Reeducation »
May 23, 2007 — John Hinderaker

Do nothing…

In a brief column for NRO, Seth Leibsohn advocates border security and continuation of the status quo as the practical immigration compromise: Do nothing with the 12-20 million illegals here now. That »
May 22, 2007 — John Hinderaker

Who Caught Scott?

Scott was on the O’Reilly Factor tonight, with guest host Michelle Malkin. I got home two minutes too late and missed it. Did some of our readers catch Scott’s appearance? Let us know what you thought. The topic was a bust in Minneapolis a couple of days ago, in which 25 people were charged with operating brothels in the Twin Cities and in Austin, Minnesota. The defendants imported women illegally »
May 22, 2007 — Paul Mirengoff

So corrupt it hurts

Although Jack Murtha currently occupies the center stage when it comes to earmarks and, more generally, the culture of corruption in Congress, we should not forget about Alan Mollohan, a West Virginia Democrat. Mollohan, who until recently was the top Democrat on the House Ethics Committee, has been under investigation for steering millions of dollars into his district, much of which found its way into the hands of his friends »
May 22, 2007 — John Hinderaker

Blue State Rudy?

Rudy Giuliani has been touting his ability to carry (or at least compete in) blue states for the GOP. But some have wondered whether he is seriously contending in Iowa, a purple state. In our Candidates’ Forum, former Congressman and Giuliani supporter Jim Nussle assures our readers that “Rudy is committed to Iowa.” So far, though, not everyone is buying it. Log in and give the Giuliani campaign your thoughts. »