Monthly Archives: June 2007

June 22, 2007 — Scott Johnson

Playground rules at Dartmouth, part 2

Joe Asch contemplates Dartmouth’s institutional response to the successive election of four petition trustee candidates and the rejection last year of the proposed new alumni constitution: “Goodbye alumni trustees?” In spirit Asch’s column is a sequel to my “Bucking the deans at Dartmouth.” I find it hard to believe that the Dartmouth board would act like the playground brat who takes his bat and ball home when he can’t win »
June 21, 2007 — Paul Mirengoff

Something of a banner year

From William and Mary to Dartmouth to Antioch to the University of Colorado, the just completed academic year was “something of a banner year for academic reform.” So say the Wall Street Journal’s editors. They find: There is now earnest and public discussion about the performance of college administrators, who, like career government bureaucrats, are usually adept at avoiding accountability. Stakeholders are suddenly feeling empowered. »
June 21, 2007 — John Hinderaker

Immigration A Net Plus? Of Course. But…

Yesterday, the President’s Council of Economic Advisers released a report titled “Immigration’s Economic Impact.” The report was intended to support the administration’s case for comprehensive immigration reform that would create a guest worker program and legalize the millions of illegal immigrants now residing here. The CEA report is brief–eight pages with bibliography and charts–and easily digested. Based on my review, it uses its sources fairly. It presents a generally positive »
June 21, 2007 — John Hinderaker

Putting Their Money Where Their Mouths Are

If you haven’t already seen it, this well-researched investigative report by MSNBC on political contributions by members of the media is entertaining. The central finding: MSNBC.com identified 144 journalists who made political contributions from 2004 through the start of the 2008 campaign, according to the public records of the Federal Election Commission. Most of the newsroom checkbooks leaned to the left: 125 journalists gave to Democrats and liberal causes. Only »
June 21, 2007 — Paul Mirengoff

Where bias and cluelessness intersect

MSNBC features a report on the campaign contributions by MSM journalists. The report is based on the public records of the Federal Election Commission. I doubt anyone will be surprised to learn that of the 144 journalists who made political contributions from 2004 through the start of the 2008 campaign, 125 journalists gave to Democrats and liberal causes. Some MSM outlets, including the New York Times, have responded to this »
June 21, 2007 — Scott Johnson

Operation Arrowhead Ripper: Day One

Michael Yon files his latest report on the current offensive. He writes: The heat is intense for the enemy and for us. Soldiers, during any chance, would lay-down during the heat of day, and in complete body armor and helmets, fall asleep in the dirt. I took photos of course. Our guys are tough. The enemy in Baqubah is as good as any in Iraq, and better than most. That »
June 21, 2007 — Scott Johnson

Did benighted Brits knight Rushdie?

Is it possible that the powers-that-be in Great Britain didn’t know what they were doing when they sought to honor Salman Rushdie with knighthood? It is not only possible, it seems likely. At NRO’s Corner, Stanley Kurtz has been following the stories suggesting the Brits had something completely different than a “cartoon statement” in mind. Kurtz reports: Apparently, the committee that recommended Salman Rushdie for a knighthood had no idea »
June 21, 2007 — Scott Johnson

Meet the new Abbas

In December 2005 I wrote a short column for the Standrd about Mahmoud Abbas to which they gave the title “Meet the new boss…” I think it holds up in the light of recent events and may be worth a second look: Are things getting better in Israel? Charles Krauthammer recently observed that “the more than four-year-long intifada, which left more than 1,000 Israelis and 3,000 Palestinians dead, is over. »
June 20, 2007 — Paul Mirengoff

Thanks for the memories

Joe Girardi explains why, after turning his back on the chance to manage the Washington Nationals earlier this year in order to spend more time with his family, he now is seeking the same position with the Baltimore Orioles: I’ve enjoyed my time with my family, with my kids and my wife. I’ve gone to my son’s Little League [games] and been able to see my daughter crawl for the »
June 20, 2007 — John Hinderaker

More Silence

The civil war between Hamas and Fatah has been inconvenient for a number of people, among them the leaders of America’s mainstream Protestant denominations. CAMERA (the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America) argues powerfully that silence has, once again, descended on the leaders of our principal Protestant denominations: When gunmen start throwing one another off of rooftops, most people would recoil in horror and offer some word »
June 20, 2007 — John Hinderaker

Global Cooling: Watch For It

Just before Scott and I wrote our 1992 paper on global warming, the first studies correlating sunspot activity with temperatures on earth were published. The correlation as graphed at that time was striking, and subsequent research has confirmed the relationship. Recent research has also added to our understanding of secondary effects that help to explain the impact on the Earth of the Sun’s energy output, which varies according to cycles »
June 20, 2007 — John Hinderaker

Sinking Like A Stone

This is not what the Democrats had in mind: after five months in control of Congress, they have driven the institution’s approval rating down to the lowest point ever measured by Gallup: only 14% of respondents expressed “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in Congress. In the current survey, Congress ranks last among the institutions measured, just below HMOs. At the top, as usual, is the military, »
June 20, 2007 — John Hinderaker

Faux Protests, Faux Apology

Britain’s knighting of Salman Rushdie has prompted protests through much of the Muslim world. These protests are similar to those over the Muhammad cartoons and other purported outrages; i.e., they are whipped up by imams, organized by radical groups, attended by what appears not to be an overwhelming number of people, with rituals of whacking with shoes and burning in effigy staged mostly for the cameras. At this demonstration in »
June 20, 2007 — Paul Mirengoff

Some Sunni tribes turn against al Qaeda in Baghdad

Even the MSM has reported, however grudgingly, our military’s success resulting from having enlisted Sunni tribes in the fight against al Qaeda in Anbar province. Attacks there have decreased by 60 percent and al Qaeda is on the run. Now we are having some success in persuading Sunni tribes to help us against al Qaeda in Baghdad. USA Today reports that more than ten such tribes have signed on. Some »
June 20, 2007 — Paul Mirengoff

The two Michaels

At the AOL blog, I have a post up about Michael Moore’s new film and one about Michael Bloomberg’s likely presidential bid. »
June 20, 2007 — Paul Mirengoff

The designated pinch-hitter

We’ve written from time to time about the gap in the Republican presidential field that arises from the absence of several prominent traditional conservatives, most notably George Allen. It’s the gap that Mitt Romney has been trying with some success, and Sam Brownback with none, to fill. It’s the gap that makes Fred Thompson’s candidacy appealing to many. In an interview with The Hill, George Allen made it pretty clear »
June 20, 2007 — Scott Johnson

Bringing it all back home

Michael Evans gives credit where credit is due in an excellent Jerusalem Post column: “Father of the Iranian revolution.” UPDATE: Reader Charles Banks writes: That photo of Jimmy Carter in your “Bringing It All Back Home” post on Power Line positively cries out for a “Name That Caption” contest. I’ll start things off with my own: “You are getting sleepyyyyy. Palestinian terrorists are cute fuzzy bunnieeeeeees.” To contribute your own »