Monthly Archives: May 2009

May 30, 2009 — Scott Johnson

Young Cons (Power Line remix)

Josh Riddle and David Rufful (Serious C and Stiltz) are Dartmouth freshmen of many talents. They call themselves Young Conservatives. Josh has kindly answered my call for the lyrics of their hip-hop anthem that imparts a conservative message in an unlikely form. I’m almost certain that this is the first time the word “inherently” has made its appearance in hip-hop. We’re not talkin’ ’bout “My Generation.” Part manifesto, part declaration »
May 29, 2009 — Paul Mirengoff

The testiness test

The New York Times marches up the hill and down again in this story about Judge Sotomayor’s “blunt style” and “judicial temperament.” The story begins with an anecdote about an attorney who was questioned so furiously at oral argument by Sotomayor that he was unable for a while to get a word in. “To her detractors,” the Times says, “Judge Sotomayor’s sharp-tongued and occasionally combative manner — some lawyers have »
May 29, 2009 — Paul Mirengoff

A word from Rob Wasinger

Rob Wasinger served as Senator Sam Brownback’s chief of staff. Now he is a candidate for Congress in Kansas’ First District. Rob was an early leader in the fight against the nomination of Harriet Miers for the Supreme Court. Given this background, we thought that Power Line readers would be interested in Rob’s take on how Republicans should approach the Sotomayor nomination. Thus, we are pleased to publish the following »
May 29, 2009 — John Hinderaker

White House Damage Control on Sotomayor

The White House moved today to defuse growing criticism of Judge Sonia Sotomayor over her statement that as a “wise Latina” she will “more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.” In his press briefing today, Robert Gibbs offered this explanation: QUESTION: Can I ask you, on the Sotomayor nomination, has the White House or anyone here had a chance to »
May 29, 2009 — John Hinderaker

Justice Department Kills Voter Intimidation Case

From the Washington Times: Justice Department political appointees overruled career lawyers and ended a civil complaint accusing three members of the New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense of wielding a nightstick and intimidating voters at a Philadelphia polling place last Election Day, according to documents and interviews. The incident – which gained national attention when it was captured on videotape and distributed on YouTube – had prompted the government to »
May 29, 2009 — John Hinderaker

About Empathy

Barack Obama famously says that a key quality he wants in a Supreme Court justice is “empathy.” As many commentators have observed, “empathy” is really a cover for lawlessness. But it’s actually worse than that, because empathy, as that term is used by Obama, is inherently selective. Does Obama mean that his nominee will have empathy for the unborn? Well, no. He doesn’t have in mind that kind of empathy. »
May 29, 2009 — Paul Mirengoff

Everton for the Cup, Chelsea for shopping

Well, ok, it’s not as good a taunt as the one hurled by Everton supporters during the famous come-from-behind 1966 FA Cup Final victory over Sheffield Wednesday — “Everton for the Cup, Wednesday for the middle of the week.” (That Final was attended by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and was recently rated the one of the five best ever). But we’re not playing Sheffield Wednesday (now toiling in the »
May 29, 2009 — Scott Johnson

Hope for the future

Josh Riddle writes: While at Dartmouth College, my best friend David Rufful and I created a Facebook group titled Young Conservatives to spread the love and logic that surrounds true conservatism. In an attempt to appeal to our generation we want to voice our message through music and the blogosphere. Here is a our “Young Con Anthem” (video below). Power Line has been a great resource for us to quench »
May 29, 2009 — Scott Johnson

What’s good for General Motors

Once upon a time it could plausibly be said, as it was by Charles Wilson, what’s good for the country is good for General Motors, and vice versa. A traditional bankruptcy would have been good for GM and maybe for the country, but GM certainly does not look to be good for the country in the Age of Obama. As American taxpayers continue to pour hundreds of billions of dollars »
May 29, 2009 — Scott Johnson

How American aid supports terror

The United States funnels hundreds of millions of dollars a year in aid to the Arabs of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID, via the State Department) and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). In doing so we are inevitably funding terrorism. UNRWA itself is an agency that perpetuates Palestinian victimhood »
May 28, 2009 — John Hinderaker

High Points

I’ve been working more or less around the clock lately and unable to keep up with the news, except for the highest priority items, like how the Twins are doing. So at the moment, I have nothing to say about the day’s political issues. A few days ago I was driving through northwestern Iowa on business when I came across a sign that said I was approaching the highest point »
May 28, 2009 — John Hinderaker

A Reminder

We’ve implemented a new comment feature, on a trial basis, and welcome comments from readers. Comments are moderated, which means that they appear only if we approve them. We approve comments to the extent that we think they make the site more valuable and interesting to readers. Bear in mind that we will NOT approve any anonymous comments. All comments must be submitted with the full name (first and last) »
May 28, 2009 — Paul Mirengoff

The wages of fighting campus complacency… and of campus complacency itself

The Washington Examiner has published a piece by our friend Anne Neal, president of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, about Dartmouth College’s deplorable decision to sack Todd Zywicki from its board of trustees. Anne ties this move to similar, though less drastic measures taken against trustees at other colleges — she names Princeton and the University of California system — when they have questioned the status quo. She »
May 28, 2009 — Paul Mirengoff

Hillary Clinton hands Netanyahu exhibit A

The Obama administration has been relunctant to speak harshly about foreign relations. Such talk, it believes, would manifest American arrogance and be inconsistent with its twin goals of overcoming that arrogance and activating the “restart” button with the rest of the world. But now the administration is talking tough. Unfortunately, its tough talk is directed not at Iran (which it wants to persuade), Venezuela (which it wants to engage), or »
May 28, 2009 — Paul Mirengoff

Jurisprudence as folklore

My conservative cousin from New York writes: Judge Sotomayor claims that a Latina judge can come to a better judgment than a white male because of her life experience. Using her logic wouldn’t a jurist who has been a parent have better insights on matters like abortion, marriage and divorce than a woman like Sotomayor who has never been married or given birth to a child? I’ll confess to having »
May 28, 2009 — John Hinderaker

Sotomayor’s 60 Percent Reversal Rate

Much is being made, in some circles, of the fact that 60 percent of the majority decisions written by Judge Sonia Sotomayor during her tenure on the Second Circuit, on which appeals have been heard by the Supreme Court, have been reversed. On its face, this sounds awful; no judge should be reversed anywhere near 60 percent of the time. However, the statistic appears to be meaningless. It relates only »
May 28, 2009 — Scott Johnson

Joel Mowbray: Will this man save the Ohio GOP?

Our occasional correspondent Joel Mowbray ([email protected]) reports: Republicans in the Buckeye State have been pinning their hopes on two GOP heavyweights to help the party regain its swagger in 2010: former Reps. John Kasich and Rob Portman. And while the men, running respectively for governor and U.S. Senator, are formidable candidates, it’s hard to see either generating unbridled enthusiasm among the grassroots. Just a notch below them on the ballot, »