Monthly Archives: September 2003

September 20, 2003 — Paul Mirengoff

Too good to be true

No Left Turns provides characteristically lively commentary on General Clark’s candidacy. Peter Schramm sees Clark blowing all of the Democratic candidates out of the water, including Dean. Eric Claeys sees Clark sucking the oxygen out of the campaigns of Dean’s rivals, but not troubling Dean. My guess is that even Claeys is giving Clark too much credit. Clark strikes me as one of those picture-perfect candidates for whom no one »
September 20, 2003 — John Hinderaker

Speaking of the Times…

It sometimes seems that the newspaper must not employ any reporters or editors more than sixteen years old. Its institutional memory is astonishingly bad, not just for what might loosely be termed ancient history, but even for events of the last few years. Here are two examples from this week’s corrections. On Thursday, the Times made this embarrassing correction: “An article on Saturday about a split in the California Republican »
September 20, 2003 — John Hinderaker

Tail Gunner Charles

Actor Charles Bronson died recently; he received a grudging obituary from the New York Times. For some reason liberals are addicted to the “chickenhawk” theory, and the Times reporter went to some length to debunk Bronson’s image as a tough guy, including this disparagement of his military record (which also, of course, called Bronson a liar): “In 1943, he was drafted into the Army. Years later, after he established himself »
September 20, 2003 — John Hinderaker

Army Chaplain Charged As Spy

Captain James Yee, an Army chaplain who counseled Islamic prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, has been charged with sedition, aiding the enemy, spying, espionage and failure to obey a general order. A treason count may be added later. It is not yet clear which Islamic country or organization Yee is accused of spying for. Apparently he had unfettered access to the Taliban and al Qaeda prisoners at Guantanamo; the damage he »
September 19, 2003 — John Hinderaker

Not Ready For Prime Time

That’s putting it mildly. In his second day as a Presidential candidate, Wesley Clark was forced to eat crow and change his position on the most fundamental issue facing America today. How’s this for a Washington Post headline: “Clark Shifts Position on Iraq War Resolution”. One day after saying he “probably” would have voted for the Iraq war resolution (had he been in Congress, that is; a somewhat odd frame »
September 19, 2003 — Scott Johnson

Learning from 1864

Does Wesley Clark enter stage left to play the role of George McClellan while George Bush reprises Abraham Lincoln? Victor Davis Hanson’s weekly National Review Online column brings Hanson’s perpsective as a military historian to our present circumstances, and a dose of optimism to lift our spirits: “These are historic times.” (Courtesy of reader Malcolm Smordin.) HINDROCKET adds: Well, I’d like to think it will be like 1864, but I »
September 19, 2003 — Paul Mirengoff

America’s future as a superpower

Courtesy of Real Clear Politics, here’s Daniel Henninger of the Wall Street Journal on America’s re-emerging sense of itself, and of Europe and the United Nations. The piece includes reassuring poll results about how Amercans view the U.N. Henningner concludes as follows: “For decades, Europeans have regarded their American summer visitors as ill-dressed rubes with little sense of history or the grand, complex world beyond Peoria. In the past two »
September 19, 2003 — Paul Mirengoff

Sidelined, thank God

As Trunk says, the key to the outcome of the Ninth Circuit’s reconsideration of the recall vote decision is the identity of the court members who will decide the case. In this regard, my friend Craig Harrison tells me that three judges have recused (disqualified) themselves. They are all Clinton appointees — Kim McLane Wardlaw, Stephen Reinhardt, and Marsha S. Berzon. The notoriously left-wing Reinhardt is possibly the worst federal »
September 19, 2003 — Scott Johnson

Top of the Ninth

The Ninth Circuit has granted rehearing of the panel decision in the California recall election case; the panel opinion is now a nullity. Howard Bashman has an up-to-the second post with all the relevant considerations on How Appealing. The rehearing will occur before a panel of eleven as yet unannounced Ninth Circuit judges. Bashman offers these cautionary words: “Let me emphasize once again that the most important piece of information »
September 19, 2003 — John Hinderaker

Eventful Day In Iraq

Lots happening in Iraq today, both good and bad. As expected, Sultan Hashem Ahmad al-Jabburi al-Tai, Saddam Hussein’s Defense Minister, surrendered to American forces. Apparently a deal was struck whereby Ahmad will be treated with an extraordinary degree of respect and consideration. He is to be struck from the “55 most wanted” list and is not expected to be imprisoned. Whether this is because he has knowledge of exceptional value, »
September 19, 2003 — Paul Mirengoff

Clark is probably an eccentric weasel

In line with the earlier posts by Rocket Man and Trunk, a reader with strong Air Force connections tells me that Clark “had a reputation for being a bit eccentric.” Those who have worked with him apparently think he is somewhat “off.” He is known among officers as “Kosovo” or “World War III” and the consensus is that he is a front for Hillary. I don’t suppose that view contributes »
September 19, 2003 — Paul Mirengoff

Home and dry

The hurricane has come and gone. We’re without power at home, and several big trees are down on our block, but things could have been much worse. In Washington itself, things seem okay. My office, where I am now, is officially closed, but fully operational. In short, I have lived to blog another day, which is fortunate because I wouldn’t want my last blog to have been another shot at »
September 19, 2003 — John Hinderaker

Deacon, Phone Home

Deacon was last seen yesterday afternoon, battening down the hatches in anticipation of Hurricane Isabel. He wasn’t sure whether he’d have access to a working computer today or not. It would be interesting to get an on-the-scene report; if we haven’t heard anything by dinner time, we’ll send out a search party. »
September 19, 2003 — John Hinderaker

Bush Blames Arafat

We’ve wondered for a long time what Plan B is under the Middle East “road map.” President Bush provided a partial answer yesterday when he squarely blamed Yasser Arafat for the fact that the peace plan is “stalled”: “[Mahmoud Abbas’] efforts were undermined, and that’s why we’re now stalled. Mr. Arafat has failed as a leader. . . . Abbas was undermined at all turns by the old order — »
September 19, 2003 — John Hinderaker

Clark is Probably a Weasel

What I loved about Wesley Clark’s entry into the Presidential race was his statement that he “probably” would have voted for the war resolution. “Probably?” What, Wes, you need more time to think about it? Sure, no problem. I’m neither a four-star general nor a Presidential candidate, but I know how I would have voted on the war. Don’t you? Is there any way to interpret Clark’s hedge other than, »
September 19, 2003 — Scott Johnson

The conscience that rules

I’m not aware that any print journalist has provided a serious portrait of our robed masters on the Ninth Circuit — the ones who called off California’s constitutionally mandated recall election. Leave it to our radio hero Hugh Hewitt to write this informative profile of the author of the notorious Ninth Circuit decision and to give us something to think about while we await the Ninth Circuit’s ruling on rehearing »
September 19, 2003 — Scott Johnson

The Wesley Clark listening tour

If his first campaign stop is any indication, Wesley Clark seems to have been taking pointers in how to avoid taking positions that might subtract from the splash made by his entry into the race. In his stop at the Broward deli on Thursday, he also appears to have learned from George McGovern’s 1972 faux pas in Brooklyn to avoid the challenge of ordering lunch at a deli: “Clark’s first »