Monthly Archives: June 2005

June 25, 2005 — Scott Johnson

Liberal hate speech: A case study

My show-business friend writes this evening: This irrational and virulent hatred radiates from elected officials to all those who elected them. I saw a T-shirt in a Palm Springs shop that said, “So many right-wing Christians, so few lions.” Hilarious, n’est-ce pas? Nothing funnier than religious believers being ripped to shreds by wild animals in front of cheering pagans. I’m intrigued by the liberal furor over Karl Rove’s remark about »
June 25, 2005 — John Hinderaker

Live 8 Concerts Approaching

Next Saturday night, July 2, the Live 8 concerts will be taking place around the world–London, Paris, Rome, Philadelphia, Berlin, Barrie, Tokyo and Johannesberg. You can learn all about the Live 8 effort here and here. I’ve supported this effort by Bob Geldof and many others to ease the misery of African poverty for a number of reasons. First, I have high regard for Geldof. He is extraordinarily well-informed and »
June 25, 2005 — John Hinderaker

Where Will It End?

The hate, that is. Victor Davis Hanson recapitulates the liberals’ hate campaign against President Bush, ranging from Charlie Rangel (“This is just as bad as the 6 million Jews being killed”) to John Glenn (“It’s the old Hitler business”) to Amnesty International. Like us, Hanson worries about where all this will lead: As a result, the bar is lowering. In today’s climate, Alfred Knopf has already published a novel about »
June 25, 2005 — Scott Johnson

Property rights and wrongs

In Vindicating the Founders, Claremont Institute Senior Fellow Thomas West sought to present a historically accurate picture of the founders’ views and policies on issues of race, sex, class and justice. He did so because he found the founders’ views to be superior in truth and fairness to the views of their historical predecessors and successors, foremost among them the Progressives. Professor West first addressed the founders’ view of property »
June 24, 2005 — John Hinderaker

The Ritalin-Based Community

If you haven’t already seen it, here is today’s Day By Day cartoon; click to enlarge: Is being stark raving mad a disadvantage in American politics? I guess we’re about to find out. UPDATE: Two for the price of one–Chris Muir noticed that we’d posted today’s cartoon, and sent us tomorrow’s installment. Which I also love; as always, click to enlarge: »
June 24, 2005 — Scott Johnson

Letter from Baghdad

A reader has shared with us a copy of his letter to Rep. Pete Hoekstra. The reader writes from Baghdad: The intelligence bill just passed on an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote by the U.S. Congress sets exactly the right priorities needed to help strengthen our national intelligence capabilities against the threat of Islamic terror. Thank you for your leadership. I offer these observations as a mid-career intelligence officer with experience in »
June 24, 2005 — Scott Johnson

Thank you, Senator Hatch

As John notes below, we are informed that Senator Hatch expressed his regard for Power Line on the air with Tony Snow today. This feels like a grand slam to me. We are all huge Tony Snow fans, and Tony has gone so far as to grant my wife’s wish for an autographed picture of him. This morning we received several messages from readers regarding Senator Hatch’s kind words about »
June 24, 2005 — John Hinderaker

You Want Property Rights Defended?

Yesterday’s outpouring of concern in the conservative half of the blogosphere over the Supreme Court’s decision in the Kelo case was striking, and, to those who recognize the importance of property rights, heartening. If you are concerned about the steady erosion of property rights, you should be very glad that the Senate has confirmed Judge Janice Rogers Brown to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Because Judge Brown is one »
June 24, 2005 — John Hinderaker

Thanks, Senator!

We’re told that Senator Orrin Hatch endorsed Power Line on Tony Snow’s radio show today. “Everyone should read it,” he said. Senator Hatch is, of course, a senior member of the Judiciary Committee. As such, I hope he’s been reading our posts on the President’s judicial nominees. »
June 24, 2005 — Scott Johnson

Dock of the bay

The new issue of Britain’s Spectator is just out. Mark Steyn’s column will be of great assistance in my anger management therapy: “Action stations.” As the Spectator subhead has it: “Mark Steyn says that if you really want to be charitable, you should send your cheque to the Pentagon or the Royal Australian Navy.” »
June 24, 2005 — Scott Johnson

The soul of wit

George Will explains yesterday’s Kelo decision a bit more concisely than we did last night: “Liberalism triumphed yesterday. Government became radically unlimited in seizing the very kinds of private property that should guarantee individuals a sphere of autonomy against government.” UPDATE: I should have added that the last paragraph of Will’s column is neither soulful nor witty. I intend to return to the subject of property rights tonight or over »
June 24, 2005 — Scott Johnson

Higher education, PLO-style

Don’t miss today’s New York Sun article by Eli Lake: “Report: U.S. government funds terrorism promotion.” According to the report discussed in Lake’s article, American aid “funds [Palestinian] universities with student chapters of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which have funded roadwork for streets renamed to commemorate suicide bombers and television programming that encourages hatred of Jews.” Will someone remind me exactly what reforms Daddy Mazen has wrought in the »
June 24, 2005 — Scott Johnson

The schreing game

Reader Mark Eichenlaub draws our attention to David Gregory’s June 21 interview with Karl Rove last night: “Karl Rove Q & A.” Mark comments: “He absolutely took everything thrown at him and made David Gregory look foolish.” The interview was taped before the faux furor over Rove’s New York speech, but Rove makes the same point here in a variety of contexts. Daniel Henninger elaborates a related point in his »
June 24, 2005 — Scott Johnson

The Podhoretz memo

In his Normblog profile, Paul Mirengoff names former Commentary editor Norman Podhoretz as one of his active intellectual heroes. In his New York Post column today, Podhoretz fils puts us in mind of the wit and wisdom of Podhoretz pere: “My very own Downing Street memo.” (While you’re over at the Post, check out its editorial today: “Rove’s right: Libs are wimps.”) Paul names Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer as »
June 24, 2005 — Scott Johnson

Meet Paul Mirengoff

Normblog is the fine Web log of Professor Norm Geras. His long-running series of blogger profiles catches up today with our own Paul Mirengoff: Normblog profile 92. Try it; you’ll like it. »
June 23, 2005 — John Hinderaker

Pay No Attention to the Terrorists Behind the Curtain

The other big news story of the day is the trial in Jordan of a group of terrorists who are accused of attempting to unleash a chemical weapons attack in that country. The Associated Press reports: Islamic militants planned to detonate an explosion that would have sent a cloud of toxic chemicals across Jordan, causing death, blindness and sickness, a chemical expert testified in a military court Wednesday. Col. Najeh »
June 23, 2005 — John Hinderaker

Dems Offer To Accept Surrender

The Senate Democrats–minus only Exalted Cyclops Byrd, who “felt so strongly about the issue he is sending his own letter”–have written to President Bush, suggesting that the way to avoid controversy over his upcoming Supreme Court nomination is to “consult” with the minority beforehand to be sure of appointing someone acceptable to the party that lost the last election. Ted Kennedy put it best: “It doesn’t take much to get »