Monthly Archives: July 2005

July 22, 2005 — Scott Johnson

White elephant on Turtle Bay

This evening on his radio show our friend Hugh Hewitt played the testimony of Donald Trump in a Senate subcommittee hearing yesterday. Radioblogger will have an audio clip posted presently. In his testimony, Trump hilariously critiques the planned United Nations remodelling project. Trump is like a master teacher and comedian in this testimony, using repetition, pacing, vernacular, and expertise to bring the house down. Bravo! Congress has not provided the »
July 22, 2005 — Paul Mirengoff

More French than the French

Stephen Hayes and Thomas Joscelyn have identified another link in the chain between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda — Ansar al Islam. This is a terrorist organization that, according to the French anti-war newpaper Le Monde, “was founded in 2001 with the joint help of Saddam Hussein–who intended to use it against moderate Kurds–and al Qaeda, which hoped to find in Kurdistan a new location that would receive its members.” »
July 22, 2005 — John Hinderaker

Iraqis Stand Against Terrorism

Haider Ajina sends us this translation of an article in yesterday’s Kululiraq, an Iraqi newspaper: Iraqis stood for three minutes of silence yesterday in commemoration of the lives lost in the two attacks in Baghdad Aljadedah and Almusaiyab, which claimed 105 martyrs, 32 of whom were children, and 128 wounded of whom 31 were children. Traffic of thousand of cars stopped in the Allawi & Tahrier area (central Baghdad) as »
July 22, 2005 — John Hinderaker

What’s At Stake In Gaza?

Barbara Lerner, writing in National Review, argues that the impending Israeli pullout from Gaza endangers us as much as the Israelis: We think Gaza is all about Israel and the Palestinians; our enemies know it’s mainly about us. We think we are encouraging Israel to hand Gaza over to Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah party, local Palestinians with purely local ambitions »
July 22, 2005 — John Hinderaker

Lots of Londoners are Jumpy and Nervous

The Telegraph reports that British Muslims are protesting the shooting of an apparent terrorist who tried to board a London subway: Muslim leaders have called on the police to explain why an Asian man was shot dead at Stockwell station. The Muslim Council of Britain said Muslims were concerned there was a “shoot to kill” policy in operation. A spokesman said Muslims he had spoken to this morning were “jumpy »
July 22, 2005 — Scott Johnson

London calling

Jewish World Review editor Binyamin Jolkovsky directs our attention to two timely columns. Diana West defends herself and poses a challenge to our friend Hugh Hewitt on the subject of “Reality and Islam.” And Melanie Phillips administers a dose of justice to London Mayor “Red” Ken Livingstone in “Weasel words on terror.” »
July 22, 2005 — Paul Mirengoff

The Islamofascists hate Americans for who we are

and some in the MSM aren’t too pleased with the traditional American type either. (See John’s post below, as well). Remember how the mere image of Ken Starr walking to his car in the morning in a suit looking clean-cut used to enrage the likes of Geraldo Rivera? But at least they could plead that Starr had the gall to investigate the sex-related perjury of a liberal icon (at the »
July 22, 2005 — John Hinderaker

Republicans Off to Early Lead on Roberts

The Washington Times describes the public relations campaign that the White House has mounted to frame Judge Roberts’ nomination to the Supreme Court, which the Times says caught the Democrats “flat-footed.” The Times also notes that early polling shows the public heavily in favor of confirming Judge Roberts. »
July 22, 2005 — Scott Johnson

Are you now or have you ever been?

It is striking how little of John Roberts’s thoughts on issues of concern to conservatives can fairly be deduced from his public commitments or comments. When President Bush named him on Tuesday night, the first thing I did was look at the news reports to ascertain whether he was a member of the Federalist Society or actively involved with it in any way. It was important to me as a »
July 22, 2005 — John Hinderaker

They Were Already Beneath Contempt…

…but now some Democrats have sunk lower. They are hinting that John Roberts is a homosexual because he was once photographed–more than thirty years ago–wearing plaid pants. You think I’m making this up? Charmaine Yoest has the story. If you think that’s contemptible, consider this: some on the Left have also suggested that Roberts’ four year old son is “gay.” Throughout American history, until now, there have been limits. There »
July 21, 2005 — John Hinderaker

Miss Universe…the Sequel

Very early this morning, the Trunk did a post on the City of Toronto’s astonishing decision to ban Miss Universe–a resident of Toronto–from participating in a promotional event there. The city relied on an ordinance that prohibits anything that might be “degrading to men or women through sexual stereotyping.” Toronto has since relented and apologized in the face of outrage from people like us. The incident is instructive, nevertheless, because »
July 21, 2005 — John Hinderaker

Being A Republican…

…is not always easy. Especially if you’re a teacher. It’s not so easy, actually, if you’re a lawyer, either. »
July 21, 2005 — Paul Mirengoff

All dressed up, no place good to go

A wise and experienced Democrat told me that if the Dems don’t come up with something strong against John Roberts soon, they will lose credibility if they make make too much of a fuss later on. He noted that Roberts and the president are winning the battle for public opinion and that, before long, Roberts will be difficult to assail without a significant cost. Thus, the better course, again in »
July 21, 2005 — Paul Mirengoff

John Howard sets a reporter straight (if possible)

Here’s how Australian Prime Minister John Howard, who was in London with Tony Blair when the two received word of today’s explosions, responded to a reporter who seemed to think that British participation in Iraq was to blame: Can I just say very directly, Paul, on the issue of the policies of my government and indeed the policies of the British and American governments on Iraq, that the first point »
July 21, 2005 — Paul Mirengoff

I didn’t feel a thing

Mike Krempasky at Red State takes down Paul McLeary, a reporter for the Columbia Journalism Review, for misreporting the court of appeals decision in Shays-Meehan v FEC. That case involved the FEC’s interpretation of certain aspects of the McCain-Feingold legislation. In keeping with the CJR’s hostility towards bloggers, McLeary apparently was too eager to conclude that “bloggers potentially took one between the eyes” from the court. »
July 21, 2005 — Paul Mirengoff

London again

Four explosions today in the London transit system. Apparently the explosions were smaller and less lethal than last time. UPDATE: The BBC is providing a running account of events related to the blasts. So far, it reports one casualty and no fatalities. The police are detaining two and searching for others. »
July 21, 2005 — Paul Mirengoff

Why couldn’t he look more like Bork?

Nothing annoys the left more than a conservative it cannot easily demonize (the left is still compensating for its failure to demonize President Bush, treating him instead as just a fool, until it was too late). Consider E.J. Dionne annoyed. Nobody’s fool, Dionne has figured out that, despite his engaging personality, John Roberts is a conservative. What he hasn’t figured out is an argument to support his premise that, notwithstanding »