Monthly Archives: October 2008

October 27, 2008 — Scott Johnson

Josh Mandel faces a nattering nay Bob

Joel Mowbray has previously reported for us on Ohio state representative Josh Mandel in “Star on the rise.” Given that he’s a Republican in a substantially Democratic district in the Cleveland area, he faces a difficult challenge. When he won the seat two years ago, he knocked on 20,000 doors. Following his election he served a consequential term in the Ohio House of Representatives and also answered the call from »
October 26, 2008 — Paul Mirengoff

Dennis Ross’ growth opportunity

If Barack Obama is elected president next week, he will likely appoint Dennis Ross to a high level foreign policy-making position. That move will be treated by the MSM as a sign that Obama is a “moderate” on foreign policy and a friend of Israel. Indeed, the fact that the MSM will report it this way is a key reason why Ross, in all likelihood, is in line for an »
October 26, 2008 — John Hinderaker

Barbarians at the Gates–of the White House

I don’t think there is any precedent in our history for the shameful manner in which the Left has treated Sarah Palin. Left-winger Andrew Sullivan gleefully posted a particularly disgusting example of the phenomenon today; it’s a YouTube video titled “Red, White and MILF.” Watch it only if you have a strong stomach. If you don’t know what “MILF” means–I’m sure most of our readers don’t–Google it. I can remember »
October 26, 2008 — John Hinderaker

Special Forces Launch Raid Inside Syria

The tactical details aren’t clear, but the U.S. military has confirmed that special forces and helicopters have attacked targets across the Iraq border inside Syria. The raid was part of an effort to stop the flow of foreign terrorists across the Syrian border and into Iraq. The Syrian border, according to U.S. military sources, is the last one that is still porous and allows access to Iraq by foreign terrorists. »
October 26, 2008 — Paul Mirengoff

Sauve qui peut?

David Frum argues in the Washington Post that John McCain’s campaign strategy of appealing to the conservative base “has alienated the great national middle, which was the only place where the 2008 election could be won.” He goes on to recommend that the Republicans focus their resources on Senate races in the hope of denying Barack Obama a filibuster-proof majority. Frum is a terrific analyst, but here I find him »
October 26, 2008 — Scott Johnson

From Mary Mapes’s monster

In 2004 Mary Mapes was the celebrated CBS News producer responsible for stories that had won her the recognition of her peers. In September that year she produced Dan Rather’s 60 Minutes II report on President Bush’s military service that was exposed as fraudulent the following day. CBS commissioned an internal investigation (the Thornburgh-Boccardi report) demonstrating in detail the fraudulence of Mapes’s 60 Minute II story. The report also noted »
October 26, 2008 — Scott Johnson

Pete Hegseth: Someone tell VFW-PAC what VFW stands for

In this guest post, Vets for Freedom Chairman Pete Hegseth comments on the VFW-PAC endorsement of Rep. John Murtha in his campaign for reelection against Bill Russell and Rep. Patrick Murphy in his campaign for reelection against Tom Manion. Pete served in Iraq with the 3rd Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division for their deployment to Iraq from 2005-2006. Pete served as an infantry platoon leader in Baghdad during the »
October 25, 2008 — John Hinderaker

A New Experience

For Joe Biden, that is: being asked tough questions by a news reporter. This interview with a local TV station is fun to watch, because it makes you realize how rare it is for a Democrat to face hostile questions from the press. Really, it’s almost unheard of, and you can see Biden’s outrage at the idea that a television reporter is willing to challenge Democrat orthodoxy. Biden handles himself »
October 25, 2008 — Paul Mirengoff

Good news from Israel

The Jerusalem Post reports that Kadima leader Tzipi Livni has failed to form a viable coalition and will recommend that a general election be held. Livni was thwarted in the end by two religious parties, Shas and Degel Hatorah, which refused to join her coalition. These two parties insist on keeping Jerusalem united. Livni, though willing to make concession after concession to various parties on other matters, would not accept »
October 25, 2008 — John Hinderaker

Worse Than Ayers and Wright?

Barack Obama’s most troubling radical association may be his friendship and political and financial alliance with Rashid Khalidi, described by the New York Times and more reliable sources as a former spokesman for the Palestinian Liberation Organization, whose Black September arm carried out the 1972 murders at the Munich Olympics, the murder of American Ambassador to Sudan Cleo Noel, and other terrorist acts. (Khalidi denies having been an “employee” of »
October 25, 2008 — Paul Mirengoff

Today is the first day of the rest of Everton’s season

Everton fans have endured a nightmare of a start to the soccer season. Going into today’s match at home against defending English and European champion Manchester United, the Toffees were sitting in 16th place, just one point above the regulation zone. And they had already been bounced from two Cup competitions. Even more ominous was the fact that our defense, the backbone of the team in recent years, had conceded »
October 25, 2008 — John Hinderaker

ObamaFraud: Still Not News

At The Corner, Mark Steyn has the latest on the Obama campaign’s fundraising fraud and the media’s studied determination not to notice it: As readers may recall, a couple of days ago it became clear that the Obama website had intentionally disabled all the basic credit-card-processing security checks and thereby enabled multiple contributions from donors with fake names. The excuse offered in the New York Times story was that, ah, »
October 25, 2008 — John Hinderaker

The BBC Explains

It’s been obvious for a long time that the BBC treats British Muslims with a special consideration. Whereas Christianity is deemed a fit subject of ridicule, Islam is treated with reverence, and Muslim separatism is indulged if not actually endorsed. Now the BBC has made it official: The head of the BBC, Mark Thompson, has finally admitted what many of us have long known: that his organization treats Islam more »
October 25, 2008 — John Hinderaker

Hell Freezes Over

Tomorrow the Minneapolis Star Tribune will endorse Norm Coleman in his Senate race against Al Franken–as will, less surprisingly, the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Normally the Star Tribune finds one or two Republicans to endorse in each election cycle. Their usual practice is to choose Republicans who either can’t lose, or can’t win. For that paper to endorse a Republican in a major, hotly contested race is unprecedented in my »
October 25, 2008 — John Hinderaker

Poliwood

PJTV has debuted a new show called “Poliwood,” starring Hollywood director Lionel Chetwynd and Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Roger L. Simon. The show focuses on the politics of Hollywood and the movie industry. PJTV has made the first episode of Poliwood accessible to all, for free, here. I highly recommend it. It’s a rare and entertaining opportunity to hear two Hollywood veterans talking about their industry and its political underpinnings. One »
October 25, 2008 — John Hinderaker

Optimism? Why Not?

Have the polls always been as variable as they are this year? It’s funny how hard it is to remember from one election season to the next, but I don’t think so. I think there is more volatility and uncertainty this year, maybe because the underlying trends that start to emerge when we have a week or two of calm keep getting scrambled by external events, like the recent financial »
October 25, 2008 — Scott Johnson

The Obama Department of Peace & Nonviolence

Andrew McCarthy writes to alert me that he has found just the place for us in Obama’s cabinet. If Andy is willing to head it up as the secretary, I think I’d fit right in as assistant secretary for anger management therapy. Coincidentally, Andy is setting me back in my own anger management therapy this morning with his post on the Obama/Ayers/Khalidi connection. To comment on this post, go here. »