A New Birth of Freedom

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63419232011-04-21T13:33:15.963-06:00A New Birth of Freedom"....that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." -- Abraham Lincoln, at the ceremony to dedicate a battlefield cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania -- November 19, 1863FNBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14492692800486575996noreply@blogger.comBlogger2131100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1138060011701923152006-01-23T16:36:00.000-07:002006-01-23T16:46:51.916-07:00Gold and Gupta: Creation of the Filibuster

PART II: CREATION OF THE FILIBUSTERA. The “Dignified Senate”The possibility that a minority of Senators could hold unlimited debate on a topic against the majority’s will was unknown to the first Senate. The original Senate Rules — then only twenty in number — allowed a Senator to make a motion “for the previous question.” This motion permitted a simple majority of Senators to halt debate on a

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1138059346241205832006-01-23T16:27:00.000-07:002006-01-23T16:35:47.003-07:00Gold and Gupta: Senate Debate Procedures

PART I: SENATE PROCEDURES GOVERNING DEBATESenate procedure is built upon three main pillars. First are the Standing Rules of the Senate. Currently, there are forty-three rules: thirty-three governing procedure and ten governing ethics. In theory, these rules may be adopted or amended by a simple majority of Senators acting through a Senate resolution. In practice, however,under the current

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1138058842590548812006-01-23T16:24:00.000-07:002006-01-23T16:27:22.800-07:00Gold and Gupta: Introduction

INTRODUCTIONIn the United States Senate, the majority has the power to decide what will be debated, but the minority can often determine whether that debate will ever end in a final vote. No one questions that a majority of a quorum can exercise the rulemaking power. But, for almost any debatable proposition, forty-one members can prevent theSenate from taking a final vote, even though as many as

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1138058477723212032006-01-23T16:18:00.000-07:002006-01-23T16:23:54.503-07:00Gold and Gupta: Table of Contents

INTRODUCTIONI. SENATE PROCEDURES GOVERNING DEBATEII. CREATION OF THE FILIBUSTERA. The “Dignified Senate”B. The Inadvertent Creation of the Opportunity To FilibusterC. The First FilibustersIII. THE CONSTITUTIONAL OPTION TO AMEND FORMALLY THE STANDING SENATE RULESA. The Senate Adopts a Formal Cloture Rule (1917)1. The “Willful Eleven”2. The Constitutional Option Is Introduced3. Cloture EstablishedB

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1138021860380686502006-01-23T06:10:00.000-07:002006-01-23T17:29:18.343-07:00The Constitutional Option: A Series

The following are links to five posts that discuss the Constitutional option, otherwise known as the Byrd option or the nuclear option to end Judicial Filibusters.Introduction to the Constitutional OptionThe Senate's Right to Set Procedural RulesThe Senate's Use of the Constitutinal OptionThe Judicial Filibuster and the Constitutional OptionThe Constitutional Option: Senator Kyl

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1137981518444865502006-01-22T18:52:00.000-07:002006-01-22T21:31:00.026-07:00The Constitutional Option: Senator Kyl

United States Senator Jon Kyl (Republican - Arizona) makes a speech on the Senate floor on the issue of Judicial Filibusters and the Constitutional Option:What I want to talk about today is a very simple and yet a very momentous question. Does the Senate have the power to govern itself? Specifically, can a majority of the Senate establish how we are governed? I have heard a lot of careless talk

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1137955239637685722006-01-22T11:38:00.000-07:002006-01-22T11:40:39.640-07:00The Judicial Filibuster and the Constitutional Option

Continued from the previous post The filibusters of judicial nominations during the 108th Congress were unprecedented in Senate history. [This historical observation has been conceded by leading Senate Democrats. For example, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee solicited campaign contributions in November 2003 with the claim that the filibusters were an ``unprecedented'' effort to ``

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1137955089589570102006-01-22T11:36:00.000-07:002006-01-22T11:38:09.600-07:00The Senate's Use of the Constitutinal Option

Continued from the previous post The Senate is a relatively stable institution, but its norms of conduct have sometimes been violated. In some instances, a minority of Senators has rejected past practices and bipartisan understandings and exploited heretofore ``off limits'' opportunities to obstruct the Senate's business. At other times, a minority of Senators has abused the rules and

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1137954981073300562006-01-22T11:32:00.000-07:002006-01-22T11:36:21.076-07:00The Senate's Right to Set Procedural Rules

Continued from the previous post The Senate's constitutional power to make rules is straightforward, but two issues do warrant brief elaboration--the number of Senators that are constitutionally necessary to establish procedures and whether there are any time limitations as to when the rulemaking power can be exercised. The Supreme Court addressed both of these questions in United States v.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1137954668240832212006-01-22T11:28:00.000-07:002006-01-22T11:32:06.406-07:00Introduction to the Constitutional Option

Part of John Kyl’s speech on the US Senate floor on May 19, 2005 I will not examine each of these historical events in detail today. Instead, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the RECORD a copy of the policy paper prepared by the Republican Policy Committee, which I chair, which examined each of these events in great detail. There being no objection, the material was ordered To be

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1121033678990869712005-07-10T16:13:00.000-06:002005-07-10T16:14:39.013-06:00Europe's angry Muslims

June 27, 2005Europe's Angry MuslimsBy Robert S. LeikenFrom the July/August 2005 issue of Foreign AffairsAN AMERICAN CONCERNFox News and CNN's Lou Dobbs worry about terrorists stealing across the United States' border with Mexico concealed among illegal immigrants. The Pentagon wages war in the Middle East to stop terrorist attacks on the United States. But the growing nightmare of officials at

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1121023435832635342005-07-10T13:22:00.000-06:002005-07-10T13:23:55.843-06:00Economies and Islam

Economies and IslamMuslim states in the greater Middle East and North Africa control much of the world's oil -- but their growth seems stagnant compared with much of the rest of the world. The question is: Why?By Diane WolffSpecial to the SentinelJune 26, 2005In the 21st century's global economy, there are questions about the U.S. ability to retain its dominance, the impact of Europe's

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1111456985289699162005-03-21T18:54:00.000-07:002005-03-21T19:03:05.300-07:00Levin debates Will on the Filibuster rule

Will on FilibustersBy Mark LevinConsidering a column and a battle to come. March 21, 2005In his Sunday column, George Will makes his most comprehensive argument yet against Senate Republicans' modifying the filibuster rule to prevent its use against judicial nominees. I respond to some of his major points below. Will writes: Some conservatives call filibusters of judicial nominations

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1108832535434747962005-02-19T09:52:00.000-07:002005-02-19T10:02:15.436-07:00US economy strong

We have all heard in the mainstream news media the argument that the United States is on the decline because it is running budget and trade deficits. Well, below is an excerpt from a column by David Levey and Stuart Brown published in the International Herald Tribune titled U.S. hegemony has a strong foundation. It is sometimes difficult to explain to people why a nation that holds fewer

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1108785152700253112005-02-18T20:51:00.000-07:002005-02-18T20:55:06.770-07:00Autonomy or Federalism in Iraq

Iraqi Kurds Detail Demands for a Degree of AutonomyKurdish leaders argue that their push for federalism is nothing more than an attempt to maintain the status quo. Iraqi Kurdistan, a mountainous area the size of Switzerland, has existed as an autonomous region since the end of the Persian Gulf war of 1991, when the American military established a no-flight zone in northern Iraq."Like all the

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1108774903074264872005-02-18T17:57:00.000-07:002005-02-18T18:01:43.076-07:00Germany and Japan

Here's an interesting article in the Economist: The world’s second and third biggest economies both got a little smaller last quarter. Japan’s gross domestic product contracted at an annual rate of 0.5% in the final quarter of 2004, according to figures released on Wednesday February 16th. The numbers from Germany the day before were grimmer still. Its economy shrank at an annualised rate of

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1108698566811045292005-02-17T20:48:00.000-07:002005-02-17T20:49:26.866-07:00A Crack in the Wall

by David-Pryce JonesThe delight and the dignity of Iraqis with stained fingers proving they had just participated in choosing their leaders has been a memorable spectacle of hope. Like the peoples of the old Soviet empire, the Arabs are beginning to democratize. Decent governance in Baghdad is the immediate issue, but in due course democracy — and democracy alone — may place the Arab and Muslim

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1108559694097963562005-02-16T06:13:00.000-07:002005-02-16T06:14:54.103-07:00Islamism and Leftism in Turkey

By Robert L. PollackANKARA DISPATCHThe Sick Man of Europe--Again Islamism and leftism add up to anti-American madness in Turkey. Wednesday, February 16, 2005 12:01 a.m. EST ANKARA, Turkey--Several years ago I attended an exhibition in Istanbul. The theme was local art from the era of the country's last military coup (1980). But the artists seemed a lot more concerned with the injustices of global

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1108267851858656342005-02-12T20:58:00.000-07:002005-02-12T21:10:51.860-07:00Islamic fundamentalism

Francis Fukuyama, on pages 236-237 of his book The End of History and the Last Man argues that Islamic fundamentalism is rooted in European fascism and a failure to adapt to modernity.Unlike Meiji Japan.....which used Western technology to defeat Russia in 1905 and to challenge the United States in 1941, most of the Islamic world never assimilated these Western imports in a convincing way, or

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1096739857286616432004-10-02T11:56:00.000-06:002005-03-21T19:05:19.810-07:00Why the right beats the left in America

Mark Steyn writes about what separates America from the rest of the western world.At a certain stage socialized healthcare certainly comes into it, states reach a tipping point where the citizens are getting so much from the state that you can no longer have truly conservative government ever again. Or, more accurately, they think they're getting a lot. For what Britons and Canadians pay in

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1096251497017576212004-09-26T20:12:00.000-06:002004-09-26T20:18:17.016-06:00Iraq, the crucible

Amir Taheri writes of the significant differences between John Kerry and George Bush regarding Iraq, Democracy and the war on terror.Bush's policy is summed up in the phrase "staying the course." Tony Blair agrees; last week he described Iraq as "the crucible in which the future of global terrorism will be determined."The Bush-Blair analysis is based on the assumption that the last area of the

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1096078363364910682004-09-24T20:08:00.000-06:002004-09-24T20:12:43.363-06:00Should America pursue safety or victory?

Clifford May argues that America shouldn't view safety as the only yardstick by which we measure our strategy in the war on terror.Throughout 1940 and most of 1941, Churchill and the British people stood alone against totalitarianism and nihilism. You might even say the British fought a unilateral war.Even then, Churchill didn't look for an exit strategy. He famously said: "I have nothing to

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1095772744231188822004-09-21T07:13:00.000-06:002004-09-21T07:19:04.230-06:00Muslim Success in Indonesia

Is there such a thing as "moderate Islam?" Can nations that are majority Muslim move towards freedom and democracy, away from repression, terrorism and autocracy? Two columns in the Christian Science Monitor covering Indonesia answer that question in the affirmative. Read about the Giant Muslim Success and why Democracy and Islam can go together.With 155 million eligible voters, Indonesia

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1095708513438493432004-09-20T13:23:00.000-06:002004-09-20T13:28:33.440-06:00Israel's unexpected victory over terrorism

Yossi Klein Halevi & Michael B. Oren write of Israel's sucessful anti-terrorism policies......the Israeli army destroyed most of what remained of Hamas's organization in the West Bank and a substantial part of its infrastructure in Gaza. Just last week, Israeli gunships rocketed a Hamas training camp in Gaza, killing 15 operatives. Hamas leaders, who once routinely led rallies and gave interviews

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1095391370619387372004-09-16T21:19:00.000-06:002004-09-16T21:22:50.620-06:00Freedom's vulnerability; Terrorism's opportunity

Clifford May writes that losing Iraq to the terrorists is possible and would be devastating to the civilized world."In war," Churchill said, "one cannot wait to have everything perfect, but must fight in relation to the enemy's strength and plight."In Iraq today, the enemy's strength derives from the fact that he finds targets everywhere – American soldiers, Iraqi police cadets, Nepalese

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1095046814640023992004-09-12T21:36:00.000-06:002004-09-13T06:23:46.343-06:00Lucky W.

Fred Barnes writes that President Bush has caught some big breaks in his campaign for reelection.Better to be lucky than good. That's an old baseball saying that applies as well to President Bush's reelection campaign. First CBS News--then the entire mainstream media--plays up damaging documents about Bush's National Guard service. But within hours, thanks to bloggers and not to any effort by

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1094694299297239662004-09-08T19:43:00.000-06:002004-09-08T19:44:59.296-06:00The arrogance of our enemies

Here's something from Austin Bay's discussion board.Despots and autocrats are the first enemy. The despot, with an arrogance that comes from never being held responsible for his crimes, believes his iron resolve eventually will trump the spineless advocates of democracy. Despots -- like the Saddamist holdouts fighting in Iraq -- believe all they need to do is keep killing until everyone is cowed.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1094470594021875072004-09-06T05:29:00.000-06:002004-09-06T05:36:34.020-06:00Franks says Bush is "the real thing"

An excerpt from a speech by Tommy Franks at the Republican convention last week:The Global War on Terrorism will be a long fight. But make no mistake we are going to fight the terrorists. The question is do we fight them over there -- or do we fight them here. I choose to fight them over there. Some argue that we should treat this war as a law enforcement issue. Some say we should fight a

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1094351717372467722004-09-04T20:32:00.000-06:002004-09-04T20:35:17.373-06:00Give 'em Zell

Kathleen Parker writes about the Zell factor in this election......his Marine anger and paternal sincerity rang true, while the message he delivered - in the voice of father, grandfather and great-grandfather - spoke to deeper truths that many Americans feel even if they haven't been able to articulate them precisely. The world changed on Sept. 11, 2001, and the old default modes no longer work.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1094317670238402782004-09-04T11:03:00.000-06:002004-09-04T11:07:50.240-06:00Democrats can't take the heat

Mark Steyn writes that while the Democrats are more than willing to criticize Republicans, they view any criticism of Democrats as questioning one's patriotism."I have five words for Americans," he thundered. "This is your wake up call!" Is that five words? Or is it six? Well, it's all very nuanced, according to whether you hyphenate the "wake-up." Maybe he should have said, "I have four

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1094089212624700952004-09-01T18:52:00.000-06:002004-09-01T19:40:12.623-06:00The effectiveness of the SBVT campaign

Tens of millions of dollars in paid advertising have been spent on this Presidential election. But John Kerry's campaign seems to have been hit especially hard by the relatively low budget campaign conducted by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (SBVT). Perhaps Kerry created this vulnerability by making his four and one half months of military service in Vietnam the centerpiece in his campaign.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1093997949467993542004-08-31T18:05:00.001-06:002004-08-31T18:22:31.746-06:00What's going on?

Visitors to A New Birth of Freedom might be wondering "Why haven't there been any new posts to this web site?" The answer is that I have decided to join a group of bloggers instead of continuing as a solo artist. It's very exciting, perhaps just as exciting as joining a new rock band minus the deaf guitarist who won't turn his amplifier down. So, if you have enjoyed what you have been

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1093737042535714092004-08-28T17:47:00.000-06:002004-08-28T17:50:42.536-06:00Warm 'n Fuzzy Conserva-Puppies

Due to increased demand for articulate, conservative opinion blogs on the internet, several conservatives have decided to start a new blog page titled: Warm 'n Fuzzy Conserva-Puppies. Be sure to visit. And for those of you who have decided to accept my invitation to help administer and post to this blog site, I'll be communicating with you via email.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1093716491039008012004-08-28T12:03:00.000-06:002004-08-31T20:57:28.763-06:00The mainstream media, John Kerry and Vietnam

Jonathan Last writes about how the mainstream media were dragged kicking and screaming to cover the Swift Vets' story.During the August 19 edition of PBS's NewsHour, Tom Oliphant unspooled. "The standard of clear and convincing evidence--and it's easy when you leave out the exculpatory stuff--is what keeps this story in the tabloids," the Boston Globe columnist sputtered, "because it does not

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1093632015313988002004-08-27T12:34:00.000-06:002004-08-27T12:50:02.463-06:00Documents on Kerry's web site are suspect

Hat tip to Anti-Media for this story. The Chicago Sun-Times Reports......an official Defense Department document summarizing Kerry's military career posted on johnkerry.com, includes a "Silver Star with combat V." But according to a U.S. Navy spokesman, "Kerry's record is incorrect. The Navy has never issued a 'combat V' to anyone for a Silver Star." Naval regulations do not allow for the use

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1093486141596773362004-08-25T20:04:00.001-06:002004-08-25T20:35:21.320-06:00John Kerry's 1971 testimony

Here is John Kerry's 1971 testimony where he accused American servicemen of widespread atrocities in Vietnam. David Frum explains why the ads developed by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth have been so effective in damaging Kerry's chances.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1093408475950282912004-08-24T22:32:00.000-06:002004-08-24T22:34:35.950-06:00Big Media's Mistakes

Tony Blankley writes about the erosion of Big Media's credibility.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1093403379848445212004-08-24T21:07:00.000-06:002004-08-24T21:09:39.846-06:00QandO figures out Rassmann incident

QandO has analyzed an official Navy document that explains why Kerry's version of the Jim Rassmann incident (not a heroic rescue) doesn't hold up.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1093264881043842062004-08-23T06:39:00.000-06:002004-08-23T06:41:21.043-06:00No hope for Kerry

Adam Sparks discusses why the jig is up for John Kerry.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1093205449098052742004-08-22T14:08:00.000-06:002004-08-22T14:37:01.270-06:00Anti-Media delves into the Rassmann incident

The Anti-Media blogsite has an excellent summary of the constantly changing stories of the March 13, 1969 "Rassmann incident" given by the Kerry campaign and Kerry ally, Jim Rassmann. And here are statements released by Van Odell, Jack Chenoweth and Larry Thurlow concerning the March 13, 1969 incident.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1093110382313955932004-08-21T11:40:00.000-06:002004-08-21T11:46:22.313-06:00Kerry's allies fight back (parody)

The Weekly Standard has published a hilarious parody of how Kerry allies are fighting back against the attack ads run by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and Fred Barnes asks "Did you know John Kerry served in Vietnam?"The Kerry fixation on his Vietnam record turns out to be more risky than expected. His claims about his war experience have become a matter for scrutiny, though not by the Bush

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1093097286197064132004-08-21T08:05:00.000-06:002004-08-21T08:08:06.196-06:00New attack ad against Kerry by SBVT: Sellout

John Kerry: "They had personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads. . ." Joe Ponder: "The accusations that John Kerry made against the veterans who served in Vietnam was just devastating." John Kerry: ". . . randomly shot at civilians. . ." Joe Ponder: "It hurt me more than any physical wounds I had." John Kerry: ". . . cut off limbs, blown up bodies. . ." Ken Cordier: "That was part of

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1093057750385375332004-08-20T21:02:00.000-06:002004-08-20T21:09:10.386-06:00Kerry's Vietnam moments: fact and fiction

William Kristol writes that John Kerry is a creature of the anti-Vietnam war movement and he's trying to hide that fact from the voters.[John Kerry] is entitled to ask us to place weight on the testimony of the band of brothers with whom he served in Vietnam. But he has a problem. A substantial number of Kerry's band of brothers--those who served in close quarters with him in Coastal Division 11

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1093029163297480722004-08-20T13:05:00.000-06:002004-08-20T13:12:43.296-06:00Hardball's Chris Matthews can't handle the truth

Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC's political talk show Hardball has become unglued as a result of the controversy surrounding John Kerry's service in Vietnam and the allegations made by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Last night's Hardball program featured Michelle Malkin, who, unlike the host Chris Matthews, has actually read the book Unfit for Command. Here's the transcript of last night's

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1092958782638493982004-08-19T17:35:00.000-06:002004-08-19T17:39:42.636-06:00Swift Vets claim John Kerry filed false report on the Rassmann incident

Statement By Swift Boat Veterans for Truth Member Van OdellA courageous, soft spoken man of the Midwest, Larry Thurlow has a heart bigger than the great plains and a commitment to truth and honesty that is boundless. He is under attack, because John Kerry is feeling the heat of truth at the hands of this honest man and others like him. The Kerry Campaign is attacking the truthfulness of this

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1092920847486139982004-08-19T07:04:00.000-06:002004-08-19T07:07:27.486-06:00John O'Neill argues that John Kerry is no hero

Beldar blogs features and excellent summary of John O'Neill's appearance on MSNBC political talk show "Scarborough Country."

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1092835385054505152004-08-18T07:03:00.000-06:002004-08-18T07:23:05.060-06:00SBVT dispute key portions of the Rassmann rescue

The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth don't believe John Kerry's rescue of Jim Rassmann was deserving of a Bronze Star. The following is an excerpt from Unfit for Command by John O'Neill and Jerome Corsi. Page 89On March 13, 1969, Jack Chenoweth commanded the boat in front of Kerry, and his gunner, Van Odell, had a clear view of the entire incident. Dick Pease commanded PCF-3, which was blown up

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1092704771029148932004-08-16T18:51:00.000-06:002005-03-22T10:47:45.746-07:00Kerry allies tell conflicting stories on Rassman's rescue

Ever since the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (SBVT) announced that they had produced a political ad and a book disputing John Kerry's fitness for the Presidency, John Kerry's "Band of Brothers" and the SBVT have been telling conflicting stories about what happened in Vietnam. But when it comes to the story behind John Kerry's rescue of Jim Rassman, the conflicting stories come entirely from John

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1092678574437124852004-08-16T11:31:00.000-06:002004-08-16T11:51:17.523-06:00The David Alston Story

David Alston, a Vietnam Veteran, testified to John Kerry's leadership credentials at the Democrat National Convention in Boston. In his speech to the nation he said the following:Once, he even directed the helmsman to beach the boat, right into the teeth of an ambush, and pursued our attackers on foot, into the jungle. In the toughest of situations, Lieutenant Kerry showed judgment, loyalty and

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1092463758396636732004-08-14T00:01:00.000-06:002004-08-14T00:09:18.396-06:00Was Nietzsche the first Islamist philosopher?

From Page 300 of The End of History and the Last Man by Francis Fukuyama According to Hegel, the universal and homogeneous state fully reconciles the contradiction that existed in the relationship or lordship and bondage by making the former slaves their own masters. No longer is the master recognized only by beings who are somehow less than human, and no longer are the slaves denied any

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1091995725167797492004-08-08T14:08:00.000-06:002004-08-08T14:15:16.853-06:00Michael Moore is a Mad Cow

From Michael Moore is a Big Fat Stupid White Man by David T. Hardy and Jason Clarke Page 43 One page 137 of Stupid White Men, Moore latches on to an easy means of stirring up fear and makes the most of it. This time around, it’s the facts about mad cow disease that will be bent to his theories. He writes, "Americans are not immune from this deadly disease. Some experts estimate that some

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1091760983762200252004-08-05T20:36:00.000-06:002004-08-05T20:56:23.763-06:00The Crisis of Islam

From The Crisis of Islam by Bernard Lewis Page 136 Most Muslims are not fundamentalists, and most fundamentalists are not terrorists, but most present-day terrorists are Muslims and proudly identify themselves as such. Understandably, Muslims complain when the media speak of terrorist movements and actions as "Islamic" and ask why the media do not similarly identify Irish and Basque terrorists

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1091495517893795322004-08-02T19:08:00.000-06:002004-08-02T19:11:57.893-06:00Obstacles to democracy

The following are excerpts from the best selling book, The End of History and the Last Man, by Francis Fukuyama. Page 212 The founding of a liberal democracy is meant to be a supremely rational political act, in which the community as a whole deliberates on the nature of the constitution and set of basic laws that will govern its public life. But one is frequently struck by the weakness of

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1091382841446681712004-08-01T11:47:00.000-06:002004-08-01T11:54:01.446-06:00The Kerry Doctrine

Mark Steyn writes that Kerry's speech was an appeal to voters who are worn out by the drama called "the war on terror." Because the real distinction is not between pro- and anti-war, but between September 11 Americans and September 10 Americans. The latter group is a coalition embracing not just the hardcore Bush haters - for whom, as the opening of Fahrenheit 9/11 makes plain, it all goes back

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1091317487252361672004-07-31T17:42:00.000-06:002005-03-22T10:41:10.576-07:00Fighting the wrong war

Amir Taheri writes that John Kerry's repeated references to Vietnam indicate that he is fighting his last war, not the current war against Islamist terrorism. All Things to All PeopleBy David BrooksThere were so many military men at the Democratic convention I almost expected John Kerry to mount the stage in full body armor and recite the war speech from "Henry V." As it is, he called for

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1091314848930507772004-07-31T16:58:00.000-06:002005-09-01T17:34:21.923-06:00David Brooks reacts to the Democrat Convention

All Things to All PeopleBy David BrooksThere were so many military men at the Democratic convention I almost expected John Kerry to mount the stage in full body armor and recite the war speech from "Henry V." As it is, he called for bulking up the military, doubling the size of the Special Forces and crushing the terrorists. He hit Bush from the right, and when he got around to bashing the Saudis

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1091192435133869052004-07-30T06:59:00.000-06:002004-07-30T07:00:35.133-06:00The Undecided Candidate

Jonah Goldberg writes that John Kerry has an interesting way of courting undecided voters.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1090936709029360122004-07-27T07:56:00.000-06:002004-07-27T07:58:29.030-06:00John Kerry: The wrong man to fight terror

Mark Steyn writes that John Kerry isn't the right man to lead the war on terror.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1090846505714790452004-07-26T06:54:00.000-06:002004-07-26T06:55:05.716-06:00The Boston Democrats

Michael Barone writes about the Boston Democrats.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1090633830263268842004-07-23T19:45:00.000-06:002004-07-23T19:50:30.263-06:00What Berger's behavior reveals

Jonah Goldberg writes that Sandy Berger's document stealing, and Bill Clinton causal response to a question about it, reveals that (what a surprise) the Democrats have little concern for national security.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1090543730513903162004-07-22T18:46:00.000-06:002004-07-22T18:48:50.513-06:00Europeans against Europe

Gerard Baker writes that European voters are expressing their skepticism of a Eurostate at the voting booth. European voters--especially in the New Europe, which is alive and well, it should be noted--have good reason to react against the E.U.; there is a widespread view reflected in polls that it is out of touch, corrupt, and bureaucratic. Its economic policies stifle enterprise with complex

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1090543087596997432004-07-22T18:28:00.000-06:002004-07-22T18:38:07.596-06:00The Committee on the Present Danger

Clifford May writes about a bi-partisanship attempt to inform the public about America's enemies. Democrats US Senator Joe Lieberman, former Clinton CIA director James Woolsey and Republican US Senator Jon Kyl have decided that current national security challenges require Americans to unite in order to win the war on terror. Could the bad guys defeat us? Senator Kyl believes that is

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1090467744333838612004-07-21T21:07:00.000-06:002004-07-21T21:42:24.333-06:00The Dirty Harry Coalition

I have often wondered what unifying principles are shared by two different groups of right of center people, those who are religious and those who are not. I believe the answer to that question can be found in one of Clint Eastwood's movies, where Eastwood plays the iconoclastic police officer Dirty Harry. At one point Dirty Harry says: "A man's got to know his limitations." But, Thomas

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1090257481920332822004-07-19T11:13:00.000-06:002004-07-19T11:18:01.920-06:00Mark Steyn still thinks Bush will win

Mark Steyn writes that Bush is still likely to win, despite the efforts of Evan Thomas of Newsweek and others in the media. [This is] Kerry’s and Edwards’s problem. Ask them about Iraq and they drone on about getting the UN back in there and bringing France and Germany on board by giving them ‘fair access to the multibillion-dollar reconstruction contracts’ plus ‘a leadership role’ in

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1090243949905069782004-07-19T07:29:00.000-06:002004-07-19T07:32:29.906-06:00The Anti-Chomsky Reader

Clara Magram reviews The Anti-Chomsky Reader in National Review. An excerpt: Give Noam Chomsky credit for consistency. For nearly half a century, he has unfailingly praised the world's most brutal totalitarian regimes, even as he has slandered democracies. In 1970, Chomsky — a leading opponent of the Vietnam War — visited North Vietnam and wrote admiringly of the "high degree of democratic

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1090188668474437912004-07-18T16:08:00.000-06:002004-07-18T16:11:08.473-06:00Did Saddam seek uranium from Niger or onions?

Mark Steyn writes the media's sudden lack of interest regarding Joe Wilson's credibility, now that covering such an issue would help, rather than hurt, Bush's reelection chances. ......contrary to what Wilson wrote in the New York Times, Saddam Hussein was trying to acquire uranium from Niger. In support of that proposition are a Senate report in Washington, Lord Butler's report in London, MI6,

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1090180654417060872004-07-18T13:54:00.000-06:002004-07-18T13:57:57.706-06:00Religion, America and Europe

Mark Steyn writes about American and Europe and the relationship between religious belief and national dynamism. ‘When men cease to believe in God,’ said Chesterton, ‘they do not believe in nothing; they believe in anything!’ The anything most of the Western world’s non-believers believe in is government: instead of a state church, Europe believes in the state as church — the purveyor of

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1090162209681821812004-07-18T08:47:00.000-06:002004-07-18T09:00:38.066-06:00Why does the world hate Israel?

Herbert London asks the question: Why does a nation half the size of lake Michigan and possessing no oil reserves generate so much hatred from the rest of the world?

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1089948238480991212004-07-15T21:21:00.000-06:002004-07-15T21:25:41.200-06:00The Yellowcake Con

The Yellowcake Con From the Wall Street Journal Editorial Page The Wilson-Plame "scandal" was political pulp fiction. Thursday, July 15, 2004 12:01 a.m. EDT So now the British government has published its own inquiry into the intelligence behind the invasion of Iraq, with equally devastating implications for the credibility of the Bush-Blair "lied" crowd. Like last week's 511-page document

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1089865231599625092004-07-14T22:17:00.000-06:002004-07-14T22:20:31.600-06:00Can relations with Europe be improved?

Tony Blankley discusses Europe, America and John Kerry's central campaign argument.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1089851167038680682004-07-14T18:24:00.000-06:002004-07-14T18:26:07.036-06:00Getting at the Root Causes

Jonah Goldberg wrties that we are not safer for having toppled Saddam, but we are better off for having done so.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1089724512004334902004-07-13T07:10:00.000-06:002004-07-13T07:15:12.006-06:00John Podhoretz

John Podhoretz discusses John Kerry's appearance on 60 minutes. Putin, who opposed the war, actually thought that Saddam was preparing to stage terrorist attacks on the United States. As he said last month: "After the events of 9/11, and up to the military operation in Iraq, Russian special services and Russian intelligence several times received . . . information that official organs of

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1089638087942676682004-07-12T07:12:00.000-06:002004-07-12T07:14:47.943-06:00Moore's Myths

John R. Lott, Jr. and Brian Blase examine some of the claims presented in Michael Moore's movie.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1089604822112630332004-07-11T21:58:00.000-06:002004-07-11T22:00:22.113-06:00Moore and His Friends

by Jonah Goldberg Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 is the biggest-selling documentary in movie history. Compared with normal Hollywood fare, that may be like being the best team in Canadian football. But it would be foolish to underestimate the film's potential impact. Moore has created a new form of media, the attack movie, which follows blogs, talk radio, and cable TV among recent arrivals.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1089558149287416692004-07-11T08:57:00.000-06:002004-07-11T09:02:29.286-06:00Bush redeemed, Edwards scrutinized

Mark Steyn writes that Bush’s 2003 state of the union speech has been redeemed by the latest news and George Will writes that we should start outsourcing nonsense to John Edwards.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1089476574312970362004-07-10T10:18:00.000-06:002004-07-10T10:22:54.313-06:00David Brooks evaluates Michael Moore

All Hail Michael Moore by David Brooks In years past, American liberals have had to settle for intellectual and moral leadership from the likes of John Dewey, Reinhold Niebuhr and Martin Luther King Jr. But now, a grander beacon has appeared on the mountaintop, and from sea to shining sea, tens of thousands have joined in the adulation. So it is worth taking a moment to study the metaphysics of

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1089426654956121692004-07-09T20:29:00.000-06:002004-07-09T20:30:54.956-06:00Sowell evaluates Kerry's campaign

Thomas Sowell writes about John Kerry's political malpractice.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1089292143160228272004-07-08T07:05:00.000-06:002004-07-08T07:09:03.160-06:00Kansas Versus the American Left

George Will writes that, Thomas Frank's book (What's the Matter With Kansas?: How Conservatives Won the Heart of America) asks the wrong question. The correct question is: What's the matter with the American left.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1089256282070711992004-07-07T20:40:00.000-06:002004-07-07T21:11:22.070-06:00Could Bush Lose to Kerry?

With about four months remaining in the 2004 Presidential race, it's time to evaluate the odds. A Kerry victory is certainly possible, but the odds favor President Bush's reelection. The issues that will determine the outcome of the race fall into two categories: (1) The war on terror, including the struggle for stability in Iraq and (2) domestic issues such as taxes, health care, education

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1089172665564150932004-07-06T21:47:00.000-06:002004-07-06T21:57:45.763-06:00John Kerry chooses Edwards

Here's where I evaluate John Kerry's selection of North Carolina's senior US Senator, John Edwards, to be his running mate against the Bush-Cheney ticket. John Kerry made a mistake. North Carolina's natural conservatism (it preferred Bush over Gore in the 2000 race by more than 10 percent) means Edwards will not be able to help Kerry win North Carolina's 15 electoral votes. And Kerry passed

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1089045085564155322004-07-05T10:20:00.000-06:002004-07-05T10:54:35.376-06:00Democracy in Egypt is Going Nowhere

Here's an interesting article from the New Yorker by David Remnick. An excerpt When I asked Kassem his opinion of the American invasion of Iraq and the chaos that followed, he said, “When you look at the intervention itself, you look at the people who will die as a result. Well, a great many more would have died from sanctions and from Saddam than from any intervention. All those arguments

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1088967441002803742004-07-04T12:56:00.000-06:002004-07-04T12:57:40.490-06:00John Kerry's Mistake

Debra Sauders writes about John Kerry's mistake.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1088950266819996542004-07-04T08:08:00.000-06:002004-07-04T08:11:06.820-06:00Democrats and Michael Moore by Michael Barone

Michael Barone explains why the Democrats have made a mistake in associating their party with Michael Moore's movie.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1088897578823406922004-07-03T17:31:00.000-06:002004-07-03T17:32:58.823-06:00Bush's Winning Strategy

Bush's Winning Strategy By DAVID BROOKS n Sept. 8, 2003, Bush administration officials awoke to find that Paul Bremer III had written an op-ed piece in The Washington Post laying out a seven-step plan for the democratization of Iraq. Bremer hadn't cleared the piece with his higher-ups in the Pentagon or the White House, and here he was describing a drawn-out American occupation. Iraqis would

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1088773089295593762004-07-02T06:55:00.000-06:002004-07-02T06:58:09.296-06:00The Washington Post distorts Iraq news

Eric Johnson, who participated in Operation Iraqi freedom, writes of the serious distortions in the Washington Post's news coverage regarding Iraq.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1088600193510227102004-06-30T06:54:00.000-06:002004-06-30T06:56:33.510-06:00Chrenkoff's "Supersize My Ego"

Arthur Chrenkoff uncovers an alternative way of eating at McDonalds everyday and for every meal while losing weight and enjoying improving health.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1088518752746076412004-06-29T08:18:00.000-06:002004-06-29T08:21:47.076-06:00Transfer of Power in Iraq

Iraq's New History by Fouad Ajami. "Under Saddam, we lived in a big prison. Now we're in a kind of a wilderness. I prefer the wilderness," an educated Iraqi woman, Dr. Lina Ziyad, said some months back.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1088474224142139702004-06-28T19:54:00.000-06:002004-06-28T19:57:04.143-06:00Christopher Hitchens reviews Michael Moore's film

Christopher Hitchens explains why Michael Moore doesn't like answering questions such as "Are you a pacifist?" and "Did you support the war to topple the Taliban in Afghanistan?"

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1088382978014836312004-06-27T17:59:00.000-06:002004-06-27T20:30:29.736-06:00The Benefits of United Republican Government, Part 2

In 1995 the Republican Congress passed a budget resolution designed to reduce growth in Medicare spending by 270 billion dollars over a seven year period, cut federal taxes by over 200 billion dollars and eliminate several outdated and obsolete social programs. Democrat President Bill Clinton used his Presidential veto power to prevent these fiscal reforms from becoming law and he succeeded.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1088380787860416642004-06-27T17:35:00.000-06:002004-06-27T17:59:47.860-06:00The Benefits of United Republican Government, Part 1

Many people who are politically right of center have expressed the view that their agenda is better served by divided government compared to united Republican government. Just to get our terms straight, I define divided government as existing when one political party controls one of the political power bases (The White House, the United States House of Representatives or the United States

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1088354430604898072004-06-27T10:38:00.000-06:002004-06-27T10:40:30.603-06:00Mark Steyn evaluates Clinton's "My Life"

Mark Steyn writes about why climbing Mount Everest is a walk in the part compared to the task of the long hard slog through Bill Clinton's newly released book about himself.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1088221828963383892004-06-25T21:28:00.000-06:002004-06-25T21:50:28.963-06:00Bush Will Win

You heard it here first. And you can quote me on this on November 3rd. Bush will defeat John Kerry in this fall's Presidential election. Don't get me wrong. It's going to be a rough ride for Bush supporters like me between now and November. And the polls won't consistently show Bush ahead of Kerry until the Presidential debates begin in the final two months of the campaign. Perhaps even

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1088011651255316232004-06-23T11:26:00.000-06:002004-06-23T11:27:31.256-06:00Europe and America

The Wall Street Journal editorial page writes about the divide between Europe and America on economic issues in addition to issues of foreign policy.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1087910034739470612004-06-22T07:12:00.000-06:002004-06-22T07:13:54.740-06:00What's to envy about Europe?

James Glassman writes about the differences between Europe and the United States and which region/country should change to become more like the other.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1087839381326554462004-06-21T11:35:00.000-06:002004-06-21T11:36:21.326-06:00David Frum talks to Europe

David Frum discusses the divide that currently exists between Europe and the United States.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1087769730104359202004-06-20T16:14:00.000-06:002004-06-20T16:15:30.103-06:00Clinton still has heat, but the Democrats keep getting burnt

Mark Steyn writes that Clinton's high profile is poisonous to the Democrats electoral fortunes this November.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1087145394069031772004-06-13T10:47:00.000-06:002004-06-13T10:49:54.070-06:00Mark Steyn

Mark Steyn writes about why Reagan was a successful and important leader.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1086659608865859872004-06-07T19:51:00.000-06:002004-06-07T19:53:28.866-06:00Ronald Reagan: The Liberator

Here's an excellent column summarizing the accomplishments and leadership abilities of Ronald Reagan from the Tech Central Station web site.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1086632010103580882004-06-07T12:11:00.000-06:002004-06-07T12:13:30.103-06:00A Tribute to Reagan

I have posted my favorite Reagan speech, Reagan’s “Tear Down This Wall” speech in June 1987 at the Brandenburg Gate.

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6341923.post-1086384420475196172004-06-04T15:24:00.000-06:002004-06-04T15:27:31.040-06:00Victor Canto talks about the economy and oil prices

Victor Canto writes about why higher oil prices won't necessarily stop the economic recovery. This is good news for President Bush's reelection chances because the current economic recovery is one of the reasons why Bush will likely win reelection (in my opinion).

Steel Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0