Falwell, R.I.P.

Condolences to the many whose lives he touched, I hope they will not be too offended by a small bit of “news analysis” related his passing: Already the guy filling in for Rush predicts that the “loony liberal left” will use his death to proclaim the “end of the Religious Right.” That may happen, but [...]

Haleh Esfandiari: “Soft Hostage”

Hillary Clinton is the latest to speak out against the troubling and unexplained imprisonment in Iran of Haleh Esfandiari, the 67-year-old director of Middle East programs at the Woodrow Wilson Center. (The website also links to an online petition for her release, as well as separate campaigns being run by Amnesty International and Scholars for [...]

Silly News Analysis of the Day

I confess that John Podhoretz is one of my favorite Cornerites, and not in the ironic did-he-really-just-say-something-that-insane way that one usually can appreciate John Derbyshire. He has a sense of humor, he’s not entirely doctrinaire, he is a fellow pop culture enthusiast. But then he writes something like this: The Silly Story of the Day… [...]

In the Arena

Today in Iraq

All right. So we have 4000 troops–a brigade plus–searching for the missing American soldiers south of Baghdad. We have another brigade diverted north from Baghdad to Diyala, where the war has escalated and the situation is a dangerous mess. The question is, who’s minding the surge? And while some neighborhoods in Baghdad may be–marginally, temporarily–safer [...]

In the Arena

Today in Pakistan

Things don’t seem to be getting any better. Kevin Drum raised the key question yesterday: What can we do about it? My guess is, not that much–overtly. But we can and should be very active with special and covert operators, especially in the northwest territories and–if possible–within the ISI. We may already be doing that…but [...]

Rudy Redeems Himself with Family

Not his own, but still noteworthy: After a spate of bad publicity generated by dissing the Iowa farm family of Jerry and Deborah VonSprecken last week (including a phone call by John McCain trying to capitalize on Rudy’s mistake), the Giuliani campaign has announced that – lo and behold! – Deborah VonSprecken is Rudy’s new [...]

Today on the Trail: Columbia or Bust

Today on the Trail is a guide to notable campaign events. It is temporarily being compiled by a nameless cog in the corporate machine. Republican presidential contenders hit Columbia, SC for their second debate. Hosted by the SCGOP and Fox News, it will, as with the Reagan Library event, have three moderators, making for about [...]

Underplayed News of the Day?

Barely six months after an election in which corruption, as personified by Jack Abramoff, led the list of voter concerns, lobbying reform fizzles in Congress. What are you seeing in the back pages, dead-tree or virtual? UPDATE: A number of our commenters disagree with my characterization of the state of play on this issue. So [...]

In the Arena

No News Is Still Bad News

Our allies don’t want us to see the result of the bombings. But then, our President hasn’t wanted us to see the result of the bombings–U.S. coffins–either. Next: No stories about the Iraqi parliament (it wants us to leave)? And after that: No photos of wounded U.S. soldiers recuperating in military hospitals? Not sure what [...]

Bill Sells Hillary

So HillaryClinton.com has posted a new video, a nearly 5-minute testimonial from Bill Clinton about why his wife should be the next president. It’s mighty well done, as you would expect. He starts by addressing one of the Clinton campaign’s major worries — that voters have decided they already know everything there is to know [...]