The Learning Disabled Liberals
By Philip Mella01/31/2007
That our civic taxonomy has become a slave to liberalism's sacred pact with political correctness is undeniable, as is the left's antagonistic view of confrontation or, for that matter, anything that demands intellectual discipline. Senator Jon Kyle (R-AZ), writing in the Christian Science Monitor, makes a convincing case that we haven't learned from the gross miscalculations of thirty years ago when America and the West exhibited a pattern of moral cowardice.
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The Virtual Presidential Primary of 2007
By Terry Mitchell01/30/2007
It's still early in 2007, but political pundits are already starting to focus on the presidential primaries and caucuses of 2008. However, there will be one virtual presidential primary in 2007 and it will be a big one -- the "money primary." Reports released at the end of each quarter of 2007 will slowly but surely reveal the story of who's winning and losing that all-important "primary." Some candidates will actually be eliminated during this period because they won't be able to raise enough money to put on a competitive campaign when the real primaries start in January of 2008.
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A "New Tone," the Same Message
By Philip Mella01/25/2007
In an editorial characterized by a transparent sense of quiet desperation, Jonathan Alter of Newsweek tries to elevate Senator Jim Webb's rebuttal to President Bush's State of the Union speech to Churchillian oratory.
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Winning a Nomination Without a Majority?
By Terry Mitchell01/24/2007
As is the case prior to every primary season, pundits are speculating about the possibility that a candidate could win a major party's presidential nomination in 2008 without getting a majority of the votes in the primaries and caucuses. They believe this could happen if there are more than two candidates who garner strong support during a party's nominating process. In this case, 35-40% of the vote could be enough to win most of the primaries and caucuses. But would it be enough to win the nomination?
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Now That Hillary Clinton Is in the Race
By Terry Mitchell01/22/2007
New York Senator and former First Lady Hillary Clinton has officially kicked off her quest for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. In typical, calculating Clinton style, she chose to make her announcement via her Web site on January 20 -- exactly two years from the day when the next president will take office.
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The Onslaught of the Academicians
By Philip Mella01/20/2007
Freedom, it has been correctly observed, has a vital corollary, responsibility. Not merely compliance with laws and regulations, but a kind of civic maturity and adherence to the principles of truth. Since our universities are charged with both educating students and with the advancement of knowledge, it's vital that checks and balances are maintained to ensure a measure of intellectual honesty.
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Jimmy Carter's Limited Gaze
By Dennis Fox01/19/2007
Jimmy Carter will finally speak at Brandeis University on Tuesday about his critique of Israel's occupation policy. If his incensed critics don't keep interrupting, the former president will easily justify his title: Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid. He'll have more trouble countering criticism from a less obvious source: those who appreciate his stance on the occupation but object to his laudatory description of Israel's own internal democracy.
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Apologize for Slavery?
By Terry Mitchell01/19/2007
In response to some proposed legislation calling for Virginia to officially apologize for slavery, Frank Hargrove, a long-time state delegate, recently stated that "black citizens should get over it." Hargrove also asked, "Are we going to force the Jews to apologize for killing Christ?" Many Virginians share Hargrove's frustration over the proposed legislation. Unfortunately, he chose to respond to it with remarks that would seem insensitive and anti-Semitic to most listeners or readers, although I honestly don't believe that was his intention.
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Horning in on the Early Primary Season
By Terry Mitchell01/16/2007
Believe it or not, the official start of the 2008 presidential nominating process is now less than a year away. On January 14, 2008, the Iowa Democratic Caucuses will be held to kick things off (the Iowa Republicans will hold theirs a week later). But why so early now?
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The Anachronistic Cold Warrior
By Philip Mella01/13/2007
Those who follow the ideological internecine between the Cold Warriors and the Neo-Conservatives are acutely aware that Zbigniew Brzezinski, President Carter's National Security Adviser, is a voluble critic of the policy of pre-emption, in particular, the Iraq war.
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Illegal Construction Continues Across from Bil'in
By Dennis Fox01/13/2007
Beyond the usual lip service, I don't suppose Condoleeza Rice will have much to say in Israel this week about West Bank Jewish settlement expansion. Maybe she'll compliment last Thursday's Israeli High Court decision to fine two construction companies $23,000 for building a new neighborhood on the outskirts of Modiin Ilit, the largest Jewish settlement. It turns out construction took place in defiance of an earlier court order. But she won't press Israel to demolish the rows of apartment buildings. She knows that, with rare exceptions, Israeli bulldozers go into action only against Arab-owned homes, as they did once again in the Negev less than a week ago.
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A Great New Year
By Philip Mella01/01/2007
As virtually every poll attests, people across the globe are discouraged about the state of the world. From the ravages of famine, to HIV/AIDS, to the numerous conflicts and war, not to mention the threats manifest in the belligerents of North Korea and Iran, there appears to be every reason to believe that ours is a world fraught with unprecedented problems.
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