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DID HE NEED ONE OF THOSE INTERN MAPS? [KJL] John Kerry went back to the Hill today. Posted at 11:57 PM AN UPDATE ON THE 2004 ELECTIONS [John Hood] Believe it or not, the race for governor in Washington state is still undecided. Democrat Christine Gregoire and Republican Dino Rossi have traded the lead four times since Election Day as election officials keep adding in tens of thousands of absentee and provisional ballots at a pop. There are nearly 22,000 ballots yet to count, including some 10,000 more ballots in King County than local officials had estimated just a couple of days ago. This "find" was good news for Gregoire, who trails Rossi in most of the state but is strong in traditionally Democratic Seattle. The current count has Rossi in the lead by 236 votes out of 2.8 million cast. Washington hasn't elected a Republican governor in about a quarter of a century. Right now, both parties are scouring the list of voters whose provisional or absentee ballots were rejected for technicalities, such as missing or apparently mismatched signatures. Then they are knocking on the voters' doors and asking them to swear out affidavits to try to get their rejected ballots counted. The Democrats just delivered a stack of such affidavits to election officials yesterday. Remember that Congress enacted a federal law after the Florida debacle requiring states to make greater use of provisional ballots. That was supposed to "fix" things. Uh-huh. Posted at 11:26 PM MORE SITCOM BIAS [KJL] According to Jim on ABC tonight pokes ignorant fun at Costa Rica for no apparent reason. No reason? Think again. Who's the Bush ally in the U.N. fighting for a cloning ban? Yup. Costa Rica. They knew what they were doing. I'm completely kidding. The Corner is getting kinda slooow. Just getting punchy while I work. Funny show though. Posted at 09:30 PM YOU [KJL] could still make phonecalls. Posted at 07:08 PM ALSO HEARING [KJL] from a Senate staffer: the caucus and leadership meetings were not love fests. Specter was forced to address the issues and his leadership of the committee, and to defend himself. Hatch in fact did exit the meeting and put his arm around Specter and endorsed him. Posted at 06:41 PM EVIDENTLY [KJL] Hatch just came out of the meeting and told a bunch of reporters that Specter would be ok and would be the chairman. Posted at 06:30 PM "I'M STILL CONSIDERING" [KJL] Goerge Allen told Fox's Brian Wilson after the first, the leadership meeting. Posted at 06:14 PM SPECTER [KJL] CNN just reported that Orrin Hatch literally put his arm around Specter at their 4:00. Posted at 06:11 PM LAMAR COLD SHOULDERS SPECTER A LITTLE [KJL] He's another non-Jud Cmte member though: "It would seem to me and others it'd be inappropriate to be issuing that kind of warning to the president of the United States," Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., told CNN Tuesday. "It sounded like Sen. Specter might have a litmus test, and I don't think the Judiciary Committee should have a litmus test." Posted at 05:59 PM RE: MARY FRANCES BERRY [KJL] She's not got the Left locked up either. Posted at 05:56 PM SPECTER & BUSH [KJL] Club for Growth causes trouble...and has a giveaway. Posted at 05:54 PM "DEAR LEADER" [KJL] Where is he going...or gone? Posted at 05:08 PM HILLARY [KJL] vs. Powell? Posted at 04:56 PM MARY FRANCES BERRY'S [KJL] term is up, but she ain't budging. Posted at 03:24 PM AFTER VAN GOGH (CTD) [Andrew Stuttaford] According to the Dutch website, Expatica, the murder of Theo Van Gogh may also be acting as a wake-up call to Germany. Here's hoping. Meanwhile, here is what the preacher at Berlin's Mevlana Mosque was secretly recorded by Germany's (public) ZDF TV as having to say about his neighbors: "These Germans, these atheists, these Europeans don't shave under their arms and their sweat collects under their hair with a revolting smell and they stink...Hell lives for the infidels! Down with all democracies and all democrats!" Why, you have a nice day too. Posted at 03:04 PM AN INSULT TO DOGGEREL [Andrew Stuttaford] Regular readers may remember the controversy over whether the words of the hymn 'I vow to thee my country' were, as some idiotic parson suggested, too reprehensible to be sung in today's PC C of E. Well, sensitive souls can relax. Songwriter Billy Bragg has come to the rescue with lyrics so irritating that I will now look at 'Imagine' with strange new respect. Some of the words can be found in this Daily Telegraph report. The whole nightmare concludes like this: "For there is a simple principle/ That no one shall displace/ We are all alike in humankind/ We are the human race." And with that, I must admit, I was so overwhelmed with nausea that I had to go and lie down. Posted at 02:00 PM RE: ANOTHER ONE [Jack Fowler] Please do not for a single minute assume that some of us on this mega-luxurious cruise vessel aren't attending to our regular duties. Mine is fishmongering for our products, so let's get right to it and urge you to 1) buy our books, and therefore 2) impact the liver of the Queen Zixi of Ix-loving Daniel Casey. Now the Zuiderdam prints out a daily mini-version of the NY Times (ugh), with today's version carrying David Brooks' column on "I Am Charlotte Simmons," Tom Wolfe's new novel. The point of the column, and I assume Wolfe's book, is that our society is producing a generation of kids who are clueless about virtues and morality. And the point of this message is to bellow that you can do something about this -- yes, by getting a child one of NR's wonderful books. All of our children's "Treasury" titles are wholesome, and filled with tales that are instructive, that teach virtues, that stand athwart the cultural rot, yelling Stop! If you're going to give your son or daughter or grandchild "stuff" for Christmas, why not make sure that at least one item will do their soul some good. Get those kids about whom you truly care National Review's acclaimed books, here. And when you do, you'll get a free copy of L. Frank Baum's delightful tale, Queen Zixi of Ix (drink up Dan!). Posted at 01:54 PM NO SENSE ZONE [Shannen Coffin] Evidence that Bill O'Reilly is officially lost to the dark side. Endorses Bill Clinton as Secretary of State. Fortunately, he wasn't heard at the White House. Posted at 12:34 PM ANOTHER ONE! [KJL] While the rest are cruising, I'm working on my subscription commission. An e-mail: I just subscribed to the mag after freeloading at NRO for years! Posted at 12:29 PM THE TIME HAS COME [KJL] We hear: Specter met with Senate GOP leadership this morning about his chairmanship. He is meeting with the Judiciary Committee members at 4. Posted at 12:26 PM SPECTER & LOTT [KJL] I had forgotten that Specter had defended Lott during the Strom fury. From the 2004 Almanac of American Politics: Specter was one moderate who stood by Trent Lott after his comments at Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday party December 5, 2002. On December 11 he said, "I know Trent Lott very well from working with him in the Senate for the last 14 years and can vouch for the inadvertent slip and and his apology should end the discussion."(Just trivia...) Posted at 11:41 AM M HURT MY FEELINGS, MONEYPENNY! [Cliff May] The Los Angeles Times reports today that two more senior CIA officials have quit because of confrontations with CIA director Porter Goss’s new chief of staff, Patrick Murray, “who many accuse of having a brusque manner.” (See Michael Ledeen on this all, too.) Can you imagine James Bond getting upset because M had a “brusque manner”? Can you imagine him stomping out in a huff because Q cracked wise with him? What does this suggest about the CIA’s descent from the world’s premier spy agency to another entrenched bureaucracy? Posted at 11:33 AM A READER'S REQUEST [KJL] I'm hoping that pictures of the cruise will be posted for Cornerites and others to see. Posted at 11:30 AM GOOD POINT TO CONTINUE TO BEAR IN MIND [KJL] An e-mail: Jim Boulet Jr. makes an excellent point re: the influence that the Judiciary Committee staff will have, and what a bad idea it is to let Snarlin' Arlen pick them. It is something I've stressed in e-mails and phone calls to the current members of the committee, along with my objections to Specter's stand on tort reform, affirmative action and his preference for activist judges. Posted at 11:13 AM NOTHING SACRED IN THE REALITY-TV BIZ [Tim Graham] The Hollywood Reporter notes Emmy-nominated reality producers Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz are developing a new unscripted series about infidelity, featuring stories of unfaithful spouses who have turned to the Ashley Madison Agency, a popular online matchmaking service that caters to attached people seeking extramarital affairs. "The sanctity of marriage is clearly a hot-button topic in today's environment," Lipsitz said. "Exploring the current state of love and commitment against the backdrop of our changing social landscape makes for a fascinating and daring unscripted drama." The program will explore the reasons behind infidelity and will "chronicle the exploits" of members of the controversial online dating service. Ick. Posted at 10:25 AM TOO MUCH INFORMATION ON TOM [Tim Graham] The New York Times apparently gave Bill Carter too much space for his retiring-Tom-Brokaw article: "By the Friday after Election Day, Mr. Brokaw had recovered from his all-nighter. Speaking by telephone from his third home in Bedford, N.Y., where he had started the day -- as the thermometer soared to about 45 degrees -- by taking a dip in the lake adjacent to his property. (He has been known to skinny-dip in that lake with his wife, Meredith.) " Posted at 10:25 AM WJB ON ELECTION 2004 [Stanley Kurtz] Yesterday, William Bennett offered his reading of the election in an address at the Heritage Foundation. Here’s an excerpt: “...the charge that the right wing or the Christian right has taken over this country, and that this is what explains moral values, is false: In fact, what President Bush stood for, ran on, and won on is a center-right morality, what we might call common moral sense. America has not turned far right. What the president stood for is mainstream....I know the religious right, and President Bush is not the religious right. President Bush did not direct a devoted flock on evangelicals–in fact they were out in front of him and his campaign on many issues and were often very frustrated with what they regarded as the White House and the President’s indecisiveness....Evangelical support of President Bush is not even the largest part of the electoral story, because he drew very large support from Catholics, and Hispanics, and even raised his numbers among Jews....And the issues mirrored the numbers–like the numbers, they were largely center-right. President Bush did not campaign on ending abortion, he campaigned and spoke more about partial birth abortion (which John Kerry supports, but a vast majority of Americans oppose). President Bush did not suffocate stem cell research, he was the first president to fund it, and then barred further federal funding of it. President Bush did support a constitutional amendment to bar gay marriage–but so too did voters in every state where they could vote on it for their state laws. In short, the President campaigned from the middle, or the middle right. Not the far right. And he won.” Bennett’s full address will appear in the Winter edition of The Claremont Review of Books. Posted at 10:22 AM NO COMMENT [KJL] From a Piece on RU-486 on a Feminist Website: Dr. Vanessa Cullins, vice president of medical affairs for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said Holly's death is a tragedy but that medical abortion is safe.[Emphasis, obviously, mine.] (Article here.) Posted at 10:18 AM GREAT MINDS... [KJL] Jonah--(actually I think he may be cruising by now), the pope is talking about abortion and TV, too. Posted at 10:15 AM M. LEDEEN'S DAY WILL BE MADE [KJL] Cnn reporting that Richard Armitage is resigning from State. Even if his war Cabinet didn't have Condi in it. Posted at 10:13 AM RU-486 [KJL] gets a warning label. Posted at 09:53 AM OHIO [KJL] headed for a recount? Posted at 09:44 AM BEWARE WHAT YOU BLOG [KJL] A flight attendant reveals too much for Delta. Posted at 09:37 AM HARVARD LAW STUDENTS [KJL] vs. Specter-as-chairman. Posted at 09:09 AM SPECTER & STAFF [Jim Boulet Jr.] The power a Chairman Arlen Specter would have to staff the Senate Judiciary Committee deserves more concern from Senate Republicans than it has received to date. Personnel is policy. The people a Chairman Specter would hire will be well to the left of the average moderate Republican, let alone the average conservative. In 1987, I visited with a Specter staffer in support of Robert Bork's Supreme Court nomination. I told him that a Justice Bork would not be predictable, unlike, say, California's former Chief Justice, Rose Bird, who was much in the news at the time. Justice Bird famously HREF="http://www.goodbyemag.com/nov99/bird.html">overturned 61 consecutive death penalty cases. California voters removed her in 1986. Specter's man stopped me. "I think Rose Bird is an excellent justice." Posted at 08:58 AM "A BIG DAY" [KJL] That, from Senator Sessions, on Fox a few ago, talking about Specter's chairmanship. He reminded viewers that Specter does not have to become chairman. Which has been our point all along. This is the one moment when Republicans on the committee can rethink this. Do we want this obstacle leading the committee? Posted at 08:48 AM “’OH MY GOD, IS SHE GOING TO HAVE A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN IF I SAY HER FIRST CHILD WASN’T A PERSON?’” [Kathryn Jean Lopez] Peter Singer (Professor of Infanticide, Princeton University) takes his class to a neonatal ward. Posted at 08:08 AM GREAT FOLKS [Jack Fowler] I count my blessings, many of which derive from working here at NR, and the people I meet by virtue of being so fortunately situated. Thousands of good and decent folks have taken our cruises these last ten years, and one of the most interesting couples I've met are Hal and Rebecca Bynum. If Hal's name rings a bell, it should -- the acclaimed songwriter's cv includes “Lucille,” “Chains,” “Papa Was a Good Man,” “There Ain’t No Good Chain Gang,” “Nobody’s Fool,” and tons more. He's the real deal, and you can read all about him at http://www.halbynum.com/. It was an pleasure just to meet Hal and Rebecca, and an honor when they gave me a copy of his new CD, "An American Prayer." I heartily recommend it to all. This is a collection of beautiful poetry -- the common man, in the vernacular, simple and sweet and deep, dead-on imagery -- about faith, country, love, and redemption, rendered in a mesmerizing baritone drawl, perfectly set to music. It would be an understatement to call "An American Prayer" moving. Get it. The great places you go and the great people you meet on an NR cruise. Posted at 07:58 AM PARTYING WITH CLINTON [Tim Graham] Thursday's opening of the Clinton presidential lie-brary is bound to be riddled with bad puns and double entendres. We can declare the race open today with the following news from the Washington Post's gossip: "But what to do on Wednesday night before the big ribbon-cutting? That was a quandary until Washington lobbyists Craig Smith and Matt Gorman drummed up their 'Late Night in Little Rock -- A Clinton-Gore Celebration,' to be held at the Little Rock restaurant Sticky Fingerz." Posted at 07:06 AM RE: RAIL CRUISE [KJL] A request for Jonah (who else is qualified?), from the e-mail box: "I'm there, as long as there is at least one day of seminars devoted to Laser Volcano Lancing." Posted at 07:01 AM THE SPECTER SPECTRE [KJL] Senator Arlen cut out of last night’s NYC right-winger confab over by Grand Central, but Rick Santorum was scheduled to speak and did make it. The whole thing was off the record—though nothing shocking was said—so I won’t go into details other than to say, once again, this is a guy we don’t want to lose, if you are pro-marriage and pro-life. There were some protesters outside, urging Santorum to take on Specter. I understand the sentiment, but, that’s not his place—he’s not on the committee. As I noted yesterday, McCain supporting Specter in this fight is no biggie. Sessions, however, not publicly supporting Specter, is a bigger deal, since Sessions is actually on the Judiciary Committee, unlike McCain…or Santorum. Again, I know there is soreness about Santorum’s support for Specter in the primary, but I’d argue he was doing his team-player thing, which is part of his value. Yeah, I’d love a Sen. Toomey about now. But, life goes on. (I’m not flacking for Santorum, just trying to be realistic.) And, meanwhile, there are still a few hours before a call is made in this Judiciary chairmanship fight, so maybe make a few calls. I might add, people who have been with us on the Specter thing have made big headway--that Frist moment on Sunday was a big public milestone, and reflected things I had been hearing for days off the record. Even if Specter becomes chairman, I think conservatives are better off having fought this fight. Posted at 06:58 AM RE: CUA [KJL] Since a bunch of CUA-ers seem to read The Corner, I tell ya, I did have some cool profs while there. I focused on politics and philosophy and wound up with a bunch of guys who are still there, I’m happy to say. I took a whole slew of classes with David Walsh, a delightfully brilliant Irishman. And I had a few with the eccentric Dennis Coyle, con-law man. Also took Claes Ryn, Philip Henderson, John A. Kromkowski & James O’Leary--and of course, the aforementioned Schneck--all who were terrific. Henderson amazingly made “Executive-Branch Policymaking” exciting at something like 8 p.m. Didn’t think that was possible outside of actually executive-branch policymaking, in the executive branch. My philosophy classes I would pay money to take again, right now, if I weren’t still paying for the first round! The head of the department, Fr. Kurtz Pritzl, a dear man, has a love for teaching and for philosophy that might be unparallel, in a field where love for learning is pretty competitive. My love for Kevin White’s class, went beyond my interest in Aquinas, and had something to do with the messenger in that case, friends would tease. So be it. I had good taste in college, sue me. (I’m counting on White not being a Corner reader, or color this post red.) Fr. Brian Shanley was the only person I ever wanted to hear about the moderns from. Mercifully, he was there--no closet Nietzsche fans in that department! I also was lucky enough to have Russell Hittinger’s last class at CUA, I’ll always be grateful he fit me in. (I am doing nobody justice here, but about two people will enjoy this post anyway.) There are a bunch of other great professors (including John McCarthy, Msgr. Sokolowski, and Jude Dougherty at CUA.philosophy; on that second run through, when I finish paying for the first, I will hit their classes), who I knew more through friends talking about their classes than from firsthand experience, and a few, like David Gallagher who have since left. (And, to hint that I am getting old, one of my fellow undergrads is now a professor there—Angela McKay.) I’m done for now. Enough memory lane. I suppose if I had gone to homecoming this weekend, I would have spared you the scrapbook walk-through here. I'm going back to work now... Posted at 06:34 AM CHIRAC UNLOADS [John J. Miller] A week ago, French foreign minister Barnier wrote a "Letter to America" in the Wall Street Journal. "I'm concerned to see both Americans and Europeans expressing doubts over the future of transatlantic relations," he worried. "I believe we must give a new impetus to our political relations." Apparently his boss, the president of Our Oldest Enemy, hasn't kept track of Barnier's correspondence. Speaking to British journalists, he shared a few thoughts on America: "Britain gave its support but I did not see anything in return. I’m not sure it is in the nature of our American friends at the moment to return favours systematically." "It is like that nice guy in America — what’s his name again? — who spoke about ‘old Europe’. It has no sense. It’s a lack of culture to imagine that." "I am not sure, with America as it is these days, that it would be easy for someone, even the British, to be an honest broker." Posted at 06:31 AM BASIC INSTINCT [KJL] And, dear readers, despite the cruise, I’m sticking to a tried and true policy today, yesterday notwithstanding, no posting till you (meaning your humble K-Lo) actually know what you’re (me) talking about. Where’s Ombudsman Derbyshire when you need him? Oh, yeah, on the Caribbean. Posted at 06:07 AM CASUALTIES OF BLOGS [KJL ] Yesterday, you may recall, I witched about a silly controversy at Catholic U in D.C. In the process, I completely misread a campus-paper editorial and news story, and confused two separate campus speaker policies. In the midst of doing that, I also unfairly (and unintentionally) maligned an old professor of mine, Prof. Stephen Schneck. Schneck is pro-life, first off, and was not only cool with Fr. O’Connell’s prayer at the Bush-Cheney rally on election night, but is also opposed to pro-abortion speakers on campus. (Whoo-hoo! Go, Schneck!) The Tower piece made that completely clear, but in my rush I confused John Kenneth White’s opposition to Fr. O’Connell prayer with Stephen Schneck’s support of it. (Yes, a little embarrassing here.) Dr. Schneck sent me a very kind e-mail last night setting the record straight. I only hope he doesn’t hold himself accountable for my inability to read. In truth, I took more Walsh and Coyle in the politics department, so they bear more of the responsibility, I suppose. And put me in the hall of commentariat dishonor this morning. Posted at 06:02 AM JEFF SESSIONS UNDECIDED RE: SPECTER? [KJL] This sounds like it's not a done deal. But might be by the end of today. You might want to give Senator Jeff Sessions some friendly (and I mean that, he's a gem). Posted at 05:40 AM C’EST UNE BLAGUE, QUOI? [Cliff May] Jacques Chirac told Tony Blair that he had won nothing from Bus for supporting the war against Saddam Hussein’s regime. The possibility that Blair supported the liberation of the Iraqi people from a Fascist regime as a matter of principle and deeply felt conviction would never even occur to Chirac. I know democracies never go to war with one another. But mightn’t we make an exception once in a while? (The devil made me say that! Bite my tongue! Hush my mouth!) The story on Chirac dissing Blair is here. Posted at 12:45 AM EVENING CRUISE REPORT [Jack Fowler] All's swell. Including the deep blue sea. Swelling, that is. I'll admit seeing a few deep green faces, but that's nothing a little dramamine can't cure! We had another great seminar session this afternoon, with our expertati, led by Jay Nordlinger (unrivalled in many things, including moderating a swarm of experts), regaling us on 2008 and more. The wonkery is over for the day. Tonight, there's a perfect dinner awaiting all, and then a late-night pool-side smoker featuring H. Upmann's tasty cigars. Among the many interesting folks in our cabal of 400 is Stacey Tipton, whose company -- www.musicalspanish.com -- produces nifty programs that teach youngun's espanol via music. Neato torpedo, and more proof of America's great entreprenurial spirit! Viva Tipton! Well, there's a pina colada with my name on it up in the Ocean Bar. Gotta go. But not before I tell you that at www.danielcasey.com there's a drinking game where one must knock back a shot every time The Corner mentions Queen Zixi of Ix (the great L. Frank Baum tale you get free when you buy NR's wonderful kids books -- more about that here) and I'll be darned if I don't turn Casey into a drunk by Christmas! Queen Zixi of Ix! Queen Zixi of Ix! Did I happen to mention Queen Zixi of Ix?! Posted at 12:45 AM |
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