National Review, in the issue out today, runs an editorial paragraph that it did not mean to run. We had a debate among the editors–as we debate many things–about Gen. William Boykin, who recently made some highly provocative remarks about the war on terror. Some editors felt that he should be fired forthwith; others demurred. A draft editorial paragraph was prepared, stating the position that Boykin should be fired; at just about the last minute, we decided to withhold judgment–to see how the investigation into the general’s behavior proceeded, and to reach a conclusion then.
Because of a production error, that paragraph–the one calling for Boykin’s head–went to the printer. And thus appears in the magazine. We removed it from our html edition, but about the “hard copy edition,” we could do nothing.
We will weigh in again–finally and definitively–on General Boykin, when we, along with everyone else, know all that we should know.