1) George Will has a typically brilliant column on the screwiness of the federal budget. One budgetary issue he speaks of is mohair — mohair subsidies.
I cannot hear the word “mohair” without thinking of Sam Donaldson, the legendary newsman (and Will’s old colleague on the David Brinkley show). He was one of those “millionaire absentee farmers” who received subsidies — in his case, a mohair subsidy. (Actually, I think Donaldson was a rancher, but never mind.)
Oh, how we conservatives howled about this! And tried to embarrass him over it. He seemed unembarrassable.
By the way, Donaldson drove us righties crazy for a long time. He treated Reagan badly, he was the epitome of unfairness — of loudmouthed unfairness. From the perspective of the Age of Obama, however, he seems to me a patriotic Democrat, and I miss him and his bantam, combative, twinkle-eyed charm.
1.5) Donaldson always said that he voted for Goldwater in ’64 — and that he would never divulge any other of his votes. Which let you know that he never voted Republican again.
1.75) As everyone knows, Donald Trump is the only real conservative in America. George Will is fiercely and scaldingly opposed to Trump. Which must make Will a false conservative (which is hilarious).
(Will was conservative before conservative was cool — if it is.)
2) Once more, Janet Daley has explained something deeply important. This column concerns Jeremy Corbyn and his movement in Britain. They do not really want governmental power (in this view). They want power in the streets, with which they might cripple the country, then fundamentally transform it. (I don’t know where I’ve heard the phrase “fundamentally transform” before.)
3) My friend Scott Johnson, of the invaluable Power Line blog (and father of the invaluable Eliana), alerts me to this item: Al Sharpton said, “I am calling on ministers in black churches nationwide to go to their pulpits Sunday and have their parishioners call their senators and congressmen to vote yes on the Iran nuclear plan.”
Americans have different views on the Iran deal. That includes black Americans, of course. And ministers have different views too, I’m sure. What’s Sharpton up to?
“We have a disproportionate interest,” he said, “being that if there is a war, our community is always disproportionately part of the armed services, and that a lot of the debate is by people who will not have family members who will be at risk.”
Leaving to one side the question of black servicemen and “disproportion”: The idea that this Iran deal is a war-preventer is dubious at best. Appeasement can be a war-hastener or -ensurer, among other things. (Not always, of course.) More generally, weakness invites aggression.
That is a cliché, like Peace through Strength (which is more of a slogan, I guess). And true.
4) Below, Rich notes that Ted Cruz got a bump out of the first presidential debate — this despite the fact that he had the fewest chances to speak and said the fewest words. (Consult these charts.)
I have a bias — disclosed here — but I think he’ll poll even better when Republicans hear more of him. Hillary is a different story: The less said, the better (for her). Although even her silence has not prevented sliding lately . . .