I didn’t do one of these for a few days, so some of this takes the “In Case You Missed It” approach:
1. Kit Carson, Rush Limbaugh’s longtime “chief of staff,” has died, after a battle with brain cancer. My experience of him was ever-gracious — he was kind and encouraging, helpful and funny, to a young kid working behind the scenes at National Review (and then on website before people were all that familiar with the creature). R.I.P. I know I join many in prayer — and for his family and friends and all who mourn his passing.
In a beautiful tribute to him, Rush said, in part, today on his show:
He did not allow me to be pessimistic or negative. He didn’t allow me to get down in the dumps about anything. And if he sensed that I was, he would do anything that he could that enabled me to get the best out of myself, even if it was just a social soiree that we were at or some business trip. I was thinking about it last night. I can’t remember a time when he complained about things. You know how often people complain? … People complain all the time. People manipulate, try to manipulate you all the time. That’s nothing unique to me.
He never did. Never. Never did. Never undermined anybody. Never wanted me to think ill of anybody that had anything to do with this program. A special passion of his was the leukemia radiothon that we did every year. He devoted as much time to putting that together and working with the leukemiathon people throughout the year and things like that. He built and maintained relationships that the program had with any number of people, sponsors, you name it, and maintained them. He spoke for me when I was unable to. And I have to say this, too. He is the one guy — this is not meant to besmirch anybody else, but I never once doubted his instincts.
I had total trust. I never once thought, for example, when he’s advocating that I do something, I never once thought that there was something in it for him, for me to do it, that it would help him with somebody that was asking me to do it or a friend of his, I never, ever got the impression. The only thing he cared about was doing what he could to make sure I looked good and be the best I could be.
2. Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur: Ruling on the word ‘Allah’ threatens religious freedom.
3. Ross Douthat:
Whatever judgment King Abdullah finds himself facing now, he is at least free of his kingdom, his region and its nightmarish dilemmas.
But not America. A king is dead, but our Saudi nightmare is a long way from being finished.
4. France’s prison population is estimated to be 70 percent Muslim
5. Dr. Grazie Pozo Christie: Abortion is about a child, not a choice
6. Ashley McGuire: The pro-life movement is young, strong, and just elected to office in overwhelming numbers.
8. Flashback on marching for life, from the late Fr. Richard John Neuhaus, former religion editor of National Review.
10. Nursing homes become debtors’ prisons?
11. On raising a daughter with Down Syndrome:
A new Ten Catholic Things here. And ICYMI: Scenes from the March for Life 2015.