May 12, 2008 • Vol. 13, No. 33 Download Now! (pdf)

 

COVER
A Hero's Life
by Ken Ringle

EDITORIAL
Right about Obama
by Matthew Continetti

SCRAPBOOK
Acknowledgments, imagined influence, etc.

ARTICLES
Disenfranchised Over There
by Hans A. von Spakovsky & Roman Buhler

Attack of the Pharmascolds
by David A. Shaywitz & Thomas P. Stossel

South Africa Plays Ball with Dictators
by Marian L. Tupy & James Kirchick

The Silent Scream of the Asparagus
by Wesley J. Smith

FEATURES
An Exceedingly Strange New Respect
by Noemie Emery

Just Like Us! Really?
by Robert Satloff

Advice for the Nuclear Abolitionists
by Henry Sokolski & Gary Schmitt

BOOKS & ARTS
Radical Revision
by Ronald Radosh

Out of This World
by Joseph Bottum

Balancing Act
by David Guaspari

Reverent Billy
by Loredana Vuoto

'Matrix' on Wheels
by John Podhoretz

CASUAL
Prom Night
by Matt Labash

CORRESPONDENCE
Tribes, McCainomics, and more

PARODY
Rev. Wright on the ancient Italians


Main

Friday, May 09, 2008

Required Reading 05/09/08

From TWS Online: The War for Lebanon, by David Kenner.

From the Denver Post: Obama's Radicalism on Judges, by David Harsanyi.

From Real Clear Politics: Obama Needs a History Lesson, by Jack Kelly.

From Stars & Stripes: Military Says Porn Ban May Hurt Morale, by Seth Robson.

From the Wall Street Journal: Obama vs. McCain: Let's Get It On, by Daniel Henninger.


Vote Cobra!

Thursday, May 08, 2008

Required Reading 05/08/08

From TNR: It's All Over Now, Baby Blue, by John Judis.

From TWS Online: Abetting Burma, by Joseph Loconte.

From Townhall: Europe's New Pro-American Direction, by John Bolton.

From Radio Free Asia: Tibetan Sichuan Undercover, by Wei Si.

From the Hill: Michelle Obama's Tale of Woe, by Byron York.


Ambinder: "The usual caveat: just because the argument isn't dismissable doesn't mean that it's valid....I feel compelled to include this caveat because so many readers seem to be confused whenever they're presented with an argument against Obama that isn't automatically and immediately rebutted or dismissed out of hand."

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Required Reading 05/07/08

From TWS Online: Obama-Rendell? by Fred Barnes.

From Townhall: The Obama Rally, From Two Angles, by Mary Katherine Ham.

From the New York Times: The Nominee Emerges, Hobbled, by David Brooks.

From the Current: Why Hillary Can't Win, by Ross Douthat.

From the Politico: Liberals' New Cause: Religious Extremism, by Jamie Kirchick.


Via Hot Air: Chaos.

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Required Reading 05/06/08

From the Washington Times: Military Check-Up Time, by Michael O'Hanlon.

From Salon: Obama is Wrong About the Gas Tax, by George Frost.

From the New York Times: Combat and Composure, by David Brooks.

From Slate: Are We Getting Two for One? by Christopher Hitchens.

From TNR: McCainiac, by Eric Rauchway.


Time to reread JVL's "The Case for the Empire."

Monday, May 05, 2008

Required Reading 05/05/08

From the New York Times: McCain-Jindal? by the boss.

From the Daily News: In Iraq, A Storm Before the Calm, by Michael Yon.

From Hot Air: State of the Race, by Allahpundit.

From the Wall Street Journal: The Truth About Iraq's Casualty Count, by Max Boot.

From the Washington Post: Strike From Afar, by the editors.

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A Gallup Record: Dems in a statistical tie for 12 straight days.

Thursday, May 01, 2008

Required Reading 05/01/08

From the New York Post: Flattop Follies, by Peter Brookes.

From the Atlantic: A Colombian Vision for Iraq, by Robert Kaplan.

From TNR: Can Hillary Win, by Noam Scheiber.

From Slate: Let Murdoch Be Murdoch, by Jack Shafer.

From National Review: Wright and Political Wrongs, by Peter Wehner.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Required Reading 04/30/08

From TWS Online: Obama a Wimp? by Dean Barnett.

From the Wall Street Journal: Getting to Know John McCain, by Karl Rove.

From the Wall Street Journal: Hook-Up or Shut Up, by Harvey Mansfield.

From National Review: Obama Still in Danger, by Byron York.

From the Daily News: Ayers Tried to Kill My Family, by John M. Murtagh.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Required Reading 04/29/08

From TWS Online: The Wrong Stuff, by Dean Barnett.

From Contentions: The Virtue of Obama's Trials, by John Podhoretz.

From Real Clear Politics: Questions without Answers, by Jay Cost.

From City Journal: Sexism Isn't Holding Hillary Back, by Kay Hymowitz.

From the New York Times: The Pastor Casts a Shadow, by Bob Herbert.

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Via the Hotline: Too chicken to debate?

Monday, April 28, 2008

Required Reading 04/28/08

From the New York Times: Hillary Gets No Respect, by the boss.

From THE WEEKLY STANDARD: Go For the Bitter Bloc, by Reihan Salam.

From the New Yorker: Bill vs. Barack, by Ryan Lizza.

From Newsweek: Dear Senator Obama..., by Karl Rove.

From City Journal: An Anatomy of Surrender, by Bruce Bawer.


Scalia on 60 Minutes.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Required Reading 04/24/08

From TWS Online: Paying for the War, by Frederick W. Kagan.

From the Wall Street Journal: Is Obama Ready for Prime Time, by Karl Rove.

From the New Republic: The Next McGovern? by John Judis.

From the Atlantic: Whose Party? by Reihan Salam.

From the Wall Street Journal: What's at Stake in Colombia, by James Baker.


Via Danger Room, Afghan forces smoke and spray.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Required Reading 04/23/08

From the WORLDWIDE STANDARD: Kristol: Petraeus to CENTCOM

From TWS Online: Hillary Builds Her Case, by Fred Barnes

From the Wall Street Journal: Obama's Media Army, by Dorothy Rabinowitz

From RealClearPolitics: Unconventional Thoughts on the Democratic Primary, by Jay Cost


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Obama's friend Bill Ayers
Read all about their relationship at Power Line.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Required Reading 04/22/08

From TWS Online: Sadr's in a JAM, by Tom Donnelly.

From the Wall Street Journal: Enlarging the Atlantic Alliance, by the Big Boss.

From the New York Post: Green and Smart, by Glenn Reynolds.

From Politico: A Measure of Racism: 15%? by Roger Simon.

From National Review: Change That Sees No Evil, by Andrew C. McCarthy.


Awesome.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Required Reading 04/21/08

From the New York Times: Exodus Exegesis, by the boss.

From THE WEEKLY STANDARD: 24 Hours on the 'Big Stick', by P.J. O'Rourke.

From the Wall Street Journal: The Keystone Primary Stakes, by Michael Barone.

From the New Republic: The End of History, by Robert Kagan.

From the Washington Post: Afghan Commandos Emerge, by Ann Scott Tyson.


Obama "communicates" with Hillary.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Required Reading 04/17/08

From TWS Online: Nothing to Lose, by Fred Barnes.

From the New York Times: No Whining About the Media, by David Brooks.

From the New York Daily News: Obama's Honeymoon is Over, by Michael Goodwin.

From the Washington Post: Mr. Zahar and Mr. Carter, by the editors.

From Middle East Journal: Now They Have Turned to the Tribes, by Michael Totten.


In case you missed it.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Required Reading 04/16/08

From the Wall Street Journal: Enlarging the Anglosphere, by Gordon Brown.

From TWS Online: The Good, the Bad, and the Greenwald, by Dean Barnett.

From TWS Online: Legitimizing Hamas, by Michael Levitt.

From USA Today: Obama's Claim of Independence Questioned, by Ken Dilanian.

From Politico: Who has Obama's ear? by James Kirchick.


Via Reihan, documentary footage from inside Gitmo. They seem happy to me.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Required Reading 04/15/08

From TWS Online: What's the Matter With Liberals, by Dean Barnett.

From Pajamas Media: Deep Inside Bittergate, by Bill Bradley.

From the Wall Street Journal: Obama's Flaws Multiply, by John Fund.

From the Washington Post: Obama on a High Horse, by George Will.

From the New Nixon: Sixty Years of Snobbery, by Jack Pitney.

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Via Gateway Pundit: Jimmy Carter honors his fellow Nobel laureate Yasser Arafat.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Required Reading 04/14/08

From the New York Times: The Mask Slips, by the boss.

From the New York Post: Memory Fails, by Stephen Hayes.

From TWS Online: The Politics of Condescension, by Noemie Emery.

From City Journal: Hope for Iraq's Meanest City, by Michael Totten.

From Slate: What's the Matter With Obama? by Mickey Kaus.


Hot Air commenter: "She keeps this stuff up, and I may not be able to hate her so much."

Friday, April 11, 2008

Required Reading 04/11/08

From TWS Online: Wasting a Golden Chance, by Michael Auslin.

From the Jerusalem Post: Ahmadinejad's Smile, by Caroline Glick.

From the Washington Post: The Holocaust Declaration, by Charles Krauthammer.

From the New York Post: Press 1, Troops 0, by Ralph Peters.

From the Times: Flame of Democracy Fading, by Gerard Baker.


Via Ace.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Required Reading 04/10/08

From TWS Online: Interview With the President, by the boss.

From TWS Online: The New Deterrence, by Elbridge Colby.

From the New York Times: Trying to Influence McCain on Foreign Policy, by Elisabeth Bumiller.

From the New York Post: Iran's Busted Iraq Bid, by Amir Taheri.

From the Washington Post: Obama's Iraq Weakness, by Michael Gerson.


Via Trimble, an awesomely weird video about the Boeing/EADS rivalry.

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Required Reading 04/09/08

From TWS Online: The 'Real' al Qaeda, by Frederick W. Kagan.

From the Wall Street Journal: Obama's Minister Problem, by Lanny Davis.

From Slate: Obama Is No King, by Christopher Hitchens.

From the Times: Unreality on Iraq, by Gerard Baker.

From Commentary: The Klein and the Fury, by Peter Wehner.

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From War Is Boring: "Russian chopper. American warship. And nobody shooting. "

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Required Reading 04/08/08

From World Affairs: Neocon Nation, by Robert Kagan.

From the Los Angeles Times: Resist the Urge to Leave Iraq, by Max Boot.

From the New York Times: Possible Nazi Theme of Grand Prix Boss’s Orgy Draws Calls to Quit, by John Burns.

From the Times: Mahdi Army Willing to Lay Down Arms? by James Hider.

From Middle East Journal: Building Nations, by Michael J. Totten.

Monday, April 07, 2008

Required Reading 04/07/08

From the New York Times: The Shape of the Race to Come, by the boss.

From the Wall Street Journal: Pastor Disaster Not Over Yet, by Nick Timiraos.

From the Washington Post: Obama's Gun Control Confusion, by Robert Novak.

From the Wall Street Journal: Iraq and Its Costs, by Sens. Graham and Lieberman.

From Self-Promotion: The Polar Bears Are All Right, by me.

MKHBowl.jpg
Mary Katherine Ham tries to bowl a 37. Click here to watch her noble effort.

Friday, April 04, 2008

Required Reading 04/04/08

From TWS Online: The Press Botches Basra, by Daveed Garteinstein-Ross & Bill Roggio.

From NRO: Missing Michael Kelly, by Peter Wehner.

From the Wall Street Journal: Obama and King, by Juan Williams.

From the Washington Post: The Fabulist vs. the Saint, by Charles Krauthammer.

From City Journal: The Passivist, by James Kirchick.


For the next TWS vs. TNR paintball match.

Thursday, April 03, 2008

Required Reading 04/03/08

From the Wall Street Journal: The Second Iran-Iraq War, by Kimberly Kagan.

From the New York Sun: General Petraeus's Return, by the editors.

From TWS Online: Obama-Kerry '08!, by Dean Barnett.

From Commentary's Contentions blog: Silly Season for McCain, by John Podhoretz.

From the Long War Journal: Iraqi Military Continues Operations in Basrah, by Bill Roggio.

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An Absolut World? Via Gateway Pundit.

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Required Reading 04/02/2008

From TWS Online: The Basra Business, by Fred Kagan and Kimberly Kagan.

From the Politico: McCain's 100 Years Comment Could Haunt Him, by Jamie Kirchick.

From the Columbia Journalism Review: Distorting McCain's 100 Years, by Zachary Roth.

From the Wall Street Journal: Obama and the 'L' Word, by Peter Wehner.

From Real Clear Politics: Whittling Away at Sadr, by Austin Bay.


Via ACW: How to sell nuclear power.

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Required Reading 04/01/2008

From TWS Online: Politics of Hope, by Dean Barnett.

From the Wall Street Journal: Does Obama Understand Defeat? by Bret Stephens.

From Michael Yon Online: Color of War, by Michael Yon.

From GayWired: Obama's Other Pastor Disaster, by Duane Wells.

From Middle East Journal: The Liberation of Karmah, by Michael Totten.

Update: Video deleted, causing problems with website.

Monday, March 31, 2008

Required Reading 03/31/2008

From the New York Times: Biography Isn't Enough, by the boss.

From TWS Online: McCain's Democratic Realism, by Joseph Loconte.

From U.S. News: Hillary Can Win the Popular Vote, by Michael Barone.

From Newsweek: How to Win a Knife Fight, by Karl Rove.

From the New York Post: Patriot Games, by Kirsten Powers.

Update: Another RedLasso video deleted. Apologies.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Required Reading 03/28/2008

From Reason: In Defense of Geert Wilders, by Michael Moynihan.

From the New York Times: Tested Over Times, by David Brooks.

From the Washington Post: A Rank Falsehood, by Charles Krauthammer.

From TWS Online: Evangelicals Like It Hot, by Mark Tooley.

From the New York Sun: The Age of Abundance, by Edward Glaeser.


Fitna, by Geert Wilders.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Required Reading 03/27/2008

From TWS Online: Meet the Obama Doctrine, by Dean Barnett.

From the Current: The Stakes in Iraq, by Ross Douthat.

From U.S. News: Polls Show Obama Damaged by Wright, by Michael Barone.

From the New York Times: Equal Alliance, Unequal Roles, by Robert Kaplan.

From Forward Movement: Blackwater Fever, by Jules Crittenden.


From Hot Air: Winter Soldier, Part Deux.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Required Reading 03/26/2008

From TWS Online: The Anti-Churchill, by Nile Gardner.

From the Washington Post: Olympic Fallacies, by Anne Applebaum.

From Commentary: Anatomy of the Surge, by Peter Feaver.

From the Prospect: Myth of a New Cold War, by Stephen Kotkin.

From Contentions: Obama’s Hollow Doctrine, by Noah Pollak.

20080326democrats1.gif
The good news from Gallup.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Required Reading 03/25/2008

From TWS Online: The Blathering Storm, by Dean Barnett.

From the New York Times: The Long Defeat, by David Brooks.

From the Wall Street Journal: How al Qaeda Will Perish, by Bret Stephens.

From the Los Angeles Times: A Race Conversation? by Jonah Goldberg.

From the National Post: Perhaps the Climate Models Are Wrong, by Yoni Goldstein.


Clinton under fire.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Required Reading 03/24/2008

From the New York Times: Let's Not and Say We Did, by the boss.

From the Washington Post: Democrats' Obama Dilemma, by Robert Novak.

From the Wall Street Journal: The Democrats Super Disaster, by John Yoo.

From the Wall Street Journal: After Putin, by Joe Biden.

From the Spectator: McPeak on Display, by Robert Goldberg.

Friday, March 21, 2008

Required Reading 03/21/2008

From the Washington Post: The Speech: A Brilliant Fraud, by Charles Krauthammer.

From the Wall Street Journal: Democrats Are Still Weak on Security, by Karl Rove.

From the Australian: Saddam, the Terrorist's Friend, by Greg Sheridan.

From the Washington Times: Saddam Friendly to Terror Groups, by Rowan Scarborough.

From U.S. News: How the Dems Stack Up Against McCain, by Michael Barone.


Via the Danger Room, the satellite shoot down musical.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Required Reading 03/20/2008

From the Boston Globe: Patton and the 2008 Vote, by Jeff Jacoby.

From the Wall Street Journal: No Surrender, by Fouad Ajami.

From China Rises: Blogging from Tibet, by Tim Johnson.

From the Los Angeles Times: Obama Blew It, by Michael Meyers.

From Townhall: Obama's Squandered Chance at Post-Racialism, by Mary Katharine Ham.


Via Trimble, video protest of JSF in unidentified Scandi language (please email if you can identify).
See Stuart Koehl's "Swedish Fly" for more on the JSF's trouble in Scandinavia.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Required Reading 03/19/2008

From TWS Online: Obama the Ditherer, by Dean Barnett.

From the Financial Times: Americans Must Be a Good Role Model, by John McCain.

From the Washington Post: A Speech that Fell Short, by Michael Gerson.

From the Atlantic: Questions About Obama, by Marc Ambinder.

From NPR: Oceans Cooling in Global Warming Mystery, by Richard Harris.


Juan Williams tells it like it is.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Required Reading 03/18/2008

From TWS Online: The Wrong Reverend, by Joseph Loconte.

From Slate: How Did I Get Iraq Wrong?, by Christopher Hitchens.

From Haaretz: The Best of All Possible Presidents, by Amir Oren.

From the Wall Street Journal: The Obama Bargain, by Shelby Steele.

From the Wall Street Journal: Gun Rights Showdown, by Randy E. Barnett.


Via KMW.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Required Reading 03/17/2008

From the New York Times: Generation Obama? Perhaps Not, by the boss.

From the Wall Street Journal: Salvaging Our North Korea Policy, by John Bolton.

From the AP: Walking the Arrogance Line, by Ron Fournier.

From the Asia Times: The Peculiar Theology of Black Liberation, by Spengler.

From the Washington Post: Cost Nearly Doubles for Marine One Fleet, by Peter Baker.

Via sevenload.com, Juan Williams on Obama/Wright.

Friday, March 14, 2008

Required Reading 03/14/2008

From the New York Sun: Report Details Saddam's Terrorist Ties, by Eli Lake

From the Wall Street Journal: The Bare Necessities: A Generation Tries to Imagine Life Without iPods, by Stephen Moore

From the Heritage Foundation: The Surge in Iraq: One Year Later, lecture by Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, via The Corner

From Pajamas Media: When Good News on Iraq Is No News, by Bob Owens

From the Long War Journal: In Pictures: Patrolling the Pakistani Border, by Phil Peterson

ABC News report about Obama's pastor, Jeremiah Wright.
No further comment needed.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Required Reading 03/13/2008

From THE WEEKLY STANDARD Online: The Fall of Admiral George B. McFallon, by Mackubin Thomas Owens

From the Washington Times: Pelosi's FISA Sabotage, by the editors

From the New York Sun: McCain in Jerusalem, by the editors

From Jules Crittenden's Blog: Yeah, But, by Jules Crittenden


Dean already posted, but in case you missed it...

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Required Reading 03/12/2008

From the Wall Street Journal: The Pentagon vs. Petraeus, by the editors

From the Los Angeles Times: Fallon Didn't Get It, by Max Boot

From the Village Voice: Why I Am No Longer a 'Brain-Dead Liberal', by David Mamet

From the Washington Times: China Left Off List of Violators, by Nicholas Kralev

From Popular Mechanics: Stryker Crews in Iraq Rally to Defend Their Rides, by Joe Pappalardo, via Instapundit

From the Long War Journal: Walling Mosul, by Bill Roggio

From 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue...to Nashville?
via Townhall.com

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Required Reading 03/11/2008

From the Wall Street Journal: Spitzer's Rise and Fall

From the New York Post: Gov. Longshot?, by Fred Siegel

From USA Today: Reality and the Iraq War, by Michael O'Hanlon

From the Long War Journal: Targeting Mosul's Kidnappers, by Bill Roggio

From Commentary's Contentions: Lost in the Scandal, by Jennifer Rubin


Blackfive TV: Nowhere to Hide

Monday, March 10, 2008

Required Reading 03/10/2008

From the New York Times: McCain's Daunting Task, by the boss

From the American: Why Can't a Woman Be More Like a Man?, by Christina Hoff Sommers

From the Middle East Journal: In the Villages of Al Anbar, by Michael J. Totten

From Michael Yon's Online Magazine: Guitar Heroes, by Michael Yon

From the Associated Press: Woman Earns Silver Star in Afghan War, by Fisnik Abrashi, via Blackfive