Since I have several commenters here who insist upon trafficking in rumor and innuendo about Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin, I feel impelled to post a couple useful links: - FactCheck.org: "Sliming Palin" - Pajamas Media: "Separating Palin Fact from Palin Fiction" And yes, I know that Sarah Palin didn't always oppose the "Bridge to Nowhere" and did accept earmarked federal funds years ago as Wasilla mayor, though she ended up strongly (and has remained) on the right side of the issue. Alaskans have taken for granted that Palin is responsible for killing the "Bridge to "Nowhere" (until very recently, even the Alaska Democratic Party even acknowledged as much on their website). Besides, do Barack Obama and Joe … [Read more...]
Could It Be True: RNC Bloggers Being Subjected to the Spanish Inquisition?
Going to the Republican National Convention as a blogger never was really an option for me this year. But my friend and colleague El Presidente is on location and filing dispatches. Hadn't heard any complaints really until I flipped over to Pajamas Media and saw this report from Rick Moran:Here on what is passing for “Bloggers Row,†there is plenty of grumbling about the accommodations supplied by our hosts. Some descriptives are not printable. Most reflect a huge disappointment with the way the GOP has shunted most of the bloggers off to the side, far from the action, dispersed throughout a gigantic “Press Filing Center†where the working media comes to hook up to the net and file their stories.... ...The dungeon that the … [Read more...]
Chalk One Up for the Constitution… and Independence Institute’s Dave Kopel
Once in awhile, the U.S. Supreme Court gets it right. Today that's the case with the 5-4 landmark ruling in DC v Heller that overturns the Washington, D.C., gun ban and sets the Second Amendment on the solid terrain intended by our nation's Founders. Around the Independence Institute, where research director Dave Kopel is one of the most renowned experts in the field, this makes for a busy day, and one of celebration. Dave authored a friendly brief to the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of the Institute and numerous law enforcement organizations, providing evidence of how citizens owning firearms is important to public safety. Dave also was one of three attorneys who sat at plaintiff Heller's table during the oral arguments before the … [Read more...]
PJM’s Gettysburg Metaphor Daily Reminder of Bitter Democratic Primary
Today's reminder that the Democrats are engaged in a bitter intramural fight for the presidential nomination: Rick Moran at Pajamas Media compares the upcoming Pennsylvania primary (upcoming as in April 22 ... 40 days or so) to the Battle of Gettysburg for its potential to dictate the final outcome in the Barack Obama-Hillary Clinton showdown:A Hillary Clinton win in Pennsylvania – especially a big win – will probably start a movement of Super Delegates in her direction. It won’t be decisive given that a number of Supers will hold off endorsing anyone until the convention. But it will almost certainly allow her to catch up and perhaps even surpass Obama in total delegates. This is hugely important because it will cut into Obama’s … [Read more...]
Tribute to Buckley Reminder of “Great Task Remaining Before Us”
Over at Pajamas Media, Scott Johnson eulogizes the late William F. Buckley, Jr.. First, probably his most significant accomplishment:When Buckley founded National Review as the voice of the [conservative] movement, he performed two acts of statesmanship that were vital to the movement’s ultimate, if unlikely, success: he reserved exclusive ownership of the magazine to himself so as to prevent the kind of sectarian brawls that had killed other such magazines, and he prohibited John Birchers and other kooky anti-Semitic organizations from the magazine’s precincts. Johnson also observes what is left undone:Until [Buckley] gave up public speaking in 1998, his frequent campus speaking engagements were part missionary work, part … [Read more...]