Month: July 2005
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David Frum endorses the tyranny of the majority in education
As Kevin Drum notes, National Review writer David Frum recently made the disturbing argument that “Christian principle” should determine what is taught in public schools: [Frum on h]ow evolution should be taught in public schools: “I don’t believe that anything that offends nine-tenths of the American public should be taught in public schools. … Christianity
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NRSC cheap shots at MoveOn donors
In the latest National Republican Senatorial Committee press release attacking Bob Casey, the Democratic candidate for Rick Santorum’s Senate seat, the NRSC bashes him for taking MoveOn cash. At the end of the release, there’s a headline stating that “MoveOn’s membership is less than mainstream.” The NRSC then lists a number of donors to MoveOn,
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Why Daily Kos represents the ugly triumph of market forces
In All the President’s Spin, we argued that liberals are rapidly following conservatives into the rhetorical sewer. Here’s more evidence that we were right — Markos Moulitsas Zuniga, the editor of Daily Kos, making a series of feeble-minded comparisons between American conservatives and the Taliban: Funny how the wingers try to claim American liberals are
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David Remnick picks up the anti-dynasty meme
In a New Yorker piece about a book that will remain nameless, David Remnick makes a welcome point: If Senator Clinton does make a run for the White House, there will be every reason to size up her character, along with her grasp of policy, her record on health care, her work in the Senate.
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What is The New Republic talking about? (Hillary Clinton flag-burning edition)
In its Notebook section, The New Republic suggests that Hillary Clinton took a stand against the loathsome flag-burning amendment on principle (subscription required): Hillary Clinton has had a curious week. There was the release of a “biography” that ambitiously sets out to unmask the senator as a heartless, Machiavellian, asexual, Vince Foster-shagging lesbian… And then,
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Eleanor Smeal dissembles on the upcoming Supreme Court battle
In an action alert email Friday, Feminist Majority president Eleanor Smeal is the latest anti-Bush figure to spread the myth that the upcoming Supreme Court nominee is going to overturn Roe v. Wade: This is it! The worst has happened with the resignation of Sandra Day O’Connor. Let there be no mistake about it: Sandra
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Bertrand Russell proves he is God
From a math textbook I was reading recently — the legendary philosopher in action: [A] proof containing a single error in reasoning cannot be considered “nearly correct”; we can derive any conclusion from a single false statement. Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) once stated this in a public lecture and was challenged to start with the assumption
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Ralph Neas defines “constitutional crisis” down
In a New York Times report on preparations for the upcoming Supreme Court battle, Ralph Neas, the president of People for the American Way , is quoted making this irresponsible statement: [Neas] declared that his group was not “looking for a fight” with Mr. Bush. But, referring to Justices Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia, he
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Mischaracterizing Howard Dean
Today’s New York Times corrects a June 10 story by Anne E. Kornblut as follows: An article on June 10 about criticism of Howard Dean, the Democratic Party chairman, over several derogatory remarks he made about Republicans paraphrased incorrectly from his comment during an appearance in San Francisco. He said that the Republican Party was
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What is Paul Harvey talking about?
I’m not a big fan of the lefty media critics at Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, but they are right to condemn this nutty and offensive monologue from aging talk radio personality Paul Harvey: “We didn’t come this far because we’re made of sugar candy. Once upon a time, we elbowed our way onto and