It seems David Frum’s “axis-of-evil” has been replaced with a new enemy - the “axis-of-the-expendable,” or populist talk radio, once his greatest media ally but now his greatest embarrassment. The neocons loved when talk radio rallied the masses to support their war – but in true elite fashion, now that they’re no longer needed, neocons are washing their hands of these … [Read More]

“Real men go to Tehran!” brayed the neoconservatives, after the success of their propaganda campaign to have America march on Baghdad and into an unnecessary war that has forfeited all the fruits of our Cold War victory. Now they are back, in pursuit of what has always been their great goal: an American war on Iran. It would be a mistake … [Read More]

As Charles Stuart is reported to have said when he returned to England after decades of exile, to restore the British monarchy and reign as Charles II after the Cromwell interregnum, “Hey, y’all! It’s good to be back.” I just went through the editorial equivalent of purgatory: Thanks to a suddenly shortened publishing schedule, I had to carefully edit a 1,000 … [Read More]

For all the yammering by talk-radio nitwits and GOP chicken hawks about “supporting the troops,” it’s quite ironic that these same pundits and politicians have had little to say about the many high-ranking troops who support Obama’s decision to close Guantanamo Bay. Throughout, the Bush presidency, I made the point time and again that thanks to talk radio, being a “conservative” … [Read More]

In the frantic post-election scramble for a plausible narrative of How Things Went So Wrong, we see the outlines of the future battle for what’s left of the conservative movement, and the party it fitfully influences. The spin could be decisive, as spin often is. The spin that prevailed in Germany after World War I—“We were stabbed in the back”—bore no … [Read More]

Stephen J. Sniegoski’s The Transparent Cabal would be the book of the year in a less manipulated society than our own. I suggest as much in my introduction; and former Congressman Paul Findley, who wrote the foreword, lavishes equally high praise on this monument to diligence. Almost as interesting as the book’s content are certain facts about it: for example, that … [Read More]

Oh, Justin, Justin, Justin.  My friend, I know that you’re too intelligent to be taken in by the likes of Bill Donohue.  The same Bill Donohue who said “Yeah, I believe in freedom of speech and freedom of religion, but don’t become a salesman. Don’t hawk it like that on the street” has made his living at the Catholic League for … [Read More]

Over at Townhall.com late last night, Michael Medved slipped in some Thanksgiving Eve—well, “thoughts” would be too strong a word: “The Thanksgiving holiday provides an opportunity to refocus on the motivations of early New England settlers, who crossed the ocean not to escape the Old World, but to change it by the force of their example.” Really?  I’m not a particular … [Read More]

I interrupt my friendly criticism of Mr. LaTulippe’s article to bring you the breaking news: Pat Robertson Backs Giuliani’s Bid Robertson’s remarks on why he would be willing to endorse a man who stands for everything Robertson claims to stand against are revealing: Robertson said he was willing to overlook Giulani’s pro-abortion rights stance because he takes him at his word … [Read More]

In my younger days, I participated in a bit of political theater.  (The Ted Kennedy Swim Team, which waded through a fountain on the Senate side of the Capitol grounds on the 20th anniversary of Chappaquiddick, was perhaps the most interesting.  The fact that no one was arrested shows how far we have fallen over the past 18 years, because I … [Read More]