Kelefa Sanneh, The New Yorker
A few years ago, the country singer Brad Paisley described his chosen genre by saying that it was a bit like hip-hop, “for a whole different ethnicity.” This is a claim that few of his peers would be likely to make. Not because they wouldn’t want to be compared to rappers—plenty of country singers have discovered that a dash of hip-hop swagger can be helpful. (The duo Florida Georgia Line currently has a hit with “Get Your Shine On,” which resurrects an old hip-hop commandment.) Paisley’s assessment was unusual because of...
A Troubling Pattern at Universities
On April - 10 - 2013 ADD COMMENTS
Michael Moynihan, The Daily Beast
Last week NYU Law announced that former Weather Underground member and convicted murderer Kathy Boudin would be a scholar-in-residence. She’s the latest in a series of former left-wing radicals with cozy university appointments. Michael Moynihan on how left wing criminals ended up lecturing America’s college students.Last week, Rutgers University fired its mercurial basketball coach after he was videotaped “shoving, grabbing and throwing balls at players in practice and using gay slurs,” according to ESPN. Under pressure from school administrators,...
Last week NYU Law announced that former Weather Underground member and convicted murderer Kathy Boudin would be a scholar-in-residence. She’s the latest in a series of former left-wing radicals with cozy university appointments. Michael Moynihan on how left wing criminals ended up lecturing America’s college students.Last week, Rutgers University fired its mercurial basketball coach after he was videotaped “shoving, grabbing and throwing balls at players in practice and using gay slurs,” according to ESPN. Under pressure from school administrators,...
The Lost Memory of Thatcher, Reagan & John Paul II
On April - 10 - 2013 ADD COMMENTS
Major Garrett, NJ
It is both cruel and instructive that the three pivotal and decisive foes of communism—Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, and Pope John Paul II—had, in all likelihood, no memory of their world-transforming triumph when each stepped into the great beyond.If you were a world leader who had confronted communist ambition and world-altering fear wrought by nuclear weaponry in the service of state-imposed servitude, what memory, aside from those most intimate, would you most wish to savor? If Reagan, Thatcher, or John Paul II could have asked their God to preserve but one slender...
It is both cruel and instructive that the three pivotal and decisive foes of communism—Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, and Pope John Paul II—had, in all likelihood, no memory of their world-transforming triumph when each stepped into the great beyond.If you were a world leader who had confronted communist ambition and world-altering fear wrought by nuclear weaponry in the service of state-imposed servitude, what memory, aside from those most intimate, would you most wish to savor? If Reagan, Thatcher, or John Paul II could have asked their God to preserve but one slender...
Thatcher, Freedom, and Free Markets
On April - 8 - 2013 ADD COMMENTS
Larry Kudlow, National Review
Many profound and detailed admiration pieces will be written about the late Margaret Thatcher, and they'll be much deeper than this one. But I want to get on record with my own esteem for Mrs. Thatcher, whose character, philosophy, and achievements made her one of Britain's greatest prime ministers.Way back in the early 1990s, at a National Review conference on the eastern shore of Maryland, I had the great honor to serve on an economics panel that Mrs. Thatcher moderated. (Craig Roberts was also on that panel, although I can't remember the name of the third panelist.) The...
Many profound and detailed admiration pieces will be written about the late Margaret Thatcher, and they'll be much deeper than this one. But I want to get on record with my own esteem for Mrs. Thatcher, whose character, philosophy, and achievements made her one of Britain's greatest prime ministers.Way back in the early 1990s, at a National Review conference on the eastern shore of Maryland, I had the great honor to serve on an economics panel that Mrs. Thatcher moderated. (Craig Roberts was also on that panel, although I can't remember the name of the third panelist.) The...
A Foe of Unions and Communism
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Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today
Thatcher Was a Political Phenomenon
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Anne Perkins, The Guardian
Don’t Know Much About Gun Laws
On April - 8 - 2013 ADD COMMENTS
Benenson & Connolly, New York Times
IN polls, a slight majority of Americans consistently say that we need better enforcement of our gun laws. But there’s a problem with that: many don’t really know what our gun laws are.
IN polls, a slight majority of Americans consistently say that we need better enforcement of our gun laws. But there’s a problem with that: many don’t really know what our gun laws are.
Obama & the Myth of the Bully Pulpit
On April - 8 - 2013 ADD COMMENTS
George Condon, National Journal
Resolute Conservative Reforged Britain
On April - 8 - 2013 ADD COMMENTS
Joseph Gregory, New York Times
The Question: Can Washington Govern?
On April - 7 - 2013 ADD COMMENTS
Dan Balz, Washington Post
The Secrets of Princeton
On April - 7 - 2013 ADD COMMENTS
Ross Douthat, New York Times
Susan Patton, the Princeton alumna who became famous for her letter urging Ivy League women to use their college years to find a mate, has been denounced as a traitor to feminism, to coeducation, to the university ideal. But really she's something much more interesting: a traitor to her class.Her betrayal consists of being gauche enough to acknowledge publicly a truth that everyone who's come up through Ivy League culture knows intuitively.
Susan Patton, the Princeton alumna who became famous for her letter urging Ivy League women to use their college years to find a mate, has been denounced as a traitor to feminism, to coeducation, to the university ideal. But really she's something much more interesting: a traitor to her class.Her betrayal consists of being gauche enough to acknowledge publicly a truth that everyone who's come up through Ivy League culture knows intuitively.
Vitriol Infests Warren Family Grief
On April - 7 - 2013 ADD COMMENTS
Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA Today
GOP Fights the Blues in Texas
On April - 5 - 2013 ADD COMMENTS
Neil King Jr., Wall Street Journal
Soon after Texas Republicans notched another round of lopsided wins last November, the state GOP sent notice to its local chapters: Please stop holding party meetings in country clubs.Other advice followed. Please consider hosting Republican recruiting tables at naturalization ceremonies. Word spread among state GOP lawmakers to back off on bills targeting illegal immigrants in the legislative session.
Soon after Texas Republicans notched another round of lopsided wins last November, the state GOP sent notice to its local chapters: Please stop holding party meetings in country clubs.Other advice followed. Please consider hosting Republican recruiting tables at naturalization ceremonies. Word spread among state GOP lawmakers to back off on bills targeting illegal immigrants in the legislative session.
Beware Chuck Schumer’s Latest Pose
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Andrew Stiles, National Review
Marco Rubio is front and center in the ongoing debate over immigration reform. That makes sense, given his background as the son of Cuban immigrants, his rising-star status within the Republican party, and his not-so-secret aspirations for 2016. Many have argued that the fate of the current reform effort lies in his hands.Chuck Schumer, on the other hand, the Democratic ringleader of the so-called Gang of Eight, has received far less scrutiny for his role in the talks. A career politician known for his ubiquitous media presence and acute partisanship, Schumer has some Republicans wondering if...
Marco Rubio is front and center in the ongoing debate over immigration reform. That makes sense, given his background as the son of Cuban immigrants, his rising-star status within the Republican party, and his not-so-secret aspirations for 2016. Many have argued that the fate of the current reform effort lies in his hands.Chuck Schumer, on the other hand, the Democratic ringleader of the so-called Gang of Eight, has received far less scrutiny for his role in the talks. A career politician known for his ubiquitous media presence and acute partisanship, Schumer has some Republicans wondering if...
The Debt I Owe Roger Ebert
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Roger Simon, Chicago Sun-Times
Roger Ebert had been the editor of the Daily Illini and had graduated a few years before I got to campus. But he still got the DI, as we called it, by mail every day in Chicago.Even though I didn’t really know him, Ebert began clipping out my columns from the paper and putting them on the desk of the editor at the Chicago Sun-Times, Jim Hoge. When I was a senior, I got a call from Hoge asking me to come to Chicago, where he offered me a job. I politely turned him down, saying I wanted to work for magazines.
Roger Ebert had been the editor of the Daily Illini and had graduated a few years before I got to campus. But he still got the DI, as we called it, by mail every day in Chicago.Even though I didn’t really know him, Ebert began clipping out my columns from the paper and putting them on the desk of the editor at the Chicago Sun-Times, Jim Hoge. When I was a senior, I got a call from Hoge asking me to come to Chicago, where he offered me a job. I politely turned him down, saying I wanted to work for magazines.
A California Comeback? Not Even Close
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Matt Miller, Washington Post
I hate to burst anyone’s bubble, but all the talk that Gov. Jerry Brown (D) has basically “fixed” California by balancing the budget through a tax hike on high earners seems laughably off-base, at least to this Los Angeles native. So before this meme gets out of hand, let’s unpack the confusion behind the premature Golden State cork-popping. Dust off those analogy skills that brought you such pleasure on the old SAT, and all will be revealed.
I hate to burst anyone’s bubble, but all the talk that Gov. Jerry Brown (D) has basically “fixed” California by balancing the budget through a tax hike on high earners seems laughably off-base, at least to this Los Angeles native. So before this meme gets out of hand, let’s unpack the confusion behind the premature Golden State cork-popping. Dust off those analogy skills that brought you such pleasure on the old SAT, and all will be revealed.
Guns and Babies: A Tale of Two Massacres
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David Freddoso, DC Examiner
You might not know it, but there's a mass murder trial going on in Philadelphia. There has been plenty of courtroom drama, and the death penalty remains a possibility.The media are seldom shy about such sensational affairs, but they have been with one. Perhaps it's because the accused mass murderer is an abortion doctor, who along with his medically untrained staff is accused of killing a female patient and several babies who had already been born, alive and breathing.Doctor Kermit Gosnell's preferred method of killing these latter, according to witnesses, was to sever their...
You might not know it, but there's a mass murder trial going on in Philadelphia. There has been plenty of courtroom drama, and the death penalty remains a possibility.The media are seldom shy about such sensational affairs, but they have been with one. Perhaps it's because the accused mass murderer is an abortion doctor, who along with his medically untrained staff is accused of killing a female patient and several babies who had already been born, alive and breathing.Doctor Kermit Gosnell's preferred method of killing these latter, according to witnesses, was to sever their...
Schumer’s New Brief: Turning Foes Into Friends
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Jeremy Peters, NYT
WASHINGTON — For much of the last decade, Senator Charles E. Schumer’s job was to bury Republicans, as one of his party’s most ruthless strategists and tireless fund-raisers. It was a job he did so effectively that he was asked to do it twice.
WASHINGTON — For much of the last decade, Senator Charles E. Schumer’s job was to bury Republicans, as one of his party’s most ruthless strategists and tireless fund-raisers. It was a job he did so effectively that he was asked to do it twice.
Rewrite the Second Amendment
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Zachary Elkins, New York Times
THE elementary-school shootings in Newtown, Conn., in December produced two polar public reactions: fear among some Americans that the federal government will restrict gun rights, and hope among others that it will actually do so. Colorado, New York State and, most recently, Connecticut have clamped down on guns, while states like Texas, where I live, are considering legislation that would try to block the enforcement of federal gun regulations. The uncertain approach to guns is good for no one, except perhaps for gunmakers, whose sales have skyrocketed.Lost in this confusion and anxiety is...
THE elementary-school shootings in Newtown, Conn., in December produced two polar public reactions: fear among some Americans that the federal government will restrict gun rights, and hope among others that it will actually do so. Colorado, New York State and, most recently, Connecticut have clamped down on guns, while states like Texas, where I live, are considering legislation that would try to block the enforcement of federal gun regulations. The uncertain approach to guns is good for no one, except perhaps for gunmakers, whose sales have skyrocketed.Lost in this confusion and anxiety is...
Dumb Things Too-Big-to-Fail Bankers Say
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Mark Whitehouse, Bloomberg
Many of the arguments used to justify the size of the largest U.S. financial institutions simply don’t stand up to scrutiny. It's important that folks in Washington keep this in mind as the political debate over what to do about too-big-to-fail banks heats up.A number of the bankers' talking points are encapsulated in a report, issued as part of a Wall Street public-relations campaign, that appears to be getting some attention inside the Beltway. Politico's Morning Money mentioned it in February, and this week Bloomberg View columnist Ezra Klein cited it an article on...
Many of the arguments used to justify the size of the largest U.S. financial institutions simply don’t stand up to scrutiny. It's important that folks in Washington keep this in mind as the political debate over what to do about too-big-to-fail banks heats up.A number of the bankers' talking points are encapsulated in a report, issued as part of a Wall Street public-relations campaign, that appears to be getting some attention inside the Beltway. Politico's Morning Money mentioned it in February, and this week Bloomberg View columnist Ezra Klein cited it an article on...
Jobs Report Casts Shadow on U.S. Economy
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Christopher Matthews, Time
Roughly one year ago, many of us were encouraged by a string of positive jobs reports which showed the economy was adding on average 275,000 jobs for month. And then came the spring swoon, ushering in a long stretch in which the economy struggled to add even enough jobs to keep up with population growth. While the unemployment continued to fall slowly throughout the year, much of that progress was due to workers dropping out of the labor force altogether.So while the Labor Department’s employment situation reports have been generally positive since November of last year,...
Roughly one year ago, many of us were encouraged by a string of positive jobs reports which showed the economy was adding on average 275,000 jobs for month. And then came the spring swoon, ushering in a long stretch in which the economy struggled to add even enough jobs to keep up with population growth. While the unemployment continued to fall slowly throughout the year, much of that progress was due to workers dropping out of the labor force altogether.So while the Labor Department’s employment situation reports have been generally positive since November of last year,...
Why Is North Korea Our Problem?
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Robert Robb, Arizona Republic
As tensions mount, this question is being asked too infrequently: Why is North Korea primarily a U.S. problem?At the moment, it is inescapably a U.S. problem. The leader of the country is threatening to lob nukes at us. We may doubt his seriousness or capabilities. Nevertheless, the threat cannot be ignored.But did it have to end up this way?North Korea is an extortionist regime. It sable-rattles at least in part to get other countries to give it stuff to stop.The United States, under both the Clinton and Bush II administrations, played North Korea's game. Since 1995, U.S. taxpayers have...
As tensions mount, this question is being asked too infrequently: Why is North Korea primarily a U.S. problem?At the moment, it is inescapably a U.S. problem. The leader of the country is threatening to lob nukes at us. We may doubt his seriousness or capabilities. Nevertheless, the threat cannot be ignored.But did it have to end up this way?North Korea is an extortionist regime. It sable-rattles at least in part to get other countries to give it stuff to stop.The United States, under both the Clinton and Bush II administrations, played North Korea's game. Since 1995, U.S. taxpayers have...
The Trigger and the Poison Pill
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Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post
Are Democrats serious about border enforcement? It's supposed to be the trigger that would allow illegal immigrants to start on the path to citizenship.
Are Democrats serious about border enforcement? It's supposed to be the trigger that would allow illegal immigrants to start on the path to citizenship.
Children With ADHD? Diagnosis: Human
On April - 4 - 2013 ADD COMMENTS
Ted Gup, New York Times
THE news that 11 percent of school-age children now receive a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder — some 6.4 million — gave me a chill. My son David was one of those who received that diagnosis.In his case, he was in the first grade. Indeed, there were psychiatrists who prescribed medication for him even before they met him. One psychiatrist said he would not even see him until he was medicated. For a year I refused to fill the prescription at the pharmacy. Finally, I relented. And so David went onRitalin, then...
THE news that 11 percent of school-age children now receive a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder — some 6.4 million — gave me a chill. My son David was one of those who received that diagnosis.In his case, he was in the first grade. Indeed, there were psychiatrists who prescribed medication for him even before they met him. One psychiatrist said he would not even see him until he was medicated. For a year I refused to fill the prescription at the pharmacy. Finally, I relented. And so David went onRitalin, then...
