AP Gives Thompson the ‘04 Treatment

The Associated Press -- once the gold standard of fast and accurate reporting -- changed during the Bush presidency. What was liberal bias has reshaped the wire service into one of the most politically activist media outlets. This is a cautionary tale for every Republican candidate. What AP tried to do to Fred Thompson is going to be repeated against any conservative candidate who exudes a whiff of conservatism in the primaries and whichever Republican gains the presidential nomination.



Jed Babbin hits the nail on the head - again - but in reading the AP article about Fred Thompson, I noticed something he seems to have missed. Take a look at this quote from the AP article by Libby Quaid:

“Thompson suffered a stinging setback Thursday, when conservative Rep. Tom Tancredo dropped out of the presidential running and endorsed another rival, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Tancredo, a Colorado congressman, is a hero to many voters who are furious at illegal immigration in this country, and a lot of them are Iowa caucus goers. The endorsement was a disappointment to Thompson, especially since his week had begun on a high note with the unexpected backing of another anti-immigration hero, Rep. Steve King.”

Did you catch it? Don't be surprised if you did - the professional seems to have missed it too. Re-read the very end of the quotation. . . . "anti-immigration hero, Rep. Steve King." Notice how the report subtly makes everyone who is against ILLEGAL immigration out to be against immigration by extension? And of course what kinds of people are against immigration? Racist people.

Democrats' 2007 Report Card

They talk and they talk and they pander and they promise . . . . but do they deliver? Not as far as I can see. We're still in Iraq without a deadline for withdraw - Guantanamo is still open - all the things the lefties promised their extremist base are left unfulfilled and I say - THANK GOD! Now - the question is: have the Republicans received a sufficient wake up call? Will they stop imitating big government democrats now that Santorum is gone? Will the Republicans stop listening to K street and start listening to we the people again? Judging by the topics of interest in the primaries - we can hope.

Whither the Conservative Coalition?

What will the right-of-center coalition in American politics look like in five or 10 years? Before considering that, let's consider what it looked like in, say, 1940 and 1980. In 1940, the conservative alternative to FDR was in the minority. It was largely anti-New Deal, somewhat anti-Catholic, pro-domestic free market, pro-protectionist, isolationist in its Midwestern center of gravity (with a more internationalist Northeastern wing). . . .

Tougher Employer Laws Forcing Illegals to Pack Up and Leave Arizona

PHOENIX — Illegal immigrants in Arizona, frustrated with a flagging economy and tough new legislation cracking down on their employers, are returning to their home countries or trying their luck in other states.

Analog cell-phone network going off air

What the Scarsdale, New York, resident didn't know was that the OnStar system in the car was already doomed to die. The federal government decided in 2002 to let cellular carriers shut down analog cell phone networks, used by Rothman's Saab and about 500,000 other OnStar-equipped cars, after February 18, 2008.

. . . .

When Rothman complained, GM sent a $500 coupon toward the purchase of a new car.

Iraqis Crowd Churches for Christmas Mass

"We did not celebrate last year, but this year we have security and we feel better," said Rasha Ghaban, one of many women at the small Church of the Holy Family in Karradah, a mainly Shiite district in downtown Baghdad where many Christians live. "We hope our future will be better, God willing."

40 Iranian Jews Immigrate to Israel in Secret Operation

Out of the estimated 100-thousand Jews who lived in Iran before the Islamic Revolution, only about 25,000 remain.

Making The Case For The Loser-Pays System

This lawsuit is the poster child for why we need a loser-pays principle in our legal system...

"An Ashland man is suing Delta Airlines because he was seated next to an obese man during a two-hour flight last November.

Philip Shafer said that Delta breached its contract to provide him with a full seat and reasonable comfort. Shafer claims he suffered embarrassment, severe discomfort, mental anguish and severe emotional distress from the flight."

So basically this guy was uncomfortable for two hours and because of that he's suing the airline.

Japan Test Fires Its First Raytheon-Built Standard Missile-3

"Today's intercept truly paves the way for Japan to deploy a sea-based ballistic missile defense system," said Ed Miyashiro, Raytheon Missile Systems vice president. "The U.S. has gained an important ally that can now defend itself against the threat of ballistic missiles."

Mugshot of a Murderer

FP: Patrick X. Coyle, welcome to Frontpage Interview.

Coyle: Thanks for the opportunity.

FP: Tell us about the “Victims of Che” poster. Who devised the idea and what occasion helped launch it? (To view the poster, click here.)

Coyle: Young America’s Foundation president Ron Robinson, came up with the idea, and we then worked with Humberto Fontova, author of Che Guevara and the Useful Idiots Who Idolize Him, to secure the photos that are used in the poster. All of the photographs used are of individuals who were murdered by Che and the Cuban regime.

We decided to launch the poster in conjunction with Freedom Week 2007. Each year Young America's Foundation helps students mark the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and Veterans Day with activities that remind students of the failures of progressive ideas and how to honor those who have died protecting our freedom. We sent copies of this poster, free of charge, to more than 120 campuses participating in Freedom Week to expose the real Che Guevara.

FP: Che is obviously an icon on American campuses. What reaction did you get when the posters started going up across the country?

The GOP and Earmarks

December 24, 2007

There's been quite a fuss over our Thursday editorial, "The End of Earmarks?", which recommended a way that President Bush could instruct federal agencies not to fund these special-interest projects sponsored by Members of Congress. No word yet about Senators leaping in protest from the Capitol Dome, but give it time.

Zimbabwe: Corruption 'Destroyed' the Country

(London)

24 December 2007
Posted to the web 24 December 2007

Meshack Ndodana
Harare

Corruption has now been officially acknowledged as one of the greatest cancers abetting Zimbabwe's sharp economic decline.

At the ruling ZANU-PF party's Extraordinary Congress last week, Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono named it as one of several factors responsible for the nation's economic woes.

Analysts say, however, that in spite of this official recognition of the problem, the government is not expected to try to stem the scourge of corruption as so many officials are themselves involved.

Law and Moral Purpose

by Robert P. George
Copyright (c) 2008 First Things (January 2008).

The obligations and purposes of law and government are to protect public health, safety, and morals, and to advance the general welfare—including, preeminently, protecting people’s fundamental rights and basic liberties. . . .