Politics: March 2004 Archives

Maryknoll, back in the day, used to produce men like Father Vincent Capodanno, who was awarded the Medal of Honor when he dove into machine-gun fire to protect a wounded Marine. They sent missionaries to the furthest, most inhospitable places on Earth to bear witness to the Gospel. For administering corporal works of mercy, they were legendary.

Today, they are indistinguishable from any other left-wing organization, except they pretend to be motivated by Christian values. You won't find any reference to abortion, or any other life issue, in their 2004 election guide. They favor

• Abolishing the "drug war";
• Addressing the "root causes" of terrorism (how original!);
• Closing the "School of the Americas" (a boutique cause of the Left);
• Ending subsidies and tariffs that protect domestic industries at the expense of poorer nations. (Okay, I'm with them on that one.)

What any of this has to do with Jesus Christ, I'm not certain. Here's a sure sign that their political commitments are more important than the poor: they're against technology that will produce more food for hungry people.

Let them be as the fig tree in the Gospel.

More clues as to how Senator John "F-ing" Kerry treats the "little people":

[On his next ski run], a reporter and a camera crew were allowed to follow along on skis — just in time to see Mr. Kerry taken out by one of the Secret Service men, who had inadvertently moved into his path, sending him into the snow.

When asked about the mishap a moment later, he said sharply, "I don't fall down," then used an expletive to describe the agent who "knocked me over."

The incident occurred near the summit. No one was hurt, and Mr. Kerry came careering down the mountain moments later, a look of intensity on his face, his lanky frame bent low to the ground.

Amazing how one little detail -- and in the New York Times! -- can convey so much. The subtext of so many of Kerry's speeches is, "I never make mistakes, I know better than you, I'm smarter than you, and therefore I should be in charge and you better not get in my way." People might not understand the finer nuances of national policies, but they know they don't like pompous asses. That's the kind of thing President Bush would just laugh off with a joke.

P.S. Note to Senator Kerry: personally insulting your bodyguards is a bad idea on many levels.

Startling news that will turn the tide.

How many of Senator John Kerry's grandparents are ethnically Irish?

WINNER: The Poster Formerly Known As Anonymous Coward, in 23 minutes. Like Saint Patrick, Kerry is 0% Irish.

A short summary of Senator Kerry's military experience: he commanded a vessel in Vietnam, and was decorated for valor. He received three non-life-threatening wounds during his four months in Vietnam. Because of these wounds, he abandoned his comrades by petitioning the Navy to let him leave a combat zone (there was a rule allowing three-times-wounded servicemen to leave).

That landed him in a cushy desk job working for an admiral. Then he got the Navy to release him before his committment was over, in order to run for Congress. He then testified before Congress about war crimes he never saw, committed by men he never knew (and who were later proven liars.)

Sen. Kerry is the kind of officer that enlisted men loathe -- working the system for his own benefit instead of theirs, advancing his own interests with no loyalty to those underneath him. His haughty demeanor would have only exacerbated their dislike. Maybe he was a different man back then, but I doubt it. I'd be curious to see what his former subordinates really think of him. They're probably too classy to denounce their former commanding officer in public, but it would be great to get them into a bar and see what they say after a few drinks.

Men are willing to fight and die for a flawed, arrogant, and even cruel leader if they sense he shares their struggles and believes in their cause. They despise self-serving careerists, because they know that selfish men will often endanger their lives for no good reason, and think of the people around them as merely means to an end.

An actual license plate, seen in a northern Virginia parking lot:

The Left is always accusing conservatives of being "haters," motivated by animus and little else. But it's becoming increasingly clear that this is what the psychologists call "projection."

The going rate for ousting a pro-American European government: 200 dead Spaniards.

The cliché is right this time: the terrorists did win. They might not have been on the ballot, but they managed to turn mass murder into an effective political tool.

UPDATE: David Frum voices the same opinion at NRO today. "Lesson: terrorism can work. Prediction: therefore expect more of it. Expect more terrorism aimed at the United Kingdom, against Australia, against Poland, and – ultimately – against the United States. For the terrorists must now wonder: If murder can influence elections in Spain – why not in the United States?"

I have a social-justice question for Senator John Kerry: how can you be for "international cooperation" and against "Benedict Arnold CEOs" who "outsource" American jobs?

Translated, that means we aren't going to let Indians compete for American IT contracts or allow the Chinese to sell us Happy Meal toys. So you're going to simultaneously deny those countries access to American markets, and then expect they'll support your foreign policy?

How will that work, exactly?

I watched about 10 minutes of Hannity and Colmes last night and finally couldn't take it any more.

Here's the question: What's worse? Calling someone a crook or calling someone a [name describing a posterior region]?

Both Bush and Kerry have committed verbal gaffes, thinking they were off mic and off camera. Bush and Cheney agreed back in the last campaign that a certain NYT reporter had some personality deficiencies. Kerry's comment calls into question the moral behavior of Bush & Friends.

Why these things are treated equally among the talking heads is beyond me.

Sens. Push Law for Receipt of Votes Cast

Sens. Bob Graham of Florida and Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York are pushing legislation that would ensure a printed receipt of votes cast on new touch-screen computer terminals, arguing it will restore voter confidence in the election process.

Don't you think these receipts will end up in the same place your grocery receipts go? The receipt from your trip to Bennigans? Your dry cleaning claim checks? Your lottery tickets?

North Korea warms to Kerry presidency bid

North Korea's state-controlled media are well known for reverential reporting about Kim Jong-il, the country's dictatorial leader.

But the Dear Leader is not the only one getting deferential treatment from the communist state's propaganda machine: John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic candidate, is also getting good play in Pyongyang.

There is a message here for America. Don't vote for Kerry!

How Bush can destroy Kerry fast

You can't be the second black president. You're not black. In fact, your face is a map of Ireland. Get real.