Check the Thermometers in Hell

Pat Buchanan is making sense. He's been doing that lately, but not without relapse. It's like he's been pulling back the curtain from the dark side and peering into the light, but I still suspect that he might bring the dark with him when he crosses over.

Be that as it may, he tears Our Dear Leader apart in a number of ways over his Zustand des Anschlußes* speech. First ODL:

"Isolationism would not only tie our hands in fighting enemies, it would keep us from helping our friends in desperate need. ... American leaders from Roosevelt to Truman to Kennedy to Reagan rejected isolation and retreat."

Buchanan:

Why would a president use his State of the Union to lash out at a school of foreign policy thought that has had zero influence in his administration? The answer is a simple one, but it is not an easy one for Bush to face: His foreign policy is visibly failing, and his critics have been proven right.

ODL:

"Abroad, our nation is committed to a historic long-term goal. We seek the end of tyranny in our world," said Bush. "Some dismiss that goal as misguided idealism. In reality, the future security of America depends upon it."

Buchanan:

Intending no disrespect, this is noble-sounding nonsense. Our security rests on U.S. power and will, and not on whether Zimbabwe, Sudan, Syria, Cuba or even China is ruled by tyrants. Our forefathers lived secure in a world of tyrannies by staying out of wars that were none of America's business. As for "the end of tyranny in our world," Mr. President, sorry, that doesn't come in "our world." That comes in the next.

Well.

Isn't that special. Even the rock solid conservatives are piling on.

* That's as good as Babelfish provides. Don't bother trying to translate back.

I Like Frazz

I Like Frazz

Catching Up To Cultural Phenomena

I finally have a use for podcasts. I don't drive all that much, living so close to work, but I'm going out to Maine in a couple of weeks and want to accumulate some listening material other than tunes.

So I downloaded Juice and am subscribing to a number of things - including Michael Feldman's Whadya Know?. Remember that?

Civics class questions

Josh Marshall:

They're some of those basic questions young children learn to ask in civics class. Who represents me in Congress? And when do they go on trial?

Indeed.

But not my Congressperson. She be good.