The West's representatives show some spine:
"Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused Israel of being the "most cruel and racist regime," sparking a walkout Monday by angry Western diplomats at a U.N. racism conference."
Does Iran still look like a nation with which we can have fruitful negotiations, Mr. Obama?
"STIMULUS" UPDATE: it's been two months; there's supposedly $60 billion of stimulus money available; yet, in two months, the government's gotten only $12 billion in money out there.
Hence the problem--the government can talk a good game, but it's not very good or efficient at what it purports to do. Conservatives must keep making this point.
Are social conservatives and their agenda what ails the GOP? Maggie Gallagher today says no, and she's right:
"So I'm sitting around watching CNN push the idea (with the help of noted political strategist Meghan McCain and various Log Cabin Republicans) that the key to resurrecting the GOP brand is getting rid of those pesky evangelicals and endorsing gay rights more vigorously. Hmmm. The GOP lost an election because of an economic collapse and a drawn-out war — and social conservatism is to blame? Does this make any sense at all? Gee, are we the stupid party or what?"
No, we're not the stupid party--but there are some silly persons both within it and, more importantly, outside of it. The Log Cabin folks think endorsing parts of the liberal social agenda will get them somewhere with certain elites--they'll soon discover their error.
Victor Davis Hanson makes a good point today concerning Obama's recent foreign trips, his apologies for past American policies, etc.:
"What is strange about the now well-known Obama three-step visits (apologize, then trash Bush, then nod that America was bad before he came along), is that they seem to incite more anti-American choruses rather than fewer, incur more bad will than good, and end with not a single accomplishment, much less concession."
Bingo. See for example Iran--their decision to put this American female journalist on trial came AFTER Obama's attempts to reach out to them.
BASEBALL DIARY: the Cubs were rained out yesterday. But hey, how about the Detroit Tigers? Yes, they lost game 1 on Friday. But Saturday they got a brilliantly-pitched 2-0 shutout from Edwin Jackson; and then yesterday, a rookie starter they're counting on, Rick Porcello, pitched another outstanding game, retiring the final 14 batters he faced, and the Tigers won 8-2. So they took 2 of 3 in the Seattle house of horrors, and are tied for 1st place in the AL Central Kudos too to Ramon Santiago who, while filling in for the flu-ridden Adam Everett, had several big hits. A good weekend for the boys from Motown--now they have to keep it up.
And the Texas Rangers earned a comeback win yesterday, edging Kansas City 6-5. Michael Young hit a walkoff home run in the 9th to win it. The bullpen held the Royals down after starter Vincente Padilla had allowed the visitors to grab a 5-3 lead. The Rangers needed the win--they'd lost 7 of 8. But will their pitching ever settle down?
Hmmm. So apparently at the Miss USA Pageant over the weekend, Miss California was asked whether she supported gay marriage. She said, in the end, no--she believes marriage is defined as being between a man and a woman. She was honest. She was asked for her opinion, and she gave it--an opinion that a majority of California voters endorsed at the last election.
In response, she's being denounced by pageant officials from her own state and elsewhere. What--she should have lied? She's not allowed to voice an opinion that differs from that of the Hollywood elite and Perez Hilton??? It's ridiculous. And if her opinion actually cost her the title, it's even more outrageous.
