Best of the Web Today - December 6, 2004
By JAMES TARANTO
Can Harry Read?
For no apparent reason, Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democrats' new leader, is denouncing Justice Clarence Thomas. Here's an exchange from Tim Russert's interview with him on "Meet the Press" yesterday:
Russert: Let me turn to judicial nominations. Again, Harry Reid on National Public Radio, Nov. 19: "If they"--the Bush White House--"for example, gave us Clarence Thomas as chief justice, I personally feel that would be wrong. If they give us Antonin Scalia, that's a little different question. I may not agree with some of his opinions, but I agree with the brilliance of his mind."
Could you support Antonin Scalia to be chief justice of the Supreme Court?
Reid: If he can overcome the ethics problems that have arisen since he was selected as a justice of the Supreme Court. And those ethics problems--you've talked about them; every people talk--every reporter's talked about them in town--where he took trips that were probably not in keeping with the code of judicial ethics. So we have to get over this. I cannot dispute the fact, as I have said, that this is one smart guy. And I disagree with many of the results that he arrives at, but his reason for arriving at those results are very hard to dispute. So--
Russert: Why couldn't you accept Clarence Thomas?
Reid: I think that he has been an embarrassment to the Supreme Court. I think that his opinions are poorly written. I don't--I just don't think that he's done a good job as a Supreme Court justice.
Now, we haven't read Thomas's entire oeuvre, but we've read quite a few of his opinions, and we wouldn't describe any of them as "poorly written"--much less so poorly written as to make him "an embarrassment to the Supreme Court." (One of our favorite opinions of recent years is Thomas's dissent in Grutter v. Bollinger, the 2003 case upholding racial preferences in college admissions provided they're vague enough.)
It's a shame Russert didn't press Reid to name some Thomas opinions he considers to be poorly written. In the absence of such examples, one can't help but suspect that the new Senate Democratic leader is simply stereotyping Thomas as unintelligent because he is black.
America Held Hostage--Not
At first it sounded like a replay of Nov. 4, 1979, when "students" invaded the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. "Islamic militants [sic] threw explosives at the gate of the heavily guarded U.S. consulate in Jiddah, then forced their way into the building," reports the Associated Press from the Saudi second city.
But it was over within hours. The terrorists took "several hostages, mostly Sudanese and Indian," and "Saudi security forces stormed the attackers when threats were made." Three terrorists and four Saudi security men were killed in the ensuing gun battle. By contrast, the siege of the Tehran embassy dragged on for 444 days. Thank goodness we no longer live in the world of Jimmy Carter.
Feeding Them Ideas
Oh, this is great: Tommy Thompson announced Friday that he's leaving his post as secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Associated Press reports he made this comment: "For the life of me, I cannot understand why the terrorists have not attacked our food supply because it is so easy to do."
Uh, maybe it's because until Friday, no one had suggested it to them?
Weasel Watch
A plane left Charles de Gaulle International Airport in Paris Friday carrying a bag with five ounces of plastic explosive, the BBC reports--and the French police put it there:
The package of explosive was put in a bag at the airport on Friday to see if police dogs could detect it. Someone though took their eye off the ball and the baggage handler unwittingly put the bag on a plane.
Police say they do not know which plane the bag ended up on; about 90 flights were leaving the airport at the time. It could be on an internal flight in France, or be travelling as far away as the US, Japan and Brazil.
The Associated Press reports that the French have ended their practice of putting explosives into passengers' bags. As for the stuff that went astray, it apparently is harmless as long as it's not hooked up to a detonator. As the Beeb puts it, "Police insist the package of explosives is no more harmful than a chocolate bar."
Come to think of it, for the life of us we cannot understand why the terrorists have not attacked France's chocolate supply because it is so easy to do.
Dog Bites Man
"French Soldier Surrenders After Threat"--headline, Associated Press, Dec. 6
Full House
Congressional elections are finally over, now that Louisiana has filled its final two House seats in French-style runoffs. The New Orleans Times-Picayune notes that both seats switched parties: In the Seventh District, Republican Charles Boustany beat Democrat Willie Mount to succeed Rep. Chris John, a Democrat and unsuccessful Senate candidate. In the Third District, Republican Billy Tauzin III, scourge of nutria, narrowly lost to Democrat Charlie Melancon. Melancon will succeed Tauzin's father. Despite Tauzin's loss, the result is good news for the GOP in the Pelican State:
Saturday's elections gave Republicans six of Louisiana's nine congressional seats, the most since Reconstruction, and strengthened a party that as recently as 1972 was completely shut out of the delegation.
"Now the creeping realignment of the Republicans in the South has finally come to Louisiana," said Tom Langston, a political scientist at Tulane University.
Langston said Democrats should take little solace in Melancon's narrow victory over Billy Tauzin III, an inexperienced candidate who had an arrest record and was forced to fend off claims that his father, retiring Rep. Billy Tauzin, R-Chackbay, was trying to hand him the seat.
The GOP will hold 232 House seats in the 109th Congress, the party's biggest majority since 1949. Dems have 202, plus one far-left-leaning independent.
There Are Some Things Money Can't Buy
"For the first time since the mid-1970s, the Democratic National Committee raised more money than the Republican National Committee," the Washington Post reports: "The DNC reported yesterday that it raised $389.8 million from Jan. 1, 2003, to Nov. 22, 2004, compared with $385.3 million by the RNC":
DNC Chairman Terence R. McAuliffe declared: "Even though the pundits called the DNC 'dead' after McCain-Feingold, the American people said otherwise. Thanks to our strong grass-roots support, the Democratic Party surpassed every fundraising goal by a factor of three."
A couple of weeks back, the New York Times magazine carried an account of Election Day in Ohio, written by Matt Bai, which prompted a letter from Maria Cardenas of Pasadena, Calif. (eighth letter):
I am many things but not a masochist. I cannot accept or fathom the outcome of the 2004 election, and Matt Bai wants to take me on an intimate walk through this day of heartbreak? How can you? My wounds are as fresh today as they were on the morning of Nov. 3. I still go to johnkerry.com every day, hoping the blog has been revived so I can talk to my community of the walking wounded. I still want to cry when I see bumper stickers of Kerry/Edwards on a passing car. I still want to pass out with fury when I spy a Bush/Cheney sticker. I could not bear to watch Kerry's concession speech.
Hey Maria, cheer up! After all, the Democrats might have lost the election, but they raised more money than those nasty Republicans!
Generalissimo Francisco Franco Is Still Dead
"Bush Still Tops Kerry in Ohio"--headline, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Dec. 4
What Would We Do Without Novak?
"Novak: Kerry 'Terrible Candidate' "--headline, Capital Times (Madison, Wis.), Dec. 2
A Run-In With Mr. Polite
David Stoltzfus sells baked goods at Lancaster, Pa.'s Central Market, where he hangs a picture of the president above his stand. The Lancaster New Era reports that this has drawn the ire of the delightfully named City Councilman Nelson Polite:
Polite, a Democrat, says the photos should go.
When he approached Stoltzfus three weeks ago, he said the photo offended him and city Democrats.
Polite says he had received complaints from constituents who thought the photos were inappropriate, especially after the presidential election.
The market is public property and displaying political paraphernalia, no matter what the intent, says Polite, is inappropriate and divisive.
The Progressive Voices newsletter (link in PDF) reports that in October Mr. Polite spoke at a "stop the hate rally" sponsored by the Alliance for Tolerance and Freedom.
What Would We Do Without Musharraf?
"Musharraf: Bin Laden's Location Is Unknown"--headline, Washington Post, Dec. 5
Look Out, Osama--Barbara's Tough
"Bush Mum on Pakistan's Hunt for bin Laden"--headline, Associated Press, Dec. 4
Things Are Tough All Over
"Warriors Headed to Iraq Learn Survival in Kansas"--headline, Grand Rapids (Mich.) Press, Dec. 5
You Don't Say
"Origami Airdrop Fails to Quell Thai Violence"--headline, FoxNews.com, Dec. 6
Who's Misleading Whom?--II
In an item Friday, we juxtaposed two Washington Post stories. The first, from last week, reported on a claim by congressional Democrats that abstinence-education programs were providing "misleading" information--specifically, that abortion can cause sterility. The second, from last year, reported that abortions in the Soviet Union have "led to widespread infertility" in post-Soviet Russia.
Reader Carl Friddle says the Soviet experience isn't apropos: "Russian abortions were typically performed without anesthesia and under horrific conditions in an effort to discourage them. You simply can't compare them with American abortion practices."
Fair enough, but here's what our own National Institutes of Health list as risks of surgical abortion:
Excessive bleeding
Infection of the uterus
Infection of the fallopian tubes (which can cause scarring and interfere with fertility (infertility)
Puncture (perforation) of the uterus, or damage to the cervix (rare)
Emotional or psychological distress
Meanwhile, Newsweek's Eleanor Clift claims it's increasingly difficult to get contraception:
Not since Margaret Sanger's crusade to legalize birth control in the 1920s has family planning come under such assault. Pharmacists around the country are refusing to fill prescriptions for birth-control pills, exercising their right to "refuse and refer" under the industry's code of ethics. These self-styled refuseniks are so ardent they generally don't offer a referral, and in small-town America there is often only one pharmacy in town anyway.
Is this really true? USA Today had an article on the subject in November, which cited a few examples of druggists who had refused to fill prescriptions for birth-control pills. But according to the article, "Susan Winckler, spokeswoman and staff counsel for the American Pharmacists Association, says it is rare that pharmacists refuse to fill a prescription for moral reasons. She says it is even less common for a pharmacist to refuse to provide a referral."
Clift fails to note that APA guidelines require that pharmacists who cite moral grounds for refusing a prescription "must make arrangements so a patient can still get the pills." Neil Noesen, a Madison, Wis., pharmacist, is under investigation by the state's pharmacy-licensing board for failing to do so.
Thus Clift's complaints of an "assault" on family planning seem overwrought, and her apparent premise that pharmacists' moral qualms should count for nothing is somewhat illiberal.
The Sincerest Form of Flattery
"If you don't like living in a divided country, all you have to do is get yourself appointed to the university faculty somewhere and you will be able to experience the joys of living in a one-party state."--James Taranto, "The Journal Editorial Report" (PBS), Oct. 29
"America's One-Party State: If you loathe political debate, join the faculty of an American university"--headline and subheadline, The Economist, Dec. 2
That's Odd, We Didn't Hear Anything
"Train Derails in Taranto Area, 6 Wounded and Tens Contused"--headline, Agenzia Giornalistica Italia, Dec. 3
Do We Have Coattails?
Thanks to those who voted for us as the Best Media/Journalist Blog after our Friday item. We didn't actually ask for votes, but we'll take 'em. We now have 55.4% of the total vote in the category, with Mark Steyn a distant second at 14.6%. If these numbers hold up, we'll be able to claim a mandate. If you haven't voted in the past 24 hours and would like to, you can click here. This link will also work.
What we're wondering, though, is: Do we have coattails? To find out, we are going to break with tradition and issue an endorsement. Please click here and vote for Scott Ott's ScrappleFace.com as the Best Humor Blog. ScrappleFace is currently in second place with 22.3%; we'd like you to help Scott win big.
We were startled late Saturday when we checked in and discovered we were running behind MSNBC oddball Keith Olbermann, who now is in sixth place. It turns out that the moonbats over at the Daily Kos had hacked the site and were stuffing the ballot box. As the award site explains, this necessitated security measures that limit the ability of people using proxy servers (e.g., America Online customers and many corporate networks) to vote. It's ironic, since Olbermann himself has spent the past month peddling crazy conspiracy theories about President Bush having stolen the 2004 election.
The Committee to Preserve What?
Lawyer Lawrence Teeter represents Palestinian terrorist Sirhan Sirhan, who murdered Sen. Robert F. Kennedy in 1968. Teeter "has gone to court to stop the demolition of the hotel where the late senator was shot dead, saying that there is evidence in its walls that can prove his client innocent," Reuters reports from Los Angeles. "Attorney Lawrence Teeter claims the 60-year-old Sirhan was set up as a dupe in the 1968 assassination, despite shooting at Kennedy in front of witnesses."
It's this next part that really got our attention: "Joining Teeter in the suit are the Assassination Archives and Research Center and the newly-formed Committee to Preserve Assassination Sites." They've got a committee for everything these days.
An Oral What?
Speaking of the Kennedy family, the Boston Globe reports that "the Miller Center for Public Affairs at the University of Virginia is to announce plans today to record an oral history of the life and career of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, a six-year, multimillion-dollar project that is the center's first effort to chronicle the history of a sitting senator." And who came up with this brilliant idea? Why the humble senior senator from Massachusetts!
Mary Jo Kopechne could not be reached for comment.
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How the Germs Stole Christmas
"Reindeer Travel Restricted by Disease Fears"--headline, CNN.com, Dec. 3
Or Maybe the Same
"Disney Trip to Cost More, or Less"--headline, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times, Dec. 3
What Would We Do Without Experts?
"Experts Say Educational Toys Can Be Fun"--headline, WESH-TV Web site (Daytona Beach, Fla.), Dec. 3
This Just In
"Teenagers Fail to See the Consequences"--headline, New Scientist, Dec. 4
Homelessness Rediscovery Watch
"If George W. Bush becomes president, the armies of the homeless, hundreds of thousands strong, will once again be used to illustrate the opposition's arguments about welfare, the economy, and taxation."--Mark Helprin, Oct. 31, 2000
"Panhandlers Face a Colder World"--headline, News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.), Dec. 3
What Would Captive Elephants Do Without Experts?
"Studies: Captive Elephant Breeding Hard"--headline, Associated Press, Dec. 4
She Finally Found the Way to a Man's Heart
" 'Vagina Monologues' Author Moves Up to the Stomach"--headline, Reuters, Dec. 2
A Sore Subject
Los Angeles County health officials "are having trouble finding a TV station willing to air a public service announcement about syphilis that employs a lumpy, red cartoon character named 'Phil the Sore,' " the Associated Press reports:
Los Angeles-area broadcasters said the ad is in poor taste, but the county health agency said it is simply trying to reach gay men--the group at greatest risk of getting the sexually transmitted disease, which has been on the rise in recent years.
In the 30-second ad, Phil follows two men going home together. As the men later part, one of them, dressed in a bathrobe and underwear, says, "Let's do it again sometime." Phil then calls in his whole family, whose members carry boxes labeled "brain damage," "rash" and "blindness"--all of which can result from syphilis.
Thanks to the Internet, however, this vital public-health information is available to all, at StoptheSores.org. In addition to the TV ad, you can read a virtual comic book, which, although not suitable for children, is hilarious. It features cameos by Rita Rash and Antie Biotic, and it promotes every imaginable stereotype of homosexuals. Gay men are shown pumping iron, ordering sweet cocktails, hanging out in bathhouses and arranging one-night stands.
The chapter on "partner notification" shows a guy, fresh from a positive diagnosis, calling the men with whom he's been intimate. In one hand he holds the phone; in the other, a scroll listing the names of at least 19 other men before reaching the ground and continuing beyond the frame. One almost wonders if the county health department has been infiltrated by "religious right" types bent on portraying gays as promiscuous and immoral. |
