David Frum: There’s not too much doubt who God wants in 2004. 12/14 10:09 p.m.
DEC. 14, 2003: THEY GOT HIM
The Capture
My take on the capture of Saddam will appear in tomorrow’s National Post. I’ll post a link as soon as the Post has the story on line. For now, let’s say that while the President’s opponents have made much sport of the idea that God called George Bush to the presidency, it’s becoming increasingy difficult to doubt that God wants President Bush re-elected.
Compulsory Punditry
I’m eagerly awaiting the articles and posts that will explain why the capture of Saddam isn’t necessarily good news for President Bush. I’m told that the BBC has already been heard from, contending that with Saddam in custody, Bush will come under more intense pressure to withdraw from Iraq. Right. And the fall of Atlanta was good news for George McClellan.
The odds of President Bush’s re-election have just shot up from good to almost overwhelming. Even if the Democrats belatedly come to their senses and capsize Howard Dean, the Angry Elf from Vermont has indelibly stained his party with his extremist defeatism.
Why I’m proud to be a journalist, part LXXVIII
Watching this morning’s press conference live on MS-NBC, I heard the following voiceover from Tom Brokaw. As Adnan Pachachi, the current president of the Governing Council, stepped to the mike, Brokaw helpfully explained that here came (I quote from memory) “Ahmed Chalabi, the controversial U.S.-backed Iraqi leader.” Chalabi, a lifelong democrat, moderate, and friend of the West, could not be more different from Pachachi, a pan-Arabist former Iraqi foreign minister. To confuse the two is a mistake on the order of confusing Howard Dean, the man who wants to replace George W. Bush, with Michael Howard, the man who wants to replace Tony Blair. The future of Iraq has been a colossal global news topic for years. Is it really too much to expect that America’s best-known journalists have some beginner’s level of acquaintance with the relevant personalities?
Robert L. Bartley Cont'd
I won’t be writing about Bob Bartley for the Spectator after all. Instead, the print edition of NR will be reprinting some words of mine at a dinner generously organized by Bill Buckley to commemorate Bob’s retirement from the editorship of the Journal. The dinner was a wonderfully generous act of Bill’s, exceeded only by the generosity of Bill’s own eloquent words. It was typically considerate of Bill to realize that such tributes ought to be paid when the honoree is present to hear them. I did not realize at the time that Bob was ill – and for giving me the opportunity to express my admiration for Bob during his lifetime, I am profoundly grateful to Bill.
URL:http://www.nationalreview.com/frum/diary121403.asp |
