Considerettes

I’ve been trying to pull together a list of people that should also be accused of lying to the American people if you’re one who insists that Bush and Blair did so when they talked about Iraqi WMDs. Just like the 9/11 intelligence question, if you want to accuse Bush of lying, there’s also a laundry list of folks who’d have to be part of that conspiracy, starting with Bill Clinton (who also said they had WMDs) and the UN (who’s resolution 1441 started from the assumption that they existed). However, making my job easier, the inimitable Instapundit has compiled a number of posts from all over that point out that show the list of those who said Hussein was harboring WMDs is quite long indeed. They include the aforementioned, plus:

• Hans Blix
• German intelligence
• Jacques Chirac
• Al Gore

The “peace” marchers are all over Bush on this (as they were recently here in Atlanta), but once again their hands are tight over their ears, not wanting to believe anything’s wrong with their crowd, but jumping on every single shred of possibility that Bush is Hitler, regardless of how baseless each of those shreds are, and regardless of how they’ve looked the other way prior to Dubya’s inauguration. As Glenn “Instapundit” Reynolds says, “Well, it’s better than admitting that if you’d had your way, Saddam Hussein would still be shoveling children into mass graves, I suppose.”

Is Eric Robert Rudolph a “Christian terrorist”? Some at the Washington Post seem to think so, but as Marvin Olasky points out…

The Post did not point out that leading American pastors have universally condemned bombing of abortion businesses, but many leading Islamic clerics in the Middle East have refused to condemn the murder by Muslims of innocent civilians. Nor did it note that the Quran (in contrast to a document of similar length, the New Testament) has only a few statements promoting peace but over 100 advocating warfare. (Example: “Believers, make war on the infidels who dwell around you (9:123)).

Eric Rudolph may call himself a Christian, but the Christian community has, quite overwhelmingly, a different opinion. Keep that in mind when reading “balanced” news stories. Read the article for more examples of “balance” in (of all places) the New York Times.

Howell Raines and Gerald Boyd, the top 2 editors at the NY Times have resigned. This can only be good news for journalism in general and the Times in particular.

How possible is peace between Israel and the Palestinians when the winner of a Palestinian writing contest says this:

“My heart has turned into a sad block of pain. One day I will buy a weapon and I will blow away the fetters. I will propel my living-dead body into your arms, my father, and you will gather me into your hands.”

Al-Qaeda recruit? Nope, a Palestinian 7th grader. The group “Palestinian Media Watch” has brought the results of this contest to light, but I wonder who is listening. Other top winners expressed hatred towards Israel, PM Sharon and President Bush. The question is, were there any letters that extolled peace?

It’s unknown, says the media watchdog group, which added that if children submitted peace-promoting letters and Palestinian leaders only honored those with violent themes, the Palestinians are promoting hate education.

“On the other hand, [if] there was not even one peace-promoting letter [submitted], it is equally disturbing, as an ominous warning of how successful the PA education has been in creating a generation dedicated to hatred of Israel,” said Itamar Marus, the media group’s director.

Is it possible to negotiate with a group of people who say one thing but practice something else so diametrically opposed? If a peace agreement is hammered out, that would be wonderful, but after that, listen to the children to know whether or not it will work.

Stephen Stanton at Tech Central Station gives Paul Krugman a fisking he so richly deserves for his NY Time article on the “evils” of a tax cut. From unsubstantiated numbers, to wondering which of 9000+ pork barrel programs Krugman considers sacrosanct, to appearing shocked at the obvious (those who pay the most taxes get the most back), to pining for the days of 92% tax rates, Krugman’s arguments fall by the wayside one by one.

Stanton certainly uncovers the facts behind the catch-phrases the left has been parroting.

Update: Instapundit has links to other folks fact-checking Krugman. (I though that’s what the NY Times editors were supposed to do.) They include Wunderkinder and Donald Luskin.

Tobacco, a weapon of mass destruction? Hyperbole, anyone?

Linton Weeks of the Washington Post has a great column today dealing with Sidney Blumenthal’s book “The Clinton Wars”. He approaches his column from a “This is Your Life” perspective, comparing what Sid wrote in the book with how those he wrote about responded to it, giving it the classic TV show feel. Well executed, as well as rather interesting that so many that you’d consider on Sid’s side are really panning the book.

Fred Barnes has a great article in the current “Weekly Standard” entitled “The Commander”. It describes the real story behind the creation of the Iraq war strategy; the personalities, the conflicting strategies, and how ultimately General Tommy Franks vision of modern warfare won and why. Very interesting reading.

Is Bill Clinton going to be blogging? A Fox News summary of entertainment news quotes the former President:

Clinton told the audience that his Web site, which is now up and running, will soon offer his take on news events as they happen. “Now you’ll know what’s really going on,” he promised. “Since you’re not told that often these days.”

Looks like a blog and quacks like a blog. This should be interesting.

Be listening intently for the apologies from those who blamed sanctions for the deaths of Iraqi children. Iraqi doctors, who had to parrot the official line but can now speak freely, say that neither the US nor the UN were to blame for the deaths. There was plenty of money to pay for medicine, but Hussein spent it on palaces.

Again, listen closely for all those who blamed sanctions, and the US, for those deaths. Listen, but don’t hold your breath.

(Pointer via InstaPundit.)