Interesting News & Posts - 22 February 2008

The interesting news and posts of the day, below the fold.











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Art: St. George & The Dragon, Vittore Carpaccio, 1516

Before getting to the posts that have occupied the bulk of bandwith of late – comments on the NYT hitpiece on McCain and discussions of various aspects of Obamamania – here are several fine posts that bucked the trend:

At Sigmund, Carl and Alfred are some of the funniest posts I have read in a donkey’s age. First up, politically named golf shots. My favorite, the Ted Kennedy slice. It is an off course shot that doesn’t "quite make it over the water." And don’t miss the 25 Strangest College Courses.

And while on humor, TNOY has the top 9 reasons Fidel Castro decided to resign. My favorite, he is moving to America and running for president on the Democratic ticket to offer voters a more moderate choice.

Do you get the feeling he’s really enjoying himself? He should be. Ignored in the American press, the President who has done more for Africa than any of his predecessors is basking in approval and enjoying the fun.

Is the EU open and democratic? An Englishman’s Castle has Exhibit A.

Is a disarmed world a more violent world. Eric at Classical Values thinks so, as do I.

Oh Beautiful, for Spacious Skies, for Standard Missile 3's – a great post on the satellite shoot-down at Publius Pundit.

Soccer Dad tells us that the majority of Israeli Arabs support serving in Israel’s National Service Program. This says some very positive things about their political identity.

The left want us to believe there is nothing to fear but "fear itself." Talk about your jihadist with a real sense of irony . . .

Freedom of speech is a wonderful thing. It is what allows us to consider ideas, to hear reports of actions, and to identify reality. No wonder the Islamists do not care for it in the U.S. . . . And it would appear that the Islamist idea of free speech is rather one sided. If you want to know more about what is taught in Saudi / Salafi schools, see here.

This is pretty amazing. How to eliminate in the way of Allah. One wonders if the Koran says anything about the permissibility of using two ply.

So is black really a slimming color?

At the American Digest, a fascinating juxtaposition on marketing religion, secular and christian.

The NYT Hit Piece on John McCain

My take on the NYT hit piece that would not pass the journalistic standards of the National Enquirer.

An exceptional piece on the lobbyist influence from Tom MacGuire at Just One Minute

Gateway Pundit: Conservatives, including Rush, rally around McCain after NYT attack.

Poweline: The NYT upholds its standards.

Jules Crittenden: Does his usual humorous commentary along with a roll up that includes lefties diving into the deep end.

Don Surber: Circling the Wagons around McCain.

And the NYT reporters on the by-line seem to be circling the wagons themselves.

The NYT article is now at the center of a McCain fund raising pitch.

From Big Lizards, the AP runs a parallel smear portraying Cindy McCain as standing by her man, despite the pain of his Clintonesque misdeeds

Laer ponders the timing of the release and the lack of any articles on several questionable associations in Obama’s past. I am waiting for the article on the $10 million Obama has taken in donations from lobbyists.

Obamimania:

Karl Rove in the WSJ flays Obama’s policy positions in light of his rhetoric.

From Jules Crittenden, a cult member begins deprogramming. And will Barack be our first affirmative action President?

From PJM: Obama Unboud – The Man Behind The Myth; Assessing Obama’s Foreign Policy; the end of the Obama Honeymoon.

From Victor David Hanson – the Ivy League Populism.

Obama’s railing against lobbyists is hypocritical smoke. From Don Surber: Obama received $9,819,390 from lawyers and lobbyists. McCain $2,980,037.

From the Belemont Club: Is Obama the modern day McGovern simply awaiting his fall?

Fausta projects the results of Obama’s high tax policy by looking to Britain’s experience.

From Robert Samuelson: "The contrast between his broad rhetoric and his narrow agenda is stark, and yet the media -- preoccupied with the political "horse race" -- have treated his invocation of "change" as a serious idea rather than a shallow campaign slogan.

From JustOneMinute, Obama’s staffers spin Obama’s more ridiculous foreign policy obaminations after McCain criticism.

Kudlow at Money Politics looks at Pro-Business McCain vs. Populist Hill-Bama.

Dr. Sanity has a brilliant essay on identity politics and attempting to expiate racism by making racially motivated decisions.

The Whited Sepulchre attends an Obama rally – and is moved on a visceral level, even though his rational mind appears to still be intact. He remains unchanged.