Lingua publica

The good and the bad...

web posted July 25, 2005

"A nominee to [the Supreme] Court must be a person of superb credentials and the highest integrity, a person who will faithfully apply the Constitution and keep our founding promise of equal justice under law. I have found such a person in Judge John Roberts. ...[He] will strictly apply the Constitution and laws -- not legislate from the bench." -- U.S. President George W. Bush

"Judge Roberts is the kind of outstanding nominee that will make America proud. He embodies the qualities America expects in a justice on its highest court -- someone who is fair, intelligent, impartial and committed to faithfully interpreting the Constitution and the law." -- Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist

"Fidelity to the original intent of the Constitution must be the sole ideological criterion used to evaluate any nominee. Everything else is noise. Originalism alone produces a body of law evincing the will of America's citizenry." -- Steven Geoffrey Gieseler

"What Africa needs, foreign aid cannot deliver, and that's elimination of dictators and socialist regimes, establishment of political and economic freedom, rule of law and respect for individual rights. Until that happens, despite billions of dollars of foreign aid, Africa will remain a basket case." -- Walter Williams

"The next time someone demands a timetable for the war in Iraq, ask them to name just one war -- anywhere -- that had such a thing." -- Thomas Sowell

"At the end of the day, the best remedy for high gasoline prices is...high gasoline prices, which provide all the incentives necessary for motorists to conserve, for oil companies to put more product into the marketplace, and for investors to look into alternatives fuel technologies. Government has never demonstrated an ability to do better." -- Peter Van Doren

"Not much has changed since the mid-1980s. Substitute 'insurgent' for 'Sandinista,' 'Iraq' for 'Soviet Union,' 'Bush' for 'Reagan' and 'war on terror' for 'Cold War,' and the stories need little editing. The U.S. is 'bad,' our enemies 'understandable' if not downright 'good.' ... When's the last time you read a story about the progress being made on the power grid [in Iraq]? Or the new desalination plant that just came on-line, or the school that just opened, or the Iraqi policeman who died doing something heroic? No, to judge by the dispatches, all the Iraqis do is stand outside markets and government buildings waiting to be blown up. ... And reporters wonder why they're despised." --Mark Yost, Minnesota Pioneer Press

"The good news is I don't have to tell voters who I am. They know who I am. Of course, that's also the bad news." --Delaware Democratic Sen. Joe Biden, mulling over whether to run for the presidency for a second time

"In Washington, I work with boobs every day." -- Arizona Sen. John McCain defending his cameo appearance in "Wedding Crashers," rated "R" for partial nudity

"By foisting their fantasies of themselves on the country, [Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame] have instigated a massive criminal investigation, the result of which is: The only person who has demonstrably lied and possibly broken the law is Joseph Wilson. So the obvious solution is to fire Karl Rove." -- Ann Coulter

"A big chunk of American elites have decided there is no war; it's all a racket got up by Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney. And, even if there is a war somewhere or other, but not where Mr. Bush says. Iraq is a 'distraction' from Afghanistan. And, were there no Iraq, Afghanistan would be a distraction from Niger, and Niger is a distraction from Valerie Plame's next Vanity Fair photo shoot." -- Mark Steyn

"Ralph Nader's 2004 election coordinator was found guilty of election fraud. Yeah, apparently Nader didn't get six votes he got five." -- Conan O'Brien

"Senator Boxer, the Constitution says 'Advice and Consent,' not nag and meddle. If you want to be involved in the nominating process, run for president." -- Duane Patterson

"I keep thinking about the liberal effort to canonize Sandra Day O'Connor as one of the Supreme Court greats. What a joke. She was appointed by President Reagan at the urging of Barry Goldwater as a political sop to feminists. She was not a great legal mind and was not one of Reagan's better appointments, mainly because she was ruled by her emotions rather than by logic or any particular knowledge of the Constitution. The best thing she has done is resign. For this she deserves our praise." -- Lyn Nofziger

"Hillary Clinton gave a speech in Aspen, Colorado and accused President Bush of damaging the economy by catering to the rich. Why was Hillary in Aspen, Colorado? Because she was catering to the rich." -- Jay Leno

"If it is the plight of the Palestinians that drives them, why, every time it looks as if Israel and Palestine are making progress, does the same ideology perpetrate an outrage that turns hope back into despair? If it is Afghanistan that motivates them, why blow up innocent Afghans on their way to their first-ever election? If it is Iraq that motivates them, why is the same ideology killing Iraqis by terror in defiance of an elected Iraqi government? What was 11 September 2001 the reprisal for?" -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair

"The fact that native-born Muslim Europeans are committing terror acts within their own countries shows that this Islamist malignancy long predates Iraq, long predates Afghanistan and long predates 9/11. What Europe had incubated is an enemy within, a threat that for decades Europe simply refused to face. Early news reports of the London bombings mentioned that police found no suspects among known Islamist cells in Britain. Come again? Why in God's name is a country letting known Islamist cells thrive, instead of just rolling them up? ... Decadence is defined not by a civilization's art or music but ultimately by its willingness to simply defend itself." -- Charles Krauthammer

web posted July 18, 2005

"The Supreme Court has reconstituted itself as a permanent constitutional convention, amending the Constitution at will to suit the ideology of the majority. If that weren't enough, the Left is convinced that it has a divine right to determine the philosophical composition of the high court, regardless of the outcome of elections." -- Don Feder

"Can anyone doubt that these smear campaigns make judicial appointments less attractive to some -- perhaps many -- highly qualified people, who tend to have alternative careers available to them, almost invariably at far higher pay? It is one thing to be willing to sacrifice income in order to serve your country, it is something else to have a lifetime reputation for integrity, honesty, and dignity destroyed by noisy and shameless politicians playing to the gallery of special interests." -- Thomas Sowell

"What, if anything, should government do about the sustained increase in gasoline prices? Not a thing. For both practical and theoretical reasons, politicians and regulators should resist the temptation to monkey around with fuel markets. No matter how well intentioned, intervention to protect consumers will only make matters worse." -- Peter Van Doren

"[Y]ou are dealing with an enemy that does not want anything specific, and cannot be talked back into reason through anger management or round-table discussions. Or, rather, this enemy does want something specific: to take full control of your lives, dictate every single move you make round the clock and, if you dare resist, he will feel it is his divine duty to kill you." -- Amir Taheri

"Some Democrats are simply uncomfortable about America having a strong and unapologetic role in the world. This isn't treason; it's weakness. And weakness in the dangerous world we face is an invitation for more terror. Be warned." -- James Taranto

"Even William Rehnquist is more moderate than they expected. The only ones that resulted how [Republicans] predicted were [Antonin] Scalia and [Ruth Bader] Ginsburg. So most of the time they've gotten their picks wrong, and that's what we want to do to them again." -- Sen. Chuck Schumer on Republicans' past failures

"It is a wide-open field. The person who is leading at this stage is Hillary Clinton. [She], of course, has lots of money. She comes from a state with lots of people in it.... I think she is the person to beat, but that doesn't necessarily mean she is the best candidate." -- Sen. Harry Reid on Hillary's 2008 candidacy

"In speculating about why movie-going is down this summer insiders are starting to ask if there's a disconnect between the public and Hollywood over politics and social issues." -- Hollywood Reporter

"Harry Reid and the Democrats think [Alberto Gonzales] might be 'moderate' enough to suit them [as a Supreme Court justice]. They think he has the potential to 'grow' up to be David Souter. They're terrified the president will choose a fully grown nominee, and they're willing to take somebody they despise to avoid getting someone they really hate." -- Wes Pruden

"[T]he city of Paris lost the chance to host the 2012 Olympics. Apparently they're very bitter about it. The Parisians are disappointed because they were looking forward to being rude to thousands of new people." -- Conan O'Brien

"What is in the air there in Washington, what is in the water? What is wrong with them? This is not a rhetorical question. I think it is unspoken question No.1 as Americans look at so many of the individuals in our government. What is wrong with them?" -- Peggy Noonan

"Brian Williams, main character of the dark, prime time NBC satire called 'Nightly News,' is now a finalist, with Newsweek magazine and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., for the title of 'Revisionist Historian of The Year.' The honor goes to the creator of the biggest whopper defaming America and/or Americans, for which an apology is required. The judges have to decide whether the recipient created the fiction out of malevolence or ignorance. No extra points are awarded for stupidity." -- Oliver North

"The president of CBS News has commissioned his staff to come up with an evening news format that favors more of a "storytelling" style over the traditional news format. Storytelling? So it sounds like they're bringing back Dan Rather, huh?" -- Jay Leno

web posted July 11, 2005

"Is the American tradition of self-reliance disappearing? That's a painful question for conservatives to ponder. After all, we're dedicated to reducing the role of government and promoting individual freedom and opportunity. But the facts, while sad, are clear: More Americans today depend more heavily on government than ever before." -- Ed Feulner

"It continues to defy explanation why liberals, who theoretically love liberty, equality, tolerance and moderation, should find so much to despise in their own country, which represents the fullest expression of those virtues anywhere on the globe." -- Mona Charen

"Harry Reid needs to tell the American people what he plans to do about the looming Social Security crisis. If Reid plans to raise taxes to prop up Social Security, or cut benefits, he should tell us so. If he has another idea, he should share it with us. But fearmongering is not a Social Security plan." -- Michael Tanner

"The political temptation may be great to appoint a Hispanic Justice or another woman or some other nominee selected on the basis of group identity rather than individual qualifications. At this crucial juncture in the history of the Supreme Court, that would be needlessly repeating the mistake that brought Sandra Day O'Connor to the High Court in the first place." -- Thomas Sowell

"[The Senate's] role in advice and consent consists of determining intellect, experience, and judicial temperament. It is not up to [them] to select Justices based upon their ideology. That is the president's Constitutional role. [Their] job is to make sure that the person the president nominates is qualified to do the job, not to determine if the nominee will do the job [their] way." -- Duane Patterson

"In a society that constitutionally limits the powers of government and maximizes individual liberty, there is no justification for the forcible transfer of money from taxpayers to artists, scholars, and broadcasters." -- David Boaz and Sheldon Richman

"Only an elitist who lives in a cocoon could survey the decline of morality over the past four decades (and the corresponding rise of social angst), and say the Great Divorce that the Supreme Court presided over -- the separation of faith from our public life -- has served us well." -- Don Feder

"[T]he mainstream media still shun the 'T' word in favor of 'insurgents' or 'the resistance.' The 'insurgents' in Iraq aren't really 'insurging.' They are blowing up large numbers of random people. But the press keeps talking about activists, rebels, militants, fighters, assailants, attackers, hostage-takers. Some media outlets are willing to refer to 'acts of terrorism,' as long as they don't have to call the people who perform those acts 'terrorists'." -- John Leo

"[T]he first several U.S. presidents were certainly revolutionaries and might have been called 'terrorists' by the British crown, after all." -- NBC's Brian Williams

"All questions are legitimate. What is your view on Roe v. Wade? What is your view on gay marriage? They are going to try to get away with the idea that we're not going to know their views. But that's not going to work this time." -- Sen. Chuck Schumer, pointing to ideology as the determinant in judicial confirmation hearings

"It is a decision of the Supreme Court. So this is almost as if God has spoken." -- Nancy Pelosi reacting to the Supreme Court's decision on "eminent domain"

"Two of the [recent Supreme Court] rulings dealt with the Ten Commandments. Or more specifically when they shalt not be exhibited. The shorthand of the two rulings are: Generally no in courtrooms. Yes on the Statehouse grounds in Austin, Texas. The Supremes have said that there are places and times for religion in American public life and for most of us that is not everywhere nor all the time." -- Rich Galen

"There's no mystery about why the U.S. Supreme Court threw the Ten Commandments out of the courthouse. You can't engrave 'thou shalt not steal' or even 'thou shalt not commit adultery' and certainly not 'thou shalt not lie' on the walls inside a building full of lawyers, judges and politicians without creating a hostile work environment." -- Wesley Pruden

"Justice Breyer didn't identify the year in which he believes the Commandments ceased to be constitutional -- 1968, 1973? Or maybe a sliding scale? If you put up the Commandments before 1965, you can have all Ten; between 1966 and 1979, you can have six firm Commandments plus a couple of strong recommendations; from 1980 to 1991, it's two Commandments and a half-dozen lifestyle tips?" -- Mark Steyn

"The president of the United States [spoke] on Iraq [last week] at Fort Bragg, N.C., and some dude called John Kerry, who is not president, showed up on the op-ed page of The New York Times...to tell the president what to say. Which just goes to prove, the average voter is smarter than the editors of The New York Times op-ed page. ... This is not a graceful piece of writing, but what do you expect from a C student?" -- James Taranto

"A few weeks ago it was the senators who announced the judicial compromise. There is nothing wrong with compromise and nothing wrong with announcements, but the senators who spoke referred to themselves with such flights of vanity and conceit -- we're so brave, so farsighted, so high-minded -- that it was embarrassing. They patted themselves on the back so hard they looked like a bevy of big breasted pigeons in a mass wing-flap. Little grey feathers and bits of corn came through my TV screen, and I had to sweep up when they were done." -- Peggy Noonan

"The struggle over the Supreme Court is not just about law: it is about the future of our culture. To restore the Court's integrity will require a minimum of three appointments of men and women who have so firm an understanding of the judicial function that they will not drift left once on the bench. Choosing, and fighting for, the right man or woman to replace Justice O'Connor is the place to start. That will be difficult, but the stakes are the legitimate scope of self-government and an end to judicially imposed moral disorder." -- Robert Bork

"Judges who have compiled a track record of strong positions on controversial issues will be passed over. ... A president or a governor should be willing to occasionally risk a bruising confirmation battle to elevate a jurist with great potential to make a difference. ... Although I frequently find myself in disagreement with Justice Brown's opinions, I have come to greatly admire her independence, her tenacity, her intellect and her wit. It's time to refocus the judicial-confirmation process on the personal qualities of the candidates, rather than the 'hot button' issues of the past. Our goal should be to have judges in place with a reverence for our Constitution, who will approach these issues with independence, an open mind, a lot of common sense, a willingness to work hard and an ability to communicate clearly and effectively." -- Gerald Uelmen, Professor, Santa Clara University School of Law

web posted July 4, 2005

"From now on no one's property is safe. Once liberals stood for the rights of the working man. [Last week's] ruling proves that that was all a sham. It is big government that liberals stand for, and anything that gives government more power and authority is fair game." -- Christopher Orlet on the Kelo v. New London ruling

"Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 in the attacks and prepared for war; liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers." --Karl Rove

"The American way of life is a beguiling mixture: some rugged individualism, some thumb-sucking dependency. At regular intervals, we elect leaders to use some combination of those formulas. We really seem not to care which. We're interested in ends, not means. The ends are (see above) happiness and prosperity. We assume Congress is laboring constantly toward these ends." -- Bill Murchison

"Is America, the country that produced the Declaration of Independence, becoming a nation of dependents? Specifically, are we now a nation of people tethered to government, a society that has abandoned a proud and grand tradition of self-reliance and rugged individualism?" -- Rebecca Hagelin

"Those on the far left are employing the same kind of rhetoric and tactics that worked during the Vietnam War -- where overheated rhetoric and the most vile slander are acceptable if they tarnish the president and hurt our war effort. They have no shame. They play politics like the Islamo-fascists conduct warfare -- dirty, ruthless and reckless, with no discernible rules, no regard for fact and no compunction about stabbing people in the back." -- Oliver North

"The Supreme Court's ruling...that the economically troubled city of New London, Conn., can use its power of eminent domain to spur development was a welcome vindication of cities' ability to act in the public interest. It also is a setback to the 'property rights' movement, which is trying to block government from imposing reasonable zoning and environmental regulations." -- The New York Times, which itself just benefited from eminent domain to build a new office building

"For the holy war [jihad] there's no difference between men and women [martyrs]. According to the Koran, male martyrs are welcomed to Paradise by 72 beautiful virgins. ...[A] woman martyr will be the chief of the 72 virgins, the fairest of the fair." -- London's Telegraph quoting a 20-year-old would-be Palestinian suicide bomber, now residing in an Israeli prison

"That is to say, the highest aspiration for a fundamentalist Palestinian girl is murder, suicide and prostitution. Has there ever been a more depraved culture?" -- James Taranto

"Most Democrats today are increasingly skeptical of using military force -- even against terrorists. No wonder the public thinks the party is weak on national security. Exactly 50 percent of Democrats do not believe dismantling al-Qa'ida should be a top foreign-policy goal." -- Ari Melber, a former John Kerry adviser and MoveOn.org activist, in the New York Post

"The history of the world is like: He kills me, I kill him, only with different cosmetics and different castings. So in 2001, some fanatics killed some Americans, and now some Americans are killing some Iraqis. And in my childhood, some Nazis killed Jews. And now, some Jewish people and some Palestinians are killing each other." -- Woody Allen explaining to the German Der Spiegel and the NY Post why he is not interested in 9/11

"National Democrats and their allies in the popular press were in full projectile sweat mode last week over a speech given by Karl Rove in New York. ... The Dems were desperate to try and get a Republican -- ANY Republican -- saying something -- ANYthing -- which would allow them to jump around, hooting, screaming, and baring their teeth like a bunch of primates, in a National Geographic special, who have just spotted a boa constrictor in their midst." -- Rich Galen

"The Dems are having a hissyfit over [Karl Rove's] comments, as if stating the obvious is on par with slandering American troops and invoking hysterical analogies. ... More circus entertainment brought to you by the party of make-believe and the alternate reality-based community." -- Michelle Malkin

"Ted Kennedy called for Rumsfeld's resignation. This is interesting. This marks the first time Kennedy has ever come out against anything with rum in it." -- Conan O'Brien

"Howard Dean warned Friday that Democrats are losing Hispanic voters to the Republicans. Advertising makes it happen, Howard. They haven't been here ten years and already they want to be white Christians who never worked a day in their lives." -- Argus Hamilton

"Saddam Hussein is 100% certain that he will one day return to power. You know, kind of like the Clintons." -- Jay Leno

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