The Anchoress

Note to readers: It’s kind of a long round-up, but stick with it and follow the links…there are a number of things in here you’re not likely to see anywhere else, particularly the Tommy Franks piece and the bit on Pelosi.

Jules Crittenden, as prolific and clear-voiced a writer as I have ever read, must feel that he doesn’t get enough abuse, so he’s decided to commit a new blog. Poor man. I have warned him that he has simply created a beast which requires constant feeding and care…but kids never listen! Be sure to run over to his blog, check him out and say hi!

Dr. Sanity is wondering about the Paradise that is Iran. Hey, that’s not new thinking. Bill Clinton praised Progressive Iran a while ago. But then he’s always been fond of Iran, and wasn’t it interesting to read in James Risen’s State of War how Clinton gave Iranian physicists blueprints for part of a nuclear bomb. But then Clinton and the Arab world have always been a mutual-admiration society. Heck no one ever blew up anything of ours, while he was president. And now…what’s a little plutonium waste between friends? Even friends who stormed the embassy?

On Iraq, a couple of interesting, if contrasting, views. Betsy Newmark points out that the NY Times is free to report fact without fear of it blowing the elections for the Democrats, they’re discovering that…uh-oh…“pulling out may not be the best plan”. Geez, I’m plotzing, over here. Writes Betsy:

Does anyone really think that Bush doesn’t “understand the urgency” of the situation in Iraq? He might have different ideas from Harry Reid on what to do, but the man gets daily briefings on the situation there. I haven’t seen Harry Reid propose anything that will work - does he understand the urgency of what will happen if the U.S. starts announcing a pullout schedule as people like Levin are urging.

Even as the Times quotes the experts, though, the Dems are saying, “pull-out! pull-out!. It reminds me of that joke George Carlin used to tell in 1972, in mocking the military, “Pull out? Doesn’t sound manly to me! I say let’s stay in, get the job done!”

Something to be said for finishing the job!

Meanwhile, my Li’l Bro Thom sends this along: Is This Victory?. Interesting reading by Tommy Franks, Stephen Biddle, Peter Charles Choharis, John M. Owen IV, Daniel Pipes, Gary Rosen and Dov S. Zakheim.

The Democrats first moves don’t seem to be impressing anyone except their adoring cheerleaders in the media. Instapundit’s round-up includes looking at the corruption of John Murtha. I’m even more concerned about Pelosi’s bat-brained idea of putting Alcee Hastings in charge of the intel committee. But hey, it’s not like we weren’t warned. Although you might be very interested in reading this in-depth look at Nancy Pelosi and her “loyalty factor” which may explain a few things.

Instapundit could not be more correct when he says that neither the Democrats nor the GOP seem to have taken the message of the last election to heart. It’s just more and more and more of the same.

So, let’s recap the election, shall we? Voters supposedly voted out the GOP because of corruption, but Murtha is corrupt, (and Abramoff is apparently saying Harry Reid is, too), William Jefferson had a hundred grand in his freezer, Nancy Pelosi seems an unserious housecleaner and oh, yeah, Abramoff is going to spill about 6-8 Dems. Meantime, the first move of the Democrats (besides chirping “pull out”) is to apparently pay outstanding debts to leaders of dubious worth or ethics. And apparently the only ones who believe the Dems actually had a plan for Iraq (something besides “screw Bush and get back in power”) are the NY Times and the WaPo. Shrinkwrapped is shrinking the left for us. And really, after reading this, I’d say they need it. Iowavoice is diagnosing denial.

Taking all that into account, it’s not really surprising that the normally optimisitic Kobayashi Maru has a sense of impending doom..and yet, peace. Called as Seen blames the hard-line conservatives. I think there is plenty of blame to go around, myself, although I do think new rhetoric must be found on the right to address illegal immigration, and it must involve reform. It can’t be simply “ship ‘em all back and guard the wall…” no matter how much some would like it to be.

This Spunky Homeschooler has an optimistic 17 year old who sees the pony in the manure! It’s a very interesting read, as well.

Final musings on the election: What the Jewish vote did and did not say. I wondered a bit about Democrats and the Jews in this piece a while back. Meanwhile Flopping Aces takes Chuck Schumer to task for basically calling all conservatives anti-semites. Un. Real.

If you were as sickened by the way The Simpsons treated our military last week (it literally made me ill) then you’ll appreciate this story of one soldier’s homecoming made all the sweeter by what the writer calls “the love-your-country-crowd.” Which at least acknowledges that there are other sorts out there, I guess.

Do you remember, ‘way back in August I wrote about The Baltimore Sun’s experiment in podcasting interviews with bloggers? Of course you do - you guys seem to remember what I write much more clearly than I do, sometimes. Well, Fausta has dared to go where I would not, and she talked to John Lindner. The podcast interview with our sister-in-Brynlove is here.

There are so many interesting bloggers I look forward to hearing in such a format. I’d love to see Lindner interview Ambivablog who (like many of my faves on the blogroll) always brings an interesting and fresh perspective to any topic. Or, you know, he could interview these nuns.

And speaking of podcasts, the Sanity Squad have gathered to discuss the election fallout, listen to Siggy, Shrinkwrapped, neo-neocon and Dr. Sanity gas away about the psychological implications of the past week.

Speaking of neo-neocon, she’s thinking about lies, politics and Vietnam and writes very interestingly. A family member of mine just returned from a trip which involved a few days in Vietnam, and he found that country’s perceptions (and public utterances) about America to be very interesting, in view of their eagerness to engage economically.

Spinning down, here’s a few things that caught my eye: Pajamas Media’s Claudia Rosett suggesting that we taxpayers pay John Bolton’s salary and get him recess-appointed. I’m game for that.

Michael Barone looks at the basic balance of politics, the English are worried that the left is going to hurt the Dems, Investor’s Business Daily looks at the harvest of weakness.

Pursuing Holiness completes a circle by jumping off from yesterday’s post on the current time-warp. Very interesting, I particularly like the bit about the “Half a Life” episode of Star Trek, TNG. Smart. But PH is always smart. Obi’s Sister seems like she was on a similar wavelength yesterday (she even brings up Logan’s Run), as was Chris Muir:

I’ve never gotten the appeal of Elvis, but here’s some video you might like. Seems only fair that I link to this, since I make you guys watch Bryn, Bryn, Bryn every week.

Finally, Siggy review’s Gagdad Bob’s new book. Sounds like a winner!

UPDATE: So, Abramoff named Harry Reid among others. It won’t matter…the press won’t cover it. And I note one lefty blogger who has already said he won’t cover it. Note a pattern here? Note the difference between left and right?