The Anchoress

Jules Crittenden has been blogging for a much shorter time than I have but - proving how much smarter he is than I - he’s already found a means of tossing out blogosphere/story round-ups with a clever header “Good News/Bad News” that let’s you know just what you’re getting.

So simple…”good news/bad news”…why hadn’t I thought of that? Instead, I’m constantly trying to figure out new ways of telling you that I am doing a “round-up,” and that gets dangerous, as some of you may remember from my ill-advised, almost incomprehensible cowpoke-talkin’ days.

Well, from now on, I’m “Scanning the ‘Sphere,” which is boring but at least alliterative, and it lets you know that you’re in for a round-up so - if’n you don’t like round-ups - you can by-pass the post. Often I try to collect these things with some sort of cohesion, but I’m still recovering, so I fling ‘em out to you rather randomly:

Did Bill Clinton lie about WMD in Iraq, back in 1997-98? Given Sandy Berger’s theft and destruction of classified papers, and George Tenet’s just plain weirdness, it’s a question worth asking. I mean, all this time, we’ve been saying, “how can Bush have lied about WMD when Bill Clinton, Hillary, Madam Albright, Kerry, Daschle, Israel, France, Germany, the UN, et al were saying it, over and over for years” before Bush ever did.” Well…Clinton was known to tell a fib or two, wasn’t he? Maybe it all was a lie, after all, and Bush stupidly believed it and acted on it. But if that’s true, the lie began under a different administration. What do we do about that? Nothing, I guess. But lie or no lie, I don’t see how that means we abandon Iraq, especially now that it seems positive things are happening.

Terrorism is down, almost everywhere, but that’s not information you’re likely to hear as the press spins the country terrorism report.

Ed Morrissey notes that Congress still has not delivered their ill-fated surrender bill to the White House for President Bush’s assumed veto. It’s been what, five days now? Ed wonders if Pelosi really would rather be thought stupid and inept than merely a cynical poli. You’d think they’d be mutually exclusive, wouldn’t you? Every day the Democrats teach us how complicated the world can be, if you want it that way. If you’re able, don’t miss Ed’s radio show as he’ll be reviewing a blogger conference call with Tony Snow and the WH, among other things.

Perhaps one of the reasons - besides political hay - that Pelosi is hanging on to the bill is because she knows that as soon as it is delivered, the Democrats will be perceived to have taken ownership of “defeat.” Bush, unambiguously committed to the idea of “victory” will own “victory” and the ambiguous, muddy Democrats will own “defeat.” Savvy. Siggy and assorted pals say it’s a bad day for Nancy.

Mark Knoller, who apparently dislikes presidential vetos, given his closing sentence, looks at presidential vetos down through the ages. He notes that this will only be President Bush’s second veto (imho, it should be his third - the McCain-Feingold Bill should have also gotten stamped) and mentions that Bill Clinton’s line-item vetos have since been ruled unconstitutional. It sucks when the constitution just doesn’t let you do whatever you want, doesn’t it?

Dennis Prager says even if going to war was a mistake, the bigger mistake will be to walk away and leave behind the chaos of a half-done job. That will destroy Iraq, it will destroy any hopes of ever instilling a democratic mindset into the Middle East, and it will demoralize our armed forces into impotency. I agree. I’ve said as much several times over the last couple years.

Varifrank gives us all a much needed, kick-in-pants history lesson . Don’t miss it.

If you haven’t been thinking much about China, start now. After reading this report, I was feeling nudged to fast for the poor people trapped within that nation. When I am a little stronger, I will.

Jules Crittenden has some thoughts about John McCain’s “League of Democracies idea, and they’re rather pungent.

Don Surber finds McCain’s idea a little too Fantastic Four for him.

Dick Meyer ran a piece a few days ago looking at how freedom of speech may be protected even as we also try to protect our values and sensibilities. The column may surprise you.

“We’re entitled to be rude, we’re rich, famous liberals” is basically what, when all is said and done, Sheryl Crow and Laurie David were communicating when tag-teamed Rove. They opined that the reality of Bush’s scientists is not as real as the reality of theirs, and then Crow, jabbed her finger into Rove’s chest and squeezed his arm while doing it. Unthinkable behavior not too long ago - by anyone, of any stripe - now it’s entitled behavior. I seem to remember Al Franken also thinking he was entitled to lay his hands on another. Oh, those wacky, peace-loving, compassionate, tolerant types!

Hugh Hewitt chronicles just how ailing is the Los Angeles Times, assisted (or perhaps more accurately, inspired) by Patterico, who has been monitoring it’s collapse for quite a long time and knows it’s every cough and moan.

Surviving by choice and faith: I rarely write about my early years but I did just this one time, mostly because I think it’s important to tell people that suffering - even over a period of years - need not be the thing that defines one, or if it must be, then it may help to define you well instead of badly. Viola recalls her time in an orphanage and comes to a similar conclusion.

So, whaddya think of that anti-Christ? Michael Dubruiel looks at one cardinal’s ideas.

Military Musicians at Balad Air Base cheer for their own idols. This sounds more fun that American Idol has been. I’d love to see any video of it, if someone has it!

Heh. Thanks to reader John, you can watch the milIdols here, here and here.

Holy Mass and Baseball, I’d say this boy has sound priorities, and because he’s only seven, I will forgive his being a Red Sox fan. Speaking of which, I’m glad to see my boy Derek Jeter defending Joe Torre, but it would be nice to see Mr. Torre get a little less sentimental about his aging squad and a little more aggressive with them. My Yankees’ poor play over the past two weeks sorely affected my recovery!

Alright, I’m a little crushed over here, Bryn is saying he’s retiring at 45. That sucks - I hope he rethinks it. Doesn’t he know I still must see him sing the Count in Figaro, and Don Alfonso in Cosi?

But when you almost choke to death on a plane, such small concerns don’t really matter, do they?

George W. Bush and Atticus Finch? You decide - I’d forgotten this piece and figured I’d repost it, as it seems back then, when I was healthier, I also wrote with a sharper quill.