Favorite poster from NR's "The Corner"

I had more discussion with Jonah last night. But I'm not going to post it. Cause it's stupid.

I hope these guys live up to the classic image of conservatives at home, with a paisley bathrobe and a snifter of brandy, reading the Troopergate bullet points and answering e-mail.

aw come onnnnn

xp

It was really boring. He sent me some google searches to prove that liberals call right-wingers unfairly radical. And then I got bored and told him to keep up the good work of destroying those liberals fascists. And he thanked me for my support.

did the google searches prove anything?

Sure. Some bloggers have called Gingrich a radical right-wingers before.

ah so bloggers=liberals

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Wow. K-Lo in a walk.

we're all secretly crushing on the o.g. fertility goddess

Someone should email these exciting results to her.

Why when I read this can I only hear the sound of Andy sobbing softly, "Wh-wh-wh-why won't anyone believe me?"

Re: Ayers as Obama's Ghost Writer?!? [Andy McCarthy]

Jon, it's very like the other side to engage in the attack ad hominem and leave substance for another day (that never comes) so I'm surprised to find you doing it. Cashill has written a very thorough analysis. If you're content to have that be your reaction to it, so be it. As I said, I resisted reading Cashill's analysis for a long time — and he's not the first to advance the idea that Obama did not write his book — because I didn't want to be accused of wading into what could be taken as nutter stuff. I was then persuaded that I should at least look at it with an open mind. I'm convinced it raises major questions. I tried to treat them in a serious way. I expected to get gruff, but I did hope it wouldn't come from my own (diminishing) ranks. But such is the way it is these days.

Do me a favor, though. The next time someone complains that we really don't know enough about Obama — that he won't talk about Columbia, release his records or anything he wrote there; that he won't produce anything from his Harvard days; that there seems to have been a concerted effort to purge documentation of his connections to socialist associations; that he has misrepresented the fact and depth of his relationships with some troublesome people — do make sure to repeat your thoughtful response that you've seen no evidence that evidence is relevant. We're about to elect to the presidency a blank slate of the Left who comes to us with a neon sign that says "SLATE NOT ACTUALLY BLANK IF YOU LOOK HARD ENOUGH." As the sign flashes, we've got an awful lot of people content to say, "Oh that, well if you just toss another blanket over it, the glare isn't so bad. Meanwhile, can we please just get back to the really important issues, like another targeted 2.67341 percent tax cut for left-handed working mothers — and quickly, before Obama offers 2.71523!"

10/13 06:07 AM

A credit to his law class, that one.

(As opposed to That One, of course.)

Re: Ayers as Obama's Ghost Writer [Jonathan Adler]

Andy — I agree that there are many troubling things about Obama, and there are many things that the press should — but has not — covered or investigated in any detail, including his relationship with Bill Ayers. I also don't think it is at beyond the pale to speculate about the provenance of his books, or even to suggest that to suggest he may have had help. But it's still a giant leap to Cashill's suggestion that Ayers was the actual writer of Obama's book, his "analysis" notwithstanding. There are more serious issues at stake, and we can do better than that.

10/13 10:19 AM

It's a Corner Cat Fight!

we really don't know enough about Obama — that he won't talk about Columbia, release his records or anything he wrote there

Like that Santana collab that didn't make it onto Supernatural.

Bob Dylan ghost-wrote Dreams from My Father and Obama played the harmonica parts on Time Out of Mind.

Thanks for the thoughtful advice, Mordechai. You may be right. Do you think it's unimportant that Obama doesn't want to discuss vast swaths of his past? And if it is important, doesn't trying to examine it necessarily expose one to the charge of being a conspiracy theorist? You may still be right. I haven't adopted Cashill's theory; I have simply been persuaded that he's raised colorable questions that Obama has it within his power to put to rest ... but won't. Maybe, though, we're at the point of diminishing returns. Best, Andy

From: Mordy
Sent: Mon 10/13/2008 12:48 PM
To: Andrew McCarthy
Subject: Sorry Andy

Jonathan Adler is right. Citing the Cashill as an argument against
Obama turns you from a political pundit into a conspiracy theorist -
about on the level of 9/11 Truthers. You do your cause no help by
embracing this kind of pseudo-scientific dolchstoss.

-M

Have I mentioned how much I love these guys? (Also, thanks to whomever posted that Harper's article in the election thread and added the word dolchstoss to my vocabulary.)

And these are people for whom I presume "when I was young and irresponsible, I was young and irresponsible" was sufficient

I just sent Andy a long, basically sincere, email back explaining why I find the Obama-associations argument weak. Mostly arguing that I personally have associated with numerous people of dubious reputation (read: all of ILX), and I don't think it makes me a bad person.

lol:

Hitchens [Mark R. Levin]

If you thought there was hope for this guy, reconsider.

You all realize this will be THE hot ticket here next month:

http://www.nrcruise.com/

If I had a huge disposable income I would so be there.

hahaha xxp

No Jonah Goldberg! I'll bet the high seas make him sickly. But the inclusion of Mittens makes up for it.

Uh, Jonah Goldberg is there.

Not sure how I missed that. I guess he's like the Ted McGinley of this Love Boat.

Activities:

Work out in the state-of-the-art fitness center
Learn Yoga
Relax by the pool
Enjoy High Tea
Take an arts tour
Pamper yourself in the Greenhouse Spa
Take a class in the Culinary Arts Center
Play paddle tennis
Attend a wine tasting
Surf the internet
Attend an art auction
See a first-run movie
Enjoy coffee and the New York Times
Relax in a hydrotherapy pool
Check out a book from the library

I thought The New York Times wouldn't be allowed on board.

Can't wait for all the talk everyone will have with Christopher Buckley. Restrained and thoughtful I'm sure.

I thought The New York Times wouldn't be allowed on board.

"Ladies and gentlemen, our special guest speaker -- Paul Krugman!"

this is a total liberal rickroll from the sound of the activities

Surf the internet

good thing to know the corner wont be shut down by these paddle tennis shenanigans

We just need a 'wacky' mix-up in booking between this and the VNV Nation goth cruises.

Those activities seem so twee! Why no skeet shooting?

Why no skeet shooting?

Nowhere near as good as skeet surfing.

skeet skeet skeet

Actually Nicole is right, I've found the skeet shooting that they would love to practice. (5:54 forward.)

Respectfully Disagreeing [Kathryn Jean Lopez]

David Frum was on CBS this morning and expressed his view that the choice of Sarah Palin was a mistake. He complained that it was a play to the base that hurts people like Coleman and Dole who need help, and some centering from the top of the ticket would help them and McCain.

I’m getting really frustrated with the reflex some on the Right have to want to push conservatism to the side or on hold. Someone has to hold the line at all times. Ideas have consequences. And so do campaign choices.

How about this exciting Sarah Palin talking more about McCain’s policies that are, in fact conservative? How about Palin talking about his record of good judgment on the surge and fighting against the excesses of government? How about Palin talking about his health-care plan? And I do think that she should continue to talk compassionately about abortion, because few can as she can. This does not reject either conservatism or non-ideological centrists who are moved by populist talk that touches their lives.

I swear, K-Lo is laff-a-minute. She's irrepressible.

the corner's post-mortem on this election is going to be something to watch

It might be instructive to paste their responses to the 2006 midterms.

ah yes the thumpin

!

this exciting Sarah Palin

As opposed to that boring Sarah Palin.

She seems so invested in Sarah Palin.

Going to be a bad rate of return.

Haha, wow, going back to that cruise page, check this:

http://www.nrcruise.com/Pages/faq.htm

Specifically this prominently featured link:

http://www.nrcruise.com/Pages/faq.htm#commitment

For many years, Holland America has stressed environmental awareness, conservation, waste reduction and recycling. Today, our environmental initiatives positively affect the lives of guests, staff, and the inhabitants of the many regions visited by our cruises and tours.

Our Five-Star ships are as environmentally sound as they are physically beautiful. We were the first to follow MARPOL standards for garbage processing and disposal (adhering to the standards three years before they became law).

Read the whole thing. Who knew they were such greens over at the NRO.

can we start an ILX cruise?