Center of Attention
December 26th, 2007
By PETE ABEL, Managing Editor
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Assorted items from the past week, wherein the writers attempt to strike a balanced note on current affairs or challenge us to review and refine our own sense of balance, of what’s right and wrong, fair and unfair, rational and not.
‘Twas the day after Christmas and all through the ’sphere, no one really cared who was balanced or not … except me, of course.
Steve Clemons asks two so-called Christians to show some Christ-like love, peace, and mercy to their gay son and brother.
Steve Benen ponders whether or not Hillary’s last eight years in the White House actually count for something. His conclusion:
If you’re sympathetic to Clinton, her eight years in the White House offer her the kind of experience and insights that few presidential candidates can even hope to match. If you’re unsympathetic, Clinton shouldn’t count her eight years in a ceremonial position in which she made practically no substantive decisions relating to foreign policy or national security, did not receive intelligence briefings, and did not, as some former officials put it, “feel or process the weight of responsibility.”
It’s the same background, but it’s up to you which version to prefer.
If you believe, as Fed Chair Ben Bernanke apparently does, that inflation is the mother lode of all evil, then you’ll appreciate Michael Bowen’s graphically assembled inflation data — which shows we have had it pretty damn good for the last 15-plus years, and we’re certainly in much better shape today than we were during the dog-days of 1974 to 1981.
Ed Morrissey wonders why a certain Iraqi “unity march” was roundly ignored by the MSM. Elsewhere, Michael Totten publishes the guest voice of Jordan W, who concludes: ” … Iraq, circa 2003, is an easy case: avoid optional wars and save capacity for unavoidable ones.”
A left-leaning blogger touts the prisoners-set-free plan of a right-leaning Governor.
[H/t Nick Gillespie.] In the (Columbia, Tenn.) Daily Herald, Ron Hart (with tongue planted firmly in cheek) touts Ron Paul’s campaign as “a thoughtful attempt to claim the broad center in the middle of the red/blue political bickering that passes for political discourse today.” Hart’s last paragraph is pure gold:
Ron Paul is not your typical politician. He strikes me as the only one running who is more likely to be listening to a constituent in a bar rather than getting a $400 haircut or running his opinions by a focus group. He is a smart, conscientious and an accomplished private sector doctor who went into politics for the right reasons. He is a man who stands firmly by his beliefs and does not pander to the worst in human instinct. As such, and if history is any guide, rest assured that he has no chance in hell of winning.
Dennis Sanders praises the virtues of “boring” in his presidential candidate.
Jon Henke joins Megan McArdle in evaluating CEO salaries.
John Tomlin interviews presidential candidates on the perceived apathy of young voters.
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