"Let men be wise by instinct if they can, but when this fails be wise by good advice." -Sophocles

Friday, March 9, 2007

Why Courts Cannot be Entrusted with the War on Terror: Blind Judicial Trust and the Need to Keep Detainees at Gitmo

For anyone still clinging to the fallacious belief that the War on Terror should be chiefly a law enforcement effort involving prosecution in the U.S. court system, as the Clinton administration attempted, an AP report today provided another illustration of why that approach has never been, and will never be, a successful path to eventual victory.

As reported in the New York Sun, Mohammed Salah, a convicted suspect awaiting sentencing in Illinois for perjury in a case involving a conspiracy to launder money for the terror group HAMAS, was not considered a flight risk by U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve, and will be allowed to remove a court-ordered electronic tracking device for his upcoming pre-sentencing vacation at Disney World. According to the Sun article, the Assistant U.S. Attorney in the case tried in vain to convince the judge that Salah’s promises to return to court for sentencing in June, made as they were by a convicted perjurer with links to a terror group, should not be trusted. The judge dismissed this logic, stating, “I’m confident that he will come back.” A delighted Salah reacted to the judge’s permissiveness:

"I get to take it off," a smiling Salah told reporters after court, pointing to a bulge under his left sock where the government has placed an electronic monitoring bracelet to make sure he stays under house arrest.

Judge St. Eve is living proof that President Bush has not appointed exclusively conservative judges during his terms in office. St. Eve, whose views and education are consistent with 1960s liberalism, admitted at her appointment in 2002 to not sharing the President’s political ideals: “Had there been a litmus test on a hot-button conservative issue, ‘I don't know how I could have passed,’ she confesses.” St. Eve's trusting nature is merely a symptom of the larger problem within the judiciary: Not taking the threat of terrorism seriously. For further examples of cases where judges ruled against the War on Terror, click here.

While Salah is grateful for St. Eve’s liberalism and happily sheds the ability of the Justice Department to monitor his whereabouts, another developing story demonstrated that misplaced faith in the judicial system’s efficacy in fighting terrorism is not limited to gullible judges. The Richmond Times-Dispatch (VA) reported today that Democratic members of the U.S Congress are pursuing legislation to close the terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and move detainees to brigs at military bases on the east coast, including the Quantico Marine Corps Base.

While Democrats have claimed that the expenses associated with Guantanamo justify closure of that facility, their pious demand for fiscal responsibility on this issue should be met with skepticism. Democrats have sought throughout the War on Terror to curb President Bush’s war powers, and forcing a closure of the detention facility at Guantanamo would be more than a symbolic victory in the only war they want to win, the War on Bush. Closing Guantanamo and moving prisoners to bases in the U.S. would effectively remove the detainees from Bush’s control as Commander in Chief and place them under the protective care of the Democrats’ preferred source of all rights and authority, the judicial system. The Times-Dispatch article confirms that granting legal rights and defense attorneys to terror detainees is at the heart of the matter:

Rep. James P. Moran, D-8th, said yesterday that he favors bringing Guantanamo detainees who have been charged with offenses to military brigs in the jurisdiction of the Richmond-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

"That's the most conservative circuit court" in the nation, said Moran, a senior member of the House defense appropriations subcommittee. "So nobody can charge [the detainees] won't get a speedy and disciplined trial."

Representative Moran and his Democratic colleagues have not learned from the mistakes of the Clinton administration and continue to put their trust in a judicial system that has already proven incapable of investigating, punishing, and deterring terrorism. While the Clinton Justice Department investigated and ultimately prosecuted Ramsey Yousef for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, others were planning and training for upcoming attacks on our embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, the USS Cole, and eventually 9/11. There is nothing in a criminal trial that can force a defendant to divulge operational information about his organization or co-conspirators. As long as the defendant is willing to accept prosecution and a prison sentence as a form of martyrdom for the cause, prosecutors have no leverage to apply in order to obtain intelligence information that could prevent future attacks or identify other terrorists.

From a purely practical perspective, the argument that operating the detention facility in Guantanamo costs the taxpayers too much money is dubious. If the detainees are moved to bases within U.S. District Court jurisdiction, taxpayers will be financing the legal costs for court proceedings, which will endure for years through endless appeals, as well as what would surely be upgraded housing and dietary provisions compared to Guantanamo. Representative Moran should be challenged to produce a cost comparison between current Guantanamo expenses and those his proposal would incur. Since this is actually a political stunt rather than a legitimate cost-cutting measure, I suspect Americans will never see any such comparison study made available for review.

How did Virginia’s Republicans react to the proposed move of these detainees to bases inside the U.S.? From the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star:

"The Democrat Congress may think it's a great idea to move Islamic Jihadists less than 35 miles of the Pentagon, but it strikes me as poorly conceived," said RPV chairman Ed Gillespie, in a press release. "Moran's proposal would not be good for our national security, and it would not be good for the people in Stafford and neighboring counties."

Rep. Jo Ann Davis, R-Gloucester, also released a statement criticizing the proposal--including the anonymous suggestion of keeping terrorism suspects at Quantico--calling it "reckless policy."

"Bringing terrorists to Quantico, among other places, poses a homeland security threat," said Davis, whose district includes Stafford. "We in Congress are supposed to be working to keep terrorists out of America, not helping to bring them in."

Our court system does not strike fear in the heart of any terrorist and offers no hope for deterrence of future terrorist attacks. One need only point to the juries in the O.J. Simpson or “Scooter” Libby trials for examples of how easily juries can be duped by cleverly presented appeals to their racial or political sympathies. Terrorists would consider it a great luxury and good fortune to be prosecuted in U.S. courts. They would like their chances for acquittal, but even if convicted they would enjoy planning their subsequent unmonitored trips to Disney World.

Perhaps Judge St. Eve and Representative Moran could collaborate with Disney World on a project that would end terrorism through our liberal goodwill: Disney Detainee Day! After a few hours of continuous sailing through “It’s a Small World,” the jihadists will desperately sue for peace. On second thought, we are told that torture is an ineffective tool in the War on Terror. The ankle bracelet-free Salah would surely agree that when it comes to prosecuting terrorism in America’s courts, “it’s a world of laughter. . . .”

Thursday, March 8, 2007

America and China Move Steadily in Opposite Directions

America is becoming China, while China is becoming America. As one who came of age during the Cold War and was inspired by Ronald Reagan’s aggressive fight to roll back Communism, I read my opening statement with equal parts dismay and disgust. As I examined an article appearing in today’s online Washington Post, I was struck by the truly remarkable irony in the events the report described.

Maureen Fan’s article, “China Legislature Introduces Property Law” caught my eye as I scanned the Post, and my heart was filled with hope as I read the following excerpts from the article:

In preparation for likely approval, China's legislature on Thursday began examining a much-debated law that helps protect private property in an increasingly well-off society.

Though the Communist Party still believes the state owns all land, the growing economy has meant that private property "has been increasing with each passing day" and the protection of it is the "urgent demand of the people," the draft legislation states.

"As the reform and opening-up and the economy develop, people's living standards have improved in general, and they urgently require effective protection of their own lawful property accumulated through hard work," said Wang Zhaoguo, Deputy Chairman of the National People's Congress, in introducing the latest draft of the measure to the legislature.

Individuals shall own "their lawful incomes, houses, articles for daily use, means of production and raw materials," the legislation states. "Lawful deposits and investments of individual persons and the gains derived from their investments shall be protected by law." Illegally taking possession or destroying any such property is forbidden.

Of course, China has not renounced Communism or state ownership of land, but the significance of this legislation that appears headed for approval should not be underestimated. China’s government according individual ownership rights to personal property, financial accounts, investments, profits, and “means of production and raw materials” would be perhaps the most important move toward human rights it has made in recent memory. The Communist government appears to realize that its economy relies heavily on private investments, and keeping investors happy is critical, even if doing so requires loosening state control over personal property.

According to Fan’s research, it has taken Chinese activists 14 years to move the pending legislation to this point, but they are optimistic that economic reality will secure final approval. Economics wields a powerful influence over property rights policies, and governments tend to be at the mercy of those who create and maintain consistent revenue sources. If granting and protecting personal property rights appeases China’s growing wealthy entrepreneurial class, the Communist government may consider that as a small price to pay to maintain its hold on other aspects of Chinese governance.

It may take another 14 years, but the next step for China’s property rights advocates will focus on land ownership rights which, as America’s Founding Fathers understood, establish true freedom for individual citizens who could not be removed from their dwellings or livelihood by government. China’s property rights activists recognize that they have made great strides with the personal property legislation, but the fundamental right to the land itself is the ultimate goal:

“As long as the problem of land ownership is not solved, conflicts on unfair land seizure cannot be avoided. Since land is in the hand of the government, a developer can bribe an official and make the official claim that the land is seized for public use," said Liu Xiaobo, a leading political dissident and literary critic. "If the developer could get the approval from the official, he is legally entitled to seize the land."

Still, Liu said the legislation had benefits. "This is the first law in our country for property protection. The public can at least cite a specific law when their property rights are violated," he said.

Though China's Constitution states that "lawful private property is inviolable," farmers and even city dwellers are routinely forced from their homes when developers and local officials decide the property is more profitable as an apartment block, government building or major shopping mall.

As I read the quoted paragraphs above, my initial excitement at witnessing China moving, albeit slowly, in the direction of increasing individual property rights was dampened by the contrasting direction in which America is heading when it comes to this same issue of property rights. As China prepares to approve extended rights, America, the great champion of human rights and liberty, is experiencing a steady increase in seizures of privately owned land by local governments, only to see that same land given to developers who promise huge increases in tax revenue from profitable commercial developments or high density residential housing.

The concluding paragraph of Fan’s article, as quoted above, ironically described precisely what is currently occurring in China and America. The difference lies in the fact that China is moving slowly away from such land seizures, while America, compliments of the 2005 Supreme Court decision in Kelo v. City of New London (CT), is moving steadily in the opposite direction.

In July 2005, popular radio and TV personality Larry Elder wrote a powerful commentary for World Net Daily in which he provides examples of eminent domain land seizures and how, despite nearly unanimous public opposition to the Supreme Court’s ruling, the pace of seizures by local governments is increasing as they seek to secure a larger tax revenue base in their communities. Lest one think that these seizures only happen to owners of “blighted” or “deteriorating” properties, Elder included the example of the Gamble family in Norwood, OH, whose home for 35 years was anything but blighted:

I interviewed Joy and Carl Gamble on my nationally syndicated radio program:

Joy: Six months after we retired, we opened up the newspaper and found out this developer ... wants our neighborhood. We had a nice home and a lovely neighborhood ... we were not a slum. We were not a threat to the health and welfare of Norwood.

Larry: The City Council said your neighborhood is deteriorating and blighted.

Joy: "Deteriorating" is so broad. ... Everybody's home is deteriorating. And now by this ruling by the Supreme Court, we are all renters. Nobody owns their home. ... Matter of fact, we're worse than renters – we're serfs.

Larry: Higher tax base, more revenue for the city, so the heck with Joy and Carl Gamble.

Joy: That's correct, and we lost our home. ... We had to flee or be evicted.

Larry: Did they offer you fair market value?

Carl: Yes ... but we haven't touched the money.

Larry: You don't want the money. ... You weren't going down to Florida and retire. You want to stay in your home.

Carl: That's what we told them.

Larry: They're offering you twice, three times, what they first offered you, Joy, and you're not taking it?

Joy: It's not a question of money. It's our home ... money does not buy everything.

Yet money was the prevailing factor that led to the city’s seizure of the Gamble’s home. The city reportedly was seeking an annual $2 million tax revenue increase in order to balance the city’s budget.

The Gamble’s were evicted, moved to Kentucky, but continued their legal battle. In 2006 the Ohio Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Gamble’s as co-plaintiffs, but it was too little too late to save their neighborhood, as reported by USA Today: the 3 plaintiffs’ houses were “the only houses left in what used to be a neighborhood of about 70 middle-class homes.” Residents in other states have lost similar battles. Remarkably, the ACLU, NAACP, and the AARP have all filed briefs on behalf of threatened land owners, yet the seizures nationwide continue at an ever increasing rate.

Government attempts to seize private land on behalf of private developers were already increasing prior to the Supreme Court’s Kelo decision. As Elder wrote:

Most Americans, no doubt, assume that this rarely happens. But according to the Institute for Justice, it occurs far more often than we think. From 1998 to 2002, government, at all levels, used eminent domain to acquire, or attempt to acquire, private property for private purposes on over 10,000 occasions.

As I reread Elder’s WND commentary, the contrasting influence of economics, positive in China and negative in America, was troubling. While Chinese activists struggle to acquire property rights America once held inviolable, America’s local governments are slapping long-time residents and even churches with eviction notices and eminent domain condemnation declarations. The city of Sand Springs, OK, set its sights on a local church that serves the local black community. The church building, only 7 years old and reportedly in good condition, stood in the way of a proposed commercial development anchored by a Home Depot. Churches are particularly endangered by eminent domain seizures because the Supreme Court’s Kelo decision established that economic improvement was sufficient justification. Churches are tax exempt and thus produce no revenue for cities. In the minds of many city councils, nearly any tax revenue producing enterprise would be of more value than a church.

Although I disagreed with many legal decisions made by former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, I applauded her dissent in the Kelo decision. She understood the incredible danger inherent in the court’s decision, and in her forceful dissent, warned Americans that:

The specter of condemnation hangs over all property. Nothing is to prevent the State from replacing any Motel 6 with a Ritz-Carlton, any home with a shopping mall, or any farm with a factory. . . .

Any property may now be taken for the benefit of another private party, but the fallout from this decision will not be random. The beneficiaries are likely to be those citizens with disproportionate influence and power in the political process, including large corporations and development firms. As for the victims, the government now has license to transfer property from those with fewer resources to those with more. The Founders cannot have intended this perverse result.

America and China appear to be passing each other on the property rights highway, heading in opposite directions, both motivated by the desire for money. Unless the trend in America is reversed, in coming years my Cold War generation may witness the advent of greater property rights in Communist China than in the “land of the free."

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Debate Sponsored by Fox News too Intimidating for 2008 Democratic Presidential Candidates?

Candidates for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination are scrambling to intentionally schedule alternative debates and public appearances in Nevada in order to avoid the upcoming August primary debate co-sponsored by Fox News. Yesterday I wrote about the thin skin of Russian President Vladimir Putin, but even his skin appears to be much thicker than that of Democrats who apparently cannot tolerate the existence of a major media outlet that presents news without liberal spin and are afraid of being mocked by conservative pundits.

The Daily Kos is actively contacting the campaign staffs of major Democratic presidential candidates to encourage them not to participate in the Fox sponsored debate. Kos happily reported yesterday that “the first to definitely say ‘no’ is John Edwards.” Kos then quotes from an email he received from Deputy Campaign Manager Jonathan Prince and declares it to be “great news”:

We will not be participating in the Fox debate. We're going to make lots of appearances in Nevada, including debates. By the end of March, we will have attended three presidential forums in Nevada - and there are already at least three proposed Nevada debates. We're definitely going to debate in Nevada, but we don't see why this needs to be one of them.


Kos goes on to laud the Edwards campaign, remarking that they were “showing real leadership on this issue. Hopefully others will soon follow.” Kos further set forth the reasoning behind the push for his party to shun a Fox sponsored debate:

It's not a position they want to be in, and I'm sure they're cursing whoever it was that negotiated the deal with Fox News. (That Democratic Party decision maker, by the way, is still secret. Everyone claims they don't know who signed the deal.)

The campaigns could make things easier for themselves by just stating, en masse, that they won't do a Fox News debate, but that they'll be happy to debate in Nevada with another media partner.

The issue here isn't to screw over Nevada or its Dems (it's a state where we should be far more competitive, and will be in the next few cycles), and to deprive them of a close look at the field.

The issue is to deprive the right wing's premier propaganda outlet an easy opportunity to take cheap shots at our guys.


If Republicans ran in fear from appearances on news networks that mock and misrepresent them, there would have been no televised presidential debates or White House press conferences held in the past 50 years. Forgotten by Fox News critics is the important distinction that the network’s claim is not to be completely objective or impartial, but rather it is to be “fair and balanced,” which it accomplishes simply through its existence as a balancing alternative to the blatantly liberal traditional networks and newspapers. If there is a traditional major network news channel that has not mocked, belittled, or impugned the integrity of President Bush and Vice President Cheney, Spy The News! invites Kos to bring it to our attention. Republicans have been good sports in the past about attending debates orchestrated by CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, and others, with full knowledge that the Republican message would be twisted and distorted by the news anchors within seconds of the event’s conclusion. Yet they participated anyway. Democrats should do likewise, even if makes them squirm a bit.

Small people avoid big challenges, and Edwards has demonstrated by his choice to duck the Fox debate in Nevada that there really are two Americas as he frequently argues, only it is not a rich versus poor divide but rather a clear distinction between courageous America and cowardly America. Considering that it took him longer to decide to pull out of the Fox debate than it did for him to advocate pulling out of Iraq should give voters little confidence in his courage to make tough decisions. In both cases he has chosen the easy path.

Democrats should consider that Fox News is the most watched cable news channel in America, with an audience nearly triple CNN’s and quadruple MSNBC’s. It has more viewers than both of its chief competitors combined. Fox News hosts also sweep the top 3 spots for their individual programs, with the O’Reilly Factor and Hannity & Colmes consistently holding the top two spots. Democrats should also keep in mind that many Fox News viewers also watch CNN and other networks in order to witness examples of media bias. In essence, although conservatives tend to agree with Fox News’ presentation of the news, they are keenly aware of how those same stories are being described in the liberal media. Fox News is clearly not the Democrats’ preferred news network, but for Democrats to advocate avoiding political debate simply because Fox has paid to co-sponsor the event suggests that what is actually feared may be the exposure to scrutiny their political views would receive.

Edwards insists there are 2 Americas, one rich and one poor, but the media outlets he deigns worthy to interview him never ask him pointed questions like “Isn’t the involuntary taxation of the rich to give to the poor also called socialism?” Another question he likely would not want asked is “How many doctors did you drive out of practice or out of state in North Carolina with your frivolous malpractice lawsuits? And Senator, if I may, did your persecution of doctors in North Carolina result in lower or higher healthcare costs for both rich and poor citizens of your state?” I wonder if Fox News has recorded chirping cricket sounds or perhaps the Final Jeopardy theme to play while Edwards crafts a reply.

All joking aside, Edwards should have no fear of a debate on an opposing network, since, as he claimed in many of his malpractice trials, he possesses clairvoyant abilities to channel spirits that reveal important facts of his cases to him. As reported by the New York Times, while “channeling” the spirit of a baby girl who allegedly died of doctor error resulting in delivery-induced cerebral palsy, Edwards told the jury:

"She speaks to you through me," the lawyer went on in his closing argument. "And I have to tell you right now — I didn't plan to talk about this — right now I feel her. I feel her presence. She's inside me, and she's talking to you."

The jury came back with a $6.5 million verdict in the cerebral palsy case, and Mr. Edwards established his reputation as the state's most feared plaintiff's lawyer.

In the decade that followed, Mr. Edwards filed at least 20 similar lawsuits against doctors and hospitals in deliveries gone wrong, winning verdicts and settlements of more than $60 million, typically keeping about a third.


He should have no difficulty calling on sympathetic liberal spirits to warn him in advance what questions he will be asked and how he should answer. The only tough question he should face from them is how much he will charge by the hour for his channeling services.

Daily Kos, MoveOn.org and others advocating a boycott of the Fox News sponsored Nevada primary debate should heed the surprisingly astute advice of the Nevada Democratic Party as quoted in the Las Vegas Sun: “The debate in August is not an endorsement of Fox News. Instead, it is an effort to reach out to Fox News viewers. We will not win elections if we don't win over new people."

If speaking or debating only in front of comfortable network accomplices is so desperately sought by the 2008 Democratic presidential candidates, one can only assume that as president they would not be comfortable debating serious issues with a foreign head of state sitting across the table from them. If they cannot face potential mockery from Fox News, how will they be trusted to stand up to Ahmadinejad? If “fair and balanced” strikes fear in their hearts, how will they react to being called “the Great Satan” that should be annihilated?

It is not surprising that John Edwards was the first to personify Monty Python’s cowardly character Sir Robin, whose adventures were captured so well in song: “When danger reared its ugly head, he [Edwards] bravely turned his tail and fled.” We will surely soon hear Edwards’ response, echoing Sir Robin’s denials: “I did not. . . I never did.”

"Cut and run" as a policy may be the Democrats’ wish for Iraq, but in the case of debate avoidance it demonstrates a decidedly thin-skinned and cowardly approach to political discourse. The days of political immunity in the media for liberals are over, and hopefully a new “fair and balanced” ratio of liberal and conservative media will one day result in televised political debates hosted by a variety of networks of all political stripes. Democrats should show confidence in their political views and willingly debate each other regardless of the sponsoring network. The only message Democrats will send by boycotting a Fox News sponsored debate is that the liberal version of "freedom of the press" is extended only to traditional liberal sycophant networks.

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Putin's Thin Skin: Is He Silencing Critics That Pose No Threat to Him?

According to a report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), another Russian journalist died mysteriously in Moscow Friday, bringing to a chilling 14 the number of journalists who have died under suspicious circumstances since Vladimir Putin became President of Russia 5 years ago. Russia consistently makes the CPJ list of the top 5 most dangerous countries in which to be a journalist. The presence of some nations on the list, such as Iraq and Columbia, are understandable, since one has been a war zone for 4 years and the other has been a drug war zone for nearly 30 years. Russia’s membership on this notorious list deserves scrutiny.

Russia’s annual inclusion in this list should be of grave concern to the world for multiple reasons, but for one reason in particular: the number of dead Russian journalists (and former KGB operatives) clearly demonstrates that Putin is lethally sensitive to criticism and remarkably thin-skinned. Consider that there is little reason to conclude that any of the 14 journalists or the former KBG operatives posed any legitimate threat to Putin’s increasingly authoritarian grip on Russia’s government, military, and oil and gas companies. The now defunct journalists were all reporting on corruption within Russian organized crime and among government leaders, usually associating the two in shady dealings that, like drug activities in Columbia, surprise no one. That Russia is rife with corruption is so universally understood within and outside of Russia that it seems implausible that Putin would feel any actual concern that news reports linking government and organized crime could cost him even one approval poll percentage point.

Putin’s popularity in Russia, like its economy, is on the rise. While President Bush’s job approval rating hovers in the 30-35% range, Putin’s is reportedly around 75%. Of course, such polls conducted in Russia are suspect and likely exaggerated to a degree, but Putin appears to be tapping into deeply-held Russian pride through massive military spending and technological upgrades. As in most nations, when military spending rises, more jobs are created and pride in the nation’s accomplishments swells. Spy the News! previously warned of the dangerous combination of nationalism, military might, and desire for economic expansion that Russia is experiencing. The parallels to pre-World War II Germany are indeed ominous. This is not to suggest that Russia is on the verge of a genocidal holocaust, but many of the societal conditions that allowed Germany to embrace an authoritarian leader who ruthlessly eliminated his political enemies are currently fermenting in Russia.

It does not appear, however, that Putin is silencing his media critics because they pose a threat to him. Last November, Front Page Magazine published a very detailed and informative symposium transcript from a discussion of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya’s murder. Politkovskaya was, of course, a fierce critic of Putin. A panel member, Yuri Yarim-Agaev, made the following observation that supports the idea that Putin’s popularity is in no jeopardy, even from his loudest critics:

The current KGB, though, feels too weak even to put its opponents through mock political trials. So they kill them in a cowardly way or cover up for their murderers. Anna was shot in her elevator by professional killers who escaped.

As tragic as that murder was, no less disturbing is the absence of any significant reaction to it. The Russian Duma and the political opposition do not call for Putin’s resignation. His approval rating among the Russian people has not dropped. Many Russian journalists suggest insane conspiracy theories that only exonerate the authorities, and they continue to speculate whether Putin will stay for a third term or nominate his successor. Western political leaders do not question their alliance with Russia in any important political or economic areas. There are some expressions of concern, but too timid to challenge Putin’s authority.

Anna Politkovskay’s name is the last in a long list of independent journalists murdered for their criticism of official policy. These killings have become a trademark of the post-Soviet era and they seem to have become accepted as the norm inside Russia and in the outside world. It looks as if by world consensus Putin has been given a license to kill his critics, which he will continue to use until he silences all of them.


If Dick Morris wrote a book explaining Putin’s motive, he could use the same title he chose for his book about Bill Clinton’s motive for the Monica Lewinsky disgrace: “Because He Could.”

In the past six months alone, the following deaths have been reported:

Ivan Safronov – Military correspondent for Kommersant, a business daily. Safronov recently wrote about failed military weapons testing and technology, including a third failed test of an important new intercontinental ballistic missile, changes in military leadership, and training incidents that resulted in the deaths of several young soldiers. Safronov, according to CPJ reporting, had been interrogated by the Federal Security Services (FSB, heir to the KGB) regarding publishing “state secrets” but was never charged. Safronov allegedly committed “suicide” by jumping from the 5th floor of his apartment building in Moscow.

He actually lived on the 3rd floor and no one who knew him believes the “suicide” whitewash. Kommersant reported that “Safronov’s relatives believe his death may have been a murder. . . . The journalist had no domestic troubles, was expecting a grandchild, and did not leave a note to explain a suicide.” Another Russian newspaper, Moskovsky Komsomolets , expressed the editor’s opinion of what actually happened in these words: “For some reason it is those journalists who are disliked by authorities that die in our country”

Anna Politkovskaya – as described above. Despite Putin’s public vow to track down her killers, no suspects have been identified.

Alexander Litvinenko – former KGB agent who worked under Putin was poisoned last November in London. As if to claim credit for the murder, the killer poisoned Litvinenko with polonium, a radioactive substance possessed by a mere handful of world governments, including Russia. The polonium was added to Litvinenko’s tea, believed to have been consumed during a meet with another former KGB agent. Litvinenko died of painful radiation poisoning within days of ingesting polonium. The dosage appeared to have been measured specifically not to kill him too quickly, lest he not suffer sufficiently.

Paul Joyal – Maryland resident and Russian intelligence expert was shot in his driveway four days after an appearance on NBC’s "Dateline." In the "Dateline" interview, Joyal accused Putin and the Russian government of murdering Litvinenko because Litvinenko was publicly tying Putin to Politkovskaya’s assassination. Joyal prophetically stated, ”A message has been communicated to anyone who wants to speak out against the Kremlin: 'If you do, no matter who you are, where you are, we will find you, and we will silence you -- in the most horrible way possible.” Joyal, Vice President of National Strategies, a D.C. area government consulting firm, survived the attack but suffered serious injury from the gunshot wound in the groin area. His wife, a nurse, reportedly controlled the bleeding until the ambulance arrived.

Local law enforcement officials stated the attempted murder of Joyal may have been random street crime. Those same officials initially reported that Joyal’s wallet had been taken, though the Washington Post later reported that was not true, as a family member showed the wallet to the Post reporter and declared it was never missing. According to law enforcement, it seems the only indication this incident was street crime was that the two suspects were described as black males. Aside from the obvious racial profiling that conclusion suggests, that if a street crime occurred two black males were surely responsible, it is far more likely that the FSB utilized a tactic it has long employed, working through local criminal groups to locate willing shooters. Doing so gives the FSB and the Russian government plausible deniability. The fact that the assassination was botched may indicate that Joyal was merely receiving a warning, as keenly observed by Frank Gaffney, and it certainly does not preclude the possibility that another attempt will be made.

The fact that Putin feels so emboldened as to orchestrate assassinations of his critics in London and Washington is further evidence of the degree to which Putin’s thin skin dictates that he take political criticism personally and react to it. He would not survive one day as an elected official in America. His desire to eliminate his critics would result in utter confusion. Whom would he target first? If, with a 75% approval rating, he cannot stand criticism of his policies, how would he survive one face to face debate with Ann Coulter?

President Bush has been called stupid, murderer, incompetent, mentally deficient, and corrupt, and those last three came from the current Speaker of the House! Imagine Putin giving a State of the Union while looming behind him is a smirking third in the line of succession political opponent frowning and refusing to clap for his remarks. Our president, while burdened by a low approval rating, does not order the FBI or the CIA to permanently silence his media critics, and he decidedly displays a very thick skin. Compared with Putin’s overreactions to mostly insignificant critics, perhaps Bush’s pleasant patience with Helen Thomas and the hyenas in the White House Press Corps should be more widely appreciated.

Not everyone, though, is convinced that Putin and the Russian government are responsible for the murders and “suicides” of Putin critics. To some liberals, President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and the CIA are more likely suspects than Putin. From the posted comments at today’s ABC News Blotter following the Safronov “suicide” story I present liberal investigative reasoning at its finest:

Putin is a monster on par with George Bush and DICK Cheney. Posted by: Putin is a savage Mar 5, 2007 9:03:27 AM

Do you really think Putin's government is behind this, or is it some other force at play to discredit Russia vis a vis their position NOT to bomb Iran?? Posted by: Tom Mar 5, 2007 9:57:43 AM

Yes, it is hard to believe that anyone would commit cold blooded murder. But Putin...everyone forgets he was head of the KGB and we all know how "innocent" they are. Of course, our CIA is just as "innocent" as the KGB. Posted by: Ryan Mar 5, 2007 10:33:17 AM

How many U.S. reporters would be dead now if they were as aggressive as their Russian counterparts? You don't have to be a blind conservative not to see it, just an ignorant one to deny it. Posted by: Dennis Mar 5, 2007 11:14:04 AM


Apparently ABC’s Blotter readers believe that the U.S. government is framing Putin by killing off his critics because Putin refuses to help prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. They also seem miffed that the American media has been too soft on President Bush for the past 6 years, and the purported reason for that is they fear he might “Putinize” them. In Russia, Putin’s few critics are the lone voices of reason amid the cacophony of Putin adulation. In America, we are still hoping to find a lone voice of reason among the president’s critics. The First Amendment is alive and well in America, but in Russia criticism of government, even when it poses no threat to the current “elected dictator”, has apparently become a capital offense.

Monday, March 5, 2007

Ann Coulter's CPAC Remark: Room in Politics for "Loving the Sinner, but not the Sin?"

Is it possible in today’s instant-media politics to “love the sinner but not the sin?” At what point does a person’s worth become synonymous with his/her actions or words, especially if those actions or words become a political liability for anyone considered a friend or supporter? In today’s politics it seems that members of both political parties routinely rush to throw the proverbial baby out with the bathwater whenever someone speaks frankly but perhaps with little tact. Influential organizations, with media complicity, demand that politicians not only distance themselves from “inflammatory” or “intolerant” statements made by others, but they are further urged to personally condemn or malign the person who made the comments. In effect, political correctness today demands nothing less than a complete shunning of anyone whose friendship or support could be viewed as political baggage. Ambition trumps friendship, and popularity eschews loyalty.

Recent examples of this phenomenon illustrate the political danger presidential candidates face when someone they know and have publicly associated with does or says something controversial. Their perceived risk of being associated with a controversial figure or policy position almost immediately results in the candidates’ lemming-like dash to jump into the abyss of political correctness to preserve their popularity and appeal.

Unfortunately Ann Coulter placed several 2008 Republican presidential candidates in an awkward position with her controversial remarks at the 34th annual CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) on Friday. The candidates’ political views and personalities were overshadowed by the media focus on one sentence uttered by Coulter and the efforts of top Republican 2008 presidential contenders Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, and Senator John McCain to distance themselves from her remark. If you missed it, during her speech to CPAC Coulter made the following comment:

I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, but it turns out you have to go into rehab if you use the word ‘faggot,’ so I — so kind of an impasse, can’t really talk about Edwards.


Clearly, Ann Coulter has a low opinion of Senator John Edwards, but the number of Republicans (and many Democrats as well) who hold similarly low opinions of Senator Edwards is legion. Coulter expressed her sentiment in a forceful manner, leaving no doubt about her disdain for Senator Edwards as a politician and as a person. One could reasonably question her judgment in using a term that has been ascribed only one possible meaning in today’s politically correct climate. It can also be reasonably assumed that she intentionally used the term on such an austere occasion to gain publicity, as the analysis by Right Wing News convincingly argues in the post titled, “Ann Coulter's Juvenile Comment at CPAC.”

Coulter, in manner ironically similar to John Kerry after his derogatory comments toward the intelligence of U.S. Military personnel, explained that her remark was an attempt at humor, or in Kerry’s words, “a botched joke.” When asked about criticism of her comment, Coulter stated, “C’mon, it was a joke. I would never insult gays by suggesting that they are like John Edwards. That would be mean.”

Traditional liberal media outlets, including the Washington Post, who defended Senator Kerry by immediately labeling his insult to U.S. troops in Iraq as nothing more than a botched joke, did not offer similar protective coverage to Ann Coulter in this incident. There were no headlines in the Post softening Coulter’s image with blind acceptance of her Kerry-esque “it was a joke” explanation. On the contrary, she was universally condemned by the liberal media, and also by the leading Republican 2008 presidential candidates.

The following are the reactions of each candidate to Coulter’s remark as reported by the New York Times and Fox News, respectively:

Rudy Giuliani- “The comments were completely inappropriate and there should be no place for such name-calling in political debate.”

Mitt Romney- (via a spokesperson) “It was an offensive remark. Governor Romney believes all people should be treated with dignity and respect.”

Senator McCain- “Wildly inappropriate.”


The larger question raised by the Coulter flap is: what is the appropriate long-term response when someone who supports you does or says something controversial? Should Mitt Romney follow the advice of the liberal critics who demand that he refuse Coulter’s campaign support? The difficulty with this situation is that Coulter, though acerbic in delivery, happens to wield the most sarcastic pen in political punditry, and often provides valuable insight and political analysis couched in phrases no candidate or current office holder would dare to utter. Her remark about Edwards was inappropriate, particularly in a forum of candidates carrying the banner of the Republican Party. Yet as ill-advised as her attempt at humor was, it does not necessarily invalidate all of her past and future political analyses.

By nature politics is a controversial business. One cannot take a position without being excoriated by those holding opposing ideas, even if those opponents are in one’s own party. Should all Republican candidates shun Coulter for one sentence in one speech? The Clintons were wise to remain loyal to James Carville and others within their party who spoke bluntly and controversially in much the same fashion as Coulter. Much of the Clintons’ electoral success can be directly attributed to Carville’s strategies, demonstrating that even “flame throwers” have value beyond their publicity stunts.

Politics as a profession leaves little room for repentance, rehabilitation, or forgiveness, and the media appears determined to punish any candidate who gives any appearance of friendship with Coulter. Attempts by the media to link the candidates personally to Coulter began almost immediately, as the New York Times placed the following sentence directly beneath Coulter’s sarcastic explanation of her intended joke: “At the conference, she said she was likely to support Mr. Romney.”

Apparently the liberal media took notice that Romney won the CPAC straw poll and may be emerging as the preferred candidate among conservative Republicans. Liberal bloggers adopted the strategy of creating the impression that since Coulter officially endorsed Romney, he should be smeared with the stain of her allegedly anti-gay comment. The most egregious misrepresentation of Romney’s Coulter connection can be found on the highly popular liberal blog The Daily Kos in the post titled “Coulter and the Candidates.” Daily Kos contributor MissLaura portrayed the incident as follows:

One of the conservatives whose support Romney drew, of course, was Ann Coulter. The two spent some quality time together before she went onstage to call John Edwards a "faggot."

Can we therefore expect him to refuse to be further associated with someone like Ann Coulter, whose entire career as a prominent conservative is based on the notion that people who disagree with her should be treated with contempt, disrespect, and vituperation?

I'll be looking for him to refuse her support of his candidacy just any minute now.


Thus, according to “tolerant” liberals and Republicans infected with political correctness, if one makes a controversial comment, regardless of intent, that person should be jettisoned permanently. The comments submitted to this Daily Kos post were likewise illustrative of the true nature of liberal tolerance. Readers were outraged by the above photo of Romney backstage PRIOR to Coulter’s speech. Romney was vilified by one reader for “flashing his most cordial smile” at Coulter, as if civility and personal kindness should never be directed toward those with whom one disagrees.

To the right you will see a photo of Nancy Pelosi “flashing her most cordial smile” at President Bush despite having said this of him in 2004: “Bush is an incompetent leader. In fact, he's not a leader. He's a person who has no judgment, no experience and no knowledge of the subjects that he has to decide upon.” Hillary Clinton, in another flashed a very cordial smile to Vice President Cheney prior to taking her oath of office in the U.S. Senate, all while the very friendly Bill Clinton had his hand on the Vice President’s shoulder. These types of photos indicate nothing about the beliefs and policy views of the persons in the photos, they merely demonstrate that snubbing people and burning bridges win few friends and minimal influence in politics. I suppose the tolerant liberal approach to standing next to someone backstage in a green room must consist of glares, the silent treatment, or refusals to stand next to someone with differing views. Romney was obviously being gracious with a well known media figure, and there is nothing substantive to indicate any more or less than this, especially from one photograph.

For liberals, tolerance appears to be a precious commodity only extended to those who agree with them. The comparison between the media treatment of John Kerry and Ann Coulter does not excuse or defend Coulter’s remark, which was truly juvenile, but it does expand on what Hugh Hewitt wrote about this incident. Hugh rightly pointed out that both the Democratic and Republican parties have individuals who embarrass them and Republicans should use caution in using past liberal behavior to justify present conservative missteps like Coulter’s. Hugh stops there, but the difference is that Republicans tend to shun or officially censure those within their ranks who embarrass the party through their behavior or words, as Coulter did at CPAC. Democrats, as in the case of John Kerry’s repeated insults to troops recently and in 1971, or Speaker Pelosi’s personal attacks of the President’s intellect and competence, seem to reward controversial behavior with high office and unwavering support. Hugh Hewitt makes an excellent point by reminding Republicans that they should seek to rise above the standard set by the other party and expect more dignity from its members.

The Republican reaction to Coulter should be sincere and hopefully will send a message that John Edwards’ political views provide sufficient fodder for reasoned, analytical refutation without resorting to personal attacks. While Republican candidates should make it clear that epithets are discouraged, they should likewise not close the door completely on Coulter’s other, more civilized contributions to political discourse. If every public figure, whether in politics, entertainment, sports, or the media, were to be permanently shunned for one lapse of judgment or poor choice of words, few in these fields today would survive the scrutiny. Forgiveness is perhaps the rarest of all human gifts, but is the one commodity that should be meted out, no pun intended, liberally.