Christopher Buckley backs Barack

[SoonerProphet]

While I regret this development, I am not in mourning, for I no longer have any clear idea what, exactly, the modern conservative movement stands for. Eight years of “conservative” government has brought us a doubled national debt, ruinous expansion of entitlement programs, bridges to nowhere, poster boy Jack Abramoff and an ill-premised, ill-waged war conducted by politicians of breathtaking arrogance. As a sideshow, it brought us a truly obscene attempt at federal intervention in the Terry Schiavo case.

[SteelClip49]

say "Buckley backs Barack" 3 times fast.

[StoopTroup]

It is the Pubs undoing IMO Prophet.

[picasso]

While I regret this development, I am not in mourning, for I no longer have any clear idea what, exactly, the modern conservative movement stands for. Eight years of “conservative” government has brought us a doubled national debt, ruinous expansion of entitlement programs, bridges to nowhere, poster boy Jack Abramoff and an ill-premised, ill-waged war conducted by politicians of breathtaking arrogance. As a sideshow, it brought us a truly obscene attempt at federal intervention in the Terry Schiavo case.

but heck, 2 years ago things like milk and gas were cheaper and the goons who took over Congress said there was no housing/banking crisis.

I say we start over Jerry.

[Widescreen]

Thanks for the update, Mr. Five Days Ago

[sooner_born_1960]

I'll admit it. I had to google Christopher Buckley.

[SoonerProphet]

Thanks for the update, Mr. Five Days Ago


Didn't know it was five day age sheesh. Seems like a few folks are jumping, Brooks, Krauthammer, now little Buckley.

[Widescreen]

I wouldn't say Krauthammer is an Obama disciple just yet.

http://www.sj-r.com/opinions/x282367942/Charles-Krauthammer-Obama-s-character-is-suspect

He makes some points that I've been concerned about for months. IMO, associations do matter because they tell people about who you are. But I guess most voters don't have that same worldview.

[Sooner_Havok]

I wouldn't say Krauthammer is an Obama disciple just yet.

http://www.sj-r.com/opinions/x282367942/Charles-Krauthammer-Obama-s-character-is-suspect

He makes some points that I've been concerned about for months. IMO, associations do matter because they tell people about who you are. But I guess most voters don't have that same worldview.

Look, if Obama had served on a board with Ayers concerning law enforcement, foreign policy, military issues, or anything like that, I would consider his connection to be much more damning.

As it is, he served on the board of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge. A board sponsored by, obviously, the Annenberg Foundation (As a side note Leonore Annenberg has endorsed McCain) to improve local area schools.

That's right, his connection to Ayers is he served on a board with him that focused on improving Chicago area schools. Why was Ayers on this board in the first place? He was associate professor of education at the University of Illinois at Chicago; co-director of the Small Schools Workshop; co-director of the Chicago Forum for School Change (an affiliate of the Coalition of Essential Schools); chairman of the Alliance for Better Chicago Schools coalition; and former Chicago assistant deputy mayor for education.

[Widescreen]

Ayers is only one of the problem associations that Obama has. But since you brought him up, I can't see how anyone can justify launching their political career at the home of Ayers of whom he undoubtedly knew the background. I certainly understand him desperately trying to make that sound like no big deal but it is.

[Sooner_Havok]

Ayers is only one of the problem associations that Obama has. But since you brought him up, I can't see how anyone can justify launching their political career at the home of Ayers of whom he undoubtedly knew the background. I certainly understand him desperately trying to make that sound like no big deal but it is.

Since you have that opinion, please tell me what Obama should have done? He sees that Chicago area schools are in bad shape and wants to improve them. He sees that the Annenberg Foundation is funding the Chicago Annenberg Challenge that wishes to do exactly what he wanted to do. Only problem is that William Ayers in on this board.

Do you say, I don't want to help improve education if I have to work with that man. My ideas probably wouldn't have been helpful anyways. Or do you do what is best for the people in your community? What would you do?

[Sooner_Havok]

Why do threads die when I ask this question?

[Curly Bill]

Why do threads die when I ask this question?

No one likes you. :P

[Sooner_Havok]

No one likes you. :P

So this place is no different than anywhere else???:(

[Curly Bill]

So this place is no different than anywhere else???:(

Nope, it's truly a microcosm. :)

[Sooner_Havok]

Nope, it's truly a microcosm. :)

:( :(

[GottaHavePride]

Havok's ok by me.

I like Captain Chaos better, though. :O

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/227/504886341_158f0b77ce.jpg

[Sooner_Havok]

Havok's ok by me.

I like Captain Chaos better, though. :O

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/227/504886341_158f0b77ce.jpg

Thanks man, that really helps :D

[Widescreen]

Why do threads die when I ask this question?

Believe it or not, some of us have other things to do besides hang out here all night waiting for people to ask us questions. ;)

To answer your question, I would look for a different outlet in which to reach my goals. No way on earth I'd be on any board with David Duke even if it was the society to cure cancer. I'd be doing my cancer good works elsewhere.

[GottaHavePride]

Believe it or not, some of us have other things to do besides hang out here all night waiting for people to ask us questions. ;)

To answer your question, I would look for a different outlet in which to reach my goals. No way on earth I'd be on any board with David Duke even if it was the society to cure cancer. I'd be doing my cancer good works elsewhere.

At the same time, do you really think Obama stopped to do background checks on every single person involved with that group when he joined it? I know I probably wouldn't have.

Hell, BTK was a government employee for 30-something years before they arrested him.

[Curly Bill]

Hell, BTK was a government employee for 30-something years before they arrested him.

I heard that Obama was pretty tight with him too...

..you know, before BTK went and got arrested and all.

[Widescreen]

Pretty sure he knew full well who Ayers was. How could he not - especially if he's this intellectual genius everyone would have us believe?

[GottaHavePride]

Pretty sure he knew full well who Ayers was. How could he not - especially if he's this intellectual genius everyone would have us believe?

I just looked a couple of things up. At the time Obama started working on that board with Ayers, Ayers had just co-written a grant that won $49.2 million dollars for public-school reform in Chicago.

If that's one of your issues, I think Ayers would have been impossible to avoid at that time.

[Widescreen]

OK, if you want to ignore that, what about Jeremiah Wright? He sat there for 20 years and listened to that BS while now trying to claim he never heard him talk that way. He even referred to the guy as his mentor. I realize that drinking the Obama koolaid dictates that none of that matters. But to those of us who haven't been picked as his disciples, it's a trend of bad association.

[GottaHavePride]

1. By "if that's one of your issues" I meant that if education was one of, say, Obama's pet issues - or anyone else in Chicago at the time for that matter - Ayers would have been involved in nearly everything at the time, just from his role in writing that grant.

As for Jeremiah Wright, I've got no explanation for that.

Honestly, though, I plan to vote based on their economic policy, foreign policy, etc. etc. I don't give a rat's *** who McCain OR Obama have worked with in the past.

[Sooner_Havok]

As for Jeremiah Wright, I've got no explanation for that.


I can't explain it without pizzing a fair number of people on this board right off, but I can explain it.

[Widescreen]

Honestly, though, I plan to vote based on their economic policy, foreign policy, etc. etc. I don't give a rat's *** who McCain OR Obama have worked with in the past.

It would seem that, at least in this political year, most people don't care about their associations. I think that's too bad, but so be it. As I mentioned earlier, I think you can derive a man's character from who he associates with. And character drives action.

[swardboy]

Look, if Obama had served on a board with Ayers concerning law enforcement, foreign policy, military issues, or anything like that, I would consider his connection to be much more damning.

As it is, he served on the board of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge. A board sponsored by, obviously, the Annenberg Foundation (As a side note Leonore Annenberg has endorsed McCain) to improve local area schools.

That's right, his connection to Ayers is he served on a board with him that focused on improving Chicago area schools. Why was Ayers on this board in the first place? He was associate professor of education at the University of Illinois at Chicago; co-director of the Small Schools Workshop; co-director of the Chicago Forum for School Change (an affiliate of the Coalition of Essential Schools); chairman of the Alliance for Better Chicago Schools coalition; and former Chicago assistant deputy mayor for education.

PUHLEEEZ.....Ayers will do more damage in "reforming" the U.S. education system than all of his bombs did in the '60's. He's also in bed with Hugo Chavez in education reform. Here's what the Venezuelen website says about him:


William Ayers was the leader of the revolutionary and anti-imperialist group The Weather Underground which initiated armed struggle against the government of the USA during most of the 10 years from inside the empire.

Now, he's a professor of education and executive investigator of the University of Illinois in Chicago. He's developed courses around the urban reform of schools, problems of capitalist education, and investigation. He is the author or editor of more than 11 books, including a memoir titled Fugitive Days on the struggle against the government of the United States.


A new generation of anti-Americanism starting in the south Chicago schools. Is it any surprise that he'll worm into a Republican funded program to fulfill his agenda? HE'S UNREPENTANT. And I believe Obama is like-minded in his goals for education reform.

[SoonerProphet]

I love how so many people can toss out the word "terrorist" as some kind of all encompassing damnation, especially when it is for pure political gain. Orwell speaks of the use of language as such a tool, and frankly it sends shivers down my spine.

Many who use the epithet like to lob it at members of the political groups they dislike but ignore ties to "terrorists" who would score political points for the other side. Take for instance Cuban terrorist Luis Posada Carriles who has been given safe haven here in the US by the Bush administration even though he is responsible for the death of 73 people in bombing in 1976. Even today quite a few Republican support the MEK, a "terrorist" group in every sense.

I see how it works with some of you diehards, its only "terrorism" if the other guy does it.

[swardboy]

As far as Buckly "leaving" the National Review...a temp position - A word from the Publisher:

Chris is up with a post
at The Daily Beast, "Sorry, Dad, I Was Fired." I’d like to clarify this
“firing” business. Over the weekend, Chris wrote us a jaunty e-mail
with the subject line "A Sincere Offer," in which he offered to resign
his column on NR's back page and said that if we accepted, there "would
be no hard feelings, only warmest regards and understanding." We took
the offer sincerely. Chris had done us the favor of writing the column
beginning seven issues ago on a "trial basis" (his words), while our
regular back-page columnist, Mark Steyn, was on hiatus. Now, Mark is
back to writing again, and—I'm delighted to say—will be on NR's
back-page in the new issue.

Just one other point: Chris says that his Obama endorsement has
generated a "tsunami," that e-mail at NRO has been running "oh,
700-to-1" against him, and that there's a debate about whether to boil
him in oil or shoot him. Chris is either misinformed or exercising
poetic license. We have gotten about 100 e-mails, if that (a tiny
amount compared to our usual volume)