RIP Jeanne Kirkpatrick

[jk the sooner fan]

Dead at 80

[Frozen Sooner]

I bet Bill the Cat is heartbroken. :(

[SoonerProphet]

Sad news indeed. Great mind and diplomat.

[mikeelikee]

Wise and brilliant lady. Native Oklahoman as well. Rest in peace.

[TexasLidig8r]

A tough old broad before being a tough old broad was cool.

[BigRedJed]

There was a time when many people thought she was the most likely possiblity for becoming the first female POTUS. RIP.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Finest female political type I know of. RIP, girl.

[Jimminy Crimson]

RIP :(

[Mjcpr]

This reminds me a lot of the RIP Ann Richards thread.

Wait, no it doesn't.

RIP

[Flagstaffsooner]

What a great AMERICAN, we have a great loss here.

[OklahomaTuba]

Sad news. What a woman.

A modern day prophet as well...


“It would be a step backward in America’s fight against international terrorism ... When we accept a terrorist state as legitimate, we strengthen terrorist groups,” she said. Dr. Kirkpatrick said that while the Oslo accords were supposed to bring Israel peace and safety, “the situation is more dangerous for Israel now than it’s ever been.” She emphasized that “The destruction of Israel and expulsion of the Jews has been the goal of the PLO since its beginning in 1964 and continues to this day.”

[OklahomaTuba]

One of the best speeches ever. It still rings true even to this day.


This is the first Republican Convention I have ever attended. I am grateful that you should invite me, a lifelong Democrat. On the other hand, I realize that you are inviting many lifelong Democrats to join this common cause ...

A recent article in The New York Times noted that "the foreign policy line that emerged from the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco is a distinct shift from the policies of such [Democratic] presidents as Harry S Truman, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson." I agree ...

When the San Francisco Democrats treat foreign affairs as an afterthought, as they did, they behaved less like a dove or a hawk than like an ostrich - convinced it would shut out the world by hiding its head in the sand.

Today, foreign policy is central to the security, to the freedom, to the prosperity, even to the survival of the United States. And our strength, for which we make many sacrifices, is essential to the independence and freedom of our allies and our friends ...

The United States cannot remain an open, democratic society if we are left alone -- a garrison state in a hostile world. We need independent nations with whom to trade, to consult and cooperate. We need friends and allies with whom to share the pleasures and the protection of our civilization.

We cannot, therefore, be indifferent to the subversion of others' independence or to the development of new weapons by our adversaries or of new vulnerabilities by our friends.

The last Democratic administration did not seem to notice much, or care much or do much about these matters ...

Jimmy Carter looked for an explanation for all these problems and thought he found it in the American people. But the people knew better. It wasn't malaise we suffered from; it was Jimmy Carter -- and Walter Mondale. And so, in 1980, the American people elected a very different president. The election of Ronald Reagan marked an end to the dismal period of retreat and decline ....

The Reagan administration has helped to sustain democracy and encourage its development elsewhere. And at each step of the way, the same people who were responsible for America's decline have insisted that the president's policies would fail.

They said we could never deploy missiles to protect Europe's cities. But today Europe's cities enjoy that protection.

They said it would never be possible to hold an election in El Salvador because the people were too frightened and the country too disorganized ...

They said that saving Grenada from terror and totalitarianism was the wrong thing to do - they didn't blame Cuba or the communists for threatening American students and murdering Grenadians - they blamed the United States instead.

But then, somehow, they always blame America first.

When our Marines, sent to Lebanon on a multinational peacekeeping mission with the consent of the United States Congress, were murdered in their sleep, the "blame America first crowd" didn't blame the terrorists who murdered the Marines, they blamed the United States.

But then, they always blame America first.

When the Soviet Union walked out of arms control negotiations, and refused even to discuss the issues, the San Francisco Democrats didn't blame Soviet intransigence. They blamed the United States.

But then, they always blame America first.

When Marxist dictators shoot their way to power in Central America, the San Francisco Democrats don't blame the guerrillas and their Soviet allies, they blame United States policies of 100 years ago.

But then, they always blame America first.

The American people know better.

I wish they still knew better. They will be getting a nice wakeup call these next two year though. Enough retreat and decline to pass around.