Correspondence
Correspondence CAUGHT UP IN THE STORY VOICES ON THE LEFT and right have praised President Bushs inaugural speech for its eloquence and emphasis on civility. But most, including William Kristol,...
...Its time for Republicans to stand up for themselves and put the liberals on the defensive...
...In their government, diversity is great if it excludes conservatives...
...Ashcrofts racial politics assume a link between Ashcrofts religious prac -tices and the American race problem...
...TED DELGAIZO Malvern, PA BUSH'.S.^RACY.NOMINEE WHEN CHRISTOPHER CALDWELL points out that, since 1789, only nine cabinet nominees have been rejected in the Senateand none for ideological reasonshe has hit upon a key point (Sackcloth and Ashcroft, Jan...
...RICHARD C. MCINTOSH Kathleen, GA SWEEPSTAKES DEPARTMENT I recently read Andrew Fergusons article about the impending reemer-gence of the homeless problem now that Republicans control the White House (Horrific Days Are Here Again, Jan...
...I hope the article gets the widest possible dissemination within Republican ranks, as I believe he has articulated a winning formula...
...An incoming president can do worse than show us his place in this world and ours, and thus enunciate his most basic philosophic disagreement with the outgoing officeholder...
...And yes, we both left our Moms at home...
...ANDREW NICHOLS Washington, DC HOLD THE KINDNESS H'AVING JUST READ Fred Barness . Too Much Mr...
...Probably...
...President Bush better learn quickly that the Democrats will not be cooperative, ever, unless its in their best interest...
...STEVEN LENT Arlington, VA...
...But Ashcroft has shown what is at best insensitivity about issues of race...
...But most, including William Kristol, have largely overlooked the speechs most striking and significant element: the strongly philosophical, and indeed theological, tenor of the entire address (Enter Bush, Jan...
...He concluded, We are not this storys author, Who fills time and eternity with His purpose...
...Why hasnt someone accused the liberal Democrats on the Judiciary Committee of being prejudiced against conservative Christians...
...Kristol tips his hat to Bush for making providence an aspect of the speech, but fails to acknowledge this themes importance...
...While driving to work on January 25 I heard a report on the local NPR affiliate about homelessness on the streets of Washington, DC...
...Is it unfair to scuttle a cabinet nomination based purely on ideology...
...It suggests they hold in contempt the publics intelligence and remain wrapped in their cocoon...
...I was impressed with the way he articulated the fundamental differences between Democrats and Republicans...
...22 ScRAPBOOK...
...Bush began, We have a place, all of us, in a long story...
...Now, even if Bush can win confirmation for Ashcroft, the Democrats know they can push him around and get away with it...
...Just wondering, do you have a prize for the first person to spot a report of the new homeless problem...
...While my incentive to persevere was raised slightly by the specter of the Vietnam War, we both shared similar bouts of inadequacy, fear of not meeting the tough physical and mental standards, and the constant harassment applied by our Drill Instructors...
...He also set himself apart from his postmodern predecessor, who almost certainly would not have asserted that Americas grand story is a chapter of a meta-narrative written by an author Who creates us equal in His image...
...Implementation of these reforms will stretch the current budget and lessen the need for additional money...
...Murphy had a tough year in 2000 between the McCain and Lazio campaigns...
...But in all cases the courage to fight has to come from inside, during the silent conversations where one decides to persist or to quit...
...Its going to be a very rough few months for the president...
...My own boot camp experience some years back was recently echoed by my daughters recruit training experience with the Air Force...
...JACK LACHANCE Sierra Vista, AZ KUDOS TO FRED BARNES for pointing out the hypocrisy of the liberal Democrats in Congress who cry for bipartisanship then accuse John Ashcroft of being a racist ( Too Much Mr...
...Just throwing money at defense is no more effective than throwing money at social problems...
...My former psychology professor described a different syndrome that might apply...
...Not that one may now bring their Mom, as your title suggests, but just the oppositethat their new challenge as an effective member of the armed forces must first be initiated by themselves, each from within...
...JACK HALEY Warner Robins, GA THE BATTLE WITHIN I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE your reaction to the Armys new recruiting slogan, An Army Of One, in the Jan...
...If so, did I win...
...MIKE MURPHY S ARTICLE Compromise First, Then Crush Them is one of the best political articles Ive read in quite some time (Jan...
...Nice Guy...
...Cabinet appointees derive their power from the presidents use of his office to set the tone, even if its behind closed doors...
...Nice Guy...
...If I were a senator Id be asking John Ashcroft if he ever drove his girlfriend off a bridge and left the scene in a drunken stupor...
...DARIN STRAUSS New York, NY CLINTONOLOGY 101 DAVID TELL DESCRIBES Bill Clinton as having a personality disorder, calling him a man convinced that no criticism of him can ever have justice (Exit Clinton, Jan...
...On first viewing the Armys newest recruiting video, my reaction was exactly opposite the mocking tone taken by The Scrapbook...
...The video and the slogan An Army Of One stress the abrupt reality of what each person joining the Army must come to grips with...
...MANON MCKINNON Falls Church, VA CUT COSTS, SAVE MONEY GARY SCHMITT AND TOM DONNELLY ignore a fundamental fact in their article Spend More on Defense Now (Jan...
...That motivation may come from any number of sources: fear of failure, respect for ones comrades, love of country...
...JIMMY CONNER Tavares, FL EXPOSING THE LEFT CONGRATULATIONS TO David Frum for his excellent article What Clinton Did to the Left (Jan...
...His subconscious tells him he deserves instead to be penalized, so the man keeps asking for punishment with behavior that pushes the limits, until he gets caught...
...We both came eventually to realize that only when one masters the battle posed by the Army of One can he or she truly be effective as a reliable member of a combat team...
...This weakness will stain Bushs effort to claim the leadership role he needs to succeed...
...I have to agree this is not the way to start a new administration (Jan...
...Of course, the report was respectfully nuanced, since not even the NPR crowd would believe President Bush could create a homeless problem in five days, but the writing is clearly on the wall...
...In so framing his message, Bush made himself smaller than the moment, paradoxically making himself seem larger...
...Ive often wondered if she has switched her example to a far better player, Bill Clinton...
...He grows up adept in the ways of attracting adulation but subconsciously knowing that he does not deserve it...
...The left relentlessly seek a rule of experts...
...The Department of Defense (and the rest of the government) require a major demolition and reconstruction before they can use more money effectily...
...If Bush fancies himself in the Reagan mode he is missing the point...
...Neglecting to mention this because it fails to abet the authors agenda could be considered propaganda...
...Leaving Linda Chavez to swing in the wind (whether disclosing her illegal alien problem was a mistake on her part or not) sent the wrong kind of message to other Bush nominees and simply reinforced the Democrats resolve to continue harassing and sniping at him...
...BILL MCDANIELS Hobbs, NM VICTORY EXPRESS...
...It was a superb effort...
...Among the improvements required are fewer bureaucratsfifty years after the creation of the Department of Defense, we still have departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Forceand better computer systemsmany jobs that should have been computerized long ago are still done by hand or only partially by computer...
...The teacher called this personality type a kick-me player and cited the example ofno surpriseRichard Nixon...
...As a retired naval officer, Ive always praised the Air F orces succinct and to the point Aim High and the Armys optimistic Be All Y ou Can Be as short, inspiring slogans challenging recruits to achieve performance of the highest calibrenecessary for personal success in life and mandatory for survival in combat...
...But most importantly, Bush explained to the American people his view of who we are (a awed and fallible people, united . . . by grand and enduring ideals) and why we are here (our duty is fulfi lled in service to one another...
...However he doesnt seem to have lost his focus or his foresight...
...He then employs his conscious indignation and charming wiles to extract himself and start the game all over again...
...The best defense is a good offense, but I have seen no Republicans fighting back...
...The only reason Ted Kennedy gets away with his antics is because the Republicans have, as Barnes points out, unilaterally disarmed...
...They arrogantly announce what the people want and try to hide a real effort to enlarge state power...
...A male child has been showered with praise and special reward for nothing, usually by his mother...
...Actually, those of us who question Ashcrofts racial politics worry about such offenses as an interview he gave to a racist magazine sympathetic to the Confederacy...
...Bush made a very bad first mistake even before he took the oath of office...
...There is no need, then, for Caldwell to weaken his own cogent arguments by pretending that those who question Sen...
Vol. 6 • February 2001 • No. 21
