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Convention Confusion

I, like many of you, forced myself to sit through nearly all four long days of the Democratic Convention; albeit with my trusty mute button ever ready for protection from long-winded attempts at oratory and worn-out pop-music ditties. And, as political conventions go, it was mostly a snore-fest. But every now and then, I was roused from my somnambulant state -- induced no doubt by the dulcet tones of Jimmy Carter and Al Gore -- by themes and remarks that left me bewildered. More

American Papists

John F. Kennedy was the first presidential candidate to enunciate the idea that Catholicism might somehow be detrimental toward being a good American. In seeking to distance himself from the dark powers of Rome, he promised that he would always act "in accordance with what my conscience tells me to be the national interest, and without regard to outside religious pressures or dictates. And no power or threat of punishment could cause me to decide otherwise." 

All-American Otherness

With only a week to go before the donkeys kick up their heels in Denver, the powers that be at the New York Times, acting in their unofficial capacity as mouth organ for the Democratic Party, have published what amounts to the playbook for the presentation of Barack Obama at the convention. And as usual, it is in tonally perfect accord with the liberal mindset and its overall game plan. The title of the piece, "For Convention, Obama's Image Is All-American," gives the game away. Most people in possession of a dictionary would see the use of the word "image" as the desire to present an illusion rather than an actuality; kind of like they do in Hollywood. More

Hillary Does Denver

        Hellooooooo Denver!  Thanks for that wonderful welcome.  It’s great to be here with so many of my fellow Democrats!   Makes me feel a mile high! More

Gullible Travels

Maybe it's me, but I'm still trying to understand the logic of the Obama campaign's European tour. Don't get me wrong, his obligatory trip to the Middle East and Afghanistan in his role as a U.S. senator was justified, if only by the presence of so many of his brave countrymen. But the reasoning behind "Barry Does Europe" escapes me. More

Sports Heroes?

Every Sunday night I go out to my favorite club to engage in lively conversation and enjoy some adult companionship. In the summertime, this often includes taking in ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball. This Sunday however, the Red Sox-Angels game was scheduled two hours earlier than the usual 8:00 PM start so that the network could air its annual ESPY Awards show in prime time. More

Big O Losing Big Mo

Poor Barack Obama. In the space of a few short weeks, he has gone from liberal savior with a 15 point lead over John McCain, to a mere mortal in a dead heat in the polls. He has alienated some of his base by flip-flopping on issues like the FISA vote, partial-birth abortion and most importantly, stating that he will continue to "refine" his Iraq War policy. More

Independence Forever!

During this past weekend while attending the usual round of holiday cookouts, I continued my custom of wishing family and friends a happy Independence Day and continued receiving the oddest looks in return. While it's true that many people have a vague notion of the holiday's meaning -- after all, there most be some reason for all the red, white and blue -- its true origin seems to escape most folks. More

Straight Talk on Truth

Two thousand years ago, a man told some local leaders; "The truth will set you free." Now, those who have been blessed with religious faith understand exactly what He was talking about; yet these words should be universally accepted, even by those in the secular world. After all, only a few hundred years ago, some less worthy but still wise men thought that truth, or truths that were self-evident, were not only important enough to govern a freedom-loving people, but to fight and die for. More

A Pitch for the DH

We who enjoy baseball are often lectured that today's athletes are among the finest who ever competed and that all but a few of those in ages past could hope to compete at their high level of physical fitness. We're also told that continental flights across three time zones are more exhausting than the train trips that took former Major Leaguers only as far as the Midwest. More

Happy Days are Here Again

Although much of the country dreads it like the plague, there is a chance that if Barack Obama wins the White House, Democrats would control the Legislative and Executive branches of our government, as did the Republicans during half of President Bush's two terms. But there is also the chilling prospect that they will reach the magic number of 60 votes in the Senate, which would give them the filibuster-proof power that the GOP could only dream about. More

Time Is on Our Side

Now that the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer are here, things are usually slowing down. But as temperatures in the Northeast crept toward the century mark this week, things were heating up in certain quarters. One of them is the Democrat party where, since the presidential candidacy of Hillary Rodham Clinton has been effectively snuffed by forces beyond her control, there is a sense of urgency. And why not? Time is decidedly not on its side. More

Modern History Lessons

This past weekend on my annual baseball park tour, some friends and I decided to take a one-hour riverboat excursion on the Mississippi River, which departed from the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. Having previously taken a few extended riverboat trips, I wasn't expecting much from the short tour other than a lap around the historic Eads Bridge and maybe some gentle river breezes. However, the presence of a National Park Service ranger on the boat proved most illuminating. More

Save the Umpires

Years ago, when only a triad of arbiters policed the baseball diamond, enterprising organists were fond of playing "Three Blind Mice" when the men in blue took the field. Of course, that was long ago and the mellifluous music that once wafted through ballparks has given way to the mind-numbing assault of rock and roll on the senses of horsehide fans. But Major League Baseball umpires have been under fire since some far-off fan in the 19th century shouted, "You're missing a good game, ump!" More

Right-Wing Perverts

The way things work in our country never ceases to amaze me. Just last week in Israel, President Bush committed what much of our media and all of our leading Democrats considered a great offense; comparing people who seek a rational dialogue with irrational Islamists to Neville Chamberlain and others who sought conciliation with Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. To liberals, this is the ultimate insult and one that cannot be taken lying down. More

The Love that Dare Not Speak His Name

We are lectured daily by our betters in the media and academia on the continuing dissolution of our freedoms under the oppressive reign of George W. Bush and his sneering sidekick, Richard B. Cheney. The dreaded duo and the rest of the vast right wing conspiracy have been especially vilified for curtailing free speech and accused of using nefarious methods to squelch opposition. More

It's Either Too Hot or Too Cold

At first the global warming crowd was bursting forth with glee;
Just like Sir Isaac Newton was beneath his apple tree.
They had all of the data straight from the IPCC...
But the problem for the Gore-ists, is they could not see the forests.

It's either too hot or too cold;
We can't grow our crops in a fertile way;
At least that's the news out of Turtle Bay...
The threat of global warming,
Has talking heads performing.

More

Backed Into A Corner

The Democratic dogfight for the presidential nomination is a gift that keeps on giving. Without it, we would never witness the liberal mainstream media divided between the Obama and Clinton camps. Thus we see -- with the rest of the nation for a change -- things out in the open which would have been buried had it been otherwise. And so on Monday morning, all three cable news networks showed the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's National Press Club speech on "the black religious experience," live and in its glorious entirety. More

The Pope Said What??

"God Bless America." These words began and ended the too-short visit of the true man from Hope, Pope Benedict XVI.

Before his arrival, many pundits predicted that his Holiness would rain down torrents of recrimination upon our country and its president on topics like the Iraq War, capital punishment or our failure to heed the hounds of global warming. They of course were wrong in thinking that the German Shepherd would bite the hand that feeds the world's poor or chastise the most pro-life leader our country has ever seen. But what else is new? More

The Pope In America

This week marks the first time that Joseph Ratzinger will visit the United States as Pope Benedict XVI. Many faithful American Catholics have longed for the Holy Father to address our problems, not the least of which is a pervasive attitude of selective faith, which is no doubt the result of poor stewardship by some U.S. bishops. Some indeed had hoped his visit, long in the works, would be prefaced with a "don't make me come over there" message and, in a way, it was. More

You Say You'll Change the Constitution

Gilbert Keith Chesterton once famously said, "It's not that Christianity has been tried and found wanting. It's that it has never really being tried." Part of the reason is that too many folks feel that Christianity -- with its moral absolutes and especially its prohibitions -- is outdated and unworthy of modern interest. One might also apply this gem of wisdom to those who rail against the U.S. Constitution; the product of another apparently obsolete belief system. More

There Used to be a Stadium

This week marks the beginning of the end of a significant chapter in American sports history: the 83rd and final opening day at New York's Yankee Stadium. Slated for Monday, the baseball gods, almost as if seeking to delay the onset of its final season, rained down on the storied ballpark and the game was postponed. This was fitting. Although it is not the oldest, it is certainly the most historic sports venue in the United States. More

Is Rev. Wright Right?

With all the heated feelings and rhetoric surrounding the firestorm that is Rev. Jeremiah Wright, a bit of truth telling may be in order. Conservatives have demanded that Barack Obama repudiate all of the controversial statements made by his spiritual advisor, while supporters of the Illinois senator believe that he has sufficiently distanced himself from them. But what if there is actually some truth in Wright's allegations? More

What's in a Name?

Round about this season of the year, a few friends of mine and I get together to solve some of the weightiest matters of our time: the winners of the NCAA Basketball Tournament.

Now, I consider myself fairly knowledgeable in the field of college hoops, but despite my best and well-informed efforts, I often finish out of the money in March Madness pools. So, out of the many sheets of paper I will fill with bracketed scribble, at least one of them will be determined by the team nicknames. More

Saying No to the Nanny State

Five years ago, when the smoking ban in restaurants first went into effect in my home state of Connecticut, I told a few folks who were happy about it that it was only a matter of time before the government came after their private property rights or other issues that were near and dear to their hearts. Most people scoffed at my defense of the restaurant owners' property rights and one fellow actually said, "The problem with you people is that all you care about is the Constitution." More

Sermon on the Campaign Trail

During the course of an election year, one is used to coming across all sorts of surprises. Often it's some sort of a vocal gaffe like, "I actually voted for the $87 billion before I voted against it." Sometimes it is a photo; say, of a candidate posing in the turret of a tank, or maybe in what looked for all the world like a powder blue bunny suit. More

No Country for Old Glory

Watching the Oscars Sunday night -- an indignity I endure solely for the opportunity to engage in conversation with a few friends concerning our nation's "culture" -- only reaffirmed that Hollywood remains primarily engaged in selling a bill of goods that America is a dark and dreary place, worthy mostly of derision and disdain; even if not everyone is buying it. More

The Cox Report

Word is that Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama snuck down to North Carolina last weekend to meet with John Edwards, possibly to seek his endorsement, sound him out for the vice presidency, or to brush up on his snake-oil salesmanship. After all, why wouldn't the black knight of the new Camelot go for the guy with the pageboy haircut? More

 Dear John Part I

How we got here we're not really sure, but the reality seems to be, august Senator, you will be our nominee in the 2008 presidential election. Yes, I was at CPAC and heard your well-reasoned and fairly well-received speech and yes, you did press some of the right buttons. You spoke of your lifelong commitment to pro-life issues and your intention to reduce the size of the federal government; of your opposition to nationalized healthcare and your admiration for Justices Roberts and Alito and your pledge to win the war in Iraq. More

Not Staying Home

If you're like me, you're probably sitting around somewhere in the dark, trying your best to avoid all forms of media coverage of the 2008 presidential primary season. Maybe for the first time in years, you eschewed the weekend talk shows, even Fox News. And except for the crossword puzzle or the sports section, you probably refused to even open your Sunday paper, especially if it is a liberal fish-wrap like the AP-infested publication in my hometown. More

Bill Clinton Remembered

As the incessant march for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination continues, probably the most entertaining aspect is watching the mainstream media take sides. And although many of their liberal icons -- most notably Ted Kennedy and Pat Leahy -- are endorsing Barack Obama, Hillary is still the subject of loving puff-pieces like this one from ABC News: "Is Clinton Scrutinized About Her Looks Too Much?" More

Of Rush & Reagan

This past weekend saw the vocalization of a much hoped-for wish of liberals everywhere: that, as one left-wing blogger put it, "Republicans are a collection of 'Lost Boys' right now, desperately looking for a national leader in the wake of the Bush disaster." Juan Williams on Fox News Sunday happily posited, "There's not a re-assembling of the Reagan Coalition."  More

Instant Messaging

In my ever-frustrating attempts to view TV sports events without having to cover my eyes, plug my ears and empty my brain of all adult moral content, I encountered a new low this weekend. During the NFL playoffs here in the New York tri-state area, I was treated to a mind-numbingly awful new ad from New York State Lottery that eloquently advises, "It don’t mean a thing if it ain't ba-da bling!" More

Bewitched

All of this has left a certain little lady feeling a bit down in the mouth. So somewhere up in chilly New Hampshire, a woman of a certain age and very close to tears, is feeling just a tad under the weather:

INTRO

After one whole week of voting,
Things are not what they should be.
By this time I should be gloating
All over TV.

Working for my coronation,
I've done pretty well, I think.
But this dog-gone nomination
Has me on the brink.

REFRAIN

I'm riled this time;
Reviled this time;
The Caucus I lost to a child this time;
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I. More

Conservative Blackout

Back in the early days of the 2000 presidential campaign, right after John McCain beat George W. Bush in the New Hampshire primary, there were many dire media predictions along the lines of, "If Bush doesn't turn things around quickly it could turn into a McCain rout." More

Hillary and Obama

With little more than two weeks to go before the 2008 presidential primary voting begins, things are finally heating up. Day after day new tales of mud-slinging arise and subterfuges unwind, while out on the hustings kindergarten kapers abound.

The biggest news is Hillary Clinton's plunge in the polls, and the question of whether or not she can rebound is on everyone's lips. Even her husband Bill conceded that she might lose in Iowa. But is she doomed to defeat because she is losing ground in the early primaries? More

Political Motherhood

Last week saw some candidates in the eternal 2008 presidential campaign trotting out various personalities in order to form a more perfect union between themselves and voters. Now this is nothing new in American politics; glad-handing candidates have hobnobbed with celebrities at least since Woodrow Wilson allegedly kept company with silent film star Florence La Badie. More

Short Hops

NBC has signed a deal to farm out a two or three hour block of primetime programming to outside producers. Although this programming will primarily consist of "adventure documentaries" that require no staff writers, the New York Times claims that this "is not related to the current strike by Hollywood writers," but is necessitated because TV networks "face a future of diminishing ratings and growing uncertainties." Sometimes life is very good. More

How to Fight for Life

Short weeks after receiving the endorsement of the National Right to Life Committee, Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson apparently ran afoul of some in the pro-life movement, when, in an interview on Fox News Sunday, he revealed that he does not support a Human Life Amendment (HLA) to the U.S. Constitution. More

Mourning in America

Each year at this time, I devote this space to giving thanks to the Almighty for his various and sundry gifts to the American people; but this year, things are different. Having been informed by the Seattle School District that Thanksgiving Day is seen by some native Americans as a "time of mourning," and "a reminder of 500 years of betrayal," I've decided to follow their lead. More

Hillary Futurity

This past weekend, the first onset of winter temperatures saw the convening of what I like to call the Unofficial Southwestern Connecticut Caucus & Cocktail Hour: a gathering of politically minded Nutmeggers who meet all too frequently over adult beverages and tobacco to discuss the upcoming presidential primary season. This elite conclave included representatives from the conservative wing (all three of us) as well as those on the Democratic side. More

Restore Al Gore

I'll admit it. As a huge fan of 1930s music and movies, I've always dreamt of being a lyricist, a la Ira Gershwin or Dorothy Fields. These folks produced songs that were incorporated by Hollywood into what are often referred to as "screwball comedies"; essentially plotless vehicles for great tunes and snappy repartee. More

Reasons to Believe

You may have been treated to an email containing a list called, "Things you have to believe to be a Republican," that's been wending its way around cyberspace lately. It's a real hoot, but not for the reasons its unknown authors intended; for it says far more about them than about us. In the interests of compassionate conservatism, I thought I'd give them a hand in reaching a better understanding of their opposition. More

The Power and the Glory

One year ago this week I boarded the first of two airplanes that took me to Calcutta, India. I traveled with a dozen or so others to volunteer for two weeks with Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity, on what the priest who runs this annual trip called, "a marvelous pilgrimage." More

America's Parks

It's been a good baseball summer for me. For the last decade or so, instead of going off for a few weeks of rest on some tropical island, I've traipsed around this great country via plane, train, automobile and paddle-wheel boat in search of the real America at her Major League ballparks. More

The Old College Try

Are you getting your educational money's worth? Are you convinced that the annual cost of sending your child to college -- probably higher than your first-ever year's salary -- is in some way improving his mind and character? Well, depending on your definition of improvement, you may be right. Or incredibly wrong. More

Imagine That

Is it any coincidence that the two entities American liberals probably hate most are organized religion and our military? Liberal groups like Moveon.org run ads disparaging military men of honor like General David Petraeus while folks like the ACLU and the "Reverend" Barry Lynn have made the elimination of God in public their life's work. More

Press, Lies and Videotape

So he's back, I suppose; Osama bin Laden. And boy, do we need him for many reasons, not the least being that he helps us draw some interesting comparisons. Many have pointed out the similarity between bin Laden's comments and those of certain members of the Democratic left, but there's more to it than mere words. They have a commonality as regards methodology as well. More

An Impoverished Debate

Are you like me? If you are, you're constantly amazed by and grateful for the bountiful opportunities this country affords to anyone willing to work for them. Living as I do in the New York metropolitan area, I've seen places that were formerly considered the ''wrong side of the tracks'' transformed into beautiful apartment complexes. And in my own previously all-white neighborhood, we have a great assortment of families of all colors and creeds living in houses that only a generation ago would have been impossible for them to afford. More

Dark Night, Blessed Morning

Much-loved by most of the world -- and nearly all of it prior to her famed condemnation of abortion in her 1979 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech -- Blessed Teresa of Calcutta has once again taken center stage in world opinion. The upcoming publication of Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light by Fr. Brian Kolodiejchuk details private letters from Mother Teresa to her various spiritual advisors, confessors and to God himself, over the span of 50 years in which she is reported to have suffered what is known as the "dark night of the soul." More

Perfect Together

The recent death of Leona Helmsley calls to mind her reputation as the "queen of mean" and her famous statement, "We don't pay taxes. Only the little people pay taxes." While comparisons between Mrs. Helmsley and a current, female presidential candidate are inevitable, her words also remind one of a male entrant from North Carolina. And it is the contention here that Hillary Clinton and John Edwards belong together. More

The Brains

When I was a kid, I remember watching a B-movie on TV called, They Saved Hitler's Brain. The plot was an incomprehensible mish-mash, but the main idea was that Nazi officials smuggled the gray matter out of Germany at the end of World War II in order that it could someday be grafted onto a body, thus continuing the evil dictator's ambition of global domination. More

Pet Peeve

Having spent the last weekend in the beautiful confines of Pittsburgh, PA, I had the occasion to visit the National Aviary, home to more than 500 birds from around the world. As with most zoo-type places, the natural splendor was replete with tales of devastation and extinction befalling its denizens at the hands of evil human beings. More

Small Talk

The big news this week is that leading GOP presidential candidates are prepared to just say no to CNN's September edition of its YouTube debate series. In the aftermath of last week's unutterably awful display of what passes for modern political debate in our country, this is a most welcome and commonsensical development. In addition to the most obviously embarrassing aspects of the Democrat debate -- animated snowmen, phony rednecks, and a host of other wannabes eager for their 15 minutes of fame -- was the inordinate amount of video-questions posed by young, MTV-types. More

Vick Hunt

As Rush Limbaugh frequently says of liberal witch-hunts, it's not whether one is guilty or not that counts; it's the seriousness of the charge. The world of sports is unfortunately rife with charges, criminal and otherwise almost daily, and many of these are symptomatic of problems in our society in general. But the latest incident, involving Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, is especially instructive as it calls to mind some important ones. More

Not Their Finest Hour

Sir Winston Churchill once said, "History will be kind to me for I intend to write it." Although he did indeed write, as well as make, much history, it will be of no avail to him personally now that he has been dropped from the official list of persons required for study by English school students from the ages of 11 to 14. More

Lex Orandi 

Go find a tranquil place, close your eyes and think back. You were much younger than you are now, quite possibly a child. Your mind's eye conjures up what seemed like a vast and majestic palace with the rising wisps of sweet-smelling incense leading your gaze upward toward what you thought must surely be Heaven. The altar boys, who only hours before were your rambunctious playmates, have been transformed into cherubic servants of God. More

Declaration of Independence (From Liberals)

When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. More

The Duke of America

I had a cousin who was your typical '60s hippie. As a teenager he hated almost everything. He was disrespectful of his family, his religious heritage and especially his country. In a turbulent time, he embodied everything that modern liberalism now holds dear. But of all the things he viscerally detested, number one on his list was John Wayne. More

America's Game Gone Lame

There have been numerous changes to the game of baseball since its inception. No one expects a sport more than a century old to remain forever true to its original rules and practices, and good arguments can be made for or against particular changes. More

History's Greatest Liar

We all think we know him, or at least we're forever trying. Every Christmas and Easter, documentary makers seek to redefine him, or simply to find him. But who is the real Jesus Christ? In the Catholic Church's tradition of sharpening doctrine by answering its critics, Pope Benedict XVI has taken on the task of pushing back decades of reconstruction of the "historical" Jesus with Jesus of Nazareth, his first book since his election to the episcopal see of Rome. More

Media Muddles

Folks in the media and America in general seem confused lately. Some of the confusion stems from the Iraq War and some from recent polling in the 2008 presidential contest. Many polls are showing a rise in the fortunes of Mitt Romney and Hillary Clinton, while their main opponents, Rudy Giuliani and Barrack Obama seem to be fading a bit. How could this happen? More

Hillary's Song

By now it's not news that Hillary Clinton has been casting about for a theme song for her campaign to return to the White House in 2008. She's asking her followers to vote for the winning tune from a menu of nine songs including the Temptations, "Get Ready." That one's got my vote if for no other reason than the lyric: "If you wanna play hide and seek with love, let me remind you, it's alright. But the lovin' you're gonna miss in the time it takes to find you, it's outta sight." More

Paternal Correction

Bigotry and Sports

What a weekend in sports. At the Kentucky Derby, Street Sense blazed through the field to become the first juvenile in nearly thirty years to capture the roses. Floyd Mayweather prevailed over Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya in a split decision to retain his reputation as the "best pound for pound" fighter in the world. There was near perfection for seven innings at Yankee Stadium, while the NHL and NBA playoffs crackled with excitement. More

The Denver Derby

This past week's Democratic debate in South Carolina was a tune-up for 2008's main event: The Denver Derby, where, in August of that year, the party will choose its front-runner. Yes, the Denver Derby; the most exciting sixteen months in politics, the run for the poseurs. This contest is for thirty-five year olds and upward, foaled in the United States and ready for a step up in class. More

The Evolving Issue of Abortion

Last week was one of both celebration and sadness for who those who hold innocent life dear. Many tears have been shed for the 32 lives cruelly ended by evil incarnate in Virginia, yet the souls of the millions of unborn children -- who have been sacrificed at the altar of inconvenience -- cry out across three decades for sympathy, yet up to now have received little. More

Enough Blame to Go Around

Most conservatives have enjoyed the outcomes of two notable stories in the last week or so. They reveled in the dropping of all charges against three Duke Lacrosse players and cheered the revelation of perceived hypocrisy, if not the actual firing, of radio personality Don Imus for his disparaging remarks about the oddly named Lady Scarlet Knights basketball team. More

An American Hero

This Sunday, April 15, Major League Baseball will celebrate Jackie Robinson Day by commemorating the 60th anniversary of the breaking of the game's color barrier. In my hometown of Stamford, CT, where he spent the last twelve years of his life, there is a statue of Robinson which calls to mind the annual jazz festivals he held at his home to raise money for civil rights causes and the dignity of the man himself. More

It Must Be Easter

My father used to dread Columbus Day. As a proud, first-generation American of Italian descent, early each October he would begin to lament the airing of TV documentaries belittling the discoverer of the Americas and the publication of numerous anti-Columbian tomes. He would inevitably end with a prediction that "Viking ships will sail into our harbors." He was seldom wrong. More

Too Late?

If you're like me, you feel that The Godfather Part II is one of maybe a dozen fine movies to come out of Hollywood in the last 50 years. In it is a scene that often comes to my mind: In Cuba, Michael Corleone says to Hyman Roth, "I saw an interesting thing happen today." While he goes on to relate a tale of Castro's guerrillas, the line represents a major turning point in the plot. More

Fredheads

It appears the movement to draft Fred Thompson into the 2008 presidential race is gaining steam. The former Tennessee senator, lawyer and actor's appearance on Fox News Sunday a few weeks ago has re-energized the right in a way that no one else in the race has come close to doing. Why? Because he is truly one of us and because he can win. More

Resent or Repent?

It is not easy to be a Christian. To be perfect, as our heavenly Father is perfect, is a directive that should instill both awe and humility into its hearers. Likewise, commandments to love our neighbors and pray for our enemies are also tall orders, which, without the grace of God, would be almost impossible to obey. More

War of Words

Every time I write a column that even remotely mentions homosexuality and history's disinclination to regard it as a commendable lifestyle, I am inundated with email accusing me of hateful gay-bashing and labeled a homophobe. While I do not hate homosexuals or anyone else for that matter, I do have a problem with folks who use etymologically confused words like "homophobe." More

A Tragicomedy in Innumerable Acts

I admit it. I watched portions of the Anna Nicole Smith "custody hearing" last week. Not, mind you, because I intended to, but because I'm in the habit of keeping a muted TV set turned on in case some real news might intrude on the daily gossip roundups and grave reports of snow in February. After reading somewhere about the odd conduct of the judge in the case, when Fox News went to live court coverage, I decided to see for myself. More

Rudy Redux

Many of the emails I received regarding my recent column on Rudy Giuliani agreed with my premise that his social liberalism outweighs his important stances on national defense and fiscal conservatism. Still, many more are willing to overlook this; they remain convinced that Rudy is their guy, based mainly on his promise to appoint originalist judges and the "fact" that no other candidate can beat Hillary Clinton. More

The Rudy Dilemma

What's not to like about Rudy Giuliani? After all, he's got charisma, style, name recognition and now apparently, even sex appeal. He's from New York City, where he cut taxes and cleaned up the mobsters and petty crime. He's tough on terror; he told that Arab sheik where to get off when he offered $10 million to NYC after 9/11 and he even kicked Yasser Arafat out of a Lincoln Center bash. So what's not to like? More

War Dance

After the November elections, while most conservatives were in a dual state of shock and mourning, I advised them to turn their thoughts to the joys of congressional minority living: "And this, my fellow partisans, is where the fun begins; fun, as in watching the loyal opposition twist themselves into pretzels on the floors of Congress for a change." More

Super Bowling

At approximately 6:25 PM EST on Sunday in Miami, an expensively clad foot will meet a prolate spheroid sending it skyward; kicking off the nation's most-celebrated single day of sport. Across the country, folks will gather for their annual feast of football's finest but will be forced also to endure side dishes of poor punditry, bathroom humor, and really bad music. More

Democrat Derby

With a mere 21 months to go until the 2008 presidential election, the race is already heating up and the field ever-widening. The free-for-all atmosphere surrounding the competition is a phenomenon not seen in a long while as, for the first time in nearly 80 years, no sitting president or vice president is contending for the top prize. More

Getting Serious

All of Washington is up in arms, so to speak, over President Bush's revamped plans for securing the peace in Iraq and winning the War on Terror. As usual, those doing the yapping are parsing words the president did, and did not use, such as "surge." And as is also usual, they missed seeing the forest for the trees. More

Miracles Appear in the Strangest of Places

They say that the Lord works in mysterious ways. Last year's remarks by Pope Benedict XVI -- when he spoke of the Qur'an's commands to spread Islam by the sword as incompatible with reason -- were met with the usual rage from many in the Muslim community and their sympathizers. Though it did not immediately seem so, this might just have signaled a watershed event in the global struggle against those who are most willing to use that sword. More

The Snow Hill

I had the occasion last winter to spend a week in the picturesque Adirondack Mountains. Ostensibly a ski trip, but actually just an excuse to leave the city behind and commune with nature, a few friends and I departed the hub-bub and blackened snow of southwestern Connecticut for the unspoiled northland. More

Why Casablanca?

At this time of the year, awards are generally handed out wherein lists are compiled toting up the greatest song, athlete, movie and even TV show of all time! As if all of these have taken up even an eyeblink of history. This was most annoying at the turn of the last century, but it continues today. The "voters" are usually some pointy-headed group, or an arm of the corresponding category's media, but sometimes even the general public itself speaks.More

A Visit From St. Hillary

With sincerest apologies to Democrats everywhere and, once again, to Clement Clark Moore.

'Twas the night before Christmas, in two-thousand six;
All the lefties were bustling; their Party to fix.
The vote had gone centrist, they struggled for air,
And hoped that St. Hillary soon would declare.
As liberals awaited, awake in their beds,
Impeachable articles danced in their heads!
But since moderate Dems had prevailed in their views,
I'd just settled down to a sweet solstice snooze.

More

More Ali Rap

The other day I was watching NFL highlights on ESPN where they were showcasing the latest feats of the incomparable LaDainian Tomlinson. Apart from his great athletic talents, something else strikes you about him. After scoring a touchdown he does a strange thing; he simply hands the ball to the nearest official. No dances or similarly planned gyrations; no jersey-grabbing and no "look at me" demonstrations. More

Justice and Love

"The history of Western civilization shows us that most social and moral progress has been brought about by persons free from religion."

This statement, earth-shatteringly ignorant and historically inaccurate as it is, tops the "purposes" page at the Freedom From Religion Foundation website. The work of mostly feminists, atheists and leftists, the FFRF is one of many groups that not only seek to banish all vestiges of (mainly Christian) religion from American public life, but to soil the debate with absurd notions as above. While it is true that no religion has been free from the human weaknesses of its purveyors, organized religion has accounted for much more good than evil in the West. More

Going on the Offensive

"The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." This, the 9th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which already has its share of judicial footprints all over it, may soon be amended to add, "excepting those which may cause offense to certain groups." More

Giving Thanks

Before the holiday which dare not speak its name commences, we are visited by one that in some ways has retained its original trappings. Thanksgiving Day, whose celebration predates the formation of the United States government, has somehow managed to survive secular attacks; though the idea of exactly who we are to thank is getting a bit confused. More

School's In

November 7, 2006: Not a good night to remember. As a Republican and especially an American who supports our war efforts, I was devastated; but as a political columnist, I say, "Bring it on!" And maybe you should too. More

Dutch Treat

It wasn't the slight poke in the ribs, but the way he said, "Excuse me young lady," that jostled me out of my nap during the long flight home. I looked over at the man who addressed me in such a charming, if slightly inaccurate manner. Something about his smile and the gleam in his eyes jolted mine as I rubbed the sleep out of them: could it really be Ronald Reagan? More

Resisting the Blue Wave

The hand-wringing and moaning are as palpable as they have ever been as cowering Beltway Republicans wait for the dreaded Blue Wave of Democratic rule to crash over their heads come November 7th. The gloom and doom predictions, long a tool of the liberal media, have now reached the pens of some conservative pundits who have joined their liberal brethren in predicting that the end is near. But is it? More

Bye, Bye Bombers

As a longtime Yankee fan, I see that my October surprise again came early, as routine in recent years as the revelation of Republican skeletons in the closet and about as welcome. This year's giant-killers spring from the swing state of Michigan; fearsome Tigers whose rivalry with the Pinstripers dates back to the beginnings of the American League. More

Seems Like Old Times

It seems as if the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy has come out of the closet. The VRWC, a shadowy entity first discovered by Hillary Clinton in 1998, which apparently planned and executed her husband's sexual peccadilloes, has emerged once again to bedevil her spouse. Now as before, the VRWC is faulted for his bad behavior; this time they caused him to throw a full-blown temper tantrum in front of the nation. More

Dirty Dancing

When I was young, we used to avail ourselves of my grandmother's basement to gather together for some sanctioned socializing with the opposite sex. This being the early '70s, we were a part of the first generation of Americans who did not know how to dance -- as defined by the Arthur Murray tradition where there are actual steps to be learned -- and the music we hopped around to was certainly not conducive to doing so anyway. More

Pope Bashing

This week marked a new chapter in the War on Terror. Events here and around the world have sharpened the differences between those who support American and greater Western culture, and those who are pledged to its destruction. More

The Blame Game

Are you tired of hearing that "it's all Bush's fault"? Do you cringe every time you attend a family function, knowing that the liberals at your table will spend most of the evening rapt in a Bush-bashing rhapsody while you, out of politeness, remain silent? Sick of every complaint, from men who don't put down the toilet seat, to acts of God, being associated with that master of disaster from Crawford, Texas? More

The Media's Military Mavens

Whenever I or other folks write or even talk about the War on Terror, liberals are quick to deliver their favorite line with the obligatory sneer: "Have you ever served in the military?" When my answer, that I don't believe in women in the Armed Forces, produces the requisite foaming at the mouth, I follow that up with, "Have you?" More

Class Dismissed

Democrats often portray themselves as a beacon to the poor and especially protectors of the sacred American middle class. They are prone at almost any time to break into song over the way Republicans "cater to the rich" by cutting taxes and "balance the budget on the backs of the poor." More

Sticks and Stones

Recent remarks by Virginia Senator George Allen may not have broken any bones but they surely bruised the tender sensibilities of some liberal operatives and their media counterparts. His videotaped comments to S.R. Sidarth, an Indian-American college student working for his Senate opponent's campaign, and the reaction to them just might be an opening volley in the 2008 presidential campaign. More

Up a Lazy River

"What's up with Lieberman?" That question was on the lips of nearly all those I encountered on the first few days of a trip I took last week aboard the Delta Queen, a gracious and glorious paddlewheel steamboat that cruises America's great rivers. More

You Can't Spell Pap Without the AP

The Associated Press, the world's largest news agency, has, since its formation in 1846, had the reputation of being a source for fair and balanced, just-the-facts reporting. Its mission statement reads: "AP's mission is to be the essential global news network, providing distinctive news services of the highest quality, reliability and objectivity with reports that are accurate, balanced and informed." More

Noncommittal Americans

Years ago I knew a man whose knowledge of history stemmed nearly entirely from what he gained through the viewing of Hollywood movies. Given the breadth of subjects covered by that medium, his knowledge seemed rather extensive. He was quite good at concealing the fact that almost all the particulars he tossed about in conversation were gleaned from the silver screen; particularly those concerning World War II. More

Democratic Generosity

Can the Democrats and their liberal wing do us any more favors? In the 2000 presidential race they ran an incumbent vice-president from a Southern state and were beaten by the narrowest of margins. In what some viewed as a conservative national tilt in 2002, they lost their Senate majority giving control of two branches of government over to the GOP. More

Mary Poppins Gone Mad

You have often read in this space of the advance in our lives of the tyranny of the nanny state. The methods of the nanny state are many but her intent can be summed up thusly down through the years: You, the American people -- you who created the world's longest-surviving constitutional republic; you whose industry has made you an economic giant; you whose love of freedom has spread that gift to millions of people around the world -- you no longer know what's good for you. More

Not-So-Free Love

Last week's twin rulings by the states of Georgia and New York against homosexual marriage caused quite a stir. The top courts in both states found that laws specifying marriage as between one man and one woman are constitutional. More

Joementum

Here in Connecticut, we don't often get to make big political news. Oh, once in a while we see some action -- Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel got twenty-to-life from a jury of his peers, Susette Kelo got the shaft from the city of New London and the Supreme Court, and Governor Rowland got his comeuppance -- but in recent times, the Nutmeg State has been so electorally true blue, that the first week in November is usually a big yawn.

This year however, all eyes are focused on the re-election bid of Democratic Senator Joseph Lieberman, where some in his own party are supporting the candidate who won the chance to challenge him in an upcoming primary. They hope that Greenwich millionaire Ned Lamont can unseat the man who is viewed as a disloyal member of the loyal opposition. Why? More

Talking Baseball

Sports in America are a funny thing. Average Americans who love sports are often dismissed by their betters in academia as rednecks and worse; especially the few yahoos who get carried away when their teams win it all. Unless of course, these celebrations take place in inner-city areas where the populace is assumed to be merely venting frustration at cruel Republican repression. More

Who's Listening?

Yes, it's been a great couple of weeks for President Bush and therefore, America. But not for some folks. It seems every time they turn around, Democrats have another cruel door of reality slam them in the face. Their efforts to paint the GOP with the culture of corruption brush met with a slim but bitter defeat in California; and at the highest levels of the administration where Karl Rove remains at large, free to plot and plan against them at will. More

Can't Win for Losing

Well, it looks like that "culture of corruption" ploy didn't work out too well for Democrats last week in California. But after Brian Bilbray won disgraced Duke Cunningham's seat, some liberals quickly changed tack to claim that he did it by using the illegal immigration issue as a "scare tactic." More

'Tis the Season

 Is Al Gore Ready for His Close-Up?

June is (just about) busting out all over and, so it seems, is Democratic interest in erstwhile presidential candidate Albert Gore, Jr. Yes, Al Gore, who in his last quest for the White House learned the hard way that a kiss is usually just a kiss, but a sigh can sometimes be more consequential. More

Speaking Ruth to Power

A few years back, Barry Bonds was thinking of a number. Not just any number, but the number 714, the home run total of one George Herman Ruth. Why, you might ask, would Bonds concern himself with a record broken 30 years ago? Why not focus on the established Major League record of 755 dingers held by Hank Aaron? Well, for what it's worth, here was Barry's answer:

"755 isn't a number that's always caught my eye...the only number I care about is Babe Ruth's. As a left-handed hitter, I wiped him out. And in the baseball world, Babe Ruth's everything, right? I got his (single season) slugging percentage, I got him on on-base, I got him on walks and then I'll take his home run record and that's it. Don't talk about him no more." More

Truth and Hollywood

"What is truth?" Such was the question asked by the Roman governor of Judea of a man who stood before him, a man whose death at Rome's hands would signify a great beginning. As they have for many, many centuries, Catholics still speak the name of Pontius Pilate when they recite the Creed at weekly Mass. Why? More

American Compassion

I remember a phrase my father used to describe certain people. He would occasionally call someone who had done a foolish but well-intended deed, "a good-hearted slob." You know the type. They lend money to indigent, ne'er-do-well relatives with no hope of repayment, or, out of common courtesy, waste valuable time listening to the spiel of any pitchman who appears on their doorstep. More

Enough Blame to Go Around

Now that the baseball season is in full bloom it has, unlike the brilliant springtime flora and fauna, spawned much unsightliness in the form of sports-radio talk. The constant yammering is almost enough to make one thankful for the intrusion of the interminable NFL draft. More

Encroachment of the Nanny State

Having first dispatched with the notion of private property rights with a "me-too" smoking ban two years ago, followed up by the lollapalooza Kelo v. New London eminent domain case, my home state of Connecticut has upped the ante to new heights of socialist nanny-statism. It took all of three hours for state representatives to pass a bill that, if the State Senate concurs, could send adults to jail for up to a year for serving alcohol on their property to those under 21 years of age. More

Flights of Fantasy

Are we ready for the Flight 93 movie? That's the question on the lips of the liberal media as United 93 nears its release date later this month. I mention the media because they seem to be the only folks who view the movie's premier with trepidation, as they do in reference to almost anything concerning the attacks of September 11, 2001. More

Whose Culture of Corruption?

One of the favorite terms of endearment employed by the left in pursuit of their return to power is that their enemies constitute a "culture of corruption." You can hardly swing a cat around Democrats these days without getting an earful about Republican corruption. Indeed, if one navigates to the Democrats.org website, they can view a rather neat graphic of file folders tied together with string called "The Corruption Files." More

Second-Term Opportunity

Sometimes it's better to be on the outside looking in. Like those on the left, we on the right are much more effective and much more comfortable on the attack than on defense. And although his enemies have been largely swinging and missing, George Bush and his conservative base are suffering an acute bout of second term-itis. More

Life After Two Deaths

This week marks the anniversary of two notable deaths: Terri Schiavo on March 31, and Pope John Paul II on April 2. Their passing led to oceans of coverage by the national media seeking typically not to report the stories but to explain it all to us. And, as usual when it comes to matters of faith, they got it wrong. More

March Madness

It's that time of year when bubbles burst and buzzer beaters ring out across the land. For many, it's an occasion for great elation, for some, bitter disappointment. But if recent news reports are to be believed, it is truly the month of March Madness for Democrats. More

Selectively Faithful

The young man walked slowly toward his place of execution. Dressed in a crumpled suit and tie, he faced the firing squad and asked permission to pray. As a Catholic priest ministering to the faithful during the purge of the Church by Mexican revolutionaries, he was condemned to death. As the photographers and riflemen took aim, he raised his arms parallel to the ground, forgave his executioners and shouted, "Viva Christo Rey!" More

Can Hillary Walk the Line?

All does not seem rosy in the world of those supporting the nascent White House aspirations of Hillary Rodham Clinton. Many have noted the rumblings of some on the far left of her party toward certain of her stances, if you can call them that. In response, she has begun to tiptoe the tightrope between the moderate and leftist camps of the Democrats' big tent. More

Racism and Sports

The word "racism" has been tossed around the past few years like so many used hankies. In nearly all spheres of American life -- from politics, to the military and the world of sports -- the term is used to excuse and condone a multitude of sins. Sometimes warranted, often not, charges of racism against minorities are almost as common today as were actual instances of it decades ago. More

Olympic Distress

I've been a lifelong sports fan. My first memory was of my father's admiration and awe while watching Gale Sayers, the Kansas Comet, perform feats of gridiron magic for the Chicago Bears. I loved boxing and enjoyed growing up in an era rife with talented and hungry fighters, and one where the heavyweight championship was still considered the greatest and most respected of all title