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February 10, 2012
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David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
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Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
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Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
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The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
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Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
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Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
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Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
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January 30, 2012
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Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
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Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
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Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
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Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
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Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
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Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
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Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
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Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
March 6, 2007
/ 16 Adar, 5767
Can Rudy survive the criticism?
By
Jack Kelly
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Rudy Giuliani is casting a long shadow over the Democratic as well as the Republican presidential races. Opinion polls indicate the former New York mayor has a large lead not only among likely GOP voters, but in match ups with the leading Democratic contenders as well.
It defies conventional wisdom that a candidate who is pro-choice on abortion and pro-gay rights could be a serious contender for the Republican nomination. But two events have stood the conventional wisdom on its head.
For most conservatives, winning the war on terror is the paramount issue, because nothing else matters much if we lose.
Mr. Giuliani arguably has the best credentials on the paramount issue. All the major GOP candidates say the right things. But his stewardship of the city of New York indicates Rudy has the toughness and leadership to bring us victory. He also has communications skills the current president sadly lacks.
The less important is the Democratic sweep in the 2006 elections. That's convinced all but the most dense conservatives that some ideological accommodation must be made if defeat is to be averted in 2008.
Mr. Giuliani also benefits because there is no strong, popular conservative contending for the GOP nomination. Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney have their virtues. But the reincarnation of Ronald Reagan they are not.
Being the frontrunner is always an advantage, especially in the GOP, where the frontrunner has won every nomination since 1964. But it will be enormously more so next year, because we'll have a de facto national primary on Feb. 5.
The frontrunner in the Democratic party is Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY. But while Rudy Giuliani's lead has been growing, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill, has cut in half the gap between himself and Ms. Clinton in the last month.
Sen. Obama is an attractive, well spoken man whose civil tongue is a welcome change from what passes for political discourse these days. But in his political views, Mr. Obama is out there with the moonbats. And he lacks the experience most like to see in a presidential candidate. Mr. Obama's rise is more a reflection of Sen. Clinton's shortcomings than of his virtues.
The moonbats don't like Ms. Clinton because of her vote to authorize the war in Iraq, and her refusal to apologize for it.
Hollywood mogul David Geffen, a former Friend of Bill who now supports Mr. Obama, raised another concern. "Everybody in politics lies, but they (Bill and Hillary Clinton) do it with such ease, it's troubling," Mr. Geffen told New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd.
Democrats forgave Bill his frequent departures from the truth, his reckless personal behavior, and his occasional forays into moderation because he is a charming rogue. Hillary is tough as nails and very smart, but "charming" is a description few apply to her.
What Democrats liked best about Bill is that he took back the White House after 12 years of Republican rule. What concerns Democrats most about Hillary is that she might be a loser.
Rudy Giuliani deepens those concerns. Recent polls in Pennsylvania and New Jersey show him creaming her. It is inconceivable that the Democrats can win the presidency if they lose either Pennsylvania or New Jersey, much less both.
If Mr. Giuliani remains the frontrunner among Republicans, I doubt Hillary will among Democrats. I think Ms. Clinton will fend off the challenge from Sen. Obama, who isn't quite ready for prime time. But in knocking him down, she'll deepen concerns Democrats have about her.
By September, Ms. Clinton's team will have covered Mr. Obama with mud, but a lot will have splattered on her in the process. Look for Al Gore to get in the race then. (A Gore candidacy would be the best news I've heard since John Kerry dropped out, but it'll take another column to explain why.)
Will Rudy Giuliani still be the GOP frontrunner come September? He's about to be attacked viciously by both left and right. Much will depend on how he handles the criticism.
Rudy's critics will in part neutralize each other. Complaints from the left that he was insufficiently attentive to the constitutional rights of criminal defendants won't hurt him in Republican primaries. Reminders from the right that he's a social moderate won't estrange Independents.
Mr. Giuliani hasn't closed the sale. But his strong showing in the straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference last weekend indicates Republicans are in a mood to buy.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Jack Kelly, a former Marine and Green Beret, was a
deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force in the Reagan
administration. Comment by clicking here.
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