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February 13, 2012
Binyamin Rose: Back to the Bunker: How a life-risking act by a Christian family during the Holocaust saved a family and built a thriving community a world away
Menachem Wecker: Business Schools Teach Real Estate Despite Troubled Housing Market
February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
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)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
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?
February 3, 2012
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
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
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
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
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
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
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
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
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 29, 2010
/ 14 Nissan 5770
Strong ideas and plain words from Pawlenty
By
Kathryn Lopez
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
"Our values are under attack and under siege." These words, delivered by Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty summed up the palpable feeling at a gala just a block away from the White House, days after President Barack Obama's health-care legislation passed in the House.
In many ways, the annual dinner for the Susan B. Anthony List was an awkward gathering. SBA List is the pro-life answer to Emily's List: Where Emily's raises money for candidates who back legal abortion, SBA List aims to elect those who oppose it. But despite the defeat and the sense of siege, Pawlenty lifted up the room humbly, realistically and generously. His speech sounded natural; even, at times, off-the-cuff.
"The laws and the court decisions and the like will change when hearts are changed and minds are changed," he declared. "And when we have enough people who have hearts and minds who share our views and values, that will translate into the change in the laws and the change in the courts that we know are right."
Pawlenty is not flashy. In fact, when he tries to jazz up his approach as he did with a Tiger Woods joke during a recent speech it doesn't quite work. If you compare him to other Minnesota politicians who have garnered national attention former governor Jesse Ventura and Sen. Al Franken come to mind he's positively Wonder Bread. If you compare him to Rep. Michele Bachmann, also a fellow Gopher Stater, he might look like a moderate. But declaring himself a "constitutional conservative," he's positioning himself firmly as a man of the Founding documents. He's not going to drive people wild like Sarah Palin does. But does a presidential candidate really need to?
Pawlenty needs to be viewed in the context of Obama. After a president who promised everything and nothing in the form of a lot of historic, comprehensive and broad yet pedestrian campaign rhetoric, and still ran a perpetual campaign after inauguration, people may be looking for someone a tad plainer, with a firm and concrete record. They may be looking for someone who stands for the Constitution, instead of state attorneys general suing over the landmark legislation of the current administration.
Obama's a good comparison, too, when you consider Pawlenty's remarks about Bachmann, who was also in attendance at the dinner. He called her "one of the finest leaders in our country." But he didn't leave it there. "She has guts. She has brains. She has integrity. She has determination. She has persistence. She has the skills, ability and passion to change this country. … My face just lights up when I see her." This was smart politically, because Bachmann is popular among many conservatives. But such a full-throated endorsement was not exactly playing it safe. Bachmann has been known to open a can of worms or two an interview she did on "Hardball" nearly cost her her House seat. One gets the impression the term "throw someone under the bus" wouldn't be used quite as often in a Pawlenty era.
Although Pawlenty does have a series of pro-life initiatives under his belt, during his SBA List speech he didn't offer a laundry list so much as outline his vision and give a sense of his grounding, as a man who is hoping to have a long relationship with the activist, pro-life crowd. He warned of a "damaging, corrosive, devaluing" direction that America has been on since Roe v. Wade. "We see it in the chatter. You see it in the debates. It includes things like, you know, economic security is more important than human life."
He didn't make the connection explicit, but his comments came shortly after a supposed pro-life Democrat, Rep. Bart Stupak, who later voted for the health-care package, jarringly reported that Democrats were arguing for the abortion-funding health-care legislation in part on economic grounds: If fewer babies were born, (costs) would be lower. Such talk is endemic, Pawlenty said, of a "slippery slope" you're on "once you open the door to say that life can be devalued, life is negotiable, life can be bargained away."
Pawlenty's got a natural smile that goes along with his optimism. Among the activists, he talked in terms of "healing," laced with some inspiring quotes he took from both his morning Bible study and a Reagan inaugural. "America is in trouble," he says bluntly. "We've got a financial crisis that seems out of control. We have great uncertainty in … our national-security posture." Most alarmingly, he feels that "all of these values that we share, that we hold dear are one generation away from being extinct or forgotten or diluted."
Which is why you keep involved, he affirmed: "In the end, ideas matter." Twice in his speech, he stressed the need to move the ball forward on values and principles in elective office: "We have to make sure that we do what we say we are going to do." To this largely conservative audience, his pitch came across as a believable vision one that taps into Reagan's devotion to First Things, and echoes the Gipper's morning-in-America imagery. Pawlenty is offering a message similar to that of others on today's right, but he is doing so in a way that is exceedingly plainspoken. Which may be exactly what his broader audience could be craving in the election of 2012.
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