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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
May 31, 2007
/ 15 Sivan, 5767
The Law and Order candidate
By
Debra J. Saunders
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Acting and not necessarily skilled acting seems to have become the training ground for Republican politicians with high ambition.
The standard cursus honorum for a would-be president typically began with a local office, then in a state legislature, then maybe Congress. The GOP, however, increasingly draws candidates from Hollywood (not the most hospitable environment for conservatives).
While Beltway insiders once showed disdain for America's first actor-president Ronald Reagan and Our Betters in Europe may sniff at actor-governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, many Republicans like the idea of "Law and Order" star and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson running for the White House. "There are a lot of social conservatives who are waiting on Fred," one fan told me.
"We're all a little giddy about it." Face it: Being an actor helps. Thompson looks like a president he even has been cast in the role. He has the pipes and a magnetic persona. He uses folksy words to combat the disingenuous rhetoric of Washington.
An example: "We should scrap this 'comprehensive' immigration bill and the whole debate until the government can show the American people that we have secured the borders or at least made great headway." Works for me.
Thompson has demonstrated that he can be fair. When he chaired the Senate Government Affairs Committee hearings on 1996 presidential campaign-finance abuses, Thompson shined the harsh light of scrutiny on the fund-raising excesses of both parties.
When I interviewed Thompson about his committee's report in 1998, he lamented the lack of honesty and respect for the rule of law: "I've come to the conclusion that people come before congressional committees and have very, very little fear of lying. It's almost come down to the point where under-oath testimony is basically given the same consideration as cocktail party talk. There's no real feeling that 'now I'm under oath, I've got to tell the truth' anymore."
Thompson was one of 10 Republican senators to vote against convicting President Bill Clinton after the House impeachment for perjury, but he did vote to convict on the obstruction of justice charge.
Yet Thompson does not come across as fair in a recent speech defending Scooter Libby, the former aide to Vice President Dick Cheney convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice. Thompson called for a presidential pardon on the grounds that "when you reverse an erroneous court decision, you are not disregarding the rule of law, you are enforcing and protecting it."
That's a problem. I don't want Libby to go to prison. I think it's an outrage that Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald prosecuted Libby for covering up his actions during Fitzgerald's probe into the leak of a former CIA official's identity especially because Fitzgerald never saw fit to prosecute the original leak itself.
Still, you can't vote to convict Clinton for obstructing justice, then argue that pardoning Libby would preserve justice.
Thompson's supporters promise an "unconventional campaign" that uses free media creatively. They point to Thompson's YouTube video response to filmmaker Michael Moore's challenge to a debate which siphoned away media attention from the second GOP presidential primary debate of announced candidates. He was a no-show, but he won points in the spin game.
Others wonder if the unconventional campaign spin is an attempt to make a virtue out of Thompson's reputation as a man not willing to work Washington hours.
Former California Republican Party Chairman Duf Sundheim told me, "I view him as the Wesley Clark of the 2008 campaign." Sundheim said he thought Thompson could become a serious candidate, but that a much-hyped speech in Orange County, which fell short of expectations, "leads me to believe he's not ready yet."
Then again, there was a time when that was what they said about Ronald Reagan.
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.
Comment JWR contributor Debra J. Saunders's column by clicking here.
Debra J. Saunders Archives
© 2007, Creators Syndicate
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