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L A ND N. X SCAHE U.CONTE SE T T H LO A OSEP J JANUARY 3 / JANUARY 10, 2005 • $3.95 The Fight for Iraq Austin Bay Reuel Marc Gerecht Among our best ‘‘ corporate-war correspondents. Bing provides a wickedly entertaining little guide to remaking yourself as a rapacious, coldhearted s.o.b. ’’ —Time BEWSJaToSlulE rSLnLtarEleRet ‘‘No one understands corporate war better, or makes it funnier.’’ author of —Walter Isaacson, Benjamin Franklin: An American Life ‘‘A hilarious, thought-provoking war plan for the battlefield of the modern workplace.’’ Fox News —Neil Cavuto, ‘‘Mr. Bing’s humor is… laugh-out-loud funny.’’ — Dallas Morning News Also by Stanley Bing: ‘‘Bing is hilarious.’’ —Don Imus www.StanleyBing.com HarperBusiness Don’t miss the next book by your favorite author. An Imprint ofHarperCollinsPublishers Sign up now for AuthorTracker by visiting www.harpercollins.com www.AuthorTracker.com Cutting-Edge Commentary on K–12 Education EDUCATION NEXT In the Winter 2005 Issue of Education Next… A JOURNAL OF OPINION A Forum on Paying Teachers Properly AND RESEARCH For more than a century,public education has worked with a single salary schedule that compensates teachers for college credits,education degrees,and years of experience—but not for their effectiveness in the classroom. Research shows that the degrees,courses,and experience that teachers have,beyond the first few years of teaching,are unrelated to how much their students achieve.The uniform salary schedule does not take into account that teachers work in schools offering different levels of nonmonetary benefits,such as a safe environment and students with different levels of preparation and home support.Nor does it allow for extra pay for those in hard-to-staff fields,such as math and science.But any pay-for-performance plan in K–12 SUBSCRIBE education will succeed only if teachers buy into it from the start,if it is fair,and if it is embedded in a Receive four quarterly systemic reform that encourages teachers to become better at their craft. issues at the rate of $20. —Lewis Solmon FREE ISSUE Receive a complimentary The Moral Imperative issue of the latest Education Next without obligation. Are schools effective that take character education reform seriously? Call 800.935.2882 orvisit Character education has legs.It is a reform so thoroughly in the American grain,not to mention so various www.educationnext.org and adaptable,that it cannot be dismissed as just another shiny and insubstantial bubble.Moreover,the wish for schools to somehow address the sense of drift and anomie in the larger culture is not likely to abate.So the issue is not whether we will have character education,but instead,what kind we will have and what relationship it will bear to the ongoing campaign to improve children’s academic skills. —James Traub .Stanford University RWeahdeinrge, PHenanvseyl vAanllia t,hbeec aDmoel tlhaer sfir sGt oscnheo?ol district in the nation to sue a state Hoover Institution, edRuecaadtiinogn’s dlaewpsauritt mmiegnhtt juosvte prr otvhee t hNaot NCChLiBld i sL deofitn gB eexhaicntdly Awchat t( iNt CisL sBup).posed to be doing:exposing Paid for by the scotofr nuwsghigdyle iNnregCd Ld Btios tisrbi ecn tetshe tedo e psdet.arfnedcat rddiss torifc et xtoc eilllluenmcien atthea tN tChLeBy’ sh adde fneecvtse rh eavse tnu rinmeadg oinuetd t.o Abned a w shhainti nwga se xfairmstple —Brad Bumsted To read more,call 800.935.2882 for a free copy of the latestEducation Next. HOOVER INSTITUTION . . . ideas defining a free society Hoover Institution Stanford University Stanford,CA 94305-6010 Tel: 877.466.8374 Fax: 650.723.1687 [email protected] www.hoover.org (cid:1)(cid:2)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:6) (cid:7)(cid:5)(cid:8)(cid:9)(cid:6)(cid:3)(cid:10)(cid:3)(cid:11)(cid:12) (cid:13)(cid:6)(cid:14) (cid:15)(cid:5)(cid:2)(cid:16)(cid:3)(cid:2)(cid:17)(cid:13)(cid:6)(cid:8)(cid:5)(cid:18)(cid:16)(cid:3)(cid:2) (cid:19)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:20)(cid:13)(cid:7) (cid:21)(cid:5)(cid:13)(cid:2)(cid:8)(cid:9) (cid:13)(cid:6)(cid:14) (cid:22)(cid:5)(cid:23)(cid:8)(cid:24)(cid:5)(cid:25) (cid:3)(cid:2) (cid:26)(cid:27)(cid:5)(cid:8)(cid:24)(cid:7)(cid:28)(cid:4)(cid:5) (cid:29)(cid:2)(cid:13)(cid:6)(cid:23)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:2)(cid:7)(cid:30) THIS IS A COMBINED ISSUE. THE NEXT ISSUE OF THE WEEKLY STANDARD WILL APPEAR IN TWO WEEKS. Contents January 3 / January 10, 2005 • Volume 10, Number 16 2 Scrapbook . . . Sid Blumenthal, Xmas miracles, and more. 6 Correspondence . . . . . . Social Security, media bias, etc. 4 Casual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joseph Epstein, change agent. 7 Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Choosing Sides in Iraq Articles 8 Negotiating with Himself The president’s Social Security pitch needs some work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BYFREDBARNES 9 Cynthia McKinney (D-Conspiracy) She’s back. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BYMATTHEWCONTINETTI 12 The Mismatch Game How law school race preferences harm black students.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BYTERRYEASTLAND 14 The U.N. Sex Scandal Exploitation, abuse, and other humanitarian efforts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BYJOSEPHLOCONTE 15 The Philosophers’ Blog Where condescension is king.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BYROSSDOUTHAT Features 17 The Millennium War A report from the Mesopotamian front. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BYAUSTINBAY 22 The Struggle for the Middle East Iraq, Iran, and the path to democracy.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BYREUELMARCGERECHT Cover:AFP/Getty/Tauseef Mustafa Books & Arts 31 Murdering History How the past became fair game for detective stories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BYJONL. BREEN 34 Chills & Thrills Michael Crichton saves us from those who want to save us from global warming.. . BYDEBRAJ. SAUNDERS 36 Diamonds for Blood How terrorism funds itself.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BYVANCESERCHUK 37 Southern Cross Freaks and other Christians in Flannery O’Connor’s stories. . . . . . . . . . . . . BYMARIAANDRACACARANO 39 THESTANDARDREADER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Katherine Mangu-Ward on Cokie Roberts’s Founding Mothers. 40 Parody. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A few personalities of 2028. William Kristol,Editor Fred Barnes, Executive Editor David Tell, Opinion Editor Christopher Caldwell, Andrew Ferguson, Senior Editors Richard Starr, Claudia Winkler, Managing Editors Joseph Bottum, Books & Arts Editor Matt Labash, Senior Writer Stephen F. Hayes, Staff Writer Victorino Matus, David Skinner, Assistant Managing Editors Jonathan V. Last, Online Editor Matthew Continetti, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Reporters Duncan Currie, Rachel DiCarlo, ErinMontgomery, Editorial Assistants Lev Nisnevitch, Art Director Philip Chalk, Production Director Gerard Baker, Max Boot, Tucker Carlson, John J. DiIulio Jr., Noemie Emery, Joseph Epstein, David Frum, David Gelernter, Reuel Marc Gerecht Brit Hume, Robert Kagan, Charles Krauthammer, Tod Lindberg, P. J. O’Rourke, John Podhoretz, Irwin M. Stelzer, Contributing Editors Terry Eastland, Publisher Peter Dunn, Associate Publisher Nicholas H.B. Swezey, Advertising & Marketing Manager Don Eugenio, Midwest Advertising Manager Meghan Hawthorne, Advertising & Marketing Assistant Lauren Trotta Husted, Circulation Director Tina Winston, Finance Director Catherine Titus Lowe, Publicity Director Taybor Cook, Carolyn Wimmer, Executive Assistants Michael Goldfarb, Staff Assistant THEWEEKLYSTANDARD(ISSN 1083-3013) is published weekly (except the first week in January, third week in April, second week in July, fourth week in August, and the second week in November) by News America Incorporated, 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to THEWEEKLY STANDARD, P.O. Box 96127, Washington, DC 20077-7767. For subscription customer service in the United States, call 1-800-274-7293. 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THEWEEKLYSTANDARDAdvertising Sales Office in Washington, DC, is 1-202-293-4900. Advertising Production: Call Nicholas H.B. Swezey 1-202-496-3355. Midwest Advertising Sales: 1-312-953-7236. Copyright 2005, News America Incorporated. All rights reserved. No material in THEWEEKLYSTANDARDmay be reprinted without permission of the copyright owner. THEWEEKLYSTANDARDis a trademark of News America Incorporated. www.weeklystandard.com Ferreting Out the News Remember how, during last month’s publicize the incident in print. Are we tioned in boats, the guide said: “Usu- gala celebrations at the opening of really sunk so low? Has the right-wing ally, you might see some bass fisher- Bill Clinton’s presidential library on the assault on America’s mainstream media man out there.” Bush replied: “A sub- banks of the Arkansas River, Clinton’s finally succeeded in quashing all marine could take this place out.” White House successor, George W. dissent? Bush, was overheard musing aloud But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. A most unsettling vignette, to be sure. about a submarine-borne nuclear missile Here—from his November 25 column What could Bush have been thinking, strike on Little Rock? in London’s Guardian (there being no asks Blumenthal in the Guardian? “Was Yeah, THE SCRAPBOOK missed that reputable American newspaper brave the president warning of an al Qaeda story, too. As did every last one of the enough to publish the man)—is what submarine, sneaking undetected up the 1,000-plus professional journalists— “two eyewitnesses” told Sidney Blumen- Mississippi, through the locks and dams THE WEEKLY STANDARD’s own Matt thal about President Bush’s homicidal of the Arkansas River, surfacing under Labash included—who were on site to daydream: the bridge to the 21st century to dis- cover the event from start to finish. Go patch the Clinton library?” Or, (b) “was At the dedication of the Clinton figure. this a projection of menace and messian- library last week in Little Rock, Karl Go figure, more to the point, how ism, with only Bush grasping the true Rove and President Bush received come it took an altogether unprofession- danger, standing between submerged separate tours of the dramatic build- al journalist to break the news of Presi- threat and civilization?” Or, (c) “perhaps ing, a glistening silver, suspended dent Bush’s scandalous remark. For that it was simply his way of saying he boxcar filled with light and with a matter, ask yourself why it is that the wouldn’t build his library near water.” panoramic view of the Arkansas altogether unprofessional journalist in River....Bush appeared distracted, Or, (d) could it be that Sidney Blu- question—Sidney Blumenthal, “Wash- and glanced repeatedly at his watch. menthal, a notoriously malicious fable- ington bureau chief of Salon”—remains When he stopped to gaze at the river, spinner, just made the whole thing up? to this day the only man who’s dared to where secret service agents were sta- We report, you decide. ♦ ‘Breaking News’ Were there any real justice in the nuclear-holocaust note. It turns out news business, for example, Weekly that Jason Jablonski’s talking derrière So to Speak World Newsscience writer D.G. Bulger has struck a blow for global comity. would surely win a 2004 Pulitzer for a The Detroit furniture store he works Wait, back up: It seems there’s an story he published earlier this year in “draws many French Canadian cus- option (e). The “two eye- about a 40-year-old Michigan man tomers from across the border, which witnesses” Sidney Blumenthal cites as named Jason Jablonski. “Linguists and has allowed his buttocks to sharpen sources for Bush’s “nuke Little Rock” proctologists from around the world are [their] conversational skills.” Pleased reverie may have heard a voice they stunned by a Detroit man’s unique with these results, Jablonski now hopes thought was the president’s—but was gift,” Bulger reported on August 26. to work at the United Nations or as an actually being ventriloquized by their Mr. Jablonski “is able to speak fluent embassy interpreter in a French speak- own buttocks. No, really. Stranger French out of his buttocks.” ing country. ♦ things have been known to happen. For Unlike Salon’s Sidney Blumenthal, confirmation of which THESCRAPBOOK incidentally, Mr. Bulger disdains Do as the French Do directs doubtful readers to an authority anonymous sourcing and blind quota- whose reputation for accuracy and tion. His information about Jablonski’s And in other low-minded news integrity far exceeds even Mr. Blumen- rare form of “Intestinal Linguistic involving French-speaking inter- thal’s own. We refer, of course, to the Amplification” is plainly attributed to national diplomacy: France’s daily Le Weekly World News, a supermarket a professional expert, one “Dr. Edith Parisien revealed on December 20 that tabloid routinely overlooked by the Winters, senior fellow at the California one of that country’s best-known public Pulitzer Prize board, but otherwise Institute of Bowel Abnormalities.” magistrates, Pierre Hontang of Bay- indistinguishable from the Howell Also unlike Blumenthal, Bulger ends onne, is now under intensive Justice Raines-era New York Times. his story on a thankfully upbeat, non- Ministry scrutiny for his alleged behav- 2 / THEWEEKLYSTANDARD JANUARY3 / JANUARY10, 2005 Scrapbook City of Angels On Friday, December 17, two copies of Los Angeles County’s 47-year- old official seal—the ones hanging on the front wall of its Board of Supervi- sors hearing room—were quietly covered over with temporary stick-um decals featuring a newly designed logo the county has chosen as a permanent replacement. What will eventually be a $700,000 county-wide reinstallation project got started back in May when the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California sent the Board of Supervisors a formal letter of complaint about the original seal, one minor iconographic element of which was a cross. The old seal was thus unconstitu- tionally Christian, the organization argued. And the supervisors—by a sub- sequent series of 3-2 votes—agreed. Here’s the thing, though: By the time the Board of Supervisors got back to work on Monday morning, Decem- ber 20, the covered-over cross had somehow made itself clearly visible again, right through the stick-um decal’s paper fabric. “It’s a Christmas miracle,” said a spokesman for supervi- sor Michael D. Antonovich, one of the Board’s two replacement-project oppo- ior at the Fifth Conference of European the prosecutors’ conference. nents. Antonovich’s colleague, supervi- General Prosecutors in Germany this “The affair came to light,” according sor Don Knabe, agreed: “It is very sym- past May. Hontang attended the gather- to theTimesof London, “after M.Hon- bolic that the cross has reappeared on a ing as keynote speaker for a session on tang complained to the owner of the new seal directly above the new icon of “fundamental principles of ethics for brothel...about the quality of its work. [the San Gabriel] mission, which does prosecutors.” According to a prelimi- The owner noticed that he had not paid not have a cross.” nary report by a joint task force of with his own credit card and alerted Nah, “I’m pretty sure it’s a graphics French and German police investiga- German police officers.” problem,” explained Tom Tindall, a tors, however, Hontang also slipped French justice minister Dominique general manager of the county’s Inter- away from the conference at least twice, Perben has asked the country’s Conseil nal Services Department. Either way, both times in order to visit a brothel. Supérieur de la Magistrature to suspend ACLU spokeswoman Elizabeth Bren- And while he is thought the first time M. Hontang pending completion of the nan tells the Los Angeles Daily Newsthat to have used his own money for what inquiry. “It just wasn’t something we it’s unfortunate the cover-over effort one detective called “activities that are a could ignore,” a Conseil spokesman seems to have failed. “But they’ve made little shameful for a magistrate of this told reporters, “even in France.” a good-faith effort,” at least. standing,” Hontang’s return trip was That “even in France” part all by That “good-faith effort” part all by apparently paid for with a credit card itself makes the whole story worth- itself makes the whole story worth- he’d stolen from a German colleague at while, don’t you think? ♦ while, don’t you think? ♦ JANUARY3 / JANUARY10, 2005 THEWEEKLYSTANDARD/ 3 Casual of them tea rooms, where you could get chicken-salad sandwiches and a demoralizing little peach cobbler. D G C ’ In those good/bad old days, people O O HANGIN came from the west and farther north to shop in Evanston, which had a number of shops, including a small branch of Marshall Field’s. But the Conservatives come in many five or six stories—have been put up building of a large mall a few miles to stripes and various hues. nearby. Almost all these buildings are the west soon left Evanston bereft of There are the paleoconser- condominiums—the entire neighbor- most of its useful stores, and fast food vatives (the guys who want hood, like much of urban America, joints catering to the Northwestern to get the cars off the streets but has gone condo-maniacal. students began to dominate. The best haven’t yet found an efficient way to Most of the new owners are measure for the quality of a town is deal with the horse manure once younger people. In the building the number of blocks of good shops it they’ve done so) and the neoconserva- across the street lived a high-scoring contains—New York and London win tives (those former liberals famously guard from the Chicago Bulls (before hands-down here—but until recently mugged by reality and now, Leo he was traded). Four or so blocks to Evanston couldn’t even put together a Strauss volumes in hand, intent on the north, a second-year quarterback single block of interesting shops. Soon world domination) and the economic after the new building began, though, conservatives (whose belief in free a Peet’s coffee-and-tea shop, a Whole markets is as absolute as the belief Foods supermarket, and a cineplex of the rest of us in gravity) and the lib- moved in. With all the building ertarians (whose motto is “let ’er rip”). going on, with the continuing My own conservatism is one of influx of young, mildly opu- temperament: I get a kick out of lent people, there is hope tradition and am usually made more will follow. edgy by too-rapid change. I don’t I hear lots of grumbling about the go as far here as Evelyn Waugh, changing local scene. Parking, already another conservative of tempera- a problem for local merchants and gi ment. Waugh once claimed that Gy people who come to shop, will pre- n he was not going to vote Tory arre sumably become an even greater D because the party had been in problem. One of the builders seems office for eight years and hadn’t to specialize in odd colored bal- set back the clock a single minute. conies—copperish brown, bright The reason I bring this up is that, red—which much offends the for a man of conservative tempera- of the Chicago Bears is said to have Ruskinians among us. ment, I find myself having a strange bought two apartments and combined The entire scene has what a tem- reaction to radical change in my own them into one. peramental conservative might call neighborhood. A vast amount of new The prices for these various apart- the nauseatingly depressing smell of building, most of it residential, is pop- ments range from $385,000 to $1.3 progress. Yet far from feeling nauseat- ping up all around me. A conservative million. Couples seem to be the prin- ed or depressed, I feel enlivened by of my kind should be saddened by it; cipal buyers: a man and a woman the spectacle. Might it be that, unbe- as an aesthetic snob—none of the each earning in the low six figures, knownst even to myself, I have under- buildings is particularly handsome—I with perhaps a bit of help from one or gone a subtle conversion from a con- should also be smugly appalled. I find the other set of parents. The overall servative of temperament to a free- I’m neither. I like what is going on, effect is to give the neighborhood a market man? (The famous invisible and am eager for more of the same. greater feel of vibrancy, more restau- hand of the market has not yet tapped My neighborhood is downtown rants, more people on the streets, me, awake or in my dreams.) I wish I Evanston, just outside Chicago, on more action generally. knew what’s going on. All I do know whose edge I have been living for the When I was a boy this same neigh- is that, walking in my neighborhood, past 15 years. A 26-story building has borhood was dominated by blue-rinse I now hear myself mutter, the reverse gone up across the street from me. dowagers. The town was then by law of the “Burn, baby, burn” mantra of Another building that will take up the as dry as these women—it’s still the the 1960s rioters, a new little mantra better part of a full city block is now headquarters of the Women’s Christ- of my own: “Build, baby, build.” under construction less than two ian Temperance Union—which con- blocks away. Smaller buildings—of demned it to dreary restaurants, many JOSEPHEPSTEIN 4 / THEWEEKLYSTANDARD JANUARY3 / JANUARY10, 2005 R E A D YOUR WAY TO THE TOP THE ESSENTIAL LIBRARY FOR INNOVATIVE LEADERSHIP “Thebest business book of “The business idea of “Eye-opening.”—USA Today “Drucker is one of the most 1997.”—Financial Times/ the year.”—Fast Company “Good to Greatis about influential individualsof the Booz Allen & Hamilton Global “This carefully researched turning good results into 20th century.”—Jim Collins Business Book Awards and well-writtenbook great results; Built to Lastis “His writings are landmarksof “This book ought to chill any disproves most of the current about turning great results the managerial profession.” business executivewho management hype—it should into an enduring great —Harvard Business Review feels bulletproof—and enable competence to company.”—Jim Collins inspire entrepreneurs become excellence.” aiming their guns.”—Forbes —Peter F.Drucker “Best leadership book of “One of those rare books “Herb Baum argues that a “This book gets the gold.” the year 2003.” on management that are climate of integrity is crucial —Warren Bennis —strategy+business both consistently thought- to the success of a public “Knowledge has to be both “Effective,to the point... provokingand fun to read.” company and that it begins created and taught.Learning Louis V.Gerstner,Jr. —Wall Street Journal at the top ...persuasive ... and teaching organizations deserves his place in the “One of the most usefulbooks interesting material.” have to be built.But how management hall of fame.” to appear in a long while.” —Wall Street Journal is it to be done? Tichy —Financial Times —The Atlantic Monthly provides the answers.” —Lester Thurow Visit www.harperbusinessessentials.com Correspppondence NO FREE LUNCH filibuster a nominee. The nomination is Journal’s editorial page is on the opposite then tabled, the Senate moves on, and the end of the scale: FRED BARNES’S article on Social obstructionists get off easy. At no point “The rating for the Journal’s editorial Security (“Republican Insecurity,” have the Democrats been forced to make pages would of course look very different. Dec. 20) misses two basic facts. One, a big the endless floor speeches to prevent the (As one quipster observed, James Carville cut in benefits is a big cut in benefits. up-or-down vote. To my knowledge, we and Mary Matalin probably agree more Two, a big cut in benefits will never pass have not seen a real filibuster since the often than the news and editorial divi- in the current environment. civil rights era. sions of the Wall Street Journal.)” Liberals know that eventually there Forcing a real filibuster would accom- I have been a Journal reader for over 50 will be a crisis, and when there is a crisis plish several things. It would clearly years, and frankly, I cannot reconcile this (around 2015 or 2020) they will demand a paint the Democrats as obstructionists. It perspective. I find myself fairly consis- big tax increase and a small benefit cut. could sort moderates such as Bingaman, tently in accord with the Journal’s editor- They will have scored an ideological Conrad, the two Nelsons, Carper, and ial page; and yet at the same time, I’m not victory. Dayton out from the pack. And if Frist offended by the news content. Strategic conservatives know that were to schedule the seven blocked nom- By contrast, I check out the New York getting a big (6 percent) personal Social inees as the first seven votes of the new Timesquite regularly. I rarely agree with Security Savings Account is the biggest session, and then force Democrats to their editorial policy and am almost step toward personal freedom and filibuster one after the other, future votes always offended by their editorials mas- personal responsibility we will take in on Supreme Court justices, tax reform, querading as front-page news. our lifetime. DICKGOLDBERG They also know Chile’s record and the Morrison, CO Savings and Loan bailout both proved you could take the transition financing off-budget and then use the improved ERRATA revenue-to-expenditure process to pay off the bonds over a generation with no INCHRISTOPHERCALDWELL’S“Holland burden on the general budget. Daze” (Dec. 27), the murder of Dutch The Ryan-Sununu plan has already filmmaker Theo van Gogh was described been scored by the Social Security as occurring “911 days after 9/11.” In fact, actuary as having achieved solvency for van Gogh was killed 911 days after the Social Security. May 2002 murder of Dutch politician If Barnes wants to quote someone Pim Fortuyn. Also, the article stated that calling us “free-lunchers,” then I would there are about 3 million foreign-born in urge him to call our opponents “the the Netherlands. There are roughly 3 suicidal wing.” It is impossible for million people of non-Dutch ancestry Republicans to propose a big benefit cut (allochthonen) in the Netherlands, of and pass it. The effort would lead to a whom about 2 million are foreign-born. shattering defeat in 2006. Because of an editing error, a NEWTGINGRICH SCRAPBOOKitem last week on Louisiana Washington, DC district judge Timothy Ellender mistak- and Social Security reform would go enly identified the date of an infamous more smoothly. Halloween party he attended as 1983. A REAL FILIBUSTER And besides, if this resulted in the The party actually occurred in 2003. Senate accomplishing nothing for a few INDUNCANCURRIE’Sarticle about over- months, would we really be worse off? • • • coming Democratic filibusters of DALEJOHNSON judicial nominees (“A New Weapon in Ashburn, VA THEWEEKLYSTANDARD the Judges’ War,” Dec. 6), he discusses welcomes letters to the editor. Letters will be edited for length and several “nuclear” options for breaking the impasse. Nowhere, however, have I MEDIA MISMATCH clarity and must include the writer’s name, address, and phone number. seen a discussion of using what I would All letters should be addressed: call the “conventional option,” the one ROBERT J. BARRO’S “Bias Beyond a Correspondence Editor envisioned by the framers of our Reasonable Doubt” (Dec. 13) evalu- THEWEEKLYSTANDARD Constitution, which would be to make ates the media in terms of liberal bias. On 1150 17th St., NW, Suite 505 the Democrats conduct a real filibuster. a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 being most Washington, DC 20036. Up until now, Senate majority leader liberal and 0 being most conservative, the Bill Frist and company have let the Wall Street Journal ranks highest, with a You may also fax letters: (202) 293-4901 Democrats merely sign a pledge to score of 85. But Barro recognizes that the or email: [email protected]. 6 / THEWEEKLYSTANDARD JANUARY3 / JANUARY10, 2005