All posts by Rand Simberg

Political Commentary

No Special Treatment

I concur with the thoughts in this Freeper thread about Kerry’s potential plans to visit the Reagan Library. If he wants to pay his respects (and this isn’t just grandstanding), fine, but he should stand in line for hours with everyone else. None of this “Do you know who I am?” business.

Of course, as another commenter pointed out, he does have a natural face for mourning. I suspect he’ll get many opportunities to use it in the coming months, particularly in early November…

By the way, as I was driving up to Chatsworth this morning, the sign in Sepulveda pass said that there was an eight-hour wait at the library. I usually drive up the 405 to the 118 (the Simi Valley Freeway) and across, then take DeSoto down, but this morning, after hearing traffic reports, I decided to go across on the 101 instead.

[Update a few minutes later]

You know, this actually could be a good political move for him, as long as he does stand in line and take the bus (and that should include having his “family’s” SUV sit out on the 118 for hours as well, just like the rest of us). After all, he claims that he’s taking the week off from campaigning out of respect for President Reagan. What better way to show that he really is than by spending a few hours of his own personal time, on queue with the commoners? It would be all the more admirable, because it can’t be expected to be a friendly crowd to someone like him. It would be an opportunity to show, despite all previous evidence, that he really does have the common touch.

This, of course, is exactly why he won’t do it. I fully expect him to revert to character, and try (and maybe even succeed) to pull a “Do you know who I am?”. But maybe he’ll surprise me.

[Update]

He met my expectations, and Iowapresidentialwatch isn’t impressed, calling it “indecent exposure.”

At issue: The need for a Kerry visit to the Reagan Library in California. As reported by Rush Limbaugh, a Kerry spokesperson had already announced Kerry would attend the State Funeral for Reagan on Friday in Washington, D.C.

At issue: The photographer accompanying Kerry into the Reagan Library. Clear guidelines (handed out to everyone prior to entering the library to view Reagan

War Commentary

Gratitude

The Journal points out that the press hasn’t told people about this:

First in Arabic and then in English, Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said in his inaugural address to the Iraqi people last Tuesday that “I would like to record our profound gratitude and appreciation to the U.S.-led international coalition, which has made great sacrifices for the liberation of Iraq.” In his own remarks, President Ghazi al-Yawer said: “Before I end my speech, I would like us to remember our martyrs who fell in defense of freedom and honor, as well as our friends who fell in the battle for the liberation of Iraq.”

Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told the U.N. Security Council much the same thing last Thursday: “We Iraqis are grateful to the coalition who helped liberate us from the persecution of Saddam Hussein’s regime. We thank President Bush and Prime Minister Blair for their dedication and commitment.”

[Update]

Morton Kondracke has more.

Space

Not NASA’s Space Program

Here’s a UPI story about alt-space. The writer, Irene Mona Klotz (of whom I hadn’t previously heard), seems to get it. It’s great to see this kind of coverage in the mainstream press.

What’s even better is that it’s the first in a series on the emerging suborbital industry.

Space

Not NASA’s Space Program

Here’s a UPI story about alt-space. The writer, Irene Mona Klotz (of whom I hadn’t previously heard), seems to get it. It’s great to see this kind of coverage in the mainstream press.

What’s even better is that it’s the first in a series on the emerging suborbital industry.

Space

Not NASA’s Space Program

Here’s a UPI story about alt-space. The writer, Irene Mona Klotz (of whom I hadn’t previously heard), seems to get it. It’s great to see this kind of coverage in the mainstream press.

What’s even better is that it’s the first in a series on the emerging suborbital industry.

Space

Hope Springs Eternal

Yes, Andrew, it’s just for one day, unfortunately.

And I assume that this means that the NASA briefing in response to the Aldridge report, which was supposed to occur on that day, will be postponed until Monday?

[Update]

A couple commenters aren’t reading my post carefully. I’m not referring to the Aldridge Report release, which is scheduled for Thursday. I’m referring to the NASA response to it, which was scheduled for Friday. Follow the link.

[Update late afternoon]

As another commenter points out, the whole thing has been delayed until next week.

General

Patti Davis, Grownup

Here’s a very moving eulogy from a prodigal daughter.

I don’t know whether the loss is easier or harder if a parent is famous; maybe it’s neither. My father belonged to the country. I resented the country at times for its demands on him, its ownership of him. America was the important child in the family, the one who got the most attention. It’s strange, but now I find comfort in sharing him with an entire nation. There is some solace in knowing that others were also mystified by him; his elusiveness was endearing, but puzzling. He left all of us with the same question: who was he? People ask me to unravel him for them, as if I have secrets I haven’t shared. But I have none, nothing that you don’t already know. He was a man guided by internal faith. He knew our time on this earth is brief, yet he cared deeply about making his time here count. He was comfortable in his own skin. A disarmingly sunny man, he remained partially in shadow; no one ever saw all of him. It took me nearly four decades to allow my father his shadows, his reserve, to sit silently with him and not clamor for something more.

RTWT

General

Great Minds Think Alike

Andrew, I don’t know how you’ll feel about this, but apparently you were channeling Mark Steyn last night.

Unlike these men, unlike most other senior Republicans, Ronald Reagan saw Soviet Communism for what it was: a great evil. Millions of Europeans across half a continent from Poland to Bulgaria, Slovenia to Latvia live in freedom today because he acknowledged that simple truth when the rest of the political class was tying itself in knots trying to pretend otherwise. That