Generated by All in One SEO v4.9.9, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # No Straw Men Enlightened discourse proscribes arguments that are weak or imaginary, like straw, set up only to be confuted summarily. ## Sitemaps - [XML Sitemap](https://nostrawmen.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website. ## Posts - [Wisdom from Joe Klein’s Politics Lost](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/07/wisdom-from-joe-kleins-politics-lost/) - A month ago, I was asked to name the three most recent books I had read. I could only name two—Bob Woodward's State of Denial and One Party Country: The Republican Plan for Dominance in the 21st Century. I explained that I am a voracious reader, but of newspapers, magazines and blogs, but I was - [The Importance of Tipping](https://nostrawmen.com/2010/08/the-importance-of-tipping/) - The subject of tipping is a touchy one. No one wants to be called “cheap,” yet people can disagree reasonably about what that means. As someone who eats at or takes out from gratuity-based restaurants (as opposed to McDonalds) three to four times times a week, here’s my two cents. 20% Is the New 15% - [A Little History of the Little Book](https://nostrawmen.com/2004/01/a-little-history-of-the-little-book/) - A version of this blog post appeared in abridged form on Polaris and in the Hamilton College Spectator on February 13, 2004. We pass the building every day, yet most of us have been inside only once. Upon matriculation, we entered Kirkland Cottage to sign the College Register. An administrator then gave us each a copy - [Are Liberal Ideas Harder to Communicate?](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/08/are-liberal-ideas-harder-to-communicate/) - A version of this blog post appeared on TechRepublican and Redstate on August 15, 2007. Rudy Giuliani is a Republican who holds the Democratic position on abortion. He's also a Catholic, which digs his hole even deeper, since various American bishops have threatened to deny him Holy Communion, as they did to John Kerry in 2004. Accordingly, most - [Romney’s Too Perfect? You’re Too Envious](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/07/romneys-too-perfect-youre-too-envious/) - One of the less-analyzed refrains about Mitt Romney is that he’s flawless. Whether it’s his Liberace locks, George Washington probity, Norman Rockwell family or Bill Gates success, “Romney may ironically turn off some voters by being too, well, perfect,” writes Matt Lewis. The reason for this topsy-turvy attitude, Matt argues, is that Americans have always - [What Constitutes “Amnesty”? Or, for That Matter, “Judicial Activism”?](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/05/what-constitutes-amnesty-or-for-that-matter-judicial-activism/) - Within the past year or so, two terms have became verboten within the conservative lexicon: "judicial activism" and "amnesty." Both are so facile and, by now, shopworn, they have lost objective meaning and instead serve as means to hurl at one's opponents. So, in order to restore semantic sanity to the debates about the role - [The Speciousness of “Strategic”](https://nostrawmen.com/2009/08/the-speciousness-of-strategic/) - I work in the field of “strategic communications.” In my past job, I worked on “strategic partnerships,” among other things. Both terms are well-established, yet both are 50% meaningless. After all, aren’t all communications “strategic”? Do nonstrategic partnerships even exist? The truth is, these are differences without a distinction. As any semanticist will tell you, - [Harvard’s Comeuppance](https://nostrawmen.com/2009/07/harvards-comeuppance/) - s - [Rudy's Rhetoric](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/08/rudys-rhetoric/) - 1999: "When people overdo it about terrorism, terrorists actually win. You're sort of like becoming agents and instruments of the terrorists." 2007: "They hate you!" says Rudy Giuliani in his new role as fearmonger in chief, relentlessly reminding audiences of all the nasty people out there. "They don't want you to be in this college!" - [Experience Does Not Predict Success](https://nostrawmen.com/2008/10/experience-does-not-predict-success/) - Many people enjoy pointing out how "inexperienced" Barack Obama and Sarah Palin are. I, myself, hung out in this crowd, and recently argued this point to my friend Jon Henke. Jon responded: I don't see how you can say one of those two is experienced and the other inexperienced. You've got to think they're both - [Al Kelly: Professor Extraordinaire](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/04/al-kelly-professor-extraordinaire/) - A version of this blog post was submitted as a nomination for the Hamilton College Christian A. Johnson Professorship. Last summer, as I struggled to concretize a proposal for a Watson or Bristol postgraduate fellowship, I knew there was one person whose guidance I needed. I had talked with others, but no one had this - [The Susan Rosenberg Debate](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/01/the-susan-rosenberg-debate/) - A version of this blog post appeared in FrontPage Magazine on January 27, 2005. They call academe the ivory tower. But sometimes the ivory tower is not as aloof as it often seems. To the contrary, as the faculty of Hamilton College gathered for their last monthly meeting of 2004, they tackled the agenda with such - [When Does a Source Release a Reporter From Confidentiality?](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/07/when-does-a-source-release-a-reporter-from-confidentiality/) - The Los Angeles Times compiles a helpful Q&A (as does the Washington Post). From the Times: Q: Administration officials signed agreements saying that reporters were free to reveal their identities. Despite that, why won't reporters name their sources? A: Miller, Cooper, and other reporters say such "blanket waivers" are not truly voluntary. Officials may have signed them - [Why Economic Nationalism Is Wrong](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/06/why-economic-nationalism-is-wrong/) - The New York Times reports: "At a moment when France is suffering from an unemployment rate of more than 10 percent, and Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin is waging what he calls a 100-day battle to combat it, [Adamski's trip] is an effort to assure the French that Polish workers have no intention of stealing - [The Power of Faith](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/08/the-power-of-faith/) - In an editorial observer in today’s Times, Verlyn Klinkenborg asserts (rather than argues) that creationists are simply dumb. Of the 2004 poll showing that 45% of Americans believe that the Earth’s creation proceeded according to the description in the book of Genesis, he writes, “This isn’t a triumph of faith. It’s a failure of education.” - [Journalism’s Catch-22](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/10/journalism’s-catch-22/) - In naming President Bush Person of the Year 2004, Time magazine received both Oval Office access for its photographer and a second interview with the president in less than four months (the previous story was in August, apropos the Republican National Convention). Reading such exclusives inevitably prompts one question: in order to attain—and, more important, - [Charles Krauthammer Deserves a Pulitzer](https://nostrawmen.com/2006/03/krauthammer-deserves-a-pulitzer/) - Published on ACU in Action. He hasn’t won a Pulitzer since 1987, but Charles Krauthammer’s recent essays (off the top of my head) on Harriet Miers, torture, gay marriage, and civil war in Iraq, for their unique perspicuity, cogency, and ability to spur debate, eminently qualify him for this year’s prize for commentary (even if - [Rudy’s Convictions](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/04/rudys-convictions/) - A mass e-mail I just received from Mike DuHaime, the campaign manager of Rudy for President, contained the following sentence: "This recent news story highlights some of the many cases Rudy prosecuted as U.S. Attorney[,] including those against the mob, corruption and tax evasion." I was initially tempted to think that since the article comes - [End Anonymous Evidence](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/07/end-anonymous-evidence/) - Last month Rep. Robin Hayes, vicechair of the House subcommittee on terrorism, declared that Saddam Hussein was “very much involved in 9/11.” Hayes claimed that he has access to evidence few others do. Told no investigation has ever implicated Baghdad in the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the congressman responded, “I’m sorry, but you must - [Is Hate Personal?](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/07/is-hate-personal/) - Ask someone who wants to criminalize same-sex marriage how many gay people he knows, and I bet an uncomfortable silence would ensue. Indeed, Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell, who concurred with the majority opinion in Bowers v. Hardwick (1986) that criminalized homosexual sex, never met a homosexual. With respect to Jews, no one illustrates the point more - [The Romney Lovebirds](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/03/the-romney-lovebirds/) -  One of the most revealing moments of the 2004 Bush-Kerry debates came at the end of the third one, when moderator Bob Schieffer asked, "We’re all married to strong women. Each of us have two daughters that make us very proud. I’d like to ask each of you, what is the most important thing - [Should TechRepublican Be Rechristened Tech Conservative?](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/05/techrepublican-vs-techconservative/) - TechRepublican, "a group blog dedicated to helping the Republican Party online," went live on Monday. Maybe it's just semantics, or maybe it's just me, but I'm curious why, given the increasing divide between Republicans and conservatives—between those who want to harness government for right-wing goals and those who want to curb its growth—the site isn't - [Question for Rudy: What Exactly About Abortion Do You "Hate"?](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/05/question-for-rudy-what-exactly-about-abortion-do-you-hate/) - NRO's Rich Lowry (again) pinpoints another contradiction in Rudy's oft-repeated line that he "hates!" abortion: it's "so flagrantly insincere" and "rings so false because, temperamentally, [Rudy] is not one to hate something without outlawing or attempting to discourage it." Indeed, since Rudy is still ultimately pro-choice, why hasn't anybody asked him what exactly he abhors - [Wanted: A Communications Coach for Ron Paul](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/04/wanted-a-communications-coach-for-ron-paul/) - Since I missed his talk last night, "Defending the Constitution, Restoring the Republic" (at the District Chop House, courtesy of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute), I was pleasantly surprised that Ron Paul showed up this morning at Grover Norquist's Wednesday meeting. Unfortunately, the congressman's remarks were no better than his recent, lousy appearances on TV (twice - [3 Reasons to Privilege Tax Reform Over Tax Relief](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/05/privilege-tax-reform-over-tax-relief/) - A version of this blog post appeared in Politico on May 8, 2007. Another Tax Day has come and gone, but the Internal Revenue Service remains essentially unmoved and unchanged. Accordingly, instead of continuing to advocate tax relief, the right should focus its efforts on tax reform. The Cleanse the Code Coalition is an excellent example - [John Ashcroft, Civil Libertarian](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/05/john-ashcroft-civil-libertarian/) - Who would have thought former Attorney General John Ashcroft—the guy who ordered $8,000 drapes to cover the bare-breasted "Spirit of Justice" sculpture in a hall of the Justice Department—was a civil libertarian? Compared to his former colleagues, he looks like a card-carrying member of the ACLU. The Post reports: In addition to rejecting to the - [Mitt's Words That Work](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/06/mitts-words-that-work/) - Mitt Romney's various changes of heart demand a ready repository of finely tuned explanations. Rhetorically, if not factually, his answers are brilliant, employing what pollster Frank Luntz calls "words that work." This does not necessarily mean answering the question, but reframing it onto common or comfortable territory. Some examples: 1. On abortion, from the third - [HillaryCare on the Installment Plan](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/08/the-schip-debate/) - A version of this blog post appeared on Redstate on August 7, 2007. Established in 1997, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP, pronounced "s-chip") is a partnership between the states and federal government to insure poor children. The program is up for reauthorization by September 30, but big-government liberals want not just to renew - [Questions for the Candidates](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/08/questions-for-the-candidates/) - Here are some questions I'd like answered. As Dave Weigel observed of his queries, "It's just a list of nags that the candidates might not have talking points for. And those are the sorts of queries they should be getting every day." For the Full Field 1. Do you believe that only [Mormons, Baptists, Catholics, - [McCain on Medical Marijuana](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/11/mccain-on-medical-marijuana/) - Dialing in from Phoenix, where his wife Cindy is having an operation on her knee, John McCain held a conference call with bloggers this afternoon. Having learned the hard way that in order to ask a question, you need to press *1 as soon as possible, I was rewarded with the first question. With apologies - [The Not-So-Ivory Tower](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/09/the-not-so-ivory-tower/) - A few days ago, I received the 2007-08 edition of Hamilton College’s “viewbook,” which my alma mater sends to prospective students and alumni. The pamphlet contains a wonderful essay by Professor of History Al Kelly on the art of pedagogy. Since it’s not online, I’ll excerpt the essay here: “I’ve learned that what sticks with - [John Berthoud: Friend of Freedom and Friend of Mine](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/09/john-berthoud-friend-of-freedom-and-friend-of-mine/) - A version of this blog post appeared on TechRepublican. The e-mail arrived yesterday at 7:19 pm. It was titled, "Cancellation: September Party at John's House," and the first sentence struck me like a sharp gust of wind: "We are sorry to announce the passing of John Berthoud." What!? I had seen John just last night, - [Does John McCain Know the Difference Between YouTube and MySpace?](https://nostrawmen.com/2008/02/does-john-mccain-know-the-difference-between-youtube-and-myspace/) - The blogger-friendly John McCain held a conference call this afternoon with us "ankle-biting pundits." After reading Garrett Graff's excellent op-ed in the Post a couple months ago, I prepared the following question: I’m sure most of us would agree, as a recent op-ed in the Washington Post observed, that the Internet, “probably more than any - [You're No Bill Buckley, Grover Norquist](https://nostrawmen.com/2008/03/youre-no-bill-buckley-grover-norquist/) - Democrats are the enemy. Democrats are evil. Even in Washington, these comments exhibit an unusual pugnacity—so much so that I asked the speaker, the illustrious Grover Norquist, if he were simply being playful, interspersing witty asides into his diatribes, as seems to be his wont. (The question followed a 40-minute talk on his new book, - [Double-Talk vs. Straight Talk](https://nostrawmen.com/2008/10/doubletalk-vs-straight-talk/) - If he can fool his pro-choice wife into thinking that he supports Roe v. Wade, should we really be surprised that John McCain can fool his countrymen, too? As Sarah Blustain observed this past summer in the New Republic, McCain has spent years manipulating the public's perception of his stance on abortion and reproductive health. - [Does Obama Recognize Criticism of His Health Care Proposal?](https://nostrawmen.com/2009/06/what-does-obama-think-is-the-strongest-objection-to-his-health-care-proposal/) - A version of this blog post appeared on TechRepublican. Given his aversion to the bubble of the presidency, willingness to admit when he screws up, and experience as a professor of constitutional law, it seems fair to conclude that while Obama may disagree with you on a particular issue, he's at least conversant with the counterarguments. Indeed, it's - [How Would You Respond to This E-mail?](https://nostrawmen.com/2008/11/how-would-you-respond-to-this-e-mail/) - In the first week of my first job, my boss sent me the following e-mail: "Jonathan: Please find out who voted for BCRA." My first instinct was to reply, "Hi Bill: So sorry about this, but I don't know what BCRA is." Fortunately, before clicking Send, I rethought my response and instead Googled "BCRA." Ten - [Government Growth Upsets Work-Life Balance](https://nostrawmen.com/2009/07/government-growth-upsets-work-life-balance/) - About four years ago, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency committed a classic Washington gaffe: He let the truth slip in a moment of inadvertent honesty. As the Associated Press reported, “In a rare public appearance Wednesday, CIA Director Porter Goss said he is overwhelmed by the many duties of his job, including devoting - [Why Go to the Moon?](https://nostrawmen.com/2009/07/why-go-to-the-moon/) - John Gillespie Magee Jr.: “[To] slip[] the surly bonds of Earth ... [and] touch[] the face of God.” Aaron Sorkin: “‘Cause it’s next. ‘Cause we came out of the cave. And we looked over the hill and we saw fire. And we crossed the ocean. And we pioneered the West. And we took to the - [The Washington Virus: Partisanship](https://nostrawmen.com/2009/09/the-washington-virus-partisanship/) - The other day, a friend who I haven't talked to in a while asked if I am still active in politics. The answer—no—came easily, but the reason necessitated some introspection. Why, after spending four years in college and two years afterward immersed in the field—professionally and personally—have I soured on the subject? Obviously, that I've - [No Wonder Obama Fired Rick Wagoner](https://nostrawmen.com/2009/10/no-wonder-obama-fired-rick-wagoner/) - In an article for Fortune recounting his time leading the auto task force, Steve Rattner drops this nugget about the (mis)management of General Motors: “At GM's Renaissance Center headquarters, the top brass were sequestered on the uppermost floor, behind locked and guarded glass doors. Executives housed on that floor had elevator cards that allowed them - [Sprachgefuhl](https://nostrawmen.com/2011/06/words/) - In high school, I developed a deep-seated passion for words. I studied the dictionary. I made word-of-the-day notecards. I employed highfalutin, esoteric language in essays. And I e-mailed a lot of questions to Merriam-Webster, the Modern Language Association, and the Chicago Manual of Style. Publishing this correspondence has long been on my to-do list. Today, - [Calling Linguists and Lexicographers: Do You Love Grammar? Then Remember: Good Writing Is Good Writing—Even if You Capitalize “TIME” Magazine and Say “Most Importantly”](https://nostrawmen.com/2011/09/calling-linguists-and-lexicographers-do-you-love-grammar-then-remember-good-writing-is-good-writing—even-if-you-capitalize-“time”-magazine-and-say-“most-importantly/) - A few recent posts from my language blog, Sprachgefuhl. - [The Morality of Late Term Abortion](https://nostrawmen.com/2004/02/the-morality-of-late-term-abortion/) - A version of this blog post appeared in the Hamilton College Spectator. In last week’s Spectator, Toby Taylor objected to my support of late term abortion (“The Pious Politics of George W. Bush,” 2/13/2004). From what I and others can piece together, his argument is as follows. Late term abortion is “medically unnecessary” because it takes - [Downsizing Government: Should We Start with Poor People or Big Business?](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/12/downsizing-government-should-we-start-with-poor-people-or-big-business/) - It seems to me that if we’re to roll back Big Government, we ought to start, not by curtailing subsidies to poor people, but by curtailing subsidies to and tax breaks for Big Business. To be sure, reforming welfare in the 90s was a huge achievement, but I think that when we focus on things - [8 Animals That Are Dog-Tired of Waiting for Entitlement Reform](https://nostrawmen.com/2013/08/8-animals-that-are-dog-tired-of-waiting-for-entitlement-reform/) - A version of this blog post appeared on BuzzFeed on August 2, 2013 and FreeEnterprise.com on August 5. As Congress kicks the can on reforming the country’s entitlement programs, America’s future hangs in the balance. Since we’ve addressed the issue in the usual ways—speech, video, blog post, infographic, animated gif, Facebook post—we thought it was time for a listicle. With animals. BuzzFeed-style. Thanks to the NRCC, Heritage - [Suffering for the Sake of Suffering ](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/07/suffering-for-the-sake-of-suffering/) - Ayn Rand held that “the purpose of morality is to teach you, not to suffer and die, but to enjoy yourself and live.” Dr. Leon Kass seems to embrace the antithetical view. As James Stacey Taylor writes in a review of Kass’s book Life, Liberty, and the Defense of Dignity: The Challenge for Bioethics (Encounter, - [The Inevitable Conclusion of Technocracy](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/04/the-inevitable-conclusion-of-technocracy/) - Yesterday I blogged Monday's sunshiny debate on global warming between Newt Gingrich and John Kerry. Today, Dana Milbank rains on my parade with a quote from the former speaker: "I am not automatically saying that coercion and bureaucracy is not an answer," he granted. Newt has never been a limited-government conservative. In 1995, he told Time, - [Rudy on Abortion: One Step Forward, One Step Backward](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/05/rudy-on-abortion-one-step-forward-one-step-backward/) - Yesterday, on the heels of news that he has personally donated to Planned Parenthood, Rudy visited radio host Laura Ingraham (listen here). Ingraham wasted no time in broaching the elephant in the room: "If you hate it, what exactly is wrong with abortion?" Rudy's response: "I think in America, you can personally oppose something, and - [Reverse Snob Appeal](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/05/reverse-snob-appeal/) - I used to believe that electing a president should partly be a popularity contest. Who's the guy I’d most like to have a drink with? The problem, of course, is that I’m never going to socialize with the president of the United States. Instead, my criteria should revolve around things that will actually or plausibly - [Free Hong Kong?](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/06/free-hong-kong/) - In college, I subscribed to the idealist school of foreign policy. After I graduated, however, my preparation for a debate on U.S.-Sino relations vis-a-vis Taiwan, made me realize the complexity of international relations, and caused me to change my view: Even if China annexed Taiwan tomorrow, reunification would not spell disaster. As various Chinese officials - [Debating on TV](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/07/debating-on-tv/) - Although I highly regard Lindsey Graham and Jim Webb, their level of debate on today's Meet the Press is embarrassing. I prefer Michael Moore vs. Wolf Blitzer: Or Jon Stewart vs. Tucker Carlson: Or Rosie vs. Elisabeth: - [Against Amnesty](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/08/against-amnesty/) - A few months ago, I was a "comprehensive" immigration-reform guy, which is to say that I supported "amnesty." But arguments from my friends in the rightroots, during the recently concluded Senate debate, caused me to question my boosterism. Here's my admittedly cliched, quick precis: America is a nation of immigrants, but we’re also a nation - [Redstate Gratuitously Attacks Ron Paul and Mel Martinez](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/08/redstate-gratuitously-attacks-ron-paul-and-mel-martinez/) - Redstate is the most prominent and influential group blog on the right. Its managing editor, Erick Erickson, works hard and does good work, and his success is evident in that Eagle Publishing recently bought the blog. Three of Erick's recent posts, however, evince a streak of overzealous activism that is misguided and gratuitous. First, he - [Marriage: Federalization or Federalism?](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/08/marriage-federalization-or-federalism/) - Veteran conservative activist Craig Shirley has called it "the height of intellectual dishonesty" to advocate repealing Roe while calling for the federalization of marriage. "[B]ehavioral issues belong at the state level," he observes. Indeed, the conservative position on gay marriage—to say nothing of the consistent position—should be a federalist one. This is also the strategically - [Uncomfortable Questions](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/09/uncomfortable-questions/) - Recently, I posed a bunch of questions for the candidates. The questions were a way to trip up these presidential hopefuls, to make them squirm—and to think on their feet. Happily, at least vis-a-vis the Democrats, Bill Maher did just that earlier this week: The video is above; the transcript, via the Boston Globe, - [Where Have All the Links Gone?](https://nostrawmen.com/2009/06/where-have-all-the-links-gone/) - Regular readers of this blog may have noticed that I recently stopped posting my near-daily compilation of links. I did so in an effort to blog more—see, for instance, the posts, “How to Become a Better E-mailer” and “How I Bought My New TV.” If you still are interested in these links, they're now being - [Why Have So Many Republicans Launched Their Own PR Shops Recently?](https://nostrawmen.com/2009/07/why-have-so-many-republicans-launched-their-own-pr-shops-recently/) - In the past two months, at least six Republican PR agencies have come into being: 1. The Surge Strategies 2. Jackson Street Partners 3. Compelem Strategies 4. The Potomac Strategy Group 5. The Capital Communications Group 6. Amplifico Clearly there's a pattern here. Less clear is why, given the double whammy of a recession and - [Watch Me Swim](https://nostrawmen.com/2009/09/watch-me-swim/) - A few months ago, I observed, "To watch me swim is to understand who I am." A high school valedictory I delivered provides the explanation, in words, of this declaration. Now, 10 years later, comes the videotape, filmed this past summer in Alexandria, Va. - [Omit Needless Words](https://nostrawmen.com/2010/08/omit-needless-words/) - "Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects - [The War on Terror Is Not the Cold War](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/08/the-war-on-terror-is-not-the-cold-war/) - “Jihadism is a mosquito bite compared to communism.” So says Lieutenant General William Odom, the director of the National Security Agency under Ronald Reagan from 1985 to 1988, in next week's issue of Time. It’s a provocative assertion, and Odom, who now works at the neoconservative Hudson Institute, is no dove. But is he right? - [Why Abs Are More Than Just Abs](https://nostrawmen.com/2011/01/why-abs-are-more-than-just-abs/) - With a title like The Abs Diet: The Six-Week Plan to Flatten Your Stomach and Keep You Lean, you'd think this book would be an infomercial, dreamed up by a biz-dev-happy marketer. Since I haven't actually read the book, I can't confirm or deny this. Yet the below excerpt makes a surprisingly reflective statement about the importance - [“The Man Who Speaks to You of Sacrifice”](https://nostrawmen.com/2004/01/the-man-who-speaks-to-you-of-sacrifice/) - A version of this blog post appeared on Dollars and Crosses (January 7, 2004) and in the Hamilton College Spectator (January 23, 2004). Earlier this year Saturday Night Live ran a skit on Islamic terrorists, who Osama bin Laden has just dispatched to martyr themselves for Allah—and for the 72 dark-haired virgins that await them in paradise. - [No Straw Men](https://nostrawmen.com/2003/11/no-straw-men/) - A version of this blog post appeared in the Hamilton College Spectator on November 14, 2003. In my second semester of college, I began writing letters to the editor of the Spectator; it was and is a wonderful way to express one’s ideas without the usual complements of introduction, body, conclusion, etc. I soon turned to all-campus - [Would Martin Luther King Jr. Have Supported Affirmative Action?](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/07/what-would-martin-luther-king-jr-do/) - Like Dinesh D'Souza, I've long thought that Martin Luther King Jr.—given his "I Have a Dream" speech, "that one day my four little children will grow up in a nation where they will be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character"—would have opposed affirmative action. After all, - [Wyatt](https://nostrawmen.com/2001/01/wyatt/) - More pics here Wyatt is a miniature schnauzer. Yet as he props himself up hind-legged, he can without fail paw me awake. Through our roughly two years side by side, he has developed a répertoire of innocent-appearing techniques to get me up. He can quickly develop a sneezing fit, or, if that doesn’t work, he - [The Prewar Evidence (or Lack Thereof): Saddam Hussein’s Collaboration with Terrorists and His Deterrability](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/05/the-prewar-evidence-or-lack-thereof-saddam-hussein’s-collaboration-with-terrorists-and-his-deterrability/) - This isn’t a 404 error; the page you’re looking for isn’t missing. I just moved it—in fact, I created a microsite for it. - [Statesmanship vs. Brinksmanship on Taiwan](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/11/statesmanship-vs-brinksmanship-on-taiwan/) - As a speech (see video below), received first prize in the Young Professionals Speak debate (Center for Strategic and International Studies) on November 16, 2005. As an essay, received third prize in the Cato Institute’s intern op-ed contest in December 2005. During his recent trip to Asia, President Bush praised Taiwan as “free and democratic - [A Second Home](https://nostrawmen.com/2000/05/a-second-home/) - I approached this valedictory with the query, “Why swimming”? Now, it is said that one shouldn’t answer a question with a question, but I demur: why life? For me, living means vigor—awakening in the morning and flexing and fanning out the biggest muscles in my back, stepping outside and, as my great uncle Marshall has - [Covering Dictatorships Means Covering the Truth](https://nostrawmen.com/2004/04/covering-dictatorships-means-covering-the-truth/) - A version of this blog post was awarded the Hamilton College 2005 Cobb Essay Prize, appeared in the Utica Observer-Dispatch (April 19, 2004), and was noted on the Hamilton College Web site (April 21, 2004). Most of us trust that what we read, watch or hear from well-established news organization is trustworthy. But trustworthiness depends on the - [Why Conscription Is Immoral and Impractical](https://nostrawmen.com/2004/09/the-immorality-and-impracticality-of-conscription/) - Awarded first place in the 2004 Dean Alfange Essay Prize (Hamilton College) Published in What We Think: Young Voters Speak Out (College Tree, 2004). Called one of the book’s “more effective pieces” by School Library Journal Published in the Spectator (Hamilton College) in three parts, on September 10, September 17, and September 24, 2004 Noted - [Who's Done More to Help Humanity? Bill Gates or Mother Teresa](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/07/bill-gates-vs-mother-teresa/) - 1. Dinesh D’Souza, The Virtue of Prosperity: Finding Values in an Age of Techno-Affluence (New York: Touchstone, 2001 [2000]), p. 127. Who has done more to eradicate poverty and suffering in the Third World, Bill Gates or Mother Teresa? To the extent that he has placed the power of information technology at the disposal of - [To Torture or Not to Torture](https://nostrawmen.com/2004/04/to-torture-or-not-to-torture/) - A version of this blog post appeared in the Hamilton College Spectator on April 30, 2004. We know the general location, we know it will happen in the next 24 hours, and we’re confident the person we’ve nabbed knows what, where and when.[1] The question before us: to torture or not to torture? Although we’ve - [Two Roads Diverged, and I Took the One More Self-righteous](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/10/two-roads-diverged-and-i-took-the-one-more-self-righteous/) - In January 2004, Scooter Libby signed a waiver allowing Judy Miller to testify about their confidential conversations regarding Valerie Plame Wilson. But as Miller’s former lawyer Floyd Abrams later said, that waiver was “required as a condition for Mr. Libby’s continued em-ployment at the White House.” Hence, most journalists agreed that the waiver was, as - [Teach a Man to Fish](https://nostrawmen.com/2003/11/teach-a-man-to-fish/) - A version of this blog post appeared in the Hamilton College Spectator (November 14, 2003), the Syracuse Post-Standard (January 22, 2004), and What We Think: Young Voters Speak Out (College Tree, 2004). The post also was noted on the Hamilton College Web site on September 28, 2004, and January 22, 2004. On Monday in Beinecke, the Hamilton chapter of - [Buckley v. Valeo](https://nostrawmen.com/2004/02/buckley-v-valeo/) - In the aftermath of the Watergate scandal, Congress amended existing campaign finance laws to limit the amount that could be contributed to, or spent by, political campaigns. The Supreme Court considered these regulations in Buckley v. Valeo (1976) and made a momentous hash of the legislation. The verdict therefore both protects and violates free speech - [State-Sponsored Disinformation](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/04/state-sponsored-disinformation/) - In the 16 months between Sept. 11, 2001, and the Iraq war—despite considerable efforts to entangle Saddam Hussein in the former[1]—hawks came up seriously short. Consequently, neither of the Bush administration’s two most publicized arguments for the war—the President’s State of the Union address and Secretary of State Colin Powell’s presentation to the U.N. Security - [Daniel Pipes Visits Hamilton College](https://nostrawmen.com/2003/02/daniel-pipes-visits-hamilton-college/) - A version of this blog post appeared in the Hamilton College Spectator (February 2003) and Capitalism Magazine (March 31, 2003). Last semester Raja Halwani gave a lecture at Hamilton on what he called “the just solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian crisis. Last week Daniel Pipes did the same. For those unfamiliar with the former, consider Mr. Halwani’s - [First Thoughts on Free Trade](https://nostrawmen.com/2004/01/first-thoughts-on-free-trade/) - A version of this blog post appeared on Dollars and Crosses (January 19, 2004) and in the Hamilton College Spectator (January 23, 2004). How do today’s politicians rationalize their politics? In a recent New York Times op-ed titled “Second Thoughts on Free Trade,” Charles Schumer, the senior Democratic senator from New York, and Paul Craig Roberts, an - [New Hampshire Primary: The Best and Worst of Politics](https://nostrawmen.com/2004/01/new-hampshire-primary-the-best-and-worst-of-politics/) - A version of this blog post appeared in the Hamilton College Spectator (January 30, 2004), in the Utica Observer-Dispatch (February 3, 2004), and on SOLOHQ.com (February 5, 2004), and was noted on the Hamilton College Web site (February 3, 2004). With 11 other Hamilton students this past weekend, I volunteered for Sen. John Kerry’s presidential campaign in Keene, NH. - [The Morning-after Pill and Property Rights ](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/04/the-morning-after-pill-and-property-rights/) - Here's a letter I recently wrote to the New York Times. Since it hasn’t run yet, I figure it's safe to publish it myself. The New York Times editorial board says it’s “intolerable” that anti-abortion pharmacists refuse to dispense birth control pills. I am as staunch a supporter of abortion rights as they come, but - [Negligence and Compensation](https://nostrawmen.com/2009/06/negligence-and-compensation/) - A week ago, I sent a letter to the editor of the New York Times. Since it hasn’t been published yet, I’m free to publish it myself. Ethicist Randy Cohen argues that Natalie, who broke her friend’s hard drive when she tripped over its cable, need not compensate her friend (Magazine, June 2). “To leave - [Is There No Shame?](https://nostrawmen.com/2004/03/is-there-no-shame/) - A version of this blog post appeared on Dollars and Crosses (March 25, 2004), on Israel Is Moral (March 25, 2004), and in the Hamilton College Spectator (April 2, 2004). It was enough that when Yasir Arafat promised his people gender equality, he meant that the fairer sex should take part in suicide bombing. Now, 13 months later, we learn - [They’re Hired—As Authors](https://nostrawmen.com/2004/08/they’re-hired—as-authors/) - A version of this blog post appeared in Time on August 2, 2004, and was noted on the Hamilton College Web site on July 29, 2004. He has written six best-selling books, and that was before he had a hit TV show. The Apprentice hasn’t just boosted the promotional possibilities for Donald Trump’s next book; it also has inspired - [My Time at Time](https://nostrawmen.com/2004/08/my-time-at-time/) - A version of this blog post appeared on the Hamilton College Web site (August 30, 2004) and in the Utica Observer-Dispatch (September 1, 2004). If you’re an undergraduate majoring in political science, attending the 2004 Republican National Convention is something to brag about to classmates. If you’re also an editorial intern at Time magazine, it’s a good - ["A Small Group of Thoughtful, Committed Citizens"](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/04/a-small-group-of-thoughtful-committed-citizens/) - "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that has." So said the anthropologist Margaret Mead. At least that's what most of us have been led to believe. But according to the Institute for Intercultural Studies, this quotation cannot be verified. “[W]e have been - [Al Qaeda Never Was Iraq](https://nostrawmen.com/2004/10/al-qaeda-never-was-iraq/) - Conventional wisdom holds that 9/11 “changed everything.” And so, in the second presidential debate last week, George Bush maintained that “it’s a fundamental misunderstanding to say that the war on terror is only [limited to] Osama bin Laden.” Is it? Nearly all agree that the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, constituted a watershed, since - [Credibility and Seriousness in the Abortion Debate](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/01/credibility-and-seriousness-in-the-abortion-debate/) - A version of this blog post appeared in the Hamilton College Spectator on February 4, 2005. Since it goes to her credibility and seriousness, I want to put in writing my response, during the ensuing Q&A, to last week’s lecture against abortion by Elizabeth Fox-Genovese. 1. For all her passion and prominence, when questioned, Ms. Fox-Genovese couldn’t - [The Ward Churchill Debate](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/02/the-ward-churchill-debate/) - A version of this blog post appeared in the Utica Observer-Dispatch on February 11, 2005, and was noted on Cox & Forkum on March 28, 2005. HAMILTON COLLEGE, February 1, 2005— On Thursday, February 3, Ward Churchill, a Professor and Chair of Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder, will participate in a panel here titled - [A Secular Appreciation for Pope John Paul II](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/04/a-secular-appreciation-for-pope-john-paul-ii/) - A version of this blog post appeared in the Utica Observer-Dispatch (April 3, 2005) and was noted on the Hamilton College Web site (April 3, 2005). During junior high I traveled to away swim meets with the Listers. I never knew it until later, but they were devout Catholics, and what I remember most about my best friend’s - [Some Reporters Push Back: On the Irony of Roosting Chickens ](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/04/some-reporters-push-back-on-the-irony-of-roosting-chickens/) - A version of this blog post appeared on Talking Back to the Media on April 4, 2005. We all have skeletons in our closet, and when reporters start digging around, they invariably unearth some (if not many). Remember the rapid downfall of Bernard Kerik after President Bush nominated him to be the Homeland Security Secretary? Or consider - [Racism Is As Racism Does](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/05/racism-is-as-racism-does/) - In 2002, Denzel Washington won an Oscar for his performance in Training Day, becoming the first black man to win Best Actor. Yet breaking with conventional wisdom, especially in Hollywood, Washington declared his race to be irrelevant: “[T]omorrow, when you report this,” he said, “why not just say Denzel won the Oscar, and not mention - [Why Ron Paul Is Bad for Himself and Good for the GOP](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/05/why-ron-paul-is-bad-for-himself-and-good-for-the-gop/) - A version of this blog post appeared on TechRepublican. Here’s the now-infamous exchange (parts of which I'm omitting, signified by ellipses, to get to its essence) among Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX), Rudy Giuliani and moderator Wendell Goler, during the most recent debate for the Republican presidential candidates: Paul: They attack us because we’ve been over - [Tolerating Intolerance: Why Hate Speech Is Free Speech](https://nostrawmen.com/2004/10/tolerating-intolerance-why-hate-speech-is-free-speech/) - A version of this blog post appeared in the Hamilton College Spectator in two parts, on October 7, 2004, and October 14. Fyodor Dostoyevsky once said that we can judge a society’s virtue by its treatment of prisoners. Likewise, we can judge a society’s freedom by its treatment of minorities. For freedom makes it safe to be - [Defending the Disgusting](https://nostrawmen.com/2004/04/defending-the-disgusting/) - The judicial history of free speech in America is the story of how Supreme Court justices—whom the Constitution designates to check and balance the power of Congress and the president—are instead unwilling to act against them, lest a backlash against judicial activism ensue. As FDR put it while trying to pack the Court in 1937, - [Unanswered Questions About Patrick Fitzgerald](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/07/unanswered-questions-about-patrick-fitzgerald/) - 1. Fitzgerald subpoenaed Cooper on the basis on an article he coauthored for Time.com. How does Fitzgerald know that the "government officials" the article refers to spoke with Cooper and not Massimo Calabresi or John Dickerson? 2. How does Fitzgerald know that someone in the know spoke with Judy Miller, who merely conducted interviews on - [Jailtime for Judy](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/07/jailtime-for-judy/) - 1. Judy Miller's going to jail while Matt Cooper will testify. 2. Cooper and Miller now face four instead the original 18 months of jail, since (1) civil contempt is meant to be coercive rather than punitive, and (2) only four months remain in the term of the current grand jury investigating the case. 3. The - [More Questions About the Valerie Plame Affair](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/07/more-questions-about-the-valerie-plame-affair/) - 1. According to Newsweek, which quotes Rove's lawyer, Rove signed a waiver authorizing reporters to testify about their conversations with him. Yet Cooper, who interviewed Rove for the article he coauthored, has refused to discuss his sources save for Libby, who previously waived his confidentiality agreement. Why won't Cooper tell Fitzgerald what Rove told him? - [Frank Rich Is Angry—and Rightly So](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/07/frank-rich-is-angry—and-rightly-so/) - Until Joe Wilson's op-ed appeared on July 6, 2003, the White House had doggedly defended the president's claim, in his 2003 State of the Union address, that Iraq "recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa." Not even the announcement, five weeks later, by the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency that this - [Moral vs. Practical Arguments: Stem Cell Research](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/07/moral-vs-practical-arguments-stem-cell-research/) - "By its very nature, government politicizes everything it touches. Science is no exception. Stem cell research needs neither government money nor politics. It is better is to get the government out and let the private sector continue its good work. Those people calling for increased funding could take out their checkbooks and support it. Those - [Another Loophole](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/07/another-loophole/) - Was Plame, in fact, undercover when she was outed? Novak says the C.I.A. told him "the exposure of her name might cause 'difficulties' if she travels abroad," but that "[i]t was well-known around Washington that Wilson's wife worked for the C.I.A. . . . Her name, Valerie Plame, was no secret either, appearing in Wilson's - [The Necessity of Civil Disobedience](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/07/the-necessity-of-civil-disobedience/) - Cooper and Miller, supported by the New York Times (and probably Time magazine, as opposed to Time Inc.), argue that the subpoena requiring them to reveal their confidential sources is unjust. Therefore, in the spirit of civil disobedience, they chose to defy the law and to suffer incarceration. Of course, the full extension of this - ["In Somewhat Dramatic Fashion"](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/07/in-somewhat-dramatic-fashion/) - On July 6, having received an hour earlier, “in somewhat dramatic fashion . . . an express personal release from my source,” Matt Cooper agreed to testify. But as the New York Times reports, that source—Karl Rove—never gave Cooper the release himself. Rather, the release resulted from a “frenzied series of phone calls initiated that - [It's Starting Already](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/07/its-starting-already/) - 1. Doug Clifton, editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer: [T]wo stories of profound importance languish in our hands. The public would be well served to know them, but both are based on documents leaked to us by people who would face deep trouble for having leaked them. Publishing the stories would almost certainly lead to - [Press Releases Are Not Op-eds](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/07/press-releases-are-not-op-eds/) - I feel the day is incomplete if I haven't read the New York Times, especially the op-ed page. But I'm bothered that op-eds sometimes appear more because of the writer's status and less because of the merits of his argument. Exhibit A: Today’s op-ed by Senator Arlen Specter may include bits of news, but it - [Judicial Review by Mitt Romney](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/08/judicial-review-by-mitt-romney/) - In an op-ed last week, Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney argued that the litmus test for judicial restraint is “controversy,” that courts should intervene only in issues that are not controversial. The federal system left to us by the Constitution allows people of different states to make their own choices on matters of controversy, thus avoiding - [The Value of Blogging](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/08/the-value-of-blogging/) - Since I started blogging, I read more thoroughly. Not necessarily because I read with an eye toward how I can blog the given text, but because if I do, I need to be more familiar with it than I would be for a conversation over dinner. Take, for instance, my posts about the Valerie Plame - [Behind the Scenes Responsibility](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/08/behind-the-scenes-responsibility/) - Those who berate Judy Miller for her coverage of Iraq's alleged W.M.D. should remember that Miller's copy was only one aspect of any final article, which, as former New York Times Public Editor Daniel Okrent wrote in a different context, "is the collaborative product of reporter, editor, copy editor, desk or department head, and sometimes, - [A Colonel and a Senator](https://nostrawmen.com/2006/09/a-colonel-and-a-senator/) - Lindsey Graham, the junior Republican senator from South Carolina, has taken a beating in recent months from conservatives—first for his blocking the nomination of Defense Department counsel William Haynes, an architect of the administration’s detainee policy, and now for his (just-reconciled) views on how to try the al Qaeda 14, including Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. But - [Securing Our Ballot Boxes Is As Important As Securing Our Borders](https://nostrawmen.com/2006/10/securing-our-ballot-boxes-is-as-important-as-securing-our-borders/) - A version of this blog post appeared as an action alert for the American Conservative Union. We all know the drill. In purchasing alcohol or tobacco, cashing a check or boarding a plane, you need a picture ID. No ID; no dice. The routine is uncontroversial and commonsensical. But did you know that in order - [Cable Companies Should Compete for Consumers, Not Politicians](https://nostrawmen.com/2006/10/cable-companies-should-compete-for-consumers-not-politicians/) - A version of this blog post appeared as an action alert for the American Conservative Union. E-mail Sent to Members First they came for the Internet, which they wanted to smother with innovation-stifling regulations. Now they’re after your TV, which they want to keep in the clutch of a select few companies, rather than open - [Vote Yes on Amendment 39](https://nostrawmen.com/2006/10/vote-yes-on-amendment-39/) - A version of this blog post appeared as an action alert for the American Conservative Union. Conservatives in Colorado haven’t had much to cheer about recently. Amendment 39 changes that prospect. For too long, the only demand of education funding has been more money. Indeed, owing to Amendment 23, Colorado taxpayers have seen their public - [H-2B My Visa](https://nostrawmen.com/2006/12/h-2b-my-visa/) - HR 4740, the Save Our Small and Seasonal Business Act, allows people in the United States via an H-2B visa to continue their hard work here for an additional year. HR 4770 is necessary because the H-2B program permits only 66,000 visas per year—a cap that has not been expanded since it was enacted in - [Totalitarian Hyperbole](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/04/totalitarian-hyperbole/) - A version of this blog post appeared on Reagan Republicans on April 4, 2007. The cover of the current issue of Reason (not yet online) contains the subtitle, "The totalitarian implications of public health." By contrast, the subtitle of last month's cover story used the word "authoritarian," as in "The frightening mind of an authoritarian maverick." - [Why Politicians Should Know the Price of a Gallon of Milk](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/04/why-politicians-should-know-the-price-of-a-gallon-of-milk/) - How familiar should our elected officials be with their constituents? Undoubtedly, they should know how hard it is to live on the minimum wage—and how hard it is on small businesses to have that floor raised involuntarily. It might also behoove them to be aware of the price of gas and of a gallon of - [What’s in a Word?](https://nostrawmen.com/2006/12/what’s-in-a-word/) - In 2002, an inspector for the National Organic Program sued the Department of Agriculture over the USDA’s new rules governing the definition of “organic.” In short, the inspector, Arthur Harvey, alleged that the rules rendered the word overly broad, and thus permitted nonorganic ingredients to be marketed under the USDA organic seal of approval you’ve - [In Praise of Tommy Thompson](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/04/in-praise-of-tommy-thompson/) - If I were a columnist today, I'd write a column apiece about the presidential candidates. I'd follow them on the campaign trail to gain both a sense of who they are and specifics about their platforms. George Will, a columnist par excellence, seems to be doing something similar. Here's his take on Duncan Hunter (from - [When Does Congressional Oversight Become Congressional Micromanaging?](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/05/when-does-congressional-oversight-become-congressional-micromanaging/) - Congress's "effort to micromanage the Iraq war," by sending the president a bill this afternoon with a timetable for the withdrawal of American forces, "is nothing less than shameful," argues Peter Brookes of the Heritage Foundation. Let's play devil's advocate for a minute. Fact: Each branch of government is supposed to act as a check - [Clinton-Richardson](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/05/clinton-richardson/) - "Hillary Clinton is the most conservative" Democrat running for president. So says columnist Bruce Bartlett, who argues that Hillary’s policies would resemble Bill’s: “Outstanding” on trade, “far better than George W. Bush” on the budget, and “no worse than” W on regulatory policy. We should add, as Michael Crowley did recently in a cover story - [Fred Dalton McCain?](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/05/fred-dalton-mccain/) - Perry Bacon (who recently left Time to join the Post, where he's been lighting up the Web site's list of most-popular articles) reports: Thompson was perhaps McCain's strongest Republican supporter, even advocating an early version of McCain's bill that would have banned contributions from political action committees. (In recent interviews, he has complained that the - [A 12th Commandment: Principle Before Party](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/05/a-12th-commandment-principle-before-party/) - Upon the recent death of religious right pooh-bah Jerry Falwell, Christopher Hitchens observed that having the word "reverend" before your name grants you immunity.* Jonathan Martin drew a similar conclusion about having an "R" after your name, specifically, Ron Paul's, with respect to the Republican presidential debates. Now comes news from Erick Erickson that the - [Another Romney Flip-Flop?](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/05/another-romney-flip-flop/) - Although I prefer the old Mitt Romney to his newfound presidential persona, it's hard not to like the guy. He's cheerful, charming, convincing, telegenic—in short, a lot like Ronald Reagan (sans the cowboy hats and boots). But at least in secular terms, Romney faces a hurdle—of his own making, to be sure—which has grown so - [Are the Beliefs of a Political Spouse Relevant?](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/06/are-the-beliefs-of-a-political-spouse-relevant/) - A version of this blog post appeared in Politico on June 1, 2007. Thirteen years ago, Anne Romney gave a $150 personal donation to Planned Parenthood. Upon the disclosure, her husband, who is now running for president on a staunchly pro-life platform, disclaimed, “Her positions are not terribly relevant to my campaign.” But are they? Should - [Jim Gilmore: "I Don't Claim to Be a Better Conservative"](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/06/jim-gilmore-i-dont-claim-to-be-a-better-conservative/) - Former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore spoke to a small group of conservative journalists this morning at the office of Americans for Tax Reform. The hour-long session was part of the American Spectator Newsmaker Breakfast series. I’ll post a write-up later today; for now, let me report the governor's response to my question. I began, "You’ve - [Jack Kevorkian: The Wrong Poster Boy](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/06/jack-kevorkian-the-wrong-poster-boy/) - For those of us too young to have lived through the heyday of Dr. Jack Kevorkian, Wesley Smith gives us a glimpse of the doctor's ideas, through his own words. Meanwhile, the New York Times opines that he besmirched the movement he hoped to energize. If his antics provided anything of value, it was as - [Blame Voters, Not Nader](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/06/blame-voters-not-nader/) - According to Politico, Ralph Nader is "seriously considering" re-running for president (when is not not?). Recalling the 2000 election—where had just 538 people who voted for Nader in Florida voted instead for Al Gore, George W. Bush would have not become president—Democrats are again imploring the lefty activist to stay on the sidelines. "His entry - [Withdrawal Is Not an Option](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/08/withdrawal-is-not-an-option/) - Many of us are frustrated with the war in Iraq. No one doubts that serious mistakes have been made, and everyone is anxious for a panacea. The problem is, instant gratification is not a strategy. Instant gratification, while emotionally pleasing, will only require our future return to mop up the metastasized mess. First, consider the - [Senator James Inhofe: I'm a Fiscal Conservative, Except When I'm Not](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/11/senator-james-inhofe-im-a-fiscal-conservative-except-when-im-not/) - 2005: "I am going to remind you that I am the No. 1 ranked conservative in the U.S. Senate. And yet I’m a big spender in two areas: national defense and infrastructure." 2007: “I am a staunch fiscal conservative, but I am not apologetic about increased spending on our nation’s defense and infrastructure needs.” What - [Should We Question a Presidential Candidate's Religious Beliefs?](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/11/should-we-question-a-presidential-candidates-religious-beliefs/) - A version of this blog post appeared on Redstate on December 1, 2007. Those running for president are asking us them to trust them with the launch codes to the world’s most powerful and largest stockpile of nuclear weapons. Surely, then, it’s perfectly appropriate to question their judgment. The most controversial of these judgments concerns—ironically—the candidates’ most - [You Campaign With Clenched Fists. You Govern With Open Palms](https://nostrawmen.com/2009/01/is-campaigning-counterproductive-to-governing/) - Mario Cuomo once said, "You campaign in poetry. You govern in prose." To this maxim, we might add, "You campaign with fists. You govern with palms." Lawrence O'Donnell, a former staff director of the Senate Commerce Committee and West Wing producer, explains: “The politics of campaigning are so simple: I’m going to beat you and - [How I Bought My New TV](https://nostrawmen.com/2009/06/how-i-bought-my-new-tv/) - Because I haven't blogged in a while. Checking off an item that’s been at the top of my to do list for a couple years now, yesterday I became the proud owner of a flat screen TV. There was nothing wrong per se with my 15-year-old 34” Sony; rather, I wanted something better, specifically, lighter - [Do You Regularly Back Up Your Hard Drive?](https://nostrawmen.com/2009/06/do-you-regularly-back-up-your-hard-drive/) - If not, this snippet from the Times's David Pogue may cause you to reconsider: “Your digital life spins at 7,200 rotations a minute on your computer's hard drive. A delicate reading arm, hovering a fraction of an inch above the surface of the drive's spinning platters, dances across them at 60 miles an hour; one - [Of Migraines and Moderation](https://nostrawmen.com/2009/07/of-migraines-and-moderation/) - In college, I began experiencing severe headaches. The symptoms were classic migraine: Lightness is blinding, one side of my head (the right) is throbbing, and relief arrives only after at least an hour lying in bed in a dark room. A physician at the health center clarified the causes. I had been pulling a series of - [To Watch Me Swim Is to Understand Who I Am](https://nostrawmen.com/2009/07/to-watch-me-swim-is-to-understand-who-i-am/) - Two months ago, Hank Buntin, the longtime head coach of the Summit Area YMCA Seals Swim Team, retired. Upon hearing the news, I e-mailed Hank the following letter, which I thought I'd share here. Hank, My mother told that your retirement party was richly deserved, well-attended, and fun. I wish I could have been there, - [There's Something About Dick Cheney](https://nostrawmen.com/2009/07/theres-something-about-dick-cheney/) - A version of this blog post appeared on the Next Right on July 13, 2009. In his Pulitzer-winning biography, Angler: The Cheney Vice Presidency, Barton Gellman recounts a conversation between former vice president Dan Quayle and newly sworn-in VP Dick Cheney: “Dick, you know, you're going to be doing a lot of this international traveling, you're going - [What's Missing from Our Debates About Energy and Health Care](https://nostrawmen.com/2009/07/whats-missing-from-our-debates-about-energy-and-health-care/) - As legislation to reform our energy use and health insurance winds its way through Congress, it's worth pausing to ask if we should tweak the system before overhauling it? To be sure, there's no reason why an overhaul can't include these reforms. And there's no reason why an overhaul can't be incremental. Yet as two - [Where I've Been](https://nostrawmen.com/2010/08/where-ive-been/) - As some of you know, I maintain another blog, Sprachgefuhl, which chronicles my pet peeves about the English language. Since I haven't blogged at No Straw Men in such a long time, here are links to my most recent posts at Sprachgefuhl: 1. Do "High-Quality" and "Quality" Mean the Same Thing? 2. Is "News Media" Redundant? 3. - [Ron Paul's YouTube Surge](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/05/ron-pauls-youtube-surge/) - A version of this blog post appeared on TechRepublican on May 11, 2007. We've already seen how Ron Paul's fans are using Digg to fire up his campaign. Now comes evidence that they're also savvy YouTubers (as are, thankfully, his campaign staffers). Both clips come from last week's debate among the Republican presidential candidates. The first, uploaded - [Conservatism's Crossroad](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/04/conservatisms-crossroad/) - A version of this blog post appeared on Politico.com on April 14, 2007. The annual Conservative Political Action Conference is the mecca for the Republican base—the people who man the phone banks, knock on doors, plant homemade signs on lawns and bedeck their bumpers with stickers. In theory, what’s good for CPAC is good for - [Free Advice for Rudy](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/03/free-advice-for-rudy/) - Published on Reagan Republicans. The latest YouTube video making the rounds shows Rudy Giuliani speaking at a Women's Coalition for Giuliani event. The clip is 17 years old and only 28 seconds, but it contains a sentence that, I suspect, will haunt Rudy's campaign: "There must be public funding for abortions for poor women." Abortion - [Reagan's Heir Need Not Be a Reaganite](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/04/reagans-heir-need-not-be-a-reaganite/) - In the past several years, as the GOP has labored under the "compassionate conservatism" of George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan has become our collective lodestar—all things to all conservatives. Libertarians claim him as one of their own, owing to his - [Trimming the Trees](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/04/trimming-the-trees/) - Pit easily exploitable emotions against deep philosophical convictions, and you get a glimpse of the debate over stem-cell research. "Consequently," write Robert George and Thomas Berg, "we propose six facts on which people on either side of the . . . debate should be able to agree": 1. There is no “ban” on human embryonic - [In Praise of Bill Richardson's Ad Team](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/07/in-praise-of-bill-richardsons-ad-team/) - Patrick Hynes doesn't like John Edwards's new ad, but Bill Richardson's new one, which continues the job interview theme, is catchy and substantive. If you like this, you'll love Richardson's previous two (for what it's worth, Matt Bai, of the New York Times Magazine, thinks they "feel more like a cry for help than a - [The Results-Oriented Debate We Should Be Having About the Environment](https://nostrawmen.com/2008/09/the-results-oriented-debate-we-should-be-having-about-the-environment/) - There are two ways to show you are green. One is to preach, sue, lobby and spend. The other is to find ways to nudge people in environmental directions by changing their economic incentives. Greener Than Thou: Are You Really an Environmentalist? demonstrates through case histories—ranging from Alaskan halibut to Bolivian bees to Mexican jaguars—how - [What Rights Should Straight People Have That Gay People Should Not?](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/08/what-rights-should-straight-people-have-that-gay-people-should-not/) - Rudy Giuliani opposes gay marriage because he "believes marriage is between a man and a woman," as his campaign Web site states. But he supports domestic partnerships, which he believes recognize "equal rights under law for all Americans." What's the difference between a - [How Ron Paul Justifies Earmarks](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/10/how-ron-paul-justifies-earmarks/) - Last week, Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) addressed a meeting of the obscure Robert Taft Club, which describes itself (very much like the America's Future Foundation) as "a loose organization of conservatives and libertarians in the Washington, D.C., area." The standing-room audience gathered in the basement of the Boulevard Woodgrill (down the street from where I - [Overtaxed](https://nostrawmen.com/2009/03/overtaxed/) - Here's a nice quote from Bill Frist, though I've changed the word "they" to "we": "We pay property taxes on the houses where we sleep, registration fees when we buy cars, gas taxes when we drive them, income and payroll taxes on nearly every dollar of wages, sales taxes on most purchases and capital gains - [What to Do if Your Company's Holiday Party Lacks Alcohol](https://nostrawmen.com/2009/12/what-to-do-if-your-companys-holiday-party-lacks-alcohol/) - What happens when you let your communications department throw your holiday party? Why, the boss gets roasted, of course. Which is exactly what happened, three years ago, in the Science and Technology Directorate of the Homeland Security Department (where I work). The boss, Undersecretary Jay Cohen, has since left S&T, but his alter ego, Paul Stregevsky, - [Assimilation via Language](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/04/assimilation-via-language/) - Newt Gingrich takes to the op-ed page of the LA Times today to clarify his YouTubed remark equating Spanish with “the language of living in a ghetto.” His premise is as follows: Mastering the language of a country opens doors of opportunity. . . . In the United States, English is by no means our - [Assumptions About the Iranian Threat](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/02/assumptions-about-the-iranian-threat/) - Many assume that a nuclear Iran, led by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, presents an unacceptable threat to Israel and to the United States. But as Cato scholars Justin Logan and Ted Carpenter argue in a recent op-ed, Ahmadinejad is, in fact, a rational actor and thus deterrable through conventional means—which both Israel and the U.S. possess - [Why Foreign Aid Doesn't Work](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/04/why-foreign-aid-doesnt-work/) - Steve Chapman points out the supremely counterproductive policies behind foreign aid: Affluent nations often make it impossible for Third World exporters to participate in the world economy. Third World producers trying to export to rich countries face tariffs averaging nearly 13 percent, nearly four times higher than the duties encountered by producers from rich countries. - [Why DC Residents Cannot Vote: A Pesky Piece of Parchment Called the Constitution](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/05/why-dc-residents-cannot-vote-a-pesky-piece-of-parchment-called-the-constitution/) - Residents of the District of Columbia want a voting representative in Congress, and Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Joe Lieberman (D-CT) have introduced legislation to grant their wish (the House has already passed such legislation). This seems perfectly legitimate and long overdue; after all, simply living in the nation's capitol shouldn't disfranchise you. But the - [When Not to Publish Anonymous Leaks ](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/05/when-not-to-publish-anonymous-leaks/) - Phil Klein opines that Jonathan Martin's article yesterday about Rudy's donations to Planned Parenthood—information Martin received from an unnamed rival campaign—"makes me a bit uncomfortable, because basically the journalist is doing the dirty work for a candidate." But the Hotline's Marc Ambinder (who I just recently discovered and whose work is terrific) argues that "Martin - [Beware Internet Polls](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/05/beware-internet-polls/) - In general, I distrust polls. But I really distrust those those don't even pretend to scientific accuracy, as by distinguishing between likely vs. registered voters, screening for people who cannot legally vote, disclosing the margin of error, using neutral language, and so on. The only thing the latter are good for, as Jesse Walker ably - [Get Tough on Criminal Justice](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/06/get-tough-on-criminal-justice/) - Libertarians too often neglect critiques of criminal justice. Fortunately, Radley Balko, formerly of Cato, now of Reason, is a one-man encyclopedia of the system's abuses. Example: 17-year-old boy has consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old girl. Boy is convicted of molestation under a Georgia statute (since revised), and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Judge - [Is Deportation the Only Non-Amnesty Solution?](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/03/is-deportation-the-only-non-amnesty-solution/) - "Let's not quibble," Charles Krauthammer asserts. The immigration bill pending in Congress grants the essentials of amnesty. True, there is a $5,000 fine (for a family of five!) attached to registering for legal status in the U.S. But the truly significant penalty for illegal immigration is deportation—which undoes everything the immigrant has built in America. - ["Defeatist" Smear Is Indefensible](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/06/defeatist-smear-is-indefensible/) - An hour ago, blogger N.Z. Bear e-mailed his Rightblogs ListServ to decry "defeatist rhetoric" about Iraq. Here's what he wrote (reprinted with permission): We must use whatever power we have to ensure that our wobbly political class doesn't rob the troops in the field of the chance to win. That doesn't mean blind obedience to - [Why Can't Democrats Explain Their Opposition to Gay Marriage?](https://nostrawmen.com/2007/08/why-cant-democrats-explain-their-opposition-to-gay-marriage/) - The Politico's Ben Smith reports from the latest Democratic debate: Obama, like Clinton and Edwards, was unable to explain his opposition to same-sex marriage in principled terms, referring to it as a matter of "semantics." Obama cast his opposition as a matter of strategy and priority—he would not have advised the civil rights movement to - [Warrants Obviate Immunity](https://nostrawmen.com/2008/03/warrants-obviate-immunity/) - Following 9/11, U.S. telecommunications companies allowed the NSA access to the phone records of their customers. They did so without a warrant and at the urging of senior government officials to help protect the nation from another terrorist attack. My layman's knowledge of the admittedly complex issues involved notwithstanding, it seems to me that the - [Who's a Criminal if Abortion Is Criminalized?](https://nostrawmen.com/2008/03/whos-a-criminal-if-abortion-is-criminalized/) - Here's something I didn't know, courtesy of Bob Novak: "No serious antiabortion legislation ever has included criminal penalties against women who have abortions, much less their parents." Indeed, as Daniel Allott recently noted, "Proposed state abortion bans in South Dakota and elsewhere explicitly state that aborting women would not be criminally penalized." Instead, anti-abortion advocates - [New RSS Feed](https://nostrawmen.com/2008/08/new-rss-feed/) - Please update your RSS reader. Thanks! - [Black Markets vs. Free Markets](https://nostrawmen.com/2005/07/black-markets-vs-free-markets/) - Many of us would say that we believe in a philosophy of live and let live. Most of us, however, probably aren’t awakened at 3 a.m. on consecutive weeknights by johns leaving a brothel in the apartment next door. Most of us probably don’t happen upon the sale of cocaine in our driveway. 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