Tuesday, September 21, 2004

More links

Is this a ("the" is presumptuous) smoking gun? Kevin Johnson et al report in USA Today that CBS admits that it acted as a conduit between a confidential source (Bill Burkett) and the Kerry campaign (Joe Lockhart).

New York Post columnist
John Podhoretz does not buy CBS's excuse that it was "misled," and makes a good case that it is getting what it deserves for its "disgraceful pseudo-journalism."

Dan Rather is "sorry," and
Tom Maguire is appalled.

The Wall Street Journal's lead editorial is particularly scathing: CBS's conduct "raises the question of whether CBS was a vessel for, if not a willing participant in, a partisan dirty trick two months before a closely contested Presidential election."

Power Line's "Hindrocket," aka
John H. Hinderaker, is not satisfied: "Rather's statement studiously avoids the only question that remains open: where did CBS get the forged documents? Specifically, did they come from the Kerry campaign? ... Rather can't go much longer without answering the obvious question: did you get the forgeries from Max Cleland?"

The second of Power Line's Big Three, "The Big Trunk," aka
Scott W. Johnson, has some very good questions for CBS. So good that there is no possible way that CBS can answer them and still maintain even a shred of credibility.

Ann Althouse: "The key question is who is this source behind Burkett? Don't think you got away with any sleight of hand! That's the question now." She also rates Kerry's Letterman performance last night: "dismal."

Syndicated columnist
David Limbaugh has some very good questions for John Kerry. For example: if the Iraq war is a "mistake," why do you only promise to withdraw our troops within four years? Why not immediately?

Washington Times political writer/columnist
Bill Gertz, who has very good sources, reports that "Al Qaeda seen planning for 'spectacular' attack." There is reason to worry.

The Belmont Club's
"Wretchard" is looking at Iraq, and he just doesn't know what to think. Which is disturbing. He also glanced at the new European think tank study re terrorism, and is appalled.

Like everyone else,
Yossi Klein Halevi and Michael B. Oren have some advice to offer: "How Sharon beat the intifada — and what the United States can learn."

National Review Online columnist
Stanley Kurtz proposes "A Grand Media Bargain": "We could solve the media-bias problem by giving ABC News, the Washington Post, USA Today, and Newsweek over to conservatives, while allowing Al Franken to dispense about one-third of all talk-radio stations to his allies."

Syndicated columnist
Dennis Prager: "The left thinks legally, the right thinks morally."

Washington Post book reviewer
Jonathan Yardley enjoyed two new biographies of Ulysses S. Grant. That's good news.