Wednesday 11/17 links

Conventional wisdom held that Pres. Bush would purge the neoconservatives after the election. Wrong! Los Angeles Times editorial writer Jacob Heilbrunn reports: "Far from being headed for the political graveyard, neoconservatives are poised to become even more powerful in a second Bush term, while the 'realists' — those who believe that moral crusading is costly and counterproductive in foreign policy — are sidelined."

Washington Times columnist Tony Blankley: "With the nominations of Condoleezza Rice at State, Porter Goss at CIA, Donald Rumsfeld (or an equally tough replacement) at Defense and Stephen Hadley at NSC, the president has created an all-Patton foreign and defense team. Moreover, he has a team that understands that among the necessary targets of their firepower must be, not only our foreign enemies, but also the slouching, sly, insubordinate bureaucrats under their chain of command."

New York Times columnist William Safire: "This president is no sore winner, and has learned the hard way to have in hand a post-victory plan. In decisively choosing those who stay and those who come in, he shows a determination to win the policy battles of his second term. "

Former Army major and now New York Post columnist Ralph Peters analyzes why "Why the Dogs Didn't Bark."

30-1. That's the KIA ratio in Fallujah--and in urban warfare it is almost invariably the attacker who bears the brunt of the casualties. We've built a new and apparently invincible Army, which New York Daily News columnist Zev Chafets describes in "The victory beyond Fallujah."

Why are people so stupid? Why do they presume the terrorists are supermen, rather than inferior fanatics? A Wall Street Journal editorial also wonders, and concludes: "The Lessons of Fallujah: Killing terrorists doesn't make them stronger."

Re Condoleezza Rice's upcoming confirmation hearings, Washington Post columnist George F. Will offers suggestions to senators who wonder "What to Ask the Nominee."

It is not clear whether the title of Front Page Magazine managing editor Ben Johnson's piece re Condi Rice is misspelled or not; you decide: "Reigning in Foggy Bottom."

Washington Times columnist Joel Mowbray doubts that Rice--or anyone else--can reform the State Dept.

Wall Street Journal columnist Claudia Rosett: "Come Clean, Kofi: The U.N. secretary-general ducks responsibilty for the Oil for Food scam."

Blogger Hugh Hewitt wonders whether Chris Matthews will ever grow up. Fat chance.

Jerusalem Post columnist Herb Keinon reveals that the Israelis are pleased with the new Rice-Hadley team: "Both, as one official put it in diplomatic understatement, are 'positively predisposed toward Israel.' Or, as another said, 'they are both our good friends.'"

Aussie blogger Arthur Chrenkoff explains "How Poland came to say 'Non' to France and hitch up with America."

Columnist Janet Dailey in the London Daily Telegraph: "Europeans and American Democrats are in denial. George Bush has just got the mandate for pursuing his global policy on terrorism that he did not have in his first term: his position is stronger, not weaker. For the domestic market (which is all that matters to an American president), he has less need than before for the spurious credibility that European approval might offer."

National Review Online columnist Stephen Moore proposes subsidizing lefties who threaten to move to Canada with an "Export a Liberal Fund. From this pool we will donate $100 to every liberal who agrees to give up his U.S. citizenship and flee the country permanently. Warning #1: There's no coming back for health care when you get sick. Warning #2: There will be no amnesty program. These are one-way tickets."

The prolific satirical blogger ScrappleFace Scott Ott offers not one, not two, but three hilarious items: first, "Sears, Kmart Merge to Set New Bankruptcy Record"; second, "Expert Warns of 'Bickering Deficit' in New Bush Cabinet"; and third, "NBC Reporter Declines Al-Jazeera 'Best Video' Award."