Posted on 10/08/2009 7:53:49 PM PDT by Josh Painter
Norm Ornstein, one of the least conservative analysts at the conservative American Enterprise Institute criticized 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's recent Facebook Notes op-ed on the decline of the dollar and how it is tied to our increasing national debt and reliance on foreign oil. Ornstein told the Financial Times:
“The dollar has always been a testosterone issue among America’s political classes,” says Norm Ornstein, a veteran analyst at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. “This time there may be a legitimate debate to be had over the dollar’s reserve status, but Sarah Palin is not qualified to participate in it.”Ashley Tillotson e-mailed Mr. Ornstein, asking him:
"Are [there] any other women unqualified to participate?"Ash Tillotson reminded Mr. Ornstein that among AEI's principles is the free and open debate of ideas, and that his remark concerning former Governor Palin runs counter to that principle.
Imagine Ash's surprise when he received the following reply, which he shared with us in an e-mail to Texas for Sarah Palin, The Palination and Conservatives 4 Palin:
"Mr. Tillotson, it was a snide remark and I regret making it. Thanks for writing, Norm Ornstein"Unfortunately, Mr. Ornstein's regrets will not be as widely reported by the media as was his original snide remark. But isn't that the way it always goes?
Meanwhile, where Sarah Palin leads, other Republicans follow.
- JP
I hope FReepers have stopped giving a dime to the AEI
He was no doubt buried in complaints today as all of his contact information was posted on the thread this morning.
Ornstein doesn’t speak for AEI. He’s just one of the think tank’s analysts. Fred Thompson is — or at least was — a visiting fellow at AEI, and Fred has had nothing but very positive things to say about former Governor Palin. Fred’s wife Jeri is also a Team Sarah spokesperson.
AEI doesn’t deserve to be condemned for Ornstein’s ill-conceived remark.
- JP
Ornstein could have at least had the courage to stand by his original unvarnished opinion.
Only a worm turns on a dime and backpedals furiously when confronted with disagreement.
Maybe AIE is getting hit in the pocketbook and told Ornstein to stop digging and start groveling.
Oh well, the fewer weasels that stay in the Frum-LFG-Tanenhaus-AllahPundit RINO wing of the GOP, the better.
Ornstein knows that his “regrets” won’t be reported by the Democrat-Media complex like his slam of Sarah Palin was.
- JP
Ornstein’s His greatest political influence may have come in writing substantial portions of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, also known as the “McCain-Feingold” campaign finance bill passed in 2002
Since the establishment of Air America Radio, Ornstein has performed the bit with a wide variety of questions on The Al Franken Show. He also appeared on the March 7, 2006; April 24, 2006 and January 10, 2008 episodes of The Colbert Report on Comedy Central.
Ornstein is just another nobody who decided that his best shot at getting some exposure outside the small circle that he travels in, was to attack Palin. Anyone doing that gets instant headlines in the “newspapers”, blogs, and networks. I’m sure he got an earful from Palin supporters, good.
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