Farewell Mapplethorpe, Hello Shakespeare (Roger Kimball on NEA, the W. way)

National Review Online ^ | January 29, 2004 | Roger Kimball

[JoJo Gunn]

Holy Mother of God! What a PR puff piece.

Did Rove see the s**tstorm here last night and have this rushed out?

[kevkrom]

Doing it "right" is still no excuse for the government to be funding the NEA at all in the first place...

[wizardoz]

I'm glad to hear this. I saw the "Cremaster" display in New York 6 months ago. Nothing like some gay guy with arrested psychological development playing out his Greek-mythology/Masons-coming-to-get me weirdness on the public dime to sour one's trip to the Big Apple.

[Cosmo]

Did you check out Gioia's website? Looks pretty legitimate.

Many years ago, when my father was fairly well connected to the Reagan Whitehouse, a very famous ( multiple Tony award winning) Broadway producer came to him to ask that he promote his name to Reagan's people as a possible high-ranking official at the NEA. This was a man of tremendous character and tasteful artistic sensibilities. If things had worked out, and if more people like him had been left to guide the NEA, many of us might well have a different opinion of the NEA today. My point being, that regardless of what I think about Government sponsorship of the arts, it looks indeed like Gioia might just be this kind of man, and that he might just be able to make this organization acceptable to us in many respects.

[George W. Bush]

Rove don't get it. It's the existance of the NEA that is the problem. My opposition differs not one whit.

Mapplethorpe or motel art, I don't care.

The money is wasted. Spend it on keeping soldiers' families off food stamps. Or just don't borrow (tax) the funds to begin with.

They seem to think we prefer one variety of liberalism over another.

[KantianBurke]

ITS UNCONSTITUTIONAL YOU DOLT!! I don't care if they do ANOTHER remake the Lord of the Rings! Add to the fact its immoral and simple theft!

Finally Goya won't be around forever nor will Dubya. Their replacements might be Libs who will have quite the time doling out this "increase."

[gov_bean_ counter]

Rush appears to be using FR as his "show prep" tool again.

[Cosmo]

Think he's reading this thread?

Hi Rush:)

[NutCrackerBoy]

If you compare the constitutionality of the welfare state versus the constitutionality of modest arts funding, I think a better case can be made for arts funding. Neither would pass the Madison test, of course. But let's keep things in perspective, both in the intent relative to the Constitution, and in the size of the cost.

President Bush is playing with the cards dealt him.

[over3Owithabrain]

Big Government is good, so long as the right people are running it, huh?

That's the same argument my socialist/communist in-laws make - we just need the right people to run the nanny state.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Seemed to pick up the topics as soon as they were posted. Coinkidink?

[wizardoz]

Just out of curiosity, why did you go in the first place?

I was dragged in by the folks I was visiting. They aren't very politically aware, although by the time we left I could see that they had a pretty bad taste in their mouths and I have high hopes for their future development.

[Spok]

I don't know how many votes GWB thought this would buy him but I'm getting very disenchanted with my president. He's either taking the conservative vote for granted or decided he doesn't need it.

[NutCrackerBoy]

Rush got it off National Review Online where it was posted at 11:38 am. Posted on FR at 1:37 pm.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Bump.

[skinkinthegrass]

Rush appears to be using FR as his "show prep" tool again.

??...meaning no offence. Is that bad? :|