[Burkeman1]

There is almost no popular anti war (empire) constituentcy among the rank and file of the GOP. At best it is 10 percent and that is being very optimistic. I would say 5 percent is closer to the truth. But there is a vibrant "intellectual" segment on the right that is anti empire and that is what annoys "National Review" and "The Weekly Standard."

[Eternal_Bear]

Empires entail having big governments and big governments always end up tyrannizing the people. It's been that way for thousands of years. Big governments always find justifications for their perpetuation such as in finding new enemies and grave problems. Not sure if the rank and file understand such concepts.

[Reagan Man]

... there is a vibrant "intellectual" segment on the right that is anti empire and that is what annoys "National Review" and "The Weekly Standard."

I don't know if I'd call the National Review and the Weekly Standard annoyed. But when you say "vibrant", do you mean as in, "sensitive"? If you do, I agree. Truth is, certain folks on the right are overly sensitive towards those who follow traditional conservatism. The problem is sensitivity and intellect are somewhat at odds. Sort of like the liberal establishment, in both regards, equal but opposite.

And the idea that the USA under the leadership of PresBush is pushing an empire agenda, is ridiculous and outrageous. Few Republicans and even fewer conservatives support anything related to "empire" building. This idea that neocons are massing at the gates is another absurdity. True neocons are hard to find.

[hchutch]

Because the alternative is worse.

Like it or not, we're at war, and our nation was the victim of an unprovoked sneak attack.

The folks who seem most serious about winning are the "neo-conservatives" who are constantly being harrangued by that small minority, many of whom have raised statements that it is safe to say that most of the rank and file GOP would not want any part of if they were aware of them.

All the attacks on Kristol I saw only succeeded in adding me to "The Weekly Standard"'s subscriber list. America did not apologize to Japan after Pearl Harbor, we ought not apologize to the Arab world for our (imperfect) support of Israel after 9/11.

But for some, particularly those who Frum went after, they wanted us to apologize for that - and after 9/11, I'm not in the mood for issuing apologies. I'm in the mood for victory, and if that means empire, so be it.