Free Republic

The operation by whomever (cough, Israel has not officially said it was them, cough) to take out Hezballess (HT Chris Loesch as apparent originator) operatives was masterful. On several levels even. First, it was fairly precise targeting, which limited (nothing can eliminate the possibility of) “civilian” casualties. Limiting the explosive to one or two ounces helped guarantee limitation of collateral damage. Those who are screaming otherwise, and that it was against the rules of war, are both wrong and far more upset that their favored side was hurt and that the Jews dared defend themselves instead of just lining up...

Former President Donald Trump’s selection of Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance might surprise you, but it shouldn’t. The 39-year-old first-term senator is a solid, smart pick who will not only bring youth, energy and vigor to the ticket, but also a wealth of hard life experience, highly unusual for someone so young. Trump’s announcement gave the bare bones of why he selected Vance over the many others who vied to be his running mate: After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice...

onald Trump called a press conference today to address some concerns he wanted to share. The Press showed up to the press conference because overnight, they’d been marinating in a Trump Mea Culpa hope: Trump will finally admit he’s a racist and apologize for the Obama Birther fight. As conservatives groaned about the stupidity of the birther garbage being revisited and then further groaned that Trump would have a press conference (no good could come of that), the media slavered with anticipation. Once again, Trump surprised everyone. John Hinderaker of Powerline shares the result: Sometimes you really have to hand...

September 18, 2009 A Masterstroke of Weakness In international diplomacy, there’s a cringing desperation to Obama. By Rich Lowry If diplomatic pusillanimity was the aim, Pres. Barack Obama’s decision to abandon our current missile-defense plans in Eastern Europe must be regarded as a masterstroke. With just one announcement, the Obama administration undercut two loyal allies, rewarded Russian bullying, and diminished our ability to counter an emerging Iranian threat. If there were awards for self-defeating weakness, this move would deserve a Neville for Appeasement in a Perpetually Threatened Region. In an April speech in Prague, Obama hailed the “courageous” Poles and...

Though I'm no big fan of John McCain, his choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate is a stroke of genius. Brilliant. I'm not into affirmative action picks, but Palin is smart, articulate, and competent in her own right, regardless of whether she has a uterus. And in this case, McCain picking a woman--a bright conservative who happens to be female--was necessary. It was necessary because Barack Obama made a big mistake in picking Joe Biden. He angered female Hillary supporters. Now, they will have a tough time voting for the Obama-Biden ticket, which dissed them, and...

President Bush's agenda for the next four years, much of which he will highlight in his State of the Union address tonight, includes many proposals that would not only change public policy but, the GOP hopes, achieve an ambitious political goal: Stripping money and voters from the Democratic Party and cementing Republican dominance for years after he leaves office.... On issue after issue, the White House is staking out positions that achieve a policy goal while expanding the GOP's appeal to new voters or undermining the Democrats' ability to compete. Interviews with Bush advisors, a recent memo drafted by a...