Medvedev: Remember Stalin's Horrors!

Unexpected good news from Russia: President Dmitri Medvedev warned that Russians have lost their sense of horror over the unspeakable crimes of Joseph Stalin. In a video post to the Kremlin website, Medvedev urged the construction of museums and memorial centers devoted to the manifest slaughters committed by Stalin. This is good news and MC earnestly hopes that actions follow these words.

Click on the title of this post to read the NY Times article on this development.

A New Biography Of Ayn Rand

"Ayn Rand and the World She Made" by Anne C. Heller is reviewed in this Sunday's New York Times' Book Review by Adam Kirsch. Click on the title of this post to read it.

In Shift, GOP Leaders Embrace Hoffman

New York's congressional district 23 special election is shaping up to be a fascinating exercise in hope and despair within the GOP. Local and national bigs picked Dede Scozzafava to be the republican in the race but one would be hard put to identify her as such given her liberal stands on a plethora of issues (quick! name another Republican who supports card check). As there was no primary in which to contest this abject pick, local conservative and republican Doug Hoffman got the endorsement of the Conservative Party (say, there's an idea!) and is now running in a three way race along with democrat Bill Owens. The district has been solidly GOP since before the dawn of time.

How pathetic is some of our ersatz leadership? Newt endorsed Scozzafava, a RINO par excellance, while RNC Chair Steele stands behind her (MC kindof sortof understands his predicament), while the House GOP leaders John Boehner and Eric Cantor and the NRCC support her as well. MC would ask what were they thinking but it appears thought wasn't involved at all.

Meantime, Dick Army, Sarah Palin, Fred Thompson and former NRCC chairman Tom Cole have all endorsed the true conservative in the race Doug Hoffman. Once he found out the waters were fine, Timmy Pawlenty ostentatiously declared he too, by golly, was for Hoffman! If we guarantee him the Veep spot in 2012, would he stop running now just to spare us the sight of overreach?

At any rate, this special election and the conservative "base" declining to endorse the out of touch "leadership" choice has provided the MSM with lots of fodder to cluck about and pretend to care about the overall fortunes of the GOP. Right. Margaret Carlson just the other day said that Palin lit the match on the GOP bonfire. Not quite, Maggie.

Turns out that Hoffman is surging in the district (see how people will disappoint the leadership when given a choice?) and now Politico reports that GOP leadership (that word again) says he'd be welcomed with open arms! This from the chair of the NRCC Pete Sessions who saw fit to run ads against Hoffman only days ago!

As we said, pathetic. Click on the title of this post to read the Politico story.

UPDATE (that was fast): Former New York Gov. George Pataki (R) endorsed Conservative party candidate Doug Hoffman, Politico reports, "the clearest sign yet that even the most establishment New York Republicans now view Hoffman as having the best shot at preventing a Democrat from winning next Tuesday's special election."

And yet some mocked Palin when she endorsed him more than two weeks ago. No, she won't be President nor, MC predicts, even run for it in 2012, but can we take talent, excitement and leadership where we find it? Or must be be stuck with Newt, Timmy and the gang?

Surprise! Iran Reneges On Refueling "Deal"

MC isn't the gambling type but we wish we would have placed bets with our doe-eyed liberal friends who cooed, to mix metaphors, about what progress Obama represented when it comes to Iran. Recall that by shamefully staying silent for more than a week in the face of the Islamo-fascist regime slaughtering its own citizens in the streets, Obama hoped to curry favor with the mullahs. Later, in negotiations Iran made noises about being amenable to shippping out to Russia its spent uranium so as not to have it around for enrichment to atomic bomb grade.

Gee, the NY Times reports today that Iran has rejected the initial proposal for shipment to Russia. Could Obama and his foolish advisors ever have really thought this would come to pass? If so, they are more naive and dangerous than MC ever imagined.

The NY Times, ever stupid, actually says the following as its second sentence in reporting this story: "The apparent rejection of the deal could unwind President Obama’s effort to buy time to resolve the nuclear standoff."

Hello, Pinch? Buehler? Anyone? Delay is Tehran's game, Tehran's goal! "Buying time" to resolve the nuclear standoff? Good grief, delay is the means through which the standoff becomes moot by Iran having a nuclear bomb.

Somewhere Bibi is both rolling his eyes and thinking "I told him so."

Click on the title of this post to read the NY Times article.

The End Of Newspapers

Click on the above-graphic to see the startling details for yourself. As one wag put it: Good night, sweet prints.

Hat tip: www.the awl.com

A Perfect New Yorker Halloween Cover

We know it isn't Halloween yet but we liked this cover so much we posted it now. MC is still under the weather and this is about as much as we can manage at the moment.

Apres Kyoto

Sorry for the absence of blogging; the St. Paul half of MC was in Kyoto, Japan for the last week. What an amazing city and country and culture. MC has the crud and is trying to recover. When we do, we'll be, as they say, back!

Happy Birthday Maggie Thatcher

She turned 84 yesterday.

No Further Comment Needed

Same As It Ever Was: Stop Making Sense Turns 25

Some things are seminal and some are not. Some things are hyped with no substance and some are with it. The Talking Heads concert film by director Jonathan Demme admits of no other conclusion than substance and then some which endures. Happy 25th.

You can order the Blu Ray disc HERE and you should.