Anti-Abortion Activist Murdered
A man carrying an anti-abortion sign was murdered this morning. A well-known anti-abortion activist was shot multiple times and killed Friday morning in front of a Michigan high school and another man was shot and killed just miles away in what police are investigating as related incidents. Michigan State Police have taken a suspect into custody but have not released the name ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on September 11, 2009 12:43
Tiller Abortion Clinic Closed Permanently
The murder of abortion doctor George Tiller has had its desired impact, the closing of one of the few clinics in the United States willing to provide late-term abortions. Roxana Hegeman for AP: The family of slain abortion provider George Tiller said Tuesday that his Wichita clinic will be "permanently closed," effective immediately. In a statement released by Tiller's attorneys, his ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on June 10, 2009 07:27
Abortion: Drawing the Line
Ross Douthat, examining the controversy over late-term abortions that was brought back into the public spotlight with the murder of Dr. George Tiller, observes: The argument for unregulated abortion rests on the idea that where there are exceptions, there cannot be a rule. Because rape and incest can lead to pregnancy, because abortion can save women’s lives, because babies can be ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on June 9, 2009 08:26
A Tale of Two Murders
DrewM. passes on Michelle Malkin's post and column noting that the murder of abortion doctor George Tiller by a white "Christian" got scads more media commentary and more intense presidential attention than did the murder of Private William Long and maiming and attempted murder of Private Quinton Ezeagwula by a black "Muslim." It's a fair point and very much worth noting ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on June 3, 2009 15:20
Military Recruiting Shootings
One soldier was killed and another seriously injured in a shooting at an Army-Navy Recruiting Center in west Little Rock, Arkansas. Thankfully, the second's injuries are not considered life-threatening. Contrary to earlier reports, both victims were "just out of basic training," participating in the "Hometown Recruiting Assistance" program, and not Army Recruiters. An arrest has been made but no names ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on June 1, 2009 16:57
Was Tiller Murder ‘Terrorism’?
For the second time in less than a week, Andrew Sullivan has handed out one of his positive awards to someone for whom a different and negative award was named. This time, Michelle Malkin gets an Yglesias Award for calling the murder of George Tiller "terrorism." (For those who don't keep up with such things, the Malkin Award is given ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on June 1, 2009 11:08
Abortion Doctor George Tiller Murdered at Church
There's a lot to unpack in this sentence: Late-term abortion doctor George Tiller, a prominent advocate for abortion rights wounded by a protester more than a decade ago, was shot and killed Sunday at a church in Wichita where he was serving as an usher and his wife was in the choir, his attorney said. I'm opposed to both late-term abortion and ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on May 31, 2009 15:22
Obama Declares Gitmo Detainees ‘Fetuses’
Scott Ott's latest parody news story: In an effort to shut down the U.S. Naval Detention Center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, thereby restoring America’s moral standing in the world, President Barack Obama today declared some 240 enemy combatants held at Gitmo to be ‘human fetuses’. In an executive order, the president said, “Since I ordered Gitmo shut down, and people don’t want ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on May 22, 2009 07:45
Torture and Sex: Moral Relativism or Morally Unrelated?
Kevin Drum observes, When the subject has anything to do with sex, the right in America is the party of moral absolutes. We know what's right, we know what's wrong, and even if there's a price to pay we can't shirk our responsibility to set a proper example and do the right thing. But when the subject is torture, suddenly it's all ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on April 22, 2009 13:07
The Pope Picks Our Ambassadors Now?
I glossed over yesterday's news that the Vatican blocked Caroline Kennedy's appointment as U.S. ambassador for a variety of reasons. Regular commenter Tlaloc emailed me, though, making a good point: [T]he Vatican refuses to accept any ambassador who is not explicitly pro-life including anti-ESC research (such as Doug Kmiec). Various voices on the right have praised them for this principled stand. ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on April 12, 2009 07:08
The Right Lost the Culture War
[caption id="attachment_34532" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Leah McElrath Renna, left, Rosemary McElrath Renna, 3, and Cathy McElrath pose for a portrait in Washington, on Tuesday, April 7, 2009. The group will be attending the Easter Egg Roll at the White House on April 13, 2009. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)"][/caption] "Has the Right surrendered in the culture war?" asks Washington Examiner political editor Chris Stirewalt. ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on April 10, 2009 08:56
Pragmatic Conservatism?
Andrew Sullivan has a powerful piece on the state of American conservatism, especially its alliance with the Republican Party. Two key excerpts from a very long piece: In contemporary America, the right is now in an almost parodic state of ideology. There isn't just a rigid set of beliefs, indifferent to any time or place (e.g. tax cuts are right in ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on February 5, 2009 14:15
What’s a Liberal, Anyway?
Andrew Sullivan is bemused to find himself on Forbes' list of "The 25 Most Influential Liberals In The U.S. Media" since he considers himself a conservative. He posts a reader email that muses on this fact: Did you notice how many people on the list were seemingly chosen not for their writing or their politics, but rather their identity? Oprah ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on January 25, 2009 08:59
Obama Picks Warren, Angers Gays
[caption id="attachment_28949" align="alignright" width="231" caption="Rick Warren and Barack Obama at Saddleback"][/caption] President-Elect Barack Obama has made the most controversial move thus far in his transition, naming far right televangelist Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration. While this initially struck me as a brilliant move on his part, winning points with Evangelical Christians with little downside, the announcement has ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on December 18, 2008 08:11
GOP’s G-O-D Problem
Kathleen Parker is getting quite a response to her WaPo piece "Giving Up on God." As Republicans sort out the reasons for their defeat, they likely will overlook or dismiss the gorilla in the pulpit. Three little letters, great big problem: G-O-D. I'm bathing in holy water as I type. To be more specific, the evangelical, right-wing, oogedy-boogedy branch of the GOP is what ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on November 20, 2008 14:09
