David Frum, National Review
The American Conservative magazine has a cover illustration on Rudy Giuliani that depicts him in fascist pose and costume: black shirt, bandolier, jutting Mussolini jaw.
In the past, garb like that shown on the mayor would have made the hearts of the editors of the American Conservative go pit-a-pit. . . . And yet oddly enough, this time the fascist posture is not offered by the American Conservative as an endorsement. Instead, author Michael Desch - a professor at Texas A&M best known till now for his work publicizing and defending the "Israel lobby" writings of Profs. Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer, wants the world to know ... well, let's let the man speak for himself.
(several block quotes later)
. . . Giuliani is "the clear favorite of the party's top Jewish activists." The author also criticizes Guliani for favoring democracy in the Middle East.
Yes, well obviously we cannot have that.
Have we really reached the point where a magazine that masquerades under the label of "conservative" thinks that the very worst possible allegation to throw against a president is that he has advisers who admire Israel and support democracy, that he knows his own mind, and that he is ready to defend the country against his enemies? If this is the American Conservative's idea of criticism, God save the Republican party from ever deserving its praise. |