THE PLANK JUNE 13, 2007
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Jeffrey Rosen shows how Justice Anthony Kennedy has imposed his own morality on the Supreme Court (he also provides a field guide to some of Kennedy's most immodest speeches and opinions); Eric Reeves argues that Tuesday's "breathrough" on Darfur is about to hit a wall; Justin Shubow responds to Merlin Chowkwanyun's article and argues that race is in the genes; Peter Beinart and Jonah Goldberg say that Fred Thompson isn't another Reagan; and Sacha Zimmerman lambastes reality shows for their blatant disregard for the environment.
--Alexander M. Belenky
17 comments
Newly elected French president Nicolas Sarkozy showed up for a G8 press conference looking a little worse for the wear. He's almost certainly not, as some YouTube commenters are implying, drunk: He's a well-known teetotaler. But you gotta wonder what happened at that meeting with Putin that he says he just left...
--Keelin McDonell- abelenky
June 12, 2007 at 11:35am
He sounds like he's out of breath, as if he's been excersising.
- hustveit
June 12, 2007 at 11:53am
is the one drunk, on power, and the fact that he's getting away with such abuses of it because of the socialistic idiotcracy that controls much of Europe. He must figure that if genocide in the Sudan is acceptable to them, that he could get away with that and more.
- MaryM
June 12, 2007 at 11:56am
What should Europe do to couunter Putin (yes, deliberately spelled it correctly)? I agree that they should throw more weight to Georgia, Ukraine, et al, but given the fact that Russia has devolved into autocracy during the administration of Captain Freedom over here, what exactly can a weak Europe do? I don't get it.
- boneill
June 12, 2007 at 12:34pm
- teplukhin2you
June 12, 2007 at 12:53pm
slipped a misha into Sarko's Perrier?
- teplukhin2you
June 12, 2007 at 12:54pm
Is this a new account tep? I like the GazPutin thing, but he isn't the type to slip something into someone's drink to make them slur- generally die, like Litvenko, or at the very least melt, like Yukschenko.
- boneill
June 12, 2007 at 1:14pm
or, running to get to the press conference as if the meeting with Putin went too long .
- jet
June 12, 2007 at 1:22pm
That during their meeting Putin just worldessly stared at him with those cold, brutal eyes and Sarko was fundamentally shaken?
- boneill
June 12, 2007 at 1:25pm
yes, re-subscribed w new card, but TNR's db doesn't recognize me so CanWest just left $10 on the table. Tant pis pour eux.
- teplukhin2you
June 12, 2007 at 1:27pm
.. he's a puppet. He was elevated to the throne by Yeltsin's semya with the assistance of the FSB, and it's those FSB handlers who now run the show. A true strongman wouldn't be bullying kids who jokingly compare Putin to that nerdy little Star Wars character he resembles so closely. Also would have crushed the Chechen rebellion years ago. Putin's a wimp, more interested in looting Gazprom than in ruling with an iron hand.
- teplukhin2you
June 12, 2007 at 1:30pm
I don't know Tep. He was low-level, but he was KGB. I think that is the culture with which he relates. I don't think he is a tyrant or anything, or maybe even personally does that much, but I think he is just a cold and calculating man who enjoys the security apparatus running the state, even if he personally is not. I guess brutal is the wrong word. Cold, though, I think works. I also don't really see him as just a puppet- he is excellent at removing problems. What Star Wars character? I think I know who you are talking about but am not sure.
- boneill
June 12, 2007 at 1:38pm
been watching Bush tapes? Neil
- purcellneil
June 12, 2007 at 1:39pm
About that poll that Jason mentions below, the numbers certainly do look better for Hillary. But they are still pretty bleak, with her favorability numbers especially disturbing. Clinton is at 47-45 favorable. Obama is at 48-21 (this is one reason Obama isn't further ahead: People don't know him). Even if everyone who learns about Obama from this point forward grows to hate him (and we are talking about 30 percent of the country), his ratings will still be no worse than hers. Sure, you could say that the Republican attack machine will cause the people who currently view him favorably to switch camps, but given that almost everyone seems to agree that the senator from Illinois is a compelling and likable person, this is highly doubtful. I think it's hard to make a persuasive argument that Clinton is more electable. --Isaac Chotiner
- abelenky
June 13, 2007 at 10:23am
Some might argue that this is by far the most sense Jonah Goldberg has ever made. --Michael Crowley
- nscheiber
June 14, 2007 at 5:25pm
Jesus tapdancing Christ, that's an idiotic use of bandwidth. Is it too late to fire Goldberg and bring back James Burnham?
- ajwhawkeye
June 14, 2007 at 5:33pm
Over at The Corner? I thought only Cardassians embraced torture!
- pjsmmjd
June 15, 2007 at 5:25am