The New Republic

Charles Krauthammer is once again now in the public eye as the most trenchant critic of the president on the right; the most trenchant and the most civilized. Ben Smith has done a modestly-sized but smart piece in Politico about the doctor, some pluses, some minuses, overall more than fair. These days, how can you write an article about anyone without taking at least one swipe? READ MORE >>

Many years ago when I was in college, I spent a summer building latrines in Paraguay. It was a worthwhile experience, though I was rather disappointed with the program that sent me there. In part this was because, while it billed itself as a college-age program that accepted a few truly exceptional high-schoolers, in fact it was full of high-schoolers who were not, for the most part, demonstrably exceptional. As a result, we accomplished a good deal less than we might have otherwise. Also as a result, I had versions of the following exchange on innumerable occasions: READ MORE >>

Tom Ricks shares a note that a lieutenant colonel sent to Charles Krauthammer following his "torture is an impermissible evil--except under circumstances so vague as to render it widely permissible" column. The soldier never heard back: READ MORE >>

Just one today, but it's really good. Charles Krauthammer has a Washington Post column today in defense of torture. No, that's not my daily affirmation. READ MORE >>

The three truly honest conservative columnists -- George Will, David Brooks, Charles Krauthammer -- have made clear that they are no fans of Sarah Palin. They are, of course, not only honest but intellectually serious. They are not big on games. In fact, the trio appears to grasp that the politics of this Republic somehow relies on them in these mortifying times to keep conservatism itself in synch with its scepticisms and restrained hopes. READ MORE >>

  Charles Krauthammer has been taking the Bush administration to task over Iran. His recent National Review piece began, "It is time to admit the truth: The Bush administration's attempt to halt Iran's nuclear program has failed. Utterly." READ MORE >>

Earlier this week, I described John McCain's "League of Democracies" as an attempt to create a world order based on moral clarity--to sideline the UN and divide the world into "good" and "bad" states, much as President Bush's coalition of the willing did. It seemed McCain was simply dressing those fundamentals up in banal Cold War rhetoric about alliances and internationalism. Now, here's Charles Krauthammer on the proposal: READ MORE >>

A couple thoughts on the debate question about extending U.S. security guarantees to Israel in light of Iran's nuclear development: 1) Since when did George Stephanopolous start taking cues from Charles Krauthammer? (Cf. the link and comment thread for an interesting discussion of Krauthammer's position on deterrence and Israel.)   READ MORE >>

Joe Klein makes some good points in response to Charles Krauthammer's column today, which argues that the U.S. should explicitly commit itself to a full retaliatory response upon Iran in the event that Iran decides launch a nuclear attack against Israel. READ MORE >>

This fall, New York Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. launched a search for a new conservative columnist. It had been nearly three years since William Safire had retired from his weekly column in 2005, and Sulzberger’s initial replacement, libertarian John Tierney, lasted just 20 months before abandoning his column. READ MORE >>