Any doubt that Arthur Schlesinger was 100% liberal to the end?

Check out his last interview, conducted just last week with C-SPAN’s Book TV:

C-SPAN: Do Americans learn from history?
SCHLESINGER: No. The stupidity… I mean, 30 years ago we were entangled in Vietnam and we were faced with nationalism and an unwinnable war… in Vietnam. And 30 years later, we are entangled in the Iraq War which is longer than our participation in the second World War, not to speak of the first World War. Rumsfeld, Vice President Cheney, George Bush, do not know enough history and they duplicated the stupidity of the Vietnam War.

C-SPAN: Why do we write history and read history if people don’t learn from it?
SCHLESINGER: Well, they learn from it. Franklin Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Harry Truman. …. They knew American history. But some presidents flunk history. Buchanan for example, and Herbert Hoover. Buchanan cost 600,000 lives and Herbert Hoover, he didn’t send people to be killed, but he starved them to death through the ideaology of laissez-faire.

No wonder E.J. Dionne calls Schlesinger a “lion of American liberalism.” Any chance a conservative historian would be similarly canonized?

Intriguing attack on the left by RNC chairman Ken Mehlman:

At a time of “jihadist attacks on civilians in Baghdad, Mumbai and northern Israel, Democrat leaders propose to cut and run from the central front in the war on terror. Waving a white flag in Iraq may appeal to the Net roots, but it will embolden the enemy, encourage more terrorism and make America less secure.”

The GOP clearly is driving home the point that the liberal Net roots are calling the shots for Democrats.  Here’s one take, from Blog P.I.

Why can’t we get Al Gore out of our mind? One inconvenient truth:

Is Bill Moyers taunting conservatives?
The full-page ad in Friday’s Washington Post for his new “Faith & Reason” series begins with this line: “Back on PBS.”

Ah yes, our national political martyr.

The only thing missing from that obvious dig is this next line: “So there!”

And his first guest?  Salman Rushdie, a man who really has spent a good deal of his life hiding.

The show’s website trumpets this Rushdie quote:  “I do think that (9/11) was a hinge moment. And if only because it showed us that we’re now inescapably involved with each other. That we can’t disengage.”

Today’s Boston Globe quotes Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) on proposed cuts to public broadcating funding:

“Dick Cheney and the Republicans have decided to go hunting for `Big Bird’ and `Clifford the Big Red Dog’ once again.  PBS is right at the top of their hit list — always has been and always will be, until they can destroy it.”

Colorful language – and since Rep. Markey gets all historical on us (”always has been,” he says), let’s join him on a trip down memory lane.  You may not believe this, but public broadcasting actually has made it into the Democratic Party’s platforms.  Repeatedly.  Talk about your politicalization!  Check out this rhetoric:

• 1972 Democratic platform:  ”We deplore the Nixon Administration’s crude efforts to starve and muzzle public broadcasting.”
• 1984 Democratic platform: ” …efforts of the Reagan Administration to enact draconian cuts which would totally undermine the viability of this nation’s excellent public broadcasting system.”
• 1996 Democratic platform: “We are proud to have stopped the Republican attack on the Corporation for Public Broadcasting — we want our children to watch Sesame Street, not Power Rangers.”

Ouch!  Those heated words are disturbing the peace in Mister Rogers’ neighborhood!

(thanks to powerline for the great photo)

The American Spectator’s Washington Prowler has done it again.  Last week we noted that the Prowler uncovered the fun fact that “Google has become the single largest private corporate underwriter of MoveOn.”  Now, the Prowler posts this gem:

And then, there is the Internet Regulation crowd’s newest poster boy, Moby. Recently, he posted on his website the letter of Iranian President Mahmood Ahmadinejad, along with this personal message to his fans:

i’m posting the letter that the president of iran recently sent to president bush. apart from his anti-zionism he makes a lot of very salient and relevant points. it’s a long read, but it’s worth taking 10 minutes to read what really is a very remarkable document.
my posting this letter here does not mean that i’m endorsing it, although he does make a lot of great points.
-moby

Perhaps Moby would like us to mull-ah it over a bit?

From The American Spectator’s Washington Prowler:

Google has become the single largest private corporate underwriter of MoveOn. According to sources in the Democrat National Committee, MoveOn has received more than $1 million from Google and its lobbyists in Washington to create grassroots support for the Internet regulation legislation.

Washington has dispensed with partisanship. Now we’re into downright hatred. Anger’s aweigh! But Valentine’s Day offers a rare chance to preach love, not spew venom. We’ll eagerly get back to mutual invective soon, but for Valentine’s Day 2006, here’s what you can do. Match the politicians most need of sharing Valentines with each other.

Here are hints:

Roll Call:

The ascent last week of Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) to the Majority Leader post has put the agenda for the upcoming House GOP retreat somewhat in flux, but one thing is certain: Frank Luntz won’t be there

Letter from Sen. McCain to Sen. Obama (Feb. 6):

“I understand how important the opportunity to lead your party’s effort to
exploit this issue must seem to a freshman Senator, and I hold no hard
feelings over your earlier disingenuousness.”

Peggy Noonan:

When the president joked that two people his father loves are turning 60
this year, himself and Bill Clinton–why does he think constant references
to that relationship work for him?–it was Mrs. Clinton’s job to look mildly
amused, or pleasant, or relatively friendly, or nonhostile. Mrs. Clinton has
two natural looks, the first being a dull and sated cynicism, the second the
bright-eyed throaty chuckler who greets visiting rubes from Utica. The
camera caught the first …

Washington Post:

An “irritated” U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson
“expressed frustration and surprise” upon hearing that D.C. Council Member
Marion Barry “failed to promptly file his tax returns and other required
paperwork”

Captain’s Quarter’s coverage of Jimmy Carter at Coretta Scott King’s
funeral:

He lectured about the lack of progress in civil rights, saying
that all one had to do was look at the faces of those victimized by
Hurricane Katrina to know that more progress had to be made. It’s the first
time I’ve ever heard God be called a bigot — unless Carter somehow has
evidence that Bush ginned up a hurricane to deliberately attack the Gulf
Coast.