Ah, 1996, when 5.6 unemployment was ‘full employment’.

October 14, 2004 By Elizabeth Scalia

Finally, a study confirms my sometimes cobwebby memory. The Free Market Project’s study entitled One Economy, Two Spins spells it out: The major national media turned similar economic numbers into a positive story for then-President Bill Clinton in 1996 and negative news against President George W. Bush in 2004. I KNEW I remembered hearing from everyone in the mainstream media – and Hillary Clinton herself – that 5.6% unemployment was essentially “Full Employment.” It’s that old Clinton-good, Bush-bad thing. You... Read more

Integrity! Integrity! Integrity!

October 13, 2004 By Elizabeth Scalia

The best moment of the most boring debate I’ve ever seen: John Kerry carrying on about his mother, on her deathbed telling him: Remember…Integrity! Integrity! Integrity! Lowenstien! Lowenstein! Lowenstein! Rosebud! Rosebud! Rosebud! Geez. I wanted to puke. I’m sure Mrs. Kerry was a lovely lady, and I am sorry that she apparently had a miserable illness. But puh-leeze. I guess Kerry decided that he DARE not exploit Christopher Reeve’s death any further, thus he needed an available corpse. So he... Read more

An Anonymous Democrat Shares her Secret

October 12, 2004 By Elizabeth Scalia

Judith Weiss at The Command Post posts an essay that is breathtaking in its thoughtful eloquence. Written by an anonymous woman in New York, a woman who dares to think for herself rather than submerging herself in groupthink, this lifelong Democrat gifts us with insight into her reasoning. This is a powerful and very readable essay. She begins: When I pull the lever on November 2nd for George Bush, I will be voting with more passionate conviction than I have... Read more

And With Your Spirit

October 8, 2004 By Elizabeth Scalia

Oh, happy day! After 35 years of the sleepy and uninspiring English translations of the Latin Mass, it seems we are finally on a path to correct the language and allow the liturgy to have a bit of poetry and supernatural inflection!William Oddie (wonderful name) gives us the latest in the UK Spectator as he wonders Whose Rite is it, Anyway.It seems John Paul II is serious about correcting the prayers and responses of the liturgy, although he is –... Read more

Humanae Vitae, the most misunderstood musing

October 5, 2004 By Elizabeth Scalia

Over at Captain Ed’s Place there is a lively discussion taking place in the comments thread regarding the SCOTUS refusal to hear the appeal of Catholic Charities concerning California law. In a nutshell, California has told Catholic Charities – an excellent gang of people who help anyone in need with everything from tonight’s supper to job counselling – that their health plan must – must, mind you – offer health insurance coverage with includes artificial contraception. Got that? A non-profit... Read more

Stop hyperventilating! Save yer breath fer yer porridge!

October 4, 2004 By Elizabeth Scalia

I’ll admit, I have my moments where – having allowed myself to spend too many hours reading blogs and the mainstream press – I get rather feverish, and subject myself to the sort of gasping and hand-wringing that I’ve been reading in various “comments” sections over the past few days. “Oh my GAWD! The NEWSWEEK Poll! We’re all gonna DIE!!!!“And so I’m kind of proud of myself that I didn’t succumb to the temptation to despair this time around. I... Read more

I wouldn’t want to play chess with him, either.

October 2, 2004 By Elizabeth Scalia

I’ve taken a quick look at various blogs and the consensus seems to be that while President Bush did not do badly in the debates, he didn’t take John Kerry to task for one of any 10 or 70 things – that he did not take advantage of the opportunities to attack. President Bush is not an attacker. He never has been. He campaigns the way he campaigns. One of the reasons he routinely confounds his opponents is because they... Read more

My brother is dying by inches…

October 2, 2004 By Elizabeth Scalia

1 Comment

I wish I could say something wise about the process of dying, but I cannot. I love my brother – my brother-in-law, really, but a true brother as all of my husband’s family are very much my own. He has been, for all of these years, the kindest man I have ever known – the sort of man who, suffering and weighing less than 100 lbs, wonders when you arrive if he can get you a cool drink. He is... Read more

Michael Kelly and David Bloom deserve better from their profession

August 26, 2004 By Elizabeth Scalia

So, there I was, two days away from news, battling the mother of all stomach flus. I will spare you the details, although none spared me, and I come back to the keyboard to find that the mainstream press has finally co-ordinated their perspectives on the Kerry/Swiftvets story.Apparently, they’ve decided that they needn’t ask Kerry anything at all about fitness reports, after action reports, medal citations signed some years after they were issued. Nah. They aren’t even going to discuss... Read more