In his New York Times column today, William Kristol quotes The Wall Street Journal's Peggy Noonan saying of the Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, "In the end the Palin candidacy is a symptom and expression of a new vulgarization in American politics."

Ms. Noonan, of course, knows from vulgarity when it comes to Governor Palin, but Mr. Kristol dismisses his sister-in-arms with the following: "Leave aside Noonan’s negative judgment on Sarah Palin’s candidacy, a judgment I don’t share."

To say Mr. Kristol, who was once famously dubbed Dan Quayle's "brain", doesn't share criticism of Governor Palin is an understatement.  read more »

THE DARK SIDE: THE INSIDE STORY OF HOW THE WAR ON TERROR TURNED INTO A WAR ON AMERICAN IDEALS
By Jane Mayer
Doubleday, 392 pages, $27.50

In the autumn of 2000, I was visiting the United States and watched the televised debates with keen interest. Of the four men—two presidential candidates and two running mates—the one I really took to was Dick Cheney. Maybe the competition wasn’t so strong, what with the inarticulate George W. Bush, the well-meaning but wooden Al Gore and the smirking Joe Lieberman. By contrast, Mr. Cheney seemed relaxed, bien dans sa peau, with a faraway smile playing on his lips as if to say, You mean you’ve just discovered that America is a plutocracy? Tell me about it!

What a long time eight years can seem: We have since been disabused of many illusions.  read more »