Monday's links and comments

Ramesh Ponnuru of National Review did a comprehensive interview with John McCain. Here is the transcript. Not a lot there to change my view of the senator. I was already aware of his positives positions and his explanations of his irritating actions (Gang of Fourteen, etc) were no more convincing.

Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post believes Rudy Giuliani's biggest hurdle as he runs for president will be the New York press who know him best.

The former mayor's earliest adversary is the New York press corps, and its depiction of what has come to be dubbed the 9/10 Rudy.

Every White House contender must deal with a home-state media contingent that knows his or her flaws and foibles. But Giuliani came to power in the nation's biggest media echo chamber, where hordes of journalists remember his personal and political difficulties before the Sept. 11 attacks gave him a heroic aura.

"Anyone who lived here at the time remembers the 9/10 Rudy: strong on crime and the economy, yes, but arrogant, bullying, and terrible on race and civil rights. . . . The rest of America sees a far different Rudy," says a New York Magazine cover story.

I still believe the media is saving negative material to use once he gets the nomination. For example, today we have an article with his son discussing his candidacy and while his son thinks he should be president, he doesn't exactly give a glowing character reference. That is followed by a request from the candidate for his privacy to be respected. To many voters, character is one of the most defining aspects to judge in deciding on candidates for the highest office in the land. Whether Rudy Giuliani likes it or not, how he has led his personal life is a reflection on his character. Despite the results in 1992 and 1996 elections, a lot of folks still consider character.

Not sure if you are a conservative? Here is the text of a speech by Vice President Cheney titled "A Conservative View of the Role of Government." Conservatives can have differing views on various issues of the day, but Cheney correctly sums up the overriding view of government's role in our lives.

We recognize that nobody can sit in an office in Washington, D.C. and decide to make America prosperous. Our job is to preserve the freedoms that gave birth to this nation, to encourage free enterprise, and to give people confidence that their hard work will be rewarded, not punished. And that begins with leaving more money in the hands of those who earn it.

Atlas Shrugged - 50 Years Later is a lengthy review by Mark Skousenof Ayn Rand's influential book from 1957. At over a thousand pages it is not quickly read or easily understood. Those who agree completely with Rand are as wrong as those who completely dismiss her assertions. Give it a read, but don't pretend to understand the book until you've read it at least twice.

We have seen this story a dozen times. A woman goes to the hospital complaining of stomach pains and ends up delivering a baby and swears she had no idea she was pregnant. First thought is "BS, how is a woman pregnant for nine months and not aware." However, after reading the story and realizing that the woman is 420 pounds, a hundred other impolite thoughts go through my head.