Calling a Criminal a Criminal

I imagine those “impartial” professionals in our media wouldn’t call a group trying to blow up St. Patrick’s Cathedral “insurgents,” but they still use that supposedly unbiased moniker to describe the terrorists trying to do the same to Shiite mosqes in Iraq, even though the Iraqis have now held a democratic election. I won’t make accusations of racism or elitism here, though I could, but I would say this is insulting to decent Iraqis trying to build their society. Actually, it makes me sad, because I thought places like CNN would begin to see the ramifications of their own tired rhetoric.

Speaking of which, I saw a bit of the debate between Howard Dean and Richard Perle. I must say that I find Howard entertaining, but he is a dreadful politician in one sense — the ability to win over those on the other side (I don’t think Perle is particularly distinguished at this either, but he’s not running for any office that I know of or acting as a party official). Dean is the opposite of Clinton in that regard or even of Bush, who up close seems to be better than his reputation at coopting his opposition. I’d like a guy Dean for a drinking partner, but not on my side if I were trying to get something done.