What's News?

The New York Times editorial and op-ed pages read as though the events of the last three days simply didn’t happen.

From the editorial page:

President Bush used artful misdirection in his State of the Union address to get around the question of environmental protection.

That’s the lede editorial. Environmental problems are long-term. We’re going to war within weeks. Although you wouldn’t even know that reading their front page.

And:

Why Today’s Europeans Object to America’s Worldview

No mention of the Old/New Europe rift, or of the ten European governments already pledged to our support.

Nick Kristof on the op-ed side:

The macho notion that we’ll do what we choose and if the world doesn’t like it, it can go [insert expletive here] is both ludicrous and dangerous.

41 nations and counting, Nick. What’s with the fixation on France?

And from Stephen Pelletiere:

Until Washington gives us proof of Saddam Hussein’s supposed atrocities, we shouldn’t be picking on Iraq on human rights grounds.

How many raped daughters, de-tounged fathers, kidnapped sons, and grieving mothers finally constitute proof?

Healthcare nonsense from Ted Halstead:

Mandatory health coverage will drive down health care costs, and its universalist dimension and market-based orientation should appeal to the left as well as the right.

Yeah, and that mandatory Ponzi scheme — er, pension plan — has been a real cost-saver, too.

Somebody ought to buy Howell Raines a subscription to a decent newspaper, or at least get him to watch Fox News from time to time.