News
What’s in a Name?
With the Olympics 24 days away, Chinese officials proposed changing the name that the island of Taiwan has used for previous Olympics. The English, “Chinese Taipei” would remain unchanged, but the Chinese would change from 中華台北(zhonghua taibei) to 中國台北 (zhongguo...
Words From The Wise
I cannot tell a lie: Richard Brookhiser's column in today's New York Post ---"George's Advice For Barack & John"--- is well worth your time.
Nixonland Nitpick 4
A few quick takes: On page 155, Nixonland refers to the "Republican Congressional Campaign Committee." For over a century, the name of the organization has been the National Republican Congressional Committee. On page 185, it mentions "Paul A. Fino, the antibusing...
TV(Nixon)Land
Over in the "showbiz" area of CNN's site, Todd Leopold interviews Rick Perlstein about Nixonland, and some of the TV programming of the era is discussed in the context of the historian's America-in-conflict thesis, such as the Smothers Brothers variety show, All In...
Ich Bin Ein…..Halt!
I rather suspect Sen. Barack Obama is welcoming former Gov. Jesse Ventura's reported plans to run against Al Franken and Sen. Norm Coleman for the latter's seat. After all, once "The Mind" starts making the rounds of CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC, the attention of the...
Nixonland Nitpick 3
Rick Perlstein writes (p. 137): Richard Nixon broke with his reluctance to dwell upon law and order only once, in 1966, in that U.S. News essay -- and had seemed to be apologetic to be raising the matter at all, concluding, "The polls still place the war in Vietnam...
Shakeup At The Post
As noted by John Taylor below, Marcus Brauchli, a 25-year veteran of the Wall Street Journal, who was its managing editor from April 18, 2007, until resigning just over a year later following Rupert Murdoch's takeover, has been named the executive editor of the...
Nelson Rockefeller at 100
Today is the 100th anniversary of Nelson A. Rockefeller's birth. The world was ---and remains--- a better place for the life-enhancing presence of that particular polymath politician, philanthropist, connoisseur, collector --- and RN nemesis. The former Governor and...
Nixonland Nitpick 2
Describing the 1962 California GOP gubernatorial primary between Richard Nixon and Joe Shell, Rick Perlstein writes (p. 60): Nixon's primary victory over Shell was humiliatingly close. Shell did hurt Nixon by undermining his conservative support and forcing him to...
Some True Words Spoken In Jest
For those of us who grew up memorizing every word ---indeed, every inflection--- on Tom Lehrer's LPs, the name and accomplishments of the late doctor Samuel Gall are as familiar (and as funny) today as they were the first time we heard them on An Evening (Wasted) with...