Notes From D. R.

The Expired Term

California Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald passes away at 68.

Weekend Box Office: Disturbing Behavior

Disturbia tops the charts for a second week.

Media Mutters

Is anyone surprised that the Washington Post has a dim view of President Bush's "surge" in Iraq? More from Michelle Malkin and Power Line.

Keep Hope Alive

Could Massachusetts have its first Republican congressman in over a decade? More from Red Mass Group.

UPDATE: Still more from Red Mass Group.

SECOND UPDATE: More from Red Mass Group, Hub Politics and the Boston Herald.

THIRD UPDATE: More from the Herald, Globe and Red Mass Group.

An Irish Wedding

When one arrives at a certain age, one begins to accept the reality that we live in a world in which hate is a force more powerful than love. Sometimes, that hate takes from us those who represent pure love--love of humanity, love of his fellow man, love of his country.

The late Bruce Reynolds was the sort of man who represented pure love. And that's why, more than five years after his death, his passing still angers, still wounds, still causes pain.

Reynolds grew up in Inwood, Manhattan; his family was one of the few African-American families who lived in the predominately Irish-Catholic neighborhood. Not wishing to be psychologically segregated from their neighbors, Bruce's parents reached out to them, proposing that they work together to turn a dilapidated section of Inwood into a public garden. Bruce became friends with their children in the process, and developed a fondness for Irish culture.

Bruce became a park ranger shortly after graduating from college, and eventually joined the New York Port Authority Police in 1986. Although New York was perceived as having a terrible racial climate at the time, Reynolds made friends across all racial and ethnic lines, while serving the Port Authority with humility and excellence.

In the early 1990s, he met and fell in love with Marian McBride, an immigrant from County Donegal, Ireland. They married in 1993 and had a daughter, Brianna, and a son, Michael. He often traveled with his wife to Donegal, where his kind spirit and sharp sense of humor were also warmly embraced.

Just a year after his son was born, Bruce reported to work one day to patrol the George Washington Bridge. That day happened to be September 11, 2001. Reynolds and his partner headed to the World Trade Center in an attempt to assist those who had been victimized by the attack. Sadly, he became one of those victims himself.

Reynolds lived to help others, so in a strange way it's fitting that he died helping others as well. Yet his death still scars the spirit. How many other people could he have helped, could he have counseled, could he have mentored if he hadn't been taken from us by the monsters who attacked this country over five years ago?

Had he lived, Reynolds would have continued to be living proof that the racial and ethnic tensions that crippled our past do not have to injure our future. Reynolds did much to tear down the barriers of racial hatred and suspicion--not by giving speeches, not by holding rallies, but simply by treating others as he would want to be treated.

Nothing can bring Bruce Reynolds back. Nothing can bring back the other victims of the attack on America. The only thing we can do is to honor their memory--and to spend every waking hour fighting the hatred that envelops our world with love, pure love.

UPDATE: More on Reynolds.

Houston, We Have A Problem

A second shooting massacre.

Drawn Out

Popular cartoonist Brant Parker passes away at 86.

The Unknown Soldier

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid declares an end to the Iraq War. More from Michelle Malkin, the Weekly Standard and the AP.

Are We Done Yet?

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, on the hot seat. More from the Washington Post, Power Line, National Review and Human Events.

Press Play

I think the Boston Globe is engaging in a little wishful thinking by attempting to declare the demise of the conservative media...

Leadership Position

Congratulations to Marcus Brauchli, the new managing editor of the Wall Street Journal!

This Is It

Will Fred Thompson quit teasing conservatives and finally announce a run for President? More from the Weekly Standard and the Washington Times.

UPDATE: Meanwhile, another GOP contender makes a fool of himself. Lord love a duck...

The Lost World

Could there be a future scenario in which "moderate" Republicans regain control of the GOP?

Ever since the start of the Reagan Revolution, non-conservative Republicans and the mainstream press have been passionately calling for "moderates" to take the party back from the right. In the mid-1990s, the press went out of its way to promote "moderates" such as Bill Weld, Susan Molinari and Christie Todd Whitman, insisting that their values, not the beliefs of Newt Gingrich, were better for the GOP.

One reason so many conservatives are horrified by the prospect of Rudy Guiliani becoming the GOP nominee in 2008 is that they fear Guiliani will seek to squelch the voices of the right, and promote socially "moderate" Republicans. Conservatives feel that when "moderates" controlled the GOP, the party basically stood for nothing--and they do not want to see that era return.

However, one has to wonder: is the return to power of "moderate" Republicans inevitable? As of now, conservative Christians represent an influential force in the GOP. Yet, certain social trends could bring about a scenario in which, one generation from now, the GOP will still be predominantly Christian, but not as conservative.

America's left-libertarian culture has an almost irresistible influence, and one does have to wonder how many conservative Christians will be caught up in that influence. How many folks will be seduced by the emotional appeals of the left on certain social issues? How many conservative Christians--relentlessly pummeled by the left-libertarian culture--will find themselves questioning whether socially conservative policies are really consistent with Christian teachings? How many folks will stop identifying themselves as Christian conservatives, and begin to see themselves as Christian "moderates?"

If the unrestrained influence of American left-libertarian culture causes Christian conservatives to second-guess their conservatism, then the Reagan Revolution will be done for within one generation. Already, we are seeing cultural left-libertarianism having an effect on the right with regard to the issue of global warming, as Gingrich has begun to express sympathy for the view that mankind, not nature, is primarily responsible for excessive climate change. If a rock-ribbed conservative like Gingrich can't resist the "progressive" siren call on this issue, is anyone safe?

If American cultural left-libertarianism manages to weaken the influence of Christian conservatives, then it is a guarantee that, sooner rather than later, the American political system will revert to the way it was in the immediate pre-Reagan era—i.e., a Democrat Party completely controlled by the left, and a Republican Party completely controlled by "moderates." Some folks will view this as the only way our system can be saved. Others will hear a loud whirl, as Reagan spins in his grave.

Baby-Making Time

In a huge victory for the pro-life movement, the US Supreme Court upholds a ban on partial-birth abortion. More from the Washington Post, Red Mass Group, Robert Bluey, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Times, the Weekly Standard, Hugh Hewitt and Human Events.

First Lady

Pat Buckley, a tireless fund-raiser and devoted spouse of conservative icon William F. Buckley, passes away at 80. More from National Review and Power Line.

It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll

If there's one thing that annoys conservatives, it's "limousine liberal" songs.

For years, the right has criticized left-wing attempts to promote certain political ideals through popular music. While American musicians have long used their work to advance certain sociopolitical aims--the 1930s anti-lynching song "Strange Fruit" is an obvious example--the controversy over songs being used for political purposes has never abated since the beginning of the culture wars in the mid-1960s.

Conservatives have never hesitated to point out that some post-1960s liberal songs are just plain awful. There's no question that, in terms of either lyricism or musical construction, there are some absolute duds out there, with Michael Jackson's 1987 "Man In The Mirror" arguably the most abominable of all-time (the music is vapid and soulless, and the lyrics merely reflect the extreme guilt of someone who has a lot of money when others don't). Phil Collins' 1989 "Another Day in Paradise" and Bruce Hornsby's 1986 "The Way It Is" are musically above par, but the lyrics of both songs suffer from the same sort of rich-man's-burden guilt that makes "Mirror" almost unlistenable.

Not every left-wing political song is devoid of merit, however: some function effectively as musical op-eds (Marvin Gaye's 1971 "What's Going On," Stevie Wonder's 1973 "Living for the City," Billy Joel's 1982 "Allentown.") Even Prince, whose political songs are usually awful (1991's "Money Don't Matter 2 Night" is almost as bad as "Mirror"), effectively depicted the social problems of mid-1980s America in 1987's "Sign O' The Times.")

What vexes conservatives is that there are relatively few post-1960s songs reflecting the values of the right. Conservatives would love to see high-profile artists releasing songs about the dangers of Islamic extremism or the emotional impact of abortion. (Remember when conservatives defended Madonna's 1986's "Papa Don't Preach" on the grounds that the song implicitly rejected abortion--and liberals criticized the song for allegedly promoting the idea that it's better for a pregnant teenager not to have an abortion?) Conservatives would also like to see more musical expressions of religious faith--although it would be strange to hear, for example, foul-mouthed rappers doing songs about their love for the church. (For all the culture-war fights Prince has been dragged into, conservatives don't give the guy enough credit for his religious-themed songs, with 1987's "The Cross" arguably his best work in that regard. In addition, one cannot listen to 1982's "Free" without being moved by its passionate patriotism.)

Mocking liberal songs is a central element of modern conservative punditry: Rush Limbaugh's use of The Pretenders' 1984 "My City Was Gone" as his show's intro music is intended to poke fun at the song's anti-capitalist sentiment. However, conservative criticism of liberal themes in American music is similar to conservative criticism of liberal themes in American films: in both cases, it comes from a profound disappointment that the beliefs of the right are not given equal time.

Lone Gunman Theory

The worst shooting spree in United States history. More from the New York Times, Michelle Malkin, Scott Allen Miller, Bryan Maloney and Power Line.

UPDATE: More from the Washington Times, Washington Post and New York Times.

SECOND UPDATE: More from the AP, the Washington Post, Robert Bluey, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Times, the New York Times, Power Line, Human Events, Dean Barnett and Bryan Maloney.

THIRD UPDATE: More from Michelle Malkin, the New York Times and Washington Post.

They Don't Have A Prayer

Will "religious right" Republicans find an ideal candidate in time for the '08 election?