Jan. 9, 2009 Rabbi Yonason Goldson: Why there's hope amidst the destruction Martin Peretz: At War, Not at War Charles Krauthammer: Will Olmert screw it up yet again? Jan. 8, 2009 Stratfor Geopolitical Intelligence Report: Arab regimes secretly rooting for Israel? Larry Elder: Israelis and Palestinians: Who's David, Who's Goliath? Jeff Jacoby: Yes, it's anti-Semitism Jan. 7, 2009 Jonah Goldberg: Who are the real Nazis? Anne Applebaum: Pointless Peace Proposals Jan. 6, 2009 Caroline B. Glick: Iran's Gazan diversion? Dennis Prager: Dissecting Dershowitz Jan. 5, 2009 Mark Steyn: Gaza has its version of rocket scientists Mona Charen: The So-called International Community Jan. 2, 2009 Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: Having a holy tongue Caroline B. Glick : Hamas' march to victory Dec. 31, 2008 Dore Gold: Is Israel Using 'Disproportionate Force'? Renee Enna:: Succulent 'stewp' is quick, easy fix Dec. 30, 2008 Jonathan Mark: Israel's Response Is Disproportionate Wesley Pruden: It's time once more to blame the Jews Dec. 29, 2008 Rabbi Hillel Goldberg: Chanukah: 'Give me Judaism or give me death' Michael B. Oren: A crisis and an opportunity Dec. 26, 2008 Rabbi Yonason Goldson: When the past meets the future Caroline B. Glick: Iran and Hamas do Christmas Dec. 24, 2008 Rabbi Dovid Zauderer: Judaism's Santa problem The Kosher Gourmet by Ethel G. Hofman CHANUKAH FORK-FINGER FOOD FEAST Dec. 23, 2008 Caroline B. Glick: Repeating failure in Gaza Dec. 22, 2008 Rabbi Boruch Leff: Too many Jews today are missing the intended purpose of one of Judaism's most beloved holidays Barry Rubin: Liar, liar, pants on cease-fire Dec. 19, 2008 Rabbi Yonason Goldson: The Final Battlefield Caroline B. Glick: Betting on a dead horse Dec. 18, 2008 The Kosher Gourmet by Steve Petusevsky: Juicy Chef's hella top, hella bottom, hallelujah in the middle Craig Crossman : More gifts for geeks --- and those who love them Dec. 17, 2008 Dion Nissenbaum: Israel kicks out outrageously biased UN official Craig Crossman : Gifts for geeks --- and those who love them Dec. 16, 2008 Jonathan Rosenblum: The Gift of Joy Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Uncle Shariah Dec. 15, 2008 The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir : Expert witnesses who put themselves first Barry Rubin: What they say isn't what you hear Dec. 12, 2008 Rabbi Hillel Goldberg: Can the Bible be a secular language? Caroline B. Glick: What a PM Netanyahu faces from Washington Dec. 11, 2008 Rabbi Leiby Burnham: Our role in the Divine's global corporation, World Inc. The Kosher Gourmet by Steve Petusevsky: A retro-tasting pareve pot pie made with a light hand Dec. 10, 2008 Rabbi Paysach J. Krohn: Groom admits he was caught "red handed" Kara McGuire: No money for gifts? No problem Dec. 9, 2008 The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir : Can I make my boss treat me fairly? Stratfor Geopolitical Intelligence Report: Next Steps in the Indo-Pakistani Crisis Dec. 8, 2008 Rabbi Avi Shafran: 'Chanukah Bush' flap and graciousness Mark Steyn: Jews get killed, but Muslims feel vulnerable Dec. 5, 2008 Rabbi A. Henach Leibowitz: Truth --- The Key to Gratitude Jeff Jacoby: UN's obsession is grotesque and Orwellian Oct. 29, 2003 Mortimer B. Zuckerman: Graffiti On History's Walls (MUST-READ!)

Jewish World Review Sept. 3, 2008 / 3 Elul 5768 Can the GOP stop talking about Palin? By Roger Simon http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | ST. PAUL, Minn. — Who'd have thought that Fred Thompson, whose own presidential campaign ranged from lackluster to lackadaisical, would be the one to finally rouse the Republicans here? Ever since John McCain announced his selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate four days ago, Republicans (along with quite a few Democrats) have talked about little else. But convincing voters that Palin will make a good vice president is not the most important task at hand at this nominating convention. Republicans have to convince voters that John McCain would make a good president or that Barack Obama would make a bad one. Or both. Obama is leading, however narrowly, in all the polls, and the Republicans need to take him down a peg or two this week. And Fred Thompson did his best, calling Obama "the most liberal, most inexperienced nominee to ever run for president." He said that Obama's real skills amounted to no more than giving a "teleprompter speech designed to appeal to American critics abroad" and accused him of saying at a recent forum "that the protection of the unborn or a newly born baby is above his pay grade." True, Thompson could not leave the subject of Sarah Palin alone. "Some Washington pundits and media big shots are in a frenzy over the selection of a woman who has actually governed rather than just talked a good game on the Sunday talk shows and hit the Washington cocktail circuit," Thompson said. "And I can say without fear of contradiction," he went on, "that she is the only nominee in the history of either party who knows how to properly field dress a moose — with the possible exception of Teddy Roosevelt." He would get no argument there, but just about everything else about Palin is still arguable. Like whether she is really ready to be the president if she has to. President Bush, who was relegated to a non-prime-time video address from the White House on Tuesday, said: "We live in a dangerous world. And we need a president who understands the lessons of September 11, 2001: that to protect America, we must stay on the offense, stop attacks before they happen and not wait to be hit again. The man we need is John McCain." But how well does the "we live in a dangerous world" argument work if you substitute Palin for McCain? It is not an unfair question. While the standard that the vice presidency is "only a heartbeat away from the presidency" has become a cliché, it is also accurate. Four vice presidents have become president through the natural death of a president, four through assassination and one through resignation. That's quite a number considering we've had only 43 presidents. The selection of a running mate is the first presidential-level decision a nominee makes. And some are wondering how well McCain got to know Palin before he made that decision. According to his own campaign, the answer is not very well. Jill Hazelbaker, McCain's national communications director, says that McCain and Palin met exactly once before he selected her as his running mate. They met at a National Governors Association meeting in Washington in February and then on Sunday, Aug. 24, McCain had a phone conversation with Palin while McCain was at his home in Phoenix and Palin was at the Alaska State Fair. It was after this conversation — only the second the two had ever had — that McCain decided to offer her the job. Republicans will continue to bash Obama and praise McCain this week. But Palin has a big job to do herself on Wednesday, when she is scheduled to address this convention: She has to demonstrate she can handle not only the vice presidency, but the presidency, should the need arise. Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in Washington and in the media consider "must reading." Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here. Comment on Roger Simon's column by clicking here. Roger Simon Archives © 2008, Creators Syndicate