The Gettysburg Address

Delivered by President Abraham Lincoln, November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. I spend time discussing the Gettysburg Address during my coverage of Chapter One in Bessette and Pitney's, American Government and Politics: Deliberation, Democracy, and Citizenship. Yesterday, as I pulled the speech up onto the projection screen, I asked students in class what they thought of it. Not a single student raised their hand. And this has been a pretty lively discussion group so far, so they honestly weren't familiar with it. That's why I spend extra time on it. I feel it's important and also that students are shortchanged by not knowing so powerful a statement on human freedom. It's such a vital affirmation of our liberty and the promise of equality. I love Abraham Lincoln. I'll be discussing the speech all day today:

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

'Asshole of the Day'

What do you know? A lot of these pricks stalking around the tubes these days, it turns out. I dealt some assholes yesterday myself, bunch of ASFLs. Goes with the territory, I guess. Progressive losers just hate --- and I mean, really, really hate --- my moral clarity. That, and try as they might they just can't beat me into submission. And believe me, these idiots are big blowhards slamming face first faster than you can say narcissistic personality disorder. Of course, now they're insinuating death threats, natch. The left's satanic's verses. I deal with it, frankly, since you gotta stand up these commie pricks, and I'm just the guy to do it. The keep beating their brains trying to take me down. I'm still standing. Dickwads.

Anyway, see Amy Alkon's post. She's a beauty.

David Letterman Responds to Death Threats

At NYT, "Letterman Responds to Death Threats in Monologue."

W. James Casper: 'I Was in the Pool!!'

Here's a follow-up to "W. James Casper H8® — Was That Wrong?"

And you know, it's just sad. W. James Casper claims to have children too. Poor kids. Probably would be better off as wards of the state. The bad dad sponsors so much hatred and threats at his website it's almost criminal that he's got any custodial responsibilities. (That is, if he's not lying about actually having a family, and considering the epic loser status we're dealing with here, well, who the hell knows?!!) W. James Casper's moral compass is more shriveled that George Costanza's scrotal sac: "I was in the pool!! I was in the pool!!" And note how W. James Casper's got even less hair than George, and twice the weight, as far as I can tell, so hey, it's a pretty good fit, ASFL:

RELATED: "W. James Casper is a Coward, a Fraud, and a Liar."

Ezra Levant on the Situation in Libya

At Blazing Cat Fur, "Moammar Gadhafi - Still Not Dead":

'ScamProf' Law Professor Paul Campos Interviewed at Wall Street Journal

Ann Althouse pretty much nailed it the other day, in an update to her post on epic law prof loser and Lawyers, Gun and Money blogger Paul Campos:

I'd say Paul Campos is doing just fine. He should keep up the graphomania, hook Oxford University Press again, and grasp the fame and money that comes from writing a pithy polemic that hits right in the zone as people question the value of a legal education.

Yep, see WSJ, "A Q&A With the Creator of ‘Inside the Law School Scam’."

I have a neat little related story on this, but that'll have to wait for another post.

Nate Silver Has a Neat Graphic on the Republican Presidential Field

Silver's badly overrated as a political analyst, but this one's worth a look. See: "There’s Room for More G.O.P. Candidates." (At Memeorandum.)

And Reliapundit's on the same wavelength: "NATE SILVER: PRETTY CHARTS, BUT FAULTY REASONING."

Gaddafi Loyalists Hold On in Libya

At New York Times, "Loyalist Holdouts Fight Rebels in Tripoli."

TRIPOLI, Libya — Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi remained at large Monday, and loyalist forces still held pockets of the city, stubbornly resisting the rebels’ efforts to establish full control, but there was little doubt that the Libyan leader’s four-decade grip on power was ending.

Also at WaPo, "Battle for Tripoli not yet over as Gaddafi loyalists strike back." And Memeorandum.

VIDEO: Bill Whittle's Talk in Newport Beach

Okay, one one more entry to hold readers until tonight.

At the Correspondence Committee:

These videos are absolutely worth the time.

I ask Bill a question at about 15:30 minutes at the third video, Q & A:

PREVIOUSLY: "Bill Whittle in Newport Beach!"

'Till the World Ends'

Britney will hold you over until I'm back online later this afternoon:

Mountain Rebels May Have Turned Tide in Tripoli

I checked the headlines as I woke up to see if Gaddafi was gone, but not quite yet.

And at LAT, "Libya's gritty mountain rebels may have turned tide in Tripoli":

With attention focused on important cities and bigger battles to the east, Moammar Kadafi may have underestimated the tenacity of the uprising in the western mountains.

Plus, "Libyan rebels tighten grip on Tripoli as Kadafi stays in hiding."

And at Foreign Policy, "Obama: Rebel government in Libya must step up now," and WaPo, "World leaders call on Gaddafi to surrender."

Pianist Yuja Wang's Sexy Dress Rocks the Hollywood Bowl

Except she wasn't there to rock the house.

At LAT, "Classical gasp: Yuja Wang's dress at the Bowl causes a crescendo":

Pianist Yuja Wang struck a chord at the Hollywood Bowl this month and not just with her performance of Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto. The 24-year-old Chinese soloist had necks craning, tongues wagging and flashbulbs popping when she walked on wearing an orange, thigh-grazing, body-hugging dress atop sparkly gold strappy stiletto sandals.

In particular, Wang's outfit was a hot topic at the concert and continued after Times music critic Mark Swed's review appeared in print and online. While Swed praised her delicacy, speed and grace at the piano, his fashion comments — including the observation: "Her dress Tuesday was so short and tight that had there been any less of it, the Bowl might have been forced to restrict admission to any music lover under 18 not accompanied by an adult" — have touched off a spirited debate among music critics and bloggers about what constitutes appropriate concert attire and conversely, whether a critique of a performer's clothes has any place in a music review.

It should be noted that while the Los Angeles Philharmonic has a very specific dress code for members of its orchestra (several ones, actually, depending on the time of day and season), it does not apply to soloists. They, according to an L.A. Phil representative, are informed what the orchestra will be wearing and can choose whatever they feel is most appropriate. "For women that's traditionally an evening gown," the rep said, "but that's not always the case."

God, that staid. Bunch of poofters.

More pics at the link. (And Cameron Carpenter's cool.)

Ten Years After September 11, 2001

The anniversary's coming up pretty quick.

Zilla's got some reflections: "No Quarter."

It's Over. The U.S. is Toast. I Give Up!

From the House of Sunny Socialist Lobotomies.

I rest my case even before you listen. We're screwed.

Libya Celebrates

At London's Daily Mail, "Tyrant's sons 'held by rebels': Celebrations in capital amid claims Gaddafi has run away 'like a coward'."

Updates later...

'I Think You Would Have to Be Racist to Even Think He Was Talking About Barack Obama'

If you've seen the Ed Schultz segment, just scroll forward to 1:20 minutes.

Via Hot Air.

'The Tea Party Can Go Straight to Hell'

Rep. Maxine Waters announces her post-civility tour:

Conditional Pregnancy

I have a lot of pro-choice women in my classes, so this story just seems so foreboding. DNA tests can now determine the sex of the child at 7 weeks, so it's quite easy for a pregnant mom to decide to abort. Audrey Chapman, a health bioethicist cited at the piece, says this:

“I think over the long run this has the potential of changing attitudes toward pregnancy and to family” ... “Women may be less invested in their pregnancies earlier than they are later, and the question has been raised whether women will look at their pregnancies increasingly as being conditional: ‘I will keep this pregnancy only if.’ ”

Read it all at New York Times, "If You Really, Really Wanted a Girl ..."

Iron Dome Missile Defense System Intercepting Grad Rockets

At Double Tapper, "Video: Iron Dome saving lives."

And some perspective at A Soldier's Mother.

BONUS: At Jerusalem Post, "More rockets fired at South despite reports of ceasefire."

'Operation Mermaid Dawn'

At Telegraph UK, "Libya: how 'Operation Mermaid Dawn', the move to take Tripoli, unfolded."

At at Wall Street Journal, "Libyan Rebels Reach Tripoli":

Libyan rebels poured into Tripoli on Sunday after seizing a nearby military base, as fears of a bloody fight gave way to scenes of jubilant rebels surging toward the city's center and meeting little resistance from Col. Moammar Gadhafi's defenses.

Meanwhile, Sidiq al-Kibir, the rebel leadership council's representative for the capital, said Col. Gadhafi's son and onetime heir apparent, Seif al-Islam, has been arrested, according to multiple wire reports.

As rebels pushed into the capital's western edge, they were greeted by exultant residents waving rebel flags, as Col. Gadhafi's grip on the capital appeared to be slipping.

In an audio recording aired on state television late Sunday night, Col. Gadhafi, who has ruled the oil-rich country for 42 years, claimed he was still in Tripoli and urged Libyans to defend their homeland against the rebels. "I am with you here, I am in Tripoli," he said. It wasn't immediately clear whether the tape was live or prerecorded.

On Sunday, rebel officials said a number of security personnel had defected, including commanders from the external security service, which gave rebels access to antiaircraft missiles.

The officials said rebels were negotiating with the bodyguards of another top general in Tripoli for him to be handed over to the rebels.

And now a long thread at Memeorandum.