. . .or real ones anyway.
Senator Chuck Hagel is a real Republican. So is former National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft. I know darn well how hard core a Republican Nixon Center President Dimitri Simes is. Former Senator Alan Simpson might be a true artist at making Democrats feel at home around him, but he’s a hard core Republican — or was until recently perhaps.
George Will’s Republicanism has already been designated “high crimes insubordination” by some in the White House.
But now, the hardest of the hard William F. Buckley — founding editor of National Review — is on his way off of the President’s Christmas Card list.
In a sober piece, titled “Yes or No to Bush?“, the conservative scion Buckley salutes and says “see you later, George.”
Here is the kicker:
A geographical division of Iraq is inevitable. The major players are obvious. It isn’t plain how America, as an outside party, could play an effective role, let alone one that was decisive, in that national redefinition. And America would do well to encourage non-American agents to act as brokers — people with names like Ban Ki-moon.
On the basis of this analysis I will vote against supplementary American involvement in Iraq.
Ban Ki-moon is speaking today at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Despite Buckley’s sound thinking on Iraq opposing escalation, it is also fascinating to see National Review mention the United Nations in a slightly positive tone.
More soon.
— Steve Clemons
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