Personal Asides: Lovie’s Leather Still Wins—but a Qualification…The “Tribune’s” Hard-Hitting Editorial on Partial Birth Abortion…Friday Night Speech in Lake County, Indiana

Lovie’s Leather

Lovie’s Leather still wins and holds on the coveted Presidential Trivia cup but with a clarification. He said rightly that Bill Clinton was the last Democratic presidential candidate to carry Colorado…but he said this was done in 1996—while it was actually done in 1992. But that’s a minor point. Again—congratulations, Lovie.

“Tribune” Straddle.

The “Tribune” is the most cowardly newspaper editorially among the giant urban journals. Take a look at the one last week that chronicled the Supreme Court’s support of a congressional law that banned partial birth abortion. Rather than take sides, it does the usual thing when it fears to endorse a position: it reiterates the history of the issue so as to stall the editorial and allow it to come to the usual “Tribune” conclusion i.e. “who knows?”…or “time will tell”…or “it’s anyone’s guess.” Or “we’ll discover the answer in due time.” These editorials tell you a great deal about the lack of intellectual hardihood, the anemia of the newspaper. Written largely for upper crust people in Hinsdale who are pro-choice—including its business office—it nevertheless must tiptoe through the tulips so as not to overly offend the right. So the zig-zag goes like this:

1. Zig: The battle has been long and bitter. 2. Zig: The decision “validated efforts to eliminate an abortion method that is exceptionally gruesome and disturbing.” 3. Zag: But on the other hand the Court deferred to public sentiment where the Constitution provides scant guidance (the writer fearing to state that “Roe v. Wade” usurped the legislatures. 4. (Zag): Description of the procedure named “intact dilation and evacuation” which, it acknowledges, led some pro-aborts in Congress, seeing it close to infanticide, to vote for the ban. 5. Zig: Yet, many physicians “think that in some instances it is the safest technique” (not answering the question “safe for whom?”). 6. Zig: It’s true that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists argue that depriving physicians of this option could create “real dangers.” 7. Zig: Congress could have improved the legislation to say it should be used only to prevent serious harm to the mother—but it didn’t. 8. Zag: But Anthony Kennedy’s majority decision says there is disagreement whether the ban would impose significant health risks. 9: Zag: Where there is uncertainty, the court said, Congress can regulate according to its best judgment.

10. Zig: Don’t worry, this is not the final word.

After he wrote that piece of flimsy cowardice, the editorialist probably said, “whew!” and went downstairs for a drink.

See what we mean, Mr. Zell? Can you just get rid of these eunuchs and get somebody with firm beliefs to write the editorials? Time was when editorials were designed to convey the views of the newspaper. This newspaper can’t even muster the guts to hire a cartoonist—because to put down an idea with ink on paper demands some kind of firmness…anathema to the namby-pambies in the Tower. Stuff like this underscores why “Tribune” editorials—including candidate endorsements—mean little or nothing.

April 27: Lake County, Indiana.

I will be keynoting the Lake County (Indiana) Right-to-Life banquet Friday night in Merrillville at the Croation Center, 8550 Taft street, Merrillville.…and I’d love to see you. Let me give you the number to call so they can set a plate aside for you and your friends. Call Marsha at (219) 024-8370. The Lake County Right-to-Life officd number is (219) 838-1138.