CENTRAL VIEW for Monday, March 7, 2005

Some news, and some not so new news

As if we who live in “fly-over land” didn’t know this already, but here’s more evidence it isn’t just Colorado University professor, Ward Churchill, who doesn’t want America to succeed in the War on Terror. Quoted from the Newsmax.com website are the words of a former Clinton Administration official:

“A senior Clinton administration national security official offered a stunning admission this week, confessing during a national television interview that Democrats are secretly rooting for the Bush administration’s war on terrorism to fail.

“In comments largely overlooked by the mainstream press, former Clinton National Security Council member Nancy Soderberg discussed the recent outbreak of democracy in the Middle East with "Daily Show,” host Jon Stewart.

“As a Democrat, you don’t want anything nice to happen to the Republicans, and you don’t want them to have progress,’ Soderberg observed, before quickly adding, ‘But as an American, you hope good things would happen.’

“But Soderberg quickly undermined her own caveat, noting: ‘It’s scary for Democrats, I have to say’ - before further suggesting that the more success America has in defeating global terrorism, the worse it is for her party.

“After noting that the U.S.’s stunning foreign policy success followed the toppling of one of the three members of the axis of evil, Soderberg offered:

"Well, there’s still Iran and North Korea, don’t forget. There’s still hope for the rest of us ... There’s always hope that this might not work.’”

While Ms. Soderberg’s comments are not really news to those who have been following the American Left since the 1960s, last week did produce considerable news.

President Bush told Syria to get its troops and intelligence agencies out of Lebanon. Period. No negotiations. Get out, now. The presidents of France, Russia and even a spokesman for Saudi Arabia joined President Bush in his ultimatum to Syria President Bashar al-Assad.

Millionaire Steve Fossett completed the first solo, round-the-world, non-stop, un-refueled circumnavigation of Planet Earth. In 2005, it took Fossett only 66 hours to fly around the world. In 1927, it took Charles Lindbergh 33.5 hours to fly from New York to Paris. Using a light and relatively inexpensive jet engine by Williams International, Fossett demonstrated how the future of General Aviation will be determined by a new breed of aircraft called: the Very Light Jet or VLJ.

Martha Stewart served her prison time and is back home. As she resumes her TV career, don’t look for the color orange or broad stripes to be the “in” thing for awhile.

The Michael Jackson three-ring circus continues in California, but does anyone really care? Former “Beretta” TV actor, Robert Blake’s murder trial went to the jury. Another yawner.

Dan Rather’s retirement will be forever marred by his blatant attempts to discredit both George Herbert Walker Bush and George W. Bush. Must be a Texas vendetta thing.

More importantly, the BTK serial killer tripped himself up and was caught due to astute police work in Kansas. Experts estimate approximately 75 serial killers are at work across the land. Seventy-five reasons to support our 2d Amendment right to “keep and bear arms.”

Recently, the U.S. Department of Justice published a definitive study of the 2d Amendment proving conclusively that the 2d Amendment means what it says: private citizens have a Constitutional right to possess firearms. Moreover, yours truly just read a brilliant piece by Fordham University Law professor, Nicholas J. Johnson, in the Rutgers Law Journal that shows how the 2d Amendment right to “keep and bear arms” is further buttressed by the 9th Amendment – the one that says: “The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.”

For those who slept through Government 101, the main body of our Constitution details what our government can do to us. The Bill of Rights (the first ten amendments) spells out what our government cannot do to us.

We certainly live in interesting times.

William Hamilton, a syndicated columnist, a featured commentator for USA Today and self-described “recovering lawyer and philosopher,” is the co-author of The Grand Conspiracy and The Panama Conspiracy – two thrillers about terrorism directed against the United States.

©2005. William Hamilton.

Dr. Hamilton can be contacted at:

Email: william@central-view.com