crossing the Atlantic in 2006 is a
stark reminder that the terrorist
group is constantly on the attack.
In my view, Bush’s tight press
policy was one of his greatest
mistakes. It contributed to the
media’s hostility toward him,
SAFE AND SOUND
helping to propagate myths and,
There have been
ultimately, undermine his agenda.
no more terror Yet in the end, what could be more
attacks, and no
important than protecting the U.S.
fi rst lady fl ubs.
from another attack?
Contributing to that record of success, Laura Bush
has been a magnifi cent fi rst lady. Despite the slings
and arrows she and her husband have endured, Laura
Bush’s approval rating has stood consistently at 80
spying on innocent Americans. When a plot is quashed, percent or higher. In contrast to some other fi rst ladies,
the media minimizes it. there have been no fl ubs, no gaffes, no scandals.
GES
The press has even managed to portray Saddam As the author of books on George Bush and on
AP IMA Hussein as benign. But as revealed in my book, The Laura Bush, I have been privileged to get to know nearly
CAIN/ Terrorist Watch: Inside the Desperate Race to Stop the Next all of their many dozens of close friends. I have never
Attack, Hussein admitted to FBI agent George Piro during known any fi ner, classier, or smarter people. That tells
GES / MC
seven months of secret debriefi ngs that he had planned me a lot about who the Bushes really are.
to resume his weapons-of-mass-destruction program, Just as Ronald Reagan was portrayed in the media as a
/
AP IMA
including developing nuclear weapons, within a year. fool and now is recognized for having helped to end the
When the media and politicians run out of ways to Cold War, I believe Bush one will day be seen as a great
deny Bush credit for making us safer, they will claim president and appreciated for having kept us safe.
AP IMAGES / BUSHES
that al-Qaida has chosen to space out its attacks. But
Ronald Kessler, chief Washington correspondent of Newsmax, can be contacted at
911/ al-Qaida’s attempt to blow up nine American airliners
ronk@newsmax.com. Pamela Kessler contributed to this column.
believes was responsible for the the matter. Meanwhile, as the FBI
The way you arrange
score better in conscientiousness,
anthrax mailings. closed in on its new suspect, Ivins
your offi ce or home suggests
a measure of the need for order,
Fitzgerald told investigators the committed suicide.
whether you are a conservative or
discipline, achievement, and rules.
culprit probably was a domestic
a liberal, a New York University
male, working on his own, and not
During the past six years, study fi nds. John McCain often
a terrorist. He probably worked for
the number of Muslims around Conservatives had seemed to grimace during debates
a U.S. biochemical agency. That
the world who say suicide attacks bedrooms that contained more and other public appearances
would have included the Army’s
organizational and cleaning during the election campaign.
Medical Research Institute of
are acceptable has fallen sharply.
supplies, including calendars, That’s because he is in almost
Infectious Diseases, where both
In a survey, the Pew Research
postage stamps, ironing boards,
Hatfi ll and Ivins worked.
Center found that, in Lebanon, constant pain as a result of his
The suspect’s behavior would
the number of Muslims who said and laundry baskets. injuries at the hands of the North
show marked changes before
suicide attacks can be justifi ed Liberals had more clutter, Vietnamese. His stiffness in
and after his mailings, including
often or sometimes in defense including more CDs, a greater holding a microphone is also a
working longer hours before the
of Islam fell by 42 percent since variety of CDs, a greater variety of result of those beatings. For the
mailings and departing from his
2002. Now, just 1 in 3 Muslims books, and more color. same reason, he cannot type; thus,
normal schedule on nights and
in Lebanon approves of suicide The fi ndings were consistent he does not use e-mail.
weekends. Records indicate that
attacks. with a link researchers found His campaign now says it did
Ivins — but not Hatfi ll — had
In Pakistan, support for suicide between two personality traits and not want to reveal these infi rmities
been working inordinate hours
bombings has fallen during the political ideology: In personality because they might have made
at the lab on the nights and
past six years by 28 percent, to just tests of thousands of college McCain appear less than vigorous.
weekends just before the mailings.
5 percent. In Jordan, support has students, NYU psychologist John In the same way,
The FBI’s new “Amerithrax”
dropped 18 percent since 2002. Jost found that liberals score John F. Kennedy
task force eventually admitted that
Meanwhile, support for Osama higher than conservatives on kept secret the
Hatfi ll was the wrong target and
bin Laden in Jordan dropped from openness to experiences, which fact that he was
that he had been maligned. The
60 percent in 2005 to 19 percent. includes holding wide interests in constant pain
Justice Department paid Hatfi ll In Lebanon, it dropped from 20
and being imaginative and because of a bad
$5.8 million to settle a lawsuit in percent in 2003 to 2 percent. insightful. Conservatives, however, back. — R.K.
DECEMBER 2008 / NEWSMAX 35
0034_AM_Kess Wash.indd 3534_AM_Kess Wash.indd 35 111/7/08 9:28:36 AM1/7/08 9:28:36 AM
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84