Lewis Libby was convicted by a Washington, D.C., federal jury for obstruction of justice and perjury.   Ann Coulter writes that this officially establishes the status of being Republican as a crime.    I don't know if we've reached that point yet,  but it is hard to explain why the investigation and prosecution of LIbby took place other than to attribute to prosecutor Patrick Fritzgerald a political ax to grind against the Bush administration.   How else to understand continuing an investigation which was commissioned to ascertain the identity of the party responsible for outing Valereie Plame at the CIA,  when within weeks after the investigation commenced  Fritzgerald learned that that the guility party was Richard Armitage, at that time Deputy Secretary of State under Colin Powell.    What Fritzgerald continued was fishing expedition whose purpose was to ensnare as many Bush administration figures he could in "process" offenses such as perjury an obstruction of justice.  It is Lewis LIbby's misfortune that he was less adapt avoiding Fritzgerald's net than Karl Rove and others.

One can only hope President Bush has the courage to rectify this political persecution and pardon Libby.   Conservatives also need to devote some thought to how to address the very real prospect that the Federal criminal justice system can manipulated by liberals to criminalize political and ideological opposition to their agenda.  

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Ann Coulter was recently the center of controversy was alluding to Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards as a "faggot."    Establishment conservatives and like-minded conservative bloggers condemned Ms. Coulter.     A funny happened however.    The conservative base rallied to Ann's defense and took the establishment conservatives to task for their critism.   

Most commentary addresses the rage which is found among the fever swamps of the left against all things Bush, Christian and conservative.    What is being ignored is the building anger among conservatives, who are sick and tired of Republican officer holders and conservative commentators not replying in kind to the vitriol coming from the Democrats and liberals.    Turning the other cheek is a command for personal conduct which promotes civility and avoids aggravating conflict, but in the context of contemporary American politics it only invites more abuse and more conflict.   Ann Coulter is a polemist who understands this; the more establishment conservatives should learn from her.

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The Democrat party unvealed its latest defeat in Iraq plan today.     One has to go all the way back to the Federalists during the War of 1812 to find a political party seemingly so dedicated to the defeat of  American arms on the battlefield.   Of course, the Federalists vanished after the War of 1812; would that the same happen to the Democrats!  

I must admit being mystified by the Democrats.   I can't seem to come to grips with the fact that so many elected members of the United States Congress are so desperate for the United States to lose in Iraq.   If this is "Bush Derangment Syndrome,"  then the whole bunch is certifiable.     If it's simply partisan politics, it seems to me to be sedition.

Underlying the entire Democrat approach on Iraq is the belief that the outcome there is ultimately unimportant to the security of the United States.    The fact that this belief runs contrary to the opinions of virtually all serious strategists and students of the Middle East seems not to have made a dent in the collective Democrat position.    Leaving aside the disasterous consequences for the population of Iraq and the potential effects on our other allies and friends in the region,   the simple fact that quitting Iraq without victory will prove beyond doubt to the jihadists and those sitting on the fence that the people of the United States lack the will to win.   No nation was ever attacked because its enemies perceived it as too strong.     Conversely,  any nation perceived as lacking the stamina or willpower invites attack.   

Why is that so hard for the Democrats to see?