Jude Wanniski

Memo To: Gary Hart From: Jude Wanniski Re: The Leadership Vacuum. As you know, Gary, I did publicly announce my vote for Sen. John Kerry in last year’s presidential election, even though I had earlier in the year characterized him as a "cardboard candidate." Now and then, when he wasn’t programmed by his campaign consultants … Continue reading “Iraq and the Cardboard Democrats”

Memo to: Andrew Card, White House chief of staff Re: Briefing your boss Just for the record, Andrew, as much as I have disagreed with the administration’s foreign policy these past four years, I have never accused the president of telling lies to the American people. I could fill a book with the untruths he … Continue reading “Bush: Still Hazy After All These Years”

If you continue to wonder why the "insurgents" in Iraq continue to blow themselves up to prevent the interim government from gaining credibility among the populace, please note the report that the new "interim government" has confessed that Saddam Hussein started the eight-year war with Iran in 1980. All these years, the people of Iraq … Continue reading “Iraq Started the Iran/Iraq War?”

Memo to: Republican senators Buried down in Saturday’s New York Times report on President Bush reaffirming his unqualified support for John Bolton as UN ambassador is the reason why almost all of you are ready to vote for his confirmation. "Republicans are hoping to shame Democrats into a quick vote on Mr. Bolton. They argue … Continue reading “The Bush-Bolton Plan to Bomb Bushehr”

Memo to: Richard Lugar, chairman, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Re: An Anti-Diplomat at the UN? Dear Senator, you’ve known me for more than 30 years, from your days as Mayor of Indianapolis and my days as associate editor of The Wall Street Journal. When I tell you John Bolton is a true force of darkness, … Continue reading “John Bolton, Force of Darkness”

Memo to: Nicholas Kristof, New York Times Re: Just for the Fun of It Your column today on North Korea and the six nuclear weapons you say it has produced since George W. Bush has been president is probably wrong in assuming it really does have nukes, even though it now says so, but it … Continue reading “Another War With North Korea?”

When Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon visited President George Bush at the White House on 11-12 April, the news coming out of the meetings should have been dominated by the president’s displeasure with Sharon permitting the expansion of settlements in the West Bank. Instead, the New York Times headline on 13 April was Sharon Asks … Continue reading “Israel Guns for Iran”

Memo to: Paul Volcker As if you don’t have enough trouble in preparing your final report to UN General Secretary Kofi Annan on the so-called “Oil-for-Food Scandal,” now the U.S. Justice Department has jumped the gun and indicted Houston oilman David Bay Chalmers Jr. and his Bayoil USA company. For what? For paying “illegal kickbacks” … Continue reading “The Real Oil-for-Food Scandal”

Memo to: Chairman Richard Lugar, Senate Foreign Relations cc: Senator Joseph Biden, ranking Democrat Re: The Plan to Scrap the Nonproliferation Treaty You have obviously told the White House that you will hold your nose and try to get John Bolton through the committee this week and confirmed by the Senate ASAP. It’s no secret … Continue reading “The Real Threat From John Bolton”

In the last three decades, there has been little doubt in my mind that democratic institutions would soon replace or subsume the world’s last remaining monarchies, including those in the Middle East. Monarchs could rule effectively when the world moved at a snail’s pace, but with the accelerated pace of change in the global political … Continue reading “Gunboat Democracy”