This piece, by Andrew Ferguson in Commentary, is almost too easy, but it sure is fun.  Did the little furry mammals tuck into the dinosaur eggs with so much gusto?

The tiny corner of the New York Times empire where David Barstow works is called the investigative unit. The name has an impressive urgency to it, like the title of a TV spin-off—CSI: Times Investigative Unit. You can imagine guys in Weejuns and khakis getting a hot tip and springing into action, yanking their tweed coats off the backs of chairs and shouting something irreverent and ironical over their shoulders as they bolt for the newsroom door.

Perhaps a new “torture memo” has been leaked; maybe a politician has committed an act of creative accounting on Supplement B (3) subpart vii of his financial-disclosure form. Or maybe a large number of Americans way out there in the land beyond the Bronx have been caught holding political opinions that are dangerously bizarre. TIU is on the case.

These strange-thinking Americans, loosely roped together as the Tea Party movement, sent David Barstow on his most recent investigation. His assignment lasted for five uninterrupted months and bore literary fruit, with a 4,500-word front-page story on February 16. “Tea Party Lights Fuse for Rebellion on Right,” the headline read—aptly enough, for a premonitory suggestion of bombs going off just over the horizon rumbled through Barstow’s story. To the astute Times reader lingering with the paper over breakfast, the hints were unmistakable.

There was the dateline, for one thing: Sandpoint, Idaho. The reader might rub his chin?.?.?.?-Sandpoint? Vaguely familiar…rings a bell…let’s see…Wait! God Almighty! Yes, that Sandpoint, notorious 15 years ago as the home of gun-slinging Randy Weaver and his Ruby Ridge survivalist compound, the headquarters of the Aryan Nation group of gun owners, a hothouse of gun-owning militias and paramilitary groups with their guns?.?.?.

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Here’s Florida Congressman Alan Grayson, probably the most obnoxious member of that august body (if you don’t count Barney Frank), barging into a meeting of the Orange County Republicans executive committee yesterday and — this being “Die Quickly” Grayson — hilarity immediately ensued:

But wait!  There’s more!

This is the man whose official biography on his House website includes a heartbreaking, and heartwarming, Dickensian tale of his young life in the Bronx.  Try to control your tears as you read this triumph of the human spirit: (more…)

That would be Lt. Col. Allen West, running for Congress in Florida’s 22nd district.  Because America needs more clear-eyed, unflinching truth-tellers like him:

You may recall the Atlanta-born Col. West from his service in Iraq, during which he was became embroiled in controversy for his actions in the field and was made subject to an Article 32 hearing, from which he emerged with both his dignity and service record intact and, in the eyes of many, his stature increased.

From his website, here are some of Col. West’s awards, citations and decorations:

In his Army career, Col. West has been honored many times, including a Bronze Star, three Meritorious Service Medals, three Army Commendation Medals (one with Valor), and a Valorous Unit Award. He received his valor award as a Captain in Desert Shield/Storm, was the US Army ROTC Instructor of the Year in 1993, and was a Distinguished Honor Graduate III Corps Assault School. He proudly wears the Army Master parachutist badge, Air Assault badge, Navy/Marine Corps parachutist insignia, Italian parachutist wings, and German proficiency badge (Bronze award).

Wouldn’t he be more interesting to hear from once in a while than another Florida congressman — and MSM darling — the snarky Alan Grayson (FL-8)? You remember him: (more…)