Odd Polling Data

This is interesting. The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press has come up with the following numbers:

Americans who consider the U.S. a Christian nation: 71% Americans who considered the U.S. a Christian nation in 1996: 60%

Americans who say both creationism and evolution should be taught in public schools: 57% Americans who say only creationism should be taught in public schools: 33%

Americans who have a favorable impression of the conservative Christian movement: 41% Americans who have a favorable impression of Muslims: 45%

Although we're heartened by the numbers in the first two categories we have to wonder how it could be that Muslims have a better image in what 71% of Americans say is a "Christian nation" than conservative Christians do. The incongruity of this datum makes us reluctant to be too encouraged by the rest of Pew's results.

We've Won?

Karl Zinsmeister, editor-in-chief of The American Enterprise, concludes that the war in Iraq is essentially over and we've won.

Wretchard at Belmont Club explains why Zinsmeister, although perhaps not very prudent in making what many might see as an irresponsibly hasty claim at this juncture, is nevertheless correct.

It's good reading for those who follow developments in that theater closely.

Democrat Dudgeon

In the wake of the firestorm over Dick Durbin's dunderheaded remarks comparing Club Gitmo to Auschwitz, Stalin's gulag, and Pol Pot's Killing Fields, the desperate Dems have tried to deflect the flak from Durbin by attacking Karl Rove's perfectly correct claim that in the wake of 9/11 conservatives prepared for war and liberals pleaded that we treat the attack as a police matter. His exact words were:

"Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 in the attacks and prepared for war; liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers."

Liberals are now in profound dudgeon at Rove's impertinent truth-telling. They're demanding apologies. They're deeply offended that Mr. Rove has called their patriotism into question (Imagine!). Well, Ken Mehlman, Chairman of the RNC, has now released a statement that thoroughly documents Rove's assertion. Hugh Hewitt has the Mehlman documentation here.

Presumably, the libs will now be beside themselves with outrage that Republicans would resort to the tawdriest tactic in the playbook of dirty politics -- the use of FACTS. This is exactly what people mean when they say that Republicans are divisive, mean-spirited, and don't play fair.