THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Fauci’s the real moron

"Hot mic catches Dr. Fauci calling GOP senator 'moron'" (Web, Jan. 11) might actually be more indicative of self-reflection on Fauci's part. The media has generally failed to take Fauci to task for his longtime support of gain-of-function experimentation intended to make pathogens more infectious in humans. Nevertheless, writing for the American Society for Microbiology in 2012, Fauci defended such research, even at the risk that an experiment "leads to an outbreak and ultimately triggers a pandemic," writing: "Scientists working in this field might say -- as indeed I have said -- that the benefits of such experiments and the resulting knowledge outweigh the risks." Regardless of the exact and circuitous dispersal of U.S. funds, Fauci allowed U.S. funds to go to the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which was known for gain-of-function testing under less-than-optimal microbial containment. Published January 13, 2022

So much for uniting the country

During President Biden's inauguration speech last January he promised to unite the country. He said, "We can join forces, stop the shouting and lower the temperature. For without unity there is no peace, only bitterness and fury." Yet on Tuesday he flew down to Georgia and gave a dishonest demagogue's speech, trying to sell to the American people his radical federal takeover of our elections. Published January 13, 2022

Left uninterested in minority voting rights

Who knew that the wisest people in the world's greatest deliberative body, along with the president who once decorated the Senate with his grace, would succumb to the puerile instinct of instant gratification instead of deliberating in depth on minority rights ("Biden goes nuclear on the filibuster and Republicans, but his ploy runs into Democratic resistance," Web, Jan. 11)? Published January 12, 2022

Voting reform, not Democrats’ bill, needed

The Democrats have provided the real reasons why the Freedom to Vote Act should not be passed. Rep. James Clyburn has said the federal government, not the states, should control voting. Rep. Jamie Raskin wants Congress to determine who can run for president (just to stop a potential campaign by former President Trump). And Sen. Chuck Schumer wants to set aside the long-standing filibuster process to pass the voting bill. Published January 12, 2022

Americans not prepared today

American government should inform and prepare its citizens for war, economic crises and unforeseen maladies. But there is nothing wrong with fear if it emboldens, prepares and motivates people to be psychologically ready for dangers, whether they be from foreign adversaries, off-the-chart inflation or even a food shortage. Published January 12, 2022

President Obama 2.0?

Cheryl K. Chumley's recent piece on Michelle Obama is fascinating -- but she does not state what this move by the former first lady really is ("Michelle Obama enters politics with vengeance, bent on revenge," Web, Jan. 11). The Obamas are launching Michelle Obama's presidential campaign. If she seizes control of an issue that is near and dear to the political left, such as the voter bill, she will be positioned to eliminate anyone trying to run against her in 2024. Harris? Mayor Pete? Various governors? All will be on the trash heap of the Democratic Party. Published January 11, 2022

‘Free stuff’ on the back of private sector

In 1776 the Founders and patriots, all from the private sector, created America's government to protect the unalienable rights of individuals. Twelve years later, private-sector individuals revised their government and gave it the power to "provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare." Published January 11, 2022

Real case against Cuomo remains

After former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's only criminal case was dropped in the first week of January, buried pages inside the newspaper, one might wonder what all the fuss was about to begin with ("Prosecutor drops sex crime charge against former N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo," Web, Jan. 4). Cuomo stepped down from the governorship on such a weak case? That's funny. It was all a he-said-she-said matter. Published January 11, 2022

We are surrendering freedoms without a fight

We should be far more horrified by the behavior of federal, state and local government leaders than by the threat of COVID-19 and its variants. Published January 10, 2022

Make China’s government pay

Last month I was at home watching the news and the crawler featured the following headline: "Biden laughs off a question on COVID-19 deaths and the origin of the disease." The president "laughed off" a question on the number of COVID-19 deaths, which are, if the figures are correct, over three times the total number of deaths from the atomic bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, combined? Published January 10, 2022

Back Taiwan as China grows bolder

As China grows stronger and bolder, Washington must end its decades-long policy of strategic ambiguity if America's integrated deterrence is to have any hope of success. Without adequate hard power, no measure of diplomacy or economic statecraft will convince China not to attack a democratic Taiwan. Merely acknowledging the China threat is no longer good enough. The United States needs to stand up to a rival such as China. Published January 10, 2022

Patriots want a U.S. based on Declaration

Retired Lt. Gen. Kellogg makes some good points in "Jan. 6, 2021: My view from the White House" (Web, Jan. 6). But he also makes some glaring errors. The least (likely a typo) was his assertion that "what happened that day was not the only instance of violence in 2020 ... " But his claim that he "learned from years in the military" is laughable. Published January 9, 2022

Pelosi, Democrats wanted a riot

Jan. 6, 2021, was the day Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic leadership turned a peaceful protest into a partial riot by seeding the crowd with federal agents who incited a riot. They also instructed the Capitol police to stand down and let people go by, as was recorded on several videos. Published January 9, 2022

Condemn left’s violence, too

The Democrats are indeed making a grave mistake by obsessively focusing on the tragic events of Jan. 6, 2021, while failing to similarly focus on other incidents of violence that many of them (e.g., Vice President Harris and Rep. Maxine Waters) explicitly encouraged ("Democrats are making a mistake focusing on Jan. 6," Web, Jan. 6). Published January 9, 2022

Stop allowing erosion of values

Our ancestors would be appalled and ashamed at the changes in the values of our present-day population. They could never have envisioned the titanic shifts that would take place away from the traditional values of our country. Published January 6, 2022

Why so badly prepared for snow?

The snow disaster on I-95 in Virginia this week ought to be a "teachable moment." Virginia, strangely, has two winter 'states.' The I-81 corridor through the Published January 6, 2022

EVs plus extreme weather equals chaos

The recent Washington-area snowstorm and the jamb of cars on I-95 should give us all pause when it comes to Joe Biden's constant promotion of electric vehicles. Published January 6, 2022

Plastic-bag tax not about environment

So the geniuses in the Virginia Assembly have made plastic bags at stores cost a nickel a piece. Why? Because, of course, plastic bags are a threat to the environment and charging five cents for each one will greatly reduce the number of plastic bags in circulation. Except that it won't. Published January 5, 2022

Use common sense to navigate COVID-19

It wasn't surprising to learn that the U.S. this week recorded over a million new cases of COVID-19 in a single day. Disastrous political policies have added to the widening virus spread and created a tsunami of confusion, divisiveness and safety hazards. Thankfully oral immunology drugs, such as Pfizer's antiviral Paxlovid, are beginning to emerge. Published January 5, 2022

Filibuster serves needed purpose

Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was tutored by his late predecessor in the office on how to grab today's snack while missing the main meal ("Manchin skeptical about blowing up filibuster to pass Biden's partisan voting overhaul," Web, Jan. 4). The late Sen. Harry Reid famously removed the filibuster on federal judicial nominees save those for the Supreme Court, feeling that stuffing ourts of Apapeals with liberal jurists just below the high court would, on balance, pay off for his side. Perhaps Reid also felt that the American people would never countenance a filibuster ban for a Supreme Court nominee, but he obviously did not recognize that his cynicism and that of the mainstream media is now baked into voter beliefs. Published January 5, 2022