THE WASHINGTON TIMES

EDITORIAL: The gutsiest call

On Monday, the nation honored Col. William M. Bower, the last surviving pilot of the April 18, 1942, Doolittle Raid, the risky surprise attack on the Japanese home islands that bolstered American morale in the early, tragic months of World War II. Col. Bower died Jan. 10 at age 93 and was laid to rest Monday at Arlington National Cemetery. Published May 17, 2011

EDITORIAL: Iran encircles Israel

It was just a matter of time before the disruptions in the Middle East began to have an impact on Israel. Unfortunately, the border violence there over the weekend had more to do with preventing change than promoting it. Published May 16, 2011

EDITORIAL: The GOP idea man

Now that Newt Gingrich has officially thrown his hat into the ring for the Republican presidential nomination, the knives are out. Many on the right are complaining that the former House speaker spends too much time off the reservation to be seriously considered for the job. They need a history lesson. Published May 16, 2011

EDITORIAL: The GOP’s new godfather

With the 2012 elections on the horizon, many conservatives are uneasy about the lack of an obvious front-runner for the job of denying President Obama a second term. While the GOP field lacks clarity, it does provide a platform for new talent to stand out and wow the party faithful. According to a Zogby poll released Tuesday, Herman Cain is getting that attention. Though a relative unknown, Mr. Cain jumped to second place among surveyed primary voters. Published May 13, 2011

EDITORIAL: Failed Taliban offensive

When it comes to the war in Afghanistan, it's easy for the insurgents to make headlines, even when their attacks meet with total failure. On May 8, the Taliban launched a major attack on Afghan government targets in the insurgent's spiritual capital of Kandahar. Press reports called it a "vengeance attack" for the killing of Osama bin Laden a week earlier. Time magazine forebodingly compared it to the 1968 Tet Offensive in the Vietnam War. The general tone of the coverage was thick with knowing dread. Published May 13, 2011

EDITORIAL: Obama missing: National Police Week

Sunday, May 15 is the 30th annual Peace Officers Memorial Service. Law enforcement from all over the country gathered in Washington for National Police Week to honor fallen comrades-in-arms. Too bad President Obama couldn't be there. Published May 13, 2011

EDITORIAL: An appropriate burial for bin Laden?

A Zogby poll released Wednesday shows that one in five likely voters thinks Osama bin Laden is still alive. Despite this public-perception problem, the Obama administration continues to hide photos and video of bin Laden's demise, instead reiterating that his corpse and burial were "taken care of in the appropriate way." At a Pentagon briefing, a senior Defense official stated vaguely that bin Laden was handled "using the appropriate procedures and rituals." Published May 12, 2011

EDITORIAL: Obama: Freedom or Islam?

President Obama is trying to hit the reset button on his outreach efforts to the world's Muslims. He would do better to focus on aggressively promoting freedom rather than pandering to Islam. Published May 12, 2011

EDITORIAL: Obama’s 300 million new Twitter followers

The government has your cell phone number, and it's going to send you text messages whether you like it or not. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski joined Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator W. Craig Fugate in New York City on Tuesday to announce a multimillion dollar federal program that, in theory, will notify mobile phone users in times of grave emergency. Like so many Washington-centric ideas, this one was obsolete long before it got off the drawing board. Published May 11, 2011

EDITORIAL: Use the Constitution to cut spending

Liberals around town are freaked out because House Speaker John Boehner, Ohio Republican, told Wall Street leaders Monday that a hike in the debt ceiling would have to be accompanied by government spending cuts that exceed the amount of extra debt. That's not the kind of thing the left, which wants every taxpayer dime to stay in Washington, wants to hear - but big spenders may have no choice but to listen. Published May 11, 2011

EDITORIAL: Gun rights for D.C.

Too often, it seems city officials in Washington would like to forget they must operate under the Constitution. The District has gone out of its way to deny residents any meaningful ability to protect themselves at home with a firearm, prompting the Second Amendment Foundation to file a lawsuit on Tuesday to allow gun purchases in the nation's capital. Published May 11, 2011

EDITORIAL: Hostage to an Iranian bomb

Until a last-minute postponement, the United States was to go on trial today in a Tehran courtroom. Two American hikers arrested on espionage charges provided the ostensible cause for the proceedings, but Iran's real target remains the longtime nemesis it calls "the Great Satan." This prosecution of innocents underscores the widening gulf between the radical Islamic regime and the civilized world. Published May 10, 2011

EDITORIAL: Securing the border with semantics

President Obama made a run for the border yesterday to shore up his credentials on the immigration issue. Speaking from Chamizal National Memorial in El Paso, Mr. Obama defended his strategy as if it were working. "They'll never be satisfied," he said, lashing out at critics. "The truth is, the measures we've put in place are getting results." Published May 10, 2011

EDITORIAL: The Great Firewall of China

When it comes to the Internet, the People's Republic of China (PRC) would rather be safe than sorry. Beijing is taking new steps to make certain the social networking-fueled contagion of freedom that is sweeping the Arab world will not penetrate mainland China's great firewall. Published May 10, 2011

EDITORIAL: Fiscal responsibility derailed

President Obama either doesn't realize a debt crisis is looming, or he just doesn't care. Yesterday, he dispatched his transportation chief, Ray LaHood, to herald the expenditure of another $2 billion on "high-speed" rail. This reckless profligacy has the country on a one-way track to the poorhouse. Published May 9, 2011

EDITORIAL: Obama’s Islamist partners in Egypt

The Obama administration has been talking up the Muslim Brotherhood as a necessary part of Egypt's future. The brothers, however, are denouncing the U.S. takedown of Osama bin Laden, so the White House might want to find some better friends. Published May 9, 2011

EDITORIAL: NPR’s taxpayer-funded lobbyists

National Public Radio (NPR) is using taxpayer dollars to pay for high-priced lobbyists to fight Republican efforts to prohibit federal funding for the broadcaster. Despite outrage over the openly liberal network receiving tens of millions of dollars in subsidies while government deficits are at record levels, NPR brass have engaged a new lobbying firm to keep the spigots flowing. Published May 6, 2011

EDITORIAL: Gun-grabber misfire

After the Supreme Court smacked down Chicago's gun ban last year, the gun grabbers scrambled to evade their responsibilities under the Constitution. Outgoing Mayor Richard M. Daley revised the Windy City's gun laws to place so many obstacles on the path to gun ownership that few law-abiding citizens would succeed. Now we learn that Mr. Daley wants taxpayers to foot the bill for a team of armed bodyguards to protect him once he leaves office on May 17. Published May 6, 2011

EDITORIAL: Obama’s muddled message

Had U.S. special-operations forces handled the Osama bin Laden takedown the way the White House conducted public relations, they would have landed in the wrong compound and proceeded to shoot themselves in their feet. The raid took months of meticulous preparation, but the communication strategy apparently was whipped up on the fly. The post-kill message is inconsistent and confused. Published May 6, 2011

EDITORIAL: Bin Laden dies, Islamism thrives

The death of Osama bin Laden is an epochal moment in counterterrorism. In the greater struggle of the civilized world against the jihadist movement, however, it is just one of many milestones along the road. Published May 5, 2011