Able Archer

Daily Show on Petraeus

The Daily Show really laid bare the absurdities of General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker's testimony before Congress.

Two videos:

Recently I've thought the Daily Show was getting a little lazy: relying too much on Jon Stewart's kvetching routine (which really isn't funny), repeating jokes, etc. But both of these segments, particularly the second with Asif Mandvi, are brutal satire. Anyone who thinks Saturday Night Live is really "with it" for milking the media-loves-Barack trope (which doesn't even ring true; see Wright, Jeremiah) should take notes.

I'll be back to writing my own opinions tomorrow. You'll just have to watch TV tonight.

—Douglas Carlucci

Buckley debates Chomsky on 'Firing Line'

William F. Buckley, Jr., conservative writer and founder of the National Review, died yesterday while working at home in Connecticut. He was 82.

Buckley was a fine writer, and, although I don't share many of his principles, to me he represents qualities rarely found among today's political journalists: erudition, logic, and fierceness.

Here he is debating a pretty great foil, Professor Noam Chomsky, in 1969:

The second part of the debate can be seen here.

—Douglas Carlucci