January 27th 2008 - Today's Columns:

George Will: What Really Matters in the Voting Booth? - I'm not sure how this title came to be associated with this article. The article is a very good one about ballot initiatives in five states that propose to amend their state constitutions to prohibit racial preferences by government in "public employment, public education or public contracting."

Mark Steyn: First, they came for Piglet - On Orwellian Newspeak

Killing thousands of people in Manhattan skyscrapers in the name of Islam does, among a certain narrow-minded type of person, give Islam a bad name, and thus could be said to be "anti-Islamic" – in the same way that the Luftwaffe raining down death and destruction on Londoners during the Blitz was an "anti-German activity."

But I don't recall even Neville Chamberlain explaining, as if to a 5-year-old, that there is nothing German about the wish to terrorize and invade, and that this is entirely at odds with the core German values of sitting around eating huge sausages in beer gardens while wearing lederhosen. ...

As Martin Niemoller famously said, first they came for Piglet, and I did not speak out because I was not a Disney character and, if I was, I'm more of an Eeyore. So then they came for the Three Little Pigs, and Babe, and by the time I realized my country had turned into a 24/7 Looney Tunes it was too late, because there was no Porky Pig to stammer "Th-th-th-that's all, folks!" and bring the nightmare to an end.

Stephen F. Hayes: Enemies to the Right of Him - On John McCain. Hayes seems to think Mac's critics are being too harsh. I disagree.

Sidebar: Check out Hayes' book "Cheney." It is a truly interesting insight into the mind and career of Dick Cheney.

Bill Kristol: Can He Close Strong in 2008? - Kristol offers some advice to the Bush administration on how to revamp its image. I don't believe this is possible. Only the passage of time and the hindsight of history will vindicate the Bush Presidency.

Byron York: Has Rudy Blown It? - York offers a pre-mortem on the demise of the Giuliani campaign. Only 2 days 'till we know if he's a genius or an idiot.