OUR JUDGE CRATER:

The Kerry biography: He's risen without trace (Mark Steyn, 2/02/04, Jewish World Review)

Well, Dean's done: Like his fellow Vermonters Ben and Jerry, he couldn't manage the transition from a niche boutique specialty to a mass brand. He's been whipped by John Kerry. But just because the Massachusetts senator is a mediocre establishment weathervane pol whose rhetorical style is a model of sonorous monotony doesn't mean his statements aren't just as goofy as Dean's. When I caught him on the stump in New Hampshire, he was still using his line about how, instead of building a "legitimate coalition," Bush "built a fraudulent coalition."

"Fraudulent"? Kerry makes much of his rapport with veterans, but I'd love to see him tell the brave British, Australian and Polish troops who helped liberate the Iraqi people that their participation was "fraudulent," just as I'd love to see Maureen Dowd, who dismisses the coalition as "a gaggle of poodles and lackeys," tell Britain's Desert Rats or the big beefy Fijians escorting Iraqi currency exchange convoys that they're "poodles." Indeed, I'd gladly fly Kerry and Dowd first-class to Iraq and put them up in the best hotel in Basra (separate rooms, I hasten to add) just for the privilege. The reaction of these allies might even startle Kerry's features from their present allegedly Botoxicated immobility.

But just to make it simple: The G-7 comprises the world's major industrial democracies. Aside from America, there are six other countries. Three — the United Kingdom, Italy and Japan — have troops in Iraq. Three — France, Germany and Canada — do not. So a majority of G-7 nations are members of this "fraudulent coalition." Eleven of the 19 NATO members have contributed troops to the "fraudulent coalition." Thirteen of the 25 members of the newly enlarged European Union have forces serving in the "fraudulent coalition."

So, when John Kerry pledges to rebuild America's international relationships, what he means is that he disagrees with the majority of G-7 governments, NATO governments, European governments and key regional players in Asia and the Pacific, as well as the people of Iraq.

On the other hand, Kerry's position has the support of a majority of the Arab League.

An exquisite twist of the knife.

Posted by Orrin Judd at February 2, 2004 10:27 AM