Washington Post Hires ‘Party Of Death’ Author To Lead ‘Discussion Group’ On Morality

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/08/06/post-ponnuru/

Washington Post Hires ‘Party Of Death’ Author To Lead ‘Discussion Group’ On Morality


In 2006, National Review columnist Ramesh Ponnuru appeared on Fox News and claimed that the “journalistic elite was a functional ally of the party of death.”

This week, Ponnuru officially joins the “party of death” himself, signing on with the “journalistic elites” at the Washington Post.

At the Post, he will lead a new Discussion Group on “the future of conservatism” entitled Right Matters. One of the issues Ponnuru will focus on is “the state’s role in enforcing morality.” Ponnuru’s focus on “morality” in his new job is not surprising, as he has developed a name for himself by espousing radical, incendiary views on social issues, particularly abortion.

Here are the types of arguments that the Washington Post now chooses to endorse on its website:

- “A coalition of special interests ranging from Planned Parenthood to Hollywood” now owns the Democratic party and “liberals use animal rights to displace human rights.”

- Having an abortion is worse than killing a kitten.

- “uman beings in the embryonic, fetal, and infant stages of development” can “perform mental functions.”

With the addition of Ponnuru, the Washington Post is bolstering its deep bench of conservative pundits. In addition to its often hawkish editorial board, right-wing columnists Charles Krauthammer, George Will, and Robert Novak fill the op-ed pages of the Post.

UPDATE: Michael Gerson, President Bush’s former chief speechwriter and the so-called “conscience of the White House,” is also a columnist for the Post.