by Patrick J. Buchanan – September 29, 1998

Because the victory came after reporters left for the weekend, Friday’s historic vote never received the coverage it deserved. But that evening, an America First trade coalition was born, revealing its power by crushing the speaker’s own bill to renew “fast track” — Congress’ surrender of all rights to amend trade treaties.

By 243-180, the House thundered “no.”

The establishment dismisses the defeat as due to Democrats answering union calls. But review the roster of House Republicans who refused to give up their right to amend Bill Clinton’s treaties.

by Patrick J. Buchanan – September 27, 1998

In his marvelous novel “The Bonfire of the Vanities,” Tom Wolfe called them “Masters of the Universe” — the bond traders who worked high above Wall Street, earning princely fortunes buying and selling billions in bonds on the movement of a quarter penny in price.

Well, now, our global gamblers are suffering a streak of rotten luck. And to their rescue is riding Alan Greenspan and the Fed, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Coming soon: the mother of all bailouts.

by Patrick J. Buchanan – September 22, 1998

Just as Watergate was always about much more than who covered up a minor break-in, so the scandal that roils this city now is about far more than whether Bill Clinton exploited a 21-year-old intern and lied about it under oath.

Monicagate is a battlefield in the war for the soul of America, a war that is religious and cultural in character, as well as political.

by Patrick J. Buchanan – September 18, 1998

Both men would today be damned as racists.

The first believed in the superiority of the white race and in apartheid, and felt a “glorious consummation” of slavery would be to send all slaves back to Africa. His name was Abraham Lincoln.

In his first inaugural address, Lincoln offered to support a constitutional amendment making slavery a permanently protected institution in the 15 states where it existed and said he would not oppose a law whereby his administration would help recapture runaway slaves.

by Patrick J. Buchanan – September 15, 1998

On July 25, 1898, U.S. Gen. Nelson Miles and his troops waded ashore at Guanica to capture Puerto Rico. Since the time of Queen Isabella and Columbus, the island had belonged to Spain.

On the 100th anniversary of Miles’ invasion, thousands came to Guanica — some to celebrate 100 years of association, others to decry a century of Yankee imperialism. In New York, 1,000 Puerto Ricans marched to the United Nations to denounce U.S. colonialism.

by Patrick J. Buchanan – Sepetmber 14, 1998

“If it were done when ‘t is done, then ‘t were well/It were done quickly.” So said Macbeth — about the assassination of the king.

Sound advice now. For the impeachment of a president is the republic’s bloodless way of dethroning and beheading a monarch.

But this episode needs cloture now. The swaggering, cocky Bill Clinton of weeks ago, with his rakish “I’m-going-to-get-away-with-this” attitude, was an exasperating figure, but that Clinton could better command a country than the pathetic puppy of today, burbling endless, whiny apologies in which he does not believe.

by Patrick J. Buchanan – September 4, 1998

Since the Great Depression destroyed the Republican coalition forged by the Harding-Coolidge tax cuts and immigration reforms, only twice has the GOP put together a great governing majority — Richard Nixon’s 49-state sweep in 1972 and Ronald Reagan’s 49-state sweep in 1984.

In the last two presidential elections, the GOP share of the vote was the smallest sliver since Alf Landon’s heyday in 1936 — 37 percent and 41 percent. Who left the GOP? Reagan Democrats — in the millions.

by Patrick J. Buchanan – September 1, 1998

The tide is going out on the Democratic Party, and it may be a long time coming back in. Though Republicans have done little to deserve it, a blowout party victory is shaping up for November.

If gubernatorial candidate Dan Lungren can hold California, all 10 of America’s most populous states may be under GOP control in 1999. In the Senate, the only question is how many seats the party picks up. In the House, a picture that looked bleak in June has brightened astonishingly.