Smackdown in Minneapolis

Yesterday evening our friend Hugh Hewitt debated New Republic editor Peter Beinart before an audience of Hugh’s fans at the downtown Hilton Hotel in Minneapolis. Doug of Bogus Gold live blogged the event here; Captain Ed comments here; Radioblogger comments here (with photos).
We all admired Peter Beinart’s willingness to take on Hugh before an audience of Hugh’s fans, but beyond that Beinart turned out to be a delightful guy. In closing Peter made a plea to check out the New Republic as the home of the other side’s most challenging commentary. Coincidentally, the email this morning includes a message from Joseph Braude directing us to his fascinating New Republic Online column on al Qaeda’s reply to the president’s State of the Union address: “On message.”