Inside the Beltway

THE WHEELS TURN

Gears have definitely shifted. Rolling Thunder will not have a traditional audience at the White House to kick-start the 23rd annual “Ride for Freedom” rally. Officials from the mammoth motorcycle group tell Inside the Beltway they will not pay a call on President Obama this weekend when 900,000 riders gather in the nation’s capital in the name of patriotism, and to honor active-duty troops, prisoners of war, those missing in action and veterans.

The informal, cordial welcome was an annual rite during the previous administration, capped off in 2008 when President George W. Bush met Rolling Thunder President Artie Mueller and others in the White House driveway, escorted them to the Oval Office and was made an honorary member of the group. Last year, Mr. Obama met with Mr. Mueller before the rally, with a few hours’ notice. But alas, there’s “no White House this year,” a spokeswoman says.

Citing his “commitment to veterans,” Rep. J. Randy Forbes, Virginia Republican, will ride at the head of the long line of bikers when they begin their momentous journey from the Pentagon to the Mall - joined by, among many others, former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Richard B. Myers and singer Nancy Sinatra.

FRUM PATROL

When is a book review not a book review? Bob Tyrrell, editor-in-chief of the American Spectator, is skeptical about The Washington Post’s choice of David Frum to weigh in on “Rush Limbaugh: An Army of One,” a biography by Zev Chafets. The review ran Tuesday, and Mr. Tyrrell deems its author as “unfitting” for the task.

“Most publications have a reviewing policy of not giving books to reviewers who have a personal stake in an author. Frum and Limbaugh have a longstanding dispute with each other, a matter that should have disqualified Frum from reviewing the book,” Mr. Tyrrell says.

He has his own opinions, the one-time speechwriter for President George W. Bush, calling Mr. Frum a “reformed conservative - one who attempts to appease liberals by sniping at conservatives for self promotion.”

The Media Research Center’s Tim Graham agrees, noting: “The Washington Post knows how to thrust two middle fingers in Rush Limbaugh’s face, on the front page of the Style section, reviewed by David Frum, the Republican establishment’s leading Rush-hater. This is a little like assigning a Bill Clinton book review to Jim Clyburn, so he can call him a racist again for 1,000 words.”

AND FROM FRUM

“Well, The Washington Post commissioned the piece and I wrote it. I hope it was interesting, and I hope the critics thought it was interesting,” Mr. Frum tells Beltway.

PLUGGING A CAUSE

“Experts propose plugging oil leak with BP executives: Submerging execs could be ‘win-win.’ “

(Parody headline from comedian Andy Borowitz)

POLICE REPORT

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