John Podhoretz tweeted out that Nelson Mandela could have chosen to be –had the power to become– an even greater monster than Mugabe.  Instead, Mandela chose to become a saint.  A great leader, a great Christian, a great example.  The world cannot honor him enough as it should hope that all people offered the complete power he was would act as he did.

It just worked out this year that I would be on radio vacation this coming week and next. Ordinarily I take the last two weeks of the year, but The Happiest Life publishes on 12/31, so I will be in NYC and DC promoting it and broadcasting.  So the break is now.

Three books have come along with me to read (and to walk/run to, because of Chris Cillizza, the first three of The Wheel of Time audio books.)

The two books:

Doris Kearns Goodwin’s The Bully Pulpit, and Jeff Shaara’s Gone for Soldiers,  I will be tweeting bits from Goodwin’s remarkable work –I know it is remarkable because I just blew through the first 50 pages on the plane and they are wonderful.  (Did you know it was Nellie Taft who brought the Cherry Blossom trees to D.C., for which everyone who has every lived there ought to be grateful?)

I return to the air on 12/23, and until then you will be in the very competent hands of AEI’s Arthur Brooks and Congressman John Campbell.  Duane of course remains vigilant against excessive USCing by the latter, but the looming budget “deal” should make them both the perfect guest hosts.  My thanks to them in advance.

Here’s a fellow who needs a copy of The Happiest Life.  Send him one.  He could really use it.  Really.  The Happiest Life will arrive on your doorstep 12/31 if you preorder it. 

So Reince Priebus mentions on my show Wednesday that the RNC is gearing up to focus some attention on Hillary’s less-than-stellar years at State, and HuffPo front pages the story and 3000+ angry commentators chime in.

Just a bit defensive, no?

Hey, read the NYT’s Mark Leibovich’s ringing defense of Hill’s State years…or Politico’s Maggie Haberman’s. (Pete Dominick flunked the “Hillary for $100″ Double Jeopardy as well.)

Hard to extoll a record that doesn’t exist.  Amassing frequent flyer miles doesn’t count unless you are George Clooney in Up In The Air.

Hillary flopped at State.  Did zip in the Senate.  And is the grandmother of Obamacare.  And three folks told me during my two day D.C. stay this week that the new DH book is devastating.  No wonder many Ds want Elizabeth Warren to run.

(The complete Preisbus transcript is here.)

Others commenting: Talking Points Memo, Politico, RealClearPolitics,