You do have odd tastes.

I read Trotsky's autobiography a long time ago. The main impression I retain was that the man was an godawful prig. There is also a disparaging reference to George Gamow's grandfather: he was one of Trotsky's teachers, literature I believe. Gamow quotes it deadpan in his own autobiography.

This is fun but not indicative of anything. This is like people pointing out that Bush's grandfather or JFK's father did business with Nazis. Not relevant.

Assuming Kesler's smear would hold merit if true -- and I find it repugnant -- Corliss Lamont was not Ned Lamont's grandfather. As I set forth here.

Trying that link again: here.

Wow, descended from Trotskyites!

And you are complaining about that? Doesnt this mean that he should fit right in with all the other Trotskyite-offspring, aka the neoconservatives?

When you attempt to smear someone with guilt by association, you should at least get a few of the basic facts right. His great uncle, not his grandfather, was a Trotskyite. OK.

Shall we move on to the time W's grandfather was sanctioned for doing banking business with the Nazis (yes, the Nazis) during World War II? Hmmm, that must make W anti-Semitic, just like old grandaddy.

I wonder if Corliss knew the Horowitzs' or the Kristols?

[VW: What's the smear? Many Stalinists were fine people. I specifically sought out Lamont's books because they are historical documents worth reading. Thanks for the tip about the great-uncle status. I'll correct it.]

Interesting byway. There was a discussion of Trotsky in the Atlantic Montly a year or two ago. He was remarkably prescient from the comments there. The US may have come within 1 supply train from the east of seeing the 'Whites' prevail in the Russian revolution and Trotsky was, I understand, worth a lot for the Red side. What do you think of him given, obviously, that he couldn't have a perspective from today?

[VW comment: I would like to think that Trotsky would have reverted back to his identify as Lev Davidovitch Bronstein and would be in Israel to lead the IDF in combat. Given his love of the limelight, he would no doubt be a blogger, perhaps winning acclaim at www.trotblog.com. Trotsky would recognize Israel as the multi-cultural, diverse society that it is and hail it as a laboratory for true internationalism.]

The judge who put coded messages in his Da Vinci Code plagiarism trial ruling has written another...