COMPASS NEEDLE POINTS RIGHT

American Compass, a conservative book club, hosted a panel called “Books Done Right” at the Time & Life Building earlier this week. Panelists convened to talk about the effects of conservative books on political culture as well as their effect on the 2004 presidential campaign.

Discussion ranged over the rising interest of mainstream publishing for the kind of material that American Compass offers – conservative books, faith books, military books, economics books, conservative journals, and the like.

Senator Miller, Fox News contributor John Podhoretz, Philadelphia Trust Company chairman George Marlin, nationally syndicated radio host Hugh Hewitt, pollster Dick Wirthlin, syndicated columnist L. Brent Bozell III, Center for Equal Opportunity president Linda Chavez, and others discussed subjects ranging from the rise of blogging to presidential politics.

In a humorous moment, Mr. Bozell challenged Mr. Podhoretz to say “Bush-boosting book” three times fast.

Another amusing obiter dictum, U.S. News & World Report senior writer Michael Barone said Senator Kerry “trotted out [singer] Carole King.” He said, just like he was previously with Madame Chiang Kai-shek, “I was surprised to see that she was still alive and pleased.”

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SANDAL SALES

Outside the Gilbert room at the Marriott Marquis, CampaignCollectibles.com sales manager Steve Murphy ran a popular table. Mr. Murphy, who is in town from Nashville, Tenn., is selling sandals with Senator Kerry’s likeness on them called “Mr. Flip Flop.” One sandal has the word “flip” on them, the other “flop.” The packaging advises wearers to take careful steps, since Mr. Flip Flop might change direction.

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NIXON FAKERY

Pedestrians on Broadway at 43rd Street were greeted yesterday by a figure of President Nixon standing on the sidewalk. The life-like mannequin of the jowly Watergate figure was on display to promote Madame Tussauds.

The stationary former commander-in-chief stood with his hands clasped behind his back.

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MOR-TIMER, NOT MOR-TON

Mortimer Zuckerman hosted a party at Elaine’s attended by PBS’s John McLaughlin, among others. One wonders whether Mr. McLaughlin, known for addressing Morton Kondracke on air with the emphatic, clipped “MOHR-ton,” addressed Mr. Zuckerman with “MOHR-timer.” The affable Mr. McLaughlin was also seen later in the week at a gathering downtown for Rep. Denny Hastert’s book “Speaker: Lessons from Forty Years in Coaching in Politics” (Regnery).

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CRITERION CROWD

Readers and friends of the New Criterion met at Fitzpatrick’s on East 85th Street on Tuesday evening. In attendance were magazine staffers, including managing editor Roger Kimball, James Panero, Dawn Steeves, and Stefan Beck. Among the many others were Mark Molesky, who is co-author of the book “Our Oldest Enemy: A History of America’s Disastrous Relationship with France” (Doubleday); Joseph De Feo of the Catholic League; Kevin Hanratty, who works for the New York state office of public security, and Lesley and Kevin Kane.

The magazine has much to celebrate. Friends and colleagues will toast Mr. Kimball at an uptown party on September 23 in honor of his book “The Rape of the Masters: How Political Correctness Sabotages Art” (Encounter).

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NINE WEEKS AND COUNTING

Yesterday Tony Lee was seen greeting visitors who passed the OpinionJournal.com kiosk near an escalator at the Marriott Marquis Hotel. At the booth were flyers announcing a panel discussion at a private location in Midtown on September 22 moderated by Wall Street Journal editorial page editor Paul Gigot on “The Presidential Election: Six Weeks and Counting.” The panel will consist of OpinionJournal.com editor James Taranto; John Fund, who contributes to the daily “Political Diary” newsletter fromOpinionJournal.com; and Wall Street Journal senior editorial writer Kimberley Strassel. The evening will include a cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres. The $179 event price includes copies of the books “Presidential Leadership,” co-edited by Mr. Taranto, and “Stolen Elections: How Voter Fraud Threatens Democracy,” by Mr. Fund.

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CONSPICUOUS PANEL

Trenchant economic critic Thorstein Veblen is known for his theory of the leisure class. Phrases such as “conspicuous consumption” have been bandied about since his pioneering work in the American progressive tradition of the early 20th century.

An all-day symposium on the relevance of his ideas to our times will take place at New School University on December 3. Panelists on the bill include New America Foundation senior fellow Michael Lind; University of Texas at San Antonio professor Rudy Rosales; University of Nevada, Las Vegas professor emeritus Rick Tillman, and CUNY Graduate Center professor John Patrick Diggins.

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MEANWHILE BACK IN WASHINGTON

A lecture series has been planned at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research and made possible by a grant from the Milwaukee-based Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation.

Among the speakers are author Ron Chernow, who will speak on Alexander Hamilton on September 13; Manhattan Institute senior fellow Tamar Jacoby, who will speak on immigration reform on January 10; National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Dana Gioia, who will discuss whether a reading culture can be revived, on February 7, and Mencken biographer Terry Teachout, who will discuss political art on March 7.

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KNICK-KNACKS

Celebrity snapper Richard Avedon arriving yesterday around 9:30 a.m. at the Farley Building, wearing press badges like any other photojournalist…Rep. Mark Foley, who represents Florida’s 16th Congressional district, waited in line for about 10 minutes outside Crobar nightclub in west Chelsea for a Southern Republicans evening, but the line barely moved. He talked to a security guard, who whisked him and friends inside. He already understands New York customs… Americans For Tax Reform President Grover Norquist holding court late yesterday morning on the sidewalk near the southeast corner of Eighth Avenue and 39th Street, energetically gesticulating and talking to New York Times journalists…Wall Street Journal executive Washington editor Al Hunt in the audience at a panel co-moderated by American Enterprise Institute senior fellow Norman Ornstein. Earlier this week, Mr. Hunt said that when Robert Novak, his fellow panelist of CNN’s “The Capital Gang,” heard Mr. Hunt had adopted a child from Korea, the first thing Mr. Novak asked was “North or South?”…Reality follows television: C. Boyden Gray of the Committee for Justice was a speaker at an informal debate on judges and the election held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel yesterday. After the speakers each delivered their remarks, and before the audience was asked to participate, he said the panelists would question each other using a “modified Crossfire format.”