April 15, 2005

4/15: F.R.I.S.T.

Today there's consensus: This a.m. everyone is talking about a round of news stories that suggest Senate Maj. Leader Bill Frist will likely seek to end the Senate filibuster rule. Other topics of debate include -- of course -- House Maj. Leader Tom DeLay and U.N. Amb.-designate John Bolton. Also: the inevitable speculation about who gets Poped next. And: A new baseball-themed musical?

TRACKBACKS:

Where the blog swarm is headed, who's taking part, and what they're saying:

• The New York Times on Frist and the filibuster mentions that he will participate ina a "telecast" for the FRC, along with Christian activists James Dobson and Chuck Colson. Also getting play are similar stories in the Washington Post and The Hill. Linking to one or more: TalkLeft; No More Mr. Nice Blog; Daily Kos; BuzzMachine; Hugh Hewitt; PoliPundit; Corrente; Betsy Newmark; Shot in the Dark.

  >> Liberal Josh Marshall: "Frist wants to cast this, literally, as a war between the believers and the unbelievers. I guess this is part of toning down the rhetoric. (How much do we have to endure so that this guy can run for president?) ... I don't know which is more amusing -- the wingnut jihad against a federal judiciary that is already predominantly Republican or the fact that the intellectual and often literal descendants of the upholders of Jim Crow now seek to enlist the dark legacy of segregation as some sort of arrow in their rhetorical quiver. Actually, perhaps it's even more amusing that the same folks spent the 1990s using the same methods to thwart numerous Clinton judicial appointments."

  >> Conservative James Joyner: "I support Frist's efforts to get judicial nominees an up-or-down vote and even support invoking the so-called "nuclear option" to get it done. However, this particular move is not only unseemly but likely to backfire. Frist's appeal is that he appears above politics. This sort of slimy tactic will not serve him in the long term, especially as he seeks the White House in 2008." Righty Ed Morrissey writes that "contrary to [the Post's] headline," Frist "plans on dawdling for weeks longer before finally addressing the issue of Democratic obstructionism ... To hell with Frist, to hell with [GOP Sen. John] Thune, and to hell with the GOP if they wait until the session is half-over before finding their spine or other significant parts of their anatomy."

• But also getting coverage is a New York Times report on the indictment of a TX businessman involved in the U.N.'s Oil for Food scandal -- long a topic of discussion among right-leaning bloggers. But the TX connection brings a few left-leaners to the table. Linkers: JustOneMinute; Instapundit; Austin Bay; TalkLeft; Ranting Profs; Counterterrorism Blog.

  >> Centrist U.N.-skeptic Roger L. Simon: "ask yourself whether it isn't time for a strong reformer like John Bolton for US Ambassador to the UN. A political game is being played over his nomination right now in our Senate with people who habitually mistreat their subordinates accusing others of doing so. I don't doubt they all do. Politics is not a world of pleasant people, particularly behind closed doors. Larger issues are involved here, however. Much larger. Time for the likes of Chris Dodd to get serious (shame on him)!"

  >> Lefty prof Juan Cole: "We've had to put up for months with blowhards like Senator Norm Coleman of Minnesota jumping up and down about the Iraq food for oil scandal at the United Nations. ... Let's see if Norm Coleman calls for sanctions against US businessmen and petroleum companies tainted by the scandal."

• Several liberal bloggers pick up on DeLay's 4/14 interview with the Washington Times. Those who link: Exegesis; Daily Irrelevant; MyDD; Tbagged...; People's Republic of Seabrook; David Neiwert.

  >> Several pick up on the following exchange: "Mr. Hurt: Have you ever crossed the line of ethical behavior in terms of dealing with lobbyists, your use of government authority or with fundraising? Mr. DeLay: Ever is a very strong word." Markos Moulitsas of DailyKos snarks: "Umm, Tom? The right answer was 'no'."

  >> Not many offer substantial commentary. An exception is Mark A.R. Kleiman, who quotes the Federalist #78 against DeLay's conception of legis. oversight of the jud. branch. He concludes: "I'm starting to think Lynne Cheney might be right: there was obviously something deficient in the teaching of American history in the public schools Tom DeLay attended."

BOLTON: Holding Pattern

Conservative Power Line: "The John Bolton confirmation hearings are a perfect illustration of the failure of the Democrats as an opposition party. Bolton's views on the United Nations should have prompted serious debate on the role of the UN from Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations who surely disagree fundamentally with his views. However, the Dems understand that Bolton's views, and his in-your-face attitude, are popular these days. So instead of engaging in a sustained discussion of substance, like a responsible and principled opposition party would, they argued that Bolton's a bad guy who kisses up to his superiors and mistreats his subordinates. It was a little like the Clarence Thomas hearings, minus the sex (actually the Thomas hearings were essentially minus the sex too)."

Liberal cartoonist "Tom Tomorrow" at This Modern World comments on David Brooks' latest column: "McBobo's latest canard is that opposition to the appointment of John Bolton as UN ambassador is coming primarily from one-world utopians who in their heart of hearts want to abolish national borders and create a world governing authority, but gosh darn it, this tough-talking Bolton fellow stands in the way of their squishy-headed dream. Oy. Brooks doesn't content himself with building straw men. Brooks builds straw populations."

Also Bolton-related, is reaction to a piece by the Washington Post's Robin Givhan -- whose story on Sec/State Condoleezza Rice's black boots was much-commented on a few weeks ago -- on Bolton's personal appearance. Right-leaning Bill Ardolino describes it as Givhan's "latest fusion of deep political analysis and a bitchy makeover show," and opines: "Might I argue that Robin Givhan is an enjoyably shallow twit?" Left-leaning Michael Froomkin: "I suppose there has been a dumber Washington Post article, but offhand I can't think of one."

DELAY: No Real Change Here, Either

Centrist Andrew Sullivan: "I'm not that impressed with the ethical complaints against him. His sleaze doesn't seem to me to be that unusual. .... The problem with DeLay is that he's a repulsive figure on television and elsewhere. I've never met him and can't believe he's this repellent in person (he wouldn't have done so well in politics if he were). But his religious fanaticism, his seething hatred for his opponents, his natural proclivity for arrogance all reflect a real problem for the GOP. He does indeed represent what the party seems to be becoming. That's why he won't be forced out."

Right-leaning Ankle-Biting Pundits, on Rep. Chris Shays (R-CT): "The only reason Shays remains a Republican is so he can get fawning articles like this in the MSM. Think about it, if he was a Democrat (In Name), he'd just be another one of Nancy Pelosi's crackpots ignored by rational people. But because he has an (R) behind his name he becomes an 'oracle' to the MSM. Oh, and if you don't think the media is biased -- they describe Shays as an 'outspoken centrist'. Yeah, if the 'center' is between Bernie Sanders and Barney Frank."

Liberal Tapped's Sam Rosenfeld quotes from a memo by GOP strategist/DeLay consultant Barbara Comstock, distributed at Grover Norquist's well-known weekly meeting, and summarizes: "The theme here: everybody does it!" Adds Rosenfeld: "[I]f 'everybody's rotten' becomes the GOP's go-to defense, Democrats will have reason to be pleased, not only because they stand to win out in any serious investigation into these kinds of ethics questions, but also because a pervasive public mood of generalized hostility to Congress -- leading to a 'throw the bums out' atmosphere in the midterm elections -- will inevitably redound to the benefit of the party out of power."

BLOGS VS. THE MSM: They Just Can't Help It

Conservative Patrick Ruffini on the Washington Post's "perennial 'skeptic'" Dan Froomkin, who "sees yet another cheap excuse to bash George W. Bush" for his visit to Ft. Hood. "How do we know when Froomkin is on the attack? Usually the moment his column goes up in the morning. Here's his lead: 'Behind closed doors at the Ft. Hood army base on Tuesday, President Bush got an earful from some Iraq-war widows, who told him that the way the government is treating them is disgraceful ... NB: Froomkin even recycles the retracted title of a March 1 piece on troubles with the Governors, 'Bush Gets an Earful.' Does Froomkin think a meeting with military widows is somehow comparable to a budget squabble, and hence an equally opportune moment to score political points?"

SOCIAL SECURITY: Let's Play What If

Right-leaning One-Handed Economist lists a number of things he could buy "if the government wasn't stealing 6.25% of my salary to give to old people," and adds: "Now maybe you think some old person I've never met and who planned for his or her retirement poorly is more important than my here-to-fore entirely hypothetical Plasma TV. Okay, but is that person more important than my here-to-fore entirely hypothetical equity in a townhouse? What about my hypothetical S&P investment? What about my hypothetical car insurance? Or my extra 200 square feet? My extra 401(k) and Roth IRA contributions? My car savings? Suddenly it's not so easy ... I know you can't just hack benefits off now, today, because people have the expectation of it. I have suggested before, though, that it wouldn't really be any different just to outright screw everyone under 25 ... and phase out the plan because I'm pretty sure those of us under that age aren't expecting anything anyway."

WHITE HOUSE '08: Hillarygaming

Mickey Kaus: "No bit of recent news was better for Hillary [Clinton] than GOP consultant Arthur Finkelstein's announcement that he's ginning up a "Stop Her Now" political action committee for her 2006 New York Senate race. Finkelstein won't beat her, but he (and other similar anti-HRC entrepreneurs staging Swift-ish attacks) will draw enough press attention to disgust the left and provoke an instinctive rally-rounding defense of her. Once she's emotionally re-bonded to them in their aversion to the GOP and its tactics, their hers -- the way the GOP right was Bush's after the 2000 South Carolina primary -- freeing her to a) win the primaries and b) move to the center for the general election without having to worry about losing the left."

Liberal Bob Somerby at the Daily Howler has a lengthy comment on the upcoming anti-HRC book and promises by FNC's Bill O'Reilly -- whon Somerby notes "was, in fact, much fairer to Gore in Campaign 2000 than almost anyone else on cable" -- to defend her against it.

More Kaus, on why John Kerry hasn't signed form 180: "I think I've figured it out: There is so much positive, helpful information for Kerry in those military records that he's waiting until January, 2008 to sign the form! Hillary won't know what hit her."

THE VATICAN: The Oncoming Enclave

National Review's Michael Novak, in The Corner: "Now that the Italian press is reporting that Cardinal Josef Ratzinger ... has already received the support of 40, maybe 50 cardinals, out of the 77 votes needed to be elected the next Pope, it is time for the American media to begin searching into the mind and heart of one so close to JPII."

Worth checking out: Against The Grain, official blog of the unofficial Ratzinger Fan Club, which has been especially active in the past week or so.

IN THE STATES: Virginia Is For Fighters, Too

Liberal MyDD quotes VA AG Jerry Kilgore's (R) spokesperson on VA LG Tim Kaine (D): "Fifty-seven percent of Kaine's money came from Howard Dean. Between Howard Dean's money and Tim Kaine's liberal record, Kaine is well on his way to becoming governor of Vermont." MyDD's "CAat14k" responds: "Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm not sure who, besides an arch-conservative, could label Kaine's voting record as "liberal." Kaine's own staff and supporters describe him as "moderate to conservative" and he won't be getting the backing of NARAL any time soon. And I'm pretty sure the DNC funds are from the grassroots fundraising bonanza the DNC has experienced with Dean at the helm. Comparing Kaine to Dean is a clear signal this is going to be a nasty, nasty race."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Horsefeathers!

Reuters reports that two MIT students got a computer-generated academic paper accepted at an academic conference. Title of paper: "Rooter: A Methodology for the Typical Unification of Access Points and Redundancy." Right-leaning Pejman Yousefzadeh argues: "Jibberish writing has become so accepted and so commonplace in academia that few even think to look askance at it anymore -- making pranks such as this one (and [NYU physics prof Alan] Sokal's, for that matter) all the easier to pull off. Perhaps it is time to build a consensus around the idea that if writing is not clear, crystalline and easily accessible, it ought to beviewed with some suspicion. As I have mentioned before, my graduate school professors oftentimes told us that if we encounter impenetrable writing, we may reasonably suspect that the argument contained in that writing is full of holes, and that the author is simply trying to paper over those holes with writing that is abstruse and is designed to fool readers into thinking that they are stupid for not understanding it."

LEST WE FORGET: Special One-Time-Only (Maybe) Baseball Edition

Nats partisan BallWonk Photoshops the face of Nationals 2B Jose Vidro onto Little Orphan Annie, and writes Nats'-specific lyrics to the music from the musical:

ANDY DUNN The bubbling hot tub is to the left.

VIDRO
(spoken)
Inside the clubhouse? Oh boy.

ANDY DUNN

The putting green is in the rear.

VIDRO
(spoken)
I never even picked up a club.

ANDY DUNN
Have an instructor here at noon.
(spoken)
Oh, and get that Tiger Woods fellow if he's available.

VIDRO
I think I'm gonna like it here.

Plus, Political Teen features video of Bush throwing out the first ball, with a retrospective of other first-pitches.

Posted by at April 15, 2005 12:53 PM