April 20, 2005

4/20: The Drawing Of The Three

In the past 24 hours, debate surrounding the rise, potential rise, and potential fall of 3 conservative men prevailed in all corners of the political blogospahere: Pope Benedict XVI (nee Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger), U.N. Amb. nominee John Bolton, and House Maj. Leader Tom DeLay, respectively. Just after the Blogometer's deadline yesterday, the white smoke went up, the bells rang out, and that dominated the discussion throughout most of the day. But starting last night, DeLay and Bolton were back in the newspapers, and hence back in the blogosphere.

The Pope got by far the most coverage, but the big announcement is over, and it's down to commentary now. So we lead with DeLay and Bolton:

TRACKBACKS: Outrageous Fortune

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

• DeLay's appearance on Tony Snow's radio show -- as reported by the AP -- yields this much-quoted line: "We've got Justice Kennedy writing decisions based upon international law, not the Constitution of the United States? That's just outrageous. And not only that, but he said in session that he does his own research on the Internet? That is just incredibly outrageous." Several bloggers point out that web-based Lexis-Nexis and Westlaw are key legal resources. Anyway, if there's one way to get the blogosphere to unite against you, it's to criticize the Internet. Linking: Begging To Differ; Steve Soto; Carpundit; Life in Bush's America; Truth Serum; Brendan Nyhan; TBogg; Eschaton.

  >> Left-leaning Jeralyn Merritt: "Words of advice for DeLay: Zip it. You've become a caricature and a laughing stock. You are making a mockery both of the office you hold and your party. You're on your last leg. Is it too much to ask that you go out with a little dignity?" Right-leaning GWU law prof Orin Kerr: "What's next? I fully expect DeLay to introduce H.R. 8615, The Stop Anthony Kennedy From Using the Internet Act of 2005."

  >> Conservative Mark A. Kilmer is one of the few to side with DeLay: "By using Tom DeLay, a media villain, as the critic, Kennedy is made to be a media saint." He is also one of the few to focus on the 1st part of DeLay's statement. Noting that DeLay brought up the possibility of jud. impeachment, he adds: "It seems rather radical, enforcing the good behavior clause, but it is a Congressional responsibility."

• Considering how important the Bolton hearings have been to Dems and GOPers inside the Beltway, the Blogometer has been a little surprised to see that his controversial nomination has attracted so little buzz in the blogosphere. But Sen. George Voinovich's (R-OH) surprise request for more time to consider the nod finally caught the attention of both the right and left. The Washington Post and AP all have stories getting plenty of links: Power Line; The Left Coaster; War and Piece; ThinkProgress; Captain's Quarters. Crooks and Liars has posted video of the meeting. This a.m., Beltway Buzz reports that Voinovich is still open to supporting Bolton.

  >> Conservative Pejman Yousefzadeh sums up what many conservatives think: "Since when was there all of this concern about "imperious behavior" among the political classes in Washington? Those who are voting on the nomination -- and I include Senators from both sides of the aisle in this judgment -- are some of the most "imperious" people around. Who would not bet dollars to doughnuts that the vast majority of them are shockingly insensitive, rude, irate and tyrannical towards their subordinates ... And yet, John Bolton is the only one who is given a time-out--both figuratively and literally?"

  >> Steve Clemons of the New America Foundation has been pushing the Senate to delay consideration on Bolton all week at his blog, The Washington Note, where he writes this a.m.: "There are many in a sort of stupor after succeeding in achieving a delay. This is NOT a time to rest. This is the time to both broaden the case regarding John Bolton's past performance and to consolidate and organize the rather large scope of problems we do know. With others, I will be on this case. But this morning, I'm going to buy some grass sod in rural Maryland and plant it in front of my house in Dupont Circle."

  >> And right-leaning Balloon Juice embodies much of the blogosphere's previous absence from this debate: "I have to confess I have not been paying attention to the Bolton nomination at all, and this story doesn't clear things up at all. Exactly what is going on? Is this just politics as usual, or is this a flawed candidate?"

THE POPE I: Godwin's Law In Excelsis

Today's Blogometer could run the risk of going overboard with Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI coverage. Without linking to everything in sight -- and we do mean everything -- here's the general assessment:

Anti-Ratzinger sentiment (and invective) is widespread on the left, with phrases like "Goebbels of the Vatican" highlighting Ratzinger's association with the Hitler Youth. But others are more thoughtful while considering the same issues. Ratzinger's strict support of church doctrine -- on homosexuality, abortion, women priests -- are also blog fodder, as is the pedophilia scandal. The consensus is, as lefty econoblogger Max Sawicky puts it: "Oh great. Pope Wingnut the First."

Right-leaning bloggers fall into a couple different camps. Some Catholic bloggers are very pleased and even a little smug. Less socially-conservative right-leaners are less enthused, but grudgingly accept Ratzinger's election. Cut on the Bias headlines a post: "Love the one you're with." Some non-Catholics sort out what it all means, while others are just pleased it will annoy the left. At least a couple dozen conservative bloggers seize on a particularly nasty post in the DailyKos comments.

Plenty of bloggers simply post the news or provide single-post running updates ("live-blogging"), including Michelle Malkin and "Citizen Smash", who provides a useful round-up of the left-right debate.

THE POPE II: A Few Of The More Interesting Points

Centrist Andrew Sullivan: "I was trying to explain last night to a non-Catholic just how dumb-struck many reformist Catholics are by the elevation of Ratzinger. And then I found a way to explain. This is the religious equivalent of having had four terms of George W. Bush only to find that his successor as president is Karl Rove. Get it now?"

Non-Catholic Bill Hobbs writes: "I am frustrated and angered with the repeated questions about whether the new Pope Benedict XVI will move away from the doctrinal stances of his predecessor, will 'moderate' his stances on various issues (the most often mentioned are birth control, abortion and homosexuality) or "move toward consensus" with liberal segments of the Catholic Church. ... One of the things the mainstream secular media never seemed to quite understand about Pope John Paul II was that his stances on such issues were rooted in his understanding of eternal, unchanging truth. ... If it was sin in the first century AD, it is sin now and will be sin a millenia hence. Eternal truths are eternal truths."

Libertarian QandO's Dale Franks quotes from the New York Times story on the new Pope, and replies: "The new pope was 'been the church's doctrinal watchdog'. You know, the narrow-minded inquisitor, always sniffing out heresy. He was 'a conservative, intellectual clone of the late pontiff', not a man with his own deeply felt convictions, just a shallow copy of his boss. And, of course, he wasn't just a defender of traditional orthodoxy, he was 'ultraconservative', which is usually a code word for 'whacko'" He then quotes the Washington Post's version, and comments: "Evidently it is possible to convey exactly the same information without editorializing, or slinging around terms that are laden with negative implications. Who knew?"

Micah Sifry links to a BlogPulse trend survey, noticing that the terms "Ratzinger" and "pope" took off uber-exponentially the day before yesterday, leaving the other known candidates far, far behind.

BLOGGERS VS. BLOGGERS: Everyone's Sullying Themselves

The Blogometer recently recently referred to Sullivan as an "ex-Catholic," but today we notice that he's alluded to his own Catholicism in the present tense several times since Ratzinger was Poped. We're not the only ones. Ace of Spades HQ tracks down his conflicting statements, and adds: "Let us say, charitably, that Sullivan is a rather passionate fellow." Righty John Hawkins: "If someone as openly hostile to religious people as Andrew Sullivan is furious about Ratzinger becoming Pope, then that's obviously a sign that he's a great choice. The only way it could get any better for Ratzinger would be if the ACLU issued a press release denouncing him." By dint of being the most outspoken religiously-conflicted blogger, Sullivan has attracted much attention in the past 24 hours, much of it critical. In just one instance, Professor Bainbridge's observation that "Andrew Sullivan is an ass" has made the rounds. As a self-professed conservative who supported John Kerry in '04, Sullivan burned many bridges with many right-leaning bloggers who first started reading blogs through him. Many call him a "liberal" outright. Sullivan rarely comes in for this much abuse, but he has become a regular target in the past year or so.

BLOGS VS. THE MSM: I Like It, Sam I Am

Bringing a smile to every anti-MSM blogger on both the right and left, Broadcasting & Cable reports that ABC's Sam Donaldson was asked about the future of network news at an NAB discussion. He said: "I think it's dead. Sorry ... The monster anchors are through." Libertarian Ed Driscoll agrees: "Gotta give Sam Donaldson credit for seeing the obvious and not sticking his head in the sand." Tex The Pontificator is more cautious, writing "Yes, things will be different, but I would not go out on a limb to say network news is dead."

File under: Will the blogosphere replace the MSM? -- Anonymous prof "Rusty Shackelford" of MyPetJawa interviews Susan Hallums, the ex-wife of U.S. abductee Roy Hallums. Part 1 was posted 4/19, and part 2 should go up later today.

IN THE STATES: These Things Come In Threes

Liberal Carpetbagger Report picks up on "a new report from Fox News (yes, Fox News) explains that the White House may have had a far more direct role" in the removal of the "Denver Three" -- 3 liberal COans who were removed from a Bush "town hall" there -- "than had previously been known." Colorado Pols adds: "Any admission would certainly help Congressman Bob Beauprez, whose office, along with Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave's office, distributed the tickets to the event." Left-wing DailyKos picked up on the story on 4/19; that post has since picked up 150+ comments.

Right-leaning JustOneMinute, on Kerry and Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) co-sponsoring the Workplace Religious Freedom Act: "The Dour One continues his re-branding for 2008. ... And Santorum? Presumably he is moving himself a bit towards the center in anticipation of a tough Senate race." Liberal MyDD, on the possible "emerging Santorum Florida Scandal: "It may be completely legal for Santorum to fly to Florida, meet the Schiavo family and (before it was cancelled) talk about how much he is committed to privatizing Social Security all while raising a boat load of cash on his Senate travel account. It just doesn't seem like a smart move for the most endangered Republican in the US Senate."

DLC's Marshall Wittmann, on the NY mayor race: "All of the political community there was abuzz about the possibility that former Senator Bob Kerrey is considering a run for Mayor. One problem that faces a Kerrey candidacy is that he might have previously committed to lead Democrats for [Mayor Mike] Bloomberg." He adds: "Why not set his sights higher? Not that the number one job in the Big Apple is small potatoes, but isn't there a higher calling (excluding the Pope, of course). 2008 is wide open and Democrats should think outside the box."

Right-leaning MN blog The First Ring hosts an interview with SEN '06 longshot Harold Shudlick (R).

MISCELLANY: The Second Internet Bubble?

This Modern World: "By the way... is it just this site, or are the blogads drying up all over? I've slashed prices considerably and still, nothing... sure, I could go down to ten or twenty bucks an ad, but at that rate, it's just not worth cluttering up the site. ... Has blog advertising gone to the third world and/or Republican model -- most of the money aggregated at the very top with a pittance left over for the rest?" Christian Crumlish of Personal Democracy Forum responds: "Back when I started blogging here one of the first things I wrote about was the potential for the political blogad market to dry up in the lull after November, 2004. Is that what's happening now?"

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Moral Judgments

Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown reports on DNC Chair Howard Dean's back-to-morality speech at the CA Dem convo: "There is something strange, though, in this rush to 'morals.' Morals represent tradition and custom. In this brave new century, tradition and custom are replaced by fashion and hype. The past is for reactionaries, we are told. Science, technology and the ever-expanding GDP will solve our problems. Yet, no society can hang together without a proper balance between stability, respect for the old ways and openness to the new. In our time -- 2005 -- we are way out of balance. Question: who gets it?"

LEST WE FORGET: Sickened, Disgusted, Appalled, Dismayed, Chagrined

WuzzaDem's DHS-inspired "Andrew Sullivan Emotional Alert Level."

Posted by at April 20, 2005 12:42 PM