May 13, 2005

5/13: Believe Or Not, George Isn't At Home

Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH) is drawing all the attention for his yes/no vote on UN Amb. nominee John Bolton. Conservatives are positively outraged by the defection, calling him everything from "gutless" to "traitor" to "back stabber." One particularly outraged blogger promises retribution for Voinovich's misdeed, should he run for re-election in 5 years. Some lefty bloggers lament another example of GOP hypocrisy while others praise his indy spirit, and hope this is a sign that the nomination is on life support.

Two other stories are permeating the blogosphere. Righty blogs think they have again caught CBS on deceptive reporting, claiming the net edited comments from Ken Starr about the filibuster to turn them against GOPers. On the other side, lefty blogs are abuzz over The Nation's report about claims against FDA appointee W. David Hager.

Elsewhere, CBS isn't the only MSM target today. Will GOP moderates save the day on filibusters? John Kerry continues to get bashed by the left. Who is fact-checking the fact-checkers? And yes, even Darth Vader has a blog.

TRACKBACKS: Et Tu, George

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

• No one Bolton story drives the swarm today, though AP's seems to be the most linked: Tbogg, BrothersJudd, The Left Coaster, The Hedgehog Report, Pennywit.

  >> Conservative Mark Noonan: "I have never been so outraged by the actions of a fellow Republican in my life."

  >> Liberal Oliver Willis: "Spineless. Simply, absolutely, spineless."

• The Nation's Hager piece is all over the left. Linking: Lean Left, No More Mr. Nice Blog, Ezra Klein, Hullabaloo, The Mahablog, Begging to Differ, Pandagon, Chris C Mooney, The Left Coaster, Tapped, Left in the West, Hit & Run, Political Animal, Eschaton, "Roger Ailes", Daily Kos, Oliver Willis, The Gadflyer.

  >> Lefty Matthew Yglesias: "To be as clear as possible, what we've got here is criminal conduct, not a 'sex scandal.' Breaking the law is never a private matter, especially when it's this sort of criminal conduct and the perpetrator has these kind of public responsibilities."

BOLTON: Boy, George Is In It Now

Blogs for Bush: "After spending a good deal of time sliming Mr. Bolton, Voinovich had the nerve to say that he likes John Bolton, but that he wants the Committee to send Mr. Bolton to the Senate without a recommendation. ... In 2010, I'll remember who stood where in the past."

Confirm Bolton: "Sen. Voinovich's stupidity has lost out to his gutlessness, as he's at least going to allow Bolton to go to the floor for an up-or-down vote." Arena Of Ideas posts under the header: "It is official, Voinovich is an idiot."

Conservative Eric Pfeiffer: "George Voinovich asserted that Bolton would have been fired from his job if he had worked in the private sector. Thing is, Bolton did previously work in the private sector. It was when he was hired as a lawyer that the controversy surrounding Melody Townsel emerged. But Voinovich says even though he missed the first two Bolton committee hearings he's read 'all the papers.' So, surely he knows this. Right?"

The Corner's K.J. Lopez: "If Republicans lose seats in 2006 because of big losses (Bolton, judges...), it will be their own fault, if this is the way they run a majority. And no one is going to regret it more than [Senate Maj. Leader] Bill Frist, who will never be president."

Power Line: "The significance of this sorry episode, I think, is that the Democrats hand-picked Bolton as a nominee they thought they may be able to defeat. Despite the innumerable cheap shots launched against Bolton, it appears that the Democrats are going to lose their gamble."

Liberal Steve Soto: "Bushco will still push for a total victory no matter how much of a cretin Bolton will be shown to be in the coming days. But by the time this slug sits his ass in the chair in New York, he will be damaged goods and totally compromised, as he should be."

Righty John Cole at Balloon Juice: "Anyone who thinks Bolton can go in there and 'shake things up' and actually change anything is fooling themselves and fails to understand that the very nature of the UN is one that the assembly is made up of people who have their own national interests at stakes. ... I would rather he nominate someone else, but it won't matter. In six months this will not even be an issue other than in hysterical MoveOn.Org fund-raising e-mails. I have complete faith in the capacity of the United Nations to chew up and spit out whoever we send there.

Michelle Malkin is on "Maverick" watch. Beltway Buzz posts feedback from some irate GOPers.

FILIBUSTER: Voices Of Moderation

Daily Kos' "Armando", on the New York Times' story on moderates and the filibuster debate: "It is the [James] Dobsons and [Pat] Robertsons who run the Republican Party. The most extreme elements in the Republican Party call the shots now. But the moderates now realize it."

Blogs for Bush on a new compromise offer by Senate Min. Leader Harry Reid (D): "No deal, Senator. You see, we don't need your 'help' in confirming nominees; we won the election, we have a majority in the Senate and, by God, we'll see President Bush's judicial nominees approved."

A number of lefty blogs take issue with this FactCheck.org "clarification" of a Dem pro-filibuster ad: Crooked Timber, Eschaton, Poli's Blog

HAGER: More GOP Dirty Laundry

Lefty Amanda Marcotte: "Lest you think that his objection to non-marital sex is some great principle instead of a matter of control, The Nation will set you straight. Dr. Hagar is fine with extramarital sex that he gets to choose." Begging to Differ: "I'm a bit unsettled by the use of sexual revelations in order to score points in fights ... . And yet here I am, linking to these stories. The most immediate justifications are always close at hand: the hypocrisy of those who associate themselves with a moral crusade and yet decline to live by its standards; and, more importantly, the outright criminality of people who commit acts like those of which Hager is being accused."

No More Mister Nice Blog: "If this story gets traction, it's just going to lead to lots and lots of shouting. Fine distinctions, like the one between forced and consensual sex, will get lost as the mud flies. The more 'reasonable' pundits will say this is just a nasty divorce, he said/she said, yada yada ... and then, I suppose, will blame Bill Clinton for the fact that a story like this could get into the press at all."

BLOGS VS. THE MSM: More C-BS

The Corner's Ramesh Ponnuru: "CBS, AP, and other outlets reported earlier this week that [Ken] Starr had said that getting rid of the judicial filibuster would be a 'radical, radical departure from our history and our traditions, and it amounts to an assault on the judicial branch of government.'" In an e-mail, Starr said: "In the piece that I have now seen, and which I gather is being lavishly quoted, CBS employed two snippets. The 'radical departure' snippet was specifically addressed -- although this is not evidenced whatever from the clip -- to the practice of invoking judicial philosophy as a grounds for voting against a qualified nominee of integrity and experience. ... In the interview, I did indeed suggest, and have suggested elsewhere, that caution and prudence be exercised (Burkean that I am) in shifting/modifying rules (that's the second snippet), but I likewise made clear that the 'filibuster' represents an entirely new use (and misuse) of a venerable tradition. ... [O]ur friends are way off base in assuming that the CBS snippets, as used, represent (a) my views, or (b) what I in fact said."

Patterico's Pontifications: "CBS took a quote criticizing the current practice of Democrats, and transmogrified it into a criticism of a proposed plan of action by Republicans." Power Line: "As we have noted repeatedly, the mainstream media have pulled out all the stops to support the Democrats on the filibuster. This, though, would appear to be over the line." Moderate Mickey Kaus tries to sort it out. Other commentary: Little Green Football, Blogs for Bush, Pejmanesque, WizBang

From The Note: "Democrats are so thoroughly spooked by John Kerry's loss --- and Republicans so inspired by their stay-the-course Commander in Chief -- that what is hands down the biggest story every day in the world will get almost no coverage. No conflict at home=no coverage." Daily Kos: "This is ABC News saying that unless there is conflict at home, a war that kills dozens a day, including Americans, will not get coverage? That as long as people are 'deferrential' to an unpopular president, they're not allowed to cover the carnage in Iraq? This is what the US media has become? Absolutely unacceptable." Agreeing: Brad DeLong, David Sirota

Washington Post's Hurt reported that Reid discussed a court nominee's confidential FBI file on the Senate floor, an act the article said could lead to his expulsion. Daily Kos quibbled with the account here, here, here and here, calling the article part of a GOP smear campaign against Reid and noting that the "confidential" matter Reid discussed had been discussed in several published articles, including one written by Hurt himself.

BLOGGERS VS. BLOGGERS: Habemus Parody

It didn't take long. Huffington's Toast is now online.

BUSH: I Hear MD's Got Some Great Biking

Lefty Jon Robin Baitz at The Huffington Post: "The president has every right to go for a bike ride. But to me, his bike riding is in fact, a provocation; he has entirely mastered a kind of perfect anti-gravitas. Will he, as the leader of his country and his party, ever admit, like the ombudsman of the New York Times, to handling anything poorly? Or will he just go on riding his bike, sticking to the old plan, while blood pools in foreign streets and his party sells itself in bits and pieces to religious fundamentalists. For votes."

Michelle Malkin calls the bike flap "The Left's New 'My Pet Goat'": "These people can't make up their minds. First, Bush is too lazy and slothful. Now, he works out too much. He overreacts to terror threats. He underreacts to terror threats."

Crooked Timber is happy to see that Hotel White House is open again.

DEMOCRATS: Another Voice For Unity

Ex-Al Gore speechwriter Elie Attie writes: "[H]ere's what's starting to worry me: Democrats enjoy these internecine arguments a little too much. Maybe it's in the nature of liberal thought--a kind of self-scrutiny, almost to the point of self-loathing, that makes us fight ourselves even more loudly and violently than we fight the other party. Intellectually, it's admirable, even responsible. But as party-building, it's becoming a bit of a problem. ... After two razor-thin presidential elections (one of which we actually WON), can't we be a bit more confident that our platform isn't a total shambles? I've always thought that if Democrats did start their own Fox News Channel, at the first programming meeting someone would say, 'gee, we really ought to get some conservative voices on here for balance...'"

WHITE HOUSE '08: The Stop Kerry Movement In Full Swing

Liberal Markos Zuniga, on John Kerry: "Of the serious primary candidates, he was the worst we could've nominated. ... The man had no reason for running. He had no message beyond 'I'm the most electable'. ... And while his 'most electable' drivel helped propel him into the nomination, it left him ill-prepared for the general campaign. ... One more note -- campaign insiders will tell you that no one loved Kerry. ... People who worked for Dean, Edwards and Clark all passionately loved their man. The campaigns stuck together. Why? Because the campaigns were based in the candidates' home states. Hence, staffers had to move to work on those campaigns. They had to make a sacrifice to uproot and travel to a strange city on behalf of their guy. That commitment was real. ... Kerry's campaign was based in DC. The staffers didn't have to make a commitment to their candidate beyond taking a different bus or metro stop." More: "I'll support Senator Kerry to the end of his career, I will not support 'I am now an outsider if it'll help me in 2008' Kerry."

PoliPundit notes Sen. McCain is sponsoring a bill with Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and writes under the header: "McCain's 2008 GOP Primary Chances Sink Lower: Reach Absolute Zero"

IN THE STATES: Is He Running Against Arnold Or W?

Basie!'s Jonathan Singer interviews CA Tres/GOV hopeful Phil Angelides. Some highlights: "I would say the following: if you really look at Arnold [Schwarzenegger], he is increasingly a mix of George Bush and [ex-MN Gov.] Jesse Ventura. He shares the same agenda as Bush in so many respects, but is beginning to look more and more like Jesse Ventura in the conduct of the office."

PoliPundit comments on the PA GOV, AR GOV, CO GOV, MO SEN and VT SEN races.

Eugene Volokh comments on the federal judge's decision to strike down NE's same-sex marriage ban.

MISCELLANY: Gun Owners For Rice

Glenn Reynolds, on Condi Rice's interview on "LKL": "Now that she's Secretary of State, she has an opportunity to press for treating the right to arms as an international human right. ... Surely a right to defend oneself against massacre -- particularly when, once again, the international community has failed miserably to prevent genocide in Darfur -- is as plausible as those others."

WWJD, politically speaking? A reader at The Corner has some clues.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: A Marriage Of Convenience

WizBang takes a look at the religious right/"South Park" conservative detente: "[SP consrvs] are a force to be reckoned with, and not to be taken lightly or for granted. They will have their say on the American body politic, and right now they're aiming their fire at the opponents of the Religious Right. They're sinners doing God's work. The smartest thing the Religous Right can do right now is to simply stand back and let them wreak their havoc, with occasional words or gestures of support. There will be plenty of time later to bring them to the Path Of True Righteousness and Redemption. In the meantime, though, they're doing plenty of good on their own."

LEST WE FORGET: Star Wars Fans Can Go Too Far

Today's post at The Darth Side begins: "Big day. Receiving the Emperor. Ruminations on the Sith mission statement."

Posted by at May 13, 2005 12:34 PM