May 16, 2005

5/16: Newsweak

Newsweek says it's sorry, but the blogs are clearly not satisfied. The mag's apology of its Koran-flushing story is overwhelmingly dominating discussion today, with most of the ire coming from conservative blogs. Everyone criticizes what is seen as a poor reporting job, with questions raised about whether the MSM weighs any possible impact its stories might have. The strongest talk has been that the MSM is overtly trying to undermine America's efforts abroad by running sensational stories. Some bloggers on both sides point out, however, that just because Newsweek admitted mistakes doesn't mean the story isn't true. A few voices on the left criticize the reaction to the story, believing that another "right-wing conspiracy" is in the works to snuff unfavorable news. This story will likely continue to dominate bloggers' attention, with Reuters now reporting that Muslims believe Newsweek "reacted to U.S. pressure."

There is other news out there, though it's tougher to find (and we'll need to catch up with tomorrow). There is some remaining fallout from the non-endorsement/approval of John Bolton's UN Amb. nod. Filibuster talk remains a presence, with a growing number of conservative blogs looking into whether Senate Min. Leader Harry Reid (D) may have broken rules by referring to a confidential FBI file on the Senate floor. Both sides take interest in MA Rep. Barney Frank's (D) criticism of DNC chair Howard Dean's remarks about House Maj. Tom DeLay (R). And should we expect to see more and more Draft Cheney talk?

TRACKBACKS: Does It Get Any Bigger?

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

• The list continues to grow, but among those commenting on Newsweek's Koran story: Captain's Quarters, Austin Bay, Instapundit, Daily Kos, Little Green Footballs, Buzz Machine, Andrew Sullivan, Ace of Spades HQ, RedState, Crooked Timber, Eschaton, INDC Journal, Michelle Malkin, USS Neverdock, Mudville Gazette, The Anchoress, Outside The Beltway, Patrick Ruffini, Pejmanesque, PoliPundit, Power Line, Roger L. Simon, WizBang, The Moderate Voice, Patterico's Pontifications, The Huffington Post, The Left Coaster, Beltway Buzz, Pardon My English, Dean's World, Secular Blasphemy, The QandO Blog, Hit and Run, Armavirumque, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Poor Man, Ranting Profs, Daimnation, Talk Left, Scared Monkeys, Black Five, Brothers Judd, Gateway Pundit, Uncorrelated.

  >> Blogs for Bush posts under the header: "Anti-Bush MSM Kills"

  >> Conservative Austin Bay: "History may see Newsweek's fatal 'Koran flushing' story as the US press' Abu Ghraib."

  >> Daily Kos: "Newsweek has good sources for its allegations, but has backed off because it finds itself in a dicey, ill-founded public relations nightmare. Newsweek has foresaken journalism to save what it perceives as its own hide."

  >> Righty Jeff Jarvis: "This mistake cost people their lives, put the lives of our soldiers in the Mideast at risk, damaged the American position in the effort to defend itself and spread democracy, and damaged the already tattered reputation of journalism. And to what end?"

NEWSWEEK: With Us Or Against Us?

Righty Jayson Javitz at PoliPundit: "[T]he media has gone from being an undeclared enemy to being an actual, overt, and hostile combatant in the global war against terrorism.

The Corner's John J. Miller: "I've read this 'apology' several times now. It continues to strike me as incredibly limp -- an awful lot of passing the buck on to sources. It is a reporter's job to know when sources are credible and when they are not, and that's doubly true when the sources demand that their names be kept out of stories. Newsweek needs to do way more groveling." USS Neverdock: "[H]ow many in the world will read this admission? And of those who do, how many will conclude that Newsweek was pressured into this admission by the government to quell the riots?"

Conservative Ed Morrissey: "Newsweek ran an explosive story based on a single, unnamed source that it knew would cause a huge effect on the Muslim world, at precisely the moment when we need to ensure that people understand that we're not at war with Islam. It's just a little late to say, 'Oops, we're sorry.'"

Outside The Beltway: "I understand ... the pressures journalists are under to get to press as quickly as possible. ... But given the high profile Newsweek has and the incredible sensitivity of the allegations at hand, they had a duty to be damned sure they had it right before running with the story."

Moderate Roger L. Simon: "[T]here is a strong argument to be made that this is more serious than Rathergate. This is journalism at its most insidious and dangerous. Newsweek may end up having to fire some of its editorial staff, as well as the reporters involved."

The Radio Equalizer: "Even if the details were in fact true, should it have been published, knowing full well innocent people would die as a result? ... At a minimum, Newsweek's entire team of reporters and editors responsible for this fatal disaster must resign as well as face legal liability, for the destruction of human life their report triggered. Free speech must be protected, in journalism as well as in society, but what they did is equal to yelling 'fire' in a crowded theatre."

NRO's Jonah Goldberg: "Flushing a Koran down a toilet -- and telling the press about it -- would certainly constitute a huge blunder. But how many of us were saying "there's no way that can be true!" when the story first broke? ... Running the story, under those circumstances was idiotic. That it ran in the Periscope section shows that they didn't really even think about what they were doing."

Ace of Spades HQ: "If a quote or purported fact portrays Republicans, the military, or America generally in a positive light, they check it to death to make sure they're not spreading propaganda. But ... if the quote or purpoted fact portrays those in a negative light, it pretty much gets into print with only the most cursory once-over by the editors. If it agrees with their basic world-view -- if it feels 'right' in their gut -- then in runs. Fact-checking comes later... after a couple of newly-minted corpses."

Righty blog Wizbang: "[B]ring on the abuse, the sanctions, the penalties for Newsweek. ... But don't hold them liable for the deaths. To do that is to excuse the real people to blame -- the rioters themselves."

Lefty Marshall Wittmann: "Before the Pentagon strikes a holier than thou line on accountability, the civilian leadership there should take a hard look in the mirror. Secretary Rumsfeld and the gang have hardly stepped up to the plate regarding the horrific errors on their watch ranging from the failure to prepare for the Iraq occupation to Abu Ghraib. Perhaps Newsweek is only following Rummy's example."

Liberal Juan Cole: "As a professional historian, I would say we still do not have enough to be sure that the Koran desecration incident took place. We have enough to consider it plausible. Anyway, the important thing politically is that some Muslims have found it plausible, and their outrage cannot be effectively dealt with by simple denial."

Lefty Avedon Carol at Eschaton: "But you recognize this pattern, right? It's the fabulous Karl Rovepoison the messenger approach to news. Don't like reality? Make up a new one!"

FILIBUSTER: Sprung A Leak?

Michelle Malkin, on Reid bringing up judicial nominee Henry Saad's confidential FBI file (see 5/13 Bloggers Vs. The MSM): "Needless to say, if a Republican Senator had pulled this kind of stunt, the ACLU and privocrats would be screaming bloody hell." Captain's Quarters: "He claimed to have gotten information from the two Democratic Senators from Saad's home state, Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin, but if that is the case, then those two Senators may have broken the rules about confidentiality in regards to the file."

Left in the West: "The right-wing media machine's cylinders are firing." Lefty Bob Brigham, noting that the Justice Dept. is investigating: "The GOP political assassination push leading up to the filibuster is now being financed by your tax dollars."

Basie! features an interview with Bob Dole. Dole, on rules changes: "I would sit there and sit there and look at every possible alternative before you start tinkering with the rules. .. But the so-called option, whatever you call it, is a last resort. I think I may be wrong, but I still think there's going to be some kind of a deal struck where both sides can interpret it the way they want."

MyDD cites a poll that indicates most Americans don't care about the filibuster fight. "I am not saying that this issue is unimportant, but we should remain aware that this is not something voters care about. Whoever "wins" this fight will win on their own, without much fanfare, and with no real electoral implications (except, of course, in the Republican Presidential primaries)."

Ace of Spades HQ links to a story reporting that Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and other Dems have supported changing the rules in the past. "Of course there's been flip-flopping on the issue by both sides. ... But there has been a great deal more flip-flopping on this issue by Democrats. ... Were nominees blocked [under Pres. Clinton]? Yes, but here's the distinction the media seems unable to appreciate: The Republicans were the majority party in the Senate at that time (as they are now)."

Conservative "Patterico" thinks Senate Maj. Leader Bill Frist (R) is taking cues from his blog.

BOLTON: All George

Blogs for Bush agrees with James Taranto in asking how OH Sen. George Voinovich (R) could say that Bolton would be fired from a corporate job if Voinovich had never worked in the private sector.

Beltway Buzz talked to Sen. George Allen (R-VA) about the vote. Allen, on whether a vote will be delayed until before Memorial Day: "When it comes to Bolton, people are going to talk a lot. But if we let him sit out there for weeks, more false accusations are going to come out there. Even when they are shown to be false, it will hurt him. But once we get to his vote, I think we will have the support." Allen, on a possible Dem filibuster: "It is a concern, but I believe if they filibuster, it will be another example of their obstructionist, negative approach. I think there are enough people on their side who are smart enough to know that."

DEMOCRATS: Brutally Frank

Michelle Malkin on Rep. Frank's reaction to Howard Dean at the MA Dem convo: "If he keeps this up, I'm going to have to start calling him the Maverick Barney Frank."

Captain's Quarters notes a Washington Post report that unions were protesting Wal-Mart's involvement in a Cong. Black Caucus fundraiser: "This may well portend a bigger problem for the Democrats as they struggle to hang onto their Left while pursuing the center. If the unions insist on purity -- if they object to every overture made by the Democrats to mainstream business, and especially if they make a public row out of it -- the Democrats may wind up losing them to the Greens or another fringe party on the Left."

Conservative John Hinderaker, on Dem leaders: "Is the current leadership of the Democratic Party an embarrassment, or what? ... Dean and Reid, with their increasingly thuggish conduct, are making Nancy Pelosi look like Winston Churchill. But that's mostly because she's been keeping her mouth shut lately. ... We said not long ago that Howard Dean is a ticking time-bomb for the Democrats. It looks now as though Harry Reid is in the same category."

BLOGGERS VS. BLOGGERS: Love Or Hate, She Got What She Wanted

Outside The Beltway, on The Huffington Post: "The reviews have been mostly negative so far, but the Huffington Post is already at #14 in the The Blogosphere Ecosystem ... . Clearly, the old adage that any publicity is good publicity holds for the blogosphere."

WHITE HOUSE '08: Insight, Or Just Meaningless Buzz?

Blogs for Bush is excited that Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward seems to be floating Cheney's name for consideration for '08. "[H]is negatives are set in stone, much as Hillary Clinton's are. Those who dislike Cheney will continue to dislike Cheney; but as a majority doesn't dislike him, he's got a chance at winning. Woodward, of course, could just be talking to hear himself speak, but he has in the past been able to ferret out bits of inside information....so, how knows? As for me, the Dream Team of 2008 is Cheney/Rice."

President Boxer thinks Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) scored a win debating Sen. Allen on "Hardball." "She really wiped the mat with Allen, including masterful moments such as, when Senator Allen wouldn't stop talking in an attempt to monopolize the time, Senator Boxer said, 'George... You're filibustering me here!'"

PoliPundit notes the Los Angeles Times' story on the impact of reapportionment on the Electoral College: "Add this to the fact that, in 2004, Bush carried 255 House districts, and enough states to elect 62 senators, and its not much fun to be a Democrat politician today."

IN THE STATES: California Scheming

Lefty Marc Cooper, who plans to vote for '01 candidate/city councilor Antonio Villaraigosa (D), writes about a phone message he received from Mayor James Hahn's (D) campaign. "It was quick and to the point. Basically, she said, I shouldn't trust Hahn's rival in this Tuesday's election because he -- Antonio Villaraigosa -- is a Mexican gangbanger who hates Jews. ... The only amazing part about Hahn's raw sewage campaign is that it so closely mirrors the smear he used in 2001 to hose out Antonio. It's not always better the second time around, though. ... His only chance of being re-elected is to depress the voter turn-out so low that only he, his sister, some loyal labor hacks and a few hundred scared white people are the only folks casting ballots."

RedState looks at the GA LG race.

MISCELLANY: Closing On A Down Note

Richard "Bradley" Blow laments at The Huffington Post the potential closing of the Groton sub base: "Working-class towns, New London and Groton live close-to-the-bone already. They depend on this base. Closing it would mean the loss of some 10,000 jobs. The ripple effect would be unemployment, bankruptcies, shuttered stores and restaurants, crime and drugs. ... I hope this decision was made on the merits. The stakes are too high for it to be about politics. If the Groton base closes, people's lives will be devastated, and a proud Connecticut tradition will become only a bittersweet memory."

Pejmanesque has a request to those who criticize the new Star Wars for its supposed critique of US policies: "Perhaps more time should be spent papering over plot holes and enhancing the dialogue and the acting before such tangential issues are considered. Just a thought."

The Philadelphia Inquirer today launched its own blog, Blinq.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Getting The Message

Right Wing News links to an interesting map about the "backlash" to gay marriage decisions.

LEST WE FORGET: From The World Wide Graveyard

We don't know if we're the only ones, but Hotliners this weekend received some spam from an e-mail address on the "clark04.com" domain name, which used to be home to a site promoting Wesley Clark's WH bid. Strangest element? That the text of the e-mail was in German.

Posted by at May 16, 2005 12:03 PM