August 16, 2005
8/16: Mother, Should I Trust The Government?
It may turn out that 2005 will be the Summer of Sheehan -- no matter which side of the increasingly emotional divide one finds themselves, the fact remains that it is an incredibly compelling and unnerving debate. Both sides see the other as insincere at best and hateful at worst; the Blogometer detects a perceptible uptick in the number of four-letter-words we've come across since the plight of Cindy Sheehan came to attention last week. Over the weekend, one conservative blogger drew sharp attacks from the left blogosphere over comments made; yesterday and today another conservative is coming under considerable fire, and this time some conservatives join in.
And yet there are other stories bubbling up which may have a greater impact on news cycles through the end of the year, to say nothing of future elections. For starters, let's take the '06 midterms -- there's tension on the Dem side of TN SEN, and on the GOP side of NY SEN. Iraqi leaders' decision to extend the deadline for signing a constitution has both sides nervous; most on the right prefer that they not rush, but some on the left argue the U.S. itself is doing the pushing. Closer to home, emergency declarations by 2 Dem govs. in the SW have helped bring the sleeper issue of immigration to greater prominence, and the Washington Post possibly averts a blog swarm by withdrawing its support from a Pentagon-led 9/11 event. Meanwhile, 2 previous swarms -- surrounding the Air America and CIA leak investigations -- have now let up considerably, although there's an intriguing turn in the latter story. All that and more below, plus our latest Blogger Spotlight.
SHEEHAN I: Tactical Dilemma
Sheehan's self-described "radicalized" political beliefs have been the staple of GOP commentary since last week, and now some liberals are wondering if they shouldn't change tactics -- not that there's necessarily agreement on what that shoul be.
WSJ's James Taranto has made a point of listing various controversial statements by Sheehan, which he notes the MSM has not covered. One example comes from a 4/05 speech in Berkeley: "I was raised in a country by a public school system that taught us that America was good, that America was just. America has been killing people ... since we first stepped on this continent, we have been responsible for death and destruction. I passed on that bullshit to my son and my son enlisted. I'm going all over the country telling moms: "This country is not worth dying for." Taranto, on the MSM's motives: "They need something to do; they want bylines -- and 'heartbroken everymom' makes for a much more compelling story than 'extremist hatemonger.'" Conservative Lyflines finds more, such as Sheehan saying "we have had hundreds of our children killed to gain control of the oil fields."
Marie at The Left Coaster offers Sheehan some advice on what to say publicly: "You are front and center of a peace movement, but you are not the peace movement. The poignancy of your simple request to help you deal with the pain of losing your son is what gives you power. ... No need for you to try to connect all the dots on the irrational and massive US war machine for your fellow Americans simply because you have airtime. Just nudge them in the direction of questioning their support for the madness in Iraq is enough."
A Daily Kos diarist argues that the left is "making errors" in framing the Sheehan debate. The author argues for various shifts in rhetoric, such as emphasizing her "sacrifice," the "useless" war, and calling the "Camp Casey" Crawford sit a "vigil." More: "We should call her "Mother Sheehan". We should never call her Cindy; I don't know her. "Mother Sheehan" is her title, and expresses her ceremonial status as a bereaved mother, calling forth over the dead body of her son. She is not a person now, she is a mother, which is not an expression of her individuality, but rather the expression of her eternal character: the mother, the bringer of life who has been wronged by state power." 109 comments follow, with many of them hostile to some suggestions. One commenter says the new moniker "makes her sound like an ancient crone in a nursery rhyme." Another proposes "Gold Star Mother Cindy Sheehan."
SHEEHAN II: (Don'tcha Know That She's) Not Their Style? (Ev'rything About Her) Drives Them Wild
That Sheehan husband Patrick Sheehan had filed for divorce (dissolution, actually) was first mentioned yesterday; now it is confirmed, as The Smoking Gun has posted the documents online. The breaking of the news itself is the source of some ethical hand-wringing on the right and considerable outrage on the left.
Michelle Malkin was the first high-profile blogger to publicize the Superior Court records discovered by Dang If I Know -- calling it "Like it or not ... news" -- and it is she who draws most of the attention. Right-leaning John Cole points out that Malkin opposed the New York Times' questions about John Roberts' adoption records, and says: "Knock it off, take down that post, and then apologize. ... Even if you think it 'proves' a point. If it proves anything, it proves that losing a son in war f---s up families. Thanks for the deep insight." Liberal DC Media Girl: "That these wingnuts will say anything and stop at nothing to win, while putting on a great show of taking offense when the shoe is on the other foot. ... Open war on the self-hating racist bitch Michelle Malkin. OPEN. WAR." There's more from liberals Arthur Silber and Crooks and Liars, among others. At a lower volume, conservative The Political Teen agrees that the divorce should not be a public matter. Conservative Daily Polemic defends Malkin, stating that the news was "pretty gosh darn thoroughly and extensively reported throughout the entire MSM yesterday." Late last p.m., Malkin commented on the responses: "Looks like they need their prescriptions filled. Pronto."
Meanwhile, liberal radio talker Taylor Marsh criticizes the 8/15 Taranto column for implying that Time had reported Sheehan's family was "imploding" because of her activism; Time wrote that the Sheehan family was "imploding under its grief" at Casey's loss.
Crooked Timber's Ted Barlow posts a joke e-mail from conservative book editor "Lucianne" to conservative author "Hugh": "I think that we've got a buyer for Unfit To Grieve: The Real Cindy Sheehan. Regnery is already covering their bases with a quickie by Michelle Malkin -- In Defense of Public Stocks. ... We've got the rights to about twenty pages' worth of funny photoshops of Michael Moore, so we can always fall back on that if need be."
SHEEHAN III: Everybody's Got One -- And We'll Show Them To You
L.A. liberal Marc Cooper writes, he is generally not "comfortable giving the relatives of slain soldiers special moral status in dealing with issues of war and peace," but he writes: "The conclusion I have reached is -- to paraphrase Military Genius Don Rumsfeld-- you have to go with the anti-war movement you've got, not the one you'd like to have." More: Pres. Bush "cannot and will not meet with her again because he has nothing left to say to Sheehan nor to anyone else in justifying a war that -- everyday -- seems to be getting worse."
Conservative La Shawn Barber: "I question why people seem to be obsessed with one woman. I couldn't care less whether the left is using her; so what if they are? I think MSM is playing up the Sheehan 'scandal' to distract from more important things, such as" the Air America scandal and Gov. Bill Richardson's (D-NM) declaration of a "border emergency." She adds: "Sheehan pales in comparison."
Right Wing News collects quotations from Sheehan and supporters, including actress Christine Lahti and ex-KKK leader/ex-LA House member/ex-U.S. Sen. candidate/ex-LA Gov. candidate/ex-con David Duke. Soon to be ex-blogger Arthur Chrenkoff rounds up a number of quotes from parents whose children were killed in Iraq, and who support the war. Chrenkoff makes use of a line from Maureen Dowd's 8/10 column, "The moral authority of parents who bury children killed in Iraq is absolute." The term has also been commented upon by Iraq hawks Christopher Hitchens and Taranto.
Liberal Joe Scott , on why Sheehan should have an audience with Bush: "For me, the meaningful part of her protest is that Sheehan's anger toward Bush increased when it became clear to her both that the U.S. had not found any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and evidence that the administration had actively discussed an invasion of Iraq long before the 9/11 terrorist attacks."
BLOGS VS. THE MSM: You Can't Please All Of The People All Of The Time
Although PoliPundit's Lorie Byrd had issues with Newsweek's story about Bush's visit with the families of troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan (see 8/15 Blogometer), the article is generally being praised by conservatives such as Wizbang, The Anchoress and Michelle Malkin as portraying Bush in a positive light. Liberal Steve Soto comments: "As soon as Cindy Sheehan started doing some damage to Bush's image as a wartime leader, we could expect to see this: a story from the mainstream media telling us that Bush really does care..."
IMMIGRATION: It's Been Awhile Since We've Heard Much On This
Western Democrat's Kari Chisolm gives Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) the benefit of the doubt for declaring a "border emergency": "Not that being too subtle can't get you into trouble. But what seems on the surface to be a very brash Red State move is actually a smart Dem move." CAP's Think Progress isn't so sanguine: "While crime and drug smuggling are no doubt serious concerns that need serious consideration, illegal immigration itself is a complex issue, as Richardson should know. Meeting with [Minutemen pres. Chris] Simcox, and thus implicitly legitimating a radical fringe group ... fails to appreciate the nuances."
Conservative Decision '08: "I agree with" AR Gov. Mike Huckabee's (R) decision to support the children of illegal immigrants: "[W]e shouldn't punish children for the lawbreaking of their parents." So does unofficial Mike Huckabee President 2008, who writes: "In a nutshell, Huckabee's stance on illegal immigration is that illegals who are caught should be deported. Period. But if they are not caught, and instead remain here to raise their families, Huckabee's pro-life sentiment drives him to support providing prenatal care for all unborn children -- no questions asked." In AR, a group of illegals had been deported without their children, and are now returning. MHP08: "If you want to guarantee that deportees return to the U.S., separate them from their children."
RedState posts a release from the Club for Growth's endorsement of SEC chair/ex-Rep. Chris Cox's (R-CA 48) replacement candidate, John Campbell, who faces a special election. "Campbell is a solid candidate with a long career in the California legislature. I've no personal experience or knowledge of him, but with the Club's endorsement, it's fair to say he comes highly recommended." In the comments, Allan Bartlett identifies himself as a CA 48 resident and Club member, and directs readers to his Powder Blue Report blog, where he argues that anti-immigration activist Jim Gilchrist is the candidate they need.
PoliPundit's anonymous PoliPundit, a "recent legal immigrant" to the U.S., objects to the WH's immigration plan, and lists 2 "demands": "1. Americans never asked for a massive new guest worker program. Our political leaders should not create one. 2. All illegal immigrants must be deported, and the borders closed to future illegal immigration. ... Over the next few weeks and months, this will become an inceasingly loud debate. We will need to make sure that the beltway establishment hears our outrage." The post collects 220+ comments, which is a lot even for the highly-trafficked PoliPundit.
FREEDOM WALK: Post Drops Out Before Blog Swarm Coalesces?
Fishbowl DC 's Garrett Graff notes that the Washington Post has decided not to sponsor the Pentagon's "Freedom Walk" 9/11 commemoration (see 8/15 Blogometer). He adds: "The article mentions that there were messages circulated internally at the Post yesterday. Anything worthwhile that someone wants to pass along?"
Liberal DCDL notices that the Pentagon's future plans for Freedom Walks may have been revised, as the following passage has been removed from the Pentagon's About the Walk website: "The goal for the 5th anniversary in 2006 is for each state to host a Freedom Walk in order to provide an opportunity for as many citizens as possible to reflect on the importance of freedom."
AMERICAblog, which had raised the issue in several posts over the weekend" "How they ever thought this was a good idea is beyond me..."
SENATE '06 I: Have You Seen Ford Lately?
TN-based ex-MSNBC corr. Sharon Cobb reports that she had an interview set up with TN Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D-NJ), which he then had his spokesperson contact her to "cancel due to something with his family" -- only to her knowledge of his activites, she writes, "he blew me off." She writes, "I don't understand ... how a Congressman running for the US Senate can blatantly be so disrespectful to a group of individuals who want to know what he has to say so they can make an informed choice at the ballot box." She notes that Ford primary opponent/state Sen. Rosalind Kurita (D) scored points at a Democracy for TN forum -- which Ford skipped -- "by saying, 'At least you know I will show up!' Brilliant!" TN-based Team GOP blog touts Kurita's savviness over Ford's.
Marc Crispin Miller posts the audio from a speech delivered by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), in which Comments from Left Field says the new strategy is for DSCC leadership to "choose who will run against vulnerable" GOPers. In a transcribed portion, Schumer says Gov. Ed Rendell (D-PA) "would not run and that [Dems] would not want him to run." PA-based Comments from Left Field calls the 1st announcement "Soviet Politburo tactics" and criticizes Rendell for poor campaign advice.
SENATE '06 II: Married To The Mob?
At his blog, conservative CNBC host Larry Kudlow calls the New York Post's story on Pirro's illegitimate daughter an "ugly story ... the sort of thing that usually comes out in hotly contested political races." Kudlow notes that the GOP is looking again at atty Ed Cox (R) and supports the idea: "[N]o disrespect meant to Pirro here, but Cox is conservative, and he has a huge knowledge base, ... Cox would be a great choice; he isn't hampered either by personal or political problems. Maybe the GOP should take another look." NYC GOPer Robert George : "Pirro has a 'husband problem.' Hillary Clinton does not. It might be different in other parts of the country, but New York voters don't equate a felony conviction on tax fraud charges (Al's problem) with the impeachment of a president (who carried the Empire State quite handily twice). "
Since late last week, Patrick Ruffini has been polling readers about which possible SEN '06 GOPer interests them most -- with nearly 2K votes recorded as of this a.m., Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (WV) leads with 40.6%, followed by Westchester DA Jeanine Pirro (NY) at 23.1% and MD LG Michael Steele at 20%. Voting remains open.
IRAQ: Unconstitutional Crisis
Lefty Middle East prof Juan Cole : "The one-week extension is clever, since it avoids the dissolution of parliament and it keeps the pressure on the various parties to agree. It is not clear, however, what difference a week will make. I suppose they could serially amend the interim constitution to allow further delays, but at some point this procedure will begin to look silly." Earlier, had called it "clearly unconstitutional," to the objection of ex-AP reporter Christopher Allbritton. Lefty Atrios agrees with Albritton.
Right-leaning Charging RINO: "I think the submission of an uncompleted or unsatisfactory draft constitution would have been far worse than extending discussions for a little while longer." Mark Noonan at Blogs for Bush: "Well, the Iraqi's couldn't quite get it together by yesterday on their Constitution...but Americans who's ancestors took 11 years to figure it out really have nothing to say on a week's delay in finishing it up." Liberal Yale prof Jack Balkin : "Why didn't the Iraqi delegates agree on a constitution on time? The answer is simple. The deadline imposed on them was an artificial one imposed from without rather than by the political necessities of Iraq itself."
Whiskey Bar's Billmon, on JCS Richard Meyers' request that unreleased Abu Ghraib photos stay that way: "But surely Gen. Myers understands that while shots of helpless little boys being anally raped don't exactly meet local community standards (either here or in Iraq) the Freedom of Information Act doesn't have an obscenity exemption. Or a stupidity exemption, which would have left Myers, not to mention his boss, completely in the clear."
ROVE-PLAME-MILLER: Is Arianna The Only Reporter On This Beat?
Liberal Arianna Huffington files her latest installment of "The Judy File": U.N. Amb. John Bolton, while blowing off most reporters, "apparently has a warm spot in his heart for at least one journalist: none other than Judy Miller. According to a trusted Judy File source, Bolton recently took time out of his busy schedule to pay a jailhouse visit to Judy. No word on what they talked about. ... Just two potential Plamegate sources shooting the breeze." Wonkette's Ana Marie Cox attempted to debunk the story, but later was forced to admit that she "called the wrong jail."
AIR AMERICA: If The Fitzgerald Case Will Just Have To Work Itself Out, Shouldn't That Standard Apply Here, Too?
Radio Equalizer's Brian Maloney obtains what appears to be a memo from Air America host Randi Rhodes making "demandes" on the ownership, including a private jet so she can fly down and do her show live from Crawford. Maloney suggests Air America is counting on the Sheehan story to deflect attention from the radio org's legal/financial woes. Power Line's Scott Johnson reports back on his efforts to get the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (a frequent adversary) to cover the "local angle" -- "putative" MN SEN candidate Al Franken (D): "Last week the Minneapolis Star Tribune had a reporter working" on it, and "I had heard on the grapevine that the story would come out on Saturday. As the lady said on Saturday Night Live, "Never mind." Instead, the Strib ran the NYT's "lame" version.
INTRODUCING: Let's Get Funky
- MyDD founder Jerome Armstrong, who has been collaborating on a book about the future of the Dem Party with Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas, announces that the "working title is Donkey Fall, and the subtitle is something like, How to get the Democratic Party moving again (or, giving the ass a good kick in the ass)." Armstrong provides "the skinny" on what the book is precisely about.
- Less than a week after the rollout of Power Line News, right-trending Charles Johnson at Little Green Footballs announces the "new and improved" LGF News. The rather attractive site (the Blogometer is reminded of The Onion) has 3 tall, tall columns, each filled with RSS headlines and short blurbs. The top 3 columns are, R to L -- "BBC: Front Page"; "WaPo: Front Page"; "Yahoo: Middle East"; above that are links to MSM websites and a search form for Yahoo and Wired News.
- Rude Pundit blogger Lee Papa show made the front page of the New York Times' Art Section this a.m. Reviews are posted to his show-based The Year of Living Rudely blog. NYC culture blog Gothamist "found much of the show quite funny as well as interesting politically, but we didn't get so much more out of it than simply reading Papa's blog."
- RedState announces NAM exec/blogger Pat Cleary will join the RedState collective as an occasional contributor.
BLOGGER SPOTLIGHT: Winger
Today the Blogometer talks to righty John Hawkins, who blogs at Right Wing News and maintains the website Conservative Grapevine.
What is your full name?
John David Hawkins
What is your age?
34
Where did you grow up?
In the sleepy little town of Stoneville, NC -- Population 1000 -- Yee-Ha!
Where do you live now?
Recently, I moved to the North Carolina coast from Charlotte, North Carolina. I know that's a little vague, but I like having my privacy.
What is your occupation? Have you ever worked on a political campaign or for the mainstream media?
If all went well, I was planning to go full-time on my blog at the end of 2005. Unfortunately, all didn't go well, I was laid off from my job doing technical support, and since then I've been trying to build up my traffic and look for another gig. If I can get just a little bigger, I'll feel comfortable going full-time on my blogs, but in the interim, if there's anyone out there looking to shower some dough on a conservative writer, feel free to drop me a line. All of us members of the VRWC need to look out for each other.
As to the other part of the question, I've never worked for the media, but I did work on a few North Carolina Republican campaigns way back in 1990. However, after coming to the conclusion that politics was a dirty business after getting to see some of the backstage shenanigans going on (which in retrospect, seem pretty tame), I lost interest in doing anything political for about a decade.
When did you start blogging and why?
As I was watching the Election 2000 debacle in Florida, I became so aggravated with the pro-Gore bias of the media that I decided to start my own website to help present a conservative viewpoint. The breaking point for me was when I was watching a show on CNN and an emailed comment from a listener came in suggesting that "Bush should concede." I made a decision then and a few months later, Right Wing News went live.
What has been your favorite post, or favorite story to write about, in that time?
That's more than 4 1/2 years worth of my material, but my all time favorite post is probably Confessions Of An Isolationist Wannabe.
It had my name stripped off of it and floated around the net as one of the emails people send their friends and David Frum even quoted from it in a column in the Daily Telegraph. All in all, it was a fun piece.
Describe your typical blogging schedule. And what is your average output?
On a typical Sun-Fri, I probably work 3-4 hours a day compiling the daily news section on RWN and the posts at Conservative Grapevine. On top of that, I usually put in another 4-8 hours writing. So typically I put in 8-12 hours a day, 6 days a week and pump out something like a thousand plus words and 35+ links per day M-F.
Who is your favorite political blogger? Favorite non-political blogger?
Michelle Malkin is my fave political blogger. She puts out a lot of material, she hits a lot of topics that have been missed elsewhere, and she often has a unique take on the material she's covering. Quite frankly, I'm amazed she has time to do it all in between her columns, filling in on Fox, writing books, and taking care of her kids. She's a very talented, talented person.
Non-political? I don't read that many non-political blogs, but Joyce from Transcended.net is the best read for me mainly because she reminds me of a lot of girls I knew in college. Plus, just look at her -- ouch -- is she hot.
Who is your favorite mainstream media columnist?
Mark Steyn is heads and tails above everybody else. Not only is he an incredible writer, he has a way of making incisive points about the hot topic of the day that everyone else seems to be missing. Steyn is the Mark Twain of conservative punditry.
What is your favorite television news program, either network or cable?
Truthfully, television news shows don't do much for me. They repeat so much information and I -- so -- could not care less about the kidnap-victim-of-the-day stories and hot-celebrity-trial gossip that seem to dominate so many of those shows. But, if I had to pick one, I'd go with Joe Scarborough, who'd be a big star if he'd leave MSNBC and go to Fox.
What MSM-produced websites (i.e. newspapers, magazines) do you visit on a daily basis?
While I end up hitting a lot of the biggies daily -- Fox, the WaPo, the NYT, etc. -- it's only because they're linked by a blog or website that I frequent. None of them are bookmarks for me.
What non-MSM websites (i.e. blogs) do you visit on a daily basis?
There are way, way, way too many to list. I regularly hit 90+ blogs and about 15 websites Sun-Thurs. If I had to pick 7 faves, they'd probably be Drudge Report, Lucianne, RealClearPolitics, Michelle Malkin, The Corner, Instapundit, & Polipundit.
How often, or do you ever, read a newspaper in its dead-tree (i.e. print) form?
The only reason I ever touch a dead-tree paper these days is to look at the classifieds. Local news and sports don't interest me that much and papers can't compete with online publications when it comes to delivering political news.
How do you see the new media and old media affecting and influencing each other in the next five years?
The new media will continue to make a larger and larger impact as our audiences grow -- and the number of eyeballs reading us will continue to expand. Over time, I expect the old media to push back against the encroachment of the blogosphere with more hit pieces, with limited calls for regulation, and on a happier note (at least from a blogger's perspective), I look for them to start buying us out.
THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Unless the IL GOP Can Get Its Act Together By '08 ...
At Volokh Conspiracy, Northwestern prof Jim Lindgren says he usually votes Dem at the state level, but comments on the Jonathan Turley-Dick Durbin controversy: "[O]ne of my Democratic senators that I do not plan to vote for is Durbin. ... Durbin's offensive grilling of Viet Dinh was the first strike. His comments on Gitmo, for which he gave only a limited apology, were the second. Now, unless there is some reason to doubt Turley's account, this is the third strike. It is true that lawyers and politicians are two groups in society not noted for honesty, but if Durbin adopts a tone of moral superiority in his questioning of John Roberts in the Judiciary hearings, it will be interesting to watch whether Durbin can pull it off with a straight face."
LEST WE FORGET: Separated At Birth?
Sharp as a Marble sets the record straight: "Because of the sheer number of posts regarding Cindy Sheehan and some confusion that has followed, I figured I should point something out. Cindy Sheehan is no relation to Billy Sheehan . Which is which? One has throngs of screaming fans, a burning desire to make it big on the stage, and whose eccentric behavior could easily be attributed to the stresses of instant popularity. The other is a former bass player for Mr. Big."
Posted by at August 16, 2005 12:00 PM
The Watergate · 600 New Hampshire Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20037
202-739-8400 · fax 202-833-8069
NationalJournal.com is an Atlantic Media publication.
