August 25, 2005

8/25: Isn't It Labor Day Yet?

Note: Because The Hotline is is taking off Fridays in August, the next edition of the Blogometer will be posted on Monday the 29th.

Pres. Bush takes a hammering in these last 24 hours, arguably more so than in recent weeks. Liberal blogs have criticized his Iraq strategy as adrift or worse for nearly 2 years now, but the generally-acknowledged unease about the war's progress -- the uncertain Iraqi constitution, Bush's basement-dwelling poll numbers, Cindy Sheehan's widely-covered protest in Crawford -- gives them more confidence, perhaps more cohesiveness, and certainly a more receptive audience. Meanwhile, conservative bloggers seem to be having more doubts, or at least are feeling more comfortable expressing them, than in months past. While plenty are willing to attribute this to the doldrums of the late summer news cycle or the temporary confusion over the unresolved constitution, no one can say for sure what this will mean in 2 months, let alone 2 weeks. The liberal blogs hope to sustain the momentum they've picked up; conservatives hope that Iraq -- and Bush's approval rating -- starts looking up.

In other news, or what there is of it, the Pat Robertson flap is sticking around for another day, one liberal lays out a sweeping strategy for the anti-war movement; one conservative argues the libertarian nature of many blogs hurts its WH'08 predictions, plus a few WH and GOV rumblings rate mention. What's not news? The CIA leak probe, Able Danger, the SCOTUS nod of Judge John Roberts, and pretty much everything else.

BUSH: Are You There, Competence? It's Me, Margaret

At his NRO blog, ex-Bush speechwriter David Frum argues that Bush is using his bully pulpit "very badly indeed." For example, Bush "will agree to give what is advertised in advance as a major speech. An important venue will be chosen. A crowd of thousands will be gathered. The networks will all be invited. And after these elaborate preparations, the president says ... nothing that he has not said a hundred times before." Frum also makes the point: "Supporters of the war can argue that the public is mistaken, overly influenced by biased news reporting. Yes, yes. But mistaken public opinion is just as powerful as sound public opinion."

Bush-supporting conservative The Anchoress writes, she's "gettin' antsy": "Does anyone remember April and May of 2005? And the months preceding them? The Orange Revolution? The Arab Springtime? The Cedar Revolution of Lebanon -- all of them seeming to have a fire lit under them, a wonderful fire of liberty. It's very troubling. Worrying. People seem to be running out of energy here, and W is simply not rallying them ... The momentum has stopped. Everything has come to a screeching halt. Is there something he's not telling us?" On a more optimistic note, she adds, "he always comes back from his August vacation with a surprise, with something unexpected. ... I hope I see something, come September. I really hope so."

Liberal BOPnews' Stirling Newberry: "Bush is one more upward bounce of gas prices from being in the depths of his Presidency. This is where most Presidents are in the second year of their first term: they've put an economic plan in place, they don't have much more wiggle room, and it is just going to take time to work. However, Bush isn't near the beginning of his economic cycle -- he's near the peak of it. If people aren't happy now, they aren't going to be getting any happier any time soon."

IRAQ I: We Went Through Hell ... Just To Get To Hell?

Lefty Needlenose poses the rhetorical question, just how "brazen a liar" is Bush re: our Iraq commitment? A 6/19 John Burns NYT story quotes a "senior Marine officer" in DC saying: "Look for covering phrases like 'We need to start letting the Iraqis stand on their own feet, and that isn't going to happen until we start drawing down.'" Needlenose finds an 8/24 Financial Times story reporting that "significant numbers" of U.S. troops will be withdrawn over the coming 12 months, and quoting a Centcom official saying: "We believe at some point, in order to break this dependence on the ... coalition, you simply have to back off and let the Iraqis step forward." Needlenose connects the dots: "It's only been two months, and we're already hearing those 'covering phrases,' even as the president lies ever more frantically to distract the public."

Righty Wizbang guest-blogger Rob Port, of Say Anything, takes a different approach to the FT report: "Excellent news. I never understand why stories like these don't get more attention. While the anti-war left demands that the troops be brought home there is light at the end of the tunnel in Iraq." Pro-war but recently-skeptical Belgravia Dispatch comments on same: "The President today gave another hard-hitting 'stay the course' speech. But there continues to be a sense of drift and muddle on the future direction of Iraq policy. I wonder if this explains some of the downward movement in the polls?" Hullabaloo's liberal Digby, on Bush's speeches and travel: "He must be thrilled to be back in the saddle, running for president, which is the only thing he knows how to do."

Iraqi blog The Mesopotamian: "There are rumors in the air about an impending massive terrorist campaign -- massive number of car bomb attacks, mortar attacks, and sabotage of the basic services, water, electricity etc. This threat of possible escalation must be taken seriously; because in the present situation on the ground it is not difficult to carry out ... Although we don't like to compare with Vietnam but it is Tet-Offensive style of thinking." Conservative Junk Yard Blog considers the possibility: "On the one hand, attempting a Tet might result in catastrophic losses for the enemy, which would be to the good. But on the other hand, such a broad and lethal series of attacks would probably kick up the anti-war movement here and dishearten our allies in Iraq."

Bush critic Peter Galbraith was quoted in the latest David Brooks NYT column praising the Iraqi constitution. Liberal Daily Kos' Armando: "Galbraith may think this is a good deal for the Sunni, and maybe it is, but it is pretty clear the Sunni don't. And excuse me Mr. Galbraith, on this their opinion matters a whole hell of lot more than yours. Cuz they are the ones who might bring the violence, not intelligent rational you. Sheesh." Conservative JustOneMinute is skeptical as well.

IRAQ II: The War At Home

Liberal Street Fighter: "The new antiwar movement is no mirage," but the "impact of Camp Casey may yet prove to be a blip if antiwar activists fail to develop strategic principles to guide our action." Therefore LSF introduces a planned series of posts starting with "The Antiwar Pragmatist, Part I" where the "primary" goal is to "End the US military occupation of Iraq." Toward that end, LSF lists 6 intermed. goals, including: "Provide means of meaningful political interaction between progressives and the half of America that is politically disengaged/disenchanted/disempowered." LSF then assesses the "Current Orientation of Forces," including "Bushco," the Dem Party, the "antiwar movement," "general public" and "netroots." One tangible suggestion: "[W]hat if thousands of us each sent a pen to the Rummy. ... Saul Alinsky's first rule of tactics is this: Power is not only what you have, but what your opponent thinks you have. 10,000 pens in the Pentagon mailroom would be an awful lot of 'thinks we have' in DC."

Michelle Malkin, Ace of Spades and others post video stills from a report by KOMO-TV in Seattle from a 7/31 incident in which 2 Iraq vets were beaten unconscious by attackers who had allegedly "groped" their dates at a nightclub. Police have released certain images, hoping to identify the men. Ace: "Let's John Walsh 'em."

SHEEHAN I: On Hallowed Ground

As of late last p.m., Cindy Sheehan is back in Crawford, TX.

Liberal blogger/radio talker Brad Friedman went live with a special edition of his show last p.m. to provide "uninterrupted coverage" of the Joan Baez concert and Sheehan's return: "Following Joan Baez' performance, Cindy Sheehan made her first public statements since returning to Camp Casey in Crawford, TX. She spoke about the media attacks on her, and at length about Casey. Both moving and at times, funny." Friedman has posted the show as an MP3.

At NRO's The Buzz, Eric Pfeiffer reports from the scene of "Camp Casey II," the larger campsite that has gone up in the time Sheehan was gone: "It was an emotional moment for the protesters and Ms. Sheehan. About 10 supporters encircled Sheehan quite literally fanning her with protest signs, while others brought her catered food and refreshments. ... After having a bite to eat, Sheehan joked with her supporters, mocking the Bush supporters standing outside 'Camp Casey II.'" He posts photos of a smiling Sheehan, and adds: "Most of the photos I have seen in the media today reflect the moment where Sheehan was crying. I do think this is somewhat misleading. While she is certainly entitled to her grief, most of the scene was quite jovial, which is not reflected in the mainstream media's coverage." Earlier in the day, Pfeiffer posted photos and narration of scenes from around the Crawford campsite.

Liberal BrainShrub reports on the pro-Bush "Camp Reality" nearby: "I've noticed that the conservatives on the other side of the ditch are losing the terminology they have used to justify their agenda. They no longer use 'We support our troops' without the caveat 'and President Bush.' I've noticed that the flag waving has subsided a bit, and they've started using the Presidential Seal a lot. There are more crosses and Jesus references than ever, it's as if they have realized that patriotism is no longer their exclusive domain, so they are retreating to the fundamentalism where they know they are safe."

SHEEHAN II: The Legacy Project

Conservative milblog Blackfive posts a short bio of Casey Sheehan, including a summary of the events that led to his death, and lists the names of other U.S. soldiers killed along with him, on the Palm Sunday he died. Title of post: "Army Specialist Casey Sheehan -- Someone You Should (Have) Know(n)." The Great Satan quotes Sheehan saying of her son, "he's always going to be my hero, and I'm not going to let anyone exploit and call him a hero because he was a war victim." TGS responds: "No one that is except myself. Is that right? ... He joined the military out of integrity. He re-enlisted out of integrity, and volunteered for a rescue mission out of integrity, yet you want to play him as a victim?" More: "I can't speak for all veterans, I can't speak for Casey Sheehan, but I can speak for myself when I say there is no other greater honor than to be buried in your uniform, with a military ceremony. This noble gesture is something that the 'anti-war' zealots loathe..."

For awhile we've been noting Sheehan's updates at various locations, without much rhyme or reason. Yet clearly her letters are being hosted on multiple sites at a time; while we can't say the following list is exhaustive, we can say definitively that her latest, "Camp Casey, Day 18" is hosted at Daily Kos, the Huffington Post, Truthout, and Michael Moore's site. Conservative Politicalities responds to her latest message in the form of a point-by-point commentary on an AP story. Politicalities congratulates her on "learning the art of the fisk," then proceeds to fisk her. Politicalities, on Sheehan addressing Bush as "George": "Just go ahead and address him as Chimpy McBushitler; you know you want to."

AMERICAblog: "Interesting that Bush and the White House had to make major travel and logisticial arrangements so he could travel to Utah and Idaho basically just to bad-mouth Cindy Sheehan. All he has to do is walk down the road and he could talk to her face to face. ... It's really creepy that he has gone to such lengths to trash the woman. Major presidential speeches in the reddest of red states. Amazing, but not surprising that the MSM lets him get away with this crap."

WHITE HOUSE '08: Why The Blogosphere Won't Predict The '08 Nominees

Conservative Ankle Biting Pundits reported on 8/24, "a high level GOP source" said Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) "is privately meeting with his top advisors and political contributors to discuss the prospects of an independent bid" for WH'08.

Mike Huckabee President 2008 reports, AR Gov. Mike Huckabee (R), "already scheduled to be the keynote speaker at New Hampshire's largest GOP gathering this weekend, has agreed to fill in at another GOP event after Governor Mitt Romney abruptly cancelled. ... Folks, I can tell you now that Mike Huckabee will charm the pants off of these people and he will make the most of this opportunity."

NYC conservative Karol Sheinin argues that neither the Dem-oriented straw polls at Daily Kos and MyDD nor the GOP one by Patrick Ruffini are useful predictors of the '08 primary elections. Ret. Gen. Wesley Clark tops both Dem polls; ex-NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Sec/State Condoleezza Rice top Ruffini's. But none of them have "anything resembling a prayer to win." To start, "the blogosphere is ... much more libertarian that the general population." Giuliani is pro-choice, pro-gay marriage and "on his third marriage," while Rice has never run for office, is single, and "no woman, much less a black one," is viable. She also opines that conservatives lean toward Giuliani and Rice because they "like and support them," whereas the left "seems to have chosen Clark for the same 'winnable' reasons they chose Kerry the last time around."

MIDTERMS '06: Coleen All Cars!

At Talking Points Memo, guest Michael Crowley notes that "Sheehan-aligned" FBI whistleblower/House candidate Coleen Rowley (D) seems to advocate a "pronto" withdrawal from Iraq, and considering her opponent is "Establishment Man" Rep. John Kline (R), the race "promises to be an intense culturo-political flashpoint." He writes: "The caliber of Rowley's political skills remains to be seen. But Republicans like Kline must be in a cold sweat over the war, and over Bush's flailing attempts to shore up public opinion."

IN THE STATES: Why Exactly Does Weld Want To Be Gov Again?

Fired Up! Missouri reports, MO Gov. Matt Blunt (R) is "scrambling to cover his own lawbreaking tracks" after the MO Ethics Commis. "found probable cause to believe that Blunt accepted and did not report an illegal in-kind contribution from" Hwy Commish Mike Kehoe. Since July, Blunt has tried to "dodge the ethics case" by making 2 payments to Kehoe, but the Ethics Commis. nevertheless recommended the case to the MO AG. With OH Gov. Bob Taft (R) having just pled no contest to similar charges, "just yesterday, Blunt quietly amended his ethics reports for a third time and made another" $6.7K payment to Kehoe.

The Moderate Voice's Joe Gandelman, who supported now-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA) in the '03 recall campaign, now looks at a Los Angeles Times story reporting that Schwarzenegger's $6K/mo. Sactown hotel suite is paid by a lobbying interest; gov. spokesperson Rob Stutzman explains the money is disclosed and "pays little attention to who donates," "in any case." Gandelman isn't impressed: "That won't be a good enough explanation for the independents and moderates who supported him who didn't want to keep the existing incompetent and fund-raising-crazy Democratic administration in power. ... You don't hear much anymore about changing the constitution so foreign born American residents can run for President, do you?" Schwarzenegger was a guest on Hugh Hewitt's nat'lly syndicated radio show yesterday; the transcript is available at Radio Blogger.

MA-based Soxblog writes, although "not an admirer" of ex-Gov. Bill Weld (R), he predicts Weld's "quixotic quest will be successful," and he will defeat AG Eliot Spitzer (D) for NY GOV. While Weld was "mostly as unprincipled a politician as you could find, he did amass a solid record in two areas: He ardently opposed taxes and he ardently supported progressive social issues." Plus, Weld also has a "thick rolodex" and he "understands" something important: "Spitzer is a little bit creepy. There's something about his headline chasing and Javert-like intensity that will likely unnerve the electorate in a high profile and competitive race."

BLOGS VS. THE MSM: You Stay Classy, Cable News

NRO's Media Blog keeps tabs on the latest contretemps between CNN and FNC, with an assist from TV Newser, which points out that CNNHN has started showing "lowbrow" FNC-style car chases. Media Blog's Stephen Spruiell sums up: "Last summer when I saw 'Anchorman' for the first time, I could only dream that one day, real anchormen like 'Wolf' Blitzer and 'Shepard' Smith would battle it out in the streets, like men. Today, that dream is one step closer to reality."

ROBERTSON: Only In August Would This Be A Three-Day Story

Robertson's remarks continue to be a popular story. Memeorandum-ish algorithm-based blog aggregator Unpartisan counts "32 News Stories, 69 Liberal Blogs, 24 Conservative Blogs" for Robertson's apology since 8:00 p.m. last night. As a testament to the Robertson story as well as the fact that nothing else is going on, its #2 headline is about his initial remarks, from the night earlier, counting "25 News Stories, 34 Liberal Blogs, 13 Conservative Blogs."

• And at Ragged Thots, conservative Robert George noted the irony of Jesse Jackson passing judgment on Robertson, asking: "Would sending both reverends to Cuba to hash out Caribbean basin policy be a violation of the embargo? I mean -- assuming that they have to stay there?"
• Earlier in the day, Robertson drew skepticism by trying to explain that "take him out" didn't have to mean "assassinate." Liberal DC Media Girl asks, "why can't our liberal media call this man an 'extremist cleric'? I think he's worked hard for that upgrade."

9/11: Thankless Work If You Can Get It, And You Can Get It If You Try

Captain's Quarters' Ed Morrissey takes issue with the 9/11 Commis.'s timeline for Mohammed Atta, and "the trip to Spain that Atta undertook" in 7/01" "creates new problems," and addresses complicated, disputed speculation about Atta's whereabouts. He writes: "It also highlights the real possibility that Iraqi intelligence had connections to the plot and the plotters in at least some support capacities."

THE MARCH OF BLOGS: Get It? No? Still Searching For A Better Slug Than 'Blog News In Brief' ...

We noted a milestone of sorts last week when DC Mayor Anthony Williams started his own blog on his city website. But then last a.m., the Washington Post reported that Williams had not updated the page since his initial entry, and the 40+ commenters were getting restless. Post header: "Mayor Punctuates His New Blog With Silence." Williams was spurred to add his latest entry, which makes multiple references to Yoda and addresses his readers' concerns. After that post went live, the AP wrote a follow-up.

• News to us: The Christian Coalition has a blog. It has multiple contributors, covers various DC issues, and has RSS and trackbacks but has not enabled comments.
• Also new: Peter Daou, creator of Salon's blog-watch, The Daou Report, launches News Unfiltered; it hosts press releases courtesy the U.S. Newswire. The blogroll includes "Blogs of the Left," "Blogs of the Right," and "Blogs of the Middle & More."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Questions Without Ready Answers

Steven Den Beste, author of the late, great, much-lamented USS Clueless, wrote in 4/03 about Iraqis: "We won't make them into copies of us. (We couldn't if we tried, and we don't really want to anyway.) But we must now use our control over Iraq to implement Arab Civilization 2.0. By creating a prosperous, democratic, secular, liberalized nation there, we now can show the Arabs by example what is wrong with their culture which seems to give them 'failure after failure after failure,' by showing them an alternative which is more successful, and showing them that example in an Arab nation." Conservative Daily Pundit's Bill Quick quotes this and asks: "Is this what we have accomplished with the new, federalized, tripartite, Shia-dominated, oil-dependent Iraq? Is this the ideological, religious, and economic model that will shake the Sunni world to its core, while at the same time shattering the towers of Shiite Iran and defeating the Saudi Wahhabist wellsprings of terror? A prosperous, democratic, secular, liberal Iraq? Is this what we're creating today? Really?"

LEST WE FORGET: ... The Aristocrats!

Well, it's not that obscene. But tread carefully as you read the latest post at The Gaping Maw, a blog run by "Scott" -- Maxim UK editor/Huffington Post contributor Greg Gutfeld's "roommate" -- who finds out the awful truth: "Please sit down, if you aren't already seated. My Greggie is STRAIGHT! Straight, unlike his manhood. And married. Married? To a woman no less." Scott sadly changes the "About" line on the blog to "Formerly the official unofficial Greg Gutfeld fan blog," and announces a new subject is needed. The Blogometer suspects this may be the last entry.

On a marginally less-ribald note, at the Huffington Post, Max Blumenthal's latest attack on Christopher Hitchens compares Hitchens' recent Slate articles to S&M: "Reading Hitchens' attempted take-down of Sheehan was to watch him wander into his own, personal intellectual leather dungeon, lie on his back, and surrender his soft belly to the sharpened stilleto heel of a peacenik dominatrix he fabricated in the liquidized recesses of his mind."

All right, that's quite enough.

Posted by at August 25, 2005 12:35 PM