February 14, 2006
2/14: Cut And (Not) Run
Today's edition focuses on the end of a candidacy made possible by liberal bloggers, a blog swarm around a major figure that might become bigger news because of conservative bloggers and further reaction to and speculation about a major weekend incident by bloggers of all political stripes. Plus, we present our latest Blogger Spotlight.
'05 OH-02 special candidate/Iraq vet Paul Hackett (D) told the New York Times 2/13 that he'd drop out of the Dem primary "as a result of pressure from party leaders." Hackett, who says he will not challenge Rep. Jean Schmidt (R) in OH 02 again, was not the only OH Dem to depart an OH primary 2/13. Ex-SEN/GOV candidate Eric Fingerhut did, too -- but the energy was always around Hackett, whose candidacies have been closely followed -- and debated -- in the lefty blogosphere.
Hackett had just taken up residence at TPMCafe's Table for One -- a page for special guests (usually pols) to blog for a week. His somewhat lengthy opening entry gives his background and concludes: "Let's settle for nothing less than excellence for this great nation. Lets make real change, right now. Please join our team and support our fight." The pol to last hold down the fort at Table for One was none other than Rep. Sherrod Brown (D), now unopposed for the chance to take on Sen. Mike DeWine (R) 11/7. 
Hackett's latest post at TPMCafe announces his withdrawal from the race. Buckeye Senate Blog created a post for readers to send messages to Hackett: "He worked damn hard these last few months. Leave your comments, I'm sure he reads them."
Pro-Hackett Ohio 2nd: "I hope they know what they are doing, because I don't. ... It's been a good run. For a while I was proud to be an Ohio Democrat." Many people in a thread at MyDD are upset, but another adds: "Hackett read too many of his own clippings. The fact that the guy ran one close race doesn't put him above the party." Ezra Klein: "I did think Sherrod Brown the stronger candidate, but Hackett had the makings of a genuine star in a party all too devoid of luminescence." Tim Russo, at Brewed Fresh Daily: "I've never voted Republican, and never will. But I will not raise a single finger to help this ODP ticket, along with so many others; newcomers who've seen their energy ignored and ridiculed, veterans who've warned against the inevitable every step of the way, and the old timers who just can't take anymore. ... The GOP will be laughing all the way to the halls of power. Again. And my party's 'leaders' will have themselves to thank for it. Again." At Huffington Post, ex-Sen./WH candidate Gary Hart (D-CO) calls pressure to force Hackett out "deplorable."
DavidNYC hopes these feelings will be short-lived: "I was a big Dean supporter during the primaries, and when he lost, I was seriously bummed. But I took a week, got over it, and then got right behind John Kerry." Markos Moulitsas: "To be clear -- Hackett didn't stand a chance [in the primary]. He had a tenth of Brown's money, and that was before party people allegedly tried to stop Hackett's donors from giving. His field operation in the special election was literally put together and implemented by Dan Lucas. Who is Dan Lucas? Sherrod Brown's campaign manager. Hackett's netroots effort in the special election was put together by Tim Tagaris. And while Tim is now at the DNC, he helped put together Brown's netroots operation. So it was Brown's people who helped put together the nuts and bolts of Hackett's special election campaign, and they were now working for their boss -- Sherrod Brown."
Captain's Quarters: "Hackett found out a little late that Democrats only pay lip service to veterans and the concerns of national security. I wonder how many of these veterans will stand by and watch their peer get pushed under the bus."
Completely overshadowed by the Cheney incident, but still of note in the right blogosphere, is the news that this weekend ex-VP Gore denounced the post-9/11 treatment of Arabs at a conf. in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Conservative bloggers are none too happy with him; as far as we know it hasn't rated a mention among any of the top liberal bloggers.
Power Line: "The adage that "politics stops at the water's edge" has apparently long since been laid to rest. At the least, we need a new adage counseling American politicians not to defame their country or grovel before the potentates of the homeland of many of America's enemies." The Moderate Voice concurs: "Just when former Vice President Al Gore seemed to be re-carving a niche for himself as an outspoken, blunt political critic of the Bush administration he forgot a key rule of real estate: 'Location, location, location.'
TigerHawk addresses Gore's focus on stricter handling of U.S. visas: "Substantively, the idea that cracking down on Saudi visa applications is 'playing into al Qaeda's hands' is laughable. Had we scrutinized Saudi visas a little more carefully in 2001, thousands of Americans who died on September 11 that year might well have lived." More: "Supposing that some Saudis were inclined to be angry over the American visa policy, won't they be more angry after Al Gore has told them that they're being humiliated? How is that helpful?" Rightwing Nuthouse: "Were Arabs detained following 9/11? Why yes they were. According to this Arab-American website, the number could have been 1200, with 725 held on immigration violations, another 100 held for unrelated criminal charges, and 360 detained for possible links to terrorism. And according to the US Census Bureau, there are about 3 million Arab Americans in the United States. Some kind of 'indiscriminate roundup' eh?"
Ankle Biting Pundits says this can't help Dems: "I've often said that one area in which Democrats could get to the President's "right" on national security was on Saudi Arabia, who the current administration, as well as past administrations, have treated as a friend, when in fact they are the opposite. Only Al Gore, in the alternative universe he lives in, could imagine that a majority of Americans think it's a mistake to be more strict with the Saudis and the attempts of its citizens to enter the country." The Strata-Sphere labels Gore the "Symbol of the Democrats."
At The Corner, Tim Graham lists the number of stories the Washington Post has run on the Cheney incident, and compares: "Anything on Al Gore's America-bashing speech in Saudi Arabia? Not in the paper, yesterday or today."
CHENEY: Blog First, Ask Questions Later
Aside from the combative exchanges between WH spokesperson Scott McClellan and the WH press corps, there aren't any new developments in the Cheney incident. But rather than fade away as many stories do, this remains a major topic of speculation -- about what developments may come and about Cheney's future specifically.
Daily Kos: "The Cheney shooting story isn't about to die down. I predict that the press is going to run with this story for days, if not weeks -- and it has very little to do with the possibility of Cheney's being drunk, or with the 18 hour delay, or anything else. And this story is going to be much bigger than what we've seen so far in the White House Press Briefings. It's because this story is a perfect metaphor for this administration's foreign and domestic policy." The post re-tells the Cheney story, hyper-linking phrases to seemingly analogous events primarily based around the Iraq war. Joe Gandelman also thinks the story will stick around: "All kinds of (largely-unsubstantiated) theories abound. But one thing is NOT a theory: President Dick Cheney's decisions have provided the Bush administration with some of the biggest headaches during its time in office. ... Even before this incident the periodic question has surfaced: will Cheney end his term?" Marshall Wittmann, DLCer and ex-McCain aide, wonders the same thing: "We have assumed that there will no incumbent Vice President running on the Republican side in '08. That may not be the case -- the President may very well select his favored successor before the '08 Presidential primaries."
At TPMCafe, TX native and proud hunter Paul Begala rebukes Cheney for being careless and the post-shooting spin operation as well. He clarifies: "When you hit a man with a 28 gauge (likely 7 and a half shot) and land him in intensive care, you have not 'sprayed' him. You've shot him." At TNR's The Plank, Michael Crowley dissects McClellan's answers at the 2/13 gaggle, then adds: "Tomorrow's Talking Points Today!: How long before the Drudge Report links to an old story about some Democrat's forgotten hunting accident? ("FLASH: DEMOCRATIC SENATOR ACCIDENTALLY SHOT COLLEAGUE IN 1999.") The over-under is 10 a.m. tomorrow."
RedState addresses the Cheney-obsessed press: "In your whining about this story and pumping rumors of conspiracy, cover up, and delay, you show your true colors and your true immaturity in your ability to properly put news in perspective. You, particularly you the White House press corps, once dared mock the National Enquirer for running the Monica Lewinsky story. You now pursue every story, regardless of its significance, like the National Enquirer for fear it might again trump you on something." Lorie Byrd, on David Gregory at the presser: "He did not even resemble a real reporter. Instead of asking real questions, he spent more time doing one of those silly little attempts at stand up comedy that he does on the Don Imus show."
In response to the furor, conservative bloggers Matt Margolis and Ian Schwartz have teamed up to sell bumpers stickers that read: "I'd Rather Hunt With Dick Cheney Than Ride With Ted Kennedy."
BLOGS VS. THE MSM: There Is No Dana, Only Zuul
Michelle Malkin posts a screen capture and video of Washington Post's Dana Milbank wearing hunting gear on "Olbermann" last p.m., and encourages readers to e-mail the Post's ombudsman. Via Malkin, a number of conservative bloggers post the image and second Malkin's complaint. Andrew Sullivan: "Just when you think the vice-president has created a p.r. disaster nothing could detract from, you come across a picture like this."
Watchdog group Media Matters has a report out highlighting the fact that guests on the Sunday morning news shows favor conservatives. A number of liberal bloggers link to the piece, including a couple who work for Media Matters. Washington Monthly's Kevin Drum notes: "One of the things they note is that although 23% of senators voted against the Iraq war resolution, only 11% of the senators who appeared on the Sunday shows before the invasion were anti-war. Why did the anti-war side get shunned so badly by the talk shows?"
BUSH: Who Holds Back The Electric Car? Who Makes Steve Guttenberg A Star? Bush Does! Bush Does!
In a 2/12 posting at his blog, atty Glenn Greenwald wrote: "It used to be the case that in order to be considered a "liberal" or someone "of the Left," one had to actually ascribe to liberal views on the important policy issues of the day ... Now, in order to be considered a "liberal," only one thing is required -- a failure to pledge blind loyalty to George W. Bush." The post drew agreement from lefty bloggers, but as conservative bloggers have expressed respect for Greenwald, he gets some of their attention, too.
Greenwald linked Little Green Footballs with the assertion that some conservative blogs think "we ought to drop nuclear bombs on countries which have committed the crime of housing large Muslim populations," and LGF proprietor Charles Johnson is incensed: "Glenn Greenwald is a liar. I have never said or written such a thing, because that is simply not my opinion." Worth noting: It may be that Greenwald is referring to the unwieldy and unmonitored comments section; whether Johnson is responsible for them is frequently a subject of debate. Conservative Mark Coffey, a proud RINO, writes that Greenwald "would have you think that conservatives have sold our souls to the devilish president, never mind Harriet Miers or the Gang of 14 or the recent statements of Bill Frist, George Allen, Arlen Specter, and other Republicans who have been quite openly critical of the Administration lately." Alexandra von Maltzan of All Things Beautiful, whose earlier critical post about Greenwald inspired his 1st on this subject, notes that he did not address the point of what she wrote, viz. that Greenwald "callously accused the Bush Administration of pursuing the same goal as al Qaida, namely striking maximum fear into our hearts."
Liberal Duncan "Atrios" Black agrees: "The interesting paradox is, as I've written before, that they'll dump Bush and transfer the cult onto the next Daddy figure that comes along." This a.m. Oliver Willis has a Cheney-related post up titled "The Bush Cult."
MISCELLANY: The Remainders Of The Day
- A story we missed following the Cheney accident was Ann Coulter's controversial remarks at the past weekend's CPAC conf., in particular a slur about Arabs; it elicited strong condemnation from liberal bloggers, and then a bit later, a number of conservatives (such as Robert George) joined the criticism. Pressured by e-mailers to address the issue at length, Instapundit partially defended her: "The lefties seem mostly upset about her use of the term 'raghead,' which is racist and offensive, but more or less akin to the term 'cracker,' which doesn't seem to bother a lot of lefties. So pardon me if I'm largely unmoved by their mock outrage on this account."
- At Gawker Media's Gridskipper, Boi from Troy posts photos from post-CPAC drinking; his fellow Dentonites at Wonkette also describe the events (and mention the Coulter thing).
- New York magazine devotes its latest cover to the blogging phenomenon, including a long article about the "New New Media," a guide to the Technorati Top 50 (includes nifty graphic), a NYC-centric/Denton-centric profile of some key blog personalities, and an explanation of long tail theory.
- RedState's lobbyist-blogger Pat Cleary gives a shout-out to a 2/13 protest outside the AFL-CIO HQ. The org. set up an inflatable dinosaur outside the building and bought an ad in today's Post to promote their new site, UnionFacts.com. Liberal Michael Froomkin (brother of Dan) notes that the New York Times couldn't get a straight answer about who funds the group beyond "various companies and a foundation." He snarks: "Do you suppose that the corporations paying for this stuff are booking the contributions under their 'corporate social responsibility' expenditures?"
- Rumor has it that GOP pollster Frank Luntz may become Dem pollster Frank Luntz. Chris Bowers: "As long as he sticks to the strategy side and not policy, I'll happily welcome a successful political consultant like Frank Luntz over to our side. After all, could he really do any worse than our guys?"
- Louisville Courier-Journal reports on further Wikipedia vandalism, this time involving a Dem candidate and Chandra Levy.
BLOGGER SPOTLIGHT: Driscoll On Driscoll
Today the Blogometer talks to conservative Ed Driscoll, who writes the eponymous EdDriscoll.com.
What is your full name?
Edward B. Driscoll, Jr.
What is your age?
Over 40 and climbing.
Where did you grow up?
Burlington, New Jersey, a small suburb located between Philadelphia and Trenton.
Where do you live now?
Just outside of San Jose, California.
What is your occupation? Have you ever worked on a political campaign or for the mainstream media?
I'm a freelance journalist who writes regularly for a variety of magazines, primarily consumer electronics publications, including PC World, Videomaker, Electronic House, Servo, TechLiving, and also music publications such as Vintage Guitar, and Computer Music, a UK -- based publication. And on the Web, for Tech Central Station and Blogcritics. I've also written for National Review Online and The Weekly Standard, and I'm a paid contributor to Pajamas Media.com. (But I've never worked on any political campaign.)
When did you start blogging and why?
Around 1999, I began reading self-published e-zines, such as Virginia Postrel's, which was -- and is-a frequent destination of mine. Back then, I associated Weblogs solely with online diaries. Shortly before 9/11, I Googled my name, and discovered a Website called "InstaPundit" had linked to a piece I had written for National Review. That was the first time I noticed someone using Blogger.com other than as a diary, and the proverbial light bulb went off in my head.
In February of 2002, I wrote an article about this "New, New Journalism," and interviewed several bloggers about 9/11 and its aftermath, including Reynolds, and original milblogger "Sgt. Stryker." Both fellows permalinked me when my blog launched the following month, so I really hit the ground running.
What has been your favorite post, or favorite story to write about, in that time?
That the post-9/11 world has become the post-objective journalism world, for both better and worse. There had long been rare, scattershot admissions from the media about their bias, but before the Blogosphere, "the MSM" almost invariably billed themselves unbiased and objective, about as often and with as much believability as the Coneheads insisting that Remulak was a small town in France. The Blogosphere dramatically changed this, along with veteran journalists finally going on the record. Eventually, during the run-up to the election last year, then-New York Times ombudsman Daniel Okrent wrote his blockbuster op-ed admitting the Gray Lady's bias. This was followed shortly by the whole RatherGate debacle.
Describe your typical blogging schedule. And what is your average output?
Essentially, I blog when I want, about what I want. So depending upon other writing deadlines, I'll blog either a few hours a day, or more, or none at all. And if I'm traveling, as long as I have access to a broadband connection of some sort, I'll blog a little when time permits.
Who is your favorite political blogger? Favorite non -- political blogger?
Reynolds, Postrel, Charles Johnson, Roger L. Simon, Hugh Hewitt and Orrin Judd all immediately come to mind, and there are dozens of others.
I'm not sure if The Bleat fits the exact definition of a blog, but James Lileks.
Who is your favorite mainstream media columnist?
Non -- blogging columnists I admire include: Mark Steyn, Charles Krauthammer, Jonah Goldberg, Brian Anderson.
What is your favorite television news program, either network or cable?
Probably "Special Report With Brit Hume", though I watch much less TV news than I did prior to following Weblogs. Unless a huge story is breaking, I just find myself preferring to get my news through the 'Net, in as much or as little quantity as I want about a particular story, rather than the soundbite format dictated by the limits of television's format.
What MSM -- produced websites (i.e. newspapers, magazines) do you visit on a daily basis?
At this point, mostly those linked to by bloggers.
What non -- MSM websites (i.e. blogs) do you visit on a daily basis?
See above.
How often, or do you ever, read a newspaper in its dead -- tree (i.e. print) form?
Very, very rarely these days -- usually only if traveling.
How do you see the new media and old media affecting and influencing each other in the next five years?
I see the two converging. After several years of thumbing their noses at bloggers, increasingly, newspapers and other forms of Big Media are adding blogs to their Websites, whether they're staffed in -- house, or outside productions such as Blogcritics. And blogs are more and more starting to add features once thought of as strictly the province of the MSM: multimedia (both audio and increasingly video), original reportage, and long -- form posts that at their best, rival or surpass the content of traditional publications.
THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Webmaster Of His Domain
Today's "Thought" again goes to Mickey Kaus, because we missed this item just below the one we cited yesterday, and it's an even better one: "The owner of the domain name Impeachbush.com, who bought it as an investment back in May, 1999, has decided that this is the time to put it on the market, which must mean something... It will be interesting to see, not just what such a URL is worth, but whether it's worth more to an anti-Bush group or to Karl Rove."
LEST WE FORGET: My Funny Valentine
A contributor to the popular message board site Something Awful has discovered something truly astounding -- by following one simple rule, one can make "Garfield" funny.
And because today is Valentine's day, Extreme Mortman has posted photos of 10 DC figures and invites readers to "match the politicians most need of sharing Valentines with each other."
Posted by at February 14, 2006 12:34 PM
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