March 30, 2006
3/30: The Undapped
Bloggers can be bitter, and today's edition is chock full of "I told you so" references to predictions they made months ago over warrantless wiretapping. Also, a blogger gets booted from a top blog, and he wants to know why. And finally, still no dap from the MSM as more bloggers come forward claiming their material has been lifted by the AP and others without so much as a hat tip.
Elsewhere, Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) found herself in a Cheney-like blogswarm after punching a Capitol Police officer. The left, meanwhile, slams a CA-50 candidate for misrepresenting a photo that he claimed showed a tranquil Baghdad. And there's some debate about Dems' new nat'l security strategy.
EAVESDROPPING: That Clicking Sound Is Just The Microphone, We Assure You
Yesterday's testimony by five former FISA judges before the Senate Jud Cmte sparked a considerable flare-up in the ongoing debate over Pres. Bush's wiretapping program. The debate starts with MSM coverage of the matter, as many noted the discrepancy in tones between articles reporting testimony from the Washington Times and the New York Times. Power Line is first among them: "New York Times reporter Eric Lichtblau has a considerable career investment (and, I suspect, an ideological investment as well) in the idea that the NSA program is illegal." Power Line also links to a full transcript of the hearing. Captain Ed calls the NYT's story a "serious misrepresentation." Confederate Yankee, Jeff Gannon, Don Surber, NRO's Media Blog, JustOneMinute, ProteinWisdom, AJ Strata, Macsmind.
Commentary on the right about the actual testimony comes complete with much back-patting. Everyone, it seems, predicted exactly what the FISA judges would say several months ago. Confederate Yankee goes with the Washington Times' version and thinks the FISA judges came down on Bush's side. Don Surber agrees, and takes this message away from the hearings: "What the president did was perfectly legal." 
Captain Ed takes a slightly different view: "The judges confirm that the matter is far from settled, and in fact told Congress that they don't have the jurisdiction to make the judgment." Moderate Charging RINO thinks the judges didn't absolve the admin of anything: "I continue to see no compelling evidence that end-running FISA is necessarily the best way to get the job done." Kevin Drum observes, of Judge Harold Baker's assertion that the pres. is bound to follow the law "like everyone else": "Bound by the law like anyone else?!? That's treason talk."
From the left, yesterday's testimony sparked renewed interest in Sen. Russ Feingold's (D-WI) push to censure Bush. Huffington Post's Cenk Uygur, questioning attacks on Feingold as acting for political purposes: "Is there anything more brazenly political than the way President Bush has used 9/11 as a bludgeoning stick against his political opponents?" AMERICAblog hints at censure, or more: "Congress can't and won't deal with the simple fact that Bush broke the law. To paraphrase Judge Baker, since the president ignored the law, he should be in legal peril." The Heretik focused on the five jurists' testimony: "From the secret court comes news the judges will not secrete themselves away. It's no secret the secret judges are more than a little annoyed with the way George Bush has turned national security into a secret club and they're not in. So they are out in public talking about things George Bush doesn't want talked about at all." The Carpetbagger Report shakes his head: "I know it's pre-9/11 thinking to believe the president is bound by the law 'like everyone else,' but maybe there are still a few members of the Senate who are inclined to agree." Decision '08 reports on two competing pieces of legislation that "are battling it out to see which will be the first to explicitly legalize Bush's NSA surveillance." Finally, Ron Coleman notes the long and involved history of one of the judges who testified yesterday, Allan Kornblum, who's described in some news accounts as the "author" of the original FISA law back in '78.
IRAQ: Vacation Photos From Iraq? Did You Not See Our Travel Warning? Yesterday?
Daily Kos exposes CA-50 candidate Howard Kaloogian (R) who claimed to be telling "the truth" about Iraq. Well, if by Iraq he meant Turkey, then yes. TPM Muckraker has his explanation: "We turned all the photographs [from the trip] over to the webmaster, and it appears he took one from the stopover and not from Baghdad. If a mistake happened, we'll correct it." Talking Points Memo then highlights the new photo Kaloogian uses to show that things in Iraq are better than reported. But it's an aerial shot that, suffice to say, doesn't show much of anything. "What this joke of a picture -- given what it's supposed to demonstrate -- tells me is that Kaloogian's bogus fact-finding mission probably didn't get outside the heavily fortified safe zones guarded by the US military. And that's not surprising since even a lot reporters don't venture beyond those areas much any more."
Running Scared: "Sounds like good old Howard is off to a fine start if he wants to fill the shoes of Duke Cunningham." Preemptive Karma: "If you're going to put up a photo to prove that Baghdad is all about peace and the press is rapping it for no good reason--you'd better be sure you've got the goods." Magpie: "Didn't Kaloogian expect that, given that he's running for Cunningham's seat, that left-wing bloggers would be going over his website with a fine-tooth comb? Or did Kaloogian figured that no one would care if he was caught in a lie?"
Dems announced their nat'l security platform 3/29, with ex-Sec/State Madeline Albright and Ret. Gen. Wesley Clark joining cong. leaders. Reviews on the left: Oliver Willis: "Makes sense to me (its certainly better than not saying anything), but now they've got to repeat that like a mantra until they're blue in the face. ... I don't know if the Dems can beat the GOP in the polls on national security, simply because they've been so afraid to assert anything, but if they were able to come to some sort of equilibrium it would be a bit of a breakthrough." MyDD: " The only way to change the situation is to change leadership. That's what the Democrats should run on." Atrios: "The real issue isn't what Democrats are saying about Iraq now. ... f 2006 fails to be 'a year of significant transition' what will Democrats be saying then? Forget the unified message now, what will be the unified message then?" Georgia 10 at Kos: "For those that say today's plan did not offer enough detail, I urge you to look at that page and see the solutions Democrats have offered time and time again--only to be stonewalled by an administration beholden more to corporate interests and politics than actually safeguarding our nation. "
On the right, many have a hard time taking Dems seriously. Gateway Pundit: "Mark your calendars. Today is a historic day. Democrats are announcing today, four-and-one-half years after 9-11, that THEY have saved a can of Whoopass for the jihadists! Well, Alright!" Captain Ed: "The plan is a collection of slogans and mission statements with almost no specifics about legislation, financing, strategies, tactics, or military efforts to achieve them." Hugh Hewitt: "The fact that a plan this flimsy is getting this much attention is the clearest testament I've seen in some time to the Democratic Party's lack of ideas." Wizbang: "These folks can show up to a press conference and say they're going to be tough on national security, but it won't change the fact that they fought President Bush on virtually every national security issue that came before them in the House." JunkYardBlog: "On the other hand, eliminating bin Laden is a better platform than impeaching Bush. Too bad the Democrats are more likely to pursue the former if the voters actually give them Congress this fall."
Also worth noting today: Matt Stoller criticizes Dems for holding a fundraiser for Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) while he's being investigated for bribery.
McKINNEY: New Spin On The Fighting Dems
As first reported by Hotline in Last Call!, and explained at On Call, McKinney punched a Capitol Police officer "after he mistakenly pursued her for failing to pass through a metal detector." Reaction is a mix of comedy and serious criticism. Suitably Flip: "Just can't be bothered with that pesky security, eh Cynthia?" Right Wing News: "Sounds like a clear cut case of assault. Wonder if Cynthia will 1) give a heartfelt apology, 2) give a cheap non-apology apology, 3) blame the cop for "making her" hit him, or 4) play the race card?" State Of The Qusan: "I guess I shouldn't be condoning violence but in addition to a very deadly look, I think my reflexes might have caused me to punch this guy too!" Explore For Truth: "If she were Republican would be asking for her resignation??" Captain's Quarters: "Today the Democrats launched their mission to revamp their image on security and national defense. They have long complained about a national perception of their party as wimpish, but Cynthia McKinney decided to set the record straight" The American Princess: "Her record speaks to a torrid history of relations with Capitol security guards." RedState: "Assaulting a police officer is a felony is most districts, and felonious behavior is just cause for expulsion. I'm just saying."
IMMIGRATION: No GOP Divide In The Blogosphere
The Senate began debate on immigration reform proposals last p.m., and the righty blogosphere continues to watch with baited breath. Right Wing News tries to answer some FAQs about illegal immigrants. The questions tend to play in to the more conservative GOP's talking points. Iowa Voice is firmly entrenched in the "send 'em home" camp. The divide within the GOP over the immigration issue is highlighted by Captain's Quarters take on George Will's "moderate" stance on the issue, especially his analogizing a border fence with the Berlin wall. "Will sounds a reasonable note in the immigration debate, and his column is well worth a read -- once you get past the implied analogy of America transforming itself into a prison state."
Others on the right continue to discuss last weekend's marches throughout the nation protesting immigration reform legislation passed by the House. Mark Krikorian at The Corner: "The president has got to offer a public critique of the illegal-alien marches, especially since he's going to Mexico this week to yuk it up with Vicente Fox. ... These protests -- with their ubiquitous Mexican flags, open claims of irredentism, and support from the Mexican government -- are a direct challenge to the American regime, and must not go unanswered." A Blog For All notes that the demonstrations weren't exactly spontaneous. RedState concurs. The News Blog argues that the GOP is playing with fire: "Latinos had been slightly more receptive to GOP pitches, but like Katrina with blacks, this is about family. This isn't some abstract debate, this is about cousins, friends, even kids. And when you do that, people take it personally. Blacks took Bush's failure in Katrina personally. Latinos take this personally."
Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff received the minimum possible sentence, according to the Washington Post, for his role in a fraud case stemming from the attempted purchase of SunCruz casinos. Lefties had a field day with this one. TPM's Muckraker reports -- before yesterday's sentencing -- on Abramoff's defense team's efforts to get the sentence as light as possible. Muckraker updates just after sentencing with a list of just who Abramoff could be implicating in his cooperation (more than 200 hours of it thus far) with the DoJ. Off the Kuff licks his chops: "The main point to remember here is that this is not the Washington case; that investigation, and presumably Abramoff's cooperation in it, is ongoing." Demagogue and The Carpetbagger Report note the same. Why Are We Back In Iraq? looks at Abramoff's plea deal in terms of his role in producing "Red Scorpion." Righty John Cole thinks Abramoff's sentence is about right: "I am willing to bet this sentence reflects a degree of cooperation in future prosecutions that will probably pay greater political dividends for our friends on the left and will more than outweigh the sheer satisfaction they might have gained by watching Abramoff go to jail for a longer period of time."
At Talking Points Memo, Josh Marshall echoes the recent complaints of others about "how routinely mainstream media outlets rip off stories that are originally reported on blogs. ... Last week, over a three or four day period, there were four instances in which a mainstream media outlet took a story or scoop we ... had first published and ran it as their own without crediting or mentioning that TPMmuckraker.com had originally broken the story. Writing up or following up on a story and not crediting the news organiztion that first reported it is not a journalistic felony. It's more on the order of a misdemeanor or moving violation. But it is a breach. And mainstream news outlets, a few of which I've actually written for, don't seem to think it applies to blogs that are doing original reporting."
Atrios responds: "Look, personally I've never cared about getting credit for stuff other media types might happen to lift from this site. ... I've always been interested in just getting the good stuff out there and not really caring how it's done or where it comes from, and it's silly to try to take credit for stuff which is often highly collaborative between readers, other blogs, me, etc., just because I have a big megaphone. ... While journalism doesn't have the same citation standards of academia, and it generally shouldn't, reporters shouldn't feel entitled to rip things off just because they were originally reported on the internets. I'm sure Alt Weekly reporters are chuckling to themselves, 'welcome to our world...'"
JYLLANDS-POSTEN: Embers Flare Up
Skirmishes over cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammed continue to rage around the world, and several bloggers are picking up on them. Ed Driscoll rounds up the latest battles, from Alberta to NYU, and even at your local corporate bookstore. That last is the one causing a lot of renewed buzz, and comes by way of the San Francisco Chronicle, which reports that Borders and Waldenbooks won't carry the April-May issue of Free Inquiry magazine, which contains the cartoons. This has the blogosphere discussing Islamic shari'a law and what the country should do in the face of Islam. Dr. Sanity, like most bloggers, criticizes the companies: "These businesses claim this was a business decision made for the safety of its customers and staff. I think that political correctness played an even bigger role. Well, I too, can make a business decision and I choose not to buy books from either outlet anymore since they have bowed to shari'a." Kesher Talk, describing themselves as of a "hawkish Jewish liberal perspecive," notes: "Don't let anyone tell you this is about high-minded sensitivity to other cultures. It's about fear." Righty Little Green Footballs concurs: "The big bookstore chains will not be standing up for free speech." Using various four-letter words to describe the companies, the Infidel Bloggers Alliance calls for a boycott. NRO's TKS doesn't like the move, but thanks the companies for their honesty: "I would observe that if nothing else, applaud the honesty of Borders/Waldenbooks. They're not claiming that not stocking the magazine is a matter of 'sensitivity,' it's a matter of safety for their employees. I can disagree whether that's the right decision, but I can at least understand it and appreciate it." Eugene Volokh comments on the "seemingly troubling behavior" of NYU.
WHITE HOUSE '08: All's Well That's Falwell
It's the left's turn to take issue with Sen. John McCain's (R-AZ) upcoming speech to Liberty Univ. and his flirtation with the Fed Marriage Amendment. ABC News has today's analysis and article. The Moderate Voice analyzes McCain's circus trick: "He has to do a political tightrope act to get the nomination ... and one false step and in a general election he could wind up a political dead duck. He hasn't quite taken that step yet, but the tightrope is shaking a bit." Lefty The Reaction: "He's a conservative, and he always has been. But, looking ahead to '08 as the presumed early front-runner, he's now cuddling up to the far right. He knows he needs to win over the Republican base in order to get through the primaries. He knows that a maverick will ever win the GOP nomination. He knows has has to play politics. That's predictable, but unfortunate." AMERICAblog thinks McCain is letting Jerry Falwell do his talking for him. And The Carpetbagger Report is right on message: "I guess McCain was sort of against the amendment before he was sort of for it." Think Progress points out McCain's flip-flop as well.
IN THE STATES: Raspberry Jam?!? I HATE Raspberry Jam!
Lone Star Project has conducted what it calls a "baseline analysis" of the TX GOV race. The conclusion they reach? Ex-Rep. Chris Bell (D) has a much better shot at the gov's mansion than others may think -- but only if he can keep Dems with him. If enough Dems defect to Compt./ex-Dem/ex-GOPer Carole Strayhorn (I), Gov. Rick Perry (R) is safe, but if she can peel both Dems and GOPers away, she'll get the win. By the way, check out their cool vote calculator, which you can use to plug in numbers that assure a Kinky Friedman (I) win. Others commenting on various aspects of the race, including Strayhorn and Friedman's attempts to get on the ballot and an Austin TV station declaring the race neck-and-neck include The Red State and Off the Kuff.
BLOGGER VS. BLOGGER: The Great Kos Purge
Tom Duncombe of My Left Wing has some questions for DailyKos. Duncombe tells his story: "I'm not from the blog world originally--and where I come from, credentials are not looked down upon or sneered at. In the course of the thread, I got sworn at quite a bit, but was also exposed to a new theory of authentication that I had never been exposed to before--that in blogs, people earn their credentials through good writing and group approval. So far so good--I learned something. And I moved on from there. I posted some posts, I earned some mojo. And then I came back to Daily Kos this evening to see that I've been kicked off the site. I've been "disappeared." An electronic firing squad has taken my persona to the big, evil sports arena in the sky, assassinated me, and then buried my pixillated bones in the desert somewhere. I'm very disillusioned with Daily Kos." Armando says Duncombe was "autobanned" by the community. Buckeye State Blog wants to know if anyone will ask Kos about the incident on his current book tour.
BLOGGER SPOTLIGHT: Coffey Clutch
Today the Blogometer talks to Mark Coffey, who writes Decision '08.
What is your full name?
Mark Alan Coffey.
What is your age?
37.
Where did you grow up?
Lamesa, TX -- midway between Lubbock and Midland.
Where do you live now?
Austin, TX -- a very blue city in a very red state.
What is your occupation?
Analyst.
Have you ever worked on a political campaign or for the mainstream media?
No -- though I did run for the student council years ago (and won!).
When did you start blogging and why?
I started blogging, oddly enough, after the 2004 election, thus missing the biggest traffic period. I was reading all the blogs, e-mailing friends and relatives relevant news stories, and generally doing everything but putting the content on the web. When I hit on the idea of getting an early jump on 2008, my mind was made up, and I went live on November 21st, 2004.
What has been your favorite post, or favorite story to write about, in that time?
Lately, I've been on a campaign to rename the Netroots as the Nutroots (r), but with limited success (it's not that my audience is not big enough - oh, no! Rather, like Spinal Tap, my appeal is very selective). My formation of the Coalition of the Chilling was much more successful - I was able to convince a number of prominent bloggers to joing me in decrying the harsh rhetoric that greeted the Gang of 14 Deal (a deal that has worked out remarkably well for Republicans, I might add).
Describe your typical blogging schedule. And what is your average output?
I blog on and off pretty much all day, everyday ... I enjoy it and I need to build up my audience.
And what is your average output?
I'd say probably about 7 or 8 posts a day.
Who is your favorite political blogger? Favorite non-political blogger?
Tom Maguire of JustOneMinute, hands down. A true blogger, through and through (honorable mentions to Tim Blair and Mickey Kaus). [For non-political:] Although both sometimes cover politics, amongst many other things, I really enjoy Be Be Re and NBR.
Who is your favorite mainstream media columnist?
Who is your favorite mainstream media columnist? Christopher Hitchens , without a doubt (I know I'm stretching a bit, but he is a columnist for Slate and Vanity Fair, as well as the AtlanticMonthly ).
What is your favorite television news program, either network or cable?
I like the occasional hour-long specials, like CNN Presents, but I can't abide the soundbite nature of regular news on television.
What MSM-produced websites (i.e. newspapers, magazines) do you visit on a daily basis?
The Washington Post, The New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal's OpinionJournal.
What non-MSM websites (i.e. blogs) do you visit on a daily basis?
Besides the previously mentioned blogs, I always visit Memeorandum, Real Clear Politics, and Pajamas Media (with whom I am affiliated). I also visit the Huffington Post and Daily Kos for the entertainment value and to keep up with what's hot among the lefties.
How often, or do you ever, read a newspaper in its dead-tree (i.e. print) form?
I rarely purchase a newspaper ... but if I do, it's the Wall Street Journal.
How do you see the new media and old media affecting and influencing each other in the next five years?
Too many people see the world of media through the prism of blogs vs. MSM. The reality is that the two are complementary; the MSM, with its large budgets and professional journalists, can cover the world in a way that most bloggers, who are local by nature, can't (although all those local bloggers collectively cover the globe, as well). Bloggers can react quickly to breaking news, however, and can engage in dialogue with an immediacy that can't be matched by television or print. The reality is we are one huge disfunctional family.
MISCELLANY: That Guy?!?! For That Job?!?!
Mark Kilmer at RedState follows up on talk of Club For Growth's Pat Toomey taking over at OMB. He admits it's not likely, but that WH advisers "would serve [Bush] well to put Mr. Toomey's name into the mix. The President would serve himself and the country by making the pick, and Mr. Toomey would serve everyone well by accepting." And worth noting is that RedState's Blanton is ending his run at the site.
Mark Tapscott tries to draw attention to "potentially landmark" legislation pending in the Senate on earmark disclosure.
Winds of Change notes that in CA, HAVA -- "as implemented by California Secretary of State Bruce McPherson -- is killing over 40% of the attempts to register that were made in Los Angeles County this quarter."
THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Double Vision
Kevin Drum writes about cloning: "It's true that the last few years have produced a flood of headlines about the genetic basis of various personality characteristics, but surely very few people believe that genes are the sole basis of personality, do they?" Most literature on the subject suggests that personality is "some mysterious combination of both" nature and nurture. "We already know the answer to the clone question. Identical twins are clones, and although twins can be remarkably similar, any parent of twins can tell you that they also have very distinct personalities. It's not all in the genes. On the other hand, it might be different for cats and dogs. I mean, I'd like to pretend that Inkblot has such a distinct personality that I could tell him apart from his hypothetical clone, but I wonder if I really could?"
LEST WE FORGET: Killing Your Productivity, One Afternoon At A Time
We love bad predictions about the future, and it's nice to see that someone's compiled a bunch of them. Sorry for ruining your afternoon, but these are like Pringles: You can't read just one.
Posted by at March 30, 2006 12:31 PM
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