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August 31, 2006

8/31: If This Was A Slow Month

...then the Blogometer does not want to see a busy one. Beginning with CT SEN and ending with the macaca fracas, August has been a busy month for the blogosphere and with an expected pick-up after Labor Day the Blogometer has real worries about how to cover everything. Don't fear, though, we have a plan! Starting 9/5, expect a more compact Blogometer to fill its daily Hotline space, but an expanded online effort with updates throughout the day, including increased coverage of House races as well as more detailed coverage of issues like Iraq, Iran, Wal Mart, and immigration. The Blogometer is also still accepting applications for virtual interns. But hurry, that window will be closing with the end of this month!

TERROR POLITICS: "An Instant Classic Of Nutroots Porn"

Keith Oblermann's 8/30 six-minute and forty-two second The Countdown sign-off on Defense Sec. Donald Rumsfeld speech to the Annual American Legion National Convention in Salt Lake City, UT, quickly spread throughout the lefty blogosphere. Crooks and Liars writes: "Olbermann delivered this commentary with fire and passion while highlighting how Rumsfeld's comments echoes other times in our world's history when anyone who questioned the administration was coined as a traitor, unpatriotic, communist or any other colorful term. Luckily we pulled out of those times and we will pull out of these times." C&L has video and a transcript including Olbermann's opening line: "The man who sees absolutes, where all other men see nuances and shades of meaning, is either a prophet, or a quack. Donald S. Rumsfeld is not a prophet."

Comparison's to Olbermann's idol Edward R. Murrow abounded:

Steven DBooman Tribune: "The most brilliant on-air broadcast political essay since the days of Edward R. Murrow."
The Left Coaster: "Keith Olbermann stepped into Edward R. Murrow's shoes for a night with a devastating critique of Rummy and the Bush Administration. The shoes fit pretty well, and there is a lot of ammo to use against Rummy and the rest of the fascists."
Brilliant at Breakfast: "Keith Olbermann gets in touch with his inner Ed Murrow."

The right sight of the 'sphere was less impressed. Allahpundit at Hot Air had the best conservative take: "It's an instant classic of nutroots porn, second only to Colbert's faux-dissident burlesque at the White House correspondents' dinner. In fact, Olby goes further than Colby: we're all used to the comparisons of Bush to Hitler and the Democrats to Neville Chamberlain, but never before have I heard someone compare Bush to Chamberlain - and to Hitler (or some generic "fascist," if you prefer), both in the span of a few moments."

Also on the right McQ at QandO draws blood from the AP for their "hatchet" job on Rumsfeld speech. QandO juxtaposed sections of Rumsfeld speech with the AP write up and highlighted two distinct cases where the AP took Rumsfeld out of context. QandO updates his post to alert his readers that the AP went back and changed the two parts of their story that QanO criticized. old lead graph:

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Tuesday accused critics of the Bush administration's Iraq and counterterrorism policies of trying to appease "a new type of fascism."

new lead graph:

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Tuesday the world faces "a new type of fascism" and warned against repeating the pre-World War II mistake of appeasement.

Meanwhile conservative talk-show host Hugh Hewitt pushes the fascism meme and reminds readers that "Appeasers can and usually are patriots. ... just deeply misguided, foolish patriots."

LANDSCAPE '06: Big Improvements

Chris Bowers at MyDD looks at the cash on hand for the party committees in the latest FEC report:

Democratic Party: $95,189,180 Republican Party: $134,140,387
DNC: $11,312,588 RNC:$43,622,105
DCCC: $33,046,326 NRCC: $34,147,575
DSCC: $35,091,284 NRSC: $20,570,361
DGA: $3,000,322 RGA: $10,915,046
DLCC: $1,010,258 RSLC: $1,905,311

Bowers comments: "as grim as most of these numbers may seem, they actually are a big improvement on previous cycles."

CT SEN: The Editing Room Defense

Following claims from Sen. Joe Lieberman's (I-CT) campaign that their new TV ad was a sunrise and not a sunset, EdwardsRaysOfSunshine at DailyKos tracked down the original footage from getty images, and posted the clips caption which read: "Wide shot sun setting over ocean / birds walking along water's edge / Santa Barbara"

Later 8/30 Greg Sargent at TPM Cafe received confirmation from Lieberman media consultant Josh Isay that the ad featured a sunset: "I made an honest mistake. I thought the footage was of a sunrise, but when I went back to check, it was in fact of a sunset. It is clear that I am spending too much time in the editing room."

Progressive bloggers were also up in arms over an 8/30 FOX news package on CT SEN affect on CT House races. My Left Nutmeg has video of the segment where FOX asks a CT labor leader: "Do you think he's[Lieberman] actually going to motivate Republicans to come out and vote against Democrats?" Later, Lieberman responds to a question not shown in the clip: "Well, I guess they should have thought of that before they had the primary."

Christy Hardin Smith at firedoglake notes that later in the segment Rep. Chris Shays (R-04) embraces Lieberman: "Oh, and for all those who have been questioning whether Lieberman is campaigning with Republicans, you can watch Lieberman and Chris Shays campaigning together on video at a rally. Including Chris Shays saying about Lieberman that "we have a national treasure" in him at this public event, while introducing him to the crowd - and then later hugging him on camera (and then getting an admonishment from such PDAs in the future from a skittish Turncoat Joe). "

MI SEN: Pounding A Woman's Nose Sounds Like A Winning Message To Us

Right Wing News reports on a teleconference with Oakland Co. Sheriff Mike Bouchard (R):

My first impression? Bouchard seems to be charismatic, energetic, and as tough as you'd expect a sheriff to be. He also had no problem pulling out the brass knuckles to use on Stabenow. At one point he said he was going to, "pound her in the nose with reality." He also accused her of being a "jellyfish" who talked in "Washingtonspeak." He made a good case for that, by the way. ... He pointed out that he supports the House position on illegal immigration -- while Stabenow voted for giving Social Security to illegals, but against making English America's official language

OH SEN: "Down" Does Rhyme With "Brown"

Greg Sargent at TPM Cafe claims the NRSC "is seriously worried about" Rep. Sherrod Brown's (D-13) challenge to Sen. Mike DeWine (R) since they spent "an astonishing $656,054.58 to date this year on the race." TPM Cafe posts an NRSC television ad currently running (tag line: "Sherrod Brown let us down") and quotes a Brown advisor: "It's a huge buy ... But clearly they're worried -- and we're gonna respond."

TN SEN: Intriguing, But Not Progressive, But Acceptable

Matt Stoller at MyDD looks at Rep. Harold Ford Jr.'s (D-09) latest TV spot.

This ad is clever and slick. I'm really intrigued with the Ford campaign, because while the tactical execution is good, it's not clear to me that this messaging differentiates him from his Republican opponent. ... Based on our accountability memo, and other polling coming in that shows that voters are choosing between Iraq and terrorism, Ford is making the absolutely wrong strategic decision. When given a choice between a Republican and a fake Republican, they'll pick the real one every time. But then, Ford's not a progressive. ... My guess is that Ford's messaging will not work, but it's possible that Corker could simply self-destruct and Ford could look like an acceptable alternative.

VA SEN: Do Not Underestimate The Power Of The Dark Side's Outreach Program

Tom Bevan at RCP Blog passes along conclusions from Democracy Corps strategy memo based of results of a post-election survey from VA GOV '05.

Failure to mobilize the Republican base doomed Kilgore. The demoralization of Bush voters and lack of enthusiasm for Kilgore seriously hindered the Republican candidate's chances, underscoring the dangers of taking the base for granted.
Non-voters were disillusioned with Bush, unimpressed by Kilgore.
Positive agenda was crucial to winning over swing voters.
Republicans voter outreach program is not to be underestimated. Although Kilgore's turnout effort came up short, his campaign was much more effective at contacting both base and swing voters, as well as those who were still undecided in the final days of the campaign.
Essential to have sufficient resources for the final few weeks of the campaign. Nearly one in five voters did not to decide who to vote for until the last few days of the campaign and 40 percent held off until October.

MCCAIN: He Don't Know Shi'ite

Hullabaloo is sick and tired of MSM types and their deference to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) on foreign policy issues. "Their halting explanations are all perfect illustrations of typical vapid, courtier sensibilities," Digby writes. He goes on to highlight a Howard Fineman appearance from the 8/27 Chris Matthews Show where Fineman says: "He knows what he's talking about. He clearly has a lot of experience, militarily, from the inside out on the Armed Services Committee." Digby then quote McCain from earlier this year: ""One of the things I would do if I were President would be to sit the Shiites and the Sunnis down and say, 'Stop the bull [excrement],'" Digby concludes: "There's a man who knows what he's talking about, alright."

GORE: Every Leading Washington Dem Was Dead Wrong

Brent Budowsky at The Huffington Post again appeals for an Al Gore presidential run:

Unlike virtually every major Democrat in Washington Al Gore was dead right about Iraq from day one. This commends him for the Presidency for two reasons, both equally important. The first reason is that with decades of national security experience he was wise enough and smart enough to know that the Iraq War was a tragic mistake. The second reason is profound: Al Gore had the courage and clarity to speak out clearly, forcefully, and unequivocally without the maneuvering and positioning that led virtually every leading Washington Democrat to be dead wrong.

WARNER: Busty Women In Bikinis Are The Future

Ryan Sager at conservative leaning RCP Blog posts text from a ex-VA Gov. Mark Warner Forward Together PAC email that claims Warner will hold the first "event in the virtual world." Warner believes "Social technologies can be great tools for political change, and virtual worlds like Second Life might be the next tool for engaging people in the real world democratic process." Sager has no complaints noting: "For those interested, here's the Web page for Second Life. What you might notice right off the bat is that the virtual world is full of a lot of avatars of busty women in bikinis. This is clearly the political medium of the future."

GIULIANI: Neville Chamberlain As Genghis Khan

Right Wing News responds to critics of his "Conservative Case Against Rudy Giuliani" that argue abortion, immigration, and gun control won't predominate the '08 election. RWN writes:

First of all, I would agree that fighting the war on terrorism will be a big issue in the 2008 election, especially since the Democrats have become such wusses that they make Neville Chamberlain look like Genghis Khan. However, the war on terrorism probably WILL NOT be a decisive factor in the Republican primaries simply because most of the candidates will probably have very similar positions on national defense. In fact, other than Chuck Hagel, I believe all the major candidates could, at least at this point, be fairly called hawks on national security issues.

BLOGGERS VS. BELTWAY: Apparently Stevens And Coburn Don't Get Along ... Who Knew?

Paul Kiel at TPM Muckraker talked to Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) spokesman Aaron Saunders who confirmed Stevens placed a non-secret hold on the publicly searchable pork database bill S. 2590 so "a cost-benefit analysis" could be performed to prevent "an extra layer of unnecessary bureaucracy."

Tapscott's Copy Desk chips in with a helpful timeline demonstrating that Stevens did "everything possible to avoid working with Coburn or his staff to address the Alaska senator's objections to the proposal."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: A Second Draft

Mother Jones has a new tool up called "Lie by Lie: Chronicle of a War Foretold: August 1990 to March 2003." Mother Jones explains: "The first drafts of history are fragmentary. Important revelations arrive late, and out of order. In this timeline, we've assembled the history of the Iraq War to create a resource we hope will help resolve open questions of the Bush era. What did our leaders know and when did they know it? And, perhaps just as important, what red flags did we miss, and how could we have missed them? This is the first installment in our Iraq War timeline project."

LEST WE FORGET: Hacks On A Sinking Ship

The Real Ugly American didn;t take too kindly to Bruce Kegler's 8/30 USA Todayop-ed belittling the "blogosphere" for, among other things, the failure of Snakes on a Plane at the box office and Sen. Joe Lieberman's (I-CT) refusal to exit stage right. The Ugly American writes:

The "blogosphere" is not a gigantic megaphone for the "blogger" collective all speaking unanimously with one voice. It is exactly the opposite. It is a collection of small and large voices each advocating their own ideas and opinions. I had no idea any blogger said Snakes on a Plane was going to be a blockbuster and I read blogs night and day. ... If Hollywood executives actually believed that something some blogger or group of bloggers says, can make a stupid movie appealing to the mass market, then that speaks to the idiocy of those particular executives not the effectiveness of the blogosphere.

I couldn't disagree with folks like Daily Kos or Firedog Lake more, and I realize the obvious point made by Kluger above, a minority of Americans actually vote, an even smaller minority vote in primaries, and an even smaller group of them have their own political blog. All that being said discounting the real and powerful effect a group of left wing activist bloggers had on a Democratic Primary election is whistling past the grave yard.

The newsflash for Mr. Kluger might be, The New York Times, and CBS get it wrong pretty often themselves while supposedly playing it right down the middle. Anyone seen Dan Rather or Mary Mapes lately? It seems to me the people doing all the kicking and screaming lately are MSM hacks trying to protect their endangered gigs.

NOTES AND ERRATA: Team Hotline Needs You!

The Hotline is looking for a Virtual Intern (three hours, five days a week) to assist in daily compilation of Blogometer updates and assist on special projects. Applicants must consider themselves regular consumers of blogs, be familiar with nationally read blogs from across the spectrum; know how to use blog search engines/aggregators (such as Technorati and Memeorandum); be able to quickly analyze and synthesize developments in the news as well as summarize ongoing blog activity with brevity, clarity and accuracy. Excellent writing and time-management skills are also a must.

This is a "virtual" position, so as long as you have always-on Internet access, Firefox, a plain text editor, and a pulse (i.e. actual presence in DC not necessary) you can apply. As with every Hotline position, we don't expect our writers to not have an opinion, we just expect them to keep it out of their work. Interested applicants should send their resumes to ccarroll@nationaljournal.com

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:02 PM

August 30, 2006

8/30: So What?

In sum, that's Ramesh Ponnuru response to lefty criticism of Club for Growth's targeting of Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) at the possible expense of a GOP majority in the Sen. For months now, progressive bloggers have been decrying the lack of media attention RI SEN has received compared to their efforts to unseat Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT). There are many things that distinguish the two races (Chafee was never a GOP VP candidate, for starters) but the more important difference is mentioned by Ponnuru: the Club for Growth does not exist to help the GOP control Congress. On the other hand, pure partisanship is the stated goal of DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas in his book Crashing the Gates. This is part of what made the targeting of Lieberman such a story. Perhaps it is a function of who is in power, and who is not, but the lefty blogosphere is much more concerned with tactics and strategy than ideological purity. If the Dems have a Sweet November, then maybe we'll see if Lieberman-like purges become the norm, instead of the exception.

LANDSCAPE '06: Wipeout?

Conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt interviewed Roll Call's Stu Rothenberg 8/29 on the GOP's '06 prospects (audio/transcript). Rothenberg told Hewitt:

The environment is not improving for Republican candidates around the country. There's no indication that it will. And increasingly, I am familiar with ... there's both public, but also private polling suggesting real problems for Republican incumbents. The Republican polling shows the Republican vote down. It shows Democratic challengers who are unknown getting a surprisingly large percentage of the vote. What we're really seeing is that voters are simply inclined to change, for change, and that's hurting Republicans.

Hewitt argues that Rothenberg is caught up in his own spin and hunts down polling data on the six races Rothenberg saw as "the worst news for the GOP." The list includes: CO-7, IA-1, AZ-8, IN-2, IN-8, and IN-9. Hewitt has comments on each race and comments: "This is simply not the stuff of which "waves" are made."

On the left Chris Bowers at MyDD celebrates the success of the Dailykos / MyDD / Swing State ProjectAct Blue Netroots pre-Labor Day fund raise push, which netted $175,459.05 for 17 Dem House and Sen candidates.

CT SEN: Miles Away From Ordinary

Lefty blogger's enjoyed Sen. Joe Lieberman's (I-CT) new television ad, which features a setting sun and invites CT voters to "just sit back and think about good stuff." The best quips: Crooks and Liars: "I was waiting for the Corona beer bottle to appear." The unofficial Lamont Blog: "Who was the genius strategist who though a "setting sun" might be a good visual metaphor for Lieberman's last days in the Senate? Morning in America? More like Twilight in Connecticut."

MT SEN: Testin' The Waters In The Puget Sound

Ken Camp at DailyKos attended a State Senate Pres. Jon Tester (D) in Seattle hosted by Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Max Baucus (R-MT) and Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA). Camp reports: "Jon talked about his farm, a place that his grandfather homesteaded in order to give his family a better life. He talked about the legacy and responsibility that previous generations have left to us, that in this land of opportunity, we must make the most of our opportunity to leave a better world for our children and grandchildren. ... Jon explained that his opponent, Senator Conrad Burns, has taken more money from convicted felon Jack Abramoff, than any other member of Congress. He also noted that Conrad is bought and paid for by the special interests."

RI SEN: The Club For Shrinkage?

Greg Sargent at TPM Cafe looks at recent FEC filings that show the NRSCC spent $181,587.66 on direct mail targeting Cranston Mayor Steve Laffey (R). Paul Kiel at Talking Points Memo notes: "Minimum amount spent by the National Republican Senatorial Committee on direct mail against Steve Laffey in Rhode Island: $181,587.66. Amount spent by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in Connecticut: $0."

On a similar theme David Weigel subbing for the vacationing Andrew Sullivan looks at Club For Growth challenges in CO-5 and RI SEN and observes: "Living last year in Virginia I saw this happen on a smaller scale. Conservative Republicans primaried a number of moderate, squishy Republican state legislators in the DC suburbs and exurbs, in large part because of anger over Gov. Mark Warner's tax hikes (which said legislators supported). The victorious conservatives got summarily creamed by Democrats."

Responding to a similar argument from TNR's Michael Crowley, Ramesh Ponnuru at National Review Online offers a limited defense of CFG strategy: "So what? [The Club for Growth] doesn't exist to help the Republican party. ... And it isn't at all clear what Chafee would do if the party's "control" of the Senate depended on him. I think the Club made the right call."

TN SEN: The Bill Frist Clone Vs. The Surrendercrat

The Ford Report looks at ex-Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker's (R) refusal to release his full tax returns and recounts an effort Corker made to seal court documents in a lawsuit involving Chattanooga and Wal Mart. The Ford Report concludes: "Don't be fooled this fall. It is time we had a U.S. Senator who is open and honest with the people of Tennessee. Not another Bill Frist clone."

Over at RedState, Erick Erickson looks ar Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D-09) voting record in response to Ford's latest television ad on nat'l security: "During his time in Congress, Ford voted: Against the 9/11 Commission recommendations, which he uses in his ad, Against the PATRIOT Act extension, Against securing the border with Mexico, Against American energy independence, Ford spoke out against the NSA's surveillance program." Erick concludes: "Harold Ford, Jr. wants to run as a law and order Republican. His record is one of a cut and run surrendercrat."

VA SEN: Too ... Many ... Book Titles ... To Chose From ...

Ex-Navy Sec. Jim Webb's (D) Netroots Coordinator Lowell Feld reports at Raising Kaine that John "The Rainmaker" Grisham plans to team up with Stephen "Needful Things" King for a 9/24 Webb fundraiser in Charlottesville, VA. Feld writes: "Now, it's time for some bad puns and other plays on book titles. Will Stephen King's support for Jim Webb "Carrie" a lot of weight, fueling a "Storm of the Century" in Virginia, politically speaking? Will the receiving line at this event be a "Long Walk" or a "Dead Zone?" Will George Allen and Dick Wadhams feel "Misery" or "Rage" upon hearing news of this event?"

Plenty of lefty blogger reaction to The Nation's 8/30 article. DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas writes: "These are Allen's allies, and it's why it's so important to get rid of Sen. Felix Macaca. Politics matters, and we have a duty and responsibility to help cleanse our government of those who might be wearing hoods were it 50 years ago."

MCCAIN: The Security, Spending, and Social Issues Candidate?

Responding to in-house questioning, Patrick Hynes of Ankle Biting Pundits lays out his reasons for supporting Sen. John McCain (R-AZ): "There are, at this point in my life, two hills upon which I'm willing to fight and die in terms of issues and policy: the Global War on Terror and the life of the unborn. ... Sen. John McCain is not only the strongest available candidate to engineer a victory in the Global War on Terror, he is the strongest possible candidate. ... Sen. McCain is pro-life. ... George Allen, Mitt Romney, Condi Rice, Rudy Giuliani are not."

IA GOPer Caucus Cooler passes along state Sen. Chuck Larson's (R-IA) explanation for his endorsement of McCain on "The Big Show" with John Gibson:

For a couple of different reasons, No. 1, Sen. John McCain is a fiscal hawk. Secondly, he is a social conservative, with a 24-year pro-life voting record. But from my perspective, the most important issue, whether it's 2006 or 2008, is going to be national security and the global War on Terror. And Sen. McCain recognizes that we must win this war for our own nation's security.

It wasn't all roses for McCain on the righty side o' the 'sphere. Tapscott's Copy Desk looks at the FEC's recent ruling on paid political broadcast ads two months before an election and writes: "This is the ultimate form of Incumbent Protection Act, short of repealing elections. I say it again - if the Republican Party nominates Sen. John McCain, R-AZ, for president in 2008 without his official apology for and repudiation of McCain-Feingold, plus introduction of legislation to repeal that monstrous outrage against the First Amendment, no conservative, libertarian or honest liberal can support him for the White House."

Finally, Blogometer alum William Beutler at Blog PI argues that neither McCain nor Nicco Mele have come completely clean on the length and extent of their relationship: "But there is another aspect of the McCain/Mele cooperation that strikes me as troublesome: The current McCain/Mele relationship stretches back to last fall, yet Mele didn't step aside until called out by Hotline just this week. So in the past year since they first hooked up, Mele has been doing paid work for Democrats in his primary job while doing unpaid work for a Republican in his free time. This is highly problematic for EchoDitto, but it doesn't reflect all that well on the McCain camp, either."

GIULIANI: His Heirness?

The unofficial Giuliani Blog looks at the Cook Political Report's RT Strategies poll and declares: "Rudy Giuliani is the clear frontrunner for the '08 GOP nomination." Giuliani Blog highlights these findings:

Rudy Giuliani is George Bush's heir apparent. McCain voters don't much care for the President, and are unhappy with the current direction of the country.
Rudy: Popular with the Republican base, with more potential to grow.
Giuliani supporters are more Republican than McCain supporters.
People who do not want Rudy Giuliani to be the nominee are more split among rival campaigns.
Younger and middle aged voters seem to favor Giuliani. Older voters are more likely to favor McCain.

FRIST: 15 Days Of Fun

Senate Maj. leader Bill Frist (R-TN) spent part of his 8/29 with conservative bloggers including John Hinderaker of Power Line and Captain Ed of Captain's Quarters.

Hinderaker writes: "Based on my observations today, Senator Frist is a highly viable Presidential candidate. His intelligence, competence, judgment and reliability cannot be questioned. His views are compatible with those of the Republican base across a broad range of issues. He needs to beef up his Presidential persona, by, for example, learning what to do with his legs when he is addressing a group.

Captain's Quarters transcribed a discussion on politics, including this exchange between Frist and Hinderaker:

BF: I will do port security next these are my general plans, I haven't even told my colleagues this. I want to do port security, I want to address the Bolton nomination, I want to address the Hamdan decision on these security issues, I want to address the Specter-FISA compromise. That right there I've only got 15 legislative days, so you can imagine the challenge. JH: Do you think those things will have an impact in November? BF: I don't know, but as I travel around and talk with people, everything gravitates back to security. I think there will be clarification with some people, instead of saying "I'm for the war on terror but I don't like this." We'll look at the tools we need to fight the war on terror, and we'll look at the issue the Supreme Court gave us. So there will be a lot of discussion of those, which will lead to the clarification. That's what people want to feel safer and more secure.

CLINTON: How Do You Solve A Problem Like Hillary?

At The Huffington PostWhen Harry Met Sally screenwriter Nora Ephron looks at Sen. Hillary Clinton's (D-NY) success on the morning-after pill and her meeting with cable exec Ned Lamont (D-CT) and sees only one more blemish on HRC's resume: Iraq. Ephron argues that HRC will eventually bend to popular opinion on the war, but finds that leaves HRC doubters in a pickle:

What are those of us who believe that she will do anything to win, who believe she doesn't really take a position unless it's completely safe, who believe she has taken the concept of triangulation and pushed it to a geometric level never achieved by anyone including her own husband, who can't stand her position on the war, who don't trust her as far as you can spit - what are we going to do if she ends up in agreement with us?
It's going to be an interesting moment for us Hillary Resisters. And we're not going to be able to say we're not supporting her because she can't win. Because let's face it, we don't have a candidate who can win.

TERROR POLITICS: What Would A Progressive Do?

Associate at The Project on Middle East Democracy Shadi Hamid got progressives talking foreign policy with his American Prospectweb exclusive "Vision Gap" arguing "for resisting the realist temptation and reclaiming democracy promotion from Bush."

Ernest Wilson at TPM Cafe identifies four critical Hamid errors: " He fails to provide a principled rationale for 'progressive foreign policy' (PFP); he doesn't adequately link a PFP to a progressive domestic agenda; his defense of democracy as the core tenet is deeply flawed; and he conflates U.S. policy toward the Middle East with U.S. foreign policy more generally.

Spencer Ackerman at TAPPED offers a response to Hamid titled: "Why human rights, not democracy, should be the lodestar of a liberal foreign policy."

TERROR POLITICS II: What Would Posner Do?

U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Richard Posner sat down for a podcast with The Glenn & Helen Show at Instapundit to discuss his new book Not a Suicide Pact: The Constitution in a Time of National Emergency.

From the left Glenn Greenwald notes: "Posner's relentless characterization of the Constitution as this amorphous, evolving document which must be shaped and molded by political events led Reynolds to ask the right if not obvious question -- isn't Posner advocating the very theory of a "living, breathing Constitution" which conservatives have long claimed to despise, even consider tyrannical? ... Posner paused and stuttered quite a bit after being asked that question, and then admitted, quite astonishingly, that he "hadn't thought about that" painfully obvious point before. But he then told Reynolds that he's "right" about the fact that he, Posner, has an elastic view of the Constitution -- that it is a "flexible" document."

Instapundit responds:

Glenn Greenwald
says Posner is being un-conservative by advocating "drastically expanded police powers." Some things that Posner advocates in his book might fall within that category, though generally I think that's something of an overstatement. As I note in the podcast, what's interesting is that Posner's advocating a "more European" approach to national security powers, which produces a left/right role reversal. Posner also makes the point that it's interesting that the Supreme Court's foreign-law enthusiasts don't look to Europe as a model in these areas, as they do in the case of capital punishment.

BLOGGERS VS. BELTWAY: The Revelation To Nowhere

After all that calling, some good old fashion Googling may have uncovered the secret Sen. behind the hold of Sens. Barack Obama (D-IL) and Tom Coburn (R-OK) publicly searchable pork database bill, S. 2590. TPM Muckraker's Justin Rood passes a long a Fort Smith Times Recordreport from a Coburn townhall meeting where Coburn said of Stevens: "He's the only senator blocking it," in response to a question about the bill.

Muckraker goes on to report: "But did he really do it? Well, he had a motive: As the paper and others have noted, Stevens and Coburn have clashed before -- in particular over Stevens' now-legendary "bridge to nowhere." Coburn attempted (and failed) to block the $233 million boondoggle. And revenge certainly fits the senior Alaskan's m.o."

Only one blogger has stepped forward to defend the practice of secret holds (but not this specific one). Conservative Tim Chapman writes:

But with all the excitement over outing the holder, there appears to be momentum building to abolish the secret hold in general. On its face, that seems to make sense. But conservatives should rethink abolishing the secret hold. ... More often than not it is conservatives - anti pork, limited government types - who employ the secret hold. They use the hold to slow down legislation that is incessantly offered by liberals in the Senate. Legislation that would appropriate x amount of billions of dollars to this or that socially acceptable and politically popular cause is often the target of these holds. Why? because without a hold the bill goes to the Senate floor and passes with unanimous consent for fear of opposing a politically popular piece of legislation that is often either not constitutional or further bloats the federal government.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Ahmadinejad Must Be Really Far Behind If He's Challenging Bush To All These Debates

Ryan Sager at RCP Blog recognizes that it is only a CNN online poll but still marvels at the results showing 63% of CNN.com readers believe Pres. Bush would lose a debate to Iranian Pres. Ahmadinejad.

LEST WE FORGET: Offsides On Socrates

One of the guest posters at Andrew Sullivan has uploaded a YouTube of a Monty Python classic: a Greek vs. German philosopher soccer match. The play by play includes: "Socrates scores on a beautiful cross from Archimedes and the Germans are disputing it. Hagel is arguing that the reality is merely an a priori adjunct of non-naturalistic ethics. Kant, by the categorical imperative is holding that the ontological exists only in the imagination. And Marx is claiming offsides."

NOTES AND ERRATA: Team Hotline Needs You!

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:07 PM

August 29, 2006

8/29: You Win Some, You Lose Some...

... friends, that is. It's not often enough that bloggers can put aside petty name-calling (ed. confession: the Blogometer loves well-crafted petty name-calling) and works together for a common cause. Now that TPM Muckraker is engaging its readers in the outing of the Senator who put a secret hold on the anti-pork S. 2590, it's safe to call the effort bipartisan. But while friends are being gained in some areas, the web's partisan nature is ending friendships elsewhere. Nicco Mele's ex-communication from the progressive blogger community, following his decision to sign with Sen. John McCain's (R-AZ) Straight Talk America PAC, may extend to the web consultant company he founded (despite his departure from the firm). And finally, Matt Stoller at MyDD attacks DCCC Chair Rahm Emanuel (IL) for his alleged crimes against progressivism.

BLOGGERS VS. BELTWAY: Bloggers Of The World Unite!

The bulk of the effort is still coming from the right flank of the 'sphere but TPM Muckraker's Justin Rood has joined righty traffic leader Instapundit's quest to identify the mystery senator who put a secret hold on Sens. Barack Obama (D-IL) and Tom Coburn (R-OK) publicly searchable pork database bill, S. 2590. By 9 a.m. Muckraker had some form of a commitment from 59 Senate offices that their boss was not the "secret hold" senator. Bloggers on both sides are all urging readers to contact their sens' office and demand to know if their Sen. is the holder.

Instapundit comments: "The circle continues to close! Some readers wonder what happens if the secret-hold Senator just lies about it? Well, if we get to 100 denials, it's going to be pretty embarrassing for the Senate, which has already had about all the embarrassment it should want in an election year. But I don't think that will happen." Other thoughts from the right:

Mary Katherine Ham at Townhall: "Is it Debbie Stabenow? If so, I'm doubting that will play well in her fight against Bouchard."
Captain's Quarters: "This entire episode should shame every member of the Upper Chamber. Using a cheap and secret political maneuver to block passage of a bill that would do more to provide open government than anything since the Freedom of Information Act is not ironic, it's cynical beyond belief."
Just One Minute: "What's missing is a proper betting pool - my money would be on Robert Byrd as the secret holder, mainly because he is a traditionalist and the King of Pork."
Hot Air has video of Brit Hume's FOX News coverage.

BLOGGERS vs. BELTWAY II: Mmmmm, Kool Aid

Progressive Matt Stoller at MyDD continued his war on DCCC Chair Rahm Emanuel 8/28:

"Rather than running on a progressive winning set of messages, Rahm has decided that primping before the press as 'Rahmbo' while whining about progressives will give him a win-win. If we win the house, he's a hero. If we lose the House, it's because of bloggers/Al Sharpton/Lamont/ Moveon/Soros/Pelosi. ... Rahm Emanuel is not a party strategist. He is an extremist ideologue, a Bourbon Democrat, and he will be a huge problem for progressives moving forward."

Tom Bevan at conservative hang-out RCP Blog comes to Emanuel's defense: "I spit Diet Coke all over it after reading Stoller, of all people, fingering Rahm Emanuel an "extremist ideologue." This is the sort of stuff that should scare sensible Democrats out of their minds. Rahm is a centrist. He's a Clintonite. Six years ago years ago that wasn't a sin. Now to a growing portion of the party, it's grounds for excommunication. Apparently, unless you've taken a heavy pull from the nutroot Kool-Aid, you're not welcome or wanted."

BLOGGERS VS. BLOGGERS: Ex-Communication Edition

Blogometer alum William Beutler at Blog PI serves up in-depth coverage of lefty blogger community fallout from Nicco Mele's decision to sign with Sen. John McCain's (R-AZ) Straight Talk America PAC. Highlights include:

After [Howard] Dean, Mele went on to found the Democratic-oriented website building firm EchoDitto, which has built a solid reputation for itself. This revelation, however, is causing trouble not just for consultant Mele himself but for his consulting firm as well.
Most consequentially, however, lead Kossack Markos Moulitsas revealed in his take nothing we didn't know already, namely that he can't be friends with people whose political beliefs he doesn't share.
It's certainly an appropriate strategy; in national politics, you can switch allegiances exactly once, and as Mele is finding out, even that comes at a price.
But Kos went further, giving the impression that EchoDitto itself had a material connection to the campaign, because the "expertise and intelligence he is gathering from the following clients can and will end up as part of the McCain arsenal in 2008."
If EchoDitto had remained silent, he might've had a point. But I'm still waiting for Kos and a host of others to acknowledge that one evening later EchoDitto New York dir. Harish Rao announced that Mele was stepping aside as CEO.
Yet the Kos-imposed embargo remains in place. And so does the one from Steve Gilliard. More suprisingly - at least based on my own impression - so does the one from DavidNYC at Swing State Project, and he'd even allowed that the perfect solution would be for McCain Mele to go.

LANDSCAPE '06: Questioning The Whole Premise

Progressive Chris Bowers at MyDD released his House Forecast 2006 8/28. His conclusion: "I currently project Democrats to take 15-25 seats, which would give them a narrow majority of between 218-228 seats. ... Overall I think it is a very good forecast even if, perhaps, very slightly too optimistic." DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas highlights the rankings but isn't as optimistic: "And for the record, I still don't think we'll win back either chamber. I've seen the GOP close the deal too many times before for me to get complacent and cocky. Nah. I think we'll win 7-14 seats in the House, 3-5 in the Senate."

Conservative Robert Moran at Crosstabs sees a "Speaker Pelosi in the next Congress" but agrees with James Carville's 8/28 assertion: "We have to go back to 1974 (during Watergate) to find such a favorable environment,'' says James Carville, who ran Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign. ``If we can't win in this environment, we have to question the whole premise of the party."

Moran goes on to highlight other GOP small silver linings: "If Democrats take back the House they will over-play their hand, make silly comments and generally anger voters. Pelosi won't wear well. ... it would make things much, much harder for a Democratic Presidential nominee in 2008, as they won't have the Congress to run against. This, in fact, would make things especially hard for Mrs. Clinton in the 2008 general election. ... And I believe that the electoral drubbing we're about to receive will end up triggering a series of events that eventually lead to us trading the 18 or so Kerry/GOP seats in 2004 for the 40 odd Bush/Dem seats."

CT SEN: Who Needs Firefighters?

Natural Born Killers producer and progressive activist Jane Hamsher at firedoglake has Washington Post's Chris Cilizza in her sights over his 8/27 blog post on "one of the strongest union backers" of Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), the International Association of Firefighters, decision to back Lieberman in the general. Hamsher writes:

Right-o. One of the most critical unions in this race, the SEIU, is the first to abandon Lieberman and back Lamont instead, and what's the story for Cillizza? Today, when it comes to the Firefighters well tie me up and call me Loretta. ... I think it's reasonable in this situation to ask where, exactly, Cizzilla got his information - and his spin. Would it be from a reliably unreliable LieberLiar who has been the source of bad information in the past and has no trouble punking journalists who carry his water? Enquiring minds want to know. ... Hey Chris - I hope [Dan] Gerstein at least bought you dinner.

RI SEN: More And More Like CT SEN Everyday

Righty bloggers were not happy with Hotline On Call (go team!) reports that the RNC had activated its 72 hour program. Under the header "NRSC Must Support RI Winner" Matt Lewis at Right Angle Blog writes: "The NRSC has effectively painted themselves in a corner by vowing not to support Cranston Mayor Steve Laffey ... Should the NRSC stubbornly stick to this threat, they would effectively be allowing the Democrats to take the seat, uncontested. This would be disastrous because every dime the Democrats don't spend in Rhode Island is a dime they will spend in Ohio ... or Pennsylvania ... or Maryland ... or Tennessee, etc."

Also on the right, Bull Dog Pundit at Ankle Biting Pundits asks the RNC to stop spitting in the face of the GOP base: "My personal opinions about the man aside, doesn't the GOP realize that spending scads of money on a guy who didn't even vote for the President, let alone favors abortion on demand, voted against Sam Alito, voted against the Iraq war, is in favor of rights for terrorists, and is against ANWR drilling, isn't exactly how you want to treat the very people you need to turn out on Election Day to keep the majority in both houses."

This time its the lefties turn for glee over intra-party warfare. DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas: "Keep in mind what this means: assuming this report by the Hotline is accurate, the NRSC is pulling valuable workers in important battleground states like Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania for a full two weeks." Natural Born Killers producer and progressive activist Jane Hamsher at firedoglake: "Now, I never quite got the Club for Growth's logic because to blame Lincoln Chafee for high taxes is like blaming Kobe for the high price of gas. Chafee is about as big a eunuch as exists in the Senate today, and there's some serious denial going on as to what the kleptocrats which wingnuttia ritualistically prostrates itself before are actually busying themselves about in DC."

TN SEN: Liquids On A Plane

Greg Sargent at TPM Cafe has video of Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D-09) latest tv ad on national security: "By our estimation it may be the first Dem TV ad this cycle wholly focused on national security questions. Ford -- who has a slight edge over GOP nominee Bob Corker -- is pictured carrying a bottle of liquid on a plane and demanding the adoption of all the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission."

VA SEN: Does That Make Richmond The Next Pittsburgh?

Ben Adler at TAPPED passes along David Weigel's thoughts on the future of VA:

In 4-10 years, I think Virginia's politics will look more like Pennsylvania's, with the DC burbs playing the part of Philly and its suburbs. At the very least Democrats are going to start picking up the northern VA congressional seats now held by Tom Davis and Frank Wolf.

Adler adds: "Indeed, that seems to be where the long-term trend is going. Furthermore, just double the number of years and, with all the Northern retirees flocking to Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and the rest of the Research Triangle Park area, North Carolina may be in exactly the place Virginia finds itself now. The more immediate question is whether this process is far enough along to affect this year's Senate race. Given George Allen's longstanding popularity in the state, my guess is that once the word Macaca is forgotten, it won't be."

GIULIANI: Country Clubbin'

Right Wing News wants to put an end to the "inordinate amount of positive attention" ex-NY mayor Rudy Giuliani is receiving around the blogosphere. RWN has a lengthy "Conservative Case Against Rudy Giulliani" with subheads including: Rudy's Strong Pro-Abortion Stance, An Anti-Second Amendment Candidate, Soft On Gay Marriage, Pro-Illegal Immigration, Rudy Giuliani: A More Charismatic Version Of Arlen Specter, He Can't Keep His Pants Up, and How Electable Is Rudy Giuliani Really?

Hawkins conclusion: "Despite all of his charisma and the wonderful leadership he showed after 9/11, Rudy Giuliani is not a Reagan Republican. To the contrary, Giuliani is another Christie Todd Whitman, another Arlen Specter, another Olympia Snowe. He's a throwback to the "bad old days" before Reagan, when the GOP was run by moderate, Country Club Republicans who considered conservatives to be extremists."

MCCAIN: We Hope We Never Get Birthday Card From Al

Editor-at-Large of The Hill Albert Eisle takes to The Huffington Post to wish Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) a happy birthday:

"When you celebrate -- if that's the word -- your 70th birthday today (Tuesday), you must be thinking what it would be like to be the oldest person ever to enter the White House should that happen in 2009. ... The bad news is that political reporters, and undoubtedly your rivals, will never let voters forget that you were diagnosed with a deadly form of skin cancer six years ago and had malignant tumors removed from your face and arm after an earlier encounter with skin cancer in 1993. ... Any indication of a possible return of your cancer or evident dimunition in your energy or any other health problem that might keep you from the campaign trail could have a devastating impact on your presidential hopes. That's what political reporters and your rivals will be looking for in the months ahead.
So happy birthday again. Just don't hurt yourself trying to blow out all your candles."

OBAMA: Obamarama

Tom Bevan at the conservative RCP Blog has kudos for Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) performance in Africa:

If you've followed the trip at all you know that Obama's reception in Africa (Kenya in particular) has bordered on reverential. I was particularly impressed by Obama's decision to publicly take an AIDS test on Saturday to raise awareness of the issue and to help break down some of the social taboos that still exist regarding AIDS in Africa. Give Obama credit for making a smart, meaningful gesture - and one he certainly didn't have to make.

BIDEN: Who Needs The South?

Charles P. Pierce at TAPPED looks at Sen. Joe Biden's (D-DE) "My state was a slave state" quote and asks, "It's only August of 2006, and we've already heard the single dumbest thing a Democratic presidential candidate is going to say prior to the 2008 election?"

Also at TAPPED, Tom Schaller questions Biden's need to appeal to southern voters at all. Schaller notes that while it is true that the last three Dems in the WH were all southerners, Clinton's margin over George H. W. Bush was 9.5% lower in the south than in the non-South "making the Big Dog the first Democratic candidate since the Civil War to win the White House despite losing the South."

KATRINA: The Blogging Dems

House min leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA), and Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) all took to The Huffington Post to criticize Pres. Bush's handling of Katrina and to highlight their own post-Katrina efforts.

Pelosi: "The incompetence, mishandling, and shear opportunistic greed that has occurred under the President's watch has been stunning. ... Last week, House Democrats formed a Waste, Fraud and Abuse Truth Squad, chaired by Congressmen Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Dennis Cardoza (D-CA). ... Last week, the Truth Squad released a detailed report highlighting the financial mishandling and corruption that has marred the recovery process, dedicating the first Golden Drain Award to the President's Hurricane Katrina contract process. ... And we still need an independent commission, modeled after the 9/11 Commission, to find out what exactly went wrong, why it went wrong, and how to fix it.
Kennedy: "New Orleans and the Gulf are a national treasure that Americans hold dear for its rich history, vibrant culture and economic vitality. We cannot allow the Bush Administration and the Republican Congress to continue its incompetent response to this terrible tragedy. We owe it not just to those directly affected by Katrina, but to our nation, to meet our commitments and get the job done.
Feingold: "We've got to do something to help displaced residents - particularly low-income people - who want to move back to New Orleans. I have put together a few different ideas into one bill ... It doesn't tackle every problem, but it will help address some of the tough housing issues facing New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. It includes housing vouchers to help make rents affordable for the lowest income people and families. It also makes housing like the Katrina Cottages - which are more like homes, and less like trailers - more available to those who want them. ... I have been working for years, along with Sen. John McCain, to ensure certain Army Corps of Engineer projects, including the levees, undergo independent peer review. Earlier this summer, I offered an amendment with Senator McCain and others to the Water Resources Development Act to require independent peer review of future Army Corps of Engineers projects that are costly, controversial, or critical to public safety.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Meet The New Kos, Not The Same As The Old Kos

Subbing for the vacationing Andrew Sullivan, David Weigel looks at the RNC's recent anti-Kos hatchet job and laments:

The RNC's briefing reminded me, though, of how much blogs have changed since their liftoff in 2001 and 2002. Kos started off a pro-Democrat blogger who engaged in tense-but-civil discussions with the right-wing and pro-GOP sides of the blogosphere. (I touched on this in a July Reason story about the mainstreaming of blogs.) The first Daily Kos post, archived here, now read like the musings of a Democratic activist calmed beyond reason by a combination of Quaaludes and Republicans holding his family hostage."

LEST WE FORGET: What If A Bear Pooped In The Woods And No One Was There To Smell It?

At TownhallMary Katherine Ham announces "The Club for Growth is uploading some of its classic ads" and includes her '04 flip-flopper favorite. As an added bonus Ham also uploads the '84 Reagan "Bear in the woods" ad and comments:

And, then we have some of that old-school, classic-style, Republican fear-mongering. And, by that I mean audacious ads by Republicans aimed at reminding voters there are real threats out there that the Dems haven't shown as much of an inclination for aggressively defending against. But, you know-- tomato, tomato (which, by the way, is a near-useless phrase in writing).

NOTES AND ERRATA: Team Hotline Needs You!

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:11 PM

August 28, 2006

8/28: Virtual Straw Better Than Real?

Despite a shaky track record for predicting the final nominee, sometime next year the MSM and a slew of '08 hopefuls will descend on IA for the first '08 straw polls. The rest of the nation may not care a wink, but for hardcore observers (that means you) the results are at least a snapshot of each candidate's momentum and organizational competence. On line, however, straw polls are conducted almost every month. The frequency of these contests allow for a greater sense of momentum, and the technology allows for a more detailed picture of where each candidates support is coming from, and where it might go once that candidate is forced out of the race. The results from GOP Bloggers 8/25-27 '08 straw poll are a great example of on line straw poll potential.

GOP FIELD: Macacad Right Out Of The Race?

GOP Bloggers conducted their latest online '08 straw poll over the weekend. Compared to their July numbers, the biggest winners were ex-Speaker Newt Gingrich, ex-NY mayor Rudy Giuliani, and MA Gov. Mitt Romney. Sen. George Allen's (VA) '08 hopes were "devastated" by the macaca incident. The straw poll asks readers which '08ers are "acceptable" or "not acceptable" and allows readers to select their top choice. Only Allen, Gingrich, Giuliani, and Romney have net positives (Sen. John McCain (AZ) has the 3rd highest neg net rating at 33%).

Machiavel at RedState observes:

The Macaca incident has clearly devastated Allen's numbers in the blogosphere, his stronghold. ... Once undefined, he has now been defined in a hugely negative way, dropping to fourth with 11.5% support.
Who's the new conservative "it" candidate? Newt! The conservative mantle has shifted to Newt over the last few months. He got a huge boost last month for being all over the Israel-Hezbollah war.
Giuliani and Romney show positive movement. There's a consistent pattern of Romney and Giuliani momentum among a few of the bigger blogs participating in the poll. Among RedState readers, Romney moved up a net 10.9% and Giuliani a net 10.8% in acceptability. On RealClearPolitics, Romney moved up 18.9% to Giuliani's 12.5%. On Blogs for Bush, Giuliani moved up 22.8% and Romney was up 14.8%.
McCain supporters love Giuliani and Giuliani supporters are pretty fond of Romney. A handy reference should either of the two offline frontrunners falter.

The final first choice results looked like this:

Giuliani 24.6%
Gingrich 21.1
Romney 12.8
Allen 11.5
Tancredo 6.7
McCain 6.4
Hagel 2.8
Brownback 2.5
Huckabee 1.5
Frist 1.1
Pataki 0.3

Lefty bloggers took note of their blogger brethren preferences. Under a header "GOP bloggers lining up behind Gingrich as insurgent" Jerome Armstrong at MyDD writes: "They don't have the first-choice numbers from a month ago, but in August, the net movers (compared to the phone polling done) shows the candidacy of Gingrich is alive on the net; that Romney is gaining traction; Giuliani is having the strongest online/offline crossover; and McCain is trailing Tancredo in online support."

MCCAIN: A Rising Dem Tide Will Not Lift All Boats

Zack Exley at DailyKos sums up lefty blogger reaction to Hotline On Call (go team!) reports that ex-Howard Dean aide Nicco Mele has promised to work for Sen. John McCain's (R-AZ) Straight Talk America PAC:

I'm friends with Nicco, I really love the guy, and his dance with McCain doesn't change any of that. But here's the deal: McCain has a credible chance of convincing large numbers of uninformed liberals that he is compatible with a progressive agenda. ... Therefore: when folks jump up to help McCain achieve this, there's got to be a price -- even when they're friends of ours. That doesn't mean we stop being friends with them, or that we do anything mean. It just means don't let them have it both ways when it comes to politics and business. Democratic consultants and figureheads need to know that going off to work for McCain means losing their place in the rising Democratic tide.

HAGEL: First They Came For Specter, Then They Came For Chafee...

Adam C at RedState notices that Sen. primary challenges are "en vogue recently" and predicts that Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) will lose his GOP primary should he run for re-election in '08. Adam C writes:

Sen. Hagel has the same negatives (in a mirror image way) as Sen. Lieberman. He hails from a rather conservative state and he has a record of disloyalty that upsets activists. He is obviously contemplating running for President as the Pacifist Republican in 2008 which would leave his seat open. If he decides to run for the Senate, I expect some conservative will challenge him. ... And after 2-4 years of hearing Sen. Hagel spend his time and effort denigrating the U.S. military efforts in the Middle East and the War on Terror, NE GOPers just might follow their hearts to a primary challenger.

ROMNEY: Thanksgiving Already

IA GOP blogger Caucus Cooler reports on MA Gov. Mitt Romney Commonwealth PAC chairman Doug Gross' appearance on "The Insiders." CC reports: "Gross predicted that Rudy Giuliani "would not get in the race unless McCain got out" and would likely "not run for President." He said that if Rudy were to enter, it would likely be at the very end of the campaign and he would ride in on his white horse. Gross reasoned that would give caucus goers less time to "vet" Rudy, and realize how liberal he is on social issues. ... He also said that Romney's poll numbers in Iowa probably wouldn't shoot up for a while citing Thanksgiving 07 as "plenty early."

CLINTON: The Rich Get Richer?

Robert Schlesinger at The Huffington Post takes a minority opinion on who the DNC's new '08 primary schedule benefits the most:

While the rise of the blogosphere, netroots and Internet politics are very exciting, money still makes politics go. And more to the point here, money let's politicians go. To wit: The ground war (grass-roots organizing) and the air war (TV) in the first round of caucuses and primaries will cost more this year since it will take place virtually simultaneously in two states in distinct parts of the country. And bopping the candidate around those four states? The price of jet fuel isn't dropping, in case you haven't noticed.
Broadening the primary, making it more national -- this only benefits the candidate with deep bank accounts. And while Mrs. Clinton has a host of potential problems, being cash-strapped won't be one of them.

Over at TPM CafeM.J. Rosenberg looks at the 8/25 HRC/cable exec Ned Lamont (D-CT) meeting and sees encouraging growth on HRC's part:

In fact, dispatching [Howard] Wolfson to an antiwar campaign to unseat an old Clinton friend is pretty remarkable. Gutsy move by Clinton. I've never been a fan, and am deeply put off by her AIPAC stand on the Israel-Palestinian conflict, but this indicates that she is capable of change. God knows she's smart enough to change. Anyway, it is good news for anti-Iraq war Democrats.

BLOGGERS VS. BELTWAY: Mmmmmm, Warmed Over Second Term Clintonism

DCCC Chair Rahm Emanuel did not make any new friends in the blogosphere with his "Explain to me how two Democrats running is bad" quote from 8/27's New York Times on the impact of Sen. Joe Lieberman's (I-CT) independent run against cable exec Ned Lamont (D).

Natural Born Killers producer and progressive activist Jane Hamsher at firedoglake writes: "But do you really believe Rush Limbaugh or Fox News or Ann Coulter or Sean Hannity talking every day about how great Joe Lieberman is will energize Democrats in November? Because I have to say I have a tough time seeing this, Rahm. I really do." Down with Tyranny sees two possibilities: "Boss Rahm is as stupid as he's pretending to be" or "Boss Rahm is being disingenuous, and in fact is every bit as comfortable as GOP Joe with the Republicans' maintaining control of the House." Atrios honored Emanuel as his " Wanker of the Day."

Meanwhile Emanuel's book The Plan: Big Ideas for America continued to get a chilly blogger reaction. Ezra Klein writes: "Incidentally, I've flipped through The Plan a bit, and I doubt I've ever seen a book with a subtitle so deeply misleading. This is warmed over, second term Clintonism at its incrementialist."

Matt Stoller at MyDD surveys the Emanuel wreckage and forwards his own beef: "Fair enough, though I'm annoyed for a slightly different reason. I just don't see Democratic campaigns doing well. They aren't putting Iraq front and center, and it's not clear to me that the will exists to take on the right clearly and honestly. You can look at the generic Congressional balloting all you want, but it won't mean anything unless campaigns around the country decide that it's in fact a good thing to be a Democrat."

LANDSCAPE '06: Now That We're In Power, What Should We Do?

Chris Bowers at MyDD acknowledges fate tempting but still feels its important to ask "with chances that Democrats will actually win control of at least one branch of congress now very real, what should we do once we are actually governing?" Bowers answer:

My first reaction would be to pass a series of bills that Bush could not possibly veto, such as a real minimum wage hike and earmark reform. Then, I think we should move into passing popular legislation that Bush will probably veto, such as rolling back the tax cuts on the wealthiest Americans, fixing the hideous Medicare bills, and global warming initiatives. From that point on, it is time to investigate, investigate, investigate, especially when it comes to all things Iraq. Don't impeach or censure right away, but keep saying that all options are on the table (thus drawing more attention to the investigations without it seeming like revenge for Clinton). Also, we need to make John McCain vote against a lot of things that are popular and progressive too.

Stirling Newberry at TPM Cafe advises the new Dem majority to "act like outsiders who just came into town" and to immediately start holding hearings on Bush administration malfeasance.

Meanwhile, Adam Hanft at The Huffington Post looks at Dems recent crusade against Wal-Mart and comments: "you can bet a case of Sam's Choice that it's a bad idea." Hanft offers five supporting arguments:

1.It brings up the worst of the old lefty imprint. I'm not the first to say this, and I hope I won't be the last. Bashing America's largest company is redolent of a messianic extremism that will not bring back the Reagan Democrats.
2.It's hypocritical. There are a lot of companies who are worse corporate citizens than Wal-Mart, whether it comes to health insurance coverage or being the agent of child labor around the world, or energy policy.
3.It's a distraction from the real work the Democrats need to do in creating a coherent narrative.
4.It's not even the best way to address the widening income gap.
5.It's too late. Wal-Mart has seen the green light, even Al Gore has praised their environmental commitment and embrace of sustainability. Geez, they've even joined the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

The News Blog hits back with the case against the low-price leader:

It supports Republicans. The vast majority of their political support goes to the GOP.
It is virulent anti-union. It spends millions to prevent the unionization of their stores. It is clear that in North America, stores that unionize will be closed. Which is why Wal Mart hasn't opened in New York.
It's expansion plans have drawn repeated grass roots opposition in blue areas like Chicago and New York. Chicago just passed a forced hike in the minimum wage for Wal Mart.
The cost of health care by the miserable insurance Wal Mart has provided has created legislative action.
Wal Mart is a miserable corporate citizen, who's gained such a bad reputation that they have to now make minor concessions to public outrage.

CT SEN: You're Doin A Heck Of A Job Joey

Maura at My Left Nutmeg looks at 8/25's New York Timescoverage of cable exec Ned Lamont's (D-CT) attempt to link Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) with the Katrina disaster and argues the Times left out an important detail: "I'm not sure whether the Lamont campaign didn't hit Lieberman directly on this or whether Medina didn't pick up on it, but what is totally missing from this article is the critical information that Joe Lieberman presided over the 2002 Senate confirmation hearings for Michael Brown and enthusiastically supported his confirmation as Deputy Director of FEMA."

Joejoejoe at DailyKos has a more in depth look at Lieberman's role in FEMA's transition into DHS, including: "Lieberman ignored the advice of many Democratic experts and pushed ahead with his own vision for DHS. People of good will can disagree but shouldn't the Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee and later Ranking Member do some kind of operational oversight to ensure his vision was actually being fulfilled? Sen. Lieberman did no such thing. Just a week before Daalder's prescient testimony Sen. Lieberman confirmed Michael Brown as Deputy Director of FEMA in a 42-minute rubber stamp abomination of a hearing."

At The Huffington Post, Bob Geiger looks at blogger pressure on Senate Dem Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to strip Lieberman of his committee assignments and counsels for cooler heads: "Joe needs to go -- and quickly. And, while many of the calls for harsh action from Reid may be righteous, bloggers castigating him for not stripping Lieberman of his committee assignments ... are simply wrong and not reporting accurately on what is or is not within Reid's authority. ... Based on that procedural construct, Harry Reid can't just unilaterally, or even by a closed vote of the Democratic caucus, strip Lieberman of his committee assignments."

Still looking for ways to force Lieberman out of the race, DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas asks Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) to apply the pressure necessary to dry up Lieberman's money supply: "One of Lieberman's supposed sources of money is Steve Rattner, the NY financier married to former DNC finance director and top Hillary fundraiser Maureen White. It's probably one of his last Democratic-based sources of money. ... Now I don't pretend to know the ins-and-outs of the gazillionaire scene in NYC, I can't imagine anything more boring than that, but Hillary controls a lot of money in that town. And even if she can't pull Rattner out of Lieberman's pocket, she can put pressure on his circle as well. Hillary is the queen bee of NY politics these days.

Finally, Greg Sargent at TPM Cafe calls attention to Lieberman's continued "Contortions On Iraq" outlined in an 8/27 Hartford Courant op-ed and goes on to state Lamont's Iraq position:

Ned Lamont supports the plan advocated by senators John Kerry and Russ Feingold, which calls for a phased withdrawal over the next year. But Lamont has also indicated that in the interests of party unity, he'd also be supportive of an open-ended phased withdrawal, if his party deemed that the better way to go. That's actually a flexible position -- it's a preference for withdrawal within a year, but tempered by a willingness to draw out the withdrawal over a longer period if that's what his party's consensus dictates. It's not solely a rigid commitment to a single arbitrary date.

RI SEN: When's The Circus Coming To Town?

TPM Cafe's Greg Sargent looks at favorable MSM coverage of Cranston Mayor Stephen Laffey (R) and asks: "When is the national press corps going to descend on Rhode Island? When will Wolf Blitzer, Tim Russert and other bigfoot national pundits bemoan the fact that "sensible" and "courageous" moderate Chafee may have no place in his party? When will we start hearing dire warnings that the GOP risks being captured by its extreme right wing? When?"

VA SEN: Kissing Kossack Macacas

DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas reports that the UVA Law student that disrupted a Sen George Allen event at the (R-VA) Staunton, VA Holiday Inn is a regular DailyKos diarist and adds: "And the monkey and banana suits are brilliant, with the potential of becoming as iconic as the Kiss Float in Connecticut if local activists adopt the stunt."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: What's Cookin?

As part of an ongoing series, Extreme Mortman gets Cook Political Report Publisher Charlie Cook to identify which blogs he uses to cover the '06 elections:

Now getting closer to the actual question, my favorite political sites are politicalarithmetik.blogspot.com and mysterypollster.com for polling analysis. News aggregators I use are Drudge, Realclearpolitics and Taegan Goddard's politicalwire.
Larry Sabato and David Wasserman down at UVA do a great job with crystalball too.

In terms of races, I only check in with the blogs once or twice a week, don't have time to do it any more often than that. Everything I've mentioned above totals hundreds of pages of reading each week. On the left, it's easier: Daily Kos, MyDD and Swingstateproject all have pretty good discussions of races. There is a lot of cheerleading by various people posting but useful insights can also be found.

It's harder on the right, because while there are plenty of right-of-center political sites, freerepublic.com for example. Not many have conversations about specific contests - redstate.com is the one that stands out. I've heard the theory that since the left is out of power, they are more focused on the individual races needed to get back in power. On the right, much more of the conversation is about political topics, but not individual races. That sounds plausible to me. Presumably whenever conservatives lose power, their focus will shift as well.

The bloggers got my attention last summer when they spotted the special election in Ohio's second district as getting competitive before anyone in DC did. While many political bloggers are wrong far often more than right, they credentialed themselves as worth looking at just because I hate being wrong about anything.

LEST WE FORGET: Mel's Company

Yes But No But Yes sympathizes with Mel Gibson over his love for Dewars (but not for anti-semittism) and goes on to offer his 20 worst Hollywood career moves including

After seven seasons of helping build Late Night with Conan O'Brien into a cult comedy hit, sidekick Andy Richter leaves to pursue an acting career. Hey, that Andy Richter controls the universe show lasted a while, didn't it?
After five seasons, Shelley Long leaves the cast of Cheers to pursue a career in film. Her first project after leaving the show, Troop Beverly Hills makes 5 million at the box office. Shelley should be the spokesperson for Bad Career Choice Magazine, as her case is always the one mentioned when it comes to poor tv-to-movie decisions. Cheers lasted six more seasons, but Shelley did go on to make The Brady Bunch in the White House, so who's laughing now?
Craig Kilborn leaves The Daily Show after three seasons to host the CBS Late Late show. Then leaves the CBS show to shift to a career behind the scenes as a writer. Hey look, a two-time winner. I'll bet you forgot Craig Kilborn was the original host of the Daily Show. But if he left the late night gig to be a writer, why has he taken supporting roles in Shaggy Dog and The Benchwarmers.

NOTES AND ERRATA: Team Hotline Needs You!

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:31 PM

August 24, 2006

8/24: Markos Who?

DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas officially made the RNC's hit list 8/23 when the RNC sent out "Who Is Markos Moulitsas Zuniga?" briefing. The Blogometer has doubts about how effective this tactic will be especially in light of 8/24's Scott Winship's observations on the political knowledge of the average American. Markos may be a household name in DC, but to be an effective Michael Moore like foil, the RNC better hope he gets a lot more famous.

BLOGGERS VS. BELTWAY: It's An Old Fashion Crazy Off

DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas wasted little time responding to the RNC's "attack piece" on him: "I'd fire whoever wrote it. I expect future Republican Party hit pieces on me to be better focused and use more effective examples of my liberalism. I'm not exaggerating, I've had over 10 reporters email me the hit-piece laughing at how bad it is."

Hullabaloo took the opportunity to note the RNC's support of UN amb. John Bolton who recently gave an interview to one of the most shocking extremists in the right blogosphere" Pamela "Atlas" Oshry [ed. note: seen here live-blogging from the beach in her bikini]. Hullabaloo asks: "Why he was being "interviewed" one-on-one by the wingnut-gone-wild while he was supposedly right in the middle of brokering a cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon a couple of weeks ago."

Seeing the Forest ads: "If you are wondering why Bush sounds SO far, far right lately - things like his new war against Islam ("Islamofascists") theme - it's because of who he is spending time with. .. Power Line is a far, far right-wing weblog. This is the Democrats-are-terrorists-who-must-be-executed-for-treason and immediately-nuke-Iran crowd."

BLOGGERS VS. AMERICA: Apparently Winship Never Catches The Tonight Show

The Democratic Strategist's Scott Winship got lefty bloggers ruminating over the ignorance of the American electorate with a link to Stephen Earl Bennett's latest article in Public Opinion Press on the "ignorance" of American adults. Winship highlights some Bennett findings:

Bennett found that nearly one-third of adults were unaware that the Republican Party is more conservative than the Democratic Party. And lest the reader think that this is an expression of cynicism rather than a lack of knowledge, Bennett found that whether or not respondents knew there were major differences between the two parties was associated with the amount of knowledge they had of major politicians and the parties but not with their levels of governmental trust.

Winship underscores the importance of the findings:

The whole point of polling is to obtain an accurate picture of the state of public opinion and preferences, but if voters are generally uninformed, then we might hesitate to craft public policies around those preferences. Furthermore, uninformed voters might be vulnerable to deceptive framing of policy debates, such that their preferences may be quite malleable, which of course renders polling data problematic as a guide to strategy. The textbook example illustrating both points is the majoritarian belief that Saddam Hussein had a hand in the 9/11 attacks, which greatly facilitated the Administration's goal of invading Iraq and overthrowing Hussein.

Lefty bloggers saw the results as a call to action:

Dave Johnson at Huffington Post: "It's so important to understand that we are not the audience we need to reach. We think that others know what we know. And we get so far ahead of regular people in our online discussions that people tuning in for the first time can barely understand what we're talking about -- or can't understand at all."
Matthew Yglesias at Talking Points Memo: "Ignorance is, if not bliss, then at least widespread. One of the things political pundits least appreciate about America is that substantial numbers of people basically have no idea what they're talking about when it comes to politics and that the deeply ignorant are also much more persuadable than the well-informed."
Hullabaloo: "But the fact remains that this is not good for the country. We simply cannot adequately govern ourselves if a large number of us are dumb as posts and vote for reasons that make no sense."
Atrios: "Centrist voters who conform to the rough Washington Post editorial board center-right position do exist, but most of what we think of as "swing voters" are either completely clueless or they're more in the Ross Perot/Pat Buchanan/Reform Party mold (not mutually exclusive categories) for which there is no clear party. .. You reach clueless voters by leading, not pandering, because their cluelessness makes them somewhat difficult to pander to. ... And, no, saying people are clueless about politics is not necessarily insulting them. I pay attention to politics. A lot of people don't. They may be smart about many things but not so smart about politics.

CLINTON: Standing At The Crossroads, Is Clinton Sinking Down?

Arianna Huffington at her Huffington Post sees the upcoming Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY)/cable exec Ned Lamont (D-CT) meeting as "a crossroads moment for both Hillary and the Democratic Party." Arianna argues HRC's tepid support of Lamont validates "behind-the-scenes rumblings" that HRC wants Lieberman victory to cover her left flank on the Iraq war. Huffington writes:

She's not raising money for Lamont and she's not yet scheduled any campaign appearances with him either. It's not by accident that their meeting is in Chappaqua, not Connecticut. The mountain/Mohammad casting is clear. Compare her actions with those of John Kerry and John Edwards who are doing all they can to help Lamont.

Huffington argues that GOPers are backing Lieberman, because they have proven they can beat "Lieberman Democrats" but that "Lamont Democrats" which "represent a re-energized opposition, a reinvigorated Democratic Party fueled by progressive ideals, a willingness to stand up to the GOP smear machine" scare "the hell out of Bush and company." Huffington concludes:

Which is why Hillary needs to come out of her meeting with Lamont and hit the campaign trail on his behalf. Hard and often. Not only is this the right thing to do, it's also the smart thing to do to improve her chances for '08. Ned Lamont represents the future of the Democratic Party; Lieberman its past.

WARNER: We Get It, Bloggers Don't Wear Suits And Ties

Ex-VA Gov. Mark Warner (D) blazed a blogger trail through PA 8/22. First Warner and Iraq war vet Patrick Murphy (D) sat down for lunch with Booman Tribune, Atrios, Susie Madrak, and Alex Urevick-Ackelsberg at "the law offices of Dilworth-Paxon LLP." Booman reports: "Alex and I crashed their suit party in our typical summer garb, much to the consternation of some of the more staid rainmakers. ... high powered attorneys look just like Republicans...white, well-fed, expensive cuff links, big white fuzzy untrimmed eyebrows. But looks can be deceiving. These are the real DLC Democrats. They want free trade and corporate friendly policies. And they don't want anyone to mess with the bottom line for trial attorneys. They're allies, but only to a point. Warner knew just what to say to them."

Booman again gushed about Warner's performance: "And Warner was very, very impressive. He keeps improving every time I see him, and I would characterize his performance as just shy of Clintonesque. He was inspiring." Iraq also came up and Booman gave Warner credit for not sounding like Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT):

Warner's position has changed since I talked to him in April or May. His new line is: staying in Iraq isn't making us safer and we need to get out. But getting out without a plan isn't any better than going in without a plan. When asked what the plan is, he says the plan is to take back Congress. It's a slippery piece of rhetoric, but very effective. The timeline debate didn't come up, and I am sure that was intentional. Nevertheless, there is a now a visible gap between Warner and Lieberman's respective positions.

Later that same day Warner spoke at a fundraiser for Adm. Joe Sestak (D-PA) also attended by Chris Bowers of MyDD who "still, wearing a "blog" tee shirt and a pair of slacks...stuck out like a sore thumb in the crowd." Bowers reports: "Mark Warner was at the event. I can tell you right now: he is going to raise a ton of money in 2008. He really knows how to communicate with this type of crowd."

MCCAIN: Back-Stabber Or Rove Operative, You Decide

Many, but not all, righty bloggers linked to Hotline On Call's report that Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) hired Dean for America's webmaster Nicco Mele. Conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt writes: "Senator John McCain has assembled a very talented online campaign team, with many Bush-Cheney pros. But he also has brought on board the head of Howard Dean's online operations."

Many more righty pixels were devoted to McCain's 8/22 criticism of Pres. Bush's pre-Iraq war statements:

K at RedState: "John McCain has always thrived as an outsider, a maverick. He is at his best when he is back-stabbing fellow Republicans and earning kudos from an admiring press. Can he survive, let alone function as GOP Frontrunner/Nominee and Party leader? I don't think so."
Instapundit: "The substance of McCain's claim is pretty weak ... But this isn't a "backstab." In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it were choreographed by Karl Rove. Democrats forget it, but Bush doesn't matter much from the perspective of 2008, and if the GOP can get mileage out of Bush-bashing, it will.
Ryan Sager at RCP Blog: "I think McCain is probably right on the substance here. The administration did under-sell the difficulties at times. But this also highlights one of the great political difficulties when it comes to McCain's '08 run (at least in the primaries): He can't distance himself from an unpopular president and an unpopular war without playing into the "McCain is disloyal" storyline. A lot of conservatives don't want "a repeat of Bush," so to speak, but any criticism -- however veiled -- from Sen. Maverick is going to be ill-taken.

FRIST: Between Blogging And Heart Surgery Its A Wonder He Has Time To Be Majority Leader

At VOLPAC.org Sen. maj leader Bill Frist (R-TN) reports: "On the road tonight, after a full day with great candidates and committed patriots in Alabama. While scrolling down Instapundit a little while ago, I found a blog post from Andrew Stuttaford at The Corner, discussing the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (S. 2590), an important bill that I co-sponsored and that I tried to pass earlier this month."

Stuttaford's earlier post warned Sen GOPers of a "throw the bums out" mentality and asked "Are you paying attention, Senator Frist?" Frist was and answered:

Many in the blogosphere, left and right, have rallied to support this crucial legislation, which is fitting, for no group better knows the power of technologically empowered grassroots activism. And, for reasons of policy and politics, many bloggers are rightly outraged that S. 2590 was shot down when I attempted to bring it up for a vote prior to the August recess. ... I hope folks recognize that there is a real choice between Democrats and Republicans on matters of taxes and spending. ... So the choice you make at the ballot box this fall is important: a Republican party willing to tackle the budget, remember, we froze non-defense, nonhomeland security spending this year, then reallocated spending so that the border will be secured first, or Democrats who just can't resist their impulse to tax and spend.

As always with the 'sphere, the story did not end there. Kathryn Jean Lopez, also at The Corner, responded: "I'd be more interested in Frist's blogging if the Majority Leader had more leader-like language ... A few kudos to Frist though - for being on board the database bill, which we've editorialized in favor of, for recognizing Andrew's mood is a real one out there, for responding to Stuttaford."

Robert Bluey at Right Angle Blog also liked the effort but demanded to see follow through: "I'm glad Senator Frist chose to respond to Stuttaford's question. But he needs to realize that bloggers will hold him to his promise -- just like we won't forget about his commitment to confirming John Bolton and conservative judges."

By deadline, Lopez had also soured: "I think it's great that folks are pressuring him to bring the database bill up in the two weeks Senate has left in this Congress. But I have my doubts anything will happen - and gauging the mood of some Senate staff yesterday I didn't notice optimism but the same-old-Senate realism in the air. Bill Frist could have made some news yesterday, instead he just used the blogosphere to expand his misleadership."

GILMORE: Maybe He Can Get A Show On The WB

IA GOP blogger Caucus Cooler pokes fun at DraftGilmore.com's "Why Jim Gilmore for President?" banner. The Cooler quips "Great Question" and adds: "The best part is that they have a website. draftgilmore.com. They have a flier titled "America needs Gilmore." America needs Gilmore like the Cooler staff needs hemroids. ... Maybe Jim Nicholson or Bill Brock want to run. This is great comedy. We really hope the Gilmore folks come into the Cooler and argue for their guy. That would be great."

LANDSCAPE: Mine's Bigger

Chris Bowers at MyDD celebrates the fundraising success of the MyDD, DailyKos & Swing State Project Act Blue candidate slate: "Our big pre-Labor Day fundraiser is going extremely well. As of 9:10 pm, we have raised a total of $55,951.84 for the candidates on our list since 12:01 a.m. on Monday. With the 50K barrier smashed, we are now very close to $500,000 raised for the entire page. In less than three days, this one Act Blue page has out-raised Rightroots for this entire cycle (they currently stand at $43,899)."

Howie Klein at firedoglake sits down with Act Blue Co-Founder Ben Rahn. Rahn jokes: "When I started blogging it was such a solitary deal just me and my computers and my iTunes in my pajamas down in the office. But now oh, it's just a non-stop party. Actually I don't even own pajamas and I'm not a partier but blogging has become way more than just a solitary endeavor."

CT SEN: Your Endorsements Fine, But I Don't Want Your Dirty Money

Spazeboy has video from UAW's 8/23 endorsement of cable exec. Ned Lamont (D-CT). The video includes Region 9A director Bob Madore announcing that UAW's PAC is giving $5K to Lamont, and hands Lamont an oversized check. This led to the following exchange:

Reporter: "Ned your campaign has said they wouldn't except contributions from PACs, are you excepting this contrubution?"Lamont: "No."Reporter: "So where will it go?"Lamont: "We will see."

The video ends with Madore promising 5K volunteers in place of the $5k.

Later BranfordBoy at MyLeftNutmeg educated reporters on Lamont's PAC contribution distinctions: "Lamont has made it clear that he thinks the lobbyists and special interests who own politicians like Joe Lieberman are the only bipartisan force on Capitol Hill. These groups form PACs (Political Action Committees) to funnel money to pols who will do their bidding. Lamont has pledged not to accept this kind of PAC money. ... However -- wake up members of the Fourth Estate, important point ahead -- Lamont will accept contributions from so-called Leadership PACs set up by other Democrats."

The official Lamont Blog also updates Lieberman's efforts to nail down a new web presence:

First was Blue State Digital. When approached by the Lieberman campaign, their response was "Thank you for your inquiry about Blue State Digital's technology services. Unfortunately, we cannot be of service to the Lieberman campaign. We work exclusively with Democratic candidates."
Many ironies here, folks. First, Blue State Digital does our technical work, and provides our tools for meaningful online participation. That Senator Lieberman's staff didn't know that is another sign of their web-incompetence. Second, it's the Blue State tech team we offered to send them on election day as they cried foul over their website "hack" to anyone with a camera, microphone, or steno notepad.
And after Blue State Digital, Plus Three closed the door as well. In a similar fashion, the company told Senator Lieberman to find another vendor, they too will not work with the Connecticut for Lieberman Party. I wonder what Democratic technology vendor would work with Senator Lieberman this election cycle? With all the damage he is doing to the Party in CT and across the country, coupled with the online support we have earned who?

MT SEN: You Can Never Go Home

John Derbyshire at National Review Online forwards one readers pessimistic outlooks on Sen. Conrad Burns (R) chances:

My family is from Western Montana. In 80% of the country my father would be seen as a reddest of red Republicans, but he is a registered Dem. He voted for Bush twice, but is looking forward to voting AGAINST Burns. ... Speaking of Burns, he will lose, but not due to some overwhelming desire to replace him with a Democrat, but because he's the kind of guy that really gets under your skin after a while. As much as Republicans will try and paint Tester as a Daily Kos liberal loon, it won't fly.

I'm not sure how much time you spent in [Missoula] itself but even a few hours and you'd see that 'crunchy' is a good way to decribe the place. However, even among the Saab driving, Kashi eating, merlot drinking crowd, the county went 50/50 red/blue in both 2000 and 2004. It's like San Francisco living with Ohio style voting. ... I left Montana for college 12 years ago and ended up on the east coast and then in California. I go back to visit every 3-4 months .. I want to stay. But then I realize that since I am neither a professor, a doctor or a BLM manager, my job prospects are very limited. At least prospects to make the kind of money I make now. But some day, when I've stashed enough away, I will return.

PA SEN: Don't Call It A Comeback

Conservative bloggers hopes for retaining Sen. Rick Santorum's (R-PA) seat are high after recent polls show Santorum closing the gap between himself and Treas. Bob Casey. Erick at RedState writes: "While it's never good for an incumbent to be down, the trend lines have been favorable to Senator Santorum over the past few months. And a number of people on the left and right are in agreement that the more people hear Junior talk, the more people will be inclined to support Santorum. And, will the militant pro-abortion folks, really want to vote for a pro-life Democrat? I doubt it."

Conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt chimes in: "The latest polling data from Pennsylvania shows the tightening in the Santorum-Casey race. Senator Santorum's political history is a replay of the come-from-behind-and-win in the last days story, and the 2006 edition of this familiar tale is being helped along by the hapless campaign of Robert Casey, Jr, who thinks if he says almost nothing about anything he can slip in. It isn't working, and the campaign hasn't even gotten into the middle rounds yet."

Over on the left Rachel Weiner at TPM Cafe notes a CT SEN crossover into the race: "GOP incumbent Senator Rick Santorum is using Joe Lieberman to paint his Dem opponent, Bob Casey Jr., as bad for the Jews. According to OpEd news, Santorum sent out a letter extolling Lieberman as a "well-known supporter of Israel" and bashing Casey for not supporting him: "You may not be shocked to find out that Bobby Casey, Jr. DOES NOT SUPPORT Senator Lieberman in the upcoming election."

RI SEN: Something The Corner And Kos Agree On?

DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas looks at the NRSC's latest pro-Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) ad under the header "NRSC goes racist" and asks: "I wonder what "moderate" Lincoln Chafee thinks about this NRSC fear-mongering. Apparently, it's bad that Laffey, a real wingnut mind you, didn't put Mexicans in concentration camps as mayor of Cranston. As an aside, that's the Republican Party running ads against Republican Steve Laffey. As much as we get pissed at the DSCC and DCCC for meddling in primaries, neither has done anything this heavy handed."

Meanwhile Kathryn Jean Lopez at

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The Blogometer is a daily report from The Hotline taking the temperature of the political blogosphere. The Blogometer appears in The Hotline's subscription-only tip sheet and in this space every weekday at noon.

August 31, 2006

8/31: If This Was A Slow Month

TERROR POLITICS: "An Instant Classic Of Nutroots Porn"

LANDSCAPE '06: Big Improvements

CT SEN: The Editing Room Defense

MI SEN: Pounding A Woman's Nose Sounds Like A Winning Message To Us

OH SEN: "Down" Does Rhyme With "Brown"

TN SEN: Intriguing, But Not Progressive, But Acceptable

VA SEN: Do Not Underestimate The Power Of The Dark Side's Outreach Program

MCCAIN: He Don't Know Shi'ite

GORE: Every Leading Washington Dem Was Dead Wrong

WARNER: Busty Women In Bikinis Are The Future

GIULIANI: Neville Chamberlain As Genghis Khan

BLOGGERS VS. BELTWAY: Apparently Stevens And Coburn Don't Get Along ... Who Knew?

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: A Second Draft

LEST WE FORGET: Hacks On A Sinking Ship

NOTES AND ERRATA: Team Hotline Needs You!

August 30, 2006

8/30: So What?

LANDSCAPE '06: Wipeout?

CT SEN: Miles Away From Ordinary

MT SEN: Testin' The Waters In The Puget Sound

RI SEN: The Club For Shrinkage?

TN SEN: The Bill Frist Clone Vs. The Surrendercrat

VA SEN: Too ... Many ... Book Titles ... To Chose From ...

MCCAIN: The Security, Spending, and Social Issues Candidate?

GIULIANI: His Heirness?

FRIST: 15 Days Of Fun

CLINTON: How Do You Solve A Problem Like Hillary?

TERROR POLITICS: What Would A Progressive Do?

TERROR POLITICS II: What Would Posner Do?

BLOGGERS VS. BELTWAY: The Revelation To Nowhere

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Ahmadinejad Must Be Really Far Behind If He's Challenging Bush To All These Debates

LEST WE FORGET: Offsides On Socrates

NOTES AND ERRATA: Team Hotline Needs You!

August 29, 2006

8/29: You Win Some, You Lose Some...

BLOGGERS VS. BELTWAY: Bloggers Of The World Unite!

BLOGGERS vs. BELTWAY II: Mmmmm, Kool Aid

BLOGGERS VS. BLOGGERS: Ex-Communication Edition

LANDSCAPE '06: Questioning The Whole Premise

CT SEN: Who Needs Firefighters?

RI SEN: More And More Like CT SEN Everyday

TN SEN: Liquids On A Plane

VA SEN: Does That Make Richmond The Next Pittsburgh?

GIULIANI: Country Clubbin'

MCCAIN: We Hope We Never Get Birthday Card From Al

OBAMA: Obamarama

BIDEN: Who Needs The South?

KATRINA: The Blogging Dems

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Meet The New Kos, Not The Same As The Old Kos

LEST WE FORGET: What If A Bear Pooped In The Woods And No One Was There To Smell It?

NOTES AND ERRATA: Team Hotline Needs You!

August 28, 2006

8/28: Virtual Straw Better Than Real?

GOP FIELD: Macacad Right Out Of The Race?

MCCAIN: A Rising Dem Tide Will Not Lift All Boats

HAGEL: First They Came For Specter, Then They Came For Chafee...

ROMNEY: Thanksgiving Already

CLINTON: The Rich Get Richer?

BLOGGERS VS. BELTWAY: Mmmmmm, Warmed Over Second Term Clintonism

LANDSCAPE '06: Now That We're In Power, What Should We Do?

CT SEN: You're Doin A Heck Of A Job Joey

RI SEN: When's The Circus Coming To Town?

VA SEN: Kissing Kossack Macacas

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: What's Cookin?

LEST WE FORGET: Mel's Company

NOTES AND ERRATA: Team Hotline Needs You!

August 24, 2006

8/24: Markos Who?

BLOGGERS VS. BELTWAY: It's An Old Fashion Crazy Off

BLOGGERS VS. AMERICA: Apparently Winship Never Catches The Tonight Show

CLINTON: Standing At The Crossroads, Is Clinton Sinking Down?

WARNER: We Get It, Bloggers Don't Wear Suits And Ties

MCCAIN: Back-Stabber Or Rove Operative, You Decide

FRIST: Between Blogging And Heart Surgery Its A Wonder He Has Time To Be Majority Leader

GILMORE: Maybe He Can Get A Show On The WB