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.

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.

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."

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.

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."

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.

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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.

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."

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.

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."

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).

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