September 15, 2006

9/15: Where's The Beef?

Since VA SEN can't seem to escape the '80s this week, we thought we'd steal the punch line from Wendy's famous ad of the era to ask whether blogs will end up playing a significant role in this race. After the CT SEN primary, we know that, left unanswered, blogs can do serious damage to a candidate in the real world. But once that debate is joined, will the inevitable back and forth and name-calling ever escape the blogosphere and affect the real world? Both camps are currently running ads their blogging foes demand be taken down, due to claimed distortions. What role will bloggers play in the MSM's coverage of these ads?

Lefty bloggers are not happy with Sen. George Allen's (R-VA) new ad "falsely accus[ing] [James] Webb of only having served 10 months for the Reagan Administration, when Webb served 4 years in the Reagan Administration first as Assistant Secretary of Defense, then as Secretary of the Navy." DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas calls Allen "a racist and a liar" and claims that Webb's ad featuring Ronald Reagan "obviously ... has drawn blood and is driving the Allen folks crazy."

Under a graphic of Raphael Palmeiro photo-shopped into Jim Carey's "Liar Liar" movie poster, Webb Netroots Coordinator Lowell Feld has a response to every line from the new Allen ad at Raising Kaine including the ad's claim that "Webb campaign advisors call Reagan 'ignorant fool'." Feld responds: "George Allen's campaign advisors are hate-mongering hypocrites"

The A-Team responds to Feld's claim that Webb's ad did not imply a Reagan endorsement by citing the Washington Post's description of Webb's ad: "the Webb ad serves almost as a posthumous endorsement from Reagan." In another post The A-Team defends the "after 10 months he quit" line in Allen's ad by noting the difference in the voice over which says "20 years ago fiction writer James Webb served in the Reagan Administration" and the text of the ad which reads "20 years ago James Webb served as Navy Secretary." The A-Team concludes: "True, he was an undersecretary for 3 years before that, but the ad is specifically about him as Navy Sec., quitting on Reagan and then badmouthing Reagan afterwards. ... The free ride is over Webbies. Get used to it. These are going to be the longest two months of your lives."

Also on the right, over at QandO Bruce "McQ" McQuain claims the pro-Webb Vote Vets group "Lies About Body Armor." McQuain points out that the armor used in the ad is "80s era kevlar PASGT flak vest made by DuPont" not "left over from Vietnam" as the ad claims. McQuain concludes: "To pretend, as this ad does, that soldiers were being sent into combat in Iraq wearing vests "left over from Vietnam" is disingenuous at best ... the sponsors of the ad, supposedly a veteran's organization, should be ashamed of themselves."

Still on the right National Review Online's Kathryn Jean Lopez "can't imagine how it's a good idea" for Allen to keep up his "Webb-misogynist line of attack." Lopez writes of the Webb article in question: "It's a compelling piece whose "central ideas" stand the test of time - and are of the type we're still dealing with. ... Great way to keep a few Virginia vets home on Election Day."

Back on the left Feld, again, at Raising Kaine highlights a Richmond Free Press not-available-online-article on state Sen. Benjamin Lambert's (D) endorsement of Allen. Under a subhead "Lambert betrays Democrats, goes for GOP's Allen" the Free Press reports ex-VA Gov Douglas Wilder is "mystified" by Lambert's endorsement and "would keep searching for ... Lambert's justification for backing Sen. Allen, who has voted for the policies of Republican President George W. Bush 97 percent of the time."

TPM Muckraker's Paul Kiel reports "the man who bankrolled the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" Bob Perry "just put $5 million behind a new 527 this campaign, according to new FEC filings." The Economic Freedom Fund has already spent "half a million bucks on negative TV ads against Democratic incumbents Reps. Alan Mollohan (D-WV) and Jim Marshall (D-GA)." Kiel also reports Economic Freedom Fund "is behind robo calls in at least four states" and may be under investigation for such calls by IN's AG.

Jonathan Singer at MyDD looks at a Washington Post 9/13 article on the GOP's ground game in RI SEN and urges Dems not to be cowed: "Will the RNC and other Republican committees be able to replicate these numbers during the general election, which is made up of not one, but dozens and dozens of competitive contests? ... I am far from convinced that the Republicans will be able to spend as much on GOTV for individual races as they have in in Rhode Island or California's 50th district. They may have sent 40 staffers to oversee turnout in three large states, but that is nothing in comparison to the 160 they sent to a single congressional district in June."

Chris Bowers added in an update: "I have to emphasize how much Jonathan is right about this one. I'm seeing lots of knock-kneed websites trembling over the supposedly fantastic Republican turnout in Rhode Island. What people forget is that the NRSC sent every single staffer east of the Mississippi to work on this campaign, and yet Chafee still significantly underperformed the final internal NRSC poll on the race."

Matt Stoller at MyDD looks at Harold Ickes efforts to raise $25 million for a new 527 to focus on field and doesn't like the team he's put together:

• "Ickes is tied into the Hillary Clinton axis and the Glover Park Group, which was busted today lobbying for the Dubai Ports deal."
• "Laura Quinn, the person who screwed up Demzilla in 2004 under Terry McAuliffe and was somehow hired again to screw up another voterfile."
• "[Michael] Whouley has a massive telecom contract through his firm Dewey Square, which is tasked with passing the Stevens bill eviscerating net neutrality. He's been all over losing Presidential campaigns, most recently Kerry's in 2004."
• "Tony Coehlo really takes the cake. Coehlo more than any individual is responsible for the decline of the Democratic Party - he literally has his fingerprints all over every moral and political debacle of the last twenty five years."

Sirotablog can't believe Sen. Joe Lieberman's (I) Dan Gerstein is attacking cable exec. Ned Lamont (D) for misrepresenting his efforts helping inner-city school kids. Gerstein claims in The Connecticut Post that Lamont never taught high school like he claims in his ads, instead he only helped a teacher lead two business classes. Sirota writes: "I've worked on a number of political campaigns, and I must say - this is the first I've seen a career politician attack his opponent for actually volunteering time at an inner-city school as a way to give back to the community. I mean, really - I've never seen anything like it."

Over at MyDD Matt Stoller looks at a New York Times article reporting that the Chamber of Commerce will be a group helping Lieberman with GOTV. Stoller comments: "Wow. I suppose this is the same group that wants to gut the Family Medical Leave Act and overtime pay, opposes a minimum wage increase, lobbied for the Bankruptcy Bill, supports Health Savings Accounts (otherwise known as the end of health insurance), and my personal favorite, denies global warming." Stoller also has audio of two new Lamont radio ads here and here.

DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas loves this Belleville News-Democrat item on Aud. Claire McCaskill's (D) purchase of the last 100 remaining tickets necessary to sellout the St. Louis Rams' season opener so it could be seen locally in St. Louis. Kos writes: "That ticket purchase earned her a full day of earned media, and lots of gratitude. Great way for the campaign to stray from the same-ol' and try something different. A new Rasmussen poll still in the members-only section will show McCaskill with a slight lead (after being slightly behind last month). This one will go down to the wire."

Will Menaker at TPM Cafe has video of Sen. Rick Santorum's (R) latest television ad depicting "a scene reminiscent of Goodfellas" and claiming Treas. Bob Casey Jr.'s (D) "are under investigation or have been indicted." Menaker followed up explaining: "The figures apparently referred to gave to previous Casey campaigns before being investigated; two others have given to Santorum, too; and a fifth is dead. Amazingly, a Santorum rep has even admitted that none of the men apparently being referred to has given to Casey's Senate campaign."

On the right, Kathryn Jean Lopez at National Review Online argues "Catholic University Owes Rick Santorum an Apology" for granting Casey an opportunity to make a political speech to his alma mater. Lopez writes: "it's a damn rotten thing to do to one of the greatest voices who defend innocent human life in Washington."

Chris Bowers at MyDD had "been wondering off and on why Democrats are doing so well in Montana lately" but began to understand why after viewing a video put out by the state Senate Pres. Jon Tester (D) campaign showing a collection of unflattering Sen. Conrad Burns (R) moments.

Matt Stoller at MyDD holds out hope atty Donna Edwards (D) will pull ahead of Rep. Al Wynn (D) in the 10,000 provisional ballots yet to be counted in Montgomery County. Stoller quotes Edwards "Voters need to have confidence that their vote counted. I will fight for answers and make sure every ballot is counted. Our democracy demands it" and goes on to add "Gore didn't say this. Kerry didn't say this. Democrats are castigated for not fighting and making sure that all the votes count, and this gives license to conspiracy theorists and crazy people to irresponsibly argue that democracy is pointless because it's all stolen anyway."

Senate Min. Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) held a conference call with bloggers 9/14 and Glenn Greenwald immediately pressed him on Dem resolve to quash Sen. Arlen Specter's (R-PA) NSA surveillance legislation: "Sen. Reid stated flatly and unequivocally - and I'm paraphrasing - that the Specter bill was not going anywhere, that it would not be enacted. ... Sen. Reid explained that our system does not allow every bill to be enacted simply because a majority supports it, that Senate rules allow minority rights to be protected, clearly alluding to a filibuster."

Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo was fascinated by WH press sec Tony Snow's 9/14 performance on detainee treatment, particularly Snow's claim that new legislation was needed since "the issue 'hadn't come up' before." Marshall comments: "In other words, we hadn't really been in the torture business until now. So there wasn't as pressing a need to lawyer the Geneva Convention."

Matthew Yglesias likes the lack of progress that the WH bill is seeing but worries the Dem "strategy of trying to essentially hide behind the skirts of the handful of Republican torture opponents" will leave Dems unable to reap "whatever rewards may exist for standing up for basic decency and morality against Bush's depredations."

On the right, James Joyner at Outside the Beltway still thinks GOPers will be able to use the issue this fall: "The irony is that, even though it is McCain and a handful of Republicans leading the charge against the president on this, it will likely be a campaign issue used against Democrats. It'll be rather easy to portray them as soft on the likes of Mohammed Atta, fair or no. On the merits, I agree with McCain and company, although not necessarily for the reasons they give. It is patently absurd to argue that our terrorist enemies are going to abide by the Geneva Conventions if we do so." B.T. at Ankle Biting Pundits and Captain's Quarters also doubt Geneva's influence on the behavior of those capturing US soldiers in this war.

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) consultant Patrick Hynes at Ankle Biting Pundits was pleased to announce McCain's support of the "conservative, blog-driven" Rightroots campaign. McCain will "place a Blogad sponsored by Straight Talk America on several blogs urging folks to contribute to Rightroots endorsed candidates and help the cause. The ad will urge folks to help Rightroots meet the group's 100-contributions-for-every-candidate challenge."

PBS' Perspectives has a must read item featuring Arianna Huffington and Andrew Sullivan on blog and politics. Perspectives asks each blogger the same eight questions including: "How much political power is really wielded by "the bloggers"?"

Huffington writes: "It's growing. Politicians are paying more and more attention to what is happening in the blogosphere. We saw this just recently with the John Bolton confirmation. I heard from a friend of mine who works on the Hill that a lot of Senate Democrats were paying close attention to whether the blogs were going to focus on the Bolton nomination -- and that when they did a number of fence-sitting Democrats decided to back the idea of a filibuster... which then led to Chairman Lugar indefinitely postponing the vote on Bolton. Bloggers also wield power by holding the mainstream media's feet to the fire, which affects coverage, which in turn affects politicians."

Sullivan writes: " I believe our influence should be primarily within the world of ideas - generating new policies, exposing corruption and stupidity, clarifying where mistakes are being made, pursuing issues with tenacity - like the detainee treatment issue - and revealing dirty tricks by either side. That can make a difference. I've been told my blog has made a real difference in the torture debate right now, for example. The White House and the Hill reads it. But I cannot prove it has been indispensable in any way. Just a prod.

Deadspin does not mean "to make light of the need to have your prostate checked" but still has a chuckle at George Washington basketball coach Karl Hobbs ad where Hobbs innocently watches "a basketball game with his assistant coaches when his wife breaks in and informs him -- in a fine example of Method acting -- that it's time to get his prostate checks. And then it's high fives all around."

Posted by Conn Carroll at September 15, 2006 12:37 PM