September 26, 2006

9/26: National Blogger Unity Estimate

Who knew one little New York Times story was all it took to bring bloggers from the right and left together on an issue as contentious as nat'l security? The consensus is limited admittedly (both sides pressured Pres. Bush to announce at a WH presser this a.m. that officials will declassify the April N.I.E.), but it's important to note that when bloggers do come together, it's usually part of larger efforts towards more transparency and openness in gov't. And they usually succeed. On 9/26, Bush is hosting "bloggers" at the signing of the pork database bill that both the right and left blogosphere pushed hard for.

Talking Points Memo Josh Marshallspent the better part of 9/25 updating readers on responses from congressional offices to requests for the declassification of the April N.I.E. partially leaked 9/23. By late evening, Marshall was welcoming Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) to "the party."

By early 9/26 the right's Michelle Malkin also thought declassification was "a good idea." Captain's Quarters, In From The Cold, and Power Line also all joined in.

AMERICAblog's Joe in DC notes 9/25: "The Republicans won't hold oversight hearings on Iraq. But, today, the Democrats will." Christy Hardin Smith at firedoglake writes of the hearings: "What is most notable about this criticism is that it is coming from newly retired high level officers who worked at the highest echelon of command structure at the Pentagon - planning for the war and, ultimately, then serving in Iraq or in a supervisory capacity over the conduct and problems that ensued once we landed there. And also overseeing the increasing chaos in areas in Afghanistan outside of Kabul."

AMERICAblog's John in DC chips in with links to testimony from: Major General John Batiste, Major General Paul Eaton, and Col. Thomas Hannes

RedState updates a story that has "been picking up steam" inside the blogosphere and out. Arizona's own EspressoPundit first posted on the 9/11 memorial on the Capitol grounds in Phoenix 9/20: "The memorial is an elevated flat ring with phrases cut through the metal. Throughout the day, the sun shines through the ring and phrases become visible on the side walk." Phrases include:

• 07 01 02 ERRONEOUS US AIR STRIKE KILLS 46 URUZGAN CIVILIANS
• 06 03 02 CONGRESS QUESTIONS WHY CIA & FBI DIDN'T PREVENT ATTACKS
• VIOLENT ACTS LEADING US TO WAR 05 07 1915, 12 07 1941 08 04 1964 & 09 11 2001

RedState's Leon Wolf comments on the second line: "The second, of course, is designed to create a permanent memorial to Fahrenheit 9/11. Regardless of your personal view of the value of special committees and hearings, I don't think that there should be legitimate dispute that this kind of crap also does not belong on a memorial to honor the 9/11 dead."

Chris Bowers at MyDD looks at 6 different LV polls taken in the last 2 weeks and notes that the results fall into 2 distinctly different camps: "These polls were all taken at about the exact same time. Differences of this sort cannot be chalked up simply to random error. I have never seen anything like this. One group shows a Democratic lead of 11-14%. The other group shows a Democratic lead of 0-3%. This is not simply a case of a few outlying polls. These groups of polling outfits are clearly polling two different countries altogether. Both countries exist. The issue is simply which country to we live in, and which country will show up when it comes time to vote."

Bowers concludes with a call to arms: "Here is the point I am trying to get across: It currently is equally probable that Democrats will sweep this election to a degree surpassing Republicans in 1994, and that Democrats will make only small gains in this election. The lesson of polling right now is that two possible nations have appeared before us, and we live in them both. The truth is not in between. Our work over the next six weeks will determine which nation we will live in for years to come: the nation with the huge Democratic sweep, or the nation with the extremely narrow Republican majority?"

The Right Angle Blog's Robert Bluey sat down with RNC Chair Ken Mehlman 9/25 and discussed "the GOP's prospects in November, what a Democratic-led Congress would do, the RNC's advanced get-out-the-vote drive and the role of conservatives in the blogosphere."

Blogometer alum William Beutler at Blog PI has a detailed color coded chart on '06 election blog scandals including: Rep. Charlie Bass (R-NH), Rep. Ben Cardin (D-MD), state Sen. Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ), atty Amy Klobuchar (DFL-MN). Items on the chart include: Aggrieved Parties, Accusation, The Accused, Internet Sleuth(s), Troublesome Blog, Sock Puppets, MSM Coverage, Blog Coverage, Outcome, Remaining Questions, and Ongoing?

Talking Points Memo's Josh Marshall posts video from UVA Prof. Larry Sabato's 9/25 Sen. George Allen (R)-used-the N-word Hardball appearance and notes: "Both men graduated from UVA in 1974." Also on the left, The Washington Monthly's Kevin Drum surveys the wreckage and remembers an old story:

This story may or may not be true, but legend has it that during one of Lyndon Johnson's congressional campaigns he decided to spread a rumor that his opponent was a pig-[lover]. LBJ's campaign manager said, "Lyndon, you know he doesn't do that!" Johnson replied, "I know. I just want to make him deny it." I have a feeling that George Allen can relate.

Later Drum felt obliged to update: "I should probably revise and extend here. I don't actually think the charges against Allen are false."

On the right, Tom Bevan at RCP Blog takes issue with Sabato's claim: "tonight on Hardball he was just flat out wrong to declare in one breath that George Allen had in fact used the n-word and then in the next breath to tell Chris Matthews that he "wasn't going to get into" the specifics of how he knew the accusation to be true. You simply cannot make such a damning accusation on national television without backing it up. It's both irresponsible and unfair."

Back on the left, ex-Navy sec. James Webb's (D) Netroots Coordinator Lowell Feld at DailyKos reads The Weekly Standard's latest article on Allen sp Kossacks don't have to. Highlights include: "The article next turns to a lengthy, blow-by-blow, extremely unflattering description of the whole "macaca" incident. While the Weekly Standard does not believe Allen actually is a racist, it does call him an "oaf" and asserts, point blank, that Allen is "at odds with Virginia's future." A lengthy discussion follows about how Virginia is rapidly turning "blue."

Still on the left, TNR's Spencer Ackerman shares Allen's new GOP moniker: "Senator Macacawitz." And Raising Kaine links to a post from "Republican consultant" Doug Thompson at Capitol Hill Blue claiming Allen used the n-word when handicapping Rev. Jesse Jackson's chances in VA in 1984.

Finally, The Virginia Centrist has started a "George Allen Withdrawal Watch."

Conservative bloggers are still mostly behind Allen but criticism of the incumbent is not hard to find. John McIntyre at RCP Blog argues Webb was a strong "Jacksonian Democratic" "pre-Macaca." McIntyre still thinks Allen has a chance to win: "However, before one gets too caught up in the anti-George Allen fever of the day, Senator Allen has some powerful factors working in his favor. He has a lot of money, he is running in a red state, and Allen is a very attractive and likable candidate......usually. The Allen campaign would be smart to start unloading on Jim Webb today, because the longer this race stays tied or very close, the higher the odds climb that Webb pulls off the big upset."

National Review Online's Kathryn Jean Lopez also sense Allen will go negative and has a request: "Please, please, please when he goes negative again let there be no trace of the feminist stuff. There are plenty of 2006 issues where Allen and Webb have clear differences. There are 40-some days left. Perhaps we'll get to them?"

Townhall's Dean Barnett add to the fray: "In some faraway day, books will be written about the Allen-Webb campaign. None of them will consider it the zenith of American democracy." Outside the Beltway's James Joyner argues "Fair or not, however, Allen is now caught in a media meme."

Allen's New Media Coordinator Jon Henke hosted the official Team Allen Salon push back at AllenHQ including:

• Let's be clear: as with the previous rumors and lies pushed by the Webb campaign, this is categorically false. Rather than talking about the issues relevant to voters, the Webb campaign is pushing rumors and lies about Senator Allen and his family.
• Aside from Salon's own admission that 16 of the 19 people contacted did not remember any evidence of racism from George Allen - in fact, the seven people who knew Allen well during that time period specifically said they "did not believe he held racist views"
• It turns out that Salon has quite a history of pulling election-year dirty tricks. As NRSC spokesman Dan Ronayne says, Salon has "a history of attacking Republican candidates during election years with preposterous and outlandish charges".

At National Review Online Patrick Casey links to "a fascinating interview with Eve Kessler over at the Columbia Journalism Review" on her Forward article on Allen's Jewish heritage. Kessler "planned her article ... for well over a year, waiting for just the right time to spring it on him - which apparently was right after Allen's public use of the slang term "macaca". ... Note that after she finished her 'research' into this story well over a year ago (long before the "macaca" episode), she never attempted to verify the story with him first, which suggests that perhaps she had an inkling that he wasn't aware of his Jewish ancestry, and waited to drop it on him until it could inflict the most political damage."

The lefty blogger consensus on Sen. Joe Lieberman's (I) 9/25 address on Iraq: lies. Mcjoan at DailyKos writes: "So his great Iraq policy unveiling was more of the same. Lies, flip-flops, and wishful thinking (remember the "good plan" for victory in Iraq?). More enabling of the absolutely disastrous war."

Greg Sargent at TPM Cafe hits Lieberman for characterizing cable exec Ned Lamont's (D) position as "immediate withdrawal." Sargent sets the record straight: "He actually favors the Kerry-Feingold amendment, which calls for phased withdrawal to be substantially completed by July 1, 2007. Lamont's also said he'd support the plan for longer-term phased withdrawal favored by most Dems if that's what party consensus dictated."

Atrios and Jane Hamsher at firedoglake also had thoughts on Lieberman's speech and Atrios posts video of Lamont on the leaked National Intelligence Estimate.

DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas warns readers that Sen. Daniel Akaka's (D) seat is still not yet safe: "There has been speculation that Case will switch parties and run as a Republican. And even though he denies it, it's telling that it's within the realm of possibilities. Case is a Democrat in the mold of Joe Lieberman. With Inouye getting up there in age, and his term up in 2010, I doubt we've seen the last of Case."

Patrick Casey at National Review Online looks at ex-AG Sheldon Whitehouse (D) ads currently on the air and notes the Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R) response: "The response from the Chafee camp - nothing. No ads, no interviews, no calls for debates, nada. And nothing from the 'notorious' National Republican Senatorial Committee, either."

DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas has video and audio from recent entertainer Kinky Friedman (I) appearances and writes: "This is not a serious man, and certainly not a serious candidate. There are people who think voting for him would be cute, like Jesse Ventura, but Kinky is no Jesse Ventura. Not even close. In a four-way race, Chris Bell merely needs to bring home Democrats and he has a chance to pull it off. If Democratic defections went to a halfway decent alternative third party guy, it would be one thing (Texas Dems have been AWOL of late). But this racist gasbag?

Atrios looks at the lack of Dem leadership on detainee treatment and calls out Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) to put his faith into action: "So, how about a little torture talk, guys. Maybe get the ear of an outspoken religious senator or two, maybe someone like Obama. He's been saying Democrats need to be more respecting of people of faith. Okay, well, if that faith tells you that torture is bad I'll respect it. If that faith motivates you to use the power you've been given by the voters in your state to oppose something as abominable as torture, I'll respect you. Otherwise, what the hell is there to respect?

IA's Caucus Cooler reports NY Gov. George Pataki's (R) Freedom PAC has hired Victory 2000 IA Political Director Craig Schoenfeld as Executive Director. CC describes Schoenfeld as "very active in the Iowa Political scene. ... He has also been involved with campaigns for United States Senate, Governor, Attorney General, state legislature and assorted local offices."

M.J. Rosenberg at TPM Cafe feels "Sunday was one of those days on which everything went right for Democrats. First, the news of the leaked NIE report. And then President Clinton helped repair the hole in our collective hearts that has been there since George W. Bush started using 9/11 as a political opportunity to bash Democrats as cut-and-runners and worse."

Rosenberg goes on to describe a sense of deja vu: "All through the land we huddled in front of our computers feeling the kind of relief that only comes when you've been down so long, you don't know which direction up is. It was like the Sox sweep of the Yankees in 2004, except our suffering felt like it had lasted longer than 86 years. Clinton has given us the rallying cry and the weapons to win this election. History will record that the Democrats began the comeback to power on Sept. 24, 2006.

The left-leaning Faithful Democrats records the top "bizarro world moments" from 9/24's Value Voters Summit:

• Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) acknowledging the biblical call to treat illegal immigrants with respect -- ignoring the instruction to treat them as our own, but at least giving it a college try -- then going on to say we should kick them all out in order to "preserve our culture." That's one way to apply Scripture.
• The Rocky theme playing when James Dobson (Focus on the Family), Tony Perkins (Family Research Council), and Alan Sears (Alliance Defense Fund) went up to the stage for a panel. As our blogger Asthenia put it: "Three guys with massive war-chests and a media reach of more than 220 million listeners daily walking out to the ultimate underdog music. It doesn't get more ridiculous than that."
• The existence of Gary Bauer.

Posted by Conn Carroll at September 26, 2006 12:25 PM