September 06, 2006
9/6: Security, Security, Security
Perhaps it has more to do with the impending 9/11 anniversary, but the blogosphere is all about "nat'l security" this week. Whether it's Iran, Iraq, al Qaeda, or "border security," few other issues are getting any type of attention. A liberal Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)? Never heard of her. Immigration reform? Wait 'til next year. Party of corruption? That's so "three months ago." We'll see if this foreign policy focus keeps up. And, if it does, what kind of mandate does it leave the Dems to pursue if they do take back both chambers?
TERROR POLITICS: Tom Kean Jr. Is A Race-Baiting Vote-Suppressor
The lefty blogger war on ABC escalated throughout 9/5, including an official response from Richard Clarke, via Think Progress, concerning one scene where an on-the-ground CIA agent fails to get Clinton WH approval for an Osama Bin Laden assasination attempt. Think Progress concludes: "In short, this scene - which makes the incendiary claim that the Clinton administration passed on a sure-fire chance to kill or catch bin Laden - never happened. " Think Progress also offers a tool so readers can easily tell Walt Disney Company President and CEO Robert A. Iger: "Our review of the film shows it to be full of such inaccuracies. Its distorted version of history is inconsistent with the 9/11 Commission Report, upon which it claims to be based. The events leading up to September 11, 2001 are too important and too tragic to play politics with the facts."
Meanwhile, Matt Stoller at MyDD notes that ex-Gov. Tom Kean Sr. (R) is "not a particularly good man, having been elected through race-baiting and voter-suppression." Stoller goes on to argue "it's far past time that the Keans be called on their dishonest reputation. ... Kean is now a critical piece of the partisan disinformation offensive around 9/11, sacrificing the reputation of the 9/11 Commission to further his son's electoral chances in New Jersey."
Meanwhile Jennifer Nix at firedoglake crashed a "credentialed press members" only conference call with Kean and reports that Kean "seemed baffled to hear that there was any controversy."
TERROR POLITICS II: Pen Pals
Kathryn Jean Lopez at The Corner posts the full text of WH CoS Josh Bolton's response to Sen. Min. Leader Harry Reid's (D-NV) letter on Iraq. On the issue of Def. Sec. Donald Rumsfeld, Bolton writes:
Finally, your letter calls for replacing Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld. We strongly disagree. Secretary Rumsfeld is an honorable and able public servant. Under his leadership, the United States Armed Forces and our allies have overthrown two brutal tyrannies and liberated more than 50 million people. Al Qaeda has suffered tremendous blows. Secretary Rumsfeld has pursued vigorously the President's vision for a transformed U.S. military. And he has played a lead role in forging and implementing many of the policies you now recommend in Iraq. Secretary Rumsfeld retains the full confidence of the President.
Also at The Corner, Rich Lowry sums up the Dem letter this way: "Notably, the Democrats say nothing one way or another about securing Baghdad. In sum, their policy is to tacitly concede defeat and begin to withdraw, although they try to pretty it up with a little wishful thinking thrown on top."
Still on the right, under the header "Democrats Pull Out 1864 Party Platform - Dust It Off For 2006" Gateway Pundit links to a Sons of the South description of the 1864 Dem platform:
By 1864, the Country had grown weary of the long and bloody Civil War. Hundreds of thousands of the countries' best and bravest young men had fallen on the fields of Bull Run, Antietam, Shiloh, and countless more. Many began to think that the war was not worth it, and the price of freedom too great. The Republican Presidential Candidate Abraham Lincoln thought no price was too great for the abolition of slavery and the creation of a society in which a man was not judged by the color of his skin. Unfortunately, after four long years of war, Lincoln's support was dropping fast, and people were looking for a way out of the war.
LANDSCAPE: Almost Famous
Jonathan Singer at MyDD looks at Quinnipiac University polling showing 53% of Americans aren't familiar enough with House Min. Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to form an opinion about her, and announces GOP efforts to keep the House by demonizing her "will not be a successful tactic." On the right, Outside the Beltway agrees: "While the prospect of Majority Leader Pelosi may be frightening to hard core Republicans, it's meaningless to most Americans. And even more so to people who are simultaneously voters and not already strongly predisposed toward one party. The GOP would be better served emphasizing known, scary Democrats (Teddy Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, Barney Frank, and the like) who would assume important committee chairs."
LANDSCAPE II: Growing The Roots
Adam C at RedState announces the Club For Growth's general election endorsements: "Now that the primary season is drawing to a close, the Club For Growth has identified three general elections where they will focus their anti-pork and small government efforts: Michael Bouchard of MI, Mike McGavick of WA, and Michael Steele of MD."
And Right Angle Blog add three more candidates to their blogger approved Rightroots slate: "Today the Rightroots coalition is proud to announce the addition of three Republican candidates: Mike Bouchard (MI SEN), Ralph Norman (SC 05) and Andrea Lane Zinga (IL 17). All three are locked in races they can win, but they need your help."
CT SEN: Insightless?
Captain's Quarters casts doubt on an Insight Magazinereport that the WH funneled millions of dollars into Sen. Joe Lieberman's (I-CT) Dem primary campaign. CQ writes:
In fact, this story makes almost no sense whatsoever. It comes to Insight, which is hardly a liberal publication, through a single source, which they claim as "senior" within the GOP. It offers no on-the-record sources or any data whatsoever to substantiate the allegation. The only source that does go on the record is Alan Schlesinger, the hapless and hopeless Republican candidate in the race against Lieberman and Lamont, who complains about his abandonment by the White House and national GOP.
Back in CT, DailyKos diarist dwahzon claims to have received a push poll from Team Lieberman testing anti-DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas messages: "I got a call from a market research firm on Sunday evening that at first seemed to be a reasonably balanced political survey but after about 15 minutes descended into the worst kind of push-polling saying all kinds of untrue (bad) things about Ned Lamont including bringing up kos's comment about the 4 contractors and dissing (though not by name) dailykos and bloggers in general."
Finally, CT Bob has vide on from the Newton, CT labor day parade including the first siting of Lieberman's new press secretary Tammy Sun.
FL SEN: As Much As You Can
Adam C at RedState looks at Rep. Katherine Harris (R) GOP primary victory and writes:
I was one of the first to object to Rep. Harris' entrance into the campaign. I continue to believe that there were better candidates who would be closer in the polls than Harris is. However, the choice is now between Sen. Nelson's liberal record and Rep. Harris' conservative one. No matter what past grudges may exist, Republicans in Florida should support Ms. Harris as much as they can. For surely, she would have a better record than Sen. Nelson on judges, abortion, and gun rights as well as many other issues.
MI SEN: This Fool Ain't Suffering Gladly
Maddogg at MyDD is no fan of Debbie Stabenow's newest TV ad:
I think this ad is a virtual case study in why so many of us in the progressive movement keep uttering the phrase "Fire all of the consultants." ... People in Michigan are in a larger funk about our state than almost any other nation. Our Car industry is dieing right before our eyes, our college educated children are leaving the state en masse, and our brave soldiers and National Guardsmen are dying in a pointless occupation of a hostile nation in the middle of a civil war. Don't try to tell us (I'm a Michigander) how great things are going. Tell us what you've done or are going to do to fix it. Don't tell me it's "Changing" when it's suffering.
MN SEN: To The Left Of Nancy Pelosi (Whoever That Is)
John Hinderaker at Power Line sat down with Rep. Mark Kennedy (R) at the MN State Fair and has audio of Kennedy's two reasons to support his campaign: 1. low taxes; 2. national security. Says Kennedy: "Amy Klobuchar is to the left of Nancy Pelosi on security."
MO SEN: An Amnesty By Any Other Name Would Smell Like Talent Just Stepped In It
Greg Sargent at TPM Cafe links to a MO Dem video of Sen. Jim Talent (R) saying: "That's the lesson we learned several years ago. Not that amnesty doesn't work, but that you don't call it amnesty." Sargent comments:
The Dems point out that it's likely that Talent is referring to President Reagan's 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act, which gave amnesty to 2.5 million illegal immigrants, in saying that it works. So obviously it would look as if Talent is vulnerable to "hypocrisy" charges. He seems to be saying that the problem isn't amnesty itself as a policy, but that calling it "amnesty" makes it politically untenable. The problem with evaluating what Talent said on the tape is that it's a mere three seconds long, making it hard to know the remark's larger context, if there was one.
RI SEN: USIRP Hopes To Make Chafee RIP
Right Angle Blog's Amanda B. Carpenter reports the "U.S. Immigration Reform Political Action Committee (USIRP) endorsed Republican candidate Steve Laffey in Rhode Island's September 12 Republican primary race against incumbent Senator Lincoln Chafee." And Erick Erickson at RedState makes his first "documentary" hammering on Chafee's refusal to enforce the death penalty on Osama Bin Laden.
VA SEN: Coordinated Campaigns?
DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas looks at Raisin Kaine reports that Sen. George Allen (R-VA) "stole" an amendment from Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and comments:
Allen is morally bankrupt, and now we have further evidence that he is intellectually bankrupt. He is clearly bored with the Senate and wishes desperately he could be in Iowa and New Hampshire campaigning for president. Webb will oblige. And once he kicks Allen's ass to the curb, the former junior senator from Virginia will have all the time in the world for Iowa and New Hampshire.
Meanwhile, the Virginia Virtucon claims that "given Lowell Feld's dual role as both a paid staffer of the Webb campaign and a leader of Raising Kaine, it impossible for an agent of the Webb campaign NOT to be materially involved in" decisions that would close the independent expenditure loophole under FEC regulations. VV concludes: "he gang at Raising Kaine PAC better start looking around for a good Democrat federal election law attorney. Something tells me that they'll be needing one ...."
WA SEN: The Next Gary Hart
Tom Bevan at RCP Blog looks at the blowback from Ex-Safeco CEO Mike McGavick (R) DUI confession: "Instead of the confession having the intended effect of building goodwill and pre-emptively defusing a potential landmine, the episode now has people scratching their heads and wondering whether McGavick is perhaps a little too slick. (And others asking if he's the new Gary Hart!)"
CLARK: At Least It's Not A Tomahawk Chop For War With Iran
Atrios has video of ret. Gen. Wesley Clark giving his ideal Dem foreign policy message for 9/11:
The attack on 9/11 occurred on the president's watch. He took us into a war with Iraq we didn't have to fight. It's been used to incentivize recruiting in Al Qaeda. The number of people who are affiliated with Al Qaeda worldwide has more than doubled since 2001. Our armed forces are bogged down in Iraq. We haven't been able to effectively engage with North Korea. We're hearing the tom toms beating for war with Iran. I think the American people can judge. This administration's policy has been a mistake and he's not made us safer. He's left us more vulnerable.
GINGRICH: Wonder What #4 Was In The First Draft (Hint: Judges Suck)
Right Wing News forwards Newt Gingrich's 11 point plank for GOPers to keep the House:
1) Make English the Official Language of Government. 2) Control the Borders. 3) Keep God in the Pledge. 4) The American people would rally to the elected branches' taking steps to rebalance the Constitution. 5) Require a Voter ID Card. 6) Repeal the Death Tax, for Good. 7) Restore Property Rights. 8) Achieve Sustainable Energy Independence. 9) Control Spending and Balance the Budget. 10) Tie Education Funding to Teacher Accountability. 11) Defend America From the Irreconcilable Wing of Islam.MCCAIN: Battleground, MI
Robert B. Bluey at Right Angle Blog argues Sen. John McCain's Straight Talk America PAC is making a mistake with their new Michigan state finance chairman Jim Nicholson: "The only problem is that McCain's embrace of Nicholson risks further alienating the conservative base in Michigan. After recently campaigning on behalf of liberal Rep. Joe Schwarz, who was defeated by conservative Tim Walberg last month, McCain cannot afford another mistake -- especially with Gov. Mitt Romney (R.-Mass.) courting Michigan Republicans."
ROMNEY: Righty Bloggers Love Mitt
MA Gov. Mitt Romney (R) scored big in conservative blogger circles with his 9/6 order to all MA agencies to decline extra security support for ex-Iranian President Mohammed Khatami's 9/10 visit to Harvard University. Kathryn Jean Lopez at The Corner, Hugh Hewitt, Instapundit, Paul Mirengoff and John Hinderaker at Power Line, and Wizbang all had kind words for Romney.
Back in IA, however, Caucus Cooler reports on an email from The Pro-Life Federation of MI Chairman Dr. Jerry Zandstra targeting Romney. From the email:
I recently read the press release from Mitt Romney's Commonwealth PAC indicating that you have signed on to his Political Action Committee as a member of his Steering Committee. ... The Pro-Life Federation of Michigan does not view Mitt Romney as a suitable Republican nominee for President of the United States because of his pro-choice position on abortion. ... Governor Mitt Romney is clearly not a suitable nominee for pro-life elected officials to support for President of the United States."
Caucus Cooler also has additions to its list of IA legislators lining up for 08 hopefuls.
BLOGGERS VS. BELTWAY: Endurance Test
The Corner's Kathryn Jean Lopez happily passed along a Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) email claiming Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) had officially lifted his hold on S. 2590, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006. Unfortunately, Coburn also reported that Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) also had a hold on the bill.
Senate Maj Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) then promised bloggers that despite any current holds on the legislation "I will bring this legislation to the floor for a vote in September."
Tapscott's Copy Desk was not as sure: "Looks to me like opponents of Coburn-Obama have decided to see how long the measure's supporters in the Blogosphere can keep up the campaign of unmasking anonymous holders. There are more than 75 senators who are not co-sponsors of the bill. ... If even a dozen or 15 of them agree to place successive anonymous holds after each new holder is unmasked, assuming they are, they could easily exhaust the legislative calendar and perhaps also the Blogosphere, thus effectively blocking consideration of the bill.
THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Does Bush Want A Dem Majority?
Kausfiles wonders why the GOP is not rallying around an enforcement first immigration message this fall:
a) Why isn't the obvious base-mobilizing national GOP midterm message something like this: If you give the Democrats a majority in the House, then Congress will pass an expensive, wage-destroying semi-amnesty for illegal immigrants. Such a bill already passed in the Senate. The only thing stopping it was the Republican House. Take away that resistance, and it's Katie-bar-the-door. This pitch would have the virtue of being highly plausible. It wouldn't mobilize just the base, but also a good chunk of the middle.** (That's more than you can probably say for the administration's Global War on Terror hyperbolizing). ... ... P.S.: Obviously President Bush couldn't articulate such a message, since he supports the Senate's expensive, wage-destroying semi-amnesty. But Speaker Hastert could. Or the NRCC. ...
b) But if a Democratic House really would pass a McCain-Kennedy style immigration bill, maybe President Bush isn't as horrified at the prospect of Speaker Pelosi as he seems. He'd achieve at least one major part of his second-term domestic agenda. Legacy time! That might be worth a few Conyers-led hearings...
c) It would obviously help House Republicans get across the anti-semi-amnesty message if before November they passed a sort of lowest-common-denominator enforcement-only immigration bill--including a few hundred miles of fence. Make the Democrats vote against it. If Dems did vote against it, they'd probably pay a price. In any case, it would have a clarifying effect--isn't one point of pre-election legislation to heighten contrasts? ... If enough Dems supported it for the bill to actually pass, the GOPs would have a mini-accomplishment to boast about.
LEST WE FORGET: Sports Illustrated, Madden, And Now South Park?
Under the header "The Curse of South Park" Andrew Sullivan has video of a 1999 South Park clip featuring an Australian crocodile hunter trying to jam his thumb up a king crocs butthole. Sullivan comments: "It's getting just a little weird. They ridiculed Saddam, and he was deposed. They depicted Mel Gibson as a deranged sado-masochistic anti-Semite, and ... well, now we know. They took on Tom Cruise, and he went down the Paramount plughole. So this script from 1999 was always a little unnerving."
Posted by Conn Carroll at September 6, 2006 12:22 PM
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