11/16: The Great Webb Hope?

If there's one thing that unites the netroots outside of opposition to the Iraq war and dislike of Pres. Bush, it's economic populism. With his 11/15 Wall Street Journalop-ed , on "Class Struggle" Sen.-elect James Webb (D-VA) is rapidly becoming a lefty favorite. DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas' labor friends tell him Webb "is a MAJOR key to bring back white men to the Democratic party." Was '06 the beginning of the return of Reagan Democrats to the Dems?

GOP LEADERSHIP: Campaigns Have Consequences

RedState's House GOP sources tell Erick Erickson that Rep. John Boehner (OH) forced Rep. Joe Barton (TX) out of the race for Majority Leader by threatening to "strip Barton of his ranking position on the Energy & Commerce Committee." Erickson does note "there was no threat from Boehner's office" but does report: "several House staffers ... all say Congressman Boehner, through a third party, did make it clear to Congressman Barton that if he did not back down there would be consequences."

National Review Online's Jonathan Martin first shares the thoughts of a "conservative Hill aide" who claimed Boehner's office quick release of their statement praising Barton's exit was "telling." Martin later clarifies that Boehner's office put out their statement after Barton's committee office sent out their announcement, but before Barton's personal office did. Martin adds, "and therein lies the issue." Also at The Corner, Kathryn Jean Lopez hears Rep. Mike Pence (IN) picked up support at his 11/15 Republican Study Committee appearance.

AmSpec Blog's Quin Hillyer compiles a list of "conservative bloggers, media, intelligentsia and other leaders who have either endorsed or (where indicated) strongly hinted (or I have interpreted their remarks to be strong hints) at support for Mike Pence for Minority Leader." The list includes: Red State, Human Events, David Keene, ACU, National Review editors (sort of), Robert Novak (hinted), Wall Street Journal (hinted), Kim Priestap, The Washington Examiner, Captain's Quarters, Dick Morris (a semi-conservative, sometimes) (hint), Club for Growth, Right Wing News, Jon Henke, My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy, Investors Business Daily (hint), Laura Ingraham (hint), Larry Kudlow, Fred Barnes (hint), Tapscott's Copy Desk. The Right Angle adds Rush Limbaugh to the pro-Pence camp.

On the other hand, National Review Online's David Frum stands athwart the righty blogosphere and yells "stop-Pence." Frum reasons: "The minority leader's role resembles that of the coach of a weaker team or the general of a retreating army: it requires enormous discipline and skill to choose one's moments, target the opponents' weaknesses, avoid battle at the wrong time, seize opportunity at the right time. ... That's why I find Mike Pence's past support for the so-called Pence immigration compromise so troubling. It's not that I demand perfect ideological orthodoxy from would-be leaders - far from it. But looking back on that strange episode I worry about something else: Pence got suckered."

In the Minority Whip race, National Review Online's Jonathan Martin summarizes Rep. Roy Blunt's (M0) nine-page memo detailing how Blunt plans to take back the House by forcing "the Democrats to be Democrats" by proposing "amendments and substitutes that could be politically damaging" to "60 Democratic members from districts where President Bush won in 2004." The Right Angle's Robert Bluey says the memo shows Blunt "is in search of a new message in hopes of rescuing his campaign."

GOP LEADERSHIP II: "Survivor: The Isle of Crappy Republican Leadership."

Righty bloggers are almost universally unhappy with Sen. Trent Lott's (MS) narrow victory in the Minority Whip race:

• National Review Online's Andrew Stuttaford: "Thanks a Lott"
• RedState's Charles Bird: "This is a bad beginning. The Republicans got drubbed earlier this month in part because of profligate pork-barrel spending yet, before the dust has even settled on the abysmal election results just over a week ago, the caucus elected to leadership one of the biggest pigs in the federal trough.
• Townhall's Mary Katharine Ham: "You Guys Are Killin' Me, Part 87,458 ... This season: voting off everyone who could have a shot at turning the flailing party around! Next episode? Boehner and Blunt earn immunity! Season finale? George Bush and Karl Rove beat out DeLay, Boehner, Blunt, Lott, and Frist by forming a smart alliance with Martinez."
• Michelle Malkin: "Another GOP Maalox moment"
• Right Wing News:"Does the GOP Need Another Thumpin' in 2008 to Get the Message?"

It's left to RCP Blog's John McIntyre to make the pro-Lott case: "I suspect it is a triumph for Republicans in the Senate who want to take a considerably more aggressive posture with the new Democratic majority. ... Lott's win can be read as a sign that Senate Republicans are gearing up to be an aggressive and effective minority, and his ascension back into the ranks of the leadership is probably a very smart tactical move by the GOP."

Very little commentary on the election of Sen. Mitch McConnell (KY) to Senate min. leader, but Townhall's Hugh Hewitt does like the move and links to a transcript of McConnell's appearance on Hewitt's show.

MCCAIN: Maybe There's Stuff In His Record That Whispers Liberal

National Review Online's Jonathan Martin likes the look of Sen. John McCain's (R-AZ) "Ansel Adams sorta black-and-white" looking exploratory committee website. Meanwhile, Power Line's Paul Mirengoff isn't crazy about Hotline editor Chuck Todd's assertion that "there's nothing in [McCain's] record that screams 'liberal.'" Mirengoff responds: "His lack of conservative support stems, I think, from the positions he has taken on vital issues like campaign finance reform, immigration, tax cuts, and interrogation of terrorists. Joining the gang of 14 didn't help either. To the extent that conservatives dislike McCain, it may have less to do with the media's admiration (a factor, to be sure) than with McCain's tendency to demonize conservatives who disagree with him. But as he gears up to run for president again, McCain has become less of a demonizer. That, and perhaps the opportunism of some conservatives, should boost McCain's prospects."

ROMNEY: 2/3 Of NRO Cruisers Can't Be Wrong

National Review skipper Rich Lowry reports from the post-election NR cruise that MA Gov. Mitt Romney (R) "clearly did best with about 2/3 of the crowd supporting him" in a "u.s.s. nr straw poll." Lowry adds: "Giuliani was second, and McCain and Gingrich tied in distant third."

The Right Angle, however, objects to claims that Romney is "continuing to lock up the right-wing mag vote" writing: "I'd like to point out that at HUMAN EVENTS we actually believe in taking a hard look at a candidate's credentials and policy positions before rushing to judgment. Of course, we consider our publication a NEWSpaper, so I suppose it doesn't really matter." The MI Cooler wonders: "Why is Romney so Quiet? Michigan used to hear from Mitt Romney quite often - but not much recently.

THOMPSON: Why Why Not?

IA's Caucus Cooler can't figure out "what's more telling about Tommy Thompson's revelation: that the story was broken in the Des Moines Register by Tony Leys or that the phrase "Why Not" was prominently involved." CC explains: "We at the Cooler have spent the last 15 months religiously reading political articles in the Register and have never seen this guys byline before today. Also in reflecting the seriousness with which the Iowa "Paper of Record" takes Thompson's candidacy they gave the story 5 grafs. Thompson then goes on to make this announcement by saying, "I hope so, "Why not? I'm from the Midwest. There should be a Midwestern candidate for president." RCP Blog's Tom Bevan is also underwhelmed.

DEM FIELD: How Much Drafting Does Joe Biden Really Need?

Netroots fundraising clearinghouse ActBlue has set up a page enabling activists to contribute money to their favorite '08 hopeful: "Money collected in the draft funds will be held until the prospective candidate forms a presidential campaign committee, at which point the funds will be transferred to the campaign. Should the candidate not enter the race by the time of the Democratic National Convention, funds will be sent to the DNC." The 15 candidate list includes the usual suspects and Al Gore, DNC chair Howard Dean, and NJ Gov. Jon Corzine.

DEM LEADERSHIP: Kossacks Love A Winner

DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas polled his readers on the job performance of leading Dems 11/15 and included results from similar 7/20 polls. For everybody but DCCC chair Rahm Emanuel, victory breads approval.

Do you approve of the way DNC Chairman Howard Dean is doing his job?
11/15:
Yes 96 %
No 3 %
7/20:
Approve 90 %
Disapprove 7 %
Don't know 1 %

Do you approve of the way Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid is doing his job?
11/15:
Yes 80 %
No 19 %
7/20:
Approve 70 %
Disapprove 24 %
Don't know 4 %

Do you approve of the way House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi is doing her job?
11/15:
Yes 86 %
No 13 %
7/20:
Approve 36 %
Disapprove 52 %
Don't Know 10 %

Do you approve of Chuck Schumer's job?
11/15:
Yes 75 %
No 24 %
7/20:
Approve 27 %
Disapprove 62 %
Don't know 9 %

Do you approve of the Rahm Emanuel's job?
11/15:
Yes 38 %
No 61 %
7/20:
Approve 30 %
Disapprove 57 %
Don't know 11 %

DEMS: If We Had Ten Divisions Of Jim Webbs ...

Sen.-elect James Webb's (D-VA) 11/15 op-ed is quickly making him a star of lefty bloggers. Reax include:

• TAPPED's Ezra Klein Jim Webb's Wall Street Journal op-ed today is a full-throated blast of up-with-the-people populism. ... He's explicitly tying his beloved white ethnics (he has, in the past, written a book glorifying that under-glorified and undernoted white ethnic group, the Scots-Irish) to Hispanic immigrants, setting both in opposition to the Protestant overclass (and possibly Jews). He's not, it would seem, a neopopulist. He's an actual populist. An old-style populist.
• Firedoglake's Jane Hamsher quoting an Agonist email: "The US is ripe for populism, and getting riper by the year. One day some politician is going to realize there's a bunch of nitro fuel lying around. I hope it's an FDR, but it doesn't have to be."
• a labor friend of DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas: "This is the bluntest appeal on behalf of working class Americans, combined with a scathing critique of the inequities of American society, I've heard from any Senator in years, maybe since the death of Wellstone. Edwards/Webb, Obama/Webb, Richardson/Webb in '08--this guy is a MAJOR key to bring back white men to the Democratic party. I wish we had a dozen of him!"
• Atrios: "At this point I don't care if we call it liberal, populist, or conservative. Maybe it'll take a guy like Webb to move this conversation forward.

On the right, RCP Blog's Tom Bevan notes Lou Dobbs has picked up on the "Lou Dobbs Democrat" meme: "Lou Dobbs declares, "I'm a damn proud populist" in the midst of this tirade against his critics on both the left and the right who've been using the term "Lou Dobbs Democrats." He's kinda angry."

In a similar vein The Huffington Post's James Pinkerton argues that populist Reagan Democrats may start seeing policy victories "because America's diminishing clout around the world is undermining the internationalist faith that sustained the elites of both parties. And as the elites retreat from internationalism, they will inevitably default back to nationalism, which has always been the redoubt of the Reagan Democrats." And at Right Wing News, John Hawkins addresses his pro-trade skeptical readers.

CARVILLE: All The Rage

Crooks and Liars has video of one of James Carville's latest anti-Howard Dean remarks. Carville says that Dem candidates "go out and risk everything," and "deserve every bit of support ... that they can get." Carville: "They got it from the [DCCC]. They got it from the [DSCC]. They did not get from it the DNC." At Cox News Service's blog, Scott Shepard reports on further Carville remarks during a breakfast with reporters. Asked to describe Dean's DNC leadership, Carville calls it "Rumsfeldian in its competence." Specifically, Carville says the DNC sat on $6M it could have spent to possibly pick up even more seats than the 30 or so they won.

At Daily Kos, mcjoan wonders if Carville is "Emanuel's Sockpuppet," referring to the DCCC chair. "What 20 other House seats would those be, Carville? And what about that $6 million that Emanuel sunk into just two losing campaigns, Duckworth's and Farrell's? Obviously James Carville is not a stupid man. ... So what's the explanation? ... Covering for Emanuel because he either ignored or got into the third tier of races so late?" MyDD's Chris Bowers says Carville doesn't like Dean for two reasons, the first because Dean "does not trash other Democrats, and Carville prefers Democrats who throw their own party under the bus. The second is that he is a political consultant, and as such many of his friends have gotten rich off of commissions from television advertisements. As far as he is concerned, all donations to all Democratic committees exist so that he and his friends can get richer. Since Howard Dean is spending money on field organizers and grants to state parties, his friends tend to not get rich from the money the DNC raised." Bowers also points out the DCCC's record in its 15 targeted races.

Earlier, Bowers said that every time Carville "opens his mouth like he did today, I'm just going to keep dumping more of this oppo." First, he poitns to a 6/00 Washington Monthly piece in which Carville and Paul Begala tout ex-Sen. Zell Miller (GA) as a VP pick for Al Gore. Meanwhile, Jane Hamsher says Carville's "cartoon cracker schtick has been usurped almost wholly within the party by Mudcat Saunders, who has actually managed to win a few races in this century."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Way Out Of His League

An Andrew Sullivan reader defends (kind of) Rush Limbaugh and other conservative commentators from Sullivan's attacks:

However, politics is a contact sport. Limbaugh and his fellow travelers are promoting a political program. They have to be team players. They have to hold their tongue when the coaches (President Bush, Hastert, etc.) call dumb plays. They are cheerleaders who are exhorting their listeners to beat the Democrats and the Left in America. Anyone with experience in teams (corporate, athletic, military) that actually function effectively with coordinated action knows that the individual must subordinate his will to the team's goals. It's childish to call a team member a lackey or a hypocrite for sticking with his teammates and refusing to publicly criticize the coaches even if he doesn't like the plays being called.

So cut them some slack. Of course, they cannot engage you on the same level with the same intellectual openness that you demand. That would compromise their mission and their livelihood. Pick on someone in your own league who doesn't get dirty in the arena of political combat.

LEST WE FORGET: We Love The '80s Week Continues

Noting the re-emergence of "Robert Gates, Jim Baker, and other Bush 41ers coming in to rescue Bush 43" Extreme Mortman observes the WH "timing was a bit off" for this announcement:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 15, 2006, as America Recycles Day.