November 02, 2006
11/1: Just The Beginning
Nobody likes to see a man tackled at a campaign event just as, we hope, nobody likes to see candidates asked if they ever spit on their first wife. But unless campaigns begin to change the way they relate to their blogger supporters, we should only expect to see more incidents like the one witnessed in Charlottesville, VA on 10/31. Daily Kos diarist Mike Stark made no secret about his desire to cause disruptions at Sen. George Allen (R-VA) events. He had done so in the past. In a previous era, Stark might have been told by local Dems that his behavior was not helpful, but today Stark finds glowing support for his activities in blogging communities. Unless campaigns take a more active role in policing supporters' behavior, lawn-sign stealing will soon look quaint by comparison.
TERROR POLITICS: Why Won't The MSM Cover This Story?
Video of Sen. John Kerry's (D-MA) remarks on the relation between doing your homework and getting stuck in Iraq spread slowly throughout the righty blogosphere at first. Michelle Malkin was one of the first to post on the subject at 9:54 AM under the header "Attention GOP: Spread this video; Attention readers: Help support the troops." By noon most every righty blogger had the video up or a link to it. Malkin followed up on her original post at 11:43 AM proclaiming "The MSM is AWOL" and noting neither the Los Angeles Times or San Francisco Chronicle mentioned Kerry's quote. Malkin later updates with truncated video of Kerry on Don Imus this morning, but doesn't include Kerry's promise not to campaign for any more Dems this year.
The dominate righty reaction was to tie Kerry's remarks into a larger "Dems hate the troops" theme. Comments along these lines include:
- RCP Blog's Jed Babbin: "Kerry's remarks began as just icing atop the Democrats' contempt for the military. It's a subset of Jack Murtha's remarks about how the army is broken, how our troops are disgruntled and why we have to bring everybody out of Iraq to rebuild the force before it falls apart all together."
- Power Line's John Hinderaker: "The stereotype of the poor, dumb soldier is firmly entrenched among liberals of the Vietnam era. We often see it repeated by younger liberals today, even though the stereotype has no application whatever to our current volunteer army, which is demonstrably equal, at least, to the civilian population in talent and accomplishment. Why are liberals so determined to hang on to these discredited stereotypes of the past?
- Wizbang's Kim Priestap: "You'll be shocked at what John Kerry said about our troops in Iraq while at a campaign stop. At the same time you won't be shocked because it's so condescending, so offensive that no one else but John Kerry could have said it. Except Murtha. And Sheehan. And Maher. Ok, it's so condescending and so offensive that there are several leftists who could have said it."
- Townhall's Hugh Hewitt: "Today Kerry also reminded all Americans of the deep, anti-military bias that has infected the left since Vietnam, and through the left, the MSM. ... The Democrats remain the party of Michael Moore, Ned Lamont, Kosputin, John Kerry, Nancy Pelosi, Dan Rather and Howard Dean. Any vote for any Democrat is a vote for every one of those folks, and many more besides.
- Michelle Malkin: "This is no isolated case of Democrat incompetence and insensitivity toward the military. Kerry's party is the party of Dick Durbin, who likened American interrogators and Gitmo military staff to Nazis, Soviet gulag operators and genocidal maniac Pol Pot."
Many righty bloggers also posted anti-Kerry messages from military personnel.
Captain's Quarters offered a constructive response: "Do you want to support the troops? Then make your contribution to Soldier's Angels. They have a new effort called Project Valour that will be raising money from various bloggers." The Mudville Gazette also linked to Valour-IT poking fun at Kerry by asking reader to help out "the under privileged." Instapundit joined the campaign and argued: "Kerry's suggestion that the troops in Iraq are dumb failures is not only reprehensible, but false on the facts. In other words, a typical Kerry performance, just in time for the elections. Democrats must be wondering what they were thinking to nominate him in 2004, and why he won't go away now."
Righty bloggers were elated when Kerry kept the story going with his 10/31 afternoon press conference. Under the header "In which we 'Swiftboat' Senator Kerry yet again..." RedState's Moe Lane writes: "Here's a hint to Kerry's handlers: it's bad when the right wing nut-jobs have a quick fight over who gets the byline of publishing your press release." RCP Blog's Tom Bevan on Kerry's push back: "I understand that Kerry has been eager to show off his tough new, "I WONT BE SWIFT-BOATED AGAIN!!!" strategy that he thinks will help convince Democrats to give him another chance at the brass ring in 2008, but to trot out this tripe to defend an insult against U.S. troops is breathtakingly arrogant - and it's an absolute gift to the GOP seven days before an election." Power Line's Paul Mirengoff adds: "John Kerry is now outdoing Al Gore when it comes to loser derangement syndrome. And Kerry doesn't even have the excuse of having almost won the presidency."
In other Kerry related righty blogger posts: Townhall's Dean Barnett compliments "the progressive blogging aristocracy" on their "message discipline" and ability to "Sense what a serious issue this is, even if the most recent Democratic standard bearer does not." Wizbang's Jay Tea defends Kerry on the grounds his statement was a joke and an Andrew Sullivan reader defends Kerry on the grounds it wasn't. Finally, National Review Online's Kathryn Jean Lopez explains Kerry's mishap has buoyed her hopes for a strong GOP GOTV effort.
TERROR POLITICS II: Tone Deaf At The Freak Show
The Huffington Post's James Boyce succinctly, if not profanely, summed up lefty blogger reaction to Kerry's Iraq/education statement: "John Kerry botched a joke. George Bush f----d up a war. Pick one." Fellow HuffPoster's with similar thoughts include: Arianna Huffington, Brent Budowsky, and Bob Cesca.
Kerry even one won HuffPoster over, Steve Anderson writes on Kerry's press conference: "John, John, John...where was this John Kerry 2 years ago? This was what I wanted, this was the outrage I had been hoping for back then. That it comes now is great!" Most, however, on the left acknowledged that Kerry was not helping. Under the header "You're Not Helping" The Plank's Michael Crowley writes: "I actually feel sorry for John Kerry. He wants to help. And, yes, this is mainly a controversy manufactured by the highly depressing "Freak Show." But Kerry has a tone-deaf appreciation for his own role in the Freak Show. And for that reason, he was foolish to hold a long press conference responding to his GOP tormenters."
The true netrooters added a twist to their Kerry defenses. In addition to writing "And showing that he has learned from his Swiftboating days, Kerry hit back hard ... Kerry has nothing to apologize for. The people who have turned their backs on the troops do," DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas takes a swipe at Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) for visiting injured troops at Walter Reed hospital: "Sure. Uplifting. Except he said this at a campaign appearance with Pete Roskam, who is running against Democrat Tammy Duckworth -- an Iraq war vet who lost both her legs in combat." Talking Points Memo's Josh Marshall, and MyDD's Jerome Armstrong take similar digs at McCain for his Walter Reed visit.
TERROR POLITICS III: Who's Running This War?
Talking Points Memo's Josh Marshall wants to know why more isn't being made of the US military ending a blockade of Sadr City at the order of Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki. Marshall writes: "But that cordon was in place to help find the recently abducted US soldier. So it sounds a lot like on Maliki's say-so we've essentially called off the search. Is President Bush being asked about this?"
Also on the left, The Washington Monthly's Kevin Drum takes on the National Review's assertion that: "Nancy Pelosi has opposed having international phone calls to and from terrorists monitored by American intelligence agencies." Drum writes: "This is, flatly, a lie. Pelosi, like many Democrats, opposes NSA surveillance of American residents without a warrant. That is all she opposes. Period. The rest of the piece isn't much more honest. But this business of liberals "opposing surveillance of terrorists" is McCarthyish mendacity of the worst kind. Even National Review should be embarrassed to peddle it."
VA SEN: 'Cause Bloggers Love Wife-Spitting
Daily Kos' "very own Mike Stark" was the blogger wrestled to the ground by Sen. George Allen (R-VA) campaign staffers 10/31. DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas links to video of the incident and writes: "Sounds like assault and battery to me."
TPM Cafe's Greg Sargent interviewed Stark by phone twice including this recounting of the event:
"My question was, 'Senator Allen, Democrats are making this election about accountability. You can shut them up by telling us what was in your police records from the seventies.' He kind of muttered to himself, kind of, 'I'm not gonna go there.' Immediately his campaign staff started pushing me around, shoving me around, trying to form a human wall between me and him. I continued to pace him out into the lobby. My next question was, 'Is it true that you spit on your wife?'" "Then somebody said, `Now you're getting personal,' and wrestled me to the ground.'"
AMERICAblog, who alerts journalists that he has Stark's contact info if they would like to speak with him, recounts: "The reporter says the man was simply asking questions that the Allen staff thought were rude. So they tackled the guy and threw him against a window. George Allen's sticker is clearly visible on the guy who grabbed the questioner in a head lock. ... You are witnessing a multi-million dollar lawsuit, not to mention a crime." Later AMERICAblog links to better video of the exchange and adds: "This guy didn't do a thing -- they jumped him and threw him into a window."
TPM Cafe also posts a letter by Stark promising to file charges against his assailants. And Talking Points Memo's Josh Marshall questions the Washington Post's description of Stark's behavior as "heckling." Marshall later warns: "And if you think this campaign is getting bitter now, just wait. Both the NRSC and DSCC are dumping a combined total of total of over $3.5 million into the race -- with only a week to go."
Later Kos returns to Allen's past again under the header "Allen's sister recounts beatings" linking to A Liberal Dose's posting of excerpts from Jennifer Allen's book Fifth Quarter: The Scrimmage of a Football Coach's Daughter. Kos comments: "No wonder Allen's thugs beat up Mike Stark. They are taking their cues from their boss." Kos then adds: "Webb has a new ad. He's going positive this last week."
Righty blogs were mostly distracted by Kerry's words all day but AllenHQ describes Stark as "a Democratic activist and Webb supporter with a history of aggressively harassing Senator Allen and pulling stunts for media attention." AllenHQ writes "Stark has openly admitted that he's trying to start trouble" and quotes from Stark's Daily Kos diary: "Recently I've been thinking about how to put these "guerrilla tactics" to use where it matters: winning elections." AllenHQ also posts an official campaign press release calling on Webb to "Restrain Out of Control Supporter."
VA SEN II: We're For The Whatever Guy
MyDD's Chris Bowers looks at four recent VA SEN polls showing Webb pulling ahead of Allen and writes: "This is starting to look like a replay of 2005, where Tom Kaine pulled ahead right at the end of the Virginia campaign. ... Whether Jim Webb is a progressive, a conservative, a libertarian, or whatever, it is becoming clear that campaigns which have the people-powered, progressive movement behind them are smashing all expectations this year."
Also on the left, The Washington Monthly's Kevin Drum links to a New Donkey post on Allen's novel attack on Webb and writes: "Allen is a fake in much the same way that George Bush is a fake - except that he's not quite as good as it. Perhaps Virginians will finally cotton to Allen's peculiar brand of condescension next week." Webb Netroots Coordinator and Raising Kaine founder Lowell Feld links to similar conclusions reached by George Will and writes: "Exactly right, Mr. Will. You have discovered what the majority of Virginians have now found out about George Allen, that he doesn't know a lot about a whole LOT of things. That he's a phony."
LANDSCAPE: It's Expectations Game Time
Talking Points Memo's Josh Marshall links to Fred Barnes admissions that the GOP will lose the House but Dems won't win a ""working governing majority" and responds: "Nice attempt to move the goal posts. But this doesn't cut it. ... Everyone knows what's at stake here: the end or the continuation of one-party rule in Washington."
Daily Kos' DemFromCT is also plating the expectation game: "In the meantime, let's be clear. Any takeover in the House by any margin is huge. That's true whether it's 16 or 40, and let's go with the expectation that we've won nothing yet. In the Senate, which we are not expected to win, picking up seats and defeating Santorum is the main course. Defeating Allen, Talent or Corker is icing on dessert. CW here is 4 seats. Less than that is a disappointment."
LANDSCAPE II: As Kos Goes, So Goes Cook
DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas links to Cook Political Report updates and notes: "Interesting that of these 12 races, six are on our ActBlue page, while another four have gotten extensive coverage and support from the netroots. And to think they were all long-shots when we started writing about them."
On the Senate side, blogger CW has settled on MO as the controlling race. MyDD's Chris Bowers writes: "Webb continues to rise in Virginia, and Menendez has seized the lead in New Jersey as well. Tester continues to hang on in Montana, as does Cardin in Maryland. With Ford struggling a bit in Tennessee, despite internals showing him up five, the Senate thus comes down to one race: Missouri." On the right, RCP Blog's John McIntyre notes: "Since then there is a new SurveyUSA poll in Missouri that has McCaskill up 3 points and has swung the RCP Average to McCaskill + 0.2. Right now, just strictly off the RCP Averages, the Dems would pick up 6 seats (PA, OH, RI, MT, VA & MO) and control of the Senate."
LANDSCAPE III: No Children Have Ever Meddled With The Republican Party And Lived To Tell About It!
Talking Points Memo's Josh Marshall pens a "closing argument" for his undecided readers: "And that's the closer in this election. How do you think Iraq has gone? How do you think Congress is doing its job? How did you think Katrina was handled? Different people are going to have different hot button issues. But across the board I think what we're seeing in the country is that sense of disconnect -- things are seriously off course but the folks in charge won't admit it and don't know what to do about it. ... So to voters I think the pitch is, think back over the last two years. You only have one chance to go on record with your verdict. Thumbs up or thumbs down. One chance before you have to go back and sit in the stands again for another two years."
Opening with Sideshow Bob's "your guilty conscience may force you to vote Democratic, but deep down inside you secretly long for a cold-hearted Republican to lower taxes, brutalize criminals, and rule you like a king" explanation for his villainy, MyDD's Matt Stoller offers a more historic critique of the GOP, focussing on the evils of moderate GOPers: "Political systems are built through symbols, and no symbol has been more pernicious than the idea of a moderate Republican. Since 1964, the Republican Party has gradually turned itself into a neo-Confederate group of extremists attached to a political network of partisan pagan church groups."
LANDSCAPE IV: Foley Who?
Right Wing News "emailed more than 230 right-of-center bloggers to ask them about the 2006 election. The following 62 blogs responded." Questions include:
1) Do you think the GOP is going to retain control of the House?
Yes (38) -- 61.3% No (24) -- 38.7%2) Do you think the GOP is going to retain control of the Senate?
Yes (56) -- 90.3% No (6) -- 9.7%3) The Republican Party has been having a lot of difficulty during this election cycle. If you had to pick 1-6 reasons for that, what would they be?
The way the war in Iraq has gone. (48) -- 77.4% The GOP isn't doing enough to control spending. (46) -- 74.2% Republicans don't fight back hard enough against Democratic attacks. (37) -- 59.7% Because the GOP is perceived as being too soft on illegal immigration. (32) -- 51.6% The perception that the GOP is corrupt. (32) -- 51.6% President Bush's approval rating. (21) -- 33.9% The GOP isn't being aggressive enough in the war on terror. (19) -- 30.6% The perception that the Federal Government did a poor job of handling Hurricane Katrina. (19) -- 30.6% The Mark Foley scandal. (17) -- 27.4%THOUGHT OF THE DAY: It May Not Be A Thought Experiment Much Longer
Outside the Beltway's James Joyner links to a Jacob Sallum article arguing for a GOP loss of Congress partly based on a study showing "federal employees "shrank by 200,000 under Bill Clinton but have grown by 79,000 under George W. Bush." Joyner responds:
Clinton presided over a post-Cold War drawdown in the size of the Defense Department whereas Bush is presiding over a post-9/11 expansion in defense and homeland security spending. Indeed, the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, the decision to go to war in Iraq, the passage of No Child Left Behind, and various other decisions that have created this growth occurred during the period when the Democrats controlled the Senate.
After looking at other rises in federal domestic spending Joyner adds:
Again, though, many of these decisions were being made during the post-Jeffords defection period when the Democrats seized control of the Senate. And, anyway, does Sallum really believe that a Congress controlled by Democrats would be less likely to pass increases in social welfare programs? Or that they'd suddenly stop inserting outrageous earmarks into the budget? Really? Thought experiment: Imagine a world where Robert Byrd was chairman of the committee in charge of allocating highway monies.
LEST WE FORGET: Less Than Meets The Eye
National Review Online's Jonah Goldberg links to this video of a "dude" demonstrating his fully functional ("well, save for the rockets and lasers and such") Transformer halloween costume.
Posted by Conn Carroll at November 2, 2006 05:59 AM
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