January 31, 2007

1/31: Favorite Son No More?

Up 'til now, John Edwards has posted comfortable leads over his WH '08 rivals in online straw polls, but with the continuedheathehas beentaking over his 1/22 comments that "All the options are on the table to ensure that Iran will never get a nuclear weapon," an opening for the hearts of netrooters has developed. Sen. Barack Obama has capitalized on that opening by calling for a withdrawal of troops. As popular as Edwards' focus on poverty is in lefty 'spheres, this is a movement whose core (think Howard Dean '04 and Joe Lieberman '06) centers around opposition to the Iraq war. With DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas saying Obama is "the first of the top-tier presidential contenders to clear" the bar on the Iraq issue, will the netroots begin to coalesce around the Illinois Senator?

OBAMA: Leading At Last?

TPM Cafe's Greg Sargent was the link of choice for lefty bloggers announcing news of Barack Obama's 1/30 Iraq legislation. Sargent writes: "Here we go. Barack Obama is introducing binding legislation mandating the phased removal of combat brigades from Iraq to start in a few months, with the goal of getting "all" -- we repeat, "all" -- removed by March 2008." AMERICAblog posts video of Obama's floor statement from Politics TV.

Glowing Obama reviews include:

• DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas: "This isn't a wussy "stop the escalation" measure, nor some half-measure like "withdraw some troops but not all" (which appears to be the Edwards position). ... it's an indictment of DC that Obama's obvious stance is actually a sign of "leadership."
• The Left Coaster: "It is relatively specific and goes beyond anything Hillary has ever said, and sounds better thought-out than what Edwards has come up with. It will be a winner with the base and with independents, and will cause problems for Hillary. But screw that; it's the right thing to do."
• MyDD's Matt Stoller: "This is great. Obama isn't just calling for withdrawal, he's introducing legislation to make it happen."
• DailyKos' AdyBarkan: "Obama's introduction today of a bill to end the war in Iraq is not only the best substantive bill he's backed since entering the Senate 2 years ago, it's also by far his best political move since then."

Not everyone was sold on the genuineness of Obama's proposal. The Washington Monthly's Kevin Drum first outlines Congress' war powers: "Congress can declare war, it has certain military rulemaking powers, and it can fund and defund a war. But that's it. Like it or not, Congress simply doesn't have the power to manage specific operational aspects of a war."

Drum concludes: "I can't help but get the feeling that this bill is carefully crafted to sound a lot more agressive than it really is. If Obama is serious about getting us out of Iraq, why not include the one thing that everyone agrees is a bulletproof way of accomplishing his goal?"

The Reality Based Community's Mark Kleiman begged to differ: "[I]f I read Obama's statement correctly, he means that it won't reduce funding for troops currently in Iraq; it will forbid adding new ones, and it will mandate a systematic withdrawal by a date certain. Clearly the Congress has the power to limit not only funding but troop levels, and it has the power to order the Pentagon to plan and execute a withdrawal. Congress's inability to control operations in detail stems from its lack of capacity, not any Constitutional limitation. That's the brilliance of the Obama plan: it puts the operational responsibility where it belongs, but it dictates an endpoint."

OBAMA II: Black Like Who?

At The Huffington Post, GMU ass't. prof. Michael Fauntroy looks at "the latest turn in the Barack Obama for president circus ... how well he will do with African American voters." Fauntroy writes: "While the "Black enough" question is silly and can be seen as an insult to African Americans because it suggests that only certain kinds of Blacks can represent other African Americans, the truth is that it may be a legitimate concern for the top tier Democratic candidates. If Obama can't nail down his "base," then he can't be a serious contender."

Fauntroy reminds readers: "This isn't the first time Obama has had to deal with questions about his political-racial purity. During his first run for Congress in 2000, his opponent, incumbent Representative Bobby Rush, employed a well-worn tactic among entrenched Black incumbents: He suggested that his opponent wasn't "Black enough" to represent the voters of the district. Rush won and Obama continued to serve in the state senate."

TAPPED's Mark Schmitt looks back further into Obama's Chicago days. Schmitt links to a '95 Chicago Reader article on Obama's days as a community organizer following first black mayor Harold Washington's tragic death. Schmitt concludes: "Anyone who argues that Obama is somehow not "really" black or properly connected to traditional black politics should try to think of him in the context of post-Washington Chicago. ... We've never had a major political leader who struggled with those challenges -- not just of how to get elected but the more fundamental question of how to make a difference."

Also looking at Obama, Kos links to an Upright Citizen's Brigade video of Obama choosing a campaign poster. It's long, but the Obama character finally settles on: "Barack Obama: the non-threatening well-spoken but with a streetwise edge black guy; his mother's white so he's not black black." The Obama character then adds: "get your bumpersticker today...this will go great on a hybrid...I have a position on that too."

CLINTON: Not Your Average JoeMentum

MyDD's Chris Bowers wants to dissuade readers of any notion that Hillary Clinton's current lead in polls is "a figment of name recognition" similar to Sen. Joe Lieberman's (I-CT) lead in similar polls at the same point four years ago. Bowers compares national name recognition and trial heat numbers from 2/03 and 1/07 and concludes: "If you think all other candidates need to do is introduce themselves, then you are just wrong. ... While not insurmountable, Clinton's national lead over everyone not named Obama is far more significant than Lieberman's lead was in early 2003, and as such will be far more difficult for other candidates to overcome."

Also at MyDDMatt Stoller marvels at "the most right-wing candidate" in the field's ability to "manipulat[e] the local press into giving her headlines" like: "Clinton Campaigns Against Troop Surge."

EDWARDS: For Withdrawal Before It Was Cool

Netroot's dissatisfaction with John Edwards foreign policy positioning continues to grow following his 1/22 statement that "All the options are on the table to ensure that Iran will never get a nuclear weapon." A 1/31 Daily Kos diary titled "The Common Thread of Edwards on Iraq" concludes: "I have other reservations about Edwards but right now this is the biggest one: can he take an unpopular opinion and stick to it?"

Following the introduction of Obama's troop withdrawal legislation Team Edwards phoned Talking Points Memo's Josh Marshall to make sure the influential blogger knew Edwards had been "calling for complete withdrawal of all combat troops for more than a year."

Pandagon contributor Amanda Marcotte announced 1/30 she will be joining the Edwards campaign. Marcotte explains her choice in candidates: "Two major reasons. ... He's the only candidate that isn't falling for the same tired line about moving to the center and is actually talking about issues that matter, like poverty. ... The other reason I'm joining the campaign is because I think that they really understand the growing importance of the internet in politics."

BROWNBACK: Gone Left

Linking to Politico analysis of GOP unhappiness with the current crop of '08 hope fulls IA's Caucus Cooler takes issue with the suggestion that Sam Brownback could emerge as the "credible conservative alternative." CC comments: "But the problem with Brownback is that he's gone left on the War and already held the pro-amnesty position on immigration."

GIULIANI: Are The Cornerites Changing Horses?

"For what it's worth" the Corner's Rich Lowry shares ex-Rep. Jim Nussle's reasons for supporting Rudy Giuliani, including: "Perfect" has become the enemy of the "good", and we saw that borne out during this past November's elections. ...I have chosen to support Mayor Giuliani because I believe we need to embrace the ideals and the values that unite us. ... Rudy Giuliani is the results Republican our country needs."

Also at the Corner, Kathryn Jean Lopez shares pro-Rudy thoughts from a "rare pro-life, Hollywood hawk" following a Los Angeles, CA fundraiser: "When he talks about the war on terror he does so more clearly than anyone I have heard including the President. ... Rudy did an immigration bit that was "to the right of everyone else except maybe Tancredo. He talked about immigration in terms of national security. ... If he says that he would appoint judges of like mind then I think he can skate on the abortion issue because it does come down to the judges."

HUCKABEE: A Few Tools Short Of A Full Skill Set

The Brody File worked the phones to get "reaction within Evangelical circles" on Mike Huckabee. The reviews from one "mover and a shaker" are not encouraging: "Mike is a wonderful guy. I am personally friends with him. Having said that, the nature of the global issues facing the next President are such that a unique skill set is needed. One that includes broad international experience. I am not sure Mike has the experience."

MCCAIN: Not The McCain He Was Hoping For

TAPPED's Garance Franke-Ruta sites the departure of ex-Howard Dean webmaster Nicco Mele from John McCain's campaign as just the "latest evidence of [McCain's] dwindling bipartisan appeal." Franke-Ruta explains: "Turns out the McCain Mele knew and admired from his pre-Dean Common Cause days wasn't the one running this go-around."

Back in IA, Krusty Konservative explains that the "conservative heartburn" of GOP caucus goers caused by the mere mention of McCain-Feingold or the Gang of 14 has just one solution: Iraq. KK writes: "While everyone seems to be running away from Iraq, McCain is embracing it. ... The media always seems to think that [c]onservative voters are only [c]oncerned with judges, abortion and gay marriage. While those issues are extremely important, they also care about illegal immigration, and national security. In fact, I'd bet that most pro-life, pro-traditional marriage men, also support the war in Iraq."

Sounding a similar note, The Brody File reports a "a very influential social conservative leader in Iowa that has joined the McCain team" tells him McCain plan to win over social conservatives by showing "he's been solidly pro-life, strong on the war on terror and tough on wasteful spending."

ROMNEY: A Buiness Conservative?

Admitting that NRI summit goers needed "more than what they got" from Mitt Romney on Iraq, the Corner'sKathryn Jean Lopez says Romney came off as "a smart business guy who may be conservative." Lopez concludes: "It's going to take some consistent confidently conservative rallying. I (as you might imagine) think he's capable of it - and not just because he's a smart businessman - but time will tell."

Romney's pro-life conversion story also drew Corner attention. One K-Lo reader was not impressed: "I'm a Mormon, so I should be Romney's natural constituency, but that speech just didn't sit well with me. It never came together. It was recipe conservatism, not conviction conservatism. ... The part about his conversion to pro-life causes was particularly unconvincing."

A Rich Lowryreader , however, found Romney's account persuasive: "Pro-lifers greatly enjoy learning about that moment when it clicked for pro-life converts. Each pro-life convert has his or her own story about what it was that caused them to see the light. Governor Romney's account makes perfect sense."

HAGEL: Anti-War First, Or Anti-War Too

Chuck Hagel continues to find few friends on either side of the blogosphere aisle. Kausfiles muses that Hagel "didn't start making quite so much noise about the war until after Sam Brownback came out against the surge, putting Hagel's position as the only 2008 antiwar GOP candidate in jeopardy."

Further to the left, Down With Tyranny says Hagel "is a far right Republican who has rubber stamped virtually every stinking turd the Bush Regime has sent careening down the pike." DWT also reminds readers: "Many have forgotten that Hagel's first senate election was a dress rehearsal for GOP vote theft on a grand scale."

And The Huffington Post's Cenk Uygur wants to know "Who is Chuck Hagel?" although he seems to be pretty sure he knows already: "He voted for the Military Commissions Act that stripped legal residents and very possibly all United States citizens of habeas corpus rights, allowed for secret trials that do not conform to our military code of justice and let the president define torture. The worst bill for civil liberties in our lifetimes."

IRAQ: Locking Up The Benchmarks

A 1/26 NBC Nightly news segment on troops in Iraq saying they are "increasingly frustrated by American criticism of the war" is on virtually every righty blog the Blogometer covers. RedState has the video at the top of every blog post under the header: "Senator Hagel Needs To Watch This (So Do You)." RS's California Yankee writes: "NBC reports on how some troops react to criticism of the war. I can't fault their logic when they complain that you can't support the troops if you don't support the mission."

Outside the Beltway's James Joyner "understand[s] the frustrations" of young soldiers but offers a minority opinion on the right: "Some wars are controversial and it's a vital part of our political process that debate not be stifled."

At Townhall, Hugh Hewitt is still smarting over GOP insistence on benchmarks for Iraq. Hewitt writes: "The Congressional Republicans' demand for "benchmarks" is becoming the GOP's equivalent of Al Gore's demand years ago for "lockboxes," --an empty term originally intended to convey seriousness of purpose while disguising empty policy prescriptions, but which, by the sheer implausibility of the pose, became a term attracting deserved disdain."

Fellow TownhallerMatt Lewis responds: "But it is important to distinguish between Sen. John McCain's proposed resolution and the proposals of Sens. Biden and Warner. In fact, McCain's draft resolution is a powerful defense of the surge. ... I wonder what Hugh would make of the fact that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney advocated for benchmarks and a timeline on the Northern Alliance Radio Network just this weekend."

IRAN: Bogus Or Belli?

Captain's Quarters notes CNNcoverage of possible Iran involvement in the recent attack on U.S. forces in Karbala and comments: "What happens if the US concludes that Iran did indeed conduct this mission against American servicemen? It would be an act of war ... The Bush administration might be tempted to retaliate with some air strikes, perhaps selected especially for the nuclear program Iran seems keen to pursue at all costs."

Earlier Talking Points Memo's Josh Marshall asked: "When the bogus 'Iran incident' happens that becomes the predicate for a military attack on Iran, what will it look like?" Later linking to the same CNN item, Marshall adds: "[E]ven our feeble knowledge here at TPM is enough to tell us that when we start hearing catch-alls like 'Iranian-trained' for anything that happened in southern Iraq, we're dealing with meaninglessly vague words meant to bamboozle and hoodwink. Remember too this incident occurred in Karbala, where the Badr Brigade is headquartered."

In related news, TPMmuckraker posts Sen. Jim Webb's (D-VA) 1/29 letter to Sec/State Condoleeza Rice asking for a 'yes' or 'no' answer to his 1/11 Senate For. Rel. Cmt. question to her: "Is it the position of this administration that it possesses the authority to take unilateral action against Iran, in the absence of a direct threat, without congressional approval?"

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: He Who Builds On The People, Builds On The Mud

Under the header "Electorate Hungry For Vague Aphorisms" MyDD's Chris Bowers links to Pew polling showing "between 46% and 67% of the electorate wants politicians who both "are willing to compromise" and "are willing to stick with positions, even if unpopular." Bowers comments:

Huge percentages of the country also want to see compromise in general, but don't want to see compromise on specific issues. The next time the public doesn't like someone because s/he or is a "flip flopper," perhaps they should look themselves in the mirror. More importantly, the next time a pundit or reporter states that the country is looking for compromise and bipartisanship, they should note that the country doesn't know what exactly it wants compromise on, and that they also like leaders who stand on principle.

LEST WE FORGET: Probably Not The Only Consultant Who's Had Similar Thoughts

Dem consultant Garry South stopped by Calitics to respond to blogger Brian Leubitz suggestion that '08 Dem hopefuls should avoid the veteran strategist. South writes:

Your rantings and ravings are those of a petulant child and a political zealot, Brian. I see you were at the Berkeley Seminar but didn't have the cojones to come up and introduce yourself and confront me with your fantastical charges during the entire two days. I guess you prefer to slink around and hide behind the Internet.

Here's my final word: When you have actually run and won a campaign electing a Democrat to any office at any level, instead of just sitting at your computer composing bile and bilge and hitting "send," come back and talk to me. Until then, you can kiss my . . . baby.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:44 PM

January 30, 2007

1/30: Playing The Dark Horse The Old Fashioned Way

In yet another sign that conservative bloggers aren't nearly as socially conservative as the GOP base, ex-AR Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) and Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) continue to receive chilly online receptions. Neither candidate does well in online straw polls (see Pajamas Media's new straw poll and GOP Bloggers straw polls). Righty bloggers are particularly turned off by Huckabee's "big government" conservatism. It's worth keeping in mind that few on the right ever really liked Pres. Bush's 'compassionate conservatism' either. If either Brownback or Huckabee catch on in IA, it's going to have to be face-to-face in diners and auditoriums, not online through pixels and video.

GOP FIELD: Ron Paul Is Bigger Than McCain!

With 999 votes for GOP nominees Pajamas Media wrapped up their first week of straw polling with the top five vote getters finishing:

Mitt Romney 36.8%
Rudy Giuliani 22.3%
Newt Gingrich 17.1%
Ron Paul 4.2%
Tom Tancredo 4.2%

GOP FIELD: Letting McCain Do The Heavy Lifting?

Linking to "Iowa veteran" David Elwell's recent support for Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) IA's Caucus Cooler asks: "It will be interesting to see how much the surge defines the GOP's nominating process with Brownback, Pataki, and Hagel all opposed. Will Romney, Giuliani, and Huckabee be forced to be more vocal on the war by editorials like these? Or, does it play to their advantage to sit on the sidelines and watch McCain be the sole advocate for an Iraq strategy that even its most vocal supporters have called challenging and uncertain to succeed?"

BROWNBACK: Not One Of The Cool Kids

Students for Brownback Chair Billy Valentine claims National Review's Kathryn Jean Lopez invited Sam Brownback to address the NRI Conservative Summit "only to then dis-invite him." Valentine expresses "shock" that the man who "single-handedly tore down the abysmal nomination of Harriet Miers" was not allowed to speak at the summit. Valentine goes on to "attack" ex-MA. Gov. Mitt Romney for having "a pro-abortion past" just like Miers.

K-Lo tells Hotline: "Feelers were put out in December as the agenda was being put together and Senator Brownback was asked about a possible debate with former senator Jack Danforth. With a negative answer from Senator Danforth and without an acceptance from Senator Brownback, a young writer was tapped to make the Danforth argument and we no longer had the matched stature of two senators facing off. In the final weeks before the summit, with Senator Brownback and former Governor Huckabee announcing or about to announce, room was made on the crowded schedule for both to address the gathering. Gov. Huckabee accepted and Senator Brownback declined."

GINGRICH: Nothing Amuses Conservatives Like Desalinization Humor

Draft Newt '08 debuted 1/29 with campaign founder David Kralik writing: "Today, we are launching a major nationwide grassroots presidential draft effort, in the spirit of Reagan and Goldwater, to urge Newt Gingrich to run for the Republican Presidential nomination."

Rave reviews of Gingrich's NRI summit performance continue to trickle in. The Corner's Rich Lowry describes Gingrich as "a balm at a time when the GOP seems bereft of ideas and principles" and shares: "He delivered a riff about de-salinization, desertification and environmentalism at the end of the Q&A that was brilliant, hilarious, and could not possibly have been delivered by any other politician in the United States."

Power Line's Scott Johnson posts text of Newt's address and adds: "Newt's well received speech at the NR Summit over the weekend followed Chuck Norris's expression of support for Newt last week on Hannity and Colmes. Filling in for Sean Hannity, Norris endorsed Newt "Graingrich" for president. Fortunately, Chuck nailed the first name so that viewers could not mistake whom he was referring to."

HUCKABEE: "Very Talented," But "Slightly Nutty"

While The Corner's Rich Lowry describes Mike Huckabee as "obviously a very talented speaker" who "conservatives are going to like and enjoy" the rest of the righty blogosphere continues to be tough on the former AR gov. The Corner's Mark Steyn found the closing of his NRI address "not so much canned as slightly nutty," The Right Angle's Ivy Sellers argues Huckabee's "push for big government spending -- especially when it comes to education -- might make him insupportable for true conservatives."

Townhall's Matt Lewis shares a reader email calling Huckabee's message "the most dangerous thing to hit the Conservative movement since Rockafeller." The emailer blames GOP leadership for "thinking all they have to do is stick a gay marriage amendment on the ballot to drive turnout" instead of explaining "the importance of supply-side economics to the health and well being of our country." The email concludes: "Instead, Rick Warren and his ilk have us thinking that the solution to all of humanities problems is further forced redistribution of wealth, as long as it is directed to issues of high moral importance (like AIDS, Africa, and other stuff). People are lapping this stuff up."

Lewis also links to The Club for Growth's first Presidential White Paper: A Report on Mike Huckabee's Fiscal Record.

Less harsh on Huckabee, IA's Krusty Konservative explains Huckabee is his '07 "breakout" candidate because ex-MA Gov. Mitt Romney was already the '06 breakout candidate and Huckabee "is the only [c]onservative [c]andidate with gravitas." The Brody File reports that "Evangelical leaders" are still in ""analyze mode right now" and that so far nobody in the race screams "He's the guy".

MCCAIN: No Charm City

RedState's Rob Bluey hits John McCain for his failure to attend the annual Republican Study Committee retreat, sponsored by the Heritage Foundation. Bluey writes: "One has to wonder why McCain is avoiding House conservatives, especially at a meeting he could use to improve his image. Instead, the Arizona senator once again befuddles the very people he needs most to win the GOP nomination."

The Right Angle's John Gizzi reports that Randy Pullen strong anti-guest worker stance secured his victory over McCain's favored candidate for AZ RNC Committeeman, Lisa James. Gizzi adds: "Before the vote, the Phoenix businessman told me he also disagreed with McCain on his '03 campaign finance measure that has increased reporting and limited so-called "soft money" in federal campaigns and national party organizations."

Right Wing News posts video from lefty blog The Real McCain as his "Video Of The Day."

ROMNEY: The Hits Just Keep On Comin'

The Corner's Rich Lowry hit Mitt Romney hard for his 1/27 NRI address including: "Put aside how rambling and unfocused it was ... to speak for 50 minutes or so and not to talk about the Iraq war before a conservative audience at a crucial moment in that war is bizarre and just wrong and almost offensive in my view. ... His account of how he came to change his view on abortion -- through the issue of stem-cell research -- isn't very compelling and he would probably be better off not talking about it at all. Fairly or not, people aren't going to believe it."

Responding to Lowry Ankle Biting Pundit's McCain aide Patrick Hynes takes the opportunity to engage in some Cornerology: "I find it refreshing that there is an adult in the crowd over there who has not yet guzzled the Kool-Aid. ... I have also noticed a marked reduction in Kathryn Lopez's gushing for Romney. How much of this is cosmetic and how much reflects an actual enhancement of her critical thinking skills is yet to be determined."

Townhall's Matt Lewis says "the hits keep on coming" as he links to a Weekly Standardcolumn "that further damages Romney's attempts to run as the conservative alternative to John McCain." The article highlights Romney's answers to a 2002 Planned Parenthood questionnaire including a 'Yes' answer to the question: "Do you support the substance of the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade?"

HAGEL: Profiles In Opportunism

RedState's Jeff Emanuel notes Truthout is labeling Chuck Hagel's new GQ profile "Hagel Interview More Anti-War Than Most Dems" while fellow RedStaterMark Kilmer wants to break "Reagan's 11th Commandment over Chuck Hagel's head."

Kausfiles asks: "Why, exactly, is Sen. Chuck Hagel showing "courage" in conspicuously denouncing the Iraq War now that virtually the entire American establishment has reached that same conclusion?" Kaus continues: "OK, maybe Hagel's not so courageous. Maybe he's just right. Except that he chose, as the moment to make his flamboyant speech, not the vote on the imprudent war itself--he voted for it--but a vote to withdraw support for a last-ditch surge strategy that even the NYT's estimable, on-the-scene pessimist Sabrina Tavernesethinks "may have a chance to work." Was this the right time--it certainly wasn't the courageous time--for a speech like Hagel's? Was he serving the nation or himself?"

DEM FIELD: If You Want A Clinton-Richardson Ticket, Just Come Out And Say It

Writing that Dems need a "winning Team" that "can begin to rebuild the world's confidence in our country" The Huffington Post's Michelle Kraus and Dave Johnson explain the "regional stabilization of Iraq" will be "[t]he number one issue for this Presidential cycle." As a result Kraus and Johnson want: "new leadership with knowledge, experience and diplomacy at the top of the list of skills. ... a "bullet-proof" Team - one that knows foreign relations, has deep knowledge of global politics and can be respected by both the American people and this volatile region."

TAPPED's Sam Rosenfeld understands Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is just trying to sell books when he says Iraq will recede as an issue in '08 but still calls the line "dangerously wrong, and worth calling out every time it surfaces."

Also at TAPPEDGarance Franke-Ruta warns readers that congressional Dem embrace of PAYGO is going to rule out any "major new health insurance programs or major reforms" over the next to years and advises reader to take this "into account when evaluating [WH '08 candidate] health care proposals, both for this Congress and for future ones."

CLINTON: Not How The Blogometer Would Have Ranked Them

Plenty of left and right blogger reaction to Hillary Clinton's "evil men" line (most of it harsh on the MSM), but Atrios draws a larger conclusion about HRC: "For my own personal irrelevant reasons I've always hoped she wouldn't run, because when it comes to the Clintons members are the press literally live in a different universe, they feel entitled to say anything, and this drives me crazy. Can you imagine any other politician being asked if they thought their spouse was evil?"

And from across the pond, Times Online's Daniel Finkelstein names "The 10 bloggers who can make or break Hillary," including:

• 10. Matt Drudge: It's hard to imagine a Clinton campaign without at least one scandal or pseudo-scandal. And Drudge seems the likeliest route.
• 9. Duncan Black: His Atrios blog has a huge left-wing readership. But that's not all. His speciality is scrutinizing the mainstream media for bias against liberals. ... He could be the anti-Drudge.
• 8. Arianna Huffington: In the top ten because she's hard to ignore. ... Writes for the moneyed establishment so her view could impact the race for cash.
• 6=.Jay Cost: One of Hillary's biggest problem is that Democrats fear that if nominated she will lose, or worse, that she simply can't win the presidency. ... His speciality is using polling to produce probabilities of different results.
• 6=. Mark Blumenthal: The Mystery Pollster is one of the most respected sources of polling analysis on the web ... He may help her puncture the idea that she can't win.
• 5. Joshua Micah Marshall: his quiet influence will help the undecided Democrats work out whether to go with Hillary or Obama.
• 4. Andrew Sullivan: The classic swing-vote blog. He voted for Bill and also for George W. first time out. ... If Hillary can't keep him, that suggests she can't hold together the coalition that produced the mid-term victory.
• 2=. Markos Moulitsas Zuniga: Has a reasonable record of endorsing candidates who win primaries although some, like Ned Lamont, fall at the general election.
• 2=. Jerome Armstrong: All in all Hillary would probably prefer the netroot campaigners to disappear into a big hole. If they don't, she's in trouble.
• 1. Mickey Kaus: Is Hillary a new Dem or a traditional liberal? ... If she is going to win the swing states, she needs to take the Mickey. ... I think confusing the liberal bloggers with the base is the worst possible error a candidate could make. So Kaus is number one.

DODD: Against Insanity

The Huffington Post's Bob Geiger posts excerpts of Chris Dodd's comments to the senate after learning that a Army Captain he met well in Iraq last month lost his life in a mortar and small arms attack 1/20. Geiger adds: "Dodd went on to express his profound opposition to the Bush-McCain Doctrine of escalating the Iraq war and said that "I think most of us here want to responsibly end our involvement after 4 painful years that have taken a tragic toll on our country. ... I say to them and others that in this body we will stand up in the coming days and bring an end to this insanity."

EDWARDS: Taking MySpace Seriously

MyDD's Chris Bowers is surprised by John Edwards poor showing on MySpace "despite raising a lot of money on Act Blue, despite leading Dailykos straw polls, and despite, from what I hear, hiring a lot of internet staff." Bowers adds: "Even if it is "only" MySpace, it is still an emerging netroots center, and as such it should be taken seriously by anyone who wants to carry the mantle of the progressive movement."

OBAMA: Not The Only Silver-Tongued Candidate

The Huffington Post's David Mills responds to some "on the black side of the blogosphere" who are complaining the MSM descriptions of Barack Obama as "articulate" are condescending. Mills writes: "There's just one problem with this line of complaint. The media do use the word "articulate" to describe white guys too. ... I speak of John Edwards. Check out what people were saying - and still say - about that silver-tongued devil ... You know what? I don't think John Edwards and his supporters consider it an insult that he keeps being called "articulate."

IRAQ: It's Getting Hot In Here

House Min. Leader John Boehner's (R-OH) insistence on legislation calling for benchmarks in Iraq made smoke pour from Hugh Hewitt's ears 1/29. Hewitt writes at Townhall: "I think the Minority Leader is a fine guy and a conservative ... They need to be defending the war, and the troops and General Petraeus, not searching for political cover."

Also at Townhall, thanks Daily Kos for noting that all five of the senate's Warner Resolution supporters are up for re-election in '08. Barnett reasons: "The fact that only Senators who are up for reelection in '08 speaks volumes about what these guys (and gal) are up to." Power Line's Scott Johnson disagrees: "One might conclude that voting for the Warner resolution or its ilk is sufficiently misguided on a matter of sufficient importance to justify throwing Senator Coleman, for example, under the bus. But, regardless of how he votes, I intend to keep open my option to lend financial support to Coleman when he runs against Al Franken or whichever liberal Democrat he faces."

SCOOTER: Suck Up

Firedoglake's Jeralyn Merritt is one of many bloggers live-blogging VP Dick Cheney aide Scooter Libby's obstruction of justice trial. Commenting on Ari Fleischer's testimony Merritt writes:

Ari was a polished pro. Rather than directing his answers to [the lawyers], he turned to the jury and spoke to them directly, gesturing with his hands. This is a trick FBI agents use. When it happens in my trials, I ask the judge to instruct the witness not to direct his answers to the jury, but to the lawyer asking the questions. Either Judge Walton would not have entertained such a motion, or Team Libby didn't think of it. After a while, it got obnoxious watching Fleischer suck up to the jury.

As part of an effort "to shine some light into one of the darkest corners of the Bush administration" Talking Points Memo's Josh Marshall is linking to TPMmuckraker efforts to identify "the entire staff of Vice President Dick Cheney's Senate office" and locate the WH Phone Directory.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Mind The Gap

The Huffington Post's Blake Fleetwood links to new Nielsen Ratings findings showing "66% of Blog Newspaper Traffic is Male and Gap is Widening". Fleetwood explains: "Male traffic to blogs grew by 226% Year over Year in December, while female traffic to blogs grew by 183%." Fleetwood concludes Nielson:

The implication from the data seems to be that the Internet audience is searching for meaning and analysis and a point of view, as opposed to mere breaking news. Whether newspaper blogs, with restricted access, will substantially BIGFOOT and drive out the independent - more inclusive and diverse - blogs is a question that the market will answer in time.

LEST WE FORGET: If The Bears Lose Sunday, Blame The Media

Ex-Chicago resident and DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas is taking support of his Bears as seriously as he does politics. First kos asks if Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy "is supporting a radical anti-gay organization?"

Later kos tackles Rex Grossman bashers by linking to a blog post showing that Grossman's 73.9 passer rating is higher than many SB QBs heading into a SB including winners Bart Starr (64.4 rating before SB II), Joe Namath (72.1 rating before SB III), and Jim Plunkett (72.9 rating before SB XV). Kos concludes: "I'm fascinated at the crazy, fact-free narratives formed around Grossman's "problems". It's not unlike politics. Once the media has latched on to its narrative, it seems nothing will shake it loose. Nothing, that is, until Grossman leads the Bears to a Super Bowl victory. At that point, they can put the "Grossman sucks" narrative on hiatus until training camp this fall."

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:19 PM

January 29, 2007

1/29: Results Unclear

Sen. Hillary Clinton's (D-NY) internet director, Peter Daou sent out a press release 1/26 trumpeting HRC's "Internet Strategy & Initial Results." Daou writes: "One of the lessons learned from recent campaigns is that the candidate who makes smart use of the Internet in 2008 will have a decided edge. Just one week into our campaign, Hillary for President has used the web to announce Hillary's candidacy. ... The result thus far has been this: Supporters are flocking to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign website at an historic rate. All told, over 200,000 people have participated in the conversation in the first week."

Basd on publicly available information, it's impossible to compare the 200K "people [who] have participated in the conversation" with other campaign's online efforts. But what is available suggests that HRC is outpacing her competitors in online communication. According to web traffic tracker Alexa HRC's official site recently crested at 39M daily page views (compared to a 13M high for Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) and 11M for John Edwards), and is currently at 9 daily page views (1M for Obama and 2M for Edwards).

But more importantly, notice what Daou does not claim. He writes: "Blog and Online Community Response: Hillary received positive coverage on blogs, message boards, and other online forums, and the campaign placed Blogads on hundreds of blogs from across the political spectrum." This is all true; positive things have been said about HRC. However, Daou does not mention if there were any negative HRC blog reaction, or if the good responses outnumbered the positive. Team Clinton's online strategy has indeed been 'clever' but it has had little effect on solid negative opinions of her held by established lefty bloggers. Whether her online efforts can positively influence the less engaged remains to be seen. But so far her message is definitely getting out there.

CLINTON: Getting The Band Back Together

Despite some praise for Hillary Clinton's 1/28 call for Pres. Bush "to extricate our country from [Iraq] before he leaves office," left-leaning bloggers are still highly critical of HRC's handling of the issue. Firedoglake's Jane Hamsher compares HRC to a "weather vane" while Matthew Yglesias worries Clinton will be easily pegged as a "flip-flopper." More importantly to Yglesias though: "I don't take it as a good sign that she seems determined to position herself as the "most hawkish" of the major contenders in the race. A reflexive desire to appear tough was, pretty clearly, a major factor in the mistakes of the past . . . I'd like to see a president who's over that."

More towards the center, an Andrew Sullivan/'GOP voters open to voting for HRC "given her hawkish foreign policy positions and her DLC-style fiscally prudent, socially tolerant domestic policy" nevertheless was turned off by her recent 'conversation' videos: "In a rush of nostalgic animosity, the visceral distaste for Hillary Rodham that I cultivated during the '90s when coming of age politically as a libertarian-style conservative returned. If anyone could "get the band back together" on the right for just one more election, it's her."

Finally, Buzz Machine praises Team Clinton's 'clever' use of Yahoo Answers to discuss health care policy, noting 'more 37,000' posts were made to the forum and commenting: "Of course, she could have done this on her own site. But by going elsewhere - by being a distributed candidate - she gets more people, more attention."

EDWARDS: Neocons Claim Another Victim

The Left Coaster's Steve Soto shared his opinion on two anti-John Edwards entries, buzzing "inside the center-left blogosphere." Soto could care less about news of Edwards new "big house" but was troubled by Edwards "recent pandering (my choice of words) to the Jewish lobby." Soto links to reports where "Edwards ridiculously said that a nuclear Iran is the biggest challenge in our generation" and responds: "This is utter bullsh*t and reveals a serious lack of proportion and judgment. ... For Edwards to swallow the NeoCon Kool-Aid on Iran to prove his bona fides to the Jewish lobby only shows he isn't ready for prime time."

MyDD's Matt Stoller hits Edwards on both the house and the Iran issue, but then backtracks both criticisms. On the house issue: "You see, criticizing a candidate, one of ours, who has legally made a lot of money and lives in a nice home for some sort of hypocrisy is a baseless character attack, and I'm ashamed that I reiterated it." On Iran: "I get that some rhetorical heat is necessary, but Edwards attended a very neocon conference while other Democrats did not, and spoke aggressively about Iran. This is going to happen. There are going to be places our candidates are going to feel the need to make compromises, compromises that we might find abhorrent. The right capitalizes on this."

South Carolina '08's Laurin Manning reports switching the first 'i' and 'u' when trying to reach rudygiuliani.com redirects readers to www.JohnEdwards.com. Manning identifies MD Dem Steve Silverman as the "wily Democratic operative" behind the effort and comments: "This kinda stunt is bush-league. Edwards' campaign ought to order the owner of the deceptive URL to break the forwarding to Edwards' site."

Finally, Elizabeth Edwards tells official John Edwards blog readers: "We built a highly energy efficient house. In fact, our home is Energy-Star rated."

SEBELIUS: Keeping A Woman On The Ticket

DailyKos' Devilstower finds KS Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) "Funny, sharp-witted, and quick on her feet" snd suggests "she could turn out to be the ideal VP for anyone at the top of the ticket" but especially "should John Edwards grab the nomination" since "after a season in which minority candidates and a prominent female candidate have dominated the news, a final ticket that looks just like every other ticket (save one) might prove not just disappointing, but disaffecting."

GOP FIELD: Isn't This Kos' Position?

Noting early pressure on bloggers to endorse an '08 choice Captain's Quarters advises his blogger brethren "to refrain from identifying with any one candidate until we get much closer to the primaries." CQ reasons: "Perhaps the greatest reason for restraint is to make sure that our voices are heard on the issues rather than the candidates. Affiliated blogs will find themselves with less influence among other candidates, and for me, I'm more interested in the policies than I am in the personalities."

RedState's Moe Lane seconds CQ's suggestion: "Right now I think it makes a good deal more sense for all of us to first decide what it is that we want in a candidate - and what we can live with, and what we can't - and then start measuring our candidates and see whether or not they fit."

BUSH: The Conservative Bush

The Corner's Kathryn Jean Lopez describes her lunch with ex-FL Gov. Jeb Bush at the NRI Conservative Summit as a "lunch with a conservative Bush" writing: "and that means limited government, and that is how he governed Florida." RedState's Pejman Yousefzadeh wishes Jeb had been the '00 GOP nominee explaining that then conservatives "wouldn't have to suffer through the indignity of watching a Republican President dramatically increase the size of government past Johnsonian levels."

Bloggers weren't the only one taking shots at the current administration. K-Lo quotes Jeb: "I'm not going to criticize the president of the United States. ... I like Justice Roberts. I like Justice Alito"

GINGRICH: Desperately Seeking Someone

Calling Newt Gingrich "an ideas man with a real endearing wonky sense about him" K-Loreports Gingrich told those NRI summit goers asking him to run, "If you're so desperate for someone ... find someone." Video here.

GIULIANI: Willing The Case For Rudy

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) aide Patrick Hynes at Ankle Biting Pundits posts video of Rudy Giuliani speaking in NH 1/27 and comments: "His speech was a little too broad and general in scope, but given that at present he is only exploring a run for the presidency, I suppose he deserves a pass for now. Overall, his speech was pretty good, I thought. And the crowd really enjoyed him."

Instapundit links to Giuliani aide Patrick Ruffini fed video of George Will making "the conservative case for Giuliani."

HUCKABEE: Nanny Statist In Chief

Ex-AR Gov. Mike Huckabee received a very chilly reception for conservative bloggers following his 1/28 Meet The Press announcement. Next to a photo of Richard SimmonsRedState 's Erick Erickson says "This One Sucks More Than Most" and explains his displeasure with Huckabee: "You too can support a guy who has no problem raising taxes, hiking the minimum wage, spends his time doing rice commercials, called No Child Left Behind the greatest education reform in his lifetime, wants to ban trans fats, thinks the government needs to up the funding of Phys. Ed. classes, and has a host of other nanny-statist ideas."

Townhall's Matt Lewis is also not impressed: "Personally, I've had enough of this country fried, mega-church conservatism, mixed with good 'ol boy populist imagery, and a pinch of preachy-ness, to last a lifetime. But that's just me." Back at RedStateRob Bluey pressed Huckabee on taxes at the NRI summit, but Huckabee refused to take an anti-tax pledge.

MCCAIN: That Lefty Sam Brownback

After asking John McCain if the 21K troops slated for Iraq would be more effective if deployed in Afghanistan Arianna Huffington reports McCain "equated those opposing his position with 'the far left.'" Arianna shot back in front of the Davos, Switzerland audience: "Do you consider Sam Brownback part of the far left?" McCain declined to answer saying "a civil discussion" was only possible if Arianna would stop interrupting.

Back in the states, McCain IA Coalitions Dir. Marlys Popma answered questions from Race4'08 including:

• What specifically led you to join Senator McCain's campaign?
• I based my decision on the following factors: willingness to sign pro-life legislation; a belief that marriage is between one man and one woman; electability; honesty/consistency on the issues; fiscal discipline; foreign policy experience necessary to fight the War on Terror; and most importantly the conviction to appoint justices to all levels of the judiciary who will understand that it is their duty to interpret the Constitution - not to legislate from the bench. Based on these factors, I knew that Senator McCain was the clear choice."
• Can you give us some insight into how you plan to make inroads with Iowa So-Cons?
• The first thing we must do is to "introduce" social conservatives to John McCain, the real John McCain, not the one they think they know.

On the left, Dem consultant Cliff Schecterunveiled "a new blog called The Real McCain. It will keep track of the good senator's many prevarications, flip-flops and Bush-hugging. Go have a looksy if you will." And Laurin Manning notes McCain supporter Facebook efforts have not been nearly as successful as Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL).

ROMNEY: Swing And A Miss In DC, But A Home Run In Dubuque

Unabashed Mitt Romney fan Kathryn Jean Lopezadmits Romney "missed an opportunity" with his 1/27 address to NRI's Conservative Summit. K-Lo explains: "He said a lot of great things, but in a long and at times wonky speech ... in a dinner speech that mentioned bond caps, he didn't make the case for Romney 2008 in a rallying way. It was off the cuff - which gave it some authenticity, but no structure." Video of Romney at NRI here.

Power Line's Paul Mirengoff had a similar reaction: "Romney spoke well. He was likeable throughout and dynamic at times. During his best moments, he almost sounded Reaganesque. ... However, the speech struck me (and some of our readers to whom I spoke afterwards) as too long and a bit rambling. Moreover, the best bits -- his powerful recitation of our strengths as a people, his strong explication of jihadism -- came late." On the other hand RedState's Haystack was not impressed but left his reasons why to "a subsequent article."

IA's conservative blogs had nothing but good things to say about Romney's showing in Waterloo, IA and Dubuque, IA. Caucus Cooler writes: "We can't conceive of a situation where any of the other non-celebrity (McCain/Rudy/Obama/Clinton) candidates could have achieved that goal. Romney's team in Iowa continues to reinforce their organization strength and we will continue to monitor whether or not he can keep up this torrid pace." Krusty Konservative adds: "The Romney campaign continues to do all the right things. While McCain and Rudy are better known, Romney's aggressive approach in Iowa should pay off."

HAGEL: No Movement Here

Linking to a Newsweekprofile of Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) Captain's Quarters labels Hagel "The New McCain" and writes: "he's an almost perfect replacement for McCain. He's McCain, but against the war -- a candidate on whom the media can shower all of the affection they used to have for McCain." CQ explains he is no fan though: "I'm actually not a Hagel hater. ... Quite frankly, the sudden media love affair makes Hagel look like a grandstander, and given his efforts to form a presidential campaign, somewhat of an opportunist."

The Huffington Post's Ari Melber takes the Washington Post to task for reporting "An Internet "draft Hagel" movement has formed." Melber refutes: "But the article's only evidence for this Internet "movement" is a pro-Hagel column by esteemed liberal journalist Robert Scheer, posted at the web magazine Truthdig.com. ... So why was a project with no dedicated website, no supporter lists and no organizing events declared an Internet movement on the front page of the most important political newspaper in the country?"

IRAQ: Kucinich's Crowd

Plenty of lefty bloggers turned out to cover 1/27's anti-Iraq war march. Reports include:

• DailyKos' Timroff: "Why on earth do we let celebrities open their mouths? Sure, it's important to know that famous people support what we're doing, but don't give them the mike. They just sound stupid."
• AMERICAblog's John Aravosis: "Turnout was very good. I don't buy "a quarter of a million," but 50,000 yes. this was clearly an anti-war crowd rather than an anti-Iraq-war crowd (I consider myself among the latter)."
• MyDD's Adam Connor: "It seemed like really good turnout and it was a beautiful day. Jerome noted the other day that Sam Brownback was king of the Pro-Life March in DC the other day and in a corollary to that, I saw a lot of Kucinich 2008 posters around (he spoke earlier in the day)."
• DailyKos' Theatides101: "From uniformed marching bands to Hip-Hoppers against the war, to people on stilts and old ladies in wheelchairs, from "Republicans Against The War" to "Socialists Against Corporate Imperialism", from every section of the political spectrum we were there in force."
• Firedoglake's Jane Hamsher: "Don't get me wrong, I admire all of those who showed up who were willing to publicly speak out against the war, and believe that their willingness to do so despite knowing that they will be demonized by the right wing noise machine is extremely admirable. But with a war opposed now by some 75% of the country, I'm not sure having it promoted as a "fringe left" cause was the absolute best plan."

IRAQ II: 27,500 GOPers Can't Be Wrong

Townhall's Hugh Hewitt reports 27.5K GOP activists have signed a pledge not to support GOP senators voting against an Iraq surge. Hewitt quotes a reader explaining why it is not good politics to join Dems on the war now:

Republicans as a whole --- not just "the base" --- overwhelming favor the President's approach. So I am utterly baffled why the leadership thinks it is politically wise to pursue a strategy of undermining the effort. If they think that the Democrats and Independents who oppose the war are suddenly going to look at a Republican who supported it for three years and then voted for a weasely non-binding resolution second-guessing the President's strategy and say "Oh! He's seen the light, I'll vote for him now instead of that Democrat who's agreed with me all along on the war" --- they're delusional.

Hewitt closes with a call for readers to "call, fax, or write Senators McConnell, Lott, Kyl, Ensign, McCain, Warner, and Cornyn --the seven senators at the center of the debate, and Senators Gordon Smith of Oregon and Norm Coleman of Minnesota" and "[u]rge them to refuse cloture on all resolutions. Urge them as well to enter this week's debate demanding support for the troops and a rejection of the resolution dance that, according to General Petraeus and Secretary Gates, encourages the enemy."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Weapons Of Search Engine Distortion

MyDD's Chris Bowers links to Google Webmaster promises to improve their analytic tools to minimize "the impact of many Googlebombs" and admits "it appears that the search engine optimization techniques that I employed in those actions do actually fit the definition of a Googlebomb."

Despite Google's efforts however, Bowers promises to continue his search engine optimization programs: "Given that Internet searches for candidate information remain the most common form of political action taken online, it will remain crucially important for campaigns and activists alike to continuously be developing new strategies that will allow them to take advantage of online searches. Rest assured that I will do whatever I can to constantly be developing new techniques in this area myself."

LEST WE FORGET: Does Illinois Even Want Gary?

Tired of typical politician sporting bets, The Extrapolter proposes some "wager[s] with teeth" including:

• If the Bears win, the Governor of Indiana will officially cede any claim to the disputed territory of Gary, Indiana.
• If the Colts win, Illinois will officially cede the border town of Carmi, and the world-famous statue of Big John.
• If Chicago wins, the Bears will pay travel, meal, and accommodation expenses for Mayor of Indianapolis to attend the Oprah Winfrey Show on Makeover day.
• If Indianapolis wins, the Chicago Tourism Commission will give Colts players, coaches, and front-office members the Ferris Bueller tour of Chicago, including a free Abe Froman sausage platter to take home.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:24 PM

January 26, 2007

1/26: Turning Faces Into Votes

The grassroots effort creating a million-member Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) Facebook group is ambitious, and the group's success at garnering more than 100K members already is impressive. But what does it all mean? Along with the high Digg interest in Obama, it definitely establishes that there is a high level of interest in Obama's candidacy, but will that initial interest turn into support? MyDD's Chris Bowers and Matt Stoller both question whether candidates can turn their social networking armies into actual votes. Stoller concludes: "It's up to Barack Obama and the Democratic Party to become service bureaus to this army, to create action items that are fun and portable around the web, but also focused to build political power."

DEM FIELD: Do You Like Like Him, Or Just Like Him?

Linking to a Micah SifryPersonal Democracy post on the absence of GOP efforts on social networking sites Facebook, MySpace, and FlickrMyDD 's Chris Bowers argues "it isn't just about how many online supporters you have--it is just as important to have supporters who are engaged, hardcore, active and effective." Bowers then admits that while he is currently voting for John Edwards in MyDD straw polls he is not yet committed enough to be an activist for him. Bowers then asks MyDD readers how many of them just prefer their chosen candidate as opposed to being "ready to be an activist" for:

For Clark, but not enough to become an activist 3 %
For Clark, and ready to be an activist 13 %
For Edwards, but not enough to become an activist 20 %
For Edwards, and ready to be an activist 21 %
For Obama, but not enough to become an activist 10 %
For Obama, and ready to become an activist 10 %
For someone else, but not activist 7 %
For someone else, and ready to be an activist 9 %

CLINTON: The "Shock and Awe" Candidate

DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas tracks down the pressreleases behind a Wall Street Journalarticle claiming Hillary Clinton "had scored significant victories in the netroots primary" and again notes that Clinton finishes 5th with 4% in the latest Daily Kos straw poll. Kos adds:

Here's what I think -- Hillary has no interest in truly making up ground in the netroots. Rather, she sees it as a place to make a good show, and then sell that to the traditional media. It's her campaign's version of "Shock and Awe". Lots of noise. Lots of flashing lights. Lots of smoke. But it's all for show. ... If she was serious about earning netroots support, the campaign would've looked at that four percent and created a strategy to pump it up in the following months. But out of the gate, her campaign has taken to misrepresenting online sentiment for the benefit of traditional media reporters who don't know any better.

DODD: He Hires Great People

Firedoglake's Howie Klein thanks Chris Dodd for finding the time to finish up his online chat after the originally scheduled one ended prematurely. Klein praises Dodd's communications teams and writes: "You can tell a lot about a public official from the kind of people he hires to work for him. ... There's a lot about Senator Dodd's record we like, a lot about his courage for standing up for his convictions and for representing the American people over the Insider interests that permeate Washington politics. We look forward to continuing the conversation with him over the course of the campaign."

DailyKos' MissLaura says "t here's nothing wrong with being a longshot candidate for president" as long as you can "give a convincing answer to why you're in the race." After watching Dodd in action however, ML concludes: "while Chris Dodd seems like an effective legislator and someone who would be a principled, capable, and competent president, I still came away from hearing him speak and answer questions at Dartmouth College on sunday wondering exactly why he was running."

OBAMA: The Million Obamaniac March

MyDD's Matt Stoller shares the story of former Missouri Western State University student body pres. Farouk Olu Aregbe who, while currently pursuing an MBA, launched the Barack Obama (One Million Strong for Barack) Facebook group 1/16. At deadline the group has 108,265 members (they plan to get 1 mil by 2/5). After listening in on a conference call with group members Stoller writes:

But will these kids vote? Organize? Is this phenomenon real? Of course it's real. It's also very social. People want to be members of the largest Facebook group there is, and they want to get to one thousand, one hundred thousand, one million. It's not though as 'heavy' as an email list. I doubt you could raise a lot of money off of this group, or turn lots of people out to organize at this point. These young people have taken the first step towards being political actors, and they want to do more, but I didn't get the sense of intense commitment yet.

Stoller concludes with a call to action: "It's up to Barack Obama and the Democratic Party to become service bureaus to this army, to create action items that are fun and portable around the web, but also focused to build political power. Molding the path to turn this army into a group of loyal activists, while also listening intently and ensuring that you are promoting and retaining the leaders, is key."

Obama's 1/25 health care speech drew wide lefty-wonk-blogger reaction, most of it pleased with his 'universal coverage' rhetoric, but disappointed in a lack of substance behind it:

• The Washington Monthly's Kevin Drum: "The cheap rhetoric was fine. I'm all for it. And if he didn't want to get into details right now, that's no problem. But as it happens, he did get into details, and his details turned out to be pretty timid.:
• Atrios: "Yes, I'd like to know that Barack Obama was truly committed to a health care plan which matched his rhetoric on the subject, but presidential campaigns, especially this far out, aren't won on policy documents."
• TAPPED's Ezra Klein: "This is my long-standing concern with Obama: That he's trapped by his own popularity. ... Obama's themes are more liberal than his policy. You might expect lefty proposals snuck in beneath the cover of moderate rhetoric, but that's not the strategy here. So some use this as evidence that his instincts are progressive, and observers need merely give him time."
• The Reality Based Community: "If I seem to be picking on Obama for making a no-worse-than-usual politician's speech about health care finance policy, it's because I hold him to a higher-than-average standard."

Finally, TPMCafe's Jeremy Cluchey disputes the anti-Obama claims of ObamaTruth.org with help from Obamarama.org.

GOP FIELD: Likes and Dislikes

Right Wing News emailed "more than 230 right-of-center bloggers" for their top five 'Most' and 'Least' desired '08 GOP nominees. The top five 'Most Desired' were: 1) Newt Gingrich; 2) Rudy Giuliani; 3) Mitt Romney; 4) Duncan Hunter; and 5) Tom Tancredo. The top five 'Least Desired' were: 1) Chuck Hagel; 2) John McCain; 3) George Pataki; 4) Tom Tancredo; and 5) Sam Brownback.

GOP FIELD II: Some Of Newts Ideas Are Even Good

Responding to RedState complaints about the current GOP field, National Review's Jim Geraghty defended some of the candidates including:

• John McCain: "Whatever his flaws, McCain has been tested, and demonstrated his love and unbreakable loyalty to this country in a way that few of us can imagine."
• Rudy Giuliani: "Okay, look, did you live anywhere near New York City in the 1980s and early 1990s? ... month by month, year by year, the city's problems that seemed insurmountable start[ed] being fixed."
• Mitt Romney: "He can handle a crisis, he's at ease in a position of leadership, he can bring together a lot of squabbling voices and get them focused on the big picture, even when time is short. Not a bad bunch of traits to have in a commander-in-chief."
• Newt Gingrich: Newt seems like the kind of guy who has twelve ideas before breakfast every morning, and at least some of them are likely to be good ones."

GOP FIELD III: Apparently Romney And Giuliani Have No Friends

Personal Democracy's Micah Sifry says "Compared to the Democratic presidential field ... the Republican contenders are playing bush league ball online. Not even Triple A." Sifry explains: "To give you just one example, if you add up all the friends all the Republican candidates have on their MySpace pages, and compare it to all the friends the Ds have, the totals will amaze you: 4,007 to 51,471. ... Here's how it breaks down: In MySpace, Ron Paul has 1,449 friends; John McCain 1,052; Tom Tancredo 728; and Sam Brownback 452 friends on an unofficial page. None of the others topped 200."

BROWNBACK: Riding The Anti-Surge

Under the header "Evangelicals Turn" Andrew Sullivan writes "[Sam] Brownback is onto something ... white evangelical opposition to the war in Iraq could be about to crest." Sullivan links to a David Kuoblog post about Christian Broadcasting Network message boards showing evangelicals supporting the surge are a minority. Kuo concludes: "[E]vangelicals supported Bush so blindly because his team seduced them into thinking he was a good Christian and that was all that was important. Now? Not only are his policies terrifying, but the name of Jesus has been corrupted in the process because Jesus' name is now so identified with Republican politics. A bad trade across the board."

Over at RedStateLeon Wolf defends Brownback from "online supporters of Mitt Romney" who are "retread[ing] an old TNR attempted smear job which purported to show that Sam Brownback also changed his abortion position in 1994." RedState's jbonham76 fires back: "The problem here ... isn't Brownback's Conversion as a social conservative myself I am more than happy to see a new face in the crowd - it's the inherent hypocrisy of his past when coupled with the recent statement by Brownback concerning Romney's conversion."

MCCAIN: Lessons From Lamont

Townhall's Hugh Hewitt claims "McCain Campaign On The Rocks" after posting reader email reaction to John McCain's calls for 'Benchmark' legislation for the Iraq war. Hewitt urges readers to "send an e-mail to the senator urging him to break off negotiations" with Levin and to stand in the front rank of senators demanding victory."

Later Hewitt urges McCain to "lead the GOP opposition to any resolution except one clearly proclaiming confidence in the troops." Hewitt writes: "[T]he country did not embrace defeat, though the Democrats most certainly did. Ned Lamont, recall, lost. The center held in a blue state, and it can hold across the country if the Republicans will just say "Not now, not ever, never will we vote to encourage the enemy."

ROMNEY: White Elephants Not Wanted

Reviewing Mitt Romney's recent Instapundit podcastRiehl World View welcomes Romneys communications skills considering: "Without wanting to pile on Bush, I do believe that short-comings with the current President's individual, as well as his administration's, ability to communicate effectively is the white elephant in the room of the Bush presidency."

Riehl admits to being purposefully vague about his overall opinion of Romney but does allow: "So far I can at least say I don't dislike what I've seen."

IRAQ: Not As Annoying As A PBS Pledge Drive

Hugh Hewitt's campaign to get GOP activists to sign a pledge not to support the re-election campaigns of any GOP senator who votes for anti-surge legislation (and not to support the NRSC unless they promise not to support any such senators) gained more than 14,000 people as of 11:30 pm 1/25. Those targeted by Hewitt: Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Sam Brownback (R-KS), Norm Coleman (R-MN), Susan Collins (R-ME), Gordon Smith (R-OR), and George Voinovich (R-OH).

Townhall's Dean Barnett defends the pledge writing: "It is not a loyalty oath. Nothing like it. The pledge rests on the premise that Republicans who are supporting the anti-surge resolution are doing so as a craven political play. The pledge is merely a way of showing them that it is an extremely poor political play. And since political advantage is the coin of their realm, we think it may serve to change their hearts and minds."

Normally good friends of Hewitt not supporting the pledge include all three Power Linebloggers as well as Right Wing News. RWN writes: "[I]f this catches on or even just makes a really big splash, you're going to have people trying to do the exact same thing on amnesty, embryonic stem cells, and who knows what other issues over the next two years. There are a myriad of different issues that could draw in thousands of people to sign a pledge like this."

Not a friend of Hewitt, Andrew Sullivan comments: "If your goal is Republican purity, it makes some sense, even though it would also mean the loss of several Republican Senate seats, if played out fully. Nevertheless, I wouldn't sign it because it assumes good faith on the part of the president (after the last four years, who can still believe that?) and assumes that Plus Up is in any serious way a solution to our problem (it isn't, I'm afraid)."

IRAQ II: Iraq Now, Iraq Tomorrow, Iraq Forever

MyDD's Jonathan Singer notes Ben Smith's interview with Sen. Chuck Schumer and disagrees strongly with the DSCC chief on the centrality of Iraq in '08: "Iraq is the schism within the electorate today." More: "It's difficult to envision Iraq not being the issue come November 2008. Public sentiments do change over time. But in the absence of some radical change on the ground -- either all of the sectarian violence suddenly disappearing or, say, the President pulling up all stakes in the country -- Americans aren't going to simply stop caring about Iraq any time in the next two years." Atrios is similarly subtle: "Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Iraq will certainly be the central issue of the 2008 election." Kevin Drum agrees.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: They Did Get Rumsfeld Right

Comedy Central Insider reminds readers their election night rumor Donald Rumsfeld "would resign the following day" turned out to be true and reports: "The CC Insider/InDecider has just heard more rumors (see earlier posts) from a SECOND reliable source that Dick Cheney will be stepping down as Vice President and will be replaced as Vice President by Condoleezza Rice. And now we're hearing that she would like to be on the ticket as the GOP VP candidate in '08."

LEST WE FORGET: Can Stop Lovin' You

Ankle Biting PunditsBull Dog Pundit is not excited about news "Van Halen is kicking off a reunion tour in Vegas with David Lee Roth on vocals." BDP writes: "Now no one loved VH more than me back in the day. ... But to have this reunion now would be a shame too see. They quit drinking (which for musicians inevitably leads to creative death), one has an artificial hip, they kicked out Michael Anthony (and his bottle of Jack Daniels) in favor of Eddie's son Wolfgang, and David Lee Roth hasn't sung in years. Now they're just a bunch of old geezers looking of a payday - with freaking Wolfgang Van Halen on bass. I don't care what his last name is - without Michael Anthony it's not "Van Halen". And isn't Wolfie's presence going to crimp Dad's ability to get groupies after the show? Oh, that's right, Dad is like 50 and probably has to get his Cialis or Viagra first."

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:17 PM

January 25, 2007

1/25: Flexing Their Muscle?

Pressed on their relevance, conservative bloggers are to point to their roles in Rathergate and the Swift Boating/Kerry-in-Cambodia-on-Christmas stories to demonstrate their impact on elections. More recently though, the conservative blogging community looked substantially weaker when almost all of their chosen candidates in GOP cong. leadership elections lost. Now, led by Hugh Hewitt, many on the right are joining a new campaign to influence GOP senators to oppose anti-surge legislation. They already are claiming Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) as a recent convert. How many will follow?

GOP FIELD: Embracing The Suck

In a post The Corner's John Podhoretz calls "Right-Wing Crack-Up, Sign 8,437" RedState's Erick Erickson writes about the entire GOP field: "They all suck. Let's just admit it."

Erickson continues: "From the lecherous adulterer to the egomaniacal nut job to the flip-flopping opportunist with the perfect hair to the guy who hates brown people to the guy we've never heard of to the guy who has a better chance of getting hit by a meteor while being consumed by a blue whale being struck by lightening. They all suck. (Well, okay, Brownback doesn't suck at all, but I perceive no viability for his candidacy.)

BROWNBACK: Everybody's Got A Past

Responding to Sam Brownback's recent questioning of ex-MA Gov. Mitt Romney's past positions on abortion Townhall's Matt Lewis suggests that Brownback might not always have "been 100 percent solid on the Life issue" and goes on to cite a New Republicarticle on suggesting "Brownback co-opted his conservative opponents' pro-Life stance, in order to win his the Congressional primary in '94."

Christian Broadcasting Network's The Brody File posts video of Brownback addressing his pro-life position in the '94 race.

GINGRICH: Can Wonkdom Go Mainstream?

Intrigued by Fortune's Newt GingrichprofileDaniel Drezner explains: "He's far more complex and interesting a thinker than the nineties stereotype of him suggested." Drezner is not, however, optimistic about Gingrich's chances: "However, I can't shake the feeling that because I'm so interested in a Gingrich, he's doomed to fail. Can someone who scores well in the blogger wonk demographic really develop mainstream appeal?"

GIULIANI: Conservative Enough For Some

Power Line's Scott Johnson thanks City Journal for their Rudy Giulianiprofile arguing that the ex-NY mayor is an electable conservative in the GOP field. Captain's Quarters picks up on the same piece and touts Giuliani as having "the most consistent public record of accomplishment." CQ adds: "Given his history of turnaround in New York, his executive experience outweighs anything offered by Mitt Romney and especially John McCain."

Addressing concerns about Giuliani's social conservative credentials CQ concludes: "Those positions rightly make conservatives worry about what a President Giuliani would do once in office. However, he has also consistently spoken against judicial activism, and as a former federal prosecutor, knows first-hand the damage it does."

IA's Caucus Cooler is now "quite confident" that Jim Nussle political director Andrew Dorr "will in fact head-up Rudy's fledgling Iowa organization."

MCCAIN: Eyes Wide Open

Screen shots of John McCain looking as though he had fallen sleep during the SOTU were widely discussed in righty circles. The Corner's John Podhoretz admits "This Is Not Good for McCain" and Right Wing News asks "Is he really still energetic enough to handle a job as important and demanding as the Presidency?"

No fan of McCain, RedState's Erick Erickson, quickly sought to "Kill This Urban Legend In The Crib" writing: "this whole 'he fell asleep at the SOTU is garbage."

ROMNEY: Live, From Israel ...

RedState's streiff gives Mitt Romney's Five Step Plan of Action to Prevent a Nuclear Iran a 'C' writing: "How many times is Israel mentioned this proposal? How much sense do you think it makes to advertise that you are getting your ideas on sanctions from a meeting in Israel and that you want Arab states to make peace with Israel to prevent Iran from getting nukes?" Streiff also lists all of Romney's foreign policy advisors including: Weekly Standard editor William Kristol, ret.-Gen. Barry McCaffrey, ret.-Gen. Anthony Zinni, Amb. Paul Bremer, and ex-SoS Henry Kissinger.

Dem Field: Maybe Why Kerry And Gore Aren't Running

Pollster.com's Mark Blumenthal uses recent CNN survey data to debunk suggestions "a larger number of Democrats" would prefer an "anybody-but-[Hillary] Clinton" WH '08 candidate: "Notice that Clinton is the second choice of roughly a third of those who initially support [John] Kerry, [Al] Gore, [Barack] Obama and [John] Edwards. So, for the moment, should other candidates drop out, her share of the vote will increase. ... The CNN survey also includes some questions that test the "anybody but" theories directly. When asked about Clinton, 75% would like to see her run, 23% would not. The "anybody but" sentiment looks to be more pronounced for Kerry (51% would not like him to run) and Gore (40% would not)."

Dem Field II: Whistling Past Gary

CaliticsBrian Leubitz implores Dem WH '08ers "to stay away from [Gary] South" since CA voters are "sick of his apparent disdain for the base of the Democratic party." Leubitz does not want "to make idle threats" but warns "there is no surer way to writing off the support of the netroots in California than hiring Garry South."

CLINTON: An Online Also-Ran

DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas wants to make sure the world knows Hillary Clinton campaign aide suggestions in the Wall Street Journal that she has won "the Netroots Primary" are completely unfounded. Kos links to a 1/17 Daily Kos straw poll showing Clinton running 5th with only 4% of the vote and writes: "Daily Kos isn't the entire netroots, and sure, it's still early. ... But Clinton isn't by any stretch of the imagination scoring the early points online. In this world, she's an also-ran."

At MyDDMatt Stoller also hits Clinton, this time for telling the New York Times: "We know that we're not likely to stop this escalation. But we are going to do everything we can to send a message to our government and the Iraqi government that they had better change, because the enemy we are confronting is adaptable." Stoller calls the position "pathetic" and writes: "Progressives know she hasn't dealt with Iraq, and will cripple the Democratic Party badly as Iraq gets worse in 2007 and 2008."

Clinton blog advisor Peter Daou tells Blog P.I. their initial blog ad buy "was for the webcasts" while their "second round" buy "was for inviting supporters and potential supporters to submit guest blog posts." BPI reports: "According to Daou, future buys will focus on particular issues Sen. Clinton wants to highlight, and in states and regions where she will be traveling." Blog PI also details other lefty bloggers who were not included in HRC's original buy, but now all feature HRC ads.

EDWARDS: He Was For Bombing Iran Before He Was Against It

John Edwards is taking netroots heat for telling a conference in Herzliya, Israel "ALL options must remain on the table" when confronting Iran on their nuclear program. MyDD's Matt Stoller satirically titles his post "John Edwards in 2011: "I'm Sorry for My Vote on Iran" and writes: "The issue for John Edwards has always been credibility. Why should we trust a man who sold us out on the war vote? His answer is that he's changed. But has he? It's hard to say. I mean it's a really bad idea to pretend like attacking Iran is a viable option. It's not. It's a horrible, horrible idea, and it's what we shouldn't let Edwards get away with."

Matthew Yglesias also questions Edwards sincerity: "It's not quite as bad a talk as I was initially led to believe. That said, with the United States and Israel drifting in the direction of a disastrous Iran policy Edwards is rather clearly choosing not to push against the drift. How much of this is political expediency and how much is convictions?

WEBB: A Proud People Person

Sen. Jim Webb's (D-VA) SOTU response continued to draw significant netroots attention. TAPPED's Mike Tomasky suggests Webb would make a great Dem VP choice. The Huffington Post's Al Eisle argues the top of the ticket would be an even better spot for Webb, and MyDD's Matt Stoller claims Webb's two central themes "inequality and Iraq" could make '08 "the reverse Reagan for us" ushering in a new progressive era.

As far as the VP nod goes, The Plank's Jason Zengerle sees Webb's appeal as "a proud Scots-Irish white guy" broadening a Dem ticket's appeal under Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton, but argues Webb's populism would better fit on an John Edwards campaign.

TAPPED's Ezra Klein begs to differ arguing Webb's "evident sense of conviction, damn-the-torpedoes plain-spokenness, clear beliefs about the state of the world, willingness to state unpopular political truths, etc -- make him almost uniquely unsuitable for the second-banana slot." Specifically Klein claims Webb "deep ideas about economic fairness that veer far more towards protectionism than any major Democrat is comfortable with, and that includes Edwards, who occasionally flirts with the rhetoric without substantively embracing the policy platform."

Finally, in a "memo to the media" DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas reminds the MSM it was "bloggers like Daily Kos, Raising Kaine" that "dragged [Webb} into the race." Kos continues: "Jim Webb is a people-powered candidate. He's one of ours. He's not a product of the political or media establishments, but of the people. It's something of which Webb himself is quite proud."

IRAQ: Pledge Or Die

Townhall's Hugh Hewitt is spearheading a right blogger effort encouraging readers to pledge not to support any GOP senator who votes to oppose the surge. Hewitt explains: "Yesterday General Petraeus testified that the Biden/Warner resolutions and those like them encourage the enemy. What does it mean, "to encourage the enemy?" It means that the enemy gathers will and strength from the prospect of a collapsing political will to seek victory in Iraq and stability in the region. ... In short, it means that more Americans will die." The full text of the pledge can be read here.

Captain's Quarters supports the pledge writing: "If Congress really wanted to stop the surge, they would defund the war. Congress has that power. ... Instead, the Senators involved in these resolutions seem content to indulge in ankle-biting without bothering to provide any useful alternatives other than capitulation and defeat, and studiously ignore the leading American expert on counterinsurgency. That's why I'm supporting the pledge."

Instapundit "think[s] that Hugh's right to start this drive" and describes GOP opposition to the surge as "political suicide for the Republicans."

In other righty-Iraq news, Michelle Malkinvideoblogs from the streets of northern Baghdad with the Dagger Brigade" and Corner readers dispute Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) claims that "the majority of our military" does not support "the way this war is being fought" noting the same poll of military service members that shows while "only 35 percent of the military members polled this year said they approve of the way President Bush is handling the war, "only 13 percent said we should have no troops in Iraq."

IRAQ II: Who "Owns" Iraq?

Under the header "Ensuring the GOP owns Iraq" DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas links to a Salonarticle on the Vietnam War and writes: "It's frustrating that despite the lessons of history and the GOP's own actions, so many Democrats are still afraid to actually lead on Iraq. They couch their "opposition" to Iraq in so many layers of caveats and rhetorical fluff that clarity and force of conviction are sacrificed."

Kos then praises Webb's SOTU response and concludes: "The contradiction between the parties is stark -- one wants to end the war in Iraq and focus on truly battling international terrorism, the other doesn't. We want out, they want to escalate. ... As such, they own the war. Our side can focus on doing everything to end it. It's a moral imperative that also, fortunately, happens to be good politics as well."

Atrios sees it a little differently: "Kos has some discussion of Republican attempts to make this a bipartisan war. I think they all missed something. Bush doesn't want to share his war. It's his war. His baby, his mission, his quest."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Apparently, Harvard Is Liberal

The Corner's Jonah Goldberg does not draw any conclusions but does share the political leanings of his academic email correspondents:

Of all the email I receive from elite university addresses, I'd say the email from MIT is the most conservative (Princeton and Cornell are close with Columbia and Penn following behind) while Harvard is the most liberal. I get very, very, little from Brown, and with one or two exceptions the stuff I get from U. Chicago is pretty mushy middle of the road. Most of the email is from grad students and academics, which may completely screw-up the sample. This is all extremely impressionistic. But I think it's mildly interesting.

LEST WE FORGET: The Blogometer Has No Self-Respect

Deadspin points us to a blog dedicated just to 'round mound of rebound' Charles Barkley quotes including:

• "I can be bought. If they paid me enough, I'd work for the Klan."
• "If push came to shove, I could lose all self-respect and become a reporter."
• "I don't create controversies. They're there long before I open my mouth. I just bring them to your attention."
• Charles Barkley on his thoughts about retiring before the season: "I remember sitting down with the Rockets and saying, 'Yeah. I'm going to retire.' They said, 'Well, we'll give you $9 million.' And I said, 'You got a pen on you?'"
• "You can talk without saying a thing. I don't ever want to be that type of person."

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:33 PM

January 24, 2007

1/24: The Next TR?

Things may change by the time a Dem nominee is chosen, but for now the netroots are not terribly excited about their top two WH '08 options Sens. Hillary Clinton (NY) and Barack Obama (IL) (they are decidedly more enthused about John Edwards' candidacy however). If either Clinton or Obama does prevail in the primaries, a VP choice sure to energize Dem blogging roots would be Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA). There simply is no Dem out there today that better encapsulates the anti-Iraq war, pro-economic populist, hard-hitting political spirit of the netroots than Webb. Webb will not quite have two years as senator under his belt by the time '08 rolls around, but supporters are already noting that Webb hero Teddy Roosevelt only had two years as NY governor before he joined the McKinley ticket in 1900.

WEBB: Bigger Than Obama?

Sen. Jim Webb's (D-VA) SOTU response drew wide lefty blogger praise and even somecalls for a VP nod. Positive Webb reacts include:

• TAPPED's Ezra Klein: "Webb's response ... was strong, clear and just. His voice vibrated with outrage and urgency, and his speech laid out Democratic principles with a confident, spare, eloquence. By far the best SOTU response I've seen.
• The Plank's Michael Crowley: "Boy, was he good. That response could do for Webb something akin to what Barack Obama's 2004 convention speech did for the Illinois senator. ... Even Brit Hume and Fred Barnes on Fox were praising it.
• Daily Kos' VirginiaDem: "Listening to him describe economic inequality (a topic rarely discussed by any politician) and taking it to Bush on the war (something he's done since 2003), I couldn't help thinking about the monumental decision from leaving his comfortable private life to serve the American people again."
• Atrios' Thers: "[I]f what it takes is for the Democratic party to find a Manly Ideal like Webb to articulate simple common sense for the Punditry to get on board with coming out against a hideously stupid meatgrinder foreign policy, then, so be it.
• Daily Kos' Lucky Ducky: "The new breed of conservative Dems, huh? ... Things are looking up.

More towards the center, Andrew Sullivan was also impressed: "It was, I think, the most effective Democratic response in the Bush years. He managed to bridge economic populism with military service and pride: a very potent combination."

The Webb praise was not unanimous however, Daily Kos' HarveyMilk did not like Webb's bringing the war to a "proper conclusion that will also allow us to continue to fight the war against international terrorism." HM writes: "That could mean a lot of things. It could be meaningless, on its face. It also could have been a quote from Joe Lieberman."

An Andrew Sullivan reader also had problems with Webb's Iraq thoughts: "Jim Webb, while speaking very eloquently and forcefully, contradicted himself by first saying that America would not precipitously withdraw from Iraq, but then later saying we should responsibly redeploy so that American troops would be out of Iraq "in short order". Maybe it's me, but one sounds like the other."

DEM FIELD: Iraq is Not Enough

TPM Cafe's Ernest Wilson wants to describe the foreign policy priorities of the Dem WH '08 field, but he can't because he doesn't know what they are. Wilson writes: "We know where the candidates stand on a small handful of Iraq-related issues - when to exit; whether they support the Baker/Hamilton report. But sitting in the Oval office requires more than a position on withdrawing American troops from Baghdad. Just doing Iraq isn't enough." Wilson urges readers to press the candidates "about the progressive values that will support their progressive foreign policy. The country and maybe even the candidates will be better for it."

CLINTON: A Conversation Has Begun

Taylor Marsh is still not satisfied with Hillary Clinton's web ad buy, and is now weaving the dispute into a larger Clinton-out-of-touch-with-base narrative. After researching her BlogAd account "thoroughly and completely" Marsh is disputing claims made by Clinton aide Peter Daou that Marsh's blog was included in the ad buy. Marsh writes: "I was never included in Clinton's very large ad buy and there were no rejections of any ads anywhere in my account. Period."

Marsh begins her post on the situation by linking to a Raw Story account of similar HRC complaints from progressive talk-radio host Ed Schultz who told audiences 1/23: "I want you to know our producer James Holm tirelessly works the contacts and has repeatedly tried to connect with Clinton's people. Cutting to the chase, Hillary's people treat us like "dirt." We are constantly disregarded, told things that aren't true..."

Marsh adds to Schultz complaints: "Can you imagine anyone in the Republican Party treating their right-wing hosts like this? Not. Going. To. Happen. ... I really had no feelings whatsoever about Hillary one way or the other from the start. ... But I have to tell you that after the last few days or so I've moved into the camp that is not impressed at all with Clinton and the team she has around her, who seem not only arrogant, but possessing a queen fetish." MyDD's Texas Nate also is claiming HRC missed some important lefty blogs out of her ad buy.

For what it's worth, HRC's outreach to more conservative bloggers is scoring her positive words in righty circles. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) aide and Ankle Biting Pundits blogger Patrick Hynes tips his hat to Clinton for credentialing him for a Nashua, NH 100 Club fund-raising 3/10. Hynes explains: "I was very forthright about who I am and what my deal is. ... Maybe she really does want to have a conversation. ... Sen. Clinton's openness to a guy like me puts her in sharp contrast to Sen. Barack Obama's team who denied me a credential during the Illinois Senator's recent "book signing trip" to New Hampshire."

Back on the left, Prairie State Blue hits Clinton for opting out of matching funds and MyDD's Matt Stoller tells readers to expect many "waffling" attacks on HRC since "Clinton is running a campaign that is almost exactly like Kerry's, because she didn't and doesn't want to deal with Iraq."

Atrios' Thers, on the other hand, is impressed with Clinton aide Terry McAuliffe's telling Daily Show host Jon Stewart: "hit us, hit Hillary, we'll hit back harder."

DODD: No Symbolism Here

Introducing Chris Dodd to Firedoglake readers before his 1/23 chat FDL's Howie Klein writes: "This community has been especially interested in Senator Dodd's firm stand against the Bush/McCain escalation plans in Iraq and in his alternative (S. 308) to the nonbinding symbolic resolutions that Bush has already announced he will ignore."

EDWARDS: Not Afraid

Daily Kos diarist Progressive America thanked John Edwards for his SOTU blog response writing: "What Edwards has shown again is that he has a clear vision for this country. ... On Iraq, Edwards says escalation is wrong, just as our military generals have said. Instead, he would withdraw 50,000 troops immediately and send the message to the Iraqis that they have a responsibility in their country. ... Edwards right now is stepping up and not being afraid. He is offering bold solutions for progress again in the country."

BROWNBACK: Racing To The Right

Christian Broadcasting Network's The Brody File has audio titled "[Sam] Brownback on whether Mitt Romney is a reliable social conservative" from Brody's 20 minute interview with Brownback 1/23. Brody explains: "Clearly, he wants to be the 'Reagan social conservative' candidate who will sit to the right of John McCain."

In a separate post Brody links to YouTube from 1/22 March for Life rally and describes: "It's another YouTube moment where a guy with a home video camera captures some pro-lifers protesting the Presidential candidacy of Mitt Romney. Then, a Brownback supporter shows up and gives his endorsement." Brody adds: "I show this only to make this point: among the grassroots, a battle is already ensuing. You have the Brownback supporters who say he's the true social conservative champion. Yet, you have Romney on the other side who can argue his conservative credentials, too."

SCOOTER: All About Rove

Firedoglake is leading the league in coverage of Scooter Libby's obstruction of justice trial. FDL's Christy Hardin Smith reports Libby lawyer Ted Wills' opening argument makes it clear Libby's defense will center around portraying Karl Rove as "a man who had to be protected at all costs." Smith adds: "it will certainly be interesting to see them try to repeatedly throw Karl Rove under a bus in open court..." The FDL crew also videologs the days events for PoliticsTV.

Talking Point Memo's Josh Marshall forwards the thoughts of a "Republican pal": the key is that Libby has decided to base his defense in large part on an attack on the White House -- specifically on Karl Rove ... The logical inference from that decision is that Libby and his lawyers have decided that President Bush will not pardon their client. ... In a narrow political sense, Rove's guilt wouldn't exculpate Libby. And taking the rap for other guilty parties wouldn't absolve him either. Perhaps they're angling for some sort of politically-tinged jury nullification."

On the right, Outside the Beltway is also live blogging the trial.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: The State Of The Progressive Union Is Underfunded

Seeing as how it seems to be that time of year, MyDD's Matt Stoller offers his "The State of the Progressive Movement," noting: "The right has a well-developed infrastructure, and that's why they tend to win. They take care of their people. To illustrate his point, Stoller examines the case of Lane Hudson, "the person who moved Mark Foley's scandalous behavior into the national discourse on a blog called Stop Sex Predators." Before asking readers to support Blogpac so MyDD can support more Lane Hudsons Stoller explains:

When it was discovered that he was responsible for pushing Foley into the national news, Lane was fired without severance from his position at the gay rights group where he worked, the Human Rights Campaign. Were Lane on the right, he would be taken care of and put into a think tank, corporate job, or consulting shop, simply because he had proved that he is an incredibly valuable asset to the movement. But on our side, though Lane arguably delivered Democrats control of Congress, he is unemployed and struggling to pay his rent. I don't really need to point out that this is no way to run a movement.

LEST WE FORGET: Who Doesn't Want More WH Correspondents Dinners?

The Corner's John Podhoretz worries the SOTU is turning into "a tearjerking version of the White House Correspondent's Dinner." JPod explains:

Now it's not only the president who is bringing "heroes" and "ordinary people with extraordinary stories" into the chamber, but members of Congress, presidential candidates, and press hogs in general. Hillary Clinton is showing up with the son of a 9/11 rescue worker, while Rep. Dana Rohrabacher is bringing the wife of an imprisoned Border Patrol officer. Next year watch for Joe Biden to bring someone in a wheelchair, Sam Brownback to bring a snowflake baby, and Chris Dodd to bring the entire nation of Botswana.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:46 PM

1/24: The S