February 28, 2007

Blogger Spotlight: The Crunchy Republican

GOPer and self professed organic broccoli lover, The Crunchy Republican is the first conservative blogger from South Carolina we'll be looking at this week. Tomorrow we'll move back left to talk to the editor of South Carolina Politics.

What is your full name?

My full name is Sunny Philips. (Yep, Sunny is my given name.)

How old are you?

I'm 35 years old.

What's your hometown?

Green Sea, SC (about 30 miles from Myrtle Beach)

Where do you live now?

Have lived in Columbia, SC since 1989.

What is your educational background?

University of South Carolina, Political Science

What is your occupation?

Work as GOP political fundraiser.

When did you first get involved in politics and why?

First involvement in politics was as a kid stuffing envelopes when my Dad ran for County Council. I was around 7 and was hooked from there. Today, my own girls help out my campaigns when there is a volunteer component involved. They love stuffing envelopes, and get angry when I make them quit for dinner. Guess it runs in the family.

When did you start blogging and why?

I started blogging in October 2005 in order to gear up for our statewide races in 2006. I felt the SC blogosphere was slanted too liberal--despite the fact that SC is such a red state--and I wanted to do my part to even it out.

How are blogs changing politics in your state?

Blogs are just starting to become more noticed in SC. I'm not so surprised any more when folks come up that I've never met and say, "You're the Crunchy Republican!" I know the SC political blogs are well-read by the political staff/consultants/activists and political reporters, but I don't think we'll start making a real difference until more 'regular' folks start to read them. We're not there yet as far as I can tell, but maybe soon.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 01:46 PM

2/28: Time For Their Own Pony Plan?

With major lefty bloggers admitting "leaders of the netroots have not stepped up yet on Iraq," it's worth asking, what are the preferred Iraq solutions of the netroots two traffic leaders, Eschaton's Duncan Black and DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas? Atrios is no doubt correct when he writes: "We don't all get to micromanage the Iraq war -- not me, not Joe Klein, not Nancy Pelosi. ... Maybe Pony Plan X is superior to that option, but Pony Plan X generally involves wishing that competent people who wanted to leave Iraq were going to do that in a sensible way. That just isn't really an option." If Atrios prefers the Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA) plan to the Rep. Jack Murtha (D-PA) plan, he's posted few suggestions on how to move Dems in that direction. So where does that leave those in the netroots who want to use Dem control of Congress to end the war as soon as possible? What should their strategy be to force Dems to take the necessary action?

IRAQ: The Natives Are Restless

Netroots' frustration over Dem failure to take concrete action on Iraq is growing to the point that primaries are being suggested for all those who don't either support Rep. Jack Murtha's (D-PA) plan or the rewrite of the Authorization for Use of Military Force. Daily Kos' mcjoan finds news from both the House and Senate discouraging, while diarist Big Tent Democratclaims the recent drop in Maj. Leader Harry Reid's (D-NV) Daily Kos approval numbers reflects his "ineffectual" leadership and calls for the House to lead on the issue.

At TPM Cafe, Win Without War head Tom Andrews ("a leading figure of the antiwar movement") tells Greg Sargent "Congressional Dems are at risk of badly botching the public relations battle over Iraq" and must "move more aggressively to confront the Republicans in the political showdown over ending the war." Form Andrews: "There should be a relentless attack. Dems in Congress should be talking relentlessly about the lack of equipment, the lack of training, the multiple deployments, every day. ... Even if you don't have a specific plan yet, you can at least stand up and counterattack against this Republican assault."

Also admitting they have no strategy, MyDD's Matt Stoller writes: "The leaders of the netroots have not stepped up yet on Iraq, and we need to figure out a strategy to do so. We need your help. One of our problems is that we can't find or agree on a bright line to draw, so we can't make good arguments for why members of Congress should be challenged in the electoral realm. We could argue for withdrawal, but even Hillary Clinton has a withdrawal plan, and I have no idea how to trust her. ... What do we get behind?"

Fellow MyDDer Chris Bowers also acknowledges "growing consternation within the progressive netroots about what many consider to be the slow and ineffective steps Democrats in Congress have taken to end the war" and reviews options on how to act moving forward before concluding: "We have to define both what a favorable outcome on Iraq in the Senate would be, and what we will do ourselves to help the Senate Democratic leadership achieve that result. ... Those who straight up oppose Murtha's plan or a rewrite of the AUMF should be targeted in primaries or see a withdrawal of party committee support for re-election. Those who we are certain are not working fast enough or effectively enough should receive the negative messaging and direct activism I described above."

IRAQ II: So Many Options ...

Daily Kos' mcjoan looks at Rep. David Wu (D-OR)/Yale prof. Bruce Ackerman's American Prospectarticle advocating "an overall limit on Iraq war expenditures" as a possible route for Dems to end the war and compares it to the Murtha plan: "The Wu/Ackerman proposal would essentially do the same, but without any of the potentially messy Constitutional complications of Congress telling the President how to conduct a war. ... It would essentially set a date for redeployment--the day the funding runs out. Personally, I'd prefer December 31, 2007, or even March 30, 2008 to September 30 of next year, but the key element is setting a date beyond which no more funding will be available. Wu and Ackerman address this as well, saying that it would be up to Congress to set the funding level and thereby setting the end date."

Fully in favor of the Murtha plan, Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) took to The Huffington Post asking readers to prepare for "the legislative equivalent of the gunfight at the OK Corral." Moran blogs: "The Democratic caucus is a very diverse body. This is a strength for our party, not a weakness. It does, however, make legislating difficult at times, especially given the narrow majority we hold in both the House and Senate. I expect there will be great debate within our caucus over Jack's proposal. But in the end, what he has crafted gives voice to the strong concerns the American people expressed at the polls last November."

Not as enamored with Dem diversity on Iraq, Daily Kos' Kagro X takes on Blue Dog "less-confrontational approach[es] that merely requires the president to affirmatively certify when he orders such a deployment." Kagro writes: "Do the Blue Dogs, whose criticism of the Murtha plan is being led by Reps. Jim Matheson of Utah and Jim Cooper of Tennessee, really think they're onto something here? ... Neither plan stands a chance at being accepted by the "administration," but at least Murtha's had the virtue of actually trying to do something about the president's continued violation of military readiness policy, even if some would consider it much less than necessary."

IRAQ III: Isn't Levin Up In '08?

Conservative bloggers have a new favorite Senate Dem. following Carl Levin's telling the Senate Armed Service Committee: "I think we ought to take action on all fronts including Syria and any other source of weapons coming in, obviously Iran is the focus - but it shouldn't be the sole focus." RedState's Erick Erickson responds: "Folks, did you get that? In addition to admitting we need to keep troops behind in Iraq, Carl Levin now says we need to go after Syria and Iran. ... I'd like to congratulate Carl Levin for undercutting several of the major Democrat talking points and I'd like to thank Senator Levin for calling for military action against Syria as well as Iraq."

MyDD's Matt Stoller also took notice of Levin's comments, posting video and writing: "The video snippet is Levin being frustrated that the military doesn't have a plan to go into Syria. Levin's office is Phone (202) 224-6221. If you have some time and are from Michigan, can you ask him why he doesn't support the Murtha plan to fully equip the troops before deploying them?"

GOP FIELD: Issue Watching Romney

IA's Krusty Konservative highlights features he does and does not like about the WH '08 official websites including:

• John McCain: "What I like: The Undecided Tab - There are only two kinds of voters, committed and uncommitted. This tab makes it easy for those very important uncommitted voters to know where to go to get their dose of straight talk."
• Mitt Romney: "What I like: The Stay Informed - I like how the Romney site posts favorable blog entries on their front page. It's a great way to keep fresh content on their site to keep Romney's committed supports checking in and getting their dose of Mitt. ... What I don't like: Issue Watch - I think he should have called it something else, calling it Issue Watch will not help calm conservatives who worry about his varying stances on social issues."
• Rudy Giuliani: "What I like: Rudy's Record - I think it was wise to emphasis his past accomplishments, not his stance on social issues. ... What I don't like: The lack of an issue section - While I think it's smart to stress his record, you can't ignore the issues facing our country. He needs to be aggressive in defining his positions because if he doesn't his opponents will, which is always bad news."

BROWNBACK: Helping The Cause?

Under the header "Running for McCain's Veep?" The Corner's Kathryn Jean Lopez posts an official Sam Brownback campaign email attacking Mitt Romney on abortion and comments: "On the chance he might be a true-blue latter-day lifer it strikes me as unwise for Brownback - who is running in part to make sure such issues get a hearing, right? - to tear him down so directly and consistently. People would still be thoroughly scrutinizing Romney's record - as we should any candidate - without Brownback pile-on."

After Rich Lowryasserts tearing down Romney is the only shot Brownback has at the nomination, Lopez responds: "I obviously don't disagree - certainly if Brownback wants to win, that's the strategy. But Brownback is not going to be the nominee and so if I were Brownback - who I'm sure genuinely cares about the sanctity of human life - I'd be concerned that I'm trying to kill the guy who might best represent where I'm coming from."

Indicating he's currently in the 'Brownback's not gonna win' camp, The Brody File reports his sources "across the Republican spectrum believe he has no chance. Even Evangelical leaders privately wonder." TBF adds: "The sense is that he simply can't raise enough money like the big boys and he doesn't have that dynamic and strong personality like the other big three."

Back in IA, the Caucus Cooler posts Brownback's "leadership team" and comments: "Showing regional diversity Brownback made pickups in all corners of the state."

GILMORE: To Blog After He Gets To WH

Speaking to a Heritage Foundation sponsored blogger briefing, Jim Gilmore stirred a minor buzz 2/27 promising to be "the first President to maintain a personal blog." Townhall's Matt Lewis explains: "Because it came up in response to a direct question (very late in his briefing to us), it does not appear to be the case of a candidate merely seeking to pander to the blogosphere."

Also at the event, Townhall's Mary Katharine Ham explains the context behind Gilmore's pledge: "He recalled his response to 9/11-- he was governor when the Pentagon was hit. He needed to be in touch with local and regional first-responders, the media and Virginia citizens on a running basis, all day long. He used several press conferences and a TV appearance to do it, but he noted that it would have been helpful to put pertinent information up on a blog that day."

RedState's Rob Bluey notes that before making his blog promise Gilmore first took the time to hit his opponents: "The former RNC chairman also told bloggers that he's the only conservative in the race. He recited a list of reasons why the leading candidates -- Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney -- are not conservatives. In a swipe at Romney, Gilmore said he hadn't "shifted" in his views. He called Romney a "liberal governor" and "liberal candidate" from Massachusetts. He was equally tough on McCain and Giuliani."

GIULIANI: Moving The Prince Of Darkness To Light

Catching readers up on Laura Ingraham's radio show, The Corner's Kathryn Jean Lopez reports Bob Novack "is changing his view that [Rudy] Giuliani can't be nominated by the Republican party. Novak added though that he does continue to think that Rudy is a "timebomb" when it comes to the personal stuff and cautions that the attacks have not yet begun."

Also at The Corner, Larry Kudlow picks up on New York Sunreports of Giuliani's "party of freedom" themed comments to the Hoover Institution. Kudlow highlights Giuliani's claim that "while Republicans believe that the American economy is 'essentially a private economy,' Democrats 'really believe, honest, that it is essentially a government economy.'"

Also a fan of the Hoover comments Captain's Quarters liked Giuliani's "more libertarian approach for the Republican Party -- free markets and smaller government. ... It's a moderate policy that fits within a conservative vision, which could be a winning combination, especially in attracting moderates and independents." CQ also commented on Rudy's following foreign policy thoughts: "We have to say to the rest of the world, 'America doesn't like war.' America is not a military country. We've never been a militaristic country." CQ comments: "Sounds a bit like "Morning in America" again, an approach that will help garner support for Giuliani among conservatives -- at least on vision."

Completely unpersuaded by the Sun's write up, Bull Dog Pundit at Ankle Biting Pundits writes: "As far as then content of his speech, at this point it's a good idea to stay away from the divisive issue he has with a majority of the Republican primary base on abortion, gay rights, gun laws, etc. There will be plenty of time for that later. He's wise to stress areas of agreement he has with conservatives, which is what he did here."

Also unhappy with the recent "Conservative Rudyfest" NRO's Mark Levin writes: "There is actually very little that's conservative about Giuliani, other than his law-enforcement record. Yes, he made the trains run on time ... ut please, spare us the fiction that he's some great conservative."

MCCAIN: Two Words

Responding to Dick Morris and Eileen McGann's 1,179 word article on John McCain's "Campaign Collapse," Don Surber identifies just two words that explain the entire demise: "McCain-Feingold." Surber explains: "The fundamental difference between McCain 2000 and McCain 2008 is that he put his name on a law that forbids people from speaking out against their congressman within 60 days of an election. ... He is no longer John McCain. He is McCain-Feingold." Instapundit links and adds simply: "I think that's right."

Townhall's Hugh Hewitt argues McCain's problem are deeper than just CFR: "The GOP base has a trust issue with McCain, one that flows from the 2000 campaign, McCain-Feingold, the Gang of 14, the McCain-Kennedy immigration bill, the September 2006 derailing of the Republican end-game strategy." Hewitt goes on to argue that unless McCain starts courting GOPers instead of the "Hardball/Meet The Press audience ... The big three could be the big two by Memorial Day."

ROMNEY: The Boston Globe Had Credibility?

Scott Helman's Boston Globe article on a leaked strategy memo drew little conservative bloggers attention outside of pushback from Pro-Mitt Romney quarters. Townhall's Hugh Hewitt hits "Scott" for only linking to one of the 77 slides of the memo writing: "The paper wants its reporter to be the trusted intermediary of the news, but by filtering the story, the exact opposite effect is achieved: The paper loses credibility rather than gaining reputation for delivering news."

MyManMitt claims the memo came from outside the campaign and "it's doubtful the Governor ever saw it." MMM adds: "Most of this is low-grade stuff that my dog could write. From the pathetic graphics in the deck (OK - I'm a snob when it comes to PPT graphics) my dog probably did write it. In short, congrat Scott Helman.... you bought your guide to the 2007-2008 Fantasy Football season in February."

Also in Romney rumors, Race4'08's Jason says inside talk from Romney's 'finance loop' is that Romney "is breaking almost all of his daily and weekly fund-raising goals. ... The word is, prepare for March 31st."

DEM FIELD: And Then Go See Cubs-Mets At Wrigley

Touting the forum as "an opportunity to use technology to empower regular citizens and grassroots activists to engage, vet and evaluate America's potential leaders, both face-to-face and online" YearlyKos' Gina Cooperinvited all WH '08 Dems to attend a candidate forum 8/4 in Chicago, IL, during the blogging community's 8/2-5 convention. Mcjoandescribes the event as the "best opportunity to evaluate the Democratic field of Presidential candidates, up close and personal."

Yearly Kos '06 speakers included Sens. Harry Reid (D-NV) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA); Gov. Howard Dean, Tom Vilsack, Bill Richardson and Mark Warner; ex-General Wesley Clark. New York Tomes Magazine author Matt Bai, Mcjoan (aka Joan McCarter), and Dr. Jeffrey Feldman will moderate the forum, asking questions submitted in advance "from tens of thousands of blog readers."

DODD: Predating The Constitution

Highlight's from MyDD's Jonathan Singer's just posted Chris Doddinterview from 2/21's Dem forum in Carson City, NV, include:

• Jonathan Singer: Let's start talking about that issue, Restore Habeas. Do you want to talk a little bit about what that's about, what you're trying to get accomplished and why it's so important to you?
• Chris Dodd: It's the rule of law. This even predates the constitution. It's about as fundamental a principle as I can think of. The idea that I can hold you indefinitely without ever telling you what you're being held for, I don't know what anyone's politics may be, but the idea that you tolerate that as an American is something I'd be surprised at.
• Singer: What do you say to address these concerns of people who think he, in their opinion, voted wrong in 2002? What will assure them that that won't happen again in the future as president?
• Dodd: First off, I've said I made a mistake and I wish I could have it back, although I honestly think George Bush was going to go to war with Iraq no matter what we voted on five years ago, too, by the way. ... So I just feel it's time we start redeploying immediately. I'm all for the training mission. I'm all for the border support mission. I'm all for the counter-terrorism missions. But you can do that with a very much smaller number than 135,000 troops we have there. Put some in Afghanistan, they could really use the help, put them in Qatar and Kuwait, if you want to, so you're over the horizon, but get out of these places and let the Iraqis assume this responsibility.

OBAMA: Far Ahead Of The Competition

Writing at techPresident Former RNC eCampaign Director Michael Turk compares the interactive features of both GOP and Dem candidate official websites and declares Barack Obama's effort the clear winner: "The tools are far ahead of anything available on the GOP sites. It pains me to say that, but it's not even close. They're far ahead of anything on the Democrat sites as well. ... Obama allows users to create their own blog, to create events, to fundraise, and to network together. The ability to organize laterally is present in every one of Obama's tools and stands in stark contrast to McCain's top heavy style."

Impressing not just GOPers, Obama continues to get passing grades from netrooters examining his policy record. Complaining that Obama "hasn't used populist or socialistic language" MyDD commenter jallen still concludes: "I want someone who uses a lot of populist messaging, which he doesn't. He usually comes off, to me, as more of a progressive, but it is clear now that he is a social democrat. ... He has a clearer and more consistent history than the others, and I would probably be happy with him as president. I just wish he would talk about it more, but he maybe too cautious."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Always Bet On The People With Guns

Linking to Richard Dreyfus' Washington Monthlyarticle on the possible non-bloodbath should US forces leave Iraq, Kausfiles warns readers of a "Secret Neocon/Peacenik Convergence of Wishful Thinking." Kaus writes: "Do you get an eerie sensation reading arguments on the left about why there won't be a sectarian bloodbath in Iraq if the U.S. leaves ... Dreyfuss' argument shares the wishful-thinking quality of the pro-war, welcome-us-with-flowers thinking of the Bush administration neocons. ... Sure a majority of Iraqis may be non-sectarian nationalists. But they aren't the people with the guns. The people with the guns seem to be sectarian extremists. If we leave, will they give up their guns? I doubt it."

LEST WE FORGET: Eery Is Definitely The Right Word

Linking to Youtube video The Gap Band's song "You Dropped A Bomb On Me" The Plank's Jonathan Chait thinks he has found THE Barack Obama campaign theme song: "The logic is irresistible. The chorus, which is repeated approximately seven thousand times, sounds like his name--"Baby, you dropped Obama on me." If you hear the song, it makes you think of Obama, over and over again. Plus, of course, the song is really catchy.

Chait continues: "It works thematically as well. Think about it--what are Obama's biggest political liabilities? 1) Perceived as "not black enough." 2) Too weak on national defense. Now watch that video. It's nothing but African-Americans and warplanes dropping bombs! It's eerily on message, almost as if Obama's message team created that video specifically for his campaign."

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:37 PM

February 27, 2007

Blogger Spotlight: Not Very Bright

The Blogometer would like to thank everyone who has participated and will participate in blogger spotlights, but today we give special thanks to anonymous blogger Not Very Bright for his/her earnest effort in answering our standard slate of questions. We hope to see more of you around.

What is your full name?

I've chosen to blog anonymously to this point, having told no one in the real world of my blog, and (with one exception) no one in the blog world of my identity. It's not that I'm some famous guy, or that my identity even matters. It's just that anonymity has allowed me a bit more freedom to write .

How old are you?

Under 45.

What’s your hometown?

Columbia, SC

Where do you live now?

Columbia, SC

What is your educational background?

One post-graduate degree.

What is your occupation?

Not telling. It's not politics or journalism.

When did you first get involved in politics and why?

It depends on what you mean by "involved in politics." I've never worked for a campaign, and if I am remembering correctly, I have had one political bumper sticker on my vehicle in my life. So I am probably not the typical blogger who enjoys the game of politics and has worked for various campaigns and/or elected officials.

Having said that, I'm fascinated by certain angles of politics. The confluence of religion and politics, for example. And I'm always interested in what is actually motivating us in the political choices we make. It's often not what it appears, even to the voter himself or herself.

With limited exceptions, the local media seems more concerned with fitting in to the community than with providing a check on government action. The State Newspaper and WIS-TV, for example, are more about being our neighbors than asking any really hard questions. This is one (although only one) of the reasons we end up with political leaders who don't serve us very well.

In the State House, they're too busy debating banning sex toys, or getting the Ten Commandments posted in schools, to choose two examples, to focus on the real issues facing this state. Blogs, it seemed to me, could help correct this.

But I'm not naive about the ultimate influence of blogs, which is, of course, only slight.

When did you start blogging and why?

I began blogging January 9, 2006. The first location of the blog was http://not-very-bright.blogspot.com. I moved to the Wordpress domain in March. The explanation for my starting the blog can be found in my first entry: http://not-very-bright.blogspot.com/2006/01/beginnings.html.

There's a statistic somewhere that says 94% of all new blogs are abandoned within three months. Not really. I made that up. To make a point.

And that point is that people who write blogs make things up. No, wait. That wasn't the point. The point was that there really is not a good reason for me to be doing this. I mean, I'm a busy guy. Or girl. And take a look at the other South Carolina blogs. I don't mean the ones that talk about her latest knitting pattern or tell that fascinating story about how the setting on the toaster somehow was too dark and so the toast was a little crispier than he liked it. Not those.

I mean the ones that talk about political issues in this state. Let's see how to say this nicely. It's a small club. It's like junior high, when there was an in-crowd. Only these people weren't it. You follow me? I know, I don't really follow myself sometimes.

But here's the thing: I want to believe. I want to think that somehow expressing opinions about the issues of the day matters. And I think those other bloggers do too. That's why I like them. I mean, I wouldn't want to have them over for dinner or anything, but I like the fact that they care.

Some of those other blogs write about legislators the way my sister used to write about Donny Osmond thirty-five years ago. That's not me. I'm not going to be able to express an opinion about who the best-looking legislators are because, well, heck, I can't even identify the ugly ones.

But I'm fed up in a Howard Beale sorta way. And I'm tired of explaining to my friends in other places that yes, we (choose one) 1. Have a Confederate flag flying in front of the statehouse; 2. Had a government official convicted of some scheme relating to (gulp) cock-fighting; 3. Continue to elect - damn, there's no thesaurus in blogger to plug the word "clown" into - OK, never mind, I will come back to this one.

I dunno. I figure there are enough readers to go around. Some of those entries have not two but three - count 'em - comments. There's clearly an audience for this stuff.

Anyway, you get the idea. One stop shopping. Or reading. Or something. Come here and have your worst fears confirmed AND have a good laugh.

How are blogs changing politics in your state?

My guess is they aren't. I do not overestimate the impact of bloggers on a day to day basis. The general electorate doesn't even know what a blog is, much less read one. But there's always hope.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:44 PM

2/27: One Giant Focus Group

Some critics may assert that conservative blogs do little more than get bloggers fired from their day jobs. But as WH'08 continues to play out, it's clear they can also serve as testing grounds for candidate responses to troublesome issues. Since ex-NY mayor Rudy Giuliani convinced more conservatives he was running, hardly a day passes in The Corner without some contributor offering his/her defense of Giuliani on some issue (guns, gays, immigration, abortion, etc.) and then later reporting back on email response, often even adding reader suggestions on how to improve Giuliani's case. Frank Luntz could only dream of this kind of instant feedback.

GIULIANI: A Coming Out Party

Noting that some conservatives "have wondered when he would begin making appearances at events targeted at the conservative community" Captain's Quarters lets readers know Rudy Giuliani will be speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) 3/2. Forwarded the story by Giuliani's eCampaign Adviser Patrick Ruffini, CQ comments: "This is a smart move for Giuliani."

A quick tour of The Corner previews the issues on which Giuliani will face a skeptical crowd. John Derbyshire tries to defend Giuliani's record on immigration, explaining Rudy "has a personality and intellect not the least, NOT THE LEAST, inclined towards the sappy-sentimentalist kumbaya view of humanity at large, or of immigrant humanity in particular (here, at least, his family background will have been informative)." Bull Dog Pundit at Ankle Biting Pundits responds by linking to Giuliani efforts to fight federal welfare-immigration reporting requirements requirements and comments: "To me this position is very troubling. It seems that not only is Rudy in favor of a [John] McCain-like amnesty program, he actually went to court to protect illegal immigrants.

Also at The Corner, Ramesh Ponnuru notes Giuliani had other problems with the '96 welfare bill prompting Kausfiles to wax: "Hillary Clinton was almost certainly in favor of the 1996 welfare reform law while Rudolph Giuliani opposed it. ... That could mean Giuliani is more liberal than people realize ... or it could mean that Giuliani is more opportunistic than people realize and therefore more likely to reposition himself. ... My guess: Both, but definitely the latter."

Looking to help Giuliani rehabilitate his gun-control past, Derbyshire later admits how silly Giuliani would look duck hunting and posts photo-up suggestions from a reader: "A much more suitable photo op would be for him to shoot an IDPA match, where shooters emulate concealed weapons permit holders acting out real-world bad-guy situations. It fits much better with his tough-on-crime image, and would appeal more to the hard-core 2A [ i.e. Second Amendment] types."

Back in IA, the Caucus Cooler passes along rumors that "former RNC Early Vote/Absentee Ballot director Tony Delgado will manage Rudy Giuliani's campaign in Iowa. In addition KC Jones will be the reg. pol. dir. who oversees the state. Jones spent a brief stint in IA working for Pres. Bush. In '04 she was the Minnesota deputy exec. dir. for the pres. Most recently she ran Rick O'Donnell's cong. race in CO-07. A number of Iowa activists with ties to Jones have said they've received calls from her in the past week regarding Mayor Giuliani's campaign."

MCCAIN: No Word On Whom Hagel Is Endorsing

RCP Blog's Tom Bevan tells John McCain: "If you're looking to mend fences and try to become the choice of conservative Republican primary voters, it's best not to go around trumpeting news of an endorsement by Senator John Warner of Virginia - especially after Warner just finished spearheading an effort in the Senate to rebuke the President and undermine his Iraq policy."

In more positive McCain blogging, Extreme Mortman reviews jokes from McCain's recent IA tour. After posting McCain's, "I don't know if you heard the story about in the state prison, one inmate, they were in the chow line and one of 'em said to the other one: 'The food was a lot better in here when you were governor.'" joke, Mortman comments: "the joke works because McCain saves the kicker - "governor" - for the very end. All too often bad joke tellers telegraph the punchline early in the joke, rendering it useless by the end. McCain's got a good sense of timing. Must be why he skipped Iowa last time."

ROMNEY: Iraq Rarely Comes Up

RCP Blog's Tom Bevan interviewed Mitt Romney 2/26 including:

• RCP: What's the question you get asked most?
• ROMNEY: From Republican crowds most often the question relates to immigration, then education and health care. Interestingly, very rarely is there a question about foreign policy, Iraq, Iran. I typically have to insert those into my opening remarks to get the audience to draw out on that at all.
• RCP: What's your impression of the job Rumsfeld did?
• ROMNEY: I really don't think pointing fingers at individuals is a productive exercise at this point. Clearly the president would agree the buck stops with him. He's responsible for the management of our affairs, and I would not suggest we go and try and find individuals within various departments to assume the blame.

Reacting to the Romney's thoughts on interview response to questions about Iran, Ankle biting Pundit's's Bull Dog Pundit writes: "So the bottom line - Mitt is saying the right things and is short on specifics, but I don't think any candidate could have given any more detailed answers and really known what the hell they were talking about."

ROMNEY II: Like A Virgin

The Corner's Peter Suderman got a laugh out of Grover Norquist's explanation as to why conservative seem willing to forgive Romney's past liberal positions: "It's called secondary virginity," Mr. Norquist said. "It is a big movement in high school and also available for politicians."

Suderman comments: "That's cute ... And I think he's right: Conservatives ought to be open to converts." The Brody File, however, notes that not all Evangelicals are impressed with Romney's wayward teen impersonation posting text from a former NH Christian Coalition dir. Paul Nagy email: "As a longtime conservative activist in New Hampshire, I thought it was important that my fellow conservatives see these videos of Mitt Romney passionately outlining his SUPPORT FOR abortion, SUPPORT FOR gay marriage, SUPPORT FOR Affirmative Action, and OPPOSITION TO Ronald Reagan's economic policies."

Brody comments: "It's too early to go counting numbers but this email illustrates an important point. There seems to be a split in Evangelical conservative circles about Romney."

CLINTON: Sisterhood Only Goes So Far

Noting that "as my mother's daughter, I feel obligated to support and vote for Hillary Clinton" Alternet's Courtney Martin asks if she is "obligated, as a young feminist" to support HRC? Explaining why not, Martin writes: "As a young, fed-up progressive, I want to vote for someone who seems real, who strikes me as outside of the old guard and its outrageously overblown campaign spending. I want to support a candidate who doesn't compromise on certain issues -- violence, the constitution -- and understands the wisdom of the 'middle path' in others -- taxes, Social Security. ... That person is not looking much like former first lady, current Senator Clinton."

Talk Left's Jeralyn Merritt links and adds: "I don't think feminism requires one to to vote for a female candidate. ... if I decide to support Hillary, it won't be because she's a woman. It will be because I think she's the best choice to lead our country, based upon her experience, intelligence and position on issues -- all issues, not female issues."

EDWARDS: His Better Half Indeed

"As an aside" DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas tell readers, "I can't tell you how many times I've heard people say (in DC and outside it), 'I wish Elizabeth Edwards was running instead of her husband.' I don't take that as a knock on John, but testament to how much of a star Elizabeth could be."

Also at Daily Kos, David Mizner links to Ezra Klein The American Prospect profile of John Edwards and asks: "Edwards Rejects Clintonomics; will Obama?" Over 850 Kossacks commented on Mizner's diary (overwhelmingly positive) which included: "Here's a layman's explanation of Clintonomics (the only kind I'm capable of giving): limited, targeted social spending-especially on education, research, and science-combined with an obsessive commitment to "free" trade and yearly balanced budgets."

Mizner identifies where Edwards departs from the plan: "Edwards is tipping over the two sacred cows of corporate-sponsored Clintonomics: "free" trade and yearly balanced budgets. Instead, he's promoting fair trade and an activist government that helps the middle class, the working class, and the poor." Mizner then challenges Obama: "But where Barack Obama stands is an open question. The early signs are not promising. He recently headlined the kickoff event for the Hamilton Project-the Wall Street backed group that seeks to quash progressive reform of America's trade policy."

GORE: But He Bought An Indulgence At The Church Of Native Energy, So It's All Good

Seeing The Forest's Dave Johnson and The Huffington Post's James Boye co-wrote a Daily Kos diary examining a "Right Wing Smear Machine" attack on Al Gore following his big Oscar night 2/25. The diary tracks "The Tennessee Center For Policy Research" (which claims: "Gore's mansion, located in the posh Belle Meade area of Nashville, consumes more electricity every month than the average American household uses in an entire year, according to the Nashville Electric Service (NES)") dissemination through conservative news outlets, starting with The Drudge Report, moving to many conservative blogs and finally ending up at ABC News and Fox News.

Johnson and Boye attack the report: "How did they get the utility bills? They also didn't have the courtesy to ask Vice President Gore about them (despite their hollow claim of being non-partisan.)" They also link to Gore's response, via Think Progress, which does not refute any of the facts asserted in the Drudge Report but does offer:

• 1. Gore's family has taken numerous steps to reduce the carbon footprint of their private residence, including signing up for 100 percent green power through Green Power Switch, installing solar panels, and using compact fluorescent bulbs and other energy saving technology.
• Gore has had a consistent position of purchasing carbon offsets to offset the family's carbon footprint - a concept the right-wing fails to understand.

OBAMA: Wasn't Dean The King Of Meet-Ups?

Calitics diarist 'atdleft' is amazed at the "grassroots infrastructure" the "Obama folks" are already setting up across the country. After attending meet-ups in Fullerton and Costa Mesa, CA, the self-identified Obama volunteer writes: "Again, people from all walks of life and from throughout the county braved the gloomy weather outside and the always busy freeways to come and meet fellow Obama supporters in OC. And yes, about halfway through we were all setting up a real grassroots primary campaign here in Orange County, a place with so many Democrats, yet a place that is often ignored by the national Dems (except when they want money)."

IRAQ: More Partisanship Wanted

Stu Rothenberg received rare agreement from Kos and Atrios after advising Dems to make Iraq a more partisan issue writing: "In fact, a partisan division over the war probably would help Democrats by further damaging the Republicans between now and next year's Presidential election."

Kos comments: "Make the war partisan. The GOP already did." Atrios adds: "Republicans want to continue the war and Democrats want to end it. It's that simple. ... Make it partisan. The Republicans are. Let them have their war." Also following the story, The Carpetbagger Report's Steve Benen writes: "Dems want to end the war. Republicans prefer an open-ended commitment and falling in line behind a president who's been wrong every step of the way in this crisis from the outset. Let's take that dynamic to the country and see what happens."

Hoping Dems do take their proposals to the public, Townhall's Dean Barnett attempts to tell Kos why the Dems are unwilling to be more aggressive in ending the war: "When the Democrats ran in 2006, they positioned themselves as anti-Bush on Iraq. No further elaboration was forthcoming. That was their entire Iraq platform. They insisted that providing plans for Iraq wasn't in their job description, much in the way my petulant maid at Soxblog Manor insists that she doesn't do windows."

Dean adds: "While the public clearly doesn't like the war in Iraq, it also doesn't like the idea of losing the war in Iraq. If the Democratic congress declares defeat or undermines the war effort, then they'll risk public scorn. And it there's one thing that the Democrats don't want is public scorn. After all, we're only 21 months away from a presidential election."

IRAQ II: Prelude To Spring

The Washington Post is under heavy netroots fire for not adequately promoting its poll's finding that 58% would support "Congress trying to block Bush's plan by creating new rules on troop training and rest time that would limit the number of troops available for duty in Iraq." The Left Coaster's Steve Soto comments: "The real reason that the Democrats are losing some support with the public over Iraq is because the White House and the congressional GOP leadership have successfully established a narrative with the media that the Democratic Party is flailing each week to defund the troops."

Soto advises: "Democrats should ready themselves for the next stage in this debate this spring, such as the [Joe] Sestak plan and a limit on funding in the FY 2008 appropriation process. In the interim, the weekly message from Democrats should be that the GOP had a chance to take control of this war, and instead voted to keep it on autopilot."

Happiness with Dem action on Iraq remains highly mixed. At MyDD, David Sirota responds to an AP's description of internal Dem 'divisions' writing: "Make no mistake about it: The renewed refusal by Democrats to use their majority in even the most basic way to stop the war is a declaration that the new majority is not close to using even the most basic powers afforded to it to stop or slow down the war. In other words, in backing off, the Democrats have just weeks after the 2006 anti-war election mandate effectively declared themselves as supportive of the Bush administration's stay-the-course policy - a truly sickening act of cowardice."

But fellow MyDDer Chris Bowers argued the AP was selling Dems short: "First, the article never actually quotes Pelosi saying anything against Murtha's plan--it just claims she said that. Attacking her because of words a reporter put into her mouth is unfair, especially considering how often it happens to Democrats. ... Yes, the war is the most pressing issue we face, and yes there are Democrats who are not on board that we need to pressure. However, this is a crap article that is utterly unfair to the Democratic leadership that is in fact still pursuing plans to end the war as vigorously as ever."

NEVADA CAUCUS: Leaving Las Vegas

Citing NV Dem refusal to disassociate Fox News from 8/14's WH '08 forum, Kos says top-tier candidates looking to both free up their schedules and score points with the netroots should just skip the event. He writes: "The best thing Barack Obama may have done this young primary season was to freeze out Fox News after their "Madrassas" smear of him. I don't know if he's still cutting them off, but fact is, he sent an unmistakable message -- he'll only deal with legitimate news operations, and Fox News ain't one of them."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Another Campaign Must

Techpresident's Fred Stutzman did a quick survey of the top links generated by Googling WH '08 names and reports: "For each candidate, their Wikipedia entry is ranked no lower than 5th place by Google. In addition, the Wikipedia entry ranks higher than the election web presence of that particular candidate for 25% of Democrats and 60% of Republicans. There is no other entity on the web that plays such a systematically influential role in candidate information positioning as Wikipedia, pointing to its increased importance as a messaging tool in the 2008 cycle."

Stutzman continues: "This is truly eye-opening data. Wikipedia's influence is systematic and pervasive, perhaps to the point of overreaching. Should Wikipedia outrank a candidate's electoral site? Clearly, this shows that monitoring Wikipedia is a must for every campaign - thankfully Wikipedia makes this easy with RSS-based monitoring."

LEST WE FORGET: As Long As Were On The Subject ...

The Corner's Jonah Goldberg shares the rules of a reader's new poker game called -- Wikipedia:

Each player is dealt three cards, with five common cards on the table, meaning each player has eight cards with which to make his best 5-card poker hand. After a round of betting, each player is given to the opportunity to "overwrite" one common card with one of his hole cards, and take a replacement hole card from the deck. The "overwrite" costs 10c (for bandwidth). Another betting round ensues, followed by a second "overwrite" round with the cost raised to 20c (next round 30c, etc.). Once a player passes on the chance to overwrite, he cannot elect to do so in a later round. Betting and overwriting continues until all players pass their chance to overwrite. After one last round of betting, players reveal their hands.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:23 PM

February 26, 2007

Blogger Spotlight: Democrats in the South

Not even jury duty can stop the Blogometer's Blogger Spotlight from moving down to SC as expected. Better late than never, please enjoy our interview with Democrats in the South's Max Blachman.

What is your full name?

Max S. Blachman

What is your age?

21

What's your hometown?

Columbia, South Carolina

Where do you live now?

Charleston, South Carolina

What is your educational background?

I'll graduate from the College of Charleston in May with a bachelors degree in political science.

What is your occupation?

Student

When did you first get involved in politics and why?

I grew up in a political home. Both of my parents were active in Bill Clinton's presidential campaign in 1992, and I have fond memories of running around the Clinton headquarters in Columbia while everyone else was hard at work. I began to pay closer attention to politics during the 2000 election, which coincided with my freshman year of high school, but I was finally bit with the political bug during my senior year. I settled on the College of Charleston and began pursuing a degree in political science from day one. I've been a volunteer, intern, and staffer during the last two election cycles, and decided to establish a political blog after returning from a six-month internship on Capitol Hill.

When did you start blogging and why?

I needed a hobby, so last July I decided to start a blog called Democrats in the South. I spent an exciting six months as an intern in South Carolina Congressman James E. Clyburn's office on Capitol Hill, but I had a tough time adjusting to life in South Carolina after it was over. One night I was reading several of the more popular political blogs in South Carolina, and it occurred that I might enjoy becoming a blogger. Political campaigns in South Carolina and across the country were heating up, so I decided to join the blogging community and share my point of view. I solicited a number of established South Carolina bloggers for advice, and began to post regularly on my own blog and comment on others. The whole experience has been tremendous. Political blogs promote a wider variety of viewpoints than traditional media, and allow for a dynamic discussion of current events without the usual filters and bias of corporate owned media.

How are blogs changing politics in your state?

Political blogs are constantly evolving, but the most important consequence of blogs in South Carolina is the decentralization and democratization of information. There are two major political news aggregators in South Carolina that steer web traffic to relevant political news sources, and blogs are commonly linked on these websites. Blogs have changed the rapidity with which we receive information, and traditional political reporters have come to rely on the blogs for additional information. The South Carolina blogosphere is constantly changing, but there is clearly an appetite for this kind of non-traditional news reporting and commentary.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 03:03 PM

2/26: The Movement Candidate?

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em ... especially if you don't really have anything against 'em in the first place. That seems to be the M.O. playing out in the awkward-but-warming mating dance between the netroots and Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL). Slowly, Obama seems to be winning liberal bloggers' praise, but he's doing so more by proving his electability and the aura of inevitability (i.e. huge crowd numbers in TX over the weekend) than by spouting rhetoric more pleasing to their ears (he talks about unity and there's now mention of poverty on his issues page, while John Edwards is all about poverty). Meanwhile, Al Gore had fun at the Oscars last p.m., but so far this a.m., the only ones having any Gore-related fun in the 'sphere are those on the right.

OBAMA: Biggest ... Rally ... Ever

It's not so much what he said on his 2/23 stop in Austin, TX, (although hitting Dick Cheney can never hurt either). It was the size of his crowds that seemed to most impress the 'roots bigwigs. Texans for Obama reports their clicker counter armed volunteers counted 22K in attendance in what they called: "the biggest rally ever in American history for a presidential candidate this early in the campaign cycle."

TFO has the best collection of Austin video and pictures including more, here, here, here, and here. Burnt Orange Report's Katie Naranjo liveblogged the proceedings writing: "The band is playing "One more step to the promise land," sending the message that Obama will "not be denied" on his quest for the promised land."

DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas doubted the 22K report but added "even the 15,000 mark is pretty darn impressive. No one else in the field, not even Hillary [Clinton], is competing with those numbers." Kos then provides perspective: "At this point four years ago, us [Howard] Dean people were ecstatic over Dean drawing 3,000 in Austin, and that was considered huge at the time, much bigger than what anyone else could manage. 15,000 is mind-boggling."

MyDD's Chris Bowers also sees Kos' Dean's reference and raises him a Kennedy: "This is getting bigger than Dean. The last Democrat to draw these sorts of crowds in a primary season was probably RFK. Even then, he didn't draw them eleven months from the start of the primaries."

CLINTON: He Just Said What Everyone Else Was Thinking ...

Not yet done with the David Geffen/Barack Obama/Hillary Clinton spat The Huffington Post's political editor Melinda Henneberger says Geffen's HRC concerns are nothing she hasn't "heard over and over in 18 months worth of interviews with women voters across the political spectrum, in 20 states from Massachusetts to Arizona and Oregon to Louisiana."

Henneberger quotes FL Dem Mary Jane Arrington: ""I think Bill Clinton could get reelected, but I don't think Hillary can, and I hope she's smart enough to know that. She's smart, but she comes across as a pushy woman. She's not the right one, and to break the glass ceiling, you have to be the right one."

And for a peak at what a general election will look like for HRC on YouTube, check out this Hot Airproduction courtesy of Air Congress.

EDWARDS: He's All Growed Up

Providing a overview on the prospects of all WH '08 Dems in NH Blue Hampshire's Dean Barker writes of John Edwards: "At the beginning of the year, it felt like Edwards was poised to be Howard Dean 2.0. (whether perception or reality -- of no consequence to me). I don't see that now, and it's not just the bloggerdrama. I don't know why he's been polling with a guy who keeps saying he's not running (Gore). Why no traction? Will this weekend's visits will change that?"

An Edwards convert before this weekend's NH trip, Blue Hampshire's NHTimes reports on the attendees of two Edwards house parties and includes this recap of Edwards pitch: "John Edwards spoke succinctly about his health care proposal to cover all Americans, about the need for big steps not baby steps or incremental change. He spoke to the crucial importance of the next President's re-establishment of America's position as moral leader of the free world, about the need to rebuild the reputation of our great country through actions that the rest of the world can look up to. I am very proud to see that the man I supported in '04 has grown to become a true social progressive, one who could be a great President."

Just when you thought the Amanda Marcotte saga had subsided, Majikthise's Lindsay Beyerstein writes at Salon that she was offered the Edwards' campaign blog job and turned it down. RedState's Nelson writes that Beyerstein's article reveals a few things about the whole Marcotte episode: "First, it's clear that the Edwards campaign was looking for someone who would be as abrasive as Marcotte on issues such as abortion, birth control, and social conservatives. They went for Beyerstein first, and when they couldn't have her they went for Marcotte - and "Bob" was well aware of the things that both Beyerstein and Marcotte had written in the past. It was no accident that the Edwards campaign ended up with somebody like Marcotte. That's who they were looking for all along. The second thing this reveals is the completely disingenuous nature of John Edwards' announcement that he would not fire Marcotte. He said: "The tone and the sentiment of some of Amanda Marcotte's and Melissa McEwan's posts personally offended me." If that's the case, then why did he hire them in the first place? Before, we might have assumed that he didn't know about their moonbat posts. We now know that wasn't the case, which makes his assertion that he found their posts offensive awfully suspicious. If he did find them offensive, he must not have minded hiring them despite the offense their posts caused."

DODD: Lamonsters For Dodd

Campaign MattersAri Melber recaps Chris Dodd's recent blog outreach focussing on the support of "popular figure among the netroots" Ned Lamont and including favorable posts at Booman Tribune, Firedoglake, and My Left Nutmeg.

GIULIANI: How The Social Conservatives Were Won

Rudy Giuliani phoned into Townhall's Hugh Hewitt's radio show 2/24. Highlights include:

• Hewitt: Richard Land, I'm sure you saw, he was on record this week saying I don't think Evangelicals will vote for Rudy. I disagree with that, but how do you get past that kind of a block?
• Giuliani: Well, I have spent a great deal of time over the last three, four years in various places, talking to many, many people including clergy, who are, who would describe themselves, I think, as Evangelicals ... And I find that when we spend time together ... that they come away feeling that on most issues, there's agreement. There are some disagreements, but that there's a basic core of looking at the world in very much the same way.
• Giuliani [on imposing a litmus test on judges]: No. No, not a litmus test on a single issue, a philosophical test, meaning what I wanted to know was what's their view of how you interpret the Constitution and laws? Are they...do the Constitution and laws exist as the thing from which you have to discern the meaning and the intent? Or are you going to superimpose your own social views? And I want, I like the first kind of judge, who is a judge who looks to the meaning of the Constitution, doesn't try to create it.

Power Line's Paul Mirengoff links to the interview and comments: "You have to admire the way Rudy Giuliani handles himself. ... It's all there -- the willingness to laugh at himself, the eagerness to share credit and throw in the kind word, the recognition of human imperfection, the respect for the views of others, and the ability (enhanced by all of the above) to talk up his accomplishments and leadership skills without appearing unduly immodest. He's good."

Fellow Power Line contributor John Hinderaker updates: "I heard part of Hugh's interview while driving home tonight. Rudy is indeed very, very good. I was listening while he described how he helped crush the Mafia in the 1980s. I wonder how many voters know that story; not many, I'd guess. People who wonder how Giuliani can appeal to conservatives haven't seen him in action."

Over at Captain's Quarters, Ed Morrissey is happy about Giuliani's decision to address CPAC this week. "This is a smart move for Giuliani. He needs to make his debut with conservative groups soon, before a meme of avoidance starts to gain traction. If my earlier experience with Giuliani gives any indication, he'll shine there as he does anywhere he speaks live. Conservatives there will ask tough questions, and I'm interested to see if he decides to engage in a dialogue at CPAC rather than just a speech."

Not ready to jump on the Rudy train quite yet, IA's Caucus Cooler links to New York Timesstory on the absence of social issue discussions during recent campaign stops in NH, CA, and SC and blogs: "We at the Cooler are starting to wonder when the "softball phase" with Giuliani will be over."

And finally, National Review's York has this nugget at The Corner: Longtime Rudy friend Bill Simon Jr., a darling of social conservatives who unsuccessfully challenged then-CA Gov. Gray Davis (D) in '02, will join Rudy's Rudy campaign today as policy dir.

ROMNEY: At Least No One's Talking About Anyone Else's Mama

The right and left are unhappy with the AP's 2/24 story on the marital histories of Mitt Romney's great- and great-great grandfathers. Power Line's John Hinderaker explains the MSM's motives: "It gives the press an opportunity to take a pot shot at Romney's religion. He is a Mormon, and Mormons are Weird; the best evidence of this proposition is their former practice of polygamy."

The story did let Hinderaker add: "Several readers have pointed out that Barack Obama's father was a bigamist. Somehow, though, there doesn't seem to be any interest in this story, even though it's several generations closer in time." Back talking about Romney and the AP, Captain's Quarters quips: "... And Brigham Young's Great-Great-Great-Grandson Won A Super Bowl

Over at The Brody File, David Brody has received a confidential email circulating within the network of Romney's supporters. "I thought I'd share it with you. I don't put this up as fact just simply to give you an idea of what's being talked about among his supporters." Here goes: "Rumor has it that it's McCain's 'opposition research' team that is pushing all this stuff to a more than willing MSM. They love their guy McCain, and they hate anyone with conservative values. The good news is, with each passing week they become more marginalized as people turn more to the blogosphere for more accurate reporting. I think McCain views Mitt as the bigger threat at this point, so he'll keep his Giuliani powder dry for another day." Brody: "Let the record reflect that The Brody File is not saying this about McCain but Romney's supporters truly believe this. As to what evidence they have, that hasn't been shared ... yet."

BLOGGERS VS. BELTWAY: Viva La Revolution!

NV Dem Chair Tom Collins did not put out any blog fires with his 2/23 defense of FOX News' sponsorship of 8/14's WH '08 forum in Reno, NV. At Daily Kos Collins invoked DNC chair Howard Dean's 50 state strategy and assured readers that "before agreeing to have FOX sponsor this debate, we looked at the debate in Baltimore in 2004 and got, in writing, a number of concessions to fix many of the issues that came up around that, including joint approval of moderators, sets, questioners, signage, etc."

Noting that "during the eight presidential elections from 1976-2004 Democrats received an extremely stable percentage of the self-identified Republican vote" MyDD's Chris Bowers responds to Collins: "the point in bringing this all up is to show that the main talking point the Nevada Democratic Party is using to justify holding a debate on Fox News is hogwash."

Trying to be constructive Bowers suggests that NV Dems attempt to add either/both NPR or/and Air America as co-hosts for the debates writing: "Fox isn't the only place where you can reach new voters, nor the best place to reach new voters. Partnering with Fox on a project does endorse them and provide them with credibility, no matter what someone may claim otherwise." In a less diplomatic vein Bowers adds: "You may think we act like a bunch of snotty know-it-alls, but believe me when I write that during an episode like this, that feeling is absolutely mutual."

Taylor Marsh wants to use the controversy as a rallying cry to change the state party: "Nevada is very unique. At the core of the population is a long, strong, very independent, conservative base that has been fully infiltrated by Republican Lite types and traitor D.I.N.O.'s (Democrats in name only) masquerading as true blue Democrats. ... It's past time for the progressives and moderates in the Nevada State Democratic Party to rise up, organize and vote these traitors out of every leadership position and chairmanship. It's time the registered Democrats of Nevada say enough is enough and we want change now in Nevada. I say, Viva la Revolution! and viva Las Vegas, baby."

IRAQ: Mmmmm, Porridge

RedState's California Yankee shared Min. Leader Mitch McConnell's thoughts on recent Dem legislative action on Iraq: "Senator McConnell said the Democrats are looking for a Goldilocks resolution that's hot enough for their antiwar base, but cool enough so they can continue to claim that they support the troops. Their problem is that none of the Democrats' resolutions is "just right." Senator McConnell stated several times that the only way for the Democrats to end the war is to cut off funds for the war."

Definitely in the "not hot enough" camp, The Left Coaster's Steve Soto writes: "The next time one feels like rationalizing, making an excuse, or denying Democratic party failure with the glib "it's early days yet" they should instantly stop: it's February 25th, precisely 56 days into the new year and 49 days into the new Congress. ... There's still a chance to prove to the American public Democrats are different, Democrats see the vast dangers and did everything they could to stop it. Americans don't expect them to accomplish everything, but they have to see a real effort. There isn't an American alive who thought a non-binding resolution on escalation was a real effort, Jesus save us."

Soto goes onto outline what he wants to see from congressional Dems: "There's still a chance to pass a Congressional resolution (here is where non-binding is appropriate, it's supposed to be a threat only) stating if Bush attacks Iran he and Cheney will be impeached the next week. No ifs, ands or buts, simple instant impeachment, along with total cessation of all funding for any American war effort, anywhere. That's the only kind of leadership that earns respect and elections, and until the Democrats actually do it they'll continue to fail in their duty."

Also with suggestions, The Reality Based Community's Mark Kleiman asks: "Note to Democrats In the debate over the "surge," why isn't the need for troops in Afghanistan among the best arguments against?"

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Politico As Outsourcing Villain?

Townhall's Hugh Hewitt pressed Politico's John Harris on the future of media in DC, including:

• Hewitt: Obviously, there is internet advertising, but this looks very much to me like you're going to make all of the Washington, D.C. bureau of mid-major papers obsolete if you succeed in syndicating this content out. It's written by more experienced reporters, it goes much, much deeper, and you're much better staffed than they are. Shouldn't everyone be polishing up their resumes in that particular part of the business? ... it just seems to me clear that what you're doing is very innovative, and it will replace the bureaus that these out of town newspapers run at great expense inside of Washington. Do you intend at some point to sell your product to them as a sort of wire service?
• Harris: We have no intention of doing that before 2008 in this cycle. I think you're right. I do think the traditional regional newspaper bureaus are soon going to be a thing of the past. Most of those papers are retreating. It wouldn't surprise me if long term, that was a model that we looked at, but I can tell you it's not something we're looking at in the near term, or you know, really even in the medium term. 2007, 2008, we are all about getting our brand established, and sort of making the relationships and the connections with the audience.

LEST WE FORGET: Deep Thoughts By A .249 Hitter

Seamless Baseball's Derek Nelson points us to Tampa Bay Devil Ray Jorge Cantu's perspective on rebounding from his poor 2006 campaign:

"He told me something really wise," Cantu said. "Human beings, we're dumb sometimes, and animals are not. Animals can go down a road and if they see a hole, they go around it. Human beings go and get in that hole. So what he's trying to tell me, if I want to make the same mistakes, I'm going to go into that hole again, but if I'm smart, I'm going to go around that."

Posted by Conn Carroll at 02:52 PM

February 23, 2007

Blogger Spotlight: Pun Salad

Closing out New Hampshire blogs stage right we talk to Pun Salad's Paul Sand. Next week we move to South Carolina and start the week with Democracts in the South's Max Blachman.

What is your full name?

Paul A. Sand

What is your age?

55

What's your hometown?

Rollinsford, NH

Where do you live now?

Is this a trick question? ... Rollinsford, NH.

What is your educational background?

I have a masters degree in physics. That was quite awhile ago, but I can still recognize Schrodinger's equation when I see it.

What is your occupation?

I am a computer sysadmin (aka "geek") at the University of New Hampshire.

When did you first get involved in politics and why?

I was a (very young) volunteer for the Barry Goldwater campaign in 1964 back in Omaha, Nebraska. As one measure of my effectiveness, I believe this is the only Presidential election since 1936 where Nebraska voted Democratic.

When did you start blogging and why?

I'm coming up on my two-year blogiversary at the end of February. "Why" is a complex question, but I think it's primarily due to my juvenile infatuation with seeing my own words on the web.

How are blogs changing politics in your state?

I don't know. I would like to think they are encouraging grassroots participation, a greater awareness of issues, and a sober weighing of options. But if someone claimed those kind of things were actually happening, let alone blog-driven, I'd want to see the evidence.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 02:09 PM

2/23: Unity Before Strength

Criticism of Victory Caucus traffic numbers aside, the conservative blogosphere has largely united behind Pres. Bush's Iraq surge plan. As Dems continue to move through war plans in Congress, however, there's a growing rift among left-leaning blogs on what both the goals and tactics of cong. Dems should be. The netroots can be a powerful force when they concentrate their efforts in unison. But when divided, there's little evidence they can affect office-holder behavior on an issue.

GIULIANI: Social Issues Matter, Unless They Don't

"[P]ro-life fiscal conservative" ex-Rep. Jim Nussle (R-IA) was RedStateradio with Erick Erickson 2/22 to discuss his "surprise" early endorsement of Rudy Giuliani. Erickson recaps: "When I asked Congressman Nussle about Rudy's social stances, he said he felt strongly that those issues would not be as serious in the next few years as national security issues. He also said that of all the candidates running in either party, Rudy is the one guy who has truly been tested."

Not in Rudy's camp, The Corner's Terry Jeffrey seconds Kate O'Beirneclaims that a Giuliani candidacy would spell disaster for the GOP: "Bottom line question: If the GOP runs a candidate such as Rudy Giuliani, who mirrors the Democratic candidate's liberal positions on key social issues, and who will not benefit from the presence of a marriage amendment on the ballot, does the GOP increase or decrease its chances of winning Ohio? Running against a senator who just won a landslide reelection in New York, Giuliani is far more likely to paint Ohio blue than his home state red."

HUCKABEE: Hawkeyes Not For Huckabee

IA's Krusty Konservative has dropped Mike Huckabee from his latest caucus power rankings, writing: "[W]hile it's very early and there is plenty of time to campaign in the state, I'm starting to wonder if Iowa is a priority for the Huckabee campaign. Huckabee made a two day visit to Iowa in late January. On that visit he also announced that Bob Vander Plaats and Danny Carroll, two respected conservatives, had joined his campaign. Since the visit, there has been no news about his campaign, and he has yet to hire any Iowa staff."

MCCAIN: Somebody Get Jonathan Silverman On The Phone!

Any blogmentum gained earlier in the week by John McCain has officially been killed with a recent solid round of negative blog posts. RedState's Rob Bluey hits McCain for yet again not attending the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on 3/1-3/3. Bluey notes that this will be McCain's third conservative confab skip, in a row, including the National Review Institute Conservative Summit and the Heritage Foundation's Conservative Members Retreat. Blury further reports:

A source close to McCain's campaign told me the senator felt he could skip CPAC because conservatives are familiar with his credentials. When I told this to American Conservative Union President David Keene, he replied, "They are right in one respect; we are certainly familiar with his record on campaign finance reform, global warming and taxes to make a judgment even in his absence."

The Right Angle Blog's Amanda Carpenter and Ivy Sellers remind readers that McCain's "amnesty bill" is set to go through committee soon. Sellers reminds readers McCain co-sponsored the bill with Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and writes: "The bill ... is even worse than the reform bill proposed by the two lawmakers last year, which cleared the Senate but was never signed into law."

McCain also took heat for supporting "the kind of mandatory reductions in carbon emissions that California" enacted under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in '06. Townhall's Matt Lewis comments: "Every time McCain starts to gain some traction with conservatives, he goes and does something like this. It seems to me that if his staff just locked him in the basement for the next few months, he'd win in a landslide. Maybe a "Weekend at Bernie's" campaign (figuratively speaking, of course) is in order?"

Also tracking the story, Ankle Biting PunditsBull Dog Pundit says McCain sided "with the loons on the left and Arnie in supporting environmental policies that would cripple the nation's economy." When fellow ABP contributor and McCain aide Pat Hynes fired back with "a recent South Carolina poll, McCain is well within the mainstream of GOP thinking on this matter" BDP responded: "Come on Pat, let's look at who commissioned that poll. It was done for "Environmental Defense," a far left environmental organization."

ROMNEY: Boppin' Around The Blogosphere

Responding to Jonathan Martin's 2/21 Politicostory featuring pro-life litigator James Bopp's "He's still on a journey" abortion quote, Bopp commented on conservative blog Race4'08: "The last four paragraphs of Jonathan Martin's blog combines answers to several questions to me creating the erroneous impression that I am uncertain about Romney's pro-life position. I am not."

RedState's J Bonham further beats back the Martin story: "When Bopp's statements are misconstrued in the Politico all the cynics knock Romney for not being Pro-life enough for Bopp. I hope today these cynics will follow suit and admit Bopp believes in Romney, and admit that just as a damning statement from Bopp carries weight, so does a strong statement of endorsement."

Also in defense mode, The Corner's Kathryn Jean Lopez defends her claims Romney "had a bad week(s) in terms of the commentariat" and goes on to defend Romney: "I hope he rises about all this and I have no doubt he can. Whether or not he does, the coming weeks and months will tell. It may turn out that airing all this stuff early will be an advantage to him. ... And maybe it's a good sign for Romney that there are a lot of passionate well-spoken (or written) Romney fans on the Internet - I'm certainly hearing from them today."

Also commenting on 'passionate well-spoken' online Romney fans, RedState's Hunter Baker marvels at Townhall's Dean Barnett attempt to portray this as "a great week for Romney." Baker summarized Barnett: "He's been giving the press the old rope-a-dope technique. Romney is Ali and the media (maybe meaning the conservative media) is Foreman. Don't worry, Romney's detractors will punch themselves out and he'll land a haymaker."

In other Townhall Romney push back, Barnett attacks Strategic Vision assertions that Romney is 'tanking' responding: "In the past month, Romney's gone from 8% to 9% in Strategic Vision's Iowa's polling. At the risk of splitting hairs, I feel it's necessary to note that this means Romney has actually picked up a point. Believe me, I spent a lot of time crunching the numbers on this."

ROMNEY II: Cat Fight In SoCo Land?

The Brody File continues its coverage of Romney's rocky relationship with MA social conservatives this time reprinting assertions from Orthodox Jew Don Federer, who claims: "Except for offering lip-service to traditional marriage, Romney did exactly what gay activists wanted him to do -- nada."

Via TBF, the Romney camp responds: "The Governor did everything in his power and went beyond just a symbolic gesture in his effort to preserve traditional marriage! He launched a drive for a constitutional amendment that would be guaranteed by a vote of the people, thereby protecting it from activist courts. Governor Romney fought for a long-term permanent defense of the institution of marriage with the participation of the people of the state."

Brody takes a step back and observes: "I received an interesting response from Brian Camenker from the conservative group Mass resistance. They think Romney's a phony and that I'm buying in to the deception. ... Since I have brought up Mass Resistance, let me make mention of something I've discovered. It's important to make a distinction between conservative in-state grassroots groups and the bigger, national ones like Family Research Council and Focus on the Family. These smaller grassroots groups tend to be more rabid when it comes to fighting the fight on their pet causes. ... My sense is that these smaller groups believe the power player national groups have an interest in power and a seat at the table, watching closely so they can back the right candidate in 2008. The smaller groups know they won't have a seat at the table so they focus elsewhere."

DEM FIELD: Edwards Had Trouble With Bloggers Recently?

DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas is out with his latest "cattle call" reminding readers this isn't whom he likes, just his take on "where these candidates sit in the race today."

• 1. Hillary Clinton (up arrow): "Her announcement rollout was masterful. ... Iraq is already giving her fits, and will present a long-term problem for her campaign. But for now, most people are blissfully unaware of her Iraq record."
• 2. Barack Obama (up arrow): "He has parried off the early attacks skillfully and is getting a great deal of traction on Iraq. He's drawing thousands to his rallies, hinting at a Dean-like popular phenomenon in the makings. ... Oh, and the money will be there. Lots of it."
• 3. John Edwards (down arrow): "Boy, that blogger stuff wasn't his campaign's finest hour. They betrayed a lack of preparation, foresight, and basic vetting. ... The good thing is that this happened so early that it won't register as even a blip in a few months.
• 4. Bill Richardson (up arrow): "Put aside his hokey desire to have the candidates make a pledge to campaign only positively (those things never survive the heat of battle), Richardson is quietly building up support and raising money.Of all the announced candidates, Richardson has the greatest potential to break into the top tier."
• 7. Chris Dodd (only remaining up arrow in field): "His remarks at the DNC and AFSCME cattle calls were generally well received."
• 10. Wesley Clark (down arrow): "He's not even in the race, has no operation, and his public profiles is fading as the rest of the field takes center stage. This is the last time I include him in either the straw poll or cattle call unless he announces."

CLINTON: Didn't Edwards Whiff The First Time Too?

Claiming "The swiftboating season has already begun," Carson City forum attendee Taylor Marsh posts the full text of the "Why Can't She Win?" anti-HRC fliers posted on car windshields during the debate. The flier begins:

If John Kerry had won Ohio in 2004 he would have won the presidential election. Unfortunately, he lost. Why? Many pundits blamed the gay ballot initiative, a statewide measure than mobilized conservative voters to turn out in larger numbers than their liberal counterparts. This should give pause to anyone considering voting for Hillary Clinton as the Democratic nominee for the presidency.

and ends:

In short, if conservatives are motivated to turnout across the country like they did in Ohio in 2004, we risk losing more than the presidency. We also risk losing the Senate, House, and other statewide offices. Let Sen. Clinton stay in New York and use her intellect and skills to help further the Democratic agenda. We can't afford her at the top of the ticket.

Not in an HRC-defending mood, Kos had twoposts hitting HRC on Iraq 2/22 including: "Hillary is in trouble in Iraq. She has no out. The time to change her position in Iraq should've been when it wouldn't look like clear pandering, before she stubbornly dug in her heels. ... But I don't want people who find religion before their presidential bids. I want people who got it right the first time."

DODD: Moving Uphill

Commenting on Chris Dodd's hiring of Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-IA) aide Marc BeltrameIA Progress ' Geraldine writes: "It seems like he's building a good foundation with these hires by tapping into the networks of incumbent Democratic Congressmen. It's still an uphill fight for Senator Dodd in Iowa but he's off to a solid start."

OBAMA: Keep Geffen, Ditch Gibbs?

The netroots are unhappy with the surfacing of their long time foe and Kerry '04 aide Robert Gibbs in Barack Obama's campaign. At issue is Gibbs role in the group 'Americans for Jobs, Health Care and Progressive Values' and their anti-Howard Dean ad (found here) featuring grainy images of Osama bin Laden with a voice over suggesting Dean was "unqualified" due to a lack of foreign policy experience. MyDD's Jerome Armstrong quotes Dean aide Joe Trippi at the time calling the ad "the kind of fearmongering attack we've come to expect from Republicans," one that "panders to the worst in voters."

Kos adds: "Obama clearly dipped into the slimiest corners of DC to pluck out Gibbs. But one can't help but get a little cynical hearing Obama talk about "changing the tone" and all that bulls**t, while hiring a well-known smear-meister best known for his work trashing other Democrats."

Looking back to 2/19, Juls at Calitics picks up on SF Gate blog reports that some San Francisco, CA, Dems did not appreciate Obama's calling Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) a "cutie." SF Gate's Carla Marinucci posts the thoughts of a Dem strategist: "From an opposition research point of view, this marked "a swing and a miss" by Team Hillary: "It would have been easy to get the blogosphere and make sure Fox News and Drudge Report knew about (the quote), and watch it go .. because in a few months, nobody could have gotten away on it."

Juls responds: "I guess I could have emailed the quote out to all of the top bloggers and tried to create a swarm, but it didn't even cross my mind. Brian probably even has the quote on video. Even as we talked about the speech over dinner, the word cutie didn't even come up. I wonder who Marinucci is quoting in this post. Did a Hillary staffer really consider pushing this out into the blogosphere?"

IRAQ: Some Surge In Iraq OK?

Netroots reaction to Washington Postreports of Dem shifts away from Rep. John Murtha's (D-PA) Iraq funding limitation plan and towards Sen. Joe Biden's (D-DE) war authorization rescission plan was mixed. AMERICAblog's John Aravosis likes the move "a lot" and suspects "a majority of the American people are going to like" it as well.

MyDD's Matt Stoller saw the shift as a setback for those wanting to end the war, and a sign that more netroots action on the subject was needed: "And let's be real. This talk of authorization is coming from Joe Biden, and while I agree with it, it's only a starting point which will only get worse as McConnell takes a whack at it. Already the House is moving from Murtha's hard stance to the Senate's position. This is soft negotiating. ... As for us, let's get rid of our illusions. Democrats in the House and Senate will move only if we move them. As of now, they are laughing at us openly ... It's time to get to work."

The Left Coaster's Steve Soto, however, is all for the measure especially since it redirects "our focus back to the real war on terror, against Al Qaeda." Soto adds: "The Democrats should wholeheartedly endorse the al-Anbar part of this surge, and insist that our efforts be focused on Al Qaeda in Iraq. Sealing the borders, and pulling back to safe bases while the Iraqis take over in the cities."

Finally, Mystery Pollster's Charles Franklin looks at Public Opinion Strategies recent poll that received strong blog reaction fromleftandright and concludes:

The ironic bit is that the poll isn't far out of line with other polling that has asked somewhat similar questions, yet those previous polls have not touched off a flurry of debate about opinion on the war. Rather, the strongly worded interpretation of the results, both in the POS press release and in the New York Post story, has provoked a reaction out of line with the novelty of these finding. ... A further irony is that the POS survey uses wording for some options that seems likely to draw opinion towards those alternatives rather than others, and yet the results are only modestly different from previous polling. Whatever bias may exist in the wording, it did not produce results dramatically different from others we have seen in the last three months.

BLOGGERS VS. MSM: When Bloggers Attack

Writing at The Huffington Post "Steal This Movie" prod. Robert Greenwald finds FOX to be "painful and infuriating" -- so much that "sometimes I just can't bring myself to watch it." However, he follows Media Matters. Greenwald: "When I started reading their alerts about FOX's vicious and irresponsible smear campaign against Barack Obama, the OutFoxed blood in me got boiling once again and I knew it was time to take action."

In response, Greenwald and his colleagues at Brave New Films launched FoxAttacks "to illustrate what a biased and partisan mouthpiece for the right wing FOX is." Greenwald: "Fox is not a credible news outlet and needs to be stopped. Foxattacks.com will give you the information and tools you need to hit fox where it hurts."

In addition to the video concerning the "erroneous and slanted stories" FOX ran about Obama, the site features a petition asking the NV Dems to drop its recent plans with Fox News to team up for a WH '08 primary debate.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: See, We Can All Just Get Along

Jeff Jarvis advises newspapers trying to adapt: "Cover what you do best. Link to the rest." He explains: "Instead of saying, "we should have that" (and replicating what is already out there) you say, "what do we do best?" That is, "what is our unique value?" It means that when you sit down to see a story that others have worked on, you should ask, "can we do it better?" If not, then link. And devote your time to what you can do better."

Jarvis goes on to to provide an example: "We saw that happening with the Libby trial and Firedoglake's liveblogging of it. As Jay Rosen said at our NPR confab last week - and I've heard this elsewhere - theirs became the best source for keeping up on the trial. Reporters and editors knew it and were using it. So those same reporters and editors should have been sending their readers to the blog as a service: 'We're not liveblogging it, but they are. We'll give you our analysis and reporting later. Enjoy.' That is where the architecture of news must go because links enable it and economics demand it."

LEST WE FORGET: Probably Not Actually Posted By Jim Jeffords

Reacting to news Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) may become a GOPer The Corner's Rich Lowry "got a hoot" out of this comment posted on the story:

by j jeffords on 02.22.2007 at 04:27 PM

Inconceivable! I simply cannot believe someone would switch parties over funding the military during a time of war. He should at least holdout for subsidies on dairy farming or education concessions or some other important matter!

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:35 PM

February 22, 2007

Blogger Spotlight: Democracy for New Hampshire

Democracy for New Hampshire editor Nany Tobi is our guest today, and before moving on to South Carolina next week, we close out NH blogs with a look at Pun Salad author Paul Sand tomorrow.

What is your age?

49

What's your hometown?

I grew up in Lexington MA

Where do you live now?

Milford, NH

What is your educational background?

MS Environmental Education

What's your occupation?

Product Manager, Instructional Design (online learning products)

When did you first get involved in politics and why?

I used to serve on a citizen's recycling committee. I wanted to contribute to the community.

When did you start blogging and why?

I am more of a content editor than a blogger, per se. I manage the DFNH website. Occassionally I write articles of my own on issues that concern me, primarily election integrity. But mostly I post news articles and moderate the site. I am doing this because I believe it is a positive contribution to help our democracy, which, as we know, only can exist with a free press. The corporate media - TV and radio - have fallen down on their patriotic duties to provide the public with accurate and timely information on many issues. So the internet provides an alternate forum for people to help bridge that gap.

How are blogs changing politics in your state?

I think the effects are similar in the State as what we are seeing nationally. Politicians and mainstream journalists watch the blogs to get their finger on the pulse of what people really are concerned about. They also provide a valuable communication tool for both getting news out to, and bringing it in from, ordinary people.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 02:47 PM

2/22: Open Season On Hillary Clinton

CLINTON: Just Stop It

Hillary Clinton's prickly response to comments from Hollywood billionaire David Geffen may be the final straw that pushes the netroots from HRC-ambivalence to HRC-hating. AMERICAblog's John Aravosis writes: "[Y]ou'll recall that we were one of the blogs that, up until recently, didn't have a problem with her ... But Senator Clinton's increasingly nasty campaign tactics and anti-Democratic messaging is getting out of control." Aravosis claims Clinton is "Sistah Souljah'ing the entire Democratic Party" compares her to netroots bogyman Joe Lieberman and repeats Washington Times' accusations that her campaign shopped the Barack Obama/madrassah to news outlets.

The Left Coaster's Steve Soto says "Team Clinton Is Losing Its Mind Already" while MyDD's Matt Stoller asks both camps to "just stop it."

Long time Hillary-Hater Arianna Huffington couldn't get enough of the story helping Chris Matthews fact check Howard Wolfson's claim that Geffen was Obama's "campaign finance chair." Huffington writes: "This wasn't the only ludicrous claim Wolfson made. He also suggested that the Obama campaign "put Mr. Geffen up to this." Does Wolfson really expect anyone to believe that David Geffen is taking his marching orders from the Obama campaign?"

DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas didn't comment on the story, but did dredge up HRC's three day old "Some people may be running who may tell you that we don't face a real threat from terrorism. I am not one of those," quote. Kos comments: "Obama, Edwards, Richardson, Biden, Dodd, Kucinich, Vilsack, and Gravel -- Hillary just accused you of running around saying we don't face a threat from terrorism. Who needs Republican foes when our own "front-runner" accuses you of being soft on terrorism?"

AFSCME: No, What Have YOU Done To End The War?

AFSCME sponsored MyDD's Jonathan Singer to cover the 2/21 Carson City, NV, debate. Reacts to WH '08 Dems includes:

• Chris Dodd: "[S]cores major points with the crowd by correcting Stephanopoulos mispronunciation of Nevada. ... Prompted by Stephanopoulos, Dodd emphatically states that his vote in favor of the Iraq War "was a mistake", but that it is more important that we move forward at this point than think backward -- and that's it's time to end the war.
• Hillary Clinton: "Clinton speaks directly to the issues facing unions and working Americans, like those who are members of AFSCME. She states that she is strongly opposed to the privatization of the federal government, which elicits a positive response. ... On the question of her spat with Barack Obama over David Geffen's comments, she says it should be up to "the other campaign" to decide if they should disavow the comments and that she's happy to be in Nevada (a notable jab at Obama, who is not here)."
• John Edwards: "Talks about working with AFSCME in Nevada to increase the minimum wage in Nevada, and a handful of other states, in 2006. ... Implicitly attacks candidates who won't admit that their support for the Iraq War was a mistake. Stephanopoulos asks a question directly aimed at this point, specifically how it appears aimed at Clinton, which Edwards doesn't directly address, though he does touch on his thoughtmaking process on the issue."
• Bill Richardson: "On the first question from Stephanopoulos, Richardson states that he does believe Barack Obama should denounce David Geffen's comments, that he believes there should be a positive campaign for the nomination, because "that's what the American people want and that's how we're going to win."

Tom Vilsack killed off whatever slim chances he had of becoming a netroots favorite last night by suggesting social security benefits be indexed to prices. Obsidian Wing's Hilzoy writes: "Darn. I didn't know much about Tom Vilsack, but he was somewhere below Chris Dodd and Bill Richardson, but above Hillary Clinton and Mike Gravel, on my list of people to consider if Obama self-destructs and Clark doesn't run. With that one paragraph, however, he has dropped to the spot right above Dennis Kucinich."

Even Vilsack's anti-Iraq war message fell on deaf blogger ears. Responding to Vilsack's questioning the audience, "What have you done... to end the war in Iraq?" Kos shoots back: "What has Vilsack done to end this war? ... where was he the last few years? Well, for one, he was chair of the Democratic Leadership Council between 2005-2007. ... Of course, the DLC has been a haven for pro-war Democratic warmongers, and has been used by the media to paint a picture of a divided party."

In other AFSCME forum coverage The Nation's Marc Cooper says Edwards repeatedly aimed his "rhetorical barrels right at Clinton" over Iraq and took "another indirect swipe" at her by "mocking her promise to achieve universal health care by the end of her second term." And Reno and It's Discontents asks readers not to "pass out from shock" after learning that "Clinton flat out avoided the press" throughout the night.

OBAMA: Subtle Outreach To A Netroots Hero?

Barack Obama came out of the Geffen/HRC dust up smelling like roses. On Daily Kos diarist praised his "DEVASTATING Rapid Response Team" and TAPPED's Ezra Klein writes: "it's becoming satisfyingly clear that the Obama campaign can throw a devastating counterpunch. Good for them. This shows, too, that the campaign is looking for the win, not the vice-presidential slot, as some have speculated."

In other Obama news, Burnt Orange Report looks at Obama's use of Google AdWords noting that Obama ads appear when only three Dem names are queried: Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, and Howard Dean.

GOP FIELD: Whose Frontrunners Are These?

Trying to explain recent "unrelentingly negative coverage [Mitt Romney]'s received from the MSM" Power Line's Paul Mirengoff theorizes: "The MSM has been trying to nominate a progressive/liberal/centrist/moderate/or maverick Republican presidential candidate since the days of Nelson Rockefeller ... But 2008 (including 2007) may well be the MSM's year. That's because the two leading Republican contenders, [John] McCain and Rudy Giuliani, arguably fit somewhere in the progressive/liberal/centrist/moderate/maverick continuum. ... Right now, the MSM faces only one obvious obstacle -- Mitt Romney. Of the major figures committed to running on the Republican side, only Romney takes the conservative position on all major issues."

Captain's Quarters also has worries about McCain and Giuliani, this time surrounding their failure to sign Americans for Tax Reform no-new-taxes pledge: "How big of an issue will this be? For McCain and Giuliani, probably more so than the other candidates ... who has no chance of winning even a respectable showing anyway. Conservatives have issues with both front-runners, and the ATR pledge is almost an entry fee to the caucus. It's the bare minimum for conservatives who want to see smaller government and fiscal discipline, and that cuts across most factions of the Republican Party."

BROWNBACK: Not The Slogan He Was Hoping For

The Corner's Mark Krikorian points readers to news National Council of La Raza honored "Amnesty Sam" Brownback with their Capital Award in '02 and links to photos of Borwnback addressing La Raza in '06.

MCCAIN: When Not Showing Up is 80% of Life

Corner readers unhappy with 2/20's outpouring of John McCain love flooded contributors with email prompting Jonah Goldberg to post one email summarizing many concerns:

The big problem with McCain is that he repeatedly takes a high profile stand for the Democrats on important partisan issues. He does this on important policies like W's tax cuts and torture legislation, and of course campaign finance. ... Maybe he'll be different as a President, but as a Senator he's just been the New York Times' favorite Republican. Great on the war to be sure, but most of the Republican candidates are pretty solid on that front.

Back in IA, the Krusty Konservative argues few conservatives will fault McCain for ditching the Senate's 2/17 non-binding Iraq resolution debate: "I think he made the right call in coming to Iowa and skipping the sham/fraud/stunt that was the resolution to lose the war. There was no substance in that debate in either chamber. It was all grandstanding and rhetorical maneuvering and conservatives know this. I'm confident they won't hold this against McCain and this may even serve to rally additional support for his campaign."

ROMNEY: Long Journey Still Not Over

RedState's Erick Erickson front-paged a user blog pointing readers to well known Pro-life litigator James Bopp's NRO article praising asking social conservatives to evaluate Romney's "conversion" on abortion "in light of the pro-life movement's consistent effort over the years to educate, and thereby convert, people to the cause." The blogger adds: "Good point. Pro-lifers work hard to convert and now they have Romney on their side. They should be celebrating, not providing the DNC some talking points."

Any positive social conservative blogging buzz was short lived though when The Corner's Kathryn Jean Lopez pointed out this Bopp quote given to Jonathan Martin: "I don't know yet about Romney ... I'm not really sure where [abortion] will ultimately fit in his agenda. He's still on a journey." Lopez later adds: "Is amazing when you consider what a big deal the Romney camp made - if, say, e-mails are any indication - of Bopp joining the team as and adviser. So much for that."

Ankle Biting PunditsBull Dog Pundit surveys romney's recent abortion issue damage control and declares the candidate is "Self-Imploding."

BLOGGERS VS. BELTWAY: Hey Hey, Ho Ho, We Don't Have To Go On Fox No Mo'

Netroots efforts to kill Fox News affiliation with an 8/14 Dem WH '08 forum in Reno, NV, have strengthened. MyDD's Chris Bowers directs readers to a BlogPAC campaign allows users to "send an email to Nevada Democrats letting them know you oppose having Fox News host a presidential forum." Over 1,900 have sent emails so far.

Myrna Minx of Reno and Its Discontents reports the campaign is part of a larger effort involving MoveOn.org to "assault" Fox's "status as a news agency." Myrna explains: "I initially had a knee jerk reaction to the dismissive posts about the debate from some of the big blogs because the whole 'dumb Nevadans' thing is already getting old, but I see the wisdom of this Moveon.org effort."

Reading Myrna, Markos suggests NV Dems would never have agreed to the Fox sponsorship without Sen. Harry Reid's (D-NV) approval and urges pressure directly on Reid.

CA 10: Ellen To Become Jane Or Joe?

The netroots are hitting back at The Washington Post's 2/21 article on the possibility of a primary challenge to Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA). The Left Coaster gives the most generous treatment to the piece, calling it "a so-so job of writing up a good story" until the second-to-last paragraph when "they squat a huge dump of contemptible reason and reality, a stinking turd of DC arrogant, deliberately false diction that earns an instant reply here."

TLC is upset the articles closing worries that "the left blogosphere is already grumbling that Democrats aren't doing enough to stop the war. And there's always the left cliff." TLC replies: "Cliff? The Left Cliff? What cliff is that, pray tell? ... Amazingly, these supremely arrogant WaPo pointyheads just leave it there."

Firedoglake's Howie Klein is less generous: "Eilperin and Grunwald have written an inherently dishonest piece- pure Inside-the-Beltway ass-kissery for the powers-that-be. ... And every time Eilperin and Grunwald vomit out "moderate," as though the 135 House Dems with more progressive voting records than her are not moderates, but extreme leftists and dangerous communists, my skin crawls."

Looking forward, Daily Kos' mcjoan highlights the article's observation, "This year, she has marched in lock step with Pelosi," and writes: "Marching lock step with Pelosi is a start for Tauscher. ... Here's the big question. Is Tauscher going to run against us, as she appears to be doing by fundraising using the threat of the netroots, or is she going to take this threat as wake up call to evaluate whether she's faithfully representing her constituency? When she does a gut check, will she end up being a Joe Lieberman or a Jane Harman?"

TAPPED's Ezra Klein also hopes Tauscher takes the Harman route: "That all seems like a model worth following. Tauscher's voting record is certainly troublesome to anyone with firm progressive beliefs. She supported the loathsome Bankruptcy Bill, happily voted to slash the estate tax, and prided herself on her ability to compromise and accept Republican legislation -- and she did all of this from a safe, Democratic district. So why shouldn't left-leaning activists exert the sort of pressure that leads her to think twice before she next betrays their beliefs?"

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Easy Answers To Stupid Questions

Thanking Daniel Drezner for the tip, Matthew Yglesias notes a new survey of International Relations scholars found: "Contrary to popular belief, international relations scholars are not doves, most believe that military force is warranted under the right conditions." Yglesias responds: "What do the others believe? That it's warranted under the wrong conditions? Unwarranted even when the conditions are right?"

LEST WE FORGET: Some Jobs Never End

Riffing off of news archaeologists in Egypt recently found a mummified pharaoh's butler in an underground tomb, The Dilbert Blog writes:

I can imagine the scene 3,000 years ago at the reading of the pharaoh's will. The butler is standing there all hopeful, thinking "I finally have my freedom. Now all I want is that golden goblet that was over the fireplace, and I'm set for life. I told him a thousand times how much I liked it. Please, please, please."
Then the Egyptian lawyer reads the will, and when it gets to the part about the butler it says, "Wrap up what-his-name and stick him in the tomb. I might need him in the afterlife." Worst...boss...ever.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:26 PM

February 21, 2007

Blogger Spotlight: Blue Hampshire

Netroots NH leading light, Blue Hampshire, is ably managed by Dean Barker, Mike Caulfield, and Laura Clawson. Today, Barker takes the time to answer our questions, while tomorrow we move to Democracy for New Hampshire's Nancy Tobi.

What is your age?

35

What's your hometown?

Pearl River, NY

Where do you live now?

Cornish, NH

What is your educational background?

Bard College, B.A., Literature, 1993 City University of New York Graduate School, M.A., Classical Languages and Literature, 1996 Fordham University, ABD ("all but dissertation"), Classical Philology

What is your occupation?

I teach Latin and Greek.

When did you first get involved in politics and why?

When I moved to new Hampshire in 1999, I was struck by how civic-minded people are here, both in respect to the relative autonomy that each town has in Northern New England, and the effect that the primary has on this small state. It was the first time that I realized that politics can be closer than a TV ad.

9-11 can be said to be my introduction to politics, as I'm sure can be said of many in my generation who, like I, grew up in a largely apolitical household. Though always distrustful of President Bush, I followed what was said closely in the run-up to the Iraq war, and ultimately lent it my support due chiefly to Colin Powell's UN presentation and Tony Blair's eloquence. When it became clear in the summer of 2003 that there was no smoking gun of WMD evidence in Iraq, my investment in politics became much deeper. Though I would much prefer to spend my time gardening and reading poetry, the regret I feel over having supported a war I now believe to have been based on lies fuels all of my political activism. An unprovoked invasion based on dubious evidence should be impossible in a functioning democracy. I feel a great need to do what I can, for the sake of my son, to make sure that never happens again in my lifetime or his.

When did you start blogging and why?

Howard Dean was one of the only people speaking to my concerns about Iraq, so sometime over the summer of 2003 I found my way over to the Dean for America blog, which was my first experience with the genre. Over time, my lurking there gave way to commenting, and when Dean's campaign ended, I switched over to Daily Kos, whose Scoop-based community style blog I found much more compelling, as well as the high level of knowledge and information found there.

Deciding to start my own blog in the summer of 2006 came about from a very mundane reason: I was finally able to secure high-speed internet in my area of rural New Hampshire. I began The Yankee Doodler to focus more on New England progressive politics, but it quickly evolved into a blog concerning almost exclusively the Charlie Bass - Paul Hodes Congressional race in the second district.

How are blogs changing politics in your state?

I'm absolutely evangelical about my faith in the power of local blogs, and here is a concrete example as to why. Yankee Doodler was quickly (and happily) followed by two other Bass-Hodes blogs, Laura Clawson's Blue Granite and Mike Caulfield's NH-02 Progressive. Over the course of the summer and early fall of 2006, we noticed through our site meters that we were regularly getting visits from users at computers from the House of Representatives. We were able to trace "concern troll" type comments (dissuading people from directing money and support to Paul Hodes) on Mike's and Laura's blogs to those visits through comparing the timing of the visits and comments. The three of us decided to make this known through a combined post at Daily Kos, which was then picked up by a reporter at Roll Call, who unearthed that our "sockpuppet" was none other than Charlie Bass' Policy Director, Tad Furtado. It resulted in a national news story that had Bass apologizing in late September, not exactly something you want to be doing at that time in a campaign.

Other highlights from the 2006 campaign include blogging about an old press release by Bass that blasted President Clinton over his involvement in Serbia and contrasting that with his lack of criticism of Bush over Iraq. I was later delighted to see this very point featured in the Bass-Hodes debate. It was quite gratifying to me to know that the hours and hours of unpaid work I put into doing opposition research on this race may have paid off in some small way towards Paul Hodes' victory and in having a public servant who, for a change, actually represents me.

Currently on Blue Hampshire (a more community based blog that allows users to post their own diaries, and occasionally see them put on the "front page") we are starting to generate a significant amount of traffic from Democratic activists from all over the state. It has become a great place for them to discuss issues and tactics in an environment that welcomes debate but which is unified in its desire to promote progressive politics. Our topics tend to range from statewide legislation, to opposition research on John Sununu, to the presidential primary. Concerning that last point, it is fascinating to me to see that the candidates, no matter what their background, all feel the need to reach out to local bloggers to help establish connections in the state. It's really an evolution from 2004, where you basically had one internet-savvy candidate. The challenge now for me is to determine the level of grassroots support a candidate has through blogs, or conversely, how much of it comes top-down from a clever campaign strategy. I'm also amazed at how one negative or positive sentence I may write about candidate X on Blue Hampshire can immediately be taken by the candidate's supporters as either an endorsement or unfair condemnation (for the record, I'm undecided at this point).

What's your favorite most unsung specific example of a blogger affecting a political figure, organization, philosophy, or movement?

On the practical side, I'm amazed at the work DavidNYC at Swing State Project does in identifying key races around the country. The fact that he singled out my district early on as a winnable race, long before the media took any interest in it, was a major factor in my desire to focus on it last summer.

In terms of organization and movement, Matt Stoller and Chris Bowers over at MyDD are doing great work in beginning to realize an infrastructure and support system for local blogs, which will be invaluable as we move into the 2008 election season.

In terms of philosophy, I owe a great deal of my blogging style and purpose to Whiskey Bar's Billmon (now defunct). Billmon is a blogger's blogger. He has a writing style worthy of The New Yorker, and a moral fervor about his disdain for the "Cheney Administration" more articulate than anyone I've read. But what makes him brilliant is his ability to find dispte quotes from the same person and contrast them side by side. This is, I feel, what blogs do best: taking information from widely divergent places, putting them next to each other, and as a result arriving at a new understanding about an issue. In a way you could say that this technique is a poetic one, since it is also found in the finest verse.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 01:01 PM

2/21: Panic Attack?

While the rest of the nation may be just getting to know ex-MA Gov. Mitt Romney (R), the conservative blogosphere has already been on an up-and-down roller-coaster with him. And that skepticism has them looking suspiciously at both Team Romney's new attacks on Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and their first TV ads, both of which look like they're designed to shore up Romney's sense of inevitability among donors just when that image may be tanking.

MCCAIN: When Half Pregnant Is Good

The Corner celebrated 'We love John McCain Day' 2/20 starting with Rich Lowry asking if McCain got his 'groove' back on the stump in IA: "He made fun of the Senate. ... He made it clear that he opposes Roe v. Wade. ... He visited an abstinence program. ... He let loose on Rumsfeld and apparently got a positive reaction. ... One thing that was clear from McCain's 2000 run is that he can be fantastic on the stump. The problem with that campaign was not McCain's performance per se, but its strategic mis-positioning."

Jonah Goldberg followed up Lowry's thoughts by admitting "McCain is growing on me" and after voicing his desire for a "a president who has thought long and hard about the relevant issues, and is not afraid to challenge the conventional wisdom and the foreign policy mandarins" Cliff May says, "That describes John McCain pretty well."

Kathryn Jean Lopez adds reaction from a reader: "I've never liked McCain even a little bit, but I find myself where Jonah and Cliff are. If the primary were held today, I'd pull the lever for him. He's right on terror and half pregnant enough on life and taxes."

The Brody File is not on board with the McCainlet, noting Family Research Council's Tony Perkins continued criticism of McCain's position on embryonic stem cell research.

ROMNEY: A Long Time Ago, In A Galaxy Far, Far Away ...

The Corner's Kathryn Jean Lopez introduces '02 footage of Mitt Romney explaining his position on abortion during a debate with Dem Shannon O'Brien writing: "This certainly isn't going to be Romney's week among the blogospheric chattering class."

Director Erick Erickson says he does not want to turn RedState's front-page into an "anti-Corner when it comes to Governor Romney" but links to the '02 footage and says, "This should make clear to folks why I can't support Mitt Romney right now. This is why I can't support him in the primary. This record. These words that he speaks in 2002."

IA's Caucus Cooler also focuses on the footage's vintage, first quoting Romney spokesman Kevin Madden from '07: "Governor Romney's personal experience with a family member impacted his view of the subject 15 years ago, but in grappling with the issue as an elected governor, he reconsidered the issue." CC responds: "Hey Mr. Madden. 2007-2002= 5"

ROMNEY II: The Best Defense ...

Politico reports that Romney is addressing his abortion stance problems by attacking John McCain on the issue are not sitting well with some of Romney's biggest online defenders. At The Corner's K-Lo admonishes: "I would, uh, wait until the case for your guy has been compellingly made first before going on the attack. ... They are legitimate questions to be asking. But I'm not sure Romney's camp is in a convincingly credible position to be asking them at the moment."

RCP Blog's Tom Bevan points out that the video being peddled "doesn't seem very damning to me, especially given that, as The Hotline reports, this clip omits a couple of very important sentences at the beginning." RedState's Ben Domenech is more indignant: "Guess what, Romney fans: when even your biggest promoters don't approve of a tactic, you know something's wrong. That something is the context of McCain's quote, a context that sounds almost exactly like what Gov. George W. Bush had to say in 2000 (anti-Roe, but hearts and minds must change first). And it stops far short of saying "I'm pro-choice," something another candidate had to say a lot more recently."

ROMNEY III: Up And Running ...

Linking to video of Romney's first ad on the air Townhall's Hugh Hewitt explains that after you read his new book, A Mormon In The White House, you'll understand that the furious pace being set by the Romney campaign will not let up, [he] will be fully financed, and continue to innovate both as to methods and as to timing until the nomination is decided."

Fellow Townhaller Matt Lewis questions Team Romney's 'It's the perfect time' official explanation for why the campaign is already on the air:"[T]he best spin doesn't set off my 'spin detector.' This does. ... He's taking a gamble that these commercials will move the numbers enough to allow him to convince donors that he can beat McCain and Rudy (who have consistently been ahead of him in the polls). I respect that. He has moxie. But don't tell me this is part of the master plan."

Opinion at IA's Caucus Cooler is split on the strategy: " On one hand, he'll have free and clear airwaves which gives him the potential to increase his poll numbers which increases fundraising which increases poll numbers again. On the other hand the general rule about these things is to maximize exposure you should never "go dark" once you've been up on the air."

ROMNEY IV: Even More Random Romney Thoughts!

The Cooler also has less than perfect Romney news from the Five County GOP Dinner in Orange City, IA: "It was this event that gave President Bush a lot of momentum 8 years ago. Bush turned out an enormous crowd which furthered the conventional wisdom that he was strong with conservatives and his election was inevitable. ... But word from Northwest Iowa is that Romney didn't get the same boost from this event last night. Only about 150 tickets were sold and the attendance was somewhere near 100. For 5 counties that is a low turnout."

Back at The Corner, Rich Lowry argues Romney is the victim of a rule change in GOP primaries: "It used to be that it was expected that Republicans would become more conservative when they ran for the nomination, and conservatives would welcome it. But Romney has changed on so much so recently, in the age of YouTube and especially against the back-drop of the recent assault on Kerry's flip-flops, that he's getting hammered."

Also from Lowry: "Another friend, on the other hand, pointed out that conservatives usually don't run national races on just being conservative. They bring a flavor and a spin to their conservatism. It isn't a check-the-box exercise. They apply their conservatism to the problems of the day and come up with their own variety-Bush, Newt, and Reagan all did this. Romney hasn't yet. He's just collected a bunch of conservative positions, and is running on the theme of competitiveness. That risks seeming a lot like Bob Dole's "I can be Ronald Reagan if you want me to be."

Finally, RedState's Hunter Baker wants to know why Romney is considered a top tier candidate to begin with, and Mormon Corner readers take George Stephanopoulos to theology school.

DEM FIELD: Goin' Back To NV?

Reasoning "[t]here's no need to further legitimize and enable the GOP's mouthpiece" DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas gives his permission for WH '08 Dems to skip 8/14's debate in Reno, NV, hosted by Fox News. Also worried that "Fox News will use the Nevada Democratic Democrat presidential debate in August to subvert the messages of the candidates and otherwise torpedo the whole point of our caucus thingy right there on national teevee" The Las Vegas Gleaner points readers to an online petition to NV Dems "to bag Fox."

Reno and Its Discontents managed to get a statement from NV Dem spokesman Kirsten Searer including: "The August debate in Reno will allow the Democratic Presidential candidates to speak to the Fox audience who may be hearing from them for the first time for ninety minutes unfiltered and directly." RID seemed mollified by the explanation: "I would hope that the Democratic Party demanded a certain amount of control over how the debate will be staged and produced ... Not doing the debate at this point is like saying that it makes sense not to ask any Republicans for their vote-no matter what the big blogs say."

MyDD's Matt Stoller remains unconvinced: "Fox News is a partisan Republican propaganda shop that hosts 'news anchors' that call Democrats traitors on a fairly regular basis. This is not a channel that deserves legitimacy. They will screw us."

DEM FIELD II: Free Donor Data For Everybody!

Blog P.I.'s Bill Beutler has screen shots demonstrating netroots premiere fundraising tool ActBlue had "a major lapse in network security" over the weekend when a software developer's error granted administrative-level access to some users. Beutler explains that anyone could have used the site to access a Treasury Database and "start downloading sensitive donor information in the form of CSV files showing who had given to whom and how much." Beutler later notes that all of the information made available would eventually be made public by the FCC anyway, but "[i]n the fundraising business, gathering data is difficult. Names, addresses and e-mails would be worth a lot of money to other candidates, political associations or other interested parties. Those names could be cross-referenced against existing lists of known donors, and e-mail addresses of known political donors would be a hot property (even if 'hot')."

CLINTON: Remember, MyDD Was Originally An Astrology Site

MyDD commenter TarHeel hits Hillary Clinton for "cynicism and insider beltway thinking" after TarHeel shows she fairly accurately predicted what Clinton's first "Blog" post would look like. On 1/30 TH predicted: "I'd suspect their first blog post will be by a female maybe turning 18 in 2008, if not certainly in the 18-35 range, talking about how Hillary has opened up a whole new world of possibilities for them and how it's about time we had a female president. You get the gist of it."

Reviewing the actual post TH summarizes: "I was right it would be a first time woman voter, who would emphasize that Hillary's run is symbolic of opening "new opportunities" for women everywhere. However, I was wrong that the person who was chosen is either an extremely low information voter or someone who cares so little about politics that she decided not to vote for the 2000 and 2004 Presidential elections." TH concludes HRC's thinking is so obvious "you can almost predict Hillary's entire campaign."

OBAMA: K-Lo Is To Romney As Arianna Is Too...

Writing "[t]he rhetorical high-point of [Barack] Obama's speech came when he quoted Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous observation that "the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice" Arianna Huffington describes Obama's 2/20 appearance in Los Angeles, CA, as "Something Special." She also quotes a former Bill Clinton advance man: "That was something special. You don't see that kind of enthusiasm -- and especially that kind of crowd. You had it all: young, old, black, white, men, women. It was amazing. Especially this early in a campaign."

CaliticsBrian Leubitz was less overwhelmed: "He talks about cynicism, and hope, and all that good stuff. ... Obama, and a few others, knows that unilateralism is not a sustainable policy. And it is certainly to his credit that he understands that."

OBAMA II: Too Cool For School

Not happy with Obama's CA stop, Taylor Marsh describes his ditching the AFSCME sponsored Carson City, NV, Dem WH '08 candidate forum as worse than any "verbal gaffe" or "blogger brouhaha by a mile." Marsh explains: "a Nevada flyover to diss union members and miss the first presidential forum of the '08 season? Wow. That takes serious political balls. Barack Obama may be the media darling right now, but he should be held to the same standards as all the other candidates, especially when it comes to forums that are meant to give primary voters insight into people who want to be president."

OBAMA III: Sticks And Stones...

DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas introduces Eric Boehlerts response to Maureen Dowd's latest anti-Obama column by reminding readers that kos once called Dowd a "catty, insecure bitch."

For his part Boehlert contrasts Dowd's observations of Obama with 'factual' reports from the Washington Post and the Des Moins Register. Before detailing past Dowd 'hit pieces' on other WH Dems Boehlert adds: "Dowd is treated with utmost respect within elite media circles specifically because she refuses to take politics seriously."

BLOGGERS VS. BELTWAY: Livin' A Prayer

Discussions generated from fall out surrounding Amanda Marcotte's departure from the John Edwards campaign are still taking up pixels in lefty blogger circles. Atrios has led the league in thoughts on the subject, and the New Donkey summarizes his thoughts and responds:

His basic argument, with which I basically agree, is that once "people of faith" inject their religious views into public discourse, the content of those views is fair game for commentary, dissent and even mockery, though mockery may be politically inadvisable if you are, say, involved in a presidential campaign.
I would offer one important qualifier to his general take: mocking the religious underpinnings of some political position is one thing; denying their sincerity is another.

Atrios responds: "I do agree that questioning the sincerity of peoples' faith does anger them. ... I've had this conversation with anti-choice progressives, who think it's important for me to understand that their anti-choice views come from a sincere religious belief. The thing is, I just don't care. The fact that your political beliefs are motivated by your religion doesn't make them special to me."

Also responding to Atrios thoughts on the subject Kos writes: "If a candidate sincerely gets his or her values from religion, then that's fine. The Bible is a wonderfully liberal text. ... But religious values are no more superior than the values I learned from my [grandma] ... They are no more superior than the values Tester learned on the farm from his farmer father and grandfather. Or the values that Webb learned while proudly wearing his uniform."

Kos' post moved Rev. Jim Wallis to respond: "So Kos, let's made a deal. How about if progressive religious folks, like me, make real sure that we never say, or even suggest, that values have to come from faith - and progressive secular folks, like you, never suggest that progressive values can't come from faith (and perhaps concede that, in fact, they often do)." Kos thinks this is exactly what he already proposed. Talk Left's Big Tent Democrat comments: "With "friends" like Jim Wallis, Dems need no enemies."

Back at Eschaton, Atrios had moved on to addressing concerns from Jesse Lava that Atrios rhetoric, including calling religous language gibberish, often sounds dismissive to "devout Christians' ears." Atrios responds: "How is that a barb? I'm not religious, I have only a passing familiarity with Christian theology, its associated customs, and the language used by its adherents when discussing it. Finnish is also gibberish to me ... I'm not obligated to understand your traditions, and don't claim to. It's that simple."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: The Opinion Makers?

Noting the turbulence of conservative blogger opinion of GOP WH '08ers, Townhall's Patrick Ruffini writes:

Here's a paradox for you. Because the activist and highly informed population of blogger-activists is more tuned in right now, they're more persuadable. And their choices will send powerful cues to talk radio, to opinion leaders, and yes, to the MSM, and which will in turn bubble up into mainstream appeal.
It's a Friday ritual in politics to ask "Who won the week?" More and more, the answer to that question can immediately move tens of thousands of influential Americans through online media.

LEST WE FORGET: Real News From Fake World

The Huffington Post breathlessly reports: "Edwards' Virtual Headquarters Found Over Wall Of Scantily-Clad Vixens: The virtual campaign headquarters opened by the John Edwards presidential campaign is seen in the following screen capture, below the billboard featuring the former Senator's image. From an adjacent property, Edwards' visage is found among those of nearly a dozen suggestively posed women."

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:26 PM

February 20, 2007

Blogger Spotlight: Granite Grok

Granite Grok's Doug Lambert is our first spotlight in the New Hampshire blogosphere (primary tentatively scheduled for 1/22). Tomorrow we'll move left and interview Dean Barker of Blue Hampshire.

What is your age?

42

What’s your hometown?

Wonnsocket, RI

Where do you live now?

Gilford, NH

What is your educational background?

HS Diploma - Mount St. Charles Academy

What is your occupation?

Business owner/ entrepreneur

When did you first get involved in politics and why?

Always loved history, read many books, newspapers. Loved Reagan. Became political junkie circa 1985 when moved to NH, started reading Union Leader, and Pat Buchanan's work. That's when I knew I was a conservative.

Got involved in local school board issues, ran for school board in 1997. Met local talk radio/columnist and started contributing to a weekly column and radio program. Started my own column in local paper in 2001.

When did you start blogging and why?

Somewhere around the end of '05 under an alias at a group blog of well-known, but aligned activists and op-ed writers from the right of NH politics. May '06-- Was approached by my partner Skip to start our own blog, Granite Grok. We quickly realized we needed one for local stuff, and our second one was born in August, I think. GilfordGrok.com

How are blogs changing politics in your state?

It seems to move along well with the accelerated pace of politics. It is allowing people to network and share information as never before. It allows the ordinary activist to participate, especially here in the first primary state, as much as the "big guys". I feel that because of my analysis of the scene as I see it here in the Granite State, I actually have some influence in the selection or denial of future presidents.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 01:07 PM

2/20: There's A Thin Line...

While the netroots have made it abundantly clear they have no intention of supporting Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) in the primary, they also have not put much effort into attacking her. In fact, when MSM focus on her realtionship with Bill, the netroots are always among the first to cry foul. That may all change if Clinton keeps having weekends like this past one. While plenty of bloggers have already taken up her invitation not to vote for a candidate who refuses to admit making mistakes on Iraq, more damaging is this line from SC 2/18: "Some people may be running who may tell you that we don't face a real threat from terrorism. I am not one of those." Many on the left see such rhetoric as a not-so-subtle attack on their foreign policy judgment. And considering Clinton's reluctance to question her own judgment, they are in no mood to be lectured about their own.

CLINTON: No Mistaking Her Position

Two recent quotes are antagonizing already skeptical netroots opinion of Hillary Clinton. The first is her line to Dems in Dover, NH, 2/17, "If the most important thing to any of you is choosing someone who did not cast that vote or has said his vote was a mistake, then there are others to choose from." DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas responds: "Thank you, Hillary. I think I will." Kos adds: "Hillary will now see her campaign events hijacked by anti-war protesters, with people demanding she defend her vote at every corner. Iraq will dominate coverage of her campaign, and she's on the wrong side of the issue."

AMERICAblog's John Aravosis also voices his doubts about HRC's new tack: "The most important thing for sixty to seventy percent of the country is finding a new president who "gets it" with regards to Iraq. So, talking about one aspect of the Iraq debate as though it's not the most important thing is, I think, risky." Aravosis also claims that, despite being "not someone who was bugged by Hillary at all in the past," this line is one example of "things I'm reading and hearing the past several weeks" that "is starting to bug me."

The other Clinton line raising lefty blogger eyebrows comes from HRC telling a Columbia, SC, audience: "Some people may be running who may tell you that we don't face a real threat from terrorism. I am not one of those." MyDD's Matt Stoller notes the strong response Clinton received for her speech and comments: "I can't quite get my head around the attraction, but it seems that there's something tribal at work. ... It's amazing. Some of them love her, yet there she is, implying that other Democrats that are running won't protect you from terrorism."

Atrios links to Stoller's post under the header "Hillary on the CFL Ticket?" (ed. note: CFL = CT for Lieberman) and writes: "As I've said I'm going to try to stay out of the food fight of Dem primary politics as much as possible, but the one place I won't hesitate to chime in is when Dem candidates support right wing narratives about Democrats to attack their opponents."

CLINTON II: We're All On The Same Team Here

TPM Cafe's Greg Sargent reports a "high-level Democrat" says senior Clinton advisers are reaching out to top Dem donors to "make Hillary's case on the Iraq war privately to highly-visible antiwar members of Congress." Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Rep. Jack Murtha (D-PA) are mentioned as specific targets of the effort to get leading antiwar Dems to "either back Hillary or vouch for her position on Iraq."

From the source: "They are asking people to try to reach out to members of Congress who are leaders in the antiwar movement, and see if they can be brought on board ... It's about getting people in Congress to say, she's a leader [against the war] now, she's with them, she's on the same page."

DEM FIELD: A Double-Headed Anti-Hillary

After rescuing the data from straw poll stuffers, MyDD's Chris Bowers posts the results of the Feb. straw poll. With 811 votes counted the top five finishers are:

Obama 34%
Edwards 29%
Other 10%
Clark 9%
Richardson 6%

CLARK: They Can Only Wait So Long ...

Linking to almost four-week-old Wes Clark adviser statements statements that Clark is "leaning towards setting up an exploratory then taking some time to explore," MyDD's Chris Bowers comments: "One has to conclude, based on these delays, that Clark is currently leaning against a run in 2008."

RICHARDSON: Making A Bigger Blogger Pie

Blue Hampshire's Mike Caulfield came away impressed with Bill Richardson after riding with the NM gov from Manchester to Concord, NH. Before going in, Caulfield admitted he thinks "half the things that Richardson believes in are bullcrap." But coming out, he described Richardson as "the most electable candidate the Dems have seen in some time" that "does retail politics like the second coming of Bill Clinton."

Caulfield was also impressed with Richardson's understanding of the blogosphere: "OK, this may be arrogant to say. But the fact that the campaign set something up with us impressed me. The Edwards campaign was good to us, but even with their fabled net-savvy, we got 20 minutes with 14 or more bloggers there. ... The fundamental realization of the Richardson campaign is people like me would rather have a large piece of a small event than a small piece of a large event.

VILSACK: Surprise! He's For Ethanol

The Huffington Post's Byron Williams was impressed with the energy platform Tom Vilsack unveiled 2/13 at the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco. "If elected, Vilsack said he would propose tax credits to improve technology to produce various types of ethanol fuel. He made it clear that his proposal was not designed solely to benefit his home state of Iowa -- a leader in corn-based ethanol. He cited cellulosic ethanol -- produced from a wide variety of plant and forest waste products -- as holding the most promise." Vilsack also addressed questions about his long shot chances with a now familiar line: "I may not be a rock star, but I am rock solid."

Vilsack also found time 2/19 to phone into a MyDD Blog Talk Radio segment with Jonathan Singer.

HUNTER: "Incredibly Inspirational"

Duncan Hunter sat down with Pundit Review radio 2/18. Host Kevin explains his favorite segment of the show: "My favorite part of the interview was when Rep. Hunter opened up about his own family, he talked eloquently about his father and how the call to military service was passed to him, and now, onto his son. Speaking of his son, Congressman Hunter told a great story about his son's decision to join the military on 9-11, it is incredibly inspirational."

MCCAIN: Campaigning Like It's 1999

On the ground blog reports from John McCain's 2/17-18 swing through IA has bloggers recalling the "Straight Talk Express" in surprisingly glowing terms. The Caucus Cooler's correspondent in Cedar Rapids describes the set-up of the Crowne Plaza as reminiscent "of what McCain did in New Hampshire in 99. Informal, fire your questions at me." The conversational tone of the event continued through CC's reporting:

"One thing I noticed at this point is that McCain a lot more soft spoken than I expected. His soft-spoken style created more of a serious, discussion like atmosphere while Romney's booming speechifying made that event seem a lot more like a rally. ... Talking to people afterwards the one thing everyone said positive about him was that he seemed to give genuine answers to the questions and for the most part answered them very directly. That was probably the most impressive thing about the whole townhall."

Also in IA, the Krusty Konservative posts similar observations from a McCain event in Des Moines: "It was immediately apparent that this event was going to be very, very different from a controlled, scripted event that we have all become accustomed to ... he looked at the questioner and asked them their response to his answer. "What do you think?" "Do you agree?" I thought it was refreshing not to hear some pabulum response to a planted question."

KK then adds: "While the war in Iraq is a major issue for all of the 08 hopefuls, McCain has made himself in to the pro Iraq candidate. At first glance it seems as if his position could cause his campaign heartburn, it could also be an asset. One question that every anti-war candidate will have to answer if we don't fight the terrorist in Iraq, where are we going to fight them, McCain doesn't have to answer that question."

Not in IA, but watching C-SPAN coverage from the beltway, Power Line's Paul Mirengoff also picked up on the authentic feel of McCain's stop: "Campaign events normally are intended to make the audience feel that the candidate will either preserve a successful status quo or has the answers for reversing an unsuccessful one. McCain did not attempt to convey either sense. He therefore came across as credible and maybe even statesman like."

MCCAIN II: Needs To Work On Preaching To The Choir

The Brody File is putting McCain's pro-life record "under the microscope." First Brody compares a 1999 San Francisco Chronicle editorial board meeting with McCain (where he says "I would not support repeal of Roe vs. Wade") to his words on Meet The Press later that year ("There are many areas we can work together ; adoption, foster care, education") and then writes: "You see, here's the problem that the pro-life community may have. That line above where McCain says "There are many areas we can work together, adoption, foster care, education", while that may be true, among the dedicated pro-life community it is code for being wishy washy."

Brody adds: "So, to me, the question for John McCain isn't really whether he is pro-life or not. The question for John McCain is if he's President, how strongly will he fight for the pro-life issues including using his soapbox to speak out on the life issue and the eventual repeal of Roe vs Wade?"

Later, Brody also voices his displeasure with McCain's telling the Politico "I don't know anything, physically I can do to reduce abortions." Brody responds: "when you're trying to court Evangelicals and other devoted pro-life social conservatives, they don't want to hear a potential future President say something like that. A better answer may have been, "Well, I'll appoint strict constructionists to the bench, I'll sign the fetal pain bill, etc."

MCCAIN III: Video Killed The Social Networking Star

The reviews on McCain's new official website are mixed. RedState's Rob Bluey loves the "prominent video component on the homepage" but Blog P.I.'s Bill Beutler is not impressed with the sites social networking capabilities: "all you can do there is donate, er, raise money and...actually that's it, unless you count an e-mail form as a feature. Want to customize your page? There's a single text box, a "Welcome Message," and the McCain campaign reserves the right to edit or delete it. Want to find other users? Too bad."

ROMNEY: The Unconverted

RedState director Erick Erickson officially announced the withdrawal of his support for "Multiple Choice" Mitt Romney 2/17. Detailing the "Too Many Straws On This Camel's Back" Erickson identifies the stories that changed his mind:

• First there was abortion. He was for it, then really for it, then really, really for it, then indifferent to it, and now against it.
• Then there was campaign finance reform. Mitt was for it more than McCain before he was against it more than McCain He's tried to caveat his way out of it, but his caveats have been so nuanced as to be meaningless.
• Let's not forget taxes. Multiple Choice Mitt opposed President Bush's tax cuts and favored a federal gas tax hike as late as 2003.
• Oh, there is homosexuality too. Mitt was going to be more gay and more abortion friendly than Ted Kennedy in 1994. Now he's not.
• Finally, there is voting for Paul Tsongas. In 1992, Mitt Romney voted for Tsongas. He explains this now as trying to pick the weakest guy to go up against George H. W. Bush.

Erickson concludes: "I'm tired of running into these stories. I'm tired of the hedges. I'm tired of the dodges. And I'm tired of the caveated nuance." Fellow RedStaterKowalski was moved to remind readers he was still for Romney: "Maybe I have a greater tolerance for liberal-esqe "flipflopping" having been a liberal "flipflopper" myself.

Not commenting on Erickson's defection, but still on the flip-flopping theme, The Corner's Yuval Levin links to more revelations on Romney's abortion policy past and writes: "It's hard to know quite what to do with this suggestion that Romney was pro-life before he was pro-choice before he was pro-life. ... Flip flops on abortion are a fairly common feature of political resumes in the past few decades. But Romney's flip flops are both more recent and apparently more frequent than most."

ROMNEY II: Cancel The Joint-Worship Session

Romney did receive plenty of conservative blogger praise for his handling of a heckler while campaigning in FL. IA's Caucus Cooler links to video of Romney "laying the smackdown on the bigot in Florida. Kudos to Mitt for the strong response."

Also posting on religion, The Corner's Kathryn Jean Lopez links to video of George Stephanopolousquestioning Romney's Mormon theology and asks: "But when was the last time a Catholic (John Kerry? Ted Kennedy?) was asked by a mainstream reporter: "You believe you receive the body and blood of Christ during Communion. Do you consider yourself a cannibal?

Finally, RedState contributor and Sam Brownback aide Leon Wolf took to the front page of RedState to deny he was a Catholic or a Mormon and to urge readers "to remember that we're not discussing whether we should all hold a joint worship session together; we're discussing whether we can vote for a man to elected office. As such, the consideration should not be whether we can agree theologically, but whether we share a sufficiently overlapping set of values that would allow us to be in a voting coalition together."

IRAQ: Are You With With Us?

The blogging left is not happy with early MSM coverage of Rep. John Murtha's (D-PA) plan to end US involvement in Iraq. Daily Kos' Barb in MD announces "The Murtha Smear Is On" and shows how the Politico's "slow-bleed" description of the Murtha plan hasbeenpickedup in many MSM outlets as well as the WH.

Barb characterizes the coverage so far: "Just a few out many possible examples, and what have we learned? That John Murtha is crippling the war effort, that he is anti-troop and will cost men and women their lives, that he is in league with terrorists, that he is creating a Constitutional crisis and he's senile."

Also at Daily Kos' Mcjoan bemoans MSM coverage of Dem plans on the war and urges Dems to "coalesce" behind Murtha's effort, "showing unity and a strong position to end the occupation" so "they can begin to challenge the media narrative."

But as some are calling for unity behind the Murtha plan, others are questioning its wisdom. MyDD's Chris Bowers has five "broad questions" he'd like answered about Murtha's plan including: "1) To what extent will Murtha's plan be able to force reductions in American troop levels in Iraq?; 2) Are any limitations on contractors being proposed?; 3) Are Democrats willing to go to the mat over this?; 4) Who can we expect to lose from the non-binding resolutions?; 5) Mass action in the days leading up to the supplemental funding votes?"

Questions three and four seem to be the most pressing for Bowers who concludes: "Perhaps more so than any other event over the last ten years, opposition to the war in Iraq was the main cause for explosive netroots growth and development. If there is a real chance to end the war ... then this is exactly the sort of thing that we should be piling on like no other. ... We can do all this and more, but we need to know the plan will work, and that Democrats will stand with us."

Talk Left's Big Tent Democrat sees Bowers post as a sign the netroots are awakening to the challenges necessary if Dems really are to end the war. BTD writes: "But what you are NOT getting is that that political battle must start YESTERDAY. ... the Democratic leadership of the Congress must announce now the date certain when it will no longer fund the Iraq war. ... It must tell the American People NOW that if the troops are left in the field AFTER the announced date it will be the President who has placed our troops in increased danger. It will be the President who does not support the troops."

Finally DailyKos' Georgia10 has a post up detailing all Dem bills in the House and Senate that focus on "withdrawal--or redeployment."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Questions We'll Never See Answered

Tired of the debasement of national security debates in presidential races, The Washington Monthly's Kevin Drum writes on his greatest wish fo WH '08:

I already know that every Democratic candidate thinks we should withdraw from Iraq, but what I don't know is what they want to do next. What do they think are the biggest threats facing us? Are they willing to repudiate preventive war? (More to the point: Are they going to continue to insist that if all else fails, they'll wage preventive war against Iran?) Do they agree that democracy promotion ought to be our primary foreign policy goal? If not, what is? What's the role of the military in the war on terror? In fact, do they even think we're at war? If so, is it a war on "terror" or something else? What's the best way to prosecute it? Etc.

LEST WE FORGET: Which One Were You?

The Phat Phree profiles ten college roommate archetypes including: he Slob, the Neat Freak, the Introvert, the 'Musician', the Wierdo, Mr. No Boundaries, the Roommate's Girlfriend, the Complete and Total Jackass, the Greatest Guy in the World, and "Dave" who is described as:

The "Dave" only applies to the house with multiple roommates rather than two or three roommate situations. He is the guy that just shows up one day and crashes on the sofa, then never seems to go away. It is rare that anyone knows who he is or where he came from let alone when he's planning on leaving.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:47 PM

February 16, 2007

Blogger Spotlight: Desert Beacon

Closing out the Blogometer's tour through Nevada blogs (remember, NV Dem caucuses are 1/19), we look at the voice behind the Desert Beacon. Next week we'll start on the right for a change interviewing Doug Lambert of NH's (1/22 primary) GraniteGrok.

How old are you?

I'll freely and vaguely tell you that I'm over 60, and semi-retired.

What’s your hometown?

My original "hometown" is St. Louis, MO.

Where do you live now?

I currently live in Humboldt County, NV.

What is your educational background?

I have a Bachelor's and Master's degrees, the latter from the University of Nevada, Reno.

What is your occupation?

I now own a very small business.

When did you first get involved in politics and why?

I first became involved in politics working for a gubernatorial campaign in Missouri in the late 1960's.

When did you start blogging and why?

My first experience with blogging came as a participant/commenter on one of the major liberal blogs; it was an engaging and informative experience, and after about a year or so I decided to launch a blog of my own.

How are blogs changing politics in your state?

It's my belief that the moderate/liberal blogs in this state have contributed to the civic discussion in Nevada by (1) providing a forum for issue analysis, with both a depth and perspective not found in the so-called mainstream media; (2) providing the beginnings of a network of information distribution that is otherwise often unavailable to advocacy groups and candidates; (3) offering candidates new ways to interact with citizens through the dissemination of press releases, event announcements, and issue statements.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 01:16 PM

2/16: Who Doesn't Like Rudy?

Ex- NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) has had a tremendous week online, capturing a decisive win in the GOP Bloggers straw poll and plaudits from almost all big-time conservative bloggers. Even those who are voicing criticism (see Ramesh Ponnuru or John Hinderaker) are more doubting what others (generally social conservatives) will think of Giuliani, not voicing their own negative assessments (Kate O'Beirne's description of Giuliani as a 'cad' stands out as an exception). Until conservative bloggers begin to explain why they persoanlly don't like Rudy, expect his numbers to keep going up.

IRAQ: Step One, Recruitment

Townhall's Hugh Hewitt continues to show signs he is serious about bringing primary challenges to GOPers voting with Dems, asking readers to send him emails committing money to the first candidate willing to challenge Rep. Ric Keller (R-FL). Singled out for "body bags were permanent" comments to the Washington Post 2/14, Keller is one of fifteen members of "The GOP's Surrender Caucus" as defined by backed Victory Caucus. Other GOPers named as "White Flag Republicans" include Reps.: Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD), James Walsh (R-NY), Walter Jones (R-NC), Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD), Michael Castle (R-DE), Philip English (R-PA), Ronald Paul (R-TX), Frederick Upton (R-MI), Thomas Davis (R-VA), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Howard Coble (R-NC), John Duncan (R-TN), James Ramstad (R-MN), and Steven LaTourette (R-OH).

Hewitt shares an email from one FL-08 resident determined to unseat Keller: "Your pandering to short term, media driven, popular opinion does not win any points with educated and thinking constituents like myself. I will under no circumstances cast a vote to send you back to congress in 2008 and very much look forward to supporting a primary challenger to supplant you. I have never spent a dime to support a political candidate, but I definitely will now - for your future opponent."

Pledges for support at Victory Caucus.com are so far underwhelming. Asking "How much would you donate to a US military veteran to challenge Ric Keller?" a plurality of 33% would give $100, but no one is willing to give $2K.

Many on the right are also highlighting the fact that the anti-surge site MoveCongress.org once described Rep. John Murtha's (D-PA) Iraq plan as, "not only limiting the deployment of troops to Iraq but undermining other aspects of the president's foreign and national security policy." Townhall's Dean Barnett notes the 'undermining' language was later removed from the site and Victory Caucus' NZ Bear adds: "And as predicted, MoveCongress.org has sanitized their page and removed the offending sentence above. Sorry kids: multi-hour response time just doesn't cut it here in the big leagues. Gotta be faster than that!"

IRAQ II: He's Not A Bad Man

As reported 2/15, the netroots are largely on board with Murtha's plan for slowly ending the war by instituting specific training and equipment requirements before troops can be deployed overseas, but minority voices can still be found. Most consistent in calling for a more rapid end to the Iraq war, Talk Left's Big Tent Democrat is "not comfortable" with the Murtha plan since "it does not move to end the war immediately."

While not commenting on Murtha's plan specifically, Port Huron Statement author Tom Hayden has his own four-part plan to end the war at The Huffington Post: 1) Stop funding a sectarian Baghdad regime based on lethal militias; 2) Support a transitional regime in Baghdad which will concur in a plan for US military withdrawal. Set a deadline of six months to one year; 3) Begin a diplomatic offensive to assure regional and international attention to remaining security, reconstruction and reconciliation issues; and 4) Make Congressional funding contingent on adoption of such a plan.

More popular is Maj. Leader Harry Reid's (D-NV) scheduling of a 2/17 vote on the House's Iraq resolution. The Carpetbagger Report quotes Reid, "Those Republicans who have expressed their concern over the Senate's failure to debate the war in Iraq will have another opportunity to let their actions speak louder than their words," and comments: "Sens. Coleman, Collins, Hagel, Snowe, Smith, Warner, and Voinovich? I think he's talking to you." Daily Kos' SusanG adds: "Is this where we say, "Bring it on?"

Not pleased with some Dem leaders, MyDD's Matt Stoller hits House Maj. Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) for a The Hillarticle claiming Hoyer was lured "to the floor to defend his party and declare that they would not cut funding for the troops." Stoller blogs: "Hoyer is reinforcing the dishonest and dishonorable concept that Congressional use of its authority to wield the purse is 'not supporting the troops'. ... Hoyer isn't a bad man, but he always seems to play into these awful positions that prevent us from achieving what we need to get done."

DEM FIELD: Stuff This In Your Poll And Smoke It!

Despite complaints of "stuffing" MyDD finished up their latest round of WH '08 straw polling. The top five first choices of MyDD readers are:

John Edwards 33%
Barack Obama 28%
Bill Richardson 14%
Wesley Clark 9%
Other 8%

Narrowed down to two choices Edwards leads Obama 53%-48%.

CLINTON: 'Weak' Is The New 'Aritculate'

Looking at four recent Washington Post op-eds on Hillary Clinton's Iraq problems (Ruth Marcus, Bob Novak, Richard Cohen, and Harold Meyerson) TAPPED's Tom Schaller identifies a common sentiment on HRC's '02 Iraq vote and her current troubles: "Clinton, worried that she would look weak, now looks weak."

First admonishing Schaller that "'weak,' with a woman candidate, is a word sort of like 'articulate' with a black one," TAPPED colleague Ezra Klein argues that Clinton was "wrong" now weak. Klein: "her current unwillingness to say she was wrong comes, one might imagine, not because she's weak, but because she doesn't think she was wrong. As she's said very clearly, knowing what she knows now, voting for the war would have been foolhardy. But she's been careful not to say that knowing what she knew then, the war still should've been a mistake. This isn't a weak position, it's just a wrong one."

RICHARDSON: Movin' On Up

While not offering any personal endorsement MyDD's Chris Bowers identifies some on and off line trends showing that Bill Richardson may be "migrating" out of second tier WH '08 status. Bowers notes: "First, the long-term trends on the Dailykos straw poll show Richardson, slowly, but consistently, rising since last May. He has risen in four consecutive straw polls, a feat no other candidate has been able to match. ... Additionally, and for whatever it might be worth, he wins every single Pajamas Media poll for Democratic candidates. He also is in a clear second place among 2008 candidates when it comes to Act Blue fundraising, so far pulling in $285K."

IA Progress runs down the resume of Richardson's new IA field Director Brad Frevert including "Frevert has worked for the Iowa Democratic Party since 2004, when he served as Regional Field Director out of Waterloo. After the 2004 elections, he was hired as the state party's off-year Field Director, and he served as Deputy Field Director under Jesse Harris during the 2006 election." IAP concludes: "Frevert is an experienced Iowa organizer, and this pickup shows that Richardson is absolutely planning to play in the Iowa Caucuses."

GOP FIELD: There's A New Hitwoman In Town

First linking to her new pro-Rudy Giuliani Weekly Standard article, Power Line's Paul Mirengoff notes that Jennifer Rubin has penned attack pieces against at least two of Giuliani's potential rivals -- Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee. Either I missed her McCain hit piece or the Senator's stock is sinking faster than I thought."

Mirengoff welcomes examination of GOP '08 hopefulls but draws the line at Rubin's "latest attack" calling her latest ABC News piece "Why So Few Jews Vote For Republicans" a "cheap shot."

GIULIANI: NeoSoCon?

Also commenting on Rubin's Giuliani as "new social conservative" argumentPower Line 's John Hinderaker isn't buying: "I'm having a hard time seeing any sense in which Giuliani is socially conservative, except maybe as a crime-fighter. His personal history and advocacy of gun control certainly don't put him in that category. I'm not being critical of Giuliani here; I'm just saying I don't think he can depict himself as a social conservative to the extent that Romney can."

Discussing the affect Giuliani's views on social issues will have on the GOP's '08 chances The Corner's Ramesh Ponnuru defends his article claiming a Rudy candidacy would doom the party from AmSpec's Phillip Klein's response that Giuliani would put states like CA and NJ in play for the first time in decades. Klein writes: "Yes, "moral values" voters played a large part in Bush's victories in 2000 and 2004, but don't forget that he won both elections by a whisker, and even lost the popular vote the first time around." Ponnuru fires back: "We have been told repeatedly that New Jersey was being put in play: by Bob Franks's social liberalism in 2000, by Doug Forrester's social liberalism in 2002, by 9/11 in 2004. It has never panned out for Republicans."

RCP Blog's Tom Bevan looks at Fox News' most recent polling and sees trouble for Giuliani on the social issues front:

The biggest red flag for Rudy has to be that only 42% of Republicans surveyed correctly identified him as pro-choice. Twenty-one percent of Republican voters have it wrong and think Rudy is pro-life, and another 36% of Republicans don't have a clue what his position on abortion. In other words, nearly six out of ten registered Republican voters have yet to learn something about Rudy which, we can infer from the first question on abortion, will make close to half of them either "somewhat" less likely or "a lot" less likely to vote for him.

For his part, Hugh Hewitt doesn't think social issues will hurt Giuliani: "The Republicans have not had a contested primary since 9/11, and the war changed a lot of people's priorities when it comes to the presidency. If Rudy is persuasive on the judges he will nominate, he wouldn't have a problem with the social conservatives in the general election."

Finally Political Insider claims, "Word on Wall Street is that New York fundraisers for Rudy Giuliani are calling senior executives with histories of supporting Republican candidates with demands along these lines: 'We need five people from your firm to raise $100,000 for Rudy. Get back to us.' The caller then hangs up, satisfied the instructions were clear and will be followed."

HUNTER: Peace Through Poor Production Values

IA's Caucus Cooler reviews Duncan Hunter's new television ads up in IA: "[I]t aired during the 10PM news at Cooler HQ last night. The production qualities are not good, as the video shows Duncan walking outside talking directly into the camera. The theme of the ad is "peace through strength."

MCCAIN: In Context, McCain-Feingold Still An Overreach

Captain's Quarters has a threepartinterview with MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) up including this Pawlenty defense of John McCain on campaign finance reform:

I don't agree with all the aspects of you know, the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform and a lot of conservatives don't either but that should be, you know, put and the context of all the other things that he is conservative on and I think -- you know, McCain-Feingold does have some good -- some of the elements of McCain-Feingold are good. I think it just over reached in several ways.

Back in IA, Krusty Konservative comments on McCain plans to hit Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Davenport: "

Team McCain is indicating that attendance for the three events look good. Romney has set the bar pretty high for non announcement type events, but I'm sure that the McCain team is working hard to top those numbers. I also think they are wise to be hitting Polk, Linn, and Scott counties. Romney has not had an event for his presidential campaign in Scott or Linn, and there was a winter storm for his kickoff event in Polk county. I think the McCain campaign is smart to hit these areas.

ROMNEY: Really The Comparison To Make In A GOP Primary?

Following up on his 2/15 interview with Mitt Romney, Power Line's Paul Mirengoff identifies similarities between Romney and Bill Clinton first brought up by Romney himself: "Though Clinton's campaign clearly had a down-home, semi-populist feel to it, much of his appeal probably stemmed from his reputation as a policy wonk and quick study. It turned out that, as good as he may have been at analyzing public policy questions, Clinton did not care that much about them. But we didn't know this at the time."

HAGEL: Not A Viable Option

Examining WH '08 positions on Iran, TAPPED's Garance Franke-Ruta notes "one potential '08 candidate has already taken a military strike on Iran off the table." Franke-Ruta then posts this Chuck Hagel quote from a Reuters story: "I would say that a military strike against Iran, a military option, is not a viable, feasible, responsible option."

BLOGGERS VS. BELTWAY: Some Of My Best Friends Are Right-Wingers

RedState's Rob Bluey has signed on as coordinator for the Sunlight Foundation's Open House Project which seeks "to hold Speaker Nancy Pelosi to her promise that the 110th Congress would be the 'most honest, ethical, and open Congress in history.'" Bluey explains: "Our goal is to present Pelosi with a list of achievable initiatives."

Meeting with Bluey at the Heritage Foundation for the first time in his life for the bipartisan launch of the project, MyDD's Matt Stoller writes: "[M]any right-wingers really are serious about transparency in government. This isn't true of everyone on the right, of course, but it's also not true of everyone on the left. The conservative movement had a strong transparency element in the late 1980s, and that hasn't disappeared."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: And You Thought 495 Was Bad

The Plank's Sara Tenenbaum is impressed with BBC reports that Iraqis are using GoogleEarth "which provides real satellite imagery of the entire world (and which can zoom in close enough for you to see your house), to plan their travel routes in hopes of avoiding insurgents, car bombs, and other surprise attacks." Tenenbaum concludes: "Necessity is the mother of invention."

LEST WE FORGET: Pizza Hut Sucks

So one cold February day Matthew Yglesias tried to order a pizza and:

After a baffling interaction with Pizza Hut, which first insisted its website wasn't working even though it clearly was, and then insisted that our house was outside its delivery radius even though it's four blocks away, we turned out attention to Papa John's whose website was advertising "Caron's 3 Point Play: One Large Three Topping, Breadsticks and a 2-Liter" for $18.99 -- what hungry Wizards fan could resist? Not me. It turns out, though, that you don't really get three toppings. You get one topping on the whole pizza, one topping on one half of the pizza, and one topping on the other half. And it doesn't really cost $18.99, either. Once you add in the delivery charge and taxes, it comes to $22.54. They also asserted that $1 was going to go to Butler's charity 3D. After discovering what a liar Butler turned out to be, naturally I had to look into that alleged charity. It turns out to be legit, but their website reveals Butler's given name to be "James". Basically, everything about the man and his pizza deals is a sham. Except, of course, for his game.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:33 PM

February 15, 2007

Blogger Spotlight: Nevada Up North

Continuing our tour through the blogs of the second state to hold a Dem caucus in '08, today we spotlight the anpnymous blogger behind Nevada Up North. Tomorrow we close out our Nevada tour stop with a look at the Deset Beacon.

What is your age?

21 years old

What's your hometown?

Reno, Nevada

Where do you live now?

Reno, Nevada

What is your educational background?

I graduated from McQueen High School in Reno, Nevada and am a Senior at the University of Nevada, Reno set to graduate in May.

What is your occupation?

I am an Economics Student and I work part-time at a law-firm.

When did you first get involved in politics and why?

I first got involved with politics in early 2006. I had been watching politics ever since I can remember but decided it was time to act last year. I attended my county convention and went to a field operations training. I was inspired by the idea of the Democratic Party wanting to build neighborhood teams and bring back a community feel to politics so I got involved in my neighborhood and continue to work to build our grass-roots field operation.

When did you start blogging and why?

I started blogging in August of last year. The leading political reporter for Northern Nevada had left to continue her education on the East Coast and the main progressive blog voices were primarily focused in Southern Nevada. There was a vacuum for political news, especially progressive political news, so I decided to jump into the game.

How are blogs changing politics in your state?

Blogs have become a way for campaigns and activists to check on news that might be sub-headline material in newspapers and on TV. This means mistakes or successes that might not have been noticed before, now get exposed. Candidates and elected officials are using blogs to get messages out through interviews or tips about opponents and news stories. The Reno Gazette Journal now has a daily blog round-up that lets consumers of the main stream media link to different perspectives. A candidate is expected to have a web site and a news area so bloggers can link to candidate and help direct readers to the candidate's information.

What's your favorite most unsung specific example of a blogger affecting a political figure, organization, philosophy, or movement?

The DailyKos movement to defeat Joe Lieberman in the Democratic Party was a significant victory for the netroots. I also believe the strategy for Democrats to look West in 2008 has been lead by emerging progressive voices using blogs as way to network and to shine light on the possibility of progressive western wins. From the Nevada Caucus to the Denver Convention, bloggers were on the forefront of promoting and helping regular Western citizens to realize their true political value.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 02:10 PM

2/15: Credible Threat?

The blogging left's two biggest breakthroughs -- Howard Dean's WH'04 run and Sen. Joe Lieberman's (I-CT) primary defeat -- were both largely fueled by anti-Iraq war sentiment. While the online right did play a role in '04 (Swiftboat support and Dan Rather), they still have not yet made a lasting impact on their party. That may be changing as leading conservative bloggers like Townhall's Hugh Hewitt step up their pressure on the NRSC and NRCC to renounce support for any GOPers breaking with Pres. Bush on Iraq. Hewitt has even identified one GOPer for primary defeat (Rep. Ric Keller (R-FL)). Following up on these strong words is going to be key if conservative bloggers want their policy choices taken seriously inside the Beltway.

IRAQ: Seeking Recognition

Conservative bloggers exploded over Politico's Bresnahan 2/14 article outlining Dem leadership plans, led by Rep. Jack Murtha (D-PA), for a "slow bleed" strategy to end the Iraq war. Reactions include:

• Power Line's John Hinderaker: "So the Democrats will do their best to make the United States' effort in Iraq fail, but without taking responsibility for that action, and then try to benefit politically from the country's defeat. Nice."
• Captain's Quarters: "the Murtha slow-bleed plan will wind up sacrificing American soldiers in order to protect the Democratic Party. ... The Murtha slow bleed offers no vision except defeat, retreat, and humiliation, all paid with the sacrifice of unsupported American troops. That's what makes this so reprehensible, and that's why the GOP has to unite to stop it."
• QandO: "It is all about circumventing their "biggest political vulnerability" while still defunding the war. ... Instead of growing a pair and standing up and saying "no more war, we're defunding the whole thing", they'll let it fall in on itself by cutting funding here and there and eventually, everywhere."
• Bryan at Hot Air: "If you oppose the war and truly want us out of Iraq, put your own name on the line and move to cut funding. Put your name on your policy. If, as Barack Obama said, you think we're wasting lives in this war, then the honorable thing to do is to stop that waste immediately."
• Instapundit: "We'll Call it 'Surrender without Responsibility!' ... No, wait -- get me rewrite!"

The Iraq issue is now leading conservative bloggers, like their netroots brothers before them, to call for contested primaries for incumbents. Townhall's Hugh Hewitt links to Rep. Ric Keller (R-FL) telling WaPo about Pres. Bush's surge, "The benefits were temporary. The body bags were permanent." Hewitt concludes: "Ric should be challenged in the primary, and defeated. Decisively."

Hewitt also interviewed NRCC Chair Tom Cole (R-OK), who told Hewitt the NRCC will not "recruit specific candidates with experience in the war if that means taking sides in a primary" and "will be supporting the GOP Congressmen in tough races, even if they vote with the Democrats on the resolution that will, in Cole's own words, embolden the enemy and deplete the morale of the troops." Hewitt comments: "The NRCC will undoubtedly see support dwindle as a result of the refusal of leadership to condemn the round-heeled Republicans."

A group of conservative bloggers has set up a new group blog "Victory Caucus" to "provide tools and infrastructure to help citizens who are committed to victory organize into a recognized and influential caucus." Members include, Townhall's Dean Barnett, Austin Bay, BLACKFIVE's Matthew Currier Burden, Center for Security Policies Frank Gaffney , Townhall's Hugh Hewitt, and Captain's Quarters Ed Morrisey .

IRAQ II: You End The War With The Party You've Got

So far, the netroots are grudgingly falling in behind Murtha's plan. MyDD's Chris Bowers sums up the community's feelings about Dem actions on Iraq up to this point: "Our current votes are symbolic. The escalation is already happening. Overall, the situation is actually worse than when we won the election more than three months ago. In this environment, frustration seems to understandably be mounting." Considering these sentiments, lefty reaction to Murtha's plan includes:

• The Carpetbagger Report: "The strategy is being backed by a multimillion-dollar TV ad campaign, which will presumably pressure wavering Dems and vulnerable Republicans on this. ... I don't know all of the details, but for what it's worth, the right seems to be nearly apoplectic about Murtha's plan, which leads me to think it probably has merit."
• Booman Tribune: "[the right wing] want[s] Democrats to simply cut off funding if they oppose the war, not strangle the deployment process. I would actually sympathize with their argument if we could actually overcome a Republican filibuster and cut off funding. But we can't, so this is the only option for ending the war. And that is just the way it is.
• The Huffington Post's Shelly Lewis: "It's a relief to see some of the Democratic leaders actually trying to lead."

Explaining his support for the Murtha plan, Bowers reasons: "It also provides cover for the many extremely cautious and calcified Democrats who still cower in fear at every Republican attack, and who give credence to every conservative narrative in our political discourse. ... This is not, obviously, a quick end to the war that most of us here, and most people in America, would desire. It is, however, a realistic means of achieving our shared goal that is actually moving forward. ... we have to end the war with the Democratic Party we have, rather than the Democratic Party we want."

At Daily KosThe Angry Rakkasan , "a soldier who's served in both theaters of this war," makes an argument against a more immediate cut to funding and he responds to some common concerns he hears about the strategy:

• It hurts Democrats politically - It might. But I'm not really concerned with that at this point.
• It endangers the troops - This is propaganda nonsense. ... If the funding were cut, the Defense Department would very quickly move to begin a safe and orderly withdrawal.
• It hurts the troops' morale - Go talk to a 22-year old father who's been there for 13 months and who's never seen his baby. Ask him how ending the war would affect his morale.
• It emboldens terrorists - Embassy bombings. U.S.S. Cole. 9/11. World Trade Center tumbling down on TV. In case you missed it, the "terrorists" were pretty riled up before the invasion of Iraq.
• It will cause Iraq to fall into a bloody civil war in which regional players will involve themselves - Have I been sleeping? Were we not at that point already?

Rakkasan also includes a poll asking Kossacks if the U.S. should "Cut the Funding." With 7,319 voting, 92$ favor a cut that "needs to be done soon."

Fully in Rakkasan's corner, Peace Voter at Calitics reports on the take-over of Rep. Adam Schiff's (D-CA) office in Pasadena, CA: "Why Adam Schiff, and why now? Schiff sits on the powerful House Appropriations Committee soon to decide on legislation that could result in Bush being allocated another 200 billion US taxpayer dollars to pursue the illegal occupation and war in Iraq. ... There are lives in the balance, and there is already enough money in the pipeline to bring our troops home safely."

Finally, at Washington Monthly, Kevin Drum highlights a Robert Dreyfuss article casting doubt on the conventional wisdom that Iraq will get worse if America leaves: "There are plenty of reasons to think that the worst-case scenarios are overblown, and even more reasons to think that even if they aren't, they're no worse than what will happen if we stay. You may or may not agree with Dreyfuss's conclusions, but his arguments are worth grappling with."

CLINTON: AWOL

Trying to figure out why he enjoyed Harold Meyerson's Hillary Clinton as Ed Muskie op-ed so much, BooMan asks: "Why am I so hostile to the idea of Hillary Clinton as the Democratic nominee in 2008?" He concludes: "I have been totally immersed in the battle against Bushism. And I have a very keenly honed sense of who my allies are and who has been on my right flank, who has been on my left flank, and who has been waiting in reserve. And Hillary Clinton has been AWOL."

Also unwilling to forget HRC's past DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas slots NY Times revelations that "Mrs. Clinton's advisers do not relish the idea of someone bringing up her 2002 Senate vote at every campaign stop." in his "'cry me a river' category." Kos adds: "I have no interest in giving a pass to those Democrats who aided and abetted Bush's mistakes, and I especially have no interest in giving a pass to those who demonstrate Bushian inability to offer self-reflection and admit that mistake. These Democrats didn't just enable Bush's war, they sat by and let the Right Wing smear machine attack those of us who waged our lonely battles to prevent this disaster from happening. And while most of the candidates in the field have come around, Hillary remains the notable exception."

Also in Hillary-doubting, Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) told The Young Turks 2/14: "I said a year and a half ago that I made a mistake. I mean, I confessed. But I mean, regardless of whether it was done in good faith, I did not blame George Bush for my mistake, either, although I think he has lied and deceived the American people. I certainly think a lot of Hillary but I think that this is theater more than anything else. You gotta fess up if you make a mistake.

Clinton did score some points online by telling Bush that the '02 Iraq resolution was not a blank check for the use of force against Iran, but after some praise Taylor Marsh still found fault with parts of HRC's address: "That said, I still have a serious issue with her use of the "no options are off the table" rumble, because it's cold war language in a new age era."

DODD: Reducing Funds Soon?

Stopping by Booman Tribune to answer questions about his Restoring the Constitution Act of 2007 Chris Dodd also talked about Iraq: "I will either author or support legislation that will begin to reduce funding for the war in Iraq immediately. I believe this can be done in an adequate amount of time for the President to redeploy our troops safely both in Iraq and out of Iraq."

Katherine at Obsidian Wings admits she usually doesn't "go in for online petitions, particularly those sponsored by presidential campaigns" but does make an exception for Dodd's Restore Habeas campaign. Katherine concludes: "Please sign the petition, bug your Senators to support the bill (especially if they're also running for President), and pass the word along."

GILMORE: "Thanks, You Don't Look So Hot Yourself"

Advising the GOP field to remember Yogi Berra's line "It's ain't over till it's over," Townhall's Matt Lewis touts ex-RNC Chair Jim Gilmore as a "dark horse" that "came out swinging" on Fox and Friends 2/14. Lewis quotes Gilmore: "John McCain ... has been bad on the Bush tax cuts and has been questionable on the issue of immigration. Mitt Romney ... in 1994, he said was not a Reagan Republican. ... Rudy Giuliani pretends to be a conservative."

GIULIANI: Don't Bring Him Home To Mom

Rudy Giuliani continues to score points among conservatives, this time criticizing congressional non-binding resolutions on Larry King Live. Ian at Hot Air quotes Giuliani: "I like decisions. And I think one of the things wrong with Washington is they don't want to make tough decisions anymore. Nonbinding resolution about Iraq, no decision on immigration, no decision on Social Security reform, no decision on what to do about energy independence, no decision. You know why that happens? Because it's unpopular."

Count The Corner's Kate O'Beirne among those not currently swooning for Rudy: "I understand the appeal of his demonstrable executive abilities and his law-and-order record. I can see how some conclude that he is the right tough guy for the times. But a great guy? Or a man of character? Our mothers would have accurately nailed him - he's a cad."

Looking at recent Log Cabin exec. dir. James Vaughn praise for Giuliani, The Brody File comments: "The Giuliani camp would like nothing better than Vaughn and his group to go away. For Giuliani to survive the Republican primaries, they don't need supportive statements from the Log Cabin Republicans.

HUNTER: All About The Relationships

Right Wing News' John Hawkins will be consulting for Duncan Hunter for "a maximum of 3 months." Hawkins promises readers: "while I am working on the campaign, I'm not planning to blog about any of the 2008 Republican contenders on RWN unless a story too big to ignore hits the wires."

David All thinks Hawkins is a great for Hunter noting: "He maintains an impressive contact list of over 250 conservative bloggers. And he'll be the first to tell you that it's not the email distribution list that matters - it's the relationships on the other end of the line."

MCCAIN: If We Could Turn Back Time

In a rare pro-John McCainRedState post, Hunter Baker wonders if "McCain may simply be a president trapped in a senator's body" writing: "Aside from his maverick nature, there are some knocks on McCain. Politically speaking, McCain got bad advice in 2000 to run against evangelicals and try to divide them from Catholics. Who came up with that? Somebody out of touch."

Baker concludes: "I've been through my Bush hero phases, but I have to reconsider in light of the last few years. I don't want to needlessly irritate with provocative rhetoric, but McCain may well have been the better choice for a time like this in 2000 than Bush has been. That possibility alone, I think, warrants giving McCain very serious consideration this time around."

ROMNEY: The Secret Of His Success

The Corner's Ramesh Ponnuru clears up recent controversy over Mitt Romney's position on stem cells: "In the past he has said that he supports such research, whereas he would ban human cloning. But would he federally fund it? ... The answer, according to Romney aide Peter Flaherty, is that Romney opposes federal funding. He would veto the Castle-Degette bill to provide such funding."

Acknowledging that "flip-flop stories" have hurt Romney, fellow CorneriteRich Lowry argues Romney had to get "to the right on everything, sometimes by flip-flopping" in order to get into the top tier. Lowry writes: "For all the trouble the flip-flops have given him, let's face it, we wouldn't even be talking about him if he were a one-term pro-choice former governor of Massachusetts."

In more positive Romney coverage, Power Line's Paul Mirengoff recaps a 15 minute interview he had with Romney including:

• My first question played off of his statement in an interview with Hugh Hewitt that we'll know within a few months whether our attempt to secure Baghdad's civilian population with additional troops (which Romney supports) has a reasonable prospect for success. I asked what his criteria for making this assessment will be. Romney responded that the President Bush and Secretary of Defense Gates have established benchmarks with which to measure our success,
• I asked the Governor whether his reference to Defense Department benchmarks meant that he would defer to the government's assessment of our success, as opposed to forming an independent judgment. Romney responded that without access to classified information it would be difficult to make an independent assessment, but that it should be clear reasonably soon "to all of us" whether or not the surge is succeeding.
• My follow-up question was whether Romney had in mind a "Plan B" for Iraq in the event that the surge does not succeed, or whether at that point it would simply be time to begin a pull-out. Romney expressed an understandable reluctance to discuss a "failure" scenario, but he expressed no inclination to pull out, and noted with apparent approval that Secretary Gates has looked at alternative strategies.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Unconscionable

Agreeing that Dems "should reach out to religious voters and it's something they've been bad at doing" Atrios still takes issue with Kerry '04 director of religious outreach Mara Vanderslice claim , "I just believe that the religious community can be the conscience and the soul of the Democratic Party."

Atrios responds: "Presumably, and if I'm misunderstanding correct me, she's suggesting that basic moral grounding must come from the religious community. ... I'd never write that "the atheist community can be the conscience and the soul of the Democratic party," though I imagine if I did Bill Donohue would send out a press release. It'd be a highly exclusionary statement, and it would suggest an inherent moral superiority of the godless over the faithful."

LEST WE FORGET: We'll Never Look At Dick Tracy The Same Again

Bored at the office, Kittenpants has fun turning "the titles of famous movies ... into porn movie titles." KP notes, though, that "Sometimes not changing the name is funnier - if you use your imagination." Changes titles include: A Few Hard Men, Bare Force One, and Done in Sixty Seconds. Unchanged: Analyze This, Coming to America, and Deep Impact.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:34 PM

February 14, 2007

Blogger Spotlight: Silver State Libertarian Leanings

Tomorrow we move back left and interview anonymous progressive blogger Nevada Up North, but today we look at one of the right's better NV bloggers, Todd Zuccato of Silver State Libertarian Leanings.

What is your full name?

Todd Michael Zuccato

What is your age?

28

What's your hometown?

Foresthill, California

Where do you live now?

Sparks Nevada

What is your educational background?

Random college classes

What is your occupation?

Telecom Sales

When did you first get involved in politics and why?

I became interested in politics in high school and was given an opportunity to take a more hands on approach about a year ago. I jumped at the opportunity because I have been looking for a way to serve my country since I left the Navy in 2001.

When did you start blogging and why?

I started blogging about a year ago to give my political views and activities a public forum.

How are blogs changing politics in your state?

Blogs are giving everybody a voice. They are changing politics by allowing the average person a forum for their viewpoints. Prior to blogs, something such as a letter to the city council may have gone unnoticed by the public. By simply placing that letter on a blog with and explanation, that letter will no longer go unnoticed. All of that attention forces politicians to hear their voters more often that just on election day.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 02:10 PM

2/14: Just The Beginning?

We're in Day 9 of the "The First Blog Scandal Of Campaign 2008", and the Blogometer worries that the resignation of Shakespeare's SisterMelissa McEwan from the Edwards campaign is not the end of the story. McEwan's postings were nowhere near as inflammatory as co-hire Amanda Marcotte of Pandagon, and yet, apparently she was on the receiving end of just as nasty an email campaign (ed. note: this comment in no way condones the anti-Marcotte campaign). With another Catholic group expanding their anti-Edwards blogger efforts to other candidates, the Blogometer hopes we all can tone done the level of vitriol to non-violence threatening levels.

EDWARDS: You're Either With The Bloggers, Or You're With The Terrorists

Melissa McEwan chose her own blog Shakespeare's Sister to announce her resignation from the John Edwards campaign. McEwan stressed "the campaign did not push me out" and apologized to all the progressive bloggers who supported her throughout the ordeal. McEwan concluded: "It is not right-wing bloggers, nor people like Bill Donohue or Bill O'Reilly, who prompted nor deserve credit for my resignation ... but individuals who used public criticisms of me as an excuse to unleash frightening ugliness, the likes of which anyone with a modicum of respect for responsible discourse would denounce without hesitation."

Picking up on McEwan's "frightening ugliness" sentiments, MyDD's Chris Bowers heads his post "Terrorism Remains A Key Political Tool Of the Right" and links to a Wikipedia entry noting "since 1977 in the United States and Canada, there have been 17 attempted murders, 383 death threats, 153 incidence of assault or battery, and 3 kidnappings committed against abortion providers." Bowers connects the dots: "Much like the democratic means attempted by conservatives to outlaw abortion, the media pressure against Edwards didn't work. Unfortunately, the violent threats against Melissa did. ... Terrorism and the threat of violence against American citizens remains a key political tool for the American right-wing."

Taking a slightly different view, Matthew Yglesias argues the episode says more about the Edwards campaign: "[B]ased on their own reaction to the controversy it appears that nobody at the campaign decided to vet [Amanda] Marcotte before they hired her? Presumably, these were both decisions handled at a fairly low level (I doubt Edwards himself was huddled in a room with three top advisors discussing blog hiring policy for hours until after controversies started breaking out) but it all seems a little amateurish."

Daily Kos' Kagro X notes that the "Catholic-based advocacy group" Fidelis has expanded the story past the Edwards campaign calling on Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to "publicly condemn the anti-Catholic and anti-Christian blog posts by Amanda Marcotte and Melissa McEwan." Tired of attacks from the right Bowers admits: "You know what? I don't want Hillary Clinton to apologize for her war vote anymore, because I am sick of Democrats apologizing."

Others on the left kept the battle focussed on the man who helped break the story into the MSM the Catholic League's Bill Donohue. AMERICAblog links to video of the "religious right hate-speech 'expert'" telling a "gook joke" on television and firedoglake's TRex points out earlier Donohue campaigns included an attack on Lipton for an onion dip commercial that featured "a person holding a bowl of onion dip while waiting in line to take communion-the implication being that this person planned to dip the Eucharist in the onion dip."

DEM FIELD: Sorry No More

Connecting the Edwards blogger story with Obama's recent apologies for implying the US troops died in vainMyDD 's Bowers writes: "Great! Yes! More apologies! It appears that there is nothing that Democrats and progressives can do, no matter how amazing, without being forced to issue a constant stream of apologies and resignations whenever the right-wing demands them."

Bowers is tired of the whole system and wants all the attacks and apologies to just end. He advises: "People have to start pushing back from our end. Stop agreeing with the right-wing attacks. Stop attacking the individual right-wingers who make the attacks (they have an endless supply of those) and start attacking the system itself. Just stop apologizing for crying out loud."

CLINTON: "9/11 Made Her Do It!"

Discussion of HRC still centers around Iraq with Arianna Huffington posting on "Team Hillary's Latest Excuse for Iraq Vote." Huffington writes: "Team Hillary's attempt to out-weasel John Kerry's legendary "I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it" continues in earnest. Its latest explanation/rationalization? 9/11 made her do it! That's right, the Clinton camp is now reading out of the Bush administration's wing-and-a-prayer book."

More towards the center Kausfiles argues the early start to the primary season will end up benefitting HRC on the issue: "How Obama May Have Saved Hillary ... She's in trouble now because of her pro-war vote, and her unimpressive attempts to explain it without repudiating it. But the 2008 campaign has started so early that there's plenty of time for her to reverse field and recover. ... If it were December or even October, things might be different and she'd be in real trouble."

DODD: Ned Lamont Wants You (To Help Chris Dodd)!!!

My Left Nutmeg's Matt Browner Hamlin posts an email from Ned Lamont supporting Chris Dodd's Restoring the Constitution Act. Lamont tells his supporters Dodd has been a leader on the issue, working to overturn the Military Commissions Act "almost immediately after the passage of the bill." Lamont urges recipients to sign on as a citizen co-sponsor of the bill at Restore-Habeas.org.

Reminding netrooters that "as Markos himself always says, not everyone has to show up at Dailykos" MyDD's Bowers asks readers to check out Dodd's 3:30 PM chat at Booman Tribune. The Booman plugs the appearance as well: "He will be here to talk about the Restoring the Constitution Act of 2007. This act would help repair the damage down by the Military Commissions Act of 2006."

After seeing him at a rally in Manchester, NH, Blue Hampshire's Gallichon says he is forming "an increasingly favorable impression" of Dodd. He adds: "He talked a lot about the rule of law and America's role in the world. I'm glad to see that wasn't just talk."

OBAMA: Bigger Than Dean

MyDD's Bowers claims Barack Obama's "Facebook organizing is working" pointing to large crowds in the college towns of Durham, NH and Ames, IA. Bowers adds: "He is already generating the same kind of crowds in February that Howard Dean only started consistently generating in August of 2003."

Building on similar sentiments, fellow MyDDerMatt Stoller blogs that Obama "has a national megaphone" he could use to ask people to do "anything really" including for 1M "to call Congress in February to ask for a withdrawal from Iraq" or "ask for universal health care." Stoller claims Obama "knows this" but is afraid if it doesn't happen "he'll get embarrassed." Stoller concludes asking: "Obama knows there's a hunger out here for change, and that if we have leadership we will follow. Does he trust the American people enough to make the ask, and change the country?

Still defending Clinton, TAPPED's Garance Franke-Ruta argues that Obama's views on Iran are in line with HRC's. She writes: "Hillary Clinton has long been out of sync with Dean and Obama on the Iraq War, and, since 2005, Edwards's position on it has evolved more that hers. But all four of them have been tough talkers when it comes to Iran, and Dean seemed to be suggesting last fall that it would be politically advantageous for Democrats to attack Bush over his failure to properly handle the threat it poses."

GIULIANI: The InstaCandidate?

Rudy Giuliani continued his strong blogosphere showing when AmSpec Blog's Philip Klein broke news that "stalwart conservative lawyer and former solicitor general for the Bush administration" Theodore Olson will be supporting Giuliani's campaign. On Giuliani's social views Olson writes:

Rudy's views on many, many issues are going to be very compatible with people in the conservative political community and the political legal community. Nobody's going to be able to find a candidate with whom they agree with 100 percent on every issue. Overall, Rudy's strength of character, his capacity for leadership in a time when a strong executive is important, his energy level, his ability to provide the kind of leadership that Ronald Reagan did -- I think that is going to be very persuasive with conservatives.

Linking to the AmSpec post, RedState's Pejman Yousefzadeh adds: "Whether he reads blogs or not, Giuliani is following the advice they dish out for his campaign. Note that whenever he is asked about his position on abortion, he is upfront about his views, gives no indication that he is going to change them, but stresses that if he is given the chance to appoint judges and Justices, they would be in the model of John Roberts and Samuel Alito."

Pajamas Media's Bill Bradley posts video of Giuliani addressing global warming "in the Silicon Valley" but Michelle Malkin is not impressed by his criticism of Al Gore "for not having enough zeal to take on the special interests" on climate change.

Reaction in PJM comment boards was mixed with Jacob writing: "Gore goes on about global warming but doesn't really offer any solutions. And Giuliani isn't some kumbaya-solve-the-problem-by-banning-cars nut. He points out we use do things like technology and alternate fuels to combat global warming and also it'll fight pollution which is also a good thing. This sounds a lot like the Instapundit position, who's not a crazy lefty. The more you think about it the more Giuliani sounds like the Instapundit candidate."

ROMNEY: Right Guy, Wrong Job?

A 'friend' of IA's Caucus Cooler was in Dearborn, MI, for Mitt Romney's official WH'08 announcement and writes while [Romney] "wasn't bad by any means" Romney has been "more comfortable giving a speech." CC's friends adds: "The loudest and longest cheer of the speech came a few minutes later after Mitt expressed his support for the President when it comes to Iraq. He ends talking a lot about freedom. ... All in all, I'd say the weather hurt the energy in there a little bit."

The Corner's Kathryn Jean Lopez also admits "Mitt wasn't a flawless event (at one point what may have been repetition for emphasis certainly looked a little bit like he had lost his place in the speech) but it was an enthusiastic Dearborn announcement." K-Lo blogs "He certainly brought the family message home, for what it's worth ... you kinda got the impression you were (one of 800 people) joining a Romney family reunion." But again, Iraq hounded Romney in K-Lo's opinion, commenting on his closing she writes:

He's not running for governor of the U.S., but president of the United States. Even aside from the questions conservatives have, I'm not sure people yet have a sense that he's the right guy for that job.

Other Reax:

• Granite Grok: "he expresses some great notions and hits all the right conservative hot buttons. The big question is whether he can make people believe that HE believes this stuff."


• Power Line's Paul Mirengoff: "Romney used the museum and the technological advances it chronicles to speak about his life-long pursuit of innovation and transformation in the public and private sectors. This, I believe, will be the major theme of his campaign. And it's a valid one. ... The biggest political cloud on the horizon for Romney, as for all Republican contenders, is probably the war in Iraq."


• Captain's Quarters: "It seems like Romney has decided that his toughest competition will come from McCain instead of Giuliani. ... The little digs about someone who hasn't run a corner store as well as the "outsider" remarks clearly reference McCain. He wants to bump McCain to the side of the road by reminding Republican conservatives of all the compromises and aisle-crossing McCain has done in over twenty years in Congress."


• The Brody File: "Evangelical Christians are going to want Romney and all the candidates to talk a lot about the the present culture war that currently exists today ... [after quoting from Romney]Ladies and gentlemen, that's boiler plate Ronald Reagan conservatism. And while Romney wants to be portrayed like that, he will have to actually come out with bold policy initiatives to prove it.


• The Right Angle's Ivy Sellers: "Romney's campaign team has certainly played their cards well, at least where publicity is concerned. Currently Matt Drudge has the embargoed-till-delivery speech posted in full on his website. Maybe presidential hopefuls will now think twice before announcing a weekend when nobody's watching."

IRAQ: Stop The Madness

Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) has posts at MyDD and Calitics telling readers that the current House vote on Iraq is "an important first step" in getting U.S. troops out of Iraq. She urges netrooters to "continue to hold President Bush accountable for his disaster in Iraq" by supporting her own bill, H.R. 508, which "would bring our troops home within six months, provide economic, humanitarian and diplomatic aid to help the Iraqis rebuild their country."

Patience for further steps seems to be wearing thin however. MyDD's Matt Stoller links to Glenn Greenwald questioning of Dem motives for not exorcising their power to end the war and asks: "Is it time to work to run primary campaigns against Democrats who won't argue for ending the war? ... It's obvious that no Democrats in DC, with a few exceptions, feel any pull towards withdrawal. So they are screwing over us, who voted them into office to end the war, and we're enabling them with cheerleading. We must put incentives in place to stop this madness. And believe me, it's madness."

A Dear Colleague letter from Reps. John Shadegg (R-AZ)and Peter Hoekstra (R-MI) is also getting plenty of lefty blogger play. Daily Kos' Kagro X highlights his favorite passage, "If we let Democrats force us into a debate on the surge or the current situation in Iraq, we lose," and adds: "If we have an upperdownvote on the escalation, Republicans lose. Because nearly everyone in America opposes it, including a significant number of the Republicans who received this letter. And if there's a straight-up vote on it, they lose.

IRAQ II: Blunt Assessments

Righty blogger posting on the Iraq debate is uniformly against the House Dem resolution portraying it as "Defeat Only." Thoughts include:

• Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO) at RedState: "Almost twenty-four years ago, in November 1983, the Congress voted for withdrawal from Lebanon by March of 1984. Many of the proponents of today's resolution voted then to leave. They lost 153 to 274, but the message was sent, and we left anyway, and when we left, the myth of American weakness began to take hold in al Qaeda."
• Red State's Mark Kilmer: "The Democrats have introduced their anti-Bushie war resolution, vowing support for our troops - fingers crossed - and slipping them the verbal knife."
• RedState's Pejman Yousefzadeh: "Even after winning control of Congress thanks in no small part to their campaign against the continuing reconstruction effort in Iraq, Democrats still feel that they are on shaky ground in addressing the issue of our presence in Iraq."
• RedState's Marcus Traianus: "The truth is Democrats have no alternative to our current plan for achieving victory in Iraq except to attack those who continue to show leadership in carrying out a strategy this country agreed was prudent. Their only hope is based on a political calculation that we will lose; public opinion will stay low and their contra- intellectual filibuster can continue until 2008."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Nothing New

IA Progress' Chase Martyn has a bone to pick with The Atlantic's profile of gay activist's Tim Gill's involvement in IA state Rep. Eric Palmer (D) recent victory over socially conservative IA state Rep. Danny Carroll. After quoting Carroll's attribution of his loss to "the activism of Grinnell College students" Martyn writes:

Yup, that's right: Danny's pretty sure it was us. We're pretty sure it was us. And the number of college students who voted for Eric Palmer is remarkably close to the number of votes Danny lost by. But Joshua Green still blames the gays. ... It may be sensational because a few of Palmer's donors were gay, but it is certainly nothing new.

LEST WE FORGET: No Matter What Your Opinion Of Climate Change, She Has A Point

The Corner's Kathryn Jean Lopez notes the headline "HOUSE HEARING ON 'WARMING OF THE PLANET' CANCELED AFTER SNOW/ICE STORM is "just not the best P.R. for your cause."

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:30 PM

February 13, 2007

Blogger Spotlight: Las Vegas Gleaner

Continuing our tour through NV, today's spotlights looks at MyDD's chosen NV blog link, the Las Vegas Gleaner, run by Hugh Jackson.

What is your full name?

Hugh Jackson

What is your age?

Middle

What’s your hometown?

Kemmerer, Wyoming

Where do you live now?

Fabulous Las Vegas

What is your educational background?

B.A., History, U of Wyoming; M.A., History, U. of Minnesota

What is your occupation?

Fourth-rate journalist/pundit. In addition to authoring the lowly Gleaner and whoring for the local MSM when they can't find a more reputable lefty to give good quote, I'm a writer and contributing editor for an online magazine, NVToday.com -- that last is basically, oh, a half-time job.

When did you first get involved in politics and why?

When I was a kid my mom ran for county assessor in Lincoln County, Wyoming in the Republican primary (She lost because the northern part of the county is dominated by Mormons and back then they didn't vote for divorced women. I suspect they still don't). After I went to colleges and stuff, I got a job reporting at the only statewide paper in Wyoming covering politicians, some of whom moved on to Congress and serve there today, albeit in profound obscurity. Sadly, I arrived at the Wyoming paper about the time Dick Cheney became Bush the Elder's Defense Secretary, so I never got a chance to cover him much -- though in 1995, when he was thinking about running for president in '96, I wrote a column describing him as the next fourth-place finisher in the Iowa caucus, and I've always hoped that a) somebody showed it to him and b) that when he saw that in his hometown paper he was, you know, hurt, him being all sensitive and everything. Why politics? Too dumb to be a scientist.

When did you start blogging and why?

I launched the Gleaner in July 2005. I started because I'm scared of Bush's flirtation with the End o' Times, alarmed at the deterioration of a once-magnificent democracy, and because ridiculing politicians full-time looked both easier and more fun than my policy analyst job with Public Citizen -- the usual reasons. Oh, and the other usual reason -- none of the grown-up media would give me a job, not even the local free weekly with sex ads in the back where I was once an allegedly overpaid (untrue!) editor who allegedly drove off advertisers (ok, that part's true). Also, when Harry Reid rose to become leader of the Senate Democrats following Daschle's defeat in 2004, it seemed like if there was one thing missing from the public discourse, it was somebody who would occasionally hammer the Great and Powerful Harry not only from the left, but from his own state.

How are blogs changing politics in your state?

We're emboldening the enemy.

What's your favorite most unsung specific example of a blogger affecting a political figure, organization, philosophy, or movement?

Um, aren't we past that question? I mean, isn't that like asking for a favorite example of, oh, a weekly news magazine or a TV news show affecting a political figure etc.? Words and pictures and stuff are published on the internets now, and it's just another piece of the media circus, sometimes it'll matter, sometimes it won't.

Tomorrow our spotlight makes a right turn and interviews Todd Zuccato of Silver State Libertarian Leanings.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 01:09 PM

2/13: Rudy Rising

Ex-NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani is posting the most commanding lead ever for a WH '08 hopeful in the current GOP Bloggers straw poll. Without any data to back it up, the Blogometer speculates that Giuliani's lead is due to two factors: 1) His official paper filing and increased hiring of campaign staff have convinced many he's serious about running; 2) the previous GOP Blogger straw poll front-runner, MA Gov. Mitt Romney (R), has suffered a death of a thousand flip-flop cuts (on gay rights, abortion, CFR, etc.). With The Smoking Gun posting past oppo on Giuliani, we'll see if his stay at the top can last longer than Romney's.

GOP FIELD: Romney In Free-Fall

GOP Bloggers is conducting their Feb. WH '08 straw poll, and with 7,627 votes in the first-choice favorites are:

Rudy Giuliani 35%
Newt Gingrich 26%
Mitt Romney 15%
Tom Tancredo 6%
Duncan Hunter 5%

The Feb. results contrast sharply with the Jan. results which had Romney ahead with 28% of first choice votes. Gingrich barely moved at all from his 24% showing, but Giuliani rocketed up from his 21%.

Pajamas Media also released their latest straw poll results with a markedly result

Ron Paul 46%
Rudy Giuliani 22%
Newt Gingrich 10%
Mitt Romney 10%
Fred Thompson 3%

GOP FIELD II: Obama Is Not The Center Of The Universe?

Complaining that MSM coverage of the Dem field "will eat up two-thirds or more of the media's" coverage over the next year, Giuliani aide Patrick Ruffini argues the MSMs fixation is "a way for the media to show its bias without being ideological." Ruffini adds: "the Democrats will be seen as generating more grassroots energy than the Republicans, whose voters will be framed as subdued and unmotivated. ... The Democratic nominee will be portrayed as the heroic victor in an epic saga that pitted the "first" woman and minority candidates against each other, with a proven smooth-talker thrown in the mix."

From the left, Atrios agrees, asking "Do Republican Candidates For President Exist?" he answers: "Yes, yes, strange complaint from me, but while we're being given the full soap opera high school coverage of Democratic candidates, it seems that the Republican candidates are being largely ignored."

GOP FIELD III: Is That Like Metro-Sexuals, But Different?

Admitting that the Reagan ("traditional Republicans, anti-Commies, and culturally conservative Dems") and Bush ("traditional Republicans, suburban moms, Hispanics, and evangelical Christians") coalitions are on life support or dead, John McCain aide and Ankle Biting Pundits blogger Patrick Hynes promotes Noemie Emery's "Metro Republicans" and AmSpec Blog's "Post Modern Conservative" as possible future models for the GOP. Hynes concludes: "For the time being anyway, it doesn't appear that a tobacco chewing, redneck, rightwing Republican is the relevant stereotype. Maybe George Allen got out just in time."

GIULIANI: The Next Decider

Rudy Giuliani is again winning conservative blogger praise, this time for his 2/11 Los Angeles Timesop-ed closing: "Presidents can't do nonbinding resolutions. Presidents have to make decisions and move the country forward, and that's the kind of president that I would like to be, a president who makes decisions."

RedState's M Becker responds: "The last paragraph is precisely why NONE of the gnomes in the US Senate are qualified to be President. Ditto for the House." Captain's Quarters seizes on the same passage and adds: "That's the difference between legislators and leaders. Leaders have to make decisions, not engage in self-indulgent whining about them. Giuliani, McCain, and Romney all understand this. Too bad more GOP Senators do not."

TPM Cafe's Eric Kleefeld notes The Smoking Gun has posted portions of the 450-page oppo report done on Giuliani by his own '93 mayoral campaign. Kleefeld highlights some nuggets including; on abortion: "Simplicity is the best response to questions about abortion;" on gay rights: "Giuliani is pretty good on most issues of concern to gay and lesbian New Yorkers ... Gay marriage really is the only issue where Giuliani opposes the gay agenda;" on marrying his cousin: "Despite their time together building sand castles out on Long Island, Giuliani claimed, first, he knew, and then he didn't know, Gina was his second cousin."

HUCKABEE: Hungry, Hungry, Huckabee

SC Hotline's Will Folks posts video of an exclusive interview with Mike Huckabee. They cover his weight, health care, and CATO criticism of Huckabee's fiscal record.

MCCAIN: He's Never Gonna Win A CFR Argument With These Guys

Captain's Quarters posts Team McCain's response to CQ's earlier post on the Washington Post's claim that McCain tapped "Cash He Sought to Limit." McCain writes CQ: "The story's headline and central premise are inaccurate. ... Sen. McCain is not raising money for or taking money from 527s. He is successfully recruiting people to join his fundraising team who have also given to 527s."

CQ responds: "Under the rules as they exist now, McCain has done nothing illegal ... However, we still have to consider his efforts to make these rules, the effect they have had on the campaign system, and on political speech when we evaluate him as a candidate."

ROMNEY: Kerry-Romney Connection Gaining Strength

Commenting on Sam Brownback's "hard-hitting press release" on the eve of Mitt Romney's official announcement, RedState's Rob Bluey writes: "The spat between Republican presidential candidates couldn't come at a worse time for Romney, who is in Michigan to officially announce tomorrow that he's a presidential candidate. On a day when he was hoping to present himself to conservatives as an electable alternative to Sen. John McCain and former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Romney instead finds himself facing fire from the right."

Bluey quotes from the release: "Mitt Romney's flip flops are enough to make John Kerry blush." IA's Caucus Cooler is also making Kerry-Romney comparisons, this time on agriculture issues. CC links to Drudge Report coverage of '96 Kerry statements supporting a "gutting the Department of Agriculture" as well as similar Romney statements. CC concludes: "it will be interesting to see if [Romney] is held to that same standard."

DEM FIELD: A Post A Day, Keeps The Bloggers At Bay

Zach Exley posts a list of "Top Ten Reasons Why Presidential Candidates Need to Write Their Own Damn Emails and Blog Posts" including number three: "If you can spend six hours per day on high-dollar fundraising, you can take 15 minutes to jot out a note to your supporters." MyDD's Chris Bowers adds: "I don't think that Zach means they should write every post on their campaign blog, but that one every day would be good."

CLARK: A Supplemental Appropriation Comes To Mind

Ex-Gen. Wes Clark posted a Daily Kos diary "Is War with Iran Inevitable?" 2/12 and stuck around for questions including, on Iraq: "What's the optimum Senate resolution, Wes?"

Wes responded: "[I]n order to affect the president's strategy, the Democrats have to threaten something the President wants. This is what our Congressional leadership should be working on...is it confirmation of judges, approval of budget requests, supplementals, or whatever...the power of the purse, as well as the power to investigate, are essential powers of the Congress."

CLINTON: Soft On Obama, Hard On Edwards?

Despite some protestations, the consensus in lefty blog circles is that Hillary Clinton is more hawkish on Iran than her main Dem rivals. Matthew Yglesias condenses: "The precise nuances of what everyone's said about Iran so far aside, it's pretty clear that Edwards and Clinton have similar records as officeholders, that Obama has a somewhat more liberal record than those two, and that Edwards has positioned himself to the left of Obama and Clinton in terms of what he's laid out so far in the campaign."

Mike at Blue Hampshire reviews HRC's recent stop in Keene, NH, including this nugget on logistics: "The Edwards event in Portsmouth seemed to rely heavily on OneCorps volunteers for ushering and the like. This event had just local volunteers that I recognized from all the campaigns and the Cheshire Dems. They seemed less jumpy than the OneCorps volunteers who must have been overwhelmed by Edwards capacity crowd and were perhaps not as used to campaign work."

Mike also posted on Clinton's Iraq position: "Not happy with her answer on Iraq, which skirted around the issue of how Congress could actually put teeth into a bill. If you think we shouldn't put teeth into a bill, or that we don't have the votes, talk to us about that. But don't tell us that since the president is freaking out about the non-binding resolution that it's somehow meaningful. ... Hillary is going to have to come to terms with Iraq soon, I think."

Also focussing on Iraq, TPM Cafe's Greg Sargent documents "sharply contrasting approaches to dealing with John Edwards and Barack Obama when it comes to responding to their criticism of Hillary's Iraq positions." Sargent asks: "Has the Clinton campaign made an internal decision to adopt a hands-off approach to responding to Obama, while aggressively returning fire when Edwards criticizes her? There are lots of possible explanations for such a move. Perhaps the Hillary camp thinks it can more likely win an argument over Iraq with Edwards, who voted for the war, than with Obama, who opposed it from the start."

DODD: What Does Tim Tagaris Get Paid For Again?

Under the header, "Redemption for Menendez?" Daily Kos' mcjoan trumpets the introduction of the "Restoring the Constitution Act of 2007" and urges readers to visit Blue Jersey to find out more about Sen. Bob Menendez's (D-NJ) efforts to "repair some of the damage done" by his vote for the Military Commissions Act.

Blue Jersey notes in "Update 3" of their post: "To clarify, Chris Dodd is the sponsor of this bill and Menendez is a co-sponsor. I'm told the legislation will actually be called "Restoring the Constitution Act of 2007". More information at Restore-Habeas.org.

Matt Browner Hamlin at CT's My Left Nutmeg's comments: "I'd hope that Menendez is sufficiently appreciative of Senator Dodd for letting him jump onto this bill, which Dodd originally proposed in November 2006. ... Also, I'm a bit disappointed that this news broke on Blue Jersey and not a Connecticut blog."

Dodd describes his bill at Restore-Habeas.org: "The bill will restore Habeas Corpus protections to detainees, bar information acquired through torture from being introduced as evidence in trials, and limit presidential authority to interpret the meaning and application of the Geneva Conventions."

EDWARDS: Other Than That, Amanda, How Was The Movie?

Taking a break from her job as official John Edwards campaign blogger, Amanda Marcotte posted a review of the movie Children of Men at her own blogging home, Pandagon including this passage: "The Christian version of the virgin birth is generally interpreted as super-patriarchal, where god is viewed as so powerful he can impregnate without befouling himself by touching a woman, and women are nothing but vessels."

This elicited a press release from Marcotte' Catholic League nemesis Bill Donohue who wrote: "Anyone who actually believes that the birth of Jesus by the Virgin Mary is 'generally interpreted' as being a sexist exercise obviously lives in an anti-Christian ghetto."

Later 2/12, Amanda announced her resignation from the Edwards campaign at Pandagon noting that Donohue had created "a situation where I felt that every time I coughed, I was risking the Edwards campaign. No matter what you think about the campaign, I signed on to be a supporter and a tireless employee for them, and if I can't do the job I was hired to do because Bill Donohue doesn't have anything better to do with his time than harass me, then I won't do it."

Her biggest online supporter, MyDD's Chris Bowers, was "pretty disappointed" by the outcome and blogged that the episode would make "the progressive blogosphere...look really bad." MyDD brethren Matt Stoller was more ambivalent about the matter: "Amanda feels encumbered by the campaign and unable to effectively defend herself from the right-wing. As such, it's the correct decision to make because a Presidential campaign is the wrong place to be if you want to hit back at the right on your own behalf. Aspiring bloggers for campaigns should take note of the restrictions placed on your freedom when you go to work for a campaign."

There was plenty of celebration on the right including this quip from a Captain's Quarters commenter: "a suggestion for Marcotte -- record her blog posts as a book, and she'll almost certainly win a Grammy."

OBAMA: Please Lead Us!

Lefty bloggers are judiciously noting developing anti-Obama memes. Arianna Huffington critiques the "Where's the Beef?" line of attack that she noticed after watching 2/11's Meet The Press. Huffington responds: "don't these guys own a computer? If they took the time to surf the websites of any of the candidates, they'd see that the presidential campaign is already awash in real specifics on all kinds of real challenges. Indeed, they should go to barackobama.com right now and click on 'Issues." They'll see something called "Plan to End the War in Iraq," which is... a plan to end the war in Iraq. But maybe the war isn't a real enough challenge for Russert."

MyDD's Matt Stoller posts a Fox News clip of Obama campaigning and identifies another anti-Obama narrative: "he hates the troops, he's anti-American, and he's weak on national security (the PM Howard story fits in here)."

TPM Cafe's Greg Sargent shares a "Hillary supporter"s criticism of Obama's pre- and post- announcement takes on his Dem rivals Iraq positions. Sargent summarizes: "The Hillary supporter points out to us that Obama was more forgiving of the pre-war failures of his fellow Dems in that interview than he is now that he's in the race. Not a huge deal, by any means, but worth noting. We're passing it along to keep the discussion humming."

Explaining that he was a candidate who is willing and able "to build the progressive movement" MyDD's Chris Bowers notes Obama's 250K member Facebook and 3.5K rally at George Mason University show he has he has the ability but: "If Obama is going to receive a more serious look from me, he is going to have to start embracing all of the remarkable activism that is being done on his behalf."

Talk Left's Big Tent Democrat, however, is already warming up to Obama especially after tellingFrank Rich : "I'm not interested in cheap bipartisanship." BTD concludes: "I'm beginning to believe. I'm not sold yet. I want to hear more. But, I moved a a long way yesterday."

OBAMA II: House Party Goin' On

In press criticism of Obama coverage, The Huffington Post's Logan Nakyanzi Pollard posts a partial transcript of Deborah Dickerson recent The Colbert Report performance and labels Dickerson's claim that Obama is not black: "a divisive, inaccurate, and harmful claim given the challenges that black people face."

IA Progress argues Clinton received much more favorable coverage for her recent trip to the state than Obama did and guesses as to why: "So what's happening? Part of it is that Obama has increased expectations for drawing crowds. When you can draw 17,000 people to attend a speech on a Saturday morning when it's nine degrees outside, the bar has been raised."

Blue Hampshire reports the "house party" for Obama at state Rep. Bette Lasky's (D) house was a "ZOO!" but also complains about having to defend "Senator Obama from media sensationalism" about his popularity.

Finally, Blog P.I. notices the the Create Your Profile page at My.BarackObama.com does not have a "faith/religion" interest category and comments: "Not only has Sen. Obama has faced unfair but persistent questions about his faith, but the entire Democratic Party has been trying since 2004 (at least) to demonstrate that Republicans don't have a lock on "moral values." If "This Campaign is About You," then why not provide a box provided for you to fill in your own most important issue?"

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: As If You Weren't Planning To Watch C-SPAN Already

Kansas City infoZine announces that "five bloggers poised to make a difference in the current campaign" will be speaking on a panel at the Dole Institute's "Blog to the Chief: The Impact of Political Blogs on the 2008 Election" which will be recorded by C-SPAN.

Panel members include: "Patrick Hynes, blog consultant for Sen. John McCain's Straight Talk America PAC and creator of the blog Ankle Biting Pundits; Erick Erickson, managing editor of the conservative blog RedState.com; Jerome Armstrong, one of the architects of Howard Dean's Internet campaign; Joan McCarter, a contributing editor at Daily Kos; and Scott Johnson, co-founder of Power Line Blog."

LEST WE FORGET: With PR Genius Like That, She Should Run For President

ESPN's Page 2 columnist Bill Simmons kept a running diary of 2/11's Grammy Awards including this gem: "

10:59 - As Quentin Tarantino and Tony Bennett announce the nominees for "Record of the Year," we see a shot of a smiling Paris Hilton in the crowd. Good God, can that girl do anything to end her own career? Sex tapes, racial slurs, drugs, hateful personality, no discernible talent at all ... and she's still chugging along. Are we sure she's not Satan? Let's chop her head off and see if it grows back.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:23 PM

February 12, 2007

Blogger Spotlight: Reno And Its Discontents

After IA, but before NH, NV will host caucuses 1/19 and there is a thriving local blogosphere more than willing to help cover/affect the debate. Up first in our coverage: Reno and Its Discontents's Myrna the Minx.

What is your full name?

Myrna the Minx

What is your age?

I'll defer to Blanch DuBois on this one "...a woman's charm is 50% illusion."

What's your hometown?

I was born in Provo, Utah but have lived in too many places to have a "hometown." I consider wherever I live to be my hometown.

Where do you live now?

Reno, Nevada

What is your educational background?

I have a masters degree in literature and have completed some doctoral work.

What is your occupation?

That's top secret.

When did you first get involved in politics and why?

I've been actively political as long as I can remember--I was raised in a very politically active household. My parents taught us that our opinions were important and valued as long as you could defend them properly. In school, I was on the debate team, ran for office, all of that stuff. I even pick my music using a political barometer. That's why I'm such a big Joe Strummer fan.

When did you start blogging and why?

December, 2005. I started Reno and Its Discontents because I was living in the midst of an incredible time in Reno--the beginning of a downtown resurgence--and as a downtown resident watching the changes taking place from ground zero, I was inspired by them and I guess I wanted others to be inspired by them as well. Its amazing to watch a city rediscover its heart. The idea was that the blog would focus on the downtown resurgence and be a true community site where anyone could register and submit posts (without prior approval I might add). I wanted "the community" to discuss its own future on the blog, and I would say that I was semi-successful in reaching that goal.

The reason I've probably only been semi-successful is because I do have such a political focus on the blog. I can't help but express my political views and some people don't like them as you would expect. But I am a firm believer in the old feminist maxim "The personal is political." So everything I say, hear, read, observe, and think comes through that frame first. Honestly, I believe you're a fool if you ignore the impact politics have on our daily lives, and so when I write about my city, state, and country, that is always going to come through.

How are blogs changing politics in your state?

In a couple of ways. First, bloggers are filling in the blanks and adding context for citizens that main stream journalists often don't do or aren't allowed to. Sometimes the commentary may not be exactly fair, but for the most part, I think of bloggers as editorialists or columnists (unless its clear they want the title of citizen journalist), and we have some intelligent, hilarious, and resourceful bloggers who do a pretty good job of being fair when it counts.

Nevada bloggers are organizing. On the conservative side, you have Conservablogs.com in which organizers are provide blogs space for conservatives interested in blogging. They also have a group blog called Battle Born Opinion News Blog. Liberal and independent blogs communicate and support each other more informally, although we did just form a Nevada Political Blog Network on BlogAds.com as a way of hopefully generating a little revenue in return for the considerable time and effort most of us put into our blogs. I have found the political blogging network in Nevada to be very supportive, open, and entertaining--its a great community to be a part of.

The newest development is the state's rising importance in national politics thanks Jack Carter's failed Senate run and to the state's new status as a 2008 Presidential Democratic Caucus state. Both of those events have brought and will continue to bring a lot of attention and potential candidates to the state, and some of those potential candidates are making better use of blogs than others. John Edwards is a great example, because I he offers bloggers special interviews everywhere he goes. My blog was the only entity, blogger or journalist, to get a one on one interview with Edwards during his last visit. Not only does that kind of inclusion give bloggers a chance to meet a candidate, it also gives the campaigns an opportunity to build relationships with bloggers. Its smart politics in a state this size because the blog readership is large compared to that in other states. I think the impact of Nevada's blogs on national politics has yet to be seen, but the potential is great, particularly if more of the candidates take their cues from the Edwards campaign. But I think all of us are excited about the future.

What's your favorite most unsung specific example of a blogger affecting a political figure, organization, philosophy, or movement?

It was unsung although that's recently changed. I am a big fan of what Spocko of Spocko's Brain is doing as far as demonstrating how ridiculous it is for advertisers to be ignorant about the kind of programming they are supporting. The tolerance for hate speech on the right in this country is frightening. That being said, I think bloggers like Spocko and David Neiwert at Orcinus are fighting the good fight and everyone should be supporting what they do.

Be sure to check back tomorrow when we talk to Hugh Jackson of the Las Veags Gleaner

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:39 PM

2/12: If The Issue's Iraq, The Choices Are Rudy And Obama

Looking at coverage of Sen. Hillary Clinton's (D-NY) trip to NH and ex-NY Mayor Rudy Giuliani's (R) speech to CA GOPers, it is becoming clear that if Iraq continues to dominate nat'l debate, the left will break for Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), and the right for Giuliani. Obama benefits from both Clinton's refusal to admit wrongdoing in her pre-war behavior as well as recent blogger concerns that Edwards has not learned the right lessons from his Iraq vote. Giuliani, meanwhile, is benefitting from increasing conservative willingness to discount Giuliani's social views in favor of focusing on his strong anti-terror image (it's also possible Rudy's refusal to move on abortion and guns only makes him appear more resolute in righty blogger eyes).

CLINTON: Like Kerry, All Over Again

Like her 2/10 Concord, NH, appearance, Iraq dominated Hillary Clinton talk throughout the weekend. Daily Kos' Devilstower says the reason HRC's Iraq vote keeps coming up is because Clinton has not yet given "a good answer." Kos consultants are to blame for her Iraq position: "Stress that she'd been misled? Check. Blame the mess in Iraq on administration incompetence? Check. Refuse to admit that she made a mistake? Check."

Matthew Yglesias is also upset with Team Hillary calling their response to his earlier criticism of her Iraq vote "an insult." To rebut Yglesias' argument that HRC was not critical of "the rush to war," the campaign cites a 1/31/03 HRC letter to Colin Powell urging more inspections and a 3/3/03 AP article quoting HRC urging a "peaceful solution" for the conflict.

Yglesias responds: "Honestly, I think this is a little bit childish and something of an insult to the intelligence of liberals everywhere. ... The idea that we're now supposed to spend the time between today and Iowa having a debate about whether or not Clinton backed a pre-emptive military attack on Iraq is a little bit insane. The war occurred, it occurred with her support, and it was a pre-emptive war. I don't think this is a difficult question."

Also following up on HRC claims that she did note vote for a pre-emptive war, TPM's Greg Sargent posts Clinton's 10/10/02 Iraq floor speech and writes: "Of course, it seemed awfully obvious at the time that Bush had no intention whatsoever of using those powers only as "a last resort." And the vote did give him the authority to do what he was hell-bent on doing no matter what Saddam did: That is, wage a preemptive war."

Following online reaction throughout the weekend, MyDD's Matt Stoller identifies an emerging "anti-Hillary Iraq Narrative" that "centers on Iraq, and has to do with her inability and unwillingness to admit a mistake on the war vote on Iraq." Stoller argues the meme is particularly damaging since it "brands her badly" is "a clear and good argument against her" that "could dominate the news cycle" and "brings back memories of John Kerry."

Later Stoller offers a solution: "the only way to turn this around would be to take a really public and aggressive leadership role in beating back Bush's plan to invade Iran. ... It would neutralize Obama's antiwar credentials ... and it would sideswipe Edwards completely since he's poorly positioned on Iran."

Atrios argues that the reason Edwards has succeeded online so well so far is due to his "I was wrong" admission.

EDWARDS: A Larger Problem

Amanda Marcotte-related fallout continues to dominate John Edwards discussion fueled by John Dickerson's Slateitem quoting an unamed Democratic staffer for a rival campaign saying, about Team Edwards: "Apparently they're more afraid of the bloggers than they are the Catholics." Kos contacted Dickerson who confirmed that the source was from a Dem campaign. MyDD's Chris Bowers responded: "Apparently, that person is so brave and unafraid of "the bloggers," that s/he can only use Republican-enabling, [Bill] Donohue-loving, blogger-bashing, smear-capitulating language while keeping both his or her campaign and his or her name anonymous."

Bowers goes on to argue that Donohue is just "An Example of a Large Problem" since he "uses his platform to defend Catholics" but does use "his platform for political attacks and religious intolerance." After linking to Donohue claims that he was responsible for getting two Kerry staffers fired in '04 Bowers writes: "Making sure that the Bill Donahues of the world are quoted at will in a wide variety of news outlets is one of the great success of the Republican Noise Machine. ... That is why, for me, this entire episode had nothing whatsoever to do with the actual content of the blog posts in question, but instead about standing up to this false, partisan smear machine for what it is."

Also at MyDD, Matt Stoller calls on "the religious left to step up and stop letting ... bigots" like Donohue to speak for them. Stoller is particularly incensed by Faithful Democrats'Jesse Lava 's assertion that: "Finally, as much as it pains me to say it, I think Donohue may have a point in this case. The blog posts mentioned in the story did speak of a deep-seated hostility to the Church as an institution."

Stoller responds: "Now I know that Faithful Democrats put a caveat in there about how Donahue isn't a nice guy, but that's really irrelevant. ... until the self-described religious left decides to stop letting bigoted and extreme right-wingers talk for them, they are no different than the religious right they pretend to oppose.

GORE: It's Your Fault If Gore Doesn't Run

Claiming that if Al Gore were to jump in the WH'08 race "he'd probably win an outright majority" Daily Kos' Mike Stark asks why the DraftGore site only has 28K signatures compared to the 250K who have joined Barack Obama's Facebook group.

Stark warns Kossacks, "If Gore doesn't run, don't let it be because he wasn't encouraged by the people that most support him" and urges them to sign the DraftGore petition.

OBAMA: "A P.R. Agent's Dream"

Overall reaction to Barack Obama's official announcement was positive, but many were also left wanting more:

• MyDD's Matt Stoller: "I watched the speech, and it was very good. I felt inspired. But there was no 'ask,' nothing for anyone to do but cheer for Obama. An entire new crop of activists and organizers want to work to make Obama president, but until he trusts that he is part of a movement and not a top-down media candidate, he's not there yet."


• Atrios: "Didn't catch every word, but it sounded pretty good."


• Matthew Yglesias: "Good speech, I thought. Frankly, I sort of enjoy the absence of policy detail.


• MyDD commenter TarHeel: "As Kos said once Obama's speeches are like chinese food. 30 minutes later you wonder what it was about."


• The Carpetbagger Report's Steve Benen: "Obama used the word "generation," by my count, 12 times in his announcement speech. ... Obama didn't come right out and say he's picking up JFK's metaphorical torch from the baby-boomers, but he came close.

Century of the Common Iowan later liveblogged an Obama stop in Ames, IA, including this nugget: "Says that he is an imperfect vessel for your hopes and dreams. He can't do it alone, he needs your help to accomplish these goals."

Commenting more broadly, David Sirota wants to believe in Obama but worries the Senator "fundamentally misunderstands ... our most pressing problems." Sirota argues "many of our most pressing problems are zero-sum: someone is benefiting from the status quo, and to change the status quo means someone may lose something. ... Ultimately, Obama ... will have to decide whether he wants to offer up poll-tested platitudes about nebulous "hope" and run for President, or whether he wants to really challenge the status quo and actually BE elected President."

More towards the center, Andrew Sullivan doesn't "think many Americans have fully absorbed yet what the Bush administration has done to America's soft power abroad" and claims "[e]lecting a half-African president, with Hussein as a middle name, who attended school in a Muslim country: it's almost a p.r. agent's dream for America."

OBAMA II: Imagine If Biden Had Called Him 'Exotic', 'Militant', Or 'Uppity'

Lefty bloggers are remaining vigilant in attacking unfavorable Obama coverage. Politico's Mike Allen was this weekend's favorite target for his 2/9 article claiming Obama's "free ride is ending." Brad DeLong explains to Allen that the name 'Barack' is not all that 'exotic' since it also the same word "five million Americans are supposed to say it at sundown every Friday night ... in a Hebrew rather than an Arabic accent: "baruch." For his efforts, Atrios named Allen his "Wanker of the Day."

Daily Kos' MissLaura swipes at Salon for their item calling Obama "uppity." Laura notes Salon quickly changed uppity to smug but still saves the screenshot for posterity.

Also in media criticism, Talking Points Memo warns readers that an upcoming ABC Newsstory on whether Obama's church "is too militant to be accepted by mainstream America" might be based off "the whacked right-wing sheet Investor's Business Daily."

OBAMA III: We Should All Have Such Enemies In A Dem Primary

Obama's quick reaction to Australian PM John Howard's suggestions that an Obama win would "create chaos and a victory for the terrorists" further endeared him to the netroots. The Left Coaster's Steve Soto best summed up lefty opinion on Obama's response invitation for Australia to increase their number of troops in Iraq: "I must admit that I like Team Obama's ability to counterpunch. ... Nice work guys, against an imbecile who has no business sticking his nose into another country's politics."

GIULIANI: Not Running For Rabbi

Rudy Giuliani was the clear "early favorite for president among conventioneers" at the CA GOP convention 2/9 according to The Right Angle's John Gizzi. Other CA GOP/Gizzi nuggets include

• Giuliani told CA GOP assemblymen behinds closed doors: "I'm for adoption, not abortion."


• Log Cabin GOP ED James Vaughn is a Rudy fan telling Gizzi: "He has always been openly supportive of the gay agenda and won't apologize."


• On guns: "the New Yorker told me "I used it effectively as mayor" with regard to handguns, that gun control was one of several of crime-fighting tools along with "increasing the number of police and the 'broken windows' policy ... But, he quickly added, "I understand the Second Amendment" and, regarding owning guns for hunting or collections, Giuliani believes "there is a right to do that."


• On immigration: "The emphasis has to be on security" and that terrorism has made the issue "different from what it was in the '80s and '90s. . .It's a national security matter." He endorsed secure borders and, specifically, supports a "highly technological fence "along the U.S.-Mexican border

Not in Sacramento, CA, but still following coverage, Don Surber praises Giuliani for telling the audience Pres. Bush was "the kind of president I will want to be." Surber writes: "Giuliani didn't have to do that. ... He stood up for the president at a time when all the cowards are running and all those Saddam-loving socialists are saying I-told-you-so. Let him waffle on abortion and gay marriage ... on the one issue that matters - War - Rudy Giuliani is clear: He supports the troops, including the commander-in-chief."

The Corner's Peter Suderman calls Giuliani's views on social issues "reasonable cause for hesitation" but concludes: "But in our current situation, one of the President's prime responsibilities is to be America's leader and representative on the world stage. Most conservatives, I suspect, would rank fortitude, toughness, and strength of character as key qualities for that job, and in that sense, Giuliani is a very appealing candidate."

Picking up on similar sentiments from the Washington Post. Townhall's Matt Lewis argues: "If the question voters ask when they walk in the voting booth is: "Who is the most conservative?" -- he can't win. But if the question is: "Who can keep us safe?" -- he may have a shot."

Also dismissing Giuliani's social conservative shortcomings RedState's Mike Leader writes: "Rudy will not change his views on abortion or homosexuality. He won't waffle, he won't fudge with words, he won't take a poll and then decide what he believes. If he were running for priest or rabbi, you might be justified in not voting for him. The man is running for President. The world is not a perfect one."

More to the left, Andrew Sullivan argues Giuliani's federalism approach to social issues is the only hope for the GOP: "There truly is no need to forge a national consensus on issues like abortion and marriage. That's why I've long opposed Roe and supported states' rights on the issue of marriage equality.
It seems to me that if the conservative coalition is not going to fracture completely, then federalism is its only option."

MCCAIN: They're Never Gonna Forgive Him For BCRA

Few righty bloggers reacted to the Washington Post's story on Jerrold Perenchio history with John McCain, but Captain's Quarters saw hypocrisy on McCain's dealings: "Perenchio ... appears to represent everything that McCain opposed with the BCRA. This is ridiculous, and completely unnecessary. If McCain wants to end corruption, then quit creating Byzantine mechanisms to channel and hide money -- and stop limiting political speech. If that solution is good enough for McCain the candidate, then it should be good enough for McCain the Senator."

ROMNEY: The Convert

According to The Right Angle's John Gizzi the CA GOP convo. also showed "considerable strength" for Mitt Romney. When Gizzi asked ex-state Chair Michael Schroeder about Romney's "evolving positions" on social issues, Schroeder shot back: "If I have two candidates and one is against me on many things and another is a convert, I'll go with the convert."

Also in a defensive spirit, Townhall's Hugh Hewitt examines "Part 421 Of The Globe's Anti-Romney Campaign" and responds: "So why the constant attacks from the Globe? The MSM generally, and the Globe specifically, know the "flip-flop" meme well, and hated its effective deployment against John Kerry. ... MSMers eager to help Hillary or Obama along into the White House ... and the "big swing to the right" is seen as the most effective bit of anti-Romney agitprop that isn't in the category that includes the repellent anti-Mormon bigotry of Jacob Weisberg."

IRAQ: Framing The Debate

Frustrated "that there is not a lot that can be done at the state level to effect the debate" on Iraq, Caliticsdday promotes activist Marcy Winograd's efforts to occupy Rep. Adam Schiff's (D-CA) starting 2/12. Dday writes: "Schiff is a member of the Appropriations Committee, which will get first crack at the President's $145 billion-dollar supplemental funding request. They can set the terms of the debate by adding any riders or limits, on end-dates or troop levels, into the bill. This is a key point. If the President vetoes an appropriation, then HE is cutting off funding for the troops."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: It's Currently 33 In Des Moines, 71 In Miami, And 60 In Los Angeles

Responding to speculation on what affect primary frontloading will have on the IA caucuses, Matt Yglesias writes: "A whole bunch of influential reporters (the mythic "gang of 500") could just decide they don't really want to spend winter in Des Moines, proclaim that under the new schedule Iowa doesn't really matter, and then all head down to Florida and California to cover the newly important warm-weather primaries. The whole process unfolds according to a series of more-or-less arbitrary pseudo-rules than the media (and to some extent big dollar donors) are just kind of making up as they go along."

LEST WE FORGET: Saving Money Where He Can

Pres. Bush tells DVD dossier he loves Netflix because, "I try to leave no DVDs behind, but you know, sometimes it don't always work out. And I've already racked up over $360 billion in late fees on another project I'm working on, so the no late fees thing is big." Bush also shared his Netflix queue which includes titles such as: Bring It On, Reality Bites, Cocaine Cowboys, Dazed and Confused, and Curious George Rides A Bike.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:29 PM

February 09, 2007

Blogger Spotlight: Krusty Konservative

Another pseudonymous conservative IA blogger up today, Herschel Krustofski of the Krusty Konservative (no word from Fox on possible copyright violations yet).

Where are you originally from?

Manhattan, NY

What is your occupation?

I'm an anonymous blogger, so I will not answer any questions that might lead to my true identity being discovered. I am currently employed, which works out really well because a klown can't live on seltzer water and splattered pies.

When did you first get involved in politics and why?

I got involved in politics at a very young age because social and fiscal konservatism was important to me. So I started going to meetings and volunteering on kampaigns early on in life.

When did you start blogging and why?

I began blogging on February 24, 2006. I started my blog because I felt that Democrats and other liberals were dominating the Iowa blogosphere and wanted to give the Iowa konservative a voice and a place to discuss the political happenings here in Iowa.

How are blogs changing politics in your state?

I don't know if they are or not, but I do know that kandidates and kampaigns do konstantly monitor kertain blogs, and try to encourage them to write favorable things on their behalf. I often wonder if they spend too much time on kampaign-blogger relations and not enough time building their own kommunication systems to interact with potential voters. I don't think I would have to blog if konservative kandidates would be willing to run more aggressive kampaigns and kommunicate better. Kampaigns get a little bit too wrapped up in the blogosphere. Ultimately, I'm just an old guy with a computer and everyone who visits my blog already knows who they are going to vote for.

What's your favorite most unsung specific example of a blogger affecting a political figure, organization, philosophy, or movement?

I know you asked for one but I'm going to give you two.

The first issue is TouchPlay. The Iowa Lottery developed a new video "pull tab" machine last year. The machines looked just like slot machines and Legislators felt mislead by the Lottery officials once the machines stating to show up in every gas station in the state. Many Iowa bloggers were united in getting the TouchPlay Machines removed from Iowa businesses. The blogs also did a good job exposing the people who were going make huge profits from these machines. Iowa's elected officials listened to the people and voted to ban the machines.

The second issue deals with the 2006 gubernatorial race in Iowa. Jim Nussle the Republican nominee divorced his first wife in 1996 and remarried in 2001. The divorce was an issue for him in his 96 re-election campaign, but he was able to overcome it and was reelected in 98, 2000, and 2002. His opponent Chet Culver did not make the divorce an issue in the 2006 gubernatorial kampaign, but the Democrats who were active in the Iowa blogosphere did. Whenever I would write about the gubernatorial race, someone (probably a Culver staffer) would always post a komment about Nussle's divorce, and it didn't just occur on my blog. I think this was a koncerted effort to make the divorce an issue without Culver having to get his hands dirty. I think it was extremely effective in demoralizing konservative voters.

Be sure to come back and visit Monday when we start working through Nevada's blogers with Reno and Its Discontents' Myrna Minx.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 02:09 PM

2/9: Lessons From L'Affaire Marcotte

As a fan of blogs and bloggers, the Blogometer worries that some DCers will over-react to the John Edwards/Amanda Marcotte dust-up and eschew the medium altogether. This would be a huge mistake for any candidate looking to survive in our online-dominated world. Instead we offer the following 3 lessons we think any campaign ought to draw from this episode:

• 1. Make sure the candidate, or at least a senior communications aide, has read and is familiar with the blog of any potential hire.
• 2. Know which groups your bloggers have previously poked in the eye and have the research ready to hit back.
• 3. Don't blog. Now this is very different than not engaging online communities. Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), John McCain (R-AZ), ex-NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R), and Mitt Romney (R) all have respected bloggers on staff, but in more of an outreach/coordinator role, not as blogging voices.

Elaborating on the last item, blogging may not be the best medium for candidates to connect with voters/activists. Blog readers do form strong emotional bonds with their favorite bloggers. But the successful ones devote large amounts of time to their craft, time any competent candidate must be spending elsewhere. Also, campaigns only last so long before candidates must return to govern, but blogs (at least the better ones) keep going. Its better for candidates to use blogger outreach to develop relationships to get their message out online then to become master of the medium themselves.

EDWARDS: No Distraction Here

John Edwards decision to retain bloggers Amanda Marcotte and Melissa McEwan won him praise through out the netroots 2/7, and at least one leader of the movement announced his conversion to Edwards cause. MyDD's Chris Bowers explains: "They listened to us, not to the establishment, and not to the right-wing. This will help build the movement, and free the Democratic Party from conservative Republican influence in our primaries. ... Now, I will happily identify myself as an Edwards supporter."

But many 'rooters also promised the issue was far from over. Crooks and LiarsJohn Amato explains: "This particular gambit might have failed, but there will be more and we must be prepared to face them and push back. ... So let's give props to Edwards for some "outside the Beltway" thinking, but keep alert for any more Swiftboat attempts to derail Democratic campaigns."

When the Catholic League's Bill Donohue released a statement condemning Edwards' decision, MyDD's Matt Stoller declared 'Game On' and urged readers to join a BlogPac effort "to prevent this antisemitic freak from having influence over our public discourse." According to Bowers, BlogPac "has set up a page where you can email the news organizations and reporters who acted as stenographers for the right-wing smear machine on this story." Over 1.5K emails have been sent "to the news organizations who produced shoddy, stenographed stories" already. Bowers notes that Nedra Pickler of the AP already responded to the campaign, adding an unflattering Donahue quote to her original story.

Digby is also urging her readers to join the MSM pressure campaign and firedoglake's TRex summarizes the story in a frothy tone that started the whole fracas to begin with: "So, Frothing Crypto-Catholic Sociopath Bill Donohue has been one of the squeakiest wheels in Squeakytown on the issue of the Edwards '08 campaign's decision to hire two bloggers ... Donohue's main bone of contention against the two bloggers was their supposed "intolerance" toward people who believe that Adam and Eve rode dinosaurs to church and that life of a child begins when a man says to a woman, "Hey, honey, are you awake?"

Also in 'roots reaction, Daily Kos' Mike Stark has a warning for other WH'08 Dems: "If any other Democratic candidate attacks Edwards for standing by us, we have to do whatever we can to end that candidacy. God help me, but if anyone puts the shiv to Edwards for this, it will become my personal mission to expose every weakness in that campaign. And I hope you'll help out."

In less activist lefty blogger circles, doubts could be found about the wisdom of retaining Marcotte. The Huffington Post political editor Melinda Henneberger says "even among Catholic liberals, Marcotte's comments were widely seen as hurtful" and links to dotCommonweal commentboards showing similar sentiments including: "I have no time for Donohue...But, I have to say, Marcotte's comments were viciously anti-Catholic. The fact that many on the left failed to realize that explains very clearly why the GOP (a party that violates Catholic social theory over 90 percent of the time) seems to attract legions of Catholics."

EDWARDS II: She's Innocent, I Tells Ya!

Closely following coverage of the story, Outside the Beltway's James Joyner asks readers what exactly Shakespeare's Sister's Melissa McEwan said to land her in the same boat as Marcotte: "While I've seen lots of offensive quotes from Marcotte around the blogosphere since this controversy erupted, I haven't seen a single one from McEwan cited. Is this a bizarre case of guilt-by-association, with John Edwards throwing her under the bus for expediency?"

A reader forwards an example, but Joyner is unmoved: "While this could certainly be offensive to religious people, I read it to say she pities those who are perpetually outraged, not those with devout religious beliefs."

Also on the right, Rep. Jack Kingston (D-GA) ex-aide David All worries "the damage left by stories, or controversies like this, hurt the entire 'sphere and those of us who work in it as a profession. They simply send new ripples of fear through an already scared and unknowing politician or company that some of us are trying to escort to the modern world."

In less partisan analysis, Buzz Machine's Jeff Jarvis wonders "whether campaigns and conversation are incompatible" since the blogging medium is all about unfiltered thought. Jarvis adds: "In other words, on our blogs, we all say things that might offend someone. ... Why don't we just get used to the idea that people say things that might offend others and that soon we will all - campaign workers and campaigners alike - have such things on the permanent record."

The Fix's Chris Cillizza adds: "These incidents illustrate the challenges before every 2008 campaign seeking to bolster its blogging bona fides. On the one hand, they to hire people with credibility in liberal or conservative circles. On the other, they need to realize that they will be held to account for past comments and positions taken by their bloggers."

GOP FIELD: Tancredoless

The Krusty Konservative is out with his 'Six Pack' rankings on the top IA contenders including:

• Mitt Romney: Romney continues to lead the pack in Iowa. His Iowa campaign is fully staffed, and he is now frequently visiting the state.
• John McCain: McCain is the clear second place finisher, but well behind Romney. McCain has put together an impressive Iowa staff, but they still need to fill the critical campaign manager position.
• Mike Huckabee: I'm sure some of you staffers think third is too high for Huckabee. ... Huckabee made a two day swing through the state recently and had good not great crowds.
• Tommy Thompson: I think Thompson is a very credible candidate in the Iowa caucus. While he doesn't have the appeal that Huckabee has with social conservatives, we must remember that this is the guy who helped lead the charge for welfare reform.
• Sam Brownback: Brownback had a good start to the year but has been unable to sustain it. ... Brownback has made some visits to the state but they haven't created much noise.
• Rudy Giuliani: I really don't want to give this spot to Rudy, I would rather give it to someone like Tom Tancredo ... However, I gave the sixth spot to Rudy because once he makes his move in Iowa he will shoot up in the rankings.

BROWNBACK: Off To See The Wizard

RedState's Leon Wolf announced 2/8 that he was off to follow Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) down the yellow brick road as the official campaign blogger. On why he chose Brownback Wolf writes: "One of the most - if not the most - important issues facing this country today is the federal judiciary. ... Senator Brownback was the first and most insistent voice to demand that we learn more about [Harriet Miers]."

With the first of RedState's front pagers officially signed on with '08 campaign, Erick Erickson explained Wolf would still be posting on RedState but "that his stuff related to the '08 races" would not appear on the front page.

GIULIANI: Better Than The Current Administration

The Corner's Kathryn Jean Lopez posts colleague Kate O'Beirne's observation that while "New York City voters elect the French of American politics" since they find "the mistress, and the messy divorce" really amusing, voters "west of the Hudson" might not.

Also at The Corner, John Derbyshire shares the thoughts of a frequent correspondent: "When I was in law school at [major law school] in 1996, Giuliani came to speak on immigration. ... he made one of your favorite points: We don't need new immigration laws, we need to enforce the ones we already have. ... Anyway, since then I've always been predisposed to give Rudy the benefit of the doubt on immigration. I don't think he will come around completely, but he wouldn't be nearly as bad as the current administration."

MCCAIN: It's A Supply Side-Off!

Kausfiles takes on Robert Novak's defense of John McCain's 'supply-side credentials' particularly Novak's claim that: "He supports radically scaling down the estate tax and does not now favor upper income increases in the Social Security tax."

Kaus responds: "Wow. He does not now favor upper income Social Security tax increases! That'll reassure the anti-tax crowd. And McCain supports radically scaling down the estate tax! Isn't that the, um, Democrats' estate tax plan? I think it is! Anti-tax Republicans want to repeal the estate tax, as Novak knows. ... Oh, yes: McCain also talks to Arthur Laffer! ... It's hard to believe Republican economic conservatives are such cheap dates that they'll fall for McCain based on the thin evidence offered by Novak of his "transformation."

ROMNEY: He Was For Everything Before He Was Against It

Illustrating the latest Mitt-Flop IA's Caucus Cooler posts exclusive video "from a 1994 speech in which Governor Romney expresses support for radical campaign finance reforms." CC notes the "new Romney" recently called McCain-Feingold "one of the worst things in my lifetime."

Undeterred by Romney's past views on campaign finance reform, both Hugh Hewitt and Dean Barnett post about Romney's recent online fundraising prowess. Hewitt: "Romney Raises $1.4 Million Online In 35 Days." Barnett: "To put Romney's on-line fundraising into perspective, consider that the notoriously web-savvy John Edwards raised only $746k and change on-line in the same time period. And Romney raised his $1.4 million on line without the help, guidance and leadership of two virtual gyno-warriors. Amazing!"

Also in Townhall-Romney-loving, Mary Katharine Ham reports recent Romney speeches "hitting the fiscal conservative points" along with his "trip to the RSC will help Romney with the folks with whom McCain has failed to endear himself."

The Brody File posts video of Romney's "fiscal conservative" speech in Detroit, MI and writes: "He's talking economy, taxes, etc. As 2008 draws closer, he's going to continue to make the case that he's a smart fiscal conservative. He's going to point to his balanced budget in Boston as the centerpiece of this strategy."

RCP Blog's John McIntyre argues Romney will have trouble maintaining his "pro-tax cut" credentials considering a Boston Heraldarticle detailing Romney's past doubts about Bush's tax cuts. McIntyre concludes: "This report flies directly in the face of Romney's economic address yesterday, and subsequent interview on CNBC with Larry Kudlow, and is only going to reinforce a building image of an overly ambitious politician who is a flip-flopper on core issues."

DODD: Anti-Predator

Crooks and LiarsNicole Belle thanks Chris Dodd for taking on predatory lending: "This is a big one for me. I can't tell you how huge the foreclosure market is in California because of these kinds of practices, and the people being preyed upon are the ones in the worst shape. Great to see the Democratic majority addressing the needs of real people."

OBAMA: Moving Rapidly

Blue Hampshire's NHcollegedem reports he's already noticing real-world effects from the Barack Obama Facebook movement: "A few days ago I received an email from a regional coordinator asking me to apply to be the NH Coordinator for Students for Barack Obama. ... Well, I guess they are moving rapidly, because on Wednesday I received an email from Anthony Low, who was hired as the NH Coordinator. He asked me to apply to be a chapter director for my college. ... Students for Barack Obama is a group to be reckoned with, they are using internet resources very effectively to organize quickly."

At MyDDJonathan Singer posts a 2/1 interview with Obama, including:

• Singer: Now for the people who feel like they're undergoing deja vu all over again, as Yogi Berra put it, in terms of American policy towards Iran...
• Obama: I think the major difference is that there will not be any tolerance, I think, on the part of this Congress for unilateral action by the United States against Iran. You're not going to get the kind of authorization language that you got for Iraq.

IRAQ: More Than Just Non-Binding Resolutions Can Be Filibustered

The Left Coaster continues to establish itself as a leader in demanding consequential Dem action on Iraq. Under the header "Will the Dems ever grow a pair or are they just a different brand of the war party?" Soccerdad links to fellow anti-war bloggers:

• Matthew Rothschild: "What a pathetic sight the Senate was earlier this week when it failed to take up nonbinding resolutions on the Iraq War. Republicans rallied enough support to doom the watered-down condemnations of Bush's surge. And Democrats didn't want to go on record opposing funding for the troops.
• John Walsh: "We hear over and over again that it "takes 60 votes to get something serious done in the Senate." That is a lot of malarkey. It takes only one senator to begin a filibuster against any bill. And then it takes only 41 votes to uphold that filibuster and prevent any proposed law from coming to the floor. ... Thus, the present authorization for defense funding in the coming fiscal year can be stopped cold if it contains funds for the war on Iraq."

The Carpetbagger Report is not yet demanding similar action but does praise VoteVets.org recent rhetoric while on the Hill and adds: "For reasons that I've never fully been able to grasp, congressional Dems just aren't comfortable using the kind of language congressional Republicans use. When it comes to national security, they've been bullied into the defensive. It's why Dems must have been thrilled to have the VoteVets.org reps making all the arguments publicly that they're too-often tepid to make."

Talk Left's Big Tent Democrat agrees with most of recent constitutional scholar Bruce Ackerman's thoughts on the need for congressional authorization for air strikes in Iran, argues: "he does miss the important wrinkle - that the 2002 Iraq AUMF could be Bush's rationale for striking Iran. That is why I say to stop a war with Iran, end the war in Iraq."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: 110K Donors Strong

KTatActBlue begins his "30,000-foot view of ActBlue" telling MyDD readers "ActBlue is a Federal PAC and series of State PACs active in 22 states that empowers anyone -- individuals, local groups, and national organizations -- to fundraise for the Democratic candidates of their choice. To date, that's $18,953,791 worth of empowerment." KT follows up with some fun ActBlue facts including:

• In the 05-06 cycle, the top 5 recipients benefiting from ActBlue were Freshman Sen. Jim Webb ($890k), Freshman Rep. Joe Sestak ($870k), IL-10 challenger Dan Seals ($540k), OH-02 challenger Paul Hackett ($540k), Freshman Rep. Tim Mahoney ($510k).
• Progressive bloggers Daily Kos, MyDD, Swing State Project, Firedoglake, Crooks & Liars, Down with Tyranny, Atrios, and AmericaBlog together raised $2.3 million in 2005-06
• Over 110,000 people have now donated to candidates using ActBlue. The average contribution is $110 split between two candidates.

LEST WE FORGET: Laughing It All Off

Many on the right are gleefully linking to this Iowa Hawk parody of internal John Edwards campaign memos by the newly famous Amanda Maroctte including:

To: Senator John Edwards
From: Amanda Marcotte
Re: Job Offer
Dear Senator Edwards:
I am f*****g delighted to accept your offer of the position of Official Blogger for the Edwards 2008 presidential campaign. Please find attached my f*****g W-2 form.
I would like to express my heartfelt thanks for this totally f*****g awesome opportunity to help you take America back from f*****g BushCo and the other f***tard bible-humping extremists that have turned this once great nation into a goddamn rape factory for their snakehandling Jesus Camp hatebots.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:33 PM

February 08, 2007

Blogger Spotlight: Iowa Voice

While it seems just about anybody's true identity is eventually revealed, many bloggers still feel safer using a pseudonym when blogging. Brian from Iowa Voice is no different and he chose the following questions from our usual lineup to answer.

When did you first get involved in politics and why?

I've been following politics since the early 1990s, around the time of the Gulf War. Up until that time, I'd never really given much thought as to what party I belonged to, but I always had a core set of beliefs that I followed. It wasn't until I really started following politics that I realized I was a conservative Republican, and I've been one ever since.

When did you start blogging and why?

I didn't really know what a blog was until around October of 2004, right before the elections. I was really tracking the polls and stuff and I wanted to keep up with everything, and I stumbled across a site called Right Wing News, and I liked what I saw. I consider John to be my "blogfather", as the saying goes, and he's always been there with a reply whenever I've had a question on something.

Anyway, I was testing out some new content management systems and just for the heck of it I decided to start up a blog. I started it mainly as a hobby and as a way for me to voice my opinion on things going on in the country and the world. It's almost been two years since I started (March will mark my two year anniversary as a blogger) and to be honest, I never intended to keep it going this long. I thought it would be a nice little hobby for a bit and then I'd move on to something else, but it was fun, and I still enjoy doing it, so here I am two years later, still blogging.

How are blogs changing politics in your state?

To tell you the truth, I don't think we're seeing much of an impact...yet. As I said in another interview, blogs in Iowa are read mainly by people who are already set in their beliefs, and rare is the time when an Iowa blogger will change a reader's mind about something. Blogs in Iowa are useful right now for motivating people to get more active and involved, but I don't see them as really changing the political landscape. They're great for getting the message out (be it left or right), but again, I think the message is received mainly by people who already agree with it. Of course, that can change quickly. After all, 2008 is a political eternity away and nobody really knows what to expect.

As for the upcoming Presidential caucuses/primaries, the most I would go out on a limb and say is that Iowa blogs might have the potential to swing voters towards a candidate or away from them based on their coverage of them. For example, if I don't like Candidate X, I can write about that at great length on my blog. That might swing some readers who were on the fence into not supporting him/her, either. Now the question is, can I influence readers into supporting my personal choice? That's what we'll find out in the next election, I suppose.

What's your favorite most unsung specific example of a blogger affecting a political figure, organization, philosophy, or movement?

I'd have to say from recent memory how the conservative blogs got the President to back down on Harriet Miers and nominate Justice Alito for the Supreme Court. A lot of media outlets mentioned in passing the uproar from the blogs, but it was mainly an "oh, by the way" kind of remark. I think we had an enormous impact on the reversal of that decision.

Join us tomorrow for a quick questioning of fellow pseudonymous IA blogger Krusty Konservative.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:50 PM

2/8: If You're Gonna Embrace The Netroots...

... then embrace the netroots. There's only one possible happy ending to the John Edwards/Amanda Marcotte story: A full-out Edwards embrace of Marcotte and the hard-hitting ethos of the 'roots. If there's one thing lefty blogs care more about than getting the U.S. out of Iraq, it's fighting back hard against conservative opposition (witness Sen. Barack Obama's (D-IL) strong netroots praise when he froze out FOX News re: madrassa). Edwards can still turn this into a positive development. But the Blogometer believes his current statement alone will not make anyone happy. On the plus side, neither Edwards nor the bloggers apologized for Marcotte's remarks (Marcotte is only sorry "if anyone was personally offended"). But if Edwards wants to turn this story aroundm he'll have to go on the offensive, hitting all the outlets and sources who created this problem.

EDWARDS: The Bloggers Strike Back

TPM Cafe's Greg Sargent reported the John Edwards campaign was "in bunker mode" with "staffers aren't answering phone calls and emails" after the Amanda Marcotte controversy began. Trouble first started for Edwards 2/1 when the initial announcement of the Pandagon blogger's hire drew quick conservative blogger heat. But the story did not metastasize until 2/7 when both the AP and the New York Timesran stories featuring calls from the Catholic League's Bill Donohue to fire Marcotte and fellow blog hire Melissa McEwan.

Statements from the Edwards campaign confirming that they were now reconsidering the fate of the two lefty bloggers drew quick and fierce reaction from their netroots brethren. MyDD's Chris Bowers explains why the issue is so important to his community: "I have spent nearly the last four years of my life working on full-time progressive movement building. ... Given this, I would rather find a new line of work than, in a Democratic primary, support a candidate who first courts the progressive movement, and then throws it under the bus at the first sign of pushback from the right-wing."

Bowers continued: "If Amanda and Melissa are terminated ... [Edwards] campaign will have contributed to the longstanding goals of the conservative movement and DLC-nexus alike to defund, marginalize, ostricize, and otherwise diminish the influence and credibility of the people-powered netroots and grassroots. Such a move would reinforce every elitist, ignorant, double-standard, disinformation campaign ever run against the netroots and the blogosphere."

The clear netroots consensus was that the Edwards campaign needed to hit back, and hit back hard. Atrios wrote: "Any campaign which doesn't know how to deal with these people should just shut itself down." The rest of the netroots then went into high gear showing how the Edwards push back should have proceeded.

Daily Kos' Kagro X went after ABC News' Terry Moran for his piece on the story titled 'Does John Edwards Condone Hate Speech?' Kagro notes: "No surprise here, though. Terry Moran's brother, Rick, writes -- perhaps unsurprisingly -- pretty much the same stuff at his blog, RightWingNuthouse. That'll explain the blindness in the Terry's right eye."

AMERICAblog's John Aravosis went after the AP and their sources, calling Donohue a "Jew-hating homophobe" and asking the AP: "What will the Associated Press come up with next? David Duke on the merits of the fight for black equality, or Lynette "Squeaky" Fromm's inside look at the State of the Union?" Atrios also went after Donohue quoting him on lesbians "something I'd expect to see in an asylum, frankly" and then adding: "There's literally nothing conservatives can say which will get them off the teevee."

Many on the left also looked to the GOP field for targets, settling on Sen. John McCain's (R-AZ) blog-aide Patrick Hynes at Ankle Biting Pundits. In an effort to identify "less than demure" statements from righty bloggers affiliated with GOP campaigns Glenn Greenwald dug up Hynes calling Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) a "Pig Man" as well as Hynes posts "continuously disseminating anti-Mormon stories in order to damage Mitt Romney's standing among evangelical Christians." Greenwald also points out that Hynes has referred to America as a Christian nation. Media Matters chips in on the Hynes assault noting that Hynes once called Chelsea Clinton ugly.

Also focussed on McCain, Crooks and Liars Cliff Schecter reminds MSMers that McCain recently hired Terry Nelson "the one who approved the "call me" race-baiting ad that played on fears of miscegenation, which led those liberals at Wal-Mart to fire his firm they found it so offensive."

The situation still remains a possible plus for Edwards if he retains the bloggers and becomes aggressive on the issue. MyDD's Bowers admits: "While there is no way I will support Edwards [if] Amanda and Melissa are fired, I will immediately become a staunch Edwards supporter if they are not fired."

Finally, in a separate post Daily Kos' Kagro X urges the rest of the Dem field to rally behind Edwards for the good of Dems as a whole: "On the surface, the purpose of the attack is to portray the Edwards campaign as out-of-step with mainstream political thought, by holding up the most strident examples of his bloggers' writing, and then hoping the audience will play the guilt by association game. ... But to the extent that the netroots seek to demand a show of loyalty by Edwards, that same demand must be made of every Democratic campaign. Today, the target is Edwards. Tomorrow, should this vendetta prove successful, the target could be anyone."

Kagro continues: "All of the other candidates ought to take the opportunity to preemptively hit back at the right, and give Edwards cover to retain his bloggers if that's what he opts to do. ... If you want Edwards to stand up, realize that you're going to have to demand that all the campaigns stand up. Literally. They're going to have to say that they stand by Edwards. Because these attacks only really hurt campaigns among primary voters. That's us."

EDWARDS II: Gentle John

Edwards did not have a great day in non-Marcotte blogging either. Picking up on The Plank's analysis of Edwards' recent Iran statements, TAPPED's Garance Franke-Ruta disagrees with those arguing Edwards repudiated his more hawkish rhetoric. She writes: "Rather, the more temperate rhetoric Edwards has been using with American audiences -- and, specifically, liberal American ones -- is understood as what American politicians have to do to win office. But unless and until Edwards takes any options off the table (an approach he told Ezra would be "foolish") we have to assume he meant what he said at Herzliya, even if he's chosen to court the blog-reading Democratic primary audience in a more gentle voice."

And at The Huffington Post Rose Ann Demoro derides Edwards' health-care plan as "disappointing and shortsighted." "The Edwards plan looks a lot like the healthcare plans being touted by other decidedly non-populist politicians including George Bush, Mitt Romney and Arnold Schwarzenegger, in addition to Hillary Clinton's dismal 1993 plan."

OBAMA: Playing Catch Up

Barack Obama's continued delay in acknowledging the netroots continues to roil the movement's leading lights. DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas picks up on this statement from Obama in the Politico: "But I think we are in a moment where there is a possibility, not a certainty, but a possibility of bottom-up activism that I think could reshape the political landscape."

Kos responds: "Barack, it already did. It was called Dean for America, and it happened in 2003-4. Everyone else is still playing catch-up. I don't mean to sound snippy or negative. I'm genuinely psyched that others are playing catch-up. Just don't pretend you've stumbled onto something new."

In more glowing Obama coverage, Andrew Sullivan describes Obama's 6/26/06 Keynote Address to the Call to Renewal's Building a Covenant for a New America conference as "the finest public speech on religion in public life in years."

RICHARDSON: Willing To Defund The War

Daily Kos' Mcjoan previews NM Gov. Bill Richardson's (D) 2/8 address to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, including these key points:

• Renew the US commitment to international law and treaties, including abiding by the Geneva Convention, shutting down Guantanamo, rejecting torture as a policy device
• A "wholesale assault" to reduce global warming, including going beyond the Kyoto protocols in establishing national benchmarks for environmental protection;
• Engage our enemies by having direct talks with North Korea, Iran, and Syria;
• On Iraq, Richardson wants ... troop redeployments this calendar year, a conference of nations in the region to help negotiate solutions that would keep Iraq a unified state, and a reconciliation conference to bring the Iraqi sects to the table to devise a governance plan.

Mcjoan concludes: "Given that the escalation is going to happen under already-authorized funding, I asked Gov. Richardson if he would be willing to support defunding the war. His reply: of course. He wants to see a "date certain" by which funds will be cut and troops redeployed, and would like to see those dates preceded by a series of benchmarks."

GIULIANI: IA Or Bust!

Reacting to ex-AR Gov. Mike Huckabee's (R) admission that only a top three finish allows him to campaign past IA, the Caucus Cooler runs through the GOP field and concludes the same can be said of Rudy Giuliani:

If Rudy falters in Iowa what happens next? A trip to New Hampshire, where McCain has already won and a state that Romney shares a border with (he's already up to 20% in the latest NH poll). After that? It's to South Carolina where Rudy's social views are even less relateable than they are to the Iowa electorate. Not to mention McCain has been endorsed by most of the key leaders and Romney seems to have soaked up the rest. So if Rudy stumbles in Iowa his next two challenges will be states where his opponents have major advantages. By the time he gets to friendly territory Feb 5th it will probably be too late.

HUCKABEE: Needed Elsewhere

RedState's Dan McLaughlin labels Mike Huckabee "The Right Man For The Wrong Job" and identifies three reasons why:

• (1) Huckabee is the wrong man to lead the national GOP ((a) Huckabee isn't all that conservative, especially on fiscal issues, and (b) Huckabee has his priorities wrong)
• (2) Huckabee's presence in the race serves no useful purpose
• (3) Huckabee is needed elsewhere, in Arkansas, to run for the United States Senate.

ROMNEY: To Join McCain In Campaign-Finance Dog House?

IA's Krusty Konservative praises Mitt Romney for being "the most aggressive kandidate running for president in Iowa" but goes on to question his focus on smaller communities instead the Quad Cities and Council Bluffs of the world. Also in IA, Caucus Cooler gives kudos to Romney for "his diligence in working the state" but also notes that each visit seems to be "marked with another Mitt-flop." This time the issue is Romney's '94 position campaign finance reform, which after looking at The Hill's coverage, CC describes as "more stringent than what was implemented by McCain-Feingold."

Christian Broadcasting Network's The Brody File seems to be warming to Romney, noting that the total lifetime conservative ratings of Romney endorsing congressman is higher than those endorsing Sen. John McCain (R-AZ).

At Townhall, Romney fan Hugh Hewitt highlights Club for Growth's findings that Romney's "call for permanent tax cuts, tax reform, spending discipline, regulatory relief starting with the reform of Sarbanes-Oxley, and tort reform" are "solidly pro-growth." Romney's 2/7 discussion with Larry Kudlow on taxes is on YouTube.

Finally, David All profiles MyManMitt founder Justin Hart who is careful to stress: "I'm an official unpaid fundraiser for the Mitt which is about the extent of my relationship with Boston HQ. I have contacts and friends within the campaign but MyManMitt has no official standing within the campaign."

IRAQ: No Coasting Allowed

Netroots impatience with Dem inability to affect US policy in Iraq is growing. Daily Kos' Mcjoan calls Sen. Jim Webb's (D-VA) speech on the Warner/Levin resolution "a bit of a disappointment" and call on him "to show the way" on Iraq.

At Calitics, dday thanks Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) for his work on oversight and intelligence but says, "it's important to note that Waxman voted for the war, is not part of the Out of Iraq caucus, and while he has finally come out against the escalation, is "on the fence" about de-funding the war and bringing the troops home." Dday concludes: "he has been allowed to coast on his reputation and give no definitive answer on the conflict."

Even freshman members are facing netroots doubts. Down with Tyranny is disappointed Reps. Kirstin Gillibrand (d-NY), Michael Arcuri (D-NY), and Patrick Murphy (D-PA) not only failed to join the progressive caucus, but also joined the "reactionary" "New Democratic Coalition of Corporate Whores" and the Blue Dogs. DWT warns: "Like many Republicans, the New Democratic Caucus (aka- Ellen Taucsher's Republican-lite Brigade) and the Blue Dogs, both creatures of the corporately-owned DLC, want to appear to oppose the war, while not doing anything at all to stop it. ... We're going to be a lot more selective in 2007 and 2008 about who we raise money for.

IRAQ II: Who's In Charge Of The Senate Again?

Conservative bloggers seem pleased with the final outcome of the Warner/Levin resolution. Townhall's Hugh Hewitt congratulates Maj. Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) for forcing "the Democrats to flee from the prospect of voting on the Gregg resolution." Hewitt also noted that signers of the NRSC pledge, can now feel free to donate to the GOP again.

At RedState, AcademicElephant participated in a blogger round table 2/7 with Major General Kenneth Hunzeker, who is in charge of training the Iraqi police forces. AE writes: "You might expect him to be rather downcast, for as we understand it his is a thankless, dead-end mission. But not so. The General was realistic but overall upbeat--even, to borrow his phrase "Pollyanna-ish" about the progress of the Iraqi police."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Getting Voters To The Straw Polls

Blog P.I.'s Not Paul Begala notes 2/6's Daily Kos straw poll had 'only' 25K votes after 24 hours and asks:

The percentage of registered voters who actually vote in national elections is somewhere around 60-70%. Granted, voting is only one of many activities occuring at dKos, but it still bears asking: why does a community of political activists with a half million visitors and 100K+ registered users not vote in higher numbers in these things? Anyone?

LEST WE FORGET: The New North

Looking to give non-DC readers a feel for the city, Matthew Yglesias highlights his favorite item in newly elected mayor Adrian Fenty's First 100 Days initiative: new maps of taxi zones. Yglesias notes the two key features of the new maps:

• North will be at the top of the map.
• The correct fares will be listed.

Yes. Seriously. This is what we have to look forward to. Accurate fare information and maps with north at the top. And I'm legitimately excited. Seriously.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:41 PM

February 07, 2007

Blogometer Update: Bar Fights

The controversy surrounding past criticism of the Catholic Church by progressive Pandagon blogger Amanda Marcotte is shaping into a make or break moment for John Edwards young campaign.

Already on the defensive from his netroots base for “hawkish” rhetoric on Iran, if Edwards relents to MSM pressure to fire Marcotte, his lefty blogger credibility will be destroyed.

In a 12/18 post called “The Bar Fight Primary” MyDD’s Matt Stoller wrote: “The way to gain my support in 2008 is to show that in a bar fight, your sympathies are with liberals and are set against the bullies that have been running the country for so long. You can run on anything you want, you can talk of unifying the country or any sort of conventional wisdom chatter. … But you have to speak on some critical point, some piece of entrenched power, and promise that you are going to gore that conservative ox.”

Todayt, Stoller makes clear Marcotte is Edwards first “bar fight” moment. Fellow MyDDer Chris Bowers asks Edwards: “Are you willing to point out the double standards and hypocrisy behind this story, or will you cave to even the mildest pressure from the Republican Noise Machine?”

But Bowers also sees opportunity for Edwards: “Whether he stands up or backs down will be a turning point for his campaign online. Either way, he won't be tied with Barack Obama in Dailykos straw polls anymore. It will be hard in one direction or the other.”

Daily Kos diarist wilbur also sees “an extraordinary opportunity” and urges Edwards to “rally the netroots troops and hit back hard.”

If Edwards understood what he was doing when he hired Marcotte, he must follow the advice of Bowers and Wilbur. When Edwards hired Marcotte he signed up to a hard hitting unapologetic movement, a movement whose rhetoric is not always appreciated by non-blog reading audiences. If he backs off that ethos now, he can kiss their support good bye forever.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 04:42 PM

Blogger Spotlight: Iowa Progress

As MyDD's Chris Bowers points out yesterday, the best opportunity for blog growth is on the local level and one of the best ways to ensure enough content for a successful blog is to share the load with a group. Today's spotlighted blog, IowaProgress does both.

What are your full names?

IowaProgress is maintained by the Grinnell College Campus Democrats, so there are too many people who have had a hand in things to list all of the names here. Our most active bloggers are Chase Martyn, Ben Weyl, Hannah Garden-Monheit, Freeda Brook, and Alec Schierenbeck. Frequently, friends and guest posters will write posts under the pseudonym Geraldine, but we do not actually have any writer by that name. (As our "About" page indicates, sometimes posters choose to remain anonymous for various reasons.)

What are your ages?

We are all students or recent graduates of Grinnell College, so our ages range from 18 to 24.

Where are you from?

Some of us are from Iowa, but the vast majority of us came to Iowa for college from other parts of the country, mostly from the East Coast.

Where do you live now?

We live in the rural town of Grinnell, IA, about 45 minutes east of Des Moines.

What are your educational backgrounds?

Most of us are undergraduates pursuing liberal arts degrees. We study a variety of subjects, including political science, English, history, and philosophy, among others.

What are your job histories?

Most of us are students, but many of us have done (paid) work for the Iowa Democratic Party (and various Democratic campaigns), the college newspaper, and national and local media. Combined, we have several years of internship experience at NGOs, nonprofits, and 527s. And all of us, of course, have spent hundreds of hours volunteering for causes and campaigns that interest us.

When did you first get involved in politics and why?

The majority of us have been interested in politics for a long time, but living in Iowa has made politics infinitely more interesting. We've heard complaints from around the country about retail politics in Iowa, but for young people living here, it can be inspiring. When we get to meet presidential candidates and ask questions in small groups, or when we volunteer for a campaign in which two votes per precinct can swing a statewide election, it really feels like we're making a difference. So we always had an interest in politics, but living in Iowa has made things a lot more exciting.

When did you start blogging and why?

To be honest, IowaProgress was started about a year ago (in February of 2006) because there wasn't a whole lot for our Campus Democrats group to do at that point, and we thought we might be able to exercise some influence (and kill time before the campaign season started again) by blogging. It has turned into a much bigger project than we initially planned, as we have learned that blogging can be somewhat addictive.

How are blogs changing politics in your state?

On a certain level, it is hard to know how much blogs are really changing politics. At times, we get the impression that the only people reading our blog are either employees of the political campaigns that we're writing about or other progressive bloggers. So perhaps blogs in Iowa aren't meant to disseminate information to the general population of our state.

We do notice it when campaigns read us, though. During our gubernatorial primary here last year, we broke the story that one of the Democratic candidates was giving noncommittal answers when asked if he might pursue a third-party candidacy if he lost the Democratic primary. A few other bloggers and commenters started talking about it, and within hours, the candidate in question issued a press release pledging not to run as a third-party candidate if he lost. That happened early on in the campaign, but it was probably the first time we realized "Hey! They are actually taking what we write seriously!"

It will be a while before everyone in Iowa is reading political blogs on a regular basis, but we think we can still make an impact on campaigns.

Tomorrow we'll be moving to the right to talk to Iowa Voice.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:52 PM

2/7: Can A Netroots Candidate Not Care About The Netroots?

Recent foreign-policy blunders may have cost John Edwards his lead among lefty blog readers. In the latest Daily Kos straw poll his lead over Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) is down to 1%. With the Catholic League putting pressure on the campaign to choose between them and netroots support, Edwards' position is even more precarious. However, notwithstanding blogger distrust of Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), it's still unclear how Obama can tap into netroots support. While his position on the war still pleases some, more are beginning to notice that Obama just doesn't seem interested in reaching out to bloggers. If Edwards' online support craters with a firing of their lefty loved blogmaster, will Dems' '08 primaries conclude without any true netroots input?

DEM FIELD: Obamentum

The latest Daily Kos straw poll is still taking votes, but the results have not significantly changed since the opening hours of polling. With over 25K votes counted, John Edwards 1/17 35%-28% lead over Sen. Barack Obama has shrunk to 26%-25%. Rounding out the top five ex-Gen. Wes Clark received 14%, 'Other' took in 8%, and NM Gov. Bill Richardson had 6%.

Acknowledging that "in the real world," Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) would also be a factor in the race, DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas posted a second poll with just three options: Edwards, Obama, and "I'd stay home." At 16K votes, Edwards leads Obama 51%-42% with 'staying home' managing 5%.

DEM FIELD II: The Best Laid Plans ...

The unveiling of Edwards' health-care plan sparked a broad lefty blogger debate on the value/efficacy of candidates unveiling legislative specifics. TAPPED's Mark Schmitt didn't see the point: "The main argument, as far as I can tell, for releasing a detailed health policy proposal is simply that the people should know what you would do as president about health care. Fair enough, except let's be honest -- the minute you take the oath of office, whatever health plan you put together in the middle of a campaign will be forgotten. And that is as it should be."

The weight of lefty wonkdom came out on the other side. The Washington Monthly's Kevin Drum and TAPPED's own health-care expert Ezra Klein came out for specificity. Klein argues: "Every Democratic candidate elected promises to bring universal health care to the people. The party's ranks don't lack for generalities on the issue. But universal health care is a beast to get passed. Even more so if you've not built consensus for it in advance."

The Carpetbagger's Steve Benen doesn't think candidates should bother and Matthew Yglesias hedges calling for "flexible intransigence" instead.

CLINTON: Slipping Closer To Lieberman Territory

AMERICAblog set off a fresh wave of anti-Hillary Clinton blogging after unearthing a 10 day old Fox News story in which Clinton explains her vote on Iraq by saying: ""As a senator from New York, I lived through 9/11 and I am still dealing with the aftereffects ... I may have a slightly different take on this from some of the other people who will be coming through here."

AMERICAblog's John Aravosis responds: "Invoking September 11 when asked about Iraq is unconscionable. It is pure Dick Cheney, and an outright lie." Markos adds: "Cheney and the neocons at PNAC are beaming with pride." Atrios calls the statement "racist" and MyDD's Matt Stoller notes: "It's exactly what Bush does, repeatedly." The Left Coaster adds: "With each passing day, Obama is looking better and better."

Also in Iraq-HRC news, MyDD's Chris Bowers highlights a Politico survey of Senator views on Iraq, including a question asking those who voted for the war if they regret it. Bowers calls Clinton's refusal to express regret "the biggest news" out of the survey and adds: "Basically, it is the same thing we saw from Lieberman during the general election against Lamont: an absolute hawk trying to appear anti-war in order to pick up Democratic votes."

IA Progress links to Bowers write-up and predicts: "Hillary Clinton is going to lose the Iowa caucuses. Perhaps very badly. And it's because she is still fumbling on Iraq. ... As president, she would not have been for war, but as senator she would be? Isn't there a singular responsibility as an elected official to do what's best for her country, regardless of title? I'm sorry, but this is straight out of a 2004 John Kerry campaign."

CLINTON II: What A Party, Indeed

Ex-DNC Chair Terry McAuliffe did Clinton a little favor while promoting his new book on NPR's KPCC in Pasadena, CA. In response to a caller claiming to be a GOPer willing to vote for HRC if she would drop her support for NAFTA, eliminate support for amnesty, and support deportation of illegal aliens McAuliffe said: "We've got to shut these borders down. These people shouldn't be coming in this country."

MyDD's Matt Stoller calls McAuliffe's words "straight up Jim Sensenbrenner racism, and an endorsement of the vicious attacks on immigrants we've seen for years." Also at MyDD, Chris Bowers reacts: "In my experience, this strikes me as a nearly uniform position taken among Democratic consultants within the DLC-nexus (which is most insider, high level consultants). Expect a lot of it coming from the Clinton camp, but only after she has won the nomination."

Markos calls Clinton "a true practitioner of laundry list politics" but does note that the campaign responded quickly to distance themselves from McAuliffe's remarks.

EDWARDS: A Time For Choosing

In response to growing MSM criticism of John Edwards for his hiring Pandagon's Amanda Marcotte Daily Kos diarist Expo urges Edwards to not "Back Down" to pressure led by the Catholic League. Expo calls this "a watershed moment for John Edwards's campaign. ... Here's the message to John Edwards: there isn't anything to weigh. If you want to have any credibility left in the liberal blogosphere, then you cannot back down. You need to stand-up to this run-of-the-mill right-wing attack and defend your decision to hire Marcotte and McEwan."

Expo concludes: "If you back down, if you give in to this right-wing head feint, you'll singularly destroy the rationale for supporting your candidacy. You'll demonstrate that you are just a regular politician. ... This is a time for choosing, John Edwards. You can choose to join the growing movement of liberal political courage, or you can opt for the counsel of a politics of fear."

OBAMA: Best Campaign Stunt Ever?

Teaming up with netroots candidate Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA) to discuss legislation that might redeploy troops from Iraq beginning 5/1/07 at the earliest, earned Barack Obama high praise from Markos: "You know the rest of the presidential field is hating this. Not only is Obama staking out the clearest anti-war position (not even Edwards will call for a firm withdrawal timetable), but he's a constant reminder that their judgement on the war was abominable."

While Obama continues to receive high marks for his Iraq war stance, some in the netroots are continuing to question his commitment to their interests. Zach Exley writes: "Obama and his senior aides aren't doing the deep thinking they need to do on their own about this medium. ... In Obama's case, it's inexcusable because the Internet is just dying to make him president. ... They need to think about the Internet with the same intensity, curiosity and rigor that they apply to television, polling, speech writing/making and debate performance."

Also in blogland, Talking Points Memo's Josh Marshall wonders is the irritability associated with the early stages of quitting a nicotine habit makes now the best time for Obama to quit smoking. Talk Left's Jeralyn Merritt asks: "Is this a campaign stunt? To get millions of America to join him and thereby become vested in his success? Probably not, but I could see it happening."

GIULIANI: "Let The Freak Show Begin!"

Christian Broadcasting Network's The Brody File has quickly emerged as Rudy Giuliani's biggest online critic. After digging up old Giuliani quotes praising Justice Ginsburg, TBF follows up with an interview with Family Research Councils' Tony Perkins calling Giuliani "far outside the mainstream of conservative thought" and warning a Giuliani GOP win would cause an "unenthusiastic Republican base which will suppress turnout and set up a Democratic victory."

IA's Caucus Cooler remarks: "Brody is the most active Christian conservative in the blogosphere and has done a lot on Brownback,Romney , Huckabee and McCain. Let the Freak Show begin!"

Giuliani's reception has been much warmer elsewhere in the blogosphere, particularly at The Corner where Rich Lowry now thinks Giuliani has a chance thanks to '08s national security focus. Plenty of Cornerites, and other bloggers, also responded to John Podhoretz New York Post article explaining that Giuliani has a much better chance of winning over conservatives than past moderates since he is not attempting a full frontal confrontation with social conservatives.

When Kathryn Jean Lopez pointed to the CBN article to demonstrate that social conservatives may want a fight with Rudy even if he doesn't want a fight with them, J-Pod responded: "The question is whether social-conservative rank-and-filers want to fight with Rudy. I mean, voters in the tens of millions, not leaders of organizations and those who live and breathe politics on a minute-by-minute basis."

Kate O'Beirne and Captain's Quarters both argue Giuliani has a better shot at winning than McCain did in '00 since Giuliani is not looking to antagonize social conservatives. CQ writes: "In Rudy's case, we haven't seen that kind of hostility, unlike John McCain in some instances where his frustration with conservatives got the best of him. Rudy doesn't apologize for his positions, but he casts them in such a way as to build a consensus for leadership as the overriding consideration in the primaries."

Also in negative Giuliani blogging, NRO's David Frum predicts a third-party challenge if Rudy gets the GOP nod, My Pet Jawa fingers gun control as Giuliani's biggest stumbling block, and Townhall's Matt Lewis claims 9/11 related scandals will be Giuliani's undoing.

HUCKABEE: He'll Talk To Anybody

The Right Angle's John Gizzi reports from "a standing-room-only breakfast of reporters in Washington hosted by the Christian Science Monitor" that Mike Huckabee "strongly hinted that he would have talked to Maumoud Admadinejad when the Iranian President was at the United Nations last year." Huckabee also came out against McCain-Feingold.

MCCAIN: The Straight Listener Express

Senior McCain aides, but not the Senator himself, listened to the advice of conservative bloggers for 45 minutes 2/6. David Allliveblogged the event which featured McCain aids Terry Nelson and John Weaver as well as Paul Mirengoff of Power Line, Ed Morrissey of Captain's Quarters, Mary Katharine Ham of Townhall, David All of the David All Group, Lorie Byrd of Wizbang and Rob Bluey of RedState.

Mary Katharine has the best write-up but came away feeling the "conversation" felt too much like a pitch than an honest hashing out of differences. Ham quotes CQ from the call:

"We're really gonna need to have a well thought-out discussion as to why (campaign finance reform) addresses conservative ideals I don't buy it and I know my readers don't...I think we'd all love to change his mind on it, and I don't think we will but we need to hear a better explanation than we're chasing the money and that's good because the money's the root of all evil. Because it's really not."

Ham adds: "The fact is, the McCain abandonment of market principles in favor of government regulation in the area of campaign finance-- in the area of something as important as free political speech-- makes me wonder how strong his free-market principles really are. Would like to hear more."

CQ later adds on McCain and reform: "How committed will he be on free markets as President in any sense, if not in political speech? He now sings the conservative tune on tax cuts, but we still remember McCain the Maverick opposing them when George Bush pushed them through Congress."

At RedState, Rob Bluey interviewed "one of the few Republicans who managed to survive the Democrat wave that swept the country" in '06, MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty. On why Pawlenty supports McCain:

I'll give you three or four of the big reasons. First of all, I think the times both for our nation and for the Republican Party and the conservative movement are calling out for a certain type of leader ... And Senator McCain uniquely, in the presidential field on the Republican side, possesses that experience. ... Secondly, beyond kind of the times calling him out from a national and party perspective. On the personal level, and somebody I've known for quite some time, he's an individual of immense character. ... Then lastly, but also importantly, he is a person who conveys Republican and conservative messages and perspectives very effectively.

ROMNEY: A Full Context Kinda Guy

Reacting to the entrance of ex-NY Mayor Rudy Giuliani into the race, The Corner's Kathryn Jean Lopez advises the Mitt Romney campaign to give "big life speech" explaining his recent conversion on the issue. Lopez explains:

Right now the overwhelming images many have in their minds of Romney is a terrible debate performance and e-mail forwards chronicling a record that concerns anyone who cares about the sanctity of life and the protection of marriage. He needs to say his peace in some full-context way. Because the issues are that important."

IRAQ: FeinGOD!

Firedoglake is glad that Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), during his blogger conf call, echoed the appeal to the masses to contact members of Congress. "You whined that the Democrats would never be able to take back Congress in November, and yet they did. Why? Because a whole host of people got off their butts all across this great nations of ours and did the work necessary to make that happen, every day, for weeks and weeks on end. Here's a thought: how about we do that again?"

Casting him as Superman, DownWithTyranny! quotes Feingold as saying too many of his colleagues are "afraid of criticism from the White House ... They're trying to have it both ways ... People who know better are trying to take the easy way out." Feingold also noted that he introduced legislation two years ago calling for a 15 month timeline. Now he's "moved to the next step" with the Iraq Redeployment Act of 2007. Wu Ming at Calitics: "Feingold has been on fire recently. ... Hopefully between the Thompson-Obama-Murphy bill and Feingold's bill, they can put something together."

At TalkLeft, Big Tent Democrat takes in all of the "hot air" 2/6 on the Hill, and hopes Dems "stay firmly in favor of withdrawal. By defunding the Iraq War. It is the right thing to do. It is also the smart thing to do."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Meet The Old Boss ...

Following up on posts about the professionalization of the netroots and stagnating political blogosphere trafficMyDD 's Chris Bowers surveys the the established lefty blog world and concludes:

While blogging used to be the lowest cost means of democratizing political content generation, it isn't anymore. A MySpace page or a Facebook profile is easier than even a blog was four years ago. Higher entry costs in the blogosphere could very well be shifting large numbers of new participants to even more democratic forms of content generation. It remains to be seen what impact this will have upon the blogosphere, the netroots, and upon politics itself. It is very possible that the blogosphere will either collapse due to a lack of funding, or develop into a new form of establishment elite.

LEST WE FORGET: Mrs. Blogometer Feels The Same Way

The Corner's Jonah Goldberg shares reader email on Bravo's Top Chef ending:

My husband and I were (note the past tense) huge fans of the show for the past two years until Sam was eliminated. His elimination was made more egregious by Chef Tom's statement that the judges only look at that particular challenge when making the elimination decision. What a crock. The title of the show is Top Chef which in and of itself implies a consistent level of high quality cooking. Not to disparage either Ilan or Marcel but Sam was far and away the most consistent in terms of his food. When I go to a restaurant for a meal I don't want to pay $100.00 for a mean that consists of a bunch of chemicals (re: Marcel's cooking). I can get that at a fast food joint. With Jeffery's win on Project Runway and then Sam's elimination on Top Chef, it is clear that the producers at Bravo TV have already purchased the new (Saturday Night Live) Velvet Jones book "I Want To Be A H- For Ratings".

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:32 PM

February 06, 2007

Blogger Spotlight: Blog for Iowa's Sam Garchik

Continuing the Blogometer's tour through IA blogs, today we talk to Sam Garchik who currently manages Blog for Iowa.

What is your full name?

Sam Garchik

What is your age?

33

What's your hometown?

I grew up in San Francisco (my mother, Leah Garchik, writes a daily column for the SF Chronicle)

Where do you live now?

I live in Iowa City

What is your educational background?

BA, Art History, UC Santa Barbara
MA, History, Kansas State University
Teaching Certificate, University of Iowa

What is your occupation?

High School Teacher, Linn Mar School District, Marion, IA

When did you first get involved in politics and why?

I was always a yellow-dog Democrat (only without the southern civil war resentment). But I was the field director for Art Small when he ran against Charles Grassley for US Senate in 2004. I met great Democrats all around the state, and decided I wanted to get more involved in progressive issues.

When did you start blogging and why?

About a year ago, I took over this blog from Linda Theiman, who did a great job of launching Blog for Iowa several years ago. Linda wanted to do something different, and I wanted to get more involved.

How are blogs changing politics in your state?

There are lots of great blogs in Iowa. I have a Feedblitz service set up so I can read as many as possible every day, although I'd be the first to admit I can't read them all. Even the conservative blogs here often have great stuff to say about sensible policies and the things that happen in Iowa. All this info needs to be spread around and shared so that people can understand where candidates stand on issues, and what is going on in Des Moines.

What's your favorite most unsung specific example of a blogger affecting a political figure, organization, philosophy, or movement?

Dean for America and Blog for America in 2004. The blogosphere has great potential to spread ideas fast, and get information out to lots of people quickly.

Tomorrow the five main contributors to the Grinnell College Campus Democrats group blog Iowa Progress will be answering our withering questions.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:28 PM

2/6: Leader Of The Pack?

The netroots often talk about how they're out in front of Dem officeholders in the major issues of the day (think Lieberman '06). But Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) is way ahead of 'roots consensus on how they should approach the issue of Iraq now that Dems control Congress. While some netroots leaders have changed their minds on what Dems should do, Feingold has been unequivocal in calling for full withdrawal through a defunding of the war. Will the netroots respond to his leadership and pressure Dems to exercise their power of the purse?

IRAQ: Not As Useless As He Thought

Following the cloture vote on the Warner/Levin bill, Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) had harsh things to say about fellows Dems in a blogger conference call, singling out John Edwards in particular. The Brad Blog says Feingold: "was also critical of John Edwards who, he says, has been 'masquerading' as a critic of the war, but whose proposal so far only calls for refusing to fund the proposed Bush troop escalation in Iraq. Even he, Feingold said, fails in his rhetoric to call for withdrawal and a full defunding of the current debacle."

Daily Kos' Mcjoan quotes Feingold on his Dem colleagues: "This almost reminds me a little bit of the way Democrats behaved in October 2002, which was trying to play it safe, trying to use words such as 'well, we're going to vote for this resolution, but what it really means is that the president should go to the UN. That stuff doesn't fly."

When asked how bloggers can help to stop the war, Feingold urged them "to call their Congress Members to demand tough action in hopes that it might give them the backbone to do the right thing." David Sirota has select audio excerpts of the call here.

The bloggers themselves kept fire away from Dems and concentrated on GOPers, regardless of whether they voted to end debate. DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas notes that up-in-'08 GOP Sens. Susan Collins (ME) and Norm Coleman (MN) both voted to end the debate but Kos promised anyway: "they'll both be axed in 2008." And for those Senate GOPers who voted to keep debate open Kos writes: "we'll make you regret this vote in 2008."

The episode seems to have changed Kos' mind on the value of the non-binding resolution as well: "So this "non-binding resolution" wasn't as useless as I thought. Now, we can beat Republicans over this vote for the next two years. ... This was always the GOP's war, but now more than ever. ... Because of the Senate filibuster and presidential veto, It's near impossible for Democrats to end this war. But what we can and do, and should do, is keep bringing up these resolutions. ... Bring them up and keep forcing Republicans to stand with Bush in support of this war."

Kos later adds specific posts on his top GOP targets, calling Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) a "coward," Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) "weak," and Sen. John Sununu (R-NH) "spineless."

IRAQ II: When More Debate Is Less Debate

Righty bloggers are crying foul over MSM coverage of 2/5's cloture vote on the Warner/Levin bill. RedState's California Yankee notes the AP, New York Times, and CNN all blame the GOP for "block[ing]" debate. CY then informs the MSM: "According to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary "cloture" is "the closing or limitation of debate in a legislative body especially by calling for a vote."

Also at RedState, Leon Wolf calls CNN's coverage of the vote "probably the most stupendous piece of bias I have ever seen in anything that has tried to pass itself off as "news," ever." Wolf says he would "love some screenshots of CNN's coverage of, say, the judicial filibuster fight circa 2005... just for purposes of comparison. I'm willing to bet it'd be very.. interesting." Instapundit also claims the MSM is getting it backward: "There's a pattern to these errors, it seems."

GIULIANI: Straight Talk II?

Rudy Giuliani has been at or near the top of many online straw polls for some time, and the reaction to his 2/5 announcement demonstrates that right bloggers are open, but not yet sold, on his candidacy. Reax include:

• Ankle Biting Pundit's Bull Dog Pundit: "The way Rudy could handle this issue, and still come out OK is to say that while he personally supports the outcome in Roe v. Wade, that he thinks the issue should be left up to the states themselves. ... If Rudy would address the abortion and gay marriage issue like that he would immediately become my choice."
• The Corner's John Podhoretz: "[A]t some point Rudy skeptics are going to have to come to grips with the fact that Republican primary voters seem to want to choose him. That is a new phenomenon for someone who has no record of siding with social conservatives on symbolic issues, and it suggests a changed dynamic in the GOP.
• Captain's Quarters: "He will find the Republicans an open-minded but cautious group. Rudy gets high marks for leadership and action, two characteristics that have not been found in much quantity in the GOP field. He gets yellow flags for his positions on abortion and gun control, and the Republican Party wants to hear him square the circle on those points before taking him seriously as their banner-carrier in 2008."
• Kausfiles: "Here's one way to put the difference between John McCain and Rudolph Giuliani when it comes to getting the GOP nomination--McCain has the wrong friends (the press), while Giuliani has the "right enemies," as Amy Holmes just said on Anderson Cooper. ... Anyone who inspired such enmity from the Times, conservatives may conclude, can't be all that liberal.

Many blogger TV sets tuned in for Giuliani's appearance on Hannity and Colmes 2/5. The Corner's Kathryn Jean Lopez posts video and reviews were mostly positive. Despite not necessarily agreeing with his views on social issues, IA's Krusty Konservative compared Giuliani's performance to "John McCain of 2000, just tell people where you stand and let them make up their mind if they can support you or not." Captain's Quarters thought the interview played "to both Rudy's strengths and weaknesses. He is not going to change his beliefs to win the nomination, a position that will build both respect and opposition for his campaign. On the other hand, he shows that he has a thoughtful position on these issues."

The Brody File, however, noted Giuliani's invocation of Justice Ginsburg as judge in the same "category" as Justice Roberts and Alito might not "hold up under the bright lights of scrutiny from social conservatives in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, etc."

Back in IA, the Caucus Cooler notes "Rudy has no staff to our knowledge as compared to the well-oiled, well-organized Romney and McCain machines" and advises Giuliani that not all interviews "in the coming weeks are going to be like the Hannity t-ball fest last night."

The Right Angle's John Gizzi adds that while Giuliani will not be at the state Republican Convention in Grand Rapids, MI, 2/9-10, he "make a major effort to win Michigan's delegates to the Republican National Convention in '08" and "will nonetheless make news this weekend by announcing that a senior member of the Michigan congressional delegation will chair his still-to-be-announced presidential bid."

ROMNEY: What Would President Romney Do?

Mass Resistance's latest Mitt Romney hit piece claiming Romney supported tax payer funded abortions circulated the righty blogosphere 2/5 with little noticeable damage. At first highly troubled by the allegations, RedState's Ben Domenech spoke to Team Romney about the MA health plan and concluded: "Governor Romney does not support taxpayer funded abortions."

But Domenech goes on to argue that the issue does highlight the policy trade offs a president Romney would face on social conservative issues: "If Gov. Romney's plan ... has the unintended but inevitable effect of meaning "expanded taxpayer funded abortions," we now know what choice he made. We can debate that choice. What I wonder, as a pro-lifer, is whether President Romney would make the same choice."

Also related to Romney's health care plan, The Corner's Yuval Levin argues the plan "is already looking much more expensive than promised" and the "radical change in the way health insurance works" is bound to trouble "the poor and employees of small businesses" first. Levin adds: "And you can bet the Boston Globe will be on the street looking for the most egregious examples of individuals falling through the early cracks."

ROMNEY II: Not His Target Demographic

Mitt Romney's decision to become the first candidate to have an official Facebook profile drew some righty blogger derision. Power Line's John Hinderaker jokes the "initiative is expected to increase his support among teenage and pre-teen girls. ... Now, if only 16-year-olds could vote." The Corner's John Podhoretz mocks the press release trumpeting the announcement writing: "But to be honest, Romney Press Shop, color me skeptical that Mitt Romney actually spoke these words you claim he spoke: "I am pleased to be the first potential 2008 Republican presidential candidate to have an official Facebook profile."

Rep. Jack Kingston's (R) ex-aide David All, however, appreciated the effort highlighting what Facebook brought to the table for '06 MI Sen. candidate Mike Bouchard: "We also set-up several events for College Republicans, e.g., tailgating meet-ups, through the tool and invited our friends to help us spread the word (lapel stickers, bumper stickers, etc.) at football games. Not everyone who supports you is willing to make phone calls, and this is a modern way to identify those people."

CLINTON: Not Better Late Than Never

Iraq continues to be the major source of contention between lefty bloggers and Hillary Clinton. After watching NBC's Tim Russert parade a slew of pro-war clips in front of John Edwards 2/4 on "Meet," Arianna Huffington asks: "Does anybody really want to spend the next two years listening to the answer to 'Sen. Clinton, here is a clip of you from 2005 explaining an earlier clip of you in 2004 defending your comment in 2003 confirming your 2002 vote for the war. If you had to do it over again, would you give a different explanation in 2004 or 2005 justifying your 2003 defense of your 2002 vote?'"

Also at HuffPo, Paul Abrams looks at HRC's promise to end the Iraq war in '09 if she is elected president and wants to know: "Just what is it that is going to be accomplished in Iraq in '07 and '08 that will make the withdrawal at the end of '08, the deadline you set for Bush, worth the loss of 24 battalions ... of US troops to death and injury? ... Unless someone can show that withdrawing at the end of 2008 will make the final outcome materially better than withdrawing in '07, then what is the moral (and political) basis for sending more troops, or even to retaining the troop levels we have, beyond the time that it takes for an orderly and safe troop redeployment?"

EDWARDS: The Man Who Knew Too Much

John Edwards faced heavy criticism from more than just Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) 2/5. Following his 2/4 Meet The Press performance Arianna Huffington congratulated Edwards for strongly renouncing his Iraq war vote, but added "no amount of contrition could mitigate the effect of Russert playing clips of what Edwards had said about Iraq before everything went south, including this bellicose blast from October 2002:"

My position is very clear. The time has come for decisive action to eliminate the threat posed by Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction.

Huffington adds: "You gotta love Edwards' explanation for why Obama was right and he was wrong: It's because Obama, not yet in the U.S. Senate, wasn't 'burdened' with the bad intel Edwards and his fellow Senators were getting. This has to be the first time in history the 'I was too much in-the-know' excuse has been used in a presidential race."

And over at MyDD Matt Stoller examines how blogger pressure forced Edwards to "walk back" his "extremely bellicose rhetoric" on Iran. Stoller writes: "I have always had suspicions of John Edwards, but it doesn't really matter if any of us trust him on a personal level. The issue is what are the structural constraints upon someone's behavior. And now Edwards, because of the blogs and new media outlets like Raw Story, will be confronted with his Iran comments repeatedly, and walked back against hawkishness."

EDWARDS II: An Incomplete

Edwards did receive mostly positive reactions for his 2/5 health care plan unveiling. TAPPED's resident health care expert Ezra Klein said "the plan satisfied every plank of my progressive health reform test" but Klein also did not understand why Edwards insisted on putting "the onus of the responsibility for funding health coverage on employers."

For Kossacks, the plan did not seem to go far enough. A diary originally titled "Please give John Edwards a big kiss for his bold health plan" now includes this UPDATE at the top of the post: "There are very significant concerns being expressed by commenters in this diary. I hope Senator Edwards will return to Daily Kos as quickly as possible and spend the time necessary responding to these important questions."

Commenter concerns include allowing private insurance companies to continue to exist, regressive taxation, and a desire for a single-payer plan.

OBAMA: The First 'Clean' Black President

Normally turned off by talk "of a transformative change in the American political landscape," The Huffington Post's Adam Hanft was still impressed with "the first clean black guy ever to run for president." Hanft writes of Barack Obama's inclusive rhetoric: "But when he talked about this, about moving beyond what has become a resistant structure of calcified grudges and frozen positions, he didn't sound like a politician or business guru spouting New Age claptrap."

VILSACK: A Conversation Dems Don't Want?

Tom Vilsack has a diary explaining the discussion he started at the DNC Winter Meetings that "beltway insiders don't like. ... it's about making it clear that we need immediate withdrawal from the civil war in Iraq."

Linking to Vilsack's call for an immediate end to war funding, Daily Kos' Mcjoan praises: "There is no other way to force the end of this war than for the members of this Congress to recognize that they have a responsibility to oppose this president and oppose this war. The only way it ends is by cutting off funds. ... Hear, hear, Governor."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Old Men With Beards Need Not Apply

Daily Kos' DrSteveB continues his examination of Kossack religious beliefs this time asking: "But rather than a diary on "what religion" are you, I thought I would drill down to an underlying question... what sort of God(s) do you believe in, if any? By God(s), I include any conception of a higher power or spirit or essence that moves the universe or is within us all; so long as what is meant is super/supra/extra-natural (does not have to be old man with a beard)." The top three vote-getters were:

• Does not exist and never did; and there is nothing supernatural, no spirit; the universe is completely natural and has no higher aspect. - 32%
• It is my firm belief that I really really do not know; that we cannot know (well thought out devout agnostic). - 18%
• Does not exist; but that there is something spiritual or super-natural; something beyond just physics, chemistry and biology; universe is not reducible to just math and science even in principle. - 12%

LEST WE FORGET: Scott Adams Is A Glass-Half-Full Kinda Guy

The Dilbert Blog has fun with a CNN story on a chimp in Shreveport, LA, who got pregnant even though all the male chimps have had vasectomies. Adams riffs:

My first thought was that the groundskeeper has been tapping the chimps. ... You might argue that having sex with a chimp would be dangerous. Chimps are both strong and unpredictable. For many guys, these disadvantages would be outweighed by the fact that chimps don't talk while you're trying to watch the Super Bowl. Sometimes you have to take the good with the bad.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:14 PM

February 05, 2007

Blogger Spotlight: Political Forecast's Chris Woods

As part of our increased WH '08 coverage the Blogometer will be talking to leading bloggers in key primary states to get a better feel for who local bloggers are and what motivates them. Today we talk to Chris Woods of IA's Political Forecast.

What is your full name?

Christopher Woods

What is your age?

21

What's your hometown?

Des Moines, Iowa

Where do you live now?

Des Moines, IA

What is your educational background?

I'm a junior Politics major at Drake University. I should be graduating next May, pending a regular academic schedule.

What is your occupation?

I don't really have a full-time job beyond being a student. I do occasional work study jobs on campus, but mainly I study, go to class, and blog. I have done a few weeks of campaign work for Chet Culver's gubernatorial campaign in Iowa (back in the primary) but other than that my political efforts have been voluntary.

When did you first get involved in politics and why?

I first got involved in politics in high school, when I joined the speech and debate team. It got me interested in the process itself, as well as policy and theory. My sophomore year of high school was when I joined the team and I worked my way up to Team Captain my senior year. I participated in the National Forensics League and competed in foreign extemporaneous speaking, student congress, and Lincoln-Douglas debate. My senior of high school was when I got the most involved, thanks to my AP US Government teacher, Mike Schaffer, and I began getting involved in the John Kerry caucus campaign by volunteering a few nights a month.

When did you start blogging and why?

I started blogging on August 1, 2004, a few months before the 2004 election. The first post I wrote about was on the 9/11 Commission report. I realized just how unprepared our government was for the attacks and how the Bush Administration had basically ruined the country's leadership through the resulting Iraq War. I guess you could say the main reason I started blogging was because Iowa needed a strong political (and Democratic) voice talking about the issues facing our country -- I envied folks like Duncan Black at Eschaton, Markos Zuniga over at Daily Kos, and Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo. I wanted to be like them. From then, it has been like living a dream.

How are blogs changing politics in your state?

Blogs are slowly but surely changing politics in our state. We weren't really noticed until the Democratic primary for the governor's race in Iowa. Prior to that, most blogs had kind of talked about Iowa politics, but not in-depth. Starting in about December of 2005, I gave up trying to write about national politics and specifically started focusing on Iowa politics. In November of 2005, the Iowa Democratic Party invited me and a few other bloggers to cover the Jefferson Jackson dinner, where Sen. Tom Daschle was the keynote speaker. It was the first time they had invited bloggers and they've done so for all of their big events like the state party convention as well as the hall of fame dinner since then. Anonymous blogs get a lot of the attention because they can spread rumors and talk about candidates like a gossip magazine, which always gets the attention of people in Iowa. Drew Miller has taken the lead in launching a new community blog in Iowa, called Bleeding Heartland and we hope that gets a lot of attention from candidates and elected officials. Already we're doing profiles of the new members of the Iowa legislature and doing some investigative work.

One of the best memories I have about the changes in the mood of politicians in Iowa towards the netroots were the comments I got from Governor Chet Culver and Lt. Gov. Patty Judge the night of the victory celebration--they personally thanked me and said that work online was just as critical to the field working talking place on the ground across the state.

What's your favorite most unsung specific example of a blogger affecting a political figure, organization, philosophy, or movement?

I can't say I have a favorite unsung example, but I do credit the netroots with stopping the Bush/Congressional Republican plan to privatize Social Security--the netroots helped lead the movement against it. Now we're also taking the lead on Net Neutrality, an issue that folks don't know much about but will soon, and it will have a big impact on them.

Join us tomorrow when we talk to Blog for Iowa's Sam Garchik

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:39 PM

2/5: So What?

Righty bloggers are trying to make an issue out of John Edwards hiring of an official campaign blogger, Amanda Marcotte, whose past opinions on the Duke rape incident have since been scrubbed from her blog Pandagon. The Blogometer highly doubts any of this will come back to hurt Edwards. The blogging medium eats and breathes intemperate comments and a candidate who plays it safe in selecting an official blogger just shows they do not have a firm understanding of what drives the medium (keep in mind an official blogger is different than a netroots/new media coordinator ... the first being the blogging voice of a campaign, the latter more of an online message/constituent manager). As Ezra Klein said about the Marcotte hire: "Here's the other thing. I hardly ever read campaign blogs, even for campaigns I really like. They're not usually written very well, and the people who write them sometimes don't really seem to understand how the blogosphere works. ... To summarize all that I've just said, campaign blogs aren't usually written by Amanda Marcotte."

DEM FIELD: Still Looking For Online Gold

After noting that no Dem "has really struck online gold" producing an "army" of supporters "ready to engage in all forms of activism," MyDD's Chris Bowers details 3 possible "themes" that could solidify "massive netroots success." Including:

• Restoration: "I think [Gore's] large following online comes from being a symbol of "what could have been" had the 2000 election not been stolen. ... A Gore victory would be viewed by many as not unlike liberators returning local rule to a city or country that had been under foreign occupation for a number of years. It is interesting how Clinton seems unable to tap into this same feeling, probably because many activists see her as somehow complicit with the occupiers in a way that Gore is not.
• New America: "I have written before about how I think Obama, through his biography, mannerisms, and profile, taps into a Generation X, Creative Class desire to entire a new political era not dominated by the same divisions and debates we have faced for decades. Whereas Gore might be tapping into a deep desire for a restoration of what was lost under Bush, Obama might instead be tapping into a strong desire for something very new in American politics."
• Never Again: "Many people want to see more investigations into the past six years, legislation with a serious chance to end the war, less willingness to compromise with Republican minorities that gave use no quarter just a few months ago--they want to see more, and they want to see it now. ... If there is a desire for restoration, and a desire to move beyond current political dynamics, I think there is also a desire to make sure that what happened over the past several years never happens again.

Bowers concludes with advice to Dem campaigns: "Find a vein of the activist zeitgeist, and be willing to tap it. Above all else, that is the path toward netroots success for presidential candidates."

Also not smitten with any one candidate yet, AMERICAblog's Rob in Baltimore is still pleased with the "great field of candidates" at the DNC winter meetings and says he would be happy to vote for almost all of them. Something he doesn't think he could have said "at this point in the 2004 election."

TPM Cafe's Eric Kleefeld posts video from most of the '08 field who spoke at the meetings.

CLARK: Just One More Middle East War Away From A Viable Candidacy

Despite still not announcing his '08 intentions, ex-Gen. Wes Clark still maintains the high esteem of many left bloggers. MyDD's Matt Stoller "was reminded what a real leader looks and sounds like" after a 45 minute conversation with Clark at the DNC winter meeting 2/2. Stoller posts video and comments on Clark's chances: "A lot of people think that Clark and Richardson are second or third-tier, and can't possibly win. That might be true. But if Bush ratchets up and attacks Iran, something that we all know is likely, all of a sudden room opens up for a genuine antiwar candidate."

On Daily Kos, diarist Tom Rinaldo posts a friend's glowing review of Clark's speech and diarist plant attempts to correct the "misconception about the role that a four star general plays in formation of policy within the United States Armed Forces" by detailing all Clark did for "the health, welfare and well being of the people" under his command.

CLINTON: Rage Against The Machine

Hillary Clinton continues to face credibility problems with the online left, particularly over foreign policy. Under the header "Pandering For Naught To The War For Israel Machine" The Left Coaster's Steve Soto argues that there's little difference between Clinton and Pres. Bush on Iran: "The only difference between Hillary's position and Bush's policy is that she favors the ISG approach of opening and maintaining a dialogue with Iran and Syria. But other than that, Hillary would be willing it seems to start a war with Iran to stop their nuclear program."

MyDD's Matt Stoller is also worried about HRC's "pandering to the extremists at AIPAC" writing: " She has been pro-war, she is currently failing to do anything to stop the war, and she's providing rhetorical cover for Bush to start a new war. That's very very bad."

Also in HRC talk, The Huffington Post's Bill Katovsky claims the only conversation Clinton wants to have is "with her staff and advisers behind closed doors -- far removed from any snooping camera phones and open mikes" and Matthew Yglesias looks at state-by-state polling results and disputes claims that HRC has "a daunting advantage in the upcoming primary race."

DODD: Truth-Talker

Pam's House Blend argues Chris Dodd just "raised[d] the bar for the candidates in favor of civil unions" by coming out in favor of amending the Defense of Marriage Act "to allow civil unions created at the state level to have full parity of benefits at the federal level." Writing "he knows he can't win, so he speaks the truth" Daily Kos diarist quaoar claims Dodd as his new WH '08 favorite. (Pam also posts video of Dodd's interview with AMERICAblog's Joe Sudbay).

EDWARDS: Hawk & Dove

John Edwards reached out to TAPPED's Ezra Klein in an effort to repair the damage done to his netroot's foreign policy by comments made in Israel that "all options are on the table" when it comes to dealing with Iran's nuclear program. Klein posts the full transcript of the interview, and on Iran Klein allows: "His position here is more thoughtful and nuanced than his comments at the Herzliya conference revealed."

Picking up on Klein's interview The Washington Monthly's Kevin Drum argues Edwards in no way "backed off his hawkish Iran comments" but instead was just "engaging in Politics 101: telling different audiences what they each want to hear." Drum says that he likes Edwards but concludes: "I'd sure feel a lot better if even a small part of Edwards' comments to the Prospect had made their way into his speech at Herzliya."

EDWARDS II: Fumble?

Beltway Blogroll's Danny Glover labels Edwards hiring of Pandagon's Amanda Marcotte as the campaign's official blogger "the first blog scandal" of '08. Righty bloggers are definitely treating it that way.

Glover explains that Marcotte, like most bloggers, is "fast and loose with her opinions" and that some of her recent opinions on the Duke rape case "didn't sit well with somefolks ." Marcotte has since deleted the post in question adding this disclaimer: "Since people are determined to make hay over this quick shot of a post, I'm deleting it and here's my official stance. The prosecution in the Duke case fumbled the ball. The prosecutor was too eager to get a speedy case and make a name for himself. That is my final word."

Righty bloggers determined to make the story stick to Edwards have noted that Edwards refused "to speak out against the misconduct of Defendant Nifong and the injustice of the Hoax" and also began cataloging some of Marcotte's more spicy posts including this reprintable one: "There's no real reason that NASCAR has to have a political edge to it, much less be some weird symbol of Southern male white supremacy and yet through careful Republican marketing, it has become just that."

GRAVEL: Blogger Tested, Granny D Approved!

Writing up each candidate's DNC winter meeting performance MyDD's Jerome Armstrong quotes Mike Gravel "anyone who voted for the war... is not qualified to hold the office of the Presidency" and comments: "In short, Gravel will not give Edwards, Biden, Dodd, Clinton any breathing room." Also at MyDDJonathan Singer reports Gravel has the support NH 'democracy activist' Granny D.

OBAMA: More Atticus Finch Than John Wayne

The absence of a campaign-driven, pro-active online strategy continued to be a topic of discussion regarding Barack Obama. AMERICAblog's Rob in Baltimore reports from the DNC winter meetings: "If each of the candidates is saying roughly the same thing, it's going to be who executes best who gains advantage. In that, Obama has a lot of catching up to do. Very quickly both John Edwards and Hillary Clinton had their DNC speeches up on YouTube and their websites. Even this morning Obama's website and YouTube don't have his speech up there - a substantial missed opportunity with no excuse." Not started by the Obama campaign ObamaCorps looks to harness Digg and YouTube to help Obama get his message to more voters.

Also at the DNC winter meetings, MyDD's Matt Stoller reports: "Apparently, today in the black caucus at the DNC meeting Illinois State Senate President Emil Jones caused a ruckus when he slammed the caucus for murmuring that Barack Obama isn't 'black enough'. The general gist of his comments was 'how long are we going to have to pay back the Clinton's', and it revealed a generational split among black political leaders between the old patronage model and a newer movement model."

And Arianna Huffington suggests Obama's recent success nailing down Hollywood donors is due to Tinseltown bias for good casting. Huffington reasons: "But after 6 years of Bush's all-hat-no-cattle leadership, the American public seems ready to abandon the John Wayne fantasy. The question is: To be replaced by what? ... With his moral sense of social responsibility and his "audacity of hope" optimism, Obama may help the country leave behind John Wayne and embrace Atticus Finch.

RICHARDSON: On The Path Towards Contention

Bill Richardson received rave reviews from his DNC speech:

• MyDD's Jerome Armstrong: "I really like Governor's as Presidential candidates, they have accomplishments they can point to, and Richardson has foreign experience as well. He was very well received by this audience, with multiple standing ovations, and Richardson probably moved up a few notches in their views."
• MyDD's Jonathan Singer: "Though he went noticeably over the soft seven-minute time limit, he kept the audience with him -- not just because he had supporters strategically located throughout the hall but also because he gave a very good speech. It's not be enough, in and of itself, to get him into the top tier of candidates, but it may just have gotten him on that path."

VILSACK: No Candidate Left Behind

Tom Vilsack's loudest DNC applause line came when hr called for the overturn of the No Child Left Behind Act reports MyDD's Jonathan Singer. Singer concludes: "Not a bad speech, and in fact what he had to say was fairly good. But his delivery wasn't terribly energetic and he didn't really connect with the crowd, which he probably needed to do in order to break out this weekend."

GIULIANI: Strong In Blue

Rudy Giulianicampaign efforts to promote recent polling showing Giuliani "has more strength in traditionally blue states than other Republicans, especially the former "maverick" John McCain" scored positive blog posts from Power Line's Paul Mirengoff and Captain's Quarters.

Mirengoff writes: "I still believe there are more than a de minimis number of conservatives who will be unable to support Giuliani under any circumstances. But that may prove more troubling in the general election than in the primaries." CQ adds: "Once expected to be the centrist candidate of choice, and even a risk for an independent bid that would capture the center from both parties, McCain seems to have ceded most of that ground to Giuliani, at least at this early stage of the campaign."

Giuliani also sat down with former press secretary to Gov. Mark Sanford (R) Will Folks for an interview now posted at SC Hotline.

HUNTER: Just One Issue Away From Being A True Conservative

Right Wing News make "The Conservative Case for Duncan Hunter" including:

• He Is The "National Security Candidate"
• Good Fences Make Good Neighbors: Duncan Hunter has been one of the Republican House leaders in the fight against illegal immigration.
• His Trade Position May Be a "Bug" To Republicans, But It Can Be A "Feature" To Democrats: There is one area in particular where Duncan Hunter departs from the conservative orthodoxy and that's on trade issues.
• All This And He's Socially Conservative, Too

MCCAIN: Missing Out On 80% Of Life

RedState's Rob Bluey hits John McCain for not attending the the Heritage Foundation's Conservative Members Retreat in Baltimore, MD 2/3. Bluey writes: "While McCain may not have won over any members by appearing at the retreat, his absence allowed former Gov. Mitt Romney to seize the spotlight and continue to build relationships with House Republicans. ... One Republican member estimated that 90% of his conservative colleagues oppose McCain, even if they won't say so publicly. ... Now the question becomes whether he'll make the same mistake by turning down an invitation to speak at CPAC, one of the largest gatherings of conservatives in Washington, D.C. ... With Romney and several other Republican hopefuls already on the agenda, one has to wonder how McCain plans to win over conservatives if he doesn't show."

ROMNEY: Drudge Dividends

IA's Caucus Cooler is already tracking the benefits of Mitt Romney's victory in the "Drudge Primary." CC notes: "While almost all of the major U.S. dailies picked up on the Romney abortion flap, Drudge did not. And this week Drudge did pick up the Romney v. Hillary story that is certainly going to endear the Governor with social conservatives. ... Meanwhile, Matt has jumped on most if not all of the negative Rudy, McCain, and Hillary stories that have popped up around the blogosphere. It's an interesting contrast, one that's worth keeping an eye on."

RedState's Rob Bluey reports Romney arrived early to meet individually with select members before the Heritage Foundation's 2/3 Conservative Members Retreat in Baltimore, MD. Romney had only one applause line during the speech (on reducing the number of MA state employees) but "members of Congress were quick to jump to their feet after the speech."

NRO's Jim Geraghty interviewed Romney 2/3 and asked him what his top three legislative priorities would be if elected. Romney named: 1) "win the battle against the jihad"; 2) " to help the country become more competitive; I want us to reach standards so that they exceed those of Asia"; 3) "to help solve our domestic weaknesses - the failure of health care, failure of our schools. And I want to make us independent of foreign oil."

Picking up on Romney's answer to Rich Lowry criticism that he did not address Iraq in a speech last week to a NR audience, Power Line's Paul Mirengoff responds: "For what it's worth, my view is that Romney is obliged to take a position on the "surge," and he has done so -- he supports it. He is also obliged to answer all reasonable questions about Iraq. However, I don't believe Romney is required to talk about Iraq in every speech, and I think it's understandable, given the uncertainty over the prospects for the president's new strategy, that Romney prefers not to talk often about the subject just now."

It still is not all roses for Romney online however, despite admitting that "most Romney supporters will not be bothered by this, or anything else the Governor does or has done" RedState's Leon Wolf argues Romney's MA health care plan "includes taxpayer-funded abortions."

IRAQ: Keeping Their Eyes On The Ball

A James FallowsThe Atlanticarticle arguing for a resolution stating congressional opposition with Iran inflames an existing debate over netroots tactics. Talk Left's Big Tent Democrat calls Fallows plan "wrong" "dumb" and "obtuse" arguing that Pres. Bush would never ask Congress to authorize military action against Iran. Instead, BTD argues, Bush will justify action against Iran by invoking American presence in Iraq. BTD concludes: " You want to stop military action against Iran? Then work like hell to get us out of Iraq. The path to any attack on Iran is through Iraq." The New Donkey and Daily Kos' Mcjoan are all on the same page.

Also at Daily Kos, Trapper John polls Daily Kos readers on which Dem Iraq plan they prefer. Results include:

• Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel: Immediate withdrawal. Immediate. - 40%
• Barack Obama: Issued plan for total withdrawal by March 31, 2008. 14 months. - 18%
• Bill Richardson: Total withdrawal by the end of 2007. 11 months. - 16%
• John Edwards: Complete withdrawal of all combat troops from Iraq within 12-18 months. 18 months. - 14%
• Hillary Clinton: Wants troops out before Bush leaves office in January 2009. 23 months. - 5%

Finally, Daily Kos' Devilstower suggests Congress amend the the Montgomery Amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act requiring Pres. Bush to seek congressional authorization every time the National Guard is deployed overseas for a period longer than six months. DT writes: "430,000 Nation Guard troops have served in Iraq. At times, they've made up half the forces there. It is within the power of the Congress to remove these forces. ... A bill like this just might get enough votes to override a veto, or might provoke a court fight limiting the president's ability to stock a war with Guard members. ... And if it did, it would actually mean something, not just express the national ennui."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Ralph Nader Right After All?

Still bitter over his affect on the '00 election, Matthew Yglesias wonders if "one of the memes floating about in the Nadersphere" has been vindicated: "Namely the basically Leninist idea that a Democratic loss and a period of Republican governance would pull the Democrats in a more progressive direction in terms of, for example, questioning "Washington Consensus" globalization."

Yglesias concludes: " At the time, that argument didn't make sense to me. And in some important ways I still don't think it makes a ton of sense logically. But it does seem to be what's happened. Now, was that a price worth paying for the dead in Iraq, the torture, etc.? I don't really think so.

LEST WE FORGET: Not That There's Anything Wrong With That

Watching Rex Grossman stumble all over the football field, The Corner's John Podhoretz wondered: "Hey, is Chicago Bears quarterback Rex Grossman Jewish?" Through the wonders of Google, Mrs. Podhoretz quickly found RexGrossmanIsNotJewish.com which says simply: "sorry jews, it's true."

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:35 PM

February 02, 2007

2/2: So What Now?

The latest language in the bipartisan Iraq resolution seems to have finally pushed the netroots into open opposition with Dem leaders. Encouraged by the departure of Sens. Russ Feingold and Chris Dodd more and more lefty bloggers are calling on Dems to reject the current compromise in favor of some binding legislation. Feingold, in particular, is embracing the anti-war support of the netroots writing in a Daily Kos diary: "We have the support of a majority of Americans behind us. We should recognize that and act on it. Thank you again. I really appreciate the encouragement." Netroots opinion on Dem cong. action on Iraq has been volatile this week, but it is unclear what further steps they're willing to take to influence Dem leadership on the issue.

IRAQ: One Step Forward Or Two Steps Back?

Netroots patience for Dem action on Iraq policy is being severely tested by the compromises necessary to gather bi-partisan support for the Warner-Levin Iraq resolution. Daily Kos' BarbinMD links to WaPo coverage of the negotiations and writes: "It seems that this compromise means the Senate is ceding their "power of the purse," and refusing to criticize the Bush plan, saying only that they "disagree" with it ... Where exactly is the compromise? Are they going for the Lieberman vote?"

DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas calls the Warner-Levin effort "pathetic" and praises Sens. Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Chris Dodd (D-CT) for opting out of "that silly game." Kos asks: "What's the point of a useless amendment? Is Reid really that desperate to give Jon Stewart more material for the Daily Show?"

Feingold even has a diary up on Daily Kos titled "Warner/Levin Resolution a Mistake" where he writes: "Unfortunately, the new Warner-Levin resolution that many Democrats are pushing is flawed and unacceptable. It rejects the surge, but it also misunderstands the situation in Iraq and endorses the President's underlying approach. It's basically a back-door authorization of the President's misguided policies, and passing it would be a big mistake."

While few on the left are thrilled with the resolution, some are defending the effort. The New Donkey's Ed Kilgore seems "some real political value" in the resolution "so long as it does not completely foreclose additional steps if Bush continues to stubbornly plug ahead." Matt Yglesias also refuses to condemn the bill calling the resolution "kabuki, though, it's good kabuki."

The Carpetbagger Report's Steve Benen worries the Iraq debate will get "confusing" as Dem '08ers "try and one-up each other on who wants to fight the White House most." Benen also notes that those worried about Dodd out flanking them on the left can "get a little cover from MoveOn.org, which has endorsed the Warner-Levin compromise resolution." Benen quotes MoveOn: "We are pleased the Senate is headed to a bipartisan vote disagreeing with President Bush's escalation in Iraq. This is an important first step towards Congress blocking the escalation and stopping the war."

For plenty on the left, however, the resolution is a step backward, not forward. Under the header, "From supporting redeployment to barely opposing escalation - a tragic Senate story," David Sirota writes at Working for Change: "the Democratic caucus was almost fully unified 6 months ago in support of ending the war completely, now the Democratic caucus is billing as a "step forward" a resolution that merely (and meekly) criticizes expanding the war. That's a legislative retreat, and one that comes after an anti-war election mandate. I wish I could say I was surprised, but I'm not."

Talk Left's Big Tent Democrat also is unhappy with the resolution and address Yglesias directly: "No Matt, it is horrible kabuki. We do not need phony Republican repudiation of Bush, Matt. We do not need a phony nonbinding resolution that embraces the Bush narrative on the Iraq Debacle. ... This proposal is possibly the worst that could have been conceived for the Democrats in every way."

Big Tent then invokes Dem support for the Iraq war in '02 to further attack supporters of the current resolution: "Feingold notes that the Senate was in Democratic hands in 2002 when in an act of craven stupidity, a majority of Democrats voted for the disgraced AUMF for Iraq. ... This travesty resulted from the type of attitude exhibited by Yglesias and Kilgore. They were both wrong in 2002 and they repeat their mistakes now. This fear of a principled stand - the chronic disease of Democrats, is exactly what threatens the potential Dem realignment."

Talking Points Memo's Paul Kiel did some checking and reports that netroots favorite Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) is "inclined to support" the resolution.

IRAQ II: Does That Make Us Crazy?

While recent amendments to the Warner-Levin resolution have some on the right saying good things about the bill (RedState's Erick Erickson is particularly impressed with Article 4 which he says would block troop reduction in Iraq), there are no signs that any big name bloggers are ready to back it. Townhall's Hugh Hewitt links to a DNC Chair Howard Deandescription of the bill as "very, very positive" since it gets a "significant numbers of Republicans to repudiate the Republican president's policy" and comments: "Contact republican leadership in the House and Senate and tell them its not what they think they are doing that matters, it is what the world understands them to be doing."

The Corner's Yuval Levin asks: "If on the day after the 2006 election someone had told you that a few months into 2007 we would be increasing troop levels in Iraq and committing to a somewhat more aggressive strategy with a somewhat more aggressive commander, and would be set to enact a 2007 budget that largely stuck to 06 spending levels with a few adjustments and no earmarks, wouldn't you have thought he was crazy?"

Righty bloggers are getting behind Sen. John McCain's 'benchmark' resolution. Captain's Quarters writes: "McCain obviously wants to offer a way for the Senate to demonstrate its frustration, but directed in such a way that it does not unduly damage the mission. Its benchmarks are reasonable, and open to definition to some extent." Even Hugh Hewitt is on board: "I have read the text of the new draft resolution ... and while it retains the absurd "benchmarks" language, it is generally sound and not defeatist in the least. It does not threaten explicitly or by implication to cut and run on the Iraqis if the battle for the country's future remains difficult."

Hewitt then advises House GOPers: "The House Republicans should follow the example of the Senate GOP and get the Boehner resolution reformed to reflect the national security seriousness of the GOP."

Also at Townhall, claiming that "almost every major Democrat was for a surge before they were against it" Matt Lewis serves up pre- and post- Dem quotes on troop levels including:

• Richard Durbin Then: "If We Need Initially Some Troops In Baghdad, For Example, To Quiet The Situation, Make It More Peaceful So That Our Soldiers Start Coming Home, Then I Would Accept It." (Ed Tibbetts, "Durbin Speaks Out On Troops For Iraq," Quad-City Times (IL), 12/21/06)
• Richard Durbin Now: ""The Proposed Surge In Troops 'Is A Sad, Ominous Echo Of Something We've Lived Through In This Country,' Said Durbin." (Dori Meinert, "Durbin, Obama Oppose Proposed Surge In Troops To Iraq," Copley News Service, 01/05/07)

DEM FIELD: Who Wants To Play 20 Questions?

Preparing for a 2/3 interview with John Edwards and Barack Obama, Jonathan Singer asks MyDD readers for possible questions. Suggestions for both include:

• How can the president be restrained from starting a war with Iran?
• Will you be seeking a mandate from Democratic voters in the primaries in order to lead the Democratic party in a new direction? What is that new direction?
• I'd like to pin them down on the NAFTA superhighway, globalization, outsourcing, living wage, CEO-to-employee wage ratios and corporate personhood. And also electronic freedom issues.
• for just Obama: "Given that you have worked as a civil rights lawyer, what is the legal basis for your opposition to gay marriage?"
• for just Edwards: "Given Cheney's central, terrifying role in the Bush administration's worst failures, does Edwards have any regrets about not having a tougher, or more effective, debate with Cheney?"

CLINTON: This Ain't The Love Connection

Iraq continues to be a stumbling block between Hillary Clinton and online love. MyDD's Matt Stoller labels HRC's Hotlineinterview response to a question on Iraq "more of that John Kerry 2004 Iraq nonsense" and adds: "If she wanted to stop the war, she'd say she wants to withdraw troops and push Congress and the President to do that. But she says that it's the President's responsibility to stop the war. Which means that the war will go on."

Further towards the center, Kausfiles also takes issue with Clinton's assertion that Iraq is Bush's "responsibility," citing a different HRC quote: "I really resent it. ... This was his decision to go to war; he went with an ill-conceived plan, an incompetently executed strategy, and we should expect him to extricate our country from this before he leaves office." Kaus responds: "Imagine if Eisenhower had said that about Korea. This is the presidency, not a dream date! Presidents are supposed to deal with the problems the face. "

Two items on The Huffington Post argue that gender will not be an obstacle in HRC's path to the WH. David Berreby links to a Finnish study showing "female respondents tend to favor female candidates, while male respondents tend to vote equally often for men and women." HuffPo's Robert Guttman adds: "In 2008 if Senator Clinton doesn't win it won't be because she is a woman. The American voter has joined the 21st century and is looking beyond whether the candidate is a man or woman. The 2008 voter is looking for a president who won't polarize the country and who has answers to war and peace and keeping the economy stable and growing."

DODD: A Voice To Be Heard

Reporting from the DNC winter meetings, MyDD's Jonathan Singer offers quick thoughts on Chris Dodd: "He came off as a credible candidate, which he needed to do at this meeting. What's more, he showed that he can speak with fire, a skill that many lose in the Senate, particularly after three decades in the chamber. Dodd's speech ran longer than needed, however, and he will no doubt need to trim some fat from his stump speech and rearrange some pasts. But if he does so, he has the opportunity to make his voice heard within the party."

EDWARDS: Leftward Ho!

John Edwards choice of Pandagon's Amanda Marcotte and Shakespeare's Sister's Melissa McEwan as Blogmaster and Netroots Coordinator continues to draw blogger reaction. MyDD's Jerome Armstrong describes the move as "ground-breaking" since the pair represent a "whole new blogosphere" that embraces "single-issue groups" ahead of a DailyKos-founder-Markos Moulitsas/Crashing The Gate "big tent" approach. Armstrong adds: "What this move symbolizes in the blogosphere is that Edwards team understands how to move to the left on the issues. The early move by Edwards to consolidate the liberal wing of the Democratic party at the beginning is very smart. It's how McGovern won the 1972 Democratic primary."

RedState's Moe Lane offers a lengthy well reasoned critique of the Marcotte hiring.

Finally, Blue Hampshire reports on an Edwards stop in Hannover, NH, at Dartmouth: "He called for a phased withdrawal of troops from Iraq, (maintaining that by staying in Iraq we are enabling the Iraqis to fight among themselves and not to take responsibility for their own government). He finds the non binding resolutions in Congress as fluff and a waste of time. He talked up the environment and universal health care. ... None of his positions surprised me nor did they particularly excite me-- I find his Iraq position to be simplistic. However, he did show some candor that is not like any candidate I have seen for a long time."

GORE: If Only Some Blogger Had The Resources At His Disposal To Create A 'Draft Gore' Movement

If Al Gore does join the WH '08 race, DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas will be among his first supporters. Kos explains that "one reason I'm not jumping aboard any 2008 bandwagons is that I'll wait as long as necessary to see if Gore will jump in."

Kos reasons that Gore's name ID allows him to wait till mid-10/07 when the Nobel prize will be announced. Kos writes: "He would instantly raise gobs of cash (I'd bet on tens of millions in the first 24 hours) and become the media sensation of the winter. He would instantly make hundreds of millions spent by his primary opponents obsolete. Talent would flock to him, decimating the staffs of his opponents. Heck, if done right, a serious "Draft Gore" movement could have the shell of an infrastructure in place for him to adopt.

OBAMA: We Should All Be So Lucky

Lefty bloggers are also beginning to comment on Barack Obama's more hands off approach to the community and the reviews are not all negative. On Obama's attending a "a 'Students For Barack Obama' Facebook rally" MyDD's Jerome Armstrong writes: "Obama is lucky to have this happening on his behalf, but he's smart to embrace and encourage the effort. Now, I've seen the extra-youth turnout models fall flat on their face in Iowa (with Dean), but Obama's appeal to the Millennial generation, as opposed to Edwards appeal to the ideological left of older more traditionally politically active generations, is unique and full of possibilities in the big-state primaries."

Blog P.I.'s Not Paul Begala argues Obama's online 'luck' may just be the residue of design: "What makes Obama different from other progressive politicians is that he doesn't just want to create and support progressive programs; he wants to mobilize the people to create their own. Now, isn't that what progressives are trying to do right now, build their own communities?"

GIULIANI: No Help From The Feds

Speculation about possible Rudy Giuliani weakness on guns continued at The Corner. Kathryn Jean Lopezreports she is still "getting e-mails from angry gun owners" upset with her suggestion Giuliani could skate on his past support of gun control. K-Lo also posts a reader's suggestion that Rudy embrace "strong federalist rhetoric" to avoid "his 'third rail' issues."

The suggestion was not warmly received. Jonah Goldbergadmits the position could work in theory but goes on to argue Giuliani's "G-man sensibility" forces him to run as "the can-do Republican" not a "won't-do-guy." Another K-Lo emailer notes bills like "People's Republic of California" efforts to ban semi-automatic weapons make a federalist approach impossible on guns.

In not unrelated news, Mystery Pollster's Mark Blumenthal quotes USA Todayanalysis showing that while Giuliani currently does well in polling of GOP voters, after being informed of his social positions, "One in five Republicans said his views would "rule him out as a candidate" they could support."

HUCKABEE: The Golden Boy

IA's Krusty Konservative reports Mike Huckabee "couldn't have been a better introduction" on Steve Deace's WHO radio program after Deace played "five minutes of McCain flip flops on a number issues including gay marriage, abortion, and ended it with McCain's quote from his 2000 kampaign when he called Rat Robertson and Jerry Falwell 'agents of intolerance.'" KK comments: "Huckabee has problems of his own, including taxes, immigration, and electability, but when it comes to the core beliefs of Iowa's social konservatives he is golden."

THOUGHT FOR TOMORROW: The Blogometer Will Be Celebrating Blogroll Amnesty Day

On 1/14 Atrios told readers: "One problem with having a blog for a long time is that you're not inclined to delete people from your blogroll, which means that it eventually grows so large that you aren't very inclined to add people to it either. ... Long ago I decided that my blogroll should consist of people I'm interested in reading. But, over time those interests change and blogrolls become rather static. ... So I'm declaring February 3 Blogroll Amnesty Day - the day people are free to make adjustments to their blogrolls and ignore any complaints about those adjustments. ... Personally, I'm going to delete my blogroll entirely and then build it back up, adding links to people I actually read."

LEST WE FORGET: Resistance Is Futile

Reacting to Aqua Teen Hunger Force's take over of Boston, MA, Professor Bainbridge writes:

On a serious note, this episode reflects the triumph of capitalism. These two yahoos look exactly like the sort of neo-hippie/anarchists that trashed Seattle back in 1999 and still engage in various forms of counter-culture street theater to this day. Yet, these guys do so not to advance a cause, but to make money advertising a stupid cartoon show on behalf of a major media corporation. The message these two thus are sending to all their counter-culture buddies on behalf of capitalist corporations is: "resistance is futile." As such, in an odd way, these guys validate my life's work: They confirm that corporations rule the world and are therefore a worthy subject of study.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:33 PM

February 01, 2007

2/1: Keeping Their Powder Dry

The Blogometer has noted before the netroots apparent capacity for patience when it comes to expecting actual results from congressional Dems in affecting U.S. Iraq policy. For now, they appear to be satiated by non-binding resolutions (Biden/Levin) and calls for a gradual withdrawal of troops (like Sen. Barack Obama's (D-IL) plan), viewing them as a first step towards "future actions to stop the war." But some time in the next couple of months, Pres. Bush is going to have to come to the Dem Congress for a supplemental appropriation on the war. As one lefty blogger puts it, that's when "the rubber will actually hit the road" on Dem resolve to end the war sooner rather than later.

IRAQ: Preludes To War

Daily Kos' Mcjoan posts video of Sen. Russ Feingold's (D-WI) hearing on congressional war powers and writes: "Non-binding resolutions stating the political opposition to escalation ... are politically important, but won't end the war. The only way that this president can be forced to end this war is if the Congress refuses to fund it." Mcjoan urges readers to join MoveOn's "virtual march to end the war tomorrow" which aims to send 1 mil. messages telling Congress "that the Senate has to oppose the president's plan to escalate the war and that we're counting on them to block it." Mcjoan argues that bipartisan resolutions opposing the escalation "will give our leaders in Washington the support they need to take future actions to stop the war."

Also at Daily Kos, founder Markos Moulitsas urges Dems against accepting WH invitations to form a bipartisan advisory group on Iraq. Kos writes: "If that "bipartisan advisory group" wants to recommend ways that Bush can get our troops out by early next year, than I'm all for it. But somehow, I doubt it. Watch Republicans try to use this "bipartisan" group to try and share the Iraq blame across the aisle."

At The Huffington PostChris Weigant warns that the real fight over Iraq won't start for a couple of months when Pres. Bush is forced to come back to Congress with a supplemental appropriation request for the war. Weigant warns his "friends on the left" that out come of the battle in Congress "is going to enrage the anti-war folks." Weigant reasons: "The anti-war groups on the left are going to loudly demand a cutoff of all funds, immediately. ... But Congress is just not going to cut off all funding at this point. Democrats will be so terrified of the "you aren't supporting the troops in the field" mantra from the right, that they will vote more money for Iraq."

Weigant urges "the anti-war folks" to channel their anger over the failure to cut off funds for the surge into "[m]arches, rallies, petitions, TV appearances, anything they can muster." Weigant concludes: "Keep Congress' feet to the fire! Show the growing public support for withdrawal in every way you can."

Matthew Yglesias is similarly dismissive of debates over differences in current Dem approaches to the war. He writes: "There simply isn't an important practical difference between the different degrees of anti-warness that various politicians have staked out at this point." Yglesias also argues that "[t]he place where the rubber will actually hit the road here is when Bush comes to congress asking for a supplemental appropriation for Iraq." That, according to Yglesias, is "the time to start really worrying about what people are up to."

Down with Tyranny (who apparently didn't get the 'newly elected' memo) is tracking "freshman" support for the "gold standards" in Iraq war opposition H.J. Res. 18 (Rep. John Murtha's (D-PA) bill) and H.R. 508 (Rep. Lynn Woolsey's (D-CA) bill). DWT comments: "Neither of these bills is non-binding and neither is symbolic. These are the real deal."

Meanwhile, Talking Points Memo's Josh Marshall links to APreports of U.S. military officials' worries that "behind-the-scenes struggle[s]" between the Iran and the U.S. "could explode into open warfare" and comments: "This is the preeminent, really the only question in American politics today: Do we want to go to war with Iran or not? ... The debate over the 'surge' of US troops into Baghdad is significant in its own way, but it pales in comparison to this one."

IRAQ II: Death Wish II?

Linking to Hugh Hewitt worries of a "Collapse of the Congressional Republicans" over "benchmark" legislation for the war, Instapundit wonders if GOPers are suffering from sort of bizarre death wish" and posts reader email:

The Repubs are on very dangerous ground here I think. Any Sox fan can tell you this. It is very easy to really, really hate people you once loved when you feel they have betrayed you. (Think Roger Clemens, Sox fans) The Republican base isn't going to get over this, I don't think...not ever.

Every righty blogger under the sun is also attacking Washington Post national security reporter William Arkin for a blog post equating U.S. troops with mercenaries. Power Line's John Hinderaker suggests the post shows the dangers of newspaper's allowing reporters to blog without an editor and is one of many on the right to link Arkin's thoughts to DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas feelings on mercenaries in Iraq: "I feel nothing over the death of mercenaries. They aren't in Iraq because of orders, or because they are there trying to help the people make Iraq a better place. They are there to wage war for profit. Screw them."

GOP FIELD: But Are They 'Clean'?

IA's Caucus Cooler's analyses recent Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) and ex-Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) coverage writing: "The most interesting thing about the coverage is that both candidates portrayed themselves as mainstream, neither seems satisfied to pander to the Keyes/Bauer wing of the party alone. BOTH the Cedar Rapids Gazette's article and the Des Moines Register's article about Brownback had the word "consensus" in the headline. ... The Huckabee Registerheadline included the words "Health, Music, and art in schools." Not exactly God, gays, and guns."

CC concludes: "Both of these gentleman are selling themselves as compassionate conservatives without using that term. They are both campaigning in the "Purpose Driven Life" mold of being Christian means more than being pro-life (but don't forget we're pro-life!!!)" The Brody File adds reaction from "another prominent Evangelical leader" on Huckabee and Brownback: "Huckabee has potential. With his chief executive experience, if he can show the ability to raise money he could quickly move ahead of [Brownback]. He is very good in his presentation."

NH's Granite Grok refuses to endorse a candidate this early but does write "about each candidate in a way that clearly identifies my more favored at this point." Reading tea leaves GG prefers: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), "For me as a conservative, McCain is the one guy that is most easy to write off at first blush. ... But then there's the war. That's the thing that matters most above all else to me..." and ex-NY Mayor Rudy Giuliani: "we can't allow a second Clinton Administration. The stakes are too high. ... His visit to NH last weekend was a huge hit, and he resonates with so-called "independents."

GIULIANI: Gunning For Rudy

Mets fan and RedState contributor, Baseball Crank announced his "current support" for Rudy Giuliani 1/31 identifying four reasons for his decision: 1. We Need To Win The War; 2. We Need To Win The Election; 3. Leadership Matters; and 4. We Can Hold The Line In The Courts.

While Giuliani continues to receive high marks for his "star power" Instapundit suggests he has "a big vulnerability" on "the gun issue." The Corner's Kathryn Jean Lopez thinks rudy can get a pass on the issue but fellow CorneriteRick Brookhiser disagrees. Later a reader tries to set K-Lo straight on Rudy, the GOP, and guns: "I'm 42, a reservist just back from Afghanistan, and started reading NR in junior high school. If the Republicans nominate a candidate that views me as a subject and not a citizen with respect to firearms, I'll vote for my wife - just like I did in November when the "Republican" candidate for Senate in Ohio was Mike DeWine."

MCCAIN: Strong Palmetto Roots

No John McCain fan, RedState's Erick Erickson is still impressed with the "ground work" McCain has laid in South Carolina. Erickson posts video from a press conference from Columbia, SC, and writing that with forty state legislators along with two U.S. Senators McCain has "the makings of a solid South Carolina team. And yes, forty state legislators is a good majority of the Republican caucus down there."

ROMNEY: He's Like Magic Johnson, But Different

Mitt Romney had a good run with pro-life bloggers 1/31. The Corner's Mark Steyn seconds suggestions that a "pro-life candidate who was previously pro-choice could be a great asset and a better sell than someone who's been pro-life all along." The Christian Broadcasting Network's The Brody File explains the significance of Romney's recent endorsement from National Right to Life Committee general counsel Jim Bopp through sports analogy: "This is a big deal folks. ... It's like if you were competing against a half dozen players to become the starting point guard on your college basketball team ( read: President of the United States) and Magic Johnson came out and said "I want this guy as my starting point guard."

The Brody File also, probably for the first time ever, points readers to The American Prospect for an article titled "What Evangelical Problem?" TBF comments: "I interviewed Romney in June and he told me then that he didn't think his Mormon beliefs were going to be that big a deal with Evangelicals. He has always said that if he's right on the issues (courts, life, marriage, etc) then Evangelicals, for the most support, will hopefully support him. This article tends to come to the same conclusion."

BIDEN: Knowledgeable Dems Wanted

In non-clean Joe Biden blog reaction Atrios doubts Biden's "extremely knowledgeable on foreign policy" reputation: "I'm not sure about the reflexive "extremely knowledgeable on foreign policy" praise as it seems like everyone who is "extremely knowledgeable on foreign policy" seems to get everything wrong these days."

Matt Yglesias also hopes Dems find a new crop of foreign policy minds: "It's really too early to tell at this point, but for me one of the major questions looking at the primaries is going to be what indication we have of whether or not any of our presidential contenders is likely to find the Democratic Party a better group of "knowledgeable about foreign policy" people instead of relying on the same old strategic class types. If not, the wide open road of the future starts looking pretty narrow."

CLARK: But What Does His Arenas Source Say?

Parsing the DNC winter meeting schedule MyDD's Chris Bowers is convinced Wesley Clark since his speaking slot is surrounded by other declared candidates. Daily Kos's djm4america reports his "Platinum source" has confirmed Clark is running.

GORE: Apparently, We're Not All Monsters After All

Writing, "there aren't many things that make me proud to be an American these days," Daily Kos' Shpilk finds solace in Norwegian parliament members Borge Brende's and Heidi Sorensen's nomination of Al Gore for the Nobel Peace Prize. Shpilk writes: "Thank you Al Gore, for showing the world that perhaps we Americans are not all monsters, after all. This can only help to provide even more of a bully pulpit for Al to put forth his message about global warming."

OBAMA: Scoring Big Points With Partisans

Barack Obama further solidified his netroot street cred with his 1/31 freezing out of Fox News over its recent madrassa story blunder. Kos writes: "This is how you deal with Fox propaganda. You marginalize them. ... In fact, Obama could continue to earn huge points with Democratic partisans if he continues to show Fox News the contempt and scorn it has so deservedly earned."

Eric Alterman has similar thoughts: "Good for Obama for freezing out Fox. It's not a news organization; it's a propaganda outfit. Would that his contenders went along, we might teach them a lesson about the meaning of honest journalism." and MyDD's Jonathan Singer is on the same page: "This is exactly what you do when a propaganda outfit posing as a news organization smears you with demonstrably false accusations ... All too often in the past Democratic candidates have been willing to just sit back and take hits."

DEMS: Out Of The Shadows

A new Gallup Poll shows that Dems are gaining an edge in nat'l party self-ID. Since '04, Dems have gone from a -0.6 to +3.9. Gallup notes that the Dem gain is "mainly due to declining Republican identification, rather than increasing Democratic identification." Reaction from the usual suspects:

Chris Bowers sees movement from GOP to Indies, and Indies to Dems. "While Democrats have gained, it is not yet a realignment. We will have achieved realignment-level success when this movement within the Independent pool moves all the way toward more people identifying as Democrats.

Kos looks at the data state-by-state, and learns that 33 states now "show clear Democratic advantages," while "just six show a Republican advantage." CO still ranks as one of the more-GOP states, so "I'm even more impressed at the Democratic performance the past two cycles. ... I can't wait to celebrate the Democratic convention in Denver next year."

Separately, Kos does some number crunching in close races from '06, and says "one of the under-reported factors" in Dem victories was the "spoiler effect that the Libertarian Party played." In MO SEN and MT SEN, the Libertarian vote was larger than the Dem margin of victory. "That's control of the Senate right there. ... The theocon and neocon takeover of the Republican Party has left many of its more Libertarian members adrift with few alternatives."

On a similar note, Andrew Sullivan plugs Cato's study of the Libertarian vote. "In general, the libertarian move away from Christianist big government Republicanism has been intense these past six years of Bush. Cato argues that the libertarian vote is about as large as the Christianist vote, and subject to swings three times as powerful."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: An Inconceivable Source?

Freakonomics Blog contributor Stephen Dubner thinks he knows why the "media is brimming with global warming stories every day." Kids:

One theory came to mind the other day when I was looking over a list of the most profitable worldwide movie releases of 2006. No. 1 on the list was Ice Age 2: The Meltdown, an animated - and apocalyptic - kids' movie, which took in just over $1 billion at the box office. And as you can see here, the animated kids' movie Happy Feet has also been huge, with over $350 million worldwide, and counting. While Happy Feet isn't quite about global warming, it is about mankind's disastrous overreach into nature. (In order to appreciate the reach of these kids' movies, consider that Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, a global warming jeremiad, has done $42 million worldwide, a huge figure for a documentary but a drop in the bucket compared to the animated blockbusters.)

Dubner concludes: "I am not saying that global warming hasn't become front-page news for a host of other reasons; but I do wonder if its recent prominence may have come about through a channel that no one was expecting."

LEST WE FORGET: Crouching Blogometer, Hidden Hotline

Noting that imperfect translations often cause "random combinations of words like 'Shaolin', 'Fist', 'Eagle', and 'Bruce'" in Hong Kong and Taiwan martial arts titles, Karate Party still manages to put together a list of the "100 worst martial arts movie names in existence" including:

• Against Rascals with Kung Fu ... Do the rascals have Kung Fu, or does our hero fight them with his/her Kung Fu?
• Ninja Black List ... Does it mean they kill you or stop hiring you?
• Mean Streets of Kung Fu ... As far as I know, Kung Fu isn't a place
• The Hung Boxing Kid ... Effect of title probably unintentional.
• When Taekwondo Strikes ... Taekwondo doesn't strike people...people strike people. Stop blaming Taekwondo!

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:27 PM

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