March 30, 2007

3/30: Round Two

While NV Dem Chair Tom Collins and Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) said netroots pressure had nothing to do with their decision to nix a Fox News-sponsored WH '08 debate, anyone following the story would have suspected otherwise. Now, despite earlywarnings , the Cong. Black Caucus has gone ahead and partnered with Fox, and the netroots campaign to quash that is already underway. If the netroots manage to notch another victory onto their belts, who could be next? It's not like they don't have anysuspects .

GOP FIELD: Back To Basics

The Corner's Larry Kudlow hopes "the big three Republican presidential candidates - Messrs. Giuliani, McCain, and Romney follow suit with Pres. Bush's 3/29 call for: 1) No to the pork barrel laden Iraq funding bill; 2) No to Congress' attempt to micromanage the war and help the enemy with specific withdrawal timetables; and 3) No to the implied tax increase coming out of the Democratic Congress' budget making process. Kudlow adds: " It's good to see him restoring conservative principles on the war, on taxes, and on overspending."

GIULIANI: Not Running For Mayor Of NYC

Doubts about Rudy Giuliani's fealty to low taxes drove in depth exchanges between AmSpec Blog and The Corner bloggers. Contributions include:

• The Corner's Ramesh Ponnuru: "Giuliani even got involved in a Democratic primary race to oppose an assemblywoman who had voted to end the commuter tax. Nor was this the only time Democrats got to the mayor's right on taxes."
• The Corner's John Podhoretz: "The issue was a little more complicated than that ... In short, the Giuliani opposition to the commuter-tax repeal tells you nothing about his view of taxation generally. As mayor, he did what he could to cut some of the most onerous taxes in the nation that had been imposed specifically by the City Council and previous mayors."
• The Corner's Jonah Goldberg on federalism and taxes: "Still, I think if Giuliani is going to win over social conservatives he's going to have to master this sort of argument more than others. He needs to explain why what's good for New York isn't necessarily good for Montana or Georgia and how he understands and respects that."
• Ramesh responds: "Sure, support for higher local taxes doesn't necessarily mean support for higher federal taxes. But Giuliani was resisting a federal tax reform because he wanted the federal tax code to continue to subsidize high-tax states."
• AmSpec Blog's Philip Klein: "Furthermore, Giuliani did cut taxes as mayor, which was no easy task in New York City, so the fact that he would now be open to the idea of a flat tax, or at least flatter tax, while a reversal, is not as totally out of left field as if he had a record of supporting and imposing higher taxes.

Also at AmSpec Blog, Klein notes that a new YouTube showing Giuliani endorsing Mario Cuomo clips the middle portion of a press conference out to skip Rudy's worry "about rising property taxes in and around New York City."

Some Cornerites and AmSpecers worry all this cat fighting makes them look bad.

GIULIANI II: Thanks But One Giuliani In The WH Is Enough

In case you were wondering, tentative and committed Rudy-blogger-supporters are not thrilled about reports that Mrs. Giuliani "would sit in on Cabinet meetings" if Rudy were elected. Ankle Biting PunditsBull Dog Pundit blogs: "No offense to Mrs. Giuliani, but nobody is electing her. I can certainly understand a man wanting his wife's opinion on certain things, but to have her sit on policy meetings for which she is completely unqualified is out of bounds."

MCCAIN: Loyalty Was Never His Strong Suit

Townhall's Dean Barnett argues The Hill's claims that John McCain felt out Dems about a party switch in '01 have "essentially buried John McCain's campaign for the Republican nomination." More Barnett: "this incident illustrates a perfect storm of McCain's shortcomings in a way that none of his other bi-partisan adventures do. The vanity, the immature pique of anger, the utter indifference and disloyalty to the people who voted for him and the party that supported him - they're all on naked display."

Power Line's John Hinderaker counters that any damage on the GOP loyalty front has already been done: "Will these reports hurt McCain with the Republican party's base? Probably not much. The base already doesn't consider him a very loyal Republican; that's the price you pay if you want the media to praise you as a "maverick." But the marginal impact of this story is no doubt small."

ROMNEY: Button Pusher

The Corner's Ramesh Ponnuru reports "that the dozen or so attendees to whom I spoke after Mitt Romney's speech" to the Club for Growth's "winter" conference "were impressed." More Ponnuru: "Romney hit every one of the club's buttons. He came out against most trade barriers, for reductions in marginal tax rates, against the "death tax," for cuts in corporate tax rates to make our rates comparable to those of other countries, for federal tort reform, and for scaling back Sarbanes-Oxley. He repeated his call for federal spending to shrink by one percent in real terms every year."

In less positive Romney blogging, there arerumblings that pro-Romney forces on the web are not playing well with others.

THOMPSON: As Good A Christian As Reagan

RedState's Erick Erickson rises to defend James Dobson against the "bashing" he took for suggesting Fred Thompson was not a Christian. Erickson blogs: "[Y]ou people who are so outraged by James Dobson need to suck it up and get over it. ... the reason some of you are so frustrated with Dobson today, is because Dobson is a Christian first, a conservative second, and a partisan third."

More Erickson: "[T]he key difference between a nominal Christian and a Christ following Christian ... is that the former shows his colors by the inactive pursuit of his faith and the latter shows his colors by the active pursuit of his faith. Fred Thompson, I think Dobson is suggesting, falls into the former category. ... if that is the case it'd probably put Fred on par with Ronald Reagan."

And K-Lo is still making sure Cornerites are getting their daily dose of Thompson "commentary."

DEM FIELD: Casey At The Bat

TPM Cafe's Greg Sargent and Eric Kleefeld completed "a comprehensive comparison" of all of Sens. Barack Obama (D-IL) and Hillary Clinton (D-NY) Iraq related votes, and it turns out "the two differed on only one." Sargent and Kleefeld stress: "We are not posting this to suggest that their earlier difference at the start of the war -- their most important difference -- should in any way be overshadowed by these similarities."

The only vote Obama and Clinton differed on: " The confirmation of General George Casey to be Chief of Staff for the Army, held just this past February. Hillary voted against confirmation, while Obama voted to confirm."

CLINTON: Carville And Clinton Sittin' In A Tree...

Linking to CNNtranscripts of James Carville talking about "a couple of less- than-impressive performances at a health care forum out in Las Vegas" by Barack ObamaMyDD 's Matt Stoller wants to know why Carville is still "identified as a CNN Political Analyst" given his close ties to Team Clinton. Stoller blogs: "This is crazy. It's just crazy. When CNN commentator Bay Buchanan took over the Tancredo campaign, she resigned from the network. ... Carville isn't getting money from Clinton, but there are other ways of compensation in politics and everyone knows that."

IRAQ: Blue Dogs And Netroots Living Together ... Mass Hysteria!

A proposal by Reps. Dennis Cardoza (D-CA) and Mike Ross (D-AR) to parcel out supplemental Iraq funding in three month chunks so that Pres. Bush has "to keep coming back for more" is receiving a warm netroots welcome despite the members status as Blue Dogs. A strong critic of almost everything Blue Dog, MyDD's Chris Bowers finds himself "slowly being won over to this strategy" and details its "advantages" including:

• This could keep the caucus unified during a long fight, while slowly picking off an increasingly divided Republican caucus, as we gradually build toward a veto-proof majority.
• It allows the timelines to stay in the bill, which in my opinion is non-negotiable.
• It allows the entire bill, which was an excruciating task to pass through both branches of Congress, intact.
• As both popular and congressional opinion continues to swing to our side, it leaves our options open down the road to eventually just say "you get these deadlines, or none"

The man Matt Stoller has "outsourced [his] policy-oriented opinions on Iraq to," Matthew Yglesias, is also on board: "So I'd say congress should pass a "clean" supplemental that Bush'll feel compelled to sign, but one designed to last a lot less than a full year. Three months, as proposed by Reps. Cardoza and Ross, seems like a good choice to me. That way in three months time, with public opinion even more against Bush and against the war, he needs to come back and ask for more money. ... The point is to try to generate as many votes on this as possible. Either at some point we'll start seeing significant GOP defections (which is the best hope for ending the war while Bush is still president) or else at a minimum GOP incumbents will need to keep casting votes for perpetual war and set themselves up for defeat in 2008."

Even heavy critics of the Dems current supplemental sees possibility in the Blue Dog plan. Talk Left's Big Tent Democrat writes: "The source of the idea intrigues more than the idea itself. I prefer a different approach, but it is a good sign when conservative Dems are preparing fighting tactics, as opposed to rollover tactics." BTD later outlines his concerns: "But the intention of not funding past a date certain must accompany such a proposal. And that intention must be followed up on in determined fashion when the regular appropriations process for the Iraq Debacle begins again in June."

IRAQ II: Baghdad Or Bust

Asking readers, "What if you had the choice to send someone to tell you that story firsthand? Would you send someone like, say, Dan Rather?" RedState's Directors are raising money to send two of their own to Iraq. RedState already has Pentagon approval and is looking to raise $7.5K for the trip. At deadline they had just over $7K.

BLOGGERS VS. MSM: 'Dancing With The Devil'

The netroots are gearing up for round two against Fox News after the CBC announced it would partnering with the news organization to host a Dem WH '08 debate. DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas says, "Here we go again," and adds: "The CBC's decision is breath-taking in its stupidity, and the organization will now face the well-deserved scorn of its own constituents as well as outside observers. Candidates will be forced to choose between grassroots activists (of all colors) and an out-of-touch, entrenched inside-the-Beltway organization." Kos urges readers to sign Color of Change's petition against the event.

Under the header "Dancing with the Devil," Color of Change's petition argues: "Fox News has consistently attacked Black people, Black leaders, and Black cultural institutions. Despite this, the Congressional Black Caucus Institute has announced that it will partner with Fox to co-host presidential debates. The Congressional Black Caucus is letting us down at a time when Black Americans need strong and strategic leaders more than ever."

Jack and Jill Politic's Jill Tubman notes: "In 2002, the CBC Foundation was given an undisclosed amount from Fox News and parent company News Corp. Between 2003-2005, they gave the CBC somewhere between $47,500 to $98,998 with numbers for 2006 still unavailable. Don't believe me. Get the facts here and take a look at CBCF's donor list. Are our leaders purchased so cheaply?"

BLOGGERS VS. MSM II: First They Came For Fox ...

While not acknowledging The Politico's 3/29 front page story on the GOP's upcoming '08 "Meltdown," the netroots are elevating their campaign to paint the fledging paper as a cog in the right wing noise machine. A Media Matters report showing The Drudge Report has linked to Politico items "on at least 45 separate occasions" since Politico launched 1/23/07 is just the latest salvo in an ongoing campaign.

Kos quips "Drudge and the Politico, sitting in a tree..." while Atrios labels the paper "Drudgico" and asks, "Why don't they just merge operations."

Also at Media Matters, Eric Boehlert attacks Politico for "hit pieces" on WH '08ers Bill Richardson and Barack Obama. Boehlert explains: "The reporting simply reinforced the notion that Politico plays loose with the facts when dealing with Democratic candidates. I can't find similar examples of The Politico manufacturing phony controversies about Republican candidates. And honestly, I don't want it to. I just want Politico to practice sound journalism."

PROSECUTOR PURGE: The Best Scandals Always Come Back To Hookers

Blogging on ex-AG CoS Kyle Sampson's 3/29 testimony focussed mostly on trying to build a case the WH obstructed justice when it fired San Diego USA Carol Lam. "Big things" coming out of the hearing include:

• TPM's Paul Kiel on two items from Sen. Diane Feinstein's (D-CA) questioning: "The first was a glowing letter about Lam that Feinstein presented from the Director of Field Operations for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency. ... The second was the revelation that after the FBI bureau chief in San Diego complained to the press about Lam's firing, Samspon called FBI headquarters to complain.
• TPM's Josh Marshall: "Attention all chumps who think that Carol Lam was canned for not following administration immigration enforcement policy. Sampson has just confirmed that for all their deep concern about her border enforcement policy, no one from the DOJ ever raised the issue with Lam. Ever."
• More Marshall: "Sen. Kennedy (D-MA) makes a very good point. The prosecutor firings and replacements just happen to be in all the key 2008 swing states, and not in any states that are safe for either party -- with the exception of California, where the Lam -Cunningham investigation is. Why do you think that would be?"
• Firedoglake's Christy Hardin Smith: "Karl Rove may have been involved in the decision to briefly float Patrick Fitzgerald as a great candidate to fire. Sampson's not much help there, though."
• More Smith: "Chuck Schumer seems to have certain suspicions about what Monica Goodling did. In particular, it seems that he may have well-grounded suspicions that she was administering loyalty oaths to Assistant USAs, a career position.
• The Washington Monthly's Kevin Drum: "[H]ere's the single most remarkable thing about Sampson's testimony ... And after all this time to prepare and finally get it right, what did Sampson say? Nothing. Almost literally, nothing. He still didn't have any plausible, documented reasons for firing the USA-8.

In non-hearing but related news, Marshall alerts readers that Lam defender and San Diego FBI chief Dan Dzwilewski has "just announced he's resigning from the Bureau."

The Huffington Post's Joseph Palermo makes the case that Sampson's testimony makes it "clear that top officials of the Justice Department obstructed justice." Palmero argues: "First, Ms. Lam, a Republican, secured a conviction against former California Representative, Randy "Duke" Cunningham ... Then Ms. Lam caught the trail of two well-connected associates of Cunningham's, Brent Wilkes and his old high-school buddy, Kyle "Dusty" Foggo. ... As soon as U.S. Attorney Lam began to secure search warrants against Wilkes and Foggo, Gonzales had her fired. ... Attorney General Gonzales said he had no role in discussing the firings of the eight U.S. attorneys, but today his former chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, told the Senate that Gonzales had signed off on them. ... It has been alleged that Wilkes' company provided high-priced prostitutes to satisfy the carnal pleasures of Cunningham and his well-connected defense and CIA-contractor pals on the taxpayer's dime. The boys at Justice might have fired Lam, not only to protect their colleagues' kickbacks, but to block the exposure of a full-throttle sex scandal."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Top Ten Things This Administration Is Too Incompetent To Pull Off

Townhall's Dean Barnett sketches out one clever way Pres. Bush could deal with Dems on Iraq:

But what about this: What if the president surprises everyone and signs the bill into law but says the usurpation of the president's Commander in Chief duties are unconstitutional and he has no intention of following the orders of 535 congressional General wannabes. ... If Bush takes such a course, then the Congress can do one or two things: It can bring the law to the Supreme Court for a ruling on its constitutionality, a case that it will surely lose. Or it can just skip that step and go right to impeachment.

LEST WE FORGET: And You Thought Reagan Ended The Cold War

The Plank's Isaac Choitner is tracking coverage of Indian's cricket team current losing streak including this Bombay op-ed:

A lot has been said about what has gone wrong with the Indian cricket and what needs to be done to fix it. But the key to solving the problem lies perhaps in the 1982 flick Rocky III. The players, selectors, and all cricket administrators should sit together and watch this film. [If the team cannot win] they should make way for players who are hungry--they are practicing hard somewhere on the maidans of India with the track Eye of the Tiger in the background.

Choitner adds: "Yes, yes, Rocky II was better. Still, all the cynics out there might choose to remember that Rocky IV concluded with The Italian Stalion peacefully ending the cold war."

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:42 PM

March 29, 2007

3/29: Last Man Standing?

In a definite change of pace from typical conservative blogging on John McCain, the AZ senator came off as funny, engaged, and insightful to those on a 3/28 blogger conf. call. McCain followed up the charm offensive with an online petition called Surrender Is Not an Option, reminding bloggers: "Success or failure in Iraq is the transcendent issue for our foreign policy and our national security." This is exactly the way the vast majority of conservative bloggers feel about the issue that is most important to them (one was moved to compare McCain to Lincoln). If GOP bloggers continue their whack-a-mole approach to frontrunners, might they all just fall in line for McCain in the end?

PROSECUTOR PURGE: They Say 'Political' Like Its A Bad Thing

Talking Points Memo's Josh Marshall readies readers for ex-AG CoS Kyle Sampson testimony before 3/29's US Attorney firings hearing by clearing "one big chunk of administration bamboozlement out of the way." Marshall links to Sampson's prepared remarks and quotes: "The distinction between 'political' and 'performance-related' reasons for removing a United States attorney is, in my view, largely artificial."

Marshall is having none of it: "This use of the word 'political' is at the heart of Sampson's and others effort to lie their way out of what happened here. ... 'Political' can mean many things in different contexts. ... The charge against Sampson and crew is not that they fired them for 'political' reasons. The charge is that they fired these prosecutors for not using their law enforcement powers to help the Republican party." Marshall concludes: "So, have your eyes out for Sampson's word play and games. This investigation is about whether Sampson and his crew corrupted the justice system by purging US Attorneys who wouldn't use their prosecutorial powers to help the Republican party."

Marshall also flags analysis from Paul Kiel showing that "Sampson attempted to mislead Congress by proxy -- that is to say, he gave false information to DOJ officials who were preparing to provide information to Congress." Kiel links to a DoJ letter claiming Karl Rove had no role in appointing Rove aide Tim Griffin to his USA spot, and then follows up with a link to an email Sampson wrote WH ass. counsel Christopher Oprison claiming Griffin's appointment was "important to Harriet, Karl, etc."

Daily Kos' Hunter updates: "Oprison also was the White House lawyer who vetted the opening statements Deputy Attorney General William Moschella made in front of the House Judiciary Committee earlier this month -- statements later determined to have been grossly misleading."

PROSECUTOR PURGE II: More Politics

Talking Points Memo's Josh Marshall has background on the chairman of New Mexicans for Honest Courts, Linda Chavez Krumland, the group that is currently running an anti-David Iglesiasradio ad in NM, including: "Krumland was an at-large delegate to the 2004 Republican National Convention. ... FEC records show, not surprisingly, that Krumland is a major contributor to Republican candidates in New Mexico. And she lists her business as Roswell Toyota. ... A year ago, Krumland's husband Tom -- also a 2004 RNC delegate -- in a heap of trouble after he and state Rep. Dan Foley tricked the New Mexico state National Guard into arranging an F-16 flyover to mark the opening of his new dealership."

Marshall concludes: "As I said, the depth of the moral corruption of the GOP at the moment is profound. And it shows itself in both the contemporary (bribery and self-dealing) and Early Modern (bodily and moral decay) senses of the word."

PROSECUTOR PURGE III: Heckuva Job, Gonzo!

National Review's call for AG Alberto Gonzales' resignation was met with mild to enthusiastic approval. Reactions include:

• NRO's Ed Whelan: "Much as I have struggled to resist the conclusion, I find myself in reluctant agreement with NRO's house editorial today ("Time to Go") stating that Attorney General Gonzales should resign. ... it is Gonzales's astonishing fecklessness in refuting such assertions that convinces me that he has to go.
• The Corner's Kathryn Jean Lopez: "Laura Ingraham ... on her show this morning threw out "Good job, Brownie." She ain't Bill Maher, ya know? In the spirit of the editorial this morning: It's going to be a long two years if we don't get some fresh air, and fast."
• The Corner's Andy McCarthy: "One of the most striking things about Byron's important article this morning is the apparent lack of direct communication between Main Justice in DC and the office of (the now-fired) U.S. attorney Carol Lam in San Diego. As Ed Whelan and I found yesterday in a Federalist Society panel on the current controversy, it is a lot easier to argue for upholding the administration's legal rights than to defend DOJ's management."
• A Corner reader: "You are not surrendering in the face of difficulties. You are recognizing truth, even though it may benefit your opponents. It speaks to a core difference between the Democrats' and Republicans' core constituencies.
• Power Line's Paul Mirengoff: "Gonzales' management style is not what I want to see from the Attorney General. But Gonzales reports to President Bush, not conservative writers.

Right Wing NewsJohn Hawkins, however, wants to go on the offenseive, sensing scandal in Sen. Diane Feinstein's (D-CA) resignation from the Mil. Const. Apps. Subcmt. Hawkins writes: "Republicans should be doing exactly what the Democrats would be doing right now if the situation were reversed: Screaming about how corrupt the Democrats are and urging Diane Feinstein to resign from the Senate over her lapse in ethics."

GSA: Brown-Bagging It

Video of GSA Administrator Lurita Alexis Doan "humiliating herself" while testifying about a PowerPoint presentation given by White House Deputy Political Director Scott Jennings at a GSA "team building" bag lunch is all over lefty blogs. Carpetbagger Report's Steve Benen writes: "As one might imagine, Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee had a few concerns about this, and called Doan to testify under oath in an open hearing today. It really didn't go well for the administration - Doan probably would have been better off resigning instead of humiliating herself the way she did today."

Firedoglake's Christy Hardin Smith live -blogged the event.

GIULIANI: End Run Around SoCons?

Rudy Giuliani received wide blogger praise for landing Steve Forbes' endorsement:

• Hit and Run's David Weigel: "Today we find out that Steve Forbes is signing on to Giuliani's campaign. So is Rudy carving out a niche as the fiscal conservative candidate who'll govern like Reagan without the speeches to the March for Life?"
• Townhall's Matt Lewis: "In 2000, Forbes was also endorsed by movement conservative giants like Phyllis Schlafly, Morton Blackwell, and Paul Weyrich. These are the same conservative leaders who ... have tended to have a rocky relationship with John McCain ... By securing Forbes' endorsement, could Rudy be simultaneously making a move in New Hampshire -- and making a play for the support of conservative leaders?"
• Captain Quarters: "Rudy Hits A Homer ... Giuliani has tried to sell himself to conservatives as a member of the national-security, low-taxes Right while acknowledging the differences on social issues. ... In order to make that sale, though, he needed more credibility on economics and fiscal policy. Steve Forbes delivers that credibility."

The Corner's Ramesh Ponnuru identifies past Giuliani statements against Forbes' flat-tax idea and blogs: "The tone of his remarks suggests that he has come around on these issues, which is great. But there are plenty of reporters who scourge flip-floppers, and I can't wait to see what they have to say about this."

Also worrying past statements may catch up to Giuliani, The Brody File posts past Rudy quotes on partial birth abortion and parental notification and then advises: "Rudy needs to be careful. Part of his charm is that his supporters like the way he is straight shooter. He doesn't want to be seen as someone who is playing both sides." TBF also warns of "plotting going among grassroots religious conservatives in New Hampshire, Iowa, South Carolina and many other states" threatening to "work 40 hours a week ... to destroy his candidacy for President" if he receives the nomination.

MCCAIN: Jerks Wanted

A John McCain netted some rare conservative blogger praise from a 3/28 conference call. The Corner's Kathryn Jean Lopez shares these nuggets:

• On Potential for Compromise on Iraq in Washington - "I don't know where the compromise is between withdrawal and non-withdrawal?" and "The battle is going to be won or lost on public opinion."
• On Democrats - "Are being driven by moveon.org"
• On Why Conservatives Don't Seem to be Rallied by Him - "Because life isn't fair" and "I am happy with where we are ... I'm unhappy with my performance in fundraising ... my fault ... I kinda view this as a spring-training"
• On Fred Thompson's Polling - "Of course his approval ratings are so high. Why wouldn't they be? He's already been president at least three or four times that I know of."

More McCain from David All's live-blogging: "We'll do these calls regularly and I invite you jerks to come on the bus with us and we'll have some fun." Also on the call, RedState's Erick Erickson shares a "great idea" of McCain's: "He suggested that when the President vetoes the legislation, the President should hold a press conference and read all the bribes in the bill -- every earmark the Democrats attached to the supplemental funding."

In other positive McCain blogging, K-Lo notes that Bill Bennett and Laura Ingraham both attacked CNN's Michael Ware on their radio shows for Ware's suggestion the McCain had no "credibility" on the situation in Iraq. Power Line's John Hinderaker was moved to ask if McCain is "the Lincoln of our time?"

MCCAIN II: No Dice

Conservative bloggers are not buying The Hill reports that McCain sought to switch parties in early '01. Captain's Quarters blogs: "If true, this would effectively end McCain's presidential bid. ... The principals tell completely conflicting stories, and the nature of the issue almost ensures that no independent proof one way or the other could exist. I'm betting this is nonsense."

ROMNEY: Google Powered Oppo

Evangelicals 4 Mitt's David French responded to AmSpec Blog accusations that E4M has "been using opposition research provided by the Romney campaign" and accepts "funds from donors steered to the site by the Romney camp." French writes: "Good grief. It really would be difficult for this story to be more wrong. Apparently, the "Prowler" took his or her own speculations about E4M and just spewed them out on the screen--all without taking the time to take care of such minor details as, say, talking to us."

More French: "Since the Governor announced his candidacy, we have completely shut down any monetary expenditures ... other than maintaining this blog site, and I don't think that's cost us anything this year. My favorite allegation in the "Prowler" piece is that we have been using "opposition research" provided by the Romney campaign. Honestly, I was unaware that the Romney campaign owned Google."

THOMPSON: Onward, Christian Soldiers

James Dobson's decision to tell US News that he doesn't think Fred Thompson is "a Christian" allowed conservative bloggers to distance themselves from the Focus on the Family founder. Reactions include:

• Instapundit: "Another reason to like Fred Thompson: James Dobson doesn't like him."
• Outside the Beltway's James Joyner: "The great irony is that Dobson goes on to heap lavish praise on that paragon of moral virtue Newt Gingrich. The whole thing is quite odd. Dobson strikes me as something of a kook, but then again so do all the post-Billy Graham teevee preachers.
• Ankle Biting Pundit's Bull Dog Pundit: "Look, Dobson is flat out wrong. Thompson is indeed a Christian by the religious definition. ... Can someone please tell me what "committed Christian" means?
• AmSpec Blog's Dave Holman: "Dobson's arrogance in this situation is shocking. ... I mean his presumption to judge Thompson's Christianity in the absence of evidence to the contrary.
• Virginia Virtucon: "Who Died and Made James Dobson the Arbiter of "Good Christians"? This sort of nonsense that Dobson is spewing is what too often turns the average voter off from the GOP, just as MoveOn.org and DailyKos turns them off from the Dems.
• Race 4 '08's DaveG: "If Dr. Dobson is going to continue to try and influence Republican and conservative politics, he needs to do so in a responsible, inclusive, and far more politically savvy manner ... either conservatism and the Republican Party will be destroyed, or James Dobson will be directed towards the nearest exit.

DEM FIELD: Leave No Trainer Behind

The Nation's Ari Melber promotes MoveOn's announced "three 'virtual town hall meetings' for 2008 presidential candidates to discuss Iraq, health care and energy policy." Melber reports: "The meetings will be organized from the bottom up: MoveOn members choose the candidates and questions, and then vote for their favorite. The first topic is Iraq, and MoveOn says it will encourage its members to support and donate money for the candidate 'they believe will do the best job of leading us out of the war in Iraq.'"

MyDD's Matt Stoller comments: "This is a big deal, because it's the first time that various political candidates are going to hear from activists on Iraq, and be held accountable for their positions. It's important at this point for people knowledgeable in the issue to explore the various candidate plans and track records, and begin to equip activists with useful questions."

Also focussing on Iraq, MyDD's Chris Bowers links to reports "a viable GOP candidate could criticize the management of the war, but not the need for the war" and goes on to make a similar litmus test for the Dem nominee: "In order to win the 2008 election, every Democratic contender does not need to do much more than pledge to withdraw all troops--including "trainers"--from Iraq within six months of taking office. Who is willing to do that? Who has done that? The only candidates who can truly consider themselves "electable" are candidates who can answer "I have" to both of those questions."

DODD: The All Powerful Tim

Chris Dodd received a round of netroots thanks for his involvement in scuttling Swift-Boat funder Sam Fox' nomination to become Ambassador to Belgium. Atrios calls Dodd "All Powerful" and MyDD's Jerome Armstrong plays the story this way: "The White House quickly buckles to the pressure brought on by Tim Tagaris (on behalf of Chris Dodd) --and many others fighting against the nomination over the past couple of weeks." Bob Geiger and Crooks and Liars also thank Dodd.

EDWARDS: More Than Sympathetic

Linking to a past John Edwards interview about faith with David Kuo, TAPPED 's Paul Waldman marvels at John Edwards character: "In the interview, Edwards says that after their son Wade was killed in a car accident in 1996, 'my faith came roaring back and has stayed with me since that time.' ... So while Edwards is right that no one should vote for him simply out of sympathy for his family's struggle, there's nothing wrong with watching how he deals with that struggle and making some reasonable conclusions about what it says about the kind of person he is. It may be an imperfect means to assess how he would deal with the unique challenges a president faces, but at least it's something."

OBAMA: People-Power Metrics

MyDD's Jerome Armstrong is impressed that Barack Obama's campaign is showcasing "the number of people that have contributed to the campaign" not just the financial totals. Armstrong argues: "What Obama is doing with this metric that's smart is setting it up as a parallel process number to the total amount raised in the quarter. They know that Clinton is likely to raise a lot more money than Obama will, perhaps $40 Million? So even if Obama gets half that, he has the number of contributors to point toward as a people-powered marker in the process."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Yeah!!!! McCain-Feingold!

Blog PI's Not Paul Begala looks at Americans United for Change efforts to unseat "one of the smartest elected GOP political minds and he can easily raise money, Min. leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and claims defeating McConnell is not the point of their ads: "Campaigning has grown into something completely different than winning and losing single elections: It's now almost sport." NPB continues:

Back in 2002 a group of rich Democrats and consultants got together and said to themselves, "we want influence." They created this 527, originally, to protect Social Security from the Republicans' "privatization." Now, they still have this 527 and still continue to have influence with their money and with their consultants. And that's the beauty of this for people like me. No candidate, no pressure to win the race, no worry about the candidate's wife or best friend telling me how to do my job, no grueling travel days and no limiting contact with pesky reporters. Just a bunch of paid professionals sitting around a table making a couple of rich dudes happy.

LEST WE FORGET: Not For The Feint Of Heart

Crooks and Liars SilentPatriot posts video of Karl Rove rapping at the annual Radio/Television Correspondents' Association Dinner 3/28 and comments: "Not as good as Colbert's roast of President Bush last year, but it's pretty damn funny to see Karl try to get down with his bad self."

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:35 PM

March 28, 2007

3/28: Ahead Of The Game

Unlike their conservative counterparts, the netroots are largely satisfied with their WH '08 field (Sen. Hillary Clinton being the glaring exception). So while conservative bloggers are busy running with MSM leads attacking whatever candidate they have a problem with, the netroots are largely united in pushing back against MSM storylines that attack Dems. After AP, Politico, and Richard Cohen all hit Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) (AP and Politico for being "lightweight," Cohen for having "a tendency to manipulate facts") the netroots hit back hard, detailing past descrepencies with the AP reporter Nedra Pickler's coverage, connections between Politico and Matt Drudge, and Cohen for being "elitist." Considering any WH campaign would love to have this kind of free rapid response, how much better will the evntual Dem nominee emerge if conservative blogs don't start playing the same game?

GIULIANI: Unapologetically Teve Torbes

RCP Blog's John McIntyre says Larry Kudlow's recent interview with Rudy Giuliani focussed "primarily on economic and war issues" and comments: "I have been saying for some time now that there is a real opportunity on the Republican side for a candidate to fill the Steve Forbes-kind of role in the GOP field with an unapologetic embrace of low-tax, pro-growth, supply-side policies. ... With Kudlow's prodding, Giuliani seemed to willingly embrace the supply-side mantle."

MCCAIN: Politics Is As Politics Does

Two major stories drove John McCain discussion 3/27, neither of them positive for the Senator. RedState's Erick Erickson provides some back story on the hacking of McCain's MySpace page. A McCain MySpace graphic was changed to read: "Today I announce that I have reversed my position and come out in full support of gay marriage ... particularly marriage between passionate females." Erickson explains: "The template [McCain] used was created by Mike Davidson, a talented guy who knows his internet. He's a co-founder of Newsvine.com. Well, not only did McCain take the template, but he also used Mike's graphics without permission. Mike, who inspired the title of this post, decided to retaliate."

The other event driving McCain-blogging was the five year anniversary of McCain-Feingold's passage into law. Townhall's Mary Katharine Ham snarks: "Ahhh, can't you just feel how much cleaner politics is now than it was in 2002? Is it the lemony-fresh scent of Randy "Duke" Cunningham's fall from grace? Or, the sparkle of fresh negative advertising popping up earlier than ever? ... Um, no. Politics is still politics five years later. And, the bill that was supposed to get the money, corruption, and negativity out of politics has succeeded in dealing a blow only to our access to free political speech and John McCain's popularity among conservatives, both of which have dropped dramatically."

McCain did himself no favors by discussing the subject on Laura Ingram's radio show. The Brody File writes: "I know he believes strongly in it but if he can't strongly mobilize the base and instead has parts of the movement actively working against him, then that is spelled T-R-O-U-B-L-E." Race 4 '08's Gary Miller is harsher: "John Sidney McCain would set the conservative movement back a generation. ... when you listen to this audio from today's Laura Ingraham show, you realize that this is a man who would simultaneously swear to "preserve, protect and defend" the Constitution and yet would gut the first item in the Bill of Rights."

Also on CFR Townhall's Matt Lewis defends My Man Mitt from charges he lied about McCain's beliefs on the subject: "Yes, technically McCain was misquoted -- but not misrepresented. It is clear that McCain agrees with the courts -- that's why he is quoting them. In my view, this is a matter of semantics (and not worth flaming somebody over)."

Eye on '08's Soren Dayton basically concedes the point but offers no apologies: "I do not think that this is "just" semantics. ... In other words, McCain is himself quoting the legal concept underlying what he believes to be the constitutionality of some or all of BCRA in support of his law. That's how I understand that. Now, does McCain also believe that? Probably. But I think it is far to pithy an question." Lewis also posts a bevy of CFR related videos from the Straight Talk Express.

THOMPSON: Like Obama, But With More Experience

The conservative blogger honeymoon with Fred Thompson isn't over yet, but it is experiencing some early turbulence. Although The Corner's Ramesh Ponnuru would "probably support Thompson if he got in the race" he still advises "Thompson would hurt himself if he tried to maintain that he was always pro-life."

Also looking into Thompson's pro-life past, AmSpec Blog's Philip Klein finds '95 testimony on partial birth abortion and summarizes: "Thompson expresses concern that if a partial birth abortion ban is passed and held up in the courts under the commerce clause, then it may lead to further expansion of government in other areas. To be clear, he ultimately voted to ban partial birth abortion, but what his statement reveals is a concern about limiting the power of the federal government."

Race 4 '08's DaveGreviews Klein's work and later recaps: "I've concluded that Sen. Thompson a) is, and has always been, opposed to the notion of a constitutional right to an abortion; b) is, and has always been, in favor of banning partial-birth abortion; c) is, and has always been, in favor of restrictions on most later-term abortions (post-first trimester); and d) is now across-the-board pro-life, but in the 1990s, was in favor of earlier-term abortions (first-trimester) remaining legal."

In other Thompson blogging, Outside the Beltway's James Joyner reminds readers the Thompson voted for McCain-Feingold and adds: "It's not therefore clear in what sense Thompson is more "conservative" than McCain. Mostly, I think, it's that Thompson hasn't gone around grandstanding on issues that would win him media acclaim at the expense of his party." NY Sun's Ryan Sager stands by his claim voters "know precisely zero about Fred Thompson past what they know of him from Law & Order" and adds: "Mr. Thompson's political experience is limited to a short, uneventful stint in the Senate - reminiscent, perhaps, of one Barack Obama."

Also, K-Lo is still linking to a transcript and audio of Thompson's Paul Harvey Show segments. His latest hits Charles Sheen and Rosie O'Donnell for siding with the 9/11 truthers.

CLINTON: We're No Pushovers

Admitting he is "participating in an anti-[Hillary] Clinton electability narrative," MyDD's Chris Bowershighlights recent polling on HRC and blogs: "If 50% of adults of voting age say they won't vote for a candidate, that candidate will have difficulty being elected nationwide." First clarifying that he still believes any Dem nominee will win in '08, Bowers jusitifies his HRC doubting: "In the end, I justify this somewhat mild questioning of Clinton's ability to win the general election because I don't want to see the progressive movement become a bunch of pushovers in important Democratic primaries. If our candidates can get taken down based on "electability," while establishment candidates receive a pass on the concept, then we will have ceded an important strategic position."

HRC did get some rare lefty blogger praise from Silicon Valley maven Michelle Kraus who reports on HRC's recent swing through the Golden State at The Huffington Post: "Hillary Rodham Clinton was very impressive when she came through northern California last weekend and wowed audiences from San Francisco to Silicon Valley. She upped the stakes significantly even with the "ATM machine" Democrats of California. ... She has become a Presidential candidate deeply at ease in her own skin."

OBAMA: Toxic, Cynical, Corrupt, Elites Not Wanted

The netroots have begun a concerted effort to push back against MSM suggestions that Obama is "all style and little substance." TPM Cafe's Greg Sargent takes on Nedra Pickler's AP article suggesting Obama has "delivered no policy speeches and provided few details about how he would lead the country." Sargent blogs: "What about this speech on March 21 [Senate floor speech on Iraq]? What about this one on March 2 [address to AIPAC]? ... If you want to say these speeches are too short on specifics, go ahead, but that doesn't mean they're not policy speeches -- just thin ones." Jeremy Cluchey of Obamarama asks: "AP reporter stumps for Clinton?" and links to pastcritiques of Pickler's Dem coverage.

Also on the warpath, Glenn Greenwald attacks The Politico for being "poisonously joined at the hip" to Matt Drudge after a Mike Allen "petty, trite hit piece" on Obama was quickly linked to by Drudge. Greenwald also attacks WaPo's Richard Cohen for writing, "a tendency to manipulate facts may bear watching in Obama." Greenwald concludes: "It is inevitable that the Beltway elite are going to end up hating Obama for exactly the same reason they hated Howard Dean -- because by all appearances (which, in my view, are still incomplete and uncertain), Obama is not one of them, does not want to be one of them, and is actually going to run his campaign by attacking the toxic, cynical, corrupt attributes which define how they operate." For his efforts, Cohen was awarded "Wanker of the Day" by Atrios.

Also commenting on the Politico-Drudge connection, MyDD's Matt Stoller explains why the 'experience' attack is so important: "The whole point of the 'experience' frame is to whitewash Clintonian complicity in Iraq and in the corporate takeover of our government from the early 1990s onward. Lest we forget, it was Hillary Clinton who screwed up the universal health care debate, despite a massive public mandate for universal health care in the 1992 election and high public support for it. Don't be fooled by the experience frame, because it's coming from the right-wing hawks in both parties"

OBAMA II: Black Like Who?

Jack and Jill Politics' Jill Tubman posts an email that has gone "viral" and "will be seen by potentially hundreds of thousands of middle class African-Americans, especially women." The email is from a wife watching 2/10's The State of Black America hosted by Tavis Smiley and featuring a panel with Charles Ogltree an Cornel West among others. After some on the panel, including Smiley and West, expressed doubts about Obama based on his absence from the event, the emailer writes:

If I had the technological saavy, I would jump off this page with all the passion, hope, rage and volume of Spike Lee's Dap and tell you, brothers and sisters everywhere, please please please WAKE UP!!!!!!!! The best thing Barack can do for us is to win, not show up at yet another black forum simply to prove he's one of us by placating the egos who believe Barack should clear his calendar for their "ultimate black" event!

RICHARDSON: Two Days Late, But Hopefully Not A Dollar Short

The Blogometer apologizes for missing this earlier, but MyDD's Jonathan Singer posted an interview with Bill Richardson 3/26. Excerpts include:

• Singer: "I was wondering if that's an indication that you're not going to be focusing as much on Iowa or that, alternatively, you just see Nevada as a better opportunity in some respects?"
• Bill Richardson: I see Nevada as a better opportunity. I believe I'll do well in Iowa but obviously because of my Western roots I believe that I have a greater potential to do better in Nevada. ... But realistically Nevada has more opportunity for us because of the Western state proximity, and I'm a Western Governor, etc.
• Singer: Can you talk a little bit about some of those issues that don't crop up in, say, New York or in New England or areas like that but are important to the West, and the Mountain West particularly?
• Richardson: Okay. First, issues relating to water. Water conservation, water availability, new water technologies, number one. Number two, immigration issues are very important in the West because of the very strong Hispanic immigration. Three, agriculture, the role of the family farm, ranches, the fact that in the West a large portion of the West is owned by the federal government.

PROSECUTOR PURGE: All About Lam

Talking Points Memo continues to focus on San Diego USA Carol Lam and the relationship between her firing and ongoing investigations into GOP corruption that might lead to the WH. TPM's Paul Kiel details the reasons "we're so suspicious" including:

• Lam was never confronted over her approach to immigration prosecutions, the given reason for her dismissal.
• In November, shortly before Lam was fired, a Justice Department official brainstormed about how to explain firing several U.S. attorneys
• Lam was fired midway into a historic, wide-reaching public corruption investigation that targeted a number of Republican members of Congress and the executive director of the CIA.
• Despite the fact that it was one of the highest profile federal investigations being undertaken at the Department, Lam's investigation into Duke Cunningham and others is never mentioned in the Justice Department emails that have been released. Not once. This must have been discussed at the highest levels, but we've seen no record of those communications.
• The FBI's bureau chief in San Diego has said, "I guarantee politics is involved" in Lam's firing.
• the day after Lam informed the Justice Department that she planned to execute a search warrant on CIA Executive Director Kyle "Dusty" Foggo and the same day that it was reported that her investigation had spread to Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA), Alberto Gonzales' chief of staff Kyle Sampson wrote to a White House official: "The real problem we have right now with Carol Lam that leads me to conclude that we should have someone ready to be nominated on 11/18, the day her 4-year term expires."

Kiel delves deeper into DoJ explanations that Lam was fired for not prioritizing immigration cases here, writing: "the demand that Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and others were making, that her office have a "zero tolerance" policy of prosecuting alien smuggling, was an impossible one. ... There are approximately 140,000 immigration arrests in Lam's district per year -- and approximately 110 lawyers in her office to handle them. They manage to file around 3,000 cases per year total, one of the largest loads in the country."

Kiel also identifies emails showing certain DoJ officials "just didn't like Lam - and seemed to harbor a wish that she not succeed." Josh Marshallalso notes FBI special agent in charge of the San Diego field office Dan Dzwilewski told reporters "I guarantee politics is involved." Marshall also says Dzwilewski told reporters "Carol Lam's dismissal would jeopardize on-going corruption investigations" but The Blogometer could find no quote in the article to back up that claim.

Finally on Lam, Marshall reports that ex-Rep. Duke Cunnigham (R) briber Mitchell Wade's first contract for the WH was actually for screening WH mail, not furniture for VP's office as originally reported. Marshall adds: "So it all comes back to the same question. Why did a company like Wade's, which had no track record whatsoever and had only been approved to receive federal government contracts two months earlier, get a contract from the White House to screen the mail of the President of the United States? ... So whose palm got greased?"

IRAQ: Pryor The New Netroots Whipping Boy?

Most of the netroots celebrated the defeat of Sen. Thad Cochran's (R-MS) amendment removing a non-date specific timetable withdrawal language from the Iraq supplemental bill:

• AMERICABlog's Joe Sudbay: "It's not perfect. It's still non-binding, but it is a critical vote to change the course of the war. The Senate bill will go to a conference with the House bill that passed last week."
• MyDD's Chris Bowers: "The only Democrat who voted to strike the withdrawal language was Mark Pryor. I don't care what state he is from--that is the sort of issue that could cause you to lose either a primary or a general election. There isn't a state in the country that currently has a majority in favor of the war, or against this bill."
• DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas: "Reid did an incredible job of keeping Democrats together. I mean, he even brought Ben Nelson aboard! Pretty impressive."

Talk Left's Big Tent Democrat dissented: "Hello? He got Nelson and Hagel because the language was NON-binding! Did anyone hear Hagel's floor speech on the issue? HE stressed that point."

IRAQ II: Putting Haliburton To Shame

Conservative bloggers were extremely upset by the Senate vote. Reactions include:

• RedState's Haystack: "I am sick and tired of this laughingly-termed "Conservative Movement". We all suck at it ... When you have that pig loser Chuck Hagel, (yeah-the one that thinks you want him to be your President?) and that (expletive removed in deference to the posting guidelines) Gordon Smith from Oregon BOTH voting against an amendment such as this, what do you have exactly?
• Ace of Spades: "What's the point of forcing a timetable? To reassure American liberal voters that they can trust the promises of the Democratic Party. What's the point of resisting a timetable? To reassure Iraqi civilians, and Al Qaeda terrorists, that they can trust, or fear, as the case may be, the promises of the American government. It's largely a symbolic matter. But whose symbolism is in the American interest, and whose symbolism in only in the interests of a political party and, not coincidentally, Al Qaeda?
• Instapundit: "They're running away with their little curly tails between their legs. ... It's a disgrace, but par for the course for this bunch."
• Don Surber: "Thus the Democratic-controlled Congress puts placing our troops in harm's way on the same level as dairy subsidies, tours of the Capitol and sugar (both beeted and caned). This is worse than war profiteering. At least Haliburton gave the troops something, even if it was tainted water. What does Congress give them?

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: The Church Of Progressivism?

Commenting on Dan Gilgoff's new book on James Dobson, Ezra Klein muses on the megachurch phenomenon:

The megachurches, with their remarkably innovative techniques for constructing social capital and a feeling of connectedness, have been fairly explicit responses to greater geographic dispersal, weakened family ties, and increased insecurity, and so forth. Many of us who don't experience the megachurches as anything but occasionally malign actors on the national stage are quite poor, I fear, at understanding why they are important and why their influence is proving durable. Which is odd, given that the very foundations of the liberal critique of contemporary society -- increased economic risk, civic deterioration, etc -- are exactly what the churches help address.

LEST WE FORGET: Get Over Yourselves

Outside the BeltwayJames Joyner links to news that while only four out of 3.1 mil. ESPN entries chose the Final Four correctly last year, over 160K got the final four right this year. Joyner comments: "Sadly, I was not among them. Having followed college basketball news even less closely this year than in the past, I picked several used-to-be-good teams to upset highly ranked teams whose recent resurgence flew under my radar screen. While I picked seven of the Elite Eight, only Florida remains alive in my Final Four bracket."

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:30 PM

March 27, 2007

3/27: Another One Bites The Dust

In December it was Newt Gingrich. In January it was Mitt Romney. In February it was Rudy Giuliani. Now that it's March, Fred Thompson is currently the new leader in the GOP Bloggers straw poll. The Blogometer is starting to notice a pattern here: a new name is mentioned, bloggers fall in love, compromising facts are revealed, and a new name is mentioned. It could be that this ealry 'whack-a-mole' approach to GOP frontrunners might end up producing a stronger candidate in the end. But it also might just demonstrate that nobody is happy with the GOP's '08 options.

GOP FIELD: The Fredinator

Fred Thompson is quickly making his presence felt online. He's currently crushing the competition in early voting in the GOP Bloggers March '07 online straw poll. At deadline the top five vote getters were:

F. Thompson 38%
Giuliani 16%
Gingrich 14%
Romney 10%
Hunter 7%

Comparing these numbers with last month's results, we see Thompson stealing 13 points from Giuliani (previously at 29%), 8 points from Gingrich (previously at 22%), and 9 points from Romney (previously at 19%). Thompson is also the most "acceptable" option for conservative blog readers with 74% indicating they'd be willing to support him (55% of respondents tagged John McCain as "unacceptable").

GOP FIELD II: Who Knew Romney Was So Popular In Vegas?

Townhall's Matt Lewis is eagerly awaiting Q1 fundraising results and previews three possible headlines coming out of the filings:

• Romney/McCain/Rudy raise most, but spend most (remember, you can only spend NET money).
• 50% of Romney's money comes from Utah/Nevada (you may not like this story, but it would be newsworthy).
• Brownback/Gilmore/Hunter are dwarfed by the big three.

GIULIANI: It's A Famous Contest

Conservative bloggers reading recent nat'l and NH polling all conclude Fred Thompson's entry into the race is hurting Rudy Giuliani the most:

• RedState's Hunter Baker on NH ARG numbers: "In February, before there was any talk of Thompson, Giuliani and McCain were in a virtual heat with 27% and 26% respectively. Move to March and Giuliani drops to 19% and McCain drops much less dramatically to 23%. ... Why does Thompson (in this single poll in this single state) gain from Giuliani? One possibility is that both men are famous beyond the simple confines of the political world."
• AmSpec Blog's Philip Klein on Gallup's results: "With Thompson in the race, first place Giuliani drops to 31% from 44% in the last poll from early March, McCain actually ticks up to 22% from 20%. ... I think Thompson eats into Giuliani's support because clearly a portion of Rudy's backers are people who want someone electable, but hate McCain. Thompson offers a viable alternative to McCain who is also hawkish on national security, but is conservative on social issues.

The Brody File asks his evangelical readers if Giuliani's description of himself as a person who "supports parental notification laws and a ban on partial birth abortion; is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and believes marriage is between a man and a woman," is "just a tad bit disingenuous?" Brody continues: "Does the way he portrays himself on his website bother you or do you just chalk it up to political spin just like every other candidate out there?"

HUCKABEE: Why Is He Doing This?

RCP Blog's Tom Bevan posts a 3/14 interview with Mike Huckabee conducted in NH, including:

• RCP: First question: why are you doing this?
• HUCKABEE: Because I really believe this county needs leadership that will restore America to its spirit of optimism, bring practical solutions to many of the problems we face, and that can bring people together from not only other parts of the country but from political parties.
• RCP: And what's the issue that driving you?
• HUCKABEE: The single most important issue is restoring America's faith in itself. This country is at its best when it's optimistic and resilient and when it sees that its greatest days are ahead of it, not behind it.

MCCAIN: Straight Vlog Express

Eye on '08's Soren Dayton and Townhall's Matt Lewis continue their video dump from their weekend trip on the Straight Talk Express through NH. New video includes:

• at Eye on '08, McCain "has harsh words for the House Democratic Leadership on the Iraq Supplemental Appropriations Bill that they just passed. ... He called the Democratic approach a "new recipe for defeat."
• at Townhall, McCain tell Lewis Ronald Reagan would be "very upset" about the current spending practices of todays conservative movement.
• at Townhall McCain tells Lewis "he absolutely hates the influence of soft money on politics" while discussing campaign finance reform.
• at Townhall, Lewis talks to pastor/ex-state Rep./former Gary Bauer and Alan Keyes supporter Mike Gilman about why he supports McCain.
• at Townhall, undecided state Rep. Stephanie Eaton (R) (who has a 96% NARAL rating) tells Lewis why she is pro-choice but still is considering McCain.
• and finally a Ronald Reagan fan tells Lewis why he supports McCain.

ROMNEY: Mormons Need Not Apply?

Townhall's Hugh Hewitt took issue with a sentence in RedState's Erick Erickson's review of Hewitt's "A Mormon in the White?" The offending line: "If we can expect heavy participation by Mormon missionaries as grassroots activists for an American presidential campaign, why can we not ask questions about Romney's Mormon beliefs and why can Americans not be concerned?"

Hewitt responds: "I find the effort to mainstream religious tests and even religious bigotry to be abhorrent and far outside the political mainstream. ... Erick ignores how Catholic Americans were very enthusiastic over Kennedy's candidacy, and how that was not the occasion for denunciations of Popery or assaults on the miracle of Fatima or Lourdes. ... The attempt to use Romney's candidacy as a step-stool for attacks on the LDS is shocking when it occurs on the left, and worse when it occurs on the right."

Erickson returns fire at RedState: "I understand Hugh's concerns, but I just can't bring myself to find fault in a deeply evangelical Christian who will not vote for Romney because he is not a Christian. Certainly Hugh and I may disagree, but I also understand the Christian who is so deeply committed to his religion that he will not vote for someone outside his religion."

ROMNEY II: Unfiltered Oppo Research Dumps

The American Spectator's Prowler reports Romney booster blog Evangelicals for Mitt "has been using opposition research provided by the Romney campaign, as well as accepting funds from donors steered to the site by the Romney camp."

Race 4 '08's Republius is not pleased that Romney is feeding anti-Mike Huckabee/Fred Thompson stories through E4M: "While I am not yet formally behind any one Republican presidential contender in 2008, I am willing to publicly condemn those GOP candidates who engage in negative campaigning during this process, which is evidently what the Mitt Romney campaign is guilty of."

THOMPSON: Another Pro-Life Conversion?

The Corner continues to link to audio and transcripts of Fred Thompson's Paul Harvey Show radio addresses. His latest on Dem funding for Iraq finishes: "This bill isn't just about funding the war for democracy and freedom in Iraq. It's a political statement. And it's about buying enough votes with pork in order to make that statement. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing, if Congress did have its power cut off every once in a while."

Also The Corner's Ramesh Ponnuru and AmSpec Blog's James Antle are fighting over Thompson pro-life credentials. Ponnuru writes: "The evidence that these guys [Thompson and Bill Frist] were once pro-choice is pretty substantial. Why not just admit that they've changed their minds?" Antle responds: "Ramesh Ponnuru is right that there is substantial evidence that Fred Thompson and Bill Frist began their political careers as at least nominal pro-choicers before embracing the pro-life label. That they stressed the pro-life policies they supported when talking to professional pro-life activists doesn't alter this fact. Both Tennessee senators compiled pro-life voting records, something nobody is trying to take away from them."

CLINTON: The Anti-Kucinich

Matt Stollermusings on why Hillary Clinton remains the front runner despite recent remarks "that she will continue a military mission in Iraq" had lefty bloggers comparing the Iraq positions of the Dem big three. Stoller argued: "There is just no way that she can say that she will end the war and that she will continue a military mission in Iraq to contain extremists and ward off Iran. Those are mutually exclusive. ... Whatever you think about the supplemental fight, our party's standard-bearer at this moment does not represent the party or the country. ... I'm just wondering why Clinton is getting a free pass on Iraq."

Ed Kilgore responds: "There's one big problem with Matt's anathema: it would also apply to Barack Obama, John Edwards, and quite a few other Democrats generally considered to be unimpeachably anti-war. ... Obama's Iraq withdrawal plan explicitly calls for a "residual force" to stay in the country to fight terrorists and deter foreign intervention. John Edwards, who has emphasized the need for immediately withdrawing half the current troop deployment, has also talked about a continuing if limited military commitment. ... Dems who basically want to forbid U.S. military force commitments in the Middle East ought to be supporting Denny the K."

Matthew Yglesias basically agrees the big three have no substantive differences on Iraq, but still comes out strongly against HRC: "Now, in a big picture sense, what this emphasizes is the extent to which it would be good to have a president you trusted. ... To me, what separates Clinton from Obama and Edwards on this front is that Clinton appeared to be saying that one mission of her proposed continuing presence in Iraq would be trying to intimidate Iran which sounds more like loophole territory than prudence territory to me." Yglesias also concluded by invoking Kucinich: "If, however, you want the United States to more-or-less entirely abandon the project of projecting military power in the Middle East you really do need to back Kucinich."

MyDD's Chris Bowers was having none of the suggestions that there are no substantive differences between Clinton and Obama on Iraq. Instead he identifies some reasons why HRC is still winning including: 1) Most Democrats do not make Clinton their first choice; 2) Obama actually is making up ground; 3) Clinton still commands the most attention; 4) Clinton camp blurring the lines on Iraq; 5) Obama and establishment media, allowing Clinton to brand herself as anti-war; and 6) It is also important to keep in mind that many voters do not even consider policy questions when selecting a candidate, and instead prefer personal qualities / characteristics.

OBAMA: Playa' Hatin'

Barack Obama doubting is spreading into usually friendly quarters. MyDD's Jerome Armstrong recaps unfavorable reviews from Obama's 3/24 Las Vegas, NV, performance and remembers how Obama "gave a somber non-partisan delivery to a hall full of the most partisan Democrats in the nation" at the DNC winter meeting. Armstrong adds: "It just seems that Obama doesn't have the knack to plays to the crowd, or he just doesn't prepare for doing it."

At The Huffington Post, Tish Durkin says she still "could very well end up voting for" Obama but right now "he fact that everyone loves him" drives her crazy. Durkin continues: "It's that he's new. And just by being new, he can, without promising anything, promise to realize that sweet, recurrent American dream: the dream that after all these years of disillusionment, some untold chevalier is going to ride up to the Capitol on his white horse and, with a brandish of his boldness, kick Congress in its cronyism, and finally, you know, 'bring the country together' and 'get things done' .. Like all rescue fantasies, this one has tremendous power - and tremendous problems when it has the sore luck to hit the light of day."

WEBB: Drinking With Jim

Huffington Post political correspondent Melinda Henneberger dropped by the run on military time offices of Sen. James Webb (D-VA) to talk about his opposition for a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq. Henneberger summarizes: "He is convinced that cutting off funding would be too hard to do in a sufficiently targeted way, and that troop caps "mean you've just given the administration the floor" -- and thus would actually decrease the likelihood of a full withdrawal. Instead, the focus should be on the diplomatic front -- because without real progress there, all the caps and cuts and timetables in the world won't mean much."

Daily Kos diarist Pegasus notes Webb "doesn't support most of the out-of-Iraq methods that are bandied around this site" and queries Kossaks on whether they are "Pissed at Senator Webb?" A relatively small sample shows only 35% of readers are. 27% "just want to have a beer with him."

Finally, Taylor March hits back at Fox News "sissies" who "couldn't even figure out the word for ammunition and how to describe a magazine clip" when trying to report on the arrest of a Webb aide for gun position. Daily Kos' Kagro X adds: "Best possible way to get arrested, I say. Beats Viagra smuggling by a mile, eh Rush?"

PROSECUTOR PURGE: It's The Crime, Stupid

The netroots are hitting back against MSM reports that the "firestorm over the fired U.S. attorneys" is due to by Dep. AG Paul McNulty's failure to follow the company line that the WH "would not comment on personnel issues." Talking Points MemoJosh Marshall responds: "I can almost imagine Harriet Miers pitching the ABC reporter on this nonsense. ... this is the classic case of mistaking the symptom for the disease. As McNulty could see, refusing to give any explanation for an unprecedented firing of multiple US Attorneys with active investigations or prosecutions of prominent Republicans simply wasn't tenable. ..."

Marshall continues: "There's this old line the wise folks in Washington have that 'it's not the crime, but the cover-up.' ... But only fools believe that. It's always about the crime. The whole point of the cover-up is that a full revelation of the underlying crime is not survivable. Enough of this shambling foolery. The controversy wasn't 'sparked' by the break down of the cover-up. The 'controversy' is about the underlying bad acts."

Daily Kos's pontificator picks up on a second angle: "Given this selective release of a single internal White House email (which only could have come from a White House source), it's clear that the White House has waived its claim of executive privilege. You can't claim that a category of documents is protected by a privilege, and then release a cherry-picked few from that category in order to help yourself. If you release some, you have to release all."

PROSECUTOR PURGE II: 'Witch Hunt' Is Not A Defense

Talking Points Memo's Josh Marshall describes Monica Goddling's letter invoking the 5th Amndt to prevent her testimony before the House Gov't Reform Cmt. as "a sort of witness's nullification." Marshall explains: "the essence of his argument is that the committee has relinquished its legitimacy as an investigative forum and that she has thus unilaterally decided that she will refuse to testify."

Marshall later draws out one possible self-confessed crime Goodling could be protecting herself from, quoting from the letter: "it has come to our attention that a senior Department of Justice official has privately told Senator Schumer that he (the official) was not entirely candid in his report to the Committee, and that the official allegedly claimed that others, including our client, did not inform him of certain pertinent facts." Marshall deduces: "His name isn't stated. But this appears to be a reference to Deputy Attorney General McNulty. ... Here we finally appear to have a bad act that Goodling believes or at least claims may expose her to criminal prosecution -- lying to Congress by proxy by intentionally misinforming an official about to testify before Congress."

PROSECUTOR PURGE III: Think Of All The SPAM They'll Lose Forever

Noting that "about 95% of Karl Rove's email traffic" has been done "using RNC email accounts to get around governmental records archiving regulations" Talking Points Memo's Josh Marshall asks, "Can executive privilege even conceivably cover emails from the Republican National Committee? By any definition, those aren't emails written or received by anyone in their capacity as a presidential advisor. They're private and have nothing to do with the president in his executive capacity."

The Left Coaster's Steve Soto is also excited about what the House Gov't Reform Cmt. has ordered the RNC to save the emails: "The White House's use of nongovernmental email accounts and servers to mask their political activities done on government time is about to blow up in their faces. ... Sure, the RNC and Bush/Cheney will now furiously delete all these emails if they haven't done so already, but just the fact that there is a record of such communication means that: 1) it is essential to demand that Rove and others be put under oath to testify to Congress; and 2) claims of executive privilege go out the window if the White House was conducting the allegedly protected communications in a nonsecure, purely political manner through outside cut outs."

PROSECUTOR PURGE IV: The Resignation Watch

Townhall's Dean Barnett and RCP Blog's Tom Bevan joined the growing list of conservative bloggers calling on AG Alberto Gonzales to resign. Barnett writes: "Gonzales and Miers are two of the president's Texas friends, and neither one of them had previously demonstrated the ability to organize a one car funeral. In short, these terminations should have been easy. Thanks to the maladroit efforts of the Dynamic Duo, they weren't. ... The Bush administration should move on from the bumbling and stumbling of the Gonzales era.

The shrinking number of Gonzales supporters aren't even bothering to defend their man. Mark at RedState "Gonzales has done nothing wrong besides giving fumbling answers to reporters' questions. If Republicans are not altogether thrilled with Gonzales, so be it. They must put that aside and realize that there is value in the fight if not in the man. It is time for Congressional Republicans to stand together on this for the sake of the party and its future."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: The 50-State Macaca

At TechPresident Bush '02 eCampaign Dir. Michael Turk is worried the GOP is not matching the Dem efforts he learned about from the following email:

Do you remember the George Allen "macaca" video? ... The Democratic Party needs to support that kind of diligent reporting in the new election cycle -- with video crews permanently on the ground in early primary states, for example. What did John McCain say in New Hampshire? Who did Rudy Giuliani visit in Iowa? What did Mitt Romney do in South Carolina? The DNC needs to know the answers to these questions every time a Republican makes a campaign stop, and we have to be ready to take the proper course of action. Let's set up a state-of-the-art operation to bypass the media and take the story of their lies, flip-flops, and out-of-whack priorities directly to you."

Turk responds: "Despite the fact that this is a fundraising pitch, and may be all blow and no whistle, the thought of a 50-state videography plan should actually make Republicans nervous. The sheer volume of footage the Democrats could grab on Republican gaffes at all levels cannot be underestimated."

LEST WE FORGET: Why Do Fools Fall In Love?

Picking up on research form Robert Cialdini's book Influence: Science and Practice showing that people who were asked to write essays in support of a random point of view they did not hold, still held that same view point months later, Dilbert Blog advises his unlucky in love readers:

Go down to the local mall with a clipboard and pretend to be doing a research experiment. Offer $1 to attractive people who will write a paragraph describing how incredibly sexy you are. (Based on the research, you should offer a low dollar amount so people don't think they did it entirely for the money.) Tell participants that the research has to do with handwriting analysis of people who are writing opinions they do not believe. Stop after you get 100 people to do it. That's less than the cost of one meal at an upscale restaurant.

Give the participants your e-mail address and tell them they can get the results of the research study in a month if they contact you. According to the science, about two-thirds of the people who wrote a paragraph on your sex appeal will strongly believe it a month later, no matter how hideous you are. And a few of those people will remember to e-mail you for the results. You'll still have to close the deal, but I think we can agree that I just did the hard work for you.

Posted by Conn Carroll at 12:42 PM

March 26, 2007

3/26: Where's The Beef?

That's what lefty bloggers who attended 3/24's SEIU forum in Las Vegas, NV are asking after seeing Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL). Those blogging from the event were "surprised" Obama would come to a health-care forum with only "basic principles" and no "concrete offerings." The Blogometer is not used to reading negative things about Obama, but as we move from already enthralled crowds to yet unconvinced audiences who want more than "platitudes," can Obama keep the magic alive?

CLINTON: "Bubba, Don't Sista Souljah Us"

Bill Clinton's "it's just not fair" complaint to hundreds of supporters on conference call about netroots backing for Barack Obama as an anti-war candidate drew wide negative reaction including:

• Firedoglake's Jane Hamsher: "I don't know if Bill quite understands that much of the netroots hostility the Clintons generate is the result of his trashing of Ned Lamont on Larry King. Nobody really doubts that he saved Lieberman in order to protect Hillary's war voting record and keep the heat off of her. Perhaps he doesn't even care."
• Bob Johnson at Daily Kos: "The story is noteworthy for the hemming and hawing explanation Bill offered which was sadly reminiscent (for me, anyway) of John Kerry's tortured explanations on his various Iraq votes. And it highlights the problems facing Hillary Clinton's campaign moving forward as the war grows increasingly unpopular with voters. ... Get a clue, Bill. I'm not sure you're helping your wife's cause."
• BooMan Tribune: "The Big Dog can cry me a river. His wife gave the keys to the neo-cons and she knew better. Just like Kerry, she thought her future presidential viability depended on getting on the right side of a war. ... I doubt it will work out any better for Hillary than it did for John Kerry.
• MyDD's Aiko: "I love Bill Clinton and I can't believe that I am about to write a diary criticizing him but I am. ... I remember knowing full well that a yes vote meant that Bush would eventually go to war. It wasn't about semantics.It wasn't an issue of what the resolution said. Today Bill Clinton re-writes history to suggest that the resolution didn't mean war it just meant....fade to bulls**t."

Not blogging on Bill's call, but on TNR article instead, Matthew Yglesias has similar thought on HRC's Iraq vote: "...she thought it was the right thing to do; it appears that she won't apologize for it because she doesn't think she was wrong; and, last, it appears that her views on both these things are connected to a larger worldview that's more militaristic than your average liberal's. ... She's so stuck with the "calculating" tag that even in the face of all the evidence, Clinton's views on Iraq get read exclusively through the lens of political calculation (like any pol, of course, she does in fact do some calculating) without any consideration of the possibility that there are real views her."

CLINTON II: As Long As We're Not On The Subject ...

She may not be a netroots favorite, but even bloggers noticed the warm reception HRC received from the SEIU Health Care Forum audience in Las Vegas, NV. Taylor Marsh, who live-blogged the event, says "Hillary Shines" and blogs: "Yes, my fellow Americans, there is an issue beyond Iraq. It might even be one that outlasts the war. ... The clear winner was Hillary Clinton. Period. No one came close to her passion, energy and details, as well as the humor and, yes, humility she brought to the subject at hand: health care."

Also in Vegas, The Nation's Marc Cooper says HRC "made a spirited presentation" and MyDD's Jonathan Singer has audio of her speech and adds: "Clinton's biggest applause line, however, came when she said she believed the IRS should stop harassing tip earners and start looking into the improper use of loopholes by corporate CEOs."

EDWARDS: Someone Get The SEIU Some Absentee Ballots

As well as Hillary Clinton did at the SEIU forum, it appears John Edwards did even better. The Nation's Marc Cooper says Edwards "Stands Out" on health care and quotes a "high-ranking West Coast SEIU official" off the record: "If the election were held today, we'd be supporting Edwards." Cooper adds: "Edwards was also the only candidate who said that, without doubt, taxes would have to be raised to be pay for the $90-120 billion price tag on his plan for universal coverage."

MyDD's MeanBone also appreciated Edwards call for higher taxes: "Edwards has a very realistic shot at making universal health care a reality, because he is being very realistic up front, both about the cost of universal health care and about the implementation. ... The best part is that Edwards is selling the American people on the idea that some things are worth higher taxes (especially on the wealthier people who can afford to pay them). When he gets elected, Edwards will have the political clout to make universal health care happen ... because he had the courage to run on it."

EDWARDS II: Carrying Rush's Water?

Katie Couric was roundly condemned for her 3/25 questioning of John and Elizabeth Edwards. Negative reviews include:

• Crooks and Liars' (with video) John Amato: "Isn't it nice that Couric asks all the questions [Rush] Limbaugh and conservative critics have been attacking them with? I guess it's fine as long as she masks them as if she's being a compassionate journalist. Couric should at least have the guts to tell her audience who is actually criticizing them."
• Daily KosBobcatJH: "Some people will surely come away thinking you legitimized the shameful opinions of the far-right fringe by couching them in relative anonymity. ... In other words, calling you a journalist is like calling President Bush a sophisticate."
• Kausfiles on audio of the interview: "It certainly makes you want to throttle Katie Couric."

OBAMA: My Plan Is In The Mail

Barack Obama received the first negative netroots reviews the Blogometer can remember reading following his 3/24 SEIU health care forum performance. The Nation's Marc Cooper writes: "Barack Obama, who has suffered from accusations that he deals too much in platitudes and not enough in concrete offerings, came to the forum surprisingly unarmed with details. He admitted that he has not yet finalized a plan but promises one will be forthcoming."

Las Vegas Gleaner says some in the audience were running out of patience with Obama: "But at the forum Saturday, even a mild-mannered questioner in the crowd basically ripped into him because there's no there there. ... 'He comes to a health care forum unprepared? Un. F**king. Believable.'"

Taylor Marsh had the harshest words for Obama: "The big loser was Barack Obama, who wasn't at all prepared. ... An African American man sitting next to me in the bleachers wearing an SEIU shirt said he liked Barack Obama but he "wasn't prepared," because he didn't even have a plan ready. The look on his face said it all." More Marsh: "It was obvious he wasn't up to speed for this event. I can't say it more plainly, except to add that no one in the audience was fooled. Barack Obama blew it. Hey, but it's one event."

MyDD's Jonathan Singer has audio of Obama's address and adds: "The Senator's biggest applause line came during a rousing portion in which he detailed the positive effects that organizing has not only upon members of unions but upon Americans all around the country." Matthew Yglesias found the whole event boring and isn't worried about Obama's health care credentials: "Everyone thinks he'll produce one soon enough, and it would be good to hear about it when it happens."

RICHARDSON: Skipping IA?

According MyDD's Jonathan Singer, Bill Richardson's biggest applause line "came when he said it was time to get begin getting of Iraq immediately. Perhaps the most newsworthy moment of any of the three speeches came when he said that he wanted his first victory to be in Nevada, perhaps an indication that he will not focus as much on Iowa." Audio here.

WEBB: The End Of The Affair?

Linking to Newsweekreports that Sen. James Webb (D-VA) "doesn't favor a timeline for withdrawal" Taylor Marsh reminds readers she does not "believe Congress can play commander in chief" and looks forward to "the coming legislation from Webb and [Sen. Chuck] Hagel (R-NE)" on Iraq. Marsh adds: "Both senators plan on stopping the military collapse currently underway through Mr. Bush's continued incompetence, which began under the 109th Republican Congress.

MyDD's Jerome Armstrong reacts: "Taylor, what's really interesting is that Hagel has said he'd run on the Unity ticket if he could find a Democrat to team up with him."

MCCAIN: Straight Talk About Anything ... But CFR

Eye on '08's Soren Dayton and Townhall's Matt Lewis joined "5 or 6 'old media' reporters" on John McCain's Straight Talk Express through Plymouth, and Littleton, NH. Dayton promises to post 2.5 hours of video from the bus throughout the week on YouTube here. Lewis already filed a report including:

McCain displayed the energy and intensity of someone half his age. ... His schedule would have been rigorous for even a twenty-five year old. When I asked McCain about the stress of constantly being "on," he told me: "This is the fun part!" ... Of course, I couldn't resist asking about campaign finance reform. He clearly doesn't like this question, but says that the fact a blogger (such as myself) is on the bus is an example of how free speech is alive and well. Bottom line; he's convinced campaign finance reform is a good thing. This is, perhaps, the only time the normally unexpurgated McCain refuses to elaborate.

Also on able to resist CFR blogging, Don Surber claims reports McCain will miss fundraising goals is "karma." Surber explains: " McCain-Feingold was supposed to limit money in political campaigns. That is why McCain is having trouble raising money. McCain-Feingold made him a political pariah. Republicans love him and respect his wartime heroism, but they would rather see Hillary get elected."

THOMPSON: Didn't Dick Wolf Prep With W?

Declared Mitt Romney supporter Paul Mirengoff of Power Line opens his thoughts on Fred Thompson admitting "right now Thompson appears more electable than Romney." Mirengoff explains: "In a sense, then, Thompson looks like the perfect blend of the Allen/Frist/Romney/Gingrich and McCain/Giuliani "factions." He seems to combine the conservatism of the former cluster with at least some of the popularity and stature of the latter pairing."

More Mirengoff: "Millions of Americans see Thompson exercise sound judgment every week as the district attorney on "Law and Order." I'm reliably informed that the show's creator, Dick Wolf, developed the persona of this fictional D.A. specifically for Thompson, and that the actor/politician protects his image by pushing back when he thinks his lines don't portray him in the proper light."

PROSECUTOR PURGE: The Grand Unifying Karl

Responding to "right-wing nutjobs who've written in asking just what the big deal is" Talking Points Memo's Josh Marshall explains: "What we seem to see are repeated cases in which US Attorneys were fired for not pursuing bogus prosecutions of persons of the opposite party. Or vice versa. There's little doubt that that is why McKay and Iglesias were fired and there's mounting evidence that this was the case in other firings as well. ... We all understand that politics and the law aren't two hermetically sealed domains. ... But here it appears to have become the rule rather than the exception, a systematic effort at the highest levels to hijack the Justice Department and use it to advance the interest of one party over the other by use of selective prosecution."

Firedoglake's Pheonix Woman argues the "scandal may well be the Grand Unifying Scandal that connects most if not all of the other Bush scandals" and fingers Karl Rove as the center of it. PW concludes: "If Gonzo had left last week over this, the whole bidness would have likely settled down and Rove would be safe. ... Now, too many reporters are joining with their blogger brethren into focusing on Turdblossom's role in all of this."

Also summarizing the "fishiness" of the scandal, The Washington Monthly's Kevin Drum focus on an email from "DOJ flak Tasia Scolinos" to "White House flak Catherine Martin" reading: "The one common link here is that is that three of them are along the border so you could make the connection that the DOJ is unhappy with the immigration prosecution numbers in those districts." Drum reacts: "Indeed, you could make the immigration connection if you were casting about for a semi-plausible post hoc reason for the firings. But you wouldn't have to do that if you had an actual reason at hand, would you? ... We still don't have any emails from before the purge explaining why DOJ wanted to fire these particular USAs. Surely there are some? And if not, then what was the reason?"

Netroots impeachment calls for AG Alberto Gonzales are only growing:

• Arianna Huffington: "If the president continues trying to run out the clock on this scandal, Congress should immediately begin impeachment proceedings against Alberto Gonzales. It's the quickest way to the truth."
• TAPPED's Robert Kuttner: "Why impeachment? In our system of checks and balances, the Senate confirms members of the Cabinet, but impeachment for cause is the only way to remove them. The White House, by refusing to cooperate, has now left Congress no other recourse."
• The Left Coaster's Steve Soto: "The question for Democrats is whether they should accept a serial prevaricator as the senior law enforcement official in the land ... At what point will Democrats ... accept that Bush is comfortable with lying and simply move for the impeachment of Alberto Gonzales?

Finally, CaliticsBrian Leubitz reminds readers that Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA) was asking the "right questions" about the purge "way back in January." From Leubitz: "If you go back and look as the release, you will see the same concerns she was talking about back then are the same concerns right now. There are questions in all of the USA firings, but California's firings are some of the most questionable firings.

PROSECUTOR PURGE II: Doesn't His Family Miss Him?

Washington Postrevelations that AG Alberto Gonzales was involved with the decision to fire the prosecutors despite comments under oath to Congress otherwise has conservative bloggers again doubting his value to the administration:

• The Corner's Jonah Goldberg: "Some readers are cross with me for using the word "lied" in reference to Gonzales. Okay, he may simply have been deeply, deeply, confused, out of touch and unprepared to give a press conference which was supposed to put an end to the "scandal" and instead poured gasoline on it. ... Maybe, just maybe, a good "CEO" would have asked his staff, "Hey, before I unequivocally tell the world I was out of the loop, let's double check and make sure I wasn't in the loop. Okay?" ... Doesn't Gonzales need to spend more time with his family?
• Captain's Quarters: "Even if Gonzales didn't intend to deceive -- that is to say that he honestly didn't recall sitting in on that meeting -- wouldn't a competent CEO (as he described himself) do some research before making categorical statements? ... Gonzales and others who have presented misleading versions of the project are either incompetent or deceptive. We should not accept either in the office of the highest-ranking law enforcement officer of the United States, regardless of whether he is a Republican or Democrat.
• Power Line's Paul Mirengoff: ".... politics aside, Gonzales should not continue to serve if he lacks the president's confidence. I have no idea where Bush is on this, but my confidence in Gonzales, already shaky, would diminish if it turns out that Gonzales misrepresented his involvement in the firings to the press. As noted, though, it's not clear that Gonzales did this.

IRAQ: Born Fightin'

Talk Left's Big Tent Democrat questions whether the Iraq supplemental was really the "Big Win" fellow netrooters claim it is noting that the Senate fight will be over "non-binding deadlines." BTD then links to Taylor Marsh thoughts in favor of Sen. James Webb's (D-VA) non-deadline-for-withdrawal position and comments: "Oh by the way, look and see who you'll be fighting with."

Also dissenting from the netroots "first step" talking points, The Left Coaster's soccerdad writes: "The fact that so many progressives are celebrating the passage of this bill is mind boggling. ... Bush is right for once when he called this political theater. They have set the bill up to make maximum political advantage as the 2008 elections approach without sacrificing the war."

Still on message, Daily Kos' Hunter hits back at Washington Postcriticism of the bill: "Both the Post and the New York Times proved to be devastatingly incompetent during a period in which the United States very much needed the voices of a strong free press. ... That Iraq War failure, in itself, is nothing more than an extension of the ever more asinine failures of the national press for the last dozen-plus years. ... We don't trust the editorialists of the press anymore, as an institution, and that has implications for the entire American political debate."

IRAQ II: Washington Does Love Hogs

Conservative bloggers are playing up on Club for Growth efforts to punish Blue Dogs for abandoning their pledge to restore fiscal responsibility to Congress by voting for the "outrageous pork projects" laden Iraq supplemental bill:

• The Right Angle's Ivy Sellers: "The Club, a conservative PAC devoted to restoring fiscal responsibility to Congress, also singled out five freshmen who broke their word by voting for the bill: Representatives Nancy Boyda (KS-2); Heath Schuler (NC-11); Nick Lampson (TX-22); Tim Mahoney (FL-22); and Harry Mitchell (AZ-5) all ran on platforms of fiscal responsibility and promised voters they would cut out earmarks, not vote them in.
• RedState's Adam C: "Hopefully Club for Growth will run issue ads pointing out their promises and how quickly they became comfortable in the DC pork culture."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: At Some Point You Might Just Try Governing For A Change

Commenting on Washington Postreports that Karl Rove spoke with political GSA appointees about ways to help GOP candidates, Matthew Yglesias comments:

The irony in all this, at some level, is that if the Bush administration had spent less time thinking about ways to abuse their power for electoral gain and more time thinking about ways to govern the country in a non-disastrous manner, they probably would have done much better in the midterms. At some level, there's no substitute for knowing how to do your job properly.

The Washington MonthlyKevin Drum reminds readers the John DiIulio had similar thoughts over four years ago

LEST WE FORGET: From Starbucks, With Love

BlogAdsHenry Copeland points us to a Starbucks employee rant that moved from Craigslist to the Starbuck's gossip blog. The barista's complaints include:

• We are not your friends. We are usually not your neighbors. In most cases, we absolutely loathe you.
• Oh, you work from home? We are n