May 14, 2007

5/14: We've Only Just Begun

Since it is now a common occurence to see prominent Dems posting at Daily Kos and The Huffington Post, it's easy to forget that prior to '06, the netroots relationship with Dem leaders was contentious at best (and even w/majorities in both houses and an ally as DNC chair, some figures still provoke ire). Now that they are out of power for the frist time in the internet age, it appears that the GOP is about to begin a similar journey. RedState's Erick Erickson has declared war on the GOP Leadership over Rep. Ken Calvert's (R-CA) slated ascension to the App. Cmte. And if you think the tone on the right is going to be any lighter than the left's activism, check out the first question Erickson suggests his readers pose to GOP Steeting Cmt. members: "Are you aware that Ken Calvert paid a heroin addicted prostitute for oral sex?"

GOP FIELD: Enough About You

Complaining that GOP WH '08ers are talking too much about what excites them, NRO's David Frum pens "powerful national message"s for each of the declared big three:

• Mitt Romney: "Nine out of 10 Americans believe the US healthcare system needs radical reform. ... Make universal private-sector healthcare your great national cause! Quit running as the social conservative you manifestly are not, and run as the superb manager and problem-solver you have proven yourself to be.
• John McCain: "it's not just homeland security and Iraq that have been botched. Hurricane Katrina revealed the unpreparedness of US disaster agencies. ... In 2000, you ran as a reformer at a time when most voters paid little attention to government ineffectiveness. Today that problem pervades everything. You were ahead of your time then - but you could be right on time now.
• Rudy Giuliani: "Your critics say that you are abrasive and aggressive. So what? "It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken," as an old advertising slogan used to go. It takes an even tougher man to defend the free world from the planet's thugs, bullies, and terrorists."

GIULIANI: The Die Is Cast

Rudy Giuliani's Houston Baptist University address received mixed reviews (although RedState's Ben Domenech did label the effort "the end of Rudy." Reactions include:

• NY Sun's Ryan Sager: "I don't think it would be too much to say that Rudy Giuliani's speech at Houston was a historic moment for the Republican Party ... While his position on abortion during this campaign hasn't actually changed his newfound forthrightness on the issue gives Republicans a clear choice: If abortion alone is enough to disqualify Mr. Giuliani with some voters, so be it; if it's not, let's discuss everything else on the national agenda and see where we end up."
• Race 4 '08: "One of the first things I noticed about Rudy in this forum is that he almost seems liberated, as though he had previously found himself constrained by the recommendations of a myriad of political consultants and has finally thrown off the shackles.:
• The Corner's Ramesh Ponnuru: "Giuliani said, 'I am open to seeking ways of limiting abortions and I am open to decreasing abortions.' Hillary Clinton is more emphatic about wanting to reduce the abortion rate than the Giuliani of that statement. He might want to step it up a little."
• RedState's Ben Domenech: "He was more nervous and unsettled than we've ever seen him. ... Houston was his last opportunity to show a willingness to embrace the majority of his party and his country on the defining moral issue of our time, or at the very least, allow for the idea that he could move on the issue to a point where a pro-life citizen could vote for him in good conscience. Rudy made his choice. He should be happy with it. His campaign is over. He can go back to the speaking tour now."

The Brody File posts video of his reporting for the Christian Broadcasting Network which includes Ralph Reed telling viewers Giuliani "can still potentially win over pro-family voters" if he stresses his agreements with them. Brody also posts video of the speech itself.

ROMNEY: '60s Flashbacks

Linking to Spartanburg Herald Journalreports that "a wave of anti-Mormon literature has hit select South Carolina mailboxes," The Brody File remarks: "Who's up to this dirty trick? I don't care if you're for against Mitt Romney, what's happening in South Carolina is not cool."

Also on anti-Mormonism, Townhall's Hugh Hewitt links to transcripts of his interview with Time's Nancy Gibbs including this exchange:

• HH: Have you ever seen a conversation about a candidate's religious faith as intense as the one surrounding Mitt Romney?
• NG: I have not, and the closest thing, and it wasn't even, I don't think it even came anywhere close to this, was when Al Gore nominated Joe Lieberman as his running mate. And yet, I don't think even that conversation approached this one. You really do, as many people have pointed out, you have to go back to 1960 to have anything like this kind of conversation. That's really the reference point."

My Man Mitt breaks Romney's 5/13 60 Minutes appearance into digestable chunks.

DODD: Like Richardson, But Progressive

Hannah at Blue Hampshire reports on her "kitchen table" meeting with Chris Dodd in Madbury, NH: "Senator Dodd does bring a certain gravitas to the table, as one of the participants observed. ... And while Governor Richardson's experience is more varied, the Senator's seems more progressive, even liberal, in the sense of making our commitment to the proposition that "all men are created equal" a foundation of our nation's policies."

OBAMA: Blessed Is The Peacemaker

The Huffington Post's Stacy Parker Aab acknowledges sees where some Barack Obamacritics are coming from when they point out Barack Obama "permits people to see and assume in him what they want to see and assume," but goes on to defend his style: "Sen. Obama's way is how conflict gets diffused and consensus gets built. ... I would argue that Sen. Obama's desire to damp-down difference is part of the peacemaker's way. The leader who brings adversaries to the negotiation table is smart to validate points of each argument, to give confidence that she or he knows opposing concerns are legitimate and worthy of discussion. The leader instills confidence that everyone will get a fair hearing. We've had six years of my-way-or-the-highway. A strong peacemaker stands the best chance of creating progress at home and salvaging what's left of our good name abroad."

MyDD commenter Loving J promotes Obama's new "16 Votes To End The War" campaign writing: "There is no way that you will get any Senator or presidential candidate on record saying that they would endorse a total cutoff of funds and that includes John Edwards. ... Obama's strategy of late has been a smart and sharp 180 degree course turn from what other presidential contenders have been proposing. Obama smartly knows that the ultimate bargaining chip is votes. ... Just recently Obama called out senator Grassley of Iowa to stop his support of this failed war. Even after Senator Grassley protested Obama's move, Obama renewed this political pressure by saying he is not overstepping his grounds. He says the issue isn't about Washington etiquette -- it's about bringing the troops home."

RICHARDSON: Telemarketer In Chief

Bill Richardson's latest ad campaign is receiving almost universally high marks (e.g. Andrew Sullivan) but dissenters include:

• The Washington Monthly's Kevin Drum: "Call me crazy, but am I the only one who thinks that these new ads from Bill Richardson are wildly, bizarrely, wrong? ... isn't Richardson's whole problem that even though he's got a resume as long as your arm nobody really knows what he stands for? And don't these ads just confirm that while ostensibly making fun of it?
• Reno and Its Discontent's Myrna Minx: "If he weren't running or president, "cute" might be good I guess, but this "aw sucks, can't you see I'm full of Western values like humility and a love for tax cuts and guns" image just isn't very presidential. Who wants a president that lets some ass clown eating a sandwich treat him with all the dignity of someone applying for a telemarketing job?"

BLOGGERS VS. BELTWAY: Receptionists Wanted In Linder's Office

Spurred by news that House GOPers intend to replace Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA) on App. Cmt. with Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA), RedState's Erick Erickson has declared war on the House GOP Leadership. Erickson links to news stories about past questionable land deals and then adds: "I won't even go in to his arrest for soliciting a prostitute. ... This is the man House Republicans chose to replace John Doolittle. They just don't get it."

Calvert press sec. Rebecca Rudmanlater posted a defense of her boss at RedState ("all these matters were completely aired out before the Steering Committee and the full Republican Conference where my boss answered any and all questions thoroughly and in detail") but, Erickson was not assuaged. Instead, he posted a "battle plan" promising to devote one day to flood the phones of each member of the GOP Steering Cmte. until they commit to vote for or against Calvert. RedState will then target each pro-Calvert member with letters promising not to donate any money to them or the NRCC until they change their Calvert vote. Also NRCC Chair Tom Cole should expect daily phone calls on the issue.

John McCain aide and Ankle Biting Pundits blogger Patrick Hynes isn't "personally in a place to declare war" on GOPers, but does write: "We are either the party or small, clean government or we are the party that merely rewards a different set of friends than the other party."

RedState's first target, set to receive calls 5/14, is Rep. John Linder (R-GA). Erickson asks readers to ask Linder's staff: "(1) Are you aware that Ken Calvert paid a heroin addicted prostitute for oral sex? (2) Are you aware that Calvert will be the fourth California Republican on the Appropriations Committee to have records seized by the FBI?"

BLOGGERS VS. BELTWAY II: Meet The New Boss ...

A bi-partisan mix of bloggers is hitting Dem Leadership over APreports that Dems are abandoning many of their ethics reform legislation now that they are in power. David Sirota call the development "disgusting" and The Washington Monthly's Kevin Drum writes: "Come on, folks: show some spine. If Democrats want people to believe that there's really a difference between the two parties, then show them there's a difference. Put the bundling provision back in and give it a vote. It's the right thing to do."

RedState's Steve Foley adds: "In yet another campaign promise democrats have failed to live up to. It's looking more and more like tough lobby reform is losing support in the House. I guess once you've secured your seat in the House or Senate all those great ideas about reform and all that lip service spouted about "transparency" and "a better way" takes a back seat to personal entitlements, fringe benefits, and future security?"

BLOGGERS VS. BELTWAY III: So Sue Us

Power Line's Scott Johnson has invited the DNC to sue him and his fellow Power Line bloggers over a Free Republic posting repeating a Quinn & Rose XM Radio show that accused DNC Chair Howard Dean of instructing KS Gov. Kathleen Seblius (D) how best to use the destruction of Greensburg, KS, for political advantage. Johnson was moved to make the offer after the DNC sent a cease and desist letter to the Free Republic poster.

The Free Republic post also claims Seblius called Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) and confessed the Dean phone call to him. Power Line has since followed up with Brownback's office, who denied such a call ever took place. Johnson explains his support of Free Republic:

My point is not an endorsement of the truth of the statements made by Jim Quinn that were related on Free Republic. If Jim Quinn made up the story, that is reprehensible. My point is that the DNC letter threatening Free Republic with a defamation lawsuit on behalf of the Democratic National Committee is an act of thuggery, akin to the threats that faced Sinclair broadcasting at the end of the 2004 campaign. The DNC's threat against Free Republic is not well grounded under the First Amendment and the DNC's warm-up for the 2008 campaign should be stuffed now.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: But Western Civilization Would Crumble If The NSA Knows Who We Call Overseas

Responding to news that Google "has filed a patent to analyze the psychological profiles of online gamers" Outside the Beltway's James Joyner blogs:

There's nothing inherently wrong with this. Google already uses keywords and other information to target ads on various Web pages and even email messages for users of its popular Gmail service. Their desire to improve their techniques and serve more tailored ads is understandable and unobjectionable. ... The problem is that there's nothing to prevent the massive amounts of data that Google is amassing from being aggregated and put to other uses. If Google has your name, address, Social Security number, bank account number, credit card numbers, and other critical information - and it likely does if you're doing business with them as an ad seller, ad buyer, WiFi client, or with any business that Google may happen to buy in the future - plus all of your email, your calendar, your online chats, your phone conversations, every address you've used Google maps to find direction to, every search you've entered, every spreadsheet and word processing document you've worked on, and so on and so on, the potential for abuse is massive.

Furthermore, as we've seen so many times in recent years, massive compilations of data are subject to theft and otherwise being compromised. The number of government agencies and large corporations who have lost control of sensitive information is frightening. At this point, Google likely knows more about us than all Federal agencies combined.

LEST WE FORGET: Hotline Offices Moving To Mumbai

Talking Points Memo's Steve Benenlinks to news pasadenanow.com publisher James Macpherson plans to hire a journalist from India to cover "the city government and political scene of Pasadena, California, USA." Mcphereson explains: "I think it could be a significant way to increase the quality of journalism on the local level without the expense that is a major problem for local publications." Benen responds: "Got that? It's not just a way to save money; outsourcing news coverage can make journalism better. Please. Someone can watch a city council meeting anywhere, and dutifully act as a stenographer, but it's a stretch to call it journalism."

Posted by Conn Carroll at May 14, 2007 12:42 PM