November 15, 2007

11/15: A Case For Gotcha

Tim Russert has been something of a punching bag among the netroots since 10/30's Dem debate and we think the bad rap is completely undeserved. Matthew Yglesias blogs: "Russert's interview methods obscure the good ideas of people who have good ideas, but also obscure the bad ideas of people who have bad ideas, drawing all political conversation into a miasma of substance-free posturing." Really. We must be watching completely different campaigns because it's the canned campaign speeches and soft ball interviews that seem to be best lend themselves to "substance-free posturing." Cutesy debate enders aside (like UFOs) Russert's questioning gets to the heart of the matter.

Just look at the moment still driving news a full two weeks after the debate: Russert's questioning on NY Gov. Eliot Spitzer's (D) drivers' license plan for illegal immigrants. Hillary Clinton's evasive answer went to the heart of many Dem primary voters worries about her (see Lawrence Lessig below) and immigration is guaranteed to be an issue in the general election. Now Barack Obama is drawing a strong policy difference with HRC on the issue, coming out in favor of the licenses 11/14. Sounds like a real issue that highlights key differences between the candidates to us. The only actual example of questioning Yglesias wants to see more of is on the Dem candidates global warming plans, but everythingwe read says they're identical. Talk about a recipe for "substance-free posturing." Let's hope Wolf Blitzer follows Russert's lead tonight.

CLINTON: This Issue Is Gonna Be On The Table Through 11/4

Hillary Clinton's decision to come out against drivers' license for illegal aliens is only driving away more netroots support. A Daily Kos diarist summarizes: "Hillary Clinton has triangulated herself into a pretzel, providing great material for Republicans to use against her on the topic of illegal immigration in the general election, if she makes it that far. This is exactly the kind of thing that hurt John Kerry in 2004, and allowed Republicans to provide a caricature of a politician that didn't really stand for anything. The thing with Hillary is, it truly is beginning to appear that she doesn't. "

TPM's Greg Sargent notes Barack Obama was "quick" to get a response out: "When it takes two weeks and six different positions to answer one question on immigration, it's easier to understand why the Clinton campaign would rather plant their questions than answer them."

HRC sympathizer Jeralyn Merritt at Talk Left blogs: "I'm disappointed to see that Hillary Clinton has now come out against drivers licenses for the undocumented. Her advisers think this will take the issue "off the table." I think it opens her up to new attacks in tomorrow night's debate for being inconsistent. She said at the last debate she wasn't particularly familiar with the proposals. I assume she is now. That's what makes her statement so disappointing."

OBAMA: No Karma For The Chameleon

With Hillary Clinton floundering on immigration and authenticity, Barack Obama made huge gains in netroots circles with his new technology plan and an endorsement from Stanford law prof. Lawrence Lessig. Open Left's Matt Stoller blogs: "Today, Obama is throwing down the gauntlet on a internet freedom, telecom lobbyists, and on opening up government in general to the public. It's some genuinely radical stuff, and it includes the use of blogs, wikis, and openness in government hearings. ... I am now leaning towards Obama in my choice for President, with a second choice of Edwards."

At his own blog, Lessig explains why he chose Obama: "But the part that gets me the most about Senator Clinton is the eager embrace of spinelessness. I don't get this in Democrats generally. ... Our party seems constitutionally wedded to the idea that you wage a campaign with tiny speech. Say as little as possible. Be as uncontroversial as you can. Embrace the chameleon as the mascot."

DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas links and comments: "Yeah, that pretty much sums up the problem with Hillary."

Talk Left's Big Tent Democrat is not willing to let Obama off the hook so easy: "Kos writes about Lawrence Lessig's endorsement of Senator Barack Obama and I think both Kos' reaction and Lessig's endorsement are troubling in that they ask next to nothing of Obama while being too willing to embrace the false Media narrative regarding Hillary Clinton. ... Is anyone pretending it does not describe Barack Obama? To endorse an endorsement of Obama that, in its core argument, is an attack on failings that Obama possesses is ludicrous. If people want more from Hillary's challengers, and by extension, more from Hillary, they simply can not let the Hillary challengers off the hook."

Later, however, BTD does credit Obama for stepping up on immigration: "This is Barack Obama's finest moment in this campaign. And Senator Hillary Clinton's lowest. ... I have said that if I were to vote today, I would vote for Barack Obama. Prior to this, it would have been a reluctant vote in his favor. Now it would be a proud vote for Obama. This is the promise he has shown now manifested in REAL leadership."

OBAMA II: It Depends On What Your Definition Of Opposition Is

Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) attempts to take Barack Obama's Iraq war credentials down a peg at The Huffington Post: "I thought Iraq was the wrong war at the wrong time and have been fighting to get the Administration to stop its failed policy and bring our troops home. ... Senator Obama has been trying to use his early opposition to the 2002 authorization to use military force as a way to bring attention to his campaign. And that's fine -- that's politics. ... But he should be more careful, because his record doesn't always line up with his rhetoric. ... When it comes to ending the war, the question needs to be: Which candidate has the experience, maturity, skill and ability to safely get our troops out of Iraq and bring this sad chapter in our history to an end? I believe Hillary Clinton not only wants to end the war, she can end the war. If I didn't believe that, there is no way I would be supporting her."

Ret. Gen. Tony McPeak then responded, also at HuffPo, first noting that Obama told Wolf Blitzer in '04 that he would have voted against the war had he been in the Senate: "Hillary Clinton made a different choice. For starters, she refused to even read the National Intelligence Estimate that was made available to Senators before the vote for war ... Barack Obama, on the other hand, opposed the war in Iraq in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007. ... If the American people are looking for who has the strength and experience to end the war, they should look very carefully at who had the strength and experience to get Iraq right from the beginning. Because the Clinton campaign may be able to plant Senator Clinton's questions, but they can't change her record, or Senator Obama's answers.

Commenting on the latest Iraq appropriation, Talk Left's Big Tent Democrat is still not convinced on Obama's Iraq war leadership.: "If Lawrence Lessig is right about the willingness of Senator Barack Obama to stand up to the Beltway Establishment, then here is a chance for him to prove it. Prove something to those of us who want the Iraq Debacle ended Senator Obama. Prove Lessig right. LEAD the fight to end the Iraq Debacle NOW."

OBAMA III: Help Us Obama-wan Your Our Only Hope

At a recent visit to a UC Irvine history class, The Huffington Post's Jon Wiener reports Seymour Hersh told the audience Barack Obama represents "the only hope for the US in the Muslim world, " since only he "could lead a reconciliation between the Muslim countries and the US."

The Washington Monthly's Kevin Drum reads similar thoughts in reader comments at Slate and concludes: "This might be the single most compelling reason there is to vote for Barack Obama. All of the Democratic candidates would improve America's substantive position in the world, but Obama goes a step further by being the only one who would improve our standing just by being who he is. Food for thought."

DEM FIELD: Primary Season's Almost Over

Pollster.com's Mark Blumnethal rounds up blog and Politico reports on suspected push polling in IA against Hillary Clinton and John Edwards and concludes: "If the "poll" included just the five questions above, it fits the profile of the a real so-called push poll, again, not a poll at all but a negative "advocacy call" masquerading as a legitimate survey. ... The pollster may be testing negative messages against Hillary (the front-runner) and whomever the respondent supports. A Republican group paying for a poll like this might be testing to see what kind of messages would work best against Hillary and whomever Democratic respondents lean towards."

DEM FIELD II: Why Edwards Is Still Popular Online

David Sirota takes Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to task for their 'kabuki' dance on free trade:

Clinton has raked in so much corporate cash that she was recently celebrated on the cover of Fortune Magazine. Obama, meanwhile, is Wall Street's darling, according to campaign finance reports. These contributions to both candidates come from industries that have a stake in preserving the NAFTA-style status quo - and, as anyone who has worked a day in politics knows, big campaign checks come with an expectation of complicity. And so this is what we get - a kabuki dance from candidates who pray that voters are too dumb to figure it all out.

MCCAIN: Surging On The Surge

Power Line's John Hinderaker is ready to call John McCain officially "back" writing: "It's no secret that I like McCain a lot. He is a life-long and thorough-going conservative, a man who has grappled publicly with every important issue of our time, a man whose courage, dedication and intelligence are beyond question. ... He got on the wrong side of the illegal immigration issue, along with President Bush and others, but has since moved back toward the Republican center."

RedState's Adam C also sees a McCain resurgence: "Anecdotally, many Republicans I know who would have disavowed McCain as a RiNO only 6 months ago have regained respect for the Senator. ... This is somewhat born out by the unscientific data collected in this interesting RedState preference diary. Despite being barely ahead of Huckabee for 4th in first place votes, McCain is neck-in-neck with Romney for 2nd place overall."

McCain held a blogger conference call 11/14. Reports include:

• AmSpec Blog's Philip Klein quotes McCain on Iraq: "I do appreciate the fact that when the surge started, when we were at a low point in the Iraq situation, Sen. Edwards called it the 'McCain surge' and the 'McCain strategy' ... I hope he'll keep calling it that. I haven't heard him call it that lately."
• Soren Dayton quotes McCain's response to Leon Wolf's question whether McCain would appoint judges who would overturn McCain-Feingold: "Of course. I voted for Roberts and Alito. I don't know a single Republican Senator who would vote for the nuclear option. I am proud of the gang of 14. I am proud of my support for strict constructionist judges. There was going to be a lot of money spent on ads Some people were going to make a lot of money in that fight. If you don't like the Gang of 14, I am not your man."
• Wolf on McCain's answer at RedState: "It's nice to hear McCain say "Yes" in response to whether he'd nominate a Justice who might overturn BCRA, but if he wants to reel in primary voters like me who are more or less open to persuasion right now, he needs to make us believe it. And right now, I'm not sure that I do. So all in all, I was kind of disappointed by his answer
• Captain's Quarters: "McCain sounded pretty feisty today, and I think did very well. ... About the unwillingness of foreign service officers to go to Iraq: he thought they agreed to serve the nation in any capacity. He thinks that's indicative of serious problems at Foggy Bottom, and should be addressed immediately."

MCCAIN II: We'll Take Creative Web Attacks For A Hundred Alex

Conservatives are enamored with a new quiz show-style game on John McCain's website. Townhall's Patrick Ruffini reports: "A user who answers 'Rudy Giuliani' on question 7 of the game -- "Which candidate is the best general election candidate the Republican Party could nominate?" gets this answer: "The nomination of Rudy Giuliani would likely lead to the formation of a third party made up of social conservatives. He would also likely get "swift boated" by fireman (sic), police officers, and even victims of 9-11 who are upset with his performance." ... This is the first time that I am aware of that a Republican candidate has hyped the idea of a third party in the event of a Giuliani nomination."

NRO's Jim Geraghty also picked up on the negative messaging at the heart of the game: "The answers are funny, sometimes bordering on mean. When asked, 'which candidate held Sen. Clinton accountable for attempting to waste taxpayer dollars on a museum for the cultural and pharmaceutical event', if you pick Obama, the answer is 'Barack Obama has been unable to hold Hillary Clinton accountable for anything. The correct answer was John McCain.'"

HUCKABEE: His Ears Are On Fire

NRO's Jim Geraghty posts text of Fred Thompson latest IA ad and comments: "Subtext: Sure, that Huckabee fella seems good on life issues. But he's a squish on illegal immigration."

Geraghty also shares a new Team Romney associate's take on Mitt Romney's next move: "From what I hear, Team Romney is taking Governor Huckabee's surge very seriously. Huckabee's support for tax increases will become known far and wide throughout Iowa over the next sixty days. While concern about social conservative issues (and I include immigration in this basket) tend to be more top of mind for Iowa Republicans than fiscal conservative issues, it will be interesting to see if the Huck's Iowa surge continues after Iowans are 'fully educated' about his enthusiastic support for Clinton-like tax increases in Arkansas."

THOMPSON: Frame Job

The National Right to Life Committee's Fred Thompson endorsement continues to spark controversy among conservatives. Responding to a Washington Times article repeating Paul Weyrich assertions that "Thompson people were engaged with the National Right to Life people in financial dealing," NRO's Jim Geraghty blogs: "I like the Washington Times, I have friends who work there, and think they're usually a fine journalistic institution - but I wince at letting a guy make an accusation like that without any evidence in the news pages."

At Townhall, Matt Lewis explains why Thompson's Meet the Press rhetoric was so much more damaging than the positions he took: "Clearly, the insinuation that girls could be charged with a crime for having an abortion has ruffled more feathers than Thompson's comments about the GOP platform. ... Many pro-Lifer's are obviously sensitive to having "one of their own" use an argument which has been successfully employed by their opponents. ... So it's no surprise ardent pro-Life activists resent having a Republican -- much less the fellow who was endorsed by the NRLC -- bolster the argument."

BLOGGERS VS BELTWAY: Keep 'Em Busy

The Blue America PAC (led by Fire Dog Lake, Down with Tyranny, Crooks and Liars, and Digby) are teaming up with The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights to hand Dem Caucus Chair Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) a "Accountability Moment."

Howie Klein explains: "A few weeks ago Democratic Party insiders under the aegis of the DCCC held a training session in Chicago for a couple dozen of their favored candidates. Afterwards several of the participants, disgusted, let Blue America know that Rahm Emanuel delivered an ominous message demanding that they "move to the right" on immigration. ... The ad you see above is even now being translated into several languages and customized for various communities. Many people feel that if Congressman Emanuel is busy kissing babies in Chicago he won't be meddling with matters of national importance he knows nothing about and he won't be interfering in congressional races around the country on behalf of Blue Dogs, Bush Dogs and assorted reactionaries."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: There's More To Life Than Politics?

Campaign Standard's Matthew Continetti excerpts form the 2008 Almanac of American Politics:

Polls show that public opinion on the state of the economy is so highly correlated with party identification that one must conclude it is less an assessment of objective conditions and more a matter of supporting the home team. Republicans complained about the vibrant economy in Clinton's second term; Democrats complained about the vibrant economy in Bush's second term. Macroeconomic numbers no longer move political numbers.

Continetti comments: "A similar partisan divide can be seen in foreign policy polling. Overall, however, the staggering statistic I take away from the above passage is that the United States has experienced noninflationary economic growth in 95 percent of the last 25 years. And yet we see the reemergence of "inequality" rhetoric. Why? Something tells me it has more than a little to do with political polarization."

LEST WE FORGET: Does This Mean John Lithgow Is Actually From This Planet?

The Haterquotes St. Lawrence Univ. prof. John Barthelme on ABC's sitcom Cavemen: "The commercials were clever, but the sitcom is just a tremendously missed opportunity. They're just young guys with hair that talk about chicks." The Hater snarks: "Seriously, Prof. If there's one thing I expect from my sitcoms, it's scientific accuracy. When will Hollywood create a Neanderthal character that is true-to-life?"

Posted by Conn Carroll at November 15, 2007 12:47 PM