The Press Corps’ Disturbingly Battered Spouse Syndrome Like Symptoms
Libby over at the Newshoggers points out an interesting little anecdote from the McCain campaign trail. But where she finds cause for hope and humor, I remain deeply disturbed.
Sphere: Related ContentFrom the Desk of John Sidney McCain, R-POW
NBC Correspondent Kelly O’Donnell transcribes reports from the Straight Talk Express:
Advisors say if Obama gets “nastier” on [the 'how many houses'] issue that opens the door for them. Advisors say the “Rezko deal stinks to the high heavens.” They will be prepared to show McCain’s “home” in Hanoi by using images of his cell. They claim they have not overused the POW element and insist they have “underused it.”
Since O’Donnell is apparently angling for a lucrative new position as McCain campaign stenographer, I’ll happily do her current job for her and challenge the notion that McCain has ever been reluctant to play the POW card:
Sphere: Related ContentWhat Sully Said *UPDATED*
“Oh yes, with sprinkles!”
As Kathy previously noted, new Political Animal head honcho Steve Benen has penned the ultimate smackdown of Ron “keep up the fight” Fournier’s bullshit op-ed-masquerading-as-analysis re: the newly announced Obama/Biden ticket (sample dingleberry of wisdom: Biden “talks too much”–yep, that’s why they pay Ron the big bucks, folks), both of which y’all should check out (assuming you haven’t yet done so). But I want to highlight something that Andrew Sullivan also noticed regarding Fournier and his blatant (if inconsistent) use of “aggressive Republican spin”:
Last spring…Fournier was lambasting Obama for arrogance [link added--mb]. Now, apparently, it’s a lack of confidence. Whatever works, I guess. But please, get a blog.
From “ooz[ing] entitlement” to lacking confidence–apparently even the DC bureau chief of the Associated Press has trouble keeping GOP talking points straight. Forget blogging — methinks Fournier should just get out of the beltway entirely, maybe score himself a nice quiet job behind the counter of Dunkin’ Donuts.
Whatever works, natch.
Sphere: Related ContentOn Misogyny, Racism, and the MSM
Sphere: Related ContentThe Beltway as Bret Michaels
In 17 words, Gabriel Sherman unwittingly sums up precisely what is wrong with American campaign journalism:
[T]he press wants to put its love somewhere, and, right now, that love is up for grabs.
Fuck the public interest–it’s all about who’s ready to rock Adam Nagourney’s world!
h/t Atrios
Sphere: Related ContentThrowing darts at a board
As the countdown to the clinch continues, the Village Idiots are growing ever more idiotic at the prospect of talking gibberish when Senator Barack Obama becomes the first black nominee for president of the USA. David Gergen, charter member of The Best Political Team on Television™, just gave a preview of what’s to come by noting that Obama’s now-all-but-inevitable nomination comes “exactly” 200 years after the end of the slave trade.
Got that, folks? We can now officially start talking about racism in the past tense.
With that–and, as this “historic” campaign goes to the next level, the promise of even more hoary, overinflated rhetoric from a punditocracy addicted to soundbite significance–in mind, this refreshingly grounded LRB essay from David Runciman couldn’t be more timely.
Sphere: Related ContentThe Rules: John Hagee on an Anti-Semitic Remix Tip
The Rev. John C. Hagee, whose anti-Catholic remarks created a controversy when Senator John McCain received his endorsement for the Republican presidential nomination with fanfare, has issued a letter expressing regret for “any comments that Catholics have found hurtful.”
The letter was issued after weeks of conversations between Mr. Hagee and Roman Catholic Republicans about repairing the damage to Mr. McCain’s campaign and the alliance built over many years between conservative Catholics and evangelicals.
[...]
“In my zeal to oppose anti-Semitism and bigotry in all its ugly forms,” he wrote, “I have often emphasized the darkest chapters in the history of Catholic and Protestant relations with the Jews.
“In the process, I may have contributed to the mistaken impression that the anti-Jewish violence of the Crusades and the Inquisition defines the Catholic Church. It does not.”
Mr. Hagee’s letter, dated May 12, was addressed to William Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Civil and Religious Rights, who drew attention to Mr. Hagee’s remarks after he endorsed Mr. McCain in February.
Mr. Donohue said of Mr. Hagee’s letter: “Well, miracles do happen. If I wasn’t a believer before, I sure am now.
“Republican activists have been working with him over the last several weeks, giving him books and articles and getting him up to speed and away from the black legends about the Catholic Church. I have to assume he’s acting sincerely, and now understands” that he has been recycling conspiracy theories.
At a news conference on Tuesday afternoon in North Bend, Wash., outside Seattle, Mr. McCain praised Mr. Hagee’s letter. “The fact that he has made an apology I think is very helpful,” Mr. McCain said. “Whenever someone apologizes for something they did wrong, then I think that that’s a laudable thing.”
Well, Hagee has apologized, Billy D. is happy (miraculous!), and good ol’ McCain is still smelling rosy (as far as the jerks in the MSM are concerned). Guess that just about wraps things up, right? Not so fast, says Talk 2 Action cofounder Bruce Wilson (via The Revealer):
Read more
The New Mission of the Liberal Blogosphere
Strangely enough, the new mission of the liberal blogosphere looks an awful lot like the old mission of the liberal blogosphere.
Hey, Whatever Happened To That Edwards Guy…?
(h/t Greg Sargent @ The Horse’s Mouth)
Sphere: Related ContentHorse Races and Verbal Oatmeal
Matt Taibbi continues his superlative coverage-of-2008-presidential-election-coverage with this Rolling Stone essay that examines slavering Beltway horse race journalism and the unquestioning digestion of “maddeningly nonspecific, platitude-filled verbal oatmeal that every candidate has spent the last year slinging in all directions”.
Sphere: Related ContentJohn King Needs A Time Out
Hmm, methinks Greenwald struck a delicate, precious nerve with CNN tongue bather Chief Political Correspondent John King after GG took King to the woodshed the other day over a recent Situation Room rim job King gave to perpetual media darling John McCain (as is apparently King’s wont):
The MSM Giveth, And It Taketh Away
As Howie Kurtz writes for the Washington Post, Mrs. Clinton has taken to one of the oldest rightwing talking points in the book; the media is biased against her. To Mr. Kurtz’s credit, he does a decent job of showing where there’s smoke to the fire, and where the Clinton campaign may just be pouring on the whine a little too heavily.
But through it all, there are just some natural aspects of the media everyone seems to forget.
Sphere: Related ContentQuote Of The Day: High-Brow Panty-Sniffing
The goal of the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy isn’t merely to win — it’s to make the public feel that any Democrat who might attain real power is someone no decent person should associate with, someone we should cross the street to avoid, someone whose intentions and goals are dangerous — if not unspeakable. That’s the message being spread right now about Hillary Clinton in these linked communications. She is a lesbian agent of terror. Her vagina will get us all killed.
- Steve M., nailing it.
Sphere: Related ContentSlacker Friday: Half An Ass Is Better Than None
Still recovering from a recent bout with the flu, so this week’s edition is even more slacker-iffic than usual. Hopefully by Monday I will have mitigated all overriding meatworld concerns enough to at least mail it in, as opposed to phoning it in (hell–forget half-assed telecom blogging; we’re talking two tin cans tied together with string here).
With that said, onward ho, dear readers!
Sphere: Related Content“The Unabomber Effect”
Via my ObWings homeboy cleek: Brendan Nyhan highlights a nutty unique handwritten fundraising letter from everyones favourite paranoid courageous anarcho-capitalist personality cult presidential candidate, Ron Paul (shorter Dr. Paul: “ZOMG TEH YOO EN IS TRYIN’ TO STEAL’ UR GUNZ! BLACK HELICOPTERS AT 12 O’CLOCK!!!1).
Nyhan aptly notes “the Unabomber effect of Paul’s scrawl on faux yellow legal paper.” Hey, at least the Five Million Dollar Man obviously recognizes who his base constituency is. Within less than 30 minutes of posting, the usual motley brigade of tin-foil adorned subliterate mouth-breathers arrive like fucking clockwork (coincidence or…conspiracy?!)
Hopefully once Paul is soundly defeated by the vastest conspiracy ever known to mankind (ie, reality), his NAU-fearin’ minions can retrain their focus on other worthy fringe obsessions, like “9/11: Was it Bush, Mossad or BOTH?!” or “Who possesses more raw sex appeal: Alex Jones’ NWO stormtroopers or David Icke’s shape changing lizards?”
That said, I have to agree with Kevin Drum here:
It really says something when a guy who drones on about “fiat money,” thinks we ought to abolish the Federal Reserve, claims the UN wants to confiscate our guns, and apparently believes that Canada is conspiring to annex us, often sounds like the sanest Republican on the stage.
After the fold, some choice comments that have been left by Paulites on Nyhan’s post.
Sphere: Related Content
Quote of the Day: The American Opiate
“The most important thing is that I am a Christian”- Republican Presidential candidate John McCain, clarifying his position on the raging “Episcopalian or Baptist” debate. (h/t Atrios)
Sphere: Related Content
Smoke & Mirrors, Take 69
The Petraeus Kabuki performance commences today, and the breathless anticipation is palpable. Yeah, well, colour me preemptively unimpressed, underwhelmed and continuing to exhale.
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