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Mary Matalin’s MTP hackery
Brian Montopoli of CJR Daily dissects some especially ridiculous spin from Mary Matalin on Meet the Press, and does a nice job drawing out its larger implications: After Russert brought up Pat Robertson’s claim that the federal judiciary is a greater threat than “a few bearded terrorists who fly into buildings,” he showed a MoveOn.org
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Tomorrow’s anti-Hillary agitprop today
I just received a fundraising solicitation from the RNC with this quote from Hillary Clinton on the envelope, at the top of the letter, and in the body of the letter: “We’re going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good.” It’s presented with no context in the first two cases.
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Washington Monthly highlights
The latest issue of the Washington Monthly has a creative set of policy recommendations for governors planning to run for the White House. Well worth a read. It also has a decent article on the declining political fortunes of Governor Schwarzanegger, who is discovering that trying to go it alone in the two-party system isn’t
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John Lott: Please seek help
Via Kieran Healy at Crooked Timber, I see that the indefatigable Tim Lambert has caught John Lott posting yet another fraudulent review of his own work under a pseudonym. According to Lambert, Lott has now posted eighteen anonymous five-star reviews of his own books. Unbelievable and sad.
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What is Jeff Greenfield talking about? (Clinton haircut edition)
In a Washington Monthly review of The Survivor by John F. Harris, Jeff Greenfield dredges up some Clinton-era propaganda: Reading The Survivor is to be reminded of the sheer chaos that at times seemed to swamp the White House, from the superficial (sloppy dress,”boxers or briefs?,” chronic tardiness, all-night pizza pig-outs) to the problematic (a
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What is Tom McMahon talking about? (Nuclear option edition)
Tom McMahon, the executive director of the DNC, just sent out an anti-nuclear option email to supporters that includes this passage: [Republicans are] trying to seize absolute control over all three branches of government — and they will do anything to get what they want. In one move they will try to simultaneously crush all
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A peek into the paranoid liberal psyche
“Avedon,” a guest blogger at Eschaton, displays the classic reasoning of the conspiracy-minded: One reason I don’t think it’s at all paranoid to suspect that the Republicans have deliberately taken over the voting system in order to cheat is that they keep doing things that don’t otherwise make sense. There’s a rather long list of
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Joe Klein takes a stand against Clinton/Bush dominance
Time’s Joe Klein joins my call to oppose any Clinton or Bush running for president in 2008: What’s more, I suspect there would be innate and appropriate populist resistance to this slouch toward monarchial democracy [if Hillary runs for president in 2008]. There is something fundamentally un-American — and very European — about the Clintons
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The David Brooks/John Tierney echo chamber
Media Matters nails a couple of uncanny similarities in David Brooks’ and John Tierney’s columns: Brooks on President Bush’s Social Security proposal, May 8: Democrats have been hectoring President Bush in the manner of an overripe Fourth of July orator. … Over the past few weeks, the president has called their bluff. Tierney on President
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When inappropriate metaphors attack! (Sarah Vowell edition)
Via Wonkette, here’s Sarah Vowell on why she didn’t turn down her role in The Incredibles: [Pixar is] the best at what they do, the most universally culturally revered. It’s like if Nelson Mandela showed up asking for your help to fight racism. Maybe fighting racism isn’t normally your thing. Maybe you’re more of an