Tuesday’s Mini-Report

November 21, 2006

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Keith Olbermann had another one of his special commentaries last night, this time on the president, his trip to Vietnam, and the lessons Bush hasn’t yet learned. “There are dozens central lessons to be learned from our nightmare in Vietnam,” Olbermann said, “but ‘we’ll succeed unless we quit’ is not one of them.”

* Marshall Wittmann unexpectedly gave up blogging late last week. Now we now why: the former Christian Coalition lobbyist has become the Communications Director for Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.).

* Wesley Clark has written up his latest plan for the future of the war in Iraq. He’s big on diplomacy, down on timelines.

* Congressional Dems had planned to package a series of ethics-reform measures together into one big piece of legislation, but then party strategists had a far better idea: pass the reform measures one at a time “allowing incoming freshmen to take charge of high-profile issues and lengthening the time spent on the debate. The approach will ensure that each proposal…is debated on its own and receives its own vote.” This way, it’s more positive headlines. Not a bad idea.

* Congressional Dems, not amused by the president tapping an anti-birth control advocate to become the government’s new family-planning chief, has asked Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt to find someone else for the job. “We are concerned that Dr. Keroack has promoted policies — including the refusal to distribute contraception even to married women — that directly conflict with the mission of the federal program,” Dems said.

* A leading senator today called John McCain’s plans for more troops in Iraq “wrong” and “not realistic.” Unfortunately for McCain, the senator was conservative Republican Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), a close McCain ally.

* I don’t think any plans for a new military draft are going anywhere fast. In fact, Pelosi seems to want Rangell to stop talking about it altogether.

* Meet the new Defense Secretary, whose ways sound eerily familiar to the old Defense Secretary.

* Cute story about Barack Obama reaching out a critic.

* Just in time for the holiday season: “A new [CBPP] analysis of data on hardships faced by American families — based on an annual survey the Administration plans to eliminate this fiscal year — shows that between one-fourth and one-third of all African American and Latino citizen families experience difficulty affording food, lack needed medical care, and/or live in overcrowded conditions.”

* Yet another setback for the right’s outreach to African Americans.

* Fox News’ The Beltway Boys co-host and Weekly Standard executive editor Fred Barnes seems to be hard at work on the next right-wing meme.

* And in the Senate, new Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) recently joked that he scrapped an idea to impeach the president. Why? “Two words: Dick Cheney,” Reid said.

If none of these particular items are of interest, consider this an end-of-the-day open thread.

The Olbermann comment last night was one of the best thus far. He got a bit more to the point (probably in answer to some like-minded critiques). A must watch.

  • “There is no better person to take the helm during this new time in my Senate career than Marshall,” Lieberman said. “Marshall has been a trusted outside advisor to me for some time now and I’m glad he will be bring his experience and wisdom to my staff. Those qualities, along with his independence and diverse background, make him the ideal captain of my new Senate Communications team.”

    Wittman is about as “independent” in his GOP talking points as his “god” John McCain is. Dickheads of a feather, flock together. LIEberman is definitely making himself into some sort of conservative legend-in-his-own-mind.

    McCain/Lieberman 2008 – I predict it.

  • “(T)he flurry of news and entertainment coverage over Michael Richards’ racist tirade is the latest illustration of this enduring innocence. And it isn’t as if America is unaware that it has bigots in its midst. Mel Gibson proved that again last summer that anti-Semites still exist in America and the ‘liberal’ entertainment industry. And now we’re shocked all over again like Drew Barrymore in 50 First Dates that there are racists there, too, in spite of being regularly reminded by clowns such as Sen. George Allen, Trent Lott, John Rocker and a slew of others.” – The Show About Nothing…

  • Tom Cleaver

    Wittman makes no secret of this admiration for McCain, but he does not espouse GOP talking points. I’ve read him long enough to know that is not true. He has his own points; he doesn’t need theirs.

    This election period Wittman went overboard in his support of Liebermann. I stopped reading his posts on the subject because they were so sycophanitc.

    Nonetheless, I have no problem with him becoming Lieberman’s PR guy. I may not agree with every one of their positions, but I believe that they are sincere. Furthermore, I would rather have them on my side then against me, and I really think they share more with the Democratic Party than with Republicans.

  • I was once a regular reader of Whitman’s blog, and I do not believe it is fair to characterize him as a wingnut, notwithstanding his history with the Christian Coalition. However, that I grew tired of his blog for precisely the same reason why I soured on Lieberman: he had become increasingly intolerant Democratic criticism of Bush regarding Iraq. In Whitman’s defense, the basis of his criticism was not his love for Bush but his fear that the Democrats’ rhetoric would be politically self-defeating. But in rehtorical style, he and Lieberman are a perfect fit.

    P.S. Olbermann rocks.

  • Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) recently joked that he scrapped an idea to impeach the president. Why? “Two words: Dick Cheney,” Reid said.

    That’s no excuse.
    Two words: Cheney first.

  • I was once a regular reader of Whitman’s blog, and I do not believe it is fair to characterize him as a wingnut, notwithstanding his history with the Christian Coalition. However, that I grew tired of his blog for precisely the same reason why I soured on Lieberman: he had become increasingly intolerant Democratic criticism of Bush regarding Iraq. In Whitman’s defense, the basis of his criticism was not his love for Bush but his fear that the Democrats’ rhetoric would be politically self-defeating. But in rehtorical style, he and Lieberman are a perfect fit.

    What he said. After the 2004 defeat, I enjoyed Wittman’s blog a great deal: he seemed like the only person out there thinking clearly, and his insider perspective on the Republicans and insights into what could bring them down struck me as both smart and therapeutic.

    Eventually, though, I got sick of his schtick. And his Lieberman stuff soon became disgusting–but then, I guess for someone of Wittman’s ever-malleable perspective and hunger to see his name in print, neither Holy Joe’s flippety-floppety nor his endless running in front of Faux cameras was too troubling. Both of them seem to perceive expedience as principle.

    What I don’t get is that Wittman, based on his blog, has genuine populist economic views–and Joe is a corporate whore in the $5,000-a-night league. Joe’s not a “Scoop Jackson Democrat” so much as he’s a (sort of) pro-choice Mitch McConnell.

    P.S. Olbermann rocks.

    I’m down with this, too.

  • The NYTimes story on Wittmann by Mark Leibovich has a great paragraph.

    To say that Mr. Wittmann defies classification is like saying Paris Hilton defies modesty. But in his peripatetic soul, he is a Washington Original, a man without a political country going to work for a senator without a political party.

  • * Congressional Dems had planned to package a series of ethics-reform measures together into one big piece of legislation, but then party strategists had a far better idea: pass the reform measures one at a time “allowing incoming freshmen to take charge of high-profile issues and lengthening the time spent on the debate. The approach will ensure that each proposal…is debated on its own and receives its own vote.” This way, it’s more positive headlines. Not a bad idea.

    An excellent idea. Whether the headlines will be positive or not, there’ll be more of them. Plus, there’s less chance that “for a lack of a nail… a kingdom will be lost” .Tying several disparate measures into a single bill is a *bad* idea (vide inheritance tax tied to the minimum wage increase)
    ——————————-
    * Just in time for the holiday season: “A new [CBPP] analysis of data on hardships faced by American families — based on an annual survey the Administration plans to eliminate this fiscal year — shows that between one-fourth and one-third of all African American and Latino citizen families experience difficulty affording food, lack needed medical care, and/or live in overcrowded conditions.”

    And that’s news? News would be if Americans took to the streets, the way Poles did in’72 (in a communist country, yet!, where strikes were illegal and open opposition unheard of). One leader decided to raise prices — early in Dec. On Christmas Eve, a new leader promised not to (or not before Jan 6, anyway)
    ———————————-

    * Yet another setback for the right’s outreach to African Americans.

    Boston U is a Catholic entity; it’s not surprising they have their share of nuts and lack the squirrels. What’s surprising is that 25% “Caucasianism” is enough to qualify for the grant (perhaps that’s why that grant is so piddling).
    —————————————
    * And in the Senate, new Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) recently joked that he scrapped an idea to impeach the president. Why? “Two words: Dick Cheney,” Reid said.

    It seems like almost *everyone* on any of the liberal blogs could have been(should have been?) the Majority Leader on that subject at least 3 months ago….
    ——————————————
    Oh, and from *yesterday’s* mini-report:
    * Congrats to the Houston janitors, who seem to have scored a big win today.

    Do, please, go back to that one (sorry, I don’t know how to embed, or even how to copy a quote with an embedded link) and *read through the entire entry*. Once the rah-rah is over, you get a report from a woman who’d been arrested for civil disobedience. Perhaps, afterall, “terror suspects” should not be granted any rights via Geneva Conventions or any other laws; if Americans captured in Houston don’t why should anyone else?

  • PS
    * Fox News’ The Beltway Boys co-host and Weekly Standard executive editor Fred Barnes seems to be hard at work on the next right-wing meme.

    It ain’t *theological” it be *genetc*

  • Boston U is a Catholic entity
    libra you are thinking of Boston College. Boston University is a secular private University which was run until very recently by the autocratic John Silber, doctoral adviser, while at UT-Austin, to form drug czar, public scold, and recovering gambling addict Bill Bennett.

  • Tom Cleaver: I had the exact same thought (prediction) when I read that Marshall Whitman was going to work for Holy Joe. He is on a mission to put together his wet dream of a ticket for 2008: McCain / Lieberman. This has no appeal to me but both these guys appeal to the “non-political junkie / I vote the man not the party / social liberal-fiscal conservatives” that I know. Whitman’s wet dream is my nightmare.

    I shall not miss Whitman’s blog. I read it for a while and agreed with him on some things. His writing became more and more annoying to me as he constantly feared “that the Democrats’ rhetoric would be politically self-defeating” and continually extolled the virtues of two pols for whom I was developing deep contempt; you guessed it: McCain and Lieberman. One day I had to ask myself “What kind of a guy refers to himself not only in the third person (always a suspicious character “trait” to me) but also as an animal? How annoying is it that he refers to his followers as Mooseketeers”? Answer: Someone whose opinions of value I know longer have time to cull from the “bull,” and an ego maniac, to boot.

    Viva Carpetbagger.

  • Reid’s argument sucks. If a president deserves impeachment, then impeach him. NOW. That’s your JOB. There is no way we should allow Bush to get away with killing hundreds of thousands of people for a PACK OF LIES just because he has an evil VP. Impeach him too. Which Republican president HASN’T had a stupid and/or evil VP?

    I am totally disgusted with this. No one should take impeachment off the table until there has been an investigation. What about phase 2, Harry? Why isn’t that a priority?

    I wish we had a real opposition party.

  • Harry Reid can’t impeach the President (#14) he can only convict him if the House sends up articles of Impeachment. The House has to act first. Until then Harry does not a “JOB”.

  • Lance – Do you think the House will act? I’m kind of 50-50 on this. I thought Conyers was going for hearings, but was surprised to see last week that he reportedly said:

    “The incoming speaker (Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.) has said that impeachment is off the table. I am in total agreement with her on this issue: Impeachment is off the table.”

    http://www.newhousenews.com/archive/tilove111006.html

    But if he starts holding hearings and if it becomes clear that it is his sworn duty to present articles of impeachment, will he do it or not? Or is he not holding any Iraq/Torture/Wiretapping hearings, period?

  • “Lance – Do you think the House will act?” – Ohioan

    If the Democrats investigate the right way they will be forced to consider articles of Impeachment. Which is why they should investigate Cheney first. We aren’t going to get to convict in the Senate both of them.

  • MEDIA MATTERS HEADLINE:
    Fox’s Barnes: It’s “a theological issue” for Democrats “to raise taxes even though there’s no reason except vindictiveness against the well-to-do for doing it.”

    MY TAKE:
    Vindictiveness?

    Here’s my dose of reality for that kool-aid-drinking Fred Barnes: Just look at the 300 million dollar budget deficits and 10 TRILLION DOLLAR NATIONAL DEBT. Sanity, yes. Vindictiveness, no.

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