HOLY WAR

More details on the Senate health care bill

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/cbpp-despite-insufficient-subsidies-health-care-bill-enormous-step-forward.php

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_11/021055.php

http://www.slate.com/id/2236147/

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/11/19/806032/-The-2010-HCR-Provisions-in-House-and-Senate

Not fully implemented until 2014? http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/no-public-option-or-mandates-until-2014-under-senate-bill-but-there-are-some-early-goodies.php

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2009/11/what_happens_before_2014.html

The Big Question

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/will-concessions-and-a-trim-cbo-score-appease-conservative-democrats-on-health-care.php
Will Concessions, And A Trim CBO Score, Appease Conservative Democrats On Health Care?

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2009/11/19/senate_vote/index.html
Senate to hold healthcare vote Saturday

And he really means “holy”

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2009/11/19/quote_of_the_day.html
"It's going to be a holy war."

-- Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), quoted by the Los Angeles Times, on the coming health care debate in the U.S. Senate.

If the GOP had any integrity and intellectual honesty, they would admit that even by their own lights there is much to praise in the current reform bill. But their only consistent view now is that anything Obama proposes must be opposed, and not just opposed, but painted as the latest encroachment of creeping totalitarianism

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_11/021079.php

Classy

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2009/11/here_it_comes_1.php
Straight from House Minority Leader John Boehner's office:

"Sen. Reid's Government-Run Health Plan Requires a Monthly Abortion Fee"

Here it comes: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/nebraska-republican-a-vote-to-proceed-is-a-vote-for-abortion.php
Nebraska Republican: A Vote To Proceed Is A Vote For Abortion

Climate change bill coming in the spring?

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_11/021067.php

Why Obama can’t get his judicial nominations approved

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/11/why_the_democrats_are_sluggish_on_judicial_nominations.php

http://thirdbranch.crooksandliars.com/josh-glasstetter/gop-filibuster-fails-badly-jeff-s

The limp-wristed ACLU lovers in the Obama admin are under the ridiculous impression that terror suspects deserve a trial in regular US courts. What naifs!

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/terrorism/bush-in-2006-terrorists-should-be-tried-in-courts-here-in-the-u-s/
Bush In 2006: Terrorists Should Be “Tried In Courts Here In The U.S.”

More: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_11/021077.php

Yes, the conservative-populist rhetoric against government spending is incoherent – but that works for them

http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2009/11/the-appeal-of-incoherence.php

Hmmm . . . does he know something that might be coming down the road?

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/legal_defense_fund_for_torture_memo_author.php
One of the authors of the Bush Justice Department's notorious memos approving torture has set up a legal defense fund to help pay anticipated lawyers’ fees in connection with the episode.

A website for the Bybee Legal Defense Fund “explains how contributions may be made to help Judge Jay S. Bybee pay costs and expenses he is incurring or may incur . . .”

Ethics problems continue to bedevil leading Repubs

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/will_ensign_escape_criminal_probe.php
[Zachary Roth] Is the Justice Department leaning towards laying off Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)?

That's the direction in which Politico's reporting seems to point. According to the new site, DOJ officials "signal that the case is a low-priority matter for them." It adds that "no one close to Ensign or the Hamptons has been contacted by any federal investigators." And it notes that the Senate Ethics committee, which usually stands down when Justice is involved, has been forging ahead with its probe of the philandering Nevada senator. . . .

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/sc_ethics_panel_finds_probable_cause_to_investigat.php
SC Ethics Panel Finds Probable Cause To Charge Sanford With Violations

The kind of people they are

http://crooksandliars.com/john-amato/crazed-michele-bachmann-fan-threatens-f
A Kentucky woman has threatened a Michigan newspaper with a bloodbath similar to the massacre at Ft. Hood if they don't lay off criticism of [Michele Bachmann (R-MN)]. . . [read on]

http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2009/11/republicans-dont-believe-obama-won-the-election.php
Republicans Don’t Believe Obama Won the Election

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/11/19/805882/-Van-Hollen:-GOP-party-of-right-wing-extremists
Van Hollen: GOP party of "right-wing extremists"

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_11/021073.php
On the House floor today, Rep. Virginia Foxx, a right-wing Republican from North Carolina, boasted of her party's alleged progressive history on civil rights.

"Just as we were the people who passed the civil rights bills back in the '60s without very much help from our colleagues across the aisle," said Fox. "They love to engage in revisionist history."

More: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/11/19/806049/-Virginia-Foxx-Makes-An-Elephant-Of-Herself

I guess perceived power really is power: now GOP candidates have to explain and apologize for NOT having Sarah Palin campaign for them

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/11/19/christie-mcdonnell-explain-palins-absence-from-campaign-trail-2/

I understand that Palin is “good tv,” even when (or actually, especially when) she is in train-wreck mode. But we ought to expect a bit more perspective

http://mediamatters.org/columns/200911190018
Contrary to media hype, Sarah Palin is very unpopular

The challenged truth claims in Palin’s book just keep surfacing

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/photofeatures/2009/11/sarah-plain-and-lying.php

http://www.samefacts.com/2009/11/uncategorized/dumber-and-more-vindictive-than-george-w-bush/
“Dumber and more vindictive than George W. Bush”

Oopsie!

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/palin-crack-down-on-iraq-to-prevent-nuclear-iran.php
During her interview with Sean Hannity that aired last night, Sarah Palin made an interesting declaration: That we need to prevent a nuclear Iran by cracking down on "Iraq."

Hannity asked what can be done to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons. In her response, Palin seemed to be confused between Iraq and Iran . . . [read on]

More oopsies: http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/sarah-palin-hannity-just-regular-tra

For Palin lovers, none of that matters. Don’t bother them with the facts!

Watch: http://www.americablog.com/2009/11/typical-genius-in-line-to-buy-sarah.html

More Palinites: http://www.mydd.com/story/2009/11/19/34453/640

Doug Hoffman’s complaints about voter fraud in his decisive loss in NY-23 are so ridiculous that even Republican state officials don’t take them seriously

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/republican-election-official-gop-county-chairman-dismiss-hoffmans-accusations-of-acorn-conspiracy.php

More: http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/illegitimacy-by-digby-republicans-have.html
[Digby] Republicans have been working on a theory of voter fraud for decades, which is designed to suppress the vote and call into question the legitimacy of any Democratic victories. We know this. It is documented. . . [read on]

Rudy’s plans for the future

http://www.mydd.com/story/2009/11/19/151418/93
[NY Daily News] Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani has decided not to run for governor next - but will run for U.S. Senate instead, sources told the Daily News. . . . If elected, the source said, he would use that as a stepping stone to run for President in 2012 . . .

More: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/report-rudy-will-run-for-senate-against-gillibrand----and-then-for-president-again.php

One thing we came to expect from the Bush gang was the careful timing of the release of news, especially bad news. It was irritating but predictable. Now Karl Rove complains, without a hint of shame, that the Obama admin is doing the same thing

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_11/021058.php

Fox News apologizes for ANOTHER bit of fake video editing – and their explanation is almost as hilarious as the original mistake

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/11/19/805787/-Another-Literal-Manifestation-of-Fox-News-Metaphorical-Methodology-...-Palin-Edition-

More: http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2009/11/more_fox_follies.php
And today the network apologized for mistakenly showing the cover of the Going Rouge, a collection of essays mocking the former governor, rather than the cover of her book, Going Rogue.

Heh

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2009/11/19/do_republicans_trail_in_using_technology.html
[Former Rep. John Kasich (R-OH)]"I think Republicans need to learn to communicate with the tools of the 21 st century. The women in Iran have been more effective using Twitter than House Republicans have been getting their message out to the country. . . . ."

Bonus item: Sarah Palin: The Quiz

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200911u/palin-quiz

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL (http://pbd.blogspot.com).

I don't get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don't run ads, etc). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a "mission," it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***
- posted by Nick Burbules @ 7:10 AM

 
SETTLING SCORES

The CBO scoring comes in for the Senate health care bill, and it’s a good news/bad news thing

http://news.firedoglake.com/2009/11/18/senate-bill-costs-849-billion/
[David Dayen] MSNBC is reporting that the CBO has scored the Senate’s merged bill as costing $849 billion dollars over 10 years. The bill would reduce the deficit by $127 billion by 2019 because of the revenue-raisers. There is absolutely no reason to listen to any Republican talking about the “strain on the deficit.” The House and Senate bills would reduce it.

It’s looking likely that Harry Reid will at least be able to get this bill on the floor, once he gets a full complement of 60 Democratic Senators (Max Baucus has a family emergency and went back to Montana for at least a couple days). Ben Nelson, fearing reconciliation, appears unlikely to block debate and vote against the motion to proceed, and I would imagine he speaks for his fellow ConservaDems on this point. . . .

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/cbo-says-higher-premiums-under-senate-public-option.php
CBO Says Higher Premiums Under Senate Public Option, 'Opt-Out' Clause Would Impact One-Third Of Consumers

More: http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2009/11/18/cbo/index.html

What’s in the bill

http://www.americablog.com/2009/11/reids-bill-includes-public-option-with.html
Reid's bill includes public option with opt-out and tax on "cadillac" plans

http://www.slate.com/id/2236027
What we know about the Senate's "blended" health care bill, and what we don't

More: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/11/18/805820/-Details-of-Senate-HCR-Bill-Emerge,-Reconciliation-on-the-Table

Let’s see if the Dems can get the press to distinguish a vote to bring the bill to the floor for debate from a vote FOR the bill. This will be crucial, it appears

http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/senate-expected-vote-week-bringing-he
Senate Expected To Vote This Week On Bringing Health-Care Bill To Floor

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/nelson-hints-strongly-that-hell-vote-with-dems-to-bring-health-reform-to-floor.php
Nelson Hints Strongly That He'll Vote With Dems To Bring Health Reform To Floor

Reconciliation coming?

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/reid-outlines-bill-for-caucus-warns-conservative-dems-that-reconciliation-is-still-an-option.php

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=04F6B204-18FE-70B2-A80386438D78E631

How bad is the Stupak amendment?

http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2009/11/study-stupak-would-lead-to-abortion-coverage-phaseout.php
Study: Stupak Would Lead to Abortion Coverage Phaseout

More: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/study-stupak-amendment-will-eliminate-abortion-coverage-over-time-for-all-women.php

Make them pay

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/shhh-dont-make-trouble-by-digby-if.html
Moments ago, Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic proposal to freeze credit card rates on existing balances through the holiday season. The bill, sponsored by Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), would prevent credit card companies from hiking rates and fees on existing balances until the industry reforms passed by Congress earlier this year take effect. Although a few provisions of that law took hold in August, most don’t launch until February or August of 2010. In the meantime, many card companies are hiking rates and fees to beat the law. . . . [read on]

More: http://washingtonindependent.com/68309/gop-blocks-dodd-bill-to-freeze-credit-card-rates

Good

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/holder_opr_torture_report_should_be_out_by_months.php
That long-awaited report on the Justice Department's role in the Bush administration's torture program could finally be ready to see the light of day.

During his testimony before Congress today, Attorney General Eric Holder said that the report, by the Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility, is "in its last stages," and that he expects it will be released by the end of the month.

Rudy Giuliani, trying hard to be relevant again

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_11/021047.php
[Steve Benen] I suppose it's not too surprising, but it is depressing to be reminded of how stunted our political discourse really is. . . . [read on]

Karl Rove’s new book title, I am not kidding

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/11/karl_roves_self-aggrandizing_title.php
“Courage and Consequence”

Sarah Palin seems to think that the more we know about her, and what is going on in that ditzy brain of hers, the more we will like and respect her. On the contrary, it’s scary in there

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/palin-digs-in-on-death-panels-also-calls-for-primary-against-lindsey-graham.php
In an interview with National Review, Sarah Palin explained how "death panels" are not meant to be taken literally -- and then gave a pretty much literal description -- and also called for a Republican primary challenge against Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). . . . [read on]

http://washingtonindependent.com/68261/palin-death-panels-arent-literally-panels-of-death
“The term I used to describe the panel making these decisions should not be taken literally,” says Palin. The phrase is “a lot like when President Reagan used to refer to the Soviet Union as the ‘evil empire.’ He got his point across. He got people thinking and researching what he was talking about. It was quite effective. Same thing with the ‘death panels.’ I would characterize them like that again, in a heartbeat.”

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_11/021052.php
[Steve Benen] This is among the stupidest things I've ever heard any politician say on any subject. . . . [read on]

http://washingtonindependent.com/68248/does-sarah-palin-think-the-apocalypse-is-nigh
Does Sarah Palin Think the Apocalypse Is Nigh?

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/palin-on-muslim-profiling-im-all-for-it.php
Palin On Muslim Profiling: 'I'm All For It'

More: http://www.mydd.com/story/2009/11/18/16222/634

Palin finds one press pundit whose work she admires – the one who calls her “brilliant”

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/11/18/805654/-Reading-the-teabaggers-leaves

John McCain has tried to stay above the spat between Palin and his former staffers, but eventually he has to step in to correct the lies Sarah’s dishing

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2009/11/18/mccain_palin/index.html

Doug Hoffman lost the NY-23 race and gave a widely praised and gracious concession speech. Then the party hacks got their mitts onto him, he withdrew his concession, and he is now hinting at vote fraud. Rule #7: No Republican ever loses an election. You either win and praise “the will of the people,” or you imply that the result was somehow illegitimate

http://www.mydd.com/story/2009/11/19/02843/803
NY-23: Hoffman Suggests Election Fraud

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2009/11/18/hoffman_accuses_democrats_of_election_fraud.html
Hoffman also claims he was "forced to concede" on election night.

Smearing the ACLU

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/11/18/weekly_standard/index.html

Theocracy watch: truly creepy

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/frank-schaeffer-warns-against-latest-threa

I don’t know: is it possible for Ann Coulter to “jump the shark”? It seems to me that her whole point is to outdo each outrageous lie with a new one. It doesn’t diminish her appeal, such as it is – it reinforces it

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2009/11/jumping_the_shark.php

Glenn Beck, ditto

http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/fearmonger-chief-beck-goes-militia-w

Fox "News" does it again!

http://crooksandliars.com/john-amato/fox-news-airs-old-footage-2008-palin-ra
Fox News airs old footage from 2008 Palin rallies to pump up Palin's 2009 book tour

Bonus item: Alice gets a promotion!

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/rewarding-bad-behavior-by-digby-what.html
Q: And one more. You mentioned that there are health benefits to climate change. Could you describe some of those?

MS. PERINO: Sure. In some cases, there are — look, this is an issue where I’m sure lots of people would love to ridicule me when I say this, but it is true that many people die from cold-related deaths every winter. And there are studies that say that climate change in certain areas of the world would help those individuals. There are also concerns that it would increase tropical diseases and that’s — again, I’m not an expert in that, I’m going to let Julie Gerberding testify in regards to that, but there are many studies about this that you can look into.

[and . . .]

"I was panicked a bit because I really don't know about . . . the Cuban Missile Crisis," said Perino, who at 35 was born about a decade after the 1962 U.S.-Soviet nuclear showdown. "It had to do with Cuba and missiles, I'm pretty sure."

So she consulted her best source. "I came home and I asked my husband," she recalled. "I said, 'Wasn't that like the Bay of Pigs thing?' And he said, 'Oh, Dana.'"

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL (http://pbd.blogspot.com).

I don't get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don't run ads, etc). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a "mission," it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***
- posted by Nick Burbules @ 7:24 AM

 
SETTING THE BAR

The burden of responsibility

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_11/021017.php
[Steve Benen] The to-do list itself is almost overwhelming. After eight years of Republican failure, incompetence, mismanagement, and corruption, Democratic leaders on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue were tasked by the electorate to rescue the economy, resolve two costly wars, improve the struggling job market, address a crushing debt, and fix health care, energy policy, immigration, a housing crisis, a collapsing U.S. auto industry, and the Gitmo mess.

And just to make things really interesting, those same Democratic leaders were told they had to meet a new procedural standard that no governing party in the United States has ever had to overcome: a 60-vote minimum in the Senate on everything. . . . [read on]

I hope Jay Rockefeller is right here. There’s a lot of posturing now about what people will and won’t vote for on health care. But after we get through the preliminaries and there is actually a final bill for passage coming through the House and Senate, who wants to be the Democrat who brings it down?

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/progressives-to-moderates-do-you-really-want-to-kill-health-care-reform.php

Senate bill to arrive later today

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2009/11/17/reid_bill/index.html

http://www.americablog.com/2009/11/reid-cautiously-optimistic-about.html
Reid "cautiously optimistic" . . .

The new GOP line: pass health care reform if you want, we’ll just repeal it when we take over the WH in 2012

http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2009/11/could-health-reform-be-repealed-in-2012.php

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_11/021031.php

On the to-do list

http://www.americablog.com/2009/11/house-dems-promise-new-jobs-bill-before.html
House Dems. promise new jobs bill before Christmas break

Obama finally gets a key judicial appointment through the Senate gauntlet

http://www.mydd.com/story/2009/11/17/182457/36

The “C” Street house was tax exempt as a “church”

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/c_street_house_no_longer_tax_exempt.php

More: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#34004536

Pure evil

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/lacking_evidence_hoekstra_blames_obama_admin_for_f.php
Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) is ramping up his campaign to use the Fort Hood shootings to paint the Obama administration as soft on terrorism. . . .

The Washington Times calls Obama “a child of the grungy 60’s”

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_11/021029.php

Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) hasn’t learned the Mitt Romney lesson from 2008 – you can’t suddenly start spewing right-wing crap that defies everything you’ve stood for in your career. The far right never believes that you mean it anyway, and your moderate supporters look away in shame

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_11/021016.php

The Florida Republican Senate race is going to make NY-23 look like a love-fest

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2009/11/17/gop_bloodbath_in_florida.html

Michele Bachmann’s (R-MN) teabagger rally misused House resources

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/crew_bachmann_rally_may_have_violated_house_rules.php

Does Sarah Palin have a political future?

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/17/politics/onthemarc/main5681411.shtml

Palin with Barbara Walters – she’s having trouble keeping her stories straight

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/palin-interview-with-walters-there-was-a-lot-of-bullcrap.php

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#34003950

More: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#33978723

Hmmm. . . . Fox News trashes Palin. How do you read that?

http://lafiga.firedoglake.com/2009/11/17/late-night-finally-i-agreed-with-fox-napolitano-calls-palin-a-goofball/

The McCain campaign is sick of Palin’s lies – and they have some emails they want you to see

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/11/e-mails_portray_palin_campaign_trail_chaos.php
[Marc Ambinder] As the campaign came to a climax in October, Palin isolated herself from headquarters, refusing to communicate with them directly. Her staff, suspicious that McCain's retinue of lieutenants were trying to sabotage Palin simply because she was Palin, began to skirmish with McCain's staff, bollixing up carefully planned events. . . . Tension reached a boil on Wednesday, October 15 . . . [read on]

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2009/11/17/mccain_rejects_palins_claim.html
Even though Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) asked his aides to stay quiet about Sarah Palin's new book, the senator himself denied to The Hill his former running mate's "allegation that his campaign stuck her with a $50,000 legal bill to pay for the cost of vetting her as a potential vice presidential candidate." . . .

Remember who we have to thank for making Palin a threat to her party

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/11/the-institute-for-the-study-of-sarah-palin.html
[Richard Coen] The Institute for the Study of Sarah Palin might conclude that she represents the exact moment important Republicans gave up on democracy. . . . [read on]

And now this: as if Palin didn’t set the bar low enough, you now have Repubs calling for Carrie Prejean to run for office (really, I am not kidding)

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/11/17/805361/-What-passes-for-Republican-leadership-these-days

Bonus item: Palin’s book comes without an index. The New Republic gives it one

http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/the-going-rogue-index

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL (http://pbd.blogspot.com).

I don't get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don't run ads, etc). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a "mission," it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***
- posted by Nick Burbules @ 6:53 AM

 
TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS

The GOP has decided that even though many terrorists have already been successfully tried in US courts and safely held in US prisons, the latest group being sent to New York for trial represent an intolerable risk

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29488.html
Republicans are irate over the move to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in New York, perhaps within walking distance of Ground Zero. . . .

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/cheney-worried-about-terrorists-having-pub
[Heather] This is rich coming from the likes of Liz Cheney. She's worried about the terrorists having "a public platform where they can spew venom". Well the "mainstream media" has given you and your daddy one, so what's the problem? Pat Leahy explained why this fear mongering is utter nonsense on Face the Nation today. What she's worried about are her father's pesky war crimes coming to light. . . .

CHENEY: The Bush administration worked very hard to put together military commissions. The first round of military commissions that they put together, which were based on the precedent of the FDR military commissions -- full constitutional precedent, approved by the Supreme Court in the 1940s -- were rejected by the Supreme Court.

The administration then put together a new set of military commissions approved by Congress, and they have held these guys at Guantanamo now where they are providing -- presenting no threat at all to the United States.

WALLACE: But three convictions in eight years is not much of a record. . . .

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_11/021002.php
[Steve Benen] Joe Scarborough argued this morning that it's "unprecedented" for the U.S. to try foreign terror suspects in our federal judicial system. That might be true, if it weren't for all the other foreign terror suspects that have been tried, convinced, and imprisoned through our federal judicial system. . . .

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/16/gop-moves-to-block-gitmo_n_359792.html
GOP Moves To Block Gitmo Detainees From Coming To Illinois Prison

Interesting! Conservative leaders slam the Repubs for their cynicism and cowardice

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/conservatives-say-gitmo-detainees-would-be-fine-in-il-prison-warn-gop-of-scaremongering.php
Three prominent conservatives warned in a joint statement against Republican "scaremongering" on Guantanamo Bay detainees, saying the prison in Thomson, Illinois would be fine to handle them. . . .

The Chamber of Commerce wants to commission a “research study” on health care reform – it’s a pretty cushy deal: the conclusion is already written for you

http://news.firedoglake.com/2009/11/16/chamber-of-commerce-want-ad-need-economist-to-write-study-trashing-health-care-reform/

The kind of people they are

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/16/business/16drugprices.html
Drug Makers Raise Prices in Face of Health Care Reform

Bad news on the jobs front

http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2009/11/bernanke-no-jobs-for-you.php

http://www.mydd.com/story/2009/11/16/183743/35

The GOP civil war moves westward

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_11/021005.php

http://washingtonindependent.com/67846/a-tea-party-candidate-promises-fiorina-a-fight

Of course no national Republican can ignore the far right. But usually they’re a bit more subtle about their litmus tests

http://www.rollcall.com/issues/55_56/politics/40591-1.html
Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist has a blunt message for anyone already angling for the GOP’s presidential nomination in 2012: Focus your energies on anything but next year’s midterm elections at your own risk.

Norquist, one of the most influential voices in the modern conservative movement, says he will be keeping a close eye on the activities of potential candidates over the next year and will be sure to tell Republican voters who’s a team player and who’s out for themselves.

“We’re going to put together a list of all the people thinking of running for president and ... give assignments to each of the would-be presidential candidates. . . .”

Sarah Palin is one of those candidates who needs to keep the possibility of running for President alive, while never actually doing it.

Right now she’s just trying to sell lots and lots of books. Meanwhile, her political approval numbers are going DOWN

http://washingtonindependent.com/67874/poll-53-percent-would-definitely-not-vote-for-sarah-palin
The new Washington Post-ABC News poll sneaks a little bit of reality into the maelstrom of Sarah Palin news. Fifty-three percent of Americans would “definitely not” vote for Palin in a hypothetical 2012 presidential race. . .

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/polling/sarah-palin-tanking-among-moderates-independents/
Meanwhile, the new CNN poll finds that only 29% of independents think she’s qualified. . . .

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2009/11/16/palin_hints_at_possible_white_house_bid.html
Meanwhile, a new CBS News poll finds that 48% of Republicans do not want Sarah Palin to run for president . . .

http://www.mydd.com/story/2009/11/16/211430/40
Just 23 percent of those surveyed in a new CBS News poll have a favorable view of the former Alaska governor. . . .

http://www.eschatonblog.com/2009/11/identity-politics-for-really-stupid.html
[WP] Among women, who, theoretically, should form the base of Palin's support, nearly four in ten (39 percent) have a strongly unfavorable impression of her while just 20 percent were strongly favorable. Overall 39 percent of women had a favorable impression of Palin while 57 percent had an unfavorable one. . . .

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2009/11/16/palin_media/index.html
Why Palin's media strategy is likely to hurt her

More: http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/11/oh_sarah_we_hardly_had_the_time_to_rethink_you_1.php

There's no downside to the fact that her book is full of score-settling lies about the McCain campaign. The media already has a “food fight” narrative, so every time McCain staffers try to correct her, the story isn’t “Palin is lying again,” it’s “the food fight continues.” And if the media tries to fact-check her, as the AP did, this is just more proof that they're out to get her. It's a win/win!

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2009/11/16/mccain_asks_staffers_to_stay_quiet.html
Said the former McCain campaign aide: "It is unrecognizable at every instance. There is not one truthful account as it relates to any conversation I ever had with her."

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/11/16/2128507.aspx
In addition, former McCain (and Bush White House aide) Nicolle Wallace tells Mitchell that the conversations Palin recounts in her book involving the Katie Couric interview, Palin's campaign wardrobe, or any of the other allegations involving Wallace never happened. "I never saw her take a note and she never contacted me for any fact-checking, nor did anyone on her behalf." Wallace says, "It's just fabricated." . . .

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29504_Page2.html
Former McCain strategist John Weaver slammed Palin for using the book for “petty and pathetic” score-settling. . . .

What? You didn’t Tivo the Palin/Oprah interview? (Neither did I.) Here’s what we missed . . .

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/11/palin_on_oprah_pick_your_scooplet.php

More: http://www.slate.com/id/2235775/

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2009/11/16/palin_oprah/index.html

Glenn Beck, public intellectual

http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200911160049
Beck on health care: "We're the young girl saying 'no, no, help me,' and the government is Roman Polanski"

Bonus item: On Obama’s teleprompter dependency (thanks to AG for the laugh)

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/obamas_home_teleprompter

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL (http://pbd.blogspot.com).

I don't get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don't run ads, etc). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a "mission," it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***
- posted by Nick Burbules @ 6:34 AM

 
POISONING THE WELL

Hmmm . . . we’re hearing a lot now that the 9/11 trials could expose national security secrets and founder on a defense built around the fact that key evidence was obtained under torture. Maybe. But turn it around and look at it this way: if these guys are unprosecutable because of the policies and mistreatment they received under the Bush gang – which is what people were saying at the time – whose fault is that?

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/whats-got-them-really-scared-by.html
[Tristero] But the possibility is what's got the rufftuffcreampuffs on the right quaking in their booties, that American law will actually shine a light on the murderous, torturing, incompetent, insanely frightened, paranoid, corrupt, and completely out of control Bush/Cheney regime.

It is going to be quite an ugly fight, once these trials start. . . .

More: http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/2009/11/14/whos-afraid-of-khalid-shaikh-mohammed/

http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2009/11/criminals-and-warriors.php

Time for David Broder to hang ‘em up

http://www.americablog.com/2009/11/david-broder-would-be-happy-with-wrong.html
It is evident from the length of this deliberative process and from the flood of leaks that have emerged from Kabul and Washington that the perfect course of action does not exist. Given that reality, the urgent necessity is to make a decision -- whether or not it is right. . . .

Yep, the Bush admin sure loved the troops

http://www.eschatonblog.com/2009/11/bush-administration.html
Sullivan explained to McLendon and the other attendees that the rise in benefits claims the VA was noticing was caused partly by Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who were suffering from PTSD. “That’s too many,” McLendon said, then hit his hand on the table. “They are too young” to be filing claims, and they are doing it “too soon.” He hit the table again. The claims, he said, are “costing us too much money,” and if the veterans “believed in God and country . . . they would not come home with PTSD.” At that point, he slammed his palm against the table a final time, making a loud smack. Everyone in the room fell silent. . . .

So this is the way Sarah Palin wants to be remembered: aggrieved, put-upon, ungrateful, and bitter

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2009/11/15/palins_payback.html
In a review of Sarah Palin's Going Rogue, the New York Times notes "the most sustained and vehement barbs in this book are directed not at Democrats or liberals or the press, but at the McCain campaign. The very campaign that plucked her out of Alaska, anointed her the Republican vice-presidential nominee and made her one of the most talked about women on the planet -- someone who could command a reported $5 million for writing this book."

"All in all, Ms. Palin emerges from Going Rogue as an eager player in the blame game, thoroughly ungrateful toward the McCain campaign for putting her on the national stage."

Girl fight! Former McCain aide Nicolle Wallace calls Palin a liar

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/11/14/mccain-campaign-adviser-pushes-back-on-palin-book/
Wallace said Palin's account is completely false.

"It's not even like it's slightly wrong. . . .”

Wallace seemed mystified by Palin's accounts, conceding that there were enough strategy miscalculations during the campaign that Palin "didn't have to make stuff up." [read on]

More lies: http://mediamatters.org/research/200911150011

And now this

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/books/15book.html
Elsewhere in this volume she talks about creationism, saying she “didn’t believe in the theory that human beings — thinking, loving beings — originated from fish that sprouted legs and crawled out of the sea” or from “monkeys who eventually swung down from the trees.” In everything that happens to her, from meeting Todd to her selection by Mr. McCain for the Republican ticket, she sees the hand of God: “My life is in His hands. I encourage readers to do what I did many years ago, invite Him in to take over.”

Nevertheless, the mainstream GOP is scared to death of her. She’s soaking up all the oxygen right now and preventing better qualified and more electable candidates from getting any attention. They find her ridiculous and really can’t explain how anyone can take her seriously as a potential President – and yet, a big chunk of their own party is absolutely devoted to her

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/david/david-brooks-sarah-palin-joke
David Brooks: Sarah Palin is 'a joke'

I hope he does run. I hope he runs very hard. Too hard

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/david/liz-cheney-suggests-cheney-presidential-tick
Former Vice President Dick Cheney chose not to run for president in 2008 but his daughter suggested that he might be a good candidate in 2012. . . .

Another hard-right conservative who’s not conservative enough for today's GOP

http://www.mydd.com/story/2009/11/15/204818/33

Politics have become simple. The GOP is a party devoted to only one thing now: stopping any initiative that would make Obama look effective

http://www.mydd.com/story/2009/11/15/161123/95
Tea Baggers Set Their Sights on Climate Change

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/16/science/earth/16climate.html
Obama Hobbled in Fight Against Global Warming

Bonus item: Learn to speak “tea bag”

http://www.markfiore.com/

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL (http://pbd.blogspot.com).

I don't get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don't run ads, etc). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a "mission," it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***
- posted by Nick Burbules @ 6:44 AM

 
DEFICIT THINKING

Obama and the deficit

http://news.firedoglake.com/2009/11/13/more-leaks-that-obama-will-turn-deficit-hawk-in-2010/
[Politico] President Barack Obama plans to announce in next year’s State of the Union address that he wants to focus extensively on cutting the federal deficit in 2010 – and will downplay other new domestic spending beyond jobs programs, according to top aides involved in the planning. . . .

More: http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/helpmates-by-digby-chris-hayes-has.html

Is an employment turnaround coming?

http://www.slate.com/id/2235477
“Sooner than you think” [read on]

What really happened on 9/11?

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/11/14/faa-and-norad-changed-records-to-accord-with-cheney-lies/
[Emptywheel] A senior Counsel for the 9/11 Commission, John Farmer, has written a book exposing the degree to which our response to 9/11 was disorganized and outdated–geared to respond to an attack from Russia rather than from terrorists. Most significantly, Farmer reveals that FAA and NORAD altered their chronologies of the day only after a briefing at the White House. . . .

Clones?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/us/politics/15health.html
In the official record of the historic House debate on overhauling health care, the speeches of many lawmakers echo with similarities. Often, that was no accident.

Statements by more than a dozen lawmakers were ghostwritten, in whole or in part, by Washington lobbyists working for Genentech, one of the world’s largest biotechnology companies. . . .

More: http://www.samefacts.com/2009/11/uncategorized/bio-similar-drugs-and-verbally-similar-statements/

Sarah and the President of France

http://www.americablog.com/2009/11/palin-on-her-phone-call-from-president.html

More: http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000003248042
Sarah Palin’s new book reprises familiar claims from the 2008 presidential campaign that haven’t become any truer over time.

Ignoring substantial parts of her record if not the facts, she depicts herself as a frugal traveler on the taxpayer’s dime, a reformer without ties to powerful interests and a politician roguishly indifferent to high ambition.

Palin goes adrift, at times, on more contemporary issues, too. She criticizes President Barack Obama for pushing through a bailout package that actually was achieved by his Republican predecessor George W. Bush - a package she seemed to support at the time. . . . [read on!]

“Palinism” and the Republican party

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2009/11/14/why_palin_matters.html

Another conservative in the GOP leadership, Roy Blunt (R-MO), is also under pressure from the right

http://www.americablog.com/2009/11/missouri-edition-of-gop-civil-war-is.html

The Dems are learning some of the GOP’s tricks – like setting up votes that put Repubs in the terrible position of voting against them. Listen to them whine about it!

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/that-commie-bastard-al-franken-broke.html

Glenn Beck talks to black people

http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/glenn-beck-gets-ask-dumb-white-guy-q
Beck: How many people here identify themselves as African Americans? (About a third raise their hands) OK -- Why?

Payne: It's interchangeable.

Beck: But wait, wait. Why not identify yourself as Americans?

Fritsch: Well, people can look at you and tell you're black. You can't escape that.

Beck: Yeah, but I don't identify myself as white, or a white American. [read on]

Sunday talk show line-ups

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/the-sunday-show-line-ups-29.php
• ABC, This Week: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

• CBS, Face The Nation: Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI), Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT).

• CNN, State Of The Union: White House Senior Adviser David Axelrod; Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH); Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D-MT).

• NBC, Meet The Press: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA), Rev. Al Sharpton.

Bonus item: Hypocrite’s Corner

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/maggie-may-i-by-digby-before-larry-king.html

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL (http://pbd.blogspot.com).

I don't get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don't run ads, etc). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a "mission," it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***
- posted by Nick Burbules @ 6:51 AM

 
PROFILES IN COURAGE

The Obama admin decides to put the 9/11 plotters on trial in New York. Repubs howl that this is endangering the nation, blah blah. And they say that this shows the lack of courage of the Obama admin in dealing with these people in the manner they deserve.

To which I ask, What did your hero, George Bush, do when he had them in his custody? and In what way is it braver to leave them rotting in an anonymous prison?

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_11/020956.php
[Steve Benen] It's always reassuring when the Obama administration, knowing that intense far-right blowback is inevitable, does the right thing anyway. . .

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/11/heres_what_the_attorney_general.php
A Political Decision This Ain't . . . [read on]

http://firedoglake.com/2009/11/13/late-night-elephants-on-parade-21/
[John McCain] Today’s decision sends a mixed message about America’s resolve in the fight against terrorism. We are at war, and we must bring terrorists to justice in a manner consistent with the horrific acts of war they have committed. . . [read on]

More: http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/11/khalid_sheikh_mohammed_decision_republicans_blast_it_aclu_celebrates.php

http://www.samefacts.com/2009/11/watching-conservatives/erik-erickson-self-parodist/

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/11/14/terrorism/index.html
[Glenn Greenwald] [T]he Right's reaction to yesterday's announcement -- we're too afraid to allow trials and due process in our country -- is the textbook definition of "surrendering to terrorists." It's the same fear they've been spewing for years. As always, the Right's tough-guy leaders wallow in a combination of pitiful fear and cynical manipulation of the fear of their followers. Indeed, it's hard to find any group of people on the globe who exude this sort of weakness and fear more than the American Right. . . . [read on]

Courage? http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/14504
[Jim White] Attorney General Eric Holder is to be commended for his plan, expected to be announced later this morning, that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other detainees at Guantanamo will face charges in federal criminal court in the Southern District of New York. The attacks of 9/11 were an abominable criminal act and should be treated as such.

The treatment of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed while in American custody presents problems for his criminal trial. As pointed out by Marcy Wheeler, he was waterboarded 183 times in a period of less than a month. The rules of evidence in federal courts prevent the inclusion of testimony delivered under duress, so any statement made by KSM as a result of waterboarding will be excluded as a matter of law. It seems to me that a good defense attorney will be able to argue that any statement by KSM made against his self-interest at any time after his waterboarding could be considered to be under duress since he remains in the custody of the country responsible for this torture.

Although the waterboarding has stopped, KSM’s torture continues in a very real sense. . .

“We’re going to kill your children" . . . [read on]

Sick

http://crooksandliars.com/logan-murphy/co-republicans-tweet-compares-obama-9
State Sen. David Schultheis said he didn't intend for a Twitter post accusing President Barack Obama of "flying the U.S. plane right into the ground" and ending with "let's roll" as a threat or a reference to United Flight 93, which crashed during the 2001 terrorist attacks. . . .

The Fort Hood haters – here they come

http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/foxs-mass-leap-label-ft-hood-shootin

The GOP’s war against itself continues. I guess when you start to build your political strategy solely on hate, suspicion, and litmus-test politics, you can’t just turn that fire against your opponents – you start turning against yourselves

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/11/13/804056/-Teabagger-DeMint-to-challenge-McConnell-for-Senate-GOP-leadership
Teabagger DeMint to challenge McConnell for Senate GOP leadership?

More: http://www.slate.com/id/2235465

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2009/11/13/inglis/index.html

How bad is the fight over the Stupak amendment for the Democrats?

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/stupak-sticks-to-his-guns-blames-liberals-for-abortion-amendment.php

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/11/13/804145/-Stupak:-Its-All-the-Liberals-Fault

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2009/11/abortion-politics-0

After health care passes, watch for the inevitable Republican court appeal

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_11/020957.php

Caught in an embarrassing bit of public hypocrisy, the GOP drops abortion coverage from its own insurance plan

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2009/11/dancing_on_the_head_of_a_pin.php

Now what about these guys? http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2009/10/28/does-focus-on-the-family-fund-abortions/
Focus on the Family

Will Doug Hoffman withdraw his election concession, and turn NY-23 into another typical Republican sour grapes fest?

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/doug-hoffman-with-20-20-hindsight-i-wouldnt-have-conceded.php

Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) realizes she can’t beat Rick Perry

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/hutchison-switches-course-wont-resign-from-senate-while-running-in-primary-governor.php

Well, since we started with the story I have to give an update – but it’s looking pretty sad

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/investigators_probing_whether_sparkman_manipulated.php
Two law enforcement sources tell the AP that investigators are considering whether Sparkman committed suicide, but intentionally made it look like murder in order to allow his son to make a life insurance claim. . . .

Just one more of example of the mean ol’ media out to get poor little Sarah

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/11/13/804203/-Fact-Checking-Palins-Book
[BarbinMD] The Associated Press has a lengthly fact check of Sarah Palin's upcoming book, "Going Rogue." So lengthly in fact, that I'll just save you a little time and list the facts that are not in dispute.

• Her name is Sarah Palin.
• She is the former governor of Alaska.
• She was John McCain's running mate.
• They lost.
• She wrote a book.

More: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091113/ap_on_el_pr/us_palin_book_fact_check

A sampler

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/11/block_her_if_she_tries_to_go_back.php
[Going Rogue] By the third week in September, a "Free Sarah" campaign was under way and the press at large was growing increasingly critical of the McCain camp's decision to keep me, my family and friends back home, and my governor's staff all bottled up. Meanwhile, the question of which news outlet would land the first interview was a big deal, as it always is with a major party candidate.

From the beginning, Nicolle [Wallace] pushed for Katie Couric and the CBS Evening News. The campaign's general strategy involved coming out with a network anchor, someone they felt had treated John well on the trail thus far. My suggestion was that we be consistent with that strategy and start talking to outlets like FOX and the Wall Street Journal. I really didn't have a say in which press I was going to talk to, but for some reason Nicolle seemed compelled to get me on the Katie bandwagon.

"Katie really likes you," she said to me one day. "she's a working mom and admires you as a working mom. She has teenage daughter like you. She just relates to you," Nicolle said. "believe me, I know her very well. I've worked with her." Nicolle had left her gig at CBS just a few months earlier to hook up with the McCain campaign. I had to trust her experience, as she had dealt with national politics more than I had. . . .

Nicolle went on to explain that Katie really needed a career boost. "She just has such low self-esteem," Nicolle said. She added that Katie was going through a tough time. "She just feels she can't trust anybody."

I was thinking, And this has to do with John McCain's campaign how?

Nicolle said. "She wants you to like her."

Hearing all that, I almost started to feel sorry for her. Katie had tried to make a bold move from lively morning gal to serious anchor, but the new assignment wasn't going very well.

"You know what? We'll schedule a segment with her," Nicolle said. "If it doesn't go well, if there's no chemistry, we won't do any others."

Meanwhile, the media blackout continued. It got so bad that a couple of times I had a friend in Anchorage track down phone numbers for me, and then I snuck in calls to folks like Rush Limbaugh, Laura Ingraham, Sean Hannity and someone I thought was Larry Kudlow but turned out to be Neil Cavuto's producer. I had a friend call Bill O'Reilly after I was inundated with supporters in Alaska asking why the campaign was "ignoring" his one-air requests for a McCain campaign interview. I had another friend scrambling to find Mark Levin's number. Aboard the campaign plane I was within twenty-five feet of reporters for hours on end. Headquarters' strategy was that I should not go to the back of the aircraft and talk to the press. At first this was subtle, but as the campaign wore on, Tracey or Tucker would call headquarters to request permission, and someone in DC would respond, "No! Absolutely not- block her if she tries to go back."

[NB: Yes, you read that right. Sarah was doing poor lil' Katie Couric a favor by granting her an interview. She felt SORRY for her. And that ungrateful bitch repaid her by "badgering" her with a bunch of totally unfair gotcha questions like, "What newspapers do you read?"

Who knew Presidential politics was so much like high school?]

Bonus item: Who's the diva now?

http://www.americablog.com/2009/11/dethroned-miss-california-loses-it-on.html
She arrived with an entourage of five, (for cable news Green Room context, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., never arrives with a group that large) and barked at a studio operator for touching her hair while setting up her microphone. . . . [read on]

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL (http://pbd.blogspot.com).

I don't get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don't run ads, etc). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a "mission," it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***
- posted by Nick Burbules @ 8:07 AM