So Newsweek
says in their title, "The Daily Kos thinks the politics of Iraq will help him shape the Democratic Party." Now read the story and tell me where I or anyone else says that "the politics of Iraq will help us shape the Democratic Party". Talk about making shit up.
Also notice unsourced assertions that I talk to the party leadership "several times a week" and that I have "brainstormed with Democratic operatives about the fall campaign". Utter fabrication. Again, yet another piece makes up stuff to make me look more powerful than I am. In DC, where power is currency, people would be thrilled with this. Me, I'd rather the people with the actual power get the credit. And it ain't me. [Update]: Eric Boehlert simply decimates the Newsweek coverage.
In any case, given reports of rabid squadrons of venom-spitting lambs roaming the internets, I thought it'd be fun to do a catch-all thread of some of the best responses.
Really, as much as people try to paint us as "angry", fact is we have a lot of fun with this stuff. We make politics fun, and do so effortlessly.
- Rude Pundit:
Markos Moulitsas looks smaller on TV than in person. He is actually seven feet tall, with hands that could crush a bowling ball. He sharpens his teeth by chewing beer bottles, and the rumor is that he shot Billmon just for snoring. He scares us all because he enters our villages and eats our livestock at night. Please help us, TNR, please end the tyranny.
- Em Dash (who, reminder, blogs at unbossed) posts a picture of her.
- Tom Tomorrow ressurects a relevant cartoon from his archives.
- Whiskey Ashes publishes more secret emails. Truly chilling. And this post is hilarious, but don't forget to play Vivaldi's Four Seasons in the background before clicking the link.
- Roger Ailes boils down the last week to one sentence. And it's a good one.
- Digby resigns the conspiracy.
- I've always feared getting on the wrong side of a James Wolcott missive. While some people hit their opponents with a sledgehammer, Wolcott eviscerates them with a scalpel. And "eviscerate" is what he does to TNR. It ain't pretty.
- For those who want some behind the scenes look at how the Contributing Editors interact with me and the site, see DarkSyde's and Trapper John's takes.
- Jeralyn Merrit of TalkLeft offers a character reference.
- Zengerle's "journamalism" was exposed for the shoddy piece of crap it was by Glenn Greenwald, using an invented email allegedly sent by Steve Gilliard and supposedly confirmed by "three sources" to further his smears. Glenn then runs a victory lap as he is vindicated. Steve Gilliard blasts TNR for its inadequate response and omerta protecting its dishonest source (assuming that Zengerle didn't simply fabricate the so-called incriminating email). Gilliard:
I used to think the TNR, despite years of scandal, had some ethics left. I am dismayed to find out differently, and first hand.
As for my marching orders for the week, I'm running a little late on putting them together. So feel free to post pictures of kittens or orchids until I get back. Tour De France previews are also acceptable.