The McCain Campaign's Dumb Lie

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Wednesday February 20, 2008 · 6:06 PM PST

2008/02/20 · 18:06

[Links will be added as they become available].

The McCain campaign put out a press release stating:

It is a shame that the New York Times has lowered its standards to engage in a hit and run smear campaign. John McCain has a 24-year record of serving our country with honor and integrity. He has never violated the public trust, never done favors for special interests or lobbyists, and he will not allow a smear campaign to distract from the issues at stake in this election.

(Emphasis added).

alchemi

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Sunday April 15, 2007 · 7:49 PM PDT

2007/04/15 · 19:49

I have no dog in the current Markos firestorm. I know little of this blogger, little of the movement that has grown out of her experiences, and am not particularly passionate about Markos' opinions on the matter.

But the storm itself is fascinating.

alchemi

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Wednesday March 14, 2007 · 8:09 PM PDT

2007/03/14 · 20:09

(Cross-posted)

Just a few days ago, I note that few conservatives are intellectually honest enough to acknowledge that arguments against political correctness are arguments against social pressure.

So today I read a post at Red State that more explicitly demonstrates that flaw. The sins of the left?

The result of this loss of vision is a slide towards a new kind of tyranny. In traditional tyrannies, deviation from the sacred doctrine is punishable by imprisonment or worse. That's not what this is. It's more akin to what we find in most religions: where deviation from the expected norm is punished with guilt and ostracism and absolved with some kind of repentance. (Editors note: bolding added)

Poor fucking baby! You've been called on being a dipshit and you can't take it. I'm full of fucking sympathy. Lord, is this the kind of pathetic, lily livered baby that calls himself a modern conservative? Suck it up Junior. Get a haircut and get a backbone. I'm sure there are some bootstraps somewhere you can pull yourself up by.

alchemi

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Wednesday July 12, 2006 · 4:59 PM PDT

2006/07/12 · 16:59

Jacob Weisberg, at Slate, seems to buy the right-wing meme and mistake the point of a free press.

The first question editors need to ask might be framed in this way: Is there a good case that the practice or actions we want to disclose are wrong--in terms of law, procedure, or morality? ... Is the alleged harm genuine?

This is what the press does and they are dead wrong... Read More

You Can't Judge Debates Immediately

alchemi

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Thursday July 06, 2006 · 5:21 PM PDT

2006/07/06 · 17:21

We, as a community, are emotional about the Lieberman-Lamont debate (whatever side we support). But the key thing is, many of us watched it. That's probably not true of a bunch of voters. Debates are not aimed at the people who actually watch the debate, nor should they be judged that way.

What we should look for... Read More

Finding My Big Ideas

alchemi

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Saturday June 17, 2006 · 5:56 PM PDT

2006/06/17 · 17:56

Georgia10 has a good front page post which implicitly challenges the Democratic Party to find our ideas and values. I'm going to rise to that challenge.

The lesson, after doing this, is that it is clear to me that the lack of ideas is a symptom of cowardice and shame. DLC Democrats find policy easy because it means not having to say anything that might offend.

Here are some things I believe:
Read More

Time for Lieberman, Pro War Dems to Step Up

alchemi

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Monday November 28, 2005 · 6:32 PM PST

2005/11/28 · 18:32

Brace yourself for a mind-bog of sheer cynicism. The discombobulation begins Wednesday, when President George W. Bush is expected to proclaim, in a major speech at the U.S. Naval Academy, that the Iraqi security forces--which only a few months ago were said to have just one battalion capable of fighting on its own--have suddenly made uncanny progress in combat readiness. Expect soon after (if not during the speech itself) the thing that Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have, just this month, denounced as near-treason--a timetable for withdrawal of American troops. - Bush's Can't-Lose Reversal

Getting out is the right thing to do, but Dems can't let Bush get away with reaping the political benefit of withdrawl. That is where the Hawk Dems come into play. Now is the time for Lieberman et al to out-flank Bush and accuse him of cutting-and-running, losing the war, and betraying the troops.

The GOP has provided the playbook. Now we just need a few hawks to stand up, take one for the team and use Rove's tactics on Team Rove.

I Lied And Lied And Lied, But I'm Telling The Truth Now (How the Conservative Mind Works)

alchemi

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Thursday November 03, 2005 · 4:11 AM PST

2005/11/03 · 04:11

Redstate has a commentary on a anti-abortion rant by Dr. Bernard Nathanson, one of the co-founders of NARAL. Nathanson claims he, NARAL and others fabricated polling data and information about the dangers of back alley abortions to shift public opinion and push for Roe.

This should not shock us. Nathanson converted to Catholicism and became a pro-life activist 30 years ago, so this is somewhat old news. He was involved with the infamous Silent Scream video.

What amuses me is the insanity of this sort of argument. Memo to Red State and Dr. Nathanson... this type of charge doesn't work for a reason. You are relying on someone who admits they have no credibility! No matter what, Dr. Nathanson is a liar. He either lied then or he is lying now. Why should we give any credence to anything he says? When the best you've got is an confirmed liar trying to claim that this time they're telling the truth, really... you're not in good shape. (And, chances are, you're a Republican).

Burying the Lede

alchemi

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Monday October 24, 2005 · 9:19 PM PDT

2005/10/24 · 21:19

I think in the joy that Cheney might be a target, we're missing the Big Story. From the NYT Article on the front page: "Mr. Libby's notes indicate that Mr. Cheney had gotten his information about Ms. Wilson from George J. Tenet, the director of central intelligence, in response to questions from the vice president about Mr. Wilson."

Note, it wasn't asking about Plame, it was asking about Wilson. Is this an attempt to use the CIA spy on Americans for political purposes? Doesn't that scream Watergate in a way that will be impossible to spin away?

Politics and Tragedy

alchemi

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Wednesday August 31, 2005 · 10:27 AM PDT

2005/08/31 · 10:27

The hurricane poses a major problem for those apposed to the Bush administration: how to correctly and justly point out how his ill-conceived policies exacerbated the damage without appearing vindictive or 'partisan.'

Here are the two major ways I see in which it is fair to apportion blame (and there are probably many more):

Bush's war of choice in Iraq made us less safe at home by relying on national guard troops abroad. These troops were not available, as they would typically be, to help deal with a natural disaster.
Bush prioritized both his war of choice and his unnecessary tax cuts at the expense of critical priorities such as maintaining the New Orleans levees.

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The McCain Campaign's Dumb Lie

Kos, Sexism, the Lefty Blogosphere and The Duty to Believe

RedState and Intellectual Vapidity

In Slate's Universe: The Press Should Be In the Business of NOT Publishing News

You Can't Judge Debates Immediately

Finding My Big Ideas

Time for Lieberman, Pro War Dems to Step Up

I Lied And Lied And Lied, But I'm Telling The Truth Now (How the Conservative Mind Works)

Burying the Lede

Politics and Tragedy