Happy Hour Roundup: Palin, Torture, Cheney, Schmoozing Reporters
* A great line from Josh Orton on the real meaning of the Sarah Palin billing fib:
Alaska state employees are now wasting time trying to defend Palin’s fibs about the cost of wasting state employees’ time.
* Andrew Sullivan explains why national security Republicans want Palin as president: Palin’s base is Karl Rove’s base.
* Josh Marshall ponders the profound and momentous question lurking at the heart of the John Ensign scandal.
* Speaking of which, Ben Smith predicts that the phrase “pattern of generosity,” which is how Ensign’s lawyer described payments to his mistress, is headed for immortality, along with “wide stance.”
* John Aravosis is angered by the latest broken promise. With riveting video.
* Spencer Ackerman digs out a key fact from Newsweek: The CIA secrets Leon Panetta shared with Congress at that Intel meeting weren’t about torture. So what were they about?
* Cheney’s “executive assassination ring,” perhaps?
* John Cook reports that White House reporters were permitted to schmooze with Obama and company at a July 4th party, on one condition: “Blogging, Twittering or otherwise reporting on this event is not permitted.”
* Jim Romenesko says that Rush Limbaugh and Fox News will jump all over that one.
* John Boehner claims vindication on the whole Nancy Pelosi marsh mouse brouhaha.
* But Media Matters smells a rat.
* And some huge housekeeping news: We’ve fixed the paragraph break problem in comments, and guess what? Next up: THREADED COMMENTS! Ask and ye shall receive. We’re working on that one now. Special thanks to our techies.
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I really don’t understand what is so controversial about needle exchanges that the Obama administration is going back on that promise. That really is not a good look by them. Hell who would even oppose it?
Opponents of moral permissiveness.
Congratulations, Greg – Keith Olbermann just credited you with the Palin lyin about the lawyers costin the tax payers so much money.
Woo Hoo!
It’s adventurous to argue with Sullivan but I think he’s got this one wrong. I think a better thesis is that Rove simply used (though surely strengthening) a particular demographic that had been fostered before he arrived on the national scene (up from Texas) with any real significant levers of influence. Had fate turned a different corner, say if a very young Rove had been struck by a meteorite or had he been run over by a Republican Senator driving home after humping someone not is own christian wife, this demographic we are speaking of wouldn’t be, I think, much different in appearance than we see it now.
Um…are the Senate GOP this oblivious, or just stupid.
“Senate Republicans Calling New Haven Firefighters As Witnesses For Sotomayor Hearings”
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/07/senate-republicans-calling-new-haven-firefighters-as-witnesses-for-sotomayor-hearings.php#comments
What exactly will these firefighters testify to? How can they give testimony on Judge Sotomayor’s JUDICIAL JUDGEMENT. If Karma is truly a *****, then this will so backfire on GOP.
I have never watched a confirmation hearing…EVER!!! Not even the Clarence Thomas “pubes on a coke can” hearing. But I damn sure thinking about watching this one.
What the heck is up with this Ensign “affair”? Sanford has a scapegoat in his Lt Gov, but Ensign doesn’t, so why the hell is he still in office?
Also, over at TPM Muckracker they have a number of post discussing conflicting statements from Sen Coburn on the whole Ensign affair.
My question is why is Coburn making all the statements and not Ensign?
Does anyones else smell a weekend or Friday night newsdump resignation from Ensign?
They know hot. They’re gonna testify that Soto is really hot.
Interesting post on TheHill … apparently the House isn’t too stoked on Obama’s signing statement!
“House members approved an amendment by a 429-2 vote to have the Obama administration pressure the World Bank to strengthen labor and environmental standards and require a Treasury Department report on World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) activities.”
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/house-overwhelming-rebukes-obama-signing-statement-2009-07-09.html
Wonder if it will make a difference?
Signing statements are ok now, but last year they were a horrible end-run around congress – that then-candidate Obama denounced, saying he taught constitutional law and would not use them…
Oh – but that was just campaign rhetoric… ans six signing statements later.. you know, they’re a useful too.
Hope & Hypocrisy!