Open Threads

Atrios at his finest, bitching that people aren’t talking enough about the promotion of democracy abroad:

But, the more interesting question is why conservatives aren’t jumping up and down about this. I think it’s pretty obvious — most aren’t particularly concerned with spreading Democracy around the world. George Bush might actually be sincere in his new mission, though I don’t think he has a deep grasp of what “democracy” is, but most of the rest of them aren’t.

Republicans have never stopped being isolationist and anti-nation building (true of most of the US population, actually). They don’t think tyranny leads to terrorism (nor am I claiming there’s necessarily a strong connection), and don’t really want to expend any treasure helping out “the other.” What they do like is killing bad guys, and when George Bush says “spreading freedom and democracy” what they hear is “killing bad guys.” They like killing “bad guys,” and they’re a bit lost without an enemy, so the actual spreading of democracy just doesn’t excite them that much.

Though, yes, they rarely fail to grasp the latest bit of news to beat up on those freedom-hating democrats, so it’s a bit puzzling why they haven’t at least done that.

What a total asshole. And people wonder why I don’t embrace the Atrios/Kos driven Democratic party.

The Deep Thoughts of Duncan BlackPost + Comments (24)

Anyone watch the Shield?

The ShieldPost + Comments (8)

Thank goodness for Jeff Goldstein, who is keeping us on top of Jeff Gannon’s Cock (nope- not going to apologize). While Jeff’s coverage has ben good, I don’t know how I missed this:

BREAKING NEWS: Gannon reportedly knew about Iraq attack four hours before it happened by John in DC – 2/18/2005 09:57:00 AM

A news producer for a major network’s local affiliate just told me that Gannon told the producer the US was going to attack Iraq four hours before President Bush announced it to the nation.

According to the producer, Gannon specifically told them that in four hours the president was going to be making a speech to the nation announcing that the US was bombing Iraq. The producer told me they were surprised that Gannon, working with such a small news outfit, could have access to such information, but “what did you know, he was right,” the producer said today. The producer went on to say that Gannon often had correct scoops on major stories, including information about Mary Mapes and the Dan Rather BUSH/AWOL scandal that this news outlet got from Gannon before any had the information publicly.

I am trying to think of a way to include the phrase “Jeff Gannon’s Gay Hooker Cock” and ‘shocke and awe’ in a coherent sentence, and I am coming up with nothing.

I am pleased, however, to report that Sen. ‘Harry’ Reid and Sen. ‘Dick’ Durbin want to investigate Jeff Gannon’s cock. Jeff Gannon, for his part, is back, and promising not to back down:

Criticism of my work and my journalistic background is fair game, but the intensive scrutiny into my personal life, especially things from the past have startled many in the journalistic community. Now Democrats in Congress are demanding that the White House do more thorough investigation into the personal lives and sexual histories of reporters. Is this what they want, to give the Bush administration a mandate to make this kind of information relevant to the vetting process for journalists? What kind of reaction would there have been if the White House has announced such a plan two months ago?

If I had been a liberal reporter with the salacious past now attributed to me, I would be the Grand Marshall of the next Gay Pride Parade as well as a media darling, able to give softball interviews. But because I am a conservative, they continue to try to smear me with allegations of behavior that they otherwise would vigorously defend.

This episode is so rich with irony that it will take me many columns and a book to deal with it all. What is most telling about the Left is how quickly it was able to abandon its sacred principles of free speech and privacy to attack someone it disagreed with. The justification for this was based on erroneous characterizations of my reporting.

In other Gannon news, David Corn, whom I wrote about here and whose complete heresy is chronicled here, is being taken to task by his commenters. As the Myopist notred, it might be time to start a David Corn Watch, for his days may be numbered before he is sent off to the Lieberman dungeon:

Anyone feel like starting a pool on just when the heretic gets burned? Because he will, you know. He can fulminate about Social Security privatization and Negropointe all he likes, but the guy’s transgressed against one too many Angry Left shibboleths-of-the-moment, and the blackshirts already hate him for his analysis of their hijacking (and subsequent marginalization) of the antiwar movement. The knives are being sharpened as we speak.

Big Hairy CockgatePost + Comments (6)

The Center for American Progress is but one of the left-liberal sites that is tapdancing along the border between insane and paranoid (see Media Matters, MoveOn.Org, etc.) yet still tries to pretend that it is a non-partisan organization:

The Center for American Progress is a nonpartisan research and educational institute dedicated to promoting a strong, just and free America that ensures opportunity for all.

A paragraph later we note that one of the goals for the Center for American Progress is “responding effectively and rapidly to conservative proposals and rhetoric with a thoughtful critique and clear alternatives.” So much for the nonpartisan bit.

So what sort of lofty goals and high-minded deeds are our intrepid progressives undertaking these days? Well, of course- looking out for the little man:

Love, Hannity Style

[Ed. Note: To clear up any confusion, this is not a parody. These are actual profiles clipped from Hannity

Because They Care…Post + Comments (3)

David Frum and Chris Matthews discussing what is going on in Washington right now (in a conversation loosely about Social Security Reform):

FRUM: It

G.U.T.Post + Comments (18)

It is raining and crappy out, I am sick as a dog, and Hunter S. Thompson is dead.

Shit.

I Hate MondaysPost + Comments (3)

Jeff Goldstein has written the greatest headline ever discussing the loony left’s disgusting behavior regarding Jeff Gannon:

“The BREAKING JEFF GANNON STORY REVEALED: GANNON RUMORED TO ENJOY COOKING, BROADWAY SHOW TUNES.”

If there is a weblog award for titles, this deserves to win.

The Politics of Personal DestructionPost + Comments (38)