CN's Blog

CN Commented on Senate Dem Staffer: "Senator Specter Has Not Helped Himself" With Recent Actions by Eric Kleefeld

2009-05-06T23:47:44Z

The short-term memory is first to go. Specter keeps forgetting that Obama is president and only remembers the 8 years prior, when Democrats would roll over and do whatever a Republican asked.

CN Commented on Biden And Franken Meeting Now In Washington by Eric Kleefeld

2009-05-06T21:40:04Z

He certainly needed a good sense of humor to put up with the whole process.

CN Commented on Reid: Specter Will Be With Us When We Need Him by Eric Kleefeld

2009-05-06T20:49:52Z

That would be a reasonable interpretation of Reid's statments... IF the statements came from someone who wasn't such a confirmed wet noodle like Reid.

CN Commented on Gibbs: White House Will Keep Supporting Specter by Eric Kleefeld

2009-05-06T16:46:07Z

Specter won't help Obama get anything done. It doesn't matter what party Specter is in -- Specter will be equally obstructive. So what's the difference? Nothing. I don't think Obama cares what party Specter is in.

More specifically, I don't think Obama cares about the optics. He doesn't care if some Dems think he looks "weak and ineffectual."

CN recommended Doof or Consequences by Josh Marshall

2009-05-06T02:14:31Z

CN Commented on Gibbs: White House Will Keep Supporting Specter by Eric Kleefeld

2009-05-05T22:47:50Z

A lot of Democrats (including myself) freaked out when Obama forgave Joe Lieberman for stabbing him in the back (among Joe's many other crimes). But that turned out to be the right decision in the long run. The situation with Specter is probably similar.

And to answer your question, I don't think Obama cares if his magnanimity pisses Democrats off. At this point, it seems abundantly clear that Obama is a pragmatist to the bone and only cares about getting things done. He knows that the "disillusionment" of some Democrats won't hamper his agenda.

CN Commented on Reid Spokesman: "We Are Just Going To Have To Disagree" With Specter About Minn. Senate Race by Eric Kleefeld

2009-05-05T21:03:41Z

Hey Eric, has anyone checked to see if Specter has changed is voter registration? Or asked him if he plans to switch it?

CN recommended Poll: Specter Has Big Lead Over Sestak In Dem Primary by Eric Kleefeld

2009-05-05T19:50:30Z

CN Commented on Specter Wants Coleman To Win In Minnesota by Eric Kleefeld

2009-05-05T21:00:25Z

Whoops, I meant a Judd Gregg. Rage was fogging my brain.

CN Commented on Specter Wants Coleman To Win In Minnesota by Eric Kleefeld

2009-05-05T20:58:54Z

Senator Spector, please, please pull a Jim Jeffords. I'm begging you.

CN recommended Whatever it Takes? by Josh Marshall

2009-05-05T17:47:23Z

CN Commented on Senator Who Praised Segregationist Judges Will Lead Opposition To Obama Nominees by Brian Beutler

2009-05-04T18:53:51Z

Yep. The Dems should treat Sessions like they've been treating Michael Steele: get out of his way and hope he runs his mouth as much as possible.

CN Commented on Steele: Moderates Are Welcome To Join GOP -- But Not To Change It by Eric Kleefeld

2009-05-04T18:46:52Z

Eat at Steele's Place: anyone can sit at our table ... but you have to eat exactly what we serve you, no substitutions, and you have to smile and say you like it.

CN Commented on Specter: "I Did Not Say I Would Be A Loyal Democrat" by Eric Kleefeld

2009-05-04T16:28:05Z

I don't think the situation is the same with Specter and Lieberman.

With Lieberman, there were big questions about (1) whether he would switch to the GOP and (2) how much he would support or obstruct Obama's agenda. Obama was nice to Joe, which paid off in Joe's staying with the team and playing nice (for him, at least).

But there are no questions about Specter: He can't switch to the GOP and he clearly is going to vote however the hell he wants to. So if Obama chooses to strongarm him, there's nothing Specter can do.

CN Commented on Specter: "I Did Not Say I Would Be A Loyal Democrat" by Eric Kleefeld

2009-05-04T03:15:35Z

Talk about biting the hand that just saved your ass.

And I'm surprised that Specter would get into a credibility contest with Barack Obama. Specter is not going to win.

CN Commented on Will Committee Republicans Try To Block Obama's SCOTUS Nominee? by Brian Beutler

2009-05-01T19:52:52Z

Yep. I saw this post's headline and my first thought was, "Does a bear shit in the woods?"

CN Commented on In Suprise Appearance At Press Conference, Obama Outlines Qualifications For Scotus Nominee by Brian Beutler

2009-05-01T19:44:11Z

"that quality of empathy, of understanding and identifying with peoples' hopes and struggles"

Well, I guess it won't be a Republican.

CN Commented on Cantor: "It's Not A Rebranding Effort" by Eric Kleefeld

2009-04-30T21:00:00Z

This is the party of Norm Coleman. They'll keep re-doing the policy "debate" until they win.

CN recommended Not Everyone On Board by Josh Marshall

2009-04-28T19:29:42Z

CN recommended Torture and Cowardice by Josh Marshall

2009-04-27T15:13:00Z

CN Commented on You Guys Are Running A Banana Republic]]> by Brian Beutler

2009-04-23T22:08:52Z

Yes, unfortunately the First Amendment protects that particular brand of torture. The right-wingers are free to torture logic like a Spanish Inquisitor.

CN Commented on Trio Of Senators Ask Obama Not To Prosecute Bush Attorneys by Brian Beutler

2009-04-22T19:42:27Z

The real reason that hardcore Bushies don't want the OLC memo authors prosecuted is not out of principle -- "Government attorneys should be free to give legal advice without fear blah blah blah."

No, the real reason that hardcore Bushies -- the ones in the know -- don't want Yoo, Bybee, and Bradbury prosecuted is because they are afraid of what the attorneys' defense will be. Faced with prison, the attorneys might say "I wrote those memos because the President ordered me to. I came to that legal conclusion because Dick Cheney walked into my office and told me to make that conclusion happen."

CN recommended Turley: We Need A Special Torture Prosecutor, Not Some Lame Commission by Zachary Roth

2009-04-22T14:02:25Z

CN recommended Harman: "Bring It On" by David Kurtz

2009-04-21T17:37:41Z

CN Commented on Harman Calls For Release Of Wiretapping Materials by Zachary Roth

2009-04-21T16:19:33Z

And Harman's defense emerges: Sure, she may have made an improper quid pro quo agreeement, but she never actually paid the quid.

CN Commented on The Harman-AIPAC Story: A Timeline by Zachary Roth

2009-04-20T23:03:02Z

I don't see a whole lot of evidence for the blackmail angle. And I would hate for a "blackmail" meme to distract from what in itself is a terrible abuse of power.

If Gonzales made the investigation go away because he was ALREADY getting what he wanted from Harman -- if he didn't ask (i.e. blackmail) for anything more -- that's still a political non-prosecution. A political non-prosecution is every bit as dirty and damaging as a political prosecution a la Don Siegleman.

I can only wonder about other instances in which the Bush DOJ came across evidence of wrongdoing by an influential figure, but the investigation or prosecution was squashed because that person was helpful to the administration's political ends.

CN Commented on DeLay's Version Of Texas Secession At Odds With History, The Constitution by Brian Beutler

2009-04-17T23:44:29Z

If Texas was split into 5 states as you describe (1 liberal, 2 swing, and 2 insane), the two crazified states might merge (provided they were contiguous) into a single Republic of Texas. Whether that happened or not, the three NON-crazy states -- freed from the bulk of whackos -- could and probably would re-form back into the State of Texas and be welcomed back into the arms of the Union. Net result: we'd still have Texas and 50 states, but Texas would be a part of the permanent Democratic majority.

CN Commented on Sleep Expert "Surprised And Saddened" To Find Research Twisted In Torture Memo by Zachary Roth

2009-04-17T19:29:46Z

A Republican distorting scientific research for political purposes? Imagine that.

CN Commented on Why Republicans Should Back Franken by Matthew Cooper

2009-04-17T18:03:29Z

Agreed. The right-wingers don't need any particular type of person to use a a foil; they are experts at taking whoever happens to be convenient and just making shit up. See Barack Obama, Muslim; Hillary Clinton, murderer, etc., etc.