Spencer for Liar

info@spectator.org (John Tabin) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:25:06 EST

Scott Beauchamp says he never fabricated anything, and apparently that's good enough for Spencer Ackerman.

Like everyone who has ever stepped up to defend Beauchamp's work, Ackerman is missing important swaths of the story. He therefore failed to ask Beauchamp a whole lot of important questions when he caught up with him. Do we have to go through this all over again? If so, I really wish this hadn't come up while I'm a) trying to focus on preparatory research for stuff I'm planning to report on in Denver next week and b) really tired. (Acute insomnia last night.) I'll try to pick over some of the problems with Ackerman's article at some point, if I can find the time and energy....

Another Problem With a Pro-Choice Pick

info@spectator.org (Philip Klein) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:23:42 EST

While others have stated the obvious reasons for why picking a pro-choice vice-presidential nominee would be problematic for John McCain, I think one of the less obvious but still significant reasons why it would be a mistake is that it would reflect on the type of judges McCain would appoint. A huge part of McCain's outreach efforts to conservatives has involved pledging to appoint strict constructionist judges in the mold of Scalia, Roberts, Alito, and Thomas (for example, see his Wake Forest speech on judicial philosophy). But if, in one of the most important appointments he'll have to make, McCain disregards values voters and goes with a pro-choice pick, than why would social conservatives consider his reassurances on judges credible? If he ignores their outcry in the midst of an election, why would he care about th...

RE: A Bumpologist Speaks

info@spectator.org (James Antle) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:53:06 EST

When Kerry got virtually no convention bounce in 2004, I knew he was toast....

A Bumpologist Speaks

info@spectator.org (Philip Klein) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:45:35 EST

Newsweek speaks to political science professor Tom Holbrook, who has spent a lot of time analyzing the data on bumps coming out of party conventions. His theory is that conventions are essentially correcting mechanisms, and the bounce is a reflection of the gap between where a candidate is in the polls, and where they should be. Holbrook sees it as essential that Obama gets a nice bump coming out of the election (in the 6-8 point league), because, "if Obama doesn't get a big bump out of this convention, I think that will say something about how hard it's going to be for him to increase his lead in the polls. If he can't do it substantially over a four-day period when it's all his show, then I think his campaign should be worried about the months ahead."<...

Obama Schedule Update

info@spectator.org (Philip Klein) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 09:56:54 EST

The latest schedule, which I received from the campaign this morning, has Obama making two stops in Virginia today. He's scheduled to be back in Chicago tomorrow, with no public appearances, and then on to Springfield on Saturday, which is expected to be his first appearance with his running mate....

Ayers Document Controversy Goes Mainstream

info@spectator.org (Philip Klein) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 09:51:41 EST

On Monday, Stanley Kurtz wrote in the National Review that he had been denied access to a cache of files housed at the University of Illinois pertaining to the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, the nonprofit institution where Barack Obama worked with Bill Ayers. It's been heating up the conservative media all week, but now the the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune are now on the case. The current operating excuse is that the donor of the records has not given the ownership rights of the records to the university, which says it is "aggressively pursuing" an agreement with the donor. Though the hometown Tribune columnist John Kass says one needs look no further than the the name of the library: The Richard J. Daley Library.

March of the Obots

info@spectator.org (Christopher Orlet) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 07:07:40 EST

Remember the SNL skit that suggested former Democrats-turned-Reagan voters had become pod peoplesque victims of the conservative body-snatchers? Something equally sinister is at work today, notes James Lewis:

My son-in-law is an Obot. I’m sorry, that’s the kindest thing I can say. A specimen of his thinking is this: He likes Barack Obama because Hillary is just too white...This is a mid-twenties, delayed adolescent, MTV-impaired, drug-taking, hung-over, well-meaning, ne’er-do-well liberal kid, who is certainly not a racist—except against his own race, which is just fine by the Left. A white guy sneering at whitey just proves how cool you are. And Barack Obama is his hero because he’s black, and Obama’s a slick hustler, and well, he’s just so cool.

Underage Gymnasts Are Just the Tip of the Iceberg

info@spectator.org (John Tabin) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:50:17 EST
The Plank at The New Republic has been running a great series of posts on Chinese

Re: Media Etiquette

info@spectator.org (Robert Stacy McCain) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:19:38 EST
Thanks for the 411, Phil. And I would argue that Ron Kampeas of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency deserved to be cut off, after that puerile stunt. He didn't ask a question, he gave a lecture, and then started filibustering. I don't know what you were thinking, but my thoughts were: "We got your freaking point, Bozo. Please shut up and let the guy answer."...

Ambinder Surprised

info@spectator.org (Robert Stacy McCain) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:01:44 EST
Remember when John McCain first went on the attack? Barack Obama landed in Afghanistan on Saturday, July 19, trailed by an entourage that included all three network TV broadcast news anchors. By Tuesday, July 22, everyone was laughing at this YouTube video mocking the media's infatuation with Obama. The same day, reporters covering the McCain campaign in Pennsylvania received a press pass dubbing them the "JV Squad: Left Behind to Report in America." Meanwhile, a new McCain TV ad blamed high gas prices on Obama's opposition to drilling offshore. By Thursday, the McCain campaign had released a series of video clips illustrating Obama's opposition to the "surge" in Iraq.
<...

Obama Praises Rev. Wright in 1995 Interview

info@spectator.org (Philip Klein) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:47:41 EST

In a recently resurfaced television interview from 1995, Barack Obama describes Rev. Jeremiah Wright as a "wonderful man" who "represents the best of what the black Church has to offer."
The pro-Obama blog Old Man McCain posted a three part video interview of Obama, in which he was discussing his memoir, Dreams From My Father.
At one point the interviewer, Connie Martinson says, "wonderful man there, Rev. Wright."
To which Obama responded:
"Wright, who is my pastor, and he is a wonderful man…He's a pastor of a large congregation in Chicago, and one of the interesting things that I discover in my journey to discover what my identity is and who my father is, is also ...

Obama's Announcement

info@spectator.org (Philip Klein) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:16:18 EST

From the Obama campaign:
Chicago, IL – Senator Barack Obama will kick off his trip to the Democratic National Convention on Saturday, August 23, 2008 with an event at the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois, where Obama officially announced his campaign for president on February 10, 2007.
It now seems the most likely scenario is that the campaign will reveal the choice sometime on Friday, and Obama will make his first appearance with his running mate in Springfield.
...

Bloomberg-Paul '08!

info@spectator.org (James Antle) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:59:36 EST

Dave Weigel has the scoop on the Virginia Independent Greens' efforts to qualify a ticket of Michael Bloomberg for president and Ron Paul for vice president on Virginia's state ballot.
Carey Campbell is right that Paul probably could have won the Libertarian and Constitution Party presidential nominations -- there was a move to put Paul's name in nomination at the CP convention, but it was defeated on the grounds that Paul would not accept -- but I'm somewhat surprised to hear he had a chance at winning the Green Party's nod as well. Even taking into account the war, I didn't know there were that many hard-lefties willing to put up with a pro-life devotee of Austrian economics.
...

Re: Rudy Says Party Would Accept Pro-Choice VP

info@spectator.org (James Antle) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:19:26 EST
Rudy's judgment about whether the party would accept a pro-choice nominee sure panned out well. ...

Re: Media Etiquette

info@spectator.org (Philip Klein) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:38:26 EST
His name was Ron Kampeas of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA), and he's claiming he was intentionally cut off.
...

Rudy Says Party Would Accept Pro-Choice VP

info@spectator.org (Philip Klein) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:22:30 EST
Asked in a McCain campaign call to respond to reports that McCain was considering a pro-choice running mate, Rudy Giuliani said that the Republican Party is not a one issue party, and ultimately Republicans would get behind whoever McCain chooses as his vice president.

"Any choice you make will have pros and cons," Giuliani said. "It would seem to me that the Republican Party is not, as far as I can tell, and I traveled to thousands of places last year, a one issue party. And that would be just one issue out of many that would have to be evaluated by the party. But I believe the party would support Sen. McCain's choice."

He added, "I think we realize that this is a very important choice...I know from talking from John McCain about this, not just now, but in the past, when we both used to think about choosing vice presidents when we were opponents, that our main critera would be a person that would allow us to sleep at night knowing th...

Media Etiquette

info@spectator.org (Robert Stacy McCain) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:20:35 EST
Just got off of a McCain campaign conference call, during which some reporter (I'll update with his ID in a minute) started playing "gotcha" with Rudy Giuliani and Randy Scheunemann.
Kids, don't ever do this. If you want to bust somebody's chops in print, bust 'em. But on a conference call, or in a press conference, a reporter should never start grandstanding and lecturing or otherwise trying to embarrass his hosts. This is why David Gregory and Helen Thomas are so widely hated.
It's one thing to ask sharp, tough questions, but this idiot on the conference call went on for about three minutes, being an insufferable hot dog and wasting everyone's time. A press conference isn't the comment field at Daily Kos, and it shouldn't be an opportunity for former class clowns to relive their middle-school years.
UPDATE: Listening to my recording of the call, I can't make out the reporter's name -- sounde...

The Unmaking of Obama?

info@spectator.org (James Antle) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:42:49 EST

This John McCain wisecrack sums up Barack Obama's problems as well as anything I've seen: "Taking in my opponent's performances is a little like watching a big summer blockbuster and an hour in, realizing that all the best scenes were in the trailer you saw last fall." Obama was able to tap into a lot sentiment in the country in favor of turning the page on the Bush administration, moving beyond red state versus blue state, and transcending race. His early opposition to the Iraq war was crucial in the Democratic primaries. But once he drew people in, Obama didn't have a second act. There wasn't any there there, and what substance there was undercut key parts of his narrative (that he had moved beyond race and the old left-right divide). Jeremiah Wright was devastating. "Bittergate" was devastating. The trip to Europe, I suspect, was on balance not very helpful. And pro-choice absolutism isn't going to be very helpful either.
When you...

Hi Bayh

info@spectator.org (Quin Hillyer) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:27:44 EST

I think these two items -- here and here -- are pretty solid indicators that Bayh is the one. With that in mind, I HEARTILY recommend the McCain start considering Mike Pence, especially considering Pence's indispensable work (and resultant high profile) with the rump Congress in support of drilling. I noted in an earlier column (see choice Number 5) that Pence should be considered to counter Bayh. Earlier today, I asked Frank Luntz what he thought about Pence as Veep. Luntz said not as Veep, but: "The House Republicans owe Mike Pence not just a debt of gratitude but undying appreciation [for his leadership this month on drilling]. It should elevate him to a congressional leadership position.&quo...

Daily Must-Reads

info@spectator.org (Joseph Lawler) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:21:31 EST
Mass. Romney-care enrolls more and more, but overruns still threaten
Compare and contrast: Merrill and Fannie/Freddie
The presidency is above Obama's paygrade
Obama has to walk a tightrope in stadium full of people
Calorie display mandates are just nagging
Phelps now going for real gold

More 'Dog Whistle' Smears

info@spectator.org (Robert Stacy McCain) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:53:46 EST
David Neiwert adds David Freddoso and James Taranto to the list of cryptoracist code-talkers, for calling Obama "audacious":
It's kind of clever, really -- take a keyword from the title of one of his books and use it to call him "uppity" without actually saying it. But then, the dog-whistle components of this campaign, as we've seen, are becoming increasingly sophisticated.
And the Rorschach inkblot reactions from the Left are becoming increasingly bizarre....

Speakers at the GOP Bash

info@spectator.org (Quin Hillyer) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:47:25 EST
Philip earlier noted the speaker list for the Republican confab in two weeks. I think he's right to ask us to look at it and wonder if it means anything for the Veep choice. I will note that of the people most often mentioned as being on the "short list," the only one NOT listed as a speaker is Rob Portman -- who, of course, also happens to live fairly close to the Dayton, Ohio rally at which McCain is expected to announce his choice next Friday. Another not on the speaker's list who is thought to be on the slightly-expanded short list for Veep is Fred Smith of FedEx. Neither is Eric Cantor. Make of that what you will. Of those who SHOULD be on the short list, it is notable that John Kasich isn't listed as a speaker. He ought to be, if only to give him a boost for governor of Ohio in two years. Mike Pence isn't listed as a speaker either, even though he is as responsible as anyone for the rec...

Hillary?

info@spectator.org (John Tabin) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:39:51 EST
All of a sudden there's a rumor floating around DC (e.g.) that Obama is going to pick Hillary Clinton for the VP slot. As best I can tell, this traces back to gossiping Democratic party hacks. It might just be idle speculation prompted by "why isn't he announcing Kaine today?" questions, but I thought I'd pass it along anyway....

MSNBC Acknowledges Poll Shift

info@spectator.org (Robert Stacy McCain) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:29:03 EST
Joe Gandelman at the Moderate Voice has a nice roundup of reaction to the emergent anti-Obama trend, including this from MSNBC's blog:
Nevertheless, there is no longer this widespread belief among the wise guys and gals of both parties that we're all just sitting around waiting for this race to break in Obama's direction.
By "wise guys and gals" the MSNBC crew actually means "all our sources and press-corps buddies." This is exactly the point in today's article about "the conventional wisdom among the political press that Obama is a sure thing to win in November."
Team Obama has worked very hard to cr...

Lieberman to Speak at the Republican Convention

info@spectator.org (Philip Klein) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:54:30 EST
On Monday, the same night as Bush and Cheney. What will Harry Reid do? The full convention speaking lineup is here. Draw your own conclusions about the implications for the veepstakes.

UPDATE: Rudy Giuliani's Tuesday speech on reform will be considered the Keynote Address.
...

Post-Modern Genius

info@spectator.org (Robert Stacy McCain) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:42:58 EST
Career strategy for the 21st century: Get a sex-change, claim to be a victim of sex discrimination....

Obama and Damascus

info@spectator.org (Philip Klein) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:35:45 EST
One of the key aspects of the Obama foreign policy agenda is to conduct unconditional talks with hostile regimes within the first year of his administration. But really, why wait?

Eli Lake has a disturbing report in the NY Sun about Obama middle east adviser Daniel Kurtzner visiting Damascus to attend a conference sponsored by the British Syrian Society (which, according to its website, "aims at strengthening relations at all levels between the United Kingdom and Syria").

Kurtzner also met with the Syrian foreign minister, and recounts, "I urged him to move ahead in the Israel-Syria negotiations as much as possible so that whoever is the next president would not start from too ...

Abortions for Some, Small Unjust Wars for Others

info@spectator.org (Jeremy Lott) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:25:54 EST
That's that impossible choice that this election offers Catholics, I argue in the Guardian today.
...

AmSpec Blog

Spencer for Liar

Another Problem With a Pro-Choice Pick

RE: A Bumpologist Speaks

A Bumpologist Speaks

Obama Schedule Update

Ayers Document Controversy Goes Mainstream

March of the Obots

Underage Gymnasts Are Just the Tip of the Iceberg

Re: Media Etiquette

Ambinder Surprised

Obama Praises Rev. Wright in 1995 Interview

Obama's Announcement

Bloomberg-Paul '08!

Re: Rudy Says Party Would Accept Pro-Choice VP

Re: Media Etiquette

Rudy Says Party Would Accept Pro-Choice VP

Media Etiquette

The Unmaking of Obama?

Hi Bayh

Daily Must-Reads

More 'Dog Whistle' Smears

Speakers at the GOP Bash

Hillary?

MSNBC Acknowledges Poll Shift

Lieberman to Speak at the Republican Convention

Post-Modern Genius

Obama and Damascus

Abortions for Some, Small Unjust Wars for Others