Saturday Night Coalition News

After a bit of a holiday weekend lull, the Coalition is please to welcome our newest member, no stranger to these parts, the excellent Punditish. Elsewhere:

Viking Pundit pronounces himself disappointed that Bush has not managed to advance the ball farther with Social Security Reform. I second that emotion...

Bloggledygook is puzzled: why is Islam exempt from the anti-establishment clause?...

At Obsidian Wings, von uses the filibuster deal blather as an excuse to get reacquainted with Hugo Black...

Jim Miller has the story of the feelings of some Republicans in Seattle: 'marginalized and denigrated'...

I encourage you to enjoy your Saturday evening and check out a site or two from the Coalition, while you're at it...

Novak on Hillary: Wrapping Up The Bucks Early

Robert Novak informs us that Hillary has an early start on locking down the big Northeast donors; and has a lot of other good dish on Dean and Pawlenty, among others. The funniest part: Hollywood is holding off on Hillary, questioning her electability. That's right, Hollywood ...(ironically, it was a fundraiser involving Hollywood dollars that has embroiled Hillary in an early schedule)...

Hatch: Nuclear Option Still on the Table

Those that think the recent judicial compromise deal forecloses use of the Nuclear Option should read this very interesting article by Senator Orrin Hatch in Human Events. Hatch is no fan of the compromise, however; he makes it clear that he wants up-and-down votes on judicial nominees...period. Worth a read...

Hanson on Anti-Americanism as Fashion Accessory

The great Victor Davis Hanson has a new column up at National Review Online that's worth a look. Hanson discusses anti-Americanism as practiced by the elites, a cultural tic, essentially, that's reflexive, shallow, and thoughtless (bonus points for mentioning last week's Jackass, Indra Nooyi)...

I'm Glad That's Over...

...six hours in a car with a malfunctioning air conditioner is no fun!...

W. C. Varones is convinced that our worst nightmare is on the verge of coming true...

A.J. Strata has a reply to Captain Ed...

Carpe Bonum checks in to let us know all is well...we'll be waiting, Craig!...

Quick Shots: There IS a Loyalty Oath

Thanks to the Country Pundit for pointing it out...

Timothy Goddard has a counter to Captain Ed...

Okay, I'm on the road for a bit...see ya soon!...

Some Friday Reading Suggestions...

The always excellent Mickey Kaus wonders why the New York Times has voluntarily chosen to remove themselves from the debate and asks:

Who else but reinforcement-craving Democrats would pay $49.95 a year to read Paul Krugman?

Well, masochists, I guess...

Coalition member The Bernoulli Effect has an excellent followup post on our merry band, with his usual topnotch analysis focusing on the divide between what we want in principle and the need to deal with the hand we're dealt...

I agree with fellow member the Election Projection that the Democrats have made a bad play in continuing to delay on Bolton...

Add Bill at INDC Journal to the growing list of those concerned that Hillary may be a real threat (I'm among them)...

PoliPundit reacts to John Kerry's claim to sign form SF-180: Where's the proof? Contrast with a certain Swiftian...

Kevin Drum notes some ominous trends in oil production and consumption, notes the source, and says concern has gone mainstream...

These kids today, with their long hair, rock'n'roll, and presidential assassination jokes...

I'm not the only experiencing Blogger weirdness; check here, temporarily, for the always interesting Belmont Club...

And speaking of Blogger weirdness, any coalition members ever experience what I'm going through? Basically, all my posts are now treated as archived, so I get weird URLs, and outside links that land in the wrong place, and a screwy template...I'd be much obliged if anyone has any info (though it's yet another sign that it's getting time to make the move to a more robust system and software)...

A Good Morning to You All This Friday...

...I got to sleep in a bit as I took off work; I'll be going out of town for my niece's graduation this weekend, but I will post whenever possible, so keep checking back, won't you? Things just wouldn't be the same without your sunny smile around here...

Join me in welcoming our newest Coalition members, Obsidian Wings, Loaded Mouth, and GOP and the City...

The Radical Centrist has another variation on the logo...

Robert Robb of the Arizona Republic has an editorial on how the judicial compromise is a setback for the Left...

For a limited time only, I am offering a discount of absolutely nothing on our t-shirts (merchandise this chillin' doesn't need a discount)...

We've had a lot of fun with this thing, but the newness will wear off quickly (if it hasn't already), and we'll all get back to our normal routines. What I hope will keep going is that we will occasionally jump in the fray when the rhetoric gets overblown, and use what influence we have to keep people focused on the long-term and not the short. I also intend to spotlight posts by our members from time to time, and I hope you'll do the same (because after all, what blogger doesn't enjoy a lot of hits?)...Enjoy your Friday!...

Is Hillary A Slam-Dunk? Plus the Meme Effect

That's what Coalition member Alexander McClure of PoliPundit says...he just may be right...

James Taranto was the only charter member not to accept (or even respond), but if you're not reading the Best of the Web daily, you should be...

Speaking of the Wall Street Journal (and we were), here's an interesting story on the numbers behind blogs. It suggests (accurately, I'm sure) that the number of blogs and their readership are both overblown. My own guess is that there are probably about 50 or so truly influential blogs (and this ain't one of them), if influential means bigtime news- and decision-makers read them regularly.

What is difficult to capture, and probably impossible to track (and here's where blogs like mine - and yours - come in), is the 'meme' influence of smaller blogs. Ideas can spread much like viruses and implant themselves in the public consciousness through repetition. As such, even small blogs can wield enormous influence - collectively.

I won't pretend that I had a great agenda behind the Coalition of the Chillin' - it was a goof that happened to (luckily for me, and I hope for you, as well) tap into some low-level frustration. It occurs to me, though, that it accidentally serves a pretty important purpose. To put it as simply as I can - nobody digs the Daily Kos but the Kossacks. If that's the model we emulate, right or left, then blogs will lose their influence quickly. Shrill histrionics and apocalyptic rhetoric, blogger triumphalism, all of these things appeal only to the faithful. Let us stand for our principles, yes, but we don't have to shout all the time, that's all. If we become completely indignant about every issue, how will we differentiate the TRULY terrible from the mildly annoying?...

Oh, and a big welcome to the newest coalition member, Citizen Grim...and check out a couple more Coalition blogs, while you're at it (Ryan James, who has done an excellent job for us, has the blogroll)...

Miscellanea: Note to Democrats Edition

The note being, 'Don't push your luck.' Color me disappointed that after all the filibuster brouhaha, we're up against yet another in a series of long delays on the John Bolton confirmation...in fact, the Anchoress is so disgusted, she's done chillin', so the Coalition loses its first member. That's okay, we still love you...it's all in fun, anyway, so go pay her a visit and respect her right to chill or unchill as events may warrant...but Anchoress, I didn't found a coalition of people who chill about EVERYTHING, just this one thing (in reaction to all the 'I'M QUITTING THE PARTY, THE SKY IS FALLING' rhetoric after fili-deal)...

I wonder how long until someone blames us for the Bolton delay?...

Yet another warning to not underestimate Hillary's chances in 2008...

Let's throw the spotlight on some posts by coalition members, shall we? W.C. Varones looks at Europe and thanks God for the Bill of Rights...

Beth is posting in a state of delirium...

Sissy Willis has an interesting and amusing look behind the scenes of the only good thing to come out of Arianna Huffington's vanity site (notice I said out of, not on)...

The Radical Centrist has advice to reporters who quote anonymous sources: 'Keep looking'...

And a big welcome to new coalition member Jim Miller...

A Word to the Doubters

(If you're new and coming from one of the generous links, here's the original Coalition post - why, oh, why doesn't my Blogger page link right anymore?)...

To our detractors, let me just spare a brief word: don't presume that you are any more a conservative or Republican than Coalition members. Last time I checked, our party doesn't require a loyalty oath. I'll put my conservative credentials up against anyone, anytime; this isn't High Noon, in fact quite the opposite; it's a fun way to comment on rhetorical excess...

Now that that's out of the way, join me in welcoming new members Ryan from the Big Tent Blog and the Flag of the World...

Also, I've been meaning to refer you to our good friend BSR at Mike Huckabee for President 2008...this blog makes no endorsements (at least not yet), but he's got contagious enthusiasm for his candidate and has been a frequent visitor to these parts...

And speaking of old friends, the great Arthur Chrenkoff wants your help in sending get well wishes to a certain possibly wounded and/or dying/dead terrorist...

Prof Bainbridge: Why I'm For the Deal

Professor Bainbridge, sick of blogging about the deal (and to my regulars, we'll get back to normal soon, don't worry), wraps up his thoughts in an excellent article at Tech Central Station. Highly recommended (he gives the Coalition a plug, too - as well as the t-shirts (don't wait to get yours, they're going quick!))...

Newest members: Karl Maher and TO'D of Calvary Charge...

The American Enterprise Institute: Moderates Are Winning

Norman J. Ornstein of the AEI says that the recent debates over judges and stem cells mean the moderates are winning.

This is is good a time as any to point out that the Coalition isn't some wishy-washy centrist organization; we're a group of people who just happen to think that the reaction to the judicial compromise was WAY overblown. Some are centrists; most are Republicans; a few, myself included, are as partisan as it gets on some issues, such as the War on Terror. In other words, we're the biggest of big tents...there's room for all here, provided you're not too busy having a cow over fili-deal...

We've got new Coalition members: Mark Daniels...

Poliblogger...

Ravings of John C.A. Bambanek...

And don't forget to pick a couple of random Coalition members out and visit their sites. Ryan James has the blogroll code if you need it...

Peggy Noonan Won't Be Joining

Nor, I think, will Byron York, though he makes some good points. Noonan takes the Gang of 14 to task for their blatant love of self, and that's true enough, but really, Peggy, when has that not been the case with Senators? Nothing new there...

Please join me in saying hi to the newest coalition member, Say Uncle...

Meanwhile, Stop the Neocons is wondering where the counter coalition is...

A Major Coalition Announcement

In true capitalist fashion, I have taken advantage of Cafe Press and its easy to use services and created a Coalition of the Chillin' store. There are several T-shirt designs, although I personally am partial to the golf shirt and intend to order one myself. Other items can be added later if there's a demand. Be the envy of your neighbors, or just get one as a conversation starter for bar pickups, or best of all, just get one, put it on, and sit in front of the TV chillin'...

By the way, our Coalition is not to be confused with the Coalition of the Swilling, though that is a fine organization, as well...

Morning Must-Read: Carrie Underwood Edition

Please note: this post has nothing whatsoever to do with the new American Idol, Carrie Underwood; I have simply lured you here under false pretenses to make sure you have heard of the Coalition of the Chillin'...

For further evidence that the Coalition is on the right path, read this piece in the New Republic (free registration required - and the hat tip to RealClearPolitics). I quote:

The filibuster still holds, for the moment. But allowing the confirmation of three radical Bush nominees -- Priscilla Owen, Janice Rogers Brown, and William Pryor -- in exchange for a Democratic promise to filibuster only in "extraordinary circumstances" created a false equivalence between the extremity of the GOP's approach and the Democrats' simple adherence to Senate rules.

Moreover, when the filibuster fight comes to a head again--as it will--the Democrats' task will be made all the more difficult not only by the need to demonstrate "extraordinary circumstances," but by the implication that the three Bush nominees the deal effectively confirmed, whom the liberal establishment treated as something close to worst-case picks, did not constitute "extraordinary circumstances." That sets the bar awfully high. (Even some conservatives have fretted over Brown's onetime suggestion that she observes a higher law than the Constitution.) Furthermore, what happens should Bush choose one of these three to fill the next Supreme Court vacancy?

The answers to these questions all seem to favor the Republicans...

Please welcome our newest members, The Jade Monkey and honorary member too many steves, who, alas, is blogless...

Membership in the Coalition is Closed...

...just kidding. I am going to wrap up for tonight, though, with one more batch of new members. Once again, thanks to Ryan James for setting up the blogroll; repay him by visiting his blog, and while you're at it, check out at least a couple of Coalition blogs a day; it's a win-win!

Watch tomorrow for a big Coalition announcement!

Here's the original post...

The latest members...

Our ol' pal Nettie...

Sophispundit...

Jody Becker at Steal the Bandwagon...

The Anchoress...

The American Mind...

Gulf Coast Bandit...

And Tigerhawk sneaks in as our last member for the night...

Thanks to one and all, big or small, we'll have a ball...and if I missed you, just remind me...

The Coalition Manifesto

Submitted for your approval, but if you don't like it, read the last sentence...

Whereas we, the Coalition of the Chillin', think a lot of people are having a cow over this filibuster deal, we submit the following to our fellow Republicans, and Americans of other political stripes:

• it's sometimes better to settle things in a bipartisan manner;
• we're getting up and down votes on three very controversial appointees, and that's three more than we had before this deal;
• the Republicans may want the filibuster preserved somewhere down the line;
• the media and the Democrats would have clubbed us to death if we went nuclear, and we don't want a repeat of the '98 midterms; and most importantly,
• Frodo and Bilbo both could have killed Gollum, but didn't, and he ended up destroying the One Ring, proving for all eternity that restraint can be a very good thing, indeed.

However, being that we are, by definition, kind of chillin', any of us, jointly or separately, preserves the right to filibuster any of these points as long as we don't make an 'extraordinary' fuss about it.

The Coalition...

Oh, and welcome to our newest members, Stephen from the Politburo Diktat, our good friend Suzanne, Daniel from Bloggledygook, the Country Pundit, and wavemaker...

The Coalition of the Chillin'

(I'm moving this to the top because my Blogger is still screwy...ay caramba...)

That's what I propose to call those of us who aren't having a cow over fili-deal (inspired by Viking Pundit's excellent suggestion to take it easy, which my regular readers will know I fully endorse). I propose for charter membership:

• myself
• Viking Pundit
• Scott Elliott
• Glenn Reynolds
• James Taranto
• Stephen Bainbridge
• My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
• Ryan James
• Alexander McClure of Polipundit

I know that some of my nominees may decline to serve; others I may have missed or may wish to join (just let me know in the comments, preferably with a link to a suitable post). Positions are unpaid; you can check out any time you like (but you can never leave?). Frankly, I'm not expecting a big response; after all, most of us are just chillin'...

UPDATE: How could I leave off John Podhoretz? How silly of me...

Alexander and Beth have graciously accepted...should I design a logo, or sit on my butt eating potato chips? Decisions, decisions...Lorie Byrd has joined (she gets honorary charter member status), as has Prof Bainbridge, and Ryan James has accepted as well...I designed a logo, but in true chillin' fashion, I've got no way to host images, and I can't even post a picture from work, so I'll have to show it to you later (why can't these IT departments just take a hint from us and chill?)...

And the first Coalition Victory (my, we move fast): Priscilla Owen has been confirmed...

Sissy Willis has got caught up in the tide, though she links to a post with a decidedly unchillin' John McCain...

Add the Strata-Sphere to the list: we're living in historic times, people...

Ryan James has the blogroll going...

And Prof Bainbridge has the logo up!...many thanks to the good Professor - check it out...

More here...

And the Instapundit is in!...

For a map of the Coalition member states, by our distinguished comrade the Commissar, visit here...

We Have a Mascot

My beagle, never having turned down a chance for self-promotion, has nominated herself as the Official Mascot of the Coalition of the Chillin', and has taken on the honorary name 'Chilly'...

The Latest Members and a Sneak Preview

Check back later tonight for the Coalition Manifesto and the appointment of the official mascot...

Here's where the madness began...

State of Flux has joined us...

Knemon is with us, and has even carved out a role for himself (see comments)...

We have Lime Shurbet now...

W.C. Varones joins up...

The Latest Coalition Members - And An Apology

Okay, I'm not keeping up with this as well as I'd like, thanks to my Blogger template whacking out...I'll try to get it all straight before the end of the evening...

Here's the original post...

Tempus Fugit is in...

Ditto doverspa...

Citizen Smash lends a hand...

And Hugh Hewitt has given the Coalition a mention! (though he most emphatically is not a member) - we love you anyway, Hugh...

Coalition Members, Get Your Red Hot Coalition Members...

Some more have joined our little group of merry-makers (let me know if you've been overlooked)...

Two Dogs...

Bill at INDC Journal...

Brainster...

Scott Elliott has accepted!...

Tinkerty Tonk...

The Buzz Blog...

Dangerous Dan...

Linda Chavez has been proposed, but has not been contacted (yet)...

Robert Kuttner of the Boston Globe provides Coalition fodder (hat tip to Viking Pundit)...

Meanwhile dean4prez is worried about getting stomped by this sinister coalition...

And thanks again to Ryan James for keeping up with the blogroll...

Even More Coalition Members...

...we'd conquer the world if it didn't take so much effort.

Argan Argar is in...

The Radical Centrist,too...

On the other hand:

John Hawkins of Right Wing News is definitely not in (see his comments on the original post below)...

Disappointingly, James Taranto has his Best of the Web up, and has not responded...

And don't forget to email Ryan James if you want the code for the blogroll (his email address in the comments of this post)...

Blogger Weirdness...

If you've come from the link provided by the great Instapundit and landed here, please click here...my Blogger page has picked the worst time to crap out and go goofy...and welcome!...

Blogger is just chewing my template all to hell, for some reason...I'm losing chunks of code right and left, and my counters are all screwed, so bear with me...I'll update the coalition soon...

UPDATE 2:31 p.m. central: Man, that sucked! Right in the middle of an Instalanche, and a ton of hits from the Corner, my counters got chewed. I think it's all back working now, though...Murphy's Law in full effect!

New Coalition Post

Just so the old one doesn't get too crowded...

John Podheretz has just posted us to the Corner, people (oh, yeah, he's a member!)!

Newest members:

Blackjack at the Hole Card...

Criesinthenight...

The Bernoulli Effect...

Pererro...

Semi-Random Ramblings...

Right Side of the Rainbow...

Viking Pundit is in...whoo-hoo!...

Paul Deignan is in, and wants to put in a plug for his Wine for Winners Challange...happy to oblige...

Sisu has come up with an alternate logo with color...

Don't forget to read the first post...

Revisiting McCain

I'm afraid, much as I admire him (and I do admire him, unlike many of my readers and fellow Republicans), that John McCain has taken himself out of the presidential race for now. Quite frankly, the base, never that fond of him to begin with, is absolutely disgusted with him on the heels of the filibuster deal. I probably had his odds overstated to begin with, just because of his service to our country, at 20-1; his social moderation, age, and stances on the judges, not to mention McCain-Feingold, are all negatives that it will be nearly impossible to overcome, despite his wide name recognition and appeal to moderates. I'm knocking him down, a lot.

CURRENT ODDS: 33-1

Today's Must-Read: The Experts Disagree With Me...

...and not for the first time, either. I'm one of the few Republicans who seem satisfied with fili-deal, and that doesn't look likely to change. Thomas Sowell rips it here; Tony Blankley here; the Wall Street Journal here; and the Washington Times here. Oddly, not a single news organization has called me for my contrary opinion...

Miscellanea: The Five Cent Brain At Work

Ryan James shares my deep admiration for Tim Robbins and his contribution to the blogosphere...

Kicking Over My Traces adds to the Kerry Clock fun (but my name's Mark, not Mike - oh, well, I've been called worse - today)...

Just why is it that poor little ol' John K. stirs up such skepticism, anyway? Count Beth among the doubters...

Kevin Drum has some thoughts on the housing bubble. I think it's already bursting just a wee bit in my neighborhood...several houses in the surrounding blocks have been for sale for a good while now; quite unusual for Austin...

I predict that as long as you may have lived, you've never had the opportunity to use 'terrorism' and 'Steely Dan' in the same sentence...until now...

bebere has been snapping photos like mad - my beagle is particularly fond of this one...

I hadn't been by our good friend Fargus's site in a few days, so I went...and I missed another excellent post (I'm not just saying that because he had kind words for yours truly). Fargus is troubled by the echo chamber aspect of the blogosphere, and he's right to be. Blogger triumphalism gets old quick, and I've been guilty of it myself, many times. I recommend you read his post, and I bet you'll join me in hoping that he'll continue to add to the debate...

Another good friend of this blog is getting a little weary of the fray, as well, but Suzanne still wants to know what you're reading this summer...

Checkin' In On Huff'N'Puff

It's funny how quickly the Huffington Post fades from the memory...I remember the good old days, when people actually cared...okay, there were no such days. Still, I thought I'd check in again. Here's what I found:

Our good friend Christopher Hitchens makes an appearance, but only to defend himself from a vicious smear spread by Sid Blumenthal's son Max (proving that knavery runs deep in the Blumenthal clan). Let's let Hitch tell it as only he can:

If I replied to all the slander that appears on blogs, I would have no job and no life. Regarding Max Blumenthal's clumsy innuendo, however, I make one lenient exception and one non-lenient one. I still feel an affectionate interest in a young scribe at whose bar-mitzvah I danced. And I still, always, sue anyone who accuses me of bigotry or Holocaust-denial. Young master Blumenthal can relax: his attempted association was too lax and too cowardly.

Loathsome former Weekly Jackass Tim Robbins shows up, too, you know, just to slam Bush around a little and promote his latest endeavor. Sayeth Robbins: 'Now is the time for American artists to tell truth to power'. Here's a truth, Tim: you're the kind of idiot that gives Hollywood a bad name...

And then there's...oh, hell, I can't do it...I just can't waste anymore time today on Arianna's vanity project...we'll check in later. Much, MUCH later...

Move Over, Galloway, You've Got Company

A British lawmaker is giving Al Jazeera talking points...and it's not George Galloway. Speaking at the Fourth International Workshop on Oil and Gas Depletion (sounds vaguely Soviet, doesn't it?), Labour politician and former UK environment minister Michael Meacher had this to say:

"The reason they attacked Iraq is nothing to do with weapons of mass destruction, it was nothing to do with democracy in Iraq, it was nothing to do with the human rights abuses of Saddam Hussein."

When asked by Aljazeera.net whether the war in Iraq was about oil he said: "The connection is 100%. It is absolutely overwhelming."...

"American power plants waste more energy than is needed to run the whole Japanese economy," he said. "They have set their face against the Kyoto protocol."

As long as we stay on the wrong side of people like this, I'll know we're doing something right.

We Have A New Clock!

Jenna Thomas-McKie has graciously adopted my suggestion, and I'm happy to display the hybrid PoliPundit/Thomas-McKie creation at the top of my blog henceforth! Thanks, Jenna!

The Fallout Continues...

...despite the lack of the 'nuclear' explosion. Traderrob at the Jawa Report says it's a net win for the Republicans, DJ Drummond at PoliPundit says, "Treason!", and John Hinderaker finds a rare moment of unity with Ralph Neas.

Meanwhile, the Bear himself comes out of hibernation to add a pertinent SF-180 question (hat tip to Michelle Malkin).

A Most Welcome Time-Saver...

...from Amygdala (hat tip to the Instapundit), who has read through the Star Wars III original script, and posted all the good bits (why does it always seem that Lucas finds any scenes that contribute to character development 'expendable'? And for that matter, why couldn't Revenge of the Sith be a half hour longer?)...

Form Wars, Episode IV: A New Clock

Kudos to PoliPundit for making the Form SF-180 clock available, and keeping the heat on the junior senator from Massachusetts. It occurs to me, however, that it is now somewhat inaccurate. Perhaps something along the following lines would be more appropriate:

According to an interview with the Boston Globe, John Kerry signed Form SF-180 4 days ago. The contents of his file have yet to be released to the public.

Considering the 111 days it took to fulfill the first part of the pledge, that ought to hold us through the summer, at least...

UPDATE 9:38 a.m.: Many thanks to the wonderful Michelle Malkin for the link!...

Kerry Has Signed the Form! Or Has He?

In an interview with the Boston Globe's editorial board, Kerry said he has indeed signed the form:

AT THIS POINT it comes as no surprise. John Kerry is releasing all his military records -- but then again, he isn't.

In interview yesterday with Globe editorial writers and columnists, the former Democratic presidential nominee was asked if had signed Form SF 180, authorizing the Department of Defense to grant access to all his military records.

''I have signed it," Kerry said. Then, he added that his staff was ''still going through it" and ''very, very shortly, you will have a chance to see it."

The devil is usually in the details. With Kerry, it's also in the dodges and digressions. After the interview, Kerry's communications director, David Wade, was asked to clarify when Kerry signed SF 180 and when public access would be granted. Kerry drifted over to join the conversation, immediately raising the confusion level. He did not answer the question of when he signed the form or when the entire record will be made public.

As suggested above, always use a little caution with Kerry. Hard to see how he'd get out of this one, though...

UPDATE 7:24 a.m.: My thanks to the most gracious Lorie Byrd at PoliPundit for the link. Enjoy your Tuesday, folks...

Some Final Thoughts (For Now) On Fili-Deal

I must say, I'm a little disappointed in some of my brethren on the right. If we don't want to be painted as extremists, then let's not act that way. I'm not saying you just give up your principals, but bipartisanship can sometimes be a good thing. I think some of the people braying the loudest about how we 'sold out', 'I'm leaving the party', etc., are overlooking two VERY IMPORTANT things.

First, the nuclear option would have played horribly; if you think conservatives took a beating over Terry Schiavo, you have no idea what the MSM and Dems would have thrown at us if we went nuclear (I'm not saying it was the wrong thing, just that it would have taken a political toll).

Second, Owens, Pryor, and Brown are heading for an up-or-down vote. Isn't that what we wanted? Sure, we wanted all of our nominees...and guess what, I'd like a Ferrari, but it ain't gonna happen anytime soon. My point is, that's a lot better than nothing. And what do the Democrats have to show for it? They get, in all likelihood, three judges that make their skin crawl.

Reality is setting in on the Democrats. Here's a recent post at TalkLeft:

Sell-Out Deal Made: - Bush's Judges In

The worst, the compromise is in. Priscilla Owen, Janice Rogers Brown and William Pryor are in. Total capitulation by Democrats. Total victory for Frist. Let them spin it how they want, it's a loss for the Democrats. Henry Saad of Michigan is the fall guy. He won't get a vote. No one cared about him anyway. That's tossing the Dems a chicken bone.

Ken Salazar. Traitor. Democrats will remember this when he runs for re-election. He's been in the Senate a few months - most of his moves have been Republican-light. Another Joe Lieberman. He'll probably go the way of Ben Nighthorse Campbell in a few years.

Harry Reid had 49 votes. We would have won. There's a blogger conference call at to discuss the deal and Senator Reid�s Reaction at 8:15 tonight. Go to MyDD and Swing State Project and Daily Kos for details. I have a dinner meeting and I'm too angry, anyway.

We don't have a "Republic" tonight. We have a total Republican regime. Welcome to the Theocracy.

That sound like a victory dance to you?

Here's Russ Feingold:

This is not a good deal for the U.S. Senate or for the American people. Democrats should have stood together firmly against the bullying tactics of the Republican leadership abusing their power as they control both houses of Congress and the White House. Confirming unacceptable judicial nominations is simply a green light for the Bush administration to send more nominees who lack the judicial temperament or record to serve in these lifetime positions. I value the many traditions of the Senate, including the tradition of bipartisanship to forge consensus. I do not, however, value threatening to disregard an important Senate tradition, like occasional unlimited debate, when necessary. I respect all my colleagues very much who thought to end this playground squabble over judges, but I am disappointed in this deal.

Break out the champagne, right?

The Kos, however, is saying the Democrats won, and based on what? The reaction from the right half of the blogosphere, mostly. A little perspective, please; one of the surest ways to make sure you're licked is to act it. This isn't the end of the Republic. If something like this makes you leave the party...well, that sounds like Kossack talk to me...

For some similar thoughts, I direct you to My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy: Beth is no fan of fair-weather Republicans, either...

At Least I'm Not Alone...

...other inmates in the asylum include Stephen Bainbridge, who sees this as a pretty good outcome; Ryan James, who sees nothing but upside, and Alexander McClure at PoliPundit, with a long post that I am in complete agreement with...

And From The Left...

The Kossacks are pretty ambivalent; the reality of Brown, Owens, and Pryor getting seated is starting to sink in...

According to this thread at the Democratic Underground, whackjob Keith Olbermann just said, "the Democrats blinked more, but part of the deal was the Republicans had to say that they blinked more"...

What we may have, then, is the typical legislative solution that pleases no one, but gets the job done...more as events warrant...

The Reaction Continues to Pour In...

Punditish is cautious, but feels that, on the surface, the deal favors the Democrats...

Michelle Malkin is, as usual, putting up a great roundup...but so far, it's all negative...and Michelle says, "My two cents: Ditto to all of the above. The GOP parade of pusillanimity marches on. With this pathetic cave-in, the Republicans have sealed their fate as a Majority in Name Only"...

The Anchoress thinks I am hopelessly naive, saying "Yeah, you keep believing that. Define �Extreme.� No, wait, let me define it for you: WHOEVER BUSH NOMINATES TO THE SUPREME COURT"...hmm...well, I could be wrong. It's happened once before...

The Early Reaction: Mixed, At Best

John Hinderaker at Power Line doesn't share my enthusiasm for the judicial deal; he says that the Republicans have just postponed the inevitable, in essence. The folks at Red State see things more the way I do:

NOTE...that the three which the Dems most vocally opposed will get a floor vote and will likely pass. After that, the Dems won't have a leg on which to stand with the others which receive floor votes...This deal is bad for conservative activists - but a whole lot worse for the Democrats.

Scared Monkeys joins Power Line in condemning the deal, as does Ramesh Ponnuru. Looks like I'm in the definite minority on this one...

A HUGE Win For Republicans

Janice Rogers Brown, Priscilla Owen, William Pryor to receive up and down vote; the Democrats pledge not to filibuster future Appeals or Supreme Court Nominees except in 'extreme circumstances'. Can't wait to see the reaction from the Kossacks!...

UPDATE 7:38 p.m.: Why is this a big win? Take the half-full view. These three judges are like poison to the Left; they will be confirmed, and a precedent will be set for what is or isn't acceptable for the Supreme Court fight down the line, a much more conservative precedent than existed before this deal...

Breaking News: Nuclear Summer Averted

CNN is reporting a deal has been reached in the judicial showdown; the smart money had been leaning that way, as it appeared Frist indeed had the votes. At first glance, this seems to be a victory for the Republicans, but let's see the details when they come out...

Bob Herbert: How to Lose A War - Just Give Up

Taking a page from Walter Kronkite, Bob Herbert, who is in a four-way heat with MoDo, Rich, and Krugman in the contest for most loathsome Times columnist, paints a picture of America's military so dire and gloomy that one can be forgiven for momentarily forgetting our huge successes in overthrowing the Taliban and Saddam Hussein. In Herbert's world, we're in a 'quagmire' (oh, how the Left loves that word!) not seen since the days of Vietnam, and the few isolated (though shameful) documented instances of barbarism by our troops are turned into a horror not seen since the Spanish Inquisition (perhaps Herbert could benefit from reading our good friend Christopher Hitchens; then he'd find out the REAL meaning of torture as practiced by the Baathists).

Nowhere, of course, are the Iraqi elections mentioned, or the 'Arab Spring' in Lebanon; indeed, the whole changed dynamic of the Middle East is completely painted out of the picture. Herbert would have us believe that our troops have died for nothing at all. Does that mean our Iraqi campaign has been all a bed of roses? Only a fool would say that...but only a bigger fool would give up the fight and just walk away, when we've invested so much treasure and blood. Bob, here's a thought - next time you get so pessimistic, why not take a look at Arthur Chrenkoff's Good News From Iraq? You might find out there's another side to the coin...

Have the Extremists Gone Too Far?

Christopher Hitchens joins the list of those who put the blame over the Koran desecration riots squarely on the rioter themselves. Indeed, Hitch is a little late to this party. It seems the latest meme is 'enough is enough'; if you insist on acting the fool, it's time you were treated as the fool, as well. Will this have any effect on those who insist on global tolerance of all religious views save those of conservative Christians in America? I wonder...still, an important threshold has been crossed. No longer is it taboo to point out that the proper response to an indignity is not to riot, maim, and kill others. It's a small victory, but a victory nonetheless...

Edwards To Use War on Poverty as Springboard for 2008

John Edwards is showing all the signs of a presidential candidate as he makes the rounds of southern states with the goal of eradicating poverty. A noble goal to be sure, but it sounds an awful lot like his ill-received 'two Americas' boilerplate from 2004. He'll have to do better than that if he wants to make a serious run; after all, quite a few of us happen to think the best engine for improving the economic lot of Americans is good ol' capitalism (see the post immediately below). Tip of the hat to Jayson at PoliPundit, who is clearly unimpressed...

Barone on the Democrats: The Unthinkable Has Become a Time-Honored Tradition

That's Michael Barone's great line regarding the judicial filibuster debate, but the bulk of this excellent piece is devoted to a subject near and dear to my heart, free trade. The labor unions and sugar lobbyists are nearing a victory in defeating the Central America Free Trade Agreement, and that would be a real shame. As Barone points out, free trade is nearly always a win-win. Economics is not a zero-sum game, and the old cliche about a rising tide lifting all boats is more relevant now than ever, due to global interconnectedness. In noting that the Democratic Party was historically the party of free trade, Barone asks:

The Democrats' rage against Bush and the Republicans is understandable. But do they really want to turn their back on their history and our neighbors?

A very good question indeed.

Diverting Our Eyes From Real Problems Does Our Cause No Good

That's the message of this lengthy and excellent post by John Cole, and it's one I support wholeheartedly. To put Newsweek's retracted story and the reports of outrageous abuse chronicled by the military and covered in the New York Times on Friday into the same basket is a luxury we can't afford. As I said then, we must condemn these real incidents as loudly as we condemn sloppy, inflammatory reporting, or we risk losing our credibility, both at home and abroad.

Newsweek Got You Down? Seek Help From the Therapist

I could have chosen any number of the hilarious posts by the Therapist regarding the Newsweek kerfuffle, but this one in particular caught my fancy...look around for the others, though, you can't go wrong...

Novak on the Senate: Look Higher

If you want to understand what's going on with the Senate, suggests Robert Novak, you need to look past Priscilla Owens, and up to the Supreme Court. Highly recommended; if you were wavering on the 'nuclear option' before, you probably won't be after reading this. Quite simply, the Democrats are engaged in a power play designed to ensure that Bush can't a Supreme Court nominee on the bench without their approval. However, Novak's sources are apparently telling him that the Democratic tactics are solidifying the Republicans. Things will be coming to a head very quickly on this one; stay tuned...

Today's Must-View, For A Change

Trey Jackson has the video of Howard Dean's Meet the Press appearance; he focuses on Dean's apparent inability to remember Saddam Hussein's name. Worth a look, if you missed it the first time (hat tip to the Instapundit)...

Newsweek Institutes New Sourcing Policy...

...and from my vantage point, it's pretty satisfactory. I've seen some criticisms already elsewhere, and I'm not a professional journalist, but unlike certain others (cough! Dan Rather! cough!), Newsweek has been unambigious in their retraction, and made a good faith effort to apologize. When a mistake is made, you fix it and move on, and I think that's what they're trying to do. So, hats off from one of your critics, it's never easy to admit you're wrong...

Miscellanea: The Hypocrisy of Frank Rich Edition

The Instapundit links to two very well-written, lengthy pieces taking the MSM to task for its blind spot to real religious tyranny, as opposed to the fantasy 'theocratic' ravings of the NY Times : the hypocritical stance of Frank Rich re: Islam is explored at Bloggledygook, then the always excellent Wretchard at the Belmont Club speaks of 'the implicit moral superiority that has been accorded America's enemy'...

Via Ryan James, here's another indication that Mike Huckabee will be making the run...

Here's the transcript of Howard Dean on Meet the Press today. Dean declined to apologize for saying Tom Delay should be in jail when given the direct opportunity to do so; Russert caught him making several false statements and forced him to backtrack more than once. I quite enjoyed that part...

Speaking of Dean's appearance, Michelle Malkin has the scoop on another lie Dean tried to peddle...

Leave it to Mark Steyn to wrap up the Newsweek kerfuffle with such wit and style (hat tip to Jayson at PoliPundit)...

Eric at Viking Pundit predicts that when push comes to shove, the Democrats will cave before the Senate 'goes nuclear'...I believe he's right. We'll find out Tuesday...

Candidate Profile Nineteen: Bill Richardson

Every four years, for as long as I remember, the same ritual has taken place on the Democratic side; someone, somewhere, mentions Bill Richardson as a possible Presidential or Vice-Presidential candidate. This election cycle will be no different. I think it's quite telling that (1) this Yahoo group already exists, and (2) it has 13 members. Why is this man a perennial candidate, and why does he always come up short?

William Blaine Richardson - official bio page

Resume - Governor of New Mexico; former Ambassador to the U.N.; former Secretary of Energy; former U.S. House Representative, 3rd Congressional District, New Mexico; chairman of the 2004 Democratic Convention; chairman of the Democratic Governors' Association

Richardson is an insider, to be sure, and certainly has a deep resume. He also would have some appeal to the growing segment of Hispanic voters, as his mother was Mexican. So why does there seem to be so little enthusiasm for him?

1. The 'been there, done that' problem. If a person has been on the national stage and mentioned as presidential or vice-presidential material too many times without actually making a serious run, that person tends to lose some measure of credibility (see Sharpton, Al). It's as if the big donors ask themselves what would be different this time than all of the times before.
2. The Imperial Governor. This Wikipedia article (not always a great source, by the way - but that's a story for another time) indicates that some locals see Richardson as a bit too fond of perks and too impatient with the process of governing.
3. The rumors. If you look in the comments of some of these links, you'll find another possible reason a Richardson candidacy has never gone anywhere. There are vague, unsubstantiated rumors (and I stress the word 'rumors') that Richardson is a bit of a party boy who has the wandering eye. Most Democratic presidential aspirants strive to be Clintonesque, but not, I believe, in this way.

Still, it appears that he is making the run, perhaps with an eye towards becoming Hillary's running mate. No doubt he has made some excellent contacts with insiders and donors, and he could definitely help a Northern candidate like Hillary.

Or could he? Many observers, this one included, tend to think the idea of a Vice President 'delivering' a state is pretty far-fetched. Perhaps there was a time when that was so, but now, it seems people are focused on the top line of the ballot. I don't think Lieberman or Edwards contributed much in the way of votes in their home states, or elsewhere, to their respective tickets.

Perhaps the biggest problem with Richardson is surface appeal. The guy just doesn't seem to stoke much fire in the belly. Say what you want about the Deaniacs (and I'll join you), but at least they were demonstrably enthusiastic. It's hard to imagine Richardson bringing along many people with anything approaching that level of intensity. Then again, in 2004, the Democrats nominated John Kerry, so I guess anything is possible.

CURRENT ODDS: 24-1

UPDATE 07/04/05 10:59 p.m. central: The slightest of drops...why? Because I feel like it...

CURRENT ODDS: 25-1

The Power of the Dark Side...

...was evident at the box office. Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith has already grossed $300,000,000 + worldwide (including $158 million domestically). Not every record fell (Spiderman still has the top weekend ever), but it should have a real shot at the $400 million domestic mark, though $1 billion worldwide will be tough sledding (only Return of the King has ever achieved that). In other box-office news, Ridley Scott has issued a formal apology for Kingdom of Heaven, and Jane Fonda's much-hated Monster-In-Law inexplicably held on to number two, proving once again that guys will go see anything if it earns them points with their dates...

Quick Shots: Photoblogging from Merry Old England

Not me (I wish!), but rather Stephen Green at Vodkapundit. Check it out...

Jeff Jarvis has the line of the year...

David Brooks says Frist has the votes in hand to 'go nuclear', and excorciates the 'quavering middle' (hat tip to the Minuteman, who is searching for the screaming centrists)...

Run For Your Lives! It's The NASCAR Rednecks!

For the record, count me among those who just absolutely do not enjoy auto racing. That doesn't mean I don't understand its appeal to others. In fact, given the choice of attending a NASCAR race, or a ballet or dance performance, I'll be out at the track in a jiffy. The editors of the New York Times, though, have never met a red-stater they couldn't condescend to. The Instapundit links to a review that drips with contempt for the racing hordes. The author, of course, carefully suggests these feelings belong to nameless others, but who's falling for that? Consider:

To these people, stock-car racing represents all that's unsavory about red-state America: fossil-fuel bingeing; lust for violence; racial segregation; run-away Republicanism; anti-intellectualism (how much brain matter is required to go fast and turn left, ad infinitum?); the corn-pone memes of God and guns and guts; crass corporatization; Toby Keith anthems; and, of course, exquisitely bad fashion sense.

Excuse me a minute, folks...Brandeen, puts another possum on the grill, they's gonna be company later...as I was saying...wait, is that Lee Greenwood? Hot damn, turn it up...this kind of stereotyping...there's a lunch special at Luby's? Shucks, what are we waiting for? I reckon we best gets going...I'll get back to you later...

Hitchens the Great Rises to the Occasion

Christopher Hitchens, as an opinionated man who makes no secret of his love of drink, at times plays the fool. His venom towards Ronald Reagan and all things religious is enough to make one say 'methinks the Hitch doth protest too much'. All is forgiven, though, when the man is at the top of his game. Such is the case with 'Unmitigated Galloway' in the Weekly Standard, a piece of prose so ferociously on-target, so witheringly accurate, and so implausibly well-written that it quite literally set my heart to pounding upon reading it.

Who else, but Hitchens? Who else could write these words, so aflame with the passion of the truth? If I wax poetic, I'm justified. Sample some tasty morsels with me:

...[notorious Saddam appeaser and British M.P. George Galloway] was a type well known in the Labour movement. Prolier than thou, and ostentatiously radical, but a bit too fond of the cigars and limos and always looking a bit odd in a suit that was slightly too expensive...

...Galloway says that the worst day of his entire life was the day the Soviet Union fell. His existence since that dreadful event has involved the pathetic search for an alternative fatherland. He has recently written that, "just as Stalin industrialised the Soviet Union, so on a different scale Saddam plotted Iraq's own Great Leap Forward." I love the word "scale" in that sentence. I also admire the use of the word "plotted."...

In several cases, the documents suggested that a man named Fawaz Zureikat, a Jordanian tycoon, had been intimately involved in these transactions. Galloway's name also appears in parentheses on the Zureikat papers--perhaps as an aide-memoire to those processing them--but you must keep in mind that the material does not show transfers directly to Galloway himself; only to Zureikat, his patron and partner and friend. In an analogous way, one cannot accuse Scott Ritter, who made a ferocious documentary attacking the Iraq war, of being in Iraqi pay. One may be aware, though, that the Iraqi-American businessman who financed that film, Shakir al-Khafaji, has since shown up in the captured Oil-for-Food correspondence...

..When estimating the propensity of anyone to take money or gifts, one must also balance the propensity of a regime to offer them. I once had an Iraqi diplomat contact in London, who later became one of Saddam's ministers. After inviting him to dinner one night, I noticed that he had wordlessly left a handsome bag, which contained a small but nice rug, several boxes of Cuban cigars (which I don't smoke), and several bottles of single malt Scotch. I was at the time a fairly junior editor at a socialist weekly. More recently, I have interviewed a very senior and reliable U.N. arms inspector in Iraq, who was directly offered an enormous bribe by Tariq Aziz himself, and who duly reported the fact to the U.S. government. If the Baathists would risk approaching this particular man, it seems to me, they must have tried it with practically everybody. Quite possibly, though, the Saddam regime decided that Galloway was entirely incorruptible, and would consider such an inducement beneath him...

...It must have been in full knowledge, then, of that repression, and that genocide, and of the invasion of Kuwait and all that ensued from it, that George Galloway shifted his position and became an outright partisan of the Iraqi Baath. There can be only two explanations for this, and they do not by any means exclude one another. The first explanation, which would apply to many leftists of different stripes, is that anti-Americanism simply trumps everything, and that once Saddam Hussein became an official enemy of Washington the whole case was altered. Given what Galloway has said at other times, in defense of Slobodan Milosevic for example, it is fair to assume that he would have taken such a position for nothing: without, in other words, the hope of remuneration...

...We are therefore invited by [Galloway] to assume that, having earlier acquired a justified reputation for loose bookkeeping in respect of "charities," he switched sides in Iraq, attached himself to a regime known for giving and receiving bribes, appointed a notorious middleman as his envoy, kept company with the corrupt inner circle of the Baath party, helped organize a vigorous campaign to retain that party in power, and was not a penny piece the better off for it...

...Those who had alleged that a million civilians were dying from sanctions were willing, nay eager, to keep those same murderous sanctions if it meant preserving Saddam!...

..The bad faith of a majority of the left is instanced by four things (apart, that is, from mass demonstrations in favor of prolonging the life of a fascist government). First, the antiwar forces never asked the Iraqi left what it wanted, because they would have heard very clearly that their comrades wanted the overthrow of Saddam. (President Jalal Talabani's party, for example, is a member in good standing of the Socialist International.) This is a betrayal of what used to be called internationalism. Second, the left decided to scab and blackleg on the Kurds, whose struggle is the oldest cause of the left in the Middle East. Third, many leftists and liberals stressed the cost of the Iraq intervention as against the cost of domestic expenditure, when if they had been looking for zero-sum comparisons they might have been expected to cite waste in certain military programs, or perhaps the cost of the "war on drugs." This, then, was mere cynicism. Fourth, and as mentioned, their humanitarian talk about the sanctions turned out to be the most inexpensive hypocrisy...

Amazing. Exhilirating. And quintessentially Hitchens...