Day: April 7, 2006

The lady protests a lot

And the Washington media is probably too polite to call her on that spousal left foot in her mouth,

says John Kass today, winding up his column about the very loud of mouth Congresswoman Schakowsky whose husband caught an excellent break in federal court the other day.  Yes, there’s this politesse among Beltway denizens.  Touching.

It wasn’t quite the end of the column.  Kass had this to add as to the congresswoman’s offensive volubility:

 So I’ll say it. Jan? Please put a sock on it.

Well said.

The lady protests a lot

And the Washington media is probably too polite to call her on that spousal left foot in her mouth,

says John Kass today, winding up his column about the very loud of mouth Congresswoman Schakowsky whose husband caught an excellent break in federal court the other day.  Yes, there’s this politesse among Beltway denizens.  Touching.

It wasn’t quite the end of the column.  Kass had this to add as to the congresswoman’s offensive volubility:

 So I’ll say it. Jan? Please put a sock on it.

Well said.

Angle on gotcha

This from Glenn Reynolds:

My take: The latest “Bush leaked” story — which doesn’t hold up very well when you look at the actual story — is basically a “spoiling attack” by the NYT and other media who fear subpoenas in the Libby case. As with all their efforts on this front, it’s likely to backfire. The more they say that leaks are bad, even as they rely on politically motivated leaks from insiders for their bread and butter , the more vulnerable they become. That’s why the Plame affair has been more damaging for them, long-term, than for Bush. Bush will be leaving in a couple of years, but the Times and other media will be living with the world they’ve created, and I predict that their position in this regard will be no better if a Democrat is elected in 2008.

They say leaks are bad?  Are they sure?

Angle on gotcha

This from Glenn Reynolds:

My take: The latest “Bush leaked” story — which doesn’t hold up very well when you look at the actual story — is basically a “spoiling attack” by the NYT and other media who fear subpoenas in the Libby case. As with all their efforts on this front, it’s likely to backfire. The more they say that leaks are bad, even as they rely on politically motivated leaks from insiders for their bread and butter , the more vulnerable they become. That’s why the Plame affair has been more damaging for them, long-term, than for Bush. Bush will be leaving in a couple of years, but the Times and other media will be living with the world they’ve created, and I predict that their position in this regard will be no better if a Democrat is elected in 2008.

They say leaks are bad?  Are they sure?

Gotcha, gotcha

Chi Trib’s Mark Silva has Bush dead to rights in Trib’s on-line-only “The Swamp,” B. having leaked classified info when he said no one would leak such in his administration — dated quote is supplied.  But wait.  B. and Cheney can de-classify what they want for a good reason, Silva admits and it says here.  Gotcha, Silva — who should have better things to do than lie in wait for the Great Satan in the White House, so as to catch him in his speech.
The sudden press flap over Scooter Libby’’s alleged “revelation” that President Bush declassified intelligence information related to Iraq is silly but all too predictable. The entire flap relies on mixing terms and “misunderstanding by innuendo” — a technique of demagoguery, not journalism. The flap is yet more evidence that the national press is more interested in playing “gotcha” with the Bush Administration than reporting the news.
That’s Austin Bay, who gives chapter and verse on the what and why of this.  He’s hereby recommended to Silva and swamp-like colleagues.
So what’’s the story here? That someone who worked in the White House selectively passed properly declassified material to the press? That’s not a scandal; that’s Beltway business as usual. I’d love to hear that reported– it’s not news per se, but it would be refreshingly open and honest media analysis.
Bay is a retired Army reserve colonel who won a bronze star for service in Iraq in 2004, writes novels and non-fiction, consulted in war games at the Pentagon, and has a booming media career at this point.  Quite a source for any enterprising Washington reporter.

Hidden persuaders

U. of Chi’s John Mearsheimer and partner in production of the much-discussed “israel lobby” paper may have talked to Chi Trib for yesterday’s story, he dismissing the discussion as a “food fight,” but Harvard’s daily newspaper, The Crimson, find them still unavailable for comment, as noted by PowerLine blog.

Gotcha, gotcha

Chi Trib’s Mark Silva has Bush dead to rights in Trib’s on-line-only “The Swamp,” B. having leaked classified info when he said no one would leak such in his administration — dated quote is supplied.  But wait.  B. and Cheney can de-classify what they want for a good reason, Silva admits and it says here.  Gotcha, Silva — who should have better things to do than lie in wait for the Great Satan in the White House, so as to catch him in his speech.
The sudden press flap over Scooter Libby’s alleged “revelation” that President Bush declassified intelligence information related to Iraq is silly but all too predictable. The entire flap relies on mixing terms and “misunderstanding by innuendo” — a technique of demagoguery, not journalism. The flap is yet more evidence that the national press is more interested in playing “gotcha” with the Bush Administration than reporting the news.
That’s Austin Bay, who gives chapter and verse on the what and why of this.  He’s hereby recommended to Silva and swamp-like colleagues.
So what’s the story here? That someone who worked in the White House selectively passed properly declassified material to the press? That’s not a scandal; that’s Beltway business as usual. I’d love to hear that reported– it’s not news per se, but it would be refreshingly open and honest media analysis.
Bay is a retired Army reserve colonel who won a bronze star for service in Iraq in 2004, writes novels and non-fiction, consulted in war games at the Pentagon, and has a booming media career at this point.  Quite a source for any enterprising Washington reporter.

Hidden persuaders

U. of Chi’s John Mearsheimer and partner in production of the much-discussed “israel lobby” paper may have talked to Chi Trib for yesterday’s story, he dismissing the discussion as a “food fight,” but Harvard’s daily newspaper, The Crimson, find them still unavailable for comment, as noted by PowerLine blog.