The great political storm has been held off by a news Media no longer able to cover the corruption and malfeasance of the Right.
The Republicans are going to run, as a Presidential candidate, a corrupt old fool. But, the Media love McCain, and appear reluctant to criticize him, just as they failed to criticize the callous, inexperienced dry drunk the Republicans nominated in 2000.
Newsweek has run a piece on the Media's cozy relationship with McCain and how that relationship has made McCain's casual corruption easy to hide. Atrios at Eschaton exclaims: "It's so rare that criticism of the press from the left in any way actually makes it into the mainstream media." Yes, it is rare. Of course, the article is a "Web-Exclusive" that won't make it into the magazine, where McCain voters might read it.
Just as the New York Times held its article exposing McCain's corruption until after McCain had secured the nomination, and then larded it with salacious gossip, which made it easy to dismiss, and Sixty Minutes will expose the Bush Administration's political prosecution of an Alabama governor during the Oscar telecast, when no one will watch, the Media continue to hide the news, even when they don't actually bury it.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Daily Kos: If it can happen to a Governor...
What is the cost of the Political Storm that never came?
There's no better (or worse) example than the politicization of the Justice Department by Bush and his cronies. Bush used criminal prosecutions to further his political agenda. And, the Media Pundits could not even figure out what was going on.
The case of Don Siegelman, former Democratic Governor of Alabama, will be the subject of a 60 Minutes segments on CBS on Sunday. Opposite the Oscars, so it can be ignored, I guess.
Kagro X on Daily Kos sums up the implications: "If they can railroad the actual governor of a state into prison and have pretty much nobody really sit up and take notice, what does that say about the extent of the damage to the country? Not just the DOJ (which is a goner), but about the supposed watchdogs of the media, who've been in large part either cowed into silence, or distracted by an endless stream of shiny objects?
Seriously, this means they can do this to anybody.
But worse than that, it means that anybody who finds themselves under scrutiny by the federal government now has license to charge that they're being politically targeted. Because if this can happen as Horton describes it happening, all bets are off. It has all the ingredients of the complete and total undoing of all federal law enforcement capability for the foreseeable future."
There's a kind of strategy in play, here, for the permanent establishment of an authoritarian government. Law is made arbitrary, and the political consequences are neutralized by the "everybody does it" meme merged with conventions of journalism, which enforce partisan neutrality.
There's no better (or worse) example than the politicization of the Justice Department by Bush and his cronies. Bush used criminal prosecutions to further his political agenda. And, the Media Pundits could not even figure out what was going on.
The case of Don Siegelman, former Democratic Governor of Alabama, will be the subject of a 60 Minutes segments on CBS on Sunday. Opposite the Oscars, so it can be ignored, I guess.
Kagro X on Daily Kos sums up the implications: "If they can railroad the actual governor of a state into prison and have pretty much nobody really sit up and take notice, what does that say about the extent of the damage to the country? Not just the DOJ (which is a goner), but about the supposed watchdogs of the media, who've been in large part either cowed into silence, or distracted by an endless stream of shiny objects?
Seriously, this means they can do this to anybody.
But worse than that, it means that anybody who finds themselves under scrutiny by the federal government now has license to charge that they're being politically targeted. Because if this can happen as Horton describes it happening, all bets are off. It has all the ingredients of the complete and total undoing of all federal law enforcement capability for the foreseeable future."
There's a kind of strategy in play, here, for the permanent establishment of an authoritarian government. Law is made arbitrary, and the political consequences are neutralized by the "everybody does it" meme merged with conventions of journalism, which enforce partisan neutrality.
The Next President
One of the great costs of failing to generate a political storm, of failing to marshal outrage at the incompetence and corruption of the Bush Administration is that the next President will have to cope with cleaning up the mess, and will be blamed for a lousy economy and a lost war, by too many people, who never work up to the drama being enacted over the last 6 years.
Paul Krugman: ". . . the next president will suffer the fate of Jimmy Carter, who began his administration with words of uplift — “Let us create together a new national spirit of unity and trust” — and ended up delivering America into the hands of the hard right."
Paul Krugman: ". . . the next president will suffer the fate of Jimmy Carter, who began his administration with words of uplift — “Let us create together a new national spirit of unity and trust” — and ended up delivering America into the hands of the hard right."
Defining Victory Downward
This blog is premised on the idea that, while policy is not a morality play, politics must make use of morality plays to coordinate the evolution of common beliefs about goals and acceptance of means.
The Bush Administration has made the last six years a sad period of decline and decay for the American Experiment, as we have witnessed appalling policy, but waited in vain for the political storm to sweep away the malefactors.
In no case is this sadness greater than in the case of the Iraq War, a strategic failure well-earned by incompetence of leadership and policy at the highest level. And, yet, the narrative of that failure remains in the hands of its advocates.
Michael Kinsley: "It is now widely considered beyond dispute that Bush has won his gamble. The surge was a terrific success. Choose your metric: attacks on American soldiers, car bombs, civilian deaths, potholes. They're all down, down, down. Lattes sold by street vendors are up. Performances of Shakespeare by local repertory companies have tripled.
Skepticism seems like sour grapes. If you opposed the surge, you have two choices. One is to admit that you were wrong, wrong wrong. The other is to sound as if you resent all the good news and remain eager for disaster. Too many opponents of the war have chosen option two."
It is true. An opponent of the war is trapped, unable to express the simple truth, unable to advocate withdrawal effectively.
The Bush Administration has made the last six years a sad period of decline and decay for the American Experiment, as we have witnessed appalling policy, but waited in vain for the political storm to sweep away the malefactors.
In no case is this sadness greater than in the case of the Iraq War, a strategic failure well-earned by incompetence of leadership and policy at the highest level. And, yet, the narrative of that failure remains in the hands of its advocates.
Michael Kinsley: "It is now widely considered beyond dispute that Bush has won his gamble. The surge was a terrific success. Choose your metric: attacks on American soldiers, car bombs, civilian deaths, potholes. They're all down, down, down. Lattes sold by street vendors are up. Performances of Shakespeare by local repertory companies have tripled.
Skepticism seems like sour grapes. If you opposed the surge, you have two choices. One is to admit that you were wrong, wrong wrong. The other is to sound as if you resent all the good news and remain eager for disaster. Too many opponents of the war have chosen option two."
It is true. An opponent of the war is trapped, unable to express the simple truth, unable to advocate withdrawal effectively.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
ARG: Bush Job Approval - 19%
the American Research Group: Bush job approval
Approve Disapprove Undecided
Feb 2008 19% 77% 4%
Jan 2008 34% 59% 7%
This may well be an outlier. Just as Fox and Gallup tend to report relatively high Bush approval numbers, so ARG tends to report relatively low numbers, and when Bush's approval ratings are sliding fast, ARG tends to get ahead of the pack. But, still, if Bush's numbers take a tumble now, they are tumbling after more than a year, under 40%. An apparent basement number of 30% may have sprung a leak.
Update: ARG prefaced the Presidential job approval question, with a series of questions, which drew attention to the economic downturn. Reminding people about just what a terrible President, Bush has been, seems to encourage them to disapprove of him. Surprise!
Seriously, though, this insight is a useful reminder to those political news junkies like me that most people, most voters are not aware of much, don't carry around a lot of history or critical appreciation of politics. Democratic Presidential candidates, in particular, should consider extended narratives recounting the recent political and policy past -- narratives that connect Bush policy with present disaster.
Approve Disapprove Undecided
Feb 2008 19% 77% 4%
Jan 2008 34% 59% 7%
This may well be an outlier. Just as Fox and Gallup tend to report relatively high Bush approval numbers, so ARG tends to report relatively low numbers, and when Bush's approval ratings are sliding fast, ARG tends to get ahead of the pack. But, still, if Bush's numbers take a tumble now, they are tumbling after more than a year, under 40%. An apparent basement number of 30% may have sprung a leak.
Update: ARG prefaced the Presidential job approval question, with a series of questions, which drew attention to the economic downturn. Reminding people about just what a terrible President, Bush has been, seems to encourage them to disapprove of him. Surprise!
Seriously, though, this insight is a useful reminder to those political news junkies like me that most people, most voters are not aware of much, don't carry around a lot of history or critical appreciation of politics. Democratic Presidential candidates, in particular, should consider extended narratives recounting the recent political and policy past -- narratives that connect Bush policy with present disaster.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
This Election
Clinton or Obama?: ". . . this election is less about which candidate can usher in 'change,' or who has the most 'experience,' than it is about the very survival of our nation. While George W. Bush clamors about the need to spread democracy abroad, his deficit-ridden government is being propped up by Communist China, a major underwriter of American debt.
"The exodus abroad of first manufacturing and now service-sector jobs is gutting this nation's economy. And Bush's military adventurism and saber rattling have turned world opinion against us.
"It was with all this in mind that I did what every American is duty-bound to do in these troubled times: I voted my choice for the next president of the United States."
"The exodus abroad of first manufacturing and now service-sector jobs is gutting this nation's economy. And Bush's military adventurism and saber rattling have turned world opinion against us.
"It was with all this in mind that I did what every American is duty-bound to do in these troubled times: I voted my choice for the next president of the United States."
The worst is just beginning
Calculated Risk:
Henry Paulson responding to questions at a televised news conference:
Q: Is the worst over?
A: The worst is just beginning.
It was not quite that crisply and soberly delivered, but there was a good deal of impatience with the stupidity of the question, which cannot be conveyed on a page of type.
Henry Paulson responding to questions at a televised news conference:
Q: Is the worst over?
A: The worst is just beginning.
It was not quite that crisply and soberly delivered, but there was a good deal of impatience with the stupidity of the question, which cannot be conveyed on a page of type.
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