Bronco_Beerslug
09-05-2008, 04:07 AM
War Room
By Alex Koppelman
Friday, Sept. 5, 2008 00:30 EDT
No home run for McCain (http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/)
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- John McCain started off slow. And for a moment, when anti-war protesters broke in and heckled him, distracting his crowd's attention, it seemed that all might be lost and that he might fall completely flat on a night in which he needed to shine.
But the Republican nominee and his speechwriter had saved the best -- in this case, the story of McCain's time as a prisoner of war -- for last. It was a moving section, one that seemed to make the entire Xcel Center go silent. And it made for a good transition into his closing argument, a call for Americans to join with him to fight for their country. Now the McCain campaign just has to hope that voters at home kept watching long enough to see the big finish.
So far, the reviews aren't good. CNN's Jeffrey Toobin calling this " the worst speech by a nominee that I’ve heard since Jimmy Carter in 1980" is one thing. But the harsh critique that former Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson delivered on MSNBC (which Barack Obama's campaign was quick to blast out to reporters) was something else entirely.
"Pretty disappointing," Gerson said. "I think that was a missed opportunity. Many Americans needed to hear from this speech something they have never heard from Republicans before. And in reality, a lot of the policy they’ve heard from Republicans before."
― Alex Koppelman
Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008 23:18 EDT
McCain and Palin party down
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The speech was flat, the backdrop went from lime green to electric blue, and the Xcel Energy Center ain't exactly Mile High Stadium, but there is something nice about a traditional balloon drop at the end of a convention, and John McCain knows it.
The Republican convention came to a close Thursday night amidst a sea of confetti, balloons and streamers, and you sort of had to wonder whether a Barack Obama victory this fall would mean an end to one of the oldest tableaus in American politics. (If the guy can pack football stadiums, he may not need gigantic balloons to rev the crowd up.) Yeah, the scene looked like it could have been straight out of 1980, and that doesn't do much to give the impression that McCain is the candidate of the future. (Or to counter the Democratic message, which was that McCain didn't spell out how he would change the direction the country's going.) Still, the whole crowd looked like it was having fun in the flood of red, white and blue falling from the ceiling. Maybe getting rid of balloon drops is one change America doesn't need yet.
The music, however, betrayed a certain literal-mindedness. "Barracuda," by Heart -- a nod to Sarah Palin's nickname. "Dancing in September," by Earth, Wind & Fire -- the perfect song to dance to, on Sept. 4! (Though it's hard to call what Republican delegates do to music dancing.) "Celebration," by Kool & the Gang, "Don't Stop Believing," by Journey, "Everyday People," by Sly & the Family Stone... every song had a message, and they weren't very subtle. But then again, neither was the convention, so maybe that was apt.
Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008 22:40 EDTProtesters disrupt McCain speech
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- If you're at home watching John McCain's speech at the Republican Convention and wondering why he made a few odd pauses and why the crowd broke into the occasional chant of "USA! USA!" it's because a few antiwar protesters got into the hall and started heckling him during his speech.
The first hecklers were off-camera, located conveniently above the press stands. Two men, carrying banners that read "You can't win an occupation," began shouting questions for McCain. They managed to divert the attention of the press and a substantial portion of the crowd; McCain, who couldn't see what was going on from his vantage point, seemed confused. It seems as though both men have been removed, though it's hard to be sure from where I'm sitting.
Later, a second protester, this one on the floor and not far from the podium, broke into the speech, leading to more chants from McCain's supporters and more disruption of the speech. This time, McCain was able to figure out what was going on. "Please don't be diverted by the ground noise and the static," he quipped, earning himself a big round of applause. "Americans want us to stop yelling at each other."
― Alex Koppelman
Palin camp claims Dems attacking her family, can't name any
A fundraising letter that Sarah Palin's camp sent out Thursday afternoon tells potential donors, "Unfortunately, as you've seen this week, the Obama/Biden Democrats have been vicious in their attacks directed toward me, my family and John McCain. The misinformation and flat-out lies must be corrected."
The point, of course, is that the McCain/Palin campaign needs money to help defend against these awful "Obama/Biden Democrats."
That is, if they exist at all.
A couple reporters have now pressed various spokespeople for specifics about who's being referenced in the letter. One of them, ABC News' Jake Tapper, reports (http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/09/palin-accuses-o.html): The response I got was that Obama spokesman Mark Bubriski erroneously attacked Palin as a supporter of Pat Buchanan. That's it. That's the evidence.
An attack on Palin herself.
In other words, they can't name one person affiliated with the Obama-Biden campaign who attacked the Palin family.
Sara Kugler of the Associated Press got a slightly different answer (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080904/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_palin) when she posed the same question to a spokeswoman for Palin. "Asked who was to blame, the spokeswoman said, 'You want me to tick through all the stuff that's been ticking through all the blogs the past few days? What about the stuff that was on Daily Kos, that rumor that was spread?'" Kugler says.
Actually, as Tapper notes, there are some politicians who have personally attacked opponents' family members. For instance, in 1998, it was John McCain who joked, "Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno."
― Alex Koppelman
Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008 21:04 EDT
Karl Rove, flip-flopper
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- When you cover politics (hell, if you've even paid attention to it for about a day or so) you quickly learn that politicians and their surrogates have an incredible ability to peddle utter crap while maintaining a completely straight face. Still, though, I can't shake the feeling that this sort of thing reached new heights of absurdity this week.
Maybe it's because we've really seen the curtain pulled back this week. The recording (http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2008/09/03/noonan_murphy/) of the conversation between Chuck Todd, Peggy Noonan and Mike Murphy that popped up was particularly revealing. It was a close look at the deep doubts about the Sarah Palin choice remaining in the Republican establishment and, seemingly, even among those tapped to go on television and defend her.
And, of course, the crack research team at "The Daily Show" came through with some similarly illuminating material. Check out this segment from Wednesday night's show -- among the highlights, Karl Rove gets caught in a rather radical shift in his position on the question of what kind of prior experience a vice-president should have.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=184086&title=Sarah-Palin-Gender-Card
Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008 10:50 EDT
Noonan aplogizes for Palin remarks -- sort of
Conservative columnist Peggy Noonan had some 'splaining to do last night. On Wednesday, she -- along with MSNBC's Chuck Todd and prominent GOP strategist Mike Murphy -- was caught on a live mike calling the selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as John McCain's running mate "political bull****," something at odds with the tone of the column she'd just published. So now she has explained herself. And apologized. Well, to a certain extent, at least.
"Well, I just got mugged by the nature of modern media, and I wish it weren't my fault, but it is," Noonan says in a new introduction appended to the online version (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122044753790594947.html?mod=todays_columnists) of her column from Wednesday. She continues: In our off-air conversation, I got on the subject of the leaders of the Republican party assuming, now, that whatever the base of the Republican party thinks is what America thinks. I made the case that this is no longer true ... And when I said, "It's over!" -- and I said it more than once -- that is what I was referring to ... However, I did say two things that I haven't said in public, either in speaking or in my writing. One is a vulgar epithet that I wish I could blame on the mood of the moment but cannot ... But, bottom line, I am certainly sorry I blurted my barnyard ephithet, I am certainly sorry that someone abused my meaning in the use of the words, "It's over," and I'm sorry I didn't have the Kay Bailey Hutchison thought before this morning, because I could have written of it. There. Now: onto today's column.
― Alex Koppelman
By Alex Koppelman
Friday, Sept. 5, 2008 00:30 EDT
No home run for McCain (http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/)
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- John McCain started off slow. And for a moment, when anti-war protesters broke in and heckled him, distracting his crowd's attention, it seemed that all might be lost and that he might fall completely flat on a night in which he needed to shine.
But the Republican nominee and his speechwriter had saved the best -- in this case, the story of McCain's time as a prisoner of war -- for last. It was a moving section, one that seemed to make the entire Xcel Center go silent. And it made for a good transition into his closing argument, a call for Americans to join with him to fight for their country. Now the McCain campaign just has to hope that voters at home kept watching long enough to see the big finish.
So far, the reviews aren't good. CNN's Jeffrey Toobin calling this " the worst speech by a nominee that I’ve heard since Jimmy Carter in 1980" is one thing. But the harsh critique that former Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson delivered on MSNBC (which Barack Obama's campaign was quick to blast out to reporters) was something else entirely.
"Pretty disappointing," Gerson said. "I think that was a missed opportunity. Many Americans needed to hear from this speech something they have never heard from Republicans before. And in reality, a lot of the policy they’ve heard from Republicans before."
― Alex Koppelman
Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008 23:18 EDT
McCain and Palin party down
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The speech was flat, the backdrop went from lime green to electric blue, and the Xcel Energy Center ain't exactly Mile High Stadium, but there is something nice about a traditional balloon drop at the end of a convention, and John McCain knows it.
The Republican convention came to a close Thursday night amidst a sea of confetti, balloons and streamers, and you sort of had to wonder whether a Barack Obama victory this fall would mean an end to one of the oldest tableaus in American politics. (If the guy can pack football stadiums, he may not need gigantic balloons to rev the crowd up.) Yeah, the scene looked like it could have been straight out of 1980, and that doesn't do much to give the impression that McCain is the candidate of the future. (Or to counter the Democratic message, which was that McCain didn't spell out how he would change the direction the country's going.) Still, the whole crowd looked like it was having fun in the flood of red, white and blue falling from the ceiling. Maybe getting rid of balloon drops is one change America doesn't need yet.
The music, however, betrayed a certain literal-mindedness. "Barracuda," by Heart -- a nod to Sarah Palin's nickname. "Dancing in September," by Earth, Wind & Fire -- the perfect song to dance to, on Sept. 4! (Though it's hard to call what Republican delegates do to music dancing.) "Celebration," by Kool & the Gang, "Don't Stop Believing," by Journey, "Everyday People," by Sly & the Family Stone... every song had a message, and they weren't very subtle. But then again, neither was the convention, so maybe that was apt.
Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008 22:40 EDTProtesters disrupt McCain speech
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- If you're at home watching John McCain's speech at the Republican Convention and wondering why he made a few odd pauses and why the crowd broke into the occasional chant of "USA! USA!" it's because a few antiwar protesters got into the hall and started heckling him during his speech.
The first hecklers were off-camera, located conveniently above the press stands. Two men, carrying banners that read "You can't win an occupation," began shouting questions for McCain. They managed to divert the attention of the press and a substantial portion of the crowd; McCain, who couldn't see what was going on from his vantage point, seemed confused. It seems as though both men have been removed, though it's hard to be sure from where I'm sitting.
Later, a second protester, this one on the floor and not far from the podium, broke into the speech, leading to more chants from McCain's supporters and more disruption of the speech. This time, McCain was able to figure out what was going on. "Please don't be diverted by the ground noise and the static," he quipped, earning himself a big round of applause. "Americans want us to stop yelling at each other."
― Alex Koppelman
Palin camp claims Dems attacking her family, can't name any
A fundraising letter that Sarah Palin's camp sent out Thursday afternoon tells potential donors, "Unfortunately, as you've seen this week, the Obama/Biden Democrats have been vicious in their attacks directed toward me, my family and John McCain. The misinformation and flat-out lies must be corrected."
The point, of course, is that the McCain/Palin campaign needs money to help defend against these awful "Obama/Biden Democrats."
That is, if they exist at all.
A couple reporters have now pressed various spokespeople for specifics about who's being referenced in the letter. One of them, ABC News' Jake Tapper, reports (http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/09/palin-accuses-o.html): The response I got was that Obama spokesman Mark Bubriski erroneously attacked Palin as a supporter of Pat Buchanan. That's it. That's the evidence.
An attack on Palin herself.
In other words, they can't name one person affiliated with the Obama-Biden campaign who attacked the Palin family.
Sara Kugler of the Associated Press got a slightly different answer (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080904/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_palin) when she posed the same question to a spokeswoman for Palin. "Asked who was to blame, the spokeswoman said, 'You want me to tick through all the stuff that's been ticking through all the blogs the past few days? What about the stuff that was on Daily Kos, that rumor that was spread?'" Kugler says.
Actually, as Tapper notes, there are some politicians who have personally attacked opponents' family members. For instance, in 1998, it was John McCain who joked, "Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno."
― Alex Koppelman
Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008 21:04 EDT
Karl Rove, flip-flopper
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- When you cover politics (hell, if you've even paid attention to it for about a day or so) you quickly learn that politicians and their surrogates have an incredible ability to peddle utter crap while maintaining a completely straight face. Still, though, I can't shake the feeling that this sort of thing reached new heights of absurdity this week.
Maybe it's because we've really seen the curtain pulled back this week. The recording (http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2008/09/03/noonan_murphy/) of the conversation between Chuck Todd, Peggy Noonan and Mike Murphy that popped up was particularly revealing. It was a close look at the deep doubts about the Sarah Palin choice remaining in the Republican establishment and, seemingly, even among those tapped to go on television and defend her.
And, of course, the crack research team at "The Daily Show" came through with some similarly illuminating material. Check out this segment from Wednesday night's show -- among the highlights, Karl Rove gets caught in a rather radical shift in his position on the question of what kind of prior experience a vice-president should have.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=184086&title=Sarah-Palin-Gender-Card
Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008 10:50 EDT
Noonan aplogizes for Palin remarks -- sort of
Conservative columnist Peggy Noonan had some 'splaining to do last night. On Wednesday, she -- along with MSNBC's Chuck Todd and prominent GOP strategist Mike Murphy -- was caught on a live mike calling the selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as John McCain's running mate "political bull****," something at odds with the tone of the column she'd just published. So now she has explained herself. And apologized. Well, to a certain extent, at least.
"Well, I just got mugged by the nature of modern media, and I wish it weren't my fault, but it is," Noonan says in a new introduction appended to the online version (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122044753790594947.html?mod=todays_columnists) of her column from Wednesday. She continues: In our off-air conversation, I got on the subject of the leaders of the Republican party assuming, now, that whatever the base of the Republican party thinks is what America thinks. I made the case that this is no longer true ... And when I said, "It's over!" -- and I said it more than once -- that is what I was referring to ... However, I did say two things that I haven't said in public, either in speaking or in my writing. One is a vulgar epithet that I wish I could blame on the mood of the moment but cannot ... But, bottom line, I am certainly sorry I blurted my barnyard ephithet, I am certainly sorry that someone abused my meaning in the use of the words, "It's over," and I'm sorry I didn't have the Kay Bailey Hutchison thought before this morning, because I could have written of it. There. Now: onto today's column.
― Alex Koppelman