Fitz!

LeisureGuy!

As long as we’re talking about panty sniffing, I came across this little video. Completely off topic but funny:

http://www.bestweekever.tv/200…..-like-fish

OK, now to read the latest post.

Right on, Pach!

These little fuckwads obviously NEED a taste of their own foul medicine.

FitzRootz!

probably some preemptive damage control for stories about to hit the stands about W and the LauraBot3000 (TM-whateveritisimagainstit). As sad as this is, the most powerful response is to ignore and keep reporting the corruption stories. Let’s face it, this will be a maelstrom of pre-season politics, don’t give the sideshows too much attention.

Atrios has it going already; it’s on Bill Keller’s marriage. Yes, it is high time these motherfuckers got a taste of their own medicine. Enough is enough.

http://atrios.blogspot.com/

The Times is reporting that Fitz may put Cheney on the witness stand…or is this old news?
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05…..nted=print

I hear Linda Tripp and Lucienne Goldberg might be available. Broder-types!

As Atrios says “up against the wall”!

I said this below, but I’d like to see George Washington live up to this video

All posts regarding the sexual perversions of the panty sniffers shall be posted by John or Jane Smith and attributed to anonymous sources.

My source tells me that Hannity was caught sniffing Gannons panties…..

twolf (#2)

How to attain instant immortality!… and we hardly know him! he’s got a sloooow hand…….

We can share information with Atrios. No problem there.

Kos says “You know what I’d love to see? The marriage of every b.s. pundit and journalist who brings this crap up scrutinized and aired publicly. Let’s see how many glass houses exist in DC.”

Josh Marshall has set an example with his TPMuckracker blog exposing the DC corruption racket.

Time now for FDL bloggers who would like to get into investigative journalism to dig up the dirt on the marriages and sex lives of the DC media elite. How about exposing Russert, Hannity, John Gibson, Roger Ailes, Rupert Murdoch, Joe Klein, et al.

FDL’s page 6….

All the news thats fixed to fit….

Peterr, I left you a comment last thread.

I seem to remember something about a falafel…

This reminds me of what I heard on AAR yesterday, and I can’t remember who said it, but does Laura Bush smoke? Whoever it was, said she did.

Unfortunately, I’m still a smoker, but I was kinda floored to find that out. I mean, it’s not an ‘end-of-the-world’ kind of thing – it just surprises me. I dunno, I just have a hard time picturing her with a cigarette in her hand, ya know?

zennurse – got it, and replied

fahrender #12 – maybe he wasn’t real — just a fleeting metaphor. He represented the disgruntled voter who has nothing to look forward to because BushCo is teflon coated. Not the possibility that Fitz will deliver us from evil is able to brighten his spirits.

The first bounty needs to go on Matt Drudge.

What a coincidence, the WaPo’s Political Editor, John Harris, is online right now to take any questions or comments you have about David Brodure.
washingtonpost.com’s Daily Politics Discussion
John F. Harris
Washington Post National Political Editor
Thursday, May 25, 2006; 11:00 ET

Enron verdict at 12:00 ET

To Adie and Mark, there was info on the Fitz filing on last night’s late nite thread. Christy will be posting, but jeralyn at talk left has written about it and it’s in the Times and the WaPo, too.

Hey Mark,

Personally, I thought that the ‘Cheney might testify’ was old news. So I’m not quite sure why it’s suddenly being touted now.

Maybe Christy or Jane can shed some light?

Wonder how they would like it if some really sleazy skanks started showing up at their workplace, homes etc……

Someone in the gay community needs to out Rove, Mehlman, Cunningham and whoever else. This whole thing about it being an “open secret” isn’t helping.

Thanks zennurse.

Here’s what I wrote to the esteemed Mr. Broder at
dbroder@washpost.com with a copy to ombudsman@washpost.com

———————
Hello Mr. Broder:

There appears to be a copy-editing problem in the last line of your column about Senator Clinton.
“Other than that, the elephant in the room went unmentioned.”
Surely you meant to write “Other than that, the panties in the room went unsniffed.”
Nice way to catapult the propaganda. Surely you don’t want the New York Times to get ahead of your paper on this major issue of the day: the state of the Clinton marriage. Oh, and Ms. Howell, hope the smelling salts are handy — this entire topic makes me vapor-ish, so I can’t imagine the effect it must be having on your delicate sensibilities.

Really, people, grow up.
———————-

==========
Had enough?
==========

So Bill Keller’s dad was chairman of Chevron? How well did he know Condi? Developing…

I see Mr. Broder has received my email. :)

“Thank you for your e-mail to David Broder. With the popularity of these
columns, we receive upward of 1,000 e-mails a week. We regret that we
cannot respond to all of them. If we did, there would be no column to
e-mail about. But be assured that David Broder or one of his editors will
read every e-mail. If you are responding to one of Mr. Broder’s columns,
we invite you to let us know in which newspaper you read the column (unless
you have already done so in your e-mail) by replying to
davidbroder@washpost.com. Then we will share your e-mail with your local
newspaper editor, who would also appreciate hearing your feedback.
Sincerely,
The Washington Post Writers Group”

So Bill Keller cheated on his wife with the girlfriend of Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, knocked her up — then dumped his journalist wife (booo-ring!!!) and married the rocker chick.

http://atrios.blogspot.com/200…..9070708542

I wonder of Bill Keller and his rocker chick hottie wife do it on his desk at the New Cervix Times — or has he moved on to plowing greener pastures?

Does David Broder like poker? Ever played at the Watergate? Ever hung out with Dusty Foggo or Porter Goss or Mitchell Wade or Duke Cunningham or Beltway Entertainment Professionals? Has David Broder ever done anything that will drop the jaws of the kewl kidz — in between cocktail weenies?

Just askin’ . . .

Watched several of the cable news shows yesterday- there was an above average level of discussion of Hillary and Gore. Most of the Hillary discussion was about:

Dems think she can’t win- and they need an alternative. On Gore it was “Isn’t it amazing how he’s found his voice and looks so cool now”.

There’s a strong anti-Hillary message coming out right now from the usual suspects- don’t know what’s behind it. It goes much deeper than the panty sniffing.

Sources tell me Hannity once bragged to a room full of firemen that he enjoyed sniffing his own panties.

David Broder is a friend of mine and you are totally on the wrong track with him. I doubt you’ll find any dirt on him. He’s been married to a progressive goddess for more years than you’ve been alive.

So this is what we do with our newly found clout? Follow them down the slime trail? This is a wrongheaded action and I protest.

Here’s some dirt: I hear old Brodie-boy used to be huge buddies with the late Malcolm Forbes. I think I read that on Drudge or someplace. But it’s a breaking story. We can check out the details later – what’s important now is to keep those breaking stories breaking!

sorry mommybrain, what is good for the goose is good for the gander.

Conservatives have an irrational and mortal fear of the Clenis getting back in the White House- that’s what this is all about- they are trying to head off what they regard as their worst nightmare.

I sent Border a polite but very angry E-mail about his reporting. I suggested that families might be worried by such things as the cost of driving to work, paying ever more for less coverage in their health insurance, and sending their kids to college. I also mentioned the rather spectacular ending of prominent Republican’s marriages, such as Newt and even McCain, than never seems to get reported. The letter was actually pretty good.

His E-mail address is at the bottom of his collumn, might be good for him to hear from a few FDL’ers, if you are as outraged as I am.)

I’m not that much pro Hillary, I don’t want the uproar of her being a candidate, but she sure would make a heck of a better president that what we have now. I wonder if there will be some backlash from this story.

Uhhh . . . Word Press is eating comments; or maybe it’s the NSA . . . or maybe David Broder and Karl Rove in bed, having them for breakfast snacks . . .

And how well did the late David Broder (whoever did the taxidermy to keep him propped up on Washington Week is a real artiste!) know Gwen Awful? And what about the Awful-Condi rumors? No, not those, the other one! Could this be a meange a… oh, dear, I’m losing track?

Developing…

In the off chance that Hillary is elected- buy drug company stocks- especially those companies making blood pressure and anti psychotic medications. As goopers move into homocidal rage- there will be lots of money to be made.

This is a substantiated rumor, not something I am making up. Hannity has a roommate from college who has written that Hannity was, at least in college, a practicing homosexual. I will try to find the link.

John Harris appears to be tardy in starting his online discussion at WaPoO this morning — hope the crew isn’t having the vapors after reading our questions about clenis et. al….

Mommybrain — with all the respect I can gather, would you please ask David Broder why, with all the terrible wrongs being done to our country, with men and women dying for Bush’s personal war with the truth, why he has to talk about the Clinton’s marriage? WHY?

Does he intend to talk about Gingrich’s marriagesssss as he starts he walk back from the brink; or other republican marriages? No, he is a slime distributor of the first rate. Any man who prefers to discuss the marriage of others had better mind his own house.

Correction: Hannity was “college age” but not in college when he was a practicing homosexual. Hannity, of course, did not go to college.

hookay — Word Press eats my comment, then gives the ERROR!!! message that says I’ve already said that — hmmm . . .

Terre says
May 25th, 2006 at 8:04 am

This reminds me of what I heard on AAR yesterday, and I can’t remember who said it, but does Laura Bush smoke? Whoever it was, said she did.

AL FRANKEN mentioned Pickle’s smoking: 2 packs a day, he said. poor lil laura . . .

mommybrain:

I support, completely, standing up for a friend. This stuff stinks and it sucks.

I hope this post and those like it function only as a wake up call and a threat to people like Broder who believe it is fair game to speculate on the conjugal activities of Democratic women in politics to distract the public from the usurpation of the government by totalitarian criminals.

If your friend revises his standard for what is “news,” then I’m sure everyone on our side will be more than eager to get back to real issues. I certainly will. I really hate this stuff, and I absolutely believe in privacy. Consider my post a Swiftain Modest Proposal, or so I intend it to be.

I hope that you and other friends of his can prevail upon him to change his approach to what is news, even to print an apology for his column today. Please, I beg you, use whatever influence you have to help him and others see the light.

Please do not start this kind of war, pachacutec. It is childish and stupid and will become another low moment in the history of political discourse.

The war is inevitable. If Hillary runs, it will be a race to the bottom. By stoking it now, the issue might be tired by ‘08.

This says it all:

“For those who remember the former first lady’s effort at comprehensive health-care reform in 1993-94, the scope of her energy initiative is a throwback to those days. … She offered her proposal with the same self-assurance that she had brought to the health-care debate — a tone that suggested that “if you just listen carefully to all the things I can tell you on the basis of the study I have given this subject, you will know exactly what to do.”

The Hilary bashing has begun in earnest. We can expect the Hilary haters to toss their buckets of Hilary slime relentlessly from now to the election.

Okay, so that’s a fresh pair of ladies’ knickers for Broder and a nice set of tighty whities for Weisberg.

Check.

mommybrain, I’m not a fan of the slime trail either. But I don’t really understand why Broder is climbing on this particular train, either. I don’t agree with him too often and have written him two letters in the past, without response. I think he is sober and thoughtful, I just don’t think he lives outside the box enough. Why do you think he would write a column that moves this meme forward? It’s just cheesy.

Didn’t know he was married to a progressive.

You mean like the nineties, z adura?

ck — Wordpress didn’t eat your comment, it put it into moderation because there was a word in it that triggered our spam filter. And I had to go in and approve it by hand — which I did — so that it is now posted.

Look, gang, please, some patience on the comments thing. We’re trying to moderate as quickly as we can — truly — we’re not holding people’s comments up on purpose. But I’m also trying to manage the blog today, I’m worried about Jane because I haven’t heard from her on Kobe yet, and I’m trying to analyze the latest Fitz filing — all the while balancing a 3 year old home with a fever today and a sick husband.

So a little patience would really go a long, long way with me today. Capice?

First time that there’s been a big story in Washington about politicians NOT screwing- maybe we’re making progress?

Broder, however, all but asserts that the Big Dog’s bangin another woman.

If he thinks that should be on the public record- that it’s significant enough to report- then he oughta come out and SAY it- “Bill Clinton’s putting his erect penis into the vagina of THIS woman- and show a picture- that’s what the respectable tabloids do.

mommybrain @ 34 –

David Broder may be the straightest of straight arrows in his personal life, but he used his position as “Dean of the Washington Press Corpse” to dive head first into Hillary Clinton’s underwear drawer. The issues? Piffle — David Broder is more interested in dry humping Hillary’s yellow pantsuit.

If David Broder wants our respect, he should use his valuable media real estate to shoot down the prurient pundits — instead, he gets in front of the parade.

Maybe he loves his wife and has never cheated on her — but what is their favorite position, and why doesn’t he write it up in the WaPoo?

Seriously — David Broder should be put out to pasture . . .

you go, Pach! Cancel that shill-wad’s free weenie pass, and cancel it like NOW!

Mommybrain in comment 34 says David Broders wife is a progressive goddess

That is so untrue.
I’ve been told by a number of men who knew her on a “fairly regular basis” while in college and even after…. that she is a closetted conservative albeit a rather frigid one.

Mommybrain and z adura — I do understand your sentiments. I think most all of us share ‘em.

But it’s kinda like Shawshank Redemption. You’ve not only gotta outwit the corrupt “wardens” but sometimes, regrettably, crawl thru the sewer in order to break free and demand that politicians/pundits/media stop sleazifying our national discourse and dumbing down our democracy.

The times demand it.

I personally really admired Hillary for the work she did on healthcare. I admired Bill for asking her to do it, although I have read it was not popular for her to involve herself as First Lady. She set a wonderful example for girls across this country, I thought.

How about a panty-drive for Healey, Broder and Matthews? Thousands of envelopes containing panties to sniff “because you’re so interested…”

z adura 48 – I respectfully disagree! These people have been very successful at portraying Dems as morally corrupt – and themselves as incorruptable.

They have built a powerful movement based on this falsehood. They have done it by digging around in the bedrooms of any public figure they feel threatened by (remember Paula Jones & Gennifer Flowers?) Their hypocrisy deserves to be exposed.

Thanks Christy — the absence of the “your comment is awaiting moderation” thingy is disconcerting . . .

Christy, I can’t believe those two are sick again!! I wish I could come and nurse them for you.
Tell Jane we are with her and Kobe.

Larry, 8:26

Let’s leave his wife out of it. She’s a civilian, not a public figure.

Nice catch at 23,HmblDog, thanks.

“The article, by Patrick Healy, was anything but unsympathetic. It touched only lightly on the former president’s friendship with Canadian politician Belinda Stronach. “

So what’s Broder sayin about the big dog and Belinda? Can anyone figure it out? Does he have evidence that Clinton’s doin Belinda? Why did he bring it up? This is sick.

We must ALWAYS confront their lies and their bullshit. How else will they know their price?

Christy–

My best and everyone here’s best to you and Jane.

Just ignore the screaming and let the kids here play, and we will try not to trash the place too much in your absence.

Grace.

Pac….They and theirs are all fair game.

Remember how they attacked Chelsea?

I have to say- The media stars who are descending into the sewer are opening themselves up to charges of hypocrisy and that needs to be exposed. They are sniffing into things that most people may be guilty of, but are acting as if only dems engage in this behaviour. If they want to go there, we need to bring it. As they say in court, “you opened yourself up to this line of questioning.”

I wonder if Malcolm Forbes passed his hustlers on to Broder to fuck.

Was Broder forced to pay for his own hustlers?

DC has a thriving sex industry. That’s strange for a town its size, isn’t it?. There are many web resources listing what’s available to guys with some extra cash. There must be a couple of thousand active sex workers in the DC area. Just find out which buildings a few of them work at and case the joints. It would be great to catch Santorum going to visit his favorite shemale escort. Maybe some wealthy person would like to buy a few of these folks off and get them to name names. Talk about ripping this town wide open.

Zen at 66 — I think it is one of those things when your child goes to preschool, she starts bringing home everything that’s going around. We knew we’d have to go through it eventually. And considering my decided lack of sleep at the moment, I’m amazed I haven’t caught it myself. (Maybe the coffee is keeping it at bay…) It just makes legal doc analysis a bit tough, that’s all, since it’s not exactly quiet here at the moment, and I sent dad back up to bed.

The stinkfinger press is at it again.

Pach, GrandmaJ xyz and others:

Thank you for your comments. I suppose I should have ridden out the flush of adrenaline at my friend being attacked, although I completely and totally agree with the point of the post.

He HAS been inside the beltway too long. I almost never agree with his columns. But I know him as a loving husband, father and generous friend who is in ill health and I forgive him when he transgresses my personal politics.

Just, if you find out he had an affair with my mom, let me know before you print it, ‘k?

The Clinton marriage brouhaha may just be a welcomed diversion (by the Clintons themselves) from the fact that things are not going like clockwork for Hillary’s presidential bid. Bill “I’m running for Nobel Prize” Clinton gave a speech at the Democracy Alliance where he blew up at a questioner who dared to ask about Hillary’s stand on the Iraq war–and then blew up at the whole audience. And in Gore’s Tennesee where 200 were expected to show up for a draft Hillary event, only 20 actually showed.

ck
I think Keller’s wife, Gilbey, started banging David Gilmour, and dumped her then boyfriend John Kerry.
Somehow she got pregnant and Keller left her, presumably because it wasn’t his kid.

The articles make no sense. Am I missing something?

Like Digby wrote yesterday, Broder is a sick creep.

mommybrain– that was an incredibly gracious and thoughtful post @ 75. really nice, ;)

Christy, your request for patience is of course right on target. With all due respect for Jane, Kobe, your sick 3 year old, and your sick husband, I suspect that the “leave me alone so I can digest Fitz’s latest” might be the hook that gets us to back off with the “what happened to my post?” stuff.

Gotta get our habits fed, after all. :-)

The address dbroder@washpost.com appears only to work when clicking on Mr. Broder’s byline while reading his column. I emailed the address directly from my personal email account and it bounced back.

eeeeeew, “clicking on Mr. Broder’s byline.” I need a shower now.

timewarp, is there any other way to expose the hypocrisy besides turning into them? Sending panties is just an opportunity for them to point at us and scream “fever swamp!!!”. I agree that their keyhole peeking is inappropriate, but I would rather point out that it debases them more than it illuminates the public, and find a more subtle and cheeky way to expose thier pecadilloes. (I’ve always wanted to use that word)

Pach–

Good topic. I got the satirical tone, though you run the risk of the literal interpretation that is fomented. Suffice to say that for every Clinton marriage there is a Bush marriage or child in trouble, a Guliani history to discuss or a Mehlman deserving special deleivery to the press. We don’t really need to dig for dirt; it’s there for the mentioning. A simple “you don’t really want to go there when there are so many questions about…” should be all the rebuttal needed.

The additional affront caused by the moral transgressions of the right, though–perhaps the only really relevant one–is the hypocrisy of sanctimony regarding intimate relations. On that score, some outrage and some outing may be occasionally appropriate.

There is no excuse for what Broder and the rest of the lap dogs are doing. Mommybrain-you need to give your acquaintence an earful and forget about arguing with the folks here who are outraged. It wouldn’t take 24 hours of concentrated effort to uncover the pecadillos of those who scream loudest on the right, so it’s no drain on our resources. It’s time for us to stop bringing our knives to a gunfight.

This is a VERY bad idea

The whole point of the “reality based community” is that it sticks to facts. After getting a good deal of (sometimes grudging) praise for being cautious on the Rove indictment story, and making slow, incremental progress in other areas, the last thing we need to do is “sink to their level” on an issue like this, especially inviting the good guys to start untrue (or at least unfact checked) swiftboating.

It may feel good to vent like this, but it hurts us far, far, more than it hurts them.

Please, please update this post and repudiate the suggestion that liberal bloggers start trafficking in lies to “teach them a lesson.”

If we’re going to teach them anything, it will be by discovering and remembering the truth, constantly checking our facts and our assumptions, and relentlessly refusing to be fooled by lies–not by “getting into the sewer with them” spreading “anti-lies.”

–MarkusQ

Thank you for that comment, mommybrain. You have illustrated vividly here the illness of the politics of personal destruction, by defending your friend. The Clintons have friends, a child, and each other — all of whom must have desperately hurt by that widely distributed NYT smut.

It’s yet another application of the Golden Rule, I suppose, except it appears revoked for Democrats.

Speaking of panties, I wouldn’t want to sniff Lay’s or Skilling’s right about now…..

angie,

i agree. thanks for your gracious response mommybrain. it is difficult when these issues have an impact on those who are close to us. i think we agree on the larger point that pach is making here. the time has come and gone for us to stand by while the other side attacks our leaders and heroes with prurient garbage. The battle has been joined, not because we want to, but because we have been forced.

Christy, I just feel guilty because at 50, I can stay in my pj’s all day, sit in my bed and read blogs if I want. But I have had two in diapers and I clearly remember, that’s why I always like to send a little backrub your way. ;-)

I’ve highlighted the modest proposal aspect of this post up top, hopefully to clarify matters for all.

Children are insufferable. If they came with warning labels- no one would have one.

MarkusQ, I don’t think we have to sink to the level of swift-liars- the truth is bad enough. To leave purient charges unanswered and unchallenged will get us exactly nothing. To weild a big stick in ordet to teach those who traffic in such dirt could actually stop this madness.

David Broder Stroker Ace

they need porn names, but bad porn names that highlight their, um, shortcomings

and never underestimate the power of vanity – my e mail to the Teen of the Washington Press Corps chastised his ass for doing things neither Drew Pearson or Jack Anderson would have done on their worst days

and there’s always the smack of likening these puffed up clowns to “catty old women”

Groan-a Barrett

Louella Parsing

Hedda Handjob

‘Sin’dy Adams

Anyone notice that some of the numbered posts don’t correspond with the names?
I think its ’cause they get hung in the spam filter.

The time stamp might be a better reference.

T-

God forbid anyone should have both boxers and briefs in their wardrobe but still prefer one to the other.

Well, I sent a comment similar to Markus’ without the bold, but I guess the NSA is reading it. The panties and revenge response I can’t support, it doesn’t convey any message other than we are just like them, and we aren’t, we can’t be. My choice is to change the subject for the moment and not allow this to ferment. We have a hundred issues to face and this is just the reaction Ken Mehlman had in mind, Look, what’s that shiny thing.

This kind of stuff is cheap. I’m a big fan of dignity.

In coming up with epithets for Mr. Broder, let’s avoid the recently explored Americablog-swamp of mysogyny, folks. There’s plenty of bad things to say about the “Teen of the Washington Press Corps” that don’t demean women.

There is no high road in political war. Only victory.

And that my friends is what we are engaged in… like it or not…this is a war for the heart and soul of our great country and all its promise and all that it has always stood for.

When invited to a knife fight ….bring a gun. Sure the sewer stinks…but if at times your enemy insists on doing battle from there then you better be prepared to jump in….but only if you want to win.

I think The Onion has outdone Broder and Co.

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/48757

What’s the over/under on the time of Christy’s latest Fitz Filing post?
I’d peg it at 1 EST.

OT…
The verdicts on Skilling and Lay are due out in a few minutes.

I agree that this is a very unfortunate thing — but David Broder has joined the ranks of Beltway Slime Merchants, and unless we teach him and his kind a lesson, they will continue to smear Democrats with impunity.

Can someone live blog the Enron verdict?

I have to say that I do not like the tone of all this. I think the Broder article is just another example of how corporate media doesn’t report the news, how out of touch they are, and how unprofessional they have become. That is what we should be concentrating our attention. In an article with 15 paragraphs (albeit some quite short), Broder speaks about Hillary’s ideas on energy in 3 and not until the 7th paragraph. Needless to say, even where he does speak about energy it is without any analysis or detail. He describes her talk as wonkish as if using facts and discussing serious issues seriously is somehow just not the done thing.

I wonder why it is that so many reporters, columnists, and pundits have given up on what most of us I think are the basics of their profession. Broder is one of the “senior” news reporters but his piece reads like not very good infotainment.

I also wonder if these guys were always this bad and it just took the blogosphere with its resources and ideas to shine a bright light upon them and show them for the hacks they are certainly are or have become. I remember when I thought Washington Week where many of these types hang out was actually pretty good. Now I wince to watch the David Broders and Martha Raddatzs regurgitate the Bush spin without embarrassment and with only the most minor of signs of stomach upset.

TeddySF,
your point about women is well taken. I used the silly names above to highlight the very last comparison Broder would want – catty gossip maven

Here’s the letter I sent Huffington Post on this subject, but many a community blogger site could do — though Arianna’s place seems to have a lot of insiders who could readily dig dirt to contribute:

Dear Huffington Post:

In response to the NYTimes’ front-page tabloid piece on the Clintons’ marriage the other day, Atrios has posted a brief sketch of the circumstances of Times editor Bill Keller’s 1999 marriage to Emma Gilbey.

I think this is a fantastic idea. David Broder says the Clintons’ marriage will be a hot topic in 2008 if she runs, but I think that hotness will be a manufactured one. Sure, people like juicy gossip, but ordinary folks aren’t clammering for ever more on the Clintons; it’s been done.

What we could really use is fresh meat, so here’s what I propose.

Arianna’s certainly had her own marriage disected, so she knows the approach. And she and many of her fellow commentors and journalists at Huffington Post have insider connections.

What better way to serve the public’s thirst for gossip while doing the country a good turn than to put together a bestseller about the private lives of the media types and pols who thrive on keeping puerile interest in the Clinton marriage alive?

It shouldn’t be hard for the Huffington Post to find 50 folks with tidbits to share on the likes of Tim Russert, Chris Matthews, various publishers and media CEOs, etc. Heck, I’ll bet Broder himself has a few none-too-well-buried personal/family/marital secrets you could share.

Huffington Post can begin it’s media, politics and marriage (MPM) gossip reports on its website, then compile the best in a hotly hyped campaign-season book that can shout for attention from all those big chain bookstore endcaps and table displays.

I envision a tabloid-like cover to attract buyer attention, with lots of lurid headlines and dirt-praising blurbs, wrapped up in a large paperback format that mimics the Enquirer and Weekly World News.

Hey, you might even go for a distribution deal that includes checkout lines and news rack displays.

Really, the possibilities for fun are endless; think of the book tours and interviews.

And maybe, just maybe, some of these ersatz journos, pundits and teleprompter readers with “correspondent” after their names will learn a thing or two (even so late in the game) by walking in the other guys shoes through the stew of their own juice for a change.

I’m serious.

A reader and fan,

xxxx

I said it over at Eschaton, I’ll say it again here….the only way to make this stop is to put the fear of God into these fools. I don’t like Hillary. If she’s the nominee, I’ll vote for her, but that’s it. Having said that – Healy’s column and Broder and Matthew’s follow-ups are just the first shot across our bow. They won’t stop if we ask them politely. They won’t stop if we demand it and stamp our feet and wave our fists. They’ll only stop if we scare them, but good. Please, I beg several of the big bloggers to get together, put out a call for funds, and hire a private investigator to look into the life of ONE journalist who has started in with this nonsense. It’s important that ONE of them be made into an example of what happens when they start in with this crap. Do not dilute the effort by targeting more than one of them – Healy, Keller, Sulzberger, it makes no difference. Tell him/her that if they want to listen at keyholes and publish innuendo, so will we. Tell him/her that they are about to be subjected to an investigation that will make a trip to his/her proctologist seem like a day at the beach. Keep it on the up-and-up, hire a licensed investigator who will stay within legal bounds when surveilling, interviewing witnesses and reviewing records. Then publish the results, with documentation, simultaneously on every participating blog. They’ll squeal like stuck pigs, but I guarantee the nudge,nudge, wink, wink coverage will stop.

The essential problem is that the press has contempt for us. They may hate Republicans, but they fear them, so they don’t try this shit with Giuliani, McCain, etc. It’s like kids shaking down weaklings for their lunch money – the first time you kick them in the nads, they look for another mark. Kick them hard, and this will stop.

The only way we can battle these guys and break through the MSM wall is by insulting them (nice panty sniffing pundits meme) or by producing a poll that shows americans don’t give a fuck about this shit.

at all

they didn’t care during monica
and they don’t care now

so let them run with this, it only lets hilary look a victim which will help us in the long run

no if we want her or not, thats a whole nother question

Lay and Skilling verdict coming out now…..hope they fry.

We don’t have to report sexual stories, but we can do something like sending David Broder a box full of panties. It would be a protest about the story he wrote.

Guilty! YES, Martha, there is justice!

Lay – 6 charges all guilty

Ken Lay guilty on all charges

skilling guilty on counts 1-35

minervagoddess:

I’m afraid they’re impervious to polls.

http://atrios.blogspot.com/200…..9950176945

All they comprehend is fear and shame.

1,161 DAYS AND THE KILLING GOES ON AND ON AND…

Alert!! We are bein’ shell-gamed here again with Hillbill’s sex life and I don’t mean distracted from the fascists’ latest boondogles…the Congressional Black Caucus is furious with Pelosi for askin’ fer Jefferson’s resignation outright on the day before they were to meet with her about field-marshall Von Emmauel and his AIPAC operation at the DCCC. The fascist nexis (which includes Bushco, DLC, and AIPAC) is tryin ta slice off a good chunck of the black vote by usin Jefferson to reign in the CBC and make ‘em say “yessir boss” in public while Emmanuel packs the Democratic congrssional field with little Republicrats who owe fielty to AIPAC and the DLC.

Pelosi is a weak-sister, she doesn’t have the political smarts ta be able to recognize the power centers in her own party or the political muscle ta keep those power centers from killin each other. AIPAC, Emmaunel and the DLC are killin the party and it’s gunna fall on pathetic NancyP.

KEEP THE FAITH, WE GOTTA FIGHT ‘EM HERE BEFORE WE KEN TAKE ‘EM ON OVER THERE!!!

Skilling on fraud, conspiracy, waiting on insider trading….

Lay could face 45 years in prison, guilty on all counts (6).

I’m crying here. I know a Alabama state empleyee whose pension plans were decimated by these frauds.

I’m so happy.

Believe it or not, George Will has a sex scandal in his past. Google “George Will” and “Lally Weymouth”.

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Guilty on all charges!

Screw YOU Kenny Boy!!!

Skilling guilty – 19 counts!
Lay guiilty on 6 counts!

So, how’d you think this is going down with Kenny-boy’s friend at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue?

Skilling faces 245 years if guilty on additional counts. He did not get convicted on all counts……

lay guilty on bench charges too – bank fraud – lied when signing documents

Verdicts! YES, YES, YES!!!!

Happy dance, happy dance, happy dance! I hope their insensitivity and lack of empathy for all the employees who lost their entire life savings/retirement pensions is noted by the judge when the are sentenced!

Lally Weymouth is Katherine Graham’s daughter – are you kidding me ?!?!?

skilling not guilty on some insider trading

Just in:

Kenny Boy Lay was found guilty on all counts in Houston…

BC

Skilling, not guilty on any insider trading….substantial jail time.

Cue up the Frogmarch Song!

Yeah, talking about his underwear really hurt Clinton, I mean what 60% or so approval and 8 years as President.

At WaPoO, Harris is getting slammed about Broder’s column, has to choose another “representative” question on the topic, and then invites us to ask The Teen himself when he comes to chat…. It would be rude not to, right?

Who’s gonna get ken lay’s mercedes G-class that he pulled up to the courthouse in today?

I didn’t realize there were so many counts against Skilling. No wonder the deliberations took so long.

breaking news on CNN, you can’t live for 200 years

Oh well if you’re going to fight dirty over at my gorilla’s guides blog I ummmmm cooked up a picture of a well known senior right-wing republican politician engaging in somehot chimpanzee on banana action. Feel free to make use of it any time you want. I mean what’s sauce for the gander is sauce for the goosed ….. yes?

Pach – I think you mean “prurient,” not “perverted.”

Lay still has bank fraud charges before him in another case. More to come…….

@ quoth Ron Zuber: We don’t have to report sexual stories, but we can do something like sending David Broder a box full of panties. It would be a protest about the story he wrote.

Cheaper — some graphics whiz could work up a selection of trashy lingerie wallpaper for html stationery which everybody could use when they write to broder and the NYT.

When did panty sniffing become such a crime?

How does this affect Bush vis a vis his relationship with Kenny? NPR saying this will push his press conf tonight onto the back burner and become front page.

It’s the insidious word “ambitious,” linked with “overwhelming” in the same sentence, that is worse than any lemon-yellow prurience. Ambition is a negative word when it’s feminine-gendered. “Ambitious” is also a lazy, sloppy way of condemning something important without listening to it, or attending to it. David Broder is the creep at the back of the room who can never talk about anything interesting, but tries to keep his status by sniggering innuendo. No one has ever thought about his pants.

Bush pal, major Bush fundraiser, and convicted felon Kenneth Lay.

That Ken Lay?

Jersey Tomato @108

Bravo !!… well said….I agree.

Mud sometimes gives the illusion of depth. (Marshall McLuhan)

McLuhan also wrote that the medium is the message. Accordingly, although the Blogosphere is inherently egalitarian in its scope and reach it is also, as the result of the current state of the medias evolution, effectively non-directional in the realization of its political power.

Locus points on the web for political discourse, like FDL, achieve certain critical mass levels of frustration and irate anger but with the exception of certain excellent programs like Netroots, the political force is invariably spent in passive discussion, essentially as expressive steam valves that bleed off the active potential.

If Deeds Speak, then conversely speech must be converted into deeds that will evolve the medium into a more effective message.

For the times they are a changin’

Hell yes!
Here’s to the panty sniffers snortin’ up a turdball!

1,161 DAYS AND THE KILLING GOES ON AND ON…

P.S. Don’t let’s get inta expendin’ energy fightin with the corporate shills for Hillary’s honor and Bill’s privacy, let the Clintons and the DLC fight this battle and if it takes down her candidacy, they have saved us a fight against a losin’ nominee.

In other news from yesterday (was it) – the folks that bought the Philly paper are lock stock and barrel Repubs.

They are getting it done.

Peterr @ 125 -
that guy at 1600 Pennsylvania “meets lots of guys”

Pach, maybe you meant to write that the pundits you referenced need to get “Lay-ed”.

WaPo has a live video feed up on the Kenny Boy verdict. Bank of mics out front, looks like someone will be making statements.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..01139.html

OT – Skilling and Lay. For all you people who think the “system” is rigged or whatever, these verdicts show that it really is not.

And, in fact, if you are under investigation, you will be indicted, and if you are indicted you will be convicted. Is it 100%? No, but it really is damn close to 100%.

So when you are feeling down about the speed of the Plame investigation, just remember Enron.

Norske don’t click the link to my posting @ 138 we don’t want you to get a coughing fit like you did last time you saw one of my graphics.

Wow, poor Mrs. Lay, remember her crying on TV about how they had to sell a few homes? Wait a minute, wasn’t one of their wives involved? Was it her, or somebody else’s?

Mud # 2

A response is required but mudslinging is zero-sum game.

A better response, IMHO, involves expansion of the Netroots approach into the MSM itself. Accordingly, PowerBlogs like FDL need to consider dispatching representatives (covertly, or otherwise) as journalist/blogagents to investigate (perhaps a la Colbert) specific media mouthpieces motives, sources or backgrounds on a story by way of personal interview with the media subject. The results could then be reported back to the home site and affiliated blogs for dissemination, consumption and analysis.

If these media individuals are going to participate, willingly or otherwise, in GOP talking points and swiftboating tactics, they should learn the hard way that there is a price to pay and it will be their much-heralded journalistic reputation.

At this point in the game the message needs to be sent: Ignorance is Complicity
~

Skilling and Lay….what a relief. They only needed one for a hung jury. I was afraid that they might have made a juror swallow their story about being two of the dumbest fucks on the planet. This has to be a starting point to straighten out corporate America. CEOs are paid far too much even considering their economic productivity. (Can anyone, except Bill Gates, really be worthty of $200 million in compensation annually?)

OT and forgive me if this has already been posted, but it’s about time! Justice ! Ken Lay was convicted on all six counts against him, including conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud. Skilling was convicted on conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud.

New Murray Waas (co-written) – about Abu’s foiling of the investigation into the NSA leaks.

We should do a roots project and have a boatload of panties sent to Broder at his office.

Unless someone does somethin about this panty snffing thing- it will go on for the next four thousand years- as it has for the previous four thousand..

Well probably much longer:

“Why does Brot’s wife have that donkasauras in the house? Brot can’t get it up any more?”

Nothing’s happening when I link to the live feed. Any suggestions?

msnbc now interviewing enron victims — one named diana just said “i’ve been bouncing around from contract job to contract job for the last four years, without health insurance. i just got a job this week, my first job since leaving enron.”

good contrast to that ride kenny-boy’s been rolling up on the courthouse in every day….

She who laughs last…

zennurse; Leah Fastow, wife of Andy.

Pach; I’m glad you clarified that your proposal was Swiftian. My snarkmeter must be on the fritz, because I thought you were serious.

Attn: Christy. In the below thread “weeding out the racists” I have a post in moderation, please let it out. Despite the fact that I am apprently a troll, the person I was replying to(who apprently is not a troll) might want to read it.

final 2 – skilling – guilty on 1 insider trading 19 of 28 charges

1,161 DAYS AND THE KILLIN’ GOES ON AND ON AND…

P.S.S. It’s time we take stock of who makes up “the enemy” and where they are…this means prioritzin’ our efforts and savin’ ammunition by not shootin’ at targets we don’t care about. Let the Clinton’s and the DLC fight the corporate media for Hillary’s honor and image…that will occupy their resources away from packin the Democratic Party.

KEEP THE FAITH AND HOLD YER FIRE IF THEY’RE SHOOTIN AT EACH OTHER!!!

sentencing will be on 9-11. isn’t that interesting?

do we get to see lay and skilling in cuffs again? oh, and september 11th is their sentencing.

After reading the comments on here today and seeing the eagerness with which you are all ready to plummet down the slime trail of yellow “journalism” and the tit-for-tat attitude many of you seem to have, I have decided to no longer read this site. I know I’m not very active here, but I thought some of you should know that you’re turning away progressives from your own cause.

lay has to surrender his passport now

Hastert denies that he’s bein investigated. Clusterfuck’s justice dept agrees. “We’re just askin some questions and pokin through his bank records- this is no INVESTIGATION”.
Meanwhile- ABC says “this is our story and we’re stickin to it”.

Funny as hell.

Pacha — you are correct. Nothing will stop this except a taste of their own medicine.

Warning: it will be disgusting, but we must do it.

no home confinement . . .ken lay will get to walk around for awhile. that’s annoying. i want more cuffs.

oh no, mfi!

no home confinement . . .ken lay will get to walk around for awhile. that’s annoying. i want more cuffs & orange outfits.

zennurse 144:

I just heard Mike Allen of Time say on Fox: This is great news for the President. It shows that no matter how close someone gets with those in power, the system works. (slight paraphrase)

So Mike, conversely speaking, does that mean if Lay had been found not guilty it would have been bad for the President?

I’ve got to go back to work now or I’ll hurl into my keyboard.

I can’t get the live feed, tell us what’s happening, please

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness’ sake!

proj @ 173

…tit-for-tat…

I’ll thank you to keep a civil tone, young man!

I’m hopeful just this kind of calling out of shameful writing will serve notice. The ambiguity of intent in the post serves a strategic warning purpose. I’m not going into the window peeking business.

We hit Mike McCurry hard and it damaged him, shamed him. We hit Church Lady Brady hard and he had to walk back the “Abramoff gave to dems and repoublicans” crap.

I’m running that playbook.

Frankly, I think all this huffing and puffing, whether Swiftian or not, is a sign of having fallen into a BIG trap.

And can we spell “FREE PRESS”? Yes, I thought we could. :-) Broder can write any dumb shit he wants. Who cares?

JMO – bad idea.

Absolutely people should be willing and able to get in someone’s face as a direct and public response (e.g. someone on a pundit show should be willing if Broder says something about their marriage to say right then and there: Dave, I’ve got my cell, let’s start calling your wife and friends and see what we can find out about your sex life if you are so obsessed over this; or maybe we can pose as consultants and call the Bush twins gynecologist; or maybe someone needs to follow up on how the Vice President ended up with a Chief of Staff who daydreams about bears having sex with 10 year old girls; or maybe we can get a few journalism profs in to compare the NYT piece on the Clintons with the tabloid piece on the current First Lady’s sex life; or maybe –

just maybe –

we could decide that having the NYT go out and interview 50 anonymous sources about Bill and Hilary’s marriage isn’t the highest and best use of their investigative resources and column inches?

OTOH, if Gonzales and the President are not going to allow them to report on anything bad about the war in Iraq, or any of the Administrations lawbreaking – it probably does leave a lot of spare investigatory resources and column space – so David, will WaPo just keep doing what it has been doing to fill its space? Wait for the Republican National Committee and Karl Rove talking points to be faxed in?

etc.

Or, Hilary could photoshop her and Bill onto this pic:

http://tinyurl.com/jb7tk

and put it on the front of a formal invitation, sent to the Washington corpse and asking them to join her and Bill, and bring their ex and current spouses and SOs, for a Q & A with Dr. Ruth, followed by a Victoria’s Secret and Chippendales show — since there’s nothing important going on that the Administration has given any of them permission to write about (mining deaths, more wiretap programs, veterans information stolen, an energy crisis, wars going badly in two countries, a CIA in chaos, a national debt that has ballooned out of control with a looming spectre of inflation, a trade deficit and foreign policy that have benefitted China far more than America, etc.)

Then she can tack on that Mary Carey will lead some How To seminars after the show, since so many Republicans and Journalists seem unable to grasp the — uh, let’s call it the “mechanics.”

ETC

Lots of ways to handle things and let it be known what tripe it is and how low rent WaPo and NYT have become, without sinking to the point of obsessing over the personal details of the lifes and times of other jerks.

BTW – Guilties coming in on Enron!!!!!! *G*

OT – Russ Feingold live on C-Span 2 speaking truth to power.

Meta said:

Lay still has bank fraud charges before him in another case. More to come.

Kenny Boy was already found guilty by hizzoner on those bank fraud counts. I can’t tell from the media write-up if that was a directed verdict in this trial or a separate bench trial was held.

BC

It’s a day to indulge in schadenfreude, gang.

There is nothing quite like seeing in all caps on CNBC:

BREAKING NEWS
ENRON’S LAY GUILTY
LAY GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS
LAY GUILTY OF BANK FRAUD
LAY GUILTY OF CONSPIRACY
LAY FACES 165 YEARS IN PRISON
SKILLING GUILTY ON 19 COUNTS
SKILLING GUILTY OF CONSPIRACY
SKILLING GUILTY OF SECURITY FRAUD
SKILLING GUILTY OF FALSE STATEMENTS
SKILLING FACES 175 YEARS IN PRISON

As they frog march Skilling away…

Of course, the obligatory “fair and balanced” reporting requires the followup crawl as they show the back of his police escort and a now empty mike…

SKILLING TO APPEAL.

Heh. I can’t wait to see what TDS and Colbert do with this…

Anybody else getting an error message when trying to refresh?

Thought I’d post a comment, as that usually refreshes comments for me.

Questions for the Preznit: Will you pardon Lay? Will you pardon Skilling?

Thought I’d post a comment, as that usually refreshes comments for me.

Thought I’d post a comment, as that usually refreshes comments for me.

I’m all for serving up some gander sauce for the press, but I have a feeling that the dirtiest thing we’ll ever find out about Weisberg is that he once did it on the bedspread.

Think Bush will pardon KENNY BOY on his way out of office?

Of course Kenny Lay will appeal the verdict- and will be free during appeals- how old is Kenny? Old enough to cheat the hangman?

John #181 – Free Press. Exactly.
Our frustration and anger can vent in many ways (and I am finding great humor in the panty-sniffing thread) but we must not lose sight of one of the strongest principles we should hold -
freedom of speech. We cannot take back the 5th Estate by emulating the corporate-owned-crap that is being written right now. The thread about newspapers losing revenue? They are – massively. We need to let all our papers know what we expect from them (and that we will boycott their advertisers until we see fair, unbiased reporting on relevant issues and cc: as many advertisers as you can) if they expect to keep us as paying customers but we should not try to stifle the editorialists.

Well, proj– what do you suggest as a tactic to fight this kind of thing? I’m really curious. Taking the high road has not worked. Collegiality has not worked. Dignified silence has not worked. Proposing that we focus on the real issues of the country has not worked.

I wouldn’t send Broder a bunch of panties– it will be too easy for the press to trivialize and misrepresent the very real outrage that’s behind such a gesture– but I think people here are expressing their frustration at the injustices that the press has perpetrated in their coverage of Democrats since 1992. That’s 14 years’ worth, you know?

John @185

The problem is that this sort of crap crowds out legitimate reporting. As I said before, I’m no fan of Hillary. Report on her endless triangulationon the war, on Presidential nominees, on cultural issues, whatever. All of that is legitmate. Speculation and innuendo about her personal life is not – especially if her competitors and opponents don’t get the same treatment.

While the bandwith of the Internet is apparently infinite, the resources of the nation’s leading papers and networks are not. They have a limited number of staff hours, column inches and news slots to work with. They are wasting them on ruminations about the larger significance of Hillary’s pantsuit, usually with not very flattering outcomes for the object of their speculation.

Like it or not, they set the parameters of the discussion for most people. They frame the story lines and cram all available facts into that mold. We must make them stop. We’ve tried being nice. We’ve tried being stern. We’ve tried being angry. Now let’s try being ruthless.

Angie

Oh yes! we peace loving gaelic gorillas ocassionally need to vent our spleen and that rabid chimp currently occupying the white house committing explicit acts with bananas is a source of much anger to all decent primates. (Besides I had fun doing it)

Teddy,

While a pardon ought to be very tempting to The Decider, it would be foolish of him to do so. This is supposed to be a government of the people, by the people and for the people. Of course, in the BushWorld Thesaurus crony and people are synonyms. The rest of us are serfs, here to serve our lords and masters.

BC

No one is stifling or censoring anyone. We have as much right to criticize what they write as they have to write it.

Anne 187- Russ is never OT!

4 men, 8 women on the jury; well-educated folks, too, based on the interview I just heard on CNBC.

Yeah. That would be my dream-team to hear U.S. v. Cheney when the time comes.

Pach @ # 202

The key is devising a path that is the moral highground at the same time that you ruthlessly redefine and direct the medium to this purpose.

A kind of journalistic judo meets public shaming…

Oh, gee. Sorry about the multiple posts. I tried the first time, it said “error! you already said that!” I hadn’t, but I deleted part of it anyway and tried to repost, but it then said “error! trouble connecting to servers” or some such.

Again, so sorry! Somebody please delete all three of my prior posts above.(when you have time)

Let me just add that I think getting back at these jerks with anonymously sourced gossip is a really bad idea – unless you can prove that they’re telling the truth, you leave yourself open to legal liability (as if I have to remind the legal pros posting here about that.) Hire a licensed investigatior, publish his findings – just the facts, please, no speculation – and let them deal with it.

Pardon for Lay? Well if he’s got dirt on Clusterfuck, and threatens to use it- I could see an “out the door” pardon in two and a half years- but it will be up to Lay to keep this thing under appeal between now and then.

Pach#200 – Yes, we do have the right to criticize the editorialists and we should. I understand and agree with you. I guess I was just trying to take it a step further, in what I hoped was a roots-friendly manner, that might end with a positive result.

Too bad Lay and Skilling can’t be forced to repay all the billions Enron stole from taxpayers. Maybe we can sick Fitz on him to rat out Dick Cheney and the energy group.

For a good read, Scarborough Country is smoked at the white paper blog: http://thewhitepapers.blogspot.com/

Uh, could have done with the waste of space this post was. Could the grownups come home, please?

I see the Lay and Skilling verdicts as an American tragedy. After all, they were just trying to be the most rapacious and crooked robber barons they could be. In the age of Bush, you would think that would be a good thing but nooooo! All they get is criticism, abuse, and now conviction. Life can be so unfair.

Jim at 194.

Then we intimate he’s impotent with a bedspread/tighty whities fetish.

Like Jersey Tomato, I’m all for critical reporting on Senator Clinton. I’d just like it to be on topics of more substance than whether her milkshake still brings Bill to the yard.

ROFLOL Hugh

kitty #210

I agree. The Broder article is bad journalism and should be treated as such. It is legitimate to be angry if unsurprised by it. I do not understand the need for descending to its level. I think this obsession with the Clintons has less to do with 2008 and more to do with a total bankruptcy of ideas, values, and standards by even the most senior members of the media.

Civil suits are certain to follow in the Enron debacle. Lay, Skilling, et al will follow OJ to Florida- if they haven’t already- and bank as much as they can in a homestead with a reverse mortgage.

Sorry, mommybrain, but if they want to 1) run this crap on the front page of the NYT and 2) talk about this at all, trying to make the Clintons some sort of freak couple to make Hillary unelectable, they deserve to be looked at themselves. After all, if they’re not doing anything wrong, what are they afraid of, right? Hat tip, NSA.

BTW, the NY Times “Empire Zone” blog, aka “Salon of Sensitive Salaciousness,” banned me for using the phrase “panty-sniffing” in my comments.

The root of the hypocritical thinking that permeates the right starts in their bedroom antics.

Go for it.

Have been looking for “dirt” on some of the so-called journalists and haven’t found anything yet. What I have found, though, gives me an idea – we could pool together and take out full page ads in the NYT and WaPo – or whatever – with just the lists of the republicans and religious right moral authorities convicted of sex crimes – there are TONS of them – here are just a few on the list:

Republican Commissioner ( of Richland County, Ohio ) David Swartz pleaded guilty to molesting two girls under the age of 11 and was sentenced to 8 years in prison.

Republican anti-abortion activist Howard Scott Heldreth is a convicted child rapist in Florida.

Republican anti-abortion activist Nicholas Morency pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on his computer and offering a bounty to anybody who murders an abortion doctor.

Republican campaign consultant Tom Shortridge was sentenced to three years probation for taking nude photographs of a 15-year old girl.

Republican pastor Mike Hintz, whom George W. Bush commended during the 2004 presidential campaign, surrendered to police after admitting to a sexual affair with a female juvenile.

Republican Judge Ronald C. Kline was placed under house arrest for child molestation and possession of child pornography.

Republican Committee Chairman Jeffrey Patti was arrested for distributing a video clip of a 5-year-old girl being raped.

Republican preacher Stephen White, who demanded a return to traditional values, was sentenced to jail after offering $20 to a 14-year-old boy for permission to perform oral sex on him.

Republican talk show host Jon Matthews pleaded guilty to exposing his genitals to an 11 year old girl.

Republican Party leader Paul Ingram pleaded guilty to six counts of raping his daughters and served 14 years in federal prison.

Republican anti-abortion activist John Allen Burt was found guilty of molesting a 15-year old girl.

http://www.liberalslikechrist……almenu.htm

(scroll down to “The sorry story of GOP corruption,” click on the link and then scroll down toward the bottom of the page) – it’s just shocking how many of them there are!

Proj and John,

No one is proposing that the leftblogosphere initiate any swiftboating or panty sniffing or other sliming.

Only that every time the Rvoians start down that road we smack ‘em, hard enough to get their attention. Maybe hard enough to make the whole think not cost effective.

So they will stop. This about behavior modification. We are trying to stop the sliming by letting them have a taste oftheir own medicine. Other less unpleasant methods have been tried and have failed.

We are trying to deslime the public discourse.

I would hate to think that you would leave a site where you have found rational discourse day in and day out, over one post you disagree with.

Hmph. A perfectly good scurrilous gossip thread ruined by trolls who want to talk about “serious issues”.

Jersy Tomato at 206,
I don’t want to see unsourced gossip reprinted. I suggested googling to find stories that were already published by the dead tree media and gather them together to do a Christy still analitical piece.

So, for example, Powerful Senator X had a series of stories back in the 80’s about his drinking and absenteeism from Congress (missed votes and all), and another series of stories about cheeting on his wife in hte 90’s, and a more recent series of stories about an staff memeber with a nice legs but a thin resume getting lot’s of promotions and taking lots of junkets with the Senator.

Each little flurry flurry of stories may have caused a little problem at the time, but put them all together and give them some context and you have a nice big story that shows apattern of behavior and reveals the true stripes of the individual.

All “sourced” by the dead tree media. All worked off previous reporting and maybe a few documents from a FIOA request or two.

All legal and whatever defamation the is (if any) happened at the time of he original article.

Two wrongs don’t make a right and I would never advacate that we do something like that.

However, i think there is enough material out there in th epublic record htat we could accomplish our “Chicago way” smack back just by shining our thousand little spotlights on already existing reportage.

Watertiger at 216:

Interesting, so they’re willing to sniff, just not to pillow talk about it.

Everhopeful at 218:

I like that idea. Wonder how much we’d need to raise.

now see here, Pachutec,

you have insulted panty sniffers everywhere by comparing them to David Broder and the other ‘pundits.’

some of the finest folks around are panty sniffers, who would never contemplate the sort of tasteless (no pun intended) invasions of privacy at foot here (again, no pun…)

not that i’m one myself, but some of my best friends are…

Saw McCain on the “news” this morning, we should be bashing him for what he does in politics as he attempts to step up to the Prez on Bush’s now tiny base.

He hopes to bootstrap them on to get a few primary wins…and then just take the rest as he “becomes” more moderate.

To those advocating moderation: how many more times do you want Democratic candidates to put their political fates into the hands of a group of people who have no intention of being fair to them? How many more of them must politely, decorously, lose their bids for office, consoling themselves with the thought that at least they didn’t sink to the levels of their Republican opponents and their enablers in the press? How much more time do you want to spend on the sidelines? Big time politics is a rigged, dirty game. How often will Broder go on TV and talk about Hillary’s marriage rather than her positions, about Gore’s wardrobe rather than his environmental proposals, etc., before you say “enough” and do something about it. If you have other suggestions, please let us know what they are. I’m not advocating lying about these fools – I’m advocating wider dissemination of the truth about them. If they want to be players, well, let them hate the game.

everhopeful @10:23 – We must listen very carefully when they start talking about morality. Their tendency toward projection outs their own prurient interests. Think about Bush and his Manimal hybrids… Wonder how the sheep on his ranch feel about him?

Looseheadprop at 221:

I’m with ya, brother (sister?). See my suggestion at 110 about developing new, legitimate information on these fools. Forewarning for the offenders, followed by retribution for recidivists. Just the facts, blasted across blogosphere. I am dead serious. I worked in media for 16 years and know some of these people personally. The thing they are most concerned with is their image. Ding one of them and the rest will fall in line. I don’t say they have to write/report nothing but good things about Democrats, but they do have to be fair to them and let them be judged by their message, not by the media’s version of reality.

I’m with John Emerson @ 218.

To get serious for a moment I think Pach’s purpose in this posting was very serious. This gang of thugs suffer from all sorts of weaknesses and one of them is overweaning pride – arrogance. They think they’re entitled to respect and cowering defernce just because they’re who they are.

Screw that respect is earned and so is ridicule and contumely. Ridicule them and you hit them hard in a vulnerable spot they’re very likely to react stupidly and without thinking and make themselves even more vulnerable.

What we’re doing here is just giving karma a little push in the right direction.

I think that the target should be “indiscriminate panty sniffers”- those who would sniff any old panties- not just- for example- the panties of supermodels.

Unfortunately, it’s just not true that people aren’t interested in the sex lives of celebrities. Check out the honest-to-God tabloids as well as the DC panty-sniffers.

It’s almost everybody’s favorite topic.

Therefore, the only available weapon is the one Atrios deployed this morning. The editor of the NY Times is at least as powerful as the Sen. from New York. Get into his intimate life and that of his professional peers, and you’ll see the topic fade from the front page.

If that doesn’t work, left-wing tabloids are the only answer. Let’s take the whole damn country into the gutter for good.

There is relief and convenience on the horizon for panty sniffers- the home fragrance industry is coming out soon with “thong song”- a new line of fragrances created in the scent of your favorite celebrity.

Ali McGraw is a favorite among mature purchasers. Hillary is- surprisingly- a marketing bust (no pun intended)

Arrested development. They have never grown beyond the horrible age of junior high boys.

I’m surprised that no one has mentioned Richard Cohen’s indiscretions with Peter Jennings’ former wife.

it was suggested by mommybrain that civilians, i.e. broder’s wife [oops, progressive goddess] should be given a fire-fight free zone to hang out in.

mommybrain says: David Broder is a friend of mine and you are totally on the wrong track with him. I doubt you’ll find any dirt on him. He’s been married to a progressive goddess for more years than you’ve been alive.

i was reminded of the sopranos episode in which carm is referred to another therapist by melfi. here’s the gist [from the hbo episode #33 round-up]:

she refers Carmela to a colleague, Dr. Sig Krakower. Carmela sees Dr. Krakower, expecting him to advise her on how to cope with Tony. But Krakower’s advice regarding Tony is as unexpected as it is blunt: leave him. “You’ll never be able to feel good about yourself,” Krakower tells her, “never be able to quell the feelings of guilt and shame….as you’re his accomplice.” While Carmela sits in stunned silence, Krakower adds for good measure, “One thing you can never say …that you haven’t been told.”

now i can hear you think: broder’s no anthony soprano. i’m thinking here’s the real dirt: his moral responsibility to cover this amoral administration makes him accountable for allowing them cover for their crimes against humanity, and that he is an accomplice too. she raised four sons on his paycheck for god’s sake. other women’s children are dying because of the crimes and incompetance of the jokers [not ha-ha] at the top.

and mommybrain, i’m 60 years old, so your debate skills and logic need to be tighter if you choose to counter my argument.

here’s the poop&scooper where i learned they had 4 kids: David Broder

The funniest part of this media blitz of the Clinton’s personal life is that it’s not juicy, scintillating, or even remotely interesting. It’s just plain BORING. Desperation days.

Rather than responding in kind, wouldn’t a typically “roots” response be to send them a wad of panties perhaps with a nice card suggesting that next time they get it out of their system before clicking submit?

Not impressed with this post at all. Seething hatred, going after their sex lives, why it almost sounds… REPUBLICAN. Because David Broder said Hillary looked striking in her yellow pant-suit?? Irresponsible, loose-cannon character attacks are not what this progressive stands for AT ALL – I come here because there is usually good analysis on Plame etc. – but I’ve been put off by some of the vitriol before. Honestly, I feel like I need a shower after reading this post.
I think somebody needs a long walk, and then needs to think about and strategize as to how to promote the positive – y’know, the progressive – instead of becoming everything you fought over the last ten years.

Bloomers or a thong?

I like the idea of putting up some ads and targeting a journalist or two with a legal investigator.

But I have a real fondness for the send panties idea. And not just any old panties. Those humongous old-lady cotton tent panties. And buy/send enough that it generates a buzz in the fashion industry so strong that the whores are shitting themselves on knowing what’s happening to those panties…but getting marching orders from their pimp’s call to promote the grandma panties as this year’s black.

They deserve the tent panties. Because they’re acting just like, as Digby put it, shrivelled old crones who wear them.

I will never cast a vote for H. Clinton, even if she gains the democratic nomination. I have my good reasons.

But there were 3 reasons I came to admire her during her husband’s presidency. First was the bad mouthing both she and Tipper Gore received prior to the election in ‘92. I had studiously avoided learning anything about either one of them, up to the point I caught the two together during a network interview. What I saw and heard were two intelligent, accomplished and sophisticated women, confident and charming under the godawful scrutiny candidates families are forced to endure. I immediately understood the criticisms of her and T. Gore had been leveled by stupid, vicious people, most of whom doubtless felt threatened by strong women. Still feel the same way, too.

My admiration grew as she took the point, and fought the good fight for universal health care. The fact she got beat was a damn shame, but she gave it her best shot.

Finally, the poise and innate dignity with which she carried herself during the Lewinskey affair and subsequent impeachment shamed her political enemies. Or would have, had they possessed any pride.

And now- ONCE AGAIN UNDER THE STEWARDSHIP OF THE SCUMSUCKING SULZBERGER- it begins anew. The NY Times has chosen to debase itself with this puerile garbage, and bums like “The Dean” have tittered and made their choice to pile on.

Obviously, H. Clinton is a tough customer. But no one should be forced to endure this pointless, endless gossip mongering. Leastwise, not at the hands of a profession who claims the high ground and the exalted title of the 4th estate. As stated above, if I thought they had the pride, I’d think they should be ashamed of themselves.

The press secretary announces those decisions, and you people of the press type those decisions down. Make, announce, type. Put them through a spell check and go home. Get to know your family again. Make love to your wife. Write that novel you got kicking around in your head. You know, the one about the intrepid Washington reporter with the courage to stand up to the administration. You know — fiction.”

These points are worth taking another look at:

As the country’s “best” (and often disregarded because republicans have managed to bastardize it) newspaper focuses the top of its front page on the health of the Clinton’s marriage, given that it is at least as equally important, if not more so, than, say, the:

Health of the United States Constitution:

To wit:

To recap, the President stated that we are doing something within the constitution, on a limited basis, with constant review, when in fact there is no way to know what that basis and review are, no substantial record for there to be an adequate review, which render the actions potentially outside of the limits of the Constitution. On top of that, the program was clandestinely authorized by a broad based program with potential application to every American, in direct contravention of existing law that specifically prohibited the actions in question — and thereby flagrantly violates the separation of powers clauses of the Constitution, as well as the President’s duty under Article II, to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed.” (The same article II that has the trick “Commander in Chief” clause that under the administration’s argument magically causes the separation of powers clauses to no longer apply during war time.)

Or, say, free and open democracy itself:

To wit:

It really is hard to imagine any measures which pose a greater and more direct danger to our freedoms than the issuance of threats like this by the administration against the press. If the President has the power to keep secret any information he wants simply by classifying it — including information regarding illegal or otherwise improper actions he has taken — then the President, by definition, has complete control over the flow of information which Americans receive about their Government

Yet relative to the top of page one barrage on the Clinton’s marriage, how has the media focused on such obscure issues as “[little] poses a greater and more direct danger to our freedoms than the issuance of threats like this by the administration against the press? Wonderfully:

To http://www.pressthenews.com/mt…..1;>wit:

On NBC’s Meet The Press, for example, former Clinton White House Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers, Washington Post columnist David Broder, former Newt Gingrich Press Secretary Tony Blankely, and L.A. Times columnist Ron Brownstein, discussed the issue for over five minutes.

Granted, there are several sub issues involved, but Russert brought up the fact that Bill Bennett said those reporters ought to be jailed, and Brownstein stated that Bennett called the reporters actions traitorous. Yet not once was it pointed out that the NSA wiretap program violated federal law. Not once was it pointed out — unless the Commander in Chief clause is bizarrely interpreted to mean that during any war time, the separation of powers clause is magically suspended — that the program probably violated the Constitution — flagrantly. Not once was it pointed out that the program itself granted the executive branch an unchecked power, with, additionally, no review program but by the very branch administering the power. Not once was it pointed out that all of this was done secretly, with no way for the American people to know about it. And not once was it pointed out that but for the leak to press, America would not know about it’s government’s potentially (and in this case flagrantly) unconstitutional actions.

As for that NY Times Clinton report itself? As noted, it’s a “liberal” newspaper, and, as the Nation’s other leading newspaper tells us, all liberals want to do is “turn the democratic party solidly against the war on terror.”

I haven’t read all of the comments so I am not sure if this has been brought up yet. It seems that George Bush’s bisexual nature has been coming to the forefront in the last week or so. Perhaps the Clinton
article was a smokescreen. I think it is Georgie Boy’s
marriage that should be examed here. Born again in the name of Gannon.

davidbroder@washpost.com

Give him a piece of your mind.

Skippy –

Go back to your lovely right-wing blogs — I suspect their “intelligence” will be more to your liking.

Since you don’t seem to understand, I will tell you 2 things:

1. EVERY post cannot be 100% serious. Some are actually funny, WHILE being serious.

2. This topic IS actually serious. And the MSM is trying to make a huge deal out of the Clintons’ marriage, in hopes of throwing the 2008 election. Is there much more SERIOUS than that?

If you don’t see the future in allowing this shit to stand, then you are way too stupid to be at a progressive blog.

And another thing, Skippy — the color of the pantsuit is all you got out of Broder’s screed? Or is that as far as you COULD read? And I have no doubt you had to go take a shower — and it isn’t because you were mad at the story.

Don’t you people get it?

What consenting adults do in their bedrooms is open to public inspection, consideration, and debate. (If they’re Democrats, at least.)

What Republican Senators say about AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION must take place in privacy away from the prying eyes of American citizens.

(AKA, Senator Russ Feingold’s having to walk out when Arlen Specter ordered moving a hearing on a CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT — some anti-gay marriage nonsense — away into private hearing chambers.)

*Lemon-yellow* pantsuit, heh?It s a good thing it wasnt the *peach* pink pantsuit or OReilly would have been salivating to get her into his *No Spin Zone.* He confesses to dreaming about it in one of his opus terriblus. I think I hate Hilary stalkers more than I hate Hilarys dishonest letter to the CT dems.

They want to hang out outside the window wearing the trenchcoat-then fuck’em, they deserve to have their dirty panties on display!

Upon final review of this thread I can only conclude that there are a lot of panties in knots.

In principal, a great discussion about the limits of tactical responses.

Strategically, too much time dedicated to the defense of Clinton.

~

Whoops. That’s principle .
Stoopid grammar check.
~

Here’s a little piece that captures the flavor of the Broder moment. I’ve immodestly included a taster and link to the rest. PS. You won’t want to miss FrancisHolland’s frenzied response.

Whip it Out (a private brief on Bill and Hillary) Hotlist
by kidneystones [Subscribe] [Edit Diary]
Thu May 25, 2006 at 06:04:00 PM PDT

Was it Balzac who wrote, “the vices of youth return in old age with renewed vigor”? Maybe Flaubert. Anyway, I think its long past time politicians provide journalists with photos of their private parts. Folks want to know (some folks, anyway) exactly what makes Bill Clinton’s penis so very, very special. And that question can’t really be answered without providing folks an image.

The good news is that technology now allows us to move far beyond two dimensions as demand for a more up-close experience swells.

Warning: explicit language below.

* kidneystones’s diary :: ::
*

Hallelujah! We can actually recreate Clintonis erectus; so media types can each have their very own replicas to gaze upon, admire, debate with, stick pins in, and (dare we say) fondle to their fast-beating heart’s content. The list of those in possession of these precious artifacts might surprise folks. But this of course is only the beginning.

Consider a museum no longer crowded with busts of fusty old dead folks sternly staring off into the distance or smiling benignly up towards heaven. These could be replaced with rampant rigid organs preserved in transparent plastic and vaginas suspended from the ceiling. Anyone who’s visited museums in the last twenty years, however, knows that these static displays pale before more engaging experiences in more modern settings…

It gets much worse. Looking for skidmarks? Click the link up top.