Posted on 08/09/2006 6:47:54 AM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest
by Mark Finkelstein
August 9, 2006 - 09:39
Q. How can you tell when the MSM's liberal slip is showing?
A. When a host argues from the left with his own non-partisan expert!
That's just what happened on this morning's Early Show. Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report was brought on to analyze yesterday's CT senate primary results. Cook presents itself as non-partisan, and certainly no one can accuse Walter of being a closet conservative. As per her bio, "prior to joining The Cook Political Report, she served as Political Director of the Women's Campaign Fund and worked for Congresswoman Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky (D-PA-13)."
From the get-go, host Harry Smith tried to depict Lamont's victory as having far-ranging anti-war implications: "The blogosphere was on fire. Does this send a message to Democrats to say, if you want our support, you better get out there and be against the war and against the president?"
Walter wasn't buying: "Remember, Connecticut is something of a unique state. Remember, this is one of the most blue states -- one of the bluest states in the country. Very strong in their feelings against the war. Very anti-Bush state. So this is sort of a place where if there's any anger, it's going to be in a place like this."
That's when Smith argued the point: "By and large, it's kind of a moderate state in many, many ways. A lot of Republican congressional seats there. Is this -- is there a wind? Is in a shift? Is there something that can be gleaned out of this?"
Hey Harry: next time, why bother to invite the expert? Just give us your own 'non-partisan' opinion!
Early Show/NewsBusters Smith-the-political-expert ping to Today show list.
I think the Dem'crats have just stepped on a land mine, and heard the "CRICK!" as the trigger set....
At the very best, they lose one leg to stand on.
Credibility.
The dems have got themselves a problem, and no amount of misrepresenting by the media is going to fix it.
Harry Smith is still alive?
Can't believe this thread has been up for a good 10 minutes and no one has said "The only wind is the one coming from Harry Smith's . . . " ;-)
A mighty wind is blowin',
It's blowin' 'cross the sea,
It's blowin' peace and freedom and
It's blowin' you and me.
This was the NYTimes/WashPost spin, so I expect the elites to use the 'moderate' voter line for the time being.
Yep. Old Joe is going to be the Bouncing Betty of this election.
don't know about seeing the wind but you can definitely smell it when the Col Sheehan, CO of the cut and run division, stinky brigade, appears.
The only wind noted:
Harry Smith's brain fart.
Charlie Cook. the supposed objective politcal election pundit, after blabbing about a Democrat romp this November, sees the handwriting on the wall, and sends Amy out so that he does not look like the buffoon that he is. You wanted something to ignite the Conservative base. You got it last night with Lamont's win, McKinney's loss and the conservative sweep of yesterday's primaries.
Close? Lamont took 7 of the 8 counties in CT.
When Charlemagne had finished building his Empire in 799, the Pope crowned him at a coronation ceremony proclaiming him the New Roman Emperor. This seemingly innocous act led to a fight that would last for centuries: who was the real king maker the Church or the State?
Tonight as I write this a similar coronation is going on in Ct. The sitting three term incumbent Joe Lieberman has been defeated by a political unknown Ned Lamont. (This is unusual because Joe is only the fourth Senator to lose a primary since 1980.)
Lamont is defined politically almost solely by his opposition to the war in Iraq. But the interesting part is the people who back him. Dubbed the "Netroots" it's an interesting patchwork of far left wing blog sites like DailyKos and MoveOn.Org. These people sent all kinds of money to Lamont who is a millionaire turning what is traditionally viewed as a local battle into a full scale national war.
Although they have found a narrow victory (Lamont catching 144,005 to Lieberman's 134,026, with 98 percent of precincts reporting) these people will be hailing a "major truimph".
This is going to leave moderate Democrats in pickle because the fringe's message isn't going to resonate with most people, and having most of the votes is what they need to win. If the attempt to appeal to the moderate base, they're going to lose the fringe and there aren't enough moderate Democrats to win anything either. Unfortunately, the fringe knows this and like the Pope's of old will excommunicate Democrat that refuses to tow their views.
Thus while anti war activists celebrate their victory, the real disaster and fight for the Democratic soul is looming ahead.
And notice the copyright of that cartoon. Way back in 2004. They just never learn.
2004??? Two whole years ago??
To me that ancient caption means a cartoonist employed by the rightwing Republican controlled media is living in idyllic nostalgia urging a repeat of past mistakes, just like the Republican Party of olden days and the Bush administration of today.
Percentage separating Lamont from Lieberman?
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