Putting aside whether Obama should or should not go "all in" on the FISA thing, I do want to take a second to defend MoveOn. Your diary is just way too dismissive of them. Sure there have been some controversies and at times they've seemed politically tone deaf (I actually agreed with the Betrayus ad, just to be up front about it-though I realize it went over like a lead balloon). But in general, MoveOn is out there fighting the good fight as best they can. They and all their members are on the right side of this and like a lot of organizations and different people, they are asking Obama to take a firm stand. He doesn't have to listen to them, of course.

Posted at June 24, 2008 9:09 AM in response to MoveOn Pressing Obama To Filibuster

Dowd is little more than a gossip columnist (and a bad one at that since she seems to always be behind the times in her gratuitous blathering). How she ever got her job I'll never know.

Posted at June 23, 2008 10:21 AM in response to Times Public Editor Hammers Maureen Dowd's Coverage Of Hillary

Er, that's for SFC, not hyperrevue.

Posted at June 23, 2008 10:13 AM in response to Election Central Morning Roundup

I honestly don't know why people even bothering responding to you. You've become more tiresome and more predictable even than fogu2 or dijamo (sp?). And that includes myself. I wish there was an "Ignore" feature.

Posted at June 23, 2008 10:12 AM in response to Election Central Morning Roundup

Yep, count me as another liberal/progressive that doesn't like this at all. I don't really see the downside to abstaining from the race. Is this guy one of the ones that would not endorse Obama?

Assuming he's reelected, this is exactly the kind of Democrat that is going to make life hard(er) for an Obama administrattion. I don't get it.

Between this and the FISA deal, I'm not as happy as I have been for a few weeks now. But oh well. You can't have everything I guess.

Posted at June 19, 2008 12:39 PM in response to Obama Cuts Ad For Conservative Pro-War House Dem

I can't see this having much traction for several reasons. One is that campaign finance is such a complicated matter, with 527s, PACs, blah blah blah. I don't even understand it all and I follow politics closely. Secondly, I know it says on the IRS forms that if you want some money to go to campaigns it won't increase/decrease the taxes you owe, but to most people, hearing that the money is coming from the government means that it's coming from their taxes. So I would imagine there are a lot of people that think it's better for politicians to use their own money and not waste tax money on political ads. Lastly, who cares where the money comes from? We all know we're going to be inundated with ads from here to November. How those dumb ads are paid for won't matter to most people as they flick the channel or scrape together another $20 for 4 gallons of gas.

Posted at June 19, 2008 9:34 AM in response to Obama Opting Out Of Public Finance

"When Rudy ran for president it took the press corps many months to realize that Rudy has absolutely no authority to speak on this topic."

I'd argue they never did actually realize it. There's certainly no defining moment I can think of where the MSM turned on Giuliani with regard to his posturing.

Posted at June 18, 2008 10:25 AM in response to Rudy Emerges As McCain's Front Man On Terror, Bashes Obama As "Defensive"

I was wondering about Samantha Power as well, though I have nothing against the people he has chosen so far. I have a lot of respect for some of these people, particularly Albright. I always thought she was great. Having picked these people and thrown them out there for the pundits and such to ooo and aaaawww over, now he should feel free to add a few less retro names as well. :)

Posted at June 18, 2008 10:21 AM in response to Obama Camp Announces Foreign Policy Advisory Team

I think it will be close, as in Webb vs. Allen close, but, yeah, I think it'll go blue this year. I'm hoping that NC is right there with it, though I give NC a lower, but not insignificant, chance of going blue as well. :)

Posted at June 16, 2008 6:34 PM in response to Poll: Obama Just Edging McCain In Virginia

This snark is made of awesome. :)

Posted at June 16, 2008 4:53 PM in response to McCain Camp Cribs Recipe For Cindy -- Again!