Media Criticism

Not Just Bush

It seems to me that the other loser in this amnesty fiasco is the MSM, which has been fawning over and worshiping the “bi-partisan” “grand bargainers” that were trying to slip this stinker through with no hearings, review or debate. It was alternate media that led the charge against it, and the victory was much greater than they could have hoped. But I think that the two politicians hurt most by it are McCain and Lindsey Graham. The former can stick a fork in his presidential campaign. The latter may still face a strong primary challenge, and I wouldn’t bet that he’ll win it. As one of his constituents said, they expect him to negotiate with the Democrats and Ted Kennedy, but not to become one.

Note, my comment is independent of my views on immigration. This is a case where I objected much more to process than (necessarily) product. Of course, it’s hard to object to a product when you don’t even have time to read it, debate it, or think about it.

[Update]

I agree with Captain Ed:

The immigration bill is dead, yet again, after the Senate rejected cloture by fourteen votes. In the end, the compromise could not even gain a majority in support of what conceptually may have been a passable compromise, but in reality was a poorly constructed, poorly processed mass of contradictions and gaps. Many of us who may have supported a comprehensive approach to immigration found ourselves amazed and repulsed by both the product and the process of this attempt to solve the immigration problem.

Read the rest.

[Evening Update]

Bill Quick has put up a triumphalist post. He may be right, but he may also be premature. Don’t be cocky. And as is pointed out in comments, the left has been very strong in the blogosphere as well, if not stronger. The difference in this case was that is was a weak-tea compromise, that would appeal to no one except “moderates” who had no idea what was going on.

[Evening Update]

Kate O’Beirne describes how far out on a limb the president was with his own party:

The lopsided vote against the Senate bill by House Republicans (114? to 23) overstated House GOP support. According to a leadership aide, “The President actually had half that number (12?!) in favor of his bill.” And, the president’s team wound up with only 12 Republican senators. Ouch.

Ouch, indeed.

But the clueless persist in believing that George Bush is a conservative. And a Republican.

Political Commentary

The “Leaders” Of Our Great Nation

You know, speaking of unjustified self esteem and overpraised Senators, like royalty, I suspect that members of “the world’s greatest deliberative body” (OK, I’ll wait a few minutes for you to stop laughing)…often cocoon themselves with such simpering sycophants as staff that they have no concept of how idiotic they can come off when performing unscripted. George Voinovich being a case in point. When a dim bulb like Sean Hannity can make you sound like a fool, you’re a blithering idiot.

Well, at least he didn’t cry, as he did during the Bolton nomination.

That creatures like this get elected to such high positions is a shameful commentary on the state of the nation’s electorate.

[Update a few minutes later]

Speaking of overpraised Senators, Jonah Goldberg makes a good point about fluffy, meaningless political rhetoric (in this case, from the Great White Whale of Massachusetts):

Sen Kennedy just shouted that the choice before the Senate on the immigration bill is between “voting for our hopes, or voting for our fears!”

I don’t quite understand why voting your fear is obviously wrong or why voting for your hopes is necessarily right. Fear is often quite reasonable. I have a reasonable fear of alligators. Hopes, meanwhile, are often irrational and goofy. I hope eating lots of cashews will give me laser-vision and super-strength.

Yes, phrases that seem to sound good in an impassioned speech often break down under even a trivial analysis. My pet peeve on this score is Kennedy’s “not because they are easy, but because they are hard…” in explaining why go to the moon. I’ve discussed this in the past.

[Update a couple minutes later]

By the way, just in case no one noticed, for the clueless, I’ve been bashing Republicans today. Not that that’s in any way unusual for me, but some myopic people seem to only notice it when I go after Democrats.

Political Commentary

The “Leaders” Of Our Great Nation

You know, speaking of unjustified self esteem and overpraised Senators, like royalty, I suspect that members of “the world’s greatest deliberative body” (OK, I’ll wait a few minutes for you to stop laughing)…often cocoon themselves with such simpering sycophants as staff that they have no concept of how idiotic they can come off when performing unscripted. George Voinovich being a case in point. When a dim bulb like Sean Hannity can make you sound like a fool, you’re a blithering idiot.

Well, at least he didn’t cry, as he did during the Bolton nomination.

That creatures like this get elected to such high positions is a shameful commentary on the state of the nation’s electorate.

[Update a few minutes later]

Speaking of overpraised Senators, Jonah Goldberg makes a good point about fluffy, meaningless political rhetoric (in this case, from the Great White Whale of Massachusetts):

Sen Kennedy just shouted that the choice before the Senate on the immigration bill is between “voting for our hopes, or voting for our fears!”

I don’t quite understand why voting your fear is obviously wrong or why voting for your hopes is necessarily right. Fear is often quite reasonable. I have a reasonable fear of alligators. Hopes, meanwhile, are often irrational and goofy. I hope eating lots of cashews will give me laser-vision and super-strength.

Yes, phrases that seem to sound good in an impassioned speech often break down under even a trivial analysis. My pet peeve on this score is Kennedy’s “not because they are easy, but because they are hard…” in explaining why go to the moon. I’ve discussed this in the past.

[Update a couple minutes later]

By the way, just in case no one noticed, for the clueless, I’ve been bashing Republicans today. Not that that’s in any way unusual for me, but some myopic people seem to only notice it when I go after Democrats.

Biting Commentary about Infinity…and Beyond!