Hillary Reaching DINO Status

It's still early -- April for crying out loud -- but Hillary is already displaying her DINO (Democrat In Name Only) credentials. I suspected this when my Hannity- and Falafel-Bill loving cousin indicated that he could support EITHER Clinton or McCain for president.

Troubling, But Certainly Not Surprising

In the article "Behind TV Analysts, Pentagon’s Hidden Hand in tomorrow's New York Times, we learn the not-so-surprising manipulation by the administration of the military talking heads as a "rapid reaction force" to counter critical news coverage that shed an unfavorable light on the War in Iraq.

Though many analysts are paid network consultants, making $500 to $1,000 per appearance, in Pentagon meetings they sometimes spoke as if they were operating behind enemy lines, interviews and transcripts show. Some offered the Pentagon tips on how to outmaneuver the networks, or as one analyst put it to Donald H. Rumsfeld, then the defense secretary, “the Chris Matthewses and the Wolf Blitzers of the world.” Some warned of planned stories or sent the Pentagon copies of their correspondence with network news executives. Many — although certainly not all — faithfully echoed talking points intended to counter critics

Paraphrasing Al Gore, I have to download my outrage to external hard drive to make room for more outrage.

Update: PBS has produced a report on the story, and had in fact invited the other broadcast and cable news outlets to weight in. Their response: crickets.

Greenhills Dems Convene Again: April 17th

Just a reminder that we are supposed to get back together again Thursday, April 17th, at 7pm. Hope you all can make it! We need to get energized for the fall elections. I'm out of town on business, so both of my readers should try to make it up to the Greenhills Community Building Library in my place.

File Under Schadenfreude

Feeling down, so I blog.

Saw this today and had that, as yet undefined (at least in the English language) sense of feigned disappointment, or as Wikipedia defines it, "pleasure from misfortune":

Alberto R. Gonzales, like many others recently unemployed, has discovered how difficult it can be to find a new job. Mr. Gonzales, the former attorney general, who was forced to resign last year, has been unable to interest law firms in adding his name to their roster, Washington lawyers and his associates said in recent interviews.

Surprised his former boss' reference doesn't seem to carry much weight, I guess.

Jeebus H.!

On "Press the Meat," Carville and Shrum! You've got to be kidding me!?

Balance?

Guests this week on Stephanophalagus:

George Will - Conservative, with flavors of "Neo-" thrown in for good measure
Donna Brazile - Centrist Democrat and Clinton Supporter
Mark Halperin - Right Wing Hack Neoconservative
Torie Clarke - Former DOD Spokesperson under Rumsfeld and NeoCon

Keep on looking...