"You know, liberalism is a greater threat to freedom, democracy and human rights than these detainees. Maybe we should consider a swap," – Amy Proctor.
Moore Award Nominee
"Perhaps we need to start asking ourselves not only why so many conservative Republicans are perverts and hypocrites, but why they are so drawn to politics as a profession? I had always thought that a good number of the pedophiles who joined the priesthood did because they knew it was safe. Who would ever suspect the moralistic and sexually conservative church? Is it possible that perverts and hypocrites are joining Republican politics for the same reason?" – Digby, via Alterx.
Is this the 2007 Moore Award winner? Don’t Forget To Vote Here!
The Romney Speech
Dan Bartlett On Hugh Hewitt
An enlightening little apercu about the Bush White House’s interest in talking to certain bloggers. Bartlett doesn’t put great store in worrying about any particular journalist, but there are exceptions:
Q: Yeah, or what if Hugh Hewitt called?
Bartlett: That’s when you start going, “Hmm . . .” Because they do reach people who are influential.
Q: Well, they reach the president’s base.
Bartlett: That’s what I mean by influential. I mean, talk about a direct IV into the vein of your support. It’s a very efficient way to communicate. They regurgitate exactly and put up on their blogs what you said to them. It is something that we’ve cultivated and have really tried to put quite a bit of focus on.
Meet the regurgitation chorus. So much more reliable than the MSM.
Face Of The Day
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) dons a red scarf against the falling snow during the annual lighting of the U.S. Captiol Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the Capitol December 5, 2007 in Washington, DC. This year’s tree, a 55-foot balsam fir from Vermont’s Green Mountain National Forest, is decorated with strands of energy-efficient LED (Light Emitting Diodes) lights as part of the Captiol’s commitment to save energy. By Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.
The Mormons: We’re Politically Neutral
A restatement of a long-standing policy.
Vent Of The Day
A blogger cri de coeur responding to the online exposure of Jenifer Love Hewitt’s cellulite:
Like you, Jennifer, I speak up now not for myself, but for all the bloggers out there who may be struggling with their body images (and if you’ve spent any time on the internet, you know that’s most of ‘em). I speak up now to add my voice to those decrying the pernicious manner in which blogger’s bodies are relentlessly scrutinized, every perceived “flaw” in our soft, doughy forms dissected and analyzed — and heaven forbid if our less-than-perfect blogger bodies fail to meet the rigid standards society seeks to impose on us! Finally, I speak up now to call out publicly those supposed internet wits and wags who would seek to attack us bloggers in the most base and disrespectful manner — in particular one commenter going by the name of skippingjay352, who had the temerity to call my black bikini bottoms in the above photos “whale canvas” and “jumbo butt floss” and “supersized stink string.” Well, Mr. Skippingjay352, you can have back your shame and your unrealistic body images; the Kamper doesn’t need them anymore.
Jennifer and I are moving on.
The photos I could have done without.
Why He’s Winning
The new Obama ad in Iowa. He’s pulling even with Clinton in South Carolina. The reason? African-Americans are switching – perhaps because they sense that he is indeed electable:
Obama’s showing has improved significantly among black voters. He now attracts 51% of the African-American vote in South Carolina while Clinton picks up just 27%. A month ago, the candidates were even in this important constituency (Obama 46%, Clinton 45%). There is virtually no movement among white voters in the state–Clinton now earns 43% of the white vote, Edwards 22%, and Obama 17%.
Huckabee Exposed
All the attention is understandably focused on Romney’s speech right now, but this Huckabee answer to a student question at Falwell’s Liberty University seems to me to be just as big a deal. He said that his rise in the polls is a function of people’s prayer and divine intervention, and compared his recent success with the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Check it out.
Self-Parody Watch
This burst of Hewittism made my morning:
Mitt Romney’s "Faith in America" speech was simply magnificent, and anyone who denies it is not to be trusted as an analyst. On every level it was a masterpiece. The staging and Romney’s delivery, the eclipse of all other candidates it caused, the domination of the news cycle just prior to the start of absentee voting in New Hampshire on Monday – for all these reasons and more it will be long discussed as a masterpiece of political maneuver.
