Cheney Indicted

For abuse of prisoners. And some don’t believe God exists.

As I (and others) pointed out, Sullivan’s excitement was stunningly misplaced. The prosecutor who brought this turkey is a lunatic, and the case is going nowhere.

Sullivan, mortified, pulled the trick performed by little kids all over the world, after they yell: “Hey, Mom! Watch this!” . . . and then fall right on their ass.

They bluster through it. They stand up, put on a serious face, and say: “I meant to do that.”

When a kid does it, it’s cute. When Andrew Sullivan does it, it’s just pathetic.

Sullivan tried to shrug off his embarrassing comments as a joke, in a post titled Patterico and Code:

It seems that the right-wing blogger [that's me! -- P] was immune to the irony in my post about Cheney that noted he was indicted for “abuse of prisoners.”

Oh, it was ironic. I see.

It was that trademark deadpan wit!

Patterico describes this obviously wry remark thus: “Anderson Sullivan”; “shrieking, hysterical”; “wets his pants”. Drudge had the same headline, without the deadpan commentary. Was he shrieking and hysterical?

No, because Drudge didn’t include the stupid line about how there really is a God, and you did, Sullivan.

Let’s closely examine the concept that Sullivan didn’t get fooled by the news that Cheney had been indicted. Yes: let us carefully consider that possibility — and then laugh heartily and discount it entirely. Because if Sullivan didn’t get taken in by this stupid story, it would be the first stupid story in history that didn’t take him in.

Let’s review, shall we?

This is the hysterical blogger who was taken in by the idiot Kos rumor that Trig Palin was the offspring of Sarah Palin’s daughter. Even the morons at Kos were so embarrassed that they deleted the post. Not Sullivan. He still wants the medical records!

This is the moron who, when there was a bogus rumor that Sarah Palin had been involved in an affair with Todd Palin’s former business partner, immediately wrote two breathless posts about it, including one that said, and I quote:

Todd Palin’s former business partner files an emergency motion to have his divorce papers sealed. Oh God.

“Oh God.”

Note the studied irony and the wry tone of this deadpan remark! Golf clap, everyone!

Some idiot reader of his wrote him to say that Sarah Palin had named her kids after characters in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and he fell for it.

Sullivan hastily concluded that McCain had “clearly” said “horseshit” during a debate — and then took down the post when it became clear McCain had done no such thing.

There is a pattern here, and it is not a pattern of studied reflection and wry, deadpan commentary. It is a pattern of jumping to conclusions like a teenaged girl screaming OMG!!!11!1! at every idiot rumor out there.

I deemed Sullivan to be “shrieking and hysterical,” not out of homophobia, but rather because he is shrieking and hysterical — as the above examples amply demonstrate.

This is not a man with high journalistic standards. His idea of research is quoting Wikipedia — or if he’s feeling really energetic, Democrat-penned opposition papers. His idea of Serious Journalism includes discussing the love life of Sarah Palin’s sister and the MySpace page of Levi Johnston. His idea of debate commentary consists of incisive observations like this: “Piper is poking Trig in the eye!”

Having implied that I am homophobic, Sullivan goes on to criticize me by pointing to . . . my commenters.

So we’re judging each other by our commenters, eh, Andrew Sullivan? I’m happy to play that game.

Because, you see, shortly after Sullivan linked my post, this blog got a rush of nasty comments coming here from his blog, saying disgusting things the likes of which we haven’t seen here in quite some time.

Here are some of the comments left by Sullivan’s fans. Keep in mind that — according to his own standards — these comments all reflect directly on Andrew Sullivan. First we’ll hear from “timpundit”:

But, I’m guessing you don’t care as long as you can call a gay man a a’faggot’, right?

Nobody had used that word until “timpundit” did. Another commenter stole the name of a regular commenter here named “Icy Truth” and said:

My wife is fat and a raging bitch, but it sure is fun to make fun of Sully! Heh.

Then we have “RightWingTruthTeller” who addressed another of my commenters by saying:

Scott, I suspect that your wife falls into the obese category as well. 1-800-JENNY-CRAIG.

But the classiest Sullivan fan was clearly Mitch, who left this charming comment about Sarah Palin:

Really, Karl? Sarah is so hot I’d lick her asshole ten ways till Sunday.

Normally, I’d delete such comments, but I have decided to let them stand as a testament to the class of Sullivan’s fans — and therefore, according to Sullivan’s own rules, to Sullivan himself.

In a separate post, Sullivan salves his wounded ego by posting an e-mail from a “reader” talking about what a great blogging day he had. Various topics are listed, including one he stole from my site without attribution from a Justin Levine post. Sullivan then says:

You never know what you’re going to be blogging about from day to day. As I got up this morning and removed my urine streaked boxers, put on my hysterical dress, and sat down to shriek, the world just opened up.

Wow. I really wounded him.

But, Sully? When I said you had wet your pants with excitement over the prospect of a Cheney indictment, I didn’t mean you had wet your boxers with urine.

You shrieking, hysterical moron.

I was reminded of the Seinfeld episode that introduced us to the George Costanza “Worlds Collide” theory when I read this article yesterday about how the “military-like” and “disciplined” Obama campaign was giving way to an Administration stuffed with out-sized political personalities.

GEORGE: By the way, have you spoken to Elaine yet today?

JERRY: No why?

GEORGE: She called Susan last night.

JERRY: Oh yeah, I know.

GEORGE: How do you know?

JERRY: Well it was my idea.

GEORGE: Your idea?

JERRY: Yeah.

GEORGE: Wha’d you do that for?

JERRY: She was looking for someone to go to the show with.

GEORGE: Well that was a really stupid thing! You know what’s going to happen now?

JERRY: World’s collide?

GEORGE: Whe … Well yeah!

JERRY: Because this world is your sanctuary and if that world comes into contact with –

GEORGE: YES! It Blows Up! So if you know that, what did you tell
Elaine for?

JERRY: I didn’t know. Kramer told me about the worlds.

GEORGE: You couldn’t figure out the “World’s Theory” for yourself? It’s just common sense. Anybody knows, ya gotta keep your worlds apart.

JERRY: Yeah, I guess I slipped up.

….

GEORGE: Ah you have no idea of the magnitude of this thing. If she is allowed to infiltrate this world, then George Costanza as you know him, Ceases to Exist! You see, right now, I have Relationship George, but there is also Independent George. That’s the George you know, the George you grew up with — Movie George, Coffee shop George, Liar George, Bawdy George.

JERRY: I, I love that George.

GEORGE: Me Too! And he’s dying Jerry! If Relationship George walks through this door, he will Kill Independent George! A George, divided against itself, Cannot Stand!

(Maybe this is where all the Lincoln comparisons are coming from?).

I suspect Obama’s campaign world and his governing world are about to collide. Welcome to Washington President-Elect Obama, where those unwilling to take disappointment sitting down have made public dissent through press leaks into an art-form. The difference between a campaign staff and an Executive Branch administration is that the campaign staff all has one agenda — to get their guy elected.

Well, no such singular agenda exists in Washington, and Obama is laying a minefield for himself by assembling a Cabinet and Administration Staff that is overloaded with politicians who are quite comfortable airing policy differences in the media, regardless of who occupies the WH. They do so comfortable in the knowledge it’s not as easy to fire a Cabinet Officer or Chief of Staff as it is to sideline a campaign surrogate who goes off-message.

Colin Powell and Richard Armitage, the Secretary of State and Deputy Secretary of State, were so far off the reservation in 2003 and 2004 that Powell allowed a criminal investigation to infect the White House when both he and Armitage knew the person the investigators were looking for was Armitage — without ever giving the President so much as a courtesy call to say there person DOJ was looking for had an office only a few feet from Powell’s.

That is simply an example of why Obama is demonstrating himself to be unprepared for the ways of Washington by assembling the Cabinet in the manner in which he is. Hillary Clinton is a political personality in her own right, much like Powell. She’s not going to take orders from an Obama White House on matters of foreign policy where she disagrees with what she is told to do. She and her deputy, whoever it may be — and it’ll certainly be someone she selects — will conduct foreign policy in the manner in which she sees fit. Why would she even think to do otherwise?

The reality is that Obama is going to be hostage to the foreign policy that Hillary wants to conduct. If he makes her Secretary of State, he’ll quickly realize he has no adequate mechanism with which to make her adhere to his thinking. What’s he going to do, fire her? If you think Armitage and Powell were good sources for Bob Woodward’s books on the Bush White House, wait until he sits down with Bill Clinton if Hillary were to be canned at some point in the future.

So if he names her, he’s stuck with her and whatever she wants to do until she feels like she’s had enough.

Almost the same problem presents itself with Daschle at HHS. Health care reform is going to be a centerpiece domestic policy item in the first term. Daschle is a career legislator used to crafting the language of major pieces of legislation. He’s got a decades long working-relationship with Sen. Kennedy, whereas Obama was around for exactly zero years while Daschle was the Dem leader in the Senate.

So when it comes time to draft the Administration’s legislation, who will Daschle align himself with — Kennedy or Obama? Obviously he’ll say he’s advancing the President’s agenda with Congress but behind closed doors, if Daschle agrees on agenda items with Kennedy rather than Obama, what’s he likely to do?

These are all “Players” in Washington. They’re all used to fighting out policy differences in front of the cameras and in reporter’s notebooks. The Democrat party coalition is one of competing interests without a unifying theme.

I can’t wait for the nutroots to melt down in the coming weeks once they realize that Hillary is going to be Secretary of State and Robert Gates, CIA Director under Pres. Bush 41, President of Texas A&M (home of Bush 41 Presidential Library) and Sec.Def. under Bush 43, is going to remain as Sec.Def under Obama — and the troops in Iraq aren’t coming home any faster under Obama than they were under Bush.

Must stock up on popcorn.

The Austin American-Statesman noticed a recent study from researchers at Ohio State University (or, as their football fans call it, The Ohio State University) that use of pot might help memory. The linked article is interesting but the comments are priceless.

– DRJ

The Chicago Tribune reports Barack Obama has named former Senator Tom Daschle to be his Secretary of Health and Human Services. (Perhaps this explains in part Obama’s revised lobbyist rules that focus on the area of expertise. Daschle’s wife is an established lobbyist regarding aviation matters.)

This position will likely make Daschle the point man on health care — especially since he wrote a book on the subject earlier this year– so let’s look at his record:

Voted to allow more affordable drugs via Canadian imports.

Voted YES on allowing patients to sue HMOs in state and federal courts & collect punitive damages up to $5M.

Voted YES on increasing tobacco restrictions, an anti-smoking vote.

Voted NO on means-based testing for Medicare insurance premiums.

Voted YES to block a plan which would allow tax-deductible medical savings accounts.

Voted to increase funding to combat the global HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The Publishers’ Weekly review of Daschle’s book adds this: “Daschle proposes creating a Federal Health Board, similar to the Federal Reserve System, whose structure, functions and enforcement capability would be largely insulated from the politics and passion of the moment, in addition to a merging of employers’ plans, Medicaid and Medicare with an expanded FEHBP (Federal Employee Health Benefits Program) that would cover everyone.”

Given his background and connections in Congress, Daschle’s appointment suggests Obama is considering comprehensive health care legislation and wants an experienced politician to handle it.

Bad news for the free market. I know this isn’t the only reason but no wonder the Dow is under 8,000. What’s worse is Obama hasn’t even taken office yet.

UPDATE: Chief of Staff-designate Rahm Emanuel says Obama wants universal health care because incremental increases in coverage won’t be acceptable.

– DRJ

So it has been for the Grand Old Party since the 1980s or so, as it has become increasingly beholden to an element that used to be relegated to wooden crates on street corners.

Short break as writer ties blindfold and smokes her last cigarette.

Which is to say, the GOP has surrendered its high ground to its lowest brows. In the process, the party has alienated its non-base constituents, including other people of faith (those who prefer a more private approach to worship), as well as secularists and conservative-leaning Democrats who otherwise might be tempted to cross the aisle.

Oh, the courage!

Between Parker’s martrydom and Barack Obama’s “Being the President (Elect) Is a Lonely Job” schtick, we’re surrounded by selfless, courageous people, aren’t we?

It’s a very special time.

(Link fixed.)

Yesterday, Andrew Sullivan wrote a post that said, in essence: ZOMG CHENEY FINALLY INDICTED I WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG OH THERE IS A GOD!

Here is his entire post:

Cheney Indicted

For abuse of prisoners. And some don’t believe God exists.

Calm down, Excitable Andy. Let’s listen to what lefty Steve Benen says about this TREMENDOUS NEWS over at the Washington Monthly:

At first blush, the headline looked pretty extraordinary: “Texas Grand Jury Indicts Cheney, Gonzales on Charges Related to Prisons.” Wait, Dick Cheney’s been indicted? It sounded too good to be true, in large part because it is.

. . . .

The AP report noted that the indictments “have not yet been signed by the presiding judge, and no action can be taken on them until that happens.” And that, of course, is unlikely to ever happen.

The prosecutor in question is Willacy County District Attorney Juan Angel Guerra, who’s apparently developed a reputation for being something of a … how do I put this gently … legal eccentric. A lawyer for Democratic state Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr., who is also charged in the Cheney/Gonzales indictment, called Guerra a “one man circus.”

. . . .

I don’t doubt there are many Bush administration detractors who’d be thrilled to see Cheney and Gonzales get indicted, but this probably isn’t a development to get excited about.

Unless you’re Andrew Sullivan, who takes as true any development unfavorable to Republicans, no matter how freaking wild it sounds.

This is why people mock you, Sullivan. Because you’re a shrieking, hysterical, gullible moron.

And that’s me pulling my punches.

UPDATE: Sullivan now says he meant to do that! Mr. Trig Trutherism was just being ironic, he says. Suuuure.

Democrat and former Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich has apparently beaten Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, the longest serving Republican in Senate history:

“Tuesday’s tally of just over 24,000 absentee and other ballots gave Begich 146,286, or 47.56 percent, to 143,912, or 46.76 percent, for Stevens.

A recount is possible.”

The decision came on Stevens’ 85th birthday, less than a month after his federal conviction for lying on his disclosure forms. The win would give the Democrats a gain of 7 seats in the Senate from this election, with two seats still undecided in Minnesota and Georgia.

– DRJ

The site will be down and inaccessible to the world for about an hour tonight, probably around 10 p.m. Pacific, while the necessary changes are made to bring the new site online.

The creator of one of my all-time favorite web sites has been sued for libel. [No nudity, but sorta-kinda-maybe not safe-ish for work if you have an uptight work environment. PG-13 stuff.]

Details here.

PDF copy of the lawsuit complaint here.

The book in question sold here.

- Justin Levine

At first, they just shouted at us, using crude, rude, and foul language and calling us names like “haters” and “bigots”. Since it was a long night, I can’t even begin to remember all of the things that were shouted and/or chanted at us. Then, they started throwing hot coffee, soda and alcohol on us and spitting (and maybe even peeing) on us. Then, a group of guys surrounded us with whistles, and blasted them inches away from our ears continually. Then, they started getting violent and started shoving us. At one point a man tried to steal one of our Bibles. Chrisdene noticed, so she walked up to him and said “Hey, that’s not yours, can you please give it back?”. He responded by hitting her on the head with the Bible, shoving her to the ground, and kicking her. I called the cops, and when they got there, they pulled her out of the circle and asked her if she wanted to press charges. She said “No, tell him I forgive him.”

Afterwards, she didn’t rejoin us in the circle, but she made friends with one of the people in the crowd, and really connected heart to heart. Roger got death threats. As the leader of our group, people looked him in the eyes and said “I am going to kill you.”, and they were serious. A cop heard one of them, and confronted him. (This part is kinda graphic, so you should skip the paragraph if you don’t want to be offended.) It wasn’t long before the violence turned to perversion. They were touching and grabbing me, and trying to shove things in my butt, and even trying to take off my pants - basically trying to molest me. I used one hand to hold my pants up, while I used the other arm to hold one of the girls. The guys huddled around all the girls, and protected them.

Here’s the aftermath:

This is of a piece with other mob action (remember the cross-stomping?) and recent boycotts of businesses whose owners contributed to Proposition 8. As someone who supports gay marriage, I think this is a horrible way to go about convincing the opposition.

The left-wing blogs applaud it all. They admit of no possible principled support for Proposition 8. They agree that anyone who supported it or voted for it is a hater and a bigot.

And when you start demonizing the other side, sometimes angry mobs form. And when angry mobs form, it can get violent.

It all comes down to what you think is the best method of persuasion. Do you admit that there may be a principled basis for your opponent’s argument, but do your best to persuade him that he’s wrong? Or do you simply conclude that your opponent’s arguments are evil, and that you have to step up the rhetoric and general level of nastiness?

Proposition 8 opponents have decided on the confrontational route. They have decided that anyone who disagrees with them is not just wrong, but bad and evil. And they have decided to fight what they perceive as nasty and dishonest behavior with more of the same.

I think we can all agree that their demonization, boycotts, and mob anger is counterproductive.

I have always said that the most dangerous human emotion is self-righteousness. It’s on display in spades in the video above.