The Hollywood Liberal

McCain’s Veep Problem
Joe Klein says “the word in Republican circles is that John McCain is quite frustrated by the vice presidential selection process because he can’t go with any of his top three choices.”

The problem? One is pro-choice (Tom Ridge), one is named Bush (Jeb) and one was born outside the United States (Sen. Mel Martinez).

Meanwhile, over at Political Insider, we guess when McCain and Obama will announce their running mates.

Suggestion Box
Please let us know here at FDL if you have inspired ideas or just simple suggestions about things we can do better. We really appreciate your support.

Please let us know here at FDL if you have inspired ideas or just simple suggestions about things we can do better. We really appreciate your support.

What Political Cost?

Of all the strange defenses to the FISA capitulation, I find the one Kevin Drum uses here one of the strangest:

Like everyone else in the liberal blogosphere, I think retroactive immunity is a bad idea that sets a bad precedent, but as I’ve mentioned before, this isn’t a hill I’m willing to die defending.

Where did the idea that fighting against granting amnesty to AT&T was political suicide come from? Hell, there is no hill to defend here politically. Indeed, the Democrats, and Obama especially, have caused themselves unnecessary political grief with this craven act. Of course, I happen to think it is a principle worth fighting for anyway, but where in Gawd’s name is Kevin Drum getting the idea that stopping amnesty for Big Telco is a political loser? Kevin is making that up. It may not be a political plus, I think it is, but it surely is not a political minus, much less political suicide.

Speaking for me only.

Just Because
What’s amazing about all of this bomb Iran talk is that there doesn’t seem to be any genuine (if crazy) military goal as commonly understood. Sure there’s talk of bombing the nuclear program, but basically the bombing talk is about bombing for its own sake to prove that we can and to demonstrate that people still listen to John Bolton. I suppose there’s some sort of tiny penis psychology going on here, such that the point of bombing them is to prove to the world that we do have a big swinging dick and then those silly Persians will be so awed by it that they’ll do anything we want.

But this is, you know, morally obscene and criminal. Welcome to Bush America!

The New Republic Syndrome
Quite the track record over there.

Abuse of the Filibuster: Republicans Play Dirty ‘Block and Blame’ Game
It works like this: Republicans hijack the Senate, block important legislation, then complain nothing is getting done.

Zimbabwe: more beatings, more abductions as the world watches
The UN Security Council have unanimously agreed with the stance taken by Morgan Tsvangirai and have stated that elections in Zimbabwe would not have been possible given the levels of violence in that country and have called on Mugabe not to go ahead with Friday’s elections as this would produce results, according to the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, “that cannot be credible”.However, despite Tsvangirai and his party stepping down from the electoral process, the violence towards the MDC
—- link

LeftWord: The Best Liberal Blog Posts
All The Best Liberal Blog Posts From Arond The Web.

Dems Giving McCain a Big Pass
I just saw John McCain very gravely lamenting Barack Obama’s decision not to accept public financing for the general election campaign and opining about what it says about Obama’s ethics and trustworthiness. And I must confess that I’m a little…

Studios: AM/FM radio ‘a form of piracy’
The recording industry and U.S. radio companies have squared off for decades about whether AM and FM radio broadcasters should pay royalties to singers, musicians and their labels. But now the debate is getting meaner; there’s more at stake as the recording industry seeks new income avenues in the wake of wanton peer-to-peer piracy and declining CD sales in part due to the iPod and satellite radio. A U.S. House subcommittee could vote as early as Thursday on a royalty measure…

Gas prices up a dime in two weeks
Price of oil rises despite Saudi pledge to increase output 200k barrels daily.

Liz Cheney: On ?The Really Important Issues,? McCain Is ?Advocating? The Same Policies As Bush And My Dad
In a speech earlier this month, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) attempted to bat down the idea that he is “running for President Bush’s third term” by calling it a “false” notion. “I disagreed strongly with the Bush administration” on Iraq, McCain claimed. But conservatives continue to undermine his efforts by acknowledging that McCain’s policy proposals mirror […]

In a speech earlier this month, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) attempted to bat down the idea that he is “running for President Bush’s third term” by calling it a “false” notion. “I disagreed strongly with the Bush administration” on Iraq, McCain claimed.

But conservatives continue to undermine his efforts by acknowledging that McCain’s policy proposals mirror the policies of the Bush administration.

On MSNBC today, Andrea Mitchell asked Liz Cheney, a former State Department official who is also the daughter of Vice President Cheney, about McCain’s efforts to separate himself from Bush. “It’s not surprising to see the distancing going on,” replied Cheney. But, she added, “on the really important issues” McCain is advocating for policies that Bush and Cheney supporters “believe are the right ones”:

CHENEY: At the same time, I think on the really important issues that face the country, on issues like the war on terror and the economy, Senator McCain in fact is advocating those policies that those of us who supported President Bush and the Vice President believe are the right ones for this nation.

Watch it:

Cheney’s comments reflect how McCain himself has described his ideological relationship to the Bush administration. Though they have disagreed on select issues, McCain told Tim Russert in 2005 that he is “totally in agreement” with Bush “on the transcendent issues, the most important issues“:

RUSSERT: The fact is you are different than George Bush.

SEN. McCAIN: No. No. I–the fact is that I’m different but the fact is that I have agreed with President Bush far more than I have disagreed. And on the transcendent issues, the most important issues of our day, I’ve been totally in agreement and support of President Bush.

As for Liz’s dad, McCain may be critical of him now, but in 2006 he said that he would consider having Cheney serve in his administration because they “have the same strengths.”

Transcript: (more…)

The Post’s Top Editor to Step Down
Leonard Downie Jr. said yesterday he is stepping down as The Washington Post’s executive editor, ending a 17-year tenure in which the paper became a major online force and won a slew of prizes for high-profile investigations, including one that Downie published over President Bush’s objections.

Obama Campaign Advisers Remark on Energy
JASON GRUMET, OBAMA CAMPAIGN SENIOR ADVISER JASON FURMAN, OBAMA CAMPAIGN ECONOMIC POLICY DIRECTOR OPERATOR: Good day, everyone, and welcome to the “Obama for America” conference call. At this time, I’d like to turn the conference over to Mr. Hari Sevugan. Please go ahead, sir. SEVUGAN: Thanks, …