Thats’ the end of that

So Lott’s out as Majority Leader and Frist is in. Still no word from the blogger shock troups who did James Carville’s bidding: Josh Marshall, Glenn Reynolds, Andrew Sullivan, and Virginia Postrel. Don’t accept any “blogger triumphalism” since the fingerprints of Carville and Sidney Blumenthal have been found on their keyboards, and don’t be surprised … Continue reading “Thats’ the end of that”

So Lott’s out as Majority Leader and Frist is in. Still no word from the blogger shock troups who did James Carville’s bidding: Josh Marshall, Glenn Reynolds, Andrew Sullivan, and Virginia Postrel. Don’t accept any “blogger triumphalism” since the fingerprints of Carville and Sidney Blumenthal have been found on their keyboards, and don’t be surprised if this ends up being a plus for the Republicans.

The Frist Scenario

This little story makes the Frist Scenario seem much more likely: WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Sen. Bill Frist of Tennessee is exploring a possible bid to replace Trent Lott as their chamber’s incoming majority leader and Assistant Republican Leader Don Nickles of Oklahoma will likely back Frist, sources said on Thursday. Frist has long been … Continue reading “The Frist Scenario”

This little story makes the Frist Scenario seem much more likely:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Sen. Bill Frist of Tennessee is exploring a possible bid to replace Trent Lott as their chamber’s incoming majority leader and Assistant Republican Leader Don Nickles of Oklahoma will likely back Frist, sources said on Thursday.

Frist has long been our man, but we want Lott to have a nice, soft landing when it happens.

Why AOL is coming apart

Speaking of AOL, media dude Michael Wolff explains why it’s losing money in this New York magazine article You’ve Got Sex: Here’s the real rub: AOL’s fundamental business — which has always been a level or two down from the family-oriented opening screen — is dirty talk. But now there are better places to talk … Continue reading “Why AOL is coming apart”

Speaking of AOL, media dude Michael Wolff explains why it’s losing money in this New York magazine article You’ve Got Sex:

Here’s the real rub: AOL’s fundamental business — which has always been a level or two down from the family-oriented opening screen — is dirty talk. But now there are better places to talk dirty.

The only convergence at AOL/Time Warner is that of one-hand typing and on-line shopping for dates. Wolff’s an insider, and the article fairly oozes insight.

via Arts and Letters.

Carville’s latest Pandergate move

Lott Pandergate architect and chief string-puller James Carville sends a bizarre fax accepting Lott’s apology: Carville, also a co-host of CNN’s “Crossfire,” faxed a letter to Lott’s office Wednesday, both accepting the senator’s apology and pledging not to criticize him further for comments made recently or for comments Lott has made in the past on … Continue reading “Carville’s latest Pandergate move”

Lott Pandergate architect and chief string-puller James Carville sends a bizarre fax accepting Lott’s apology:

Carville, also a co-host of CNN’s “Crossfire,” faxed a letter to Lott’s office Wednesday, both accepting the senator’s apology and pledging not to criticize him further for comments made recently or for comments Lott has made in the past on the issue of race.

E-mail, Jimmy Bubba.

via Kausfiles, the best source for Pandergate string-pulling news, if not analysis.

Flo speaks

For fans of The Amazing Race, here’s a couple of comments that the charming Flo posted on the Television Without Pity message board and subsequently deleted: florinka posted December 12,2002 11:36:11 AM EST I have been trying not to read anymore but after last night’s episode I decided to register and respond to some of … Continue reading “Flo speaks”

For fans of The Amazing Race, here’s a couple of comments that the charming Flo posted on the Television Without Pity message board and subsequently deleted:

florinka
posted December 12,2002 11:36:11 AM EST

I have been trying not to read anymore but after last night’s episode I decided to register and respond to some of the cruel criticisms. I would just ask that you consider the stress of the race at this point and the fact that I am clearly a competitive woman who just wants to win this race. I am happy to explain and even apologize for certain behaviors but I have frankly had enough of reading this garbage and not standing up for myself.
florinka
posted December 12,2002 11:54:02 AM EST

Look-I did not go on a reality tv show not knowing that I would judged by a bunch of people without anything better to do – However, since you spend so much time watching and commenting on television programs did you consider that perhaps editing is involved here and while I concede to giving the editors some material to make me the “bitch” on the show- I may infact have redeeming qualities and moments that you do not have the pleasure of seeing. I understand that I put myself out there for all to critique- but unless you have been on the race you can’t really understand the impact that it can have on a person. I am really shocked to see myself reacting like I do in some situations- I am lucky that Zach and I were together 24 hrs a day and that I hopefully was able to make up to him for the times that I hurt his feelings. However I will say that regardless of how weak and whiny you all think I am I know how valuable of an experince this was for me and I look forward to defending myself to some extent in the near future.

It seems to me you can judge the impact of a show’s pressure by watching how all the contestants react to it — if one stands out as the most obnoxious person in the history of reality television, there’s your Vassar girl.

It’s the Carville, stupid

It turns out my little Christmas fantasy was right on target after all. See: Timothy P. Carney & Trent Lott & the Courts on National Review Online The Lott turmoil was entirely manufactured by Democratic operatives — namely by unrepentant Clintonite James Carville, who first made an issue of the remarks the same night on … Continue reading “It’s the Carville, stupid”

It turns out my little Christmas fantasy was right on target after all. See: Timothy P. Carney & Trent Lott & the Courts on National Review Online

The Lott turmoil was entirely manufactured by Democratic operatives — namely by unrepentant Clintonite James Carville, who first made an issue of the remarks the same night on Crossfire — and then pushed the story behind the scenes wherever they could, explaining to pundits and politicians how this could be used to sock it to the GOP.

If Carville wins — if the bar for branding someone a racist is lowered to a single careless comment, an unreflective childhood in the south, and a belief in states’ rights — that puts every Republican politician or nominee in a little more danger. It expands the media’s definition of “extremism.” Anyone whose voting record or ideology resembles that of “disgraced former Majority Leader Trent Lott” will be suspect — and vulnerable.

This means any judge who ever used the concept of federalism in his decisions will be attacked for “using the racist codeword of ‘states rights’.”

It’s a lose-lose situation — and a checkmate for the attack dogs of personal destruction.

So here’s the chain: Carville talks it up on CNN, and then gets ABC to cover it in The Note, where Atrios sees it. Then Sidney Blumenthal (or Carville again) gets Josh Marshall to blog it. Glenn Reynolds first saw it on Marshall’s blog, and we know the rest.

Pitfalls of outdated software

The Frisco Chronicle relays a columnist’s troubles with setting up a little one-computer Wi-Fi network at home: But setting up a Wi-Fi network is still full of pitfalls for the novice user. Indeed, even veteran computer users often need to spend minutes — or hours — on the phone with tech support to work out … Continue reading “Pitfalls of outdated software”

The Frisco Chronicle relays a columnist’s troubles with setting up a little one-computer Wi-Fi network at home:

But setting up a Wi-Fi network is still full of pitfalls for the novice user. Indeed, even veteran computer users often need to spend minutes — or hours — on the phone with tech support to work out an array of minor bugs

It’s a sad tale of woe, all because the writer runs Windows 98, a pre-WiFi operating system, and he hasn’t kept it up to date with the latest patches, let alone the extensions enabling WiFi support. So he had problems he didn’t understand, which he resolved by updating system files one-by-one until it worked. Having installed a half-dozen different WiFi products on Win2K and WinXP, and not having run into any of these problems, I wouldn’t be discouraged by this poor boy’s experience. Just keep your system up to date, or use an OS released in the WiFi era, and you’ll do fine — I hear even Macs support WiFi now.

Left-wing racism

Is there anything more elitist and racist than the anti-gun lobby’s demonization of cheap handguns? This article in Slate mouths the typical platitudes: Not surprisingly, it was the makers of Saturday Night Specials — poorly made guns selling for $35-$150, which frequently ended up in the hands of criminals — who were most culpable. If … Continue reading “Left-wing racism”

Is there anything more elitist and racist than the anti-gun lobby’s demonization of cheap handguns? This article in Slate mouths the typical platitudes:

Not surprisingly, it was the makers of Saturday Night Specials — poorly made guns selling for $35-$150, which frequently ended up in the hands of criminals — who were most culpable.

If cheap handguns aren’t for sale, only rich people will have guns, and who really needs them more, pampered liberals in gated communities patrolled by armed response companies, or poor black people living next to crack houses in neighborhoods where police response is a joke?

This kind of racism flies right under the radar completely unnoticed every day, and now that Rod Wright has left the California Assembly, nobody’s going to be carrying the message. Rod, who used to represent the poorest Assembly District in the state, South Central Los Angeles, is an ardent gun advocate who could be counted on to raise these points against the left-wing’s anti-gun jihad.

The comparison of neighborhoods isn’t an exaggeration, either. I walked precincts for a candidate in West LA’s Woodland Hills, the area that elected Chicago 7 guy Tom Hayden and other anti-gun people. The homes typically sported warning signs about their Armed Response Services, and their cars did patrol the area. This is your classical low-crime area, therefore.

Now go down to South Central and you’ll see no Armed Response signs, and you will see crackhouses and street gangs. You’ll also most likely notice that calls to 911 don’t get exactly the same speedy service they do in Woodland Hills. So how do you protect your family against armed gang-bangers and drug lords in South Central? Why, you can read Gandhi and pray, but you’d better have a peace maker in the house. And if you don’t draw a six-figure income, it had better be inexpensive. That’s where Saturday Night Specials come in.

That name, by the way, is a subtle takeoff on “Niggertown Saturday Night”, and isn’t something a polite, Lott-bashing, Blumenthal-serving pub like Slate should be using, if they want to be even slightly consistent.

Speaking of left-wing racism, Larry Elder’s latest column is superb.

Lott’s future

It looks like Trent Lott has the votes to remain as Senate Majority Leader, in which case the coup attempt by Blumenthal, Marshall, the ardently pro-Israel neocons, clueless blogoholics, et. al. will have failed. So Lott’s future is his to decide, and he’s probably ornery enough to remain where he is, at least long enough … Continue reading “Lott’s future”

It looks like Trent Lott has the votes to remain as Senate Majority Leader, in which case the coup attempt by Blumenthal, Marshall, the ardently pro-Israel neocons, clueless blogoholics, et. al. will have failed. So Lott’s future is his to decide, and he’s probably ornery enough to remain where he is, at least long enough to rub the noses of his critics in his victory for a while. But supposing he wants to be gracious and let Bill Frist try his hand at the rudder, I’m guessing he would land as Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations. The current ranking Reep member is Ted Stevens of Alaska, which may explain his support for Lott remaing Leader.

Appropriations would be a good gig – it’s the most powerful committee, and would enable him to reward his friends and punish his enemies. And since pork-barrel Klansman Bobby Byrd will be the Ranking Member and Fritz Hollings is also a member, whatever racism one wants to attribute to Lott won’t be remarkable in the company he’d be keeping. A further bonus is that Mississippi is a small and poor state, which won’t require a lot of pork to satisfy its appetites, leaving some for the rest of the country.

Given Lott’s nervousness with the media, it would probably be a much more fun gig that his current one. But he needs to time the switch to save face, like anybody would.