Right on in this analysis.

Again, Noel can watch this crap most of us can't stomach.

In a media that now has admitted to frequent cheerleading, only Republicans can be  petty and partisan.

A Leahy or Reid continually acting like a moron is simply media reported as reflecting "the will of the people," as reflected by the biased poll du jour.

That's why I prefer elections,  it is verifiable proof of the national mood.

Bush getting 62 mil votes in 2004 to Clinton's best effort of 48 mil votes in 1996 still sticks in the media piehole like a  fishbone.  Who is/was the populist?  Seems simple to me.

But in the second term, I think the limits of this strategy have become increasingly apparent. Even when he won re-election, at his high point, his margin of victory measured as a share of the popular vote, was the smallest ever in American history for a successfully re-elected president.

  OK... I'm trying to duplicate Mr. Brownstein's math formula.  I'm trying to figure out how Clinton's re-election with a less than 50% of the total votes is better than Bush's clear majority.

  Must be New Math. 

Ron Brownstein is a liberal. This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate.

Brownstein? Bah, humbug! ;-)

Brownstein is a walking talking specimen of the second-rate status of the LAT. There are a dozen more cogent Dem commentariat members who are as demented, and a dozen actual adult types like Joe Klein et al who could have been trotted out for MTP.

NBC is falling under Zucker's ultra-left dementia now that Jack Welch has left GE and Jeff Immelt is struggling to keep his network from spiraling into a death-dive.

Something ought to be in this fresh forum refuting something that Bill Moyers said Friday. Moyers: "[R]eports were circulating that he himself [Rove} had confessed to friends his own agnosticism. . . [Y]ou have to wonder how all those folks on the Christian right must feel discovering they were used for partisan reasons by a skeptic, a secular manipulator." On Fox News Sunday, Chris Wallace asked Mr. Rove about that.

Rove: "I'm a Christian. I go to church. I'm an Episcopalian." Mr. Rove said he had commented--to whom, he did not say--that he wished he were as good a Christian as some of his colleagues. "You know, Mr. Moyers ought to do a little bit better research before he does another drive-by slander, " he said.

Separately, it is disheartening to this former journalist to observe how people like Mr. Moyers, Mr. Brownstein, and Ron Fournier of the AP believe, write, and say things without a shred of truth to them. Moyers last Friday claimed, "Crony capitalism became a biblical injunction." Can he substantiate any part of that? No. Mr. Fournier, last Tuesday: "[Rove] was the perfect strategist for an imperfect era, when polarization and the pursuit of power often trumps common sense and decency." And how were "common sense" and "decency" trumped? Fournier ended his story with unsupported charges. It's difficult to tell what Mr. Brownstein meant when he referred to Social Security. Was that part of an effort to mobilize the Republican base? He claims it "drove away energized Democrats and drove away independents." Baloney. The proposal would have improved the lot of the lowest tier of wage earners in retirement, many of whom are part of the Democrats' base. It was harmed because the Republicans had inarticulate leadership in the White House and the House and the Democrats didn't want Republicans owning a part of Social Security as a benefit to the people. 

Do people in the current mainstream press deserve respect when they report on or comment on politics or related cultural matters? No. Can they be trusted to tell the truth about or to report fairly on current political and cultural issues and developments? Absolutely not.  

Something ought to be in this fresh forum refuting something that Bill Moyers said Friday. Moyers: "[R]eports were circulating that he himself [Rove} had confessed to friends his own agnosticism. . . [Y]ou have to wonder how all those folks on the Christian right must feel discovering they were used for partisan reasons by a skeptic, a secular manipulator." On Fox News Sunday, Chris Wallace asked Mr. Rove about that.

Rove: "I'm a Christian. I go to church. I'm an Episcopalian." Mr. Rove said he had commented--to whom, he did not say--that he wished he were as good a Christian as some of his colleagues. "You know, Mr. Moyers ought to do a little bit better research before he does another drive-by slander," he said.

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Separately, it is disheartening to this former journalist to observe how people like Mr. Moyers, Mr. Brownstein, and Ron Fournier of the AP believe, write, and say things with no truth, no support in fact. Moyers last Friday claimed, "Crony capitalism became a biblical injunction." Can he substantiate any part of that? No. Mr. Fournier, last Tuesday: "[Rove] was the perfect strategist for an imperfect era, when polarization and the pursuit of power often trumps common sense and decency." And how were "common sense" and "decency" trumped? Fournier ended his story with unsupported charges. It's difficult to tell what Mr. Brownstein meant when he referred to Social Security. Was that part of an effort to mobilize the Republican base? He claims it "drove away energized Democrats and drove away independents." Baloney. The proposal would have improved the lot of the lowest tier of wage earners in retirement, many of whom are part of the Democrats' base. It was harmed because the Republicans had inarticulate leadership in the White House and the House and the Democrats didn't want Republicans owning a part of Social Security as a benefit to the people. 

<li>

Do the current mainstream press deserve respect? No. Can they be trusted to tell the truth about or to report fairly on current political and cultural issues and developments? Absolutely not.  

Brownstein on Bush's 2004 victory margin:   "...the smallest ever in American history for a successfully re-elected president."

Gee, Ron, what's the smallest ever for an unsuccessfully re-elected president?  And they say Bush can't talk.

When you put the clowns in charge, don't be surprised when a circus breaks out.

 It's amazing how liberal pundits forget about Carville and Begala.  Talk about a divide and conquer strategy, they were the experts. This group didn't just disagree with you, politically, they brought out the troops to destroy your reputation.  Even listening to them now, you can hear the same divisive rhetoric. Rove certainly didn't sound divisive this Sunday.

Never argue with an idiot.  They'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.