Too often, conservative sites have failed to distinguish between solid scoops and feverish conspiracy theories, between methodical reporting and harassment, thereby damaging their credibility.
Daily Beast columnist Benjamin Sarlin • Regarding the James O’Keefe arrest in the grander scheme of things. Which is to say that many conservative Web sites excel at opinion but completely fail at credible reporting. O’Keefe’s take on gonzo journalism is interesting, but definitely not ethical. And other conservative Web icons – including Powerline (which broke the Rathergate saga) and Michelle Malkin – have had shining moments but inconsistent results. BigGovernment.com, which paid O’Keefe, may now be headed down that road. Sarlin gives credit to Tucker Carlson of the just-launched Daily Caller for trying to raise the standards to the likes of The Huffington Post. Will it work? We’ll see. source
By offering one of the most coveted advertising spots of the year to an anti-equality, anti-choice, homophobic organization, CBS is aligning itself with a political stance that will damage its reputation, alienate viewers, and discourage consumers from supporting its shows and advertisers.
A statement by the Women’s Media Center • Regarding a planned Focus on the Family Super Bowl commercial featuring former University of Florida (and future NFL) star Tim Tebow. The commercial notes that Tebow was nearly aborted for medical reasons (his mom, Pam, refused), and since he was born, ta-dah!, now he’s one of the biggest college football stars in history. The commercial, obviously expensive, has the potential of being seen by a huge audience. It’s already hugely controversial. source
I’d rather be a really good one-term president than a mediocre two-term president. … You know, there is a tendency in Washington to believe our job description, of elected officials, is to get reelected. That’s not our job description. Our job description is to solve problems and to help people.
Barack Obama • In an interview on ABC News. The president seems awful headsure about his selflessness of late, and it’s pretty impressive that he can say this a year after his election. The problem, of course, is that two years from now, he’s going to have a hard time not eating his words when he’s trying to get reelected. Will he regret saying this when he’s taking on a tea-addicted Sarah Palin in 2012? source
» Subject to cuts: Reports say that the departments of Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Energy, Transportation, Agriculture, and Health and Human Services will be affected by the cuts. Guess what, kids? D.C.’s about to have a three-year recession.
» Unaffected by cuts: Social Security and Medicare (he couldn’t touch those even if he wanted), and organizations affected by military, veterans, homeland security and international affairs. The cuts only take on discretionary spending.
A douchey comment by Michael Steel:
Given Washington Democrats’ unprecedented spending binge, this is like announcing you’re going on a diet after winning a pie-eating contest.
Rep. John Boehner’s spokesman Michael Steel • Regarding the budget cuts. Considering the year of controversial spending that the Obama administration has just had, we imagine any cuts in the nature of this would be welcomed by the right. Or maybe they’ll make jokes about pie contests. We’ll see. source
Note: in an earlier version of this story, we mistook Michael Steel for RNC chair Michael Steele. We apologize. We’re sure he gets that a lot. At least we’re not alone in making this boneheaded mistake.Thanks to Joel McDonald for correcting us below. Much appreciated.
He’s not running for his dad’s old Senate seat. Despite probably having a better chance than any other Democrat in Delaware of winning the seat, Vice President Joe Biden’s kid Beau has chosen to remain Delaware’s Attorney General, claiming he still has lots to do there. “Therefore I cannot and will not run for the United States Senate in 2010. I will run for re-election as attorney general,” said Beau. Let’s just hand the seat to the GOP now! source
To those who argue that piecemeal health care reform is worse than no health care reform, I have five words: the 1957 Civil Rights Act.
Slate columnist Fred Kaplan • Regarding another piece of legislation that was watered down to nothingness. It’s forgotten about now, but the legislation was the small push that led to much larger gains for the Civil Rights movement, and later much tougher legislation. It was testy at the time, too – Strom Thurmond filibustered the bill for an entire day, by himself – but the legislation led to big gains in the end. “The 1957 Civil Rights Act was a preposterously small hinge that helped swing open a very wide gate,” Kaplan notes. “It’s not out of the question that a pared-down health care bill might do the same.” source