Speaking Truth To, From, Or About Power

Questions are raised.

And while on a Power Breakfast, let me take a moment to deplore Jim Geraghty's quip about the recent problems within the Obama circle:

Random observation from Jim: You realize the two advisers who have gotten Obama in trouble are named "Austan" and "Power". If there's another adviser named "Danger" on the campaign, they might as well let him go, too.

C'mon, I pick up immediately on that verboten middle-name reference!  This subtle but unmistakably racist, Islaomophobic reference to Barak "He Who Must Not Be Middle-Named Obama's unmentionable bit is, although droll, beyond the acceptable boundaries of something or other.  Civilized campaign quippery, I suppose, if not responsible journalism.

Anyway, someone ought to demand an apology, a retraction, and some general self-abasement and re-education for Mr. Geraghty.  Shocking.  And John Sidney McCain's supporters should never do this.

Comments

[capitano]

Ed Morrisey has the goods on another high level adviser breaking with Obama:

In a new interview with National Journal magazine, an intelligence adviser to Barack Obama’s presidential campaign broke with his candidate’s position opposing retroactive legal protection for telecommunications companies being sued for cooperating with a dubious U.S. government domestic surveillance program. ***** “I do believe strongly that [telecoms] should be granted that immunity,” former CIA official John Brennan told National Journal reporter Shane Harris in the interview. “They were told to [cooperate] by the appropriate authorities that were operating in a legal context.”

******

Brennan isn’t just some guy who did a couple of years at Langley and then wrote a book. He headed the National Counterterrorism Center, which coordinated efforts between the CIA, FBI, and other law-enforcement and intel agencies.

*******

Obama’s own policy adviser describes Obama’s position as one that lacks understanding and/or ignorant, as well as “knee-jerk”. It also points up another aspect of Obama on telecom immunity: for a man who claims he will forge bipartisan solutions, Obama seems determined to sabotage this bipartisan effort led by the man who endorses him as “brilliant”, Jay Rockefeller.

[kim]

This is a brave new world. There are demonstrable benefits from waterboarding and telecom datamining. What to do? What to do?

The answer is easy for some people. Demagogue it.
======================================

[clarice]

It's only a matter of time until all this fame goes to Hit's head and he abandons us for the neon lights..*sigh*

[kim]

He needs more commenters, but that format stinks.
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[Jane]

Capitano,

The icing on Capt ed's remarks were posted yesterday by Don Surber quoting Mike Slanker, the NRSC Political Director:

The Democrats in charge of Congress have taken paybacks to a whole new level. First, it was the elimination of the secret ballot for union organizing; now it’s allowing the trial lawyers to rewrite our national security laws.

As hard as it is to believe, lawyers and law firms who have donated $63.5 million to the Democrats this election cycle, are now holding up critical national security legislation. Trial lawyers have decided that the men and women who help protect our country from attack have to stand down until trial lawyers get paid off.

The most corrupt Congress in history, bar none.

[clarice]

I think what surprised me most about the War in Iraq is the mendacity and corruption of the Dems. Outright lying about why we went to war and how and why they backed that; unending efforts to interfere with national security; dealing with out enemies in ways that undermine the nation--I cannot ever forget this behavior and though for many years I crossed party lines and voted for whomever I considered the best candidate under all the circumstances, I cannot picture myself ever voting D in a national election again.

I could say the same thing about the mainstream media.

[hit and run]

Clarice:
It's only a matter of time until all this fame goes to Hit's head and he abandons us for the neon lights..*sigh*

Nonsense!

It'll be the crazy blog money.

[clarice]

HEH--Why not do a tale of oppression--Hit--a decent family man with two darling children and a sweet, long suffering wife who can't stop blogging (a modern "Red Shoes" type thing.) We'll get you on Oprah; Dr Phil can try an intervention (if he's not jailed for the Britney shtick) and you'll be on your way.

[Porchlight]

The phrase "speaking truth to power" grates on my nerves almost as much as "social justice."

Although I suppose they are useful for identifying idiots (which is anyone who uses them seriously).

[Jane]

Clarice,

I still think it is all backlash from the Clinton impeachment. The Dems think they earned the WH in 2000 and it would have been a no-brainer if Clinton hadn't been impeached. Then you add the 2000 election. Since then it has been "win at any cost" (and a convenient by-product"let's get rich in the process"). Remember the Schumer/Durbin/Emmanual coalition in 2004?

Current events have never entered the equation. Nor has the good of the country, except they honestly believe a dem in the WH is the good of the country.

[clarice]

You may well be right, Jane, but if so they have allowed their fantasies to get the better of common sense.

[Other Tom]

Just remember, Hit: There's a broken heart for every light on Broadway. (God, I love that one!)

[maryrose]

oBAMA CLEANING hIL'S CLOCK IN wYOMING WITH 35% IN HE'S UP BY 15 POINTS.

[Ranger]

So, once again, Obama wins big in a small red state he has no chance of carrying in the general. I think Hil spins this to her advantage with the superdelegates.

[Porchlight]

I agree, Ranger.

[capitano]

Ranger - that and the subtext of the caucus wins: Obama wins when participants have to announce their vote in public, not so much when there is a secret ballot.

Jane - I think you are on to something with the "paybacks" analysis causing leadership to abandon any pretense of principle for the sake of winning. Similarly, Beldar has an interesting post on the reflexive anti-Americanism of the Democrat leadership.

It's part of the same dynamic -- if putting the contingent fees of the plaintiffs' bar ahead of national security or if dumping on the U.S. works to energize the crazies then so be it.

I can't believe either of these strategies will play in the heartland come November.

[ben]

"I think Hil spins this to her advantage with the superdelegates."

I think she spins it but Obama spins it as more delegates and more states and more popular votes....so probably a wash...

[MikeS]

My first recollection of a Dem speaking truth to power, is Roger Altman's RTC testimony.
In the Whitewater hearing he pretended that he didn't understand the meaning of certain words in the English language.

In spite of that and all the lies told since, I am still surprised that they (Dems) blatantly participate in the propaganda war against the U.S.

[Jane]

I can't believe either of these strategies will play in the heartland come November.

I think it depends on how articulate McCain is, and if the subject matter is national security or handing out things.

And I don't think all democrats hate America. I think most democrats would be shocked if they drilled down into what is going on. But I don't have any hope that they will.

[sbw]

Jane: if the subject matter is national security or handing out things.

Not handing out things was the stunning implication of George McGovern's WSJ column on March 7th. In an instant he changed from the historic darling of the left wing of the Democratic Party to stake out territory on the uninhabited right wing of the Democratic Party.

McGovern concludes, "The nature of freedom of choice is that some people will misuse their responsibility and hurt themselves in the process. We should do our best to educate them, but without diminishing choice for everyone else."

I could vote for that.

[MikeS]

I can't believe either of these strategies will play

I think McCain should run on the theme of patriotism, but without using the word. He can claim that though he has been working for change in the U.S. for 2 decades, he doesn't want to throw out the baby with the bath water.

On each issue he should launch into a riff about the great things the U.S. has done. Then bring up a historic incident when the country faced a challenge.

On Iraq for example, McCain should bring up that the Revolutionary War and the Civil War were both thought to be lost. Yet neither Washington or Lincoln gave up. Instead they doubled their efforts.

[capitano]

MikeS --

Have you seen the McCain ad Tom linked to in the previous post?

[sbw]

The key to Washington was perseverence. His will to persevere came from understanding what was important and why.

Americans can be proud that the ideas to which America subscribes are not simply American, but stand up to scrutiny independent of us.

We fought for civilization in World War II, earned freedom for millions, and did not establish an empire when we won.

Again, courage comes from mastering what is important and why.

[Jane]

Sbw,

Frankly I wondered if McGovern had a stroke or something - because that seemed so out of character with what he's been pushing over the years. I think all of his recent stuff has been about our foreign policy - he's been against the war since '72. So maybe he just hasn't gone anywhere else til now.

[clarice]

Jane, I just figured he was hacked.

[Other Tom]

If Obama gets ousted from the nomination, I think a huge portion of his supporters will see in McCain a very fine and honorable man with whom they have some honest disagreement on some issues. I think they will prefer him to Hillary.

Hard to see how the Dems win in November...

[Ranger]

The Clinton campaign has unleashed the big guns. I just got back from the store and while standing in the checkout line I saw this weeks cover of the National Enquirer. The main pannel: Obama's Secrets!

Sub-Headlines:

Friendship with Terrorists

His dealings with a shady Chicago businessman

Shouting matches with his wife over Other Women!

Now those aren't word for word, but they are pretty close. And if you think this doesn't matter, I strongly disagree. From my own experiences growing up, the National Enquirer is standard reading in a lot of working class households.

[hit and run]

Ranger:
Now those aren't word for word, but they are pretty close.

An enterprising blogger would run out, get a copy and scan it in for a post.

I am a sloth (per MichelleO), however. And I bought all the beer I needed for the weekend on my way home from work yesterday, so I ain't about to burn harmful fossil fuels to go get the magazine.

Too bad.

(nationalenquirer.com doesn't show any obama stories! dammit, what is a pajama-clad sloth supposed to do!??!!!? -- Lisa Marie is pregant, we find out, though, so all is not lost; oh and in Taranto, bottom stories of the day fashion, we find out that Jerry Seinfeld is not returning to tv)

[clarice]

That leaves an opening for us, Hit-yadayadayada,,,,,

[Ranger]

Sorry hit,

I didn't pick it up because I figured I already knew all the key points.

Friendship with Terrorits - Just figured that was the old Hyde Park Weather Undergrounders.

The second one is obviously Rezko.

The third one I figured was about the female campaign staffers who have been shooting holes in the hull of his campaign this week.

If I make it to the store tomorrow I will pick up a copy.

[MikeS]

capitano,
Thanks for the link. I hadn't seen it but I love it! I think McCain is most believable when in patriot mode.

[centralcal]

This morning, drinking my wake-up brew of java, Clarice penned her lyrics for Camp Town Races on one of TM's threads. Dang you, Clarice, I have been humming it all day! And, grinning like hell too!

Porchlight, I so agree with you about "speaking truth to power." Gag. Whose truth? Whose power?

Okay, I have been gardening all day (sorry for all you guys in cold climes, we don't have much of a Spring here. Goes from Winter to Summer in the blink of an eye.) and now have to catch up with all of the brilliant comments here on soooo many threads!

[hit and run]

centralcal:
Okay, I have been gardening all day (sorry for all you guys in cold climes, we don't have much of a Spring here. Goes from Winter to Summer in the blink of an eye.)

Why apologize? The visual is more than enough.

[centralcal]

Oh, it wasn't so much an apology as an expression of sympathy. I AM sorry for all of the folks who are still being deluged with wintry snow and ice!

Damned global warming! Just think, if there were no Algore, y'all might be seeing an early Spring!

[centralcal]

"He needs more commenters, but that format stinks."

Hey, hey! I am a commenter! Well, I was one time, but it keeps rejecting my password every time I've tried since! Instead, I just comment here at JOM cuz I know VIMH will see it eventually. grin.

[Other Tom]

"Speaking truth to power" has made me retch each and every time I've heard it, right from the first time. It (a) reeks of self-congratulation, (b) presumes that "power" speaks only falsehood, and (c) invests the speaker with some sort of "courage"--courage of the very easiest kind, I might add.

Whoever equated it with "social justice" was right on the money. I also recoil a bit from "intellectually dishonest" (which seems indistinguishable from plain old "dishonest," except that it is uttered by people who want us to think they are intellectual).

[Other Tom]

God damn it, all three phrases make me so mad I'm going right down and shake up a Martini! I'll show 'em!

[Ann]

"Why apologize? The visual is more than enough."

OK, it is a nice visual, but I am still snowed in with three kids, no husband, and no one to shovel the drive except for me. The kids helped for awhile, but it turned into a snowball fight and they turned the snow blower on ME. How's that for a visual!! ;)

[Porchlight]

Other Tom, that was me with the "social justice." I'll drink to the wretchedness of those three phrases, too. (My parents just sent me a case of Burgundy for my birthday next week so I am happy to drink to anything!)

Sorry about the snow, Ann. I know from ten years living in Minnesota that it looks more fun than it is, much of the time.

[Ann]

Over at Malkin, commenters are praising Judge Reggie B. Walton for putting the arrogant media finally in their place. How soon they forget! Someone should ask Mr. Libby how he feels.

Judge Reggie B. Walton

[Ann]

Porchlight,

May I be the first to say "Happy Birthday" and how brave I think you are for disclosing it.

I don't think I will ever tell JOM my B-Day. Someone might dredge up all the stupid comments I have made or remind me of my errors in spelling and punctuation. Sheesh, that would be one long thread. Tee Hee

[Ann]

Oh, good Gawd. I hope everyone took my last post the right way. I was only referring to my stupidity, not anybody else.

{VIMH}: I think they get in now, Ann.

[hit and run]

Other Tom:
all three phrases make me so mad I'm going right down and shake up a Martini! I'll show 'em!

Whilst I share your disdain for those phrases, I absolutely and unapologetically refuse to shake my beers over them.

::shakes fist::

I hope that sufficiently signifies my solidarity with your reaction.

[hit and run]

Ann:
no husband, and no one to shovel the drive except for me. The kids helped for awhile, but it turned into a snowball fight and they turned the snow blower on ME. How's that for a visual!! ;)

I hope you know that if you were within three hours of here, I would be in my car even now.

And sorry, I side with the kids turning the snowblower on you.

Maybe you wouldn't want me helping you afterall...fair enough!

[hit and run]

Ann:
May I be the first to say "Happy Birthday" and how brave I think you are for disclosing it.

I call second! Happy Birthday Porchlight!!!

[Porchlight]

Thanks, Ann and Hit! I usually don't celebrate my birthday too much, but the wine was an extra-special treat. It'll be nice to peruse future JOM threads of an evening with a decent glass instead of the cheap stuff I normally can afford...

[narciso]

Brennan is symptomatic of a wider problem in American intelligence. He was the unnamed
former briefer to Tenet, in Bob Baer's who ended up the Station Chief in Saudi Arabia, with no critical covert or language
experience. Logically, he was subsequently promoted to the first counter terror coordination center. Of course, he would end up in Obama's camp, as what steps to correct in the national security bureaucracy. Of course, Ron Paul's acolyte,
Michael Scheur, with the critical background
in obscure Canadian diplomats, not only
understands Bin Laden, he agrees with his goals and even rationalizes some of his methods. Other unnamed Company men ,seen in
Susskind's tale, actually think that Bush is the greatest ally of Bin Laden

[Jane]

Porchlight,

Happy B-day. Nothing is like a JOM b-day. I never celebrate mine much, so this one might have been a favorite. And case of burgandy sounds just about perfect.

[clarice]

Happy birthday,porchlight.

[Ann]

Hit,
"I hope you know that if you were within three hours of here, I would be in my car even now."

You are the best!! {VIMH}: Sweet dreams, Tonight!

"And sorry, I side with the kids turning the snowblower on you."

It was pretty funny. I think the dog even laughed!