Worst Blog of the Year: Power Line

Counsel to GOP Senator Wrote Memo On Schiavo/ Will Right Wing bloggers recover?

via

WaPo: The legal counsel to Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) admitted yesterday that he was the author of a memo citing the political advantage to Republicans of intervening in the case of Terri Schiavo, the senator said in an interview last night. Brian H. Darling, 39, a former lobbyist for the Alexander Strategy Group on gun rights and other issues, offered his resignation and it was immediately accepted, Martinez said....read on
So the memo was given to Sen. Harken by mistake. It's authentic and other Republicans did read it. The WaPo smacks the conservative bloggers for trying to make it into a Rathergate story.

"Conservative Web logs have challenged the authenticity of the memo, in some cases likening it to the discredited documents about Bush's National Guard service that CBS News reported last fall."

In The Agora got duped last week trying to blame it on Harry Reid: "On Friday four staffers accused a renegade aide to Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) of distributing forged "talking points" to members of the media and claiming Republican authorship. In the Agora's extensive investigations in the alleged "GOP" Schiavo talking points memo reveal possible tricks from low level Democratic aides. Two of the four GOP staffers tell ITA they were eyewitnesses to the exchange.
Harry Reid struck back:

Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) said in an interview Friday that he considered it "ludicrous" to suggest that his party created the document and said Republicans were using such talk to divert responsibility. "I guess the best defense is a good offense -- that's their theory," he said.

La Shawn Barber had to apologize for it. Though she tried to cover "In The Agora's" tracks saying: "It happens to journalists, especially journalists who hate George Bush. What most of us didn’t know was that the so-called staffers didn’t tell Joshua their names. Not even alias, I presume. So in their haste to prove the memos false, they were perfectly willing to smear Harry Reid without any proof.

Of course Powerline looks the stupidest of them all

saying so many things like Mystery Solved and Answer Yes: "A survey by The Washington Times found that every Republican said the memo was not crafted or distributed by him or her. Every one of them said he or she had not seen it until the memo was the subject of speculation in major news organs, particularly ABC News and The Washington Post."
Here's some news for you Powerline

: "Senate Republican aides claimed to be familiar with the memo but declined to discuss it on the record and gave no information about its origin."
If they believe that it didn't go any further than that...there is a bridge I can sell them.

I like Joe Biden's comments

: "...he believed that the memo originated with the GOP because it is "totally consistent" with how the Republicans have operated for the past four years. "They just shouldn't lose their memos."
I think we've all learned something from this. They can huff and puff and burn up the phone lines, but Powerline is the "worst blog of the year"

PS: Malkin is a close second. (

At least site a poll that has something to do with Terri)

(Update):

World O' Crap analyzes Powerline and Brian Darling, the man who wrote the memo: Powerline's Hindrocket on the "Schiavo Memo "The third possibility is that the memo is a Democratic dirty trick. At the moment, that looks most likely.

The

Carpet Bagger Report says: The end of the dumbest … right-wing conspiracy theory … ever

Steve Gilliard writes: Idiots: Here's a hint Howie: the right guys don't do their research. It's all ideology to them.

Armando via Kos writes: Egg on his Face: Kurtz Burned by Powerline: Hindrocket is Kurtz's own personal Curveball.

Talking Points Memo writes: I hope some folks have sense enough to feel like real fools tonight.

MyDD writes: Michelle Malkin can quit worrying about why wingnuts that dream up non-factual stories are ignored (well, we wish they were). As for "the boys at Powerline" (hey, that's what the winger gals call them), they really blew their brand new toaster on this one.

Roger asks us: Who Is Brian Darling? My guess is that Brian Darling will be very, very quiet about his role in the circulating the G.O.P. memo, and will find himself again in a comfortable position in the right-wing lobbying machine very, very soon. If he knows what's good for him.

Shakespeare's Sister soliloquies: Memo to Conservative Bloggers: Better Luck Next Time

Tucker Carlson: Last week a memo surfaced, reportedly written by the Republican members of Congress explaining how to make hay with the Terri Schiavo case, the Talking Points Memo, Ah, I think within a week or two it will become clear that that memo was a forgery, possibly written by Democrats on the hill in an effort to discredit Republicans.

Oliver tells them to all: Shut Up!

Kevin Drum writes: With that, I hope that Power Line and Hugh Hewitt and Michelle Malkin and the rest of the crew trying to relive the glory days of Rathergate will take his lead and just STFU. Enough.

Mykeru writes: What's Good for Their Cooked Goose is Good for the Gander.

0 comments