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Michelle Malkin has a new book out. If it's as well researched as her two most recent outings -- which featured the classic right-wing technique of gathering any smidgen of evidence one can find to support a thesis (no matter how dubious or downright false) while carefully excising any smidgen of contradictory evidence (no matter how mountainous) -- it promises to be a real mess.

Malkin was on Sean Hannity's program last night touting it. I was particularly interested in how she described it -- heavy on innuendo, intimations of shady dealings, and a major emphasis on First Lady Michelle Obama as a kind of Machiavellian manipulator running the show from behind the scenes. She labels her "the First Crony."

This has a familiar ring, doesn't it? The wingnut right attacked Bill Clinton relentlessly as a corrupt Southerner involved in shady dealings (think Whitewater or Mena), while the Evil Hillary ran the show behind the scenes. And the mainstream right made heavy use of these attacks.

It's just deja vu all over again.

Especially the complete and utter loss of perspective:

Hannity: Now that you've done all this research -- and I'll let the audience, because you really, with great specificity and detail, go into the corruption -- how corrupt is this administration compared to others?

Malkin: Well, I think you have to judge them by their rhetoric. And if you look at the gap between the rhetoric and the reality, this has to be one of the corrupt, most corrupt administrations in recent memory.

Hmmm. I dunno about you, but when I look at the levels of corruption within an administration, I look for actual things like, you know, corruption. Things like Halliburton and Enron.

As for the gap between rhetoric and reality, I usually think of it as matter of disappointment and disenchantment, not of corruption per se (though it can indicate a kind of ethical corruption, depending on the facts). And I think most other people do too.

Malkin and Hannity sure have a strange standard for what constitutes "corruption." Especially considering they not only stood idly by and cheered while corruption ran rampant in Bush's little war zone but aggressively attacked anyone who brought it up as insufficiently patriotic.

TPMmuckraker: The Justice Department called David Iglesias, the U.S. attorney in New Mexico, an 'absentee landlord'—a key reason listed for his firing last December. Just one problem: Iglesias, a captain in the Navy Reserve, was off teaching classes as part of the war on terror.

Consortiumblog: Rove crony and interim U.S. Attorney, Tim Griffin, made claims about his experience as an Army lawyer that have been put in doubt by military records.

Is That Legal? Eric Muller has filed an amicus curiae brief in the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on behalf of Karen Korematsu-Haigh, Jay Hirabayashi, and Holly Yasui challenging their post-9/11 detention

whatever already! Somehow, Paul Wolfowitz's girl friend -- on loan by the World Bank to the State Department-- has now become the highest paid State Department employee.

OFF THE BEATEN PATH: TheApostate, Peripetia, Counterbias,

SolidPolitics, YOUTHinkLeft

Bay Area Houston: Chickenhawk Houston councilman gets punked on his own radio show

Oops..I got punked too! ....and Nicole Belle warned me...

Halfway There: A primer on polling...

(changed the title)

Les Kinsolving, has taken the mantle from Jimmy/Jeff. Why do some republicans think that Alito shouldn't be asked any tough questions at his hearing, especially Lindsey Graham? I know they need the apperance that the Democrats are mean, but it's a rather ridiculous theme. They are only looking for another crony rubber stamp and a way to manufacture a scandal when there isn't one. I wonder how many Press reporters complained of Tom Coburn's endless nonsense? Listen to Les ask this of Scotty:

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Les: Which Senator if any- would you say is uglier than Ted Kennedy? (later) In other words you can't think of anyone uglier can you-then Kennedy...

Scotty: I think the American people expect more from their elected leaders.

I wonder how they fell about Tom Delay and the rest that will fall under Abramoff's scandal? (I know he's been around for a while) We'll keep our on eye on Les.

Kathleen Reardon writes:

"Of course questions should be asked -- and they should be tough ones. Judge Alito's entire career revolves around questioning. If he can't deal with them competently and persuasively, he shouldn't be on the Supreme Court. A cult of no criticism is emerging in Washington, evidenced once again at the Alito hearings. It's like an invisible bubble contrived to protect the White House and most Republicans from challenges...read on

Mike's Blog Round Up

This is how they support the troops and this is how they honor decorated veterans

Rain Storm: Working up to the real WAR CRIMINALS

PERRspectives: Fox News taps Abramoff crony as scandal analyst

Body and Soul: What else are we supposed to do?

Spittle & Ink: Fun with Google

Dem Bloggers: Bush's budget theory? "Borrow and Squander"

What else are we supposed to do?

Spittle & Ink: Fun with Google

Dem Bloggers: Bush's budget theory? "Borrow and Squander"

Crony Ambassador to Britain steps in it again
Robert Tuttle, a Beverly Hills car dealer, presidential friend and fundraiser who is now the ambassador to Britain was forced into an embarrassing retreat after his embassy clarified comments he made denying that the United States was involved in removing terrorist suspects to Syria---- Tuttle's appointment came after nearly a year without a US ambassador, which sparked controversy over how seriously the US treats the position. ....read on"

He's not very smooth for a car dealer is he. Cars-horses-what's next in the culture of cronyism?

During Scotty's press briefing a reporter asked:

Q: Do you have any information that she was a registered democrat?

A: I don't know what her affiliation was back then. I do know that there were not a lot of republicans back in the 70's and early 80's in Texas.

Wouldn't that be a hoot if she was a registered democrat back in the day. Usually Scotty would have a little more info than that and his answer deflected the point entirely. It only supports the point that she's a crony and went where the money was.

Duncan makes some great points about her nomination: "They wanted to watch Democrats howl and scream and then ultimately lose a nasty confirmation battle. They wanted this to be their "WE RUN THE COUNTRY AND THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT" moment. Whatever kind of judge she would be, she doesn't provide them with that.

Kitzmiller et al. v. Dover Area School District: National Center for Science Education podcasts, transcripts, and more, giving a blow-by-blow from the Dover PA., Intelligent Design as science, trial.
Bob alerted us to Crony Jobs: "PRESIDENTIAL PALS & BACKERS...Apply now to secure a lucrative career both decrying and luxuriating in the spoils of Big Government! No experience necessary! Don't miss your chance to suckle greedily at America's soon-to-be-bankrupt bureaucracy teat!"

That Colored Fella: The real possibility that a Justice Miers could be the ideological twin of a Sandra Day O’Connor, has devastated an Evangelical Right fully expecting, at least, a Judge Roy Moore in drag.

Big Daddy Malcontent lives up to his handle.

THE BRAD BLOG: "The Fight for American Democracy Continues..." We're not supposed to be talking about this issue at all, 11 months after November 2nd, 2004...
Justice Miers could be the ideological twin of a Sandra Day O’Connor, has devastated an Evangelical Right fully expecting, at least, a Judge Roy Moore in drag.

Big Daddy Malcontent lives up to his handle.

Jarvis on Reliable Sources

Reliable Sources about the Miers nomination.

JEFF JARVIS: ...Well, no, you know, if this weren't so profoundly important, Howard, it would be a great comedy. The problem here is that John criticized his own on the right, and yes, they have been shrill and they can't figure out how the heck to get out of this mess that their boss got them into. But I'll criticize my end of the spectrum on the left, and say that I think the left has been cynical about this and say, well, maybe we should just back her because who is going to come later is worse...

I completely disagree with Jeff on this front. The left is watching the right eat their own over this pick and isn't thrilled with her nomination either, so I don't understand what point Jarvis is making other than to slam democrats. Who on the left is saying to back her for those reasons? Many of us feel this was just another crony appointment.

Armando: "... I think it would be great politically for Democrats if Bush caved in to the Wingnuts, withdrew Miers and then sent up Janice Rogers Brown or Priscilla Owen. That is a battle of ideas Dems should relish and Dems should win..."

I like Jeff personally even though I don't always agree with him, but these are the types of responses that anger bloggers on the left. This is another reason why I'm getting sick and tired of the 24/7 cable shows always putting on the same faces that are supposed to represent bloggers when most of them belong to the same club as the hosts. Hey, if I'm Jarvis and I'm asked to go on TV then I'm going. Most of the fault belongs squarely on the networks in this case.

Eric has a take on this as well.

Roger Ailes puts in his two cents: Unreliable Soreasses

Harreit Miers is toast. When idiot pundits, circus clowns and right wing politicians go on about how nasty the confirmation process is--they can look at the conservatives that skewered her. She was a crony pick for sure, but they have lost all credibility when it comes to complaining about the process.