First, during the third question, Senator Kerry said that, "The president moved the troops, so he's got 10 times the number of troops in Iraq than he has in Afghanistan, where Osama bin Laden is." This is a potentially huge error, perhaps even a "there is no Soviet domination of Poland" level error.

I don't think that anyone in the know thinks that Osama Bin Laden, even if his [sic] is alive, is in Afghanistan. Even CNN's reporter pointed this fact out immediately after the end of the debate. If Senator Kerry wants to hammer Bush for getting [sic] Osama Bin Laden, he'd damn well better, at the very least, remember which country he's in.

And this also, of course, wasn't a slip of the tongue: it was the center of his entire argument on the matter, namely that Bush has, "got 10 times the number of troops in Iraq than he has in Afghanistan, where Osama bin Laden is." Except he's not there, Senator.

Adam forgets to let us in on the secret of where bin Laden is, presumably because he wants to give that exclusive to Bush.

p.s. Even the readers of Insight have Kerry winning the debate, 45 to 27.

Does this sound familiar to you?

It's not surprising that the campaigns are reaching out to bloggers, of course, but as near as I can tell both sides are eating this up. Bloggers everywhere are basking in the illusion that they're sophisticated media operatives, actively collaborating to figure out the best spin for their guy. Emails are flying around from all parties pleading with fellow bloggers to stay on message.

This is insane. It's bad enough when the mainstream media spends too much time lazily regurgitating talking points, but doesn't the blogosphere supposedly pride itself on being fiercely independent, a small band of brave truthtellers immune to the spin and cant of professional politicos?

Immune? As near as I can tell, bloggers are delighted to find themselves part of the spin machine. It's a real rush.

Kind of boring, though.

Where exactly is this happening? As near as I can tell, none of the blogs I follow read like they're regurgitating spin points or reproducing party hack e-mails. Nor do the ones I read spend much time sounding like sophisticated media operatives. (Only the name of this blog sounds like a sophisticated media operative; although I do wear a smart ascot and drink imported, cask-aged gin from a highball glass whenever I blog.)

If there's an epidemic of insane basking out there, it shouldn't be hard to come up with an example.

How Bad Was He?

Superhumanly bad.

"I thought Kerry did very, very well; and I thought Bush did poorly -- much worse than he is capable of doing." -- National Review's Jay Nordlinger.

Wayne Knight, Call Your Agent

The stupidest lobbying group ever discovers that out-of-work actors work very cheaply, and that original ideas aren't worth the effort.

New CCF Ad Features Seinfeld's 'Soup Nazi'

The Center for Consumer Freedom warns in our latest ad -- featuring the actor who played the "Soup Nazi" on Seinfeld -- that if calorie cops have their way, you could be forced into the Salad Line! (To see the ad, click here.) While this fictional food cop measures each customer's weight to determine what, if anything, restaurant-goers can enjoy, there is actually a real-world food "Czarina" taking away treats from Texas schoolchildren. She's just one of the food fascists who think you're too dumb to make your own choices. If these diet scolds have their way, we may all soon be told (as the star of our latest ad says): "No food for you! Come back when you're thinner!"

Members of the CCF support gluttons' rights, but they're staunchly opposed to parental choice in baby-naming:

We speak up whenever activists propose curtailing consumer freedom. What makes us different from many organizations is that we aren't afraid to take on groups that have built "good" images through slick public relations campaigns. Remember: even an ugly baby can be named "Tiffany." Just because they claim to be "ethical" or "responsible" or "in the public interest" doesn't mean they are. And when they talk about throwing bricks through windows, taxing your favorite foods, or throwing the book at popular restaurants with tobacco-style lawsuits, we make sure you know about it.

The Center for Consumer Freedom is supported by restaurants, food companies and more than 1,000 concerned individuals. From farm to fork, our friends and supporters include businesses, employees and consumers.... Many of the companies and individuals who support the Center financially have indicated that they want anonymity as contributors. They are reasonably apprehensive about privacy and safety in light of the violence some activist groups have adopted as a "game plan" to impose their views.

Because activists could never figure out who is selling unhealthful foods if the CCF didn't tip them off.

In the hilarious sequel to the current spot, CCF has the Food Nazi assault Elaine's rabbi for urging his congregation to follow dietary restrictions during Passover.

Meet Your Liberal Media: Cold Steel Rail Edition

G.O.P. prop comedian Jeff Greenfield delivers an admission of bias and insults Senator Kerry:

Invoking an old debate cliche, Mr. Greenfield's verdict was that "Kerry looked -- and I hate to say it -- as presidential as the president."

And here he is reacting to John Kerry.

Heh.

"The enemy only has to be right 1 percent of the time."

So we install Bush as the head of Al Qaeda.

Kelvin 505.78: The Reading On Lionel Chetwynd's Rectal Thermometer

And the liberal New York Times mentions David Bossie and John Corsi without mentioning their crimes against the truth and, in Corsi's case, his vile bigotry. Very fair and balanced of them.

Update (10/1): Link now works.

Grand Old Police Blotter: Republican Dirty Linnen Edition

A Republican sexual predator gets a slap on the wrist ... not even a pimp-slap ... for exposing himself to women, and keeps his license to practice law.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- An attorney was sentenced to a year and a half in jail for ambushing dozens of women while nude and taking pictures of their shocked expressions.

But Stephen Linnen, 34, won't lose his law license and will be allowed to leave jail to continue work as a law clerk.

He must start serving his time next week after being sentenced Monday under a plea bargain in Ohio's Franklin County Common Pleas Court. He pleaded guilty earlier this month to 53 misdemeanor counts of public indecency, sexual imposition and criminal trespassing.

Linnen, a former lawyer for the Ohio House Republican caucus, has admitted to photographing women while he was unclothed over nearly two years, gaining the name "the naked photographer." He apologized in court, but none of his victims was there.

Judge Tommy Thompson declined to label Linnen a sexual offender, saying he was not a threat to the community and was unlikely to repeat the offense.

An officer of the court who terrorized more than 50 women for over two years. I guess that's the kind of lawyer Republicans like. Does having the name Tommy Thompson automatically make you an idiot, or is it just a coincidence?

The Runaway Liar

William Safliar has another column which bears no relationship to reality. After providing a fantasy version of the facts of the Plame case -- the criminal leaker was a courageous whistleblower ferreting out nepotism in intelligence community -- Safire goes on to bear false witness against the Plame prosecutor.

After questioning possible government sources right up to the president, the frustrated Fitzgerald went after the press with a vengeance and a blunderbuss. He demanded testimony in breach of confidentiality from Time magazine's Matthew Cooper, The Washington Post's Walter Pincus and Glenn Kessler, NBC's Tim Russert, and presumably Novak, who has been ethically tight-lipped.

Most of the reporters and their corporate counsel, unfortunately, have fallen for the prosecutor's trick. (I'd hate to be counseled by a weak-kneed Time Inc. lawyer.) Fitzgerald has coerced potential government sources into signing waivers of confidentiality, backed up by dutiful "nothing to hide" statements. He tells the journalists: See? You have been released from your pledge - now you have no reason not to tell us who talked to you on deep background.

A trick? What trick? Fitzgerald coerced people to sign waivers. Well, which is it? Did he fool them into is signing the waivers, or did he coerce them?

Actually, neither. Fitzgerald can't force anyone to waive his or her rights, and Safliar presents no evidence that he actually did.

But that is no legitimate "release" at all. Such a source-burning subterfuge sneaks around the First Amendment, which ensures free speech. The potential source has been told: Sign here or get fired or, worse, become more suspect for not signing and get prosecuted. That pressure undermines the Fifth Amendment, which is against self-incrimination.

So Fitzgerald threatened to fire Scooter Pie Libby, Fucking Dick Cheney and the rest of the Administration? Amazing. I didn't realize that employees of the executive branch served at the pleasure of a U.S. Attorney. I didn't realize it ... because I'm sane. The only one who could threaten firing would be Bush. But don't expect Safliar to say that.

And Safliar surely knows that a prosecutor can't suggest to a jury that a defendant's assertion of the Fifth Amendment privilege is evidence of guilt, let alone prosecute based solely on a witness's assertion of a privilege.

Feeling his oats, confident of his power to threaten reporters with jail for contempt, Fitzgerald is harassing The Times's intrepid Judith Miller with a subpoena, reportedly in an unrelated case about her investigation of an Islamic charity aiding terrorists. Unlike most of the other reporters, this principled journalist is risking her freedom and defending us all by fighting the subversive subpoena. The Times has retained Floyd Abrams, no pushover, to argue for her right to protect her sources.

Just as Safliar surely knows that Miller has no constitutional right to disobey a subpeona. Maybe Bill's fantasizing about Miller feeling his oats.

I have not discussed these cases with anybody mentioned herein, many of whom I know well, and am not clearing this with any lawyers. Editorialists everywhere fretting about the appearance of self-interest should awake to the urgency of reminding readers and judges of this generation's gravest threat to our ability to ferret out the news.

Aha. Safire finally admits he doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. He didn't actually interview any of the persons involved, he just chose the "apparent" and "presumed" facts he liked to reach a predetermined conclusion. The gravest threat to journalism is hack columnists who don't bother to learn the facts.

A Thousand Points Of Light, Compassionate Conservatism AND Faith-Based Charity, All Rolled Into One

The Capital Athletic Foundation's Web site portrays youths at play: shaking hands over a tennis net, learning how to hold a bat, straining for a jump ball. Its text solicits donations for what it describes as "needy and deserving" sportsmanship programs.

In its first four years of operation, the charity has collected nearly $6 million. A gala fundraiser last year at the International Spy Museum at one point attracted the Washington Redskins' owner as its chairman and was to honor the co-founder of America Online.

Records for GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff's Capital Athletic Foundation show that less than 1 percent of its revenue has been spent on sports-related programs for youths, and federal investigators are looking into how large amounts of money were funneled through the nonprofit group to support Abramoff's interests.

But tax and spending records of the Capital Athletic Foundation obtained by The Washington Post show that less than 1 percent of its revenue has been spent on sports-related programs for youths.

Instead, the documents show that Jack Abramoff, one of Washington's high-powered Republican lobbyists, has repeatedly channeled money from corporate clients into the foundation and spent the overwhelming portion of its money on pet projects having little to do with the advertised sportsmanship programs, including political causes, a short-lived religious school and an overseas golf trip.

The foundation's brief history -- now the subject of a federal investigation -- charts how Abramoff attached himself to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) and, in so doing, became a magnet for large sums of money from business interests. It also demonstrates how easily large amounts of such cash flowed through a nonprofit advocacy group to support the interests of a director.

Internal records state, for example, that Abramoff and his wife, Pam -- who are listed as the foundation's sole directors -- spent more than 70 percent of its revenue from 2001 to 2003, or $4.03 million, on a Jewish school that Abramoff founded in Columbia. The Eshkol Academy operated for two years and schooled two of his sons before closing this spring with unpaid bills, faculty members said.

The co-chair of the gala fundraiser? Tony Snow.

Just remember the new rules: It's okay if you're a Pioneer.

On The Road, by Hack Hairlesshack

Robby Kaus, the Hairless Hack, has been on the road for a month, freeloading off his fellow right-wing Republicans like Tennessee Dim. I'd hate to be the air freshener in that car.

The Hack's hillbilly host thinks that real journalists should emulate Kaus, although its not clear why. The Hack has only written once about his travels, when he bitched about the number of freeway-accessible dirty book stores in the heartland. Undoubtedly Kaus spent more time with racist Lucianne Goldberg and her team of electrolysists than he did with the "real Americans" who've been screwed by Kaus's boy, Bush, and his policies, both foreign and domestic. And being on the road hasn't improved Kaus's subliterate writing style either.

p.s. -- In case anyone's forgotten, Kaus's fake editor gag was "borrowed" from other, funnier writers.

Keyesmentum Like A River

Poll shows Obama's lead on Keyes has grown to 51 points

Associated Press

CHICAGO - Democratic candidate Barack Obama's lead in the race for U.S. Senate has grown to 51 percentage points over Republican Alan Keyes, a new poll shows.

The Tribune/WGN-TV poll published Sunday found that 68 percent of likely voters favored Obama for senator and 17 percent supported Keyes. Last month, a Tribune/WGN-TV poll showed the gap was 65-24.

The latest poll was conducted Sept. 17-20 by Mt. Prospect-based Market Shares Corp. It surveyed 700 likely voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Who knew there were so many socialist atheist lesbians in the Land of Lincoln?

I hope the Ambassador's Cal City landlord got a security deposit.

"Meet the Press had a political panel this weekend that looked like a poker game for mummies."

Damn, I wish I had said that!

The Big Time

In the most exciting development in brand syngery since Time Warner became AOL Time Warner and then stopped being AOL Time Warner, effective October 1, 2004, Roger Ailes will become Roger's Cracker Barrel.

You can read more about the merger here.

Present the previous post at any Cracker Barrel restaurant between now and October 5, and ask for 20 percent off any regular entree. (All fried, chicken and steak-based entrees excluded.)

Cracker Barrel's political action committee, Citizens for Political Accountability, has been a major corporate backer of GOP politics at the state and national level. Since 1992, it has given $313,250 to Republican candidates compared with $14,250 to Democrats, according to an analysis of campaign finance records by PoliticalMoneyLine, the online arm of FECInfo, which tracks political financial activity.

The restaurant company also shelled out nearly $200,000 in soft-money donations before the large unregulated corporate contributions were outlawed in 2002. That total included more than $69,000 to the Republican National State Elections Committee, which allegedly steered $190,000 in corporate contributions to seven Texas House candidates in 2002.