May 15, 2013

"Liberals who are dreading the scandal-mania that is taking hold should note that it contains a potential upside..."

How many liberal columnists have typed intros like that and then paused, wracking their brains for something to write next?

IN THE COMMENTS: Henry said:
Oh cripes, it's just Greg Sargent reading the entrails for a utilitarian polyp.

I was hoping for something more tangible. Something like "Liberals who are dreading the scandal-mania that is taking hold should note that it contains a potential upside: We could steal our souls back." 

63 comments:

I'm Full of Soup said...

So according to Plum Line, we can save two bankrupt Ponzi schemes by doing nothing? And btw, Plum Line is an odd name for a column that encourages us to stay on the current path to insolvency.

George M. Spencer said...

The upside is President Biden.

Clean slate!

Scott M said...

Probably about double the number of conservatives that started articles like that after the Chief Justice decided the ACA could survive as a tax.

Oso Negro said...

Oh, Megan McArdle delivered just fine.

Nonapod said...

Liberals who are dreading the scandal-mania that is taking hold should note that it contains a potential upside: It could make a Grand Bargain that includes cuts to Medicare and Social Security benefits even less likely than it already is. That’s because when scandal grips Washington, a president actually needs his core supporters more than ever to ward it off, making it harder to do anything that will alienate them.

But of course it could also torpedo immigration reform, the other big Liberal wish item. Not to mention the possibility of an impeachment.

Michael K said...

"when scandal grips Washington, a president actually needs his core supporters more than ever to ward it off, making it harder to do anything that will alienate them."

THis guy does not understand math or economics. No surprise there.

Henry said...

Oh cripes, it's just Greg Sargent reading the entrails for a utilitarian polyp.

I was hoping for something more tangible. Something like "Liberals who are dreading the scandal-mania that is taking hold should note that it contains a potential upside: We could steal our souls back."

Robert Cook said...

The upside would be that Obama supporters might wake up and see they have been conned by a flim flam man and that, in fact, maintaining hope or trust in establishment Democratic politicians and practices is a loser's game, a way to insure the institution of "Republican" policies under an "acceptable" guise.

It's time to ditch the Democratic Party and establish a new one.

Scott M said...

It's time to ditch the Democratic Party and establish a new one.

Well, you can't use Tea Party, as it's been done. Besides, if you did use it, you're more likely to feel the wrath of the IRS.

traditionalguy said...

The Obamas are just showing of their powers to kill with drones and intimidate with the IRS Gestapo. And the Dem Senate still blocks all push backs.

What are you gonna do? Call honest Media coverage to be the GhostBusters?

That is the upside the Liberal-fascists are feeling to be a good thing.

The Godfather said...

And of course Obama's record shows how eager and effective he is in working with Republicans to craft policies that benefit the country.

gerry said...

Oh, Megan McArdle delivered just fine.

Especially the part about this not rising to Watergate levels.

gerry said...

By the way, Meade, I think the Cardinal looks extra angry this morning.

garage mahal said...

The upside would be that Obama supporters might wake up and see they have been conned by a flim flam man

That may be true, but we're still left with all the ginned up pseudo-scandals Republicans are so good at whipping up.

"If you just connect these 5 missing dots, this scandal is bad!"

Anonymous said...

My interpretation of Drudge's finger pointing this morning:

Do not ask with whom the buck stops, it stops with thee.

bagoh20 said...

If there is no upside to discovering scandals, then hiding them must be a good thing.

House Democrats can introduce a bill banning the disclosure of any scandals involving government officials. That would prevent this kind of problem.

Joe Schmoe said...

Good. It's about damn time that they've finally been forced to write something like that.

The potential upside for Progtards is that the ever-swinging pendulum of public opinion means that your influence has crested. The sooner you get to the oncoming trough, the sooner you can start your ascendency back to the top.

Governing just ain't your bag, baby.

campy said...

The upside is that some voters will think the repubs are being mean by harping on the scandals.

BarrySanders20 said...

A tangent to this are the editorials from the liberals that denounce the scandals, but oh so begrudgingly. I noticed that the Journal Sentinel likes to identify the wrongdoers as "the government" or "IRS,", "FBI", never reaching or identifying "the Obama administration." The editorial's only mention of Obama was to note that he "denounces" the tactics. Not before Obama and his executive branch agencies were exposed, though.

If this happened under a R president, they would be all over the president with "the buck stops here" assertions. Hard for them to acknowledge the incompetence and arrogance of Obama, since that is admitting something they cannot bear. Best to accuse the various entities within the executive branch to save face.

Sorun said...

Not everyone thinks this is a scandal.

"Julian Bond, with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said during a Tuesday interview on MSNBC that it’s only right and just that the federal government and the IRS target tea party groups."

Darrell said...

Lois Lerner, the senior IRS official at the center of the decision to target tea party groups for burdensome tax scrutiny, signed paperwork granting tax-exempt status to the Barack H. Obama Foundation, a shady charity headed by the president’s half-brother that operated illegally for years.

According to the organization’s filings, Lerner approved the foundation’s tax status within a month of filing, an unprecedented timeline that stands in stark contrast to conservative organizations that have been waiting for more than three years, in some cases, for approval.

Lerner also appears to have broken with the norms of tax-exemption approval by granting retroactive tax-exempt status to Malik Obama’s organization.


Its president and founder, Abon’go “Roy’ Malik Obama, is Barack Obama’s half-brother and was the best man at his wedding, but he has a checkered past. In addition to running his charity, Malik Obama ran unsuccessfully to be the governor of Siaya County in Kenya. He was accused of being a wife beater and seducing the newest of his twelve wives while she was a 17-year-old school girl.



Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2013/05/14/irs-official-lerner-approved-exemption-for-obama-brothers-charity/#ixzz2TNCubNKY

Henry said...

If this happened under a R president, they would be all over the president with "the buck stops here" assertions.

The begrudging often requires a dredging of Bush-era scandals for "context".

I've noticed multiple cases now where the Plame kerfuffle is brought up with general condemnation assigned to the "Bush Administration".

Most egregious is a newly minted Media Matters tin-foil confetti operation that links to a 2005(!) Think Progress piece on "23 Administration Officials Involved In Plame Leak". Richard Armitage is not mentioned, not even in a footnote.

edutcher said...

The only upside is the one their heads get hit with.

Even some Senators are looking dicey this morning.

St. George said...

The upside is President Biden.

President Biden is sounding more and more like President Benson.

garage mahal said...

The upside would be that Obama supporters might wake up and see they have been conned by a flim flam man

That may be true, but we're still left with all the ginned up pseudo-scandals Republicans are so good at whipping up.


Tell it to the AP.

Brennan said...

Do you think the Washington Post has a budget entry for "ease the liberal pain"?

If so, I bet it is costly.

Brennan said...

Too bad Mr. Plum couldn't pin the blame on Mr. Baucus in the Rayburn Building holding his retirement papers.

tiger said...

'Henry said...
Oh cripes, it's just Greg Sargent reading the entrails for a utilitarian polyp.

I was hoping for something more tangible. Something like "Liberals who are dreading the scandal-mania that is taking hold should note that it contains a potential upside: We could steal our souls back."'

Nah because as we all know that 'once you go Barack you never go.' back

Dust Bunny Queen said...

The Obama suck ups in the media are still trying to dig through that pile of horseshit and find the promised pony.

Meade said...

Robert Cook said...
"It's time to ditch the Democratic Party and establish a new one."

Maybe you could call it the Tea Party.

I'm Full of Soup said...

The media blamed Sec Def Rumsfeld for Abu Graib.

garage mahal said...

The DOJ subpoenaing the AP phone logs is just more proof the liberal media is in cahoots with Obama. Makes sense!

Curious George said...

"garage mahal said...
That may be true, but we're still left with all the ginned up pseudo-scandals Republicans are so good at whipping up.

"If you just connect these 5 missing dots, this scandal is bad!"

Routers
John Doe
Any day. ANY DAY!


BigFire said...

Never waste a good crisis. Team Obama will use this opportunity to destroy Tea Party once and for all.

66 said...

With her talk of bathing and potential scandal upside, Ms. Althouse seems to be channeling Megan McArdle

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/05/14/the-administration-s-taking-a-big-bath-on-scandals.html

66 said...

With her talk of bathing and potential scandal upside, Ms. Althouse seems to be channeling Megan McArdle

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/05/14/the-administration-s-taking-a-big-bath-on-scandals.html

I'm Full of Soup said...

Megan Mccarle is a little dopey or naive when she suggests the Obama admin is brilliantly airing all of its dirty laundry at one time.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

House Democrats can introduce a bill banning the disclosure of any scandals involving government officials. That would prevent this kind of problem.

I think Pelosi and Reid are working on that bill right now. Though, they will have to pass it first, so we can find out what's in it later.

edutcher said...

Nonapod said...

But of course it could also torpedo immigration reform, the other big Liberal wish item.

Nah, the Marathon bombings did that.

garage mahal said...

The DOJ subpoenaing the AP phone logs is just more proof the liberal media is in cahoots with Obama. Makes sense!

Keep whistling.

You're almost out of the graveyard.

ricpic said...

An honest liberal, if such a creature exists, should welcome the opportunity these scandals offer to rid his team of its knaves. Hello? Hello? No answer. Yup, they're ALL knaves.

Hagar said...

Robert Cook said...

"It's time to ditch the Democratic Party and establish a new one."

Revert to "Republican-Democrats"?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Liberals blinded by the Obama light, push one.

Colonel Angus said...

It's time to ditch the Democratic Party and establish a new one.

I agree. This one has done a good enough job of running the country into the ground.

garage mahal said...

Revert to "Republican-Democrats"?

That's what we already have. Republicans, and mental cases.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Do to the high volume of calls liberals waiting to get sight back may wait on the line up to three years.

Robert Cook said...

"Well, you can't use Tea Party, as it's been done."

Who'd want to? They're just kookier reactionary republicans.

B said...

Meade said...Robert Cook said..."It's time to ditch the Democratic Party and establish a new one."

Maybe you could call it the Tea Party.


That would work. Tea party affiliation is already under illegal scrutiny by the old guard so that wouldn't have to be started up from scratch.

I'm all for efficiency in government..

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Oh my... i dont think it will ever get this good. Can you picture the fights to be on some investgative commitee looking into.... anything... let me in coach

Cedarford said...

Liberals who were honestly troubled by the fibbing about Pat Tillmans death by the Army - the ones that truly do have some moral core - have to contemplate this.

Over the coffins of their spouse or dead kid, relatives of the 4 killed in Benghazi were deliberately lied to by the President and the media's future "Presumptive" President (Hillary).
Lied to about who had responsibility for the deaths.
Literally, by those highest ranking officials, standing over the coffins.

If that mental image disturbs some liberals and various women that crave Hillary! and think Obama is their dreamy boyfriend - good!

And if Republicans and moderates are smart, they will connect the scrubbing of the "Talking Points" done by Rice lying to the whole US public with a scrubbing necessary to comport with the lies Obama and Hillary told as they stood over dead American bodies and had their photo op with the relatives.

The image that should last is flag draped coffins and Obama and Hillary, knowing absolutely it was a Jihadi attack - lying for political expediency. The election was tight, he was the one who "Defeated Al Qaeda, killed bin Laden and put the bad guys on the run".
Not a time to be honest with the families.
Then the talking points had to be changed to comport with HIllary and Obama's Dover appearance. And what Obama's reelection people wanted to groom the narrative to be. Then Susan Rice was sent to lie. Then the liberal and progressive jewish puppetteers of the media had to do their own covering action for the Messiah. Blame Romney. Praise Rice as a proud black woman. Claim later that Obama declared it terrorism all along.
While serving the Messiah by not bringing up the Dover lies.
Then Hillary sending her Head Counsel and Chief of STaff and longtime Clintonista loyalist to hush people in Libya and within
DC at State, and get the WH to muzzle the CIA and military.

Sweet!

But whenever it gets complicated - the one image I hope endures in public memory is Obama and Hillary lying to the families, literally right over the flag-covered coffins. And the liberals and progressive jews that covered it up to help reelect Obama and keep "HIllary's future viability for the Oval Office intact" - have some shame.

Colonel Angus said...

Who'd want to? They're just kookier reactionary republicans.

I suppose that's an apt description if you believe that a smaller, fiscally responsible and accountable government is a kooky and reactionary belief.

gerry said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
gerry said...

The DOJ subpoenaing the AP phone logs is just more proof the liberal media is in cahoots with Obama. Makes sense

Obama has revealed how he feels about the MSM. He reviles them, and you, garage, for being such fools.

President-Mom-Jeans said...

Going to go down with the ship Obama eh bitchtits?

Squirel away, say there is no scandal til you are blue in your fat face.

When Bitchtits "SECRET ROUTERS!" Mahal is running his mouth about made-up partisan scandals it has so much credibility.

wildswan said...

The idea that this is all a ploy to get the bad news out - check out the Jon Stewart clip "Into Darkness". It's all about how Democrats not on the payroll feel. Will the IRS come after Democrats someday? And where has Obama left all the people who defended him, who called Republicans names?

ken in tx said...

Robert Cook said...
"It's time to ditch the Democratic Party and establish a new one."

I suggest you use 'Progressive Union Worker's Green Party.' That's what you have isn't? Plus, that would protect you from the IRS.

Clyde said...

I read Megan McArdle's Daily Best article about how the multiple scandal dump might be a good thing for the administration in the long run, and almost did a spit take when she wrote "Of course, none of this rises to the level of Watergate..."

Nobody DIED in Watergate, unlike Benghazi. And siccing the IRS on political opponents is exactly one of the things which was in the articles of impeachment for Richard Nixon. Sorry, Megan, but Nixon only had ONE Watergate scandal going on and he at least had the decency to resign from office in disgrace. Obama's team is currently facing FOUR scandals (Benghazi, IRS, AP Wiretap, Sebelius's HHS fundraising with groups it regulates), not including the "Fast and Furious" scandal that was long since swept under the rug but which would have been enough to send a Republican president to the ash heap of history. And with the formerly compliant media suddenly enraged about a scandal that dared to target THEM, it's entirely possible that they'll actually try to objectively cover the whole slew of scandals -- which would be toxic for Barack Milhous Obama and Co.

Sam L. said...

So that the pro-Obama wackadoodles will cleave unto him even more tightly is an up-side...
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

Rusty said...

Robert Cook said...
"Well, you can't use Tea Party, as it's been done."

Who'd want to? They're just kookier reactionary republicans.

No they're not.

furious_a said...

garage: The DOJ subpoenaing the AP phone logs is just more proof the liberal media is in cahoots with Obama. Makes sense!

For once I agree with garage. As Dennis Miller tweeted yesterday: re AP phone records story. Perfect symbiosis between Prez and mainstream media. They're ass kissers and Obama's telling them to kiss his ass

Put another way, every good pimp needs to beat his ho's now and again, just to keep them in line.

Cedarford said...

To be fair to Nixon, he was just following in the footsteps of FDR, Truman, JFK, LBJ in using the IRS - and nowhere near the excess of FDR, JFK, LBJ. (who were also much more vigorous using the FBI to investigate enemies).

test said...

Robert Cook said...
"Well, you can't use Tea Party, as it's been done."

Who'd want to? They're just kookier reactionary republicans.


You'd think someone with views as nutty as Cook's would think twice about being such a casual jerk. But it goes to show that no matter how extreme the leftist is it never effects their arrogance.

Astro said...

Presumes a fact not in evidence: that liberals have souls.

NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...

Greg Sargent is a hack. I don't need to read him. I can get the same talking points in a dozen other places. That's the definition of hackery.

Saint Croix said...

You know Jason Collins is going, "Son of a bitch!"

Saint Croix said...

Jason Collins is plotting how to get his headlines back. "Maybe I can write gay slurs on a basketball and throw it through my front window."