Josh Marshall just can not shake it. Now, I am not in favor of Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State, not because she won't do a fine job, but because I think she would be more valuable to President-Elect Obama and the nation in the Senate.

Marshall clearly opposes Clinton for State, perhaps even on the merits. But instead of making those arguments, he embraces the Clinton Derangement of the Media and the Right Wing and makes it about the Clinton Foundation:

DesMoinesDem has a great idea - a cleansing confessional of what we got wrong. You first . . . Oh, you want me to go first. Well, can I start on a few things I got right? Ok, I was right about George Bush, Iraq, Alberto Gonzales, John Roberts, torture, warrantless wiretapping, Samuel Alito, running strongly on leaving Iraq in 2006, "throw the bums out," Lincoln 1860, the emerging Dem majority, no Iraq Debacle funding without a timeline, Social Security privatization, Obama as Media Darling and few others.

What I was really wrong about was thinking the Super Tuesday signalled that Obama's demographic limits would cost him the nomination. Obviously it was very close but as John Cole wrote to me - President Obama says hello (to be fair, I knew the Demo nominee would win the Presidency and ALWAYS said so).

Now its your turn.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

Chicago Dyke writes:

Do paid professional journalists have any obligation at all to review the blogosphere, as they produce writing on various topics that are “new to them,” but well-discussed here in the blogosphere? . . . Do any of us deserve credit, or notice, or a chance to respond when our work is…let’s call it “mirrored” in the SCLM?

I think not for the most part. Finding the originator of an idea is an impossible task. That said, bloggers should really try and credit originators as best they can. This reminds me of the time a blogger at daily kos credited Michael Tomasky for the idea of "the Common Good" when it was Congressman Jim McDermott, in an interview FOR DAILY KOS, a good year before Tomasky wrote his derivative piece - who came up with the Common Good theme. Seems to me it is hard to get upset with the Media when the blogs themselves are quick to denigrate and ignore work produced at their own blogs.

Speaking for me only

Top Chef has its season premiere tonight on Bravo.

I'll be watching the Country Music Awards which will have performances by the Eagles, Kid Rock and Keith Urban, among others. Full list of nominees is here.

What are you watching tonight?

They got me. You see I wrote this:

I am sorry to continue to harp on the need for a Unity Ticket, but I feel it is important. . . . [I]s no one but me worried about needing a unified Democratic Party in November? I pray there are grownups in the Obama camp that will give him a reality check on this.

See what a concern troll I was? I wanted a Unity Ticket!! You see, I thought that was the surest (the Cult does not understand the concept of maximizing your chances) bet for winning in November. But the funny thing is they could have gone even further back. I wanted a Unity ticket after Super Tuesday. But I guess they missed my August 6, 2008 post explaining Why Obama Is A Shoo In And How He Can Win In a Landslide:

The Cult is riled up. The funny thing is the Cult, as usual, never actually addresses what is written and then makes stuff up. Indeed, this is the Cult's modus operandi:

I am not going to go through the TalkLeft archives and dig up where BTD gravely intones that Obama can not win the white vote, can not win the Jewish vote, can not win the Hispanic vote, and on and on. I will not dig up all the stupid god damned advice he gave to the Obama campaign(which they, thank GOD, ignored). I will not look up the umpteen posts where the left’s own pompous village idiot warned that Obama could not win without Hillary on the ticket. I will not dig up the polling data that he consistently misread and always curiously interpreted as showing a need for Hillary on the ticket.

The Cult will not because it can not. No such posts exist. I remind my dear readers and the Cult of two words that I used - "shoo-in." Before most. Those who actually can read and actually read my posts know precisely what I wrote. Indeed, what I wrote about John Brennan, a name not mentioned in The Cult's manic response. But do remember this from the Cult: [More...]

As expected, the Obama Cult does not like to read any questioning of their Dear Leader. They demand we all STFU. For the non-Cultists among you, let me introduce you to one John Brennan:

Q: Assess the debate in Congress and with the administration over reforming the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. [Democratic lawmakers allowed the temporary extension of that law, the Protect America Act, to expire, over the vehement objections of the White House.] Why has it come to this point where politics has arguably pulled things off the rails?

Brennan: There is this great debate over whether or not the telecom companies should in fact be given immunity for their agreement to provide support and cooperate with the government after 9/11. I do believe strongly that they should be granted that immunity, because they were told to do so by the appropriate authorities that were operating in a legal context, and so I think that's important. . . . [Director of National Intelligence] Mike McConnell, I think, did a very good job trying to articulate the distinctions between the old FISA law, the FISA understanding under the Protect America Act, and then the House and Senate.

John Brennan is heading the Obama transition on intelligence issues. In the Wall Street Journal article cited today (and the WSJ news pages are not the WSJ opinion page, Obama Bots), the following is written:

Former Hackettstown, New Jersey Patrolman Kevin Barbera committed a foolish crime.

Barbera stole two police radios valued at more than $500 from the trash at police headquarters and gave them to a Forks Township man now convicted of drug and weapons offenses and facing a murder charge.

Barbera entered a guilty plea to charges of official misconduct and theft. A judge put him on probation for two years. Sounds about right for a property crime of small value, even with the teaser that the recipient of the stolen property is now charged with murder (a crime that appears to be unrelated to Barbera's misconduct).

The reporter who authored the linked article writes that Barbera avoided imprisonment due to "loopholes" in a recently enacted New Jersey law that applies a mandatory minimum prison sentence to public officials convicted of certain kinds of misconduct. [more ...]

I have stated here that I think that Senate Dems should keep Lieberman in the caucus in exchange for a no filibuster pledge from him. So I am not upset nor surprised by this:

President-elect Barack Obama has informed party officials that he wants Joe Lieberman to continue caucusing with the Democrats in the 111th Congress, Senate aides tell the Huffington Post.

What I find hypocritical is Markos' slam of Bill Clinton while he remains silent on the stance of the President-Elect. This is, in a word, ridiculous. Rip them both if you like. But to just rip President Clinton while saying nothing about President-Elect Obama demonstrates one of two things - a blind hatred for Clinton or blind devotion for Obama. Either is counterproductive.

Update - Markos writes about Obama - "I've also heard from a Senate staffer that Obama has sent word that he wants Lieberman in the caucus. . . . The logic is pretty obvious -- it allows Obama to look like he's not vindictive." Well, as long as there is logic, I guess that excludes you from being a "battered spouse." Meanwhile, that was Obama Lieberman was ripping this election, not Clinton. Sheesh.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

For the McCain staffers finger-pointing at Palin, for Palin who is now playing the victim and for writers who think criticizing Palin is sexist, this one's for you.

McCain-Palin was a gigantic miscalculation by McCain and a disaster from the get-go. McCain, Palin and their staffers have no one to blame but themselves.

This is an open thread.

Stevie Nicks and Sheryl Crow, 1999.(It was either this or Lou Reed's "Vicious" for the McCain campaign and the media, but this won out.

Rock on- gold dust woman
Take your silver spoon
And dig your grave
....Is it over now- do you know how
Pick up the pieces and go home.

This is an open thread.

As someone who declared war on Larry Summers when he was President of Harvard, I feel comfortable asking Josh Marshall this question - what in the hell are you talking about when you write this?

Just at the level of optics, since the economy is issue number one right now (and not just the real economy of jobs and living standards but the financial architecture itself) and you're trying to look forward not back, why would you pick someone for Treasury who was not only in the Clinton administration but was actually Treasury Secretary in the Clinton administration. Not understanding that.

Let's see Josh - because the Clinton Administration is synonymous with a robust economy and a Presidential Administration that knew how to manage the economy? That being perceived to be like the Clinton Administration on the economy would inspire exceptionally high confidence in the country and on Wall Street? Is Josh Marshall so far gone in his Clinton Derangement Syndrome that he does not know this? Honestly, what is wrong with him?

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only