Gee, Thanks, Allah: Gulp ...

To be honest, I somewhat cringed after seeing which post of mine The Corner has recently linked. As for Allah, I'm assuming it was Allah posting a Hot Air headline: It's on: Jonah Goldberg vs. Dan Riehl on Blago. Gee, thanks! LOL But fair sport, that!

Still, ... reading Goldberg's distorted slap at me I'm wondering if it stems from a limp, as in weakened, wrist, ... too much tattering away on a non-ergonomic keyboard, perhaps? Or it's simply a little Goldberg hissy fit? Who's to say? One would assume Goldberg's wrists are strong from holding the door open for Kathleen Parker at NRO, as I would imagine he does.

If only I could be such a delicate flower as to be capable of weeping over the tragedy of Blago. Alas, my jaded elitism prevents me from loving the people and the constitution as much as Riehl.

Goldberg assumes one straw man and constructs another. It takes talent to accomplishso much in so few words - I'll give Jonah that. However, I've had my share of laughs playing "Blago" here, see links below - so there's no general sanctimony on my part regarding the scandal at all. And no one who reads me much would think me a delicate flower who advocates weeping over anything. Perhaps Jonah's projecting himself?

Is It Rahm, Or Is It Memorex? Sweet!

What Do Blagojevich and Axelrod Have In Common?

I Did Not Have Contact With That Governor, Ray Bag-O-Juice

I took exception to something Goldberg wrote previously. I'll also note he's re-visited the issue at length via Glenn - and didn't include anything similar to what I had pointed out while taking a shot at me in a separate item. Stay classy, jerk! Sorry, I meant Jonah.

It's like when Dan Rather dares the world to prove he's a clueless ass-clown. It's just good stuff. There's no tragedy here. No wasted potential. No undeserving victims.

In fairness to Jonah, he may not have been thinking of the tragedy, or victims of corruption in politics in a general sense when he wrote that. And there may be lingering resentment of NRO on my part for their giving voice to the likes of Kathleen Parker during the campaign. I'm no Palin-robot. But if an allegedly conservative outlet is going to strive to be fair and balanced in the heat of battle, it seems to me they are looking out more for their mainstream, or Inside the Beltway image, than they are for conservatism, or the grass roots. Anyway, so I popped off. That's blogging. Perhaps Jonah was doing the same thing and I misinterpreted his intent. Sh!t happens, even outside of Chicago.

I write all the above because the greater issue really is how are conservatism and the grass roots who vote in large numbers actually being served by NRO. In my view, The Campaign Spot, Steyn, Levin, Kudlow and perhaps some few others, are invaluable must reads. The tittering twits who most frequent The Corner ... not so much.

Sorry, I'm just not impressed with their cyber water-cooler stuff, though I think if they actually interacted with and linked to grass roots bloggers more than they spent time trying to amuse themselves, we'd all be better served. ymmv There's a somewhat interesting conversation going on about that in comments on the original post.

But really who am I to judge? Jonah is smart and talented, no doubt. And in a world where Caroline Kennedy is qualified for the Senate, surely the son of Lucianne is qualified to play like a conservative blogger sometimes. Thanks for the link, Jonah!

Comments

[mark l.]

call it harsh, but Blagojevich is accused of committing treason.

not some legal definition, but the simpler, straightfoward definition.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/treason

1. the offense of acting to overthrow one's government or to harm or kill its sovereign.
2. a violation of allegiance to one's sovereign or to one's state.
3. the betrayal of a trust or confidence; breach of faith; treachery.

seems like the guv hit the last two of the park.

The magnitude of the crime, betrayal of trust, diminishing of respect for govt, abuse of funds is making our society pretty apathetic.

"He's just a crook. A good, old-fashioned, crook. I know I'm supposed to be outraged, and in a certain sense I am."

no. a 'crook' isn't given the trust of the public and the responsiblity to be a fair steward of the people. The damage he has done excedes the magnitude of his crime. Even upon instant and full restitution, he has damaged the crediblity of all govt.

If you believe we can survive as country by accepting that criminality is in the nature of the people we elect, and do not hold the expectations of something more, it is accepting failure.

nothing against jonah, he's a good writer, but the larger point that dan is making is fair. This isn't a simple burglary. This is one of the gravest crimes one can commit.

The sentiment of passivity to other social matters is not an isolated incident. NRO was shockingly silent as the gop jacked spending from 02-06. Not a great position to be in post 06. I love kudlow's optimism, but his post are few and far between, and his emphasis for fiscal responsiblity doesn't even accent his work.

bush and the gop killed small govt, and nro, at best, watched as it happened. There are a ton of small govt conservatives out there, but nro is not going to carry their standard.

[LOL]

WOW THE CORNER LINKED A POST TO A SHITTY 3RD RATE BLOG AND IT WAS ONLY BECAUSE IT WAS CRITICAL OF NRO. THAT IS QUITE SHOCKING AND SPECTACULAR WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THEY WOULD DO THAT? HOW WILL YOU RECOVER FROM JONAH CRUSHING INTELLECT?

[LOL]

man but the commenters just one up you for stupidity. for mark's last post. Isn't Bush just as guilty of the last two? But I'm glad you've discovered a moral compass now.

[mark l.]

bush's guilt is hidden by difussion of responsiblity.

no spending bill was passed without the majority of signatures from both houses.

the Iraq War?
hmmm...war resolution october 2002, while the dems held the senate. Vote among democratic senate, for the gulf of tonkin resolution part deux, 29-21.

It would appear that passivity comes to all of us.

[James Allen]

The nebulous references to vaguely outlined ideas (grass roots wheat grass shakes blah blah) are limp at best, but when juxtaposed against a unilaterally demonized strawman, they become all the stronger (or... STRAWnger)!

Who do the clowns think they are serving in defending the criminals here? Who do they think they are better off aligning themselves with? This is all so pathetically transparent. It's lazy, leftist mental gymnastics at its best.

[Philip McDaniel]

Goldberg's comment was catty at best. I think the Blago coverage on your blog is just fine. As an aside and for what it’s worth, I unsubscribed to NR years before the internet was born…I see they are still begging for money – this time on line.

What’s always interesting and entertaining though, Dan, is how the lefties jump out of the shrubbery on almost every posting here.

[syn]

"is how the lefties jump out of the shrubbery on almost every posting here."

Here's the thing, they're paid to jump.

As for NRO; with the exception of many fine contributers ie Steyn, VDH, Nordlinger, Levin, Ledeen, McCarthy and a couple of others, the principle players do a lousy job of "yelling stop" which I thought was the primary reason NR was founded.

What did it for me was the TNR-Beauchamp incident in which the wagon's circled some nasty 'Dan Rather-like' behavior. Defending fabricated stories just because you attended the same university as the editor who published the fabricated story is not a great tactic to use when 'yelling stop'.

[Jake]

A SHITTY 3RD RATE BLOG ...

Posted by: LOL | Saturday, December 13, 2008 at 03:17 AM

The one you can't stay away from? The one you've dedicated your intellect to for over two years? Must be your 3rd rate intellect flourishes here.

[syn]

I seriously doubt anything will be done about Chicago's whorehouse corruption; there is no way the media, Oprah Winfrey or Hollywood will allow the image of inaugurating the Smartest President in the Wholewide Universe to be stained with any dirty Chicago politics which helped him rise to power.

[jharp]

I get the impression NRO is about to go belly up. I won't miss them.

And always wondered why the cowards don't allow comments. Agree with Dan and the other posters here or not it must be acknowledged that everyone gets to voice their opinion.

And I appreciate and respect that. Cheers.

[Fred Beloit]

LOL: "Isn't Bush just as guilty of the last two?"

Bush is "guilty" of nothing. Everything he has done has been perfectly legal. That can't be said of either Clinton. That can't be said of Reid. Bush's main fault, if you want to talk faults, was attempting too often to accommodate your thuggish and deceitful representatives in Congress, LOL.

[mcg]

"Sorry, I'm just not impressed with their cyber water-cooler stuff,"

Then quit engaging in it.

[allswell]

Before you try to say that Goldberg has no qualifications to be a conservative pundit you should maybe give Liberal Fascism a read. You have really gone over the deep end on this and are starting to come off like the high school kid who didn't get on the chess club travelling squad.

[mark l.]

"And always wondered why the cowards don't allow comments."
read some of your own comments...

I'd rather clean monkey sh*t off a brick wall with my tongue, than have to provide you a forum.
Dan's patience is far more infinite.

[gaping arsehole]

Dude, this is some whiny-ass shit. You're beclowning yourself.

[frank]

Oh,Oh. From personal experience, I know that Jonah gets very nasty when you bring up his mother, Lucianne. I think it's because that's where his job came from. His impostor complex is triggered and he becomes a Lucianne manque, catty, as you say, bitchy and his spewing takes on a Dragon Lady tone. Then, afterward, he reverts to his usual fake butch act, posting about his wife and kids, lest you might have noticed the duel personality scheme that pervades his pique. It's been this way always, Jonah the good (Male) vs. Jonah the crazy bitch (Female) both of which get the gender roles wrong.
BTW: this is not meant to imply anything about his sexuality. I'm sure he's hetero.