Nightly Ramble:Liar?; Packer; The Virtues of Limited Powers; More;

Welcome to the most intense nightly read on the ‘sphere… BitsBlog’s Nightly Ramble

Around 24 hours from now we’ll be hip deep in it, though I eexpect we won’t have a good answer to the question of who won thw White House for another week or so. Let’s get to this.

The Politico, who I tossed a proverbial grenade at the other day, has decided to put up the 10 most viral videos of the campaign. Almost makes up for what I was blasting them over. Not quite, but…

• Mickey:
  

  Greg Sargent is shocked by John McCain’s “lying.” Those of us who opposed McCain’s campaigns for illegal immigrant legalization–sorry, “comprehensive reform”–are maybe less shocked. McCain routinely lied during the immigration debate when it suited him–saying the illegals he legalized would “not be in any way rewarded for illegal behavior” (BS), that they’d have to go to the “back of the line behind everybody else” (not the most important line), and that he does “not support nor would I ever support any services provided to someone who came to this country illegally” (BS he does and BS he did). … He got away with this serial dissembling because most reporters thought he was on the right and compassionate side of the issue. And, of course, that he got away with it may help explain why he dissembled in the first place–he knew he wouldn’t be punished by the press if he deceived to get what he wanted. … Now he knows he’ll be punished, but he feels he has no choice (if he’s going to get what he wants). … That’s a distinction, I guess. But not necessarily a moral one.

  I’m unconvinced “lying” is the appropriate term here. Let’s lay the foundation for this… Remember, readers, that Bush was is and always will be a centrist. McCain lost his previous nomination efforts mostly on the basis that he came down to the left of Bush on most things. Seems fair to suggest, then, that McCain’s judgement is like that of a liberal on many things.

  Now, understand, I’ve long held that liberals have a tendency to blind themselves to the truth when a goal hangs in the balance. Like, for example, the goal of increasing the number of minorities in homes. Liberals blinded themselves to the reality of what that would do to the economy when the reality hit that the bankers weren’t being racist when those loans got turned down before, they were simply following good business practices. We see today how that worked out. Liberals today are blinding themselves to the reality fo what Obama represents, too, else he’d not be in the position he is.

  What all this is leading to is that I think McCain allowed himself to be blinded to the truth of the matter, in the case of illegals. To his credit, he did an about face once the facts of the thing overwhelmed the arguments for what he and the left called ‘comprehensive reform’. To call someone a liar suggests they knew on a concious level, that what they were saying is not the case.  there are plenty of negatives on McCain, many of which we’ve listed here. Frankly, Mickey, that said, I think you’re off base with this one.

• Speaking of Kaus, it’s by way of him we turn to Patterico. Says Mickey:
  

  Will Greg Packer Outlast the MSM? Five years after being exposed (by Ann Coulter) as “the entire media’s designated ‘man on the street’ for all articles ever written” and banned by the AP, Greg Packer’s triumph over the MSM is complete: Patterico documents his Friday humiliation of the New York Times. … He will dance on their graves, and maybe give a celebratory quote to Mayhill Fowler. …

  As I said when Coulter first broke this one years ago, one can’t help but wonder… is Packer gaming the system, or is he simply part of the game the press is playing? Either way, doesn’t look good.

• If you use electricity, you need to know thet nearly 70% of our electricity is generated by coal. So, if you use electrictity, you need to hear this.
• Rumors going around that Saddam was stabbed six times after he was hung. Not enough. His yacht is up for sale, though.
• I spoke the other day about Obama’s Aunt. Where’s his Uncle… also an illegal? 
• Shakir Stewart hits the off switch
• We hear Joaquin Phoenix says he’s done with movies. Well, that’s OK. When’s the last one you did, anyway? You’ve got a few in the can, too, as I recall. Sorry, not impressed.
• No kidding, Cindy.
• About bloody time…
  

  DEVELOPING: A military jury has convicted a man who was accused of being an aide of Usama bin Laden and making propaganda videos for Al Qaeda in the second Guantanamo war crimes trial.A jury of officers announced the verdict Monday at the U.S. base in Cuba.

  The jury of military officers voted to convict Ali Hamza al-Bahlul of Yemen, who faced charges of conspiracy, solicitation to commit murder and providing material support to terrorism.

  Apparently the only question is how many life sentances he will get. Personally, I’d like to see this guy get one life sentance, to start the moment he’s tossed out of a plan at 40,000 feet over Mecca. How long he lives depends on how long he can remain airborne. Oh… and televise it. Make sure AlJezeria gets a copy.

• Reynolds make a point:
  

  SO PEOPLE ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT ARE BOTH worried sick about the election. Both seem more worried about the other guys controlling the White House than anxious to win themselves. (Some are very worried). They’re right to be worried, of course, at least to a degree. The Presidency is an office of great power.On the other hand, if the federal government were properly limited to its constitutional powers, there would be much less to fear, and elections would be less stressful for all concerned. Just a thought.

  Just so, Glenn, but I get the feeling I’m going to be reminding you you said this, in the not so distant future.

• I think in the end, GWB will be seen as a good man.
•  This kinda makes you want to take up long distance running, doesn’t it?
• Influenza and Diabetes? Go and read… particularly if you’re a diabetic.
• Boortz asks a number of questions you really ought to ask yourself before voting.
• VDH is a must read today. He says this election makrs the end of Journalism.  While he’s correct that the MSM has exposed itself as totally   in the tank, frankly, this has been a long time in coming.. and Victor, I gotta tell ya I never figured this would go any other way. Did you, really? Apparently, drowning in red ink, while those NOT in the tank rake in the bucks, isn’t enough to set them back on the path of real news-gathering? So be it; Let’s grab the shovel, and get digging, and bury the dead. However that may be, let’s at least bury this idea that the MSM is anything but Leftist shills.
• Me at Q&O :
  

  I will quietly remind the assembled, that in the last polling before the 2004 election, Kerry was ahead by 5 points or so.If you’ll recall, Bush won by 3

  Is this happens two cycles running, how long will it take for the various news agencies to scrape the egg off their faces?

• Another goes under the bus
  Another goes under the bus
  And another one gone
  And another one gone
  Another goes under the bus
• Beck is in  Johannesburg, touring.  Have a safe trip, man.
• Passing thought: Most elections have but one negtive by which the election is decided.  The trouble with Bill Clinton, and now Barack Obama, is that they both present target rich environments, and one cannot stick to one attack in pointing out the negatives. So target rich is Obama, and Clinton before him, that one simply cannot tell the truth abut them, without being seen as ‘going relentlessly negative’.  The truth, you see, is often negative.