The Rittenhouse Review

A Philadelphia Journal of Politics, Finance, Ethics, and Culture


Tuesday, July 18, 2006  

POLITICAL NOTES
With Media Miscellany
July 18, 2006

The Gray Lady Goes Darker [*]
Well, there it is, in the New York Times, for the first time ever I'm told, the word that would never appear at this site, out of the mouth of President Potty Mouth. To be honest, I'm less surprised to learn he said it -- what with the tensions of war, and it is yet another Arab-Israeli war, and all that -- than I was to see the Times print it.

It's Not Just Lieberman [*]
Sen. Lieberman isn't the only lawmaker from Connecticut facing, seemingly proudly and defiantly, an anti-war candidate. And David Lightman of the Hartford Courant reports in "Shays' Focus On Iraq Lets Farrell Fire Away": "Chris Shays is happy to make his re-election race a referendum on the Iraq war." Well, good for him. And good for his opponent, Diane Farrell too.

Over to the Dark Side [*]
A brief item by Andrew Ross Sorkin in the New York Times reveals: "The former editor in chief of Time Inc., Norman Pearlstine, will join the Carlyle Group, the private equity group, as a senior adviser on media and telecommunications acquisitions." Pull quote: "He is expected to help find media deals for Carlyle, perhaps in the newspaper industry. Asked if he had formulated a view on whether newspapers were attractive, Mr. Pearlstine said, 'I think it’s a little early.'"

The Lieberman Problem
Duncan Black of Eschaton has an outstanding op-ed in today's Los Angeles Times, "Why the Left Is Furious at Lieberman." Let's listen in a bit:

For too long [Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (Conn.)] has defined his image by distancing himself from other Democrats, cozying up to right-wing media figures and, at key moments, directing his criticisms at members of his own party instead of at the Republicans in power. […]

Lieberman has a long history of providing cover for the worst of Republican actions while enthusiastically serving as his own party's scold. […]

Lieberman looks happiest when playing a "Fox News Democrat," as he did in a February appearance on Sean Hannity's radio program, during which the two exchanged compliments and expressions of friendship and Hannity offered to campaign for him. The senator seems to enjoy Sunday talk shows more than actually doing his job. […]

Lieberman's relationship with the Democratic Party has been one of convenience, not principle, as was proved definitively in late June when he declared his intention to run as an independent if he loses the Aug. 8 primary. […]

Lieberman's problem isn't bloggers, it's the voters of Connecticut, who seem to be increasingly tired of his support for some very uncivil policies, including federal intervention into the Terri Schiavo case, the administration's operations at the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay and, yes, that disastrous invasion of Iraq.

It doesn't get much clearer than that.

They're Coming for the Kids
Also in the L.A. Times, columnist Joel Stein writes about the threat to petting zoos in "The Terrorists Hate Our Baby Animals."

[* Note: Additional items may be posted to "Political Notes" after initial publication but only on the day of publication, excluding post-publication addenda. Such items, when posted, are designated by an asterisk.]

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