Thursday, September 22, 2005

Quick Takes From The Lame, Strike That, The CORNER On NRO...

FEINSTEIN [K-Lo]Yup, she's a no-go on Roberts. Expect her to get a Glamour Woman of the Year award or something for her "courage" and "independence" (did not cave with Leahy).

SEEMING REASONABLE [Jonah Goldberg ]

Interesting piece in today's NYT on the Dems' conundrum over Roberts. The base wants blood, the leaders want to hedge. Here's Norman Lear on Schumer's equivocation:

Mr. Lear said he respected Mr. Schumer's desire to seem reasonable, but added that this conciliatory approach had not worked for the Democrats for five years. "I really believe down to my toes that the American people are looking for authenticity," Mr. Lear said.

Two points: "...Schumer's desire to seem reasonable..." I love that. It may just be sloppy writing, but it does underscore the sense in which everyone understands that Schumer is not, in fact, reasonable. He merely wishes to "seem" as such.

Second: "looking for authenticity." Here again, the assumption from the base is that one cannot be "authentic" and at the same time be torn about Roberts. Authentic liberals must act on their hatred for Bush (this point is clear given the context of the larger article) or they aren't authentic liberals. It's just so axiomatic.

Kathryn Jean Lopez first: Most things coming from Ms Lopez are a damn fine read, but it does bother me when people feel it necessary to include their middle name. Only politicians or serial killers or Presidential assassins get to use their middle name. That aside, Di-Fi IS a lock for some goofy women's magazine's "Tough Chick Of The Year" award.

Johan Goldberg thinks that emphasizing the obvious is the way to go, and for the most part that's what poor writers do. Having to explain Chuckie the Shoe's machinations is akin to spending several pages on how really really evil the devil is, and nothing more than a tautology. Wait...he said "axiomatic". Never mind.

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