Assrocket blames Harkin for Schiavo memo mess

[quaoar]

The right-wing just can't bear to admit they fucked up big time on this.

This is posted at http://www.powerlineblog.com/

A reader asks a good question: Where has Tom Harkin been for the last two and a half weeks? If he had come forward on March 19 or 20, there never would have been a "talking points memo" story, or at least not much of a story. The truth--that an obscure Republican staffer wrote a dumb memo that hardly anyone saw--would scarcely have created a ripple. The whole point of the story, as initially reported, was that the document was an official "GOP memo," created by the party's leadership and broadly circulated to the party's Senators. If Harkin had told what he knew promptly, that story never would have been written, or would have been promptly spiked. So it seems likely that Harkin stayed quiet because he wanted the false account to circulate; indeed, he may have been the source of the misinformation promulgated by ABC and the Post. But then, why did Harkin come forward yesterday? Again, the most obvious answer does Harkin no credit: with speculation increasingly focusing on the Democrats as the likely source of the memo, it was in his party's interest to come forward, even at the risk of exposing the falsity of the early reporting on the memo.

[RobertSeattle]

1. "A Reader Asks"

This is similar to Fox New's "Some people say" - getting to say something without any attribution.

I just looked at PowerLineBlog so I'm technical "a reader" now. I'd like to ask, "Why does PowerLineBlog shamelessly tow the GOP party regardless of the facts"

[keithjx]

2. I guess

If you don't mind lying and sounding like a stupid ass, you can come up with an explanation for anything.

idiots.
KJ

[Oreo]

3. Whenever I hear thr name Hindrocket....

I think of Jeff Gannon. Funny... they have a connection in the Daschle Senate race.

[gratuitous]

4. Yeah, how DARE Harkin reveal the truth?

And put the lie to Powerline and its rantings??? Didn't Harkin know how foolish it would make the dummies on the right look? Didn't he care that they look like a bunch of braying jackasses? The nerve!

I absolutely LOVE the sound of desperation in the morning. Sounds like . . . victory.

[quaoar]

8. What assrocket is saying

is that if Tom Harkin had come forward a week ago, he and the rest of the right-wing hate machine would not have made such asses of themselves. So, Harkin was obligated to stop them from making fools out of themselves.

It's breathtaking, isn't it?

[sadiesworld]

9. Gee, I sort of like the idea that the pubs got played by Harkin here.

I don't believe it, but the thought of the dems actually learning to beat the pubs at their own games makes me goosepimply. :)

[KoKo]

5. UM....maybe send RocketAss this on the "obscure Repug Staffer"......

Brian Darling, who most recently was general counsel to former Sen. Bob Smith, R-N.H., has joined the Alexander Strategy Group. Darling, 37, co-founded and co-chaired the Conservative Working Group, a weekly legislative strategy meeting of conservative congressional staffers. Previously, he served as a counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee and as an aide to then-Sens. Paul Coverdell, R-Ga., and Steve Symms, R-Idaho. Darling is originally from Massachusetts, but some of his most interesting political experiences occurred in Florida. When the Elián González controversy was brewing in January 2000, Smith happened to be there for meetings about the Everglades restoration. Smith and Darling visited the home where the young Cuban refugee was staying-an experience that persuaded them to draft legislation that would have provided Elián with permanent residency.

That fall, Darling worked on the Bush-Cheney recount team in Miami-Dade County. In one incident, Darling says, he successfully demanded that nine votes sought by backers of Al Gore be denied. The Alexander Strategy Group was founded by Ed Buckham and Tony Rudy, former aides to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas. It is affiliated with the law firm Swidler Berlin Shereff Friedman and its communications and lobbying subsidiary, the Harbour Group.
http://www.mydd.com/story/2005/4/7/0825/82781

[rodeodance]

10. interesting character (low level staffer my foot!!)

[Contrary1]

11. Let's do as the writer suggests:

"Update: (Chris) They wanted to make a big deal of this, so let's play along. Go to Yahoo and rate this story up. Surely the delicious irony alone is worth it."

(already at 4.10 with 1,142 votes)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050407/ap_on_go_co/schiavo_senate_memo

[bklyncowgirl]

6. Letting these morons hang themselves out to dry was great.

Good strategy!

[wicket]

7. What a tool!