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Apparently with no intentional irony, Josh Marshall writes:

You've probably noticed Mark Halperin's claim that the level of pro-Obama bias in the election coverage this year was so bad it was "disgusting." I'll leave it to others to analyze what "disgusting" means when deployed by someone who takes his journalistic cues from Matt Drudge.

(Emphasis supplied.) On taking cues from Drudge, Somerby wrote about Marshall:

We’re all Drudge now: How big a Sully-clone is Marshall? In his first update, he responds to a reader who pointed to the obvious case of the Nixon campaigns. That’s why I said the past 35 years, Josh replied. But Josh’s second update shows why he has to go. Incredibly, Josh posts this tired old tripe from a reader. Simply put, we’re all Matt Drudge now:

E-MAIL TO TPM: I don't want to diminish the extent to which the McCain campaign has mired itself in the muck, but I think you are losing the forest for the trees. It should be noted that for whatever reason, McCain has so far refused to go places that Hillary went in the primary (Wright, explicit comments about "hard-working, white" Americans supporting her, distributing emails with pictures of Obama in Muslim garb, etc. [My emphasis]).

Good God! To this day, Josh continues to air that highlighted claim, which originally came from Drudge—a claim whose absurdity became clear within about ten minutes. (As an adept of The Cult of the Offhand Comment, Josh is also eager to throw in the "hard-working, white" quote.)

It is obvious that Mark Halperin is a hack. But he is not the only hack around.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

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  • Display: Sort:
    Don't mind me (5.00 / 2) (#1)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 12:44:51 PM EST
    I am a moron.

    Someone had to get out of the way (none / 0) (#2)
    by andgarden on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 12:51:53 PM EST
    to make room for our new friends Sully and Cole.

    Parent
    that would be (none / 0) (#21)
    by cpinva on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 03:03:01 PM EST
    I am a moron.

    maroon.

    Parent

    Huh? (none / 0) (#23)
    by squeaky on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 03:07:54 PM EST
    A chestnut colored person? Possibly true but I do not think btd was riffing on his skin color as much as other things more mutable.

    Parent
    maroon (none / 0) (#44)
    by Pieter B on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 11:38:08 PM EST
    it's a Bugs Bunny reference, squeaky

    Parent
    That's Ok (none / 0) (#45)
    by squeaky on Wed Nov 26, 2008 at 12:46:16 AM EST
    Never smart (5.00 / 2) (#5)
    by oldpro on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 01:04:11 PM EST
    to go out of your way to hand Somerby a brick or yell "Hit me!"

    "Good gravy," as my grandma used to say.

    Somerby has a surplus of material (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by Fabian on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 01:10:39 PM EST
    supplied by people who act like print pundits - they want you to ignore everything but what they wrote today.

    I do take a guilty pleasure in reading his weekly rip of a MoDo column.  

    Parent

    My pleasure is (5.00 / 2) (#15)
    by oldpro on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 01:19:35 PM EST
    Not Guilty!

    Carry on...

    Parent

    Oh we have Josh, we have (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by ruffian on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 01:06:04 PM EST
    I'll leave it to others to analyze what "disgusting" means when deployed by someone who takes his journalistic cues from Matt Drudge.

    Pretty much completed our analysis.

    Members of Congress (5.00 / 2) (#8)
    by andgarden on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 01:06:23 PM EST
    criticize one-another in open debate more often than liberal bloggers do. It's a funny thing.

    I have nothing to lose (5.00 / 1) (#11)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 01:11:32 PM EST
    by taking on the big boyz. That said, and you folks probably notice it, I am easier on my friends, the 2 or 3 I still have. But I will disagree with them.

    That said, Josh Marshall particularly bothers me, because of his claims to being a journalist.

    His performance the past year disproves that. He is a hack. He simply has no standing to criticize Mark Halperin.

    Well, others (none / 0) (#13)
    by david mizner on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 01:13:24 PM EST
    apparently feel they have something lose.

    Parent
    Some do (5.00 / 2) (#14)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 01:15:15 PM EST
    in tangible terms.

    Others will lose linkage.

    Some people do not have the inclination to really criticize anyone.

    Jeralyn is not afraid to criticize, she just is a very nice person who does not disparage.

    Yet she does not muzzle me. She is a treasure.

    Parent

    you have that many? (none / 0) (#24)
    by cpinva on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 03:14:42 PM EST
    I am easier on my friends, the 2 or 3 I still have.
    :)

    oddly enough, since somerby has come up in this discussion, that pretty much parallels the very issue he spends at least 50% of his time on: the refusal of the so called "liberal" media (in this case, blogs) to deviate from the "village" tale.

    as much as i might rag on you BTD, i'll give you that. generally speaking, you don't hesitate to point out when the "emperor" blogs have no cloths on.

    Parent

    The reason McCain didn't (5.00 / 3) (#16)
    by inclusiveheart on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 01:25:30 PM EST
    "go there" with Wright etc: Because it didn't work.  I believe that that stuff about Obama was generated by the RNC, Drudge and Faux News - mostly because that's where the stuff surfaced in the first place - but even if it came from camp Clinton, it did not work.  Giving McCain credit for being "honorable" is ridiculous and indicative imo of a highly biased view of the situation.

    If you're falsely elevating the stature of someone like McCain in order to "prove" that Clinton is a problem - then you have the real problem.

    I'm getting especially sick of hearing (5.00 / 8) (#17)
    by ChrisO on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 01:26:50 PM EST
    how Hillary used the Rev. Wright issue. I guess when a preacher mocks and criticizes you from the pulpit, and mimics your husband having sex, it's out of bounds to say "he wouldn't be my preacher." It's amazing how many times I see commenters at TPM and HuffPo referencing Hillary's Rev. Wright ads, of which there were exactly none. But I guess saying "he wouldn't be my preacher" is much more offensive than calling Obama a socialist who pals around with terrorists, and would sell out the country to win an election.

    I've made my peace with Obama being President, and have come to admire him in many ways. But as long as his followers keep up this BS, the Democratic Party will remain divided.

    I tend to think it will (5.00 / 2) (#18)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 01:33:25 PM EST
    remain immature and ineffective if it can't get behind its own principles and come to terms with its simple truths.  It's like an alcoholic family sometimes.  You can't tell the truth if it hurts our hero child because then people will find out we are made up of human beings :)

    Parent
    i haven't. (5.00 / 1) (#22)
    by cpinva on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 03:06:16 PM EST
    I've made my peace with Obama being President, and have come to admire him in many ways.

    perhaps, that day will come when i feel like i can trust him farther than i can throw him. at the rate he's going, i'll be dust long before that happens.

    i would sincerely love to be proven wrong.

    Parent

    Josh let his early fame go to his head. Then he (5.00 / 2) (#25)
    by Angel on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 04:59:09 PM EST
    became insufferable.  He's a sexist pig.  And he's a bully.  Does anyone really even read him anymore?  

    Yes (none / 0) (#26)
    by squeaky on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 05:16:11 PM EST
    12,800 hits yesterday up 5% in the last three months. How is your site doing?

    TL on the other hand had 45,082 hits yesterday, but is down 2% in the last three months.

    I check out TPM every few days, and it is not terrible. I did not like the redesign, it makes the site more chaotic, imo.  

    But to imply that he is irrelevant and offers nothing is absurd, imo.

    Parent

    Who said he is irrelevant? Not me. Don't try to (5.00 / 1) (#28)
    by Angel on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 05:27:34 PM EST
    put words in my mouth.  Josh is a sexist pig and a bully.  Enjoy him all you like.  But he has strayed too far from his roots to call himself a journalist any longer.  He is as bad as Drudge.  

    Parent
    Apparently, there is a large internet audience (5.00 / 2) (#29)
    by Dr Molly on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 05:32:47 PM EST
    for sexist bullies with political blogs.

    Parent
    No kidding! I've better things to do with my time (5.00 / 1) (#30)
    by Angel on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 05:35:44 PM EST
    than read sexist, hateful crap.  

    Parent
    Stay far, far away from (5.00 / 2) (#33)
    by oculus on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 05:42:39 PM EST
    unattributed article on Huff Po's politics page about how Hillary Clinton purportedly turned her conversation w/Obama about Secretary of State into an offer of that position.  Growl.

    Parent
    Also, avoid (none / 0) (#34)
    by Dr Molly on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 05:54:17 PM EST
    Christopher Hitchens' latest like the plague. I had no idea how much he hated her, and how much old crap he would dig up to satisfy his hatred, until I read that.

    Parent
    Somerby is a hoot! (none / 0) (#37)
    by Fabian on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 06:01:47 PM EST
    Apparently The Narrative That Will Not Die is being kept alive by various talking heads.

    He makes me thankful that I don't watch cable news....although NPR was using the ambitious, power hungry Hillary Clinton meme this morning.  Still that's a helluva improvement over the b-b-but Bill! and soap opera drama that Somerby is mocking.  Still...the whole "ambitious [dangerous] woman" narrative still strikes me as sexist.  Why did Dick Cheney never get painted as power hungry and ambitious even as it became more and more obvious that he was wielding a lot more power than any other VP?

    If Dick Cheney was seen as older, more experienced and therefore reassuring, why is Hillary not seen as the same?

    Showing CDS is easy.  Showing sexism is hard.

    Parent

    Huh? (none / 0) (#32)
    by squeaky on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 05:41:55 PM EST
    Does anyone even read him anymore?

    Rhetorical question?

    Besides I never quoted you as saying that he was irrelevant. Clearly you imply that he is irrelevant, or should be.

    Parent

    Wrong, not a rhetorical question. It was a (none / 0) (#35)
    by Angel on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 05:56:06 PM EST
    question to the readership of this blog.  So your belief about my implication is also incorrect.  Squeaky, just don't reply to my comments, please.  You and I will probably never agree on anything.  And you just love to argue.  If you don't like what I have to say then just pass by my comments and go to the next one.    

    Parent
    Sorry (none / 0) (#38)
    by squeaky on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 06:08:21 PM EST
    If you do not like my comments, you can ignore them.

    My response was directly about the readership of his blog. Your statement was a general slam on TPM, and I disagree, despite the fact that Josh has CDS, and appears to make sexist remarks on occasion.

    It is no worse than your ODS, though, and at least he offers interesting content.

    Parent

    You have a strange way of reading into comments (none / 0) (#39)
    by Angel on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 06:17:22 PM EST
    and thinking they say something they don't.  I didn't slam TPM in general.  I slammed Josh specifically because, again, I think he's a sexist pig and a bully.  He no longer represents the qualities of a real journalist.  I never said anything about his readership except that you are free to read and enjoy him all you like.  Is this clear enough for you?  Let's make a deal.  I'll ignore you if you ignore me.  Capice?

    Parent
    Sorry (none / 0) (#40)
    by squeaky on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 06:31:25 PM EST
    I will not make any deals with you. If you do not like being responded to by certain commenters, namely me, find another blog.

    I understood your comment correctly. It is clear that you are looking to rally JMM haters. I just think that is silly. He is no ayn coulter, or rush limbaugh, or Hitchens. Not even close. You are free to never look at anything he writes for the rest of your life. Doesn't bother me a bit. Just sounds rather like high school.

    Parent

    Rallying haters? You are truly weird. I'm not (none / 0) (#41)
    by Angel on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 07:28:37 PM EST
    into hate.  And don't tell me to find another blog.  I'll do as I please.  

    Parent
    Good Enough (none / 0) (#42)
    by squeaky on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 07:42:16 PM EST
    I'll do as I please.  
    Guess we agree on something. lol

    Parent
    A direct correlation between (none / 0) (#27)
    by oculus on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 05:20:03 PM EST
    McCain's selecting Palin and decrease in traffic at TL?  Long pants/long legs?  

    Parent
    Nah (none / 0) (#31)
    by squeaky on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 05:38:13 PM EST
    I think it is from the PUMA's leaving. Still not bad traffic, here.

    Alexa is where I got the info.

    2,399,341 sites link to TPM and 3461 bookmarks on Delicious, while 1,267,166 link to TL  with 385 bookmarks on Delicious.

    Page Inlink Analyzer is cool tool.


    Parent

    The quality/thoughtfulness of the comments (none / 0) (#47)
    by MonaL on Wed Nov 26, 2008 at 10:56:31 AM EST
    at TL are far superior to TPM.  I too was a daily reader until Josh started down his CDS path, which seemed to attract the kooks.  I now read TL daily and quite enjoy the experience, especially BTD's analysis.  Thanks TL for being my sanctuary.

    Parent
    What do you want me to say? (none / 0) (#3)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 12:59:10 PM EST
    I didn't know that Marshall was a schmo dating back that far.  All I know is that it gave me a BS headache to read daily at TPM and that was before the HILLARY HATE.  I read here just fine, no headaches.  David Sirota has never given me a headache either.

    I should probably read (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by Fabian on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 01:05:42 PM EST
    more Sirota.  He gets all kinds of reactions when he posts at dkos which unfortunately tends to flavor the experience for me, for good or ill.

    Parent
    I may not always agree with Sirota (5.00 / 1) (#9)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 01:10:03 PM EST
    but he does toe his line.  I find that I agree with him more often than not.  I think I would label him a doer, which is something it seems that people reading and participating on this blog like.

    Parent
    Sirota is over the top (none / 0) (#12)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 01:13:18 PM EST
    But he wrotes what he thinks (mostly wrong on trade issue imo) and he is a friend of mine.

    When he is wrong, I do not hesitate to write that I think so.

    Parent

    Sirota is a good writer (5.00 / 1) (#19)
    by ruffian on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 01:53:23 PM EST
    His writing never gives me a headache even when I disagree.

    I contrast that with others who shall remain nameless (oh, all right Chris Bowers) is sometimes so incomprehensible that I can't tell if I agree or not.

    Parent

    Laughing to self (none / 0) (#20)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 02:54:25 PM EST
    about your Bowers comment.  Sometimes I'm reading along and I start thinking maybe I should have gotten more education and then I get two thirds through and I'm thinking nah, sometimes you can get too much education and spend all day ruminating on what you ruminated :)

    Parent
    and the point is what exactly? (none / 0) (#36)
    by joel dan walls on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 05:58:32 PM EST
    The election campaign recently ended, I believe. Maybe I should double-check this.

    As for Josh Marshall, what's actually new here? His blog or yours, it's the same story: caveat emptor. Everyone's got prejudices and axes to grind.

    Finally! (none / 0) (#43)
    by Garmonbozia on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 07:48:30 PM EST
    So sayeth the BTD:

    I am a moron.

    Armando and I finally agree on something! Surely, this is a sign of the apocalypse.

    Josh should just give it up (none / 0) (#46)
    by lilburro on Wed Nov 26, 2008 at 08:28:51 AM EST
    and get a job at Time or Newsweek.  Like KO heading a primetime news broadcast, Josh doing journalism doesn't make sense.

    Or heck, get a job at the Nation, which asks stupid questions these days too - what makes Hillary better than Chuck Hagel?