Dana Milbank of the Washington Post has filed another excellent dispatch from the Bush frontlines, documenting the president’s two speeches to businessmen and military reservists in New Hampshire today.
The subject matter (“Bush Says Iraq Is ‘Better Than You Probably Think'”) is fairly amusing in and of itself, using the classic Bush methodology of lowering his audience’s expectations (anyone remember that tactic as used in the October 2000 Presidential debates?). But the real kicker is the unfortunate double entendre spoken by our commander-in-chief this afternoon (paying special attention to the word in bold type):
President Bush told Americans today that the situation in Iraq is “a lot better than you probably think,” as he sought to rally the flagging support for the U.S. occupation.
In twin speeches here in New Hampshire, the president kicked off an effort to revive determination to remain in Iraq, saying “Americans are not the running kind.”
Now, is that “running” as in “to run away from something,” or “running” as in “running or governing a nation which we conquered”?
Forgetting everything we all know about crabs in a barrel, David Poland has picked a fight with his fellow online movie and celebrity bottom feeder, Roger Friedman. Here’s the tale of the tape:
Battle of the Online Junket All Stars
In the Left Coast corner, weighing in at 155 lbs.: David “Hot Button” Poland.
And in the Right Coast corner, weighing in somewhere north of 225 lbs., Roger “Fox 411” Friedman.
Poland comes out swinging at Roger the Dodger, throwing the first punch:
There are lies, damned lies and statistics. And then there are lies posing as statistics, brought to life by stunning professional ignorance, whether intentional or coincidental. Such is the province of Roger Friedman, internet gossip and a suck-up of the highest order.
In rapid succession, he lands the second:
Friedman goes to town with his unsubstantiated, but “there is no question” analysis of the wins of Oscar screeners past. He starts with Sony Classics, citing Talk To Her, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Winged Migration. Can you spot the spin?
And then, he hits below the belt with a phantom punch:
What were the other fat, bloated studio films that dominated the Oscars before Friedman’s indie heroes saved the world?
Did he just call Friedman fat and bloated? Tune in tomorrow for Roger’s rejoinder.
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Chuck’s a jinx!
It’s hard to miss the way that some people hate on Chuck Klosterman. Yes, the guy wrote a book with a bad title, is ubiquitous to the point of saturation, and he somehow managed to convince Virginia Heffernan to buy a Billy Joel CD with her Times corporate Amex. That can be grating. But think about the positive things he’s done, like making it possible for the Brady family to play the Keystone Kops at the amusement park. See, Chuck isn’t such a jinx!
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Let Us Now Praise Good Design
The coffee achievers over at The Stranger put out a great cover this week. I’m jealous because New York’s alt-weeklies have two very lame covers this week. (How lame? They’re not even online.)
Also in The Stranger, an article on the enduring appeal of Death Metal.
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LeDuff man, happy to be here! Oh, yeah!
When Charlie LeDuff, The Times resident Joseph Mitchell manqué was pried away from the Hell’s Kitchen barstool where he bent countless elbows, there was talk that it was against his will or that he was being moved to the minors. He filed a few lackluster stories on yawn-inducing topics like rats in Beverly Hills, made some enemies in Los Angeles media circles, and generally acquitted himself like the slightly snobbish East Coast transplant he was. (This role is now being filled by The New York Observer‘s Alexandra Jacobs, who has filed hard-hitting but condescending stories from the West Coast on screenwriters, celebrity stylists, and the farmer’s market.)
But, whaddaya know, the LeDuff man appears to have lucked into the gig of a lifetime out there in Cal-ee-fornia. LeDuff’s been doing some heavy-lifting on the recall and election and today files this on Governor-Elect Schwarzenegger (no matter how many times I say that, it still sounds like I misspoke). Suddenly, being sent out to the Times‘ avocado bureau doesn’t seem so bad, does it? Now if we can just do something about Bernard Weinraub…
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Lest you forget…
American soldiers continue to die of violent causes in Iraq, as do Iraqi citizens and other foreign aid workers. Oh, and something about there being massive power outages and unemployment or whatnot?
Bear this in mind when you consider that news earlier this week of another three American soldiers’ deaths in Iraq ran on page A18 of the New York Times, and was more or less tangentially mentioned in another longer article about U.N. relations.
How we pine for the good old days of the early summer, when news of American deaths peppered the early morning papers’ front pages each and every day! Now all we get to hear about and discuss with our co-workers and family members is “$87 billion this, CIA leak that.”
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I have this much patience for you right now
Certainly one might throw out some captions here like “I call Rummy…you guys get Lewis, the closeted gay rations chef,” but on a more topical and news-related note, we’re going with, “Don’t worry, Donald, you may have been willfully left out of the Iraq Stabilization Group, but we have faith in your athletic skills.”
(with thanks to Danny for the source)
…Just some advice we thought it prudent to share with Republicans who steadfastly hate the “limousine liberal” crowd. Seriously, Governor Arnold can readily attest to the inefficacy of that (and so can Gay Davis! Har-har, you loveable residents of San Diego!)
After the GOP-led redistricting plan passed in Texas (the battle over which featured all those intra-state flight accusations and hotel hideouts over the past few months), Governor Rick Perry’s flack Gene Acuna snidely tried to dismiss the outspoken behavior of Alec Baldwin:
“Mr. Baldwin’s political views against President Bush and Republicans in general are well known and documented. I have no doubt that Texans will give the comments made by the star of ‘Beetlejuice’ all of the attention they are due.”
Come on. At least “Beetlejuice” was an OK film, directed by Tim Burton in his prime, no less. Go after “Mercury Rising” next time, and you’ll have us all on board.