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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2011
Will someone alert Dana Milbank: A few weeks back, Dana Milbank named the names of some major journos who mention Sarah Palin too much (see THE DAILY HOWLER, 1/24/11). He even named Paul Krugman, who has mentioned Palin in 14 columns since she burst on the scene.
Will someone please wake Milbank? Yesterday, the New York Times’ highest lady, Gail Collins, racked up her 63rd mention of Palin! Bristol Palin, the former governor’s daughter, scored her own twelfth cite.
In fairness, Collins broadened her scope, offering several key insights which didn’t involve either Palin:
COLLINS (2/10/11): “It’s a disgrace that we continue to fund an organization like the U.N.,” said Representative Connie Mack of Florida. Did you know his real name is Cornelius Harvey McGillicuddy IV? Also, he is married to Representative Mary Bono of California, who has now been the wife of two members of Congress, only one of whom once had a singing act with Cher.
But I digress.
“But I digress,” the high lady opined. Will somebody please alert Milbank?
Earlier, Milbank was pressed into service: Actually, Milbank was pressed into service on Wednesday evening, appearing on the Last Word to discuss the latest sex scandal. An insignificant, second-term congressman had resigned from the House due to silly sex piffle. Remember when liberals used to complain about press corps focus on such silly nonsense? Those days are gone, long gone. Lawrence O’Donnell was on it:
O’DONNELL (2/9/11): Revelation to resignation in a record two hours and 27 minutes. In the spotlight tonight, the fastest moving Capitol Hill sex scandal ever!
Tonight, Christopher Lee, who resigned— No, wait a minute, not that Christopher Lee (showing a photo of the musician). New York Republican Congressman Christopher Lee resigned just before 6:00 p.m.
HOUSE CLERK READING RESIGNATION STATEMENT (videotape): I hereby give notice of my resignation from the United States House of Representatives, effective 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Wednesday, February 9th, 2011. Attached is the letter I submitted to Governor Andrew Cuomo. Signed sincerely, Christopher J. Lee, member of Congress.
O’DONNELL: The sudden resignation came after Gawker broke a story about Lee using Craigslist to contact women. He is, of course, married and he has one child.
With the story, Gawker uncovered this picture, allegedly of Lee. In the age of Photoshop, we have to use that allegedly at this point. Shirtless, flexing for a 34-year-old Maryland woman. In their email conversation, Lee allegedly uses his own name, but says he is a divorced lobbyist, and, quote, "a fit, fun, classy guy," which he obviously is. Although looking classy is a challenge for any of us while shirtless.
In one note, he also says, quote, "I promise not to disappoint." The e-mails also falsely indicate he is 39 years old when, in fact, he’s 36 [sic]. Why would you lie about being 36 [sic] when you’re not in show business is beyond me. A spokesperson for Speaker Boehner tells NBC News it was Lee’s decision to resign.
In his farewell statement, Lee worked with the standard template for congressmen who are completely guilty of everything they have been accused of. "I regret the harm that my actions have caused my family, my staff and my constituent. I deeply and sincerely apologize to them all. I have made profound mistakes. And I promise to work as hard as I can to seek their forgiveness."
Let me be the first to forgive Congressman Lee.
Joining me now, Dana Milbank of the the Washington Post. Dana, I haven’t checked every single sex scandal in the history of the body. We haven’t had time—we’ve run down most of them. Did we set a record today at two hours and 27 minutes for that resignation?
MILBANK: This was officially the land speed record from moment it was posted until I believe 5:58, when that clerk read it out on the floor.
“I promise not to disappoint,” Lee had vowed. But then, that’s what O’Donnell once said!
Milbank has pledged to stop citing Palin; he remains on call for stories like this. The boys went on to burn a whole segment on this perfect tribal nonsense. In the next hour, Rachel Maddow did her own segment on Lee’s resignation. At ten o’clock, Ed Schultz brought in Stephanie Miller “to help me make sense of this honky-tonk.”
For the record, Lee is 46, not 36, the point which had O’Donnell so puzzled. But then again, who need actual facts when the topic itself is so pointless?
In which we got it our way: On Wednesday, Ben Bernanke held forth in a congressional hearing about corporate tax rates and loopholes. In the New York Times, Sewell Chan reported part of Bernanke’s advice: “He told Representative Betty McCollum, a Minnesota Democrat, that Congress should close myriad corporate tax loopholes and then lower the corporate tax rate.”
Is that good sound solid advice? On balance, we have no idea. But we recalled last week’s column by David Leonhardt—and Steve Benen’s subsequent words of praise for Leonhardt’s sage presentation. In his post, Steve quoted a chunk of Leonhardt’s piece—a chunk which listed several big companies who pay very low tax rates. (Examples: Boeing, 4.5 percent; Southwest Airlines, 6.3.) Pleasingly, he proceeded to offer this assessment:
“Remember, when Republicans complain bitterly about the existing 35 percent corporate rate, they're assuming businesses are actually paying it. That's clearly not the case.”
Here’s the problem, if it’s information you seek: Benen omitted the fact Leonhardt cited later—the fact that, overall, the 500 big companies Leonhardt discussed pay 32.8 percent in taxes. According to the analysts, that comes very close to “the existing 35 percent corporate rate.”
As you may recall, there’s an apples-to-oranges problem here (see THE DAILY HOWLER, 2/2/11). But this is what we warned you about when we discussed Leonhardt’s piece in the first place! We liberals like this story the way Benen tells it. In his post, we got it our way.
This is the way the world tends to work when tribal preferences rule the day. In the process, we are all allowed to stay clueless.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2011
Will someone alert Dana Milbank: A few weeks back, Dana Milbank named the names of some major journos who mention Sarah Palin too much (see THE DAILY HOWLER, 1/24/11). He even named Paul Krugman, who has mentioned Palin in 14 columns since she burst on the scene.
Will someone please wake Milbank? Yesterday, the New York Times’ highest lady, Gail Collins, racked up her 63rd mention of Palin! Bristol Palin, the former governor’s daughter, scored her own twelfth cite.
In fairness, Collins broadened her scope, offering several key insights which didn’t involve either Palin:
COLLINS (2/10/11): “It’s a disgrace that we continue to fund an organization like the U.N.,” said Representative Connie Mack of Florida. Did you know his real name is Cornelius Harvey McGillicuddy IV? Also, he is married to Representative Mary Bono of California, who has now been the wife of two members of Congress, only one of whom once had a singing act with Cher.
But I digress.
“But I digress,” the high lady opined. Will somebody please alert Milbank?
Earlier, Milbank was pressed into service: Actually, Milbank was pressed into service on Wednesday evening, appearing on the Last Word to discuss the latest sex scandal. An insignificant, second-term congressman had resigned from the House due to silly sex piffle. Remember when liberals used to complain about press corps focus on such silly nonsense? Those days are gone, long gone. Lawrence O’Donnell was on it:
O’DONNELL (2/9/11): Revelation to resignation in a record two hours and 27 minutes. In the spotlight tonight, the fastest moving Capitol Hill sex scandal ever!
Tonight, Christopher Lee, who resigned— No, wait a minute, not that Christopher Lee (showing a photo of the musician). New York Republican Congressman Christopher Lee resigned just before 6:00 p.m.
HOUSE CLERK READING RESIGNATION STATEMENT (videotape): I hereby give notice of my resignation from the United States House of Representatives, effective 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Wednesday, February 9th, 2011. Attached is the letter I submitted to Governor Andrew Cuomo. Signed sincerely, Christopher J. Lee, member of Congress.
O’DONNELL: The sudden resignation came after Gawker broke a story about Lee using Craigslist to contact women. He is, of course, married and he has one child.
With the story, Gawker uncovered this picture, allegedly of Lee. In the age of Photoshop, we have to use that allegedly at this point. Shirtless, flexing for a 34-year-old Maryland woman. In their email conversation, Lee allegedly uses his own name, but says he is a divorced lobbyist, and, quote, "a fit, fun, classy guy," which he obviously is. Although looking classy is a challenge for any of us while shirtless.
In one note, he also says, quote, "I promise not to disappoint." The e-mails also falsely indicate he is 39 years old when, in fact, he’s 36 [sic]. Why would you lie about being 36 [sic] when you’re not in show business is beyond me. A spokesperson for Speaker Boehner tells NBC News it was Lee’s decision to resign.
In his farewell statement, Lee worked with the standard template for congressmen who are completely guilty of everything they have been accused of. "I regret the harm that my actions have caused my family, my staff and my constituent. I deeply and sincerely apologize to them all. I have made profound mistakes. And I promise to work as hard as I can to seek their forgiveness."
Let me be the first to forgive Congressman Lee.
Joining me now, Dana Milbank of the the Washington Post. Dana, I haven’t checked every single sex scandal in the history of the body. We haven’t had time—we’ve run down most of them. Did we set a record today at two hours and 27 minutes for that resignation?
MILBANK: This was officially the land speed record from moment it was posted until I believe 5:58, when that clerk read it out on the floor.
“I promise not to disappoint,” Lee had vowed. But then, that’s what O’Donnell once said!
Milbank has pledged to stop citing Palin; he remains on call for stories like this. The boys went on to burn a whole segment on this perfect tribal nonsense. In the next hour, Rachel Maddow did her own segment on Lee’s resignation. At ten o’clock, Ed Schultz brought in Stephanie Miller “to help me make sense of this honky-tonk.”
For the record, Lee is 46, not 36, the point which had O’Donnell so puzzled. But then again, who need actual facts when the topic itself is so pointless?
In which we got it our way: On Wednesday, Ben Bernanke held forth in a congressional hearing about corporate tax rates and loopholes. In the New York Times, Sewell Chan reported part of Bernanke’s advice: “He told Representative Betty McCollum, a Minnesota Democrat, that Congress should close myriad corporate tax loopholes and then lower the corporate tax rate.”
Is that good sound solid advice? On balance, we have no idea. But we recalled last week’s column by David Leonhardt—and Steve Benen’s subsequent words of praise for Leonhardt’s sage presentation. In his post, Steve quoted a chunk of Leonhardt’s piece—a chunk which listed several big companies who pay very low tax rates. (Examples: Boeing, 4.5 percent; Southwest Airlines, 6.3.) Pleasingly, he proceeded to offer this assessment:
“Remember, when Republicans complain bitterly about the existing 35 percent corporate rate, they're assuming businesses are actually paying it. That's clearly not the case.”
Here’s the problem, if it’s information you seek: Benen omitted the fact Leonhardt cited later—the fact that, overall, the 500 big companies Leonhardt discussed pay 32.8 percent in taxes. According to the analysts, that comes very close to “the existing 35 percent corporate rate.”
As you may recall, there’s an apples-to-oranges problem here (see THE DAILY HOWLER, 2/2/11). But this is what we warned you about when we discussed Leonhardt’s piece in the first place! We liberals like this story the way Benen tells it. In his post, we got it our way.
This is the way the world tends to work when tribal preferences rule the day. In the process, we are all allowed to stay clueless.
