Powerlying

The admirable Powerline Blog has commentary which consistently refutes McCainism on substance, yet strokes the fellow like an errant puppy. I think they've been schmoozed up the wazoo to bring them to a contorted compliance. Here John Hinderaker. my favourite, on McCain on the report by John Fund that McCain said that he might not appoint a judge like Sam Alito who "wore his conservatism on his sleeve."

Absent more information, I'm inclined to take McCain at his word, as he certainly supported Justice Alito's nomination and, like all or nearly all of the Republican candidates, has held up Roberts and Alito as model nominees.

For the rest of the call, the Senator was his usual charming self.

The previous day Paul Mingeroff wrote in Powerline:

McCain’s twisting of Romney’s words came during the same week that McCain falsely implied that he had not denigrated his own expertise in economics. Indeed, the smear on Romney may have been part of an attempt to change the subject from the economy, and to deflect attention from McCain’s past admissions about his level of knowledge in this area.

That says McCain is a liar. John Fund stands by his story, so why prefer the word of a liar? Presumably because he stroked you and you admire his heroism as a young man. Well, Mr Hinderaker, the conservative worldview is both tougher and more tragic than that. Get a grip.

Making money out of misery contd.

6 days ago I wrote that the New York Times is 'a lying, treacherous, cowardly thing' and placed a long spread bet on its stock at $14.30. Today the stock went up 9% to $16.07 thanks to the news that a couple of funds have bought 4.9% of the stock and are massaging the egos of the Sulzbergers (who control the voting stock) with a view to reshaping the group's asset base and financing, but not the the voting rights. This subtler approach may well succeed where Morgan Stanley's attempt to enfranchise the B stock crashed against the family's self-importance. Pinch Sulzberger, what is that tolling bell?

Barracking Barack

One steely-minded conservative blogger:

..when I look at the man, I see a charming, gifted politician who happens to be black...I like the guy..

Another steely-minded conservative blogger:

I dunno, I must be missing a gene or two. Everybody, including even some conservatives, is telling me what a fine uplifting orator Barack Obama is. All I see is great gusts of hot air. When he says something that actually has any semantic content, either it is just false, or else it is naked socialism.

This steely-minded conservative blogger: I'm with John Derbyshire. Obama is an alien designed by artificial intelligence to win the nomination by charm and the stupidity of crowds. He's a real threat. If he can beat the Clintons, he can certainly beat McCain who looks and sounds unattractive, but, as crucially, lacks a clearcut political philosophy.