I’m listening to the Republican debate, and wondering why they put up with this bullshit (yes, I don’t use that word often on this family…sort of… blog) from the MSM. Why do they allow Democrat media types to frame their debate?

The most egregious case of this is the question that just came up–why shouldn’t people vote for Barack Obama?

WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD ANY REPUBLICAN CARE ABOUT THIS QUESTION IN A REPUBLICAN DEBATE?

Romney responded with a bunch of blather that had little to do with the question, and Thompson came up next. I was disappointed.

It was a “I’m not doing no hand shows” moment, and he blew it.

The first words out of his mouth should have been, “Let me preface my answer with the statement that this is a foolish question for a debate that only Republicans are really interested in. It might be a perfectly fine question a few months from now, in a general election, if Obama in fact becomes the candidate, and I (or one of these other gentlemen) are debating him, but Republicans, or at least smart ones (and I don’t know that many dumb ones) don’t care why I or anyone on this stage thinks that they shouldn’t vote for Barack Obama. They’re trying to pick a Republican candidate. Now, having said that,…[then go on to the response he actually gave].

But instead, he just returned to Republican principles, but I think he missed an opportunity to bash the press again, which a lot of Republican activists would have loved.

One other thought overall. Mike Huckabee is one slick-talking, two-faced socialist son of a bitch. I’ll have to go through the transcript to make the case, though. He’s a combination of Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, in Republican clothing.

Must be something about people who were born in Hope, Arkansas, and became governor of the state. If the campaigns of the other Republican candidates are worth anything, there is much fodder here for anti-Huckabee ads that will amply and convincingly demonstrate this.

[Update a couple minutes later]

Here are some related thoughts to the latter point from Jonathan Adler (though more calm than mine, though they weren’t in the wake of the debate):

It’s interesting that Huckabee is now stressing a limited government message, as it has not been a significant part of his platform up until now. Rather this is a guy who celebrates farm subsidies, disavows free trade, and likes the idea of a national smoking ban, and his campaign manager has disparaged the limited government ideology that motivates many Republicans in New Hampshire and elsewhere. That he can deliver such a message effectively is no surprise

At The Lancet. This isn’t really new news–anyone with half a brain who looked at the study carefully at the time (i.e., not all-too-credulous journalists) could see that it was a nonsensical statistical mess. But the case against it is looking even stronger now.

Of course, it fulfilled its political purpose–to damage the Republicans and the Bush administration in the 2006 elections. And when it comes to righteous moral crusades like that, accuracy and scientific integrity be damned.

Fred Thompson says that journalists lack fire in the belly.

(Can we please retire that idiotic cliche now?)

Well, it was inevitable that it would come to this, given how badly broken our journalism system is.

One wonders if the photog is a one-trick pony:

…look at the differences. The crop, of course, is exceedingly important. Here the focal points are the regal hands and imperial glare instead of the giant hands and, well, crotch. Whereas Clinton comes off like a thoroughly pleased guy about to run off to a party, Putin looks like he’s deciding whether to have you killed.

If Obama isn’t the next president, it will be because of America’s inherent racism. And if Hillary! isn’t, it will be because of America’s inherent sexism. It won’t, it goes without saying, be because of any inherent deficiencies in them as candidates that are independent of their melanin content or genital configuration.

And it’s guaranteed to be one or the other, because only one of them (if either) can win. And of course, if neither of them do, and another Rethuglican steals the election, it will be because we’re both racist and sexist. Because, you know, it’s always America’s fault.

If Obama isn’t the next president, it will be because of America’s inherent racism. And if Hillary! isn’t, it will be because of America’s inherent sexism. It won’t, it goes without saying, be because of any inherent deficiencies in them as candidates that are independent of their melanin content or genital configuration.

And it’s guaranteed to be one or the other, because only one of them (if either) can win. And of course, if neither of them do, and another Rethuglican steals the election, it will be because we’re both racist and sexist. Because, you know, it’s always America’s fault.

If Obama isn’t the next president, it will be because of America’s inherent racism. And if Hillary! isn’t, it will be because of America’s inherent sexism. It won’t, it goes without saying, be because of any inherent deficiencies in them as candidates that are independent of their melanin content or genital configuration.

And it’s guaranteed to be one or the other, because only one of them (if either) can win. And of course, if neither of them do, and another Rethuglican steals the election, it will be because we’re both racist and sexist. Because, you know, it’s always America’s fault.

Misreporting a Thompson campaign event, over at the Politico. I’d call it more media malpractice.

Of course, I’ve had my own run-in with this particular reporter.

[Update a few minutes later]

Roger L. Simon (not the one who is the above journalistic hack) has some further thoughts. And as he says, he knows his hats.

Michael Totten provides a critique of one of his “colleagues” in Fallujah.

Michael Totten provides a critique of one of his “colleagues” in Fallujah.