And over at Salon, we find Eric Boehlert roasting Republicans over an open fire (commercial viewing required to get a site pass):
Right-wing bloggers shrieked that the GOP Schiavo memo was a "liberal media" fraud. Now that they've been proven wrong, are they apologizing? Why, no!
Still gloating over their role in unmasking CBS's faulty National Guard memo story last September, right-wing bloggers launched a new memo-based crusade against the so-called liberal media last month, one that turned out to be completely phony. But unlike CBS and its tarred former anchor, Dan Rather, who eventually admitted their mistakes in the Memogate affair, these bloggers (many of whom were also involved in the CBS campaign) haven't had the guts to apologize for their blunder.
Here's one of the funnier excerpts, in which the dickheads over at PowerLine turn the whole story inside out to blame it on (you guessed it) the mainstream media:
Even when proven to be categorically wrong, reckless bloggers don't flinch. Examining the rubble Wednesday night, after the Post published its story about Sen. Martinez, Power Line concluded, "This story serves as an object lesson in how the mainstream media can take a dopey, one-page memo by an unknown staffer and use it to discredit the entire Republican party." Only someone who is shameless, and spends weeks accusing both reporters and Democratic elected officials of being liars, could turn around and announce that a manufactured episode had served as "an object lesson in how the mainstream media" tries to discredit Republicans.
Does that sum it up or what?
SNARKY UPDATE: By the way, you'll notice how numerous members of the right-wing wankerhood are describing the author of the memo as some "unknown staffer" of Florida Republican Senator Mel Martinez, subtlely suggesting that it was some no-name junior aide or something, maybe some dimbulb intern from Bob Jones University on a summer co-op position or something.
Don't be fooled -- the author was, in fact, a man named Brian Darling, who was Martinez's chief legal counsel, hardly an "unknown staffer". Just more bullshit you have to wade through to get to the truth.
Even funnier is how Martinez disavows any knowledge of Darling's actions:
Martinez said in a written statement that he discovered Wednesday that the memo had been written by an aide in his office.
"It is with profound disappointment and regret that I learned today that a senior member of my staff was unilaterally responsible for this document," Martinez said.
But this isn't surprising -- apparently, Martinez has a nasty habit of blaming his staff whenever the shit hits the fan. Apparently, it's just never Mel's fault. How predictable.
SNARKIER AFTERTHOUGHT: I'm hoping most readers appreciate the eye-popping, unbelievable stupidity in the article linked to above but, just in case there are freepers reading, I'll spell it out, slooooooowly, and you can decide for yourself how believable is the good senator as he tries to pin the blame elsewhere when he opens with:
"Until this afternoon, I had never seen it and had no idea a copy of it had ever been in my possession," Martinez said of the document. He had previously denied knowing anything about the memo and condemned its sentiments.
Fair enough, that's not unreasonable -- he never saw it and had no idea it existed. Then how does one explain the following inexplicable behaviour?
In his statement, Martinez acknowleged he inadvertently gave [Democratic Senator Tom] Harkin the memo without ever reading it. But he acknowledged his staffer was responsible for both "drafting and circulating" the memo. He did not specify where else the memo was sent...
Martinez, in his statement, said Harkin had asked for background information on the bill ordering a federal court to review the Schiavo case.
He said he pulled a one-page document from his coat pocket and handed to Harkin. "Unbeknownst to me ... I had given him a copy of the now infamous memo."
So ... Martinez was unaware that the memo existed and yet we're supposed to believe that he's dumb enough to reach into his coat pocket, pull out a one-page document whose contents he is totally unaware of, and then hand that document unread to a Democratic senator? Exactly how stupid do you have to be to do that?
And, yes, that was a rhetorical question.
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And apparently, Tom DeLay has links to Brian Darling.
From Swing State Project:
"Darling worked for the Alexander Strategy Group, a Washington-based corporate lobbying firm heavily connected to Rep. DeLay."
"The Alexander Strategy Group was formed by Rep. DeLay’s former Chief of Staff Ed Buckham, who also introduced Rep. DeLay to corporate lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Former DeLay aide Jim Ellis, who was indicted for money laundering, was a consultant to ASG. Former DeLay staffer Tony Rudy, former DeLay PAC director Karl Gallant, and Rep. DeLay’s spouse, Christine DeLay, all worked for ASG."
Oh, man, every trail of slime and ooze leads back to Tom DeLay. That's priceless. Don't forget -- this is the "morals and values" party we're talking about.
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