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First Rather, now Woodward: Guilty of the very sort of cover-ups for which they pursued Nixon relentlessly.

How long until Woodward declares "Your assistant managing editor is not a crook?"

From FortWayne.com:

Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., the GOP leader, downplayed the significance of the amendment.

“The allegation that Congress is dissatisfied with the administration is absurd,” he said, adding that the Senate’s request for information is “not a change in policy.” “It’s a continuation of the oversight we’ve been conducting for years in the United States Senate.”

My favorite old Irish saying is: "When everyone says you're drunk, you'd better sit down."

Senator frist, please sit down. We wish you well, but yesterday's vote was a giant slap in the face of the American military who are winning the peace in Iraq, the courageous Iraqis campaigning for election, and the president and his Adminsitration which has fully informed the Congress of its strategy and its progress.

Do the right thing and bring a resolution to the floor, expressing the sense of the senate to the conferees on the defense Appropriatins bill that the Warner Amendment be stricken as the first order of business when the conference convenes.

Senator John Thune was on my show earlier today suggesting that just such a resolution or a variant on it may in fact be in the works. Transcript to be posted later at Radioblogger.com.

Every day's delay is another day of bleeding.

From today's Wall Street Journal story on internet advertising:

The surging demand is allowing big rate increases at the largest portals, the prime beneficiaries of the growth. Yahoo said last month that prices increased by "double digits" in the third quarter from a year earlier, while AOL says prices for some ad units have increased as much as 20% since January.

MSN says it currently charges between several hundred thousand dollars and $1 million for a prime, 24-hour ad spot on its home page. That's up from about $25,000 to $50,000 four years ago.

"It's starting to get into Super Bowl territory," says Sean Finnegan, U.S. Director of OMD Digital, a unit of Omnicom Group Inc. that buys ads for clients such as Dell Inc. and Johnson & Johnson.

By contrast, the average price of a 30-second TV ad for last February's Super Bowl was $2.4 million, while a full-page color ad in People magazine costs $228,275. A 30-second spot on this week's episode of ABC's "Desperate Housewives," which had 26.5 million viewers, cost $574,504, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus.

Bloggers remain the best buy in the internet world, especially for advertisers seeking the "influencers."

The should give Boxer's novel away for free and charge for Miller's review. Read it all. Aloud. E-mail it to Boxer's office.

Don't miss Soxblog's "Copperhead Road," wherein DB notes:

Democrats are merely making fools of themselves on national TV. And many Republican Senators, judging by yesterday’s vote, seem to want in on that action and have made a turn on to Copperhead Road.

Having done so will be to their everlasting shame.

Or Jonathan Last's "God on the Internet" from First Things, wherein JVL warns:

Something is happening at the intersection of religion and the Internet that is like the old denominalization of American sects raised to a new and frightening power. On the Internet, those dissatisfied with what they find in their religious brick-and-mortar communities can simply retreat into a virtual world in which they are surrounded entirely by like-minded people.

So Bruce S. has a 30th anniversary edition of Born To Run coming out in a boxed set, and he's doing some media, just like a savvy marketing-driven 56-year old musician should.

He sits down with an NPR interviewer Terry Gross from Fresh Air, and Gross brings up Springsteen's head-first dive into deep politics on behalf of John Kerry last fall:

TG: In the Kerry_edwards campaign in 2004, you actually played for, for, for the campaign. How did you decide to do that? I think that is something you basically resisted before.

BS: I tended to stay out of the partisan politics, and work on locally with diferent groups and things I shared interests with. But that was an instance where, it was like, you know, I just thought democracy was eroding, (chuckling) so visibly and obviously that if you didn't do something about it or try and do something about it, you had no right to get up on stage, and sing the songs I was singing, and try and be about some of things I've tried to be about for my worklife, so it was, it was, itwas in the no brainer aspect of that election (chuckling) and it wasn't a big hard decision or anything. You know, it was just like, whoa, this is, you know, if you have built up any credibility this is the time to use it, you know this is the time to expend it, there was just no, no doubt about it (chuckling.)

It was a fine interview, except for this moment wherein Gross rushed past a fascinating opportunity. What exactly did Springsteen mean by "democracy was eroding," and why didn't Terry Gross ask? What's he think about his failure to deliver the votes, and how would the country ahve been different? What's he think about the nascent democracy in Iraq, and the costs of getting to this point?

This is the problem with pop/rock/movie stars: They are never pushed to explain more fully what it is they believe is going on in the world. From Entertainment Tonight I don't expect much more, but Terry Gross could have gotten much more from an American icon who isn't often on the record about such things.

BTW: Fresh Air, and a billion other things, are available from Audible.com. Financial overview here. It sure seems like this company is doing everything right.

From the front lines:

What I really need is children's winter clothing...jackets, gloves and boots (boys and girls). The winters in Afghanistan are so incredibly brutal on the kids that are in the outlining areas. We want to try to help as many of the kids here as humanly possible. If you could buy these items and send them to my military address below, that would be the best way. The nights are already getting down into the thirtys and when the first rain and snow hits, it will be very difficult to reach some of the villages.

Thanks so much and God Bless You!

Alan

Alan-

MAJ DOUGLAS ALAN MCKEWAN
TF GUN DEVIL
TF 3-319th AFAR/CAT-A Team Leader
Kandahar, Afghanistan DSN 318-841-1207

Address:
MCKEWAN, DOUGLAS A.
TF 3-319 AFAR
APO, AE. 09355

douglas.mckewan@us.army.mil
douglas.mckewan@kaf.afgn.army.mil
douglas.mckewan@kaf.afgn.army.smil.mil
douglas.mckewan@us.army.smil.mil

I was at a conference all morning at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on “Online Strategies for Grassroots Advocacy.” More on that later, but I wanted to point out that I went into the conference confident in the fact that President Bush and the RNC were finally making me proud by blasting the “Bush lied” line of the Dems out of the water.

“Yes, that’s the toughness I’ve been looking for in my Republican leaders lately,” I thought, innocently. I should have known better, but I’m sometimes optimistic to a fault. I came out of the conference to find this?!? Some folks are saying the resolution on Iraq, passed 79-19 today, is not a capitulation to Senate Dems because it stops short of asking for a timeline for withdrawal, but if that’s the case, Sen. Joe Biden missed the memo.

Senate Dems and the anti-war Left have been asking for “a timetable for withdrawal of troops from Iraq” for more than a year. Let’s see what Joe Biden had to say about today’s resolution on Hardball tonight (transcript not up yet, but it’ll be here):

BIDEN: What it really did was set a timetable for the president to tell us whether or not the goals he set out are being accomplished. Look, this is -- I don't think anybody should miss a story here. 79 democrats and republicans voted to tell the president we want him to lay out a clear strategy and a timetable for achieving it. and, you know, we don't get to make foreign policy, Chris, in the United States Senate. We have to react to it. What you saw is only Bush could unite the Democrats and Republicans here on a uniformed view which is: Mr. President, get a plan and give us a timetable so we can understand how we measure whether or not you're meeting your plan.

As Hugh’s already pointed out, others who are not historically supportive of the President’s mission in Iraq, are also missing the distinction between the Dems’ wishes and what the Republicans delivered. Regardless of how much (or little) the resolutions differ, “timeline,” “withdrawal,” and “Iraq” just became the buzzwords for every newspaper editorial, TV sound bite, and column this week. Congrats, guys.

Lorie Byrd wrote this morning about why the Dems thought they could get away with the “Bush lied” lie. Now she’ll have to add another bullet point—Senate Republicans. There was a glitch in the question-taking technology (yes, that’s a technical term) on a blogger conference call with Ken Mehlman today. If there hadn’t been, I think the subject of today’s resolution would have been well-covered by my fellow bloggers.

If you've already made your calls to Senators and would like to stick your fingers in your ears and pretend for a few minutes that the Republican majority didn’t do what it did yesterday, here are a few links to keep you occupied before you go back to reading about the Jello-kneed Senateers. And, it's not all bad news.

There's a new twist on the Plame ol' game: Bob Woodward testified that he heard about Plame two years ago, which throws off the Fitzgerald timetable. Tom Maguire goes into the implications and takes issue with one of the WaPo's assertions:

ERRATA: (a) Per the WaPo story, Woodward spoke with "a senior administration official". But in Woodward's statement, he "testified under oath...about small portions of interviews I conducted with three current or former Bush administration officials".

Did the WaPo award a battlefield promotion to one of Woodward's sources? And let's keep an eye on "former".

Betsy Newmark, guest-blogging at Michelle Malkin’s place, notes progress worth cheering for women in Afghanistan, but also notes that she can’t hear feminists cheering.

In France, only 160 cars burned last night. No Pasaran says the French press calls it “calm”, but I’d hate to see what would happen if the malaise lifted and the rioters got really motivated. Inside Chirac’s head:

"Hmmm, I’ve got a nation in crisis due in large part to the government’s welfare and immigration policies and the downward economic spiral they’ve created. What can I do to lead in this time of crisis? Ahh, yes, a "malaise speech," That's the ticket. And maybe a sweater?"

On Alito, Harry Reid says he has significant concerns about the nominee, which gives all of us conservatives the warm fuzzies. Reid sounds pretty tough in some of his quotes in the Post, but the Post didn’t run his opening paragraph:

Two years ago the president nominated judge Samuel A. Alito to serve on the Supreme Court. I congratulate judge Alito on this high honor. I pledge Senate Democrats will help ensure a thorough and dignified confirmation process. I approach the confirmation process with an open mind.

I'm guessing PFAW and others would prefer if Reid left the filibuster door cracked a little wider for a decidedly less stealth nominee than John Roberts was.

That's the title of Powerline's Scott Johnson's post on the Senate GOP's capitulation yesterday. John Hinderaker adds that "moral preening" is an apt description.

GOP Senators who wake up this morning to discover stacks of angry phone messages and e-mails have a stark choice: Keep their collective heads low and wait for the furor to pass, or quickly admit an enormous mistake was made, one which they regret and will not repeat.

The latter is a far more honorable course, and it also has the advantage of candor which is increasingly a widely valued quality in elected officials. "Oops" isn't a pleasant admission, but it is necessary here. Doubling down in defense of this huge misstep would be to compound the damage.

Cutting and running from Iraq is a terrible idea. Cutting and running from cutting and running is a fine response to a miscalculation of the first order.

Bill Kristol correctly brands the Senate's action as "pathetic" and writes:

All honor to the 13 Republican senators who stood up against the me-too, we-want-to-get-out-as-well-but-not-quite-as-quickly, Republican leadership: Bunning, Burr, Chambliss, Coburn, DeMint, Graham, Inhofe, Isakson, Kyl, McCain, Sessions, Thune, and Vitter. Let's hope their colleagues reconsider and join their ranks in the near future.

BTW: The New York Post editorial today sums up the reaction to the Senate's action among supporters of the Adminsitration's conduct of the GWOT:

Et tu, Bill Frist?

It's disturbing enough that Democrats have become so hostile to America's efforts to fight terror, particularly in Iraq.

But now Republicans — like Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist — also seem to be peeking at the polls and going all wobbly on the Iraq campaign.

It's pathetic.

And dangerous.

And D. J. Drummond gives an assessment of the post-vote presidential ambitions of Majority Leader Frist.

Today's radio show is open to any GOP senator who would like to discuss his or her vote yesterday.

Pour it on in calls to the GOP leadership and individual GOP senators. Here's the key contact data:

Senate Majority Leader Frist, (202) 224-3344, e-mail

Majority Whip Mitch McConnell, (202) 224-2541, e-mail

Armed Services Chairman John Warner, (202) 224-2023, e-mail

You can also use the Congressional switchboard to contact any office: 202-225-3121.

This is also a moment of huge opportunity for Rudy Guiliani and Governor Mitt Romney: The vast majority of the Republican rank and file want a clear declaration of support for victory in the GWOT. Incredibly, and I suspect and hope fleetingly, Virginia Senator George Allen left himself open to being flanked on this issue. The Mayor and the Governor have a chance to set themselves apart on this issue at a time when future primary voters are watching very closely indeed.

UPDATE: Bill Quick adds:

Yes, dangerous. Today, four years after thousands died at the WTC, the Pentagon, and in a Pennsylvania field, unserious and posturing politicians in Washington still don't seem to understand that this is no longer politics as usual. I think most of these bozos do understand that we either fight Islamofascism now, or fight it later. But they are making the personal calculation they'd rather make the fight later - after they have retired on fat pensions, most likely, so that somebody else will have to make the tough, necessary decisions they don't have the spine for today.

Senators Burr, Coburn and DeMint were all my guests on the program this evening to discuss the terrible vote in the Senate today, and transcripts of those conversations will be up later at Radioblogger.com.

Doctor Coburn also asked that I link to this presentation by retired General Vernon Chung, "This War Is For Real."

I hope it gets distributed in the United States Senate.

E-mail of the day: "Once again, it looks like the Republicans have hit the Democrats in the fist with their mouth."

There are lots of troops on lots of bases who would love a turkey dinner this Thanksgiving, and will gladly accept an invitation to your table. And a lot of families who could use some help in putting on their own dinner.

Call the chaplain's office on any base and they will let you know how to help.

A friend of mine at Camp Pendleton tells me there are a number of Marine families that could use a turkey etc. You can call John at 760-725-4001 if you'd like to donate a T-Day basket.

Josh Trevino launches a web site that could not be more timely.

I am devoting my entire show to the Senate GOP's capitulation in the Senate today, and hope that you will join my listeners in communicating with all Republican senators, from Majority Leader Frist on down, that the vote today was a terrible mistake, and should be reversed as soon as possible. The switchboard for cONGRESS IS 202-225-3121.

Here's the roll call on the Warner amendment that in effect rebukes the president for the conduct of the war, demanding information that has often been supplied and a transition that will be forthcoming if it makes sense, and won't be if it doesn't.

(BTW: Here's the headline in the Washington Post: "Senate Rebukes Bush on Iraq Policy. Bill Passed Demands Updates on Conflict and Codifies Treatment of Detainees")

Note the "nays" are comprised of both the most clear-eyed concerning the stakes in Iraq and the most relentless of the president's critics, including Senators Chambliss, Kyl, DeMint, Sessions, Coburn (and McCain,) and Byrd, Kennedy Kerry and Leahy, respectively.

UPDATE:

"Bill Frist is dead to me." One blogger's reaction. I doubt very much if he is alone.

UPDATE 2:

Varifrank weighs in.

Here's what Kos is saying:

GOP steals Dem plan on Iraq
by kos
Mon Nov 14, 2005 at 11:35:38 PM PDT
See, this is what plagiarism is all about. From the Nitpicker:

Mr. Warner said he decided to take the Democratic proposal and edit it to his satisfaction in an effort to find common ground between the parties on the issue.

Of course, when a Democrat takes the freely offered talking points of an ally and uses them in a letter, it's called plagiarism. When a Republican just edits a Democratic plan and presents it as a Republican plan, then that's a "grand vision." Right, Glenn?

The good news -- Republicans are finally starting to come around on Iraq, making noise about applying some accountability to the war effort.

And more good news -- Republicans are proving that Democrats are, in fact, the party of ideas and they are, in fact, bereft of them. Otherwise, they wouldn't be stealing our ideas.

The Senate GOP ran from the fight today, passing a resolution that John Kerry immediately branded evidence of crumbling support for the Iraq war, and which the Washington Post described this way:

The Senate-approved Iraq policy proposal calls for _ but does not require _ the Bush administration to "explain to Congress and the American people its strategy for the successful completion of the mission in Iraq" and to provide reports on U.S. foreign policy and military operations in Iraq every three months until all U.S. combat brigades have been withdrawn.

Kerry's e-mail list got this message:

You can feel the ice breaking. For far too long, Republican leaders have refused to challenge the aimless Bush "stay as long as it takes" approach to Iraq. But now, their unwillingness to act has started to crumble.

Today in the Senate, facing a Democratic resolution on Iraq, the Republicans offered their own call for President Bush to come up with a plan. They didn't go nearly far enough, but clearly our call for a concrete plan is gaining momentum.

I will devote most of today's show to this fiasco, but the president is now on notice that his "allies" in the Senate are about as reliable as France.

UPDATE: The New York Times understands the score as well:

The Senate signaled its growing unease with the war in Iraq today, voting overwhelmingly to demand regular reports from the White House on the course of the conflict and on the progress that Iraqi forces are making in securing their own country.

The vote, 79 to 19, came on an amendment to a spending bill that ultimately passed without opposition. The bipartisan support for the amendment sponsored by Senator John W. Warner, the Virginia Republican who heads the Armed Services Committee, reflected anxiety among Republicans as well as Democrats.

And Secretary Rumsfeld remarks on the call for "reports":

On the matter of keeping Congress informed, the secretary said that the "Department of Defense and the Department of State send literally dozens of Iraqi-related reports to Congress each year already" and that the Pentagon alone sends Congress "I don't know, it's something over 900 reports total every year" on an array of subjects.

"I hope someone reads them," Mr. Rumsfeld said.