Bloggasm

Simon Owens: Which conservative bloggers do you think create the most spin? And if you had to pick a conservative blogger to label a worthy adversary, which blogger would that be?

HC: I’m not a regular reader of many rightie blogs, although I do visit The Corner and Michelle Maglalang from time to time to get an idea of where they are headed and to scoop-up their frequently inane posts for ridicule at First Draft. That said, I’d go with InstaPundit/Glenn Reynolds as an answer to both questions.

A: Most spin? That’d have to be those tools over at Powerline: Assrocket, Small Trunk and the other one. As a worthy adversary, I’d have to say John Cole, because although we frequently disagree he’s obviously serious and intelligent and cares about what he writes.

Tena: The conservative blogger who, in my opinion, creates the most spin is probably Drudge, though people have gotten wise to the fact that most of what he posts is gossip.

As far as a conservative blogger I consider a worthy advocate, I’m afraid none exists. That’s because the right currently doesn’t deal at all with facts or the truth about anything. I can’t consider worthy someone who refuses to deal with the truth.

Simon Owens: As tension continues to climb with Iran, where do you think the Bush Administration is going to take us in the next few years?

HC: I view Iran as a convenient distraction for the Bush Assministration — a shiny object to distract the media from the burgeoning scandals in which they find themselves embroiled. We don’t have any ground forces for an invasion of Iran, although I would not rule out a countre-productive airstrike or two.

A: The Bush administration may in fact take us where they should have taken us three years ago: to the United Nations for control and sensible action. I agree with my colleague above: we don’t have the military forces right now for another full-scale invasion, but I foresee using the issue as a cudgel in the 2006 Congressional elections. The only real question is whether people will be stupid enough to buy it again, and whether the Democrats will lie down
for it.

Tena: Where is the Bush Administration going to take us? To hell, if they aren’t stopped. And I think they will be. He’ll either be impeached or resign – he violated the Foreign Surveillance Act, which puts him in violation of the 4th Amendment to the Constitution, since warrantless searches are illegal and illegal searches and seizures are per se unreasonable. That puts him in direct violation of his oath of office, in which he swore to uphold and defend not us, but the Constitution of the United States. And a majority of Americans agrees with this. See the Zogby poll on the question.

Simon Owens: With all the recent legislation failures for Bush (social security comes first to mind), do you think congress Republicans are lashing out against the president?

HC: Lashing out? Wake me when it starts. Although Arlen Specter made some interesting noises over this past weekend in regards to Chimpy’s extra-consitutional snooping, I don’t see any evidence that Congressional Republicans are ready to dismount from the horse they’ve been riding since 2001. Note that the reputedly pro-choice Specter is ushering Alito to the Supreme Court.

A: Some congressional Republicans are beginning to learn the lessons of Joe Lieberman: that bashing your own party will get you on TV much faster than bashing the opposition. I see no sign they’re going to take constructive action to halt the agenda of a big-government, wild-spending, domestic-spying administration, however much they might try to fool their constituencies into thinking they object to such anti-Republican policies.

Tena: Are Congressional Republicans acting out against the administration? Not nearly enough, and they’re going to pay for it come November. What little they have done contrary to the administration was inescapable for them. If they had trashed social security, they would have been defeated utterly in November. They know that.

Simon Owens: What are the five blogs everyone should be reading (besides your own)?

HC: Although I am tempted to say First Draft, First Draft, First Draft, First Draft, and First Draft, the five I couldn’t live without are Eschaton, TBogg, Talking Points Memo, Firedoglake and Huffington Post.

A: I love Scout Prime, Adventus, Americablog, Steve Gilliard, and of course Eschaton, the original political crack den.

Tena: Five blogs everyone should read: Huffington Post; Juan Cole; Adventus, Americablog; Riverbend.

You can find First Draft over here.