Bluey Blog - Official Blog of Robert B. Bluey

links for 2008-01-31

• Support the National Heroes Tour - Ericka Andersen, RedState

  Vets for Freedom has done a fabulous job encouraging support for our soldiers overseas during the past year.

  (tags: iraq veterans military)

• Research Groups Boom in Washington - Elisabeth Bumiller, New York Times

  The economy may be slowing down, but Washington’s ideas industry is booming.

  (tags: think_tanks 2008 president heritage_foundation)

• Roy Blunt Needs to Get the Message - Erick Erickson, RedState

  I really like Congressman Blunt. We’ve had the occasion to sit in his office and chat about matters.

  (tags: earmarks pork congress)

• Another Weapon in the Malaria War - Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers

  First lady Laura Bush is expanding the administration’s war on malaria by teaming up with the group Malaria No More, which supplies African families with nets to ward off insects.

  (tags: bush africa)

• Previewing Donor Analytics - David All, Slatecard

  The following is a memorandum previewing the revolutionary innovation and value of Slatecard Donor Analytics.

  (tags: campaigns elections)

• F7: One Day to Stop Hillary - Rightroots

  One Day to Stop Hillary (and Obama) is a grassroots campaign by Rightroots to mobilize thousands of Republican donors to contribute to our party’s nominee.

  (tags: hillary_clinton obama 2008)

links for 2008-01-30

• Real Change Requires Principled Conservative Leadership - Sen. Jim DeMint, Townhall

  Since 1966, the opposition party has delivered a response to the State of the Union Address.

  (tags: bush congress conservatism)

• In Politics, Web Surpasses TV for Under-30 Voters - Ken Wheaton, Advertising Age

  The internet’s not just for reaching Ron Paul supporters anymore.

  (tags: web2.0 politics elections)

• RNC Convention Partners with UStream.TV - David All, TechRepublican

  The Republican National Convention has brokered a deal with UStream.TV to serve as its “Official Live Video Streaming Provider.”

  (tags: 2008 republicans blogs politics socialmedia technology)

• Barton Questions U.S. House’s Carbon Offsets - Carter Wood, ShopFloor

  Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX), ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, was today’s guest at the Heritage Foundation’s weekly blogger meeting.

  (tags: energy heritage_foundation)

• Taking Carbon Offsets Way Too Far - Carter Wood, ShopFloor

  Somewhere in Williston, N.D., there’s a person who sold a few too many carbon offsets.

  (tags: energy heritage_foundation)

• Global Warming Skeptics - Joe Mansour, TechRepublican

  Today’s bloggers briefing was back at Heritage, after being hosted by Family Research Council last week.

  (tags: global_warming energy heritage_foundation)

How Bloggers Inspired Bush

Conservative bloggers and taxpayer watchdogs expressed disappointment at President Bush’s decision to issue an executive order curtailing future earmarks. Bush’s action fell short of what many conservatives wanted him to do: cancel the nearly 10,000 pork-barrel projects included in the omnibus spending bill passed in December.

Although it was disappointing Bush did not fully capitalize on the opportunity, I share the outlook of Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit, who reacted this way to the State of the Union address:

Bush led off with earmarks. His actions aren’t as bold as I’d like, but still — back in 2005 when PorkBusters started, nobody in Washington cared and members of Congress were bragging about pork. Now the State of the Union leads of with an attack on earmarks, to thundering applause. Yeah, a lot of it’s a sham. But hypocrisy is the tribute vice pays to virtue, and this kind of hypocrisy indicates that the anti-earmark momentum is growing.

Last night’s remarks are special if for no other reason than they can be traced back to the work of bloggers who shared a common devotion to shine the spotlight on the earmarking process. Although I wouldn’t expect Bush to ever give credit to Porkbusters, Citizens Against Government Waste or the others who have fought this battle for years, it’s refreshing to finally hear some tough talk on earmarks.

Change happens slowly in Washington, but it does happen. This proves it.

Hat Tip: Beltway Blogroll

links for 2008-01-29

• An Honest Stimulus: Tax Cuts Instead of Rebates - Sen. Jim DeMint, RealClearPolitics

  You can always count on politicians in Washington to be generous with your hard earned tax dollars.

  (tags: taxes economy congress bush)

• Gov’t Bailout of the Mortgage Industry Is Terrible Public Policy - Jon Fleischman, FlashReport

  On Wednesday, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced his intention to sign several bills in response to the economic challenges faced by the subprime real estate market downturn

  (tags: mortgage economy business bush)

• Target Tells a Blogger to Go Away - Michael Barbaro, New York Times

  Target to the blogosphere: you’re irrelevant.

  (tags: business blogging)

links for 2008-01-28

• Bush’s Final State of the Union - Jon Ward, Washington Times

  In anticipation of President Bush’s final State of the Union address Monday, I’ve reviewed each of his seven previous speeches.

  (tags: bush congress)

• Heritage Expert Talks State of the Union - Mike Hambrick, NAM

  Brian Darling offers his forecast of President Bush’s final State of the Union speech on Monday night with analysis of the proposed economic stimulus, energy legislation, tax policy and the war in Iraq.

  (tags: bush congress economy business energy taxes)

• NTU Makes Grants Available to Taxpayer Activists - Duane Parde, NTU

  Have you ever thought about launching a tax revolt at the community or state level, but couldn’t find the funds to get started?

  (tags: taxes)

• My Vote - Ed Morrissey, Captain’s Quarters

  I have decided to caucus for Mitt Romney.

  (tags: romney 2008)

Hank Paulson Cannot Be Trusted

President Bush took a risk when he recruited Hank Paulson to run the Treasury Department. The former chairman of Goldman Sachs had a history of giving to Democrats and liberal causes, among them Bill Clinton, Bill Bradley, Chuck Schumer and the pro-abortion Emily’s List.

Given where Paulson put his money, it’s not surprising to see him abandon basic conservative principles in his job at Treasury. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened in the context of the economic stimulus package he negotiated last week.

As I write in my Townhall column today, Paulson did such a poor job representing the White House in negotiations on the economic stimulus deal, it wasn’t clear if he was purposely trying to help House Speaker Nancy Pelosi or simply unaccustomed to how business is done in Washington

links for 2008-01-27

• E-mail smear taxes Obama campaign - Ben Smith & Carrie Budoff Brown, Politico

  For over a year, largely out of the media glare, Senator Barack Obama’s presidential campaign has been fighting a determined, low-intensity conflict against the viral e-mail that forwards the myth that Obama is a crypto-Muslim Manchurian candidate.

  (tags: obama 2008)

• Democrats: The Party of the Klan? - Erick Erickson, RedState

  Democrats always accuse evangelicals of projection. If a Republican is upset over gay rights, it is probably because that Republican is a closet homosexual.

  (tags: democrats obama clinton john_edwards 2008)

links for 2008-01-26

• FISA Fight Continues - Jed Babbin, Human Events

  One week from today, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) will expire unless Congress passes a new version that President Bush is willing to sign.

  (tags: fisa terrorism congress)

• GOP Seeks Consensus on Earmarks at Retreat - Alan K. Ota, CQ Politics

  House Republicans are diving into what’s likely to be a tumultuous conversation about the future of earmarks.

  (tags: republicans congress earmarks pork)

• In Senate, a White House Victory on Eavesdropping - Eric Lichtblau, New York Times

  A White House plan to broaden the National Security Agency’s wiretapping powers won a key procedural victory in the Senate.

  (tags: bush terrorism fisa congress)

• Newt: A GOP Dark Horse - Michael Reagan

  Fred Thompson’s gone. Duncan Hunter’s gone. All these people are gone. Huckabee could become Huckabeen — gone by next Tuesday. So could Rudy after next’s Tuesday’s Florida primary.

  (tags: gingrich 2008)

• Reauthorize FISA - Ken Blackwell, New York Sun

  In his State of the Union address next week, it is imperative that President Bush push for the reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978.

  (tags: fisa bush congress terrorism)

• House Republicans Know How to Play The Game - Erick Erickson, Redstate

  Compare and contrast House Republicans and Senate Republicans.

  (tags: republicans congress earmarks pork)

Al Kamen’s Uninformed Opinion

Washington Post reporter Al Kamen should stick to writing about subjects he understands. Clearly, the blogosphere isn’t one of them.

Kamen’s “In the Loop” column today takes a cheap shot at the Pentagon’s chief of new-media operations, Jack Holt, and the great work he’s doing at the Department of Defense. Holt regularly connects military officials with bloggers via teleconferences, giving bloggers access to information that reporters like Kamen have enjoyed for years.

It wasn’t exactly a FEMA moment, but there was something odd about the Department of Defense “Bloggers Roundtable” on Tuesday with Marine Lt. Col. David L. Coggins, chief of the mobile training and mentoring team for noncommissioned officer leadership, NATO training mission.

The session was hosted by Jack Holt of the Pentagon’s new media operation. Two bloggers spoke by phone with Coggins, who was in Baghdad. The idea was to reach out to the blogosphere and give bloggers access to military officers. We’re told most of those who’ve logged on have been defense community insiders. Some sessions attract more folks than others.

Holt turned to Jared Fishman — that was Lt. Jared Fishman — for the first question, which, Coggins said, was “a really great question.” Holt asked about “what type ships the Iraqi navy was working with?” That, too, was deemed a “really great question.”

Coggins at one point gave an answer that Holt deemed just “excellent.” Holt asked if “anybody else” in the blogosphere had “any other questions.” Apparently not, so Holt concluded the session, noting it was “a great news story.”

It’s always a great news story when the right bloggers are onboard.

First, a point of clarity. Kamen suggests that the Pentagon is limiting these calls to the “right bloggers.” That’s absolutely untrue. When I saw Holt speak at Blog World in Las Vegas last year, he made a point of stating that he reached out to bloggers of all political persuasions as well as those who cover military issues exclusively. Anyone is welcome to take part on the calls, but liberal bloggers have never expressed any interest. (And why would they when it’s so easy pontificate rather than report what’s actually happening.)

In my opinion, Kamen’s piece is yet another example of an elite, mainstream journalist expressing jealously about the emerging role of bloggers in the information age. His cushy job at the Post could soon be at risk with the more Americans turning to blogs for their news and information rather than page A17 of the newspaper.

UPDATE — 4:08 p.m.: Apparently this isn’t the first time someone has launched an attack on the Pentagon’s new-media operation. Danny Glover has details at Beltway Blogroll.

links for 2008-01-25

• Bipartisanship push sparks conservative revolt - Manu Raju, The Hill

  Senate Republicans’ decision to tone down the partisan rhetoric and embrace a bipartisan strategy in the election year has sparked anger from conservatives calling for a more aggressive push against earmarks and spending.

  (tags: congress republicans conservatism earmarks spending)

• Earmark Reform Update from the House Republican Retreat - Ed Frank, AFP

  As has been widely reported, there’s expected to be a significant family discussion about earmarks at this year’s meeting, which runs from today through Saturday afternoon.

  (tags: earmarks republicans congress pork)

• Business as Usual GOP - Robert Novak, Human Events

  When House Republicans convene behind closed doors today (Thursday) at the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, W.V., they have a chance to make two bold moves to restore their reputation for fiscal responsibility.

  (tags: republicans pork earmarks congress)

• Fred Thompson Thinking of Future Campaign? - Jim Geraghty, The Campaign Spot

  I just spoke to one of the Thompson Associates - who is in good spirits, considering the circumstances.

  (tags: fred_thompson)