Durbin vs. Pajamas and Power Line

I'd say it's to Mr. Durbin's credit that he never heard of a hack website like this.

You guys all deserve to have Abu Gonzales justify Bushy declare himself "president for life"...

after all, giving him war powers entitles him to do anything he wants.

Are you serious? This is embarassing. The best we can do is Parrot General Gonzales words? Can't we at least come up with one orginal and pointed question from our own inquiring and activist minds? Why do we just have to use the dang Talking Points? I hope this video isn't posted to illustrate PM's effectiveness. It does exactly the opposite!

Wake up people or these stoopid libs is gonna prove their way works better and they're gonna out-intellectualize us in every confrontation like this one!

Just my $2 worth!

Obviously this is missing Mirengoff's previous questions, which give context to the discussion. They will be posted later along with several other interviews.

You guys all deserve to have Abu Gonzales justify Bushy declare himself "president for life".

Bushy? How old are you? You sound like a pouting, petulant child that got on Mum and Dad's computer.

LizDexic? No kidding. That's about the literacy level I'd expect from a leftie.

I wasn't particularly impressed by the question. Just more talking points. That's one of the major problems in political debate is that the minions for each side just keep repeating what they were taught that day. I would expect more from someone with John's background. Durbin made more points than John on this one. The bottom line is that the President made a big error going it along on this issue. This isn't about what party you belong to but about the abuse of power.

Anyone who has paid the least attention to Power Line since the start of the terrorist-intercepts story knows that they have proven beyond all doubt that the President is in fact working well within Constitutional parameters, as defined in both case law and in the actions of past administrations, including President Clinton's.

As far as I can tell, only the NYT and the leakers have anything to fear from the law.

'You guys all deserve to have Abu Gonzales justify Bushy declare himself "president for life"...'

Liz, you are going to be so surprised when the next Democrat wins the presidency, oh, around 2024 or so.

I see the WAPO comment brigade have taken their latest marching orders.

I thought it was great. Anytime a politician has to interrupt themselves to find out whose asking a question (um..like they care) is great in my book.

one critique:

"Capitol Hill is buzzing with talk of a news conference earlier today in which Powerline's Paul Mirengoff was pushing some hard questions at Sen. Teddy Kennedy, D-MA, and Sen. Richard Durbin, D-IL, about the NSA's anti-terrorist international "eavesdropping" program.

Kennedy apparently got flustered with Mirengoff, so Durbin started fielding the questions and himself became increasingly flustered. Finally, according to one account, Durbin asked Mirengoff what news organization he represented.

When Mirengoff said "Pajamas Media," Durbin said something to the effect of "I've never heard of Pajamas Media, who the hell is Pajamas Media."

To which Mirengoff responded: "Well, Dan Rather knows something about Pajamas Media.""

LizDexic

Now you know, why they call him, Dick

Bushy? How old are you? You sound like a pouting, petulant child that got on Mum and Dad's computer.

"Bushy" is what Laura calls the Moron in Chief.

Read up.

Better than "Bushy"...how about

"Chicken Caesar"...?

LOL!

Durbin is a little confused about who we are.

He wasn't confused about your being shills for Bushco.

He asked who the wanker worked for.
He could have asked if Jeff Gannon was too busy to be there.

LizDexic

You had better be damn thankful, we aren't Islamists. For if we were, your attitude and mouth, would have been on the floor, looking up at the rest of you...Now that truly is funny.

But then you seem just exactly the dhimmified kind of person, 'they' desire....and THAT fact is really hilarious.

ooo Donzi...I'm escared!

well maybe you can be esbeheaded, too (hopefully), or is that eshopefully? esdhimmi....fool...oppps esfool....LOL...opppsss esLOL.

Why is it that a certain type of person thinks that snarkily invoking other people's nicknames is, somehow, amusing, or ironic, or smart? MoDo with her "Rummy", LizDexic with her "Bushy"...mayhaps I'm a bit thick but I just don't find that kind of half-witted pseudo-cleverness to be a sign of intellect or depth.

As for Mr. Mirengoff's exchange with Senator Durbin, bravo to Mr. Mirengoff. More, please.

At last, Jeff Gannon has a rival!

So this is the mighty Pyjamas Media: fearless questioners of the powerless, willing shills for unfettered state power.

Nice going, fellas!

MoDo with her "Rummy", LizDexic with her "Bushy"...mayhaps I'm a bit thick but I just don't find that kind of half-witted pseudo-cleverness to be a sign of intellect or depth.

You're not alone...seems to me that if they wanted to be taken as anything but posers they'd also actually make some type of argument instead of throwing around what seems to be caricatures or people.

But, after reading the whole transcript to understand the context of how this went down I've got to say I'm impressed. The actual line of questioning was very reasonsed and with purpose in trying to illicit some type of logical response from Durbin. In making sure that Durbin understood the other position a very reasonable question was posed to him at which point Durbin just couldn't hang...I'm sure he wasn't at all used to that treatment. Put up or shut up....am I right? :)

I'm puzzled why, when a member of the new media brings up a legal point, that they are accused of being a shrill for someone? Don't the commenters read Powerline?
Pajama media is for people who can write sentences to quietly and clearly express opinion...name calling is for my 12 year old...
And I am proud that a non power broker is able to ask questions of those in power...without being filtered by the monolithic MSM...wish we could do that with Gloria here...

Hey Nate: They're not "talking points." They're statements of fact. After a while, I imagine the administration gets pretty tired of having those facts ignored in the course of debate. Look at the way that previous case law supporting the President's position has been completely ignored by both the Democrats and the media.

Actually, I thought Paul's line of questioning was pretty original. It's the first time I've heard someone suggest the possibility of proposing legislation to resolve the apparent disconnect between FISA and the executive powers, instead of focusing all their time and efforts on sticking it to the President.

tioedong:

The "shill" accusation usually comes out when the accuser has run out of arguments based on reason and common sense. Notice here that we get that particular moniker as well as all the childish name-calling. It's all they have left.

But there's an underlying assumption that is implicit in their comments. They want us to believe that asking questions of our elected leaders requires a 4-year degree in journalism and an internship at one of the major media outlets. Only then will we have the analytical skills and intellectual acumen to pitch softballs to guys like Dick Durbin. God forbid that a mere uncredentialed commoner like Paul Mirengoff should be allowed to ask a tough question. I'm almost surprised that Durbin didn't end his appearance with something like: "Guards! Seize that peasant and drag him to the dungeons. He will pay for his insolence!"

Good work jammies!

We need an anti-Jon Stewart(an actual conservative) smartass beating on these glory boys.

Keep it up.

No, Sloan, the "underlying assumption" is this: we have a government of unimaginable power, which, in addition to all the other ways it can shape the outcome of events, has a virtually unfettered ability to disseminate its views to the public.

Given that, an organization that sees its role as browbeating opposition figures with that point of view is not a media organization - new media, old media, any media - it is a shill.

When PJM (a) starts turning up to press conferences of people with power and asking tough questions and (b) applies some critical intelligence rather than merely recycling talking points, I'll change my view. But until then, I'll continue to place PJM in the same bracket as the soviet-era Pravda.

"No, Sloan, the "underlying assumption" is this: we have a government of unimaginable power, which, in addition to all the other ways it can shape the outcome of events, has a virtually unfettered ability to disseminate its views to the public."

I'm calling B.S. on this, Mork. No, it's not "a government of unimaginable power." It's the same old system of checks and balances that it always was. I don't see Dick Durbin and Ted Kennedy being marched off to the gulag. The opposition has the same "unfettered ability to disseminate its views to the public" that the Bush administration does...even more so, considering the incontrovertibly leftward tilt of the mainstream media, and the past evidence of their collaboration with congressional Democrats in trying to bring down the President.

You're just upset that it's not all going your way anymore. Sorry, but the times they are a-changin'.

I fail to see how what outfit Mr. Mirengoff works for is relevant to Mr Durbin answering his question.

Touche' Sloan !!

Oh-uh -- excuse my french - please.

You are right - The Demi-rats are upset
about losing -

the senate,
the house,
the presidency,
two seats on the supreme court...

They would much prefer our enemies to win
with their help - much like the commies in vietnam...

Yes - we do hear much wailing and
much gnashing of teeth.

Well - I believe it's time to feed
the "left-overs" to the dawgs.