In my original post about “The Israel Lobby,” I chose to fisk only one point of Professor Walt and Mearsheimer’s “working paper”: the howler in the first footnote, in which Walt and Mearsheimer claim that the existence of AIPAC per se means that its goals are not in the American interest (otherwise why would you need a lobby? was their point).

Having read this, one of the most tendentiously stupid assertions in the annals of “scholarship,” I saw no reason to continue fisking the piece. Way too annoying and depressing.

Others have picked up on this, however, and they’re making mincemeat of the good professors.

For some reason, I can’t like to the piece. Here’s the URL:

http://powerlineblog.com/archives/013641.php

There’s no question that Keith Olbermann is entertaining. His show is unique (as far as I know, and I admit I’m no expert) in the pre-11:30 p.m. timeslot–a raucous, high-energy mix of news, tabloid headlines, comedy, irony, sarcasm, and red meat for liberals in general and Bush-bashers in particular. He is nasty, belligerent, in your face, and mean-spirited. You love him or you hate him, but it’s impossible to feel neutral about him. Like Rush Limbaugh, I suppose. In other words, Olbermann is pure gold for this era–he grabs the attention of viewers.

Surprisingly, a news exec gets this and is not afraid to say it (via Howard Kurtz in the Washington Post):

“NBC News President Steve Capus says “there’s no question he’s stepped up his opinionated discussions, but the audience is smart enough to know what is straight news reporting and what is opinion-driven talk.”

Olbermann makes my teeth hurt.

But I’ve got a feeling that his show is a template of the infotainment-to- come as we acclimate to the Constant Information Era.

This future will include a lot of engagement from the audience, rather than a passive stance in front of a television monitor. Viewers will need to think critically in order to be able to tell the “straight news” from the “opinion-driven talk.”

Do you want to know how serious Democrats are about national security? Click on www.democrats.gov. The entire site has been revamped around the Real Security plan. You can read the platform here, and here is the link to the PDF brochure. You can listen to audio of today’s announcement here. The plan lays out a tough and smart approach to our national security, from eliminating Osama bin Laden to declaring energy independence. The plan is so provocative, the administration sent out Vice-President Dick Cheney to FOX News (where else would he go?) to play defense. Cheney lied (what else would he do?) and said our “behavior has been totally inconsistent with what they’re now promising to do.” (emphasis added)
–georgia10, DailyKos

A glimpse at the actual report reveals this reassuring part of the “Democratic Plan“:

Redouble efforts to stop nuclear weapons development in Iran and North Korea.

The rest of it is just as jaw-droppingly juvenile.

Wise words from an anonymous poster on at TigerHawk’s blog:

Freedom of expression is NOT freedom from consequences of that expression. Namely, that little johnny gets a ZERO for his work that day, because he’s out protesting. That’s an important point that even many adults haven’t figured out (Dixie Chicks, Hollywood, Jerry Falwell).

Sarah from GalleyCat asks readers what they think of poaching.

Hmmm. No one thinks about it–they just do it. As their elders and betters did way before them and as their proteges will do long after they’re gone.

Next question?