My friend Susan attended the NRI Summit in Washington DC this weekend. (Hot Air has clips from the weekend here and here, and of course there are a lot of reactions at The Corner – just start at the top……

but complimenting Webb for saying nice things about our country is like complimenting a parent for giving their child lunch money before school or helping them with their homework afterward – it’s something they should be doing anyway.

This was my reaction as well. The Democrats have done their best to paint the President as a bigger enemy to this country than the terrorists. So one comes forward (finally) and says some positive things about America. He makes an effort to sound like a human being rather than some wild eyed 60’s radical with the hygiene of a billy goat. Whoop ti do. I like puppies, and clean water and breathing air too. Wow. We have so much in common. Personally, I think it’s bullsh*t. Webb is a new face with a decent pedigree so they trot him out there rather than one of the usual suspects that no one would believe anyway. Given his acting like a jackass when he met the President after his win, I think he’s got the potential to be an even bigger douchebag than John effing Kerry. Why Laura I. is wasting breath on complimenting him I have no idea. Maybe she’s ashamed of campaigning for Senator Macaca and she’s trying to say something nice about Webb. As far as saying nice things about Democrats as one poster mentioned above, I’ll say nice things when they start doing things based on what’s good for the country rather than what’s politically expedient and beneficial. Don’t get me wrong. The Republicans have started thinking and acting that way too; part of the reason why their base spanked them last November.

However, I have to disagree with the Boss. We didn’t lose in November over Iraq. We didn’t lose over bad message spreading either. We lost because a Republican congress went on a porkfest. We lost because Duke Cunningham and Bob Ney deserved to go to prison. We lost because conservatism was sent to the dustbin for political expediency.

Things great in Iraq? Nope. Was the communication of what we were doing in Iraq competently communicated? Nope. But a party that abandons its principles is what loses elections. The Dems won because their principles demand American defeat.

And they stuck to ‘em…..

You can tell (by the coffee cup) who the professional blogger is…

Thank you, great Vent, like others here, I would love to see more of this type of setting.

To make a positive technical point, I really love your video quality, especially the wide screen ratio. To echo the others, an improvement in sound quality in general would really bring Hot Air to another level.

“..I think we all have seen, those of us with our eyes open anyway, what religous fundementalism brings. Whether its islamic fundementilism or christian. It brings a halt to progress, it brings the replacement of learning with dogma and it fosters bigotry and hatered for everything you don’t understand. . ..”

Don Knutsen wrote this one, all misspelled words are his as well.
go here, laugh , or cry.

“Surely by now a majority of Americans have realized that the Media is owned and controlled by the Republican party. Actually it ought to be called the Plutocratic party and instead of Media, rightfully called the Ministry of Lies and Propaganda. Media Moguls are millionaires and billionaires whose primary intent is profit, while maintaining the Establishment status quo..”

comment by rabblerowzer , who might be only 7 years old, but still.
Go read a few of these, it is truly astonishing. I would actually guess they were written by UBL.

CONSERVATIVE LADIES- We really , REALLY need you on air, often.

Clearly, we view this very differently. You said, “Should Michelle do a Vent on the good things Hillary might say? Should MKH spend video time telling about what she found good about Obama?”

My answer would be, “Why not?” What would be so wrong with that (assuming Michelle and MKH had something profound to say)? The fact that there are people on the Left that wouldn’t do something like that isn’t a reason for me to do the same thing. Let others be blinded by their left-wing/right wing doctrine and/or be intellectually dishonest. I’m certainly not going to do that. I’m going to call them as I see them, which is something I respect in others as well.

You also asked me:

Is her response (to you) embarrassing because you don’t agree with it, because it’s knee jerk, or conservative?

Answer: Because I perceive it to be knee jerk. I thought I made that clear in my first post. Perhaps not.

Question from you: Are you saying we should strive to be more like Sen. Webb?

Answer: I have no idea what you’re trying to get at here. I am saying we should strive to be more statesman-like and less partisan.

Question from you: Are you saying that most conservatives are knee-jerk reactionaries?

Answer: Nope. However, there certainly are some. Just like I’m sure there are liberals who are knee-jerk radicals. I don’t like them either. By the way, I’m not suggesting that Charen is a knee-jerk reactionary

Clearly, you and I view this issue quite differently. I respect your views and I respect your right to make them. I just expect to have the same respect afforded to me.

True, but they (liberals) don’t, and I think that was Laura’s point. Webb is doing something the Left should have been doing all along but hasn’t and is doing it well. I didn’t take her statement as a compliment to Webb personally but just to his tactic, which may or may not have been genuine.

I don’t think Webb’s an America-hater like many of the democrats, but I don’t see that as a compliment to him so much as I see it as a negative for the rest of the Democrats.

I think her point is that with Democrats like Webb, the Right is in jeopardy. And let’s face it, with his speech, he’s certainly more Right-wing than some of our elected Republicans. That being the case, why would the Right continue to vote for a party that won’t listen to its base?

Esthier on January 29, 2007 at 1:46 PM

I do agree with that, 1000x over. Our current crop of elected Republicans by and large sucks. There are some exceptions, but that (the fact that they are exceptions) is what really drives the point home.

I recorded the whole thing on CSPAN … and then accidentally deleted it yesterday. The sound was perfection.

I have another copy but not of the entire event. Maybe 45 minutes’ worth.

Allahpundit on January 29, 2007 at 11:20 AM

Is it being replayed anytime soon? I’d Tivo it.

But maybe I’m projecting, because my eyes started rolling as well. Don’t get me wrong – I’m definitely a fan of Laura, but complimenting Webb for saying nice things about our country is like complimenting a parent for giving their child lunch money before school or helping them with their homework afterward – it’s something they should be doing anyway.

thirteen28 on January 29, 2007 at 1:37 PM

True, but they (liberals) don’t, and I think that was Laura’s point. Webb is doing something the Left should have been doing all along but hasn’t and is doing it well. I didn’t take her statement as a compliment to Webb personally but just to his tactic, which may or may not have been genuine.

I think her point is that with Democrats like Webb, the Right is in jeopardy. And let’s face it, with his speech, he’s certainly more Right-wing than some of our elected Republicans. That being the case, why would the Right continue to vote for a party that won’t listen to its base?

But maybe I’m projecting, because my eyes started rolling as well. Don’t get me wrong – I’m definitely a fan of Laura, but complimenting Webb for saying nice things about our country is like complimenting a parent for giving their child lunch money before school or helping them with their homework afterward – it’s something they should be doing anyway.

Perhaps it did. I was saying that Laura’s patting him on the back for his response (she was doing it on the radio last week too) was not that great a thing, which you seem to think. Should Michelle do a Vent on the good things that Hillary might say. Should MKH spend video time telling about what she found good about Obama?

I’m saying that the folks on the left get enough atta boy time from everyone else. I don’t think it’s a good thing, which you seem to. You also characterized Mona as giving the “(to me) embarrassing knee-jerk conservative response and just smacks it down.”

Is her response (to you) embarrassing because you don’t agree with it, because it’s knee-jerk or conservative? Are you saying that we should strive to be more like Sen. Webb? Are you saying that most conservatives are just knee-jerk reactionaries?

Maybe you didn’t think my comment had anything to do with what you said because you didn’t explain it clearly enough (for me) to understand.

Rhetorically……

It was good to hear the thoughts, and humor, of people with good judgement and keen insight.

I do have to say that I disagree with MM though. The Republicans lost because of their corruption, not because of Iraq and the exit polls reflected that. Iraq was also an issue but if stories like Abramoff (sp?) and Foley hadn’t been around, they would have retained control of both houses IMO.

I uploaded just a little bit of Tony Snow’s speech from the National Review Summit. Thought you might like. Almost got kicked off the front row by an event-planner while I was trying to get this vide, too, so enjoy.
Sadly, I missed the most……