Hugh Hewitt - Four points:
hughhewitt.com
First, the transcript of my interview with the Vice President on social security reform with a filibuster chaser thrown in will be up shortly at Radioblogger.
Second, NR's Beltway is reporting some odd quotes from GOP senators on the Bolton nomination. I cannot imagine a Republican senator voting against the President's nominee to the U.N. Such a vote is certainly a declaration of an end to presidential ambitions, and perhaps even a subtle retirement announcement. Like the upcoming vote on ending the filibuster of judicial nominees, the vote on John Bolton is a test of loyalty not just to party and president but also to bedrock constitutional principles about the right of the executive to conduct foreign affairs. Absent a disqualifying episode in a nominee's past, the president should get his foreign policy team, and he should get an up-or-down vote on his judicial nominees.
Next, CNN's "Inside Politics" has been covering blogs for a few weeks now (since February 14th, I think), and the network's on-air blogsleuths Jacki Schechner and Abbi Tatton came by my book party last night at the Jefferson Hotel. A very sharp pair, and very up-to-speed on the platform. These two are doing their segments without prompter and producing it themselves --a bold and interesting experiment for CNN, and one that will raise ratings for IP as bloggers begin to watch themselves being watched by MSM. Perhaps Mark Tapscott, also a guest last night, will have them up to Heritage to talk blog coverage with the increasingly blog-friendly conservative think tank. Also, I made the acquaintance of NetCynic's Joe DeSantis --and discovered another promising DC blog. With old friends and new it was a fun event, but of course everyone really wanted to meet new media news czar John McIntyre as RealClearPolitics appears to be read by everyone in and outside of the government. |
