Alcee Hastings Needs To Learn This Lesson, Quickly
As we know, Alcee Hastings is being eyed by Nancy Pelosi to take over the chairmanship of the House Intelligence Committee over the current senior Democrat there, Jane Harman. We also know that the reason behind this is that Ms. Pelosi does not like Ms. Harman. So, she desires a change on the committee. But, as Professor Glenn Reynolds points out today that it is not wise to attack bloggers. We are a free-spirited bunch that tends to dislike such attacks, and we retaliate in like kind.
From The Beltway Blogroll:
Blog criticism of Hastings has been persistent and harsh enough that he responded Nov. 20 by blasting "anonymous bloggers" in general and conservative Michelle Malkin in particular. "I hope that my fate is not determined by Newt Gingrich, Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin, Michael Barone, [Matt] Drudge, anonymous bloggers, and other assorted misinformed fools," he wrote in a five-page letter to House Democratic colleagues.
The letter may have done more harm than good to Hastings' cause, however, because Malkin answered in kind with a post that labeled Hastings a "fool" and his letter to colleagues an "unhinged rant." She included plenty of background links on the Hastings bribery case and current criticisms of his leadership bid.
"It isn't just right-wingers objecting to the possibility of a convicted judge for sale chairing the House Intelligence Committee," she wrote. "In peacetime, Washington can chalk up Hastings' resurrection to business as usual. In wartime, Washington has no business doing business as usual."
Lesson number one, when you are in the heart of a firestorm, you do not hand your detractors another gallon of gasoline that they can fan the flames with. Mr. Hastings should have taken a page from recent history. During the Miers nomination process, the Democrats shut their mouths, and let the GOP war upon itself. They did precisely what they should have done by making encouraging statements about Ms. Miers while we tore into one another over her ill-fated nomination. If Mr. Hastings would simply remain silent, and not attack the pundits on our side, his ascension process might go a bity smoother, except ....
Lesson number two, when your own colleagues are not pleased with you, again, you do not fan the flames. The Democrat caucus in the House was not pleased with Ms. Pelosi's choice for the House Majority Leader's position, which is why they flatly rejected John Murtha, and chose Steny Hoyer instead. They are not happy with the prospect of Mr. Hastings being elevated to a position--over someone who should rightfully sit in the committee's senior chair--where his very presence will likely bring controversy. Mr. Hastings can cite the trial where he was acquitted all he wishes, but it does not change the fact that the House and Senate found wrongdoing in his actions, and voted appropriately to remove him.
Bloggers may not be the professional pundits that others look to. No, we are not the Sean Hannitys, or Ann Coulters, or Victor Davis Hansons that people know and respect for their opinions and reasoning. We are, however, more involved in the daily dose of current events and politics. And what is worse for people like Mr. Hastings is that when you take swipes at bloggers, we react. The people like Sean Hannity will write off Mr. Hastings as a nut, and move on.
We do not do that. We respond with even more critique. Case in point: Michelle Malkin has come back swinging for the fences and she knocks it right out of the park today. Mr. Hastings claims that people are not talking about his impeachment and court case honestly. So, Michelle has laid most of it out, and we are left to decide. I can gather this from her post:
Alcee Hastings--by his own admission--was given a fair and impartial impeachment hearing. He received a fair trial where he was not found guilty of any wrongdoing. But in the end, the House and Senate had their say, and he was removed. Mr. Hastings cannot get around that fact, nor can he deny it. It is stated in the "Almanac of American Politics" that Alcee Hastings is:
"the only member of Congress ever to have been impeached and removed from office as a federal judge."
This is a historical fact that will follow him around until he dies.
As bloggers, we have the ability to speak our mind, and persuade readers to see things from our point-of-view. We back up our arguments with facts, and link to them to prove our points. What Alcee Hastings thought he could get away with, with his retaliatory screed, was to silence those opposed to him. The problem is he cannot even silence the opposition within his own party. And that is the key to this whole sceanrio. We, as bloggers, do not have a say in whether or not he sits in the chairman's seat. That is the for the Speaker to decide, with the concensus (hopefully) of her caucus.
But we can level an opinion. And that is precisely what we bloggers have done on this matter. But it is not smart to come after us. We swing back, and when we do it hurts.
Marcie
As we know, Alcee Hastings is being eyed by Nancy Pelosi to take over the chairmanship of the House Intelligence Committee over the current senior Democrat there, Jane Harman. We also know that the reason behind this is that Ms. Pelosi does not like Ms. Harman. So, she desires a change on the committee. But, as Professor Glenn Reynolds points out today that it is not wise to attack bloggers. We are a free-spirited bunch that tends to dislike such attacks, and we retaliate in like kind.
From The Beltway Blogroll:
Blog criticism of Hastings has been persistent and harsh enough that he responded Nov. 20 by blasting "anonymous bloggers" in general and conservative Michelle Malkin in particular. "I hope that my fate is not determined by Newt Gingrich, Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin, Michael Barone, [Matt] Drudge, anonymous bloggers, and other assorted misinformed fools," he wrote in a five-page letter to House Democratic colleagues.
The letter may have done more harm than good to Hastings' cause, however, because Malkin answered in kind with a post that labeled Hastings a "fool" and his letter to colleagues an "unhinged rant." She included plenty of background links on the Hastings bribery case and current criticisms of his leadership bid.
"It isn't just right-wingers objecting to the possibility of a convicted judge for sale chairing the House Intelligence Committee," she wrote. "In peacetime, Washington can chalk up Hastings' resurrection to business as usual. In wartime, Washington has no business doing business as usual."
Lesson number one, when you are in the heart of a firestorm, you do not hand your detractors another gallon of gasoline that they can fan the flames with. Mr. Hastings should have taken a page from recent history. During the Miers nomination process, the Democrats shut their mouths, and let the GOP war upon itself. They did precisely what they should have done by making encouraging statements about Ms. Miers while we tore into one another over her ill-fated nomination. If Mr. Hastings would simply remain silent, and not attack the pundits on our side, his ascension process might go a bity smoother, except ....
Lesson number two, when your own colleagues are not pleased with you, again, you do not fan the flames. The Democrat caucus in the House was not pleased with Ms. Pelosi's choice for the House Majority Leader's position, which is why they flatly rejected John Murtha, and chose Steny Hoyer instead. They are not happy with the prospect of Mr. Hastings being elevated to a position--over someone who should rightfully sit in the committee's senior chair--where his very presence will likely bring controversy. Mr. Hastings can cite the trial where he was acquitted all he wishes, but it does not change the fact that the House and Senate found wrongdoing in his actions, and voted appropriately to remove him.
Bloggers may not be the professional pundits that others look to. No, we are not the Sean Hannitys, or Ann Coulters, or Victor Davis Hansons that people know and respect for their opinions and reasoning. We are, however, more involved in the daily dose of current events and politics. And what is worse for people like Mr. Hastings is that when you take swipes at bloggers, we react. The people like Sean Hannity will write off Mr. Hastings as a nut, and move on.
We do not do that. We respond with even more critique. Case in point: Michelle Malkin has come back swinging for the fences and she knocks it right out of the park today. Mr. Hastings claims that people are not talking about his impeachment and court case honestly. So, Michelle has laid most of it out, and we are left to decide. I can gather this from her post:
Alcee Hastings--by his own admission--was given a fair and impartial impeachment hearing. He received a fair trial where he was not found guilty of any wrongdoing. But in the end, the House and Senate had their say, and he was removed. Mr. Hastings cannot get around that fact, nor can he deny it. It is stated in the "Almanac of American Politics" that Alcee Hastings is:
"the only member of Congress ever to have been impeached and removed from office as a federal judge."
This is a historical fact that will follow him around until he dies.
As bloggers, we have the ability to speak our mind, and persuade readers to see things from our point-of-view. We back up our arguments with facts, and link to them to prove our points. What Alcee Hastings thought he could get away with, with his retaliatory screed, was to silence those opposed to him. The problem is he cannot even silence the opposition within his own party. And that is the key to this whole sceanrio. We, as bloggers, do not have a say in whether or not he sits in the chairman's seat. That is the for the Speaker to decide, with the concensus (hopefully) of her caucus.
But we can level an opinion. And that is precisely what we bloggers have done on this matter. But it is not smart to come after us. We swing back, and when we do it hurts.
Marcie
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 2:43 PM
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