the fake movie review lawsuit that Sony settled in which Sony employees invented a movie reviewer. The "reviewer's" quotes were published in newspapers for films like "Hollow Man" and created a narrative- that Sony likely knew the movies wouldn't create on their own- that it was "one hell of a scary ride."

The difference is that Sony had to invent the fake reviewer as it likely knew that no respectable film critic would risk career suicide by attaching their name to such an obvious manipulation.

But the McCain encountered no similar obstacles in putting this narrative out there as apparently it's more difficult to find a willing political reporter than a film critic.

As depressing as that is it's very heartening to witness the difference Glenn and others are making. I laughed when I heard the word "Greenwaldian" and thought of Gandi's quote about "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." When they invent terms that contain your name, you've entered phase three.

Glenn and other "Greenwaldian" bloggers may even elevate the standards of political reporters to the level of film critics in the near future. And that's progress!

... apparently it's "more difficult to find a willing film critic than a political reporter," which is the point.

believes the Republicans will regain some integrity when in the minority, just as you describe here.

BILL MOYERS: And the Republicans, what do they do?

KEVIN PHILLIPS: ... I can't imagine anything worse than having another four years of George W. Bush... But could the Republicans be different and better? Oddly enough, I think they might have a small bit of integrity as opposition people, whereas subordinate to Bush and all the people that control national Republican politics, the Republicans were a waste of time.

But, for example, Senator Grassley of Iowa was ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee. He opposed the Fannie/Freddie Bill and said it was a payoff to Wall Street and K Street. That's the lobbyists in Washington. You now have the Senator of Alabama, Shelby, who's the ranking Republican on Senate Banking, totally opposed anymore bailouts. We've got to let the markets do it. Well, the National Republican Party doesn't believe that for one minute.

BILL MOYERS: Because they get their money from the same people.

KEVIN PHILLIPS: That's right. The same money goes to the Democrats."

Phillips later said this about Obama:

"Now, a lot of Democrats in the labor movement are very nervous about Obama. They put out press releases talking about Rubin-nomics because they see that the flesh of the Democratic Party carries a lunchbox. But the new soul of the Democratic Party wears a pinstripe suit."

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/09192008/transcript2.html

from Ed's post:

"However, we need to correct the problems we created in the first place, not by giving $1 trillion to a single person with no accountability whatsoever, but by dismantling the machinery of government interference that gave birth to the credit crisis. "

See, it wasn't deregulation that led to this crisis; it was "governmental interference." It's not a failed economic model, it simply wasn't implemented in a pure enough form!

It's still the liberals fault, as, after all, it was remnants of their belief in any governmental oversight that corrupted an otherwise perfect model.

Digby observed that Chris Cox "is just a natural symptom of the illness of modern conservatism's Randian philosophy, which, at its core, really does hold that the Big Money Boyz should be allowed unfettered freedom to make money without restrictions or rules." She also pointed out this letter to the editor by a Mr. Greenspan:

"Atlas Shrugged is a celebration of life and happiness. Justice is unrelenting. Creative individuals and undeviating purpose and rationality achieve joy and fulfillment. Parasites who persistently avoid either purpose or reason perish as they should. Mr. Hicks suspiciously wonders "about a person who sustains such a mood through the writing of 1,168 pages and some fourteen years of work." This reader wonders about a person who finds unrelenting justice personally disturbing."

There are two kinds of people in the world under this view: parasites and creative individuals. Parasites lose bankruptcy protection so creative individuals can lend without risk. But when creative individuals are at risk, parasite money is needed, so parasite grandchildren rightfully "perish as they should," or else Atlas might shrug.

The difference between the parasites and the creative individuals? It's which side of the gated community they fall into.

... how much the David Brooks/Rich Lowrys are starting to resemble "Baghdad Bob?"

Brooks' proclamations of victory read like "The Onion" and Lowry's "starburst" comment is much better comedy.

Can you imagine what they'd be saying about Hillary if she claimed her bad answers were the result of being "annoyed" by the interviewer?