Thank you again, Glenn, for clarifying what a daunting task it is to keep all the players in our political drama straight so we can apply some objective analysis.

Yes, it's "tweedy" who MC's the Republican debate and not Olbermann,and then John Harris and VanderHeigh of Politico who are the sub-agents, and the questions mostly soft-ball and un-enlightening. Won't they continue in this vein for the Republicans, while the Democrats will have their feet held to the fire, and disparaged by the likes of the Tweedys, Broders, Brooks, Dowds, MSNBC, Faux and CNN hacks? How do we change the dynamic so that this unfair alignment doesn't contaminate the debates and reporting of the '08 Democratic candidates?

Thanks Glenn, you always cut to the core. And,thank God for well-informed bloggers!!!!

If I hadn't read on the blogs for almost a year about the "Blackwater mercenaries" presence in Iraq, all 149,000 of them, some even protecting Gen.Petreus, and heard about this organization exposed in a new book by Jeremy Skahill who is testifying today before a House Committee,I would have been as baffled as Doyle McMannus(LATimes), Barbara Slavin(Wash. Monthly)and Diane Rehm on her NPR show this am.

I respect Diane Rehm and find her fair, BUT, how could these

well-informed "Washington Insiders", members of the MSM, not know things that are just basic to reading the blogs??? Guess we have to inform the informers!!

Terrific insights Glenn.

It is my female experience that men who behave like "Tweedy" Matthews, Bill Kristol, Joe Liarman, and most of the DC punditry are truly men who doubt their masculinity and think they can cover it by their promotion of tough tactics--terrorism, war mongering, torture etc. They then take the next step, which is to imagine what masculinity looks and smells and sounds like, and they go wild with the Rudys and the Fred T's thinking that they are the REAL MEN. But those are pathetic pretenders too who act like they think a tough guy acts and take on this "push em around", " no mercy" aura.

I think we need to fill the air waves and the newspaper op eds with this observation--call these clowns on their "man crap" so they have to defend themselves--that will be a real display of "non-manhood", kind of like the unmasked evangelical minister, Ted Haggard, who was a druggie closet gay guy!

It seems masterful the way the White House(Rove)gets the press to portray another(Rove) message --Democrats want to end the war and Repubs want to support the troups. In Jay Rosen's link, he attributes Rove's ability to accomplish such deeds by his "savviness". This poses a real confusion for me in that there is a kind of Bush savvy, the"John Waynish tough guy power and identification with masculinity" that permeates the White House ether and the press appears to buy. Seems Rove's "savviness" is in direct contradiction to the "tough guy savviness" of Bush with Rove's appearance which is girly-guy, fat, nebbish,and un-masculine. Why would the press revere such a girly guy spokesman for savviness unless there was something else called ruthless unmitigated power that they feared?

The way in which Zelikow has to parse his words and fracture reality to make his case reminds me of the lawyer from Baker Botts, that Casey who tried to attack your points about Bush on C-Span 2 this am, Glenn. If one has nothing that makes sense, no truth to offer then "obfuscate"- it's kept the Bush Administration wobbling along for 7 years!!

Glenn, don't stop until you get some clarification. It's probably too much to ask that you get an honest answer. This is the "rightwing wacko's" operating procedure...stonewall and get their minions on the R. blogs to try and decimate you with all their animus. This is what they do with the Dems, who cave almost instantly, and then apologize. That's what Boylan may think he can get you to do

The stronger you stand , the crazier they get, until either you give up or they do. DON'T STOP!!!! We have your back.

I don't see there is anything but sarcasm as a responce to this video. Are we supposed to believe that Meghan just thought it all up and shot it herself without any PR coaching??

Come on. These politicos don't "just do anything spontaneously", everything is mapped out for maximum affect.

Someone responded earlier that she /he would have a similar reaction if Chelsea Clinton did this. The point is--Chelsea didn't do it, nor did the Kerry girls, or the Edwards' daughter etc. it's just a silly little "my dad's a good guy","see the press love him", and "my mom isn't really a Stepford wife" piece! I'm amazed that she didn't end it by saying "Hey, guys, see we're all young here, forget my dad's the oldest man running for president in the recent past."