Footnotes on the Nuclear Option -- Part VII

by Kagro X

Only a precious few blogs have made mention of the utter shamelessness with which Senate Republicans have machinated the return of disgraced (in the eyes of feeling humans) staffer Manuel Miranda. God knows the mainstream media, with only rare exceptions, hasn't bothered.

I find it rather hard to believe that an organization called the "National Coalition to End Judicial Filibusters" raises no eyebrows among the crowd of journalists covering the nuclear option drama. Nobody noticed that this too-fortuitously named group seems to have appeared from thin air, just at the time that the nation is becoming aware of the very existence of the judicial filibuster? Nobody thought to check out who they were or where they came from?

You might be tempted to cut the mainstream media some slack on this. After all, a minimal good faith effort to poke around beneath the surface might not have been all that revealing. You can't google it. It's not there. So, OK, right? We tried. Now roll the presses.

Only, doesn't the very lack of direct Google hits raise some suspicion? You can see that there's no shortage of citations to the group. And a Google News search for Miranda's name likewise shows that he's been making the rounds, and connecting himself to the organization. So it strikes no one as odd that this "National Coalition" has no web-based resources of its own, where journalists might verify Miranda's qualifications (such as they are) for heading this group?

I certainly can't blame Miranda for neglecting to establish a web presence. It would only increase the likelihood that reporters and their readers would recognize his name and realize exactly how craven the Republican use of the infamous revolving doors on Capitol Hill actually is. Here's Miranda, "fired" as Frist's judicial nominations counsel for stealing Democratic strategy memos on judicial nominations, now set up as "Chairman" of this "National Coalition," and right back where he started: sitting in on Frist's strategy sessions on judicial nominations. Too hot to handle as a staffer, and garnering bad press, Frist kicks Miranda out the front door, only to let him sneak in the back.

Consider it an early, concrete demonstration of the Republican's unwillingness to abide by American standards of decency, and complete lack of respect for those on the other side of the aisle. It should surprise no one that Frist and Cheney will take such great pleasure in spitting in Democrats' eyes next week.

Comments

[RonK, Seattle]

Aye. Give the unindicted co-conspirators of the media their Miranda Warnings

[Kagro X]

Most surpising: Alexander Bolton of The Hill. He's got a relatively small beat, by comparison. And yet, he has managed to cover both the story of Miranda's disgrace and his resurfacing, apparently without noticing that there's an unreported story here.

I have to tell you, it bugs me a little bit that Harry Reid still wants to play on the level with these people. I can't hold it against him to too great an extent -- he's the one with the organic understanding of the Senate -- but this is a huge insult in my book. Huge. It's just one more way the Republicans appear to be mocking Democratic reluctance to play rough.

[willyr]

Miranda isn't helping his side much by saying that Senators Hagel, McCain and Warner are "too cool for school" to vote against the nuckuler option [Augusta Free Press http://www.augustafreepress.com/stories/storyReader$34014]. Meanwhile, an Unnamed NY Times columnist makes shit up about Harry Reid cutting "a deal" not to filibuster a Supreme Court nominee [The Nation http://www.thenation.com/blogs/outrage?bid=13&pid=2373]