Ana Marie Cox asks boss Rick Stengel why he is "uninterested" in Dems going after Rove

[BurtWorm]

See Citizen Rick's response below. :eyes:

http://time-blog.com/swampland/2007/03/in_which_i_pretend_that_the_bo.html

Swampland, TIME
March 26, 2007 4:56
In Which I Pretend that the Boss Reads Emails from Me
Posted by Ana Marie Cox | Comments (132) | Permalink | Trackbacks (0) | Email This

So, I gather you all (Glenn Greenwald, most notably) picked up on something Time ME Rick Stengel said on The Chris Matthew Show Sunday about the possibility that Congress may pull Rove and Miers in to testify about the USA scandal: "I am so uninterested in the Democrats wanting Karl Rove because it is so bad for them."

It's a sentiment that's even harder to parse that the usual chat show banter. He's uninterested because going after Karl is bad for the Democrats? Two problems: Since when did the Democrats doing something bad for themselves prove to be uninteresting? A second, bigger problem: Why is going after Karl bad for Democrats? The panel on Sunday seemed to be taking the line that going after Karl would somehow make the Ds look petty and vengeful; I tend to think it makes them look like they are doing what they were elected to do*: provide oversight of a "comically mendacious" administration. It's unlikely that White House is fighting Congressional subpoenas because they think the Rove's testimony will make the Democrats look bad. Hey, you know who's probably going to look really bad if Rove testifies? Rove.

People say things they'd like to take back all the time on chat shows. God knows I have, and the main problem is usually that the format doesn't allow people to reveal their full thinking on an issue. Maybe that's the case here.

UPDATE: I think Rick is putting the actual paper magazine together right now (and, shockingly, that tends to take priority over blog-related things), but I'll attempt to get some kind of response.

* Shortly after the midterms I spoke to someone in Rove's own office about what their takeaway was and this person told me that it wasn't a referendum on the war, but on corruption. So it's not like the WH thinks voters would be "uninterested" in this...


http://time-blog.com/swampland/2007/03/in_which_my_boss_responds_to_m.html

March 27, 2007 10:19
In Which My Boss Responds to My Email
Posted by Ana Marie Cox | Comments (169) | Permalink | Trackbacks (0) | Email This

First, I want to say that we've come a long way from Henry Luce. This kind of back and forth is something that is particular to this time and this technology and -- just to peel back the curtain a bit -- I had no idea whether my boss, Time Managing Editor Rick Stengel, would actually respond. But he has, and I think he's totally bloggy about it. And I mean that in a good way. Emails Rick:

In reading your reaction to my comments on Chris Matthews, I realize that I've been caught out speaking as a citizen rather than as editor of Time. Lord knows, the Democrats going after Karl Rove is "interesting" in an objective way for Time and for journalists in general. It's hard to overstate Rove's role in this administration and it would certainly create yards of headlines and good copy if the Democrats manage to get some traction. But as a citizen, I think it's unfortunate and perhaps short-sighted for Democrats to be perceived as focusing on the past rather than the future. If people see the Democrats as obsessively concerned with settling scores, that's not good for the Democrats or the country. And I would make the exact same statement about the Republicans if they were in this situation. Meanwhile, the next time I’m on Chris Matthews, I’ll muzzle my citizen’s thoughts.

And, Ana, don’t you have a story due?

Best, Rick

Bosses.

[Cha]

1. I am so tired of these

strawmen and red herings that the media and repuke propogandists throw out.

rove is behind ALL of the criminality that the repukes have done and are lying about now.

I don't know who this "rick stengle" is but he sounds like a misinformation toady. "Focusing on the past"!??? Hey, Rick, can ya get anymore DISINGENOUS? Ya citizen, you.

It's not about "settling scores" ya "disingenius"..it's about accountability. If we look hard enough do we find you're on rove's payroll?

[blm]

8. Except that it sounds exactly like something Clinton would say - move on and ignore

the past.

Unfortunately, that is what he did in 1993 and this country and the world is suffering the consequences of that decision to forget the past crimes of Poppy Bush and his cronies.

http://consortiumnews.com/2006/111106.html

[Cha]

10. No one has a right to set themselves up

as an "holier than thou.. move along, nothing to see here, get over the past" pronouncer on our politicians and political history.

They work for us..we'll be the judge of that.

And, I know what you're saying..Clinton covered up..did him alot of good, didn't it?

Time to stop it right here. hillary isn't going to do that, is she?

[blm]

11. Hey - if Hillary promised to reverse Bill's policy and OPEN THE BOOKS on BushInc, then

I would have no problem supporting her.

I just don't believe she has the character to side with truth and open government because it also means exposing how Poppy Bush used Bill to continue the coverups - coverups that did lead to Bush2, 9-11 and this Iraq war.

I think the Clintons would continue to side with the protection of BushInc's secrecy and privilege over the constitution and open government.

[Cha]

15. Yeah, unfortunately, the great

corporate-indebted, triang(strang)ulators, would get busy covering poppy's little boots' crimes against humanity and our country. Is that part of why she won't admit her mistake in voting to give bush unstoppable power?

It would be a sorry, sad operation to behold.

[iconoclastic cat]

2. Wow, they both annoy me. How cute. nt

[Robbien]

3. GOPers are talking about every detail of everything else, but the attorney purge

is off limits for them.

It is as if the RNC/bushco has come down hard on the rightwingnuts and said NO. Loose lips sink ships.

[Maccagirl]

4. If TIME had been doing it's job over the last 6 years

Democrats wouldn't be holding hearings and "settling scores", Mr. Citizen Rick.

[Cha]

13. Hammer meets

Nail..On Head!!

[bunkerbuster1]

5. Rick Stengel was awarded Atrios' coveted "Wanker of the Day"

Congrats! An outstanding bit of concern-trollery, Rick!

http://atrios.blogspot.com/2007_03_25_atrios_archive.html#117508363228993344

and Ana, he couldn't do it without you thoughtfully providing yet another forum for cowardice and stupidity. Attagirl!

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

6. Perhaps someone should ask Mr. Rick "Citizen" Stengle his views on

the endless and costly investigations during the Clinton Presidency. Were the Republics focusing on the "future" during those???

Maybe someone should ask Mr. Stengle his "citizen" opinion on what the Republics were doing about terrorism threats prior to 9-11-2001?

What I don't get about these Beltway insider so called journalists is this: Why do they all think that Karl Rove is someone to be admired?

[Old and In the Way]

7. So we know how Time will approach these hearings on this administration.

Sweep it all under the rug, lets focus on the future. Didn't that also happen in Iran-Contra? Look what the future brought us then.

Sorry Rick, it might be your citizen's opinion to "move on"...but there are many of us that want to stay in the present and deal with this political cancer, once and for all.

[Skidmore]

9. That young woman is an intensely brilliant jewel.

I could use another daughter. Ana, are you up for adoption?

[Orsino]

12. He let himself be called out and made to look like the whore he is.

Let it eat him.

[BurtWorm]

17. Let it be a lesson to every unduly powerful pundit in the network:

You mouth off thinking you're so smart, you're going to wind up having your half-cooked words forced back down your throat. Maybe some of these dopes will start thinking before they talk if they get there words thrown back at them everytime they say something stupid like this. I'm sure it's too much to hope that maybe they'll just shut up.

[On the Road]

14. I Completely Understand Someone Being Against Witch Hunts

or coming out with a stream of charges over petty or irrelevant matters. That's what we saw under the Clinton administration.

How the US Attorney scandal qualifies as petty or irrelevant is beyond me. Especially for a Time managing editor.

[Swede]

16. There are a ton of great replies,here are a couple.

"That's not speaking as a citizen, it's speaking as a republican. What exactly has this administration done to prove they don't deserve having every loose thread pulled by the democrats and the media? Maybe if the country were humming along like the daddy party grown ups promised you could understand why the media elite would cut them some slack, but seriously, would the dreaded "constitional crisis" (that's actually a sign of a healthy democracy) make things any worse?"

"Concern trolls seem to be a strictly right wing phenomenon. Their schtick is to pretend to be concerned for lefties and to give them "sincere" advice about how they are hurting themselves with their current position and would really be oh so much better off adopting the right wing position instead.

Concern trolls are now familiar enough to have a name. BTW: That kind of crap doesn't fool anyone any more, if it ever did."

[Proud2BAmurkin]

18. "bygones"

what a fucktard