Intellectual Dilettantes At Play In The Fields of Punditry

The reasoning of John Hinderaker—which we’d charitably describe as protean—was on full display this past weekend on CNN’s Reliable Sources:

KURTZ: OK. Let’s move — let’s move beyond the legal justification. You think the public doesn’t have a right to know because classified information is involved that the CIA is maintaining secret presence in Eastern Europe, that the Bush administration is conducting wiretaps in this country without — without warrants? You would be just as happy if reporters could not publish that kind of information?

HINDERAKER: Oh, absolutely. There’s all kinds of information that you can’t give to the American public without also giving it to the terrorists. That’s what “The New York Times” did, and as a result our security has been compromised.

The NSA program was capturing lots of international terrorist communications. That’s dropped off drastically since “The New York Times” published the story. So they’ve — they’ve damaged our security.

The emphasized passage, which comes without a source or citation of any kind, is the sort of statement that should make any sober scholar cringe. It is, in fact, an entirely unsubstantiated claim—the sort that would send serious minded professors reaching for their reddest and most aggressive pens.

Now, we certainly do not in any way frown on Mr. Hinderaker making these sorts of statements in public. We have a picture of Debbie Stabenow with a sign commenting on her grunderwear on display today, for Pete’s sake! But it is remarkable that the very next query to Mr. Hinderaker isn’t something along the lines of, “What the effington effervescent fuck? How is it possible that you, John Hinderaker, an absolute NOBODY in the intelligence community, could possibly know what the NSA program is or is not accomplishing since the New York Times published its article?”

And if by some stroke of fancypants fortune that Hinderaker DID have a reliable source at the NSA, the next thing we’d ask is: “So, dude, why are you on TV giving aid and comfort to our enemies by talking up the NSA’s diminished capacity? Wouldn’t it help protect freedom if you told the world that the NSA hasn’t missed a beat and is catching all sorts of terrorists?”

I guess there’s all kinds of information you can’t give to John Hinderaker without also giving it to the terrorists. Still, there’s nothing quite like celebrating Hinderaker’s patented brand of inchoate logic, so we’d like to point out that there have been no terrorist attacks on U.S. soil since Senator Russ Feingold introduced his resolution to censure the President. That must mean that censuring the President is the newest and most cutting-edge weapon on the war on terror in our arsenal. Emphasis on the arse.

READ MORE: domestic wiretapping scandal, john hinderaker, logical fallacies that nevertheless strangle our political discourse and turn us into retards, russ feingold

The Middle Schooling of the Senate Intelligence Committee

As you may have heard in our Morning Roundup, the seven member subgroup of the Senate Intelligence Committee received their first White House briefing on the Bush’s domestic wiretapping nonsense. The Washington Post article on the briefing contained one section that immediately gave us a case of the WTFs.

Members of the Senate subcommittee — which, along with Roberts and Rockefeller, includes Republicans Mike DeWine (Ohio), Orrin G. Hatch (Utah) and Christopher S. Bond (Mo.) and Democrats Carl M. Levin (Mich.) and Dianne Feinstein (Calif.) — will not be able to share what they learn with the other eight members of the intelligence panel, according to rules the White House has proposed.

That is the foofiest fucking idea we’ve ever heard! How can a debate about intelligence priorities take place if the entire committee isn’t on an equal footing? Are the non-committee members going to have to sit in smaller chairs, too?

Here is how we imagine the future of the Senate Intelligence Committee:

[sorry, only super special Wonketteers can read after the jump]

Saxby Chambliss: Now, looking ahead. I have to say that I’m very concerned with what I’m hearing out of Oman.

Mike DeWine: [snickers]

Dianne Feinstein: Yeah…[laughing]…yeah. You WOULD be concerned.

Pat Roberts: Oooh, yeah, Saxby. Tell us all about—Haha!—allllll, HAHAHAHAHA! Oooh, oh boy.

Carl Levin: [airquoting] “OMAN,” I’m really worried!

[the members of the subcommittee all laugh]

Barbara Mikulski: Jesus. This must be what it’s like to know those assholes at The Note.

Trent Lott: Word.

Panel on Eavesdropping Is Briefed by White House [Washington Post]

READ MORE: Barbara Mikulski, Saxby Chambliss, carl levin, dianne feinstein, domestic wiretapping scandal, mike dewine, nsa, pat roberts, senate committee on intelligence, the painfully juvenile antics of your elected officials, trent lott

What’s Good For the Wiretapped Goose is Apparently Not Good For the Wiretapped Gander.

As you know, yesterday, the Senate Intelligence Committee voted along party lines to reject a motion by Senator Rockefeller to hold hearings on President Bush’s warrantless domestic wiretapping program. Elsewhere, the wheels are turning in the halls of Congress to hastily grant the President after-the-fact power to continue to wiretap Americans without oversight from any legal authority.

We know that here at Wonkette, we’re often tagged as snarky complainers who contribute little more than irrelevant mirthmaking. And we’ve been a little critical of this eavesdropping program in the past. But for once, we thought to ourselves: “Why, Wonkette, why? Why not embrace the administration’s unique vision? Why do we always have to tear down the efforts of our elected officials? Why not rise to the spirit of the occasion, and set an example for others to follow?”

Needless to say, we started feeling really good about ourselves. And so, we decided to call the offices of Senator Pat Roberts.

(Our conversation after the jump.)

The phone picks up.

“Good morning, you’ve reached the office of Senator Pat Roberts.”

“Good morning, my name is Margot, known as Missy, and I’m calling from the Washington, DC offices of Wonkette. I hate to take up too much of your time, and I don’t know if Senator Roberts or any of his aides are currently on the phone, but could you be a dear and just conference me in on one of their calls so I can listen in?”

[a long period stunned silence]

“I’m sorry. You’re with who?”

“The Washington DC office of Wonkette.”

“And you’d like us to conference you in to one of our calls?”

“That’s right.”

“And could I ask why?”

“Why sure! I just want to, you know, listen in.”

“I’m sorry. We can’t do that.”

“Really? Gosh. I’m a little surprised, considering the Senator’s voting record!”

“I’m sorry.”

“Well, that’s okay. Thanks anyway!”

“Goodbye.”

Gee whiz! We were only trying to participate in all the great new laws!

Oh well, maybe some of you might have better luck with, let’s say, Senator Hagel!

READ MORE: domestic wiretapping scandal, pat roberts, u.s. senate