A lot of strange fallout on the whole Ailes joke thing and the Nevada Democrat debate pullout. Assuming for the moment that the joke was the Obama joke and not the Clinton joke, the joke wasn’t about Obama so much as it was about President Bush. And I’m seeing this brought up on both Blue blogs…

Ailes’ joke is receiving some of the same media criticism that hit Kerry. But Ailes was not putting down Obama. Reading the context of the joke, it is obvious that Ailes was only pointing out just how unbelievably dumb this president is; that he can’t even tell the difference between Obama and bin Laden.

…and Red blogs…

How dense do you have to be not to notice that this is a joke against President Bush??

As dense as a left-wing blogger I suppose ….

ICN got an email from an unhappy CNBC Portfolio Challenge participant. The emailer was non-plussed with seeing that one person was ranked in the top 25 several times because they had set up multiple portfolios, in effect trying to rig the contest by throwing multiple entries at the challenge in the hopes that one or more would win.

I’m in the CNBC Portfolio Challenge. I’ve managed to reach the top 4%. Three days ago, they posted their Leaderboard of the top 25 contestants, and someone named Nancy Beaumont of California was listed as #11 through 21. I hoped it was just a computer glitch, because they were having a lot of those. I contacted them anyway.

Last night they posted a new Leaderboard, and Nancy Beaumont of California was #2, 5, 9, 10, 11, 16, 19, 22 and 23. I wrote them again. This shouldn’t be about how many portfolios a person can set up with longshots that take a big jump during the week.

The Las Vegas Review Journal editorializes on the pull out…

The approach of outfits such as MoveOn.org is so juvenile it’s laughable. Imagine if every political organization created litmus tests for news organizations before agreeing to appear on their programming. Republicans would have boycotted PBS, CBS, NBC, ABC, National Public Radio and The Associated Press decades ago.

This hyperventilation results from the fact that far-left Democrats have no comparable media outlet, nor any widespread national appeal, for their radical views in favor of heavy-handed regulation, wealth redistribution, diplomatic capitulation and economic protectionism. So they attack their rivals’ messenger with a reckless barrage of rhetoric that cuts down their own allies with friendly fire.

By Friday, the Nevada Democratic Party caved in to the lunatic fringe and beganseeking a more “appropriate” television partner.

Comedy Central, perhaps?

Is the Democratic pull-out of the Nevada debate just the first straw? Will Conservative groups put pressure on debates sponsored by MSNBC or CNN in retaliation since it has now been established that you can indeed shut one of these things down for partisan reasons?

Information Week’s Sharon Gaudin writes about this week’s DoS attack on Bill O’Reilly’s website…

Paul Ferguson, a network architect with security company TrendMicro, says this is a wake-up call for Web sites with a political bent, much like O’Reilly’s. As the upcoming presidential election heats up, more and more candidates, pundits and everyday bloggers are taking to the Net to weigh in. That, says Ferguson, will draw a new wave of attacks.

“Somebody just decided to point their botnet at his Web site and get their jollies by taking his Web site off the Net for a period of time,” he says. “People should open their eyes and realize their public Internet presence can be subjected to abuse, especially with the presidential campaigns coming up. If you’re going to run a Web site, particularly a controversial political one, you’ve got to focus on security.”

The Las Vegas Review Journal’s Lynette Curtis…

The letter was sent via e-mail and fax not long after Collins, reached on his cell phone, denied plans for any such cancellation.

“I’m not dropping the debate,” he said. “I’m not dropping Fox. The majority of the elected state party supports keeping this debate. That’s the executive board and elected officials.”

Party spokeswoman Kirsten Searer later said Collins was unaware of Ailes’ remark when he made the comments.

“The letter was written afterwards,” she said. “It was a whole different ballgame once he got the comments.”

She said the cancellation had nothing to do with pressure from activists and bloggers who called for the party to drop Fox because they believe the channel is biased.

But the liberal activist group MoveOn.org Civic Action had sent out a media release earlier in the day announcing that the Nevada Democratic Party had decided to drop the Reno debate after a blogosphere-led protest.

DailyKos has the fax that was sent to FNC announcing that the Nevada State Democratic Party was dropping out of the August debate. The Fax blames it on Roger Ailes’ jokes from last night’s RTNDF Gala. Seems pretty thin to me to cancel a debate not because of something that occurred on FNC’s air, but because of something that was said at an Awards banquet…and by someone who wouldn’t even be directly participating in the debate itself. Add it all up and it looks to me like one giant cop out where the state party was looking for a way to get out and used this as the excuse.

March 9, 2007

Marty Ryan
Executive Producer
Fox News Political Programs
xxx-xxx-xxxx (fax)
400 N Capitol Street NW, Suite 550
Washington DC 20001

DELIVERED VIA FAX AND EMAIL

Dear Marty,

A month ago, the Nevada Democratic Party entered into a good faith agreement with FOX News to co-sponsor a presidential debate in August. This was done because the Nevada Democratic Party is reaching out to new voters and we strongly believe that a Democrat will not win Nevada unless we find new ways to talk to new people.

To say the least, this was not a popular decision. But it is one that the Democratic Party stood by. However, comments made last night by FOX News President Roger Ailes in reference to one of our presidential candidates went too far. We cannot, as good Democrats, put our party in a position to defend such comments.

In light of his comments, we have concluded that it is not possible to hold a Presidential debate that will focus on our candidates and are therefore canceling our August debate. We take no pleasure in this, but it is the only course of action.

Sincerely,

Tom Collins
Chairman, Nevada State Democratic Party

Harry Reid
U.S. Senator (D-NV)