GOP Operative Schmidt Blasts Bill Kristol: ‘He’s In The Business Of Ad Hominem Insults And Criticism’
GOP Operative Schmidt Blasts Bill Kristol: ‘He’s In The Business Of Ad Hominem Insults And Criticism’
Yesterday, Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol — a long-time aggressive public advocate of Sarah Palin — took great exception to a new article in Vanity Fair by Todd Purdum which quoted McCain campaign officials disparaging Palin’s performance as a vice presidential candidate.
Kristol fingered one particular McCain official for blame: chief strategist Steve Schmidt. Kristol claimed that Schmidt trashed “Palin’s mental state to others in the McCain-Palin campaign.” And now Schmidt is firing back by unloading some very candid rhetorical bombs against Kristol. Politico’s Jonathan Martin reports:
Asked about the accusation, Schmidt fired back in an e-mail: “I’m sure John McCain would be president today if only Bill Kristol had been in charge of the campaign.”
“After all, his management of [former Vice President] Dan Quayle’s public image as his chief of staff is still something that takes your breath away,” Schmidt continued. “His attack on me is categorically false.”
Schmidt then offered more colorful perspective of Kristol’s character:
“Bill Kristol, going back to the time of the campaign, has taken a lot of cheap shots at the campaign without ever offering a plausible path to victory,” Schmidt said. “He’s in the business of ad hominem insults and criticism.” […]
As for the charges of being a sunshine soldier with regard to Palin, Schmidt said: “Nonsense. I’m a team player. That’s a reflection of [Kristol’s] values. He’s the Washington, D.C., talking head and glitterati. I live in Northern California and I really don’t give a s— about that stuff.”
Kristol responded by claiming that “John McCain deserved better” than Schmidt. And Kristol’s chief McCain campaign ally — Randy Scheunemann — likened Schmidt to the “Iranian secret police.”
During the presidential campaign, neoconservatives Kristol and Scheunemann had made Palin their “project,” seizing upon her cluelessness to shape her foreign policy views. As Matt Duss observed at the time, Palin’s “simplistic presentation of the Russia-Georgia conflict, her mindless threat of war with Russia, asserting that America shouldn’t ‘second guess’ Israeli policy, and her tiresome and dishonest conflation of 9/11 and Iraq,” all confirmed that she was getting the neocon talking points. And now the neoconservative camp is returning the favor by rushing to defend her.
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Kristol has been consistently wrong on everything. He is the queen of bizarro world.
Up is down. Right is wrong. Black is white. Fat is thin.
If he says something, I believe the polar opposite.
Needless to say, he is a favorite of FoxNews and Rupert Murdoch’s business interests.
July 1st, 2009 at 9:47 amPass the popcorn. This is getting good.
July 1st, 2009 at 9:49 am“GOP Operative Schmidt Blasts Bill Kristol: ‘He’s In The Business Of Ad Hominem Insults And Criticism’”
then can someone please explain to me why during the reign of terror (also known as 43’s presidency) every cancervative in the nation held on to every word billy kristol said like he was nostradamus?
July 1st, 2009 at 9:52 amI’m not sure popcorn is sufficient. I think a whole meal, with adult beverage of choice, is in order as this seems to have elevated to a full-blown dinner theatre affair.
July 1st, 2009 at 9:52 amCircular firing squad, go! I hope these guys can work together as well in future Republican campaigns.
July 1st, 2009 at 9:55 amThere is nothing quite as fun as good old-fashioned melodrama.
Kristol adores Palin. He wants to have her baby.
“Did you ever see a dream walkin’? Well, I did…”
“Did you ever see a dream talkin’? Well, I did…”
July 1st, 2009 at 9:56 amOnly Fox would continue to employ someone that is so unashamedly, yet consistently wrong.
July 1st, 2009 at 9:56 amBill Kristol is an idiot.
July 1st, 2009 at 9:57 am“He’s in the business of ad hominem insults and criticism.”
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Well, duh. There’s a lot of money to be made in that business, since the teabaggers need a steady diet of red meat and are willing to pay for it. It’s provided a comfortable living not only for Kristol, but Limbaugh, Coulter, Hannity, etc. etc. — all of whom never say anything constructive; they just bash.
July 1st, 2009 at 9:58 amAhhh….
July 1st, 2009 at 10:00 amThe sound of the GOP eating their own in the morning….
“He’s in the business of ad hominem insults and criticism.”
July 1st, 2009 at 10:04 am“… and his ‘Kristol Ball’ is broken.”
“After all, his management of [former Vice President] Dan Quayle’s public image as his chief of staff is still something that takes your breath away,” Schmidt continued
LOL – ol’ Dan Quayle still getting hammered, even as an innocent bystander. Gotta love it.
Rummy would call it “collateral damage”.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:05 amHow redundant to attack Kristol for “ad hominem insults and criticism.” He is a Republican. That’s all they do.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:05 amCan Palin even spell “Manchurian?”
Does she know where Manchuria is?
Would she understand the “Manchurian Candidate” reference?
July 1st, 2009 at 10:06 amwhere’s fleamarketliberatarian today with his “why liberals are infiltrating colleges” bullsyte?
July 1st, 2009 at 10:07 amlet it be known lil billy kristol is currently a visiting professor at harvard and has taught at the university of pennsylvania. my question is, why would harvard hire an unrepentant terrorist to teach there?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Kristol
And Kristol could beat Schmidt in a chickenwing eating contest any day.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:07 amevangenital Says
July 1st, 2009 at 10:06 am
Does she know where Manchuria is?
____________________________________________________________
No, but she’ll claim she can see it from Alaska…
July 1st, 2009 at 10:10 amIs Kristol attempting to put the hopes of the 2nd incarnation of the PNAC on Palin’s back? Is she that willing to be molded into whatever policy he wants? Is that what the GOP hopes to come back on?
circular firing squad! Reload!
July 1st, 2009 at 10:15 amBilly-Bob KKKristol: cowardly draft-dodging chickenhawk idiot squawking. Wrong all the time on all topics.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:16 am’nuff said.
Waltzing with knives poised
July 1st, 2009 at 10:17 amLightning on the horizon
The sweet dance of death
Well… Faux and WaPo…
July 1st, 2009 at 10:17 amBozo The Neoclown Says: where’s fleamarketliberatarian today with his “why liberals are infiltrating colleges” bullsyte?
After FreeM crapped the exact same turds multiple times over three different threads yesterday a few of us rallied ’round the Flag, so he may be incommunicado for a while.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:18 amanytime Republicans start chewing on–or out and out eating–one another is terrific entertainment so sure, pass the popcorn, full meal, whatever. love it.
I’ll just never forget Ms. “I Wanna Be Your Vice President” Palin answering “All of ‘em,” to the question, “What magazines do you read?”
Even if she had said Time or Newsweek, it would have been laughable but “All of ‘em, Katie…”? I mean, really. God she was stupid. Wonderfully, abjectly ignorant.
Wait, the commercials are over… There’s probably more coming up. Let’s watch.
Mo Rage
July 1st, 2009 at 10:19 amhttp://www.moravings.blogspot.com
Seriously, Kristol is horrible at everything he’s ever tried. Everything he touches instantly becomes a laughingstock. It’s no surprise to hear that he worked for Quayle too.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:19 amGOP Operative Schmidt Blasts Bill Kristol: ‘He’s In The Business Of Ad Hominem Insults And Criticism’
When I read this headline, I knew immediately that William the Bloody was getting blasted for criticizing a Republican.
Another Republican would never take one of his own to task simply for being “in the businsess of ad hominem insults and criticism” as long as those skills were exercised on a non-Republican.
Besides, Kristol is a pundit. Criticism is what they’re paid to do, right? And, as paleolib points out, Kristol’s also a Republican, and ad hominem insults is what they’re expected to do.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:22 amWho knew that the Republicans would be responsible for hammering the final nails of relevancy in their own coffins? LOL I really thought they were going to be attacking Democrats and the President now more than one another.
Keep up the self-destruction guys. It makes our jobs easier, and it’s funny to watch.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:22 amKristol goes all 13 year-old girl on Palin. It is puppy love.
He probably has a photo of her on his desk.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:22 amThe truth about Kristol and other Fox wingnuts love for Palin.
http://firedoglake.com/2008/10/19/how-sarah-seduced-bill-kristol-the-gop-commentariat/
July 1st, 2009 at 10:27 amSay, isn’t it about time that FreeLiberalReport.com shows up and derides us for smearing right-wingers?
Oh, yeah. They’re smearing themselves.
No need to get him yet, then. I’ll just quietly watch the fireworks.
Oooooh. Aaaaaaah.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:28 amFLEAMARKETREPIGGIE is still masturbating over at WingNutDaily.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:31 amThese neocon weenies like Kristol, and the drooling trolls, never got over their cheerleader crushes from high school. They were a bunch of pimply faced dorks who had secret fantasies of winning the heart of that special cheerleader who took chemistry with them and that pathetic lust has been transferred to Sarah, coulter, Ingram et al. I’d be embarrassed for them if they weren’t such destructive people.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:32 amWord is that Billy’s desktop image on his Gateway laptop features a glam shot of Sarah, dressed up with little hearts, Tiger Beat style.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:33 amSeriously, this is hilarious. It’s amazing to watch how quickly the wheels have come off the the well-oiled right wing noise machine. I’m sure they’ll be back soon – after all, there is money to be made in pandering to the prejudices of rich people, and to be extracted by pandering to bigotry and ignorance, and the US is still awash with both. But it’s great entertainment in the short term.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:36 amFrom APEC’s link:
Indeed, as early as June 29th, two months before McCain chose her, Kristol predicted on “Fox News Sunday” that “McCain’s going to put Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska, on the ticket.”
So I guess the Kristol Ball is occasionally correct in its prognostications.
Still, this prediction coming true worked out so disastrously for the Republicans that I think you have to count it in the “WRONG” column.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:37 amRalph the Wonder Locust, is it really a Gateway?
Are they collectible now?
July 1st, 2009 at 10:37 amNot only is Kristol constantly wrong in his opinions and ‘facts’, he’s also just about the biggest Right-Wing ‘Welfare Queen’.
The Weekly Standard (supposed circulation 80,000)is now 14 years old and apparently has never made a profit–but founders Bill Kristol and Fred Barnes happily promote Free Market theory.
Murdoch financed Kristol’s rag from the start (and then of course employed him on FOX)but just sold it to Philip Anschutz (having lost apparently about $100 million keeping Kristol and Barnes in the lifestyle to which they have become accustomed).
Anschutz already owns several media outlets and doesn’t need the Weakly No Standard for increased market share, and of course he isn’t going to make a profit from it either.
So why is multi-billionaire Anschutz buying a spectacular failure? Because that’s what Conservatism is all about.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:47 amI think we all know that the PNAC strategy in 1999 was to find a front man for the PNAC to rule the country, and Kristol and Co. found that human clay that was a bit on the dim side worked best. Thus we got Dubya.
Palin was just the human clay chosen for 2008. What’s truly mystifying is that Kristol still thinks this strategy will work for 2012 and beyond. I think the American public has pretty much had it with idiots fronting for the PNAC.
And what’s even more baffling is that Schmidt must have tolerated the choice of Palin in 2008, even though he knew she was an idiot — so why is he complaining now? The “I was a team player” excuse is a cop-out.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:49 amThe Quayle shot was a real sucker punch to the gonads.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:49 amFor all his protestations, Schmidt shows at the end of the day that he is still no more trustworthy than before. He stilled voted for McCain/Palin in spite of his feelings about Palin (so he says), so he is still a corrupted repiggie and not to be trusted.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:55 amWayne Says:
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Ahhh….
The sound of the GOP eating their own in the morning….
July 1st, 2009 at 10:00 am Recommend (6) | Report Abuse
July 1st, 2009 at 11:01 am
evangenital Says:
Kristol goes all 13 year-old girl on Palin. It is puppy love.
He probably has a photo of her on his desk.
He probably has a photo of her on his bedroom ceiling.
July 1st, 2009 at 11:10 amWe should be very encouraging of the Publican cannibalism.
July 1st, 2009 at 11:12 amI think the people who spoke to Vanity Fair were trying to save the party from Palin in 2012. And Kristol only wants a candidate who will completely follow the PNAC agenda. They never bother to think about finding a candidate who would be good for the country.
July 1st, 2009 at 11:19 amNot only is Bill Kristol consistently wrong, he consistently refuses to admit any possibility of error on his part.
Truly a dangerous combination in ANY individual, let alone an individual who (for some reason) still enjoys a national soapbox.
He “discovered” Sarah Palin and will defend her until he draws his last breath.
P.S. Don’t forget that Bill Kristol and Alan Keyes were roommates at Harvard. Their devoted friendship goes way back!
July 1st, 2009 at 12:01 pmRepublicans eating their own!
Yum, yum.
Pass the Pepto, please. ;o)
July 1st, 2009 at 12:12 pmAfter FreeM crapped the exact same turds multiple times over three different threads yesterday a few of us rallied ’round the Flag, so he may be incommunicado for a while.
Eh – they’re reloading the Republican Random Insult Generator with some new “insults”. Prolly Howard Dean’s name’ll come up somewhere, I reckon, along with “Al Franken” and “comedian.”
July 1st, 2009 at 12:16 pmTo opine that Sarah Palin was suffering from PPD during the campaign is a charitable way of explaining her being bat-shit crazy and inept.
July 1st, 2009 at 12:19 pmmisscoleopteramolly Says:
I think we all know that the PNAC strategy in 1999 was to find a front man for the PNAC to rule the country, and Kristol and Co. found that human clay that was a bit on the dim side worked best. Thus we got Dubya.
Palin was just the human clay chosen for 2008. What’s truly mystifying is that Kristol still thinks this strategy will work for 2012 and beyond. I think the American public has pretty much had it with idiots fronting for the PNAC.
It did appear that neocons like the AEI were behind Palin and were shaping her.
Now I’m thinking that they’re considering backing Liz Cheney and now that she’s apparently going to collaborate with Dick on his book she’ll get plenty of training/indoctrination!
July 1st, 2009 at 12:28 pmWoo hoo!
Palin 2012!!
July 1st, 2009 at 12:30 pmI not sure whether the Republicans are in the coffin shopping phase or the actual nailing in. Either way I can hear the death rattle.
July 1st, 2009 at 12:31 pmAsked about the accusation, Schmidt fired back in an e-mail: “I’m sure John McCain would be president today if only Bill Kristol had been in charge of the campaign.”
“After all, his management of [former Vice President] Dan Quayle’s public image as his chief of staff is still something that takes your breath away,” Schmidt continued. “His attack on me is categorically false.”
Ohhhh, f ucking SNAP!
July 1st, 2009 at 12:47 pmHey ya’ll, Freemarketliberal was blathering about Soros in another thread. Make sure he sees this.
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/06/30/beck-alaska/comment-page-4/#comment-5708640
July 1st, 2009 at 12:53 pmThe stuff is far, far better than summer television!
Damn this $hit is good! I’m enjoying my summer
(except for the heat here in Texas).. But I’m sure
enjoying the 2009 Summer Repug Olylimdicks. I feel
I’m right there in their bedrooms, errr training
rooms..
KEEP IT UP, BOYS!
July 1st, 2009 at 12:55 pmThe GOP Show is the only thing worth watching these days. Arrested Development meets Passions. Absolutely hilarious. Four stars and two thumbs up.
July 1st, 2009 at 12:58 pmOT but I need more of South Carolina politics today.
Haven’t had my fill of Repiggie Soul Mate pudding.
July 1st, 2009 at 1:07 pmI want to hear more of Rich Lowery and the Starbursts of love emiitted from the TV when Palin speaks. Those GOP boys sure do love them women. It’s as if they have not been laid once in thier lives. OK maybe once, by thier wives.
July 1st, 2009 at 1:15 pmClassic and classy Neocon that Kritol is.
When one strays from the fold, blast them for having common sense and speaking the truth. Truthfully, I could tell after a while that Schmidt didn’t want to be working on that campaign after Palin got selected. His efforts to defend her lack of public appearences when he was up against Axelrod fell short, and said it all.
July 1st, 2009 at 1:29 pmRE: “And now the neoconservative camp is returning the favor by rushing to defend her.”
MY COMMENT: Actually, I see them as defending themselves and their agenda. Beyond that, they could not care less about Palin.
July 1st, 2009 at 2:32 pmKristol is the George Bush of the right wing media.
July 1st, 2009 at 3:30 pmfleetw1978 writes:
There is no indication that Rich Lowry is married, which may explain his ejaculatory reaction to Palin. Apparently, he ain’t gettin’ any at all, so he idealizes Mrs. Todd Palin.
July 1st, 2009 at 3:37 pm