The Man Behind the Buzz

You mean -- they're hypocrites ?

"As any fool has long known -- the British tabloid the Sun, with its Page 3 Girl, springs to mind -- sex sells. But we thought we'd just take a moment to lament the fact that our more legitimate media is so damned disingenuous. At least the Sun has the courage of its convictions -- it says its going to give you a Page 3 girl, and there she is, lifting up her shirt. . . . CNN and the Times, by contrast, want to give their readers, who presumably think of themselves as more highbrow, the same thing -- but without the attendant guilt that comes with their ogling."

The ad is pretty offensive if you have kids -- but not so offensive that a dozen TV shows haven't done segments on it.

Captain's Quarters is calling for a financial boycott of the GOP leadership:

"I have made clear from the beginning that I would continue to support Republican candidates that demonstrate a backbone and a commitment to the principles they so loudly espoused in the fall of 2004. People like me worked our hearts out to give the Republicans a solid majority in the Senate so that they could lead, especially on judicial nominations. Instead, we have leadership that has proven itself unable or unwilling to rise to the task they themselves set in the election.

"That's what the Not One Dime campaign targets. When we donate to the NRSC, that money gets distributed by established party leadership in the Senate to campaigns around the country, as the leadership sees fit. That power essentially ties incumbents to the current leadership, because in order to ensure that they get enough funds to have a shot at winning, they need to be seen as supportive of the people holding the purse strings. If the NRSC hasn't got any money of its own, the leadership loses that influence, and the candidates have to put their loyalty elsewhere.

"For the second time in a week, the Democrats have exposed Bill Frist as a well-meaning, ethical, but hopelessly outclassed Majority Leader."

USA Today has some interesting Hillary numbers (keep in mind it's ridiculously early for this to have much meaning):

"For the first time, a majority of Americans say they are likely to vote for Hillary Rodham Clinton if she runs for president in 2008, according to a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll taken Friday through Sunday.

"The survey shows that the New York senator and former first lady has broadened her support nationwide over the past two years, though she still provokes powerful feelings from those who oppose her.

"Clinton commands as much strong support -- but more strong opposition -- as George W. Bush did in a Newsweek poll in November 1998, two years before the 2000 election. She is in slightly stronger position than then-vice president Al Gore, the eventual 2000 Democratic nominee, was in 1998."

Andrew Sullivan wants to know more about the military's Koran probe: