Reply #7: I posted this on DU this morning after watching Hemmer interview him... [View All]

[flpoljunkie]

Giulani was just on American Morning. What a sorry interview, Hemmer!

Giulani spouted all the "same old tired, negative" talking points of the GOP smear machine--"extreme makeover", "most liberal member of the Senate (National Journal gamed rankings*), missing Senate meetings, votes (there has been really no significant legislation passed by either House of Congress this year, by the way).

Hemmer just let him repeat this drivel without questioning him in the slightest. Does Hemmer know that Giulani has "cashed in" and now makes his money now running a company, Giulani Partners, that scares people about the dangers of reimportation of drugs from other countries? And, if he did, would he dare to mention it to Giulani?

Our press corps is truly dysfunctional--particularly the likes of Bill Hemmer; he disgusts me.


*National Journal rankings for years 1999-2003 for Kerry and Edwards

2003: Kerry - 1st (96.5) Edwards - 4th (94.5)
2002: Kerry - 9th (87.3) Edwards - 31st (63.0) Edwards made the centrist list.
2001: Kerry - 11th (87.7) Edwards - 35th (68.2) Edwards almost tied with Lieberman.
2000: Kerry - 20th (77) Edwards - 19th (80.8) Rankings past 20 are not available nor are composite scores for all Senators, so Kerry is 21st or higher.
1999: Kerry - 16th (80.8) Edwards - 31st (72.2)

Average: Kerry - 12th (85.9) Edwards - 24th (75.7)

http://www.andrewsullivan.com/index.php?dish_inc=archiv ...

(The 2003 rankings for them both were based solely on votes on economic issues for Kerry and economic and social policy for Edwards --further skewing the outcome in the way the National Journal intended.)

More from Andrew Sullivan:

The NOMINATE system tracks all roll call votes , and rank orders Senators on a 1-100 scale. Kerry's ranking for the 108th? Tied for 24th--dead center of all Democrats. Edwards'? Tied for 19th. On a purely statistical basis, one has to at least consider a 146-vote sample to be superior to 30-odd votes. Anyhow, what about the 107th? Kerry 27th, Edwards 38th.

http://www.andrewsullivan.com/letters.php