Ace-- I'm not kidding when I say good on all of ya, especially INDC and LGF, who did a lot (actually, all that was necessary) to convince me.

The hive mind of the blogosphere, where a thousand blogs bloom, has used its collective capacity for rapid fact checking and bullshite-detection to expose a fraud by the old media.

This is the day for which Matt Drudge was born. But it's moved beyond him, to the little guys.

Ace, you know what's most delicious about all of this? The one man to most toot his own horn, the one man to always evangelize about the power of blogging, the one man who today is getting it wrong.

Andrew Sullivan is getting this all wrong.

100% completely wrong.

Sure, he's got a few new posts up, but this story is not his, and I'm sure he's just thinking "It doesn't matter anyways," as if this is about the election, or George W. Bush, or gay marriage or what not.

Yeah, of course it is. But it's also about the wall falling. About a liberal fact-checker at 60 Minutes that says "Oh, of course that's true" and passes it on to his reporters, stamped and certified.

You read this?

"CBS stood by its reporting. "As a standard practice at CBS, each of the documents broadcast on "60 Minutes" was thoroughly investigated by independent experts and we are convinced of their authenticity," CBS News said in a statement."

OF COURSE they stand by their reporting. They have nowhere else to go. If they can't get this right, it's the convergence of the two great memes of the conservative blogosphere:

1. Bush hatred is irrational and will stop at nothing in its hatred of Bush.
2. The old media is liberal, and is willing to believe anything that is liberal.

Today, September 9, 2004, is the intersection of history. This is a date that will stand up there with Drudge and Monicagate, but even here, it's not just one blog: it's all the blogs, working together, throughout the day to piece together the story until the truth comes out.

The hive mind. The promise of the internet, fulfilled.

And we were all here to watch, and drink beer, and eat popcorn.

Keep it up, sparky.
Dave
Garfield Ridge

I know that the cowbell is for economic news, but could you do it anyway... 'for the children tm'? (Notice my 'tm' is not a superscript, but normal, I certaintly didn't forge this sentence.) You've already used the siren....

Dave: couldn't have said it better myself. A beautiful comment.

Its like watching an implosion in slow motion, really.

Sullivan is making an ass of himself (no pun intended). Let's see: According to Andy, SwiftBoat Vets, a disgrace; bogus National Guard memos, "Devastating!" He is an emotional little fart, innit he?

Yeah Rob, this definitely calls for some Implosion World.

www.implosionworld.com

Cheers,
Dave
Garfield Ridge

Ace:

Have you noticed the last update, and third to last updates on Powerline? They put forth two unshakeable arguments. 1. That a typewriter cannot produce a kerned document, and 2. that General Staudt who supposedly "pressured Hodges" on Bush, retired in 1972, while this memo is dated 1973.

Ace--

Tierra del Fuego. I think if you visit, you'll also appreciate the picture I associated with "The Shot Heard Round The Blogosphere."

Cheers,
Dave
Garfield Ridge

Oh, and you can use the photo if you'd like. You've earned it.

Cheers,
Dave
Garfield Ridge

Blatant Link Whoring:

Even as the Blogs tear into them, the Old Media turn on each other. ABC News is now posting an article in which Killian's Son questions the veracity of the documents.

How beautiful is that?

God knows I'm loving every minute of this story, but I have to ask about the comment from Sullivan and at the end of the ABC story. Why in the hell did the White House pass these memos along without challenging their authenticity? I realize they got them from CBS. Sure, the question sounds like the retreating shreik of the defeated, but it will probably be the Left's first line of defense. Any ideas?

I'd like to say that the 'truth' can now get its shoes on a hell of a lot faster.

JeffK--

I think it's probably as simple as the White House didn't know these were fake.

Think about it: this goes a ways towards proving the White House was telling the truth when it said "Hey, we gave you everything we found in the files, that's all folks."

POOF! Here comes the Killian memo, and CBS says their source says it comes from Killian's personal file. If it were real, it'd be doubly damaging-- not just for what it says, but for the fact that Bush "suspiciously" doesn't have a copy in his own files.

However, all the White House knew was that the vaunted 60 Minutes said "This file is real, it was in the CO's files, what do you think?" They said "We think it's not important, let's move on"-- just as any PR flack would say in that situation.

I'm not surprised that they were uncritical of the memo, because they probably thought on its face it was the real deal-- or, they had no way of proving it wasn't real. Until the blogosphere pulled their chestnuts outta the fire.

Ace, we just might get you that Bush Admin endorsement yet, pal.

Cheers,
Dave
Garfield Ridge

It gets better.

Read Sid Blumenthal in the Guardian today.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1300188,00.html

Alright, I know, I'm sorry for making you do such a thing. But Sid is eating this story up.

Why do I feel like we're dangling a big ol' hook in a fish pond, just waiting to reel them in?

BTW, JeffK-- I'll tell you what I'm really afraid of. It was brought up earlier on NRO: the conspiracy theory that starts tomorrow that alleges that Karl Rove planted these things to make them look bad. I mean, what a stupid thing to say ("We're not only rabid haters, we're easily fooled as well"), but they'll say it anyways.

Boy, that Bush sure is stupid. Except when he's smart. Evil mastermind, that moron is.

Cheers,
Dave
Garfield Ridge

poker me up