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Steve Gilliard, 1964-2007

It is with tremendous sadness that we must convey the news that Steve Gilliard, editor and publisher of The News Blog, passed away June 2, 2007. He was 42.

To those who have come to trust The News Blog and its insightful, brash and unapologetic editorial tone, we have Steve to thank from the bottom of our hearts. Steve helped lead many discussions that mattered to all of us, and he tackled subjects and interest categories where others feared to tread.

Please keep Steve's friends and family in your thoughts and prayers.

Steve meant so much to us.

We will miss him terribly.

photo by lindsay beyerstein
 

Pundit Green Zones


Jonathon Chait has a wordy (8000!) piece over at The New Republic (here)

I strongly recommend that you read it, its a look at the development of the progressive movement from a tnr pundit. It is monster piece but interesting, not the least of which is getting the view of... well us, from over there. Its Intelligence gold to get a analysis or even detailed reports from your opponent in the field. Something operators tend to devour. I would suggest reading it twice.

I found one glaring statement that for me tended to illustrate the Green Zone Mentality these people normally live in. While talking about what it is that the 'left' will allow criticism on and what they wont. he states:

You can attack the Democratic leadership in Congress for failing to force a troop withdrawal from Iraq, but you cannot attack it for opposing a troop surge

For instance, Moulitsas wrote that Tom Vilsack, in his former capacity as chairman of the DLC, "not only signed off on editorial decrees by the DLC opposing [John] Murtha's and other withdrawal plans, but also gave safe haven for these warmongering Democrats' to divide the party." It is permissible to divide the party from the left, by opposing a moderate Democratic position. But if you divide the party from the right, you are an enemy of the movement.

So to Chait its all just a political argument. Its where the ideological line comes down. In my mind however it was a much more pragmatic dividing line. Withdrawal = Less Dead People. Troop Surge = More Dead People. For Chait its all where the issue falls under the political weather vane.

and Alterman and Yglesias respond here!

UPDATE: Stoller's response is better than the other two here

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