Who Knew Ken Duberstein Was Black?

/35 Comments/in /by

You remember Ken Duberstein? He’s the member of the Off the Record Club who set up a meeting between Richard Armitage and Bob Novak so Novak could coax the Valerie Plame leak out of the loose-lipped Armitage. He’s your classical Washington Republican insider.

Back in the day, Duberstein was a political advisor to John McCain (more so in 2000 than this year). I last mentioned Duberstein when I outtamyarse speculated he might be one of the two sources–presumably Charlie Black was the other–using more leaks to Bob Novak to push McCain to name a VP back in July.

It didn’t happen.

Well, now Duberstein is joining the growing stampede away from John McCain–arguing that the selection of Sarah Palin proves that McCain has crappy judgment. I suspect with Duberstein–who cited Powell’s endorsement as one factor that influenced him–this stampede is going to get a lot bigger between now and Tuesday.

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35 replies
  1. TobyWollin says:

    And the whole putting people together to leak information about an undercover CIA operative is NOT crappy judgement?

  3. AZ Matt says:

    An early OT: LA Times

    The U.S. District Court in D.C. ruled today that Vice President Dick Cheney will have to let his deputy chief of staff, Claire O’Donnell, give testimony in a lawsuit over his records.

  4. JimWhite says:

    “the judgment of John McCain”

    Duberstein nailed the issue. It’s really heartening that 59% agree Palin isn’t qualified to be President. If McCain is sitting at 42% or so, then that means over 15% of voters feel she’s not qualified but still support McCain. I question their judgment. [Actually, I question the judgment of all 42% of them].

  7. emptywheel says:

    What’s heartening about this is it means the Paleocons are going to join the fracas that’s going to break out right after the election.

    The more REpublicans ripping each other to shreds, the merrier I figure.

  9. WilliamOckham says:

    My, my. Ken Duberstein went on TV (MSNBC at that) to stick the shiv in John McCain before the election, but after it could have really affected anybody’s actions. I think we can safely deduce the following:

    The self-anointed gods of the Republican party have decided that MENE, MENE McCain’s days are numbered, TEKEL he has been found wanting, and PARSIN the party will be divided between the racists and the rentiers.

    • emptywheel says:

      Oh we’re working on getting Spencer and Jane on there first–they’ve both done her show. And both of them will look great sitting next to Rachel.

        • Loo Hoo. says:

          I’m dreaming perhaps, but why wouldn’t Obama want a brilliant Press Secretary? Someone who can contribute brilliant perspective during meetings, answer questions masterfully, and as a bonus, provide some diversity?

          • MadDog says:

            I too would appreciate a more intelligent, honest, forthcoming and ethical Press Secretary, but it might be all too much for the White House Press corps.

            • Sara says:

              “I too would appreciate a more intelligent, honest, forthcoming and ethical Press Secretary, but it might be all too much for the White House Press corps.”

              I think we are in for a major shake up in how the WH Press operation works. I think Obama is going to make them work for their stories — a little more access to the content of what is actually going on in policy discussions, but a hard taskmaster if they don’t actually report substance.

  14. JohnLopresti says:

    I’m trying to figure how Mayer’s NYorker article about Palin could have characterized Rove as preferring MA’s erstwhile governor. This thesis would opt to conclude, with Republican archons shoving Rove away from the lucrative center of their post-election party. I.e., it seems too Rovish to try to continue to believe Mayer’s contention that KR was against adding the AK governor to the second spot on the Republican ticket. I searched her detailed article for any hint of Duberstein’s having joined one of the several cruises. I wonder how JBolton’s interaction with the AK govnr proceeded at one of those described meetings, if they all shout platitudes and agree upon the pithiness of each respective aphorism. Palin’s far east foreign policy, ellipsis…

  15. MadDog says:

    I think we are in for a major shake up in how the WH Press operation works…

    Agreed! The MSM may find it again worthwhile to staff it with their best and brightest instead of mere stenographers.

  16. MrWhy says:

    As off topic a non sequitur as is reasonable around here. I was browsing at Bookslut, where Jessica Crispin notes

    One should always remember the Graham Greene rule of packing books: pack the opposite of where you are going. … My next trip is into Michigan, and I am trying to figure out what the opposite of Michigan is.

    I immediately thought Marcy might be the person to answer Jessica’s quest, but some lonesome brain cell is whispering that she isn’t a fiction reader.

    And on the same page, a link to an article where two handfuls of SanFran writers opine on the favourite books of McCain and Obama.

  18. stryder says:

    If one thing is true Bush proved that you don’t have to know anything at all about anything to be elected and this crowd amplifies that fact by a factor of 1000.The only thing you have to be good at is either rigging the election or manipulating the count

    • Minnesotachuck says:

      IIRC, it was Rep. Charles Rangel who, a few months back, said something to the effect that “George W. Bush has permanently disposed of the myth of white supremacy.”

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