Conservative press: Did the White House/FOX/Hume Smear Batchelder?

[swag]

via Eschaton (http://atrios.blogspot.com)

The National Review

http://bench.nationalreview.com/archives/079481.asp

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Alice Batchelder was reportedly on the Administration’s short list for a Supreme Court vacancy at some point. According to FNC’s Brit Hume, she was struck from the list because of a record of “judicial activism.” In response to Bill Kristol’s suggestion that Batchelder would have been a better nominee on Fox News Sunday, Hume said

I can tell you this about Alice Batchelder. She was very, very closely vetted. And you know what they found? They found all kinds of evidence of activism in her record. And they were quite surprised and not pleased to find that.

Those familiar with Batchelder’s record were surprised at the charge. Over at No Left Turns, Robert Alt wonders where Hume got the idea that Batchelder is an “activist.”

When Kristol questioned this new smear tactic, Brit incredulously suggested that this is something he found on his own. But, as Brit’s first statement makes clear, the only way he could have gotten this information about White House opinion is by hearing it from the White House (unless of course he is simply reporting second hand reports—which would mean that he was engaging in rather loose reporting practices).

Other sources on this bizarre White House/FOX News coordinated smear of a conservative judge:

http://noleftturns.ashbrook.org/default.asp?archiveID=7466

http://www.bullmooseblog.com/2005/10/slime-machine.html

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=273&topic_id=45113

[Verve]

1. Horrors! An activist!

Someone passionate about her beliefs! Shame on her!:sarcasm:

[UTUSN]

2. Scumbag David FRUM, Surprisingly, Used the Phrase

"Silly White House talking points" at least twice during one appearance, I think on "This Weak". He was being devastating on the topic of MEIRS, and one of the times he used the phrase it was in reference to a video clip they showed of HUME. It was mindboggling to see one wingnut mouthpiece slamming another one.

[swag]

3. Who runs FOX News? Old news for many, but new for some, I suspect.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Ailes

Roger Ailes

Employment history
Property Assistant, The Mike Douglas Show, 1962-1965
Producer, The Mike Douglas Show, 1965-1967
Executive Producer, The Mike Douglas Show, 1967-1968
Media adviser to Richard M. Nixon Presidential Campaign in 1968
Consultant in 1984 to President Ronald Reagan
Media Consultant for Vice President George H. W. Bush's 1988 Presidential campaign
Chief Executive Officer, Fox News Channel 1996-present

Ailes met Richard Nixon when Nixon appeared as a guest on the Mike Douglas Show. According to Joe McGinnis's book, The Selling of the President 1968, Ailes choreographed events for Nixon to appear in front of a carefully selected audience in order to accentuate Nixon's charisma. The campaign paid for television stations to broadcast the events, which were made to appear as news.

As media consultant for the George H. W. Bush campaign, Ailes was a significant player in the exploitation of the Willie Horton story against Bush's opponent, Michael Dukakis.