...Lamont has ditched the moonbat blogosphere.

Sad, isn't it?  But can you blame him?

Let's start from the top: Jane Hamsher, who writes on the blog FireDogLake and tends to be one of the most inflammatory bloggers on the left, decided she would take the time to doctor a picture of Bill Clinton and Joe Lieberman.

The result?

Nice.  Very classy.  Of course, this isn't the first time a blogger has dabbled with blackface doctoring, as black leftist nutjob Steve Gilliard did the same thing to Michael Steele.

However, Michelle Malkin, Public Enemy #1 of the moonbat wing of the blogosphere, got hold of it yesterday.  Now, within the span of 24 hours, Ned Lamont has become senile, acting as if he's never heard of a blog.  When questioned by a local reporter, Lamont said this:

{Lamont:}I don't know anything about the blogs, I'm not responsible for those, I have no comment on 'em -

{reporter} she raised money for your campaign...

{Lamont}Independent blogs, I can't say anything about it.

Now, I'll give Lamont the benefit of the doubt, and say that he "pretended" not to know anything about the Huffington Post.  However, that doesn't excuse his ignorance of knowing who Jane Hamsher is.  As Malkin notes, she has had a pretty big impact in his campaign, including chauffering him and his staff, helping to create his first videoblog, and raising money.  As of noon, FireDogLake still serves of one of the few links to "independent blogs" on his blogroll.  Ironically (or is it?), so is the Huffington Post.  And for the record, there are only 10 blogs on his blogroll.

I haven't seen much coverage, if there is any, of this on television.  There is a Washington Post article, buried inside of the paper, of course.  Do you think it would have been buried had it been a Republ.....

You know what?  Never mind.  I've said that so much while watching this primary that I'm tired of saying it.

Anyway, I'll keep my eyes open to see if this story gathers steam.

It's not surprising to hear reports of the Israelis losing the war in Lebanon coming from the media.  After all, defeatism and terrorism cheerleading is what they do best.  However, I have started to see a lot of the same things coming from commentators that would be considered conservative, whether it's from National Review, WSJ, or the NY Post (hat tip:  Instapundit).

Most of their arguments dwell upon the PR war, rather than militarily.  Israel isn't necessarily losing ground; it simply isn't gaining ground fast enough.  While these and several other statements were made before Israel moved into Eastern Lebanon and expanded its ground assault, it'll be interesting to see how a number of the defeatists can explain this one.

Of course, the rules for Israel in this offensive are not the same as they have been for wars past and present.  As Frank Gaffney states in OpinionJournal today, the US would have never accepted the limitations or condoned the condemnation that Israel has been subject to in this war.  Israel now has to worry not only about Hezbollah and their supporters as they move from town to town, but they have to worry about a "clock" of sorts that is rapidly ticking away that will pull the plug on their chances to destroy Hezbollah.  As long as Hezbollah can hang on until time runs out, they'll "win".  And it is by this clock that the defeatists are judging Israel.

However, thinking of this conflict in those terms does nothing but undermine any chance of winning the War on Terror, whether it's Israel conducting military operations or anything else.  Instead of succumbing to these limitations, and indeed, using them to judge Israel's effectiveness, conservatives should be outraged by them.  Instead of getting used to the idea that terror will be a normal fixture in the lives of Israelis, and to a smaller extent, the entire world, we should apply more pressure on the terrorist organizations, and the countries who continue to harbor them.

Lebanon, and subsequently it's government, has been labelled a "moderate" Islamic country, and with a significant Christian community it's resistance to Syrian intervention was lauded for not falling prey to Islamic fundamentalism.  But as we are seeing, "moderate" Muslims condemning occasional attacks are only the tip of the iceburg to end radical Islam.  Instead, actions need to be taken by not only the respective governments that have terror in its midsts.  The destruction of Lebanon is a perfect example of a government and of a society that was more than willing to make excuses and allow the existence of terrorism, and look what it got them.

To call for a premature ceasefire before the elimination of terror in that country, and to also  force Israel to make a "prisoner swap" (which is absolute garbage, as those soldiers were kidnapped, not arrested) gives the upper hand to those organizations who feel they can commit terror in order to gain concessions.  You're going to see more terrorism, along with more liberties being taken against not only Israel and it's military, but also the United States.  Conservatives should realize the grave mistake that exists if this is allowed to happen and rally against it, rather than wallow in pity because of the appeasement mentality of the internationalists.

On Monday, the National Republican Senatorial Committee went after Montana U.S. Senate Democratic Nominee Jon Tester for his affiliation with the Daily Kos website.

Maybe the criticism is fair game, but the reasons weren't, IMO:

"An anti-Israel diary posted today on radical web site 'Daily Kos' includes the expression 'screw you Israel,'" said NRSC Spokesman Brian Walton. "By continuing to accept Kos' support, using his blog to raise money, and even linking to it from his own site, Jon Tester has assumed responsibility for comments like this. Jon Tester should remove the link to 'Daily Kos' from his site and repudiate Kos' hate-filled politics

The criticism of blogs and websites being attached to their readers is nothing new.  Little Green Footballs, Atrios, Wizbang, and others have been unjustly criticized due to the statements of those who visit or are members of their websites. 

The attack on Tester, and indirectly, Kos, by the NRSC is cheap.  Attacks like these do nothing but encourage bloggers not to have comment sections or other interactive material on their sites.  That also hurts the spread of ideas and expression, a couple of things that the blogosphere excels at.  The blogosphere gives people a voice that they more than likely didn't have before. 

I find it ironic that it's usually the bloggers or other entities that seldom provide any kind of voice for its readers that tend to criticize the content shown on the sites that do.  God forbid they open up any kind of dialogue to show how potentially ignorant or bigoted their readers are.  If the NRSC provided a chatroom, or a diary site on their website, do they or anyone actually believe that it would be devoid of some very extreme opinions?  I don't think so. 

If the NRSC, or anyone else want to criticize Kos, his website, or people that are linked to Kos, use the blog posts that Kos actually makes, or at least the ones done by his staff (volunteers, or whatever they are).  Believe me, there's plenty of material that you can use.  Kos, nor any other blogger or website that has discussion boards, comment threads, or chatrooms should be held responsible for the views that their viewers/members have.  Hold them accountable exclusively and individually.

The hottest story in the 2006 political election season is the U.S. Senate primary in Connecticut between Joe Lieberman and Ned Lamont.

Lieberman is the 3-term incumbent senator, former Democratic vice-presidential nominee, and presidential candidate.  Ned Lamont is more or less a political upstart, yet recent polls show Lamont with a slight lead.   Now, Lieberman is a bonafide leftist, a consistent supporter of government regulatory practices, and he's never met a tax hike he didn't like.  Lieberman generally leans left on virtually every position....except Israel.

And that's where the problem comes in, and where you understand why Lieberman has so many problems winning the Democratic primary despite being a loyal Democrat in a strong Democratic state.

Lieberman is losing the primary because he is Jewish.  Plain and simple.

You can't say it's simply because Lieberman supports the War in Iraq.  Democrats like Hillary Clinton and Evan Bayh have supported the war, and while they have received criticism, not to the extent that Lieberman has experienced. 

Lieberman's Jewish heritage and his staunch support for Israel makes him a key target for the left, which has a extreme dislike for Israel and blames the country for the unrest in the Middle East.  In certain circles they still believe that Israel talked Bush into going into Iraq for their own safety.  Thus, Lieberman is placed as a symbol of American support for Israel and a foreign policy that the left despises like no other.

If this had been a Republican primary, you would see tons of stories in the media "discussing" the hidden anti-semitism within the Republican Party, and the vocal dislike for Israel.  Hell; they just went through that with the Dubai ports deal debacle.  Of course, it won't be discussed in detail, and the primary race will only be depicted as the up and coming political novice taking on the Washington insider and the Jewish lobby, when it is actually so much more.

CNN.  He had just been sentence to four years, before it happened.

I'm sure Austin had to come off of some money, and the State Department had to pinch em a couple of times.

But here's the real question:  Will Austin actually come out and thank Dr. Rice and the State Department for saving his ass?  It's obvious that they had something, even if it was just the consulate's influence, in getting Austin out of jail.  You think any UAE citizen would have gotten off of a drug rap?  Right.

Anyway, screw this.  It's cookout time.  And afterwards, I'm going to play ball.  Enjoy your Independence Day.

I guess Hamas thought Israel was joking.

Well guess what?  they weren't.  And Israel looks ready to knock Hamas's doghouse down.  Did Hamas think the idea that they're supposed to be a legitimate government was enough to deter any kind of retaliation from Israel?

Right.

This is the proper response in dealing with Hamas.  Had Israel not responded with military action, I can guarantee you that these kind of kidnappings would have happened with more frequency in the future. 

Now, with the increasing military presence in Gaza, Israel puts the ball in Hamas's court:  Either return the solider unharmed or all hell will break loose.  If Israel stands their ground, I bet Hamas or any other two-bit group will think twice before they pull this stunt again.

That's what the National Association of Basketball Coaches want.

From the AP:

Motivated in part by George Mason's remarkable Final Four run last season, coaches will urge the NCAA to expand its most lucrative championship event during the men's and women's basketball committee meetings in Orlando, Fla., this week.

"They'd love to see the tournament double to 128," said Jim Haney, executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches. "It's based on several things. First, there are a lot of good teams worthy of making the NCAA field, and second, the size of 64 or 65 has been in place for a number of years."

Are they nuts?  I'm one of those that subscribe by the logic, "If it ain't broken, don't fix it."  A number of the teams in the field of 65 can barely stay above .500.

And let's get something else straight:  George Mason's run was nothing more than a fluke, where they had some teams that they matched up well against, and were able to play good defense.  However, in reality they were never a contender for their own conference championship, much less for the national championship.  If you ran the tournament over, they'd be lucky to get out of the second round.

Adding to that fact is a very weak NBA draft that has no standouts and is probably the weakest since 1989.  Nobody's fooled into thinking that any of these guys will be future All-Stars, much less a superstar on any team.  Does anyone actually believe that Adam Morrison, a guy who broke down in the middle of the court before Gonzaga's loss in the NCAA Tournament, can stay mentally composed long enough to lead any team in the league to a winning record?  Will JJ Redick be anything more than a sixth man to shoot the occasional mid-range jumper? 

The top prospects, at least according to ESPN's Chad Ford, are Tyrus Aldridge, who led LSU to the Final Four along with a number of players who looked like they were suited for football rather than the NBA, and Andrea Bargnani, a 7'1 center from Italy who supposedly has a great jumpshot and is being compared to Dirk Nowitski.  Great; another defensive liability.<

But here's the real reason the basketball coaches want the tourney expanded:

When Haney met with NCAA officials last month, he proposed the 128-team field in part because postseason bids may help coaches keep their jobs.

So, when the fan base isn't happy, and wants to see their team succeed, what do you do?  Just lower the bar.  After all; everyone at their job does it:

- When you have a deadline, just lengthen it.

- If you're late to work, simply make your shift later.

- If you're about to break your budget, just make it larger.

- If you aren't selling enough widgets, make your quota smaller.

See how easy that is?  I wish work was like college basketball, because then life would be a whole lot easier.

It isn't surprising that the New York Times or any newspaper went to press with stories about secret anti-terror programs, or today's story about troop withdrawal.  The fact is, the Bush Administration, and to a larger extent, the entire U.S., has had to deal with a press that has done everything it possibly could to bring it down, country be damned.

There's no excuse that the New York Times can pitch to the American people that would justify the publishing of these articles.  The banking program is totally legal, has a number of safeguards on it, including a warrant requirement, and has not been accused of being intrusive or ripe for abuse.  There is no element to this story that could be seen as newsworthy to the American people.  The same goes with the troop withdrawal scoop.

However, it is newsworthy to terrorists.  Breaking these stories sound an alarm to terrorists all over the world, possibly with details surrounding the banking program.  And with the troop withdrawal story, military leaders will be back at the drawing board trying to come up with a plan that will bring our troops home without leaving the insurgency intact and ready to ambush the Iraqi government as soon as they leave.  But who cares about the importance of national security when you can get a big leak within the federal government, regardless of whether the story really has any significance whatsoever?

However callous and possibly treasonous the NYT's actions may be, this and future national security leaks could be averted if the Justice Department would cart these journalists into federal court and force them to divulge their sources, or face jailtime.  If not, the NYT and other newspapers will contnue to turn their newspapers into an government insider gossip paper anytime they can spin any activity against the Bush Administration. 

Title 18, Part I, Chapter 37, Section 798 of the U.S. Code makes it illegal for anyone, "Whoever knowingly and willfully communicates, furnishes, transmits, or otherwise makes available to an unauthorized person, or publishes, or uses in any manner prejudicial to the safety or interest of the United States or for the benefit of any foreign government to the detriment of the United States any classified information" and that includes, in Subsection 3, "concerning the communication intelligence activities of the United States or any foreign government". 

The press has no right or obligation to keep the leakers protected, and the Justice Department has no excuse in not forcing them to do so.  If the Bush Administration is serious about dealing with leakers, they must deal with this situation immediately.

It's amazing what a couple of years will bring, isn't it?

Two years ago, Larry Brown was hoisting up his first NBA Championship, and the first NBA title for Detroit since 1990.  Now his coaching stock has taken a huge dip, as the New York Knicks fired him after one season.

While the Detroit debacle last year was the fault of Brown's, the New York one was entirely different.  Brown had called New York his "dream job", and went to the media several times to emphasize that he wanted to stay there despite the writing on the wall.  However, his problems with point guard Stephon Marbury as well as with general manager Isiah Thomas proved to be his downfall.

Here's my problem with the whole situation:  Brown never agreed to a buyout, and insisted that if the Knicks wanted to get rid of him, they'd have to do so while paying him the length of his contract.  The Knicks fired him anyway, but now want an arbitrator to force Brown into a settlement.

If this happens, Brown should cart the Knicks and the NBA into federal court.  I remember when so many sports fans and media were up in arms about Terell Owens wanting to renegotiate his contract after only one year with the Eagles.  Brown's situation as well as countless others show that sports franchises do this sort of thing all the time.  The Knicks want to reneg on a 5-year, $50 million dollar contract, where they only fulfilled one year of it and now don't want to pay the other $40 million despite wanting Brown out.  They should have to pay every single dime.

The Knicks should be used to wasting money by now.  They have the NBA's highest payroll at $125 million dollars, and are still paying three other coaches after firing them; Lenny Wilkens, Herb Williams, and Don Chaney.  Isiah Thomas, former Pistons great and current GM, has been there not only to oversee those firings, but also to place this ragtag roster of untalented players together, culminating into 23 wins. 

And what does Knicks owner (Cablevision executive) James Dolan do?  Makes Thomas the coach as well.  Gotta love that move.

The fans weren't yelling last year to fire Brown; they were calling for Thomas's head.  Thomas, probably inspired by Heat coach Pat Reily and Mavericks coach Avery Johnson, thinks he can do a better job than a Hall of Fame coach.  You'll hear the catcalls for Thomas to be booted out of the Knicks franchise before December.  They got rid of the wrong guy.

Thursday afternoon I was listening to 850 The Buzz and overheard Brown's biographer and the host (It wasn't Adam Gold, as he's on vacation.  It was the guy from the ACC Sports Journal) talking about Brown being a perfect fit for the Charlotte Bobcats.  I disagree.  Let Brown sit at home and count his money.  With Emeka Okafor and others returning from an injury-plagued season, Charlotte should be better than they were last year, although not quite ready to make a playoff run just yet.    Charlotte can simply let their young players get better over time and become a mainstay in the playoff race in a couple of years.

I was very critical of the unceremonious way that Stan Van Gundy was given the boot in Miami earlier this year, and I still stand by it.  But make no mistake; it was a very shrewd move that worked. 

Pat Reilly guided the Lakers to four NBA titles, so he knew what was needed in order to succeed.  Shaq knew Van Gundy could not help the Heat advance to their potential.  Therefore, they gave him the boot only weeks after the season started.  It was a cruel move, but one that worked.

I'm not going to join the chorus of sportswriters this morning ready to proclaim the Heat's NBA championship season as the start of the Wade Era, and say he's the best player since Jordan retired from the Bulls (the second time).  The Heat has a number of aging players in Shaq, Alonzo Mourning and Gary Payton that soon have to be replaced with younger talent.  However, Wade's drive and will to win helped put them over the top, and made this one of the best finals to remember. 

If there is one lesson to be learned from the NBA Finals, it's that you can have all of the talent in the world, and still not have enough to win a championship.  Wade had the drive, Reilly had the knowledge and wisdom, and Shaq, Mourning, and Payton had the experience and temperment.  Those are all things that Mavericks' owner Mark Cuban couldn't buy in his latest quest for a world championship, and those were all things that made the Heat a better team than the Mavericks. 

Those are things that you rely on when you're down by 13 points with six and a half minutes to go in the 4th quarter, already down 2-0 in a seven game series.  Not only did they win that game, but they went on to win the next three.  On the other side of the coin, talent alone can't save you from missing clutch free throws, calling errant timeouts, cursing out NBA officials and media reporters, and being arrogant enough to think the championship is in the bag because you're up 2-0 in the Finals.  But more on that later.

To the Heat, congrats.  Now you have to defend it.

- Duncan will be healthy next year

- Stoudamire returns to Phoenix's lineup next year

- Cleveland will be a better team

- Detroit returns with that same dreaded starting 5

- The Clippers will have more experience

- The Lakers will have Kobe.  Nuff said.

- Dallas will be back.

- And most important, the Heat will be a year older.

Good luck.