Limbaugh Tops Newsweek's 'Power List'

Joan Walsh of Salon defends her answer on 'Morning Joe'

(NEWSER) - Righty bloggers are teeing off on Joan Walsh of Salon because of her appearance on Morning Joe yesterday, in which she maintained that liberals have no voices as extreme as Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck. (NewsBusters weighs in with a list here , with Keith Olbermann's name in capital letters.) Walsh defends her response today in Salon : "I didn't name anyone not because I was stumped; it was because in my opinion, the violent rhetoric is coming from the right, not the left." More»

Op-eds complain of obsession by liberals and conservatives

(NEWSER) - Here's a pretty good indicator of how much chatter Sarah Palin is generating these days: Post columnist Colbert King criticizes the "conservative establishment" for its constant attacks on her, and Times columnist Charles Blow criticizes the left for the same thing.

• King: He's no Palin fan, but his beef is that the critics on the right are so downright mean. "The notion of a phalanx of conservative elites—Palin called them 'blue bloods'—standing between her and the GOP nomination because they perceive her as inferior in intellect and social and political standing is pure snobbery." It should insult her many supporters, too. Full column here .

Politico: Rally was a very funny political failure

(NEWSER) - The Democrats may not be laughing come election day. This weekend's Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear was a comedic success, but a strategic failure, argue James Hohmann, Marin Cogan, and Byron Tau on Politico . By putting parody above partisan politics, Jon Stewart denied the left a "galvanizing moment" just three days before the polls. Even participants seemed to doubt that the rally would make a difference. More»

Conservatives must 'refudiate' liberalism

(NEWSER) - Sarah Palin's critics snickered when she used the non-word "refudiate" (see summary here ), but William Kristol thinks her coinage is spot-on—and a perfect prescription for what conservatives must do to liberals. It combines refute ("primarily an intellectual act") with repudiate ("a practical or political act"). Conservatives must do more than refute liberal arguments; they must repudiate liberal politicians at the polls. Ergo, refudiate. More»

No more Mr. Nice President

(NEWSER) - It's hard to imagine that critics once complained that Barack Obama wasn't tough enough. Lately, he's been savaging his opponents by name, Politico notes, tossing verbal jabs directly at Mitch McConnell, Sarah Palin , Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh and more. It's a deliberate effort to get back the “spunk and fight” Obama had during the campaign, says one presidential rhetoric expert. “When you campaign, you campaign against people.” More»