Denver!

by hilzoy

Guess who just got blogging credentials?

Tee hee hee. A possible floor fight, the best nominee I can remember, and the possibility of meeting John Thullen, all wrapped up in one big package: how cool is that?

Open thread.

Comments

[glasgowtremontaine]

Hurray! I look forward to your coverage!

[felix culpa]

Cool is sadly inadequate to describe such a conjunction. Momentously cool might work, though.
Full caps congratulations.

[wonkie]

Green with envy!

Have lots of fun!

[david kilmer]

Envy!

But I'm hoping the fight doesn't go that far. Take a taser along, just in case. Or tell John Thullen to bring his joy buzzer.

Since it's an open thread, I'll risk shamelessly linking to a humorous piece I wrote last night. Funny? Dumb? All feedback is welcome (especially Gary's).

[DaveC]

blogging credentials

BLOGGING CREDENTIALS?

Feh.

WHERE IS YOUR MYSPACE PAGE? HUH, WHAT ABOUT THAT!

THIS BLOG DOESN'T EVEN USE BLOGGERR!!!!

I could rip your blogging credentials card from your hands, because you probably have carpal tunnel from typing so much.

[cleek]

"credentials" ? oh well, i guess we should call you "Big Media Hilzoy" now...

harrumph. sell-out.

[DaveC]

Blogging credentials?

Blogging credentials???

We don't need no steenking blogging credentials!

[OCSteve]

That is just awesome hilzoy! Now I have to make extra/i> popcorn.

[OCSteve]

bad tag. bad.

[Warren Terra]

I was all ready to start guessing, and then in the next paragraph you basically reveal it. Where's the fun in that?

Good show on the credentials, and I fully expect you to have a blast. Still, while it might diminish your blogging opportunities, I hope you are denied the excitement and spectacle of the possible floor fight.

[xanax]

"...and the possibility of meeting John Thullen,"

What's Thullen running for? (whatever it is, he's got my vote).

Bravo, hilzoy. Blog a leg.

[Trips]

Glad to see ObWi made the cut... congrats.

[ThatLeftTurnInABQ]

Big time congrats, and give 'em hell (hey, it worked for Truman).

[KCinDC]

I'm really not sure what sort of microstroke I was having when reading this, but for a second I read "John Thullen" as "John Bolton" and was trying to figure out why he'd be at the convention.

[John Thullen]

I could do John Bolton in a sort of neo-thullenivative way, which would make friends of our enemies and even better friends of our friends, sans stalinist/boltonist moustache.

Hilzoy, I'm buying.

Let's plan.

[Jon H]

Yay! At least now I know there'll be one intelligent commentator.

[Luke]

As a longstanding fan of Obsidian Wings, and Hilzoy in particular, and as a current staffer for the First Black President, I lustily cheer this development, and look forward to seeing you in Denver!

[Ari]

Such wonderful news. Congratulations, Hilzoy.

[publius]

I'll be doing exclusive coverage from the bar.

And I'll also be showing off my credentials to everyone similar to the way Wayne and Garth showed off their Alice Cooper backstage passes in the ever-seminal Wayne's World.

[Brick Oven Bill]

Obama is mad at Pfleger. Obama must be pretty disappointed with his congregation for hootin’ and hollerin’ at Pfleger’s message. That wasn’t nice of the congregation. I think it might have been racist.

You’d think that Obama wouldn’t want to be counted as a member of that congregation. He probably didn’t know they felt that way though.

[bedtimeforbonzo]

Since you mentioned a floor fight, hilzoy, I say let's have at it.

Hillary is just determined (crazed?) enough to take her case all the way to Denver. Such fun.

Congratulations.

And good luck.

[Johnny Pez]

And I just finished reading a rant from HTML Mencken at Sadly No because he didn't make the cut.

I think the DNCC made the right call here. If they had picked Mencken over you, your response would have been far too temperate.

[Brick Oven Bill]

I don’t know what a blogging credential is Hilzoy. But if it is a good thing and you have it, congratulations.

[Jeff]

Congratulations! This is one of the first rays of sunshine for the Convention.

[bemused]

Are you seated with a state convention (as I heard some regional bloggers would be) or in the press section?

[Gary Farber]

"Hilzoy, I'm buying.

Let's plan."

I'm sullen, Thullen.

"I don’t know what a blogging credential is Hilzoy."

Bill: google is your friend. Learn to not be ignorant.

Once you can use the tool you're typing into, the internet, you can actually find information within seconds. It's amazing how useful that can be to knowing what things are, and in thereafter ceasing to have to rely on "I think" and "if I am right," and to instead be able to cite facts, and to know.

I'd still like to know more about the genetic defect afflicting Jews and many Western minds, though: when will you elaborate on the genetics involved, and the defect involved?

[Gary Farber]

"I think it might have been racist."

Yes, indeed. Noticing white privilege certainly is racist. Remember, the slave owner and the slave are just equal mirrors of each other, and what's true of one is equally true of the other!

All power relationships between the powerful and the weak, the majority and the minority, the oppressor and the oppressed, are, of course, equal, and we must never imagine it might be otherwise!

If an African-American complains about white privilege, it's exactly the same as if a pale-skinned American complains about uppity dark-skinned people! No difference whatever! Racism, racism, racism!

Also, war is peace.

[rea]

sans stalinist/boltonist moustache.

Still plenty of time to grow one before the convention . . .

[Old Man]

I am now starting to feel a little sorry for Scott McClellan. He is thinking about all of the things he has heard and seen that he knew was wrong but just had to come to terms that his hero is not a hero at all. For Scott McClellan it cannot be about the money because I am sure the GOP would have taken care of him money wise as long as he kept his mouth shut. I think Scott McClellan has a conscience problem and the book is the one way to redeem himself in his eyes.

[Ugh]

Congrats hilzoy, though I can't help but wonder if it would have been much more interesting if you had gotten credentials to the Republican convention.

[Jesurgislac]

Congratulations!

Hit-'em-hard Hilzoy Goes To Denver!

(I do not know whether to envy John Thullen most for getting to meet Hilzoy, or Hilzoy most for getting to meet John Thullen. Suffice to say, I envy.)

[Jessica]

Gary Farber, though your intent is noble I have to disagree with your defense of Pfleger (though I'm not exactly siding with Brick_Oven_Bill in doing so). While no doubt some of those who support Hillary instead of Barack are doing so out of racism, Pfleger's assertion that Hillary's supporters are upset because a black person stole the nomination from a white person are nothing but indulgent, simplistic, and inflammatory - not, actually, unlike the way that many Hillary supporters say that Barack won the nomination because of sexism. Hillary's supporters actually have every right to be hurt, angry, and disappointed right now (though I wouldn't extend that to say that they have a right to blame Barack for things he's not guilty of). Pfleger's resort to blaming their hurt and disappointment on racism is flat out idiotic, and serves no purpose other than to indulge people's sense of self-righteousness and desire to feel victimized (again, not unlike Hillary's fanning the flames of her fervent feminist supporters to build up their sense of righteous victimization).
That said, I would also argue that the "hootin’ and hollerin’ at Pfleger’s message" is not unlike the 'hootin' and hollerin' that many liberals indulge in when they let people such as Olbermann get their righteous indignation up. Just about any camp you think of can be guilty of over-congratulating themselves for the rightness of their cause.

[LT Nixon]

I look forward to your coverage, ma'am, and hope that you don't get attacked by protester thugs in Denver for being a "sell-out". I was at the 2000 DNC protests in Los Angeles, and you've never seen a crazier bunch of folks. Make sure you share all the juicy gossip about which state's delegates has the best parties in the hotel =). Sorry, I enjoy living vicariously.

[bedtimeforbonzo]

Yes, Old Man, I feel a sorry for McClellan, too -- you know there's no way he'll even get a seat at the Republican Convention or the Republican Anything now.

[cleek]

I look forward to your coverage, ma'am, and hope that you don't get attacked by protester thugs in Denver for being a "sell-out"

FYI, i hope everyone knows i was just teasing, above, with my "sell-out" comment. i ain't no thug.

[OCSteve]

And I just finished reading a rant from HTML Mencken at Sadly No because he didn't make the cut.

I have to say that I don’t blame him/her. I mean even I would choose Sadly No over DU. Seriously – DU? What were they thinking?

If hilzoy had been passed over and I saw DU on the list I would write the whole thing off as a joke.

[kim]

Woof!
===

[hilzoy]

OCS: I suspect that DU is just too big not to get credentialed. We, on the other hand, are not.

Also: if I had given myself an additional 5 minutes to get over the glee before posting this, I would have said: publius got credentials too. Eric, of course, wasn't around when we applied.

The original idea of applying was actually Andy's: he thought it would be a hoot for him to be credentialed at the Democratic Convention, and since he would have been in Colorado Springs at the time, it would have been pretty easy for him to swing, if he got the creds. I think it appealed to the side of him that must have liked to pretend to be a spy when he was a kid: on some level, I think he thought that the DNC would never credential him If They Only Knew what a conservative he was, and the idea that he might get credentialed as part of ObWi filled him with a kind of subversive glee.

[Eric Martin]

Hilzoy,

I can think of few bloggers who are more deserving of credentials. Publius, sort of too ;)

Make us proud and raise some hell!

[OCSteve]

Congrats as well publius! Thanks for the Andrew story hilzoy – it made me smile. ;)

[Gary Farber]

"I have to disagree with your defense of Pfleger"

Beg pardon? Do you have me confused with someone else? What are you talking about? I haven't written a word about any Pfleger. Not a word.

"(I do not know whether to envy John Thullen most for getting to meet Hilzoy, or Hilzoy most for getting to meet John Thullen. Suffice to say, I envy.)"

So far it appears that I'm the only human, or inhuman, on or off this planet, who has met both of them.

Not counting Our Friends, The Microbes, at least.

And the alien abductors; but I must speak no more of that.

Anyway: they're both Very Nice.

Even if I have reason to suspect they both covet some of my marbles.

I have two strawberries here in my hand that I click together. Bring me the container of marbles! I shall fill them with ice cream, and prove beyond a shadow of doubt that someone has been stealing my marbles!

Er, congrats, Hilzoy and publius. I'm just cranky that I won't be able to hang with you guys, now. But I'm happy for you.

(And still with much gout pain. :-()

[CaseyL]

I'm totally thrilled, because now I know there will be at least one source of excellent reporting from the Convention.

Andy's idea? Will you be acting sort of as his spiritual amanuensis? (It would be a facsinating mental exercise, to try and see the proceedings through his eyes.)

(And though I 'don't really' believe in ghosts or spirits, if you do get a vague feeling that he is, in fact, looking over your shoulder, tell him we all say hi.)

[Jeff]

Pfleger's resort to blaming their hurt and disappointment on racism is flat out idiotic

When one blogger, on seeing Edwards' endorsement of Obama, claim that Edwards should appear at all speeches, I can't help but think a lot of it is about racism, alas.

[trilobite]

Congratulations! Have a great time! Hoist a glass for us all.

[felix culpa]

Just about any camp you think of can be guilty of over-congratulating themselves for the rightness of their cause.
Words to live by (seriously). Thanks, Jessica.

Engaging the Open Thread, I’ll seize the opportunity to shamelessly display my shame for all who may find it amusing.
I am in one (or two) pair(s) of eyes, a Creep.

The context, the site in question, is of course to the point, and there’s even a comment on Pfleger, with video, just to tie it in (somewhat) with one of the strands of the thread here.

For further elaboration of my shame, go to my own post for shameless background (‘Creeps’ addressed towards the end).
A word of warning for sensitive souls; it’s a hard-core conservative Catholic ‘feminist’ singles site. My own story best fits the category ‘cautionary tale’.
Wry sad smiles for all.

[felix culpa]

Gary:
You’ve obviously been spending too much time with aliens named Thullen.
Well, not too much, really. Just enough.

Sorry about the gout. Heal, dammit!

[Nell]

Congratulations!

However, I'm taken aback that you seem to be looking forward to a floor fight with glee. Hope that the convention will be just as much fun for you without one.

Tee hee hee. A possible floor fight...

[hilzoy]

Nell: I was kidding about that. I devoutly hope there isn't one.

[hairshirthedonist]

Hilzoy, just remember these words of wisdom from Canned Heat and everything will be cool. Congratulations from yet one more of your many humble and unworthy admirers.

It's a shame the Man in Denver
Has to lie and mistreat people so
Now six months ain't no sentence
One year ain't no time
When I hear from one to ten
It worries my troubled mind
`Cause the police in Denver
Lord, don't want no long hairs around

[washerdreyer]

This is obviously unfair to the national press corps covering the event who have just been rendered almost entirely superfluous.

[Batocchio]

Congratulations! Have fun!

[BethanyAnne]

/cheer

/woot!

[Charlie Martel]

This is good news literally, because Hilzoy I trust you to give us good news. I'll be there too. I'll be the one with the "Buddhists for Obama" t-shirt, drinking a Fat Tire ale and hanging out with the New Orleans musicians rocking the place for the cause of rebuilding the city.

Cheers!

[Bernard Yomtov]

Congratulations, hilzoy.

Have fun.

[david kilmer]

On the OT:

The Obama campaign is looking for LAMP developers.

Time to use your skills for good, not evil.

(Hopefully, they'll forgive the fact that I worked for Enron)

[OCSteve]

LT Nixon is on his way home. Safe trip LT.