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Si, Senor

by DougJarvus Green-Ellis

Although it has been a tough couple weeks for Jewish Canadians, I really hope that Dan Senor gets into the 2010 New York State Senate race, if only because this is one of my favorite Colbert interviews ever. He actually recommends that Stephen bring his family to northern Iraq for a vacation.

Senor is one of the many Republican political operatives who was given real governing responsibility in Iraq. No one could have predicted….

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March 11, 2010 4:12 pm Posted in: Good News For Conservatives, We Are All Mayans Now  60 Comments

60 Responses

  1. El Cid - March 11, 2010 | 4:19 pm · Link

    I can’t wait for the Campbell Brown episode of “No Bias No Bull” on Senor’s campaign claims.

  2. SGEW - March 11, 2010 | 4:19 pm · Link

    Attackerman had a nice reaction to this news:

    I once had the pleasure of being introduced to Dan Senor during Peter Beinart’s 2003 Hannukah party. We ate some latkes and chatted amiably about Iraq. He didn’t let his mask of smug bullshittery slip the whole time. Everything was going awesomely in Iraq. Sectarianism was nonsense and the economy was rarin’ to go.
    . . .
    In other words, I approve of this man’s bid for the Republican nomination to represent my home state of New York in the United States Senate.

    “Smug bullshittery” is a pretty good line.

  3. The Grand Panjandrum - March 11, 2010 | 4:20 pm · Link

    Mr Campbell Brown is thinking of running against Cuomo? Jesus, that will work out about as well as his Iraq stint worked out for the Iraqis.

    UPDATE: I see the masterful El Cid got the first Campbell Brown reference in. Cheers, mate!

  4. Robertdsc-iphone - March 11, 2010 | 4:24 pm · Link

    Campbell Brown interviewing Kirsten Gillibrand = teh hawt!

  5. me - March 11, 2010 | 4:25 pm · Link

    Goddamn, what a delusional wanker. What’s the date on that interview?

  6. Ann B. Nonymous - March 11, 2010 | 4:29 pm · Link

    I am still hoping for Larry Kudlow. It would be an utterly fascinating primary.

  7. DougJ - March 11, 2010 | 4:30 pm · Link

    @me:

    March 22, 2006

  8. David in NY - March 11, 2010 | 4:32 pm · Link

    Mr Campbell Brown is thinking of running against Cuomo

    No, no. Against Gillibrand. I repeat my prediction (you heard it first from me) that she will kick his ass all the way back to Baghdad.

  9. freelancer - March 11, 2010 | 4:32 pm · Link

    @DougJ:

    March 22, 2006

    Really? Wow. Just wow.

  10. JGabriel - March 11, 2010 | 4:33 pm · Link

    So that’s Dan Senor. I’d never seen him before. He’s obviously a pencil-dicked weasel-douche.

    What the hell was Campbell Brown thinking?

    .

  11. JenJen - March 11, 2010 | 4:34 pm · Link

    You know, the movie “Green Zone” is getting good reviews, and I’m hoping there’s a Dan Senor character in there somewhere. Certainly should be.

  12. Quackosaur - March 11, 2010 | 4:46 pm · Link

    @JGabriel:

    Because as wise sages once said: it would be irresponsible not to speculate…

    She married him to prove she doesn’t succumb to liberal bias. He keeps her honest be telling her that her program has hit his friends too hard.

  13. JenJen - March 11, 2010 | 4:48 pm · Link

    @Quackosaur: You know, I never knew who the hell Campbell Brown was until she embarrassed that Tucker whats-his-name (not bow-tie-boy) who was a McCain/Palin spokesbot during the 2008 Election on live teevee.

    Haven’t paid a bit of mind since, either.

  14. Anne Laurie - March 11, 2010 | 4:51 pm · Link

    @JGabriel:

    What the hell was Campbell Brown thinking?

    “Wingnut welfare is the most secure retirement program in a modern economy. And since the little weasel’s a Republican, requests for physical intimacy with me will be both infrequent and not very time-consuming.”

  15. Jake - March 11, 2010 | 4:54 pm · Link

    His campaign will be self-financed, courtesy of the 10 billion tax payer dollars missing from the CPA coffers….......

  16. geg6 - March 11, 2010 | 4:55 pm · Link

    Mr. Campbell Brown will get his head handed to him by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. And I will be dying to hear what Tweety, Bobo, Broder, Queen Sally the Homewrecking Whore, and the entire Village have to say about that.

  17. arguingwithsignposts - March 11, 2010 | 4:57 pm · Link

    @geg6:

    Queen Sally the Homewrecking Whore

    would be?

  18. maus - March 11, 2010 | 4:58 pm · Link

    @El Cid:

    I can’t wait for the Campbell Brown episode of “No Bias No Bull” on Senor’s campaign claims.

    Ungh, not bold-faced lying 24/7 shouldn’t be a gimmick and anyone who uses that phrasing is immediately suspect as hell.

  19. williamc - March 11, 2010 | 4:58 pm · Link

    I’m not a New Yorker.

    I love the City, and I hear the upstate area is chockablock with reactionary imbeciles.

    But why would a Bushie who was responsible for this think that he has a chance in NY. He will get destroyed in the City and suburbs just by being attached to Bush. What’s the game here?

  20. Comrade Mary - March 11, 2010 | 4:59 pm · Link

    @arguingwithsignposts: Sally Quinn.

    So who are these Jewish Canadians, Doug? Ezra Levant? The junior Frums? The junior Richlers?

  21. El Cid - March 11, 2010 | 4:59 pm · Link

    @maus:

    Ungh, not bold-faced lying 24/7 shouldn’t be a gimmick and anyone who uses that phrasing is immediately suspect as hell.

    I’m not snarking when I say that I’m not sure what this means.

  22. maus - March 11, 2010 | 5:00 pm · Link

    @JGabriel:

    What the hell was Campbell Brown thinking?

    “I appreciate earning a regular cable news paycheck and this is the dance I’m paid to do”. Who cares whether she believes it or not? The end-result is the same.

  23. El Cid - March 11, 2010 | 5:00 pm · Link

    How could anyone see Iraq as anything but an awesome success of Freedomocracy?

  24. JenJen - March 11, 2010 | 5:00 pm · Link

    In other news, Tiger Woods has hired Ari Fleischer (!!) to help him rehabilitate his brand.

    Old Bushies Never Die. And They Never Stop Hoodwinking And Separating Fools From Their Money, Either.

  25. phantomist - March 11, 2010 | 5:00 pm · Link

    Buy your flowers now, New Yorkers.

  26. MikeJ - March 11, 2010 | 5:01 pm · Link

    @El Cid:

    I’m not snarking when I say that I’m not sure what this means.

    I believe it means that if you have to point out the times you aren’t lying it doesn’t speak well for you.

  27. El Cid - March 11, 2010 | 5:04 pm · Link

    @MikeJ: Who? Campbell Brown? Dan Senor? Both? Neither?

    If it’s Dan Senor, well, he’s a proud and paid liar.

    If it’s Campbell Brown, well, yeah, CNN’s not exactly a fount of journalistic achievement in covering U.S. politics, though Brown actually did maneuver beyond the typical media fray in calling out Republican bullshit during the 2008 campaign, so I give her a bit more credit than the typical inane CNN drone such as Wolf Blitzer or John Right Wing Talking Points Bullet List King.

  28. MikeJ - March 11, 2010 | 5:09 pm · Link

    @El Cid: I hope I don’t misinterpret maus, but it seemed pretty clear in the original comment that the show named “No Bias No Bull” was hosted by the CNN employee, so that must be the person being referenced.

  29. Sentient Puddle - March 11, 2010 | 5:11 pm · Link

    @El Cid:

    Brown actually did maneuver beyond the typical media fray in calling out Republican bullshit during the 2008 campaign

    That she did. CNN noticed, attempted to capitalize on her as a rising new voice for the network, and (possibly because of CNN taking notice) she promptly devolved into faux-centrist bullshit that CNN is renowned for.

    Flashes of brilliance sure, but no consistency. I’m not going to give her much credit.

  30. El Cid - March 11, 2010 | 5:13 pm · Link

    @MikeJ: Okay, but skipping the actual context of the propagandistic nonsense filling up the U.S. news cycle, Mrs. Senor would probably explain that, you see, unlike the completely neutral and journalistically heroic news segments on the network, her show would allow a bit of editorial comment, etc.

  31. Tsulagi - March 11, 2010 | 5:15 pm · Link

    Liked the clip. “Sure, it’s a little messy, but look at the positive. No civil war, just a little ‘high-level sectarian violence’ among neighbors”

    Nothing but competence in Senor. During his 15 months with CPA, he also brought his Harvard MBA skills to bear. Only $8B or so in unaccounted for cash bricks. If he runs, wonder if he’d have any problems financing his campaign.

  32. Elisabeth - March 11, 2010 | 5:17 pm · Link

    @JenJen:

    This is more disturbing than Tiger’s taste in mistresses.

  33. El Cid - March 11, 2010 | 5:19 pm · Link

    @Tsulagi: It’s why so many Republican grassroots venture out to those awesomely peaceful Indiana-style Baghdad flea markets they have that Mike Pence and John McCain visited completely alone and without security.

  34. mistermix - March 11, 2010 | 5:23 pm · Link

    The fact that this guy is even being discussed is an indication of how weak NYS Republicans are at the state level. The southern strategy/teabagging just annihilated them for a generation statewide.

  35. freelancer - March 11, 2010 | 5:25 pm · Link

    @mistermix:

    Naw, they just need to get Doug Hoffman in this fight.

  36. SteveinSC - March 11, 2010 | 5:27 pm · Link

    While choking down my morning coffee and watching Scarface and his band of Superficials, Kirsten Gillibrand got on between the tut-tuting and sneering about Massa. I had the impression when she was picked that we were getting some upstate, but civilized, New Yorker version of Palin: all anti-gun control, pro-life diaster. But goddamn she was great on that show. I know I hadn’t heard any more negatives about her and now and again some positives. She had her shit together about the HCR and succinctly and clearly walked them through the major elements. I learned something, but Scarface’s eyes glazed over (no pictures or mention of ‘Bama) and everything blew over Mika’s head after the first five seconds. They tried to needle her on whether she was for repeal of DADT, gun control, etc. and she deftly handled the (admittedly simple minded) “brain trust”. Impressive woman.

  37. El Cid - March 11, 2010 | 5:30 pm · Link

    @SteveinSC:

    everything blew over Mika’s head after the first five seconds

    This describes every Morning Joke I’ve ever seen.

  38. Zifnab - March 11, 2010 | 5:38 pm · Link

    @JGabriel:

    What the hell was Campbell Brown thinking?

    I’m going to get my own show on CNN! Yipee!

  39. aimai - March 11, 2010 | 5:39 pm · Link

    I feel sorry for poor Zbig every time I hear what a total moron his daughter turned out to be. He must simply writhe with shame.

    aimai

  40. WereBear - March 11, 2010 | 5:43 pm · Link

    @SteveinSC: We Upstate NY’s are not all @williamc: reactionary imbeciles.

  41. someguy - March 11, 2010 | 5:46 pm · Link

    @ Mistermix,

    The fact that this guy is even being discussed is an indication of how weak NYS Republicans are at the state level. The southern strategy/teabagging just annihilated them for a generation statewide.

    Bullshit.

    It goes to show you what the corrupt NYS Republican machine eventually wrought. The big bowl of dicks Upstate NY is eating – and downstate is snacking on – is what ‘moderate’ Republicans caused, people like Pataki and Joe Bruno. It’s a hangover. They were the suiciders, as Bush would say. The teabaggers’ help in destroying the statewide Republicans and making them radioactive so that even a moron like Hoffmann can’t win in a reactionary district is just the maraschino cherry on top of the huge turdpile the ‘moderates’ left behind.

  42. DougJ - March 11, 2010 | 5:47 pm · Link

    @Comrade Mary:

    Mort Zuckerman and Corey Haim.

  43. Martin - March 11, 2010 | 5:52 pm · Link

    First Massa, now Rahm has obviously had someone rear-end Reid’s family to send a message on getting health care passed.

  44. Jenn - March 11, 2010 | 5:54 pm · Link

    Likely the press isn’t going to cover it, but check out Harry Reid’s letter to McConnell! LOVE IT.

    http://democrats.senate.gov/ne.....3016&

    An excerpt:

    As you know, the vast majority of bills developed through reconciliation were passed by Republican Congresses and signed into law by Republican Presidents – including President Bush’s massive, budget-busting tax breaks for multi-millionaires. Given this history, one might conclude that Republicans believe a majority vote is sufficient to increase the deficit and benefit the super-rich, but not to reduce the deficit and benefit the middle class. Alternatively, perhaps Republicans believe a majority vote is appropriate only when Republicans are in the majority. Either way, we disagree.

  45. General Egali Tarian Stuck - March 11, 2010 | 5:57 pm · Link

    @Martin:

    First Massa, now Rahm has obviously had someone rear-end Reid’s family to send a message on getting health care passed.

    Who was that masked man?

  46. kay - March 11, 2010 | 5:57 pm · Link

    I didn’t think much of Campbell Brown before watching that clip, but I now think less of her.

    Why’d she marry such an arrogant asshole? Ugh. That cavalier bragging tone about Iraq- all that fake enthusiasm and posturing.

    He’s loathsome.

  47. Martin - March 11, 2010 | 5:58 pm · Link

    @Jenn:

    LOVE IT.

    Yawn. Call me when Reid frogmarches McConnell into the Senate with said letter sticking out of his ass.

  48. les - March 11, 2010 | 6:00 pm · Link

    @Jenn:

    OK, who’s impersonating Harry Reid? I mean, I don’t much like the guy, but having a pod person running the Senate sets a bad precedent. Or…hmm…never mind, carry on.

  49. arguingwithsignposts - March 11, 2010 | 6:03 pm · Link

    Sternly worded letters. Yikes! /faints

  50. Eric U. - March 11, 2010 | 6:14 pm · Link

    @Martin: after Massa, I don’t think I want to hear about Democrats rear-ending anyone.

    Let’s leave that sort of thing to the family-values republicans

  51. El Cid - March 11, 2010 | 6:14 pm · Link

    @kay:
    Per the NYT:

    ...[W]hen Mr. Senor returned to Washington in 2004, she called him. “I was wildly, wildly curious about his experience in Iraq,” she recalled. Their first date was a group dinner, with Tom Brokaw and another journalist. They were all discussing Iraq while Ms. Brown and Mr. Senor flirted. “There was clearly a lot of energy and electricity between us,” Mr. Senor recalled.
    ...
    Their early dates were like being on the campaign trail: full of debates and cheap food. “We would mostly get sandwiches and sit in the park and talk,” she said. “We’re both passionate about the Middle East. We never ran out of things to talk about.”
    ...
    Mr. Senor especially liked the fact that she could discuss serious subjects but not take herself seriously and that she had such a carefree attitude about her perfect-seeming appearance…
    ...
    He added that “she makes me smarter; she makes me defend my views, which reminds me of home.”

    A lot of journalists and their subjects have hooked up. I guess if you’re part of an insane major news media world where what the Bushies were doing in Iraq was to some degree normal rather than some horrendous evil, why not?

    Still, though I detest Senor’s role in public life, but I hope they have a happy marriage, because that sort of partnership is pretty rare for a whole lot of people. I just hope that any future political involvement by Senor is a miserable, rejected, laughable failure.

  52. Jenn - March 11, 2010 | 6:15 pm · Link

    Well, I like Harry Reid. Granted, he’s not flashy, which doesn’t play well on TV or in today’s media. He’s also someone I wouldn’t want to get angry with me. He seems like someone who works really hard to keep his temper tamped down, which given he damn near killed someone who was trying to bribe him back in the day, is probably a good thing.

  53. mai naem - March 11, 2010 | 6:18 pm · Link

    @Ann B. Nonymous: I thought Kudlow was thinking of running in Connecticut. Tweety was thinking of running in PA and Ford and Zuckerman were thinking of NY. I was hoping for Scarbo himself. Personally, I would like to see Rudeeee 9Iluiani take a whack at either Gillibrand or Cuomo.
    I watched Gillibrand on Morning Ho this morning and she looked good but I swear she goes from looking really dumpy and frumpy to looking really attractive. I know I shouldn’t mention her looks but hey….

  54. kdaug - March 11, 2010 | 6:20 pm · Link

    FWIW, I knew Cambell’s brother Kevin in college. Genuinely a good guy, collector of ivory pipes (we won’t be discussing what we used them for – it was college), and her/their father was a 20/20 reporter back in the day.

    But don’t doubt that there’s serious calculation behind these guy’s moves. It’s how they roll.

  55. ThatLeftTurnInABQ - March 11, 2010 | 6:21 pm · Link

    @El Cid:

    Their first date was a group dinner, with Tom Brokaw and another journalist. They were all discussing Iraq while Ms. Brown and Mr. Senor flirted.

    I just threw up in my mouth a little bit reading that. Dangerous Liaisons meets the banality of evil in early 21st Cen. America.

  56. El Cid - March 11, 2010 | 6:27 pm · Link

    @ThatLeftTurnInABQ: It’s only you crazy radical hippie fringe extremist leftist pacifist liberal types who take all this shit about ‘war’ and ‘occupation’ so damn seriously. The real people know it’s just a game to send American women and men to fight in for political purposes, and that’s cool, and apparently also quite a turn-on for the action-seeking media classes.

  57. arguingwithsignposts - March 11, 2010 | 6:29 pm · Link

    @ThatLeftTurnInABQ:

    Yet once she started covering television news in Topeka, Kan., it became clear she was ambitious. She eventually joined NBC, covering George W. Bush’s 2000 presidential campaign, during which she became known among other things for expertly applying mascara just as the plane was landing. And she never tried to sneak back home to Washington for rest and relaxation. “I came home once, to change my clothes from fall to winter,” said Ms. Brown, who has been married and divorced.

    If I had to write shit like this for a living, I think I’d rather work for McDonalds. I blame El Cid for making me read NYT marriage ceremony dreck.

  58. El Cid - March 11, 2010 | 6:33 pm · Link

    @arguingwithsignposts:

    I blame El Cid for making me read NYT marriage ceremony dreck.

    In turn I blame Google.

  59. ThatLeftTurnInABQ - March 11, 2010 | 6:44 pm · Link

    @El Cid:

    In turn I blame Google.

    I blame Al Gore for inventing the internet.

  60. kay - March 11, 2010 | 6:57 pm · Link

    @El Cid:

    I hated the Bushies, El Cid, and that clip is pure Bushie.

    I think all that bullshit bragging bravado is a big national problem, from politics to the bidness sector.

    It’s an act, he’s a fraud, and that attitude is deeply, deeply disrespectful to the seriousness of what we did when we invaded that country.

    It’s repellent. I think we can ask that neoconservatives at least show the common decency not to be grinning and strutting when they’re describing Iraq.

    I love that the happy couple are “passionate” about the mideast. Here’s hoping they don’t turn that “passion” towards another country, and invade it.


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