Mike Allen and Roger Simon

[babylonsister]

I applaud BooMan; someone had to say it.


http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2008/10/3/03456/1709

Mike Allen and Roger Simon

by BooMan
Fri Oct 3rd, 2008 at 12:34:56 AM EST


Two years ago, I wrote this after my first night at Yearly Kos in Chicago:

On a lighter side, I ate dinner tonight at the same table as Roger Simon and Mike Allen of Politico. Simon has to be one the single most socially inept assholes I've ever encountered. He did nothing but frown and grimace...and he refused to make eye contact with anyone. Mike Allen was friendly when he introduced himself. When I told him who I was he recoiled and left the table. I guess he does read the Frog Pond.

Mike Allen and Roger Simon write for Politico and they're supposed to be objective reporters. They are, respectively, Politico's chief political correspondent and chief political columnist. I've always thought of them as thinly-veiled Republican hacks. But until tonight, they were at least thinly veiled. Mike Allen was on cable news this afternoon openly acting as a booster for Sarah Palin and Roger Simon almost hyperventilated on Hardball he was shilling so hard for her. Let me show you something. The following is Politico's Mission Statement. Tell me if you see anything in their Mission Statement about going on cable news to act as boosters for the Republican presidential ticket.

The Politico's goals are simple. Over the past several weeks, we set out to assemble the most talented and interesting collection of journalists -- established names as well as promising young people -- that we could find. Now, we will turn these reporters loose on the subject we love: national politics.

We will focus on three arenas. The first is Congress and the constant flow of agendas, personalities and power struggles that define daily life on Capitol Hill. The second is the 2008 presidential campaign, a race already churning and one likely to shape history in ways far beyond the typical election. The third is lobbying and advocacy, a part of the capital economy undergoing rapid growth and change. It is a business alive with interesting and influential characters whose impact is dimly understood and insufficiently covered.

How well do you think Politico is living up to their mission statement when they allow their chief political correspondent and chief political columnist to go on cable news and behave in a manner totally indistinguishable from a paid McCain talking head?

I am calling them out. I will track down the transcripts of Mike Allen and Roger Simon's performances on the television today and I will distribute them far and wide. And I will contact Politico for comment. If you want to be an openly Republican outfit, that's fine. If you want to employ openly partisan columnists, that's fine. What's not fine is pretending that you have an ounce of impartiality when you don't.

[Overseas]

1. It sure seemed to me like Roger Simon was a McCain partisan last night.

He was rooting for Palin almost as intensely as Pat Buchannan was.

He seems to believe, like most Country Club First Republicans do, that their campaign to dumb down the American public has been totally successful.

So he was pushing the gosh she's just a wonderful champion of the common man kind of crapola.

He seemed looped.

[babylonsister]

2. That's also what the writer thought. I'm so glad he's calling Politico

out. While they do get some good scoops, I've always felt they were partisan and never understand why some talking heads take their word as gospel.

[Ashy Larry]

3. I don't think Roger Simon was saying that HE likes Palin.

He was saying that Americans are dumb enough to buy her act. He is obviously wrong if you look at the polls but I don't think he was shilling for anybody. He was just playing the curmudgeonly cynical analyst. Being wrong about how Americans will perceive a debate performance is not enough evidence to convict him of republicanism. He does seem out of touch with what people are looking for in this election.

Here is a link to his appearance last night:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27002467#27002467

[grantcart]

5. ?? He was absolutely giddy about Palin last night

[msallied]

7. Are you kidding me??

My god, man, he and Pat Buchanan were nursing semis last night!

[City Lights]

4. Roger Simon was disgusting on Hardball last night.

Paid GOP stooge, IMHO.

And I'll add that while watching him, I kept seeing Mr. Whipple, who wanted to squeeze The Sarah instead of The Charmin. :puke:

[babylonsister]

6. "Mr. Whipple, who wanted to squeeze The Sarah instead of The Charmin."

:rofl:

[spanone]

8. i loved watching tweety eviscerate simon last night