Top of the list are Sperling and ValJar, but surely other contenders will come to mind.

Ahhh the plot thins.

The Sperling email:

From Gene Sperling to Bob Woodward on Feb. 22, 2013

Bob:

I apologize for raising my voice in our conversation today. My bad. I do understand your problems with a couple of our statements in the fall — but feel on the other hand that you focus on a few specific trees that gives a very wrong perception of the forest. But perhaps we will just not see eye to eye here.

But I do truly believe you should rethink your comment about saying saying that Potus asking for revenues is moving the goal post. I know you may not believe this, but as a friend, I think you will regret staking out that claim. The idea that the sequester was to force both sides to go back to try at a big or grand barain with a mix of entitlements and revenues (even if there were serious disagreements on composition) was part of the DNA of the thing from the start. It was an accepted part of the understanding — from the start. Really. It was assumed by the Rs on the Supercommittee that came right after: it was assumed in the November-December 2012 negotiations. There may have been big disagreements over rates and ratios — but that it was supposed to be replaced by entitlements and revenues of some form is not controversial. (Indeed, the discretionary savings amount from the Boehner-Obama negotiations were locked in in BCA: the sequester was just designed to force all back to table on entitlements and revenues.)

I agree there are more than one side to our first disagreement, but again think this latter issue is diffferent. Not out to argue and argue on this latter point. Just my sincere advice. Your call obviously.

My apologies again for raising my voice on the call with you. Feel bad about that and truly apologize.

Gene

Woodward’s response:

Gene:

You do not ever have to apologize to me. You get wound up because you are making your points and you believe them. This is all part of a serious discussion. I for one welcome a little heat; there should more given the importance. I also welcome your personal advice. I am listening. I know you lived all this. My partial advantage is that I talked extensively with all involved. I am traveling and will try to reach you after 3 pm today.

Best, Bob

I will probably look for other opportunities to sing my tune, and will let people know when and if they happen.

Thanks so much for listening.

Dick gives Kathleen Sebilius a pass on violating the Hatch Act – (“they all do it”) He also gives Media Matters a pass for collusion with the Justice Department, because someone in Texas criticized John Kerry.

Let me know what you think!

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Dick and I nearly came to blows during today’s show. I’ve pretty much had it with “they all do it” when it couldn’t be further from the truth. Some listeners told me they loved it, others found it off-putting. I just have a real problem with letting stuff like that go without comment.

Let me know what you think.

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A bunch of people including myself, spend far too much time on Tom Maguire’s blog “Just One Minute”. People who regularly comment on any blog will understand how, after a while people you have never met become like family, and over time you meet them, and cheer for them like you would a sister or best friend.

So on Saturday afternoon while we were rehashing the events of the past week, #EmptyChairDay started in the “President of Sand and Fog” thread:

As someone on Facebook just noted, now any time someone sees a picture of an empty chair, they think of Obama.
Clint is a genius.
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | September 01, 2012 at 03:27 PM

Next, at 4:50 Threadkiller posts a picture of floating chair.

Sandy Daze took it to the next level at 6:46 by posting a pix of an empty chair outside his house (a pix which was later published by Legal Insurrection and shown on Fox News Special Report on Monday night). The sign next to the chair reads: “We own this country . . . Politicians are employees of ours . . . And when somebody does not do the job, we’ve got to let them go.” –Clint Eastwood.

The movement was born 10 minutes later:

Maybe we should hold an “Empty Chair Day”. Everyone puts an empty chair outside the front door.
Posted by: matt | September 01, 2012 at 06:56 PM

I chimed in 2 minutes after that:

Matt – that has to go viral. Pick a date.
Posted by: Jane – we are not above it, we are it. | September 01, 2012 at 06:58 PM

Janet jumped on board:

I sent Sandy & matt’s idea to Instapundit.
Posted by: Janet | September 01, 2012 at 07:28 PM

One big day & then others keep their chairs out. It’s ALL good!!!!
Posted by: Janet | September 01, 2012 at 07:29 PM

Jane, I put “empty chair day” in the subject line & sent Sandy’s picture & matt’s idea.
How bout Labor Day Monday, Sept. 3rd. The sooner the better! We built it!!
“We own this country . . . Politicians are employees of ours . . . And when somebody does not do the job, we’ve got to let them go.” –Clint Eastwood
Posted by: Janet | September 01, 2012 at 07:57 PM

Armed with a date I took to Twitter: A few samples which I tweeted to my 200 (that’s right only 200) followers:

JTW ‏@YouTooCongress

#emptychairday: Monday, put a chair on your front lawn to bring Clint’s message home!

JTW ‏@YouTooCongress

Please join us Monday for #Emptychairday, when we will officially bid a fond farewell to the Empty Suit Metaphor
Expand

1 Sep JTW JTW ‏@YouTooCongress

#emptychairday Mon: “We own this country . . . Politicians are employees of ours . . . Put out your empty chair in solidarity

1 Sep JTW JTW ‏@YouTooCongress

#emptychairday: (also empty suit day) an empty chair, a little sign, tell the world this president has to go.

Sara kept the message going that night, and various JOMers announced #EmptyChairDay on facebook.

Somewhere along the line Michelle Malkin took up the mantle at Twitchy, Professor Jacobson asked for reader’s pictures to post, and we were off and running.

By Monday morning Fox and Friends chimed in, and soon #EmptyChairDay was trending on twitter. Soon Instapundit picked up the movement and Drudge headlined us. Even AMC chipped in with 24 hours of Clint Eastwood movies.

It took about 48 hours to take over the narrative of the republican party and do to the democrats what they are so good at doing to us. And it was the easiest protest I’ve ever been involved in.

In the words of Paul Ryan, “We can do this”!

Sandy daze started it off over at JOM, when on Friday he declared we should all put empty chairs on our lawns channeling Clint who declared that politicians work for us, and if they don’t do the job they must be fired. Matt and Janet declared it empty chair day and once we decided on the date I took to twitter for a marathon of tweets until it got some traction. Sara took the night shift and by last night we were off and running. Legal Insurrection picked it up, followed by Instapundit, Gateway Pundit, Breitbart and we even made twitchy.

This morning even Fox and friends announced it as they closed the show.

That’s how things work in a viral world.

Early on Dick played a sound cut from the Mark Levin Show involving a neurosurgeon and what he has recently found out about Obamacare. The essence of the cut is that under Obamacare, anyone over 70 years old will only be allowed “comfort” if they suffer from a brain injury – i.e. a stroke. No medical intervention without government approval.

Then I got us back to the convention speeches, which Dick has not watched – since he gets up before 5:00 AM to go to the station. He (of course) told me that all conventions were the same and it was only about funny hats and balloons. I came about this [--] close to strangling him.I persevered however with some great quotes from the last 2 nights and a thumbs up going forward.

Enjoy!

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