We Are Not Astonished

Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo has flagged NBC/MSNBC Justice correspondent Pete Williams for suggesting on MSNBC that blocking a President from even nominating a Supreme Court justice in his final year in office has ample precedent, when it doesn't.  Josh is right, but seems to be astonished at Williams' acceptance -- along with many Beltway media colleagues of Williams by the way-- of that latest piece of Republican nonsense.  We'd simply note that Williams has a résumé that includes serving as then-Rep. Dick "The Dick" Cheney's press secretary from 1986 to 1989, and then as The Dick's Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at DOD from 1989 to 1993.  As so many political hacks, Williams used the revolving door between politics and "journalism" after he left the employ of The Dick.

So we're not astonished at all.