Tag Archives: george stephanopoulos

Networks Reported on Tom DeLay, ‘Convicted Felon,’ But Skipped DeLay’s Words of Protest

Posted on November 26, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off on Networks Reported on Tom DeLay, ‘Convicted Felon,’ But Skipped DeLay’s Words of Protest

The Big Three networks all briefly covered the conviction of former House Minority Leader Tom DeLay for campaign money laundering on Wednesday night. But none of them allowed DeLay air time to defend himself. “This is an abuse of power,” he said outside the courtroom. “It's a miscarriage of justice, and I still maintain that I am innocent. The criminalization of politics undermines our very system, and I am very disappointed in the outcome.” CBS Evening News substitute anchor Harry Smith seemed to revel in the verdict: He was once the most powerful Republican in Washington. Tonight, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is a convicted felon . A jury in Austin convicted him today of money laundering charges. Prosecutors said he illegally funneled corporate donations to legislative campaigns in Texas. DeLay, who is 63, could get anywhere from five to 99 years in prison. His lawyer called the verdict a miscarriage of justice and vowed to appeal. read more

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Networks Reported on Tom DeLay, ‘Convicted Felon,’ But Skipped DeLay’s Words of Protest

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George Stephanopoulos Chides Michele Bachmann: Why Is It ‘Okay’ to Extend Tax Cuts?

Posted on November 16, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off on George Stephanopoulos Chides Michele Bachmann: Why Is It ‘Okay’ to Extend Tax Cuts?

For the second time in two days, Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulos on Tuesday lobbied for tax increases, wondering why it's “okay” for the “wealthiest Americans” to continue to receive a tax cut. The GMA host pushed Congresswoman Michele Bachmann to accept a deal in exchange for extending the Bush tax cuts. After the conservative leader expressed skepticism about extending unemployment benefits, Stephanopoulos complained, ” But, why is it okay for the wealthiest Americans, earning over $250,000 a year– And remember, the President has called for extending all tax cuts for those under $250,000.” He continued, worrying about why it's acceptable for the wealthy to get “tax cuts extended, but for people who are out of a job and needing unemployment benefits not to have their benefits extended?” read more

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George Stephanopoulos Chides Michele Bachmann: Why Is It ‘Okay’ to Extend Tax Cuts?

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George Stephanopoulos Parrots Democratic Talking Points on New GOP Pledge: They’re ‘Repealing Health Care’

Posted on September 23, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off on George Stephanopoulos Parrots Democratic Talking Points on New GOP Pledge: They’re ‘Repealing Health Care’

Good Morning America’s George Stephanopoulos on Thursday offered up Democratic talking points as he discussed a new set of Republican promises, should the GOP win Congress. The skeptical host interviewed Representative Paul Ryan and repeated, “You heard the President. He said this is the exact same agenda as Republicans had before he came to office. How is it different?” In a tease for the segment, he spun, ” Republicans unveil their plan for America: Cutting taxes and repealing health care .” It may seem like a small distinction but Republicans oppose the new law, not the concept of Americans having health care. Stephanopoulos repeatedly grilled the GOP Congressman: “…The two central items in the agenda, are extending the tax cuts passed under President Bush. Repealing the health care law by President Obama. Those are going to cost at least $4 trillion over the next ten years. And your- your pledge doesn’t spell out anything close to paying for that $4 trillion.” He followed up by pressing, “But, you say a path to balance. But, you do concede that you do not have a plan to balance the budget. And you don’t pay for the tax cuts that you are extending?” Yet, when Stephanopoulos interviewed Barack Obama for 16 minutes on September 9 , he included several softball questions, such as this empathetic example on the minister who threatened to burn a Koran on 9/11: “I wonder what this must feel like from behind your desk. You’re President of the United States. You have to deal with the fallout. And here’s a pastor who’s got 30 followers in his church. Does it make you feel helpless or angry?” A transcript of the September 23 segment, which aired at 7:06am EDT, follows: GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Let’s turn now to one of the architects of the Republican agenda, Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, a ranking Republican on the House budget committee. Good morning, Congressman. REP. PAUL RYAN: Hey, good morning, George. STEPHANOPOULOS: You heard the President. He said this is the exact same agenda as Republicans had before he came to office. How is it different? RYAN: Well, first of all, cutting spending, creating jobs and putting the policy of economic growth in place, and cleaning up the way Congress works is not only standing in stark contrast to this Congress and this President. But, actually, George, it stands a bit in stark contrast to way Republicans conducted ourselves a decade ago. We need to own up to the fact that when we were in the majority, we spent too much money. We lost our way. We have got to get that back. We are not here offering a plan to reinvent America. We are trying to reclaim our country by rededicating ourselves to the timeless principles that made us exceptional. These are the basic building blocks to get us on the right track. The first steps to get this country on the right track. STEPHANOPOULOS: Yet, Congressman, the two central items in the agenda, are extending the tax cuts passed under President Bush. Repealing the health care law by President Obama. Those are going to cost at least $4 trillion over the next ten years. And your- your pledge doesn’t spell out anything close to paying for that $4 trillion. RYAN: We’d put 1.3 trillion in cuts right there as well. But the President is also proposing $3 trillion of those $3.7 trillion in tax cuts be extended. So, it’s not as if the President and the Democrats aren’t saying extend some of them. We’re saying- STEPHANOPOULOS: But, how are you going to pay for the $4 trillion, if you’re going to reduce the spending? RYAN: Well, I brought a budget to the floor that reduced $4.8 trillion in spending, which would have more than compensated for these tax cuts. The point is, George, raising taxes on successful, small businesses, which these tax increases would hit 50 percent of all small business income, 70 percent of our jobs come from small businesses. It is not a good idea in this economy, to raise these kind of taxes. Even some of the President’s own economic advisers are suggesting, we should not have tax increases occur in January. What- The problem we have right now is jobs, George. We need the economy growing. We need job creations. Taxing capital gains, taxing dividends taxing small businesses will hurt us from creating jobs. Mark Zandi, Peter Orszag. Even some of the President’s own advisors are suggesting that. So, we’re saying, not only keep taxes low, but focus on spending. Cut spending. Control spending. Get the budget on the path to balance. We will begin with that. STEPHANOPOULOS: But, you say a path to balance. But, you do concede that you do not have a plan to balance the budget. And you don’t pay for the tax cuts that you are extending? RYAN: Well, we can pay for the tax cuts. I have provided budgets that do that in the past. STEPHANOPOULOS: But, the rest of the Republicans aren’t signing on to it? RYAN: No. That’s the road map which is quite different. What I’m saying is we have a plan to get this country back on track. We want to cut and control spending. The deficit is such a mess right now. It’s going to take time to balance the budget. But, what is the current government doing? Their making it worse. The President has added a budget that doubles our debt in five years. And triples it in ten years. We want to go in a different direction. So, we don’t want to balance the budget by raising taxes. We want to balance a budget by controlling spending. ‘Cause, after all, that’s the real source of our problem. STEPHANOPOULOS: You also talk about cleaning up Congress. You’re taking some heat, some surprising heat from conservatives. Erick Erickson of RedState.com says- hits you were not taking on earmarks, for not banning earmarks. He says “The lack of an earmarks ban is terrible. Cutting off the gateway drug to big government is important.” Your response? RYAN: I agree. We’ve already banned earmarks. That’s already in the Republican platform. STEPHANOPOULOS: Only for your conference. Not for the House overall. RYAN: Republicans- We’ve going to continue this earmarks ban. We’ve already done the earmark ban. So, it’s something we’ve already initiated it in our own volition within our own conference. It’s something we’re intending on continuing. That’s why it’s not new pledge. STEPHANOPOULOS: So, you’ve got the pledge. What will you pledge to pass in the first year, if Republicans take control of the house? RYAN: Right. So, this is something we could pass tomorrow. This is a governing agenda that we’re saying if we got in control of Congress tomorrow, here’s what we would do. And there’s dozens of pieces of legislation here we’re talking about. First of all, the health care bill, we think is a disaster. It’s making the deficit worse. That’s according to the President’s actuary. It’s making health care go up. We would replace this health care law with consumer-directed health care that actually gets affordable health care to everybody, regardless of preexisting condition. STEPHANOPOULOS: So, that is number one. Okay, Congressman- RYAN: We would cut spending, right away. There’s lots of things we would do. We would rescind TARP. We would rescind unspent stimulus. We would do a federal hiring freeze. That can get you 1.3 trillion in spending cuts. And we would prevent these massive tax increases from hitting our economy January 1st so that we can keep job creation going. We’re trying to remove uncertainty so the economy can grow. There’s a big uncertainty problem. Businesses aren’t hiring because of all this government uncertainty. We want to address that. STEPHANOPOULOS: Big agenda for January 1st. Thank you very much, Congressman.

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George Stephanopoulos Fawns Over Old Boss Bill Clinton: What New Project Excites You?

Posted on September 21, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Interviewing Bill Clinton for Tuesday’s Good Morning America, George Stephanopoulos’ nine minute segment mostly amounted to a strategy session that was devoid of tough questions. Stephanopoulos stuck to softball comments, such as inquiring of the Clinton Global Initiative: ” And I began by asking President Clinton, which new project most excites him? ” Some people, if they were interviewing their former boss, might feel an extra responsibility to ask probing, grueling questions. Instead, Stephanopoulos brought up Sarah Palin: “Is she qualified to be president?” He followed up, “What’s your gut on that?” The former Democratic operative turned journalist could have pressed the ex-President about the details of his charity, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI). Considering that the international group deals with several world leaders, he might have asked if there was any conflict of interest for Bill Clinton’s Secretary of State wife. Stephanopoulos could have queried as to the funding for CGI. He did not. The two did discuss how Barack Obama could win back his falling popularity: “You and President Obama get set up as polar opposites. Everybody used to hit you for ‘Mr. I feel your pain.’ And everybody says now, the conventional wisdom, he’s too remote. Too detached. How does he get that gut connection with the American people back?” This interview with Bill Clinton, broken over two parts, ran for nine minutes and 19 seconds. On September 9 , Stephanopoulos donated four segments and 16 minutes to Obama. That’s 25 minutes to two former Democratic presidents in less than two weeks. A transcript of the September 21 segment can be found below: 7:06 7:06:35 to 7:13:44 7 minutes and 9 seconds (Total: 9 minutes and 19 seconds ) ABC GRAPHIC: Bill Clinton One-on-One: His Mission to Help the World STEPHANOPOULOS: Now, to my exclusive interview with President Clinton. He understands exactly what President Obama is going through right now, after experiencing a midterm mine field of his own in 1994. When I sat down with him, he weighed in with some advice for President Obama and some praise for Sarah Palin. But, we begin with the Clinton Global Initiative. Now in its sixth year, the initiative has raised $60 billion to help more than 200 million people around the world. And I began by asking President Clinton, which new project most excites him? CLINTON: The new commitments I’m most excited about I’d say fall in two categories. I gotta say, first, the fact that these business people still want to invest money in Haiti and help Haiti come back. And this, we have what are called action networks, now that meet on subjects that people really care about all year long. The Haiti Action Network, they’re roaring back with a new set of business commitments. So, I’m very excited about that. The other things I’m excited about relate to ideas that will create jobs here in America and around the world. STEPHANOPOULOS: You may have seen the front page of The New York Times. Heartbreaking letters from the 1.3 million homeless. CLINTON: Yeah. STEPHANOPOULOS: In Haiti. And the letters all boil down to, when is the help going to get there? What are you going to do? Why isn’t it getting through? CLINTON: First, we had a meeting today of this Haiti reconstruction commission. And the United States has got their money through. So, their money will be coming forward. I pointed out to them that we approved $1.6 billion in investment. And $750 million of it is not funded. And that we’re going to be approving a lot more. And we’re going to have a huge housing expo in October, which will enable us to begin massive redevelopment. Moving people out of the camps into the homes. Housing always takes the longest. Secondly, there’s a lag in the aid that’s been promised and the aid that’s been released because of the economic problems in the donor countries. And, so, what I told them today, I said, Look. Just pick one of these things you want to do. And tell us when you’re going to give the money and all the Haitian members who came up from Haiti. And I said, look at them. They know what economic hardship is. They will be okay if you don’t give everything you promised. STEPHANOPOULOS: But, they have to know it’s coming. CLINTON: Just tell them what you’re going to give and when you’re going to give it. And then we can give some hope to the people in the camps and we’ll start building. STEPHANOPOULOS: Let me talk more broadly about the economy. President Obama did a whole town meeting today. And one woman got up and just said, simply, “I’m exhausted of defending you.” A lot of Democrats, a lot of supporters of the President, feel that way. What does he do about it? What does he say? CLINTON: I would say, I know a lot of people are mad. And a lot of people are tired, apathetic. And I respect that because we’re not yet out of the hole we got in. It’s okay to be mad. But make a choice based on what should we do now? And who is more likely to do it? They want to repeal the financial oversight bill, which is designed to keep this disaster from occurring again. I think our choice is better. We have plans to help small business, manufacturing and clean energy. We know they don’t believe in clean energy. And so far, they’re not for my small business plan. I think our choice is better. Do what’s best for you. That’s what I think he should say. STEPHANOPOULOS: You and President Obama get set up as polar opposites. Everybody used to hit you for “Mr. I feel your pain.” And everybody says now, the conventional wisdom, he’s too remote. Too detached. How does he get that gut connection with the American people back? CLINTON: First of all, I think he’s doing the right thing by going out here and explaining things by going out there and explaining things. I think the problem is not that he’s empathetic. I think the fact that he is out here taking this grief. You know, taking the grief of the country on himself. Letting people show they’re anger, show their disappointment. I think that’s a good way to do it. The truth is, that it’s the similarities between us that is getting him in trouble. I knew I had done the right things in ’94. I would like to see him do something I didn’t do. I would like to see him say, “Here’s what this election is about. The only thing that matters is what we do now. Here’s the three things I want to do now. Here’s why I think our side’s more likely to do it. And let me tell you something. We couldn’t get out of the $3 trillion hole in 21 months. Give us two more years. Don’t go back to the policies that dug the hole. But, if we don’t do better,” this is the last thing, “if we don’t do better, you can vote against us all and I’ll be on the ballot, too. Vote against us all if it’s not better.” STEPHANOPOULOS: So, give people permission to vote against you? CLINTON: Absolutely. In other words, I think people feel disempowered. They’re angry because they think they’re doing every, single thing they know to do. And nothing makes it better. STEPHANOPOULOS: There’s a big debate out there about Sarah Palin. I think a lot of Democrats believe she’s the best thing to happen to President Obama in 2012. But, Mark Halperin actually disagreed in Time magazine today. I want to see what you think about this. He wrote, “Most of all, she is much like Bill Clinton. What doesn’t kill Sarah Palin makes her stronger. Palin is very much alive and despite what you think, extraordinarily strong.” Is he right? CLINTON: Well, I do think she’s a resilient character. And we may be entering sort of a period in politics that is sort of fact-free, where experience in government is a negative. I mean, even though I was actually slightly younger than President Obama when I was elected, I was the longest-serving governor in the country. I thought it was important to do these jobs and show results and to be able to acknowledge that you made mistakes and learn from them. So, I don’t think we know what’s going to happen in 2012. But in the Republican primaries, she’s very popular with the conservative base. You know, she’s a compelling, attractive figure. STEPHANOPOULOS: Is she qualified to be president? CLINTON: Well, that’s up- The American people can elect whomever they want. But she served, you know, not a full-time term as governor. And she went out and did this. We don’t even know she’s going to run for president. STEPHANOPOULOS: What’s your gut on that? CLINTON: But, I think she’s clearly a public figure who is- who speaks well and persuasively to the people who listen to her. And she’s somebody to be reckoned with. And she’s tough. Look, I remember when people were making fun of her, I read that her husband broke his arm in the middle of the Idatarod race and finished a 500-mile race with a broken arm. Now, where I come from, people like that. They think that’s pretty good. So, I- My view is, it’s always a mistake to underestimate your opponent. And it’s also virtually always a mistake to attack them personally, as opposed to disagreeing with them on what they want to do. STEPHANOPOULOS: I also asked the President about walking Chelsea up the aisle. He reflected on that. We’ll have that our next hour. ROBIN ROBERTS: He is as passionate as ever. STEPHANOPOULOS: Oh, yeah. 　 8:01 8:01:19 to 8:03:29 2 minutes and 10 seconds STEPHANOPOULOS: But first, we have a little more of my interview with former President Clinton. Earlier, we were talked about his global initiative, Obama’s midterm funk and also on Sarah Palin. But what really lit him up was his daughter, Chelsea. I was looking at those pictures of you at Chelsea’s wedding. And the look on your face just said it all. I mean, it was the love and pride of a lifetime. And, you know, Chelsea seems to have avoided all of the traps that so many sons and daughters of politicians fall into. How did she do it? CLINTON: She’s a fine person. And I give her mother a lot of credit for it. But from the time she was, you know, a little girl, she knew her father was a governor. And then, she had her- the White House years. And then her mother was a senator. All I can say is that we always thought she was our most important job. And there’s lots of research which shows, even among kids that grow up without their parents, and miserable conditions, and wind up doing well, that the most important thing in a child’s life is that they have to believe in critical years that they’re the most important person in the world to somebody. And then, if you grow up in a famous home or you’re in a rich home, you also need to be reminded that, in all the ways that matter, you’re no different than anybody else. She believes that. So, yeah. I was happy that day. That’s a big passage in your life, you know, when you hand over your child in marriage. And for Hillary and me, it was a very special day. And one I suppose I’ll remember until the day I die. STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, congratulations. Thanks, Mr. President. CLINTON: Thank you. STEPHANOPOULOS: One proud father. Tomorrow, we’ll have a lot more on the Clinton Global Initiative. But, yeah. It’s just- He could have talked about that forever. ROBERTS: It’s evident that he could have. Just looking in his eyes, George, when he was talking about that. STEPHANOPOULOS: Big, big moment for his only daughter. And, tomorrow, as I said, we’re going to talk about the Clinton Global Initiative. They have a great program creating jobs to get small loans to get those businesses up and running. Important stuff in this economy.

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Harsh Attacks Against Christine O’Donnell Continue on ABC: Carville Slams ‘Deadbeat’ Nominee

Posted on September 16, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

For the second day in a row, Good Morning America featured degrading descriptions of Delaware senatorial candidate Christine O’Donnell. Democratic strategist James Carville appeared on Thursday’s show and fumed about the Republican’s past financial problems: ” Christine O’Donnell doesn’t believe in spending, particularly her own money, because, she’s a deadbeat. She doesn’t pay her loans back .” Wednesday’s GMA included host George Stephanopoulos reading quotes against the “mentally unhinged” “liar.” The show on Thursday showcased an extended conversation on masturbation and remarks O’Donnell made about the subject in 1996. Stephanopoulos played a clip and then Carville joked, “And she equated masturbation to adultery. And, boy, if that’s the case, the Iranians would be stoning a lot of people in this country.” In fairness, after playing the snippet of O’Donnell’s 14-year-old comment, the ABC host wondered, “But, I think a lot of people might watch [the clip] and say, what’s wrong with she said?” The segment also featured conservative radio host and Tea Party activist Dana Loesch who chided, “She’s talking about masturbation. It’s not like she’s wearing black socks and getting caught in hotel rooms with call girls and stuff. If we want to point fingers on bedroom antics, we can do that.” Stephanopoulos did bring up the gloom hanging over the Democrats in the midterm, but he turned to the subject of whether the “extreme views” of Tea Partiers will “cost Republican seats that they otherwise would have won.” A transcript of the September 16 segment, which aired at 7:05am EDT, follows: GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Let’s get into the debate now. We’re joined now from St. Louis, Missouri, by radio talk show host and tea party activist, Dana Loesch. And from Washington, Democratic strategist James Carville. And, Dana, let me begin with you. You saw Joe Biden out there last night. There’s the White House message. Moderates need not apply to the Republican Party. DAN LOESCH: Well, I’ve seen several elections where moderates in the Democrat Party have been run out on a rail, like Elijah Lovejoy. What we’re seeing with the Republican Party in the particular case of Mike Castle, I think calling him a moderate is especially generous. This guy’s record was indistinguishable from the Democrat to which he wanted to run against in the general election. And what we saw- This was the people of Delaware that spoke. This wasn’t a group of Republicans. They tried to nominate Mike Castle. But, the primaries are all about getting the people’s voice out there. That’s what we saw in this primary with Christine O’Donnell. And the people made their voices heard that they were unhappy with Mike Castle’s record. STEPHANOPOULOS: And, James, there is some evidence out there that Tea Party is not just on the fringes right now. Want to show you the numbers from our latest Washington Post/ABC News poll. It shows that Tea Party supporters now make up 44 percent of the primary electorate. Those who really, strongly support the Tea Party, almost a quarter of the electorate. And these guys overwhelmingly are focused on Democrats. 92 percent Of them believe that Democrats don’t deserve re-election. That is a warning sign for the Democrats in November. JAMES CARVILLE: Well, certainly. And congratulations. The Tea Party- This comports with the research we did at the Democracy Corps. The Tea Party is more powerful to the Republican Party than African-Americans and organized labor combined are in the Democratic Party. And you’re exactly right, George. People like Christine O’Donnell are part of the mainstream Republican Party right now. If you look at what happened in New York State. Elijah Lovejoy? What about Robert Bennett? What about Murkowski in Alaska? What about Mike Castle? I mean, been these people have been going on about Elijah Lovejoy, but I know what’s happening over there. And the Tea Party is the Republican Party. This is not a fringe element of the Republican Party. This woman, O’Donnell, is right in the middle of it. And it’s exactly right. They are a very, very powerful force. And they’re running that party right now. STEPHANOPOULOS: And, Dana, the Democrats are hoping that candidates supported by the Tea Party, candidates like Sharron Angle in Nevada, like Rand Paul, like Christine O’Donnell, because they lack experience or have what some would consider extreme views, will cost Republican seats that they otherwise would have won. LOESCH: I don’t know if they have extreme views. I don’t think the Tea Party movement is mainstream- I think it’s mainstream America, period. We’ve seen so much data coming up from the past year, that the majority of Americans, they believe that the Democrat congressional agenda is too extreme. They identify with the individual liberty and smaller government that the grassroots movement espouses. And candidates like Sharron Angle and Rand Paul, these are people- it’s not beltway experience or abstain that they don’t have. It’s the fact they’re standing up for principles that the majority of Americans want. I want the government out of my pocketbook and my bedroom, and everything else. And hat’s what the majority of Americans want. That’s the platform that these candidates stand upon. STEPHANOPOULOS: As someone wrote in the Wall Street Journal this morning, James, it’s the spending, stupid. CARVILLE: Well, clearly, Christine O’Donnell doesn’t believe in spending, particularly her own money, because, she’s a deadbeat. She doesn’t pay her loans back. There’s a lien on her house. We could really classify her as anti-spending . In terms of getting in the bedroom this, woman has run against masturbation. I don’t- That seems to be a lot of government intrusion, to be honest with you. It’s right in the New York Times this morning. I’m sorry. She’s really against spending. She’s not going to spend any of her own money. But again this, is the Republican Party. It’s anti-spending. It’s promoting a bunch of deadbeats. STEPHANOPOULOS: I think we have the clip that James may be referring to. So, why don’t I show that and get you to respond? Here it was, I think, in 1996 on MTV O’DONNELL: The reason that you don’t tell them that masturbation is the answer to AIDS and all these other problems that come with sex outside of marriage is because, again, it is not addressing the issue. You’re going to be pleasing each other. And if he already knows what pleases him and he can please himself, then why am I in the picture? STEPHANOPOULOS: James brought it up. But, I think a lot of people might watch it and say, what’s wrong with she said? LOESCH: Yeah. She’s talking about masturbation. It’s not like she’s wearing black socks and getting caught in hotel rooms with call girls and stuff. If we want to point fingers on bedroom antics, we can do that. I mean, this is- She didn’t say anything- some of the stuff she said in her past, I don’t think anybody, if you look back at the history of everything Mr. Carville has said and, George, you and myself, not everyone is going to be perfect. Perfection, if it were required for public office, nobody would be fit to run. But, I don’t like the class warfare, sort of, angle that Karl Rove seemed to have taken when he was speaking about her. That’s something that bugged me a little bit. STEPHANOPOULOS: James, you get ten seconds to end this. CARVILLE: Well, look, again, like I said, she’s a very fiscal conservative. She doesn’t believe in paying her bills. And she equated masturbation to adultery. And, boy, if that’s the case, the Iranians would be stoning a lot of people in this country. I’ll tell you that.

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TV Networks Smear Christine O’Donnell; Bozell Demands Media Tell the Truth! About Tea Party Victories

Posted on September 16, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Dubbed as “ultra right wing extremist” and “crazy,” Republican candidate Christine O’Donnell and her Tea Party supporters have been smeared by every major broadcast and cable network since she won the Delaware primary against GOP establishment candidate on Tuesday night. NewsBusters publisher and Media Research Center President Brent Bozell reacts : This is mudsliging at its ugliest. Pure character assassination. These networks have never treated a viable Democratic candidate with this level of contempt.  How dare they lecture anyone on manners or decency ever again. The MRC demands the media Tell The Truth! about the Tea Party, its momentum and the revolution of people whose votes are proving America is fed up with Washington. Here are just some of the latest smears by the liberal media: NBC’s KELLY O’DONNELL (Sept. 15 “Today”): “Democratic officials are gleeful and called her an ultra right wing extremist.” ABC’s GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS (Sept. 15 “Good Morning America”) to Republican Senate nominee Christine O’Donnell: “We saw that the Republican Party chairman in Jon Karl’s piece there, he went on to say, that you’re ‘not a viable candidate.’ That you ‘cannot be elected dog catcher in Delaware.’ He went on to say that you’re either a liar or mentally unhinged.” MSNBC’s MIKE BARNICLE (Sept. 16 “Morning Joe”): “The larger problem she has, I would submit, is this: that ‘different’ this year, for a candidate, is good. People are looking for ‘different’ this year. ‘Crazy’ is not good. CNN’s JOY BEHAR (Sept. 15 “Joy Behar Show”): “She needs to watch some porn and get some tips, is what she needs.” CBS’s NANCY CORDES (Sept. 15 “Early Show”): “The chair of her own state party called O’Donnell, ‘a liar who could not be elected dog catcher,’ and yet, the tea party conservative easily defeated the well-known Mike Castle, 53 to 47%. O’Donnell, a former marketing consultant with a checkered financial record, was a dark horse until two weeks ago…” Be sure to click here to learn how you can do your part to Demand the Liberal Media Tell the Truth!

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TV Networks Smear Christine O’Donnell; Bozell Demands Media Tell the Truth! About Tea Party Victories

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George Stephanopoulos Touts Attacks By O’Donnell Opponents: She’s a ‘Nutty,’ ‘Mentally Unhinged’ ‘Liar’

Posted on September 15, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Liberal journalists don’t usually highlight Karl Rove as an authoritative voice, but that’s what George Stephanopoulos did on Wednesday’s Good Morning America. Interviewing senatorial nominee Christine O’Donnell, the ABC host touted the conservative strategist’s dismissal of the Delaware Republican for saying “some nutty things.” Stephanopoulos also played up charges by Delaware’s Republican Party Chairman Tom Ross that O’Donnell is a “liar” and “mentally unhinged.” The ABC host wondered if her primary victory could “help the Democrats.” Stephanopoulos noted only negative news for the surprise winner of the Delaware senatorial primary, asserting that “…The national Republican Party is not going to give you any funds.” (This later turned out not to be true .) Later in the show, news anchor Juju Chang would label the liberal Mike Castle, O’Donnell’s defeated primary opponent, ” a mainstream Republican .” During Wednesday’s interview, Stephanopoulos never mentioned Castle. Instead, he parroted, “We saw that the Republican Party chairman in Jon Karl’s piece there, he went on to say, that you’re ‘not a viable candidate.'” Piling on, the host continued, “…You ‘cannot be elected dog catcher in Delaware.’ [Ross] went on to say that you’re either a liar or mentally unhinged.” Stephanopoulos then played a clip of Rove, on Fox News, slamming O’Donnell. When candidate Ned Lamont beat Joe Lieberman for Connecticut’s Democratic primary in 2006, journalists gushed over the insurgent “anti-war” politician. The Washington Post deemed him a “fiscal conservative.” A transcript of the September 15 segment, which aired at 7:04am EDT, follows: 7am tease GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: And this morning, Tea Party shocker. CHRISTINE O’DONNELL: No more politics as usual. STEPHANOPOULOS: Another Sarah Palin mamma grizzly wins, this time in Delaware. But, could this victory help the Democrats? 7:04 STEPHANOPOULOS: And the big winner joins us now. Christine O’Donnell from Delaware. Good morning. Thank you for getting up so early. And congratulations. Did Sarah Palin make the difference here? CHRISTINE O’DONNELL: Thank you, George. Yes, she did. All summer we’ve been working very hard to get out there. Give the voters an opportunity to meet me, to know me. So that I’ve been asking them that when you vote for me, I want you- I want the vote to mean something. I want it to be a vote of confidence. So, when the mud-slinging started, I was very encouraged that what a lot of people said was, “We knew what your opponent was putting out wasn’t reflective of who we know you to be.” And when Governor Palin stood up and so boldly made a statement that she supported me, it allowed them to get past the politics of personal destruction, to look at the message and look at the fact that I wanted to make this race about the issue. How we’re going to get jobs back in Delaware. How we’re going to defend the homeland of our security. And she helped to get it back on track. STEPHANOPOULOS: You’re going to need all the help she can give right now. She’s going to need to raise some money for you. ‘Cause we just heard Jon. Karl say the national Republican Party is not going to give you any funds. O’DONNELL: Well, that’s a shame. But they never thought I could win this race. And I believe that we can win without them. This is about giving the political power back to we, the people. And we proved the so-called experts wrong. So, I think a few of them, perhaps, may have their pride hurt this morning. But, you know, I didn’t count on the establishment to win the primary. I’m not counting of them to win the general. I’m counting on the voters of Delaware. And we’re going to work hard to make sure that we take our message to them. STEPHANOPOULOS: But- But you are going to have to answer some questions. We saw that the Republican Party chairman in Jon Karl’s piece there, he went on to say, that you’re “not a viable candidate.” That you “cannot be elected dog catcher in Delaware.” He went on to say that you’re either a liar or mentally unhinged. And Karl Rove, President Bush’s former political adviser, was on Fox News, very tough, talking about your checkered background. O’DONNELL: Right. STEPHANOPOULOS: Saying you say some nutty things. And, listen, he went on to say, you have to answer these questions. KARL ROVE: Why did she mislead voters about her college education? How come it took her nearly two decades to pay her college bills so she could get college degree? How did she make a living? Why did she sue a well-known and well-thought-of conservative think tank? STEPHANOPOULOS: Can you answer those questions? O’DONNELL: Yeah. Everything he’s saying is unfactual [sic]. And it’s a shame. Because he’s the same, so called political guru that predicted that I wasn’t going to win. And we won. And we won big. So, I think, again, he’s eating some humble pie and he’s just trying to restore his reputation. But, again, I’m counting on the voters in Delaware. Like I said this, is about giving the political process back to the people. People are tired of what’s going on in Washington. These failed policies that don’t represent them. My Republican opponent did not have a record to stand on. He supported the Democrats more than he supported the Republicans. And when we started gaining momentum and we started gaining credibility in this race, it made the Republican establishment look like lazy people who did not care about their principles. But I hope that we can put that behind us because if they’re really serious about winning, I was ahead in the general election, according to Rasmussen, before this Republican cannibalism started. So, if they were serious about winning, we could repair the damage done and move forward. And that’s the challenge I put out to them. But, if not, I truly believe we can win. STEPHANOPOULOS: You call it Republican- You call it Republican cannibalism, saying that what Karl Rove is unfactual. But it is true that you had conflicting statements about your college record. That you had- That the big issue in the campaign was failure to pay back taxes. O’DONNELL: That is not true. STEPHANOPOULOS: Failure to pay campaign debts. Failure to pay your mortgage. So, can you clear that up? O’DONNELL: That’s simply not true. We addressed all this stuff. Absolutely. Absolutely. And first of all, they also said that Ronald Reagan wasn’t electable. We’ve addressed all of this stuff on our website. It took me 12 years to pay off my college loans. I’m not a trust fund baby. Most Delawareans can relate to having to work hard to pay for their own college education. I was never dishonest about that. They made up an accusation about an IRS tax lien. The IRS said, “Oops, it was a mistake.” They cleared it up right away. We presented my opponent and the republican administration, showing them that the IRS had admitted to a computer error. They chose to ignore the truth because they don’t have a record to stand on. And it’s humiliating when the party gets behind this guy who they say is the only one who can win. But doesn’t stand for anything that the Republican Party stands for. So, they have to cling to these baseless accusations. And it’s a shame because I want to go into this general election telling the Delaware voters the proposals that I want to introduce in Washington to get jobs back into Delaware, to get our economy back on track. To take care of our veterans. And as we move forward, I hope that my Democratic opponent learns the same lesson that my Republican opponent learned. That dirty politics will backfire. In a state like Delaware, where it’s small enough to get to know all of the voters, that’s exactly what we intend to do this next month and a half. It didn’t work for Castle. It won’t work for the Democrats. STEPHANOPOULOS: And we will be watching. Congratulations again. Thanks for your time this morning.

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George Stephanopoulos: Should Threat of Koran Burning Make Us Rethink First Amendment?

Posted on September 14, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on Tuesday wondered if a Florida pastor’s threat to burn a Koran could “change” and “challenge” the meaning of the First Amendment. [MP3 audio here .] Talking to Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, the Good Morning America host speculated, “When you think about the internet and when you think about the possibility that, you know, a pastor in Florida with a flock of 30, can threaten to burn the Koran and that leads to riots and killings in Afghanistan, does that pose a challenge to the First Amendment, to how you interpret it?” Stephanopoulos followed-up, ” Does [the threat of the Koran burning] change the nature of what we can allow and protect?” The ABC host didn’t explain expand on how the First Amendment “changes” in light of an unpopular action such as a Koran burning. Stephanopoulos, a former top aide to Bill Clinton, fawned over Breyer, a judge selected for the Supreme Court by the same Democratic President. The justice was appearing on the show to promote his new book on democracy. Stephanopoulos gushed, “I love the title of this new book, Making Our Democracy Work. And that’s not only the title of the book, but it’s also your mission. And you believe for that to happen, people have to understand our institutions and be engaged with them.” A transcript of the segment, which aired at 8:41am EDT, follows: GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: The national and international debate over that Florida pastor who threatened to burn the Koran hit a boiling point last week. And for now, the issue is being batted around the court of public opinion. But it could end up in a court of law. Perhaps, even, the Supreme Court. That’s one of the topics I discussed with Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, when he stopped by to discuss his new book, Making our Democracy Work. I love the title of this new book, Making Our Democracy Work. And that’s not only the title of the book, but it’s also your mission. And you believe for that to happen, people have to understand our institutions and be engaged with them. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE STEPHEN BREYER: Yes. STEPHANOPOULOS: How do they do it? BREYER: Well, the first step is to know what it is that we do, know how your legislature works, how your governor works, how your mayors work, how your courts work. STEPHANOPOULOS: You also in this book plumb, I guess what you call something of a mystery, because it didn’t have to turn out that way, that we built up in our tradition, the norm that when the Supreme Court decides something, the public tends to follow. BREYER: There’s a history in this country, of bad events and marvelous events. And over time, it’s led to a general acceptance of the court, of having the last word on most constitutional issues, even when they are wrong. STEPHANOPOULOS: That was really tested that idea, when you were sitting on Bush V. Gore, the 2000 election, you wrote at the time, you were against it. BREYER: Yes, I was. STEPHANOPOULOS: You said it was a self-inflicted wound that hurt the court. BREYER: Yes. STEPHANOPOULOS: But, you also point out, and you’re write about this in your book, that one of the most remarkable things about this divisive case that decided, in many ways, a presidential election, was that the people accepted that. BREYER: I heard Senator Reid say that. STEPHANOPOULOS: The Democratic leader in the Senate. BREYER: Yes. He said one of the most remarkable about that case is one of the things least remarked. Nobody remarks it because it’s so natural. Here is a case that’s very unpopular, that in my opinion, as a dissenter, was wrong . And yet, the public did not start shooting each other. STEPHANOPOULOS: How do you explain that? BREYER: I explain that. That’s a really good question. You have to learn about history in the United States. We had a Civil War. We’ve had 80 years of legal segregation. We’ve had many ups and downs. But over time, the public has come to accept the need to have an institution that will protect minority rights. STEPHANOPOULOS: One of the tangible symbols that expresses this idea that the institutions have to work together, is the idea that every year, you all, members of the court, go to the President’s State of the Union address. It became a remarkable moment, when President Obama criticized the Citizens United case, where you were actually on the same side as President Obama. You were in the minority. But, he criticized the case. And Justice Alito got visibly upset. It provoked this reaction from chief Justice Roberts. I want to show you this. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE JOHN ROBERTS: The image of having the members of one branch of government, standing up, literally surrounding the Supreme Court, cheering and hollering, while the court, according to the requirements of protocol, has to sit there expressionless, I find troubling. STEPHANOPOULOS: Did you find it troubling? BREYER: I’ve been there for a while. [Laughs] As you have in your job, people say all kinds of things about someone in public life. Sometimes they agree. Sometimes they disagree. My job is not to say things that criticize me or others on our court. My job is to do it as best I can. STEPHANOPOULOS: But, he’s walked away from that saying, perhaps he won’t go in the future. Justice O’Connor when I talked to her about it in the future says she would rethink her attendance. Does it make you rethink your tradition of going? BREYER: No, no. STEPHANOPOULOS: Why not? BREYER: Because I think the reason that I want to go, and I think that the reason we should be there, is because, particularly today, where for better or for worse, people get lots of their information visually. It shows in that room, this is your federal government. The President is there. The cabinet is there. The, the Congress is there. The Joint Chiefs are there. And I’d like some of the judges to be there, too, because the judges have a role in this government. STEPHANOPOULOS: Even if you’re the only one there. BREYER: Even if I’m the only one, I’ll be the only one. But, I’ll do that because I believe very, very strongly in this. STEPHANOPOULOS: You know, when we spoke several years ago, you talked about how the process of globalization was changing our understanding of the law. When you think about the internet and when you think about the possibility that, you know, a pastor in Florida with a flock of 30, can threaten to burn the Koran and that leads to riots and killings in Afghanistan, does that pose a challenge to the First Amendment, to how you interpret it? Does it change the nature of what we can allow and protect? BREYER: Well, in a sense, yes. In a sense, no. People can express their views in debate. No matter how awful those views are. In debate. A conversation. People exchanging ideas. That’s the model. So that, in fact, we are better informed when we cast that ballot. Those core values remain. How they apply can- STEPHANOPOULOS: The conversation is now global. BREYER: Indeed. And you can say, with the internet, you can say this. Holmes said, it doesn’t mean you can shout fire in a crowded theater. Well, what is it? Why? Well people will be trampled to death. What is the crowded theater today? What is- STEPHANOPOULOS: That’s exactly my question. BREYER: Yes. Well, perhaps that will be answered by- if it’s answered, by our court. It will be answered over time, in a series of cases, which force people to think carefully. That’s the virtue of cases. STEPHANOPOULOS: When we last spoke, when you wrote your last book, you had been on the court for about ten years. Yet, you were still the junior justice. BREYER: I was. STEPHANOPOULOS: That’s no longer true. You now have Justice Sotomayor. Soon, Justice Kagan is going to be joining you as well. You talked about how before your first session of court, you were nervous. I was just wondering if you have advice for Justice Kagan as she prepares for that. BREYER: She will be nervous. But, don’t worry about it. There’s no way not to be nervous. For quite a while, the cases- now, they will be final. There’s no one to appeal to. And there is an instinct of everyone to be a little uncertain. To be a little unsure about whether my views, in my case, will I be able to answer these decently? Will I make some terrible mistake? I surely hope not. And that lasts for a while. It takes a while to adjust. STEPHANOPOULOS: Justice Breyer, thanks very much.

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Arianna Huffington Equates Ground Zero Mosque Opponents to Koran-Burning Pastor

Posted on September 9, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Snatching the proverbial low-hanging fruit off the branch, Arianna Huffington compared the vast majority of Americans who oppose the construction of a mosque close to Ground Zero to the thirty members of a Florida church who plan to burn copies of the Koran on 9/11. Appearing on ABC’s “Good Morning America” today, the liberal publisher criticized the president for not echoing her logical fallacy. “I think the point [President Barack Obama] could have made is to connect [Koran burning] with the opposition of the mosque,” asserted Huffington, publisher of The Huffington Post. “You can’t really completely separate these things.” Huffington then attempted to pass off circular logic as a “teachable moment:” People who are saying we should not build the mosque there are basically denying the fundamental principles the president was talking about in your interview, you know, which is basically freedom to worship your religion on private ground, wherever you are. That’s like an essential part of what America is based on. It was not an afterthought that the Fathers had – you know, religious freedom. Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, founder of The Daily Caller, countered Huffington’s fatuous claims: So if you think that it’s intentionally provocative and an insult to the memory of 9/11 to build a mosque basically on the site, that’s the same as burning a Koran or hating Islam? That’s not even close. They’re not related. After agreeing with Huffington’s illogical parallel, GMA anchor George Stephanopoulos directed a loaded question at Carlson. “Here’s the point I don’t get – and it’s not a mosque it’s an Islamic center with a mosque and an inter-faith center inside – why isn’t it honoring the memories of the victims of 9/11 to put that center there and prove that we’re not going to sacrifice our freedoms?” demanded the former Clinton adviser. A transcript of the relevant portion of the segment can be found below: ABC GMA September 9, 2010 8:17 A.M. E.S.T. GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: We were talking about the Florida pastor just before we came on the air. Starting with you, Tucker. This had to be kind of a tough call in the White House. You’ve got this Florida pastor, thirty followers, yet pretty clearly from the beginning the week until the president’s interview with me yesterday they were saying “we’ve got to take this on.” TUCKER CARLSON, founder of The Daily Caller: I don’t think he needed to take it on. I think it was foolish to respond to your question – a good question though it was. He should have waved his hand dismissively; this guy represents no one, he’s a lone wacko. I think the president truly believes, and many in his party do, that the center of the country is filled with people just like this, who are intolerant and hateful, and there’s no evidence of that at all. There haven’t been a lot of anti-Islamic incidents. STEPHANOPOULOS: Setting aside what happens here in the United States, which is a hard thing to set aside, I think the danger is that even if he is a wacko, around the world he is seen as representing America? CARLSON: So they’re going to hate us more now? I mean, come on. ARIANNA HUFFINGTON, founder of The Huffington Post: It’s very hard for him not to respond when General Petraeus himself has said that this is going to be putting our troops at risk. I think the point he could have made is to connect it with the opposition of the mosque. STEPHANOPOULOS: That would be doubling down though, wouldn’t it? HUFFINGTON: You can’t really completely separate these things. STEPHANOPOULOS: No, you’re right. HUFFINGTON: And I think that’s really the teachable moment. People who are saying we should not build the mosque there are basically denying the fundamental principles the president was talking about in your interview, you know, which is basically freedom to worship your religion on private ground, wherever you are. That’s like an essential part of what America is based on. It was not an afterthought that the Fathers had – you know, religious freedom. CARLSON: So if you think that it’s intentionally provocative and an insult to the memory of 9/11 to build a mosque basically on the site, that’s the same as burning a Koran or hating Islam? That’s not even close. They’re not related. HUFFINGTON: I didn’t say it’s the same, but there is a continuity. And you can’t just say “this is okay, and anything beyond that is not.” STEPHANOPOULOS: Here’s the point I don’t get – and it’s not a mosque it’s an Islamic center with a mosque and an inter-faith center inside – why isn’t it honoring the memories of the victims of 9/11 to put that center there and prove that we’re not going to sacrifice our freedoms? CARLSON: Well I guess there are two points. One, there is no mosque or inter-faith mosque, there’s actually nothing, it’s merely an idea and it’s nowhere close to coming to fruition. So the point of this is to provoke. The point of this is to put a stick in the eye of people who are offended by this, which is like seventy percent of Americans. If you truly wanted to honor the memory of those killed on 9/11 why not ask the relatives of those who were killed on 9/11. Shouldn’t they have a say in this? They’re overwhelmingly against this. STEPHANOPOULOS: A say, but not a veto.      HUFFINGTON: Yes, you can’t have a veto and still basically stand up for the fundamental principles of the country and one of them is the freedom to worship wherever you are, on private ground, and whatever religion you believe in. I mean, that’s a fundamental freedom, that was part of the founding of this country. It wasn’t like an ancillary thought that the Founders had. CARLSON: But nobody is denying that. The argument is is it a good idea? Or is it somehow a desecration? And you can believe, as I do, that it is a provocation and a desecration and it’s wrong and maybe even immoral, but that you shouldn’t prevent it legally. There is an argument to be made. And I have to say, conflating people who think it’s wrong to build the mosque at Ground Zero with people who want to burn a Koran.

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ABC Donates 16 Minutes to Obama; George Stephanopoulos Puffs: Does Pastor Make You Feel ‘Helpless?’

Posted on September 9, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Good Morning America’s George Stephanopoulos on Thursday trumpeted his exclusive interview with Barack Obama and rewarded the President with 16 minutes of air time, just as the midterm election season kicks off. Stephanopoulos served up several softballs during the four part interview. Speaking of the pastor in Florida who intends to burn a Koran on 9/11, he sympathized, “I wonder what this must feel like from behind your desk. You’re President of the United States. You have to deal with the fallout. And here’s a pastor who’s got 30 followers in his church. Does it make you feel helpless or angry?” The host informed viewers that the issue is “of deep concern too him as President, as a Christian and as Commander in Chief.” Pointing out criticism of Obama, Stephanopoulos highlighted the President’s children: “You know, and you have had the chance to have dinner at home a lot. You know, when you’re going through these hard times, how much of it bleeds through to them? And how do you protect them from it?” Perhaps because of the extensive running time, 16 minutes and 15 seconds, and because of Stephanopoulos’ past a Democratic campaign operative, the host did offer some tough questions. Stephanopoulos repeatedly challenged the Democrat on letting the Bush tax cuts expire. At one point, he asserted, “It’s not just Republicans, though, Mark Zandi independent economist says that right now the economy, the recovery is just too fragile to take any risk. Don’t have any tax increases at all.” Later, he chided, “More Americans seeing you as liberal. And when you ask questions like, ‘Does he share my values?'” Stephanopoulos told the President that some Americans think he doesn’t “get it.” In 2007, leading up to the presidential elections, GMA devoted 64 minutes to town halls featuring Democrats and zero for Republicans. A partial transcript of the September 9 segment can be found below: GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: And, as you said, Robin, And the FBI worried also very worried about that possible backlash if this Koran warning goes forward on Saturday. When I spoke with the President about it, it is very clear that this has seized his attention at the highest levels of government. It’s of deep concern too him as President, as a Christian and as Commander in Chief. Let me ask you about Pastor Terry Jones. He gave a press conference today. Says he’s going to go through with burning the Korans. Is there anything you can say to him to convince him not to? OBAMA: If he’s listening, I just hope he understands that what he’s proposing to do is completely contrary to our values as Americans. That this country has been built on the notions of religious freedom and religious tolerance. And as a very practical matter, as commander of chief of the Armed Forces of the United States I just want him to understand that this stunt that he is talking about pulling could greatly endanger our young men and women in uniform who are in Iraq, who are in Afghanistan. We’re already seeing protests against Americans just by the mere threat that he’s making. STEPHANOPOULOS: What more could happen? What are you worried about? OBAMA: Well, look, the- this is a recruitment bonanza for Al Qaeda. You know, you could have serious violence in places like Pakistan or Afghanistan. This could increase the recruitment of individuals who’d be willing to blow themselves up in American cities, or European cities. You know and so you know, I just hope that, he says he’s- he’s someone who is motivated by his faith. STEPHANOPOULOS: And he says he’s praying on it. OBAMA: Yeah. I hope he listens to those better angels and, and understands that this is a destructive act that he’s engaging in. STEPHANOPOULOS : I wonder what this must feel like from behind your desk. You’re President of the United States. You have to deal with the fallout. And here’s a pastor who’s got 30 followers in his church. Does it make you feel helpless or angry? OBAMA: It, well it is frustrating. Now, on the other hand, we are a government of laws. And so, we have to abide by those laws. And my understanding is that he can be cited for public burning. But that’s the extent of the laws that we have available to us. You know, part of this country’s history is people doing destructive or offensive or harmful things. And yet, we still have to make sure that we’re following the laws. And that’s part of what I love about this country. 7:07 STEPHANOPOULOS: We also spoke to President Obama about the economy. He has come out swinging the last few months before the midterm election. And now he’s putting a face on his opponent. That’s House Minority Leader John Boehner. Of course, he was here yesterday. The President mentioned Boehner’s name eight times in that speech in Ohio. Of course, that’s Boehner’s home turf. And I began by pointing out that he seems determined to make Boehner the most well-known Republican in the country. OBAMA: Well, you know Congressman Boehner is saying that Republicans have a good chance of winning the House. STEPHANOPOULOS: I talked to him this morning. He seemed pretty confident. OBAMA: And he thinks he may be Speaker. And I think it’s very important that the American People understand what the Republicans are offering, which is essentially more of the same. STEPHANOPOULOS: He said he was open to the ideas on tax cuts that you talked about, today. But he had two of his own. And I want to know if you’re open to those. He said, “Freeze spending at the 2008 levels and extend all of the Bush tax cuts for two years.” I know you’re against any permanent extension, but what about two years? OBAMA: But keep in mind that they said back in 2001 and they said back in 2003 that these tax cuts for the rich would stop at 2010. That’s why we’re in the predicament that we’re in now. And when you ask them why not just go ahead and give 97 percent of Americans a tax break, which is what we’re prepared to do tomorrow, they say no. And the reason is they’re holding- all those middle class folks who need tax relief hostage right now in order to provide tax breaks for the top two percent, wealthiest Americans, who don’t need a tax break, aren’t asking for a tax break. STEPHANOPOULOS: Your own budget director up until a month ago, Peter Orszag wrote in the New York Times yesterday that it was a good compromise. OBAMA: No, what, what Peter Orszag said was he’d like to eliminate all these tax cuts, but that politically the best you may be able to do is to get the Republicans to agree to only extend them for two years. STEPHANOPOULOS: But he said it was a good compromise. He said it made sense. OBAMA: But, that’s something we can’t afford. STEPHANOPOULOS: So, no compromise? No short term extension? OBAMA: We’ve got to make some decisions now that are gonna have huge ramifications over the long term. Now, if Mr. Boehner and the Republicans want to help small businesses right now, which is the rationale that they’ve provided for trying to extend tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, if they want to help them right now, we’ve got a small jobs bill. Bipartisan bill- written by Democrats and Republicans that provides tax cuts to small businesses. It eliminates capital gains for small businesses. Provides loan assistance to small businesses. And we could vote on that immediately. The reason it’s been held up is because we haven’t seen compromise from the other side. When you look at what the Republicans are offering, it is exactly the same as what landed us in this mess in the first place. STEPHANOPOULOS: It’s not just Republicans, though, Mark Zandi independent economist says that right now the economy, the recovery is just too fragile to take any risk. Don’t have any tax increases at all. OBAMA: But what, what every economist that I’ve talked to has said is that if you’re gonna spend, say $95 billion, even just for two years for these tax cuts, probably the least efficient way of actually giving the economy a boost is to provide that $95 billion to millionaires and billionaires. I mean, if Warren Buffet gets a tax break, that’s not gonna change his spending patterns. If those families that I were talking to out in, out here in Cleveland or across the country get a tax break, that may mean a new computer for their kid. It may mean that they’re able to make their mortgage payments. It may mean that they can buy a new coat for winter. And that’s where our money should be going. STEPHANOPOULOS: How deep is your commitment to this fight? Are you saying that if Congress passes a short term extension of all the tax cuts, you’re gonna veto it? OBAMA: You can’t have Republicans running on fiscal discipline that we’re gonna reduce our deficit, that the debt’s out of control, and then borrow tens, hundreds of billions of dollars to give tax cuts to people who don’t need them. STEPHANOPOULOS: Does that mean you will veto an extension of tax cuts for the wealthy? OBAMA: What I am saying is that if we are going to add to our deficit by $35 billion, $95 billion, $100 billion, $700 billion, if that’s the Republican agenda, then I’ve got a whole bunch of better ways to spend that money. STEPHANOPOULOS: But you’re not saying you’re gonna veto it? OBAMA: I, there are a whole bunch better ways to spend the money. STEPHANOPOULOS: How come you don’t want to say veto? OBAMA: There are a whole bunch better ways to spend the money. … 8:01 STEPHANOPOULOS: But, first, we’re going to have more of my interview with President Obama. 60 Days to the election right now. Less than 60 days. And Democrats are pulling out all of the stops. And for President Obama, that means to pull out a little campaign trail deja vu and calling on his secret weapon. Now, you’re going to have the First Lady’s help out on the campaign trail, we’re reading. OBAMA: Well, you know, she is far more popular than me. And rightly so. She spent most of this week making sure that the girls start off well in school. They had their first day of school on Tuesday. And I guarantee you, we get more requests for her than just about anybody else. STEPHANOPOULOS: You know, you bring up- you bring up the girls. You know, and you have had the chance to have dinner at home a lot. You know, when you’re going through these hard times, how much of it bleeds through to them? And how do you protect them from it? OBAMA: You know I think they are still young enough where they don’t watch the nightly news. I apologize for that, George. But- STEPHANOPOULOS: They might get some on the Internet, right? OBAMA: But, you know, I , when we’re sitting around the dinner table, we’re talking about them, and their lives … STEPHANOPOULOS: They’re not worried? They don’t, they don’t hear things? OBAMA: No, I think, well, first of all, people are very gracious to them. It’s not like somebody’s going up and saying, you know, I think your dad is a bum. That has not yet happened to them. I think people understand that kids are off limits on these issues. I do think that they know that we’re going through a tough time. They know that we’re involved in two wars. They know that we had a big oil spill in the Gulf. And so, we talk about those issues. And what I try to explain to them is that the issues that we’re dealing with are really tough. Daddy’s making the best decisions that he can to help the most people in this country. Some of ’em are going to work. Some of ’em aren’t going to work exactly the way we want. But, what I try to describe to them and instill in them are the same values that I inherited from my mom and from my grandparents, and that Michelle inherited from hers. And that is what I talked about today. Hard work, responsibility, looking out for other people. STEPHANOPOULOS: And, remember at that last press conference, the President did say that Malia came up to him and said, “We need to plug the hole, daddy?” ROBERTS: Oh, I remember that, right. Yeah. But, it’s nice to know that people are being gracious to the kids, as you would imagine. STEPHANOPOULOS: But, it is good to hear. It is good to hear that.

Originally posted here:
ABC Donates 16 Minutes to Obama; George Stephanopoulos Puffs: Does Pastor Make You Feel ‘Helpless?’

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