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On Today: Is The Tea Party Hurting The GOP?

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

It’s quite possible NBC’s Meredith Vieira has never shown more concern about the Republican Party’s ability to win elections than she did on Thursday’s Today show, of course that may be because conservative Tea Party candidates are now forcing out the more moderate members of its ranks. In a segment entitled, “Tea Time, Is The Tea Party Hurting The GOP?” the Today co-anchor invited on Republican Senator Jim DeMint to question if conservative candidates like Christine O’Donnell “can win in November?” To which DeMint responded that the conservative candidates he’s been supporting are doing just fine: “Well Meredith, they told me Marco Rubio couldn’t win. And he is blowing it away in Florida because he’s telling people the truth. And they said the same thing about Pat Toomey in Pennsylvania and Rand Paul in Kentucky. They’re well ahead in, in the polls because people want a change in Washington.” The following is the full interview with DeMint as it was aired on the September 16 Today show: MEREDITH VIEIRA: South Carolina Republican Senator Jim DeMint has endorsed a number of Tea Party candidates, including Delaware’s Christine O’Donnell. Senator DeMint, good morning to you. [On screen headline: ” Tea Time, Is The Tea Party Hurting The GOP?” ] SEN. JIM DEMINT: Hey good morning. VIEIRA: This morning’s New York Time notes the, New York Times, notes the clear divide within the Republican Party saying and I’m quoting here, “If ever there was proof that the Tea Party and the Republican Party do not necessarily go hand in hand, it is Christine O’Donnell’s victory over the establishment.” But the paper goes on to say that you, Senator, could be a model for how the two might coexist. How important is it to you, that this gap be bridged? DEMINT: It’s important because the Tea Party represents a broad cross section of the American people. And, and actually, it’s a small part of an American awakening of people who are concerned about the debt, the spending, massive growth of government and, and the takeovers. And, and really, what we’re doing here in Washington has united America. When I go to a Tea Party, 40 percent of the people there are independents and Democrats. And, and what I’m trying to do is help the Republicans here in Washington understand that the tea parties don’t want to be Republicans. We as Republicans need to embrace the ideas of balancing the budget, of trying to return some fiscal sanity here to Washington. You know and I’m not as concerned about what Christine O’Donnell said 14 years ago as I am that she’s gonna help us balance our budget here in Washington. VIEIRA: But, but, but Senator, if you’re trying to help your party, your party would argue that you’re really hurting the party. That these kinds of candidates cannot win general elections. DEMINT: Well the important thing to me, first, is to save our country. It’s really that critical. That these trivial political labels do not mean as much right now when we’re fighting for the survival versus the bankruptcy of our country. And I think the American people in Delaware, all over the country, want to see that sense of urgency from the people who represent them in Washington. They’re not concerned whether the Republicans get the majority or not, they want people in Washington who understand that balancing the checkbook is not an extreme idea. So- VIEIRA: But practically speaking, do you believe that these candidates can win in November? DEMINT: Well Meredith, they told me Marco Rubio couldn’t win. And he is blowing it away in Florida because he’s telling people the truth. And they said the same thing about Pat Toomey in Pennsylvania and Rand Paul in Kentucky. They’re well ahead in, in the polls because people want a change in Washington. And, and you really can’t change Washington unless you change the people who are here. And so I think that’s what you saw in Delaware, people are looking at what these candidates are going to do when they get to Washington, and they’re ready to throw out the bums and bring in new folks. And I think we’re gonna do that in November. VIEIRA: Are you ready, if these candidates were to be elected, or if the Republicans were to come into power or take over Congress, obviously, control of Congress, are you ready to take on a leadership role to challenge the current Republican leadership? DEMINT: Well I like our current leadership. Mitch, Mitch is doing a great job and so is John Cornyn, with our Senate committee. I’ve got the leadership role I want. I am head of the conservative steering committee within the Senate. I’m managing the Senate Conservatives Fund, which by the way is SenateConservatives.com if folks want to help some of these candidates. But I want to support our leadership team. And what we’re trying to do now is get a group of Republicans that provide a clear contrast with the Pelosi-Obama agenda, which is massive debt and government growth. I think- VIEIRA: Before I let you go, Senator, can I ask very, very quickly, you’re up for reelection this November and your Democratic opponent, Alvin Greene, has said repeatedly, that he would, he would want to debate you. Is that gonna happen? Will you debate him? DEMINT: We have no debates scheduled. And I’ve got a couple of opponents in South Carolina. But Meredith, my main opponents are here in the White House and in Congress. So that’s where I’m spending most of my time. VIEIRA: Alright. So that’s a no. Senator Jim DeMint, thank you very much. DEMINT: Thank you.

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On Today: Is The Tea Party Hurting The GOP?

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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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CBS Slams O’Donnell as ‘Ultra-Conservative’ and Sees Repeat of 1964, Touts Public Siding with Obama on Economy and Taxes

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

The night after a Tea Party candidate in Delaware stunned the GOP establishment, the CBS Evening News blamed voter “anger,” tried to marginalize Christine O’Donnell as an “ultra-conservative,” relayed the contention of establishment Republicans that Tea Party wins will lead to a re-run of the GOP’s 1964 debacle, and highlighted how more Americans blame George W. Bush over President Barack Obama for the economy followed by how most side with Obama on not extending the current tax rates for those earning $250,000 or more. All in a day’s work for Katie Couric. She led by declaring “American voters are in one angry mood” as “nearly three out of four registered voters say they’re dissatisfied with or angry about what’s going on in Washington,” though the new CBS News/New York Times poll actually found just as many “satisfied” as angry and twice as many “dissatisfied but not angry” over “angry.” In the lead story, Nancy Cordes described how Christine O’Donnell “beat a veteran moderate Congressman who was considered a general election shoo-in” while “polls show O’Donnell’s ultra-conservative social views make her a decided underdog in this blue-leaning state.” Her proof of O’Donnell’s “ultra-conservative” views: a vintage video clip in which O’Donnell sounded eerily like Jimmy Carter: “Lust in your heart is committing adultery.” Following a soundbite of a Delaware Republican saying he’ll vote for the Democrat, Cordes identified O’Donnell’s November opponent sans any ideological tag: “And that’s giving new life to the Democrat in the race, Chris Coons.” Up next, Bob Schieffer ruminated about another 1964-like debacle for Republicans. “It is very much like 1964,” Schieffer contended, when Republicans “threw out all the establishment candidates” and nominated Barry Goldwater who “was far to the right of most of the people in his party, and they lost in a landslide.” So that’s why, Schieffer insisted, “you have establishment Republicans worried about what’s going to happen now in November.” Looking at the public’s views on the economy, Dean Reynolds highlighted how “the country still blames the Bush administration [37%] for the condition of the economy followed by Wall Street [5% blame Obama], and only 27 percent believe congressional Republicans are doing more to improve things, compared to 49 percent who say that about the President.” Plus: “Nor, apparently, is the country with the Republicans on taxes. While the GOP favors extending tax cuts for all income brackets, 53 percent of Americans believe tax cuts should end for those with incomes above $250,000, as the President has proposed.” Unmentioned by Reynolds: The 53 percent level is down nine points since February when it stood at 62 percent. PDF of the survey results . CBSNews.com summary of the “anger” question . CBSNews.com look at the tax cut numbers . Portions of the Wednesday, September 15 CBS Evening News, gathered by the MRC’s Brad Wilmouth: KATIE COURIC: Good evening, everyone. American voters are in one angry mood. It’s evident at the polls and in the polls. Look at this: A CBS News/New York Times poll out tonight finds a record 55 percent of American voters say it’s time for their representative in Congress to go. They don’t like what the incumbents are doing – 58 percent disapprove of the Democrats; 68 percent disapprove of the Republicans. Nearly three out of four registered voters say they’re dissatisfied with or angry about what’s going on in Washington. And some of that feeling was reflected in yesterday’s primaries with victories by candidates supported by the Tea Party…. NANCY CORDES: …O’Donnell becomes the seventh Tea Party-affiliated candidate to defeat a more mainstream Republican in a Senate primary this season. Six Tea Partiers have won primaries for governor. Carl Paladino of New York joined their ranks last night. But Republican leaders are keeping their distance from him, too, after he named his dog his chief of staff and proposed that welfare recipients be housed in unused prisons. CARL PALADINO, NEW YORK REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL NOMINEE: New Yorkers are as mad as hell, and we’re not gonna take it anymore! CORDES: In Delaware, O’Donnell beat a veteran moderate Congressman who was considered a general election shoo-in. Polls show O’Donnell’s ultraconservative social views- CHRISTINE O’DONNELL, DELAWARE REPUBLICAN SENATE NOMINEE, IN OLD VIDEO: Lust in your heart is committing adultery. CORDES: -make her a decided underdog in this blue-leaning state. STEVEN DAVIS, DELAWARE REPUBLICAN RESIDENT: Given Christine O’Donnell’s background, I have a very difficult time supporting her. I think I’d be more likely to cross party lines in this situation. CORDES: And that’s giving new life to the Democrat in the race, Chris Coons. CHRIS COONS, DELAWARE DEMOCRATIC SENATE NOMINEE: Christine O’Donnell is a different sort of Republican in the general election than I expected. CORDES: Republicans have a narrow window to take back the Senate, and it involves picking up 10 seats. If they don’t win in Delaware, that window is all but closed, Katie.  … COURIC: And, Bob, as Robert Gibbs said, and other people have asked, is this going to be a fight for the heart and soul of the Republican party? BOB SCHIEFFER: Oh, I think it very much is just that. I mean, it is very much like 1964. In 1960, Republicans lost narrowly with an establishment candidate, Richard Nixon. They got to 1964, they threw out all the establishment candidates, they threw out their party leaders and they nominated Barry Goldwater who – fine man – but he was far to the right of most of the people in his party, and they lost in a landslide. And that’s why you have establishment Republicans worried about what’s going to happen now in November. … DEAN REYNOLDS: …Other sobering findings for the White House: Only 38 percent think the President has a clear plan for creating jobs, and some 46 percent think the Obama stimulus package has had no impact – 20 percent think it made matters worse. But 63 percent say Mr. Obama is doing about as well as they expected. DOLORES CLARK, POLL PARTICIPANT: It’s too soon to make any final assessment of his presidency. I think he will be better and better as time passes. REYNOLDS: Actually, the country still blames the Bush administration for the condition of the economy followed by Wall Street, and only 27 percent believe congressional Republicans are doing more to improve things, compared to 49 percent who say that about the President. Sam Greco is a retired Chicago detective. Do you think the Republicans have a plan? SAM GRECO, RETIRED DETECTIVE: Nothing that comes to the forefront. And this is what bothers me. REYNOLDS: Nor, apparently, is the country with the Republicans on taxes. While the GOP favors extending tax cuts for all income brackets, 53 percent of Americans believe tax cuts should end for those with incomes above $250,000, as the President has proposed. A mixed report card with the midterms approaching. Dean Reynolds, CBS News, Chicago.

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Conversations with Women Cyclists (Video)

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

Bikes are for Everyone While in some parts of the world (Copenhagen, Amsterdam), cycling is the most normal thing in the world for both sexes, other places have had more problems making women feel like cycling might be for them. Thankfully, this is gradually starting to change in many places, and I’m hoping that a virtuous cycle will take place; if women start seeing lots of women on bikes instead of just a bunch of guys, it’ll increase the chances that they’ll think “hey, maybe I should try it”. Our friends at StreetFilms went out in NYC and talked to many wom… Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Mexican Independence Day parade 2010

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

Spectators watch floats pass along the street, during the East L.A. Mexican Bicentennial Independence Day Parade, in Los Angeles on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2010. The Mexican Mutual Society’s Mexican Independence Day Fiesta will be from 6 to 9 tonight at the society, 1820 E. 28th St., Lorain. There will be a buffet dinner for $8 with tacos, tamales, tostadas, burritos, rice, beans, salads and desserts. Music will be provided by WDLW Radio host Jose “Pepe” Rivera and entertainment by the Alma de Mexi

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Mexican Independence Day parade 2010

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Steve Malzberg Destroys Joy Behar: ‘You Represent a Radical Leftist View’

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

Conservative radio personality Steve Malzberg on Tuesday told Joy Behar exactly what the vast majority of right-thinking Americans would love to say to this “View” co-host if given the opportunity: ” You represent a radical leftist view in this country; it`s a very small minority .” Chatting with Behar on the CNN Headline News program bearing her name, Malzberg told the comedienne turned political commentator a thing or two about the Democrat President she adores, the former Republican President she hates, and why those controlling Congress are to blame for the sagging economy. After only three minutes of having her poorly-founded opinions challenged, Behar quickly dismissed Malzberg to bring on a friendlier guest (video follows with transcript and commentary):  JOY BEHAR, HOST: Well, it`s back-to-school season. You know what that means. Time for some schools in Texas and Colorado to screen President Obama`s speech to children to make sure it`s fit for their ears. Hide your children. I`m about to play a piece. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Nobody gets to write your destiny but you. Your future is in your hands. Your life is what you make of it and nothing, absolutely nothing is beyond your reach. So long as you are willing to dream big. So long as you are willing to work hard. So long as you`re willing to stay focused on your education. (END VIDEO CLIP) BEHAR: Good thing they screened that because if you play it backwards it`s actually socialist propaganda. Here with me now are Stephanie Miller, host of “The Stephanie Miller Show”; Steve Malzberg, WOR radio talk show host and columnist for Newsmax.com. Hi Steve, how are you? STEVE MALZBERG, WOR RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Good, Joy. How are you? BEHAR: Good. What is the paranoia about on the right Steve? Tell me what it`s about. MALZBERG: You can`t ignore what happened last year with the Department of Education put out a directive to schools all over the country on how to handle Barack Obama`s speech last year to kids. BEHAR: What are they afraid of? MALZBERG: First of all, they backed off. They must have been — well, what is who afraid of? What are parents afraid of or what is the Department of Education afraid of? BEHAR: What are they afraid that he is going to say that is going to be so harmful to children? MALZBERG: Well, we know that the school wanted the kids to write letters on how they would help Barack Obama achieve his policies. And the Department of Education must have known they did something wrong because when that was discovered, they backed off and they told teachers not to have kids do that. So you`d have to ask the Department of Education what they did wrong last year that made them change what they did. Look, Barack Obama is the most divisive president we`ve ever seen. BEHAR: Come on. MALZBERG: That`s not just me. You can read Doug Schoen and Pat Caddell, two life-long Democrats who wrote in the “Wall Street Journal” a column called “The Divisive Presidency.” BEHAR: You know, can I just say Steve that — MALZBERG: Sure. BEHAR: I think that the tipping point for divisiveness was when the Supreme Court said that George W. Bush was the president and not the people — of the United States. I think that was the moment when the divide began. Don`t blame it on Barack Obama. MALZBERG: The people of the United States voted. It was the Supreme Court who deciphered the votes. BEHAR: Oh, come on. They never counted all the votes in Florida. There were more hanging chads there — come on. MALZBERG: You represent a radical leftist view in this country; it`s a very small minority. BEHAR: And what do you represent? MALZBERG: I represent the majority of people. BEHAR: Oh, the moral majority? MALZBERG: I didn`t say moral. I said look at the polls. He lost all his independent support because he is a radical, divisive figure. Why do you think all the independents have deserted him? White, educated women have deserted him. BEHAR: What is so divisive about trying to get health care for everybody, about trying to redo the financial situation in this country that he was left with, by President Bush in the previous years — (CROSSTALK) BEHAR: By trying to end the war in Iraq which was an immoral war and a political war that had nothing to do with the truth? What is so divisive about that? Tell me that. MALZBERG: First of all, the Congress has been Democrat since 2006. I don`t know if you know that. But aside from that — BEHAR: I love how the right wing, they blame the Democratic Congress when it suits your side. MALZBERG: Well, you say — well, everybody assumes that the Democrats took over with Obama in `08 and are trying to save us. The unemployment rate when the Democrats took over Congress was 5 percent. It went up to where it is now under a Democratic Congress. That aside — BEHAR: Come on. Cut the guy some slack. You see what he inherited. I really have to go. Thanks, Steve. Let me turn to Stephanie Miller now. Yeah, let’s turn to Stephanie Miller, someone who’s much more likely to agree with Behar. Of course, parents with children watching should be advised to quickly change channels, for after Behar showed a campaign ad mocking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Miller asked, “Is it wrong that I want to pour hot coffee in my genitals just from having been subjected to that?” Now that’s some classy material for a cable news network during prime time. What must CNN have been thinking giving this cretin her own show? On the other hand, that’s a silly question given the recent hiring of Kathleen Parker, Eliot Spitzer, and Piers Morgan, isn’t it? And they wonder why their ratings are plummeting faster than the President’s they helped get elected. Nice job, Steve! Bravo!

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‘Halo: Reach’ Launches In Times Square

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

Thunderstorms don’t keep away fans of Microsoft’s popular video-game franchise. By Russ Frushtick Halo: Reach Photo: Microsoft At 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday (September 14), gamers streamed into the Best Buy Theater in Times Square to be among the first to purchase the next installment in Microsoft’s popular franchise. Thunderstorms earlier in the evening didn’t seem to dissuade the crowd, which wrapped around 44th Street and down Broadway at least a block. “Halo: Reach” is developed by Bungie, the studio that created the “Halo” franchise back in 2001. “Reach” actually acts as a prequel to the original game, retelling the events which lead to humans being chased down by the Covenant and first discovering the mysterious halo-shaped artifact. Players take on the role of Noble 6, one member of team of super soldiers known as Spartans. Their objective? Defend the planet of Reach against a surprise Covenant assault. Unfortunately things quickly go south, turning the mission into a last-ditch effort for survival. In addition to the game’s campaign, which can be played with up to three other people, “Halo: Reach” also includes multiplayer modes where up to 16 players can battle one another. These modes can be fully customized, allowing players to create new styles of play like the zombie-themed Infection game mode. Brand new to the “Halo” franchise is the Armory. Players can now customize their character’s in-game armor, unlocking new helmets, chest pieces and effects like flaming heads and lightning bolts. Playing any of the game’s modes will earn credits for use in the Armory, so even if you manage to get crushed by a squeaky 12-year-old in Topeka, at least you’ve got some cash to show for it. Bungie cleverly uses this customized armor throughout the campaign, giving players much more of a personal attachment to the game’s protagonist. The last major addition is an upgrade to the “Halo” map creator, known as Forge. Users can now design multiplayer maps from scratch, and there are few limitations on what can be created. Within five minutes, I had managed to build a 50-foot-tall rock monster by simply using MS Paint. Map creators can easily share their designs online; hundreds of creations were available for download by the time the game launched. “Halo: Reach” is the final “Halo” game Bungie will create, as they’re moving on to a brand new, multi-platform franchise to be published by Activision. It seems the team at Bungie was well aware that this was to be a curtain call, because “Halo: Reach” is an astoundingly robust title that is sure to please fans of the series for the next few years. For more on “Halo: Reach,” check out Multiplayer.MTV.com .

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Amidst Media Battering of Boehner, MSNBC Actually Portrays His Upbringing Positively

Posted on September 13, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Amidst a war of words with the White House, character attacks from the Left, and a New York Times hit piece on his connections with lobbyists, House Minority Leader John Boehner has received positive media coverage – from MSNBC of all places. The network ran a portrait of Boehner’s childhood on its 11 a.m. news hour, and again on “Andrea Mitchell Reports” at 1 p.m. “The public hears a lot of the arguments against [Boehner] from the Left,” remarked NBC correspondent Luke Russert on the 11 a.m. MSNBC news hour Monday. “They hear that he’s a country club Republican, if you will, with extensive ties to lobbyists. But it’s quite interesting. He’s a man who comes from very humble beginnings, starting out in a big Catholic family in Reading, Ohio.” Russert narrated a piece on Boehner’s upbringing in Ohio, as one of 12 children. He interviewed one each of Boehner’s brothers and his sisters, as well as his high school football coach. Words used to describe Boehner included “bossy,” “independent,” “leadership,” “charm,” and “heart.” Other highlights included his hard work for his family’s bar and for the high school football team, as well as his taking seven years to earn his undergraduate degree because he worked during the day and took classes at night. Overall, it provided quite a humane and sympathetic look into the upbringing of a prominent Republican politician – one that usually might not be expected of MSNBC. “It’ll be interesting to see how this narrative comes out in the closing weeks of the campaign,” Russert said after the clip played. ” It certainly gives [Boehner] more of a human element as opposed to just the ‘Party of No’ face, which Democrats have been trying to stick to him in recent months and weeks.” A full transcript of the segment, which aired on September 13 at 11:34 a.m. EDT, is as follows: TAMRON HALL, MSNBC Anchor: Well there is intense scrutiny on Republican Minority Leader John Boehner today, following a scathing investigative report in the New York Times detailing Boehner’s relationship with Washington lobbyists. According to the Times, Boehner has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from his campaigns from lobbyists, and helped numerous lobbyists during his time in office. Boehner’s office denies any improper relationships, but in recent weeks President Obama has repeatedly gone after Boehner’s speeches, and really tried to portray him as the face of the Republican Party. Still, the Minority Leader us unknown to millions of Americans. NBC’s Luke Russert has a closer look at the man who could become the next Speaker of the House. And it’s interesting, Luke, in that report – about 55 percent of the people surveyed did not know who John Boehner is – LUKE RUSSERT, NBC Congressional Correspondent: It is, and a lot of the public hears a lot of the arguments against him from the Left, and definitely President Obama has tried to define Mr. Boehner in the last few weeks. They hear that he’s a country club Republican, if you will, with extensive ties to lobbyists. But it’s quite interesting. He’s a man who comes from very humble beginnings, starting out in a big Catholic family in Reading, Ohio. (Video Clip) JOHN BOEHNER, House Minority Leader: …hidden from the people? Hell no, you can’t! LUKE RUSSERT: Minority Leader John Boehner has risen to political and oratorical heights on Capitol Hill. But that trip began on another hill. BOB BOEHNER, John Boehner’s brother: If you blink, you miss the street here. RUSSERT: Hill Street, in Reading, Ohio. And at the top sits the house that he shared with 11 brothers and sisters. So you had 12 people in this house? BOB BOEHNER: Yep. RUSSERT: Or 14? Right? Because you had 12 kids. BOB BOEHNER: 14. I see the – when we were younger, that addition on the end wasn’t there. Mom and dad slept on a pull-out couch. And John, Steve and I slept in one bedroom, Nancy slept in the other bedroom. RUSSERT: Maneuvering in such a big Catholic family is where a large part of his leadership skills come from today.          BOB BOEHNER: It started right there, you know. You might have wanted something done a certain way, but it wasn’t possible because there was too many people. And so you had to figure out the best way to do something and move on with it. RUSSERT: Of course, his little sister might just say he was bossy. LYNDA MEINEKE: “Make sure you do your homework,” and “Sit up straight.” “What are you doing with your clean clothes on?” RUSSERT: Lynda still works the bar the Boehner family used to own, where John mopped floors. Back then it was named Andy’s Café, after his grandfather. RUSSERT: Did you ever get angry at him because you thought he was being too harsh on you? MEINEKE: Oh yeah, because he wasn’t mom or dad. You know, it’s like “Who are you?” RUSSERT: A teenager who rode motorcycles and played football, even when he was in pain. GERRY FAUST, Fmr. Moeller H.S. Football Coach: If he could stand the pain, he could play, because it wasn’t going to hurt him. (Unintelligible) He says, “I think the team – we need to do it to win.” RUSSERT: From his mother came his independence. MEINEKE: Stand up and speak your mind. Yeah, my mother was good at that. She just, you know – she spoke what she thought. She spoke from the heart. RUSSERT: And from his father his charm, and possibly his heart. BOB BOEHNER: My dad – (Unintelligible) I think John does the same thing – connect to people. That’s why he’s been successful. RUSSERT: The beginning of an unlikely climb, which may end with him leading 435 people in a very different house on the hill. (End Video Clip) RUSSERT: And Tamron, there you go. Quite an interesting upbringing for Mr. Boehner, learning the art of compromise dealing with 12 – 11 brothers and sisters. Another interesting antidote that I picked up there on the ground in Ohio: it took Mr. Boehner seven years to get his degree from Xavier University in Cincinnati, not because he was partying, but in fact because he was working. He got his degree, a Bachelor’s of Science in night school over the course of seven years. It’ll be interesting to see how this narrative comes out in the closing weeks of the campaign. It certainly gives him more of a human element as opposed to just the “Party of No” face, which Democrats have been trying to stick to him in recent months and weeks.       

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A G.O.P. Leader Tightly Bound to Lobbyists – NYTimes.com

Posted on September 12, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/09/12/us/politics/Boehner/Boehner-artic… House Democrats were preparing late last year for the first floor vote on the financial regulatory overhaul when Representative John A. Boehner of Ohio and other Republican leaders summoned more than 100 industry lobbyists and conservative political activists to Capitol Hill for a private strategy session. The bill’s passage in the House already seemed inevitable. But Mr. Boehner and his deputies told the Wall Street lobbyists and trade association leaders that by teaming up, they could still perhaps block its final passage or at least water it down. “We need you to get out there and speak up against this,” Mr. Boehner said that December afternoon, according to three people familiar with his remarks, while also warning against cutting side deals with Democrats. That sort of alliance — they won a few skirmishes, though they lost the war on the regulatory bill — is business as usual for Mr. Boehner, the House minority leader and would-be speaker if Republicans win the House in November. He maintains especially tight ties with a circle of lobbyists and former aides representing some of the nation’s biggest businesses, including Goldman Sachs, Google, Citigroup, R. J. Reynolds, MillerCoors and UPS. added by: toyotabedzrock

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NYT Tees Up DNC Talking Points With Ethically Questionable Piece on Boehner’s Lobbyist Ties

Posted on September 12, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

The New York Times’s lobbyist double standard lives on. Since Barack Obama became president, the paper has routinely overlooked the vast disconnect between his rhetoric on lobbying’s role on the political process – there really isn’t one, if you believe Barack – and his actions on the issue. But while the Gray Lady all but ignores Obama’s deep ties with lobbyists and the industry groups they represent, the paper has hammered Republicans for their ties to “special interests.” The latest such attempt is a hack job in Sunday’s New York Times. Reporter Eric Lipton claims that House Miniority Leader John Boehner “maintains especially tight ties with a circle of lobbyists and former aides representing some of the nation’s biggest businesses, including Goldman Sachs, Google, Citigroup, R. J. Reynolds, MillerCoors and UPS.” The story makes some serious allegations – the most damning of which was sourced to an anonymous lobbyist. Intriguingly, some of the same claims undergird an upcoming DNC ad blitz against Boehner. The Leader’s staff, meanwhile, claim they were not asked for comment before the story went to press. Byron York reported Saturday: Boehner spokesman Michael Steel says he received a fact-checking email from Times reporter Eric Lipton Friday evening asking if Boehner did in fact oppose the cap on greenhouse gases, the tax change for hedge fund executives, the debit card fee cap, and increased fees on oil and gas companies. “Yes, that is correct,” Steel responded to Lipton, adding “I can tell you why, if you care.” Steel says he received no further notes from Lipton. Steel says Boehner has long held those positions and does not hold them as a result of lobbying. Hours after the email exchange, the Times story was published online, with the statement from the lobbyist that he had “won” Boehner’s backing on those matters. After Boehner’s aides complained, the paragraph was changed to read, emphasis added: One lobbyist in the club — after lauding each staff member in Mr. Boehner’s office that he routinely calls to ask for help — ticked off the list of recent issues for which he had sought the lawmaker’s backing: combating fee increases for the oil industry, fighting a proposed cap on debit card fees, protecting tax breaks for hedge fund executives and opposing a cap on greenhouse gas emissions. Mr. Boehner’s office said these were positions he already agreed with. The statement that a lobbyist “won” Boehner’s backing was changed to one in which a lobbyist “sought” Boehner’s backing. That’s a rather critical change. The Times also added Boehner’s defense that these were long-held positions. To call Boehner’s aides angry at the account would be an understatement. “They were offered the opportunity to find out if this was true, and they chose to rely instead on the word of an anonymous lobbyist,” says spokesman Michael Steel. “They intentionally refused to get the information to prove that this allegation was false.” That allegation itself is pretty serious. But it would hardly be out of step for a paper that has previously sought to demonize Republicans’ relationships with lobbyists in either complete ignorance of or contradictory to the facts. Remember Vicki Iseman? The New York Times suggested in a February 2008 article that Iseman, then a lobbyist with Alcalde & Fay, had a romantic relationship with then-presidential candidate John McCain. Not a shred of evidence was offered to support the allegation, and the Times later printed a correction claiming it had no intention of making that suggestion. If making baseless accusations against Republicans and their relationships with lobbyists were not sordid enough, the Times has also made a habit of blindly accepting any claim made by President Obama regarding ethics and lobbying at simple face value. Here’s a sampling of Times headlines since 2008: On First Day, Obama Quickly Sets a New Tone Obama’s Transition Team Restricts Lobbyists’ Role Victory for Obama Over Military Lobby ‘All Kinds of Yelling’ Expected From Obama’s Lobbyist Crackdown Obama Returns Lobbyist’s Donations Obama Issues Sharp Call for Reforms on Wall Street White House, Lobbyists Still at Odds The President Orders Transparency The Times does occasionally run watered-down, statistic-ridden pieces such as “As Donors, Lobbyists Often Favor One Party” (since it’s not in the headline, I’ll bet you can guess which party). But neither the immeasurable hypocrisy of this administration’s rhetoric on “special interests” nor the administration’s ties to those special interests are explored in any detail. So when President Obama claimed that he had “excluded lobbyists from policymaking jobs” despite the 50 lobbyists he employed (and continues to employ) in policymaking jobs, the Times failed to note any disconnect. Instead, the paper ran a story claiming Obama’s new lobbyist rules would “revolutionize how lobbyists disclose their activities and contribute money to candidates for federal office.” Beyond simply ignoring the specific hypocrisies in Obama’s rhetoric, the Times has taken a see-no-evil approach to the president’s extensive ties to the largest industry groups, while trumpeting relationships between Republicans and “special interests.” The pattern was on full display this summer, when the Times had to be reminded that Obama received seven times as much in campaign contributions from Goldman Sachs as George W. Bush did from Enron. Yet while the Times had vaguely alleged some sort of unethical relationship between the defunct energy company and the Bush administration, it made no such suggestions concerning Goldman. Given its history, the Times’s approach to the Boehner story is, though underhanded, hardly shocking. The agenda in its coverage of lobbyists and lawmakers is quite clear. And given the Times’s clear willingness to toe the Democratic line on this issue, it’s worth pondering this interesting chain of events. Just this past week, President Obama began directing his ire towards congressional Republicans, and Boehner specifically. Mere days later, as Yid With Lid notes , the Times also took up that line of attack. Then, Sunday morning, as NewsBusters reported , White House press secretary Robert Gibbs tweeted a series of quotes from and laudatory remarks about the Times piece, from the official Twitter feed of the White House press office. The Times’s piece also plays pefectly into the DNC’s election strategy. In fact, it kicks off a week in which Democrats are hoping to paint Boehner, well, exactly as he is painted by the Times piece. A DNC official told Talking Points Memo : We are going to tell Americans exactly who he is: a special interest and lobbyist loving typical Washington politician who always puts the well heeled and well-to-do ahead of middle class families and small businesses and who would, if he became speaker, return the capitol to the anything goes, DeLay-Abramoff days and ways of doing business.  So the Times blasted Boehner in the Sunday paper with a line of attack taken up by President Obama last week and touted by the White House the morning of its publication, and teed up a week of Boehner-bashing by offering the laughable veil of objectivity to de facto Democratic talking points. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the mainstream media.

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NYT Tees Up DNC Talking Points With Ethically Questionable Piece on Boehner’s Lobbyist Ties

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