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CNN’s Blitzer Presses Crist on Party Preference, ‘You Just Can’t Caucus with Yourself’

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

During on interview on Saturday’s The Situation Room with independent Florida Senate candidate and Governor Charlie Crist, CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer pressed the former Republican to announce which party he would choose to caucus with if he is elected to the Senate, and brought up his current associations with Democrats and flip-flops toward more liberal positions. As Crist repeatedly tried to evade acknowledging the importance of being aligned with one of the two major parties to have influence, and the likelihood that he would ultimately choose to ally with one of the parties, Blitzer was persistent in pressing for an answer, at one point quipping: “You just can’t caucus with yourself, if you will, if you want to have some influence.” Crist eventually seemed to hint that his decision would depend on which party holds the majority after November: “And you’ve just hit on the pivotal issue really: What is in the best interests of the people of Florida? We don’t know who’s going to be in the majority November 2 nd after the general election. And so I think it’s important to keep an open mind, to stay committed only to one thing, and that’s the people of my state.” After playing a clip of Republican Senate candidate Marco Rubio accusing Crist of moving toward President Obama politically, Blitzer noted: “But are you increasingly embracing the Obama agenda? Because he’s saying you flip-flopped on a whole lot of issues where you were a Republican, but now you’re siding with the Democrats, including President Obama.” Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Saturday, August 14, The Situation Room on CNN: WOLF BLITZER: All right, let’s talk a little bit about why you’re here in Washington. Among other reasons, obviously, you want to be in the Situation Room, our Situation Room- GOVERNOR CHARLIE CRIST (I-FL), LAUGHING: I came here to see you. BLITZER: -but tonight you’re going to a fundraiser and some prominent Democrats are hosting this fundraiser for you, including someone very close to the former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton. What does that mean? Are you now a Democrat for all practical purposes? CRIST: I think it means we have broad support, and I’m very pleased by that. I mean, from Republicans, Democrats, independents. I think everybody has the notion and the idea that they would like an independent voice in the United States Senate fighting for Floridians first. And that’s what this is really all about – being independent, putting people above the party, and making sure that they have a voice in the Senate that’s an honest broker, looks out for their interests first. And Democrats and Republicans and independents want it. BLITZER: Are you getting more support now from Republicans or Democrats? CRIST: I’d say it’s pretty evenly split. I mean, you know, a lot of friends from the Republican party have stayed with us, continued to help, and God bless them for that. New Democrats who have become very good friends and some Democrats have been friend for a long time are just stepping up in a much more significant way now. BLITZER: The fundraiser tonight’s going to be basically Democrats, though? CRIST: That’s correct, it is. BLITZER: There are two independent U.S. Senators, as you know – Bernie Sanders and Joe Lieberman. But they both caucus with the Democrats and the Democrats are in the majority. They have chairmanship committees and committee rankings and all of that. If you’re elected to the United States Senate, will you caucus with the Democrats or the Republicans? CRIST: I’ve always said that I’ll caucus with the people of Florida. And what I mean by that is, issue by issue, whatever’s in the best interests of the people of my state, my fellow Floridians, I want to be able to be with those that are going to help Florida. BLITZER: But you got to make a decision because, if you’re not going to be caucusing with one party or the other party, you’re not going to have any committee ranking, you’re not going to have any influence in the United States Senate. You’re going to have to make a major decision. CRIST: Well, if I have the honor of winning, I’ll have a vote in the United States Senate. BLITZER: You’ll have one vote, but if you’re chairman of the committee, if you caucus with the Democrats, chairman of a subcommittee, you could have some influence, so you’re going to have to decide whether to caucus with the Democrats or the Republicans. You just can’t caucus with yourself, if you will, if you want to have some influence. CRIST: Well, I got to keep my eye on the ball, and the eye on the ball for me means looking at November 2 nd. I’m not going to be a chairman of anything if I don’t get elected to the Senate first. So I have to continue to work hard, campaign hard, continue to strive to earn the trust and confidence of my fellow Floridians. BLITZER: So when the Democrats at the fundraiser tonight ask you, Charlie Crist, we’re going to give you money, they’ll say. Are you promising us you’ll be with Harry Reid and the Democrats assuming he gets re-elected in the United States Senate, you won’t go with Mitch McConnell and the Republicans? CRIST: I’m not going to commit to either one because I’m only committed to the people of Florida. BLITZER: So you’ll commit after, if you’re elected. Is that what you’re saying? CRIST: Probably. BLITZER: Because you’ll have to caucus, you’ll have to make that decision down the road. CRIST: Well, I don’t know that Wayne Morris did. I think he literally took a seat in the middle of the aisle, right? BLITZER: He didn’t. You’re right. You’re right on that. He didn’t. He took a seat in the middle, but, you know, then the people of Florida could suffer if you don’t have the influence that you would like to have. CRIST: And you’ve just hit on the pivotal issue really: What is in the best interests of the people of Florida? We don’t know who’s going to be in the majority November 2 nd after the general election. And so I think it’s important to keep an open mind, to stay committed only to one thing, and that’s the people of my state. BLITZER: Your Republican challenger, Marco Rubio, was here. He was sitting in that seat in the Situation Room just a little while ago on July 20. He said this: MARCO RUBIO, FLORIDA REPUBLICAN SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: I don’t believe he’s really an independent. I think there’s increasing evidence that he now is embracing the Obama agenda. BLITZER: You heard what he said. CRIST: I heard what he said. BLITZER: You’re smiling. CRIST: Well, why wouldn’t I smile? BLITZER: But are you increasingly embracing the Obama agenda? Because he’s saying you flip-flopped on a whole lot of issues where you were a Republican, but now you’re siding with the Democrats, including President Obama. CRIST: Well, that’s what you’d expect him to say. He’s my opponent after all, one of them. And we don’t know who the other one’s gong to be yet until the primary concludes on August 24. So I look forward to that. I really do. And there will be distinctions between us on a lot of issues. But that’s the kind of thing you hear from a lot of the, you know, party candidates, if you will. They like to take shots at people. I’m not here to really do that today. I’m here to offer myself to the people of Florida as an independent voice who wants to rise above that kind of back-and-forth stuff that’s driving them crazy all over the country.

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CNN’s Sanchez: Reid’s Racist Gaffe Emblematic of Angle’s Incompetence

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

Discussing Harry Reid’s racially-charged comment about Hispanic Republicans, Rick Sanchez miraculously managed to turn the embattled senator’s gaffe into an example of his opponent Sharron Angle’s incompetence. On the prime time “Rick’s List” yesterday, the CNN host actually gave serious consideration to the Nevada Democrat’s claim while exploring the extent to which the Angle campaign is “blacking out” Hispanic media outlets. “Also, do you think a Hispanic-American can be a Republican?” teased Sanchez. “Harry Reid doesn’t think so. And I’m going to tell you what Hispanic groups are saying about his opponent as well.” Instead of interviewing a Hispanic Republican who is offended by Reid’s insensitive remarks, Sanchez brought on Miguel Barrientos, a liberal talk show host, to “drill down” on why Angle is allegedly ignoring Hispanic journalists. “These charges against Angle, are they real?” asked a bewildered Sanchez. “Is she really blocking out the Latin media? Or is this just a case of opportunism by her opponent, Harry Reid?” After Barrientos confirmed that Angle apparently does not feel the need to reach out to media personalities who describe themselves as “activists” who “get involved very heavily in the political area,” Sanchez wondered if the Republican Senate nominee is merely an incompetent campaigner: Well, look, maybe she’s just not good at this. Maybe she’s hired people who aren’t very savvy at reaching out to the media. Maybe they’re not very organized and they don’t return phone calls. You know, there’s a stretch between someone not being competent at dealing with the media and somebody blocking out a specific part of the media, simply because they don’t like them, because they’re Hispanic or black or Asian or whatever the accusation is. Reid drew fire when he claimed he doesn’t “know how anyone of Hispanic heritage could be a Republican.” Rather than criticize Reid for insulting the intelligence of every Hispanic Republican in America, Sanchez characterized the Senate majority leader’s statement as something that “some, possibly even what many, Americans think.” A transcript of the relevant segment can be found below: CNN Rick’s List August 11, 2010 Also, do you think a Hispanic-American can be a Republican? Harry Reid doesn’t think so. And I’m going to tell you what Hispanic groups are saying about his opponent as well. This is a hot political story, and I’m going to take you through it when we come back. This is RICK’S LIST. I’m glad that you’re here. RICK SANCHEZ: I am so excited about that. Can’t wait to share it with you. Welcome back. I’m Rick Sanchez. It may be what some, possibly even what many, Americans think. But should it be said by the Senate Majority Leader? What am I talking about? Should Harry Reid suggest that no self-respecting Hispanic-American can be or should be a Republican? Play it, Kel. Sen. HARRY REID (D-NV): I don’t know how anyone of Hispanic heritage could be a Republican, OK? Do I need to say more? SANCHEZ: No, you don’t need to say more. Now, as a South Floridian, I can tell you, senator, that there are many Hispanic Republicans. The question is whether Senator Reid is taking advantage of his opponent’s problems with Hispanics in Nevada. A problem that seems to have come to a head lately with the Latino reporters saying that Sharron Angle is blacking out the Latin media, blacking them out. They say they’re not invited to her press events, that they’re not set press releases, and their phone calls aren’t even being returned. Those are the accusations. Those are the charges. Now we asked both camps about this. Here’s what I got from Reid’s camp. Right? He sent me this tweet saying, look, Rick, “Angle’s anti-saving jobs, helping unemployed, social security, Medicare, and says immigration reform overriding our culture.” So he takes a shot at her. Well, here’s what Angle tweets, alright. “Harry Reid pulls out race card again, whacks himself in the head.” So you could see that they’re going at each other here. Now we asked Angle to join us tonight but she declined. I’ll read you her comment nonetheless. “We have brought on more communication staff,” she says, “in recent days, and we will be reaching out to all media outlets aggressively between now and Election Day.” “This attack,” she says, “is an attempt by Harry Reid to distract the voters from his record and his insensitive comments yesterday regarding Hispanic voters.” So here we go, tit-for-tat, right? Joining me now to wade through all this is Miguel Barrientos. He’s a community activist and radio host for KLAV-AM out in Las Vegas. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to roll the R’s while on American television. That was kind of neat. All right. Let’s start with this. These charges against Angle, are they real? Is she really blocking out the Latin media? Or is this just a case of opportunism by her opponent, Harry Reid? MIGUEL BARRIENTOS, KLAV-AM talk show host: First of all, hello, Rick. We have been working in the community through our radio show. We’re activists. We get involved very heavily in the political area. And we have contacted Sharron Angle’s office saying we want to hear what’s going on, we want to know what the tea party feels about, you know, opening the door to the Latinos, especially when you’re talking about immigration issues. And we have not gotten any phone calls returned. We don’t get support from their staff to say, “this is what we feel.” We always hear what they say on the local print media, but doesn’t come forward and talk to our community to our media. SANCHEZ: Well, look, maybe she’s just not good at this. Maybe she’s hired people who aren’t very savvy at reaching out to the media. Maybe they’re not very organized and they don’t return phone calls. You know, there’s a stretch between someone not being competent at dealing with the media and somebody blocking out a specific part of the media, simply because they don’t like them, because they’re Hispanic or black or Asian or whatever the accusation is. Are you sure when you make this accusation that you’re saying, “look, she’s got a problem with Hispanics?” BARRIENTOS: Well, I’m not – I don’t think she dislikes Hispanics. When you have potentially 100,000 voters that are going to be coming out to vote in the elections and she’s not paying attention to the segment of the community, maybe you’re right. Maybe she doesn’t understand, maybe she’s incompetent, maybe she’s not interested in the Latino vote at this point. SANCHEZ: She says that she’s going to try and hire some people to reach out to you. What’s your reaction to that? BARRIENTOS: Well, I think now that you brought it to her attention, maybe she’s going to get a little smarter on how she’s going to run the campaign and get some Latinos out there to maybe speak on her behalf, which I think is a good idea. SANCHEZ: There’s a possibility that someone in her camp would feel like you’re not going to give her a straight shot anyway. In other words, that much of your coverage is going to be directed towards the Democrat because the voting record there in Nevada tends to be from Hispanics, more of a Democratic vote than a Republican vote. How would you answer that charge? BARRIENTOS: Well, we have issues on the table, Rick. We have issues such as immigration reform. You know, this is something that we have been fighting since 2003 here in Nevada. We’ve been working with the politicians. The Republican Party has basically ignored our call. They don’t support anything that has to do with immigration reform. The DREAM Act is a big issue that our community is faced with, and we need to open up the doors for higher education for those who qualify. I mean, it’s always negative, negative, negative, when it comes down to our issues. So how are we supposed to feel when they’re not really taking care? We’re part of the constituency in her district. SANCHEZ: We’ll leave it at that, then. We understand your point of view and we’ll continue to drill down on this topic. Miguel Barrientos, thanks so much, sir. BARRIENTOS: Thank you, Rick.

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Wire Watch: Rostenkowski Name That Party Round-up

Posted on August 11, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Wednesday evening, Brent Baker at NewsBusters noted that two of the Big Three television networks failed to tag Dan Rostenkowsi, the former long-time congressman from Chicago who was ousted from his seat in 1994 over corruption charges and ended doing prison time, as a Democrat. Rostenkowski (RIP), who was 82, died yesterday. At the five major wire services whose reports I reviewed — The Associated Press, Reuters, UPI, AFP, and the business-oriented Bloomberg News — Rosty’s Democratic affiliation made at least one appearance. But the prominence and directness of those appearances varied widely. Not surprisingly, the Associated Press and writer Don Babwin did the worst job of identifying Rosty’s party, waiting until the eleventh paragraph to directly tag him (the eighth paragraph contains a generic reference to the “Chicago Democratic machine”), and poured it on the thickest when referring to the supposedly beloved bygone days of bipartisanship: Rostenkowski became symbol of power and excesses With his rumpled suits and gruff, growling voice, former Rep. Dan Rostenkowski was far more comfortable behind closed doors than in front of the camera or behind a podium. Rostenkowski left speeches to others, but he quietly wielded enormous power on Capitol Hill for more than 30 years, becoming one of the most powerful lawmakers of his time – and a potent symbol of Washington’s excesses after he pleaded guilty to corruption charges. When Rostenkowski died Wednesday of lung cancer at age 82, those who knew him recalled a meat-and potatoes politician from an era that doesn’t exist anymore, where leaders crossed party lines to cut deals and seek consensus, and where a young man from Chicago’s Northwest Side could grow up to shape the national agenda as head of a congressional committee. Today most of that power rests with the House speaker. … Back home, where he emerged from the Chicago Democratic Machine, Rostenkowski brought in millions of federal dollars for public works projects, including improvements to the Kennedy Expressway, the transformation of Navy Pier on Chicago’s downtown lakefront into a recreational area, and the construction of a train line to the city’s biggest airport. … Rostenkowski was at once a tough politician who called Chicago politics a “blood sport,” and a master at the disappearing art of political compromise. So even as he fought battles on behalf of Chicago mayors back home, the staunch Democrat worked closely with President Ronald Reagan and President George H.W. Bush in Washington. “We were going to work together,” he once said. “We were going to get something done. We were Democrats and Republicans, but we were also legislators.” Sensible, Constitution-based conservatives more accurately recall the years fondly described by Babwin as the period when Congressional Republicans could usually be counted to eventually cave in to the government-expanding ideas of Democrats and then figure out a way to pay for them by becoming what Newt Gingrich, who become the first to seriously change that dynamic in 1994 (unfortunately not consistently), used to call “tax collectors for the welfare state.” At Reuters , Nick Carey got the D-word into the third paragraph, while remarkably (and correctly) connecting Rostenkowski to a current congressman in serious trouble: Former Representative Dan Rostenkowski dies at 82 Dan Rostenkowski, who as Congress’ chief tax-writer was one of most powerful U.S. politicians in the 1980s and early 1990s until brought down by a corruption conviction and a 17-month prison sentence, has died at age 82. The office of an alderman in Rostenkowski’s old congressional district in Chicago on Wednesday confirmed his death. As chairman of the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee for 13 years starting in 1981, the Illinois Democrat had a hand in some of the most important legislation of that period. But a federal grand jury indicted him on felony corruption charges in 1994, and he eventually pleaded guilty to mail fraud. Just last March, another Democrat who led the Ways and Means Committee, Charles Rangel, was forced to step down as chairman in the face of ethics charges. UPI’s unbyllined coverage was hard on Rosty but overly light on the D-word, putting in the worst performance of all five wire services in that regard. The coverage never directly referred to him as a Democrat, only noting that his father was a party member: Former U.S. Rep. Dan Rostenkowski dead Former U.S. Rep Dan Rostenkowski, who rose to be chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and went to prison in disgrace, died Wednesday. He was 82. Rostenkowski died at his summer home in Powers Lake, Wis., after a long battle with cancer, the Chicago Tribune reported. A onetime Washington political insider and power broker, Rostenkowski represented his Chicago 5th Congressional District in Congress for 36 years, rising to head the powerful tax-writing Ways and Means Committee that rewrote the 1986 U.S. tax code. The son of 32nd Ward Democratic Alderman Joseph Rostenkowski, Daniel was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1958 and served until scandal brought him down in 1994. He was indicted on 17 counts ranging from mail and wire fraud to obstruction of justice, including hiring ghost payrollers and maintaining political slush funds. Over at AFP , the unbylined story’s headline weirdly didn’t name Rosty, but got the D-word into the third paragraph, while doing a pretty good job of succinctly describing his political life: Powerful 18-term former US congressman dies CHICAGO — Dan Rostenkowski, a powerful legislator during the Ronald Reagan era who was elected to 18 terms in Congress before being arrested on corruption charges, died Wednesday at the age of 82. An old-style Chicago ward boss and protege of the windy city’s legendary mayor Richard J. Daley, Rostenkowski served in the House of Representatives from 1959 to 1995. As chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee from 1981 until 1994, the Illinois Democrat helped broker a key deal to keep the Social Security system solvent and played a major role in reforming taxes, welfare and foreign trade. He was unseated by an upstart Republican in the 1994 election after being indicted in a wide-ranging corruption case where he was accused of everything from maintaining slush funds to accepting bribes. Despite pleading guilty to two counts of mail fraud for misusing taxpayer money in 1996 and serving 15 months in jail, Rostenkowski maintained his innocence for the rest of his life. He was pardoned by outgoing President Bill Clinton just before Christmas 2000. Business-oriented Bloomberg News was the only outlet to put Rostenkowski’s party affiliation into its headline, and otherwise pulled no punches on using the D-word. As would be expected, Laurence Arnold’s story concentrated on Rosty’s involvement with tax legislation: Dan Rostenkowski, Democrat Who Steered Tax Policy, Dies at 82 Dan Rostenkowski, a product of Chicago’s fabled political machine who engineered U.S. tax policy, indulged in the perks of his job during 36 years in Congress and wound up in prison for misusing funds, has died, according to a Democratic official. He was 82. He died today at his home in Wisconsin, the official said. As chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee from 1981 to 1994, Rostenkowski was a Democratic rampart that three presidents had to navigate if they hoped to change U.S. tax laws as well as health and Social Security policies. The grandson of Polish immigrants and protégé of legendary Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley, Rostenkowski was “big, brash and bellowing — a door slammer and, at times, a bully,” Jeffrey Birnbaum and Alan Murray wrote in “Showdown at Gucci Gulch: Lawmakers, Lobbyists and the Unlikely Triumph of Tax Reform,” an account of the Tax Reform Act of 1986. That law was Rostenkowski’s best-known achievement. He worked with Republican President Ronald Reagan and other lawmakers to lower tax rates while ending enough deductions and shelters to avoid increasing the federal budget deficit. He became something of a national celebrity for urging viewers, in a televised address, to send letters supporting tax reform to “Rosty, Washington, D.C.” Tens of thousands of letters came in that way, and for a time “Write Rosty” buttons were the rage on Capitol Hill. His long career ended in an indictment, lost reelection, conviction and prison sentence. Since Bloomberg mentioned health policy, it’s worth recalling that one of Rosty’s worst political moments related to how he wanted to “reform” Medicare. As would be expected from a Democrat, it involved taxes and higher premiums. Eventually it was kicked to the curb. That’s because as a YouTube courtesy of CBSNewsOnline shows, opposition was fierce. The video’s last few moments capture an exchange that could have come straight out the Democratic Party’s 2010 playbook: Rostenkowski (to a reporter walking alongside him as he was attempting to “escape,” i.e., avoid talking to, an angry crowd of seniors): I don’t think they understand what the government’s trying to do for them. That’s always been a problem. Reporter: Do you sympathize with their anger on this? Rostenkowski: No, I don’t think they understand what’s going on. With all due respect to the late congressman, the upset seniors knew exactly what was going on then; many more of us understand it even better now. Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com .

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CBS: Charlie Rangel Made ‘Emotional and Raw Defense’ on House Floor

Posted on August 11, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

In a sympathetic story devoid of critics on Tuesday’s CBS Evening News, correspondent Wyatt Andrews described Congressman Charles Rangel’s rant over being charged with numerous ethics violations this way: “In an emotional and raw defense against 13 ethics charges, Charles Rangel mixed small doses of contrition…into a speech of political defiance.” Andrews’s report featured only sound bites of Rangel’s speech that afternoon on the House floor, no critics of the New York Congressman from either party were included. Andrews did explain that Rangel was in “serious trouble” and detailed the charges: “Rangel is charged with not reporting his income on a beach villa in the Dominican Republic, his taxable gains on a condo in Florida. Not reporting several large investment accounts and with raising money for his Rangel Center at the City College in New York from dozens of companies needing favors from his committee.” Continuing to report on Rangel’s bombastic address, Andrews observed: “…this was real-world drama. A man who had clawed his way to the peak of political power now shocked to find himself deserted by so many friends.” Andrews concluded: “Many Democrats…hoped that Rangel would actually take one for the team and quit before his ethics problem became their election issue. But Rangel called that kind of thinking unfair to him and even asked at one point in his speech, ‘what about me?'” Here is a full transcript of the August 10 segment: 6:34PM ET KATIE COURIC: Now to another 40-year veteran of Capitol Hill, Democratic Congressman Charles Rangel of New York forced out as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee and now facing a House ethics trial and possible expulsion. Wyatt Andrews tells us Rangel took to the floor of the House today to defend himself. CHARLES RANGEL: Are you going to expel me from this body? WYATT ANDREWS: In an emotional and raw defense against 13 ethics charges, Charles Rangel mixed small doses of contrition- RANGEL: I apologize for any embarrassment that I’ve caused. ANDREWS: -into a speech of political defiance. RANGEL: Fire your best shot in getting rid of me. ANDREWS: And to any Democrat, starting with the President, who hoped that Rangel would resign to avoid an embarrassing ethics trial just before the election: RANGEL: Don’t leave me swinging in the wind until November. I deserve and demand the right to be heard. ANDREWS: Rangel said he wants a trial and isn’t going anywhere. RANGEL: Hey, if I was you, I may want me to go away, too. I am not going away! I am here! ANDREWS: But he is also in serious trouble. Rangel is charged with not reporting his income on a beach villa in the Dominican Republic, his taxable gains on a condo in Florida. Not reporting several large investment accounts and with raising money for his Rangel Center at the City College in New York from dozens of companies needing favors from his committee. RANGEL: I apologize. ANDREWS: Despite his apology for breaking House rules, he minimized most of the charges as technical. RANGEL: There has to be a penalty for grabbing the wrong stationery. ANDREWS: But not criminal. RANGEL: It may be stupid, it may be negligent, but it’s not corrupt. ANDREWS: On the House floor itself, this was real-world drama. A man who had clawed his way to the peak of political power now shocked to find himself deserted by so many friends. RANGEL: But for God’s sake, just don’t believe that I don’t have feelings, that I don’t have pride. ANDREWS: Many Democrats who are facing tough reelection campaigns thought that – hoped that Rangel would actually take one for the team and quit before his ethics problem became their election issue. But Rangel called that kind of thinking unfair to him and even asked at one point in his speech, ‘what about me?’ Katie. COURIC: Wyatt Andrews on Capitol Hill. Wyatt, thank you.

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ABC’s George Stephanopoulos Hits Michelle Malkin With White House Spin on Dem Corruption

Posted on August 11, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Conservative pundit Michelle Malkin made a rare appearance on Wednesday’s Good Morning America and highlighted the issue of Democratic corruption. Co-host George Stephanopoulos responded to criticisms of a Colorado Democrat by touting White House talking points. Malkin made the point, almost entirely ignored on GMA, that now-defeated candidate Andrew Romanoff was apparently offered administration jobs in order to not challenge the incumbent senator. Stephanopoulos promptly defended, ” Which I should say, [the allegations] were denied by Romanoff and by the White House about whether or not he was offered a job to get him out of the way. ” [MP3 audio here .] Malkin then mentioned e-mails released by the Denver Post backing up the claim of job offers. This prompted the former Democratic operative turned journalist to weakly protest, “Well, except he had been going for the job before the campaign began.” Of course, Stephanopoulos and GMA have showed little interest in the subject of Andrew Romanoff’s troubles. Other than a brief mention by Jake Tapper on June 3, 2010, the morning show has ignored the allegations of job offers from the White House. Even though Malkin was on the program to promote the paperback edition of Culture of Corruption, Stephanopoulos focused on potential Republican problems: “[Democrats] believe that when tea party candidates like Ken Buck in Colorado, like Sharron Angle in Nevada, like Rand Paul in Kentucky win, they actually give the Democrats a better chance of winning in November.” It should also be noted that the Malkin segment aired at the very end of the show, at 8:48am EDT. A transcript of the August 11 segment follows: GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Last night’s primary results have set the political landscape for the fall campaign. What did we learn about President Obama, Sarah Palin and what may happen come November? Here with her always provocative point of view, Fox News contributor and author of the New York Times number one best-seller Culture of Corruption, Michelle Malkin. Good to see you. MICHELLE MALKIN: You too, George. STEPHANOPOULOS: Let’s start out. Quick take on last night. MALKIN: You know, there’s no inevitabilities in politics. And I live in Colorado now which, of course, had a bunch of very high-profile primaries. And the White House is patting itself on the back but probably more exhaling with ultimate relief that its candidate in the Senate race, the appointed incumbent Michael Bennet eked through and he faced a very scary challenge from a far left progressive candidate, Andrew Romanoff. And you’ll recall that there is a culture of corruption angle to this because this was the race where allegations of attempted bribery, in essence, came up because- STEPHANOPOULOS: Which I should say, they were denied by Romanoff and by the White House about whether or not he was offered a job to get him out of the way. MALKIN: Of course. The Denver Post had reported last fall that White House chief of- the deputy chief of staff Jim Messina had approached Romanoff and offered a plethora of White House administration jobs to get him to drop out and Romanoff released E-mails that essentially confirmed that. STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, except he had been going for the job before the campaign began . But, let’s talk about Colorado- MALKIN: Well, I think the point there though is it’s not just conservatives and people on my side of the aisle that are talking about this stench, this culture of corruption that seems to stick to the Chicago team and Obama. This was a Democrat who blew the whistle and he blew the whistle after Joe Sestak came forward and made similar allegations. STEPHANOPOULOS: You talk about the stench. And there is just no question that all across the country there is a real anger at Washington. But in some ways, you can say it’s kind of bipartisan . You talk about Colorado last night, the President’s candidate survived. On the Republican side, you had the tea party candidate win the primary against the more establishment Republican figure. I know you’re deep in the middle of the Tea Party, Tea party supporter. B ut how do you respond to what a lot of Democrats believe? They believe that when tea party candidates like Ken Buck in Colorado, like Sharron Angle in Nevada, like Rand Paul in Kentucky win, they actually give the Democrats a better chance of winning in November. MALKIN: Look, you can look at this as purely from the electoral standpoint or you can look at it if you’re a grassroots conservative like I am, and I live out in the west now, I live in Colorado. And we have a longer view about moving the party to where we think it should be. Committed to conservative principles and we were very dispirited during the Bush administration at seeing beltway Republicans capitulate and essentially become big government versions of the people that they say they opposed. And that’s what’s making 2010 such an interesting period because no establishment Republican is safe. STEPHANOPOULOS: That’s clear. MALKIN: We saw it in Utah. Bob Bennett is no longer in office because grassroots conservatives kicked him out. STEPHANOPOULOS: So, are you saying it’s better to be pure than to compromise for victory? MALKIN: Well, that’s always been my position as a grassroots conservative. And I think that’s what the Tea Party has always tried to say. I was covering the Tea Party movement before it was called a Tea Party movement. And this was in the days around the stimulus debate when it was getting shoved down the American taxpayers’ throat and something unfortunately the mainstream media refused to acknowledge that it was a bottom-up movement that could never have been coordinated by beltway Republicans, that they were tired of a lack of corruption. That they were tired of a lack of transparency and the trampling over the deliberative process. And, of course, Obama and the Chicago team and the Democrat majority have been at the center of that. But nobody is immune to that kind of criticism and revolt and that’s why these beltway Republicans have been under fire. STEPHANOPOULOS: So, given that and you say you take the long-term view. Let’s jump ahead then to 2012. Who is the potential Republican candidate for 2012 that most embodies the Tea Party principles? Is it Sarah Palin? MALKIN: Well, certainly she is a favorite and she’s spoken at tea party conventions and she embodies this outside the beltway mentality. She gets it. She has an authenticity that I think that a lot of these beltway Republicans and old tired names have been lacking. But, just getting back to the culture of corruption for a moment, we didn’t talk about Connecticut where you have this outsider Republican Linda McMahon who easily won against the more establishment candidate Rob Simmons. I think people need to be reminded that the reason that race is happening in the first place is because voters were sick of corruptocrat Chris Dodd. STEPHANOPOULOS: You know, the computer’s going to cut us off. I could talk to you all morning. But, thank you very much. The book is called Culture of Corruption. The paperback is in book stores now. You can read an excerpt on ABCNews.com/GMA.

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ABC’s George Stephanopoulos Hits Michelle Malkin With White House Spin on Dem Corruption

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On CNN, Tavis Smiley Sees Racism in Rangel, Waters Probes; Actress Trashes Limbaugh

Posted on August 11, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

PBS talk show host Tavis Smiley guest-hosted on CNN’s Larry King Live on Tuesday night, and perhaps unsurprisingly, encouraged the view that there’s racism in the congressional ethics investigations of Charlie Rangel and Maxine Waters. “Facts are facts. The names that keep coming out happen to be members of the Congressional Black Caucus.” Smiley never seemed to consider whether the charges had merit — on the content of these politicians’ character — only on the color of their skin. He asked actress Aisha Tyler about this alleged outbreak of racism in the Democrat-dominated Congress, and Tyler unleashed an attack on Rush Limbaugh for suggesting the media thinks Michelle Obama’s entitled to a lavish vacation in Spain because of America’s sordid racial past: SMILEY: I wanted to raise this with Aisha. Maxine Waters on this radio show, on “The Tom Joyner Show” today — and I’m paraphrasing here — makes the point that this committee is established under Democrats, but the names that keep leaking out on the folks under investigation happen to be African- American members of Congress. Eight names of members of the Congressional Black Caucus, including, of course, Charlie Rangel, including Maxine Waters, have leaked out. What do you make of that? TYLER: Look, if I was a conspiracy theorist, or if I was a little bit more dead inside that I already am, if I had been deadened more by the political process over the last two years than I already have been, you would see a pattern of trying to besmirched the president’s name by association. I think what we have generally — I mean, when you look at something like the FLOTUS trip to Spain and everyone criticizing her for not taking American trips — she’s already taken four American vacations here. There’s this ongoing effort to call regular kind of common behavior into question and associate it somehow with race. Taking a lavish trip to Spain with 60 Secret Service agents isn’t “common behavior,” even if Mrs. Obama can’t travel without an entourage. Limbaugh’s brief commentary was addressed to the point that the liberal media have long defended the Obamas in everything they do, with the added psychoanalysis that the Obama deserve a different, more charitable standard of analysis because they are the historic first black family in the White House. What was seriously phony in this conversation was Tyler and Smiley expressing oh-so-great reluctance to see racism in every criticism of a black politician: TYLER: I hate to be in that want place. I don’t ever want to be in that place mentally. It’s not a fun place for me to be, to be always thinking about things being motivated racially. SMILEY: But — I think the R-word is over-used in this country. But facts are facts. The names that keep coming out happen to be members of the Congressional Black Caucus. STEPHANIE MILLER: As you know, it’s a complete mistake when Fox News is talking about Shirley Sherrod and runs footage of Maxine Waters by accident, and talking about John Conyers and runs footage of William Jefferson by mistake. You know that’s just a mistake. TYLER: You don’t even want to say what the subtext is in there. It’s such a clam. You know what I mean? You don’t even want to bring it up. I do think the word racism is over-used in this country. At the same time, what I do think is happening right now is there’s more of a subtext of racialism, where when you have somebody like Rush Limbaugh saying that the reason that Michelle Obama went to Spain is that black people are trying to get some of what white people have enjoyed. I mean, come on. Smiley was so enjoying Tyler’s attacks on Limbaugh that he returned to encouraging them after a commercial break: SMILEY: Welcome back to Larry King Live, joined now by our panel. Before the break, Aisha, you were starting to lay out for us your formulation at least about the Michelle Obama trip to Spain. I want to go around the horn, but go ahead and finish your point. TYLER: The thing that I’m really struggling with here — and I’m not going to call Rush Limbaugh, but that is a racialist attitude to say that somehow black people have never traveled abroad until the First Lady got her shot at Spain. I mean, look, I speak three languages. I lived in Europe. I lived overseas. The idea that somehow she’s getting back at white people for slavery by paying her own way to take her daughter to Spain is just extraordinary hyperbole of the highest order. And it’s ridiculous. Tyler was the one picking up the “extraordinary hyperbole” in alleging Limbaugh had said “black people have never traveled abroad” or that Michelle is “getting back at white people for slavery” with the Spain trip — neither of which he said.

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On CNN, Tavis Smiley Sees Racism in Rangel, Waters Probes; Actress Trashes Limbaugh

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Tea Party Infiltrator Busted

Posted on August 10, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

A videographer at this weekend’s Fancy Farm political celebration in Kentucky hounded a man pretending to be part of the Tea Party Movement, wearing Rand Paul swag and holding up a racist anti-immigrant sign, badgering him to reveal who he was. The cameraman caught back up with him when, later, the man walked with supporters Paul’s Democrat opponent, Jack Conway. added by: CarlosBobthe3rd

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Howard Dean Claims Unpopular ObamaCare Mandate Could be Ruled Unconstitutional

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

A well known political figure appears on MSNBC’s Daily Rundown and announces, in the wake of Missouri voters overwhelmingly supporting Proposition C to remove the insurance mandate from ObamaCare, that it is so unpopular that it will probably be removed from that legislation or that the courts will rule it unconstitutional. So was the person who delivered this opinion a conservative Republican? Nope. It was Howard Dean, former Democrat presidential candidate and chairman of the DNC who made that statement to a surprised Chuck Todd and Savannah Guthrie. The Daily Rundown conversation begins with Chuck Todd discussing the Proposition C landslide in Missouri: CHUCK TODD: In Missouri this week there was referendum on the ballot. Non-binding but it was, frankly, the legislature didn’t want to deal with the issue of healthcare and this mandate and about whether the state should challenge the mandate on the new healthcare plan. It got 71%. Yes, more Republicans turned out than Democrats. But 71% in Missouri, that has to make Democrats nervous, particularly in that Senate race. Robin Carnahan has got an uphill battle. HOWARD DEAN: She does have an uphill battle. She’s a great human being and a great person and I hope that she’s going to win that one. I think she can but the truth is the mandate is not essential to the plan anyway and never was essential to the plan. They did it in Massachusetts and had a mandate but we had universal healthcare for kids in my state without a mandate. At this point, a clearly surprised Savannah Guthrie steps in. SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: But wait, how can you say the mandate isn’t essential? The way we always had it explained to us by folks at the White House is that if you want to do anything about pre-existing conditions you got to get everybody into the game. That without the mandate you can’t require insurance companies to stop prohibiting… DEAN: We did. We did it 20 years ago in my state. We did it 20 years ago in my state. TODD: Without a mandate? DEAN: Without a mandate. TODD: How did you do it? DEAN: We just said all comers will have to get insurance. And you can’t charge…this is why our bill is so much better than what they just passed…you can’t charge more than 20% above the basic rate and the Senate is 300% based on age. The fact of the matter is I thought that the President was right in the campaign. Academically you want a mandate. The American people aren’t going to put up with a mandate. And I’ve made this prediction before and I am going to make it again, by the time this goes into effect in 2014 I think the mandate will be gone. Either through the courts or because it’s unpopular. You don’t need it. There will be 2 or 3 percent of the people who cheat. That is not enough to bring the system to a halt. And people don’t like to be told what to do. TODD: So you expect them to drop the mandate? DEAN: Well, the courts may rule it unconstitutional. So it isn’t only conservatives who think the ObamaCare mandate is not only unpopular but may be ruled unconstitutional as well. Count Howard Dean among the growing ranks of those who have the same belief. Which is why Todd and Guthrie were so surprised.

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Howard Dean Claims Unpopular ObamaCare Mandate Could be Ruled Unconstitutional

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Krauthammer: Classified Leaks in Bush and Nixon Years Got You a Pulitzer Prize, With a Dem President You’re Condemned

Posted on August 6, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Charles Krauthammer on Friday made a truly wonderful observation about how differently the media handle leaks of classified information depending on whether there’s a Democrat or a Republican in the White House. As the discussion on PBS’s “Inside Washington” moved to the Wikileaks affair, the Washington Post’s Colby King said, “I don’t see it as such a difficult issue at all for the Pentagon. It’s, you know, it’s our material, it’s not [Wikileaks’].” This led Krauthammer to ask, “How come in the Bush years and the Nixon years, when you leaked stuff that’s our material, classified material, you end up with a Pulitzer Prize, and now if you have a Democratic administration, you end up being condemned from left and right?” He continued, “I’m not sure I understand” (video follows with transcript and commentary): GORDON PETERSON, HOST: Let me touch on something in terms of we talked about last week, and that’s the Wikileaks issue. The Pentagon now wants to get its hands on all of these papers. What are the odds of that? We don’t know if this guy will give them up, I mean he’s publishing them everywhere. JOSH GERSTEIN, POLITICO: Right, well and there this fascinating bid  by Wikileaks, I think a pretty interesting play by them. They’ve actually gone to the Pentagon and said, “Well, yeah, we would love to discuss with you what’s exactly sensitive in here. Why don’t you come to the table and talk about it?” I think the Pentagon is saying they have not really been asked that, but that is what Wikileaks is saying, which would put the Pentagon in a very awkward position because they, you know, there’s talk of prosecuting these folks. They do not want to be sitting at the same table with them going through page by page… PETERSON: Well, Admiral Mullen says they’re putting lives at risk. COLBY KING, WASHINGTON POST: I don’t see it as such a difficult issue at all for the Pentagon. It’s, you know, it’s our material, it’s not yours. We’re not going to negotiate with… GERSTEIN: Well, but their materials may be in your newsroom as well. KING: That’s okay. GERSTEIN: Should they come over and pick those up? KING: They can ask us for it. We won’t give it to them, but they have every right to demand it. CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER, SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: But if it’s such a simple issue… KING: But you don’t negotiate it. KRAUTHAMMER: If it’s such a simple issue, how come in the Bush years and the Nixon years, when you leaked stuff that’s our material, classified material, you end up with a Pulitzer Prize, and now if you have a Democratic administration, you end up being condemned from left and right? I’m not sure I understand. I’m not sure I do either. After all, just how many Pulitzers were passed out to so-called journalists during the Bush and Nixon years for leaking classified information? And how many went to members of the Washington Post? Yet there’s the Post’s King for the second week in a row taking a position that he likely didn’t take in the previous decade or under Nixon, and probably wouldn’t if McCain was in the White House. As such, why the double standard?

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Krauthammer: Classified Leaks in Bush and Nixon Years Got You a Pulitzer Prize, With a Dem President You’re Condemned

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CNN: ‘Will Bush-bashing Help Democrats Win Over Weary Voters?’

Posted on August 6, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

On Friday, CNN prominently featured an article at the front page of its website with the headline,”Can Bush-bashing Help Sway Voters?” (pictured right). Click on that link , and the reader was treated to an even more inflammatory title: Will Bush-bashing Help Democrats Win Over Weary Voters? Not surprisingly, the article was just as defamatory to America’s 43rd President: While he’s not on the ballot, George W. Bush is still vital to the midterm election as far as the nation’s top Democrat is concerned. President Obama has made a point recently to invoke Bush’s name in what many say is a calculated effort to remind voters of the previous administration’s economic policies, which Democrats argue led to the worst recession in modern history. Author Ed Hornick next used some polls to validate Obama’s strategy: A Quinnipiac University poll, taken July 13-19, asked 2,181 registered voters: “Who do you blame more for the current condition of the U.S. economy: former President George W. Bush or President Barack Obama?” Fifty-three percent said Bush; 25 percent said Obama; 21 percent said either neither, both or unsure. Perhaps the most stark example of why Bush’s name is now a part of Obama’s stump speech comes from a poll by the Benenson Strategy Group, the president’s chief polling firm. The poll was taken for Third Way, a moderate think tank. Let’s be a tad more specific about the last pollsters. The New York Times in January referred to BSG as “a Democratic polling firm.” As for Third Way, it refers to itself at its website as “the leading moderate think-tank of the progressive movement.” That makes it moderate for progressives not moderate! Even more telling: “Three of our former chairs now serve in the senior ranks of the Obama administration: Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, and Under-Secretary of State Ellen Tauscher.” As such, to support his point concerning why Bush-bashing is a good strategy for Obama and the Democrats this election, Hornick referenced a study by a Democratic pollster and a progressive think-tank with three former chairmembers now working for the White House! With this in mind, readers shouldn’t be at all surprised with their findings:  Conducted June 19-22 of 1,100 likely voters, the poll found that Bush’s economic principles are “almost universally rejected” by a large margin — and merely bringing up Bush’s name causes a swing in attitudes. When respondents were asked whether they would prefer a candidate who “will stick with President Barack Obama’s economic policies” or “one who will return to President George W. Bush’s economic policies,” the result was a 15-point advantage for the Obama approach. “President Bush is the key here,” said Sean Gibbons of Third Way. “If you enter President Bush’s name into the equation and ask people when they’re making a choice at the polls between going forward with President Obama’s economic agenda or voting for a candidate who will pursue similar economic ideas as President Bush, Obama runs the table by 49 points. That is extraordinary.” Obama and his Party should feel very comfortable in using this strategy, as they clearly have CNN on their side.

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CNN: ‘Will Bush-bashing Help Democrats Win Over Weary Voters?’

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