Tag Archives: democratic

Right-Wing Feminism: Are You Hot Enough for the GOP ?

Posted on August 22, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Hey, remember when the Republicans ran a lady for vice president, and complained about the “sexism!” heaped on her by Democratic women? Remember how the GOP claimed to flood the zone with female candidates, purported to be the real feminists defending womankind against horrible liberalism, and decreed 2010 to be the year of the “mama grizzly”? Their bad! It was all a ploy to score hot chicks, and to leave the dregs for those boner commies on the left. Ha ha, yeah bro! High-five it! Pass me one of them Bud Light Limes! Yes, it's true: this video was posted on a Minnesota district GOP* website, which insists that you take Rep. Michele Bachmann seriously, GOP put its true womanly feelings on YouTube. Note: That is not me exaggerating with cynical lefty hyperbole. Please, for the love of all that's holy and sacred, watch this video in its entirety: added by: Stoneyroad

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CNN Veteran Andrew Breslau Takes Helm at Far-Left Nation Institute

Posted on August 20, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Andrew Breslau, who for eight years ending in 2006 toiled at CNN “as a senior manager and producer,” has been named President of New York City-based The Nation Institute , affiliated with the far-left The Nation magazine run by frequent MSNBC guest Katrina vanden Heuvel , and home to Christopher Hayes, Rachel Maddow’s fill-in host. The institute’s August 18 press release described Breslau’s CNN duties: “Tasked with managing a team of journalists covering the U.S economy, he also helped cover events overseas that ranged from the 50th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.” Prior to joining CNN, Breslau was quite active with a series of left-wing enterprises, starting in the mid-1980s writing for Mother Jones magazine and then helping to found Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting as its first associate director, the release from the institute’s Communications Director, Ruth Baldwin, recounted. Following several years in the early 1990s as “director of public affairs for Manhattan Borough President Ruth Messinger,” during the 1996 election cycle “he was the director of special projects for the Democratic National Committee, where he handled press relations and organized artists and celebrities on behalf of President Clinton and Democrats across the country.” Indeed, a  July 26, 1996, USA Today item by Jeannie Williams reported Breslau’s creation of “Artists for a Democratic Victory Committee.” Apparently, CNN decided that partisan activism qualified him for a slot as a producer and guest-booker.   Last week: “ AP White House Reporter Loven Jumps to Liberal Democratic Political PR/Lobbying Shop .” (My complete Obama-journalism revolving door list .) Since leaving CNN in 2006, Baldwin relayed, “Breslau has served as the Executive Director of City Futures, the parent organization of the public policy think tank, Center for an Urban Future.” The Nation Institute’s self-description: The Nation Institute’s dynamic range of programs include a bestselling book publishing imprint, Nation Books; the award-winning Investigative Fund, which supports groundbreaking investigative journalism; nationally televised town hall meetings and debates; the widely read and syndicated website TomDispatch; an internship program at The Nation magazine; Journalism Fellowships that fund up to 25 high-profile reporters every year and the prestigious Puffin/Nation and Ridenhour prizes that honor outstanding public citizenship and acts of truth-telling. Work produced by The Nation Institute has sparked Congressional hearings, new legislation, FBI investigations and the resignation of government officials, has changed the debate and has a powerful impact on the most urgent social and political issues of our day.

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CNN Veteran Andrew Breslau Takes Helm at Far-Left Nation Institute

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OUTRAGE OVER PLANS TO BUILD LIBRARY NEXT TO SARAH PALIN

Posted on August 19, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

PLANS to build a state-of-the-art library next to Republican catastrophe Sarah Palin are causing outrage across mainstream America. Campaigners have described the project as insensitive and a deliberate act of provocation by people with brains. The issue is forming a dividing line in advance of November's mid-term congressional elections with candidates being forced to declare whether they have ever been to a library or spoken to someone who has books in their home. Meanwhile President Obama has caused unease within his own Democratic party by endorsing the library and claiming that not everyone who reads books is responsible for calling Mrs Palin a fuckwit nutjob nightmare of a human being. But Bill McKay, a leading member of the right-wing Teapot movement, said: “Sarah Palin is a hallowed place for Americans who can't read. “How is she going to feel knowing that every day there are people going inside a building to find things out for themselves and have thoughts, right in the very shadow of her amazing nipples.” He added: “Our founding fathers intended for every building in this country to be a church containing one book, written by Jesus, that would be read out in a strange voice by an orange man in a shiny suit who would also tell you who you were allowed to kill. “Building a library next to Mrs Palin is like Pearl Harbour. Or 9/11.” And Wayne Hayes, a pig masseur from Coontree, Virginia, said: “I is so angry right now. “It's like something is on fire right in the middle of my head. Like I've eaten a real hot chilli, but it's gone up my nose tubes rather than down my ass tubes.” He added: “Would these library lovers allow me to set up a stall next to the Smithsonian Museum and start selling DVDs of bible cartoons as long as it was in accordance with local regulations? “Oh they would? I see. So is that why they're better than me?” Almost 40% of Americans still support the idea of books. added by: toyotabedzrock

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CBS, NBC Skip Pelosi Threat to Investigate Opposition to Ground Zero Mosque

Posted on August 19, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Only Good Morning America’s Jake Tapper on Thursday mentioned the call by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to investigate those who oppose the construction of a mosque near Ground Zero. CBS’s Early Show and NBC’s Today both skipped any discussion of the subject. So did Wednesday night’s network newscasts. Tapper explained, “And the House top Democrat also called for transparency for who is funding the opposition to the Islamic center.” He then featured a clip of Pelosi advocating, “And I have joined those who have called for looking into how is this opposition to the mosque being funded.” However, Tapper also described GOP opposition to the Ground Zero mosque this way: ” Some of the opposition is being ginned up by the group founded by Republicans William Kristol and Liz Cheney, which has started running this web video, featuring family members of 9/11 victims.” “Ginned up” is not a term often used for liberal organizations A transcript of the August 19 segment, which aired at 7:04am EDT, follows: ASHLEIGH BANFIELD: Some developments in the controversy over the Islamic center and mosque near Ground Zero. Two New York leaders, Governor David Paterson, and the leader of the Catholic Church in the city, have suggested that the center be moved to another site. The issue is following the President, too, as he begins his vacation today on Martha’s Vineyard, where we catch up with Jake Tapper this morning. Jake? JAKE TAPPER: Good morning, Ashleigh. Well, that’s right, President Obama arrives here later today, hoping to get a break from the depressing economic news, the grueling reports from the front lines in Afghanistan and, of course, that contentious debate of that proposed Islamic center two blocks from Ground Zero. The President went to Ohio to campaign for Democrats and to talk about jobs. BARACK OBAMA: We are moving in the right direction. TAPPER: But, inevitably, he was asked whether he had any regrets about joining the controversy over the proposed Islamic center near Ground Zero, so overwhelmingly opposed by the public. OBAMA: The answer is no regrets. TAPPER: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi echoed the President’s support for freedom of religion. She also called for transparency for who will pay for the project, which some estimates price at $100 million. And the House top Democrat also called for transparency for who is funding the opposition to the Islamic center. NANCY PELOSI: And I have joined those who have called for looking into how is this opposition to the mosque being funded. TAPPER: Some of the opposition is being ginned up by the group founded by Republicans William Kristol and Liz Cheney , which has started running this web video, featuring family members of 9/11 victims. UNIDENTIFIED MAN: This mosque, it’s wrong. It’s so wrong. TAPPER: Not every Republican agrees. Ted Olson, the Solicitor General for President George W. Bush, whose wife was killed on 9/11, said President Obama is right. TED OLSON: We don’t want to turn an act of hate against us, by extremists, into an act of intolerance for people of religious faith. TAPPER: And, Ashleigh, on the heels of this debate, a new Pew poll indicates that a growing number of Americans believe, wrongly, that president Obama is a Muslim. It’s 18 percent believe he’s a Muslim. That’s up from 11 percent last year. They were wrong last year. And the 18 percent are wrong this year. Ashleigh? BANFIELD: Wow. So much for vacation, huh? All right, Jake. Thanks very much.

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Roland Martin to Dems: ‘Protect the Constitution’ By Supporting Mosque

Posted on August 18, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

On Tuesday’s Anderson Cooper 360, CNN contributor Roland Martin strongly pushed for the Democrats to ” stand up and protect the Constitution ” by defending the planned New York City mosque near Ground Zero: ” Democrats should get some spine and say, ‘You know what? I am sworn to uphold and protect the Constitution .’… Stay strong- say it’s about the Constitution .” Substitute anchor John Roberts brought on Martin, along with Republican strategist Ed Rollins and CNN senior political analyst David Gergen, to discuss the continuing controversy surrounding the mosque project. The anchor first turned to the black talk radio host and asked, “Roland, is this the sort of thing that Democrats want to be talking about right now, at a point where many people form their opinions of who they’re going to vote for in November?” Martin didn’t begin with his “constitutional” argument, but instead emphasized that Democratic candidates needed to focus on local issues: “Frankly, if I’m a Democrat and somebody comes to me with that question…I say, ‘Hey, go talk to…the folks representing New York. I’m here talking about my district.'” Both Gergen and Rollins disagreed with their fellow guest. When the strategist stated that “there’s going to be some seats lost over this issue,” Martin doubled down on his initial point: “You’ve got school districts laying off hundreds of thousands of teachers. And you’re actually going to say, ‘I’m going to vote for somebody based upon this issue’- to me, that’s nuts. You vote on what’s happening where you are.” The CNN contributor then went right in his proposed strategy about making it a constitutional issue and echoed the argument of The Washington Post’s David Ignatius : that the President shouldn’t have backed away a bit from his initial statement on the issue on Friday: “Democrats should get some spine and say, ‘You know what? I am sworn to uphold and protect the Constitution.’ The President was strong on that on Friday. I think he blew it on Saturday by walking it back. Stay strong- say it’s about the Constitution, because every member of Congress, they are supposed to stand up and protect the Constitution.” Martin continued on this point throughout the remainder of the segment. Refreshingly, Gergen pushed back and disagreed: ” I increasingly believe it may come back to haunt him [President Obama] over time….there was a sense that this is another example of people thinking, ‘He doesn’t understand me. He’s not like me. He sees the world through different glasses than I do.'” Later, after Martin rephrased his point and stated that “it is amazing how he’s criticized for saying it is a constitutional right- to freedom of religion,” the senior political analyst retorted by basically endorsing the main argument of the mosque opponents: ” It is not simply a constitutional issue. It has to do with the sensitivities and sensibilities of a lot of families who lost loved ones there for whom this is hallowed ground . And a lot of Americans are saying, basically- look, if they’ve got real problems with it, I would rather they’d move it somewhere else.” Earlier in the segment, as he introduced the controversy, Roberts didn’t use the word “mosque” to describe it, labeling it instead as a ” planned Islamic community center and prayer space down on Park Place in lower Manhattan , two blocks northeast of the Ground Zero site, another two blocks south of a mosque that’s been in that area since 1970, before there even was a Twin Towers.” The full transcript of the panel discussion, which began 37 minutes into the 10 pm Eastern hour of Tuesday’s Anderson Cooper 360: ROBERTS: We’re talking tonight about the planned Islamic community center and prayer space down on Park Place in lower Manhattan, two blocks northeast of the Ground Zero site, another two blocks south of a mosque that’s been in that area since 1970, before there even was a Twin Towers. Sixty-eight percent of Americans surveyed by CNN/Opinion Research Corporation oppose it. In other polling, so does a smaller majority of New Yorkers. A narrow majority of Manhattanites say they support it. Believe it or not, when the local community board voted on it, the result was 29-1 in favor, with 10 people abstaining. It seems the farther you get from the location, the closer you get to election day, the hotter the opposition becomes. Well, that’s ‘Raw Politics’ for you, and here to talk about all of that: political analyst Roland Martin, political contributor/GOP strategist Ed Rollins, and our senior political analyst David Gergen. Good evening to you all, gentlemen. Roland, is this the sort of thing that Democrats want to be talking about right now, at a point where many people form their opinions of who they’re going to vote for in November? ROLAND MARTIN: Of course not, and you’re running for office- you don’t want to be talking about what’s happening in New York City in lower Manhattan. You want to talk about what’s happening on the ground, economic-wise, in Indiana, in Georgia, in Mississippi, Alabama, Idaho, California, or wherever you are. And so, frankly, if I’m a Democrat and somebody comes to me with that question, and I’m running for the U.S. Senate, I say, ‘Hey, go talk to Chuck Schumer, or go talk to- you know, the folks representing New York. I’m here talking about my district.’ ROBERTS: Well, if only Harry Reid had said that, instead of what he said. So Harry Reid is another Democrat, David Gergen, who’s distancing himself from the President. Do you believe, as time goes on, now that the White House has weighed in on what was a local issue, you’ll see more Democrats looking to put some space between them and the President? DAVID GERGEN: I think so, yes. There are a lot of Democrats that, of course, would like not to talk about this. Roland is right about that. But when it becomes a big national controversy, and you’re running for a Washington office- you know, it seems to me it’s totally legitimate for the press or their opponents to ask them, what do you think about this issue? I think that- you know, it’s like one of the issues you’re going to have to deal with when you’re in national life. ROBERTS [to Ed Rollins]: And you were one of the notable quotables from the Sunday shows when you said, ‘This is the dumbest thing that any president has said or candidate has said since Michael Dukakis said it was okay to burn the flag.’ ED ROLLINS: It’s a similar issue. It’s an emotional issue. You can give an intellectual answer- ROBERTS: Is it a defining moment for this president? ROLLINS: It may be. It may very well be. There’s going to be some seats lost over this issue, I think. It’s going to energize our base- ROBERTS: Really? ROLLINS: Yeah, I think there will. I think there’s- I think you’re down to where these seats are a couple hundred votes. I think people are distracted by they can’t talk about the things they want to be talking about, as Roland said, and I think this is an issue that’s not going to go away. It’s going to get bigger as time goes on, and- you know, it shouldn’t be, but I think it will. ROBERTS: Do you agree, Roland? It’s going to cost the Democrats some seats? MARTIN: No. No. I think if you’re sitting here voting- if you were in any other place in America and your district is broke, you’ve got people who are- increasing number of Food Stamps. You’ve got school districts laying off hundreds of thousands of teachers. And you’re actually going to say, ‘I’m going to vote for somebody based upon this issue’- to me, that’s nuts. You vote on what’s happening where you are. And I will also say this here. Democrats should get some spine and say, ‘You know what? I am sworn to uphold and protect the Constitution.’ The President was strong on that on Friday. I think he blew it on Saturday by walking it back. Stay strong- say it’s about the Constitution, because every member of Congress, they are supposed to stand up and protect the Constitution. ROBERTS: David, you’ve been here- I’m not sure if you’re nodding your head or shaking your head or a little bit of both. GERGEN: Listen, I’ve been talking to people about- is this a one-week story or is this going to be a lingering story, especially for President Obama, and I increasingly believe it may come back to haunt him over time. I thought at first it would be short. But there was a quality about this that I think a lot of people concluded- wasn’t just about the merits of the issue, but there was a sense that this is another example of people thinking, ‘He doesn’t understand me. He’s not like me. He sees the world through different glasses than I do.’ ROBERTS: Communication problem? GERGEN: Well, it’s- I thought in Philadelphia. during the campaign, that was a masterful speech because he gave voice to alternative perspectives and was respectful of them. And in this situation, he stated one point of view, but for lots and lots of other people who oppose this, he showed no sympathy for what they’re going through and why the public is- MARTIN: David! David, the one point of view is the Constitution! ROBERTS: Yeah, well- GERGEN: That is not the only issue, Roland. I’m sorry MARTIN: Wow! That’s not the one point of view! GERGEN: That’s not the only issue. ROLLINS: I don’t think anybody is basically arguing about repealing the First Amendment. I think the critical thing here is, it’s a judgment call. It was a bad judgment in the heart of the politics, and where this president carries this party or sinks this party is on his approval ratings. You go back to 1947- ROBERTS: Which are not looking good. ROLLINS: And they’re 52 percent- 42 percent today in the Gallup, back to the Nixon and the Reagan levels now. If he drops another two or three points, which he clearly could- and this is a defining- could be a defining moment- he’s going to hurt his party. And I say people are going to lose seats. The whole thing is about 3 percent or 4 percent out there. And our base is energized already, and this is going to energize some conservatives, some Tea Party people. ROBERTS: But the point has been made, though- but the point has been made, Roland- let’s get you to speak to this- that the GOP could also lose something over this, because they’re trying, obviously, to get as many votes as they can. There’s a large section of the Muslim population that presidential candidates and, obviously, local candidates court in Dearborn, Michigan. How are Muslims in this country going to feel about what the GOP are saying these days? MARTIN: Well, obviously, frankly, people really haven’t cared what they thought since 9/11, whether you’re a moderate Muslim- and folks have just blown them away and dismissed them and said they’re absolutely irrelevant. And so, sure- bottom line is if you’re Republicans, you’re trying to lock up those freshman Democrats who won in conservative districts, and that’s really who you’re really targeting. But it is amazing to me, though, when you have folks on the right who have attacked this president by saying, he’s not one of us and doesn’t understand our values, and when he does actually reinforce the Constitution, then it’s a bad thing. I get the whole political thing, but maybe- but it is amazing how he’s criticized for saying it is a constitutional right- to freedom of religion. That’s pretty interesting. GERGEN: It is not only- it is not simply a constitutional issue. It has to do with the sensitivities and sensibilities of a lot of families who lost loved ones there for whom this is hallowed ground. And a lot of Americans are saying, basically- look, if they’ve got real problems with it, I would rather they’d move it somewhere else. ROBERTS: We’re not going to solve this tonight. It’s going to continue- MARTIN: Right. It’s hallowed ground? There’s a mosque four blocks away. This is two blocks away. Wow! (laughs) ROBERTS: Roland Martin, David Gergen, Ed Rollins, thanks for coming up- appreciate it.

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CNN Lets Pro-Abortion PAC Spout Its Anti-Palin Talking Points

Posted on August 17, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

CNN’s Jessica Yellin, a one-time ” prominent feminist activist ,” helped forward the talking points of the pro-abortion lobby by devoting part of a segment on Tuesday’s Rick’s List to EMILY List’s new anti-Sarah Palin ad. Yellin aired their left-wing accusations against the Republican and her endorsed candidates without providing the other side and/or fact-checking them . Anchor Rick Sanchez introduced the issue by bringing up the Republican’s recent “mamma grizzly” ad: “It seemed like a very effective ad that Sarah Palin had put out . I mean, professionally speaking, it was very clean, very well put together – the whole ‘grizzly mom’ ad that everyone was talking about- and, apparently, there’s some blowback on this now. What is that?” Before playing the PAC’s video, which featured women dressed and made-up to look like bears, in mockery of Palin’s “mama grizzly” term, the CNN correspondent noted that EMILY’s List is a ” political action group that raises money for Democratic women pro-choice candidates , and they are now unveiling a new get-out-the-vote effort that’s hitting back on this idea that Sarah Palin speaks for women voters…EMILY’s List’s campaign is called ‘Sarah Doesn’t Speak For Me,’ and they’re taking the whole idea of ‘momma grizzly’ quite literally.” She then played a clip from the ad. During the clip, the unnamed women launched standard attacks from the left against the former Alaska governor and her endorsed candidates: ” Want to know what threatens me? My daughter not having the right to choose. The fact that if you were in charge of this country, my little cubs wouldn’t have health care….Unemployment benefits…something that you and your gang of candidates want to do away with .” Sanchez and Yellin shared a laugh over the ad, and the correspondent continued that EMILY’s List is “trying to drum up interest among Democratic voters who aren’t that energized right now, compared to Republicans, by taking on this whole idea, and with a little bit of humor.” Neither CNN personality provided any response from a pro-life organization or individual, something that CBSNews.com brought up in their Tuesday article about EMILY List’s campaign: Anti-abortion rights group the Susan B. Anthony List , which recently concluded a 23-city bus tour designed to spotlight its support for candidates who oppose abortion rights, quickly hit back with a statement suggesting “EMILY’s List is running scared.” “EMILY’s List is busy perpetuating what it purports to abhor: using women candidates with whom they disagree as punching bags,” said Susan B. Anthony List president Marjorie Dannenfelser. “On the eve of the 90th anniversary of women’s suffrage, the SBA List calls upon EMILY’s List to come to grips with reality.” Yellin also said nothing of whether Palin and her endorsed candidates actually are against health care for children and seek to “do away with unemployment benefits.” Obviously, the former governor and most, if not all, of her picked candidates are pro-life. It’s not surprising that Yellin would omit doing this, given her past as a leader of Harvard-Radcliffe Students For Choice , and, as The Harvard Crimson described her , a “prominent feminist activist in her own right .” During an April 10, 1992 interview with The Crimson , she actually lamented the apparent opposition to women’s studies at Harvard when she was an undergraduate there (Yellin was a political science and women’s studies double major): “For people interested in women’s issues or gender studies, this is an overtly hostile environment .” The transcript of the relevant portion of Jessica Yellin’s segment on Tuesday’s Rick’s List, beginning at the 19 minutes into the 3 pm Eastern hour mark: SANCHEZ: Let me ask you about the Sarah Palin situation going on, because- you know, we saw the ad, and I thought- and I had said on television- in fact, you and I were watching this- that it seemed like a very effective ad that Sarah Palin had put out. I mean, professionally speaking, it was very clean, very well put together- the whole ‘grizzly mom’ ad that everyone was talking about, and, apparently, there’s some blowback on this now. What is that? YELLIN: That’s right. Well, that Sarah Palin ‘momma grizzly’ ad has caught a lot of attention, and driven a lot of media interest, at least in Palin and this movement of women candidates she’s endorsing. But EMILY’s List is a political action group that raises money for Democratic women pro-choice candidates, and they are now unveiling a new get-out-the-vote effort that’s hitting back on this idea that Sarah Palin speaks for women voters who are- quote, ‘conservative momma grizzlies.’  EMILY’s List’s campaign is called ‘Sarah Doesn’t Speak For Me,’ and they’re taking the whole idea of ‘momma grizzly’ quite literally. Watch this. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE 1 (from EMILY’s List ad): When my cubs are threatened- (unidentified woman roars like an animal) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE 2: But want to know what threatens me? My daughter not having the right to choose. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE 3: The fact that if you were in charge of this country, my little cubs wouldn’t have health care. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE 4: When the salmon stopped coming down the stream and I didn’t work for three months, guess how we survived? Unemployment benefits, which is something that you and your gang of candidates want to do away with. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE 5: You know, Ms. Palin, that really gets under my skin and my-   SANCHEZ (live): (Yellin laughs) Oh, my God. Did we have to stop it there because the bear was going to really get mad? (Sanchez laughs) YELLIN: It was going to climb out of the TV screen and get you. (Sanchez laughs) So, you see what they’re doing. It’s a get-out-the-vote campaign. That’s on their website. They also ask people to go in and sign a pledge that they’ll turn out to vote. Obviously, they’re trying to drum up interest among Democratic voters who aren’t that energized right now, compared to Republicans, by taking on this whole idea, and with a little bit of humor- SANCHEZ: Yeah. YELLIN: I think that’s humorous. SANCHEZ: Humor both ways- we will let the viewers decide. My thanks to you, Jessica.

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CBS: Despite Unpopularity, Obama Still ‘Raking in Millions’ for Dems

Posted on August 17, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

While teasing an upcoming report on President Obama campaigning for Democrats on Tuesday’s CBS Early Show, fill-in co-host Chris Wragge touted: “…plunging poll numbers haven’t stopped the President from raking in millions at fund raisers across the country.” Later, White House correspondent Chip Reid observed: “You know, the President’s approval rating is only 44%, but he is still quite popular with the party’s base and he’s using that clout to raise millions of dollars for fellow Democrats.” Reid went on to declare: “President Obama and the Democratic Party are managing to raise big bucks in the hope of retaining control of Congress. The Democratic National Committee is committing $50 million to help candidates in 2010, $20 million in cash, and $30 million to get out the vote.” A campaign sound bite was played of the President attacking Republicans: “We do not fear the future. We shape the future. That’s part of what this election’s about. The other side wants you to be afraid of the future.” Reid concluded: “President Obama is doing six fund-raisers over three days in five states. By week’s end, he’ll have raised over $56 million this campaign season.” Only at the end of his report did Reid briefly notice the money raised by the GOP: “Now, Republicans are also raking in the cash this campaign season. The Republican Governors Association, for example, has brought in $58 million since President Obama came into office.” In addition to the President’s fundraising efforts, the segment also focused on political fallout from the Ground Zero mosque controversy, though only in terms of how the issue would impact the elections. Reid explained how Obama was “now dealing with a split in the party over the issue of religious freedom.” Reid continued: “President Obama’s support of the right to build an Islamic community center and mosque near Ground Zero is causing a rift within the party.” He noted how Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid disagreed with the President’s position and added: “Some in the party fear the controversy will carry over into the midterm campaigns.” Following Reid’s report, fill-in co-host Erica Hill asked Democratic strategist Tanya Acker and Republican strategist Bay Buchanan about the issue. Speaking to Acker, Hill wondered: “President Obama made these remarks and now it’s really forcing a lot of Democrats to choose sides. So moving forward, what’s the best message for Democratic candidates as they tackle this – what’s now become a national issue?” Acker argued: “I think this is an issue about religious freedom and the Constitution….Democrats, and frankly Americans generally, need to understand what this issue is about.” Hill then turned to Buchanan: “Bay, how much of an issue should Republicans make this? Because at the end of the day, for most voters, the real issue here is still the economy.” Buchanan challenged Acker’s assertion: “This has nothing to do with religious freedom. There’s 100 mosques or so in New York City. Nobody’s suggesting we tear them all down. What we’re saying is Americans respect hallowed ground. This is hallowed ground, 9/11 is – Ground Zero is hallowed ground.” Acker shot back at Buchanan: “I’m pleased to know that Bay is not in support of tearing down mosques in the United States of America. I’m glad that that issue is off the table….to suggest that Islam – a faith that billions of people around the world adhere to – is endemically somehow compared to terrorism is just wrong.” Here is a full transcript of the August 17 segment:  7:00AM TEASE CHRIS WRAGGE: In-fighting. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid breaks with President Obama over the proposed Ground Zero mosque. HARRY REID: I think that it’s very obvious that the mosque should be built someplace else. WRAGGE: But the controversy and plunging poll numbers haven’t stopped the President from raking in millions at fund raisers across the country. We’ll have a live report. 7:01AM SEGMENT ERICA HILL: We want to take a look at politics now. It is day two of President Obama’s cross-country campaign-style fund-raisers. Today he will be in Seattle for the first time since he was a candidate. CBS News chief White House correspondent Chip Reid is traveling with the President. He joins us this morning from Los Angeles before heading north. Chip, good morning. CHIP REID: Well good morning, Erica. You know, the President’s approval rating is only 44%, but he is still quite popular with the party’s base and he’s using that clout to raise millions of dollars for fellow Democrats. But at the same time, he’s now dealing with a split in the party over the issue of religious freedom. [ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Mosque Controversy; Top Dem Breaks Ranks With Obama] President Obama’s support of the right to build an Islamic community center and mosque near Ground Zero is causing a rift within the party. The latest, the Senate’s top Democrat, Majority Leader Harry Reid, breaking ranks with the President. HARRY REID: The Constitution gives us freedom of religion. I think that it’s very obvious that the mosque should be built someplace else. CHIP REID: Reid’s comments come after the President’s speech Friday night. BARACK OBAMA: But let me be clear. As a citizen and as president, I believe that Muslims have the right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country. REID: Some in the party fear the controversy will carry over into the midterm campaigns. But so far, President Obama and the Democratic Party are managing to raise big bucks in the hope of retaining control of Congress. The Democratic National Committee is committing $50 million to help candidates in 2010, $20 million in cash, and $30 million to get out the vote. OBAMA: We do not fear the future. We shape the future. That’s part of what this election’s about. The other side wants you to be afraid of the future. REID: President Obama is doing six fund-raisers over three days in five states. By week’s end, he’ll have raised over $56 million this campaign season. UNIDENTIFIED MAN [POLITICAL ANALYST]: People want access to the President. They’re excited to be in the room with the President and if they can get a couple minutes to whisper in his ear, they’ll pay a lot of money for it. REID: Now, Republicans are also raking in the cash this campaign season. The Republican Governors Association, for example, has brought in $58 million since President Obama came into office. Erica. HILL: Chip, thanks. CBS’s Chip Reid in Los Angeles this morning. Also joining us from Los Angeles this morning, Democratic strategist Tanya Acker and in Washington, Republican strategist Bay Buchanan. Good to have both of you with us this morning. BAY BUCHANAN: Thanks, Erica. TANYA ACKER: Good to see you. [ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Countdown to Midterms; Assessing the Impact of Obama’s Mosque Comments] HILL: Tanya, I want to start with you. Forget the should he, shouldn’t he have said it. It’s been established, President Obama made these remarks and now it’s really forcing a lot of Democrats to choose sides. So moving forward, what’s the best message for Democratic candidates as they tackle this – what’s now become a national issue? ACKER: I think that it’s very important for Democrats, frankly, and look, I would expect – I don’t think this should simply be a partisan issue, I think this is an issue about religious freedom and the Constitution. And I think that whether or not the President should have stepped into this fray – I think he should have – Democrats, and frankly Americans generally, need to understand what this issue is about. And if Democrats lose seats because they took a stance for religious freedom, then we’ve got far bigger problems than simply winning elections, frankly. HILL: Bay, how much of an issue should Republicans make this? Because at the end of the day, for most voters, the real issue here is still the economy.              BUCHANAN: There – well, it’s going to be hard to beat the economy when it comes to the election, but I got to tell you, this is an important issue because it just shows a complete lack of understanding of what is happening here. This has nothing to do with religious freedom. There’s 100 mosques or so in New York City. Nobody’s suggesting we tear them all down. What we’re saying is Americans respect hallowed ground. This is hallowed ground, 9/11 is – Ground Zero is hallowed ground. We don’t want malls built next to Manassas, we don’t want casinos built next to Gettysburg. It has nothing to do with us being against development. What we want is this hallowed ground to be respected. And it does not respect or honor those that died to build a mosque, the very kind of statement to those who died, it’s an insult to them. HILL: But – but how much- ACKER: Well, I’m pleased to know that- HILL: Go ahead, Tanya. ACKER: I’m sorry. HILL: Go ahead. ACKER: I was just going to say, I’m pleased to know that Bay is not in support of tearing down mosques in the United States of America. I’m glad that that issue is off the table. But talking about what this issue really means, of course it’s hallowed ground, but to suggest that Islam – a faith that billions of people around the world adhere to – is endemically somehow compared to terrorism is just wrong. And as Americans, we should not be, we should not be propounding that message. It’s just wrong. So, of course it’s hallowed ground- HILL: Well, we know that this is a debate that will continue, but I do have to move on to this, ladies, before we let you go. We’ve seen so much this primary season, there’s been so much talk about the fact that what Americans really want is a change, that the incumbents are going to be on their way out. Bay, I’ll start with you. Can either party or any one candidate really change the way things are done in Washington? BUCHANAN: One person can change a lot. By just speaking out, being bold. In representing the millions of Americans that are expecting that. But what we’re going to find in November is it’s not just going to be one. We’re going to have dozens upon dozens of new fresh faces coming to Washington with one intent and that is to represent the will of the American people, to be there to fight for them, to stop this outrageous spending and to try to turn the country back to a safe and sound course. That’s where you’ll find real change. HILL: We’re going to have to leave it there. Bay Buchanan, Tanya Acker, always good to have your perspective. Don’t worry, Tanya, I promise you’ll be back. You both will. Thank you.

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CBS: Despite Unpopularity, Obama Still ‘Raking in Millions’ for Dems

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Questions to Political Panel From CBS’s Schieffer Focus on GOP Problems 6 to 1

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

In a discussion of the midterm elections on Sunday’s Face the Nation, CBS host Bob Schieffer asked members of his political panel a total of seven questions, six of which highlighted Republican difficulties, only one of which actually raised the problems for the Democrats in November. Instead of acknowledging the greater political challenges facing Democrats, Schieffer began by acting as if both parties were equally in trouble: “You have Democrats on the one hand saddled with a very bad economy, high unemployment…. Republicans, on the other hand, have – find themselves suddenly with some very, well, how would I say it, unusual candidates, people who have taken very extreme views on things.” Schieffer then proceeded to focus almost exclusively on Republican obstacles. In his first electoral question to former Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie, Schieffer asked about one of those “unusual” GOP candidates: “…you have Linda McMahon, who is formally – or maybe she still is part of the World Wrestling Federation.” After playing a clip of McMahon appearing at a WWE event, Schieffer pressed: “I expect Republicans are going to be seeing that video a lot this year, and they’re going to have to defend it. Is this somebody who’s going to be good for the Republican Party? Is this a good image for Republicans to have?” Before Gillespie could respond, Schieffer made this bizarre comparison: “I mean, if the president’s going to – every candidate is going to have to defend what the President did on the mosque down there [at Ground Zero], isn’t this going to be kind of a tough one for you guys?” Gillespie shot back: “You could also show the footage of President Obama when he was running for president appearing on WWE, calling out to voters there….not so long ago, President Obama and the Democrats thought the WWE was a great place to go to talk to voters.” Undeterred, Schieffer followed up: “So you’re comfortable with her? And she – you think on balance she helps or hurts Republicans overall?” Schieffer then turned to his next guest, current Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine, and asked the same question about Republican candidates with “very extreme views”: “…what do you think about some of these candidates?” That gave Kaine the opportunity to rant: “The Republicans are putting up a whole series of extreme candidates that are way outside the mainstream of what Americans want.” Feeling that some balance was missing, Schieffer followed Kaine’s response by noting: “I would also add, the Democrats have their share of candidates that some of the other Democrats might think are rather embarrassing to have on the ticket this year, Charlie Rangel being one name that comes to mind.” Instead of pressing Kaine about Rangel, Schiefffer moved on to Republican strategist Ed Rollins and wondered if the RNC should dump current chairman Michael Steele: “He’s so immersed in controversy that he’s – he’s kind of in a bunker these days.” Schieffer didn’t ask if Kaine was worried about his future as DNC chair if the Democrats suffer major losses in November.     Finally, Schieffer turned to Democratic Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell and actually detailed the threat facing Democrats due to the poor economy: “…we’ve had now 15 months of unemployment above 9%….How are Democrats going to get around that? Because, after all, when people are unemployed, they generally blame it on the people in office.” After Rendell spent his entire answer blaming Republicans unchallenged, Schieffer decided it was time to turn back to Gillespie and more “extreme” Republican views: “…a lot of people are saying, even people who had problems with the current efforts at immigration reform, saying Republicans may have gone a step too far when they start talking about amending the 14th – the Constitution, the 14th amendment….Is this a problem for you?” Schieffer went back to Kaine and again asked a question about how Republicans would be hurt be their conservative views: “Harry Reid said the other day that he cannot imagine why any Hispanic would want to vote for Republicans now, after all of this controversy about immigration that’s come about. Is that overstating the case or do you think – is he making a good point?” Again Kaine got a chance to slam the GOP: “Well, I think Senator Reid was making a point that the Republican policies, which are so anti-new American, even to the point of shredding up the 14th amendment…is chasing new Americans, not just Latinos, into the Democratic camp.” After concluding the panel discussion, Schieffer came back from the commercial break with Politico’s John Harris and the Washington Post’s Karen Tumulty to further analyze the midterms. At one point, Schieffer turned to Harris and confessed: “I kind of take issue with what Ed Gillespie says about some of these Tea Party candidates. I thought from the beginning the Tea Party was a bigger problem for the Republican establishment than maybe it was for Democrats….Where do you see some of these candidates going, John? Isn’t it going to be very difficult for them?” Harris fully agreed with that assessment: “Ed was valiant here on the show – but it would be interesting to talk to him on truth serum as to what he really thinks about this. There’s no question that the sort of professional operative class which, frankly, all of your earlier guests were part of, on the show, they think that the Republicans have not nominated the most electable candidates.”

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Questions to Political Panel From CBS’s Schieffer Focus on GOP Problems 6 to 1

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CBS’s Schieffer: Obama Right ‘Intellectually’ on Mosque, Just Bad Politics

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

Appearing on Monday’s CBS Early Show to discuss President Obama showing support for a controversial mosque being built near Ground Zero, Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer agreed with the President’s sentiment but lamented the political fallout: “The President said and made the right intellectual argument, but I’m not sure that it was great politics for him to say it at this particular time.”   Schieffer began by outlining White House talking points on the issue to substitute co-host Erica Hill: “The story they tell is the President thought this Ramadan dinner – these were dinners that were started after 9/11 by President Bush as an outreach to demonstrate that our problems are with terrorists, not with people who are Muslims – he thought this was an appropriate place to say what all Americans believe, in that everyone has a right to practice their religion in this country.” Schieffer later added: “I would agree with the White House.” At the same time, both Hill and Schieffer fretted over the political fallout, particularly Republican criticism. Hill teased the segment at the top of show by declaring that Obama’s “apparent defense of the proposed mosque at Ground Zero has Republicans howling.” Schieffer remarked: “Republicans are trying to take every advantage of this they can.” Continuing to worry about the political impact of the President’s comments, Hill asked: “And this could feed into the criticism of this current administration, that this is an administration that is out of touch, that is, in many ways, seen by folks across the country as being elitist. Is that what you’re hearing?” Schieffer replied: “Yes. Well, that’s exactly the spin that Republicans are trying to put on it, is that – you know, that the President’s not paying attention.”    Earlier, Schieffer described the anxiety of Democratic candidates: “But the response to this has, even from some Democrats, has been, ‘why did he have to say it at this particular time and about this particular site?’ ‘Yes, intellectually that is the correct argument,’ they say, ‘but is it entirely appropriate at this very special place, to try to link a Muslim worship center with this 9/11 ground?'” He later added: “…a lot of candidates around the country are saying, ‘look, with the economy in the shape it’s in, we need all the help we can get. And we really wish the President had not said this.'” Here is a full transcript of the August 16 segment: 7:00AM ET TEASE ERICA HILL: Political firestorm. President Obama launches a five-state political blitz today but his apparent defense of the proposed mosque at Ground Zero has Republicans howling. ED ROLLINS: First, Bob, it was probably the dumbest thing that any president has said or candidate has said since Michael Dukakis said it was okay to burn the flag. 7:01AM ET SEGMENT ERICA HILL: First, though, we do want to get you to this. President Obama heading to Wisconsin this morning. The purpose of his trip, though, could end up taking a backseat to the controversy over the building of a mosque in New York City. CBS News chief White House correspondent Chip Reid has the details. CHIP REID: The President heads out this morning on a three-day cross-country trip. He’ll be talking about the economy and raising money for fellow Democrats. The White House hopes this trip will help change the topic after a weekend of controversy over the President’s comments about building a mosque near Ground Zero. [ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Obama & The Mosque; President’s Comments Could Derail Economic Message] The First Family spent a quick weekend on the Gulf coast of Florida, swimming, mini-golfing and boating. The visit was intended to highlight the fact that on most of the Gulf Coast, the water is clean and the beaches are open. But the President’s own comments over the weekend overshadowed the trip. Speaking at a White House dinner Friday celebrating Ramadan, the President waded into the already deepening political controversy over whether to build a mosque two blocks from the site of the 9/11 attacks in New York City. BARACK OBAMA: Let me be clear, as a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country. REID: Saturday, the President seemed to back off from his initial comments, saying that while Muslims have the right to build the mosque, that doesn’t mean they should. OBAMA: I was not commenting, and I will not comment, on the wisdom of making a decision to put a mosque there. REID: White House officials insist the President is not backing down from his original statement, but some Republicans say the White House is trying to have it both ways. PETER KING [REP. R-NY]: The inference or the clear impression everyone came away with is that he was saying he was supporting the mosque at Ground Zero. And he can parse it later on, and sort of back away, but the fact is, that is clearly the impression, I believe, he wanted to leave. REID: The White House says the President has no regrets about his comments even though they turned a local issue into a national debate. Traveling with the President, Chip Reid, CBS News, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.          HILL: And joining us from Washington now is CBS News chief Washington correspondent and host of Face the Nation, Bob Schieffer. Bob, always good to have you with us. BOB SCHIEFFER: Thank you, Erica. HILL: We know and you know, of course, from talking about this on your show yesterday morning, the firestorm that these comments have ignited, and really, shots coming from both sides. So, why would the President, especially in this time when Democrats are really fighting to hold control of Congress in November, why make these comments at this point? [ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Obama & The Mosque; Will Comments Impact Midterm Elections?] SCHIEFFER: Well, that’s just the question I asked White House officials and some people in the administration last night. The story they tell is the President thought this Ramadan dinner – these were dinners that were started after 9/11 by President Bush as an outreach to demonstrate that our problems are with terrorists, not with people who are Muslims – he thought this was an appropriate place to say what all Americans believe, in that everyone has a right to practice their religion in this country. But the response to this has, even from some Democrats, has been, ‘why did he have to say it at this particular time and about this particular site?’ ‘Yes, intellectually that is the correct argument,’ they say, ‘but is it entirely appropriate at this very special place, to try to link a Muslim worship center with this 9/11 ground?’ And clearly, Republicans are trying to take every advantage of this they can. Now, what White House officials say is, ‘look, this next election is going to be about the economy. It’s not going to be about whether they should build a mosque at Ground Zero.’ But a lot of – a lot of candidates around the country are saying, ‘look, with the economy in the shape it’s in, we need all the help we can get. And we really wish the President had not said this.’ The White House will say, ‘if you do the right thing, the politics will take care of itself.’ Clearly, there are some Democrats who are worried about that, though. HILL: They are a little worried. And this could feed into the criticism of this current administration, that this is an administration that is out of touch, that is, in many ways, seen by folks across the country as being elitist. Is that what you’re hearing? SCHIEFFER: Yes. Well, that’s exactly the spin that Republicans are trying to put on it, is that – you know, that the President’s not paying attention. What really bothers some Democrats, though, is that when the President gets into something like this, when he makes a statement like this, it elevates it to a national issue and every single Democratic candidate running for office is now going to be asked about it and will now have to take a position on something that they were hoping they would be able to say, ‘this is just a local issue. It’s up to the folks in New York to decide what to do about this.’ Yes, I would agree with the White House. The President said and made the right intellectual argument, but I’m not sure that it was great politics for him to say it at this particular time. HILL: Bob Schieffer, always good to have you here. Thanks. SCHIEFFER: Thanks, Erica.

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CBS’s Schieffer: Obama Right ‘Intellectually’ on Mosque, Just Bad Politics

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Barack Obama Gives Seal of Disapproval to Americans For Prosperity

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

President Obama spoke on August 9th to the Democratic National Committee in Austin, Texas. Interesting enough, the people of the United States paid for this political fund raising trip. President Obama couldn't restrain himself from taking pot shots at the American people. His speech is available on the White House website at least for hopefully a few more days. One of the organizations that Mr. Obama disparaged was Americans For Prosperity. Mr. Obama said: Right now all around this country there are groups with harmless-sounding names like Americans for Prosperity, who are running millions of dollars of ads against Democratic candidates all across the country. And they don't have to say who exactly the Americans for Prosperity are. You don't know if it’s a foreign-controlled corporation. You don't know if it’s a big oil company, or a big bank. You don't know if it’s a insurance company that wants to see some of the provisions in health reform repealed because it’s good for their bottom line, even if it’s not good for the American people. A Supreme Court decision allowed this to happen. And we tried to fix it, just by saying disclose what’s going on, and making sure that foreign companies can’t influence our elections. Seemed pretty straightforward. The other side said no. They don't want you to know who the Americans for Prosperity are, because they're thinking about the next election. But we’ve got to think about future generations. We’ve got to make sure that we’re fighting for reform. We’ve got to make sure that we don't have a corporate takeover of our democracy. added by: congoboy

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