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Activist and Anchor Contessa Brewer Warns of ‘Consequences’ for Opposing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal

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

MSNBC anchor and gay rights activist Contessa Brewer on Tuesday warned of “consequences” for senators who oppose repealing the ban on gays serving openly in the military. In the 12pm hour, she speculated, ” …My big question here, will there be consequences, especially for moderates who refuse to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell? ” [MP3 audio here .] Later in the News Live show, Brewer interviewed Daniel Choi, an ex-Army lieutenant who was discharged under the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. Brewer repeated her prediction, citing the planned vote of Senator Susan Collins: “Will there be consequences for her this afternoon if she votes to block the procedure moving forward?” Despite reporting on gay rights issues, the journalist has also lobbied for political change. On July 24, 2010, she appeared at a fundraiser in Kentucky. A press release touted, “As the evening’s featured guest, MSNBC’s Brewer, who has several family ties to Kentucky, will speak on the need for a statewide anti-discrimination Fairness law in the Commonwealth from a national news perspective.” On July 12 , the supposedly neutral anchor implored, “My big question today: Why aren’t more American leaders itching for a fight on gay rights?” Choi has repeatedly been the go-to guest for Brewer to tout the wrongness of Don’t Ask, Don’t tell. In addition to Tuesday, he appeared as a guest on September 10 and July 12. A transcript of the September 21 segment can be found below: 12:03 CONTESSA BREWER: The Senate is set to vote on whether to move forward on the Don’t Ask, Don’t tell repeal 2:30 p.m. eastern. We’ll watch for it. We’ll bring it to you when it happens. Given all the issues our country is facing today, of course my big question here, will there be consequences, especially for moderates who refuse to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell? I’d like to hear your thoughts on Twitter, on Facebook. 12:35pm CONTESSA BREWER: Dan Choi was discharged from the army for being openly gay. And, so here you had Lady Gaga drawing attention to Maine and the role of these moderate Republican Senators, Senator Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins. We just saw, Lieutenant Choi, Susan Collins on the floor of the House. She says she supports a repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, but she doesn’t like the way Congress and the Democrats are going about seeing the repeal passed. Will there be consequences for her this afternoon if she votes to block the procedure moving forward? DANIEL CHOI (Former U.S. Army Lt.): Yes. There will be consequences, Contessa, for all of us because whenever you continue a policy of discrimination, there are dire consequences for the fabric of what makes America what it is. And, although it’s difficult for me to follow Lady Gaga, I want to say she’s been a great leader in this. I some of our politicians can speak up you loudly and forthrightly as she has. BREWER: I want to read what McCain has to say about this. He says, and he’s kind of been the one pushing for a filibuster of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. He says it’s “pushing for a vote on the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law before the Defense Department has concluded its survey of the opinions of our force on an important matter that will directly affect them and their families.” I’m getting a lot of E-mails in, Dan, from people who have served or are serving in the military. Both sides here, some saying, no, gays should not be allowed to openly serve and some saying it’s absolutely time to overhaul this policy. Do the survey results at all change- would it change your view about whether it’s a valid policy? CHOI: It’s absolutely an invalid- it’s absolutely a destructive policy. You don’t need a survey to understand that discrimination is anti-American. I don’t know if any of the people conducting the survey took a look at the other countries in the world. They conducted polls and many people said the same thing that Senator McCain and many other elected officials are saying, that there’s going to be some kind of negative impact. Contessa, whenever you have a unit or a team that prizes honesty, and integrity, that supports all families, not just straight families, but all families, you have an increase in cohesion. You have an increase in community. You have an increase in the strength of an organization. Repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is going to do nothing but strengthen our communities and our families and our country. BREWER: Let me ask you, and some of the e-mails I get that do not support the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell from former or current military members, this is the argument they make: I want you to address this since you served in the military. They say, what happens when a gay military member hits on a straight military member and then the gay military member gets punched in the face? Does that happen? Do gay- do gay soldiers hit on straight soldiers? CHOI: Well- Well, I think what — let me just be really clear about this. When a gay soldier exists in a unit, 99 percent of the time, they’re not spending their time hitting on other soldiers. There’s probably a fear that when a gay soldier exists that the other soldiers will say, “Oh, maybe I’m gay, too,” And that’s what’s at the bottom of this kind of thinking, this kind of illogic. And those incidents that people are bringing up never happened when I was openly gay in an infantry unit for over a year and a half. It it’s common for a lot of people to focus on, you know, these pretend incidents that they will say will be widespread and they’ll create a sense of fear. But I’m not buying it. I’m not tricked by it. And I don’t think anybody who pays attention to your program should be tricked by it either.

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Disgraced Governor-Turned CNN Host Spitzer Credits Liberals for Health Insurance Across State Lines Initiative

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

A governor forced to resign for patronizing call girls will probably have a hard time landing a job making pronouncements on politics, right? But there, on CNN, is former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer.  Spitzer will co-host a show with pseudo-conservative Kathleen Parker called “Parker Spitzer,” which is set to debut on Oct. 4. But in the meantime, Spitzer has been making regular appearances on CNN programming to offer the liberal perspective on issues. On CNN’s Sept. 20 “Anderson Cooper 360,” that’s what he did, carrying water for the Democratic Party – even though his argument was factually leaky. In the wake of the GOP’s nomination of Christine O’Donnell as the Delaware candidate for U.S. Senate, Spitzer took on conservative talker and blogger Dana Loesch over what issues the Tea Party movement was really interested in taking a stand on – fiscal or social. Loesch argued that the movement isn’t just about opposing this Congress’ policy endeavors, but is also offering solutions, as was the case with ObamaCare. The Tea Party supporters may differ on some issues, leading to some vague positions, but, “I think that means for the amounts of issues, perhaps, when you get into social issues,” Loesch said. “But, for things like health care, the movement has been incredibly clear. Some of the things that they have put out are – let’s be able to buy insurance across state lines. Let’s – have health insurance companies compete. We’ve taken on everything from health care, to education, to foreign policy, and not just general.” And according to Loesch, the Democrats have offered a series of platitudes on these policy issues, which she claims they could have offered some more specifics. “I mean, we have isolated specific issues within the realm of each of these topics and we have gone at it,” Loesch continued. “When you talk about people being general, where we have seen people be general is from the Congress currently in Washington, D.C. We’ve seen broad generalizations on a number of different policies. We would actually like to see congressional Democrats be a little bit more – just be a little bit more precise with things.” Spitzer was in agreement over a policy point, but he wanted to credit the Democratic Party, which controls both chambers of Congress and the White House with an idea that it hasn’t been noted for championing, and that it was unable to implement. “Well, you know, because I’m always looking for points of agreement, I agree with you about the ability to purchase across state lines, competition across state lines,” Spitzer said. “Those have been perspectives taken primarily by the liberal wing of the Democratic Party and opposed by the Republican Party. So, if you want to ask, why…” However, it was the Republican Party that fought for the ability for consumers to purchase insurance across state lines. This had long been a policy point offered by the GOP, even at the height of the ObamaCare debate, as shown in a Feb. 25 post on the GOP House Conference blog . Spitzer’s erroneous assertion led to this back-and-forth with Loesch: LOESCH: That came out in the Patients’ Choice Act. SPITZER: … why that – why that has not been permitted… LOESCH: No. SPITZER: What do you mean? You can’t say no. Facts are facts. The reality is … LOESCH: Patients’ Choice Act – the fact is the Republicans came out with a Patients’ Choice Act. I have to correct you on that point. SPITZER: Talking over somebody isn’t going to change the facts. The reality is… LOESCH: Well, I had to point out the facts. SPITZER: … the opposition to interstate competition has come from the Republican Party. And that remains to be the case. A 2009 study showed that health insurance premiums would be reduced by 61 percent for Massachusetts residents if they were allowed to purchase insurance in North Carolina,  which, as the GOP conference blog pointed out, is something that could have easily been put into the Democrat’s health care reform legislation. And as Loesch explained, it was House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, R-Va., who was at the forefront of this push – not the “liberal wing of the Democratic Party,” as Spitzer claimed. “No. That is – that’s – that’s an error. That’s a factual error – Patients’ Choice Act. It came out. Eric Cantor, a number of congressional Republicans came out,” Loesch said. “And that was one of the main talking points, the patients’ bill of rights.”

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Most Economists Want All Tax Cuts Extended; CNN’s Roberts Sees Need to ‘Bump Up’ Govt’s ‘Revenue Stream’

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

A new CNN/Money survey of 31 top economists found a majority of them say the top priority — given the weak state of the economy — is for Congress to extend the Bush tax cuts for all income groups. But talking about this policy recommendation with CNN/Money’s Paul La Monica on Monday’s American Morning, co-anchor John Roberts rued the conundrum of needing to keep tax rates low for economic reasons — putting “more money in the pockets of people” — while at the same time, because of the “frightening” trillion-dollar deficits, “you’ve got to bump up your [the government’s] revenue stream.” Roberts fretted: You want to put more money in the pockets of people, particularly when you look at unemployment over 9 percent. But then at the same time you have these deficits that are running at an absolutely frightening rate of a trillion-plus dollars a year. So, you’ve got to bump up your revenue stream but at the same time you want to keep your money coming into the economy. So how do you reconcile that calculation? It seems not to have occurred to Roberts that the way to avoid either monstrous deficits or suffocating tax increases is to reduce government to a more affordable size. Looking at the details of CNN’s survey of economists, it’s understandable why they would want the tax cuts extended. Their average forecast is for unemployment to be just below 9% at the end of next year, a full fifteen months from now, with a quarter of those surveyed seeing the unemployment rate still at 9.5% or higher in December 2011. As for the consequences of letting the tax cuts expire, just today, the Heritage Foundation released a comprehensive study showing that the tax hikes envisioned by President Obama would lead to slower economic growth, lower family income, higher interest rates and a loss of an average of 600,000 private sector jobs each year from 2011 through 2020, or 6 million fewer jobs total. Liberals are already trying to frame the deficit debate as one of making sure government has the money it needs to pay for the vast expansion President Obama and congressional Democrats achieved over the past 19 months. A fair and balanced news media would put much of the onus on liberals to backtrack on their massive spending commitments before requiring the beleaguered private sector to kick in an even greater share. Here’s the exchange during the 8am ET hour of CNN’s American Morning, September 20: JOHN ROBERTS: Seventeen minutes now after the hour. We have 110 days until the Bush tax cuts are set to expire and the debate over whether to extend them has absolutely consumed Capitol Hill. The strongest impact will most certainly be felt in the bank accounts of millions of Americans. CANDY CROWLEY: Minding your business this morning, CNN/Money’s Paul La Monica. President Obama is suggesting that the tax cuts should expire only for the richest 3 percent of taxpayers but there are economist who say that may not be the best idea. [turns to La Monica] So, is it? PAUL LA MONICA: Yeah, we surveyed 31 leading economists and a majority, 18 of them, said that their top priority if they were a Washington policymaker would be to extend the tax cuts for everyone. ROBERTS: So in terms of extending the tax cuts and what that does for the economy, run the numbers for us. You have got an example here. LA MONICA: Yeah. You have a middle class family, $75,000, you know, two children, you would have about $2600 in higher taxes if the cuts are not extended. ROBERTS: So — for the average family that’s a lot of money, but particularly in these hard economic times, when you know you are worried about, ‘Am I going to keep my job,’ ‘Should I buy that,’ — to not to get hit with an extra bill of $2600, that’s substantial. LA MONICA: Definitely, that’s why I think there is such urgency in Washington to get something done. It does seems that the main issue is, obviously, just trying — whether or not to extend them for everyone or to exclude the wealthiest top percent of the country. I mean a lot of people both Democrats and Republicans think that extending it for the middle class is obviously the right thing that has to be done, particularly in these tough times. CROWLEY: You know those tax cuts are already in place, so I’m going to assume that keeping them doesn’t really change the job market, it simply — the argument is [if they expire] things will get worse for America. LA MONICA: Exactly. It’s similar to two years ago when the financial crisis was really first starting to take hold, a lot of things that Washington or you know, was hoping to do right now is preventing the economy from deteriorating any further. I mean we’ve had obviously hopes of a recovery earlier in the year that have started to fade this summer. And that’s worrying a lot of people on obviously, you know, in Washington and on Wall Street. ROBERTS: So when you look at the calculation, Paul, you’ve got your rock and you’ve got your hard place. The rock being you want more money coming in to the economy itself so you want to put more money in the pockets of people, particularly when you look at unemployment over 9 percent. But then at the same time you have these deficits that are running at an absolutely  frightening rate of a trillion-plus dollars a year. So, you’ve got to bump up your revenue stream but at the same time you want to keep your money coming into the economy. So how do you reconcile that calculation? LA MONICA: Yeah, that’s very difficult. It’s the classic short-term versus long-term solution right now that people are trying to weigh. What is more important? A lot of people that we have spoken to at CNN/Money say that really Washington has to do everything in their power to help the middle class extending these tax cuts is likely something that can do that even though it could add to the deficit in the short-term. The hope, and admittedly it is something that could bear out over time but you know, you don’t know for certain is that if the economy starts to finally pick up some steam and consumers spend more, primarily because maybe they aren’t getting this bigger tax hit, the deficit could help take care of itself, because a stronger economy leads to higher tax revenue from not just individuals but businesses over the long haul. CROWLEY: Paul, thanks so much for breaking it down. Appreciate it.

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Democrats Worried Jon Stewart Rally Will Hurt Them On Election Day

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

Although the media took last week’s announcement of comedian Jon Stewart’s “Rally to Restore Sanity” like it was manna falling from heaven, some Democrats are concerned it could hurt them in the upcoming midterm elections. Scheduling such an event on the Saturday before Election Day, when field operatives should be diligently working on Get Out The Vote efforts in their districts, could be tremendously counterproductive. On the other hand, as Politico’s Ben Smith noted Monday, there’s already a big Democrat rally planned in October: Stewart hasn’t mentioned that labor groups and other institutional Democratic organizations are already planning a big Washington rally to counter Beck: The One America rally on October 2, which has been struggling to get the kind of attention Beck does. “Midterm elections are about turnout and as has widely been reported, there is an intensity gap in this election, with the Republican base more motivated than the Democrats’. Some of that gap can be closed with an aggressive ground campaign — we can make up 2-3% in a given race by talking to people at their doors and on their phones,” emails veteran labor Democratic consultant Steve Rosenthal. “I love Jon Stewart — rarely miss the show, but to the extent that some people who will attend his rally would otherwise be involved in GOTV efforts this is not helpful.” Nation editor Chris Hayes e-mailed Smith: First: It’s hard to imagine lots of democratic [sic] politicians showing up to a left equivalent of Glenn Beck’s rally (and I wonder how many will be at the *actual* progressive march on October 2nd), but more than that is [sic] puts our current ideological predicament in stark terms. On the right, a large, well-funded, organized, ideologically zealous movement dedicated to a genuinely reactionary vision of America. On the other side? A very gifted satirist calling for everyone to just chill. If I landed here from Mars and took this in and was asked to bet on who’s going to have more political success, it would be a no-brainer. Something else lost in the discussion is that this event is scheduled for the day before Halloween.  Makes you wonder what kind of anti-GOP costumes will be on display and how that will go counter to the “million moderates march” motif. Think about all the George W. Bush, Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and Sean Hannity dolls likely to be burned in effigy in our nation’s capital as organizers futilely ask, “Can’t we all just get along?” Doesn’t present a picture of sanity , does it? Of course, with two liberal Clintonistas involved in putting this event together, they’ll likely have folks patrolling the crowd to control such imagery. Nobody’s better at falsely presenting a “moderate” persona than a former member of that administration.

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Today Show Hypes Christine O’Donnell’s Witchcraft Past

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

Today co-anchor Matt Lauer, on Monday morning, couldn’t wait to tell viewers about the revelation that Christine O’Donnell once admitted to practicing witchcraft, as he greeted viewers at the top of the very top of the show: “Casting a spell. She’s already won her state’s Republican Senate primary and captured headlines across the country. Now a video surfaces showing Christine O’Donnell admitting she dabbled in witchcraft as a high schooler.” Lauer’s colleague Kelly O’Donnell, then went on to dredge up clips from Bill Maher’s old Politically Incorrect show as she called the Delaware GOP Senate nominee a “tempest in the Tea Party.” While most of Kelly O’Donnell’s piece was devoted to Christine O’Donnell’s “witchcraft talk” that didn’t keep her from mentioning that the Tea Party was causing “tension” in the Alaska Senate race: “And there’s more Tea Party tension brewing for Republicans. Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, who lost her primary, jumped back in the race.” O’Donnell also aired a clip of Murkowski claiming her victorious primary opponent Joe Miller had “extremist views.” Continuing with the theme of a GOP at war with itself, O’Donnell did manage to note the Democrats had another problem altogether as she observed: “While some Republicans are fighting each other the President, appearing at a dinner for the Congressional Black Caucus, tried to inspire those disinterested Democrats to join the fight for November.” The following is the full O’Donnell story as it was aired on the September 20 Today show: MATT LAUER: Now to politics, with the midterm elections only six weeks away, both parties are having to deal with the sudden impact of the Tea Party. NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell is in Washington with more on that. Kelly, good morning to you. [On screen headline: “Tempest In The Tea Party? O’Donnell Admits She ‘Dabbled Into Witchcraft'”] KELLY O’DONNELL: Good morning, Matt. Well the President is trying to help Democrats hold on to a vulnerable Senate seat in Pennsylvania today campaigning and raising money there, while Republicans have more turmoil to deal with. One GOP incumbent won’t accept her defeat in a primary and there are more surprises about that newcomer who is certainly becoming a tempest in the Tea Party. Delaware’s Republican Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell is stirring the pot. CHRISTINE O’DONNELL: They call us wacky, they call us wing nuts, we call us, “We the People.” KELLY O’DONNELL: Hours after she was cheered at a gathering for social conservatives in Washington D.C. an old clip of O’Donnell hit TV Friday, this strange comment from 1999. (Begin clip from Politically Incorrect) CHRISTINE O’DONNELL: I dabbled in witchcraft. I never joined a coven, but I did, I did. (End clip) KELLY O’DONNELL: Comedian Bill Maher teased that unless she comes on his TV show again, he will release more. (Begin clip from Politically Incorrect) CHRISTINE O’DONNELL: One of my first dates with a witch was on a Satanic altar and I didn’t know it. And I mean there’s a little blood there, and stuff like that. BILL MAHER: That was a date? CHRISTINE O’DONNELL: Yeah we went to a movie and then like had a little midnight picnic on a Satanic altar. MAHER: Let’s have a movie and a sacrifice? (End clip) KELLY O’DONNELL: Citing schedule conflicts, O’Donnell backed out on two Sunday morning shows, prime media real estate for a candidate. CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS: Late Friday night, her campaign cancelled. BOB SCHIEFFER, CBS NEWS: She cancelled on us yesterday. KELLY O’DONNELL: Instead O’Donnell campaigned at a picnic in Delaware where she made light of the witchcraft talk. CHRISTINE O’DONNELL: How many of you didn’t hang out with questionable folks in high school. But, no, there’s been no witchcraft since. If there was, Karl Rove would be a supporter now. KELLY O’DONNELL: Democrats worked their own magic with a new TV ad hitting O’Donnell for past tax problems and old debt from her 2008 campaign. (Begin ad clip) ANNOUNCER: She’ll fit right in, in Washington, O’Donnell spends money she doesn’t have. (End clip) KELLY O’DONNELL: And there’s more Tea Party tension brewing for Republicans. Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, who lost her primary, jumped back in the race. She was narrowly defeated by Tea Party conservative Joe Miller, who was endorsed by Sarah Palin. LISA MURKOWSKI: We cannot accept the extremist views of Joe Miller. KELLY O’DONNELL: Murkowski is defying the GOP leadership to run a write-in campaign that even she says will be tough to win. MURKOWSKI: You don’t think we can’t fill in an oval and learn to spell Lisa Murkowski, we can figure this out. KELLY O’DONNELL: While some Republicans are fighting each other the President, appearing at a dinner for the Congressional Black Caucus, tried to inspire those disinterested Democrats to join the fight for November. BARACK OBAMA: Tell them we can’t wait to organize. Tell them that the time for action is now. KELLY O’DONNELL: And when asked about the influence of the Tea Party, former President Bill Clinton said that the voters responding to those candidates are showing good impulses because of the feelings that are out there this year, but he’s not sure what their agenda would be. And Christine O’Donnell’s advisers, when I asked them again about this witchcraft thing, reminded me of the kind of fun lines she tried to use there, saying, that if she were still practicing witchcraft, then Karl Rove would be one of her supporters, not her detractors. So they’re trying to make light of it. Matt?

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Schieffer Bashes White House’s ‘Snarky’ Response to Boehner’s Tax Cut Comment

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

CBS’s Bob Schieffer on Sunday bashed the White House for how it responded to House Minority Leader John Boehner’s (R-Oh.) tax cut comment uttered on “Face the Nation” a week ago. As readers are likely aware, Boehner made news – if not friends amongst conservatives! – by telling Schieffer that if the only thing that came out of the House was an extension of the Bush tax cuts for all but folks that make $250,000 or more per year, he would grudgingly support it.  After reading the White House’s official response to Boehner during this Sunday’s final segment – “Time will tell if his actions will be anything but continued support for the failed policies that got us into this mess” – Schieffer scolded, “I can remember when the first move by a president like Lyndon Johnson or maybe a smart aide in the Eisenhower White House would not have been a snarky press release.” “I`m guessing LBJ would have been on the phone to Boehner in five minutes after seeing him on TV saying something like, if you`re serious, why don`t you come over here quietly and we`ll try to work out something good for both of us and the folks out there,” continued Schieffer. “As we saw, no chance it could happen today. And we`re right back to the partisan war” (video follows with transcript and commentary):  BOB SCHIEFFER, HOST: Finally, House Republican Leader John Boehner did a rare thing on this broadcast last week. He got off the talking points. I asked him about extending the Bush tax cuts that expire this year. Boehner gave me the GOP line: We should extend those cuts for all Americans, rich and poor, Democrats want to extend the cuts only to those making less than $250,000 a year. And when I pressed Boehner, he carefully said that was just bad policy, but if it came down to tax cuts only for the lower and middle income groups or no tax cuts at all, he said, he would reluctantly vote for just the lower and middle income cuts. That was big news all across the country. And it set off a thunder bolt of reaction in both parties. By mid-afternoon the White House acknowledged Boehner`s change in position but added in a written press release: “Time will tell if his actions will be anything but continued support for the failed policies that got us into this mess.” Blame it on a long memory, but I can remember when the first move by a president like Lyndon Johnson or maybe a smart aide in the Eisenhower White House would not have been a snarky press release. I`m guessing LBJ would have been on the phone to Boehner in five minutes after seeing him on TV saying something like, if you`re serious, why don`t you come over here quietly and we`ll try to work out something good for both of us and the folks out there. Call me a romantic, but I believe that might have happened. As we saw, no chance it could happen today. And we`re right back to the partisan war. Too bad really. Nicely done, Bob, but isn’t this possibly another instance of you not being as aware of things going on in Washington, D.C., as you should be? After all, it was only two months ago that Schieffer interviewed Attorney General Eric Holder and not only didn’t ask him about the New Black Panther Party controversy at the Department of Justice, but also admitted to CNN’s Howard Kurtz that he hadn’t heard anything about it.   Regardless of the media’s pathetic echoing of the Democrat talking point that Republicans are the Party of No, GOP members in the House and the Senate have been offering legislative ideas since Obama was inaugurated. Problem is the Party currently controlling Congress and the White House has wanted to implement its policies without any input from Republicans relying instead on their majorities in both chambers. As such, it’s by no means surprising the Obama administration didn’t immediately jump on Boehner’s comments from last Sunday to try to use them as a means of coming to a resolution on this matter. That’s not been this White House’s modus operandi since January 20, 2009, and Schieffer would have known this if he wasn’t accepting the administration’s talking points as the Gospel truth. Why he didn’t this time is anybody’s guess unless like so many folks on the Left he’s beginning to come out from under the Hope and Change ether. Stay tuned. 

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NBC’s Gregory: Obama to Claim ‘Warlord-ism’ in GOP, O’Donnell’s ‘Extremist’ Views Would Be a ‘Real Problem’ ‘Almost Anywhere’

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

It’s one thing to acknowledge that most voters in a liberal-leaning state like Delaware may be reluctant to vote for a solid conservative, but, as he appeared on Sunday’s Today show on NBC, Meet the Press host David Gregory claimed that Delaware GOP Senate nominee Christine O’Donnell’s “extremist statements and some views” would not only be a “real problem” in Delaware, but “it would be the case almost anywhere.” And, rather than noting the liberal lean of Delaware, which has not voted Republican in a presidential election since 1988, Gregory described the state as “more moderate.” Gregory: “Christine O’Donnell also represents a real problem for the Republican party. I mean, her track record of statements, extremist statements and some views on issues are going to be a real problem – not just in a state like Delaware that’s more moderate, but it would be the case almost anywhere.” And, as Gregory described how President Obama might try to portray Republicans as extreme, the NBC host seemed to channel MSNBC’s Chris Matthews as he suggested that Obama might claim that “warlord-ism” is “going on within the party, extremism within the party.” After noting that the Tea Party movement indicates Republicans are energized to vote in November, Gregory continued: Beyond that, you’ll see the President and his allies saying, “Look, this is a Republican party going through a revolution. They don’t know which side is up. There’s a kind of warlord-ism going on within the party, extremism within the party. This is not a party that you want to have leading the country.” That will be the argument that you hear more and more, and that you’re already hearing the President make. Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Sunday, September Today show on NBC: LESTER HOLT: Another woman to watch on the Republican side, virtual underdog Christine O’Donnell, pulled off the win in Delaware this past week. Same in New Hampshire, Tea Party candidate. What do we make of all this? And does it propel this Tea Party belief to a new level? DAVID GREGORY: I think it does because this was seen as even more unlikely than some of the other Tea Party triumphs around the country. Christine O’Donnell also represents a real problem for the Republican party. I mean, her track record of statements, extremist statements and some views on issues are going to be a real problem – not just in a state like Delaware that’s more moderate, but it would be the case almost anywhere. That’s why you’ve seen the likes of Karl Rove come out and say that this is a problem for the party. Even if he’s behind her or he thinks she can rehabilitate herself, the reality is that she makes it so much more difficult for Republicans to make a pick up there in that Senate race in Delaware. And that’s the larger issue, which is, is the Tea Party moving the party in a direction of narrow gains but more widespread losses when it comes to general elections? HOLT: And how do Democrats (INAUDIBLE)? How does the President and Democrats look at this, maybe borrow something with a playbook? What’s the thinking? GREGORY: Look, on the one hand, it hurts Democrats in the fall because there’s so much energy and enthusiasm on the Republican side. Conservatives are going to come out to vote. Democrats, liberals, that base of support that voted for Obama in ’08 doesn’t necessarily come out in those kinds of numbers for the midterm race. Beyond that, you’ll see the President and his allies saying, “Look, this is a Republican party going through a revolution. They don’t know which side is up. There’s a kind of warlord-ism going on within the party, extremism within the party. This is not a party that you want to have leading the country.” That will be the argument that you hear more and more, and that you’re already hearing the President make.

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NBC’s Gregory: Obama to Claim ‘Warlord-ism’ in GOP, O’Donnell’s ‘Extremist’ Views Would Be a ‘Real Problem’ ‘Almost Anywhere’

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CBS Dishonestly Touts ‘Non-Partisan Watchdog’ Group’s Quest for a ‘Criminal Investigation’ of Christine O’Donnell

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

“There are calls for a criminal investigation of another rising GOP star,” Katie Couric teased at the top of the CBS Evening News, after citing Sarah Palin’s speaking appearance in Iowa, as she elevated a publicity gimmick from a left-wing organization staffed by veterans of Democratic congressional offices. Though O’Donnell “took the spotlight today at a conservative summit in Washington,” Couric warned: “There may be trouble ahead for her. A watchdog group intends to call Monday for a criminal investigation of what it says is her chronic abuse of campaign funds.” Reporter Nancy Cordes painted O’Donnell as a hypocrite, charging that “even as she preached a return to fiscal conservatism, O’Donnell’s own unorthodox spending habits were starting to come under heavy scrutiny,” asserting “the unemployed O’Donnell used campaign funds to pay for meals, gas, bowling trips, and personal rent, even long after the campaign had ended.” CBS then gave a platform to veteran Democratic activist Melanie Sloan, who is now advancing her liberal agenda as Executive Director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). She alleged O’Donnell “just stole” campaign donations. Cordes legitimized CREW by misleadingly describing the obviously liberal outfit as “the non-partisan watchdog group” which “is urging the U.S. attorney in Delaware to open a criminal investigation.” Sloan got a second soundbite to declare: “It’s not sloppiness, it’s out-and-out theft.” (On Wednesday night, without attribution for the ideological label, Cordes cited “O’Donnell’s ultra-conservative social views.”)   Just how much of a “non-partisan watchdog” is CREW? “ CREW’s Crooked Candidates 2010 ” list, one of whom is O’Donnell, now features nine Republicans and just three Democrats, which suggests they are cover for the group’s real agenda. Looking at its own “ CREW crew ” page of brief staff bios, I saw no one with any past work for a conservative cause or Republican politician, but a bunch with records of working for liberal and Democratic officials, starting with Sloan: Ms. Sloan served as Minority Counsel for the House Judiciary Committee, working on criminal justice issues for then-Ranking Member John Conyers (D-MI). Ms. Sloan also served as Counsel for the Crime Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee, chaired by then-Representative Charles Schumer (D-NY). There, she drafted portions of the 1994 Crime Bill, including the Violence Against Women Act. In 1993, Ms. Sloan served as Nominations Counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee, under then-Chairman Joseph Biden (D-DE). Other staffers toiled previously for Democratic Senators Tom Harkin, Jeff Merkley, Daniel Inouye, Barbara Boxer and the late Paul Wellstone and Fritz Hollings. Another served in the office of Maryland Democratic Congressman Chris Van Hollen. Plus, one “performed strategic campaign research with the Service Employees International Union.” The “contact” name on CREW’s page proclaiming “ Tell the U.S. Attorney: Investigate Christine O’Donnell! ” is Garrett Russo. From the bio for Russo, CREW’s Communications Director: “Prior to joining CREW, Mr. Russo ran the National Press Desk for former Vice President Gore’s Alliance for Climate Protection.” That page links to a petition page that features a video clip from Thursday’s Anderson Cooper 360: “CNN is already looking into the matter. Click here, or watch the YouTube clip below, to see their report.” ( larger jpg image of that Web page showcasing CNN’s story.) The story on the Friday, September 17 CBS Evening News, transcript provided by the MRC’s Brad Wilmouth: KATIE COURIC: Now to the Tea Party’s newest star, Christine O’Donnell, who scored an upset to take the GOP Senate nomination in Delaware this week. She took the spotlight today at a conservative summit in Washington, but there may be trouble ahead for her. A watchdog group intends to call Monday for a criminal investigation of what it says is her chronic abuse of campaign funds. Here’s congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes. NANCY CORDES: Christine O’Donnell, initially shunned by the Republican establishment, was embraced by it today, granted a plum speaking role at the annual Values Voters Summit in Washington, D.C., alongside the likes of Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee. CHRISTINE O’DONNELL, DELAWARE REPUBLICAN SENATE NOMINEE: The small elite don’t get us. They call us wacky. They call us wing nuts. We call us, “We, the people.” CORDES: Delaware’s new Republican Senate nominee was at home in this crowd of social conservatives. But even as she preached a return to fiscal conservatism, O’Donnell’s own unorthodox spending habits were starting to come under heavy scrutiny. Staffers on her previous campaign for Senate and O’Donnell’s own financial filings reveal that the unemployed O’Donnell used campaign funds to pay for meals, gas, bowling trips, and personal rent, even long after the campaign had ended. MELANIE SLOAN, CITIZENS FOR RESPONSIBILITY AND ETHICS IN WASHINGTON: Well, I’ve never seen a candidate who just stole all their campaign money and used it for personal use. What it seems like here is Christine O’Donnell had no other way to support herself so she thought, okay, I’ll run for U.S. Senate. CORDES: The non-partisan watchdog group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, is urging the U.S. attorney in Delaware to open a criminal investigation. SLOAN: It’s not sloppiness, it’s out-and-out theft. CORDES: But today O’Donnell waved off her critics. O’DONNELL: Will they attack us? Yes. Will they smear our backgrounds and distort our records? Undoubtedly. CORDES: Republican Senate campaign leaders scheduled their first face-to-face meeting with O’Donnell today, but she canceled, saying she was just too tired after her whirlwind week.

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CBS Dishonestly Touts ‘Non-Partisan Watchdog’ Group’s Quest for a ‘Criminal Investigation’ of Christine O’Donnell

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CBS’s Smith: Tea Party and Palin Could Bring GOP to ‘Edge of the Abyss’

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

Appearing on Friday’s CBS Early Show, Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer continued to compare the rise of the tea party and possible candidacy of Sarah Palin in 2012 to the 1964 campaign of Barry Goldwater. In response, co-host Harry Smith remarked that Palin could take Republicans “to the edge of the abyss, as it were.” On Wednesday’s CBS Evening News , Schieffer argued: “…it is very much like 1964….they threw out all the establishment candidates…they nominated Barry Goldwater who – fine man – but he was far to the right of most of the people in his party, and they lost in a landslide. And that’s why you have establishment Republicans worried about what’s going to happen now in November.” He repeated the same line on the Early Show and described the tea party as being full of “very, very conservative” voters who would not be as influential in the general election. Prior to the discussion between Smith and Schieffer, correspondent Dean Reynolds reported on Palin taking a fundraising trip to Iowa and supporting “tea party insurgents…to the chagrin of GOP regulars, who worry they are too extreme, unelectable, or both.” He went on highlight how “Democratic strategists say the more Sarah, the better for them” and touted: “Indeed, our latest polling shows the number of Americans viewing her unfavorably has been rising along with her visibility.” After Schieffer made the 1964 comparison to Smith, he explained the reason for the tea party’s success: “…it all goes back to the economy once again….What you’re seeing is the frustration that just sort of permeates all of our politics right now and you’re seeing in these tea party folks kind of the Right end of all of that.” He then claimed: “If the economy gets a little bit better, I think you’ll see a lot of things change in this – in this equation.” Smith joked about the movement’s demise: “Could be the iced tea party.” On Wednesday , Smith wondered: “Are all of these tea party victories good for the Republican Party?” He later suggested the GOP was making a “miscalculation” at their own “peril” by  supporting the movement. Here is a full transcript of the September 17 segment:  7:00AM TEASE: ERICA HILL: Palin politics. The former Alaska governor heads to Iowa, as she celebrates two more successful Senate endorsements. Is this the first step in her plan to take on President Obama in 2012? 7:05AM SEGMENT: HARRY SMITH: Now to politics, two more Republicans endorsed by Sarah Palin were big winners in this week’s primaries. As Palin campaigns this week, speculation is growing that the former GOP vice presidential candidate wants to be on the top of the ticket in 2012. CBS News national correspondent Dean Reynolds is in Des Moines with more. Good morning, Dean. DEAN REYNOLDS: Good morning, Harry. Well, you’re right about that speculation. And Sarah Palin’s appearance here in Des Moines tonight caps off a week during which her political clout was on full display. [ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Palin in Iowa; Is This First Step Toward White House Run?] To those who like her and those who don’t. Her appearance in Kentucky on Thursday was vintage Palin. SARAH PALIN: We can take it back, we can take back our country. And we’re going to turn things around. REYNOLDS: She was campaigning for Republican senatorial hopeful Rand Paul, one of the tea party insurgents she has endorsed. Sometimes to the chagrin of GOP regulars, who worry they are too extreme, unelectable, or both. It’s a reaction she apparently relishes. PALIN: The hierarchy and, you know, they’re not liking this. REYNOLDS: Tonight, Palin comes to Iowa, which holds the first presidential caucus in 2012. Is she setting the table for a presidential campaign? MATT STRAWN [IOWA REPUBLICAN STATE CHAIRMAN]: You know, we’re just fortunate to have her here. Because she certainly energizes Iowa Republicans at all levels. REYNOLDS: But Democratic strategists say the more Sarah, the better for them. DAVID PLOUFFE [OBAMA ADVISOR]: The very best organizer or fundraiser in the Democratic Party is going to be here in Iowa, Sarah Palin. REYNOLDS: Indeed, our latest polling shows the number of Americans viewing her unfavorably has been rising along with her visibility. Now, Sarah Palin isn’t saying much about her long-term intentions, but as they say in political circles here, nobody comes to Iowa by accident. Harry. SMITH: We know that one for sure. Dean Reynolds, thank you so much. From Des Moines this morning. We want to bring in CBS News chief Washington correspondent and host of Face the Nation Bob Schieffer. Bob, good morning. BOB SCHIEFFER: Good morning to you, Harry. SMITH: Can one appearance in Iowa constitute the beginning of a presidential campaign? SCHIEFFER: Well, it might. I mean, there’s no question about it. But, you know, what is – what is really bothering the establishment Republicans right now is – is what happened to Republicans back in 1964. You know, they had almost won in 1960 when Nixon ran against Kennedy. The next – the next time around, 1964, Republicans threw out all the establishment people, all the leaders of their party, and nominated Barry Goldwater. As I’ve said many times, a very good man but someone far to the Right of the mainstream of the Republican Party. They lost in a landslide. Same thing happened to the Democrats in 1972. They threw out all the establishment candidates – people, leaders in their party, big city mayors like Dick Daley, and nominated again, a very good man, George McGovern, but someone who was far to the Left of the mainstream of their party and they lost in a landslide. And that’s what’s bothering the establishment Republicans now, they’re worried, are they headed to something like that in 2012? SMITH: Take a right to the – take to the edge of the abyss, as it were. But that becomes the question. If you’re the Republicans, how do you – because what’s undeniable is the passion and motivation of the supporters of all the tea party folks. If you’re the Republicans, is there a way to harness that energy? SMITH: Well, that’s what they got to figure out, because you’re absolutely right. I mean, these people are committed. A lot of people of these tea party folks are not really Republicans. They didn’t – you know, they’re anti-tax, they’re very, very conservative. They tend to be older. In mid-term elections, you don’t have young people turning out very much to vote. And they were a powerful force. I mean, there’s absolutely no question about it. Sarah Palin’s endorsement meant a great deal to those particular people. But, how is this going to play in November? And that’s –  that’s what they’re all grappling with, how do you keep the enthusiasm but, at the same time, how do you appeal to the people in the middle, the independents? Who, in the end, are always the ones who decided the election. SMITH: Because it’s all about the middle. It is an interesting dichotomy though. Because as Sarah Palin’s negatives continue to go up, everything she touches turns to gold. O’Donnell in Delaware two weeks ago was not given a snowball’s chance in you-know-what and she ends up running roughshod over the Republican candidate. SCHIEFFER: You know, Harry, it all goes back to the economy once again. I mean, you saw the figures that say one person in seven in this country is now living in poverty. People are still unemployed. People are still loving – looking for work. What you’re seeing is the frustration that just sort of permeates all of our politics right now and you’re seeing in these tea party folks kind of the Right end of all of that. SMITH: Alright. SCHIEFFER: And it all comes from that. If the economy gets a little bit better, I think you’ll see a lot of things change in this – in this equation. But, so far, it’s not getting better. SMITH: Could be the iced tea party. Bob Schieffer in Washington this morning, as always, we appreciate your time. And remember, you can watch Bob’s interview with former President Clinton on Face the Nation this Sunday morning. Don’t want to miss it, right here on CBS.  

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CBS’s Smith: Tea Party and Palin Could Bring GOP to ‘Edge of the Abyss’

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The Daily Show Debates: How will the Democrats "fuck this up?

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

Tea Party Primaries – Beyond the Palin Wyatt Cenac, Jason Jones and John Oliver debate the ways Democrats will f**k up the Tea Party primary victories http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-september-15-2010/tea-party-primaries—be… added by: atomiclegion

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