Tag Archives: Obama

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

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

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

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Bozell Column: Here Comes The Mud

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

How long ago it seems now that Barack Obama was inaugurated, and the Great Uniter championed “hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics.…[T]he time has come to set aside childish things.” It seems the president spoke prematurely. With his approval ratings sinking, and Democratic prospects tanking, Obama began the fall campaign in Milwaukee with a petulant tone about his adversaries: “They talk about me like a dog. That’s not in my prepared remarks, but it’s true.” Precisely which Republican was suggesting the president was a household pet? Who cares? He knew he wouldn’t be challenged. Perhaps he was tired and a little dyslexic, and was thinking about the media: “They talk about me like a god.”  The Great Uniter realizes – finally – that the nation has tired of his attacks on George Bush, so a new White House strategy has emerged.  The next day, Obama was in Ohio, and attacked the potential next Speaker of the House, John Boehner, eight times in his remarks. He even claimed that since Boehner opposed an $800 billion “stimulus,” he was against firemen saving lives. “Mr. Boehner dismissed these jobs we saved – teaching our kids, patrolling our streets, rushing into burning buildings – as ‘government jobs,’ jobs I guess he thought just weren’t worth saving.” This can be dismissed as the usual worn-out liberal hyperbole – vote for “stimulus” or you oppose policemen and firemen and teachers – but when it comes from the alleged Great Uniter? No worries: the media are repeaters, not reporters. What’s really alarming is how eagerly the “news” networks take Obama’s liberal cues and start savaging the Republicans with even greater ferocity. Rep. Boehner appeared on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on September 12, and host Bob Schieffer started whacking him over the head about being a smoker, and being in cahoots with the tobacco industry. “I’m not objective about this. I’m a cancer survivor. I used to be a heavy smoker. Do you still smoke?” Boehner said yes. Schieffer then announced that Boehner had taken $340,000 from the tobacco industry. “How do you square that with the fact that cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths in this country; 435,000 people — their deaths are linked to cancer. That’s one in five. How do you justify that in your own mind?” When Boehner calmly said Americans have a right to smoke, or overeat, Schieffer scoffed: “Well, I mean, they have a right to shoot themselves if they choose to.” This is not the way servile Schieffer greeted Obama in several Obama interviews on “Face the Nation.” He’s never pressed Obama in a puritanical tone as to why our Chain-Smoker- in-Chief hasn’t kicked the habit. Instead, in their last face-to-face a year ago, Schieffer was feeling Obama’s pain about “the sort of meanness that has settled over our political dialogue” and how “President Carter is now saying that he thinks it’s racial. Nancy Pelosi says it could be dangerous. What do you think it’s all about?” Democrats in these last few weeks before Election Day know that the public remains enraged over ObamaCare and thinks the “stimulus” was an enormous boondoggle. So they’re slinging personal mud at an astonishing rate. In Nevada, wildly unpopular Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has a new ad with a state trooper charging that Republican Sharron Angle favors Nevada being “a safe haven for domestic abusers.”  They say this because they know there is no accountability. Instead, several anchors were attacking Newt Gingrich for insisting that Obama’s anti-American, that he’s channeling his Kenyan father’s opposition to American imperialism. CNN’s Anderson Cooper could have used a sedative as he began his piece thusly: “Newt Gingrich ignites an uproar, saying President Obama is essentially a Kenyan con man who tricked Americans into voting for him and his secret radical agenda. So, are GOP politicians rushing to condemn his remarks tonight? And is anything out of bounds these days?” Well, yes. Apparently, saying Sharron Angle favors wife-abusers is “in bounds” with Cooper and his liberal colleagues, as is everything else a Democrat says. In 1994, I said the Republicans were in for a vicious fall campaign, not just from their Democratic opponents, but from a very hostile media. Just as it seems that 2010 could turn out to be a bigger Republican tidal wave than 1994, it’s quite possible that the viciousness of the Obama-loving media will be even greater this year than it was against Gingrich & Co. Call it their very own Contract on Conservatives.

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Bozell Column: Here Comes The Mud

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CNN’s Velshi Against Tax Cuts, Denies There’s Been a ‘Surge’ in Spending

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

CNN’s Ali Velshi leaned against extending the Bush tax cuts during a commentary on Tuesday’s Newsroom, warning that it ” may not be a brilliant idea ,” and spouted the liberal talking point that tax cuts are a costly matter. Velshi also misleadingly stated that ” we have not seen a huge surge in spending .” The anchor devoted his regular “XYZ” segment at the end of the 2 pm Eastern hour to the tax issue. He began by outlining how “President Obama wants to extend the Bush-era tax cuts that apply to the middle class, or households earning less than $250,000 a year…and that sounds like a great thing.” He then continued with his argument about the “cost” of cutting taxes: “But let me put this into perspective. First, it’s not free. Extending the tax breaks to the top 3 percent of earners would cost between 650 and 700 billion dollars. Extending it for the rest of us is going to cost a lot more, possibly $3 trillion . Everyone wants to pay less in taxes, but in an economy with a debt like America’s, that may not be a brilliant idea .” Velshi is making the common liberal assumption that the tax revenue belongs to the federal government, even before it is taken away from the employed. Despite this, he added that “arguments that it [tax cuts] will grind the economy to the halt may not hold much water either. Our tax rates are relatively low, and we have not seen a huge surge in spending .” There actually has been such a “huge surge” in spending. Brian Riedl of The Heritage Foundation noted in a June 1, 2010 report that “spending and deficits continuing to grow at a pace not seen since World War II. Washington will spend $30,543 per household in 2010— $5,000 per household more than just two years ago ….Since 2000, spending has grown across the board. Entitlement spending has reached a record 14 percent of GDP. Discretionary spending has expanded 79 percent faster than inflation as a result of large defense and domestic spending hikes.” Velshi completely omitted the possible strategy of lowering spending during his commentary. In fact, he has endorsed raises in spending. On February 17, 2010 , he commemorated the one-year anniversary of Obama’s “stimulus” spending with a cake, and gushed over its focus on “green energy” during a August 24 segment . Later in his commentary, Velshi seemed to endorse the concept of raising taxes: VELSHI: It seems obvious that if you’re concerned about the economy, you’ll vote for someone who wants to cut taxes, the deficit, and the debt. But those things don’t go hand in hand. Wanting to bring down the debt and deficit- well, higher taxes may be the most immediate way to do that because those dollars go directly into government coffers. Cutting taxes is a roundabout way of doing it . You cut taxes, people and businesses have more money to spend, and theoretically, they spend that money in ways that either create jobs or increase domestic demand, which creates jobs. But that assumes that those people have enough faith in the economy that they won’t just pocket their tax savings. The anchor closed the segment by repeating his opposition to tax cuts: “Who can you fault for wanting to pay lower taxes? But just don’t be fooled into thinking that you- if you are the average American- are going to be paying less of anything .” Actually, if the Congress and President Obama somehow let the Bush tax cuts expire, it means that everyone, including the middle and lower classes, will experience higher income taxes . Even after making this statement, Velshi hinted that this was the case: “The victory for you might be the existing Bush tax cuts being extended.” The full transcript of Ali Velshi’s commentary from Tuesday’s Newsroom: VELSHI: Time now for the ‘XYZ’ of it. As things stand, President Obama wants to extend the Bush-era tax cuts that apply to the middle class, or households earning less than $250,000 a year. That means about 97 percent of Americans would continue to get the breaks, and that sounds like a great thing. But let me put this into perspective. First, it’s not free. Extending the tax breaks to the top 3 percent of earners would cost between 650 and 700 billion dollars. Extending it for the rest of us is going to cost a lot more, possibly $3 trillion. Everyone wants to pay less in taxes, but in an economy with a debt like America’s, that may not be a brilliant idea. Arguments that it will grind the economy to the halt may not hold much water either. Our tax rates are relatively low, and we have not seen a huge surge in spending. I say this because American voters need to come to terms with this issue. It seems obvious that if you’re concerned about the economy, you’ll vote for someone who wants to cut taxes, the deficit, and the debt. But those things don’t go hand in hand. Wanting to bring down the debt and deficit- well, higher taxes may be the most immediate way to do that because those dollars go directly into government coffers. Cutting taxes is a roundabout way of doing it. You cut taxes, people and businesses have more money to spend, and theoretically, they spend that money in ways that either create jobs or increase domestic demand, which creates jobs. But that assumes that those people have enough faith in the economy that they won’t just pocket their tax savings. I say this so you can make an informed decision at the voting booth. Who can you fault for wanting to pay lower taxes? But just don’t be fooled into thinking that you- if you are the average American- are going to be paying less of anything. The victory for you might be the existing Bush tax cuts being extended. Lower taxes are not feasibly in our future- at least, not until this economy really picks up.

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President Obama Urges Students To ‘Get Schooled’

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

‘The farther you go in school, the farther you’ll go in life,’ he says during his annual back-to-school speech. By Gil Kaufman President Barack Obama shakes hands with students at the Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Tuesday Photo: Tim Sloan/ AFP/ Getty Images President Barack Obama gave the second “back-to-school” speech of his presidency on Tuesday (September 14), and his message was very clear. “Nobody gets to write your destiny but you,” he told the students at Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School in Philadelphia. “Your future is in your hands. Your life is what you make of it. And nothing — absolutely nothing — is beyond your reach. So long as you’re willing to dream big. So long as you’re willing to work hard. So long as you’re willing to stay focused on your education.” That hope-filled exhortation to the National Blue Ribbon School, one of the best in Philly due to its students’ high achievement, was aimed both at the kids and the parents, teachers and school leaders who help the students perform at a high level. The president described how he and his wife, first lady Michelle Obama, have been preparing their children Sasha and Malia for school over the past few weeks and how the Masterman kids are probably lamenting the end of summer, even as they get excited about new possibilities. “I’m sure there will be times in the months ahead when you’re staying up late cramming for a test, or dragging yourselves out of bed on a rainy morning, and wondering if it’s all worth it,” he said, adding that he also suspected they were nervous about how the recession and the ongoing war in Afghanistan were forcing them to “act a lot older” to be strong for their families. “Let me tell you, there is no question about it. Nothing will have as great an impact on your success in life as your education.” He said he understood that some of the students are worried about their futures and whether they will achieve their dreams. Which is why he promised them that education is more important than ever. “More and more, the kinds of opportunities that are open to you will be determined by how far you go in school,” he said. “In other words, the farther you go in school, the farther you’ll go in life. And at a time when other countries are competing with us like never before; when students around the world are working harder than ever, and doing better than ever; your success in school will also help determine America’s success in the 21st century.” Obama, who admitted he wasn’t always the best student, said it will take a group effort from parents, politicians, students and teachers working their hardest to transform those educational aspirations into reality. “That’s what we have to do for you. That’s our responsibility,” he said. “That’s our job. But here’s your job. Showing up to school on time. Paying attention in class. Doing your homework. Studying for exams. Staying out of trouble. That kind of discipline and drive — that kind of hard work — is absolutely essential for success.” Stay tuned to MTV News for more information about how you can get the president to speak at your commencement celebration at the end of this school year.

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‘The Hunger Games’ May Have Its Director

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

‘Seabiscuit’ director Gary Ross is in talks to helm adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ dystopian young adult novel. By Amy Wilkinson Gary Ross Photo: Todd Williamson/ WireImage The director reaping is nearing an end: Gary Ross is in talks to direct the film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ critically acclaimed young adult novel “The Hunger Games.” Lionsgate, the studio co-producing the film along with Color Force’s Nina Jacobson, is in early talks with the director, Deadline reports. Over the past few weeks, the studio has been meeting with a who’s who of directors including “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” helmer David Slade, Sam Mendes, Andrew Adamson, Rupert Sanders and Susanna White. Ross is an Oscar-nominated director and writer, known for his work on “Seabiscuit,” “Pleasantville” and the comedy “Dave.” Deadline emphasized that Ross has not been locked in, but that he is the studio’s choice, pending negotiations. “The Hunger Games” is the first installment of a trilogy focusing on 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen. Katniss lives in a dystopian version of the U.S. called Panem, which is divided into 12 districts and ruled by a capricious Capitol. To remind the districts’ citizens of their failed great rebellion, every year eavh district must send two of its children into a televised glorified death match known as the Hunger Games, where the last kid standing wins. Katniss, who has long been feeding her family by hunting with bow and arrow on the sly, volunteers to take her young sister’s place in the games. While she fights for survival, she also finds herself in a torturous love triangle and an underground movement to overthrow the government. Upon its release last month, “Mockingjay,” the third book in the trilogy, debuted at #1 on both the New York Times and the USA Today best seller lists. Collins was also named on Time ‘s 100 Most Influential People list of 2010. Along with potential helmers, much talk has surrounded the casting of the coveted lead role of Katniss. Names from Kristen Stewart to Chloe Moretz have been mentioned in connection with the project. It can be assumed that once a director is in place, casting will begin in earnest. For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com .

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Watch It Live: President Obama Welcomes Students Back To School

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

Check out Obama’s second annual back-to-school speech live at Julia R Masterman Middle-High School in Philadelphia at 1:00 PM ET. President Barack Obama Photo: Mark Wilson/ Getty Images

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Maher: ‘I’m Against a Church Anywhere’

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

Comedian Bill Maher took his anti-religion, anti-conservative views off HBO and into the mainstream Sept. 13 during an appearance on NBC’s “Tonight Show.” Maher told host Jay Leno he’s against the Ground Zero Mosque, because he’s “against a mosque anywhere. I’m against a church anywhere, or a Hindu temple or a synagogue.” Maher declared that houses of worship are “places that people go to retell nonsense stories from a time before men understood what a germ or an atom was, or where the sun went at night. They try to telepathically communicate with their imaginary friend. These are places that fleece people, and scare people and they perpetuate mass delusion. We shouldn’t build any of them.” But Maher conceded that because the First Amendment protects freedom of religion, “they should be able to build them anywhere.” He also attacked conservatives and Sarah Palin, calling her an “evil dingbat.” Maher, 54, referred to the Tea Party as “the Pee Party,” describing members as “nativist bed-wetters who somehow control our national dialogue.” “They’re just, they’re afraid of a mosque being built inNew York,” he said. “They’re afraid of guns. You know, they think Obama, who like every other pussy Democrat, has never said a single word about gun control, but they’re very sure that he, he and his negro army are coming after, coming after their guns. You know what? If you think he’s coming after your guns, you need to get out of your chat room, and have your house tested for lead. He’s not coming after your guns or your Bible or your fishing pole or your chewing tobacco and there’s not a monster under your bed. That’s the ab lounger you ordered and never used.” Maher did acknowledge one difference between Christians and Muslims many in the media overlook. “They have nuts and we have nuts,” Maher said, talking about Muslims and presumably non-Muslims. “Their nuts are a lot more numerous and lot more violent. That mouth breather down inFlorida who was going to burn a Koran, what would have happened? Nothing. To retaliate, you know, they could have burned our most sacred book, ‘Eat, Pray, Love.;” No, they could have burned the Bible and nothing would have happened, okay? So you have to recognize that difference, too.”

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Jealous? Al Sharpton Complains Media’s ‘Imbalanced and Unfair’ When Terry Jones Steals Spotlight

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

Rev. Al Sharpton, last seen leading a small leftist counter-protest of Glenn Beck’s rally in Washington on August 28, complained on his radio show Friday that Rev. Terry Jones shouldn’t have gotten media attention because he’s doing “nothing but hatemongering.” (Al Sharpton, by contrast, is the Apostle of Love.) A lot of people wonder why we in civil rights get attention. Now we can produce our following and our members, tens of thousands of people at marches, all kind of stuff and we project an issue that helps people and they say we get too much media coverage. This guy in Florida is doing nothing but hatemongering, has fifty members on a good Sunday and the whole world is standing still. And y’all wonder why I say the media is imbalanced and unfair. Turning to Smokey Fontaine of the black website NewsOne.com, Sharpton complained that even Barack Obama was forced to address Jones at his press conference: But as everyone knows he has had to deal with this question of the Islamic Center that is being proposed in lower Manhattan and the threat by this Minister in Florida who I think has gotten unparalleled media attention globally. I mean now, I lead a national organization, have a national syndicated show, TV and radio and they ask why do I get press attention? This man has fifty followers and only because he’s going to burn some Bibles — I mean some Korans, which is the Bible in Islam — on hate, he gets world attention and the media doesn’t see a contradiction there. Many Americans would agree that Rev. Terry Jones didn’t deserve national attention for his stunt — and many of the same Americans would wish the same obscurity on the antics of the Rev. Al Sharpton.

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GOP Strategist Schools Ed Schultz and Former Air America Host

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

Republican strategist Ron Christie on Monday demonstrated why Keith Olbermann is smart to not have conservatives on his program, for most MSNBC hosts are just not up to the challenge. Appearing on the “Ed Show” to address some comments Newt Gingrich recently made about President Obama, Christie refuted former Air America host Jack Rice’s contention that Gingrich was being racist. “I disagree with what he had to say this past weekend, but to suggest that the former Speaker of the House is trying to say, ‘Oh the President of the United States is black and and I’m white’ I think is so far out of bounds and so untrue,” scolded Christie. “This has to stop.”  Minutes later, when the host asked his Republican guest what the “con” was that Gingrich accused Obama of perpetrating on the American people, Christie hit the ball so far out of the park that by the end of the segment, his liberal antagonists were left laughing in astonishment (video follows with transcript and commentary):   JACK RICE, FORMER AIR AMERICA HOST: You don`t have to be a racist and disagree with this president, but when you start bringing up the question of him being born in Mombassa, Kenya, again and again and again, when all of the facts are clear, it seems to me, there`s only one reason that you would do that, it`s synonymous with racism, it just is. RON CHRISTIE, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: I totally disagree with you. Look, I`ve known Speaker Gingrich for almost 20 years now. I know him to be a man of character and principle. I disagreed with what he say this past weekend, but to suggest that the former Speaker of the House is trying to say, oh the President of the United States is black and I’m white, I think is so far out of bounds and so untrue. This has to stop. You could disagree with the man on policy. (CROSSTALK) ED SCHULTZ, HOST: I`m curious. CHRISTIE: But has to stop. SCHULTZ: Gentlemen, I`m curious, Newt Gingrich calls President Obama a conman in an interview with “The National Review.” He says, “This is a person who is fundamentally out of touch with how the world works, who happened to have played a wonderful con, as a result, which he is now president.” What con? What are we talking about — what`s he talking about here, Ron? CHRISTIE: Well, the President of the United States said that he was going to change the tone of Washington and he was going to bring civility back. We’re at the most polarized I think we`ve been in the country. The President said that his stimulus package. SCHULTZ: That`s his fault? That`s President Obama`s fault. CHRISTIE: Yes, actually, I do think that it`s President Obama`s fault. SCHULTZ: Is that before or after the health care meeting? Come on now, Ron, you`re being a little tough on the president. He has reached out time and time again. CHRISTIE: Let me answer your question, Ed. SCHULTZ: All right, all right. CHRISTIE: The fact of the matter is a President of the United States can change the tone, the way that leaders on both sides of the aisle deal with civic disagreements. I think if you look at President Bush and what we did with No Child Left Behind, he brought Ted Kennedy, a very liberal former senator. He brought George Miller, a former liberal congressman. (CROSSTALK) SCHULTZ: I got what you`re saying. So, how should President Obama have responded to Senator DeMint`s comment over a year ago that if this is his waterloo, if we could break him? How was the president supposed to — he should have cut off all of the olive branches right there and he didn`t, you know. CHRISTIE: I would have ignored it. SCHULTZ: You would have ignored it but it was said on the right, Ron. It was said on the right, no doubt about it. CHRISTIE: So what, Ed? So, what? SCHULTZ: Are you talking about a dialogue in Washington? I want to know, where is the con? Where was the con? What was the big con that was committed by President Obama?  And you`re saying. CHRISTIE: The big con was perpetuated — Jack, let me say one thing. RICE: Yes. CHRISTIE: The big con that was perpetuated was this President and his economic team, unemployment when he came on office was 6.7 percent. He said, if he spent nearly a trillion dollars, he`ll keep it beneath eight percent, now it`s at 9.6 percent. That is a con, that`s disingenuous. SCHULTZ: That`s not a con. That`s a mis-projection. And the Bush people did it all of the time and you know it. Jack, you got final comment. RICE: Yes, you`re absolutely right. At the end of the day, you turned around and blame President Obama for this. Was it his fault too that people were marching up and down in Washington with pictures of President Obama, with mustaches? That was his problem too, that was his fault? CHRISTIE: They did it to Bush. RICE: Yes, he is the one who changed all this. CHRISTIE: Well, all I have to say is both sides need to cut it out. He`s an American citizen. Let`s finally get to work for the American people. That`s what we elected these people to do. SCHULTZ: All right. Let`s talk about the Pelosi ad. Here it is, this is her opponent putting up an ad claiming that she`s a wicked witch. Here it is. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ANNOUNCER: I wish there was a political party they could vote for with a. UNIDENTIFIED MAN: More courage. UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: I don`t care about political parties. I just want a home that isn`t blown away by debt. UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Hello, my pretty. I will say you from those evil republicans. But first, pay $18,000 for my downtown office and go into massive debt. The Wall Street bailouts and here are my monkeys to make you pay for it all. UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Step back, everyone. UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Oh, I`m melting. UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Thank you for saving us, who are you? UNIDENTIFIED MAN: I`m John Dennis, I`m running for Congress. (END VIDEO CLIP) SCHULTZ: Jack Rice, your thoughts on that. RICE: Thank you for saving us. Yes that`s right, it was President Obama`s fault that he didn`t change the tone in Washington. Yes, this is reminiscent of what we have seen in the past. Again, this is that standard personality attack, a character attack that we`ve seen, rather than saying OK, let`s dig down to the facts. Now if that`s what we`re talking about, notice that this ad does none of that. Instead, it goes back to the things we heard before and I guess they`re pulling them out again because the midterms are here and that`s what they do. SCHULTZ: Ron is that ad demeaning to women? CHRISTIE: Oh, I don`t think that ad is demeaning to women. I just think it`s kind of dumb. I mean, it`s funny but I think that you should be campaigning for what you are for rather for what you`re against. You should be laying out a positive vision. SCHULTZ: Wait a second. That`s what the republicans have been doing for the last three years is basically saying no. CHRISTIE: Give me a break. I`m so tired of all the effigies that President Bush that were burned. That we never heard about anything from the left. They did it to Dick Cheney, they did it to Dr. Condoleezza Rice. I`m saying, the president of the United States needs to lead by example. His going around in Ohio and saying, people threat him like a dog. That`s not presidential. People want to hear the president talk in very confident tones and he sounds like a very thin-skinned individual. SCHULTZ: Ron, you`re amazing, sir. CHRISTIE: I`m sorry. He is. (LAUGHTER) SCHULTZ: You definitely got it down, Ron. I`ll give you credit.   Marvelously played, Mr. Christie. In fairness to Schultz, unlike the cowardly Olbermann, he does bring on conservative guests. Christie is a frequent contributor to the “Ed Show,” and is normally an oasis in the middle of a liberal desert.  Maybe if all the MSNBC hosts were required to have at least one conservative guest on each evening, the network’s ratings would improve. On the other hand, as Christie demonstrated, all it takes is one intelligent, right-thinking person on the set to expose the fallacies being conveyed by most of the anchors on this pathetic network. 

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GOP Strategist Schools Ed Schultz and Former Air America Host

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CBS: Eric Holder ‘Ignoring Political Pressure;’ Given ‘Hero’s Welcome’ After Bush ‘Cronyism’

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

In a puff piece on Attorney General Eric Holder on CBS’s Sunday Morning, correspondent Rita Braver praised his professionalism: “…ignoring political pressure is Holder’s constant message as he talks to Justice Department lawyers…. Though he was a key advisor to the Obama campaign and considers the President a friend, Holder says he now keeps it purely professional.” [Audio available here ] Throughout the interview, Braver portrayed Holder as lacking any political agenda: “And when he took office last February, he got a hero’s welcome. It was in part, he believes, a reaction to cronyism and questionable policies advocated in the Bush-era Justice Department.” As Braver mentioned Bush “cronyism,” a photo of former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales appeared on screen. Holder proclaimed: “Waterboarding, things like that, from my perspective, inconsistent with the great traditions of this department.” Braver began with some gentle criticism of Holder: “And with controversies over everything –  from his pushing to quickly close the U.S. prison at Guantanamo to his very public condemnation of the new Arizona law that cracks down on undocumented immigrants – even some Holder fans are saying, ‘he’s honest, he’s smart but sometimes he can be a little tone deaf about how things play out in public.'” That gave Holder the opportunity to declare: “I don’t have the same latitude that other politicians might have to put my finger up to the wind and figure out what’s going to be popular….So it’s not tone deafness. It’s a commitment to justice and a commitment to the law.” Braver then touted Holder “ignoring political pressure.” Near the end of the segment, Braver noted how “Holder raised a lot of eyebrows with his own comments on race last year.” After playing the clip of Holder calling America a “nation of cowards” on racial matters, Braver announced: “But he says he stands by those remarks.” Holder argued: “I mean that comment was really urging people to get out of what I call their – the safety of their cocoons.” Braver never questioned the offensive and unprofessional nature of the comment nor did she ever bring up the Justice Department’s refusal to prosecute members of the Black Panthers for voter intimidation during the 2008 election. Instead, she continued with a more sympathetic tone: “Because you’re the first African-American attorney general, do you put any extra pressure on yourself?” Braver concluded the interview by wondering: “And as for Eric Holder’s legacy? Is there one thing that you kind of keep in mind about how you see this job all the time?” Holder replied: “It’s what I tell the people in this department all the time. Do the right thing.” Here is a full transcript of Braver’s interview with Holder, aired on September 12: 9:33AM ET SEGMENT: CHARLES OSGOOD: This weekend’s anniversary of the 9/11 attacks focuses our attention once more on America’s war against terrorism. Attorney General Eric Holder plays a key role in that fight. And this past week he fielded questions from our Rita Braver. ERIC HOLDER: It’s something that I start my day with. It’s something that I end my day with. It’s the thing that I spend most of my time on. RITA BRAVER: For Attorney General Eric Holder, it’s not just ceremonies like this one- HOLDER: Today as we read the names of these fallen heros- BRAVER: Honoring law enforcement officials who died on September 11. Every day for him is a reminder of terrorist threats. So this is where you meet with your staff and what else here? HOLDER: We have a meeting every morning. BRAVER: But outside the confines of the Justice Department, Holder has been subject to criticism for his handling of trials of accused terrorists. JEFF SESSIONS: I believe this decision is dangerous. I believe it’s misguided. LINDSEY GRAHAM: I think you’ve made a fundamental mistake here. BRAVER: Especially for the decision he announced – and then had to retract after it provoked an outcry – that Khalid Sheik Mohammed and four other alleged September 11 plotters would be tried in New York City. HOLDER: I’m not scared of what Khalid Sheik Mohammed has to say at trial. BRAVER: The trial date and place are now in limbo. And with controversies over everything –  from his pushing to quickly close the U.S. prison at Guantanamo to his very public condemnation of the new Arizona law that cracks down on undocumented immigrants – even some Holder fans are saying, ‘he’s honest, he’s smart but sometimes he can be a little tone deaf about how things play out in public.’ HOLDER: No, I’m not tone deaf. But I understand what the nature of being attorney general is. I don’t have the same latitude that other politicians might have to put my finger up to the wind and figure out what’s going to be popular. BRAVER: Does the criticism- HOLDER: So it’s not tone deafness. It’s a commitment to justice and a commitment to the law. It is not tone deafness. BRAVER: That got you. HOLDER: Yeah, it does. Because I think that is a criticism that is fundamentally unfair and is political in nature. We want to make sure that this department of justice is true to its great traditions. BRAVER: In fact, ignoring political pressure is Holder’s constant message as he talks to Justice Department lawyers in places like Mobile, Alabama. HOLDER: The only thing that I want you to do is to make sure that you do justice. BRAVER: At 59, Eric Himpton Holder Jr. is the first U.S. attorney general to spend most of his career at the Justice Department. Starting just out of Columbia Law School. HOLDER: I mean, this Department of Justice formed me as a lawyer. BRAVER: And when he took office last February, [cheering crowd] he got a hero’s welcome. It was in part, he believes, a reaction to cronyism and questionable policies advocated in the Bush-era Justice Department. [ON-SCREEN: PICTURES OF ALBERTO GONZALES] HOLDER: Waterboarding, things like that, from my perspective, inconsistent with the great traditions of this department. And when I say traditions, I really want to stress under Republican as well as Democratic attorneys general. Let’s go look. BRAVER: May we go see? So in Holder’s personal office- HOLDER: As you can see, it’s not very large. BRAVER: -there’s a portrait of Attorney General Janet Reno, the Democrat for whom he served as deputy. HOLDER: He is the ultimate symbol of independence. BRAVER: But in his conference room, Holder has a portrait of Republican Elliott Richardson, fired by President Nixon when he refused to stop the Watergate investigation.                                              HOLDER: There are times when you have to do what Elliott Richardson did, which is too simply to say, no. And resign. BRAVER: Though he was a key advisor to the Obama campaign and considers the President a friend, Holder says he now keeps it purely professional. Do you and the President ever get into it? HOLDER: Without characterizing what they are, I will say we have heated conversations. BRAVER: Holder says the person who keeps him on an even keel is his wife, Dr. Sharon Malone, an OBGYN. And he cheerfully admits that she made a lot more money than he did for many years. HOLDER: You know, I’m a 21st century guy, secure in who I am. And so I was more than happy to have these great government jobs while she was bringing in all the money that she made and was giving birth to three children. BRAVER: Holder says his sense of what is right comes from his parents, immigrants from Barbados. You have said that your father faced discrimination. How so? HOLDER: While he was in the service in the South and in Oklahoma, he was refused service at a couple of places where he was in uniform and was told that African-Americans, blacks, negros, were not served. And in spite of that, I have never known a man who loved this country more than my father did. BRAVER: Holder raised a lot of eyebrows with his own comments on race last year. HOLDER: In things racial, we have always been and we, I believe, continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards. BRAVER: But he says he stands by those remarks. HOLDER: I mean that comment was really urging people to get out of what I call their – the safety of their cocoons. BRAVER: Because you’re the first African-American attorney general, do you put any extra pressure on yourself? HOLDER: Yeah, I certainly feel that. I feel there’s a certain responsibility I have, a pressure that I feel that I think is not something that’s been imposed on me as much as it is internal. BRAVER: And as for Eric Holder’s legacy? Is there one thing that you kind of keep in mind about how you see this job all the time? HOLDER: It’s what I tell the people in this department all the time. Do the right thing.

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CBS: Eric Holder ‘Ignoring Political Pressure;’ Given ‘Hero’s Welcome’ After Bush ‘Cronyism’

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