Tag Archives: political groups

MSNBC’s Chuck Todd Continues to Distort Tax Deal’s ‘Astronomical’ Cost

MSNBC's Chuck Todd on the December 7 “Daily Rundown” was uncharacteristically heated in his opposition to the compromise between President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans on extending the Bush tax rates. Interviewing a Treasury Department official, Todd used flawed statistics to malign the proposed two-year extension of tax breaks for all families as unacceptably expensive. “The cost of this is astronomical though,” proclaimed the NBC Political Director. “The payroll tax cut means essentially borrowing from the Social Security trust fund to do this temporary payroll tax. I mean, it's 120 billion, that's a lot of money!” [Video embedded after the page break.] read more

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MSNBC’s Chuck Todd Continues to Distort Tax Deal’s ‘Astronomical’ Cost

AP Reporters Try to Breathe Life Into Moribund UN Cancun Climate Conference

I do hope that Associated Press reporters Arthur Max and Charles J. Hanley are finding some recreational time while they are reporting from Cancun about what's happening at the ” United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.” The pair's bosses ought to be asking them how much real attention they are paying to the festivities since they began. For example, as far as I can tell from two reports by Mr. Max ( here and here ), he seems to have missed the opening prayer to the pagan goddess Ixchel; Ken Shepherd at NewsBusters took note of it from thousands of miles away.

At Cancun, ‘Climate Change Experts’ Call for End to Developed World Growth for ‘The Next 20 Years’

This would be really funny if it weren't for the fact that so many supposedly informed people, including our president and those who surround him, may actually buy into ideas being proposed at the United Nations-sponsored Cancun climate conference, and will relish the means by which they could be put into place. At the UK Telegraph today, environment correspondent Louise Gray feeds us the following headline and sub-headline: Cancun climate change summit: scientists call for rationing in developed world Global warming is now such a serious threat to mankind that climate change experts are calling for Second World War-style rationing in rich countries to bring down carbon emissions. From all appearances, such rationing would last at least two decades, during which there would be, by design, no economic growth. Zero, zip, nada. Here are selected paragraphs from Gray's grouse (bolds and number tags are mine): read more

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At Cancun, ‘Climate Change Experts’ Call for End to Developed World Growth for ‘The Next 20 Years’

Name That Party: In Iowa, With Lame Duck Raise-Granting Dem Gov, Drudge Does, Des Moines Register Doesn’t

The seemingly endless variety of “name that party” stunts has yet another wrinkle. In this case, Matt Drudge is currently linking to a Des Moines Register story (“Culver OKs state pay raises”; also saved here at host for future reference) about how outgoing Iowa Governor Chet Culver has decided to rush through union contracts granting thousands of state employees 3% raises (before considering “step” raises that occur with seniority) in each of the next two years before Republican Governor Terry Bransted takes over in January. The headline for Drudge's link is “Lame duck Dem governor in Iowa OKs $100 million in raises for state workers.” Actually, it's $100 million a year for the next two years. But the linked Register article by Jason Clayworth never identifies Culver's Democratic Party affiliation, even though he tags the governor's opposition as Republican twice in the first two paragraphs. In other words, not that it was difficult to show that Culver is a Dem , but Drudge had to figure it out and tell his readers — and we thank him for that. Here are excerpts from Clayworth's clunker: read more

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Name That Party: In Iowa, With Lame Duck Raise-Granting Dem Gov, Drudge Does, Des Moines Register Doesn’t

‘Name That Party’: AP Adds a Race Card to the Mix in Prince George’s Co. Md. Corruption Story

A couple of NewsBusters posts during the past week — one from yours truly and another courtesy of Ken Shepherd — have pointed to the press's reluctance to identify the Democratic Party affiliations of indicted Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson and his also-indicted wife Leslie, who is a County Council member. Today, the Associated Press's Brian Witte kept up the wire service's tradition of either not naming the party of an indicted Democrat or deferring that identification until very late in the report (in the apparent hope that subscribing outlets picking up the story won't use it). Jack Johnson's party affiliation was saved for the 19th paragraph; Witte never identified his wife's party affiliation. Witte further quoted a Republican who commented on the situation in Paragraph 10, and noted that said Republican “ran against Johnson in 2002” in Paragraph 11, leaving it vague as to whether it was a primary or general election contest. Finally, Witte gave voice to people who believes that the Johnsons and ultimately other county officials are being targeted based on their African-American ethnicity — in county where two-thirds of its residents are African-American. Here are selected paragraphs from Witte's report : read more

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‘Name That Party’: AP Adds a Race Card to the Mix in Prince George’s Co. Md. Corruption Story

Defeated Ohio Gov. Strickland’s ‘Shadow Government’ Comment Ignored by Ohio Papers

In a Tuesday item, the Politico's David Catanese reported on the results of an interview he had (HT to Third Base Politics ) with outgoing Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, who was defeated by Republican John Kasich earlier this month. It was billed as “his first one-on-one interview since his loss,” the first for a sitting Ohio governor in 36 years, so you would think anything particularly controversial Strickland might have to say would be news elseswhere. Well, here's an obviously newsworthy comment (in bold), especially considering what came just before and after it: read more

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Defeated Ohio Gov. Strickland’s ‘Shadow Government’ Comment Ignored by Ohio Papers

Time Interviewer Timidly Questions Daily Kos Founder’s Extremist Rhetoric About Conservatives

In his 7-question September 22 Q&A with Markos Moulitsas , Time magazine’s Ishaan Tharoor timidly challenged the left-wing blogger on his extremist rhetoric about how conservative Americans, particularly religious ones, are the “American Taliban.” Moulitsas was interviewed as part of his publicity tour for his new book, “American Taliban: How War, Sex, Sin and Power Bind Jihadists and the Radical Right” which “takes aim at what Moulitsas thinks is animating this right-wing revival,” Tharoor noted.   “You refer to a whole swath of U.S. conservatives as American Taliban. Is that really helpful?” Tharoor began meekly.    Moulitsas, of course, cranked it up to eleven and let loose with a boilerplate screed about how evil and subversive American conservatives are: Since 9/11, I’ve been hearing accusations over and over again that liberals like me want the terrorists to win. I have no love for fundamentalist Muslims — I think they’re basically hard-right Christians. There’s a shared intolerance. Liberals like me don’t want the terrorists to win just like we don’t want the American Taliban to win. I don’t think there’s any reason to say it nicer. It’s a two-word way to bring home just how dangerous these people are. In response, Tharoor then asked: But we don’t see these Americans blowing up statues of the Buddha or riding around in pickup trucks with AK-47s. More importantly, you don’t see Americans stoning adulterers or gays, but I see what Tharoor is getting at. Nonetheless, Moulitsas doubled down on his harsh rhetoric: The fact is that their movement is predicated on the notion that violence is a viable alternative. Abortion doctors have been killed; there’s an ammunition shortage across the country because some of these people are hoarding stores for the coming apocalypse. Sharron Angle [a Republican running for the Senate in Nevada] has warned that if voters don’t elect the right candidates, they may have to resort to “Second Amendment remedies.” The American Taliban may be more constrained by American society and laws than their Middle Eastern counterparts, but that’s not a function of tactics, more just the society they live in. Their goals are the same. This time Moulitsas gave a concrete example, fair enough, but one loopy statement by one candidate is hardly an accurate picture of the entire conservative movement. What’s more, Moulitsas unfairly associated all pro-lifers with the tiny violent fringe who are not representative of the peaceful pro-life movement.    All the same, Tharoor failed to suggest that Moulitsas might be more interested in writing a best-selling leftist screed than giving an accurate critique of his political opponents. Indeed, for the rest of the interview, Tharoor treated Moulitsas as a qualified expert to write on the conservative movement, including how Ronald Reagan would allegedly be treated as an apostate from conservatism were he alive and running for office today.    Complained Moulitsas: I also think it’s laughable that they keep on talking about Ronald Reagan as the patron saint of modern conservatism. I have sections of the book where I discuss how he would now be drummed out of the Republican Party because he was pro-amnesty, he met with our enemies, he wasn’t rabidly anti-gay, he raised taxes. He was a downright left-wing radical compared to the current bunch. Of course, various other lefty bloggers have been making similar complaints, namely Cenk Uygur, a recurring guest host on left-leaning cable news network MSNBC. But Tharoor failed to raise any skeptical notes about these talking points.   Photo credit: Alex Wong of Getty Images via Time.com website.

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Time Interviewer Timidly Questions Daily Kos Founder’s Extremist Rhetoric About Conservatives

HLN’s Joy Behar Reiterates O’Donnell Bashing, Advises Nominee to See a Psychotherapist

Comedian Joy Behar repeated her ‘View’ tirade against Christine O’Donnell on her eponymous HLN network program yesterday, denouncing the Delaware Republican Senate nominee as “crazy” and suggesting she should see a psychotherapist. “You know, I’m not a shrink, but this is the crazy train this girl is on,” chortled Behar, who also belittled O’Donnell on ABC’s “The View” yesterday. After maligning O’Donnell’s character, Behar suggested the social conservative could benefit from therapy: “I believe in psychotherapy. Maybe she should go to a shrink.” Behar’s guest, psychotherapist Robi Ludwig, did not take the bait: “I don’t know that much about her. But we also need to allow people to change as they grow. Express themselves when they’re young, make mistakes and change their point of view. Do we really think that she’s into witchcraft? I don’t really buy it.” Lisa Bloom, Behar’s other guest, was equally unwilling to contribute to the personal attacks: “If you haven’t done something a little wacky in your youth, then I think there’s something wrong with you.” The same comedian who believes liberals are more open-minded than conservatives dismissed outsiders like O’Donnell who are defeating the political establishment in primaries across the country: “Nobody normal seems to be running these days. There’s crazies around.” A transcript of the relevant portion of the segment can be found below: HLN Joy Behar September 20, 2010 9:08 P.M. E.S.T. JOY BEHAR: You know, I’m not a shrink, but this is the crazy train this girl is on. ROBI LUDWIG, psychotherapist and Care.com contributor: Yes. BEHAR: Robi, I mean — LUDWIG: Did she do that after denouncing masturbation? I don’t know. BEHAR: Yes. But you know, we’re laughing at this, but this woman could be a — GLENDA HATCHETT, judge: A senator. BEHAR: A senator from Delaware, Joe Biden’s state. Ok. (CROSSTALK) BEHAR: I mean it’s scary in a certain weird way. LUDWIG: It is a little scary, but also she did this when she was young. And I think we need to allow — I’m not saying her judgment is good — I don’t know her. I don’t know that much about her. But we also need to allow people to change as they grow. Express themselves when they’re young, make mistakes and change their point of view. Do we really think that she’s into witchcraft? I don’t really buy it. BEHAR: No, it’s a silly thing. It’s silly season for this girl. Lisa, is this worse than the anti-masturbation video she put out? Because that could hurt her politically too. LISA BLOOM, attorney: You know this is the first interesting thing I’ve heard about her. If you haven’t done something a little wacky in your youth, then I think there’s something wrong with you. She dabbled in satanic rituals and witchcraft. Ok.. Now she seems more like a human being to me. It’s the masturbation stuff I just can’t grasp at all. BEHAR: Really? What were you up to in high school, Lisa? What were you dabbling in? BLOOM: My mother would kill me if I told you on national TV. BEHAR: What about you girls? Do you have any dabbles? HATCHETT: Listen, I was a juvenile court judge. I’ll never fess up. LUDWIG: You’re smart. Twitter or Facebook didn`t exist when I was a girl. That’s all I’m saying. HATCHETT: The guys I used to date – oh, my mercy. BEHAR: But you know what, Robi? Nobody normal seems to be running these days. There’s crazies around. LUDWIG: Well, who is not crazy? BEHAR: I don`t want them representing me. HATCHETT: Right. BEHAR: I believe in psychotherapy. Maybe she should go to a shrink. LUDWIG: Maybe and I’m available, but I think also we know a lot more about people than now than we did in the past. And maybe we’re just finding out – BEHAR: I mean here’s a girl. She’s been abstinent. She’s 41 years old, according to her, abstinence make the heart grow fonder. And she doesn’t masturbate. And yet she’s going to make public policy about sexual behavior in the country. LUDWIG: Well, she denounced it. Whether she hasn’t done it is another story. BEHAR: We don’t know. LUDWIG: That’s very interesting. BEHAR: She should come on my show and talk to me about. HATCHETT: She should. BEHAR: Ok, thanks very much.

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HLN’s Joy Behar Reiterates O’Donnell Bashing, Advises Nominee to See a Psychotherapist

Wishful Thinking by Newsweek: Jon Stewart’s Mock Rally on 10/30 Will ‘Absolutely’ ‘Gain Traction’

Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert have announced dueling D.C. rallies on October 30 aimed at satirizing the August 28 “Restoring Honor” rally held by rival network Fox News Channel’s Glenn Beck. Newsweek’s Daniel Stone is apparently stoked about it, predicting that the gimmick will “absolutely” be a success (emphasis mine): You’ve got to hand it to Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert , social critics that they are, for keeping us attuned to the absurdity in our political discourse these days…. [N]either man has gone after anyone quite so ferociously as Glenn Beck , the weepy Fox pundit who’s demonstrated he can amass quite a following. Last month, Beck hosted a rally on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, urging America to “Restore Honor”—an amorphous plea to support the troops, find God, and honor thy neighbor. About 100,000 people showed up and agreed. But do those people speak for the rest of the country? Stewart and Colbert say no (or should it be Colbert and Stewart? More on that in a moment). Neither thinks that the loudest voices should be the only ones who are heard. And, in a move that is part social critique and part hilarious satire, both men are hosting rallies next month to counter, or maybe simply mock, the Beck rally. That’s right, they’re hosting rallies. Plural. Stewart and Colbert (who, of course, was birthed by Stewart) have an antagonistic relationship made for TV. Neither wants to play second fiddle to the other, so each is having his own rally on the same day in the same location. Stewart’s rally is to “Restore Sanity .” Colbert’s is to “Keep Fear Alive .” Will it gain traction? Odds are, absolutely. The district has a bustling community of 20- and 30-somethings, who are Stewart and Colbert’s most loyal demographic. Plus any folks around the country who would come to D.C. to support the Comedy Central duo. Or maybe just to oppose Glenn Beck. One of the two. He cannot be serious, can he? Does Stone think that the age demographic most apathetic, historically speaking, about voting is going to travel on Halloween weekend to stand on the Mall to hear Jon Stewart crack a few jokes about Glenn Beck?  What’s more, isn’t the whole ethos of the Daily Show and Colbert Report that American politics is fundamentally absurd, thoroughly lame, and ultimately not worth caring too much about. While Tea Parties and the Glenn Beck rally have drawn hundreds of thousands who are fired up to vote and passionate about their views on the country’s direction, this rally purports to appeal to people who don’t really give a damn one way or the other and hence aren’t really the sort of folks to show up en masse for any cause. Does Stone really think Stewart and Colbert’s audiences have nothing better to do than drop a thousand dollars or so on airfare and lodging to come to D.C. for a non-rally rally just to spite a conservative cable news host?! If he really thinks that, whatever Stone’s smoking may be of more interest to Stewart’s target audience than the so-called Rally to Restore Sanity.

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Wishful Thinking by Newsweek: Jon Stewart’s Mock Rally on 10/30 Will ‘Absolutely’ ‘Gain Traction’

After Delaware Race Called, Rove Continues To Rip O’Donnell

“This is probably one of the few times we’re going to disagree here.”  — Sean Hannity to Karl Rove regarding Christine O’Donnell. I’ll say. Even after Fox News called the Delaware GOP senatorial primary for Christine O’Donnell tonight, Karl Rove continued to rip the winner, questioning everything from O’Donnell’s “rectitude” to her “character.”   Concluded the pessimistic Rove: “this is not a race we’re going to be able to win.” Sean defended O’Donnell staunchly, but was met with a litany of Roveian criticism of Christine, including these comments: “Her checkered background.” “I’ve met her. I wasn’t frankly impressed.” “Serious questions about how does she make her living, why did she mislead voters?” “[O’Donnell doesn’t] evince the characteristics of rectitude and truthfulness and sincerity and character that voters are looking for.” “A lot of nutty things she’s been saying that just simply don’t add up.” “This is not a race we’re going to be able to win.” “Serious character problems.” “Somebody who says conservative things, but doesn’t have the character that the people of Delaware want.”

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After Delaware Race Called, Rove Continues To Rip O’Donnell