Tag Archives: president

President Obama confronted by disappointed Americans

It was billed as “Investing In America,” a live televised conversation between President Obama and American workers, students, business people and retirees on the state of the economy, a kind of Wall Street to Main Street reality check. But it sounded like a therapy session for disillusioned Obama supporters. “I’m exhausted of defending you, defending your administration, defending the mantle of change that I voted for,” said the first questioner, an African-American woman who identified herself as a chief financial officer, a mother and a military veteran. “I’ve been told that I voted for a man who was going to change things in a meaningful way for the middle class, and I’m waiting, sir, I’m waiting. I still don’t feel it yet.” added by: maasanova

Newsweek’s Stuart Taylor a Bit Misleading in Article on Court Challenge to ObamaCare

“The justices have not struck down a major piece of legislation, let alone a president’s signature initiative, as beyond Congress’s power to regulate commerce in some 75 years.” That’s how Newsweek’s Stuart Taylor Jr. today all but argued that, political ideology of the Supreme Court’s majority aside, a Supreme Court decision declaring unconstitutional the “individual mandate” of ObamaCare is quite unlikely. But while Taylor may be right  that no signature presidential initiative post-New Deal has been declared unconstitutional by the Court on the grounds that it violated the interstate commerce clause, he neglected to mention there are two key cases in the past 15 years where the Supreme Court did set outer limits to Congress’s exploitation of the commerce clause as a fountain of federal power. In 1995, a 5-justice majority in U.S. v. Lopez struck down a provision of the Gun Free School Zones Act of 1990 that made it a federal crime to possess a firearm in a school zone. Chief Justice Rehnquist wrote for the Court that “the possession of a gun in a local school zone is in no sense an economic activity that might, through repetition elsewhere, have such a substantial effect on interstate commerce….  Nor is it an essential part of a larger regulation of economic activity, in which the regulatory scheme could be undercut unless the intrastate activity were regulated.” What’s more, Rehnquist noted (emphasis mine), “To uphold the Government’s contention that 922(q) is justified because firearms possession in a local school zone does indeed substantially affect interstate commerce would require this Court to pile inference upon inference in a manner that would bid fair to convert congressional Commerce Clause authority to a general police power of the sort held only by the States.” In other words, if the Court had accepted the government’s rationale in Lopez, it would paved the way to destroy what is supposed to be an enumerated, limited federal power into a broader “police power” that is reserved for the several states of the Union.  Similar arguments regarding ObamaCare are certain to be made before the Supreme Court should the case get that far. Five years later in United States v. Morrison , the Rehnquist Court drew on the precedent in Lopez to strike down a portion of the federal Violence Against Women Act — legislation championed by current Vice President and then-Delaware Senator Joe Biden — on the grounds that it was an improper application of the interstate commerce clause. Wrote Rehnquist for the Court (emphasis mine): The Constitution requires a distinction between what is truly national and what is truly local , and there is no better example of the police power , which the Founders undeniably left reposed in the States and denied the central government, than the suppression of violent crime and vindication of its victims. Congress therefore may not regulate noneconomic, violent criminal conduct based solely on the conduct’s aggregate effect on interstate commerce. Both Lopez and Morrison were 5-to-4 cases, but they are relevant case law for the question of whether the ObamaCare individual mandate violates the interstate commerce clause by jury-rigging it into a police power-granting clause for Congress.

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Newsweek’s Stuart Taylor a Bit Misleading in Article on Court Challenge to ObamaCare

John Legend Challenges Students To Re-Imagine Financial Aid

Singer visited Howard University to launch the $10,000 Get Schooled: College Affordability Challenge. By Alexandra Bradshaw John Legend Photo: MTV Grammy-winning singer John Legend surprised a class at Howard University last week, when he showed up to help kick off the Get Schooled: College Affordability Challenge , calling on current and aspiring college students to propose innovative digital tools to simplify the process of finding funding for school. The singer also became the class’ guest teacher for the day for an upcoming episode of mtvU’s “Stand In.” “Too many of our people are still living in consistent poverty, living in a country where opportunities are not equal,” Legend told the class. “Educational inequality is the reality that where a child is born, what color that child is and/or how much money that child’s parents make determine the quality of his or her education and life prospects. That’s not just, that’s not fair, that’s not right.” Legend — whose new album with the Roots, Wake Up!, is out on Tuesday — spoke of his journey toward obtaining a degree with honors from University of Pennsylvania. He praised past teachers who provided him with the support and guidance to receive a scholarship to UPenn and explained how vital scholarships were to his ability to complete college. “I was one of the lucky ones,” he said. “Too many other kids don’t have those same opportunities today.” Studies have shown that upwards of 2 million college students don’t apply for financial aid that is available to them each year, and that almost two thirds of students surveyed find the process of applying for financial aid difficult and time consuming. In response to these trends, MTV and the College Board Advocacy and Policy Center partnered to launch the Get Schooled: College Affordability Challenge. “They’re calling on you guys and college students nationwide to re-imagine the financial aid process,” Legend explained as he announced the contest. Students nationwide are encouraged to submit ideas for a digital tool that would connect their peers with more money for school at GetSchooled.MTV.com . The grand-prize winner will receive $10,000 and the opportunity to work with world-class design firm frog design to bring their tool to life. Applications are being accepted until December 17, 2010. Go to GetSchooled.com for resources on college completion and to watch the “Get Schooled: You Have a Right” special, featuring President Barack Obama, LeBron James and Kelly Clarkson. Related Artists John Legend

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John Legend Challenges Students To Re-Imagine Financial Aid

Joy Behar Trashes Christine O’Donnell: ‘A Witch Who Doesn’t Masturbate’

Comedian Joy Behar seemed to enjoy herself as she muckraked through exotic comments made by Republican Delaware U.S. Senate nominee Christine O’Donnell over a decade ago, refusing to leave them out of a serious discussion about O’Donnell’s candidacy. She even threw Sarah Palin into the mix. O’Donnell, in a 1999 appearance on Bill Maher’s “Politically Incorrect,” said that she “dabbled into witchcraft” in high school but never joined a coven. Behar lambasted O’Donnell, calling her “crazy” and wondering why she was running for office. “I think it shows you how crazy the girl is, doesn’t it?” Behar asked incredulously. “How many crazy people do we have to have in office?” Behar labeled O’Donnell as a “witch who doesn’t masturbate.” Meanwhile, the show’s token conservative Elisabeth Hasselbeck countered that if O’Donnell is under the gun for such comments, then President Obama should have been scrutinized more closely over his pastor of 20 years, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Even veteran liberal journalist and ‘View’ co-host Barbara Walters dismissed the notion of serious discussion of O’Donnell’s comments from 10 or 20 years ago, and argued that her current views on social issues should be scrutinized. Yet Behar couldn’t let the “witch” comment go, suddenly taking a conservative stance on Satan worship. “Dabbling is not an acceptable word, when you’re into witchcraft and Satanism,” the liberal show host preached. When Hasselbeck replied to one criticism that O’Donnell is “unique,” Behar quipped “Unique or eunuch?” Walters soon closed the debate, saying that “whether 20 years ago [O’Donnell] did this or she did that – I mean, it makes for juicy headlines, but it really is unimportant.” It still wasn’t enough for Behar, who wanted to throw Sarah Palin in with the dubious comments. “But you know, isn’t it interesting that Sarah Palin backs her up, and one of the reasons she got elected is because Sarah did those robo-calls to make sure that she got elected,” Behar seriously pointed out. “And if I recall, wasn’t Sarah exorcised in Alaska by a preacher one time? She believes in exorcism. These two are into it together. Talk about a coven. This is a coven!” Hasselbeck dismissed the absurdity of Behar’s logic. “Welcome to the politics of someone backing someone else. It’s certainly not a coven. It’s radical to say something like that.” A partial transcript of the segment, which aired on September 20 at 11:06 a.m. EDT, is as follows: BARBARA WALTERS: Republican Delaware Senate nominee Christine O’Donnell – her past came back to haunt her over the weekend, and she defended herself against comments she made back in 1999 on Bill Maher’s old show called “Politically Correct.” (Video Clip) CHRISTINE O’DONNELL: (On “Politically Incorrect”) I dabbled into witchcraft. I never joined a coven. One of my first dates with a witch was on a Satanic altar, and I didn’t know it. O’DONNELL: (Recently) I was in high school. 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. (End Video Clip) (…) SHERRI SHEPHERD: But I think – you know, in this respect, because she says she’s a conservative Christian, and the basis for being a Christian is you might have a former life – you let that go, and you don’t do it anymore. (…) ELISABETH HASSELBECK: Do you think it’s valid to then question this? Do you think this is even a valid thing to look at, that Bill’s throwing out here on his show? JOY BEHAR: I think it shows you how crazy the girl is, doesn’t it? How many crazy people do we have to have in office? HASSELBECK: Well let’s start with this. In fairness, Joy, if we’re going to investigate past religious affiliations or dabbles or high school trips here and there, why then wasn’t Billy-boy over here so interested in where President Obama was for 20 years at Rev. Wright’s church, so much so that – (Crosstalk) SHEPHERD: Nobody let that go with him. HASSELBECK: They absolutely brushed it under the rug. In fairness, in fairness – if they’re going to dig into this, they should then open that up too. BEHAR: Well here’s a girl who says that, you know, she didn’t masturbate – she doesn’t believe in masturbating, either. And she wants to make public policy about other people’s sex lives. She’s a witch who doesn’t masturbate, who has never had premarital sex. Why is she running for office? HASSELBECK: Why do you call her a girl, but anyone who’s powerful a woman? You can’t just toss her off as a girl – BEHAR: You can call me a girl anytime you want, honey. HASSELBECK: No, that’s not right. BEHAR: I love being called a girl. SHEPHERD: But are you saying that anything that anybody does back in high school should be held against them as an adult? What did you do in high school, Joy, that you might not want to talk about? HASSELBECK: What about 20 years in a row? What about 20 years listening to a man who hates this country?  (…) BEHAR: Dabbling is not an acceptable word, when you’re into witchcraft and Satanism. HASSELBECK: She wasn’t into it. She went on a date with a guy who was at an altar. BEHAR: She said she had – she did a Satanic ritual at an altar. HASSELBECK: What about 20 years straight, calling someone your mentor, who then goes on to produce hatemongering across the country. 20 years, he’s – (…) WALTERS: When you discuss past positions – and she’s a very conservative candidate, she’s a Tea Party candidate –  the fact that she’s now a candidate – were something that’s surprising. Okay, so we’re giving special attention. She has other views, I think, that she’s – SHEPHERD: Against masturbation – HASSELBECK: She’s unique. WALTERS: She doesn’t think that – BEHAR: Unique, or eunuch? WALTERS: Let me finish, okay? She doesn’t think that using condoms – that using condoms could combat AIDS. She has other points of view, and a conservative point of view – I think those are the things, if you want to discuss them, you discuss them. This has to be thought of in future voting and whatever her philosophy is. (Crosstalk) But whether 20 years ago she did this or she did that – I mean, it makes for juicy headlines, but it really is unimportant. BEHAR: But you know, isn’t it interesting that Sarah Palin backs her up, and one of the reasons she got elected is because Sarah did those robo-calls to make sure that she got elected. And if I recall, wasn’t Sarah exorcised in Alaska by a preacher one time. She believes in exorcism. These two are into it together. HASSELBECK: Does she currently believe in exorcism? BEHAR: Talk about a coven. This is a coven! HASSELBECK: You know what, though? Joy, welcome to the politics of someone backing someone else. It’s certainly not a coven. It’s radical to say something like that.

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Joy Behar Trashes Christine O’Donnell: ‘A Witch Who Doesn’t Masturbate’

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

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

Marc Ambinder Fulfills Own Prediction, Provides Messaging Assistance to Dems: ‘Go After Palin!’

I didn’t know about what follows when I posted last night (at NewsBusters ; at BizzyBlog ) on Atlantic politics editor and CBS Campaign 2010 “Chief Political Consultant” Marc Ambinder’s September 15 prediction that “The media is going to help the Democratic Party’s national messaging.” Though drop-dead obvious, I still found it interesting that someone in Ambinder’s position would admit it. It turns out that only two days after Ambinder put forth his prediction, he proactively made it come true. Despite the inquisitive title of his September 17 post (“Will the White House Play the Palin Card?”), Ambinder clearly believes that going after Sarah Palin should be part of the White House’s and Democrats’ strategy during the next seven weeks. It’s enough to make you wonder if he has already written his CBS election post-mortems. Behold Ambinder’s cluelessness: … when Tea Partiers are in “elect someone like Christine O’Donnell mode,” Democrats sense an opportunity. Simply put, the crazier the Tea Party seems, the more Democrats can link the Republican agenda to its source of energy, which in turn fires up rank-and-file Democrats. There is, in fact … someone whose very name provokes disgust among Democrats, someone whose name identification is 100 percent and whose ubiquity is extremely useful. That person is Sarah Palin. All that’s required is for the President to utter her name a couple of times. The Fox-Rush-Redstate nexus would explode. Palin would bask in the attention and respond. And respond. And respond. … Elevate Sarah Palin? How much higher can she go? Everyone knows her. Some of Obama’s advisers have argued in the past that the attention paid to Palin by Americans in the last stages of the 2008 campaign is one reason why Obama was able to win so cleanly. Palin and the Tea Party movement are not the same thing. The movement, evolving out of movement conservatism, is principally about government and the economy. Palin revels in the culture wars. But when that part of the Tea Party that does care about social issues becomes the story, linking the two in the public’s mind is easier. Anyone who thinks that Palin hurt John McCain’s campaign wasn’t watching the same election as everyone else. McCain was suffering from intense conservative disinterest until he picked Palin. When he did, she energized the sensible, conservative base of the party as no one ever has. The fact that McCain’s people then seemingly did all they could to water her down in the ensuing weeks is primarily McCain’s fault, not hers. Despite that, residual affection for Palin is what prevented McCain’s 7-point loss from going into double digits, and, for better or worse, arguably salvaged his ability to continue on as a U.S. Senator. Despite well over a year of exposure to it, Ambinder betrays a total misunderstanding of the Tea Party movement. Fiscal issues are currently very important, but if he thinks there’s a big divide within the movement on social issues, he’s got another thing coming. The overriding issue is, to steal from Mark Levin, liberty versus tyranny. There is probably no better example of how all of the supposedly divide-creating issues (fiscal, social, constitutional) tie together under the liberty vs. tyranny banner than Palin’s completely accurate, totally courageous assertion that statist health care will inexorably lead to “death panels” — and that they are designed into legislation this Congress has already passed and this President has already signed. So let me get this straight: During the next seven weeks, Marc Ambinder will be CBS’s “Chief Political Consultant” on Campaign 2010. He’s part of a team that will, in the network’s own words , provide “reports and political analysis (that) will be prominently featured across all CBS News broadcasts and platforms on the run-up to election night 2010 on Nov. 2.” At the same time, Ambinder has not only clearly chosen sides, but is actively providing “messaging” advice to which he hopes Team Obama and the Democrats pay heed. Assuming he continues to do this, Ambinder’s contributions to CBS’s “reports and political analysis” will then necessarily involve evaluating first, whether the home team followed his advice, and second, whether following or not following his advice was successful. Of course, you’ll never hear Ambinder tell his audience that “This is (or isnt’) what I suggested.” No-no-no. CBS will present its “Chief Political Consultant” as an impartial, disinterested observer. What horse manure. And they wonder why their ratings continue to drop. Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com .

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Marc Ambinder Fulfills Own Prediction, Provides Messaging Assistance to Dems: ‘Go After Palin!’

MRC’s Notable Quotables: Watch Out, GOP — It’s 1964 All Over Again!

Just posted this morning over at MRC.org, our latest edition of Notable Quotables , a bi-weekly compilation of the latest outrageous, sometimes humorous, quotes in the liberal media. Topics this week include: CBS’s Bob Schieffer absurdly suggesting Republicans could face a landslide defeat this year, “very much like 1964,” while Katie Couric frets (again) how “moderate Republicans are becoming an endangered species.” Also in this issue, NBC’s Meredith Vieira declares that the Bush tax cuts “didn’t succeed, so what’s so good about them,” while CBS’s Harry Smith lobbies for “a second stimulus” or even “something like a new WPA.” Oh, and Chris Matthews gets another “thrill” from hearing Obama speak — this time, it’s “all over me.” Video of that confession, plus three other clips after the jump. [Click here to view/download the three-page, fully-formatted, full-color PDF ] Now the quotes from recent weeks, as featured in the September 20 Notable Quotables : Watch Out, Republicans: This Is 1964 All Over Again “It is very much like 1964. In 1960, Republicans lost narrowly with an establishment candidate, Richard Nixon. They got to 1964, they threw out all the establishment candidates, they threw out their party leaders and 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.” — CBS’s Bob Schieffer on the September 15 Evening News . Liberal Media-Speak for “Congratulations, You’ve Won” “You are going to have to answer some questions. We saw that the Republican Party chairman in Jon Karl’s piece there, he went on to say that you’re ‘not a viable candidate,’ that you ‘cannot be elected dog catcher in Delaware.’ He went on to say that you’re either a liar or mentally unhinged.” — ABC’s George Stephanopoulos to Senate primary winner Christine O’Donnell on Good Morning America , Sept. 15. “Tea Party nutbag/Senate nominee from Del. was on CNN w/me in ’96. Forget her ignorant nonsense until I saw this.” — Former CNN anchor Miles O’Brien in a September 15 Twitter posting, referring readers to an anti-O’Donnell article posted on the left-wing Talking Points Memo blog site. Correspondent Nancy Cordes: “Polls show O’Donnell’s ultraconservative social views-” Old clip of Christine O’Donnell: “Lust in your heart is committing adultery.” Cordes: “-make her a decided underdog in this blue-leaning state.” — CBS Evening News , September 15. “She needs to watch some porn and get some tips, is what she needs.” — Host Joy Behar on CNN’s Headline News Joy Behar Show , September 15. Are Republicans “Miscalculating At Their Own Peril”? “You’ve got Delaware, you’ve got Kentucky, you’ve got Alaska, you’ve got Utah, one after another after another. Are all of these Tea Party victories good for the Republican Party?…Even Karl Rove came out and said last night this is — that’s not going to help us get the seat in the long run….I wonder if you’re making a miscalculation at your own peril at, you know, this perceived enthusiasm gap, these people are literally changing the face of a party.” — CBS Early Show co-host Harry Smith to GOP consultant Dan Bartlett, Sept. 15. Katie Frets: Are “Moderate Republicans…an Endangered Species”? “The party crashers. Big primary victories by fringe candidates open a rift in the GOP….Does this mean moderate Republicans are becoming an endangered species?” — Anchor Katie Couric on the CBS Evening News , September 16. Flashback : “[Senator Arlen] Specter’s a Republican who favors abortion rights, is against a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, and is a vocal supporter of embryonic stem cell research. [to Specter] Do you feel like an endangered species these days?” — Couric to then-Republican Senator Arlen Specter on NBC’s Today , May 13, 2005. “What’s So Good About” Bush’s Failed Tax Cuts? “One of the key issues also heading into the midterm elections, is this expiration of the tax cuts, Bush’s tax cuts….These tax cuts have been in existence for quite a while, these Bush tax cuts. If they were designed to stimulate the economy and to create jobs, they didn’t succeed. So what’s so good about them?” — Co-host Meredith Vieira to GOP Representatives Eric Cantor, Paul Ryan and Kevin McCarthy on NBC’s Today , September 14. In the five years after the full tax cut package was passed in 2003, the economy added more than 8.3 million new jobs. Sawyer: Not Raising Tax Rates = “Tax Cut” “Good evening. It will be the big battle to the finish line in November, and this is the question: How big a tax cut will you get next year?” — ABC’s Diane Sawyer opening World News , September 8, talking about the debate over whether to maintain current tax rates or let them rise to Clinton-era levels. Was $862 Billion Stimulus “Big Enough?” How About “a New WPA?” “Gretchen Morgenson, I want to go back to the stimulus….People complain about the size of government, they’re complaining about the deficit, they’re complaining about TARP and who knows what all else. As we’re standing here looking at it right now, just if you can step away, was the stimulus big enough?” “There are plenty of economists out there, Mark Zandi, who say what’s really needed is is a second stimulus.” “Laura Tyson, what about a more significant stimulus, beyond the things, these, you know, a block here, a block here, a block here, but another say couple hundred billion dollars, what about, say, something like a new WPA?” — Fill-in host Harry Smith interviewing a panel of economists on CBS’s Face the Nation , September 5. Applauding Obama’s Four-Star Attorney General Correspondent Rita Braver: “Ignoring political pressure is Holder’s constant message as he talks to Justice Department lawyers in places like Mobile, Alabama….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….[to Holder] Because you’re the first African American Attorney General, do you put any extra pressure on yourself?” Attorney General Eric Holder: “Yeah, I certainly feel that. I feel there’s a certain responsibility I have….” — CBS’s Sunday Morning , September 12. George’s “Tough Questions” for President Obama “Now, in his first post-summer interview, President Obama takes on George Stephanopoulos and the tough questions.” — ABC promo aired during the September 8 Nightline , touting Stephanopoulos’ interview with Obama. vs . “I wonder what this must feel like from behind your desk. You’re President of the United States. You have to deal with the fallout. And he’s a pastor who’s got 30 followers in his church. Does it make you feel helpless or angry?” — ABC’s George Stephanopoulos asking President Obama about the Florida pastor who threatened to burn Korans, in an interview segment shown on Good Morning America , September 9. The GOP = “The Party of Hate” “Tonight, we start with the party of hate. The Republican Party in this country has been running on hate and division for the last 50 years….What black person, gay guy or girl, immigrant or Muslim American in their right mind would vote for the Republican Party? They might as well hang a sign around their neck saying, ‘I hate myself.'” — Fill-in host Cenk Uygur on MSNBC’s The Ed Show, August 26. Is America’s Islamophobia Suppressing Muslims’ Freedom? “The plans to build an Islamic center close to Ground Zero have whipped up anti-Muslim sentiment….Not since 9/11 has the country seen such anti-Muslim fervor….[to Feisal Abdul Rauf] In the latest poll that ABC’s conducted, only 37 percent of those who were asked expressed a positive feeling about Islam. Do you think that Muslims, people such as yourself, others here, can actually have a place to practice their religion freely, to live freely as Americans, given that figure?” — Host Christiane Amanpour interviewing the imam organizing the Ground Zero mosque on ABC’s This Week , September 12. Columnist Mimics Jennings’ 1994 Tirade Slamming Voters’ “Temper Tantrum” “According to polls, Americans are in a mood to hold their breath until they turn blue. Voters appear to be so fed up with the Democrats that they’re ready to toss them out in favor of the Republicans — for whom, according to those same polls, the nation has even greater contempt. This isn’t an ‘electoral wave,’ it’s a temper tantrum….The American people are acting like a bunch of spoiled brats.” — Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson, September 3. Flashback : “Imagine a nation full of uncontrolled two-year-old rage. The voters had a temper tantrum last week….Parenting and governing don’t have to be dirty words: the nation can’t be run by an angry two-year-old.” — ABC’s Peter Jennings in a November 14, 1994 radio commentary after the GOP congressional victories that year. “Well-Meaning” Hostage Taker “May” Have Gone Too Far “He’s an activist, may be very well-meaning, but he’s now put himself in a situation where he, the police officers and his hostages’ lives are endangered….He’s a bit of an activist, a guy who truly believes, seemingly, in his heart that he needs to do all he can to save the planet. Most watching this would argue he may have taken it way too far on this day….” — CNN’s Rick Sanchez during live coverage of the Sept. 1 stand-off at the Discovery Channel. The hostage-taker claimed human beings were “parasites” and demanded the network shows programs talking about “ways to disassemble civilization.” Incoming CNN Host Will Fit Right In “I’d love to do President Obama. I like what he’s done for the reputation of America abroad, which I’m not sure many Americans fully understand.” — British journalist Piers Morgan, who has been hired to replace Larry King as host of CNN’s 9pm ET hour starting in January, on the September 9 CBS Early Show talking about people he would like to interview. Now, Chris Admits to Thrills “All Over” Clip of Barack Obama from 2008: “My family gave me love. They give me an education. And most of all, they gave me hope. Hope, hope that in America, no dream is beyond our grasp if we reach for it, and fight for it, and work for it.” MSNBC’s Chris Matthews: “I get the same thrill up my leg, all over me, every time I hear those words. I’m sorry, ladies and gentlemen, that’s me. He’s talking about my country and nobody does it better. Can President Obama stir us again and help his party keep power this November?” — Setting up a segment on MSNBC’s Hardball , September 7.

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

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’

Matthews Jokes About Obama Bringing Gun to Knife Fight When Dealing with GOP

On Sunday’s syndicated Chris Matthews Show, as the group discussed how a budget fight between a Republican Congress and President Obama might play out politically, host Matthews joked about the Chicago saying about bringing a gun to a knife fight and putting people in the morgue as a metaphor for how Obama might deal with Republicans politically – a saying President Obama also has a history of using : CLARENCE PAGE, CHICAGO TRIBUNE: But Obama knows how to play confrontation politics the Chicago way, and this is the kind of thing that, this is where the rubber meets the road. MATTHEWS: You mean like Jimmy the Cop, “They come at you with a knife, you go at them with a gun”? PAGE: You’ve got it. And remember- MATTHEWS: “They put you in the hospital, you put them in the morgue”? Is that what we’re talking here? Notably, some MSNBC liberals like Keith Olbermann have a history of accusing Republicans of inciting violence by using metaphors, and just a few weeks ago, Cenk Uygur of the Young Turks filled in on MSNBC’s The Ed Show and went to lengths to accuse Republicans of inciting violence with metaphorical rhetoric, all while ignoring Obama’s own similar history. Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Sunday, September 19, syndicated Chris Matthews Show: CHRIS MATTHEWS: Clarence, does he have Bill Clinton’s finesse and plainness like Clinton did? The minute it got to the tough- CLARENCE PAGE, CHICAGO TRIBUNE: Nobody’s got Bill Clinton’s finesse, but- MATTHEWS: He was good at that stuff. He was good when it got to Newt. PAGE: But Obama knows how to play confrontation politics the Chicago way, and this is the kind of thing that, this is where the rubber meets the road. MATTHEWS: You mean like Jimmy the Cop, “They come at you with a knife, you go at them with a gun”? PAGE: You’ve got it. And remember- MATTHEWS: “They put you in the hospital, you put them in the morgue”? Is that what we’re talking here? PAGE: Just look at Clinton versus Gingrich. They faced each other down, and who got blamed for the shutdown? It was Gingrich and the Republicans.

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Matthews Jokes About Obama Bringing Gun to Knife Fight When Dealing with GOP

President Obama Picks Elizabeth Warren to Set Up Consumer Bureau

WASHINGTON — Elizabeth Warren, the Harvard law professor who became a darling of the left for her championship of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, was appointed by President Obama on Friday to oversee the agency’s establishment by mid-2011, until a director is named later. The appointment will allow Ms. Warren, “a janitor’s daughter,” as Mr. Obama called her in a Rose Garden introduction, to effectively get the agency up and running without having to go through a contentious confirmation battle in the Senate — a fight that a leading Democrat, Senator Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut, predicted she could not win given opposition from Republicans and the financial industry. Mr. Obama said Ms. Warren would recruit staff and initiate policies for regulating mortgages, student loans and other consumer credit products, and would have a voice in picking the first director. The favorite among administration officials is Michael S. Barr, an assistant secretary of Treasury for financial institutions who is an authority on financial regulation and on services for low and moderate-income households. The interim role for Ms. Warren averts a political problem for Mr. Obama in this election season. Rejecting her would have angered many party liberals, who already are demoralized by administration policies they view as too centrist and friendly to Wall Street. Liberal and consumer groups had lobbied hard for her, along with some lawmakers including Representative Barney Frank of Massachusetts, the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. “This is the boldest step Obama’s taken so far to rein in the big Wall Street banks,” the leaders of the group MoveOn.org, who often are critical of the president, wrote in an e-mail to members. Business groups, while disappointed, privately acknowledged relief that Ms. Warren appeared unlikely to become director. The creation of the bureau was a central piece of the legislation overhauling the financial regulatory system that Mr. Dodd sponsored and Mr. Obama signed into law in July. Its genesis was an article that Ms. Warren wrote a year before the near collapse of the financial system in 2008, a crisis blamed in part on abusive mortgage practices. added by: BRAVATRAVELS