For general discussion and debate. Possible talking point: former Alaska governor Sarah Palin spoke at the Iowa Republican Party’s annual Ronald Reagan fund-raising dinner in Des Moines Friday night (video in three parts): Thoughts?
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Open Thread: Palin Speaks At Iowa GOP’s Reagan Dinner
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Tagged general-discussion, iowa, moines, moines-friday, ronald, ronald-reagan, Sarah Palin, three-parts
MSNBC’s Contessa Brewer mocked attendees of the Values Voter Summit today, directing her ire at former vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, Delaware Republican Senate nominee Christine O’Donnell, and the entire conservative movement. “So, they’re calling themselves values voters, but isn’t this election really about the economy and not so much what we think of as values?” sniveled Brewer, who put air quotes around the term “values.” Brewer’s dismissive attitude toward values voters must not extend to homosexual rights activists like herself who frequently turn their anchor chairs into liberal soapboxes. The champion of same-sex marriage revealed her disdain for Palin by noting that although the former Alaska governor was not present at the event, “her doppleganger, Christine O’Donnell is there and she is stealing the show.” Manufacturing controversy by imagining a Wild West “showdown at the Values Voter Summit,” the paladin of homosexual equality scornfully described the annual summit as the “conservative Shangri- La,” referring, apparently, to the fictional location in James Hilton’s Lost Horizon which represents a sort of heaven on earth. Setting aside the inherent hypocrisy in eschewing voters who focus on values issues like gay rights while exploiting her perch as a cable news anchor to advocate for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the fact that, as Brewer accurately reported, the top issue for voters this election cycle is the economy should compel the media to focus more on the lagging economic numbers than on a peaceful gathering of social conservatives. A transcript of the relevant portions of the segment can be found below ( H/T News Analyst Scott Whitlock for transcript assistance ): MSNBC News Live 09/17/10 12 P.M. E.S.T. CONTESSA BREWER: It’s showdown at the Values Voter Summit. The Grand Old Party. The established, traditional candidates caught in the cross fire of conservatives who want something different. And right now both sides are under the same big tent, so to speak, today at this conservative Shangri-La, the Values Voters Summit. Let’s show it to you. The Republicans recognize the split between the factions in their own party, but their most famous faces are focusing on a common enemy. MITT ROMNEY: It’s- I guess it is welcome to the Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, President Obama farewell party. BREWER: And those in attendance are just starting to vote in a straw poll giving people a glimpse into who wants to run for president in 2012. Sarah Palin is up for the vote even though not physically present at the summit. Her doppleganger, Christine O’Donnell is there and she is stealing the show. CHRISTINE O’DONNELL: It’s no secret that there’s been a rather unflattering portrait of me painted these days. I’m not counting on the national media to vote for me on November 2nd. I’m asking all of you to vote for me. BREWER: That splinter may give Democrats an opportunity here. Alaska’s Senator Lisa Murkowski decides today whether to compete as a write-in candidate against the Tea Partier and Republican primary winner Joe Miller. That would definitely split the conservative vote and give Democrat a real chance to take away the seat. Domenico Montanaro is a political guru, a producer and off-air reporter extraordinaire for NBC News. Good to see you. When we’re talking about the value voters is that code for Tea Partiers or a whole different group of people? DOMENICO MONTANARO: Well, there’s certainly overlap. I mean, there’s a lot of folks here who certainly identify with the Tea Party as well. But, you know, Values Voters traditionally has been a summit here that’s taken place in Washington every year focuses on you know, social issues. Things like gay marriage. You know, the- abortion. Things you would normally associate with social issues. That’s bled over somewhat, though, this year with the Tea Party, and they’re focused a little bit more on fiscal issues. Fiscal responsibility. Talking about making that a moral issue. We heard Jim DeMint talk about it. We even heard Mike Huckabee talk about it who has won here the straw poll the last few years. And, you know, we saw Mitt Romney gave his speech, you know, talking about pushing carts down Walmart. You know, talking about some terrorism issues and, you know, this is more of what you’re hearing from somebody who’s potentially running for president in 2012 as opposed to somebody who’s necessarily just talking to a social issues group. BREWER: So, they’re calling themselves values voters, but isn’t this election really about the economy and not so much what we think of as values? [Makes quotes marks] MONTANARO: Right. Well, you know, the election certainly is about the economy. It’s what’s given people in the Tea Party movement, Republican, the upper hand. Now, the folks here, like I said, are also focused on that fiscal issue and want to take that and make that part of their platform. But, look, this is important for people running in 2012 because you need activists who vote on social issues. Especially in places like Iowa. Remember, Mitt Romney lost Iowa, despite the amount of money he spent, because Mike Huckabee, in a closed primary, with Christian activists liked his message and folksiness and the fact he was a Baptist preacher and delivered several one-liners, able to rally some of those folks. Someone to watch what a potential 1212 Mike Huckabee, watch Mike Pence. Stirs the crowd. Unapologetic about social issues and took that home to this audience here.
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MSNBC’s Brewer Scoffs at Values Voters Despite History of Gay Rights Advocacy
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Tagged celeb news, election, Hollywood, kennedy, msnbc, party, president, same-sex marriage, Sarah Palin
Filed under: Sarah Palin , Bristol Palin , Mark Ballas , Dancing with the Stars , Politix Sarah Palin will be in the audience to cheer on her daughter, Bristol, for Monday’s season opener of ” Dancing with the Stars ” … sources connected with the show tell TMZ.
Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hot Stuff
Tagged ballas, Bristol, bristol-palin, cops-nabbed, dancing, miley cyrus, sarah, Sarah Palin, season-opener
Appearing on Friday’s CBS Early Show, Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer continued to compare the rise of the tea party and possible candidacy of Sarah Palin in 2012 to the 1964 campaign of Barry Goldwater. In response, co-host Harry Smith remarked that Palin could take Republicans “to the edge of the abyss, as it were.” On Wednesday’s CBS Evening News , Schieffer argued: “…it is very much like 1964….they threw out all the establishment candidates…they nominated Barry Goldwater who – fine man – but he was far to the right of most of the people in his party, and they lost in a landslide. And that’s why you have establishment Republicans worried about what’s going to happen now in November.” He repeated the same line on the Early Show and described the tea party as being full of “very, very conservative” voters who would not be as influential in the general election. Prior to the discussion between Smith and Schieffer, correspondent Dean Reynolds reported on Palin taking a fundraising trip to Iowa and supporting “tea party insurgents…to the chagrin of GOP regulars, who worry they are too extreme, unelectable, or both.” He went on highlight how “Democratic strategists say the more Sarah, the better for them” and touted: “Indeed, our latest polling shows the number of Americans viewing her unfavorably has been rising along with her visibility.” After Schieffer made the 1964 comparison to Smith, he explained the reason for the tea party’s success: “…it all goes back to the economy once again….What you’re seeing is the frustration that just sort of permeates all of our politics right now and you’re seeing in these tea party folks kind of the Right end of all of that.” He then claimed: “If the economy gets a little bit better, I think you’ll see a lot of things change in this – in this equation.” Smith joked about the movement’s demise: “Could be the iced tea party.” On Wednesday , Smith wondered: “Are all of these tea party victories good for the Republican Party?” He later suggested the GOP was making a “miscalculation” at their own “peril” by supporting the movement. Here is a full transcript of the September 17 segment: 7:00AM TEASE: ERICA HILL: Palin politics. The former Alaska governor heads to Iowa, as she celebrates two more successful Senate endorsements. Is this the first step in her plan to take on President Obama in 2012? 7:05AM SEGMENT: HARRY SMITH: Now to politics, two more Republicans endorsed by Sarah Palin were big winners in this week’s primaries. As Palin campaigns this week, speculation is growing that the former GOP vice presidential candidate wants to be on the top of the ticket in 2012. CBS News national correspondent Dean Reynolds is in Des Moines with more. Good morning, Dean. DEAN REYNOLDS: Good morning, Harry. Well, you’re right about that speculation. And Sarah Palin’s appearance here in Des Moines tonight caps off a week during which her political clout was on full display. [ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Palin in Iowa; Is This First Step Toward White House Run?] To those who like her and those who don’t. Her appearance in Kentucky on Thursday was vintage Palin. SARAH PALIN: We can take it back, we can take back our country. And we’re going to turn things around. REYNOLDS: She was campaigning for Republican senatorial hopeful Rand Paul, one of the tea party insurgents she has endorsed. Sometimes to the chagrin of GOP regulars, who worry they are too extreme, unelectable, or both. It’s a reaction she apparently relishes. PALIN: The hierarchy and, you know, they’re not liking this. REYNOLDS: Tonight, Palin comes to Iowa, which holds the first presidential caucus in 2012. Is she setting the table for a presidential campaign? MATT STRAWN [IOWA REPUBLICAN STATE CHAIRMAN]: You know, we’re just fortunate to have her here. Because she certainly energizes Iowa Republicans at all levels. REYNOLDS: But Democratic strategists say the more Sarah, the better for them. DAVID PLOUFFE [OBAMA ADVISOR]: The very best organizer or fundraiser in the Democratic Party is going to be here in Iowa, Sarah Palin. REYNOLDS: Indeed, our latest polling shows the number of Americans viewing her unfavorably has been rising along with her visibility. Now, Sarah Palin isn’t saying much about her long-term intentions, but as they say in political circles here, nobody comes to Iowa by accident. Harry. SMITH: We know that one for sure. Dean Reynolds, thank you so much. From Des Moines this morning. We want to bring in CBS News chief Washington correspondent and host of Face the Nation Bob Schieffer. Bob, good morning. BOB SCHIEFFER: Good morning to you, Harry. SMITH: Can one appearance in Iowa constitute the beginning of a presidential campaign? SCHIEFFER: Well, it might. I mean, there’s no question about it. But, you know, what is – what is really bothering the establishment Republicans right now is – is what happened to Republicans back in 1964. You know, they had almost won in 1960 when Nixon ran against Kennedy. The next – the next time around, 1964, Republicans threw out all the establishment people, all the leaders of their party, and nominated Barry Goldwater. As I’ve said many times, a very good man but someone far to the Right of the mainstream of the Republican Party. They lost in a landslide. Same thing happened to the Democrats in 1972. They threw out all the establishment candidates – people, leaders in their party, big city mayors like Dick Daley, and nominated again, a very good man, George McGovern, but someone who was far to the Left of the mainstream of their party and they lost in a landslide. And that’s what’s bothering the establishment Republicans now, they’re worried, are they headed to something like that in 2012? SMITH: Take a right to the – take to the edge of the abyss, as it were. But that becomes the question. If you’re the Republicans, how do you – because what’s undeniable is the passion and motivation of the supporters of all the tea party folks. If you’re the Republicans, is there a way to harness that energy? SMITH: Well, that’s what they got to figure out, because you’re absolutely right. I mean, these people are committed. A lot of people of these tea party folks are not really Republicans. They didn’t – you know, they’re anti-tax, they’re very, very conservative. They tend to be older. In mid-term elections, you don’t have young people turning out very much to vote. And they were a powerful force. I mean, there’s absolutely no question about it. Sarah Palin’s endorsement meant a great deal to those particular people. But, how is this going to play in November? And that’s – that’s what they’re all grappling with, how do you keep the enthusiasm but, at the same time, how do you appeal to the people in the middle, the independents? Who, in the end, are always the ones who decided the election. SMITH: Because it’s all about the middle. It is an interesting dichotomy though. Because as Sarah Palin’s negatives continue to go up, everything she touches turns to gold. O’Donnell in Delaware two weeks ago was not given a snowball’s chance in you-know-what and she ends up running roughshod over the Republican candidate. SCHIEFFER: You know, Harry, it all goes back to the economy once again. I mean, you saw the figures that say one person in seven in this country is now living in poverty. People are still unemployed. People are still loving – looking for work. What you’re seeing is the frustration that just sort of permeates all of our politics right now and you’re seeing in these tea party folks kind of the Right end of all of that. SMITH: Alright. SCHIEFFER: And it all comes from that. If the economy gets a little bit better, I think you’ll see a lot of things change in this – in this equation. But, so far, it’s not getting better. SMITH: Could be the iced tea party. Bob Schieffer in Washington this morning, as always, we appreciate your time. And remember, you can watch Bob’s interview with former President Clinton on Face the Nation this Sunday morning. Don’t want to miss it, right here on CBS.
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CBS’s Smith: Tea Party and Palin Could Bring GOP to ‘Edge of the Abyss’
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Tagged 2010 congressional, cbs evening news, celeb news, democrats, House, Nation, News, People, politics, president, sarah, Sarah Palin, stars
ABC News has changed the headline of an online video to “Christine O’Donnell’s Masturbation Argument” from the more inappropriately suggestive “Christine O’Donnell’s Masturbation Stance,” but that doesn’t mean the network has grown up about the sex-related beliefs of conservative candidates. ABC posted video on its news website Sept. 16 from a monologue by comedian Jimmy Kimmel, who hosts a late night show on its network. The network’s social networking team also publicized the link via Twitter using the “masturbation stance” pun. The headline on the video has since been changed, but the Twitter message remains active . “Nobody knows what this woman does for a living, if anything,” Kimmel said. “All we do know is that she’s gone on the record to oppose masturbation, for real.” He referred to a 1996 documentary that aired on MTV in which O’Donnell made a Biblical argument against self-pleasure based on Jesus’s exhortation that lust in the heart is the same as adultery. In a slam on another prominent conservative’s family, Kimmel joked that, “I have a feeling Christine O’Donnell opposes masturbation in the same way Bristol Palin opposes premarital sex.” Bristol Palin, of course, had a baby out of wedlock and now publicly advocates abstinence before marriage. “I’m not a political person,” Kimmel added. “I keep to myself. I’m not one to get involved in things. But I’m not proud to say it, I’ll stand by while our leaders drag us into wars based on false pretenses. I’ll stand by while our oceans are polluted by greedy corporations who only care about money. I’ll stand by while our military blatantly discriminates against our own armed forces based on what their sexual preference is. But I’ll tell you something: when our right to masturbate is threatened, that’s where I draw the line.” ABC apparently viewed the comedian’s jokes as “news,” and linked to several other stories suggesting the network is obsessed with O’Donnell’s views on personal sexuality. The links included headlines such as “Masturbation, Money and ‘Mental Anguish’: Can Christine O’Donnell Restore Her Image?” and “Watch: Is Christine O’Donnell OK With Transvestites?” Kimmel’s complaint that “nobody knows what this woman does for a living” is telling, however. The liberal news media have focused on the fact that Christine O’Donnell holds traditional, Bible-based views on sexuality, at the expense of talking about why she won the Republican primary in Delaware: her views unrelated to social issues. “This is mudslinging at its ugliest,” Media Research Founder and President Brent Bozell said about the media’s treatment of O’Donnell . “Pure character assassination. These networks have never treated viable Democratic candidates with this level of contempt. How dare they lecture anyone on manners or decency ever again.” Like this article? Sign up for “Culture Links,” CMI’s weekly e-mail newsletter, by clicking here.
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Tagged bristol-palin, celeb news, Hollywood, image, jesus, News, Sarah Palin, Year
While most media outlets obsessed over the liberal theme that Republicans keep “suicidally” nominating “ultra-conservatives,” Washington Post reporter Anne Kornblut, who authored a book earlier this year called Notes from the Cracked Ceiling, noticed a different trend. Her story was headlined “GOP gains the lead in female politicians’ steps forward.” Tuesday’s victories of Palin-endorsed GOP women Christine O’Donnell and Kelly Ayotte underline an emerging Year of the Republican Woman. Too bad the Post buried it on Page A-6 of the paper, and it hasn’t been linked on the Post’s homepage today, either. Kornblut began: Democrats used to own the field of women running for higher office. Not anymore. Nearly two years after an anticipated gender bounce – with predictions that women in both parties would rush into politics inspired by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sarah Palin — it turns out that the momentum is on the Republican side. If there is a Palin effect, it is not being matched by any Clinton effect at the other end of the ideological spectrum. Since this is the liberal Washington Post, Kornblut then turned to a cast of liberals and Democrats to assess whether this can be verified: Democratic pollster Celinda Lake said it is “very fair” to argue that the energy for female candidates is trending Republican, a view several other Democratic strategists shared. “I’ve been struck by it,” said Dee Dee Myers, a former White House press secretary and author of “Why Women Should Rule the World.” “All the momentum is on the tea party side, so why wouldn’t it also be with the women on the tea party side?” Other Democrats dispute the notion of a conservative “year of the woman,” saying that the numerical advantage is slight, if it exists at all. They also note that some of the Republican nominees, including Christine O’Donnell of Delaware, are seen as fringe candidates unlikely to win their general elections. Stephanie Schriock, the head of Emily’s List, which is dedicated to electing [ahem, Democrat] pro-choice women, said the “candidates that are making it through these primaries are more and more extreme, radical right-wing folks” who, even though they are female, do not appeal to independent and moderate women. A Republican expert wasn’t quoted until the story’s final paragraph, although Kornblut credited Palin: Palin has unquestionably played an outsize role in upping the Republican numbers, endorsing several women, including Haley and O’Donnell, who might never have gained sufficient attention otherwise. She has brought to the Republican Party what some members had once complained did not exist: a concerted effort to tap female candidates for promotion and lift them out of obscurity. And then there is this: The woman most capable of counteracting a Palin bounce for Democrats – Secretary of State Clinton- is not available to campaign. Add to that a general sense of malaise among Democrats, a volatile electorate angry at the status quo and a growing acceptance of female politicians in both parties, and the trend is hardly a surprise, strategists said. “Who better to say, ‘I’m not part of the establishment’ than a Republican woman?” said Republican pollster Kellyanne Conway. “If you want to convey you are not of the firmament of Washington, D.C., and ergo of all the problems and out-of-control spending and corruption, you have to say, ‘I’m a Republican woman,’ because so few of them have ever been involved at that level.” You can see why the rest of the Post would want to bury this story. But the rest of the media ought to acknowledge it. They can’t say it’s not The Year of the Republican Woman because they’ll probably lose: several primary winners (the “Year of the Woman” when liberals ascended with an “Anita Hill effect”) lost in November.
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WaPo Buries Story with Obvious Palin Point: Tuesday Results Show Emerging Year of the GOP Woman
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Tagged Breaking News, celeb news, clinton, democrat, energy, free-speech, media, media bias debate, News, office, politics, Sarah Palin, stars, story, white
Want to make friends in “elite” political blogosphere? Don’t dare be outspoken on behalf of Delaware Republican U.S. Senate nominee Christine O’Donnell. In a Sept. 15 post on his The Atlantic blog , “The Daily Dish,” Sullivan takes a break from gossiping about political figures’ genitalia to take on conservative talker Mark Levin’s response to those who were seemingly hell-bent on O’Donnell not being the Delaware GOP nominee within the conservative media intelligentsia. After going through a litany of Levin’s alleged indiscretions against O’Donnell detractors, Sullivan argues that his so-called “conservative” counterparts had it coming since Levin had been so critical of the pseudo-intellectuals that have masqueraded as conservatives over the years. “He still hasn’t figured it out,” Sullivan wrote of John Hinderaker of Powerline, who argued Levin was too hard on his fellow conservatives . “If more conservatives had challenged Levin back during his similarly intemperate, intellectually bankrupt attacks on Jim Manzi , David Frum , and so many others , he might not be upping the populist ante some more. Instead they kept silent for a fellow movement conservative, or even defended him. And big surprise, he’s persisting in intellectually bankrupt attacks that egregiously mislead his audience. There is some karmic justice in all this, isn’t there?” It’s curious that Sullivan would suddenly take on this role of accusing Levin of bullying his conservative brethren. It’s not as if Sullivan doesn’t have his own demons, including his position on Judaism and Israel, as The New Republic’s Leon Wieseltier alleged earlier this year . “About the Jews, is Sullivan a bigot, or is he just moronically insensitive?” Wieseltier wrote. “To me, he looks increasingly like the Buchanan of the left. He is the master, and the prisoner, of the technology of sickly obsession: blogging-and the divine right of bloggers to exempt themselves from the interrogations of editors-is also a method of hounding.” However, it’s quite possible, based on his track record with the former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin questioning the authenticity of who Trig Palin’s real mother was , that defending Christine O’Donnell, a female conservative candidate, from some obsessive attacks from her own side might not make sense to Sullivan. Levin addressed Sullivan’s observations on his Facebook blog : “Yawn. Snore. You clowns are so irrelevant.”
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Noted Palin-Trig Conspiracy Loon Andrew Sullivan Piles on Anti-Levin Bandwagon
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Tagged alleged-earlier, authenticity, conservative, culture/society, Facebook, Gossip, Hollywood, john hinderaker, prisoner, Sarah Palin, stars, sullivan, technology
Joe Scarborough believes Christine O’Donnell’s win has cost Republicans the Delaware Senate seat and their best shot at a Senate majority. And the Morning Joe host made no bones about singling out the person he considers responsible: “I blame Sarah Palin,” said Scarborough bluntly on today’s show. Scarborough’s comment came not long after Morning Joe aired a clip of Karl Rove’s scalding comments about O’Donnell, which I noted here last night, in which among other things the former Bush adviser declared that O’Donnell “doesn’t evince the characteristics of rectitude and truthfulness and sincerity and character that voters are looking for.” Said Scarborough: “I agree with Karl Rove.” JOE SCARBOROUGH: I remember learning that Mike Castle was going to run for Senator. I was very excited about it because I understood that if the Republican party were to be a national party, the Republican party would need to win states like Delaware. And Mike Castle would give Republicans the best chance to win that Senate seat in a long, long–in decades. That opportunity’s gone now, and I just wonder: does the Republican party have what it takes to be a national party again? A bit later came the airing of Rove’s scalding comments to Sean Hannity last night about O’Donnell, which notably came after the race had been called in her favor. SCARBOROUGH: I haven’t said this in awhile: I agree with Karl Rove . I mean, I agree with him. And, finally came this from Scarborough, speaking to Pat Buchanan [who by the way mentioned he sat up in bed and let out a whoop last night when he heard O’Donnell won] . . . SCARBOROUGH: I blame—and I’ll just say it: I blame Sarah Palin for last night. I blame Sarah Palin. If Republicans do not win this Senate seat, it’s Sarah Palin, it falls on Sarah Palin’s shoulders. You were talking about how this helps Sarah Palin and other people do. Guess what? If we’re one, if we as a Republican party are one vote short of a majority in 2012, I will come on the next morning—in 2010— I’ll come on the next morning and say it’s all Sarah Palin’s fault. She decided to do the reckless political thing and select somebody she knew couldn’t win in Delaware.
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Scarborough: ‘I Blame Sarah Palin’ For O’Donnell Win
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Tagged bennyhollywood, Breaking News, came-the-airing, castle, celeb news, Hollywood, national-party, People, politics, Sarah Palin, stars
Fire doesn’t melt steel–and a Florida pastor apparently isn’t capable of burning a Koran without a plot by Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich behind him . . . On The Ed Show this evening, guest Karen Hunter, responding to a leading question from host Schultz, went deep conspiracy theory, saying she “wouldn’t be surprised at all” if the “fingerprints” of Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich were “all over” Pastor Terry Jones’ plan to fire up some Korans. Really. Can’t you just see it? “Terry? Sarah and Newt again. Did the FedEx arrive with the dozen Korans and the pint of Zippo lighter fluid? Good.” Fortunately, Heidi Harris was there to restore some sanity, pointing out that Palin and Newt had come out against the Koran burning and describing Jones as a “totally separate entity.” Note: Hunter suffers under the double burden of being a Pulitzer Prize winner and a Hunter College professor.
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Schultz Guest Suspects Palin-Gingrich ‘Fingerprints All Over’ Koran Burning
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Tagged celeb news, double, ed schultz, florida, Hollywood, hunter-college, islam, News, newt gingrich, pastor-terry, sarah, Sarah Palin, suffers-under
Chris Matthews on Thursday accused Sarah Palin of aiding and abetting Pastor Terry Jones, the man threatening to burn Korans on Saturday’s ninth anniversary of 9/11. For days, Matthews and his colleagues on MSNBC have been calling upon Republicans to speak out against Jones. On Wednesday, the former Alaska governor did exactly that at her Facebook page and at Twitter . But this wasn’t enough for Matthews who repeatedly on the 5PM installment of “Hardball” attacked Palin for being too “soft” in her admonishment of Jones, and actually accused her of giving the Pastor the linkage between burning Korans and the controversy surrounding the Ground Zero mosque. Matthews also included House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Oh.) in his pathetic plot (video follows with transcript and commentary): CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: Democratic strategist Steve McMahon joins us now, along with Republican strategist Leslie Sanchez. You know, this is one of those moments where, OK, I`m going to take you on, Leslie, here. Ready? LESLIE SANCHEZ, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: All right. MATTHEWS: I think that people like Boehner and Sarah Palin are the first people in the news cycle to put out the word there`s some linkage between burning the Koran on national — international television and the mosque a couple blocks away from the World Trade Centers. Honestly, was Matthews being intentionally naive or lying? The whole reason media have given Jones all this attention is because of the Ground Zero mosque. Any suggestion to the contrary is absurd: MATTHEWS: And now these people down there, this minister, discovered, hey, this is handy. I will trade one for the other. It turns out the trade wasn`t real, but at least he`s pretending. Your thoughts about accomplices before — accessories before and after the fact here. SANCHEZ: I think that`s a stretch. (CROSSTALK) MATTHEWS: Why is that a stretch? SANCHEZ: Because — MATTHEWS: Have you ever heard these ministers talk about a link with the mosque before Mr. Boehner or Sarah Palin mentioned it? SANCHEZ: Well, I don`t read everything with the mosque. But let`s look at the realities. You have got 50 people in a garage that say these crazy things and, all of a sudden, we have all the networks, the president, and everybody responding to them. Look at it for what it really is. (CROSSTALK) MATTHEWS: So, is Sarah Palin one of the 50 crazy people in the mosque, or what? How disgraceful! SANCHEZ: I think what is interesting is that Sarah Palin is brought up again. She puts a tweet out there. She starts talking about it, and everybody wants to say she has directed and shaped this debate. MATTHEWS: “People have a constitutional right to burn a Koran if they want to, but doing so is insensitive” — I would say it`s more than insensitive — “and an unnecessary provocation.” That`s pretty soft language compared to the way she talked about the mosque. Actually, why don’t we look at Palin’s entire posting at Facebook: Book burning is antithetical to American ideals. People have a constitutional right to burn a Koran if they want to, but doing so is insensitive and an unnecessary provocation – much like building a mosque at Ground Zero. I would hope that Pastor Terry Jones and his supporters will consider the ramifications of their planned book-burning event. It will feed the fire of caustic rhetoric and appear as nothing more than mean-spirited religious intolerance. Don’t feed that fire. If your ultimate point is to prove that the Christian teachings of mercy, justice, freedom, and equality provide the foundation on which our country stands, then your tactic to prove this point is totally counter-productive. Our nation was founded in part by those fleeing religious persecution. Freedom of religion is integral to our charters of liberty. We don’t need to agree with each other on theological matters, but tolerating each other without unnecessarily provoking strife is how we ensure a civil society. In this as in all things, we should remember the Golden Rule. Isn’t that what the Ground Zero mosque debate has been about? That seems like a pretty strong condemnation of Jones’s plan, doesn’t it? Yet Matthews never once read the entire thing to his viewers. Instead, he continued with his pathetic plot: SANCHEZ: They`re — not judging her, it`s the fact — MATTHEWS: It`s insensitive? We have a travel alert. (CROSSTALK) SANCHEZ: But why pick out Sarah Palin? I guess that`s my point. MATTHEWS: Because I`m looking at the news that came in this morning. And, all of a sudden, she`s getting her fingers into this thing. Your thoughts, Steve. I think it`s incredible that she would be so soft — taking such a soft line on this guy burning the Koran, because you never attack to the right when you`re on the right. That`s what I think is going on here. Excuse me! Matthews and his network have been criticizing Republicans for not speaking out against this guy. Now that some have, he accuses them of aiding and abetting the Pastor! How pathetic: SANCHEZ: But for what political purpose? That`s what I`m saying. (CROSSTALK) MATTHEWS: — with as far out, with as far out with the fringe as she can, because that`s her base. (CROSSTALK) STEVE MCMAHON, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: That`s right. It`s not just her base. It`s the people that are taking over the party. It`s the Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh — MATTHEWS: You can`t hurt by being friendly with the right. MCMAHON: –. base of the Republican Party. Exactly. You cannot be too far right, because especially if you`re thinking about running for president or if you want to have a controversial talk show on FOX, you need to do these things. And they generate headlines. They get people like us talking. And it works for Sarah Palin, who wants to be an entertainer and a provocateur. I`m not sure it works very well if she wants to be the president of the United States. MATTHEWS: Do you think that`s a statement you could live with, Leslie, people have a constitutional right to burn a Koran if they want to? Do you like the phraseology there? People have a constitutional right to burn a Koran if they want to? Do you like that — The hypocrisy on display here was astonishing. For weeks, folks like Matthews have been telling the American people that the backers of the Ground Zero mosque have a Constitutional right to build it there, and this supersedes the public’s overwhelming opposition. By contrast, the conservative position has been to recognize the Constitutionality in play while questioning the wisdom of doing something that would offend so many Americans. As such, Palin – and Boehner as you’ll see in a bit – were making the exact same argument concerning Jones: he has the right to burn these Korans, but they wish he wouldn’t. Not only didn’t Matthews see the consistency in these positions, he was the one being inconsistent by now claiming Jones’s Constitutional rights were irrelevant and represented a “soft” position on Palin’s part. The net result is that the Constitution in Matthews’ mind must only protect those involved with the Ground Zero mosque but not Pastor Jones: (CROSSTALK) SANCHEZ: First off, I`m not going to put Sarah Palin`s words in my mouth. Let`s put it that way. MATTHEWS: OK. Good. SANCHEZ: I can speak for myself. But I will say this much. I think you play too much into this game that Sarah Palin wants you to do, which is — talking from a conservative Republican perspective, I think we were very clear, both bipartisanly, from a bipartisan perspective, of how people felt about how ludicrous his statements were and his actions to be. MATTHEWS: Whose were? SANCHEZ: The reverend in this case. MATTHEWS: Sure. SANCHEZ: And I think why can`t we talk in solidarity about that? It`s all this — this ruse that it`s Sarah Palin pulling the strings – – (CROSSTALK) MATTHEWS: I just want to know — I will go back to my question — why did she throw him the life jacket and say, put this on, tie it to the mosque? Why did she do that? Why did Boehner do that? Nobody else was doing it in the media. I wasn`t drawing the connection. Then you’re either an idiot or a liar, Mr. Matthews, for there not only is a connection here, but also people like you and the rest of the media would have totally ignored Jones if the Ground Zero mosque wasn’t currently an issue: SANCHEZ: She — MATTHEWS: These characters were sitting, were on the show right here, talking to me, both these pastors, Sapp and Jones — neither one of them mentioned the mosque. Both long interviews. I said, is there anyone who could appeal to, we could appeal to you to stop this? Or any — nobody mentioned the mosque until today, after these stories moved by your — people on the far right. Not on the right. People like Boehner, just a Republican golfer. (LAUGHTER) SANCHEZ: Well, the tan is important. But to be fair to that point, I think a lot of people were talking about it. If you want to see that`s a lifeline, I think you`re going to see it regardless of anything that I have to say. MCMAHON: It`s interesting — it`s interesting here, though, if people continue to draw a connection between the actions and the words of John Boehner and Sarah Palin and suggest that somehow the leaders of the Republican Party and the woman who is the frontrunner for the Republican nomination for president — I mean, that`s why this makes so much news — if there`s some suggestion that the Republican Party is sort of behind this guy, and manipulating this guy, I think it further alienates the Republican Party — SANCHEZ: Further. MCMAHON: — from the majority of Americans who feel differently about this. (CROSSTALK) MATTHEWS: There`s a big difference between the difficult question of building a mosque a couple blocks from the World Trade Center, which I`ve always said on this program is a difficult question. I`ve admired Michael Bloomberg for the courageous position he`s taken given the fact of his job up there. But I think there`s two sides of that argument. Can we agree there`s no two sides to the argument about burning religious books on world television? Can we agree on it? No, we certainly can’t agree for they both involve folks exercising their Constitutional rights in a fashion that the majority of citizens find offensive. They are indeed the exact same issue, and any suggestion to the contrary demonstrates ignorance, willful dishonesty, or both: MCMAHON: Yes. Yes, we can agree. MATTHEWS: OK. We just got the word that Gates — Secretary Gates did make a call to the reverend to try to smooth this thing out or end this thing. Maybe that was influential. Here`s John Boehner making the point I was trying to relate to here, conflating — there`s a word I don`t like, but it`s big these days on the right — conflating Koran-burning with the Islamic center near Ground Zero. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), MINORITY LEADER: To Pastor Jones and those who want to build the mosque, just because you have a right to do something in America, does not mean it is the right thing to do. (END VIDEO CLIP) Exactly. And this is the same position the Right has taken concerning the Ground Zero mosque. Not surprisingly, Matthews was having none of it: MATTHEWS: That was healthy. We call that in the NBA, an assist. (LAUGHTER) MATTHEWS: That`s called an assist. SANCHEZ: No, I mean — MATTHEWS: Or an alley-hoop actually. SANCHEZ: Wow. MATTHEWS: Get it near the top of the rim so the other guy can put it in. I ask you: do you need a better example of liberal media bias? Matthews and his colleagues complain for days that Republicans aren’t doing anything to stop Jones from burning Korans on Saturday. Two top GOP figures do, and they’re accused of helping the Pastor. Makes you want to throw your television set out the window, doesn’t it?
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Chris Matthews Accuses Sarah Palin of Aiding and Abetting Koran-burning Pastor
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