Click here to view this media Michele Bachmann of course refused to walk back her comments that the Obama administration is a “gangster government” on Meet the Press this week, but as Steve Benen noted , she also seems to have a great deal of trouble with any consistency to this argument. Of course not. Bachmann started using this line nearly two years ago — it never really caught on with anyone else — so she obviously isn’t prepared to walk it back. Indeed, it’s part of a larger case the hysterical right-wing lawmaker has pushed repeatedly: this White House reminds her of an organized crime syndicate, using ruthless, Chicago-style hardball tactics intended to intimidate anyone who gets in the president’s way. It’s absurd, but it’s a picture Bachmann has tried to paint. What’s interesting, though, is that Bachmann has also made the exact opposite argument , just as often. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) launched a verbal assault on President Obama this weekend, claiming that his foreign policy stance was so weak that it made “Jimmy Carter look like a Rambo tough-guy.” I can see one argument or the other, but both at the same time? President Obama, we’re told, is both too tough and too weak. He’s overly aggressive and overly passive. He’s a ruthless mobster and a feeble pushover. Is it too much to ask that right-wing personalities pick one or the other? They can’t both be true. He’s correct but consistency and telling the truth aren’t exactly Michele Bachmann’s strong points, are they? As long as she’s never punished by the electorate for her nonsense, she’s got no reason to stop. Transcript below the fold. GREGORY: Let me ask you about 2012. There’s talk that you’re considering a run for the presidency. And I wonder what you make of how people react to you. A lot of people think that you are an extremist, somebody who, you know, as you’ve done in the past, called the administration “a gangster government,” is far more interested in fueling anger than becoming something of a consensus politician who can attract widespread support. How do you react to all that? BACHMANN: I haven’t made a decision either way about plans for 2012. What my concern is, is that our country move forward and that we regain a sound financial footing. I don’t believe that Barack Obama has done a good job as president of the United States. I think that’s beared out statistically on everything from anemic job creation to the out of control spending and deficits. The economy is simply not improving. Just consider, the day before the president took office gasoline was $1.83 a gallon. There are places today in the United States where it is over $4 a gallon. It didn’t help that the president had the Interior secretary cancel 77 oil leases as soon as the president came into power. We can do so much better. And that’s what I’m talking about with people in the next few months. We need to think very strongly–a second administration of Jimmy Carter wouldn’t have done this country any favors. We need to make sure we don’t have a second Barack Obama administration. GREGORY: You’ve referred to the Obama administration as a gangster government. You’ve said that this President has anti-American views. Do you believe that still? BACHMANN: I believe that the actions of this government have– have– been emblematic of ones that have not been based on true American values. Just consider Obama Care. Over 900 waivers have been given out to unions and protected special interests that are linked to the president. GREGORY: Is it appropriate to refer to the government as a gangster government and to question whether this President loves America? BACHMANN: Well, I said I do believe that actions that have been taken by this White House, I don’t take back my statement on gangster government. I think that there have been– actions that have been taken by this government that I think are corrupt– GREGORY: And you think the President has anti-American views? BACHMANN: Well, it– I’ve already answered that question before. I said I had very serious concerns about the President’s views. And I think the President’s actions in the last two years speak for themselves.
Continue reading …
Click here to view this media Michele Bachmann of course refused to walk back her comments that the Obama administration is a “gangster government” on Meet the Press this week, but as Steve Benen noted , she also seems to have a great deal of trouble with any consistency to this argument. Of course not. Bachmann started using this line nearly two years ago — it never really caught on with anyone else — so she obviously isn’t prepared to walk it back. Indeed, it’s part of a larger case the hysterical right-wing lawmaker has pushed repeatedly: this White House reminds her of an organized crime syndicate, using ruthless, Chicago-style hardball tactics intended to intimidate anyone who gets in the president’s way. It’s absurd, but it’s a picture Bachmann has tried to paint. What’s interesting, though, is that Bachmann has also made the exact opposite argument , just as often. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) launched a verbal assault on President Obama this weekend, claiming that his foreign policy stance was so weak that it made “Jimmy Carter look like a Rambo tough-guy.” I can see one argument or the other, but both at the same time? President Obama, we’re told, is both too tough and too weak. He’s overly aggressive and overly passive. He’s a ruthless mobster and a feeble pushover. Is it too much to ask that right-wing personalities pick one or the other? They can’t both be true. He’s correct but consistency and telling the truth aren’t exactly Michele Bachmann’s strong points, are they? As long as she’s never punished by the electorate for her nonsense, she’s got no reason to stop. Transcript below the fold. GREGORY: Let me ask you about 2012. There’s talk that you’re considering a run for the presidency. And I wonder what you make of how people react to you. A lot of people think that you are an extremist, somebody who, you know, as you’ve done in the past, called the administration “a gangster government,” is far more interested in fueling anger than becoming something of a consensus politician who can attract widespread support. How do you react to all that? BACHMANN: I haven’t made a decision either way about plans for 2012. What my concern is, is that our country move forward and that we regain a sound financial footing. I don’t believe that Barack Obama has done a good job as president of the United States. I think that’s beared out statistically on everything from anemic job creation to the out of control spending and deficits. The economy is simply not improving. Just consider, the day before the president took office gasoline was $1.83 a gallon. There are places today in the United States where it is over $4 a gallon. It didn’t help that the president had the Interior secretary cancel 77 oil leases as soon as the president came into power. We can do so much better. And that’s what I’m talking about with people in the next few months. We need to think very strongly–a second administration of Jimmy Carter wouldn’t have done this country any favors. We need to make sure we don’t have a second Barack Obama administration. GREGORY: You’ve referred to the Obama administration as a gangster government. You’ve said that this President has anti-American views. Do you believe that still? BACHMANN: I believe that the actions of this government have– have– been emblematic of ones that have not been based on true American values. Just consider Obama Care. Over 900 waivers have been given out to unions and protected special interests that are linked to the president. GREGORY: Is it appropriate to refer to the government as a gangster government and to question whether this President loves America? BACHMANN: Well, I said I do believe that actions that have been taken by this White House, I don’t take back my statement on gangster government. I think that there have been– actions that have been taken by this government that I think are corrupt– GREGORY: And you think the President has anti-American views? BACHMANN: Well, it– I’ve already answered that question before. I said I had very serious concerns about the President’s views. And I think the President’s actions in the last two years speak for themselves.
Continue reading …
La battaglia continua intorno a Bin Jawad Rebels’ westward push stalled by Gaddafi forces Libyan rebels retreat, Ireland set for coalition government and Afghan roadside bomb kills 12 Frustrated Libyan rebels angry at Bin Jawad defeat – The Express … Ragtag Libyan rebels limped back from the front, squabbling over a bitter defeat at Bin Jawad . Libyan rebels advance on Bin Jawad | Ya Libnan | World News Live … “We are just outside Bin Jawad . There are thuds of mortars landing near rebel positions, leaving puffs of smoke, and also the sound of heavy machineguns in the distance,” Reuters correspondent Mohammed Abbas said by telephone. … Pakistannews24.com » Frustrated Libyan rebels angry at Bin Jawad … A Libyan rebel fighter holds a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) launcher after spotting a fighter jet flying overhead near a checkpoint at the entrance to the oil rich town of Ras Lanuf. Libyan rebels regroup and advance on Bin Jawad | Heepto news ROAD TO BIN JAWAD , Libya (Reuters) – Rebels in east Libya regrouped on Sunday and advanced on Bin Jawad after forces loyal to Muammar Gaddaf… Libyan rebels retreat from Bin Jawad under heavy fire « New Media Blog National Post, by Mohammed Abbas Posted By: Always Right- Sun, 06 Mar 2011 21:59:36 GMT RAS LANUF, Libya, ‘ Libyan rebels retreated on Sunday from Bin Jawad which is on the road to Sirte, Muammar Gaddafi’s hometown and a prize they are … Kempo50 says: BREAKING: UN wants access to Misrata – #feb17 #libya – http://t.co/5lWIucP
Continue reading …
Rory Sabbatini closes out the 2011 Honda Classic Round 4 Recap: 2011 Honda Classic Rory Sabbatini wins the Honda Classic Rory Sabbatini The South African finished with a nine- under-par total of 271 to deny a late challenge from South Korea’s YE Yang. A thunder storm caused play to b… rory sabbatini , craigslist home page, kansas unemployment … rory sabbatini craigslist home page kansas unemployment craigslist san diego big east tournament bracket university of phoenix sec tournament 2011 craigslist. Rory Sabbatini Wins 2011 Honda Classic By 1 Shot PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Walking off the second tee Sunday, Rory Sabbatini veered left and stopped, peering toward a patch of 3-foot grass and the lake behind it. Trouble for the Honda Classic leader? 2011 Honda Classic Results: Rory Sabbatini Hangs On To Beat Y.E. … SB Nation is a collection of over 290 individual communities, each offering high quality year-round coverage and conversation led by fans who are passionate about their favorite teams, leagues or sports. By empowering fans, SB Nation … Rory Sabbatini wins Honda Classic by 1 shot — — Bangor Daily News PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Walking off the second tee Sunday, Rory Sabbatini veered left and stopped, peering toward a patch of 3-foot grass and the lake behind it. Trouble for the Honda Classic leader? Maybe. Something was rustling in … osbreakingnews says: Rory Sabbatini withstands late challenge to win Honda Classic http://bit.ly/hOzR58
Continue reading …
Click here to view this media (h/t Dave of VideoCafe) In 1906, S. G. Tallentyre wrote “The Friends of Voltaire” words commonly attributed to Voltaire: I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. Only rarely have those words been more true than in considering the Westboro Baptist Church. The Supreme Court found for WBC, saying that their First Amendment rights could not be infringed upon by preventing them from appearing at the funerals of fallen service members . Inasmuch as I generally haven’t agreed with the conservative interpretations coming out of SCOTUS, there is little doubt that this was the only conclusion they could come to with respect to the Constitution . Maybe every generation needs a case to learn that the First Amendment is tested and grows stronger when it defends speech that’s unpopular, even reprehensible. In 1979, American Nazi Party members wanted to march in the streets of Skokie, Ill., a Chicago suburb in which a number of Holocaust survivors lived. Skokie said such a march would be an assault on people who had already survived Nazi death camps. The Illinois Supreme Court ultimately ruled that the march could proceed. But after winning the right to assemble in Skokie, the Nazis decided instead to march through Marquette Park, near their headquarters on the city’s southwest side. That small, squalid group of puffed-up buffoons wearing swastikas and spewing hate had the whatever-it-was — I refuse to say sensitivity or intelligence — not to march where their monstrous message would be most personal. That’s a low standard to meet. But maybe members of the Westboro Baptist Church are up to it. That said, there is an argument to be made over the wisdom of Fox News to validate WBC by having on Margie Phelps, attorney and member of WBC, to discuss the ruling. Yes, they have a Constitutional right to Free Speech, but like Glenn Beck, they have no such right to an international multi-media platform from which to speak. I’m always dumbstruck by those self-identified Christians whose message seems to completely ignore the one of love and non-judgment that Christ himself taught. Like Gandhi remarked, these Christians are so unlike Christ that the real abomination in my mind is calling themselves such . Phelps, who declared that “the default for mankind is hell,” stated that she had no “objective indicator” that will prevent the Supreme Court justices from going to hell, and declared the president’s fate without hesitation. “Absolutely on the president. That’s a big 10-4,” Phelps said. “The president is going to be king of the world before this is all said and done, and he is most likely the beast spoken of in the revelation.” The beast is a figure in the New Testament book of Revelation, which is full of apocalyptic themes. “Unless you bring forth fruits, meet for repentance, the assumption is that you will end up in hell when you quit your life on this earth. There is a duty of every human to bring forth fruit meet for repentance. I have seen no evidence of that in a single leader in this nation,” she said. You know, I’m reminded of this John Fugelsang video . Westboro Baptist Church’s only successful protest continues to be their boycott of every single thing Jesus ever said.
Continue reading …
Click here to view this media Not everyone thinks that bombing Libyan targets in the process of creating a no-fly zone would amount to an attack on the country. Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman John Kerry (D-MA) Sunday disagreed with the Obama administration’s view that bombing military targets to set up a no-fly zone would mean “military intervention.” “The last thing we want to think about is any kind of military intervention,” Kerry told CBS’ Bob Schieffer. “And I don’t consider the no-fly zone stepping over that line.” “We don’t want [US] troops on the ground. [The rebels] don’t want [US] troops on the ground. That would be counterproductive,” he added. US Defense Secretary Bob Gates said last week that setting a no-fly zone would mean attacking Libya . “Let’s call a spade a spade,” Gates said at a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing. “A no-fly zone begins with an attack on Libya to destroy the air defenses.” “It’s a big operation in a big country,” he added. Schieffer pressed Kerry on the no-fly zone implementation, noting Gates’ warning. “[Gates] says basically that’s going to war, because he says if you’re going to have a no-fly zone, you’ve got to go in there and bomb their anti-aircraft installations there, that you’re going to be bombing the country,” the CBS host said. “That’s actually not the only option for what one could do,” Kerry replied. “One could crater the airports and the runways and leave them incapable of using them for a period of time.”
Continue reading …Fox Yappers Go Crazy Over Michael Moore Saying We’re Not Broke and the Rich Need to Pay More in Taxes
March 6, 2011 No Comment
Click here to view this media When Michael Moore comes to Wisconsin to speak out against the amount of income disparity we have in the United States that we’ve not seen since the Gilded Age, leave it to the yappers on Fox to go crazy and call him every name in the book, and to also insist that he’s picking on the so called “job creators” in America. Someone tell me that these idiots weren’t just reading straight off of the pages of Atlas Shrugged for Fox “news” with this breathless defense of how we’re not supposed to pick on the rich by asking them to pay more in taxes. According to Jonathan Hoenig here, Moore is preaching Communism and a society of… get this… “slavery” and the rich should be paying even less in taxes. Because heaven forbid we can’t ask the rich to pay more or we’re going to turn into Venezuela or Cuba or some other country that he wants to make completely irrational and ridiculous comparisons to. These people make my head hurt. Up is down and black is white on Fox. Here’s more from Michael that they were up in arms about. VIDEO: America Is NOT Broke : America is not broke. Contrary to what those in power would like you to believe so that you’ll give up your pension, cut your wages, and settle for the life your great-grandparents had, America is not broke. Not by a long shot. The country is awash in wealth and cash. It’s just that it’s not in your hands. It has been transferred, in the greatest heist in history, from the workers and consumers to the banks and the portfolios of the uber-rich. Today just 400 Americans have more wealth than half of all Americans combined. Let me say that again. 400 obscenely rich people, most of whom benefited in some way from the multi-trillion dollar taxpayer “bailout” of 2008, now have more loot, stock and property than the assets of 155 million Americans combined. If you can’t bring yourself to call that a financial coup d’état, then you are simply not being honest about what you know in your heart to be true. And I can see why. For us to admit that we have let a small group of men abscond with and hoard the bulk of the wealth that runs our economy, would mean that we’d have to accept the humiliating acknowledgment that we have indeed surrendered our precious Democracy to the moneyed elite. Wall Street, the banks and the Fortune 500 now run this Republic — and, until this past month, the rest of us have felt completely helpless, unable to find a way to do anything about it. Here’s Michael in Wisconsin.
Continue reading …
Click here to view this media Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) believes Americans should buy products made in the US, but he seems a bit confused about what those products might be. In an interview with ABC’s Christiane Amanpour Sunday, the senior senator from Arizona incorrectly declared that Apple’s iconic iPhone and iPad products were made in the US. ABC News dedicated several segments of their World News broadcast last week to furnishing a home only with products that were made in the US. In the end, the house was left without key electronic products like televisions and computers. McCain told Amanpour that the ABC News team should have simply purchased products from Apple. “I would also point out that if you emptied that house, if you had left a computer there or an iPad or an iPhone, those are built in the United States of America,” he said. In fact, both Apple products are designed in the US but manufactured in China. United Steelworkers President Leo Gerard corrected McCain in a later segment. “The iPad and iPhone are made in China,” he said. “They’re not made in America.”
Continue reading …Wisconsin: Clean Up, Clean Up, Everybody Everywhere…Walker Claims Ridiculous Costs To Clean Up Capitol
March 6, 2011 3 CommentsWisconsin State Capitol – 2/21/11 Perhaps taking his cues from the sniveling and dismissive State Sen. Glenn Grothman, who called the Wisconsin protesters ” slobs “, Gov. Scott Walker has sought a bid to clean up the Capitol building. His figures are a little dumbfounding : Department of Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch said the original $7.5 million estimate to repair marble damaged by tape was a “high-end“ estimate. An updated report from DOA says a majority of the nearly $350,000 would cover a crew to perform “very limited“ restoration on marble as well as landscape restoration. DOA originally said it would need $7 million to repair damage and between $60,000 and $500,000 just to assess the condition of the building. $7.5 million for removing tape? Holy FSM. No wonder the guy has trouble balancing the budget. Turns out that even the $350,000 downgraded estimate is more than a little ridiculous too . Like many, [the Center for Media and Democracy] was stunned to hear that Walker’s lawyers told a court that it would cost over seven million dollars to clean up the tape on the stone walls and railings. After criticism, the state’s lawyers acknowledged that this absurd figure was on “the high end” and then suggested that the cost could be “as low as $347,500,” if “restoration specialists” were not needed. The state asserted that its figures were “an educated guess.” Based on whose education is unknown. [..]Middleton art conservator Meghan Thumm Mackey assert[ed] that at $100 an hour it would cost $6 million to clean up the inside of the capitol, plus a million for the outside, in addition to a $500,000 initial assessment fee, according to the Wisconsin State Journal . Mackey noted that painter’s tape that is left on too long can require the use of acetone (the main ingredient in nail polish remover) and cotton swabs. CMD offers to perform an initial assessment at a fraction of the half million dollar fee suggested by Mackey. Mackey did note that the state’s initial estimate of $7.5 million seemed “high.” Luckily, the janitorial staff who actually has extensive experience cleaning the marble walls and floors and metal railings at the Capitol have weighed in. According to Sean Heiser, the Association of Federal, State, County, and Municipal Employees field supervisor who oversees an eight-person team that keeps the Capitol clean, the clean-up can be accomplished with readily available solvents and the damage claimed is “just not there.” The mendacity of Walker truly knows no bounds.
Continue reading …
Cavuto Displays “Wanted” Poster Of Missing Wisconsin Senators Does Scott Walker really love Wisconsin workers? 14 Real Americans 2 Wisconsin senators appear with Jesse Jackson – Chicago Breaking News Two Wisconsin senators who fled the state have appeared in Chicago with civil rights leaders the Rev. Jesse Jackson, urging Gov. Scott Walker to negotiate with workers. Illinois Review: 2 Wisconsin senators appear with Jesse Jackson Two Wisconsin senators who fled the state have appeared in Chicago with Jesse Jackson, demanding Gov. Scott Walker to negotiate with workers. Democratic state senators Chris Larson and Lena Taylor spoke at a news conference Saturday at … Live Reporting from the Wisconsin Protests | Center for Media and … More #winning: Over 350 state legislators representing all of the other 49 states have now signed the open letter of solidarity with Wisconsin senators : http://bit.ly/solidarityWI. Suited up for a New Orleans-style parade down State … Absentee Wisconsin Senators Running Out of Options … Absentee Wisconsin Senators Running Out of Options (ContributorNetwork). Posted on March 6, 2011 by admin. ContributorNetwork – COMMENTARY | For two weeks, Wisconsin Democratic Senators have hid in Illinois, to keep the budget repair … Congressman Allen West to Visit Guantanamo Bay « PUMABydesign001's … Allen West calls Wisconsin senators “cowards”. “South Florida Congressman Allen West branded the runaway state senators of Wisconsin a bunch of “cowards,” comparable to Army deserters. ‘What kind of representative democracy have we … jrotering says: @davidm_en say hello to our Wisconsin senators if you see them while in Chicago!
Continue reading …