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.
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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 …Sarah Palin Strikes Back at Kathy Griffin: ‘Come Up to Alaska and Pick on Me But Leave My Kids Alone’
March 6, 2011 No Comment
Sarah Palin on Saturday struck back at the vulgarian comedienne that has been attacking her and her family for years. Appearing on Fox's “Justice with Judge Jeanine,” the former Alaska governor challenged Kathy Griffin, “Come up to Alaska and pick on me, but leave my kids alone” (video follows with transcript and commentary): JEANINE PIRRO, HOST: Rumors are that Kathy Griffin is going to play a Sarah Palin Tea Party type on “Glee.” What do you make of that? She hasn't been kind to you or your family, what do you think? SARAH PALIN: You know Kathy Griffin can do anything to me or say anything about me, because you know, she's kind of this – she's a fifty-year-old adult bully really is what she is. Kind of a has-been comedienne and she can do those things to me. I would just ask, you know, for respect to my children as she had stated on CNN that her New Year's resolution was to destroy my sixteen-year-old daughter. That takes it a little bit too far. Kathy – pick on me. Come up to Alaska and pick on me, but leave my kids alone. PIRRO: Well, that, we’re all with you on that one, Governor. As readers are likely aware, Griffin said earlier in the year, “I've already gone for Sarah, Todd and Bristol obviously. But I think it's Willow's year to go down. In 2011 I want to offend a new Palin.” And, as NewsBusters reported a few weeks ago, “Hollywood's favorite D-list vulgarian, will apparently be playing a Tea Party candidate loosely modeled on Sarah Palin in an upcoming episode of Fox's 'Glee.'” Unfortunately, as all this Palin-bashing gets her a great deal of attention, it seems a metaphysical certitude Griffin's not going to back off now. This seems especially unlikely as after being tweeted by a fan of the news concerning Palin's remarks Saturday, Griffin responded , “U made my day!” (H/T Fox Nation )
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.
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enlarge Ahhh…so much for that transparency on which Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker campaigned . When Walker claimed to have received thousands of emails supporting him on his union-busting collective bargaining hardline, the Associated Press and the local publication the Isthmus asked to see proof. When Walker refused, they filed FOIA requests for them. Think that a legally binding document compelled Walker? Guess again : Over the past month or so, Governor Deadeyes has been spinning a narrative in which he’s been receiving “overwhelming” support for his budget-slashing measures. He has frequently cited receiving emails from “a single mother” or “a small-business owner” or “a laid off autoworker from Janesville.” As he continues to find ways to get on to TV to make his case, he keeps relying on this “overwhelming” support. In an attempt to find out what level of support he really has received, two local media outlets filed Freedom of Information Act requests, seeking the emails that Walker has received over this period of time. They want to see exactly who is supporting him and what they are saying. Apparently, the law not being on his side, Walker decided to ignore the requests. Bill Lueders of the Isthmus noted that he had not received a formal response to his request. AP reporter Todd Richmond received an email from the governor’s lawyer, noting his request would cost more than $31,250 and that amount of money had to be paid in advance. Or, he could just come on down and camp out at the Capitol and read until his heart was content. The men filed a suit in Dane County on Friday, as their requests weren’t being taken seriously. The Freedom of Information Act for the state of Wisconsin is listed here . Note that it says that we’re supposed to have as much openness as possible. Also note that fees can be waived “if the material requested is of public interest.” Governor might be making sh*t up? Yeah, seems like this request fits the bill Thirty-one thousand dollars for copying? C’mon. I can get a flash drive for $50 and you can put all of the files on that. I guess that’s too easy an answer. I’m curious how much of the precious Wisconsin tax dollars are being used to defend Walker’s desire not to share with the public how much support he is actually getting.
Continue reading …Maddow: Small Government Conservatives in "The Equality State" Live Up to Their Name
March 6, 2011 No Comment
Click here to view this media As Rachel noted, the actual small government, pro keep the government the hell out of your personal lives conservatives in Wyoming did something that would make most liberals proud. They rejected a bill that would have prevented same-sex marriages from being recognized that originated outside of their state.
Continue reading …Eleanor Clift and Bill Press: ‘U.S. Auto Industry Stronger Than It Ever Was’
March 6, 2011 No Comment
Does a sycophantic devotion to the President make liberal media members lose all connection to reality? Before you answer, consider that on Friday, Newsweek's Eleanor Clift and liberal radio host Bill Press actually said on PBS's “McLaughlin Group” the U.S. auto industry is stronger than it ever was (video follows with transcript and commentary): BILL PRESS: Then there was the auto bailout. Our auto industry is stronger than it ever was today. It was a George Bush program continued by Barack Obama. If he had not continued those two programs, we’d be in the toilet still today. JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, HOST: You say the auto industry is stronger than it ever has been? PRESS: Yes, it is. ELEANOR CLIFT, NEWSWEEK: Yes it is. PAT BUCHANAN: No it is not. MONICA CROWLEY: No. PRESS: GM reported its first profits, John. MCLAUGHLIN: I know that. I know that. CLIFT: Well, General Motors now has a nice fat share of the market in China. They have recovered, excuse me, and millions of jobs have been saved. Where do they get this stuff? The American automobile industry has certainly recovered from its bottom a few years ago, but to suggest that it is stronger than it ever has been is either a flat out lie or totally ignorant. As Bloomberg reported in January: Toyota Motor Corp. was the world’s largest automaker for a third year in 2010 as a recovery in global vehicle demand outweighed a decline in U.S. sales. Toyota’s sales, including its luxury Lexus marque and deliveries from affiliates Daihatsu Motor Co. and Hino Motors Ltd., rose 8 percent to 8.42 million units in 2010, the automaker said in a statement today. General Motors Co., the second-ranked car company, said in a separate statement that worldwide deliveries gained 12 percent to 8.39 million. Remember the good old days when two of the three top companies by total sales worldwide would be American? Apparently Clift and Press don't. As for GM's market share in China, here's what the Wall Street Journal had to say about that just last Monday: GM’s remarkable progress in China, the world’s largest auto market, hasn’t been very remarkable of late. GM’s market share fell from 13.2% to 11.4% year-over-year – and profits were down by almost a third. As such, contrary to Clift's assertion, GM's “nice fat share of the market in China” is not only not very fat, but is also on the decline. And, as the Journal pointed out, so is its stock price: After almost hitting $40 in early January, GM’s shares are now back down to their offering price of $33. [I]f Wall Street is so enthusiastic about GM, then why did its shares drop almost 5% after last Thursday’s earnings announcement, its first since the IPO? And why has GM underperformed the S&P 500 by 15% since the start of the year? Actually, GM shares closed under their IPO price Friday: Despite this, one imagines Clift and Press still think the company is doing better than it ever has. After all, even though you're supposedly a journalist, you wouldn't want to let little things like facts get in the way when there's a President you love in desperate need of your support.
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Sarah Palin famously announced her debate strategy when she told Gwen Ifill that she only going to answer questions she wanted to answer during the Vice Presidential Debate in 2008: And I may not answer the questions that either the moderator or you want to hear…. It appears Michele Bachmann has decided that whatever worked for Palin should work for her. She for the most part ignored or didn’t answer Gregory’s questions on MTP. She did come prepared with a visual aid however, a little hand held sign which had 105,464,000,000 written on it, signifying the $105 billion she claimed was “hidden” in the “Obamacare” legislation to fund the program. So she thinks that legislation shouldn’t include how it would be funded ? If not, what exactly were the Republicans threatening to defund ? Undeterred by details, she immediately and proudly held up her prop for Gregory and the viewers to see. enlarge Credit: Meet The Press Michelle Bachmann’s childish MTP sign She knew her talking points and kept repeating the number over and over again for almost two minutes until Gregory finally got annoyed with her. MR. GREGORY: Congresswoman, you’ve made, you’ve made your point. Crazytown Bachmann didn’t fall in line with her tea party comrades and didn’t bash Boehner as ineffectual as Speaker of the House, but finally addressed the question about the debt ceiling and said she was against raising it, which is the FOX News Judge Napolitano’s position. MR. GREGORY: The, the speaker has said that it would be irresponsible not to raise the debt limit, as will be called for soon. Will you agree with him on that and do that? REP. BACHMANN: I am not in favor of raising the debt ceiling. In the last 10 years we have raised the debt ceiling 10 times. We are just giving the Congress a license to keep on spending. C&Lers understand that the US would probably collapse if the debt ceiling is not raised. Gregory tried to get her to reply to the WSJ’s analysis of their own poll which said this about the Tea Party: “`It may be hard to understand why someone would try to jump off a cliff’ to solve the debt crisis, [pollster] Mr. [Bill] McInturff said of his fellow Republicans, `unless you understand that they are being chased by a tiger, and that tiger is the tea party.’” Is the tea party chasing the broader GOP off the cliff? Bachmann’s word salad response was that the tea party was made up of a broad-base coalition of people, not right and left and the Left is just afraid of it. No answer there. REP. BACHMANN: You know, I think that the political left has been very afraid of the tea party movement because it is not necessarily political. It’s not Democrats or Republicans. It’s made up of a very broad-based coalition…. Then Gregory switched to foreign policy questions and I was waiting for her to hold up her sign again so that she didn’t have to speak and make more of a fool of herself than she already had. Like Palin and Bush, when you don’t know what to say about war or worldly events, just mention the great Petraeus. MR. GREGORY: But, Congresswoman, my, my question, my question, is it in America’s vital interest to remove Moammar Gadhafi from power? REP. BACHMANN: Well, that, that question, I think, is one that, as, as Defense Secretary Gates has said, we need to be very careful about putting an army on the ground in the Middle East. We are extended now in Afghanistan and Iraq, and I think for us to consider further penetration at this time, we need to listen to General Petraeus and what he has to say. Do I need to say anything about her gasoline ignorance? 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. The instability in the Middle East never affects oil prices, it’s just Obamacare, people.
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Sarah Palin famously announced her debate strategy when she told Gwen Ifill that she only going to answer questions she wanted to answer during the Vice Presidential Debate in 2008: And I may not answer the questions that either the moderator or you want to hear…. It appears Michele Bachmann has decided that whatever worked for Palin should work for her. She for the most part ignored or didn’t answer Gregory’s questions on MTP. She did come prepared with a visual aid however, a little hand held sign which had 105,464,000,000 written on it, signifying the $105 billion she claimed was “hidden” in the “Obamacare” legislation to fund the program. So she thinks that legislation shouldn’t include how it would be funded ? If not, what exactly were the Republicans threatening to defund ? Undeterred by details, she immediately and proudly held up her prop for Gregory and the viewers to see. enlarge Credit: Meet The Press Michelle Bachmann’s childish MTP sign She knew her talking points and kept repeating the number over and over again for almost two minutes until Gregory finally got annoyed with her. MR. GREGORY: Congresswoman, you’ve made, you’ve made your point. Crazytown Bachmann didn’t fall in line with her tea party comrades and didn’t bash Boehner as ineffectual as Speaker of the House, but finally addressed the question about the debt ceiling and said she was against raising it, which is the FOX News Judge Napolitano’s position. MR. GREGORY: The, the speaker has said that it would be irresponsible not to raise the debt limit, as will be called for soon. Will you agree with him on that and do that? REP. BACHMANN: I am not in favor of raising the debt ceiling. In the last 10 years we have raised the debt ceiling 10 times. We are just giving the Congress a license to keep on spending. C&Lers understand that the US would probably collapse if the debt ceiling is not raised. Gregory tried to get her to reply to the WSJ’s analysis of their own poll which said this about the Tea Party: “`It may be hard to understand why someone would try to jump off a cliff’ to solve the debt crisis, [pollster] Mr. [Bill] McInturff said of his fellow Republicans, `unless you understand that they are being chased by a tiger, and that tiger is the tea party.’” Is the tea party chasing the broader GOP off the cliff? Bachmann’s word salad response was that the tea party was made up of a broad-base coalition of people, not right and left and the Left is just afraid of it. No answer there. REP. BACHMANN: You know, I think that the political left has been very afraid of the tea party movement because it is not necessarily political. It’s not Democrats or Republicans. It’s made up of a very broad-based coalition…. Then Gregory switched to foreign policy questions and I was waiting for her to hold up her sign again so that she didn’t have to speak and make more of a fool of herself than she already had. Like Palin and Bush, when you don’t know what to say about war or worldly events, just mention the great Petraeus. MR. GREGORY: But, Congresswoman, my, my question, my question, is it in America’s vital interest to remove Moammar Gadhafi from power? REP. BACHMANN: Well, that, that question, I think, is one that, as, as Defense Secretary Gates has said, we need to be very careful about putting an army on the ground in the Middle East. We are extended now in Afghanistan and Iraq, and I think for us to consider further penetration at this time, we need to listen to General Petraeus and what he has to say. Do I need to say anything about her gasoline ignorance? 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. The instability in the Middle East never affects oil prices, it’s just Obamacare, people.
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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.”
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