Funny Photo of the day
Tag: politics
ABC News plays pitchman for President Obama's Healthcare program
While I find some of the objections to the Healthcare plan by the right to be a bit silly. This one bugs me:
ABC TURNS PROGRAMMING OVER TO OBAMA; NEWS TO BE ANCHORED FROM INSIDE WHITE HOUSE
Tue Jun 16 2009 08:45:10 ET
On the night of June 24, the media and government become one, when ABC turns its programming over to President Obama and White House officials to push government run health care — a move that has ignited an ethical firestorm!
Highlights on the agenda:
ABCNEWS anchor Charlie Gibson will deliver WORLD NEWS from the Blue Room of the White House.
The network plans a primetime special — ‘Prescription for America’ — originating from the East Room, exclude opposing voices on the debate.
The Director of Communications at the White House Office of Health Reform is Linda Douglass, who worked as a reporter for ABC News from 1998-2006.
Late Monday night, Republican National Committee Chief of Staff Ken McKay fired off a complaint to the head of ABCNEWS:
via DRUDGE REPORT: ABC TURNS PROGRAMMING OVER TO OBAMA 2009®.
Of course and rightfully so, the RNC is not amused:
Dear Mr. Westin:
As the national debate on health care reform intensifies, I am deeply concerned and disappointed with ABC’s astonishing decision to exclude opposing voices on this critical issue on June 24, 2009. Next Wednesday, ABC News will air a primetime health care reform “town hall” at the White House with President Barack Obama. In addition, according to an ABC News report, GOOD MORNING AMERICA, WORLD NEWS, NIGHTLINE and ABC’s web news “will all feature special programming on the president’s health care agenda.” This does not include the promotion, over the next 9 days, the president’s health care agenda will receive on ABC News programming.
Today, the Republican National Committee requested an opportunity to add our Party’s views to those of the President’s to ensure that all sides of the health care reform debate are presented. Our request was rejected. I believe that the President should have the ability to speak directly to the America people. However, I find it outrageous that ABC would prohibit our Party’s opposing thoughts and ideas from this national debate, which affects millions of ABC viewers.
In the absence of opposition, I am concerned this event will become a glorified infomercial to promote the Democrat agenda. If that is the case, this primetime infomercial should be paid for out of the DNC coffers. President Obama does not hold a monopoly on health care reform ideas or on free airtime. The President has stated time and time again that he wants a bipartisan debate. Therefore, the Republican Party should be included in this primetime event, or the DNC should pay for your airtime.
Respectfully,
Ken McKay
Republican National Committee
Chief of Staff
Well, ABC was having none of that; they responded:
June 16, 2009
Mr. Ken McKay
Chief of Staff
Republican National Committee
310 First Street SE
Washington, D.C. 20003Dear Mr. McKay:
I am in receipt of your letter of June 15, 2009 and wanted to respond to a number of false premises you raise regarding our ongoing and upcoming coverage of health care.
I hope we can all agree that a robust debate of health care issues and potential policies is in order.
To that end, ABC News announced plans to broadcast a primetime hour from the White House devoted to exploring and probing the President’s position and the giving voice to questions and criticisms of that position. We hope that any American concerned about health care will find our efforts to be informative, fair and civil.
Second, ABC News prides itself on covering all sides of important issues and asking direct questions of all newsmakers — of all political persuasions — even when others have taken a more partisan approach and even in the face of criticism from extremes on both ends of the political spectrum. ABC News is looking for the most thoughtful and diverse voices on this issue. ABC News alone will select those who will be in the audience asking questions of the president. Like any programs we broadcast, ABC News will have complete editorial control. To suggest otherwise is quite unfair to both our journalists and our audience.
Third, there already has been extensive coverage of the upcoming health care debates, on ABC and elsewhere, and there will be much, much more. Indeed, we’ve already had many critics of the President’s health care proposals on the air – and that’s before a real plan has even been put before the country.
In the end, no one watching, listening to, or reading ABC News will lack for an understanding of all sides of these important questions.
Thank you for your interest.
Kerry Smith
SVP, ABC News
We are getting closer and closer to European socialism and closer to State-run media by the day. What’s next? Death squads for the those who oppose?
Sure looks like it.
Others on the case: Weekly Standard, Riehl World View, TVNewser, Doug Ross, Michelle Malkin, , Brutally Honest, Hot Air, The Other McCain, The Sundries Shack, , Macsmind, Blue Crab Boulevard, , Flopping Aces, Patterico’s Pontifications, Right Wing Nut House, Townhall.com, Right Wing News, and This ain’t Hell …
From the "can't keep in his pants" dept: Sen. John Ensign has an affair
Man, as if the Republicans did not need any other problems right now… now this:
Nevada Republican Sen. John Ensign has told colleagues that he plans to admit an extramarital affair, a senior Republican official tells POLITICO.
Political insiders in the Senate and in Nevada told POLITICO that Ensign began an affair with a staffer several months after he separated from his wife. When Ensign reconciled with his wife, the sources said, he gave the aide a severance package and parted ways.
Sometime later, a Nevada source said, Ensign met with the husband of the woman involved and had what this source described as a positive encounter. Sources said that the man subsequently asked Ensign for a substantial sum of money – at which point Ensign decided to make the affair public.
Ensign’s office did not return calls for comment, but the senator told the Associated Press Tuesday: “I deeply regret and am very sorry for my actions.”
Ensign’s staff said he would be making a statement about a “personal matter” at 3:30 p.m. local time in Las Vegas.
Ensign informed fellow Nevadan Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, about his situation earlier today.
“I don’t know the details. I talked with him today,” Reid told POLITICO. “Of course, he’s my friend. This is a private, family matter. I just hope that Darlene and he work things out.”
Reid said he didn’t offer any advice on how to handle the situation. “I didn’t give him any advice. I just told him he’s my friend. I’m pulling for him. Anything I can do to help, let me know.”
Ensign, a born again Christian, is chairman of the GOP Policy Committee, making him the highest ranking Republican Senator in Nevada’s history. He has three children.
Amanda Carpenter says on Twitter:
“I came home to Nevada to come forward and explain to the citizens of our state something that I was involved in about a year ago. Last year I had an affair. I violated the vows of my marriage. It is the worst thing I have ever done in my life. If there was ever anything in my life that I could take back, this would be it.
“I take full responsibility for my actions.
“I know that I have deeply hurt and disappointed my wife Darlene, my children, my family, my friends, my staff and others who believed in me. To all of them, especially my wife, I am deeply sorry. I am truly blessed to have a wife who has forgiven me. We sought counseling last year and have built a stronger marriage — stronger than ever.
“I will not mention any names but the woman who I was involved with and her husband were close friends and both of them worked for me. Our families were close. That closeness put me into situations which led to my inappropriate behavior. We caused deep pain to both families and for that I am sorry.
“I am committed to my service in the United States Senate and my work on behalf of the people of NV.
“Thank you.”
[…]
His wife, Darlene, is issuing this statement: “Since we found out last year we have worked through the situation and we have come to a reconciliation. This has been difficult on both families. With the help of our family and close friends our marriage has become stronger. I love my husband.”
Quote of the Day
What then, in the words of Lenin, is to be done? Why should anything be done at all? Paleocons of all stripes need to realize that there is much to be learned from one another—something all the more important in that we are run today by a set of people who have their own utopian agenda, quite as irrelevant to the needs and wishes of most of the country as anything anyone could dream up. Both generations must understand that each has a reason for being as they are. Young paleos ought to see that men like Pat look back to a past that was not merely, in many ways, better than the present; it was also tangible, real, as opposed to theoretical. Old paleos must understand that—as the new Chief of State proves—we are not going back. What are needed are thinkers and men of action who will use the best of the past and the present to play an effective role in the fight for the shape of the future.
Video: Something to make you think
This an excellent video: (Via True Conservatives on Facebook)
More G.O.P. Stupidity….
Our asses are going to be kicked harshly in 2010 and 2012 and this is why:
Newscoma posted details of a racist email sent from Sherri Goforth, legislative aid for Sen. Diane Black R-Gallatin. The email depicts the Presidents of the United States with President Barack Obama as a pair of eyes in a black background.
I spoke with Sherri Goforth minutes ago to confirm she sent this email. She confirmed she had sent it and also said she had received a letter of reprimand from her superiors but said she will stay on the job.
When I asked her if she understood the controversial nature of the photo, Goforth would only say she felt very bad about accidentally sending it to the wrong list. When I gave her a second chance to address the controversial nature of the email, she again repeated that she only felt bad about sending it to the wrong list of people.
“I went on the wrong email and I inadvertently hit the wrong button,” Goforth told NIT. “I’m very sick about it, and it’s one of those things I can’t change or take back.”
via Sen Diane Black’s R-Gallatin legislative aid circulates racist email « Nashville Is Talking.
There are people calling for this aid’s firing; and rightly so. This sort of nonsense has no place within the Republican Party. Do I think it is funny? No, I do not. I have had people send me that very e-mail and they’ve gotten a stern warning never to send me that sort of nonsense ever again.
As I said about the other little incident, if the G.O.P. gets it’s tail kicked in the 2010 and 2012 elections; it will because of nonsense like this here. You do not think that the Democrats will try and use this sort stuff against the Republicans in 2012? Do not kid yourselves, they will.
Some people just seriously need to get over the fact that we have a black President. Do not misunderstand me here; I am not a fan of President Obama’s socialism at all, but I find these little incidents to absolutely sickening. Because the Republican Party is, in fact, the party the freed the slaves, in order to preserve the union. But yet, we have idiots within that party that still hold on to the old ideas about the Minorities, including blacks in this Country.
To all African-Americans that might happen to read this Blog. I want you to know; we are not all like that. May this be noted of one time, in my career as a blogger; that I actually side with the Identity Politics crowd, this idiot needs to be fired and right away!
The Iran Situation Part III
Looks like this situation is a bit worse than we thought. The American Freedomist Blog Reports:
The Freedomist has learned from our sources that what is happening in Iran may indeed be the beginnings of a COUP attempt within the ruling Mullah elites themselves and that Khameni’s allegiance to Ahmadinejad is causing a good number of them to consider REMOVING the Supreme Leader himself!
This possible revolution is NOT directed at Ahmadinejad, it is directed at THE SUPREME LEADER! US News is off base and inaccurate, the People are demanding an END to the rule of the Mulllahs, they want Democracy and seem willing to FIGHT!
Local sources are reporting via Twitter and opposition websites violence that is being resisted actively by young people who are IN THE THOUSANDS on roof tops singing the old Iranian national anthem, some are reporting from inside buildings that Hezbollah troops, NOT the Iranian police, are conducting clearing operations using civilian vehicles to plow into protestors and randomly shoot anyone on the street.
It is becoming more apparent that elements of the ruling class and the police and military are not deemed to be reliable, hence the use of foreign Hezbollah fighters to help enforce the edicts of the regime.
[…]
Meanwhile, we have at least three reports from different sources that Rafsanjani called for an emergency meeting of the Majles Khobregan, the Assembly of Experts which could result in an open rift between himself and the present Supreme Leader. Rafsanjani is questioning the certification of the election, according to these reports.
I do believe that this situation is going to a bit more hairier before it gets any better.
Update: Seen on Twitter, a retweet of a retweet….:
RT @ProgrssvWitness: RT @Radlein: Hey, Ahmadinejad, Khamenei? Congratulations. As of now, you ARE the Shah. #iran #iranelections
Update #2: Michael J. Totten does another one of his great dispatches from Iran. One it this gem pops up:
According to our private phone conversations with people in Tehran, hundreds of parents have gathered by a police station in Yousef Abad, now known as Seyyed Jamal Aldin Asad Abadi, with their hands raised to the sky saying “Obama, please help us, they are killing our young children.”
Oh boy…. This should quite interesting.
Consider this a somewhat live Blog, update to come as new info arrives.
The Iran Situation
It seems that the situation in Iran is worse than the MSM is letting on…
Video via Andrew Sullivan, whom I have had issues with in the past, is following closely, as is AllahPundit:
What they are shouting is “Allah Akbar!” or “God is great!”; which happens to be what most terrorists shout, just before they blow themselves up. Which proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Islamic terrorists hijacked a Religion. The irony is that this is same chant that was used during the Islamic Revolution of 1979. The neat thing about this is that this was all organized via twitter.
I’ll be posting things, that I see via the twitter feed and via twitterfall. Hash tags to use on twitter are #Iranelections, #iran, #Iranelection, #Ahmadinejad and possibly more, which I will add as I see them.
Update: BBC Report on the Situation in Iran, with reaction from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and someone from the Canadian Government:
Update #2 : Just received two reports via twitter user named persiankiwi:
fires burning. heard some gunshots about 10 mins ago. sounded like coming from north east tehran where fires are. #Iranelection
and…
I am hearing that Tehran Uni has been raided by Baseej. Have not been able to make a call since being told. #Iranelection
Update #3: Footage of the protests and the Iranian police’s lame attempt to break it up and the protesters attacking the police:
Update #4: Video here of evidence of beatings of Iranian college students. Via Andrew Sullivan, this:
Grand Ayatollah Sanei in Iran has declared Ahmadinejad’s presidency illegitimate and cooperating with his government against Islam. There are strong rumors that his house and office are surrounded by the police and his website is filtered. He had previously issued a fatwa, against rigging of the elections in any form or shape, calling it a mortal sin.
Update #5: via twitter:
persiankiwi: tehran is like war zone. it is unbelievable. fires everywhere. shooting, people shouting. #Iranelection
Update #6: Via Twitter:
@IranRiggedElect sources: “tear gas in the dorm. It’s un-uniformed police and riot guards. at least 100 students arrested.” #iranelection
Update #7: Via Twitter:
@persiankiwi students being killed in tehran uni dorm in amirabad right now. this must stop, ahmadinejad must stop. #Iranelection
Closing this live Blog and will open another…. Update: Click here to go to new live Blog.
Did the G.O.P. take a stupid pill or something today?
It seems so. The reason I ask this is because the following:
1. Mitt Romney is now blaming Obama for the elections in Iran. (H/T to Steve Brenon)
“[T]he comments by the president last week that there was a robust debate going on in Iran was obviously entirely wrong-headed. What has occurred is that the election is a fraud, the results are inaccurate, and you’re seeing a brutal repression of the people as they protest.
“The president ought to come out and state exactly those words, indicate that this has been a terribly managed decision by the autocratic regime in Iran.
“It’s very clear that the president’s policies of going around the world and apologizing for America aren’t working…. [J]ust sweet talk and criticizing America is not going to enhance freedom in the world.”
Mittens; Seriously, shut the fuck up; you stupid assed Mormon freak. If Romney kept his rich boy ass out the 2008 election; maybe, just maybe the G.O.P would have done better.
For what it is worth, Romney would have blamed Obama if the other guy would have won too. The freakin’ asshole.
Then there’s this stuff:
2. Some doouche noozle activist in SC says this on facebook:
A prominent S.C. Republican Party activist is in hot water after describing an escaped gorilla at a South Carolina zoo as an “ancestor” of First Lady Michelle Obama.
The exchange occurred after Trey Walker, an advisor to S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster, posted an innocuous Facebook update about this morning’s escape of a Western Lowlands Gorilla from Columbia’s Riverbanks Zoo.
Walker’s harmless update, however was followed by a highly-questionable comment from longtime SCGOP activist and former State Senate candidate, Rusty DePass.
“I’m sure it’s just one of Michelle’s ancestors — probably harmless,” DePass wrote.
An early South Carolina supporter of former President George W. Bush, DePass has been active in Republican politics in South Carolina for decades.
I know what you’re thinking; Yes, I have said similar stuff here. But there’s two HUGE differences. I am not a “Republican” and two, I am not activist for the party. If the G.O.P. is ever going win back the hearts and minds of the people; it is going to have clearly demonstrate to the general public that it has gotten past it’s racist past. Yeah, I know; I am a Paleo-Conservative, and I will be the first person to tell you that there is truly some racist bigots in our ranks. Most of what I say here is snark and humor with no malice intended at all. This bozoo obviously has a problem with black people, he needs to be shown the door. Because obviously he does not belong in the formal party itself.
It is going to be a long four to eight years or longer; if the G.O.P. does not get it’s act together and really soon.
RedState Update on Holocaust Museum, Abortion Doctor, Army Recruiter
Poor ol’ Jackie‘s had enough of gun violence in America.
