Monday, November 30, 2009
Sorry for the lack of updates
Friday, November 20, 2009
Anti-Defamation League calls Glenn Beck ‘fearmonger-in-chief’
Fox News host Glenn Beck is the media's "fearmonger-in-chief," helping to sow distrust and paranoia about the government through conspiracy theories, says the Anti-Defamation League.
The ADL, one of the world's most prominent groups devoted to fighting racism and anti-Semitism, singled out the controversial TV and radio personality as having gone beyond other similar commentators in his opposition to the Obama administration.
Beck creates "an intersection between the mainstream and the extreme," says an ADL report released this week. Beck's claims "play an important role in drawing people further out of the mainstream, making them more receptive to the more extreme notions and conspiracy theories.
"While other conservative media hosts, such as Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, routinely attack Obama and his administration, typically on partisan grounds, they have usually dismissed or refused to give a platform to the conspiracy theorists and anti-government extremists. This has not been the case with Glenn Beck," the report statesHuffington Post founder Arianna Huffington told MSNBC's Keith Olbermann Thursday night that news personalities like Beck are exploiting the current economic crisis to radicalize the population, as has happened before throughout history.
"What makes it possible for Glenn Beck to enable and take advantage of what's happening is the fact that there's a lot of misery out there, there is a lot of legitimate anger, people are losing their jobs, losing their homes or they're afraid of losing their jobs or losing their homes. It is in this climate of often legitimate rage that Glenn Beck comes in and provides scapegoats," Huffington said on MSNBC's Countdown.
"Traditionally, throughout history, these are the dangerous times," Huffington continued. "And that's why our various establishments need to become much more sensitive to what's going on out there, and not leave it up to the Glenn Becks of the world to take advantage of what's happening."
While Huffington did not explicitly mention Germany in the era of the Third Reich, her comments in the context of a report from the ADL strongly suggested a parallel to the Nazis' scapegoating of Jews for Germany's economic woes in the 1920s and 1930s.
But in this case, it is a black president, rather than a Jewish community, that is being scapegoated, the ADL report suggests.
"In the year since we marked the historic election of the nation's first African-American president we have seen a tremendous amount of anger and hostility," said ADL head Abraham Foxman. "There is a toxic atmosphere of rage in America being witnessed at many levels, and it raises fundamental questions for our society."
The ADL report subtly hints that the political trend of mainstreaming militant views could lead to politically motivated violence.
"The fact that these anti-government sentiments are coming from such a broad spectrum makes it more likely that some individuals will become so inflamed with anger that they will move farther toward the fringes," ADL National Chair Robert G. Sugarman said in a press release. "This could result not only in the swelling of the ranks of anti-government extremist groups and movements, but might give rise to more individuals who are willing to act on their anger."
M.C.L quick hit: I know liberals hate it when the progressive media talks about people like Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin because they're a bunch of ass clown, yes Beck is a ass clown but unlike Palin he's a dangerous ass clown.. Beck knows the type of people he's talking to and he's inciting them to do something remember the dude that shot those cops in Pennsylvania he was a Beck head. While we may view him as a joke but he got people that take him serious and they will act because he scares them to act.
This video is from MSNBC's Countdown, broadcast Nov. 19, 2009.
New Missouri billboard tells Americans to ‘prepare for war’ against the government.
Fired Up! Missouri points out that the Lafayette County Republican Central Committee is highlighting a new billboard in the state with steps for a “citizens guide to revolution of a corrupt government“:
This billboard replaces one that warned that the socialist “Obama-Nation” is “coming for you.” It’s unclear who the owner of the billboard is, but the first one was the work of a “Missouri businessman.”
Motor City Liberal comment: Again and again I have to remind the Republicans and my new right wing lurker what Republicans and their allies in the right wing media did to George W. Bush critics again when Natalie Maines said she was ashamed she was ashamed being from the same state the right wing tried to ruin the Dixie Chicks' careers and the Republicans created the narrative if you didn't support Bush you might as well be rooting for the terrorists. Now the Republicans and their minions in the right wing press are openly inciting the nuts in their ranks to do something.
Michigan Town Rejects Liz Cheney’s ‘Fearmongering’ And Welcomes Guantanamo Detainees
Recently, the Liz Cheney-founded right-wing advocacy group Keep America Safe released a mini-documentary that features several residents of Standish, Michigan, speaking out against a possible transfer of detainees from Guantanamo Bay to a prison in the city. The video ominously warns that the transfer would turn the town into “Guantanamo North” and claims that Standish residents are dead set against moving Guantanamo detainees to their city. Watch it:
Yet, as the Plum Line’s Greg Sargent reports, the video poorly represents the views of the residents of Standish. He interviewed Standish City Manager Michael Moran, who dismissed Liz Cheney’s “fearmongering” and said the documentary was “off base“:
Standish’s City Manager tells us that local leaders and residents want the facility, and dismissed Cheney’s efforts as “fearmongering.” Cheney is “certainly not representing the views of our community,” the City Manager, Michael Moran, told our reporter, Amanda Erickson.
While some local residents do appear to have expressed mixed feelings or opposition to the plan, Moran says that they’re an isolated minority that Ms. Cheney’s video elevates out of proportion in a way that’s “off base.”
The truth is, the residents of Standish — like the residents of Thomson, Illinois — aren’t afraid of housing terrorism suspects on U.S. soil. Last month, the Standish City Council voted 6-0 in support of a resolution asking the federal government to relocate Guantanamo prisoners to their city. Moving detainees to the city would help keep their prison facility open, which would guard against “the loss of the 350 jobs provided by the [jail].”
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Six-Year-Old Girl ‘On Verge Of Never Hearing Again’ Due To Insurance Company Denial
As the story of six-year-old Madison Leuchtmann of Franklin County, MO, demonstrates, even children are victims of this insurance company abuse. Madison was born with bilateral atresia, which means she lacks ear canals in both ears. In order to hear, she wears a special device on a headband that allows her to make out sounds. Despite her disability, Madison is at the top of her kindergarten class and is slowly learning to read.
Yet Madison, due to her growth, will soon require a new hearing implant to be able to recognize sounds. Her hearing and speech therapist warns that “if she doesn’t get her implants by age seven, she’s not going to be able to blend her words. … She won’t be able to hear herself [talk].” Madison’s pediatrician, Dr. Randall Clary, also insists that without the implant, the girl may never be able to hear again.
Unfortunately, the Leuchtmann’s family insurer, Cigna, has issued “one denial after another,” flatly refusing to cover the $20,000 bill for the implant. In a written statement to the local news station Fox 2, Cigna explained, “It is not unusual for commercial benefit plans to exclude hearing assisted devices,” prompting Dr. Clary to angrily respond, “This is obviously medically necessary. You have a child that has no ear canals!” Dr. Clary also told Fox 2 that he sees these sort of denials “on a weekly basis.” Watch Fox 2’s report:
The United States is the only developed country without a universal, cradle-to-the-grave health care system. In no other developed country would a girl be on “the verge of never hearing again” because a for-profit insurance company decided that its bottom line was more important than keeping a child from going deaf.
Foxx: Republicans ‘Passed Civil Rights Bills Back In The 60s Without Very Much Help’ From Democrats
By
During a debate on the House floor today over designating 21 miles of the Molalla River as “wild and scenic,” Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-old right wing battle ax), who opposes the legislation, tried to claim a progressive environmental record for her party. “Actually, the GOP has been the leader in starting good environmental programs in this country,” said Foxx.
Foxx then extended her claims of the GOP’s progressive history to the issue of civil rights. “Just as we were the people who passed the civil rights bills back in the ’60s without very much help from our colleagues across the aisle,” said Fox. “They love to engage in revisionist history.” When Foxx finally yielded her time on the floor, Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-CA) passionately rebuked her:
CARDOZA: Today, what I’m hearing on the floor really takes the cake. The gentlelady from North Carolina, in her statement just now, indicated that the Republican GOP had passed the Civil Rights Act legislation with almost no help from the Democrats. I can’t believe my ears. It was the Kennedy and Johnson administration where we passed that Great Society legislation. It was over the objections of people like Jesse Helms from the gentlewoman’s state that we passed that civil rights legislation. John Lewis…
FOXX: Would, would the gentleman yield?
CARDOZA: No, I will not yield. John Lewis, a member of this House, was beaten on the Edmund Pettus bridge to get that civil rights legislation passed. Tell John Lewis that he wasn’t part of getting that legislation passed.
When she was given a chance to respond, Foxx could only say that Jesse Helms wasn’t elected to the Senate until 1972. Watch it:
Foxx’s claim that Republicans were the real engine behind the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a common notion among conservatives. But as Cardoza points out, it was President Lyndon Johnson who “choreographed passage of this historic measure in 1964.” In fact, the Republican presidential candidate in 1964, Sen. Barry Goldwater (R-AZ), voted against the legislation.
To support the claim that Republicans were actually the architects of civil rights, conservatives often point out that a “higher percentage of Republicans than Democrats supported the civil-rights bill.” But this ignores the “distinct split between Northern and Southern politicians” on the issue. When this is taken into account, the facts show that “in both the North and the South, Democrats supported the 1964 Civil Rights Act at a higher rate than the Republicans.”
New Right-Wing Craze Prays That Obama’s ‘Days Be Few’
By
The newest far-right craze is an anti-Obama slogan that is making its way onto t-shirts, bumper stickers, mugs, and even teddy bears: “Pray for Obama: Psalm 109:8,” which reads, “Let his days be few; and let another take his office.” The meme is also taking off on Twitter, with conservatives calling it “hilarious.” Commentators have noted that it’s unclear whether the intent is to hope for an end to Obama’s time in office — or an end to his life. But a look at the lines in the rest of the psalm hint at the latter: Let his days be few; and let another take his office. Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow. Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places. Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labor. Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favor his fatherless children. Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out. Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out. Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.
Diana Butler Bass at Beliefnet explains that Psalm 109 is one of the “imprecatory” prayers, “a lament in the form of petition to destroy one’s enemies.” While perhaps intended to be a joke, she notes that the psalm actually “entreats God to destroy the president”:
It is the personal prayer of an individual, someone who has been dealt an injustice by another–and usually more powerful–person. The words of Psalm 109 are those of deep agony, the longings of a victim for retribution and justice. This psalm is considered one of the most difficult of all the psalms–full of violent images of vengeance and death.
Quite a few of the “Pray for Obama” items are being sold at CafePress.com, although many of them have been taken off of the site (here’s a cached version of some of them). Cafe Press representative Margene H. told ThinkProgress that while the site took down some of the “Pray for Obama” items today, it is now in the process of reinstating them:
We initially pulled the Psalm 109:8 content from our products today because broader media dialog indicated that these designs potentially suggested violence towards the president. Based on current public discourse and further review of the actual content, we have determined that it is fair political commentary and we are in the process of reinstating this merchandise. As with all of our content, these designs will continue to be reviewed and if at any time their meaning is construed as advocating violence we will revisit our decision.
On Tuesday, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow spoke with “Patience With God” author Frank Schaeffer, who said that while the psalm was “frightening” in a secular context, it’s even “more threatening” in a biblical context.
Motor City Lib comment: Exhibit G in the case for why I hate conservatives/right wingers the same losers who's buying these hateful items were the same people six years ago were breaking Dixie Chicks cds at their local Wal-Mart parking lot because what the lead singer said about being ashamed coming from the same state as Bush. Being ashamed coming from the same state as a president the right will try to end your career, make shirts hoping for death of the president the right will laugh it off and their knuckle dragging followers will buy it up.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Palin-Beck 2012?
By
In a new interview with Newsmax, former Alaska governor Sarah Palin hinted that a “dream ticket” of Palin and Fox News host Glenn Beck is not out of the question:
“I can envision a couple of different combinations, if ever I were to be in a position to really even seriously consider running for anything in the future, and I’m not there yet,” Palin tells Newsmax. “But Glenn Beck I have great respect for. He’s a hoot. He gets his message across in such a clever way. And he’s so bold – I have to respect that. He calls it like he sees it, and he’s very, very, very effective.”
Palin is a big Beck fan. In August, she wrote on her Facebook page, “FOX News’ Glenn Beck is doing an extraordinary job this week walking America behind the scenes of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and outlining who is actually running the White House. Monday night he asked us to invite one friend to watch; tonight I invite all my friends to watch.” Maybe they could go up against Michele Bachmann and Steve King? (HT: Ben Smith)
O'Donnell stumps local Palin supporter
Fox News displays old campaign footage to claim Palin is getting ‘huge crowds’ at her book signings.
By
This afternoon, Fox News host Gregg Jarrett proudly announced that Sarah Palin is “continuing to draw huge crowds while she’s promoting her brand new book. Take a look at — these are some of the pictures just coming into us.” But the pictures that the network chose to display on-air appeared to be old file footage of Palin rallies from the 2008 presidential campaign. Individuals in the crowd are seen holding McCain/Palin signs, and others are holding pom-poms and cheering wildly. “There’s a crowd of folks,” an enthused Jarrett observed, referring to the old footage. Watch it:
The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart recently caught Fox News’ Sean Hannity displaying crowd shots from a rally earlier this year to claim that a recent GOP health care protest drew a larger audience than it actually did. Hannity later acknowledged that he “screwed up.”
Monday, November 16, 2009
Tea partiers punk’d into supporting removal of white people from US
A speaker at an anti-immigration rally in Minneapolis this past weekend got the crowd to support more than just the deportation of all illegal immigrants -- he got them cheering for the eviction of all European-descended immigrants to America who "stole this land through genocide and ethnic cleansing." A crowd of some 40 people showed up to the steps of the Minnesota State Capitol on Saturday to protest proposed reform of US immigration law. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Friday that the Obama administration was pushing for immigration reform that would create a pathway for the legalization of undocumented immigrants.
Napolitano said she would like to see a "tough, fair" plan that would allow illegal migrants to gain legal status if they pay a fine, pass a criminal background check, pay all back taxes and learn English.
That idea brought 40 anti-immigration protesters to Saturday's protest, as well as 30 pro-immigration reform counter-protesters, according to FightBackNews in Minneapolis.
One of those protesters, going by the alias "Robert Erickson," got a speaking spot at the rally and used it to argue for the eviction of all descendants of European immigrants -- in other words, that contingent of white Americans who these days see themselves as "real" AmericansBut some of the demonstrators didn't seem to notice that the angry speech was targeted at them.
"In Minneapolis where I'm from, we have a huge immigrant population that has been causing a number of problems," Erickson began. "With the economy in recession and so many people laid off and unable to find work, immigrants should not be competing for the few jobs that are open. It's just not fair to the folks who have a claim to this country and have a right to be here."
That was met with with applause, but soon it became clear that "Erickson" had a different notion from the Tea-partiers as to who actually has "a claim to this country."
"Let's send these European immigrants back where they came from," he said to wild cheers. "We need to send every one of them back home. ... They stole this land through genocide and ethnic cleansing."
Even after that comment, some of the anti-immigration protesters didn't seem to notice that "Erickson" was standing up for the right of Native Americans to reclaim their land from the Caucasian population -- even though, as FightBackNews noted, the pro-immigration reform crowd had joined in the cheering.
"Erickson" walked off the stage leading the crowd in a loud chant of "Columbus go home! Columbus go home!"
Political mockery has been gaining steam as a tactic of progressive activists. Last month, the Yes Men held a phony press conference pretending to be representatives of the US Chamber of Commerce, and tricked major media outlets into reporting that the group had relented and now supported climate change legislation.
In August, a farcical group calling itself Billionaires for WealthCare mocked opponents of health care reform with slogans such as "“If God loved the poor people, he wouldn’t let them get sick,” and “Healthcare rationing, that’s our job!”
The following video was filmed Saturday, November 14, 2009, and uploaded to YouTube by FightBackNews.
O’Reilly warns of a coming ‘tax revolt’: ‘Pelosi will be bobbing up and down in the Boston Harbor.’
By Glenn Beck(R-creepy stupid douche) had Fox News host Bill O’Reilly(R-phone sex) on his radio show today to promote their upcoming “Bold & Fresh Tour,” which will take the two right-wing personalities around the country to preach “the truth — straight up, whether you like it or not.” When Beck brought up Dennis Miller’s appearance on the O’Reilly Factor last week — in which Miller warned of a coming “insurrection“– O’Reilly predicted a “tax revolt” that will “get nasty” and end up with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) “bobbing up and down in the Boston Harbor.”
BECK: Last week, I head you say that — you were on with Dennis Miller. … You two were talking about an insurrection coming.
O’REILLY: Tax revolt.
BECK: He used the word insurrection. And not in a comedic way.
O’REILLY: Yeah, tax revolt. I think people, when they figure out how badly they’re going to get hurt in the next few years, there’s going to be a tea party on taxes and its gonna get nasty. Nancy Pelosi’s going to be bobbing up and down in the Boston Harbor.
This statement appeared to be too much for Beck even, who replied, “Uh, I don’t think that’s necessary.” Listen here:
Sarah Palin Rejects GOP Senate Candidate Mark Kirk’s Plea For An Endorsement
By Earlier this month, the Washington Post reported that Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL), a candidate for Senate in 2010, wrote a memo to Sarah Palin requesting that she endorse him during her visit to Chicago for the Oprah Winfrey Show. The Post noted that “Palin’s endorsement [of Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman] helped force state Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava (R) from the race” in the NY-23 special election, and that Kirk’s memo is “tangible evidence of the power of Palin’s endorsement in a Republican primary.”
The memo is also tangible evidence of Kirk’s willingness to dramatically switch positions in order to gain political power. Last year, Kirk panned Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) selection of Palin as his running mate, telling the Chicago Tribune, “I would have picked someone different.” Asked about Palin’s qualifications for office, Kirk said, “Quite frankly, I don’t know.”
However, it appears that Palin has rejected Kirk’s request for an endorsement. Recently, Kirk told ThinkProgress that he had been expecting her endorsement once she visited Chicago:
TP: How about Sarah Palin? How close are you to getting her endorsement?
KIRK: We sent a memo detailing the race, and she’ll be coming in to Chicago shortly.
Watch it:
However, Palin visited Chicago last week to tape an interview with Winfrey and made no mention of Kirk. Indeed, the Wall Street Journal noted that Kirk was “unsuccessful” in his bid for an endorsement, despite his detailed memo.
Facing a competitive challenge from businessman Patrick Hughes in the Republican primary, Kirk is attempting to veer to the right. After voting in favor of cap-and-trade clean energy legislation during the summer, Kirk quickly changed his mind and told tea party activists that he would vote against the same bill in the Senate. Speaking to another assembly of conservative supporters in April, Kirk suggested that people should shoot Gov. Pat Quinn (D-IL) for raising taxes.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Maddow Rips Rep. Pete Hoekstra For Leaking Sensitive National Security Information
Last night, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow accused Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI), the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee and current gubernatorial candidate, of leaking sensitive intelligence information to the press. Hoekstra told the Washington Post this week that Maj. Nidal M. Hasan had e-mail conversations with a radical Yemeni cleric, Anwar al-Aulaqi. Maddow excoriated Hoekstra for letting Aulaqi know that his e-mail is being monitored:
MADDOW: Why is it Pete Hoekstra who’s taking it upon himself to tell the press that this radical cleric is having his email read by U.S. intelligence agencies? The FBI had not said publicly that this cleric had been emailing Hasan. The CIA, the NSA, the White House — nobody else had reported this cleric was e-mailing Hasan. This is just Pete Hoekstra letting us know — and letting the radical cleric who is under surveillance know — that he’s under surveillance.
Maddow’s guest, The Nation’s Chris Hayes, said Hoekstra’s reputation is “of an epic grand-stander.” Watch it:
Asked if there was a concern that Hoekstra was leaking sensitive information, a Republican spokesman for the House intelligence committee told Maddow’s show, “I do not know, guessing, since [Aulaqi] was deported, he knew he was a target anyways.” Maddow noted that Aulaqi wasn’t “deported,” but rather left the country voluntarily, according to the 9-11 Commission. (Aulaqi had contacts with some of the 9-11 hijackers.)
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) said, “I am disappointed that some have rushed to the news media with unfounded information in order to gain headlines.”
Hoekstra has been trying to use the Ft. Hood shootings to engage in a political attack against Obama, claiming “administration officials delayed briefing members of Congress about the alleged gunman,” thus raising “red flags” about what the White House was hiding. “What do they know that they don’t want us to know?” Hoekstra said on Fox News.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Glenn Beck publicly shamed by satirist after losing domain battle
Fox News personality Glenn Beck has lost a battle for a Web domain which jokingly asked whether he raped and murdered a young girl in 1990. Following his victory, the Web site's creator voluntarily turned the domain over to Beck and publicly shamed him in an open letter for assaulting the First Amendment.
Isaac Eiland-Hall, the satirist behind glennbeckrapedandmurderedayounggirlin1990.com, thanked the pundit for his "assistance" in helping spread the rhetorical meme by filing a dispute with the World Intellectual Property Organization to gain control of the domain.
The Web site, which has now been taken offline, was a mockery of Beck's now-famous rhetorical style, asking questions and making hazy connections between many times unrelated people or events, then wondering why he has not gotten a denial.
A copy of the Web site now resides on GB1990.com. In addition to garnering widespread media coverage due to Beck's complaint, the site has also spawned a chain of copycat parodiesBeck's lawyers had argued their client's name was in fact a trademark, leaving Eiland-Hall in breach of intellectual property laws by using it in a domain. They also argued that the site, which is clearly labeled as satire, somehow led users to believe its information was factual.
The WIPO ruled against Beck on Friday.
National Public Radio added: "'Even a 'moron in a hurry,' read the decision, quoting Eiland-Hall's attorney, 'would not likely conclude that Complainant sponsored, endorsed or was affiliated with the website addressed by the disputed domain name.'"
In a letter to Beck that concluded with the username and password to access the domain, Eiland-Hall said:
It bears observing that by bringing the WIPO complaint, you took what was merely one small critique meme, in a sea of internet memes, and turned it into a super-meme. Then, in pressing forward (by not withdrawing the complaint and instead filing additional briefs), you turned the super-meme into an object lesson in First Amendment principles.
It also bears noting, in this matter and for the future, that you are entirely in control of whether or not you are the subject of this kind of criticism. I chose to criticize you using the well-tested method of satire because of its effectiveness. But, humor aside, your rhetorical style is no laughing matter. In this context of the WIPO case, you denigrated the letter of First Amendment law. In the context of your television show and your notoriety, you routinely and shamelessly denigrate the spirit of the First Amendment. The purpose of the expressive freedoms embodied in the First Amendment is not to simply permit the greatest possible scope of expression, but also, in doing so, to also strive for excellence in the conveyance of ideas. Rather than choosing to strive for excellence and civic contribution, you simply pander to the fears and insecurities of your audience. And in the process, you do them, and all of us, a great deal of harm.
Shame on you Mr. Beck.
The WIPO clearly agreed in its ruling, calling the site a “satirical critique" of the public figure and “strongly protected” under long standing law safeguarding free speech.
"The panel [also] found that the URL is, in fact, confusingly similar to Beck's trademark and that people searching for legitimate information on Beck might stumble upon this site," PC Magazine noted.
Tech reporter Chloe Albanesius continued: "On the second point, however, the panel found that Eiland-Hall had an interest in the URL for political purposes, and that he did not benefit financially from Beck's name."
"Why won't Glenn Beck deny these allegations?" the site reads. "We're not accusing Glenn Beck of raping and murdering a young girl in 1990 – in fact, we think he didn't! But we can't help but wonder, since he has failed to deny these horrible allegations."
The joke was originally created by comedian Gilbert Gottfried, who once performed a bit about fellow comedian Bob Saget raping and murdering a young girl.
"The idea is to force someone to explain away completely baseless charges made by insinuation alone; since Beck already has a reputation for doing this, the joke was supposed to give Beck a taste of his own medicine," explained Nate Anderson at Ars Technica.
"I imagine [the ruling] may further open a floodgate for the creation of similarly extreme sites should Beck remain as zeitgeisty and controversial as he has been these last few months," Mediaite writer Glynnis MacNicol suggested.
Glenn Beck did not actually rape and murder a young girl in 1990.
Pat Robertson: Islam isn’t a religion; treat Muslims like fascists
'Birther' lawyer: Fort Hood proves soldiers should be allowed to disobey orders Conservative commentators are ratcheting up anti-Muslim rhetoric in the wake of last week's Fort Hood massacre, with televangelist Pat Robertson leading the way with a declaration that Islam is "not a religion," but a "political system" bent on destroying all the world's governments.
In a commentary on his show, The 700 Club, Robertson noted that the alleged shooter in the Fort Hood massacre, Nidal Malik Hasan, had come to the attention of authorities prior to the rampage by emailing a radical cleric and trying to contact Al Qaeda.
"Nobody wanted to go after him because of political correctness," Robertson said on Monday. "We just don't talk about somebody's quote 'religion,' even if the religion involved beheading infidels and pouring boiling oil down their throats."
Robertson said Islam should be treated like a fringe political movement"If we don't stop covering up what Islam is ... Islam is a violent -- I was going to say religion, but it's not a religion, it's a political system, it's a violent political system bent on the overthrow of the governments of the world and world domination," Robertson said. "You're dealing with not a religion, you're dealing with a political system, and I think we should treat it as such, and treat its adherents as such as we would members of the communist party, members of some fascist group."
Robertson pointed the finger of blame at the US military, suggesting that the families of the 12 killed and 30 wounded have a strong case for suing the Pentagon.
"Those in the Army should be held to account for the fact they let this man loose," Robertson said.
This is not the first time that Robertson has aired controversial views about an act of violence on American soil. In 2001, shortly after the 9/11 attacks, Robertson agreed with fellow preacher Jerry Falwell that the attacks were God's punishment for the US allowing abortion and homosexuality.
"I really believe that the pagans and the abortionists and the feminists and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way, all of them who try to secularize America ... I point the finger in their face and say you helped this happen," Falwell said, to which Robertson replied: "I totally concur."
Both evangelists issued apologies for their statements later.
ORLY TAITZ: 'BLIND OBEDIENCE' TO MILITARY CAUSED FORT HOOD MASSACRE
But Robertson's theme this week -- that the military is to blame for not preventing the massacre -- has been echoed by numerous right-wing pundits. As David Weigel reported at the Washington Independent, "birther" lawyer Orly Taitz is arguing that the Fort Hood massacre is evidence that soldiers should be allowed to disobey orders.
Taitz is the lawyer who has spearheaded a number of largely unsuccessful lawsuits challenging Barack Obama's legitimacy as president on the argument that Obama is not a natural-born citizen of the United States. She was behind the release of the now-discredited "Kenyan birth certificate" for the president.
In an appeal of a federal court's decision to dismiss one of her lawsuits, Taitz wrote:
Recent terrorist incident at Fort Hood has given this question paramount importance. This order has advocated blind obedience by the members of the military. If someone were to have common sense, brains and strength of character to challenge allegiance of Nidal Malik Hasan in court, after he made numerous anti-American and antimilitary statements, maybe 12 young boys wouldn’t be 6 feet under today, maybe 12 mothers and 12 fathers wouldn’t had their hearts ripped out of their chests and torn apart.
And the author of a recent book claiming that the US's largest Muslim advocacy group is trying to plant "spies" on Capitol Hill now says the Fort Hood massacre proves it's time for a "backlash" against Muslims.
In an interview with FamilySecurityMatters.org, Dave Gaubatz, co-author of Muslim Mafia: Inside the Secret Underworld That's Seeking to Islamize America, said it's time to make a "bonfire" out of the terrorist materials he says are circulating in mosques.
"This was not an isolated incident," Gaubatz told the Web site:
Maj. Hasan (allegedly) did what he was taught. Politicians, Muslims, and law enforcement are concerned about a 'backlash' against Muslims. Now is the time for a professional and legal backlash against the Muslim Brotherhood and their leaders. ... If Muslims do not want a backlash, then I would recommend a “house cleaning.” Stack every Saudi, al Qaeda, Pakistani, Taliban, Hamas, and Muslim Brotherhood piece of material from their mosque and have a bonfire. Tell the American, Jewish, and Muslim community this hatred will no longer be allowed in their mosques.
Last month, four Republican House representatives called for an investigation into claims in Gaubatz's book that the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the largest Muslim advocacy group in Washington, is trying to use the congressional intern program as a way to plant "Muslim spies" on Capitol Hill. That notion was met with derision and ridicule from CAIR, which said that Gaubatz used his son to steal private documents from the group, and that the documents showed nothing more than typical lobbying activities by CAIR.
On Monday, a federal judge ordered Gaubatz to remove some of the 12,000 pages of CAIR documents he had posted to his Web site. The judge supported CAIR's claims that the documents were "unlawfully obtained."
The following video was broadcast on The 700 Club, November 9, 2009, and uploaded to the Web by MediaMatters.
Lawsuit alleges that New York Post DC bureau chief’s goal was ‘to destroy’ Obama
She says that hiring practices at the paper — as well as her firing — were driven by racial prejudices rather than merit.
And she recounts the paper’s D.C. bureau chief stating that the publication’s goal was to “destroy [President] Barack Obama.”
Guzman’s revelation isn’t all that surprising considering that a Senior Vice President at Fox News, also a News Corp. subsidiary, admitted earlier this year that the network is consciously aiming to be “the voice of opposition” to the Obama administration “on some issues.”
Sunday, November 08, 2009
GOP leader: ‘Healthcare bill will dim the light of freedom’
Shortly after a Democrat-backed healthcare bill passed the House late Saturday night, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-fake tan liar) issued a statement denouncing the "2,032-page" bill as a "$1.3 trillion government takeover of health care." “I came here to renew the American Dream, so my kids and their kids have the same opportunities I had. I came here to fight big-government monstrosities like this bill that dim the light of freedom and diminish opportunity for future generations," Boehner said in a statement.
“Americans want a common-sense approach to health care reform, not Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s 2,032-page government takeover that increases costs, adds to our skyrocketing debt, destroys jobs with tax hikes and new mandates, and cuts seniors’ Medicare benefits," the statement added. "Americans asking ‘where are the jobs’ are getting more of the same from out-of-touch Washington Democrats: more spending, more debt, and more government.
“Republicans have better solutions to lower costs and expand access to quality care – especially for those with pre-existing conditions – without adding to the crushing debt Washington has placed on our children and grandchildren," he continued. "Our plan will lower premiums by up to 10 percent, making health care more affordable for families and small businesses. That’s what the American people want, and that’s what Republicans will continue to fight for.”
One Republican joined the Democrats in supporting the bill; 37 Democrats joined Republicans in opposing it. The bill passed the House 220-215.
The Republicans' bill referenced in Boehner's statement was estimated by Congressional auditors to cover just 3 million more Americans by 2019, and leave 52 million Americans without coverage (a net improvement of 5 percent).
WND falsely claimed alleged Fort Hood shooter "advised Obama transition"
From Media Matters
WorldNetDaily falsely claimed that alleged Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan "advised Obama transition" in the headline of an article by Jerome Corsi highlighting his listing as a "participant" in a report for the Homeland Security Policy Institute (HSPI) at George Washington University's Presidential Transition Task Force. However, Corsi himself acknowledges that there is no evidence that "the group played any formal role in the official Obama transition" -- indeed, the Task Force was initiated in April 2008. Moreover, while Hasan was listed as one of approximately 300 "Task Force Event Participants" in the report's appendix, HSPI has reportedly said he was not a "member" of the Task Force, and was listed because he RSVP'd for several of the group's open events.
WND article featured false headline "Shooter advised Obama transition"
From the November 6 WND article:
WND claim contradicted by HSPI report and WND article itself
Corsi: No evidence "the group played any formal role in the official Obama transition." In his article, Corsi wrote: "While the GWU task force participants included several members of government, including representatives of the Department of Justice and the U.S Department of Homeland Security, there is no indication in the document that the group played any formal role in the official Obama transition, other than to serve in a university-based advisory capacity."
HSPI Presidential Transition Task Force initiated in April 2008 -- well before Obama's election. According to the HSPI Presidential Task Force report Corsi uses to establish the link between Hasan and the organization, "in April 2008 The George Washington University Homeland Security Policy Institute (HSPI) established the Presidential Transition Task Force, comprised of national and homeland security experts, policymakers and practitioners."
According to HSPI, Hasan not a Task Force member, listed because he RSVP'd for groups' open events. In a November 6 blog post, Gawker reported:
FRIDAY MORNING UPDATE: Daniel Kaniewski, the institute's deputy director, confirms that Hasan attended task force meetings as an audience member, and stresses that he was not a member of the task force. "All of our events are open to the public," Kaniewski says, "and when someone RSVPs we put their name in the [report] so everyone knows who was in the room." He says institute staffers recall Hasan attending at least one task force event, and that he RSVP'd for several. "We do recall him speaking at one of our events as an audience member," he says, "but none of us recall what he actually said. Generally, our events are attended by people in the homeland security community, and Hasan had a very legitimate reason to be there. He was a fellow at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences."
Hasan was listed in the group's report as one of roughly 300 "Task Force Event Participants."
Motor City comments: The mouth breathers that make up the right wing media has once again outdone themselves. Trying to link the Fort Hood shooter to President Obama proves those on the right have lost their collective minds. I know I'm repeating here but again I'm forced to remain you guys and the few right winger lurkers the different rules we're operating with here during the Bush regime if you voiced any type of criticism of George W.Bush right wing talk radio and websites like World Net Daily lead the charge to make those people pay. Leap ahead to 2009 those same forces who claimed those who disagree with the president sided with the terrorist are now saying the president sides with terrorist.
I wonder what would happen if I make the claim that Osama Bin Laden bookmarks World Net Daily because that's one of his favorite sites? We all know what would happen they would threaten me with a lawsuit.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
The Tea Party's Takeover of the GOP
By Stephanie Mencimer
You have to hand it to Michele Bachmann: She has succeeded in turning the GOP into one big Tea Party.
This past weekend, the Minnesota Republican went on Fox News and called on viewers to show up on the Capitol lawn on Thursday at noon for a press conference and a last ditch attempt to kill health care reform. The gathering that resulted was marked by the now-routine extremism of the Tea Party conservatives. "I'm a bitter gun owner who votes," read one sign. Others questioned President Obama’s citizenship, portrayed him as Sambo, or called him a traitor. One said, "Obama takes his orders from the Rothschilds." Old ladies wore red T-shirts decrying "Obamao care." The crowd also took spirited swipes at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. At one point someone yelled, "Put down your Botox and show yourself."
But what was most noteworthy was that the entire House Republican leadership was also in attendance—and their rhetoric was just as over-the-top as some of the protesters. House Minority Leader John Boehner declared the health care bill the "greatest threat to freedom I have seen." In essence, Congressional Republicans were merging with a movement that gives open expression to racist and anti-Semitic sentiments.The crowd was several thousand strong, many bused in by Americans for Prosperity, a group created by the owners of Koch Industries, a huge oil and gas conglomerate. The AFP chapter from New Jersey reportedly sent 29 buses. Four AFP buses came from Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and more came from Richmond and North Carolina. Lots of people in the crowd carried AFP signs or stickers warning "Hands off my health care."
During the rally, all the prominent House GOP legislators wanted a shot at the mike, including Boehner, whip Eric Cantor of Virginia, Roy Blunt of Missouri, presidential aspirant Mike Pence of Indiana, and what seemed like the entire Texas GOP delegation. There were so many Republicans blow-bagging that dozens of hungry patriots were heading for the exit long before the speeches ended. But aside from Bachmann herself, only South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson won overwhelming adoration from the crowd—he could barely get a word in over the rousing cheers of "Thanks Joe!"
Most attendees looked old enough to have already experienced government-run health care themselves. (Walking to the Hill from Union Station along with people headed to the rally, I could hear some of them wheezing and joking that their aging spouses should have rented Segways to get them to the event.) This demographic was reflected in the celebrity lineup apparently arranged by Bachmann, who said that her "good friend," the actor Jon Voight, was the first person to call her at home after her Fox appearance.
Voight and John Ratzenberger—better known as "Cliff from Cheers"—shared the same message: The Democrats’ health care plan will send the country down the path to European socialism. The crowd erupted with chants of "Nazis! Nazis!" Ratzenberger insisted that the Democrats’ philosophy doesn’t come from America but from "overseas," where, he said, quoting Churchill, they embrace the idea of the "equal sharing of misery." Voight warned darkly that President Obama wants to use the health care bill to create national socialism, and that Americans would end up like Europeans where health care "leads to many deaths." Standing in front of them was a protestor who carried an enormous sign that read, "National Socialist Health Care—Dachau, Germany 1945" over a large photo of a stack of naked bodies piled up at a Nazi death camp.
But Voight and Ratzenberger's speeches were mild stuff compared with that of talk show host Mark Levin. After ranting about the various things "they" want to take over and ruin—everything from Social Security to the banking system to the auto industry—Levin proclaimed: "Now they want to control health care. They want to play God and decide who lives and who dies." The crowd responded with cheers of "Impeach Obama!" (At about this time, President Obama was making a surprise appearance at the White House press briefing to praise the American Medical Association and the AARP for endorsing the health care bill.)
Many people I spoke with said they came because of "the babies," and their belief that the health care bill will fund elective abortions. Tony Perkins, the head of the evangelical group the Family Research Council riled up the crowd with claims that the bill is "another bailout of the abortion industry with your money" and that Planned Parenthood had helped draft the measure.
Aside from the abortion foes, most protesters seemed to be focused not so much on the specifics of the bill, but on its price tag. "The deficit is the thing I’m most against," said Dr. Jo Allen Jones, an ER doctor from West Virginia who showed up in her white coat and proudly pointed out the blood spots on it. She had heard about the march from Glenn Beck and Americans for Prosperity. She was standing with two other doctors from Alabama, also in white coats, who were concerned about future reimbursement rates and the lack of malpractice lawsuit relief in the bill.
Sharon Johnson, from Williamstown, New Jersey, had driven down in the morning simply because she had seen Bachmann on Fox. She came with her wheelchair-bound friend, a retired teacher who now suffers from a rare degenerative nerve disorder much like Parkinson’s. The trip, Johnson said, was a bit of a sacrifice because she had stayed up late watching the World Series, and "after a half a case of beer" she wasn’t feeling so great this morning.
She’s an Army veteran and gets her health care from the Veterans Administration. "I guess you could say I'm on the public option!" she said with a laugh. But she’d had some experience with a government-run health care system in the Army, where she was unable to get an operation on her shoulder for a year. She's afraid these types of problems will expand if the reform bill passes. Her friend, who had trouble speaking because of her disease, was attending simply because she was afraid she would lose her health care under the bill. She, too, has government-provided health care, via the state of New Jersey.
These sorts of contradictions were apparent everywhere. But one thing about the rally proved sparklingly clear: Michele Bachmann is a major star. When she stepped up to the podium on the Capitol steps, the crowd went wild. It wasn’t too hard to imagine the event as a warm up for the 2010 presidential election, where Bachmann might prove a far more viable candidate than Sarah Palin. The rally confirmed her primacy as a leading voice of the Republican Party—a party that, with this protest, has fully embraced the conservative movement's most extreme elements.Conservative lawmaker calls fellow GOP rep. ‘captain crazy’
Michelle Marston, an aide to Republican lawmaker Michelle Bachmann (R-MN), wanted to leave quietly. But her decision to "jump ship" while her boss engaged in perhaps her boldest media moment yet has some on Capitol Hill scratching their heads.
Including a conservative lawmaker in Bachmann's own party.
“When your captain’s crazy, it’s time to find a new ship,” an anonymous conservative Republican House member told Politico Wednesday.
Marston had tried to warn the reporter off, to no avail.
I’m just not talking about it, and frankly I don’t think there’s a story here,” Marston wrote in an email. “Now, the thousands of people calling our office to tell us [they’re] coming to Capitol Hill tomorrow — that’s a story.”Today, conservative activists are planning to storm the Capitol to tell members of Congress that they don't want "government" to take away their healthcare, part of a scare tactic engineered by Bachmann's aides. Activists were told to bring videocameras and point them in congressmembers faces as part of an effort to derail House Democrats' healthcare overhaul.
The Minnesota Republican has garnered national attention for her sometimes outrageous quips -- including one in which she said conservatives should slit their wrists to defeat Democrats' healthcare plans.
Marston appears to have soured on Bachmann over time.
In a statement last year, she said of her boss: “She looks like the type of person who you would invite in to have a cup of coffee at your table. There are a lot of people who are good, smart, well-meaning, well-intentioned members of Congress, but they speak to the people like they are members of Congress. Rep. Bachmann talks to people like they are people.”
But this fall, when she said President Barack Obama held "anti-American views," her tune changed.
“You either love Michele Bachmann or you don’t love Michele Bachmann at all,” Marston told a reporter.
When your captain's crazy, it's time to find a new ship.
Republicans wouldn’t find coverage under their own health plan
G. Gordon Liddy’s producer claims around ‘a million’ attended the GOP’s anti-health care reform rally
By After the 9/12 march on Washington, conservatives falsely claimed that over a million people attended, when in reality the closest thing to an official count — numbers given by the Washington DC Fire Department to ABCNews.com — placed the crowd at “approximately 60,000 to 70,000 people.” Though today’s anti-health care reform rally has been much more sparsely attended, that hasn’t stopped conservatives from inflating the numbers again. On G. Gordon Liddy’s radio show today, producer Franklin Raff, who was on the ground at the rally, told guest host Joseph Farah that the crowd is “just as big or bigger than” the 9/12 rally, which Raff estimated “at about a million.” Listen here:
Capitol Hill police told NBC’s Luke Russert that the crowd was about 4,000. At around 2 PM eastern time, Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) posted an aerial picture of the crowd on her TwitPic page, clearly showing a crowd far, far smaller than “a million”:
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Pugh outlines agenda after taking council's top spot
Newly elected by the residents of Detroit, Council President-elect Charles Pugh and the city's other new leaders are making the media rounds this morning, vowing to bring a new sense of cooperation to city government.
Pugh, talking to the Free Press today about his win, said he envisions a new approach to city government in Detroit.
“It sends a message Detroiters have been thirsty and hungry for new leadership for a long time,” he said this morning. “Usually you might get one new person, maybe two. But it is hard beating an incumbent. And it is different to have more than half of the city council be new people. I don’t know that that’s ever happened before.”
Pugh, taking the council reins of a city saddled with debt, said his intends to tackle the budget first -- which may include layoffs. But he’ll steer clear of city employees doing a job comparable to the private sector. He also said he intends to avoid layoffs in the Detroit Police Department, instead focusing on putting administrative officers back on the street and citizens in office spots.
“There has to be sacred cows in the budget,” Pugh said. “They say everything should be on the table in this kind of crisis when you’re trying to avoid receivership. But our safety is the most important thing. We cannot be making more cuts to the police department. We need to make sure the mayor under the people want to see more officers on the street.”
One stop Pugh intends to make is to the Board of Elections for paperwork certifying he’ll be paid $85,000 a year for the new spot – cash to pay his mortgage.
“That’s officially provable income, and the mortgage company was kind enough to postpone the sheriff’s sale,” he said. “Now that the election has happened, I’m on much more solid footing negotiating.”
He said he also now has help from a lawyer adept at handling foreclosures and the Wayne County Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention Program, a county-funded program open to all residents.
“This was something that was frustrating and embarrassing for me as an individual,” he said. “However because it was exposed, very astute people adept at dealing with this have stepped forward to help me.”
Mayor Dave Bing, on WWJ-AM (950) this morning, said he'll also focus on the budget, which means reviewing each city department's efficiency and effectiveness. "The financial situation the city is in still my primary focus," Bing said this morning, adding that law enforcement and education also take top spots.
He said he won't advocate privatizing services already handled well by city employees.
"But we have to be competitive," he said.
Bing also said he also believes Time Magazine's ongoing analysis of Detroit - including one in this month's issue -- fails to look at the city's future promise.
"The spotlight has been on us for a long time from a negative standpoint," he said. "The article looks at our past more than our future."
On WWJ-AM (950), Gary Brown, elected to Detroit City Council's No. 2 spot, said he's looking forward to working with Bing, who will now serve a full four-year term.
"I think we haven’t had a city council and a mayor that have worked together in a long time, and I’m looking forward to collaborating with him," Brown said.
M.C.L comment: I'm hearing people taking shots at the election of Charles Pugh here's the problem I have with these people, I'm willingly to wager a lot of these people who say this or that about Charles Pugh are the same ones that helped get Ronald Reagan, George H.W. John Engler ,George and Barbara Bush special need son George into high office. If Charles Pugh sucks he will suffer when he's up for re-election.. I guess my problem with some in the suburbs is that some want to run what's going down in Detroit and at the same time those in the suburbs wouldn't want me to have a say in their city or county political affairs. Fair is fair if you want say in Detroit I should have say in Warren, Roseville, Eastpointe, Rochester Hills because I spent time there.
'We can now put Detroit back on the right path,' Bing says
BY JOHN WISELY, SUZETTE HACKNEY and CECIL ANGEL
As results poured in Tuesday evening giving Mayor Dave Bing a full 4-year term, the basketball Hall of Famer sat on a couch with his wife watching the HBO documentary about President Barack Obama's ascension to the White House.
The two sat close and whispered, with their two daughters and some close friends nearby. The quiet time was a respite for Bing after a campaign that covered four elections in eight months. He defeated his challenger 58% to 42%.
He now moves on to try to steer the city through its most difficult financial crisis since the Great Depression.
"Together we can now put Detroit back on the right path," Bing said Tuesday night in his victory speech at the Fort Shelby Doubletree Hotel downtown. "Thank you for your confidence. I see progress and I know we are headed in the right direction."
Bing's victory was widely predicted before Tuesday but still brought hope and support from leaders across the state.
"He's taken a job that ain't gonna be easy," House Speaker Andy Dillon, D-Redford Township, told the crowd. "The change is coming and residents of the city are going to benefit."
Former Mayor Dennis Archer touted Bing's relationship with elected officials in Washington, D.C. Archer said those alliances are key to helping Detroit rebuild.
"We've got some real challenges out there," Archer said, "But they can be met."
The Rev. Wendell Anthony, president of the Detroit Branch NAACP, just proclaimed that Detroit's best days are now in front of it with Bing as the captain.
"We can be fixed, we can be nourished and we can be transformed, and we have the right man at the right time to move it," Anthony said of Bing.
Bing supporters took turns speaking as election results rolled in.
"It's been a long haul, and as the mayor has stated this is the fourth quarter," said Emmett Moten, an owner of the Doubletree Hotel where Bing's party was held. "As of 8 o'clock tonight the ball crossed the goal line, and it's in for the next four years."
Moten said the Bing administration is business friendly because Bing, a longtime Detroit business owner himself, understands the needs of those willing to invest in the city.
At a party in a loft in Corktown, challenger Tom Barrow entered with his family shortly after 11 p.m. He shook hands with supporters as he made his way through the building to the stage. As he neared the stage, he paused and cheers broke out. He continued shaking hands, then began his concession speech.
"We're going to fall short and I'm happy though, that we fought the good fight," Barrow said.
As his supporters applauded, he pulled out notes.
"I didn't write a prepared speech," he said. "I'm going to talk from the heart."
He thanked God for the election and told his supporters he knelt down to pray this morning.
"Now is the time we can leave our mark on this city in a positive way," Barrow said.
He said: "We offered Detroit hope. We said there's a difference between despair and hope. People said, 'Are you sad, Tom?' I'm not. I'm only sad we're not able to make the changes."
He later went on to say that he'd accepted the will of the people of Detroit.
"I said it was wrong to have someone who's never lived in Detroit to be our mayor. The people of Detroit said that's OK," Barrow said.
He told his supporters he didn't want them to second-guess anything they'd done.
"We had an opportunity to change and we decided not to, and I accept that," Barrow said.
He addressed part of his speech to Bing, urging him to be sensitive to the residents.
"This is not a business. It's not a steel business. It's a municipality," he said.
Barrow ended his speech by saying: "For those in Detroit who didn't vote for me, I accept your will." Then, he went on to say, "I thank all 50,000 of you who left a good name for my son."
Creigh Deeds Failed To Run As A Progressive
McDonnell “spent much of the campaign trying to tie Deeds to cap-and-trade environmental legislation and pro-union legislation on Capitol Hill that is unpopular with many Virginia voters.” But rather than make the affirmative case for progressive policy reforms, Deeds responded by largely “distanc[ing] himself from Obama’s agenda, especially on health and energy policy.” Some key examples:
NOT PROGRESSIVE ON CLIMATE: By the end of his campaign, Deeds was running ads attacking Obama’s clean energy agenda, saying Obama’s “cap and trade bill” would “hurt the people of Virginia.” Other ads carried the same message: “Creigh Deeds says no to any new energy taxes from Washington.” Instead of disputing his Republican opponent’s false attacks on climate legislation, Deeds amplified them. Deeds chose to run away from his past record on environment and climate issues. He had been a leader in “getting a land-preservation tax credit program into effect and supporting mass transit,” and “supporting a gas tax to fund transportation improvements.” Deeds “was one of 40 members of a commission on climate change convened by Virginia’s current governor.” His campaign platform included strong renewable energy and energy efficiency standards and environmental protection programs. Deeds embraced some coal industry positions. During the primary season, Deeds defended the despicable practice of mountaintop removal, telling a reporter in March, “The coal industry calls it surface mining.”
NOT PROGRESSIVE ON HEALTH CARE: During the final gubernatorial debate, Deeds stressed that health reform must “reduce costs so more people can afford insurance” and “increase coverage,” but argued that creating the option of a public health care plan “isn’t required.” “I don’t think the public option is necessary in any plan…I would certainly consider opting out if that were available to Virginia,” he said. After the debate, Deeds conceded that the plan might be “one way” to reduce costs, but “maybe one way might not be the best way.” “We have to leave all options on the table to find ways to reduce costs and increase coverage,” he concluded. The Deeds campaigned also issued a statement reiterating the candidate’s lukewarm support for the plan. “If the public option proves to be the best way” to reduce costs and expand coverage, “he’d support having Virginia participate. He’ll examine all of the proposals on the table and choose the option than provides Virginians with the most affordable and quality coverage.”
NOT PROGRESSIVE ON LABOR ISSUES: “When I’m governor, you won’t just have a friend in Richmond — you’ll have a partner,” Deeds told union supporters in October, 2008. However, despite support from SEIU and the Teamsters, Deeds then proceeded to campaign on an anti-labor platform. He opposed the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) — which would have created a fairer path toward unionization for workers — saying it would “put us at a competitive disadvantage” and reasserting the false right-wing claim that EFCA would eliminate the secret ballot in union elections. Deeds also did not support the right of public safety employees in Virginia to bargain collectively, “because it would carry with it the right to strike.” However, Deeds had previously told the Fraternal Order of Police of Virginia that he was a “strong” supporter of their right to collectively bargain.
NOT PROGRESSIVE ON IMMIGRATION REFORM: More than one in ten Virginians are immigrants. The Immigration Policy Center also points out that Latinos comprised 2.0% (or 74,000) of Virginia voters in the 2008 elections — enough to make a difference in a tight race. Creigh Deeds might regret repeatedly voting in favor of legislation that would hurt a large and growing part of his constituency. Deeds voted alongside his contender, Republican Robert F. McDonnell, to designate English as the state’s official language. He also supported denying undocumented immigrants state or local benefits. Deeds recently voted in favor of a bill that would’ve restricted in-state college tuition benefits to undocumented immigrants. And although undocumented immigrants can’t vote, about one-third of all “unauthorized families” in the country are “mixed-status families,” or families that include legal resident and US citizen family members. Neither Deeds nor McDonnell talked much about immigration on the campaign trail, however, Deeds’ organizers told the Washington Post that he would treat immigration as a federal issue and McDonnell would not.