Michael Savage Dropped From "Flagship" Radio Station

By:Jason Linkins and via Think Progress

Via ThinkProgress comes the news that San Francisco radio station 910 KNEW has dropped conservative talk-show host Michael Savage(R-super nut) from its lineup. KNEW, which was Savage's "flagship station" dropped the righty talker in favor of "John and Ken," who the station manager reliably informs listeners are just as good as "Armstrong and Getty," whatever that means.

From KNEW's blog:

I'm going to answer the very first question many of you have.

"Why did you take Michael Savage off the air?"

Here's your no-spin direct answer; we have decided to go in a different philosophical and ideological direction, featuring more contemporary content and more local information. The Savage Nation does not fit into that vision.

You can take a look at KNEW's revised lineup, here. As usual, I'll point out that this has nothing to do with the "Fairness Doctrine."

The San Francisco Chronicle attempted to reach Savage for comment. It went about as well as you might expect:

So we called Michael to ask him what's up. His response: "Why don't you call Mao Zedong? He's your boss."

After we stopped laughing, we called back, noted that Mao is still dead and asked for a call back. Until we get one, we'll be reading our favorite little red book.

Don't worry about Michael -- for those of you who are. Not only are his ratings strong across the country, he's already called at least one San Francisco station Thursday, presumably in search for a new home.

The Savage Nation website alerts listeners in the Bay Area that Michael Savage can still be heard on KSTE 650.

Right-Wing Health Care Group Misled Canadian Interviewees Who Appeared In Anti-Reform Ads

By Zaid Jilani

Earlier this year, Conservatives for Patients Rights (CPR), an anti-health care reform group led by the disgraced former CEO of Columbia/HCA Healthcare Rick Scott, began running a commercial attacking the Canadian health care system. The TV ad runs through “tragic stories” of Canadian citizens who it portrays as being against government-run health plans such as Canada’s Medicare system. Watch it:

Now, CTV British Columbia is reporting that CPR misled several of the interviewees who appeared in their ads. One of them, Charlie Wadge, feels that the ad unfairly portrayed Canada’s system as “barbaric“:

A B.C. man featured in a series of American conservative health care ads says the videos portray the Canadian medicare system as “barbaric” — and that goes too far. [...]

“They just made it sound way worse than it was,” he said. “They made it sound barbaric — like we don’t have a health care system at all.” [...]

The patients were recruited by Rick Baker, a B.C.-based consultant for Timely Medical Services, which matches disillusioned Canadian patients with American hospitals, and Dr. Brian Day, who runs a private hospital at Cambie Surgery Centre in Vancouver. [...]

[Wadge] feels terrible that his words are being used to slow health care reform in the United States. He said if given the choice again, he would decline to appear in any ad.

“I think everyone should have health care,” he said.

This isn’t the first time CPR has misled its interview subjects. Last month, the Daily Mail reported that CPR tricked British women into appearing in its ad series slamming the British single-payer health care system known as the National Health Service.

While CPR’s misleading ads portray the Canadian single-payer health care system as unpopular and unable to provide care for the Canadian public, the reality is completely different. A bi-national poll conducted last year found that 91 percent of Canadians say they have a better health care system than the United States (a plurality of Americans agree). Indeed, the Commonwealth Fund ranks Canada ahead of the United States in terms of “dimensions of access, patient safety, efficiency, and equity.” And as Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D-MT) says, “there’s more likelihood of a person in Canada being struck by lightning than there is a likelihood of a Canadian going to the United States for their health care.”

Michigan Chamber Of Commerce Embraces Glenn Beck, Invites Him To Be A Keynote Speaker

By Brad Johnson

On his Fox News show this past Wednesday, right-wing extremist Glenn Beck claimed, “The uber-left is in business with big business.” But next Tuesday, Beck is keynoting a U.S. Chamber of Commerce forum in Michigan sponsored by several major corporations, including AT&T, Comcast, and Dow Corning.

Although Beck’s race-baiting and McCarthyism have led a massive advertiser boycott of his Fox News program, the largest business lobby in the United States has chosen to embrace him as the “dinner keynote speaker” for the 2009 “Future Forum” at Michigan State University’s Kellog Forum on September 15th:

Beck has called President Obama a “socialist,” a “Marxist,” and a “racist” with a “deep-seated hatred of white people.” It may not come as a surprise that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, with its right-wing agenda of blocking health care reform, clean energy legislation, and workers’ rights, is embracing Glenn Beck’s hate and fearmongering.

Tomorrow, Beck is broadcasting live on Fox News from Washington D.C. to promote the “9/12 Project,” Beck’s tearful mobilization against “socialism.” The 9/12 march is bankrolled by right wing organizations such as the Competitive Enterprise Institute, FreedomWorks, the National Taxpayers Union, and GrassFire.org. These front groups are themselves backed by ExxonMobil, Koch Industries, HealthFirst, and other corporate titans who aim to maintain their windfall profits under the status quo.

The top sponsors of the Michigan event are Comcast, AT&T, and Consumers Energy. AT&T is on the board of the Chamber of Commerce but has pulled its ads from Glenn Beck’s show. Other Chamber members who have stopped advertising on Beck — but are giving him a platform in Michigan — include Aegon, CVS, State Farm Insurance, and UPS.

M.C.L comment:

It seems there's a need to make a couple of calls to Comcast, AT&T and Consumers Energy to let them know letting a racist and all around d-bag to speak isn't a good idea.

Health Care Bill To Cover Undocumented Immigrants? False.

ByJason Linkins

Over at Media Matters, Eric Boehlert calls out the media for covering Rep. Joe Wilson's interjectory fireworks during President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night without delving into whether Wilson was correct in his assertion -- that Obama was lying when he said that illegal immigrants would not qualify for credits for the proposed health care exchanges:

What's been completely glossed over by the press is the fact that the "You Lie!" was itself built upon a lie. That the rude outburst was yet more GOP misinformation. Instead, too many in the press treat the exchange as a he said/he said. i.e. Obama claimed illegal immigrants won't be covered, and Wilson called him a liar. What are the facts? Which man was telling the truth? The press won't say.

In an update, Boehlert credits Michael Scherer at Time Magazine for digging into Wilson's claim. But he should also dole out a kudo to MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan, who invited Politifact's Bill Adair on the show to provide fact-checking of the speech. Ratigan got right to it, leading off the segment by asking Adair to rate the accuracy of Wilson's outburst, citing it as "the obvious [item] to fact check." Adair, noting that it was the first time he'd ever "fact-checked a heckler," said that he rated Wilson's assertion "false."

ADAIR: Obama is right. When you look at the bill, it does go to some lengths to make sure that illegal immigrants do not get the credits for the health care exchange that would allow them to get free care. They'd have to pay for it, like everybody else. False for Wilson.

Politifact goes into greater detail in its assessment here.

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Limbaugh wishes Rep. Wilson didn't apologize

By.Stephen C. Webster

Pinning someone under a lie can be a tricky thing. It requires nuance, preparation, persuasion and resolve to convince a group that another person is or has been lying. This is especially true in preaching across ideological lines, where many are already inclined to believe the words of another.

Take Rush Limbaugh, for example. In a Thursday radio broadcast, the right-wing leader lamented Rep. Joe Wilson's (R-S.C.) apology for interrupting President Obama's speech with a jeer of, "You lie!"

"One of the things that's really irritated me all morning and last night," began Limbaugh, "was listening to Republicans, after Wilson had apologized -- and I wish he had not -- but he's apologized and, even after he's apologized, members of his own party are all over television denigrating him, 'Mmyeah it was bad decorum.'"

Limbaugh then claimed efforts to broaden access to health care are actually moves "to completely tear down the institutions and traditions that have made this country great."

He added: "He is lying, President Obama is. From the moment he opens his mouth until he ends the speech."

Wilson interrupted Obama's speech after a cascade of boos from Republicans triggered an explicit admonition from the president over alleged coverage for undocumented immigrants in the health insurance reform proposals.

"This too is false," Obama said. "The reforms I am proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally."

"You lie!" jeered Wilson.

A cavalry of condemnation rode through the chamber. Even Republicans joined in.

"That's not true," said Obama.

Limbaugh added that he was shouting "You're lying" at his television through the entire thing.

Shout as he may, on this point the president is truthful.

In the America's Affordable Health Choices Act (PDF link) legislation currently circulating the House, page 243, Sec. 246 reads:

SEC. 246. NO FEDERAL PAYMENT FOR UNDOCUMENTED ALIENS. Nothing in this subtitle shall allow Federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States.

In plain(er) speak, that means no government subsidies will be appropriated to make an illegal immigrant's health coverage cheaper. Citizens and legal residents are the only groups covered.

An interesting passage, considering how many Republicans have loudly called on Congress to "read the bill."

While there are several competing packages of reform legislation at the moment, it would appear as though Mr. Limbaugh and Rep. Wilson did not abide by their own constituents' advice.

M.C.L comment: Rush is so full of dog crap, if any Democratic congressmen got up and called Bush a liar(which Bush was a liar) the Republicans and their storm troopers in the right wing media would declare an war on that Democratic congress person. The right wing used this mythical reason of well the Democrats did it to Bush, as far to the left some members of the Democrats in the congress not one of them interrupted Bush by calling him a liar during one of his speeches.

Which brings up what I've been saying even before President Obama got swore in, the Republicans and their whores in the right wing media will magically remember there's something called freedom of speech and they're going to excise their rights to voice their displeasure with President Obama even though they made sure critics of George W. Bush were kept silent or face retaliation i.e. the Dixie Chicks.

For the right wing to act like people on the left or elected Democratic office holders had the same level of freedom voicing their opinions of George W. Bush is a lie, just watching the documentary "Shut up and Sing" proves it. If you was a high profile Bush critic you probably got enough hate mail that you could make two books out of them or if you're one of the lucky ones you got death threats from probably one of these proud tea baggers that's screaming about their first amendment right.

Right-wing group sponsoring Republican doctors rally supports privatizing Medicare.

By Lee Fang

The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, a right-wing group that filed an amicus brief supporting Rush Limbaugh in his fight to keep his medical records private amid charges of doctor-shopping to obtain pain medication, was present with a booth at the FreedomWorks rally on Capitol Hill today. AAPS is sponsoring another event this afternoon with Republican leaders, including Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) and Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA). ThinkProgress caught up with an AAPS staffer, who explained that the group not only opposes health reform, but also supports privatizing Medicare:

Q: So you prefer a privatization of Medicare?

AAPS: Of Medicare? [...] Yes. We don’t think it’s very efficient at all.

Watch it:

The AAPS booth was busy making “homemade” protest signs and passing out invitations to a National Republican Campaign Committee reception at the NRCC’s fundraising offices in DC. View the invitation the AAPS handed out here.

GOP Lawmakers Treat President Obama’s Joint Address To Congress Like A Town Hall Protest

note Think Progress has updated the story at the bottom

Tonight during his joint address to Congress, President Obama attempted to set the record straight on some of the “key controversies” surrounding the health care debate. While it’s normal for members of the opposition party to occasionally not clap at statements with which they disagree, congressional Republicans went further tonight, being outright rude at times.

At one point, President Obama addressed the myth that his health care proposals would insure undocumented immigrants: “This, too, is false – the reforms I’m proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally.”

In response, Republicans not only began booing him, but Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) shouted out, “LIE!” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) shot an angry look in his direction, and Vice President Biden shook his head. The rudeness shocked even veteran political observers such as NBC’s Chuck Todd, who wrote on Twitter, “Wow. What’s next a duel?” MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough also wrote, “Whoever shouted out that the president was lying is a dumbass who should show the President respect.” On MSNBC after the speech, Newsweek reporter Howard Fineman said, “The Republicans were mostly stage props in this speech tonight and they behaved like it.”

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) could also be seen wearing a homemade sign — similar to the ones seen at town hall protests — around his neck, which read, “What bill?” Watch it:

Various Republican lawmakers were also holding up draft GOP bills during the speech:

Transcript:

Still, given all the misinformation that’s been spread over the past few months, I realize that many Americans have grown nervous about reform. So tonight I’d like to address some of the key controversies that are still out there.

Some of people’s concerns have grown out of bogus claims spread by those whose only agenda is to kill reform at any cost. The best example is the claim, made not just by radio and cable talk show hosts, but prominent politicians, that we plan to set up panels of bureaucrats with the power to kill off senior citizens. Such a charge would be laughable if it weren’t so cynical and irresponsible. It is a lie, plain and simple.

There are also those who claim that our reform effort will insure illegal immigrants. This, too, is false – the reforms I’m proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally. And one more misunderstanding I want to clear up – under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions, and federal conscience laws will remain in place.

My health care proposal has also been attacked by some who oppose reform as a “government takeover” of the entire health care system. As proof, critics point to a provision in our plan that allows the uninsured and small businesses to choose a publicly-sponsored insurance option, administered by the government just like Medicaid or Medicare.

Update Republicans are now coming out and condemning their colleague. On CNN, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said that Wilson's outburst was "totally disrespectful": "He should apologize immediately." Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) said, "I thought that was unfortunate. [Obama's] the president. He deserves more respect than that."

Update CNN has posted a picture of Wilson's heckling:

Update On Fox Business News, Karl Rove and host Neil Cavuto thought Wilson shouting at the President was hilarious. "Joe Wilson, good guy," said Rove. "Lovely," agreed Cavuto.

Update Wilson apologizes:

“This evening I let my emotions get the best of me when listening to the President’s remarks regarding the coverage of illegal immigrants in the health care bill. While I disagree with the President’s statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the President for this lack of civility.”

Update After Obama's speech, chief of staff Rahm Emanuel reportedly "approached two Republican House leaders, Roy Blunt and Paul Ryan and said, 'No president has ever had that happen,' and urged them to have the lawmaker M.C.L comment: I love right wing hypocrisy just as much I love right wing fake outrage, and I really love the part where Karl Rove praises Joe Wilson(not the Joe Wilson who got his wife outed) for calling President Obama a liar. Now could image Karl Rove's reaction if Barney Frank or Dennis Kucinich screamed "that's a lie"during one of President Bush's speech to congress? The right wing would declared war on them Hannity would talked about about it for weeks, Rush while popping some blue pills and planning another trip to the Dominican Republic would be telling his listeners how calling Bush a liar in time of war is hurting the troops and Karl Rove would be emailing each of Rush and Hannity clones telling them what to say.

Glenn Beck no stranger to conspiracy theories or incendiary rhetoric

From Media Matters

Beck flirts with the idea that FEMA is building detention camps

Beck: "I can't debunk" FEMA camps conspiracy theory. In March, Beck stated: "We are a country that is headed towards socialism, totalitarianism, beyond your wildest imagination. I have to tell you, I'm doing a story tonight that I wanted to debunk these FEMA camps." Beck further stated: "I'm tired of hearing -- I wanted to debunk them. Well, we've now for several days done research on them. I can't debunk them. And we're going to carry the story tonight. ... [I]t is our government. If you trust our government, it's fine. If you have any kind of fear that we might be headed towards a totalitarian state, look out, buckle up. There is something going on in our country that is -- ain't good." [Fox News' Fox & Friends, 3/3/09] (Beck eventually managed to "debunk" this theory.)

Beck fearmongers that Obama is "genius architect" bent on forcing people to work for ACORN, AmeriCorps

Beck says Obama "wants you to work as a bureaucratic slave to government." From the July 24 edition of Fox News' Glenn Beck:

BECK: Well, if the jobs never go away, then why don't you we just raise the minimum wage to $50 an hour? How about $100 an hour? How about $1,000 an hour? That should solve some issues, right? Of course not.

That's why economists are estimating -- wait a minute, the same economists that we're supposed to be listening to about bailing people out? I'm not sure we should listen to them. They're estimating that at least 300,000 jobs will be lost due to the minimum wage hike. That's huge considering that only 2.8 million workers in America earn the minimum wage.

So, why would Obama support a policy that directly hurts young people -- especially nearly half of African-American teenagers, who are already unemployed? Well, it makes sense if you're trying to transform America.

When Obama comes out and says the stimulus is working as planned while the economy is tanking, people assume he's either an idiot or he's lying. I don't think he's either. I think the man is a genius architect, quite frankly, and on this particular case, he's telling the truth.

What happens when kids can't get a job? They become discouraged, disenfranchised. They look for somewhere to land, and guess who's now there to swoop in? President Obama -- tonight, strangely, in these really long jeans -- President Obama and his new government program -- programs and community service organizations, not just AmeriCorps -- not just ACORN, but now AmeriCorps.

Do you remember Michelle Obama's words on the campaign trail?

MICHELLE OBAMA [audio clip]: Barack Obama will require you to work. Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual -- uninvolved, uninformed.

BECK: "Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual." Are we to believe that she's kidding or just haphazardly stringing words together and they came out in a sentence?

These people are steering our youth into community service. Ted Kennedy and his ilk are even pushing the idea of forced mandatory service. They're incentivizing working for the government with promises now of paying off college loans -- we told you this last night.

Of course, the catch is you have to -- you have to federalize your loan before they'll pay it. He wants you to work as a bureaucratic slave to government. You work for them for 10 years, and you don't have to worry about any debt for education.

Maybe I'm crazy for going down this road, but from what we already know about Washington, the truth is always stranger than fiction, and the sooner we realize that, the faster we're going to be able to stop and go down the road paved with a couple of bricks of common sense.[Fox News' Glenn Beck, 7/24/09]

Beck: Maybe Treasury is "selling black-market bonds." Discussing the reports of "two middle aged guys with Japanese passports who were stopped by Italian police after trying to enter Switzerland with $134.5 billion worth of U.S. treasury bonds," Beck said, "And this story has not been in The New York Times yet. That's weird, isn't it? That's why we're left with speculation." Among the possible "scenarios" that Beck explored was the possibility that "[t]he treasury or the Federal Reserve is selling black-market bonds or double-dealing some way or another." Beck explained:

And the fourth one [scenario] is really troubling. The treasury or the Federal Reserve is selling black-market bonds or double-dealing some way or another. Maybe because they know of the possible deflation of the dollar, they just can't -- they just can't sell this many bonds.

OK. The worst is if we're running another set of books. We are already running four sets of books in Washington, D.C., why would that surprise anybody? Hopefully, it's just keystone cops, but we don't know. These are guesses. No one is answering questions.

And if this story just dies, mark my word, America. Two years from now, when our dollar really starts to lose its value and we can't sell our bonds because we have too much debt and none of this stuff happen, it was keystone cops, this conspiracy theory will gain power. [Fox News' Glenn Beck, 6/19/09 (transcript from the Nexis database)]

Beck imitates Obama pouring gasoline on "average American"; says, "President Obama, why don't you just set us on fire?" From the April 9 edition of Fox News' Glenn Beck:

BECK: So what does Obama do, he says, boy, I'm not -- I'm just out of stuff to do. What else could I possibly do to the American people?

President Obama, why don't you just set us on fire? For the love of Pete, what are you doing? Do you not hear -- do you not hear the cries of people who are saying stop? We would like some sanity in our country for a second!

We didn't vote to lose the republic. We didn't vote for any of this stuff. We voted for change.

[...]

BECK: We can disagree with each other on policies, but Good Lord Almighty, man, please. Some of us don't agree with all of the policies. We'd like to have a country left in the end of four years. No need to set us on fire. [Fox News' Glenn Beck, 4/9/09]

Beck sees fascism and communism everywhere

Beck: U.S. government under Bush and Obama moving us "into a system of fascism." Beck said: "I am not saying that Barack Obama is a fascist. I'm not saying the Democrats are a fascist. I'm saying the government under Bush and under Obama and under -- under all of the presidents that we've seen, or at least most of the presidents that we've seen for quite some time, are slowly but surely moving us away from our republic and into a system of fascism." [Fox News' Glenn Beck, 4/1/09]

Beck on health care: "This system is going to come out the other side dictorial -- it's going to come out a fascist state." Beck told a caller: "Let me tell you something, the end game ... for Congress and this president -- and I don't know how many members of Congress even realize the game that they are either being used in or a pawn in. But believe me, they'll take ... the universal health care coverage over what ... skin they do have in it. They're going to come out -- this system is going to come out the other side dictorial [sic] -- it is going to come out a fascist state." [Premiere Radio Network's The Glenn Beck Program, 7/27/09]

Beck: "You have the artwork of Mussolini there, here in New York at Rockefeller Plaza." Beck analyzed the artwork decorating Rockefeller Plaza, and concluded, "So you have the hammer and the sickle. You have the artwork to Mussolini there, here in New York at Rockefeller Plaza." Beck said of a decoration on the Rockefeller building:

So, let's just take it piece by piece, and I'll show you what this means.

First, the sun. The sun represents the bright tomorrow. Right here, underneath the boy, here is the sun. Show me the boy. This is the youth. The next one is the youth here, leading the way. Notice he is ahead of the horses. He's leading the way into the bright future of tomorrow.

Now, this man standing on a chariot, the wheel. The wheel is always representative of industry in any of these progressive pictures or paintings or artwork. So you've got the wheel. Now, let's go to the horses, please. He is standing on a chariot. You've got the industry and the engines of industry, but who's in the back here?

Let's show you his hand. This man's strong hand is holding on to the reins tightly here, holding back the engines of industry being led into the bright future of tomorrow by a young boy. Who is this? Who is this?

This is the strong leader taking that -- using that industry and those machines to lead us into the bright future led by our children. Gee, who's having indoctrination next week? Oh, yeah, that's right. The president. Completely unrelated.

This represents, at the time this was made, Mussolini. This was Mussolini. By the way, the artist that made this -- his son, ironically and tragically died fighting the army of Mussolini years after this was made. This still is up in Rockefeller Plaza.

So you have the hammer and the sickle. You have the artwork to Mussolini there, here in New York at Rockefeller Plaza. [Fox News' Glenn Beck, 9/2/09]

Beck claims Obama's "civilian national security force" is "what Hitler did with the SS," "what Saddam Hussein" did. Discussing Obama's "civilian national security force," Beck said, "I'm finding this -- this is the hardest part to connect to, because this is -- I mean, look, you know, David [Bellavia, former Army staff sergeant], what you just said is, you said, "I'm not comparing" -- but you are. I mean, this is what Hitler did with the SS. He had his own people. He had the brownshirts and then the SS. This is what Saddam Hussein -- so -- but you are comparing that. And I -- I mean, I think America would have a really hard time getting their arms around that." [Fox News' Glenn Beck, 8/27/09]

As Media Matters for America has repeatedly noted, Obama's comments about the necessity of a "civilian national security force" came from a July 2, 2008, speech on service and referred to expanding the foreign service, AmeriCorps, and the Peace Corps.

From Obama's July 2, 2008, speech in Colorado Springs, Colorado:

Today, AmeriCorps -- our nation's network of local, state, and national service programs -- has 75,000 slots. And I know firsthand the quality of these programs. My wife, Michelle, once left her job at a law firm and at City Hall to be a founding director of an AmeriCorps program in Chicago that trains young people for careers in public service. And these programs invest Americans in their communities and their country. They tap America's greatest resource -- our citizens.

And that's why as president, I will expand AmeriCorps to 250,000 slots and make that increased service a vehicle to meet national goals like providing health care and education, saving our planet and restoring our standing in the world, so that citizens see their efforts connected to a common purpose. People of all ages, stations, and skills will be asked to serve. Because when it comes to the challenges we face, the American people are not the problem -- they are the answer.

So we are going to send -- we're going to send more college graduates to teach and mentor our young people. We'll call on Americans to join an Energy Corps to conduct renewable energy and environmental cleanup projects in their neighborhoods all across the country. We will enlist our veterans to find jobs and support for other vets, to be there for our military families. And we're going to grow our Foreign Service, open consulates that have been shuttered, and double the size of the Peace Corps by 2011 to renew our diplomacy.

We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded.

Beck suggests health care reform designed as a system of backdoor reparations

Beck says all of Obama's policies rooted in "reparations." Beck said, "Everything that is getting pushed through Congress, including this health care bill, are transforming America. And they are all driven by President Obama's thinking on one idea: reparations." Beck later added that Obama's "goal is creating a new America, a new model, a model that will settle old racial scores through new social justice." [Fox News' Glenn Beck, 7/23/09]

— H.D.

M.C.L comment: Not only Glenn Beck is a liar, Beck uses the tactic of floating conspiracy theories out there to smear people or push across the right wing agenda but there is a parody site that's using Glenn Beck own tactic against him called "Did Glenn Beck murder and rape a young girl in 1990" while Keith Olbermann and others have admit they understand using Glenn Beck tactic against him but the way they using it lower the people that created the site to Beck's level (which is below the million level of hell) I agree the site does goes a little far with the question it ask yet I have to remind the critics of the site the conspiracy theories Beck and his marry band of right wing ass plugs floated out over the years are a million times worst remember Bill and Hillary Clinton had Vince Forster and other political rivals killed?

I wonder if this rumor manged to leak into mainstream press will Beck talk about it or get his flying monkey supporters to handle it on the DL?

Report: Blackwater guard saw Iraqi killings as 9/11 revenge

By Stephen C. Webster Did Blackwater mercenaries murder Iraqis to satiate their thirst for 9/11 revenge?

According to Department of Justice files, at least one did, noted Mother Jones associate editor Daniel Schulman on Tuesday morning.

The revelation was torn from documents relative to the prosecution of Blackwater Worldwide guards involved in a 2007 Baghdad massacre that left 17 dead.

According to the documents Schulman pulled, guards “routinely acted in disregard of the use of force policies,” and one, known as “Raven 23,” allegedly bragged that disregard for Iraqi lives stemmed from a desire for revenge after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Iraq had nothing to do with the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. While Bush administration officials eventually admitted this, in the run-up to invasion they repeatedly implied that the middle eastern nation was loosely connected to the attacks.

A key passage excerpted from the filings reads:

This evidence tends to establish that the defendants fired at innocent Iraqis not because they actually believed that they were in imminent danger of serious bodily injury and actually believed that they had no alternative to the use of deadly force, but rather that they fired at innocent Iraqi civilians because of their hostility toward Iraqis and their grave indifference to the harm that their actions would cause.

Mother Jones has posted the court records online (PDF link).

Controversy has surrounded the private security firm practically since it was founded, but erupted anew recently when former employees accused Blackwater’s founder and former CEO of murdering or facilitating the murders of other employees who were preparing to blow the whistle on his alleged criminal activities.

The sworn statements also say that founder Erik Prince and Blackwater executives were involved in illegal weapons smuggling and had, on numerous occasions, ordered incriminating documents, e-mails, photos and video destroyed. The former employees described Blackwater as “having young girls provide oral sex to Enterprise members in the ‘Blackwater Man Camp’ in exchange for one American dollar.” They add even though Prince frequently visited this camp, he “failed to stop the ongoing use of prostitutes, including child prostitutes, by his men.”

One of the statements also charges that “Prince’s North Carolina operations had an ongoing wife-swapping and sex ring, which was participated in by many of Mr. Prince’s top executives.”

The former employees additionally claim that Prince was engaged in illegal arms dealing, money laundering, and tax evasion, that he created “a web of companies in order to obscure wrong-doing, fraud, and other crimes,” and that Blackwater’s chief financial officer had “resigned … stating he was not willing to go to jail for Erik Prince.”

The company was also allegedly involved in the planning stages of the CIA’s assassination program, which was reportedly never used, then scrapped by CIA chief Leon Panetta.

Prince has repeatedly insisted his company has done nothing wrong and Blackwater continues to fulfill its contracts with the United States government.

For the massacre of Iraqi civilians, five Blackwater guards were arrested and charged with manslaughter. A sixth guard flipped and agreed to testify against the others. Government informants later claimed the company tried to gather up and destroy weapons involved in the slaughter.

The State Department announced last January that it would not be renewing Blackwater’s contract for security services in Iraq when it was set to expire in May, however the Obama administration decided to extend it through Sept. 3, according to The Nation’s Jeremy Scahill.

ABC reported the new contract extension is for an unspecified amount of time and could end “within weeks or months.”

When it is finally allowed to expire, Blackwater’s involvement with Iraq will have ended, completely.

Special interests receive a copy of Baucus plan before the White House does.

By Amanda Terkel In today’s press briefing, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs admitted that the Obama administration has not yet seen a copy of Sen. Max Baucus’ (D-MT) newest draft of health care legislation. “[W]e’ve seen what we’ve read in the paper, but I do not believe that we’ve seen paper on the plan,” said Gibbs. However, he added that he believes special interests on K Street have already received a copy:

GIBBS: I was told that — that K Street had a copy of the Baucus plan, meaning, not surprisingly, the special interests have gotten a copy of the plan that I understand was given to committee members today.

Baucus has received hefty financial contributions from the health care industry. Igor Volsky compares the Baucus proposal to other pieces of existing legislation:

Transcript:

QUESTION: The Finance Committee — well, actually, Senator Baucus’s draft has been, now, bouncing around for a few days on Capitol Hill.

First, has the president seen it (inaudible) his outline?

GIBBS: I don’t — I don’t believe — I don’t believe anybody here has — I’m — we’ve seen what we’ve read in the paper, but I do not believe that we’ve seen paper on the plan.

QUESTION: I understand it’s bouncing around K Street.

GIBBS: Not surprisingly, but I have not seen it here.

QUESTION: And has there been any direct consultations between anyone at the White House and Senator Baucus or anyone in the group of six, since this outline began being floated on Sunday?

GIBBS: I don’t — I don’t know how far back that would go. We’re — we continue to talk to all the players involved. Obviously, you know Speaker Pelosi and Leader Reid will be here momentarily. So he’s going to continue to talk to all of those involved.

QUESTION: What did you just mean…

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: I’m sorry. What did you just mean by it’s bouncing around K Street ?

GIBBS: I was told that — that K Street had a copy of the Baucus plan, meaning, not surprisingly, the special interests have gotten a copy of the plan that I understand was given to committee members today.

QUESTION: And…

GIBBS: It wasn’t cryptic. It’s who…

QUESTION: I mean, who is that a…

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: Are you impugning somebody here? I mean, it sounded like you were impugning, like, well, K Street has it. I mean, what…

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: Is that…

(CROSSTALK)

GIBBS: K Street is normally where associations and lobbyists have their offices. I’m simply making the point to you, Chuck, that those people…

(LAUGHTER)

… have gotten a copy of health care reform.

QUESTION: And why is that?

QUESTION: And you haven’t?

QUESTION: Max Baucus gave it to them?

Is is the other members of the committee gave it to them?

What are you saying here?

GIBBS: Call some of your lobbyist friends. I don’t know how. I don’t — we haven’t seen what was, I think, dispersed today, or what I’m told was dispersed today.

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: … if K Street got it, you guys have it?

GIBBS: Not — not surprisingly, yes.

Hannity: Starting Now, My ‘Job’ Is To ‘Get Rid Of Every Other One’ Of Obama’s Czars

By Amanda Terkel

Yesterday, tens of thousands of people gathered in rural West Virginia for the coal-powered “Friends of America Rally.” The point of the event was to rail against the Waxman-Markey clean energy legislation. Massey CEO Don Blankenship, the driving force behind the rally, said that “America itself” was at stake if the bill wasn’t stopped.

Fox News personality Sean Hannity was one of the rally’s keynote speakers, and he took the opportunity to gloat about Van Jones’ resignation. He vowed to the audience that he would get rid of “every other one” of Obama’s so-called czars:

HANNITY: Do you want another czar?

CROWD: No!

HANNITY: I don’t think so. By the way, we got rid of one, and my job starting tomorrow night is to get rid of every other one. I promise you that!

Watch it:

Hannity’s pledge is part of a larger right-wing campaign. Glenn Beck has announced that Cass Sunstein, Mark Lloyd, and Carol Browner are his next targets and asked his followers to dig up all the dirt they can on them.

Republican lawmakers are trying to argue that Obama should be barred from appointing more advisers until the administration addresses their constitutional concerns. Yesterday on Fox News, Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA) said that all of Obama’s advisers should have to go through the same vetting and approval process through the Senate as Supreme Court nominees and Cabinet secretaries. Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) has said that the “president should suspend any further appointments of so-called ‘czars’ until Congress has an opportunity to examine the background and responsibilities of these individuals.”

The conservative strategy is to bring the executive branch to a screeching halt. Republicans in the Senate have tried to hold up key Obama nominees in what amounts to ideological witch hunts and self-interested horse-trading. Additionally, several of the so-called czars have actually already been confirmed by the Senate.

NC, SC school boards offer Obama speech ‘opt-outs’

By Larisa Alexandrovna Outraged parent believes race is a factor; One teacher is embarrassed over ‘opt-out’ notes President Obama is scheduled to give a nation-wide speech to schoolchildren on their first day back from summer vacation on September 8. The speech is billed as a national address to the students of America, however, conservatives have reacted by pressuring school districts to refrain from broadcasting the speech.

In response, schools in several southern states are giving parents an “opt-out” option for their children.

In Simpsonville, South Carolina, for example, the Bells Crossing Elementary school principal issued robocalls to parents telling them that letters would be sent home for them to sign if they did not want their children to watch the President’s speech.

An outraged parent, Chuck Hamilton, contacted Raw Story to complain about what he believes is a racist response to an African American president. “It is obvious to me that had this been Bush, or any other white Republican, the phone call and letter home would not have happened,” Hamilton wrote in an email.

But Bells Crossing Elementary School is not alone in its reaction to the President’s upcoming speech.

A call to the Greenville Country School Board confirmed that all schools in that district are receiving calls from their own principals and having letters sent home.

Susan Richards, a spokesperson for the Greenville Country School Board declined to answer questions as to why the board felt it necessary to take these measures. “You will have to speak to the Director of Communications, but he is not available right now.” A message was left for the Director, who has not responded.

Teacher at school embarrassed to hand out ‘opt-out’ materials

In an email exchange acquired by Raw Story, Mrs. Hamilton wrote to her child’s fifth grade teacher to express concern over the school’s actions. The Hamiltons have requested that the teacher’s information be kept private.

In response, the teacher expressed “embarrassment” over the way the whole matter has been handled:”

I wholeheartedly agree with you. In fact, I was and still am embarrassed to pass out those notes or that it was even necessary to do so. Even if I didn’t agree with the policies of the leader of our country - his message isn’t intended to “brainwash the youth of America” (being TOTALLY sarcastic….) but meant for a positive message in which I am guessing the speech he is going to give is similar to the one he gave his own children at the beginning of the school year.

Feel free to rant…..I have rants of my own~!

Even as teachers and parents express outrage at the school board’s response to the President’s speech, more documented cases are emerging across the country.

In North Carolina, the Dare County School Board is taking similar measures. Another concerned parent, who wishes to remain anonymous, contacted Raw Story about a newsletter item that was sent out and posted on the board’s web site:

According to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, on Tuesday, September 8, at 12 noon, President Barack Obama will deliver a national address to encourage students to set high academic goals and to do their best to succeed in school.

Any parent who wishes for his/her children not to participate may “opt out” by contacting the school(s) where the children are enrolled. Principals will be contacting parents by various means, such as with forms, electronic mail, websites, or via an announcement on the educational television station. If parents have any questions, they should call the school(s) where the children attend.

The Dare County School Board did not return calls for comment.

ABC News also reported that similar school actions are being taken in six states. According to Jake Tapper, “districts in Texas, Illinois, Virginia, Wisconsin, Missouri and Minnesota are even refusing to show the president’s address.”

Talking Points Behind School Reactions?

It is unclear at this point if the reaction from conservatives is nothing more than a political effort by the party to fire up the base against the President or if there is genuine concern from parents, thereby forcing the schools to in turn respond.

But there is plenty of stoking by Conservative pundits and local chapters of the GOP, with eerily similar talking points, claiming that Obama is enacting some sort of socialist indoctrination program.

Conservative blogger Michelle Malkin, for example, wrote in a September 1 column on her blog: “Will Obama be able to resist issuing a call to youth arms to marshal help in passing his legislative agenda?”

A blog called GOP Counter Culture pushed for a boycott, asking conservatives to call school boards across the country.

“Tell the school no thanks, your child will PASS. I heard about this first on Glenn Beck’s radio program today,” the blog stated. “And on Michelle Malkin’s website, a board member writes that the DoE usurped them and went straight to the principals on this.”

WorldNetDaily, a right-wing publication, reported on various bloggers and comments from conservative parents who are attempting to create a Keep Your Child at Home Day, citing as an example a comment from the right-wing Free Republic forum.

“I am not going to compare President Obama to Hitler. We’ll leave that to others and you can form your own opinions about them and their analogies. … However, we can learn a lot from the spread of propaganda in Europe that led to Hitler’s power. A key ingredient in that spread of propaganda was through the youth,” wrote a blogger at the AmericanElephant.com blog, where the subject of the day was a national “Keep-Your-Child-at-Home-Day.

CBS News spoke with Jim Greer, the chairman of the Florida Republican Party who used almost identical language in describing Obama’s scheduled speech:

“The idea that school children across our nation will be forced to watch the President justify his plans for government-run health care, banks, and automobile companies, increasing taxes on those who create jobs, and racking up more debt than any other President, is not only infuriating, but goes against beliefs of the majority of Americans, while bypassing American parents through an invasive abuse of power,” Greer told the network.

Fox News pundits, like Glenn Beck, are also front and center, using the same terminology to label the Obama’s back to school speech as “indoctrination.”

Media Matters for America, a media watchdog organization has documented additional claims from the right that Obama’s speech is seeking to indoctrinate Americas youth and references to Hitler and Socialism, all very similar.

Parent called ‘n*gger loving communist’ for defending Obama speech in paper

After complaints about the plan to have students’ lesson plans include an assignment on “how to help” the president surfaced — the White House did reverse course on Thursday and say they’ll rewrite the primer.

Among the ideas suggested for pre-K to 6th grade students was to “write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president.”

White House spokesman Tommy Vietor told Fox News that new language will make “lesson plans clearer,” and that a planned Obama speech to students “is not a policy speech, but is intended to encourage kids to work hard and commit to school.”

MSNBC’s Domenico Montanaro wrote, “Since the White House has said the text of the speech will be available for 24 hours before he delivers it and since they altered the lesson plan language, why is this still a controversy? The ability of the conservative media machine to generate a controversy for this White House is amazing. In fact, this is an example of a story that percolates where it becomes harder and harder for some to claim there’s some knee-jerk liberal media bias. (Does anyone remember these kinds of controversies in the summer of 2001?) The ability of some conservatives to create media firestorms is still much greater than liberals these days.”

RAW STORY was unable to confirm if any school boards offered “opt outs” for speeches by Republican Presidents, but race could be a factor on some level.

A parent who was quoted in a local newspaper later wrote on Twitter that she received an anonymous phone call which used the n-word to attack her.

“It seems like there’s a concerted effort to undermine President Obama by people on the right, and I think this is part of that,” Teresa Kopec told South Carolina’s Spartanburg Herald-Journal. “I disagreed with George W. Bush for most of his presidency, but I never disparaged him in front of the kids or told them not to respect the office. By dragging children into this as pawns, and threatening to take them out of school … That just sends a terrible message to our youth.”

Kopec later Tweeted, “I just got anonymous phone call calling me a ‘n*gger loving communist’ for giving pro-Obama statement to local paper.”

M.C.L comment:

I wished these people just end this act, these folks didn't care when the Bush White House were doing things that were unconstitutional, these folks didn't care when Bush and the Republican majority in congress were behaving like a teenage girl with a new credit card and they spent the nation into a mini depression and these are the same folks if you said anything bad about Bush or the Republicans they would call anti-American.. The reason they're acting up now is because of two things one the president is a Democrat and two the worst sin of all he's black.

Unlike most black people I won't get mad if these folks just say I hate that half white, half-N bomb, his N-bomb wife and his N-bomb kids in our WHITE house because it's better than the horse crap they're spouting at these sheet-less Klan rallies they call tea parties. While you might be view as racist whack jobs but at least you'll be honest racist whack jobs.

Beck Includes Senate-Confirmed Staffer (Twice) In His Photo Of ‘Czars’ ‘Not Confirmed By Congress’

By Matt Corley

On his Fox News show today, Glenn Beck featured one of his patented spooky-music video packages, this time fearmongering about the Obama administration’s “czars.” “He has 37 czars to oversee and advise him directly,” said Beck. “Never before have there been so many executive posts that were not confirmed by Congress and who answered only to the president.” Watch it:

As is common with conservatives making the “czar” attack, Beck simply has his facts wrong. Many of the positions he refers to as czars are actually long-standing positions. Additionally, in Beck’s photo gallery of czars, he includes Elizabeth Warren, who in her position as chair of a Congressional oversight panel, works for Congress — not the White House. Beck also includes Cass Sunstein, who “cruised” through his confirmation hearing for his nomination to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, but his final confirmation is being held up by Senate Republicans.

Additionally, in his photo gallery of “czars,” Beck included two pictures of director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy John Holdren, who was also confirmed by the Senate. Look:

Last month, Beck referred to OMB Director Peter Orszag, who is Senate-confirmed, as a “czar.” He later acknowledged his mistake after he was called out on it.

Obama Schoolchildren Speech Drives Right-Wing Batty

By:Jason Linkins

Yesterday, I noted that Florida's GOP Chair Jim Greer had heard about President Barack Obama's intention to address the schoolchildren of America on the occasion of the start of a new school year, and went quite mental, warning darkly that the address was nothing more than a dastardly inculcation into socialism and a viral spread of liberal propaganda. Naively, I imagined this would be a derangement confined to a few weird nobodies, but, duh, I forgot: everyone is crazy now. So, this matter has thus become a Thing. Let's dispense with the highlights!

Glenn Beck hit this early, in a hurry, announcing that he would be countering Obama's address by airing a "special one-hour broadcast next Tuesday on television on the indoctrination of your children." Naturally, new wacko-target Van Jones figured into Beck's remarks, along with a warning that the "republic is under attack" from a video that encourages kids to do homework and stuff:

The National Review's Mark Steyn told Rush Limbaugh's audience Wednesday that the video address was Obama's attempt to extend his "cult of personality." It should be noted that Steyn was willing to concede that the tactics didn't quite rise to the level of Saddam Hussein. Restraint! The conservative fringe may paradoxically refer to Obama as a socialist or a fascist, depending on the direction the wind is blowing that day, but they've thus far drawn the line at Baathist.

Newsbusters' Mark Finkelstein likened the move to Maoist China, the regime that taught Dick Cheney how to stop worrying and love the waterboard!

Say, here's an idea. Pres. Obama's quotations on a variety of topics could be assembled in a small book, and every citizen given one -- free of course -- by the government. Citizens would then be encouraged to meet and discuss "what can we infer the President believes is important" in every aspect of life.

Right, or, you know, alternately, the White House could just do a video where the President talks about the importance of setting educational goals and advises against dropping out of school.

Michelle Malkin worried that for the first time in human history, schoolchildren would be motivated hypnotically to rise up and seize the means of production through the assignment of pointless busywork:

So when the Department of Education directs schools to gather children 'round the TV monitors for Obama's pep talk and then do this...

* Create posters of their goals. Posters could be formatted in quadrants or puzzle pieces or trails marked with the labels: personal, academic, community, country. Each area could be labeled with three steps for achieving goals in those areas. It might make sense to focus on personal and academic so community and country goals come more readily.

* Write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president. These would be collected and redistributed at an appropriate later date by the teacher to make students accountable to their goals.

Story continues below

...parents have every right to worry about their children being used as Political Guinea Pigs for Change.

No, Michelle, they pretty much don't! If we could all think practically for a moment, let me tell you how all of that stuff is going to play out. Students will be invited to maybe do some of this work, but within 24 hours, it will all be mostly forgotten about and never brought up again. Students will be concentrating on the actual schoolwork for which they receive actual grades. Teachers won't have the time to monitor the progress of any of this because they'll be too busy teaching to a battery of evaluation tests, to save their jobs and their schools' funding. A few students, real brownnosey types, might follow through with these ancillary assignments because they figure that doing so might help them get into college. They'll be wrong about that.

Oh, and there are also examples of fringey types equating the outreach effort to the Civilian National Security Force and "Hitler youth brigades" and admonishing, "Leave our kids alone!" It's like the right wing blogosphere went home, dosed themselves with mescaline and sat around watching History Channel reruns on mute while Pink Floyd's The Wall played in the background.

And now, conservatives are encouraging parents to keep their kids home from school that day. From Newsmax:

The fascist in chief is taking his special brand of brainwashing to the classroom. Keep your kids home. I think this man is a threat to our basic unalienable rights. I don't want him indoctrinating my children. Seriously.

Seriously!

Anyway, here are a lot of actual facts, that Jake Tapper rounded up by doing sensible reporting.

The part of the busywork materials that scared so many right-wingers, where kids are encouraged to "Write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president," has been changed. Instead, kids are encouraged to "Write letters to themselves about how they can achieve their short‐term and long‐term education goals." Tapper reports: "The idea, [White House spokesman Tommy] Vietor said, was that students should think of how they could help the President in terms of reducing the national dropout rate."

And the content of the speech? Uhm...it's all pretty innocuous, actually!

"The goal of the speech and the lesson plans is to challenge students to work hard in school, to not drop out and to meet short-term goals like behaving in class, doing their homework and goals that parents and teachers alike can agree are noble," a White House spokesman tells ABC News, "This isn't a policy speech. This is a speech designed to encourage kids to stay in school."

And the kicker? Watching the speech will be an optional activity. You know... like so many other aspects of totalitarian regimes!

Anyway, that's the state of the world today. If President Obama reminded people tomorrow to brush between meals, thousands of people would allow their teeth to rot right out of their heads, because OMGZ TEH SOCIALISM! The upside to all of this is that after Tuesday, every teacher in the world will know precisely what students are going to need remedial help.

M.C.L. Comment: And people wonder why I hate the right wingers/conservatives it's because of crap like this, anytime anyone made a remotely negative comment about Bush these same losers claimed they had Osama Bin Laden hiding out in their basement or they want America to be hit again. The right wing excuse for this behavior now is a hand full of websites or people that compare Bush to Hitler, pretty much the right wingers are using the grade school defense of well Tommy did it too. When that mental midget Bush wanted to pass something every Republicans screamed up and down vote when Barack Obama wants to fix health care what do the Republicans say to that now? Go to town halls to shut down those Democratic town halls.

And the right wing attempts to stop President Obama speech to school children is just crazy when we just got out of an environment where if you spoke ill of President Bush you almost have to worry about losing your job. Could you image what would have been the fallout if ONE school district decided not to show President Bush speech to schoolkids? Man, Bill O'Reilly and that human horse crap patty Bernie Goldberg would be ranking that school district over the coals, Sean Hannity will be leading off with the story every night and going so far to get his dumb ass followers to harass the officials from that school district. Media whores like Michelle Malkin and the losers over at Newsbusters will be foaming at the mouth.

To the ass hats that go to these rallies with the Obama/Hitler signs I remember back in 2000 and 2004 those same people were telling people like me "like it or not President Bush is your president too" and I remember I used to get emails from right wingers saying things from if you don't like Bush being president then get out to false calls for unity. To those people follow your own advice suck it up and realize that Barack Obama is president or get out because looking at the Republican prospects for president he's going to be there until November of 2016.

RNC refuses to distance itself from far-right website.

By Zaid Jilani

Last Monday, John Henke at TheNextRight, a right-of-center blog, called for a conservative boycott of the far-right website WorldNetDaily (WND). Henke referred to WND as “the pamphlet” of the birther movement, which he has referred to as “fringe idiocy.” Following his call for the boycott, Henke discovered that the RNC had rented access to the WND e-mail list. Henke then e-mailed the RNC and ask them to stop supporting the far-right website. The RNC Press Secretary responded to Henke’s e-mail by dodging the issue and refusing to distance itself from WND:

Nice to meet you. Pls note that we have already weighed in on the birther issue — weeks ago. Thanks.

Henke e-mailed additional questions to the RNC but has yet to recieve a response. Reflecting on the Press Secretary’s comments, Henke writes, “In the 1960’s, Goldwater and a few Republicans had the integrity and guts to denounce the irresponsible fringe in the fevered swamps of the Right. Today, as far as I can tell, the Republican National Committee works with them.”

Scarborough rips conservatives for seeking ratings by scaremongering about Obama’s education speech.

By Matt Corley

Earlier today, ThinkProgress noted that conservatives are freaking out over President Obama’s upcoming speech to schoolchildren about “persisting and succeeding in school,” claiming that it is actually aimed at political indoctrination. On MSNBC’s Morning Joe today, host Joe Scarborough ripped into the hyperventilating conservatives. “Seriously, why don’t we want the president of the United States, any president of the United States, delivering the message to kids: work hard, stay in school, succeed,” said Scarborough, adding, “get your ratings if you want, you’re just screwing your political party.” Watch it:

Why is Fox News staking out Media Matters’ HQ?

By Amanda Terkel

Liberal watchdog group Media Matters appears to be Fox News’s newest target. Karl Frisch explains that they caught a cameraman filming the organization’s headquarters today:

Earlier today a member of our research staff was on his way to lunch when he spotted a man filming the Media Matters office building from across the street.

When the staffer returned from lunch he spoke to one of our building’s great security guards and was told that the cameraman had initially been on our side of the street filming but they’d asked him to move. The cameraman identified himself as affiliated with “Fox TV” and said that his assignment was to take several exterior shots of the building from different angles.

The AFL-CIO draws a line in the sand over the public option.

By Zaid Jilani

Yesterday, the AFL-CIO drew “a line in the sand” when it outlined three elements any health care bill it supports must have: a public health insurance option, an employer mandate, and no taxation of health benefits. AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer Richard Trumka told the press that this means the 11 million member-strong labor organization “won’t support the bill if it doesn’t have the public option in it.” Today, Trumka appeared on MSNBC and explained to Norah O’Donnell that the inclusion of these three elements marks the difference between “coming up with a bill that you have reform and actually having health insurance reform.” Watch it:

The AFL-CIO’s declaration comes at time when there is speculation that Obama may be willing to sacrifice the public option, with reports that “some administration officials welcome a showdown with liberal lawmakers … [for] Obama to show he is willing to stare down his own party to get things done.” Despite the political wrangling over the inclusion of a new public plan in the final health care bill, the public remains overwhelmingly in support of including such an option.

Senior Republican promises to repeal health reform

Here's another reason to take your butts to the polls in 2010 and if you want real social change you gotta further weaken the Republican party. By John Byrne In little-noticed comments Sunday, a senior Republican declared that Republicans will repeal Democrats’ efforts to reform healthcare once they retake Congress if it passes.

“If they somehow manage to get the votes and get enough Democrats to walk the plank and commit suicide, in the next Congress, I’ll be chairman Joe Barton of the Energy and Commerce committee, and we’ll repeal it,” ranking House Energy chairman Rep. Joe Barton said.

Analysts say that Republicans don’t have much of a chance at retaking the House. Fivethirtyeight.com’s Nate Silver put the odds of a House GOP takeover at somewhere between 25 and 33 percent.

The Energy and Commerce Committee was among the three in the House that had their hand in crafting healthcare reform. Republicans have grown increasingly intransigent in compromising with Democrats’ proposals, seeing a potential political windfall in public concern over the healthcare debate.

“Take the current bill and just tweak the public option and call it a ‘deal’ — you put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig,” Barton quipped. “I think this bill’s dead on arrival.”

Crowd boos mention of Ted Kennedy at Rep. Schakowsky’s health care event.

By Amanda Terkel

Josh Kalven of Progress Illinois went to Rep. Jan Schakowsky’s (D-IL) town hall meeting last night, “where over 2,000 people showed up, packing a high school auditorium and spilling onto the sidewalk outside.” One of the most disturbing moments of the event came right after the opening of Schakowsky’s introductory speech, when she said, “You know, Ted Kennedy had said that this was the great issue of his life.” Some audience members applauded her, but there were also a loud amount of booing…just days after Kennedy passed away. Watch it:

At a recent event in upstate New York, Rep. Eric Massa (D-NY) asked for a moment of silence to remember Kennedy. Many attendees shouted throughout the 10-second memorial.

Protester holds up a copy of the ‘U.S.S. Constitution’ to prove that Congress can’t regulate health care.

By Amanda Terkel

One of the newest right-wing memes is that federal government doesn’t have the constitutional authority to enact health care reform. At a town hall protest in San Diego on Saturday, one attendee tried to make one of these “tenther” arguments by holding up a copy of the “U.S.S. Constitution’:

Right here. I got a book here called the U.S.S. Constitution. I’m sure everybody’s seen this before. And you know what? I’ve this book three times now, and I’ve referenced it dozens of times and I can’t find one little paragraph in here that says the government has the right to take over our health care.

Watch it:

TP’s Ian Millhiser — who has also read and referenced the Constitution a few times — notes that the Constitution gives Congress the power “‘to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States,’ thus empowering the federal government to levy taxes and leverage these revenues to benefit the American people.” (HT: TP reader Kevin)