DOWNLOADS: (143)

PLAYS: (332)

Embed

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) told a conservative conference on Friday that comprehensive immigration reform could be turn around a trend of lower birth rates in the U.S. because "immigrants are more fertile."

"Demography is destiny," Bush explained to the Faith and Freedom Coalition's Road to Majority conference. "We're going to have fewer workers taking care of a larger number of people that the country has a social contract with to be able to allow them to retire with dignity and purpose. We cannot do that with the fertility rates that we have in our country. We're below break-even today."

"The one way that we can rebuild the demographic pyramid is to fix a broken immigration system to allow for people to come, to learn English, to play by our rules, to embrace our values and to pursue their dreams in our country with a vengeance, to create more opportunities for all of us," he continued. "This is a conservative idea."

"Immigrants create far more businesses than native-born Americans over the last 20 years. Immigrants are more fertile. And they love families and they have more intact families and they bring a younger population."

Bush said that a comprehensive plan should include securing the border, narrowing the ability of immigrants to petition for extended family members to come to the U.S. and expanding the number of guest workers. He also called a "path to legal status" for the undocumented immigrants who were already in the country, but the former governor did not mention a path to citizenship.

DOWNLOADS: (112)

PLAYS: (472)

Embed

Tea party-backed Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) on Thursday told a conservative conference in Washington, D.C. that "restoring faith in government" was the "wrong solution" and that lawmakers should instead be encouraging "distrust."

Speaking to the Faith and Freedom Coalition's Road to Majority conference, Johnson said that too many Americans had forgotten the "foundational premise of this nation," that the Founding Fathers understood government was "something to fear."

"Americans are willingly trading their freedom and ours for the false sense, for the false promise of economic security," he opined.

Johnson asserted that congressional approval ratings of 9 percent were "too high."

"So what surprises me is, why does at least a majority continue to elect politicians that are dedicated to growing this place?" he asked. "I have no idea. It utterly baffles me."

"We are witnessing the IRS scandal, we are witnessing the lies surrounding Benghazi, we are witnessing the very legitimate concern and debate about the NSA," the Wisconsin Republican added. "We have got to be looking at the big picture, we need to apply this dysfunction, this moment in history when America is rightfully distrusting the federal government over these other scandals -- we have got to make sure they apply that to the government in total."

"When I hear politicians talk about restoring faith in government... no, no, no, no, no. That is the wrong solution! We need to engender that healthy distrust, that healthy distrust that our Founders found with government."

DOWNLOADS: (150)

PLAYS: (1377)

Embed

Larry Flynt is sure that there is a Republican who isn't "in his heart a racist," but he's never met one.

In an interview with HuffPost Live's Alyona Minkovsk on Wednesday, the legendary publisher said that people often ask him "why I'm always knocking Republicans."

"I've been around for a long time," he explained. "I've never met a Republican that wasn't mean spirited and in his heart a racist. I never met one that wasn't."

"Now, I'm sure there are probably some that are not, but I'm just telling you what my experience has been and my exposure to conservative Republicans. They're a nightmare."

Flynt pointed out that Republicans were on the wrong side of "every single social issue," from immigration to reproductive rights and equal pay for women.

"I do not see the Republicans ever winning another national campaign in the next three to five decades," he insisted, adding that Democrats were also making a mistake by trying to be "all things to all people."

"What they should do is, they should do the right thing," Flynt said. "Let women have a voice in this country, let women have a voice in their lives. You know, let reason prevail."

DOWNLOADS: (131)

PLAYS: (1479)

Embed

Republican state senators in Wisconsin on Wednesday silenced Democratic lawmakers while passing a bill requiring women to undergo an ultrasound procedure before being able to receive an abortion.

Wednesday's Senate session began with state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout (D) reading letters from several constituents who opposed the bill.

"The idea of -- quote -- small government is in direct conflict with big government Republicans sticking their nose my vagina," one voter named Suzanne wrote. "How can we get the conservatives -- mostly men -- to quit blaming women, many times girls, solely for unwanted pregnancies?"

A second letter pointed out that the bill's provision excluding rape and incest would not be effective because only 16 percent of rapes were reported to police.

Vinehout said that she had been touched by the letters because she had also been a victim of sexual assault at the age of 15.

"And if we truly want to make abortion rare, Mr. President, why are we defunding Planned Parenthood?" the Alma Democrat asked.

Republican state Sen. Mary Lazich, who sponsored the legislation, however, encouraged her fellow lawmakers to ignore "the theatrics surrounding" Vinehout's presentation and then launched into an impassioned speech of her own.

"If you have a loved one that's thinking about terminating their pregnancy, for crying out loud, you want them to have full information, you want them to have an ultrasound, you want them to know what's going on in that womb and what they're doing, and that they're not going to be able to change that for the rest of their life!" she exclaimed. "They make that decision, it's over! It's over in a few minutes. And then later on they can live with the fact that they terminated their pregnancy and it was the best thing for them or they killed their child and they made a horrific decision and they regret it and they wish they never would have done it!"

Following Lazich's remarks, Democrats tried to continue debate but Senate President Mike Ellis (R) called for a vote.

"It's non-debatable! Call the roll!" he shouted. "You're out of order!"

"You're out of order!" someone on the Senate floor shouted back.

"You're interrupting a roll call! Sit down! Right now!" Ellis yelled, repeatedly banging his gavel in anger.

"I understand you're afraid of this debate," Minority Leader Chris Larson (D) reportedly said, but his microphone was cut off, according to The Associated Press.

In the end, the bill passed 17 to 15 along party lines. It was immediately referred to the state Assembly, and Gov. Scott Walker (R) has said that he will sign it into law.

DOWNLOADS: (91)

PLAYS: (925)

Embed

Former NYPD detective Harry Houck on Tuesday told Fox News that Florida teen Trayvon Martin was responsible for his own death because he had a "street attitude."

During a break in witness selection for the trial of accused murderer George Zimmerman, criminal defense attorney Tamara Holder explained to viewers of Fox News' live Internet stream that the prosecution may want to point out that the teen was only carrying Skittles and a can of iced tea at the time of his death.

"She was talking about the Skittles that he had, and the Coca-Cola that Trayvon Martin had," Houck replied. "That doesn't look good, you know, for the defense because [the prosecution is] injecting something into their minds. Like, this is a little kid with candy walking around the street."

"Listen, Trayvon Martin would be alive today, okay, if he didn't, alright, have a street attitude," the former NYPD detective insisted. "That's the bottom line."

"'Street attitude' is a very broad thing and is something that actually can be used -- and I'm not saying this to you personally -- but something that can be used as something racist," Holder pointed out. "Like calling a kid a thug."

"That's insane," Houck laughed.

Following a break, the Fox News host noted that "we live in a society right now that's extremely focused on being politically correct."

"Personally, I think people who use the word 'thug' or believe that the word 'thug' is a racist [word] is racist themselves," Houck opined. "You know, because I call somebody a thug, I'm a racist? No. I don't think so. I mean, that's crazy."

DOWNLOADS: (91)

PLAYS: (491)

Embed

Conservative radio host Laura Ingraham on Tuesday said that the Obama administration "empowers men who want to abuse women" by complying with a court order to allow over-the-counter emergency contraception sales to women and girls of any age.

"It's a good deal for pedophiles, a good deal for people who commit statutory rape against young girls," Ingraham told Fox News. "If mothers and fathers across this country hear this and they think, 'Well, I guess my daughter or her boyfriend or her rapist can go out to a pharmacy and get a bunch of, you know, hormone pills to give a little girl.' We don't really know the effect of a spiking or dropping a little girl's -- in many cases a young woman's or a little girl's hormonal levels. It's outrageous!"

"These girls can't get their ears pierced, they can't take an Advil at school without parental permission. Yet, they can go into a pharmacy in this Brave New World of women's equality and -- quote -- reproductive health and get a morning after pill."

Ingraham added: "I think it empowers men who want to abuse women."

(h/t: Media Matters)

DOWNLOADS: (90)

PLAYS: (881)

Embed

Fox News host Gregg Jarrett says that George Zimmerman "has already been punished" for the killing of Trayvon Martin because he "looks like he's put on a hundred pounds."

During Monday's coverage of jury selection, Jarrett and Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle observed that Zimmerman had gained weight since his arrest in April 2012.

"He does look like a different guy," Jarrett remarked. "It looks like he's put on a hundred pounds. Look, he has been in hiding and he fears for his life, and there have been all kinds of death threats. And, you know, he can't go anywhere, can't get out and get exercise."

"Probably suffering from stress and anxiety," Guilfoyle added.

"You eat when you're under stress and pressure and stuff like that," Jarrett agreed. "So, you know, he's already been punished to some extent. We'll wait and see whether a Jury punishes him further."

"This is an individual that was trying to do some civic duty by being on the community watch," Guilfoyle opined. "That was the purpose of why he was there that night."

"Sure, let's not forget there's a reason for a community watch," Jarrett replied. "Because that's a community with a need for a watch. Because they'd had problems like this in the past."

DOWNLOADS: (92)

PLAYS: (1109)

Embed

A Fox News guest on Monday suggested that George Zimmerman's lawyers will be able to argue that their client used reasonable force when he shot and killed Trayvon Martin, who was only carrying Skittles and a can of Arizona Iced Tea, because "you could kill somebody" with iced tea.

While waiting for jury selection to begin on Monday, Fox News host Jamie Colby and former federal prosecutor Doug Burns discussed the case on the network's live Internet video stream.

"I know that George Zimmerman's attorney will prove that he has no criminal background, he's not an aggressive guy," the Fox News host explained. "That he's a gentle kind caring soul who was minding the neighborhood, the police didn't get there quick enough and he had reason to pursue, even though he was told no to. He was just doing his Good Samaritan job."

She added that there was "no suggestion that Zimmerman kept banging his head on the sidewalk, doing it to himself."

"If I'm getting beaten up in an ordinary fist fight that's going to leave me -- here's the counterargument -- with a broken nose and some cuts and certainly no life-threatening injuries," Burns pointed out. "Broken nose, we'll assume just hypothetically is not a life-threatening injury. Then so runs the argument, you can't turn around and kill the person."

"The counterargument is, 'Well, wait a minute, you can die in a fistfight,'" he continued. "There's certainly a very good argument to be made that the force used was out of proportion to what was going on, and the kid was unarmed. We didn't even discuss that. Totally different case, let's say the kid had a gun."

"Which he didn't know," Colby observed. "All that Trayvon -- we learned later -- was armed with was a bag of Skittles and an iced tea."

"I know everybody keeps sarcastically saying about he Skittles," Burns complained. "You could probably kill somebody with Skittles."

Continue reading »

DOWNLOADS: (94)

PLAYS: (474)

Embed

Mary Matalin, a Republican strategist and former advisor to Vice President Dick Cheney, on Sunday dismissed newly-appointed National Security Advisor Susan Rice as President Barack Obama's "presidential pet."

New York Times White House Correspondent Peter Baker pointed out during a Fox News panel discussion that the appointment of Rice was an example of how the president had been more assertive and defiant in the face of Republican opponents.

"He didn't give her secretary of state, he gave it to John Kerry instead, in the midst of the fury over Benghazi," Baker explained. "But since then, he's said, "Okay, I'm going to put up Chuck Hagel [for defense secretary], I know you don't like him. I'm going to put up Victoria Nuland [for assistant secretary for European and Eurasian affairs], I know you're upset about Benghazi...' They've decided that they don't think they can work with Republicans on the Hill so he's sort of say, dare them -- in effect -- to reject people he thinks are qualified."

Fox News host Chris Wallace asked Matalin if she agreed that President Obama had chosen the right time and place to stand up to his opponents.

"This transcended political defiance," Matalin opined. "This was a face-slapping, eye-gouging, patently-political, counterproductive move."

She added: "He has an inept and undistinguished national security advisor in the White House, who has shown her toughness only in so far as proximity to her president. She's the presidential pet, which would pit her against [Secretary of State] John Kerry, who's a serious guy."

Even after he left office, Matalin has continued to be one of Vice President Dick Cheney's staunchest defenders. In 2008, she called him a "brilliant man" for effectively elevating his office into a co-presidency.

DOWNLOADS: (257)

PLAYS: (3905)

Embed

When conservative columnist George Will suggested on Sunday that a recent National Security Agency (NSA) scandal was made worse because President Barack Obama could not be trusted, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) was ready with column Will had written in 2006 to make the point that it was not just an "Obama problem."

During a panel discussion on ABC News, Will linked the NSA's practice of collecting the phone records of millions of Americans with a so-called "scandal" involving the Internal Revenue Service targeting conservative groups.

"This is where the IRS scandal metastasizes into a national security scandal," Will opined. "Because I'm sure I'm not the only American saying -- looking at the NSA information gathering and saying, 'Well, this would really be a problem if we had the kind of government that, say, unleashes the IRS on political opponents. Oh, come to think about it, we do have that kind of government.' And, therefore, the willingness to trust the executive branch is today minimal and should be."

At that point, Ellison reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out Will's 2006 column excoriating President George W. Bush's administration for using the NSA to spy on Americans' phone calls without a warrant and without congressional oversight.

"Besides, terrorism is not the only new danger of this era," Will wrote. "Another is the administration's argument that because the president is commander in chief, he is the 'sole organ for the nation in foreign affairs.'"

"You were talking about George Bush as that time," Ellison pointed out. "You know, George, I actually don't disagree with much you said. My only problem is, you can't make this an Obama problem. This is an executive problem."