Joe Scarborough does his best job of helping the Linda McMahon campaign along with his feigned outrage over their hit piece that the New York Times was happy to write for them. I don't think there's the slightest chance in hell Joe Scarborough isn't already fully aware of all the problems with the story on Blumenthal that our own Nicole wrote about yesterday, so this ridiculous hissy fit of his appears to me to be nothing but pure theater. Mika Brzezinski goes so far to say that even though they know the McMahon camp fed the newspaper the story that doesn't matter, because the content of the story is completely true, which it isn't. I don't believe for one minute that she doesn't know better as well.
Joe Conason joined the set just after this segment but didn't bother to point out to Scarborough what he wrote about here.
Bush lied about his military service, and so did Reagan:
Richard Blumenthal's apparent misstatements about his military service -- as reported so tendentiously in the New York Times -- have delighted Republicans who once considered the Connecticut attorney general unbeatable in his state's U.S. Senate race. Now that we know the videotape cited by the Times also includes Blumenthal accurately describing his service in the Marine Corps Reserve, their jubilation may be premature. Whatever the ultimate verdict on the Blumenthal story, however, it's worth noting that he was hardly alone in misstating -- or falsely recollecting -- the facts about his stint in uniform. Leaving aside Lindsey Graham, who has puffed his "wartime" service for years, such mythmaking is indeed characteristic of the politicians most revered by the GOP.
Take George W. Bush, whose controversial service as a Texas Air National Guard pilot was shrouded in mystery, evidently because he wanted to conceal the basic facts of his privileged admission to the TANG and his strange departure from its ranks. In his 2000 campaign autobiography, ghosted by Karen Hughes, Bush claimed that after completing his training in the F-102 fighter plane, "I continued flying with my unit for the next several years." That simple sentence was entirely untrue, according to records eventually released by the Bush campaign, which showed that he had never flown in uniform again after his suspension from active duty in August 1972 for failing to show up for a mandatory physical examination. Read on...
Maybe Conason didn't feel like having Scarborough scream at him like a mad man first thing in the morning after watching him in action in the above clip, but it's too bad he didn't ask him why he never got this upset about Bush or Reagan, but we already know the real answer to that. As always, IOKIYAR. When a Democrat does something stupid like this, they must come grovelling back and apologize repeatedly and that will still never be enough for the media, who in this case won't quit exaggerating what he said. A Republican does it and not only do they never admit or apologize for what they did, but the media gives it a shoulder shrug, or in the case of Dan Rather who tried to report on Bush not showing up for his military service, they do a hit piece on him. The double standard is really disgusting.
h/t Handypants for the Salon link.
and it never is brought up again, except by man-on-the-street idiots. As the truth.
I have to hunt down the old Russian immigrant Irene who swore up and down on a stack of bibles that that 'goddamn Al Gore' was flying around in his private jet, while telling us, the little people (she says 'pipple') have to reduce their carbon footprint.
"No Irene, I don't think he owns a private jet."
"Yes, he does. He flies everywhere in it."
"Nope. I'm pretty sure that's a right wing myth."
"No no no I am not any wing. He owns a jet."
So I look it up. 'Al Gore jet' brings up 'Sean Hannity says,' 'Mitt Romney says,' 'Newbusters say,' etc. I finally type in 'Does Al Gore Have jet' and got denials issued by his 'pipple.'
So it appears the only thing that is remembered is the lie. Unless you're a Democrat. AWOL/Deserter George Bush is still some kind of war hero to the arseholes who blame his mess on Obama. ronald raygun is the greatest president ever based on all sorts of fables and myths.
What a fucked up place we live in. A nightmare.
me-oww!
Well Kitty, there are still thousands upon thousands of pipples who believe that George Bush landed that S-3C Viking on the Abraham Lincoln and got an "Okay three wire." Just goes to show you, Mission Accomplished.
really.
me-oww!
better
Woody McBreairty
Hanity said he "flys" in a private jet, not owns one. Take it off spin cycle!
Mitt Romney said he did (ironically calling for more off shore drilling in the same breath). And everyone picked up on that.
quit obfuscating.
me-oww!
Let's see Joe served in the Pensacola irregulars as a.......
Why is this site defending someone who lied?
it's the first piece of news with traction that the right has had in while to sink it's teeth into. Let's face it Blumenthal screwed up bad, you don't make it sound like you served in a war you didn't.
Goodnight, Frau Blücher
but the media as you said has overblown the story. My problem is the double standard and the dishonesty in the reporting. It's not meant as a defense of Blumenthal.
Fake Outrage 101. Any whiff of defense may be an accusation that Thugs lie all the fucking time, about military service, sexual orientation, to their families about matters of fidelity, and get big old passes, "IOKIYAR" shit, while when Democrats get caught in a porkie, and it's not only conflated, but it's never ever ever forgotten. In addition, the lies they tell about Dems stick like white to rice (Kerry swiftboated, Al Gore's non existent private Lear jet, shit like that).
me-oww!
"...apparent misstatements..."??
Those are not "misstatements", or "slips" or "misspokes".
They are lies. And I don't care who else lied. Bush included.
I don't care if he agrees with me politically. This Blumenthal jackass lied.
Botton line: Anyone (Left, Right, Center) who lies about their military service should be condemned...not supported.
Why is this so hard to understand?
"I can't keep doing this on my own with these...people."
Why wasn't bush pilloried? Hell, Dan Rather lost his job over that POS's lie of a military record. Why was Kerry pilloried? Clelland as well...
me-oww!
I'm not going to defend Blumenthal, he fucked up, but I agree with you, where is the outrage over what was done to a real hero like John Kerry? He earned his Purple Hearts and his Silver Star. And those fuckers had the balls, the balls, to smear him? Do you know who bankrolled them? That bastard T. Boone Pickens who never served either.
Looks like it's not all as it seems, just like my neighbour and Al Gore's jet:
From John Cornyn on Rand vs. Blumenthal: Raging Case of IOKIYAR
By Nicole Belle Sunday May 23, 2010 7:00pm
So it appears a snippet was taking out of an entire speech, then the Thugs did what they do best--lie about it. It's a lie of omission. You know the gd mfers who scream loudest about being taken out of context (especially when they aren't, and context backs up the bad quote)? They scream like that because they are the first slimeballs to do it.
me-oww!
they should be sued to the poorhouse. And remember that nasty-looking old cow with the purple heart band-aid on her chin? God I'd love to find and slap her and break her gd glasses. I'm not fan of the military, but the slander and libel around that shit pissed me the hell off.
me-oww!
At the time, I mused that she had sustained a genuine chin abrasion--by rooting for truffles.
why this man's "lies" are more egregious than George Bush AWOL status & abandonment of his military committments. Dick Cheney lied about his deferments, most of the lice in Washington never even served - at least Blumenthal seved honorably - we're talking about politicians - get over it
Woody McBreairty
They're not more egregious lies. They're exactly the same.
It's not ok to lie about your service as long as you're a "politician".
Gee that let's everyone off the hook then.
Never going to convince me with the "Bush and Cheney and the Swift boaters were worse and didn't get criticized" argument as much.
That's a third grader say "He did it tooooo".
I'm calling B*llSh!t
"I can't keep doing this on my own with these...people."
or are you believe the Thugly version? The whole speech was revealed through the AP, during which he made his service record clear. The headline of the AP article is: Video shows Blumenthal correctly stating service
This is like a fight over Gore's non existent jet.
me-oww!
he overstated his military service and said he was sorry? I've not seen where Gore has said he was sorry for flying in the private jet.
I've seen some stuff, man. And some thangs...
Rallying behind a liar is something I hate about the right. I don't like it any better from the left. Blumenthal is a weasel.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100519/ap_on_re_...
What is with everyone believing Thug lies?
me-oww!
He's still leading that steriod bitch by 15 points! It's not like he's Rand Paul who supports private businesses discriminating under property rights! This son of a bitch and a crazy bastard father is hiding his sheet while Blumenthal pumped up his resume. BIG FUCKING DIFFERENCE! Why don't you get that?
Blumenthal 55
Steroid bitch 40
Suck it real hard!
I'm still trying to understand why the desire to blindly follow orders to hurt other human beings in some sort of moral vacuum is somehow superior to community service.
Military service is somehow made out to be the ultimate love of country -- whereas I would think it just shows the sheep-like attitude to want to follow orders. We wonder why we're in such trouble ...
People can learn discipline, respect and service *without* killing other people. We just like to call them commies and socialists for believing in "community organizing". Fucked, we are.
or rather they chose to answer the draft notice rather than run. While rich kids like Cheney and Bush never left the States. "Sheep-like?" Please continue to enjoy your freedom today and belittle those that serve in our military. Perhaps even have a party this Memorial Day weekend to especially demean those buried in places like Normandy and Iwo Jima.
I've seen some stuff, man. And some thangs...
You misunderstand me.
There's a difference between *choosing* to fight (and I might add, we haven't been in a defensive war in more than 50 years) and being conscripted.
Fighting should be a last resort, not a first refuge, and our "American Exceptionalism" causes us to savage other countries for our own political and economic gain, many times without any provocation. Vietnam, anyone? Iraq? Kuwait? Korea? Toppling democracies in Iran, Chile, etc ...
My point was that using military service as a determining factor for supporting a candidate over community service (which has the same love for country, just without killing people needlessly) makes no sense.
And you do have to admit, the military is indeed about blindly following orders. If you refuse to kill enemy soldiers, you can face a court-martial. And what if they are unarmed civilians, and your commanding officer orders you to shoot?
I'm not going to worship at the altar of our troops. Killing Iraqis and Afghans sure ain't making the world any safer. I mean, all these years of intervening in the Middle East ... and now we see bombings and terrorist attacks here. Perhaps a connection?
I wasn't defending Bush and Cheney. But lack of military service isn't what made them assholes. Being rich and privileged probably did most of that for them.
(Edit: by the way, this sums up what I was saying rather nicely)
You wrote "Military service is somehow made out to be the ultimate love of country -- whereas I would think it just shows the sheep-like attitude to want to follow orders." That statement seems to be directed at anyone who has ever served - I see no definition as to exception. And, no, I do not admit that the military is about blindly following orders. Unarmed civilians? An order to committ a crime is unlawful and does not have to be followed. That is why First Lieutenant William Calley was sentenced to life in prison for his actions at My Lai - his "following orders" defense was rejected. There are many, many other examples. Didn't work for the Nazis, either.
People choose to serve for many reasons, some as simple as for a paycheck. Your stereotype of those who choose to wear the uniform - more insulting than Blumenthal's lies. Military men aren't gods, but somebody has to do those jobs whether we like it or not. You think they're stupid sheep, fine. We disagree.
I've seen some stuff, man. And some thangs...
If that sums up what you were saying, perhaps you should pay more attention to the last line:
"You don't honor the troops by reducing them to stereotypes, however seemingly attractive." Unless negative stereotypes are ok...
I've seen some stuff, man. And some thangs...
I wish we had National Service. So people who wanted to serve the country could do so without having to sign up to kill others, yet still get a govt paycheck, as one does in the military. So impoverished people don't only have the military as a fallback position
me-oww!
the link on last nights open thread. Comments? Crickets!
Nicole's post and forgot to give Handypants a h/t. Will add that now.
Blumenthal was an idiot and made his own bed , I don't know what on earth the guy was thinking . Left , right or center , if they make crap up , lie or otherwise blow it , I can't / won't defend them .
"The poor have sometimes objected to being governed badly; the rich have always objected to being governed at all."
never believe what the right wing tells you. Look into it first.
http://crooksandliars.com/nicole-belle/john-c...
me-oww!
I wouldn't defend him but I damned sure will not defend a coward republican who is attacking him. The GOP is full of assholes posing to be war heros and who never wore a uniform higher than cub scouts. That would include Joe Scarface and the Bush Crime Family.
over a piecemeal story of Blumenthal's but he defended the AWOL asshole Bush and that coward five deferment Dick for eight years. Go to hell Joe. When will they take you off the air so I can watch MSNBC in the morning?
and get all unhinged and irrational about this issue. how about this: why do you have beady eyes? do you have some of that them thar cross-breeding Appalachian southern Deliverance inbred sorta thing going there with you? is that what im seeing with my wide eyes? but you sadly couldnt see with your little bitty gingerbread man button eyes...sorry joe if i had to get slanderous and personal. but you deserved as you should just calm the eff down. Blumenthal explained his mistake and it doesnt take away from him being qualified for the job of Senator. if it did Bush AND Cheney wouldnt have been qualified for the jobs YOU helped vote them into. ok, Joe ol shrill boy? is that clear? i thought so.
What about all of boosh's misstatements about his service
His pretending to fly down on a ship
And WMD's ready to launch in Iraq?
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
Conason appeared on Scarborough's old show...
without Scaborough. He had C-class conservative Steve Malsberg fill
in for him. Conason was far from his best and made mistakes
but managed to out talk, out fact, and generally win by 3 lengths.
Scar is afraid to go 1 on 1 with Conason which was probably
a condition for appearance.
Conason is known as a conservative killer. He will
not let them get away with crap. At the
"What's Wrong With Kansas" showing at Lincoln Ctr
he quietly destroyed the conservative on the panel.
He should have narrated the movie b/c it was full
of facts but boring.
... is disgusting. If he were a Vietnam veteran, he'd have been a very likely candidate for fragging, the prick.
Joe's distinguished and heroic war record gives him the right to throw
a hissy over Blumenthal's statement. Who can forget his bayonet charge in the House Dining Room to get to the navybean soup. Sigh.
...the maneuver was that ended up with the dead intern in his office.
isn't the most obvious case of "Thou doth protest too much", it's tough to imagine what is. The whole Lori Klausutis story just screams out for another investigation. He strikes me as someone trying to deflect attention from a guilty conscience.
be associated with.
Joe Scarbourough has quite the explosive temper....and a lot of anger towards women.....
and a dead female employee was found in his office one morning with a cracked skull.
We report, you decide.
intern in his Florida office? His explanation was that she "fell and hit her head". Apparently there were political strings in the form of a cover up, according to what I've read, and Joe resigned as Senator, expecting a scandalous fallout from the strange state of "affairs" in his life and from the dead young intern in his office. They say he only reentered public life after he felt sure he wouldn't be implicated somehow in the death of this young woman. I don't understand why someone doesn't do an article on this and try to get to the truth about this loud mouth a--
Woody McBreairty
He should tender his apology about the same time Henry Kissinger finally gives his apology for his role in the Vietnam War.
... like Blumenthal lied his stupid ass off, and claimed combat duty that he never had.
Okay, all I did was HEAR and SEE him do that, so what the hell do I know.
But I say boot his malingering lying ass out of the Democratic party for being a lying goddamn FAKE. We don't need more lying goddamn fakes. Let the Republicans supply the lying goddamn fakes.
Make of it what you will -- that's MY opinion.
Am I gonna believe what I see and hear, or am I gonna believe a bunch of SPIN. So quit spinning for this lying jack-off twerp.
Sometimes, you just take a stand for what's right. Even if it hurts.
That's a bit out of line.
Blumenthal has been an *outstanding* AG in Connecticut (my state), and has been one of the AGs to fight tirelessly for peoples' rights versus large, often seemingly unbeatable companies.
He's done a lot of good in Connecticut, which explains his high approval rating. It would be a shame for something as stupid as a "misstatement" about his time in the military to bomb out his career.
Bottom line, he's one of the good guys. I don't care if he spent years killing people on the other side of the world or not. It's simply a non-issue for me.
Also, it isn't what it appears to be.
For example:
http://whereweblog.wordpress.com/2010/05/19/f...
The *entire* video (not just the single sentence clip that has made the rounds, probably because his political opponent/WWE heiress has been pushing it as part of her campaign...) isn't the damning thing you think it is.
but we only point out a few democrats. Who doesn't embellish and make their life sound more interesting? Was Bush gonna tell us how he got drunk and got high while serving in the National Guard? Fake outrage courtesy of republicans who cannot run on the issues.
Republicans are liars and simply cannot be trusted.
Fake outrage is what they do best!
MAX CLELAND
Now that's where the outrage should have been placed. Everytime I think of what was done to him, I get so angry I could snatch somebody's eyes out. And the SOB that defeated him...
WHAT A FARCE!!!
is the O.J. Simpson of teevee pundits.
Dan Rather thought Bush lied, couldn't prove it, and committed fraud. Look where it got him!
What did he know about one of his staffers that died suddenly?? Mum about that coverup.
Who wastes their time watching this complete ignorant Reslug fool and his really stupid, bleach blonde bimbo sidekick??
I always thought that the Devil gave O.J. and this pig eyed fucker an undeserved second chance.
Stupid bastard should STFU and do charity speaking at battered woman's shelters the remainder of his unnatural life.
What about all these fake family values, Reslug wife cheaters? No outrage about those Reslug adulters and scumbags??
I think Scarborough is really upset, and I for the most part agree with him, except for the part that Blumenthal should resign. And I agree with the reporter that he should address it publically and not just in an email. The guy is the Attorney General for chissakes - does he misspeak so easily in court? I doubt it - he knew what he was doing and he got called on it. Own up to it and move on - like Clinton should have done instead of pulling the old "what the definition of 'is' is" crap.
And I am somewhat surprised at so many who would attack Scarborough or try to point out that the left has in some way done worse as some excuse/defense of Blumanthal and this story. Like Sarah Palin attacking Rachel Maddow instead of addressing Rand Paul's comments.
I've seen some stuff, man. And some thangs...
about his rage over lying. I am of the opinion that he is lying through his teeth about the death of his assistant. I am of the opinion that Joe is a probable murderer. Blumenthol lied; did he think that it would not catch up to him? It did.
Glass houses, and all...
This is why I hate Republicans, & their friends in the media. I do not trust the media; they are all Republicans & love to see Democrats fall flat on thier faces. Sarah Palin & Rand Paul & all the rest of them are perfect & never make mistakes according to the lamestream media & Democrats can't do anything right.
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