McCain Spokesperson Ben Porritt Can't Explain Palin's First Amendment Comment
By Heather Sunday Nov 02, 2008 1:00pm
David Shuster questions McCain spokesperson Ben Porritt about Sarah Palin's statement that she thought her First Amendment rights were under attack because the press said she was going "negative" on Obama.
Palin: ...Gov. Sarah Palin said she fears her First Amendment rights may be threatened by "attacks" from reporters who suggest she is engaging in a negative campaign against Barack Obama. Palin told WMAL-AM that her criticism of Obama's associations, like those with 1960s radical Bill Ayers and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, should not be considered negative attacks. Rather, for reporters or columnists to suggest that it is going negative may constitute an attack that threatens a candidate's free speech rights under the Constitution, Palin said.
Shuster asks Porritt why Palin thinks the First Amendment protects her from the press rather than the other way around. When pinned down, all Porritt could do was say that she really didn't mean it, attack Barack Obama and Joe Biden, claim that he didn't hear the entire interview, and blame the press for playing "gotcha' games".
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I miss intelligence in government. When we have intelligence in the form of leadership we try harder. It is ok to think beyond what we think we are capable of. It doesn't matter what field we are in. We just give more and we try to give more.
If we vote for Obama we are voting for a new century. We are voting for a rebirth of a great nation. We are capable of so much more than what we have been.
However, for all you bloggers, you have been on the front line. You have helped save America because every time you emailed a senator, fox news, the fcc, public radio and TV....with your views, you reminded the leaders and the spokesmen and media that you know the truth. Every site like Crooks and Liars was a beacon of our liberty.
VOTE!
am I too cynical to spend much time on this site.
Look, assuming that the Bradley effect doesn't hand victory to Senator McCain, then Senator Obama will be the next President. The Democrats will not have 60 Senators, so the Republicans will try to filibuster almost every Presidential initiative and then their mouthpieces will blame the impasse on the White House.
Even when some things do happen, the country is headed for very tough economic times and voters have short memories. Four years from now, a lot of people will associate President Obama's first term with economic depression. Additionally, if President Obama wants to have a long-term positive effect, he will have to try to promote some change which will be painful in the short run - another thing voters don't easily forget.
Four years from now, we'll probably be looking at a rejuvenated GOP with Governor Palin as a contender for the nominiation.
Focus on the present instead of worrying about the future too much.
that we should just appoint a president for life and if he turns out to be a disaster, then what are ya gonna do? It sounds like what you are implying. Shouldn't the Dems even try to fix what's wrong with the country right now...or try to make it a better place to raise families? Not try to end the war or fix the economy? I mean, according to you, all considerations should be political, because the Republicans are just going to get back in after all.
Perhaps we should all just turn on the oven, put our heads in and end it all. Whaddya think?
If you are a republican, otherwise hold your head high and make this country a better place.
So basically, you assume that voters will be stupid enough o castigate Obama's attempts at cleaning up Bush's mess by electing a complete nitwit like Palin?
The contempt of the GOP for the American people knows no bounds, your post is a reflection of that.
Sod off, seriously... just leave us alone. Have you guys got no sense of decency?
The problem is the onus of proof is upon you to prove it isn't the case. In our argument's favour, we have the last years of Clinton where he was hounded out by consensual sex, the sheer lunacy of Bush being voted in not once, but twice(and the string of disasters that have gone with it) and the running joke of the McCain/Palin ticket that still shows close numbers to the well managed Obama/Biden ticket.
Too many voters have proved they *are* stupid.
the guy who found a bushel-basket full of $50 dollar bills and bitched because they weren't $100s. For God sakes, this thing isn't even won yet, and already you people are looking for the turd in the punch bowl.
We're sll hoping to save our country from the disaster of the past 8 years, turn things around and start a better day. All you seem to be concentrating on is whether the American people are smart enough to let us stay forever.
Perhaps they are and perhaps they aren't. But let's put a moratorium on pessimism for a day or two, at least. The average guy is a lot more amenable to change when his job and livelihood are taking a beating.
I am a registered Democrat. I cast an absentee ballot for Senator Obama (in NY, so big deal).
You, on the other hand, seem to assume that anyone who disagrees with you is either a "concern troll" or a Republican.
LOL I guess there are some people that will be fooled by some of the double talk, the subject change and the bullshit! that these people spew every where they go.
I so hope we have seen the last of all of these imbeciles, intenional liars, greedy hacks, and ignorant MF.
If it were possibe to be shamed the whole party would crawl back under the rock from which it came and stay there for good!
While I agree that it would be nice if it were possible to put all the stupidity, spin and outright lying behind us, such a utopia is only a dream. The need for eternal vigilance and education is much closer to the truth of the matter.
There will always be some proportion of the population that wants to bend the rules (or make the rules) so they can get special treatment, money, sex etc. Add to that that power does tend to corrupt even the best of us, and I argue that the only way to have a hope of keeping things fair and preventing a powerful minority from lying, cheating and stealing their way to power is to (1) make sure we truly educate each generation about the importance of learning to critically examine evidence and think for themselves and (2) to put into place systems of checks and balances in all cases.
The founding fathers knew this (see the Federalist Papers), and we should remember and implement it. If you look critically at the Republican agenda, it has been all about removing reasonable checks and balances (no-bid contracts for Halliburton, politicization of the Justice Dept., self-reporting and policing of toxic waste by industry, etc.) and dumbing down the discourse.
Our generation and all of the rest to come must continuously explain and defend the need for real education and oversight. We need to understand and accept human nature--including the shortcomings we all share--and build the best systems we can given that knowledge.
We need an administration that is absolutely committed to increasing quality education. Of course, this will be harder to do in an economic depression...
than continuing Bush's revenge on the entire muslim world for what a handful of fanatics did.
sciguy,
I have heard it said that if the founders awoke from their graves, they'd be shocked to see the state of America today.
I am more inclined to think they'd say, "Told ya so."
That's all they have don't they: blame gotcha.
To win at gotcha there's got to be something to be got by Gott!!!
implies losing important political debates.
what. like Iran, or the EU, or Chavez, or ANYBODY else in the world WOULDN'T play "gotcha" with Palin?? no these morons would have you believe "gotcha" is a game played exclusively by American journalists with a leftist agenda.
caribou barbie must be trying.
Why is it that when anyone from the McPalin campagin is asked to explain what either John McCain or Sarah Palin says they always begin their answer with "Well, Barack Obama....blah, blah, blah and never actually answere the stated question?
They don't have an answer!
You're right ron...they don't have an answer...just deflect & talk out of your ear, navel, a**, whatever...
Scary Sarah has been let loose on the political scene by the 'win the brass ring at any cost' McCain campaign...and at any cost, do not lose face...keep pumping the Palin, no matter how much it makes you a little sick to your stomach to do so...
1. Projection: Accuse your opponent of your very own deeds.
2. Deflection: Accuse your opponent to cover up your own deeds.
Notice how they never, ever, own to their own deeds.
There has to be a special ring in hell for these demagogue pieces of shit.
they have pundetry to an art
first, attack the opponent
when that doesnt work....
say that the reporter is "parsing" words
when that doesnt work...
deny the truth of the statement, then go back to attacking the opponent
when that doesnt work....
state that you didnt hear the comments, even though they were just played for you
its an amazing patter...and plays out, time and time again
i hate these fucks
please...make the whore from alaska your poster girl for the next four years...let her be the face of the party...dems will keep a majority and hold onto the presidency for as long as you do this
oh, and palin understands neither the us or alaskan constitution, as has been shown by both word and deed
I mean bravo. It takes a sharp mind to see the forest through the trees. I have to watch for this pattern. Thanks so much
Sarah Palin Cites Her 1st Amendment Rights to ‘Freak Speech’
I don't mean to be insulting but seriously is there anyone on the McCain/Palin campaign who isn't stupid?
None of them have heard of it apparently. VOTE!
http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/466.html
I think he might have meant something else, but when I heard him say it all I could do is shudder and think that he let slip his election night talking points to explain how the returns could be coming back for McShame. Shudder, indeed.
TIRING stuff, this constant harpooning the opponent in lieu of answering a question. So very glad that David and all of these news guys are finally putting these clowns on notice that they can't dance around the question and point the finger.
I thought republicans hired illegals to do all their hedging.
I'm trying to be objective on this whole political view thing, and I'm seeing KO and David as being a counter part to vannity and bor. They "badger" the guest, and maybe I'm missing something.
Granted, the lipstick pig is an idiot, and mcOld sold his soul and is an old fool...but taking every little word that comes out of their mouth and then making an issue of it is playing the right wing game. I don't like it.
I guess this is where politics is going to go. I think, although she is one dumb ass Alaskan, she knows what the First Amendment is about. She thinks she should have the right to say what SHE wants about Obama....even if it means tossing dirt in the air.
Too many more important things to worry about and be discussing. GOD, I hope Obama wins in a landslide.
This is NOT a case of critiquing every word out of her mouth. She is a candidate for the office of VP and shows a COMPLETE misunderstanding of the first amendment of the constitution - also freedom of speech does not give her the right to slander Obama - (which I contend she has crossed the border on).
She has also shown a complete misunderstanding of Article 2 of the Constitution by not knowing the role of the VP.
Is there anything more important than our top elected officials knowing the content of the US Constitution? It's not a tough read....
shouldn't feel too bad. No one,Palin included, has ever been able to explain what she meant.
Sarah Palin is nothing more than a random word generator set with certain parameters. She doesn't mean anything. With a marginal command of syntax, she merely emits buzz words, and pauses for either the next question or applause.
What an accomplishment to varnish that earned credit with this absurd complaint about journalists.
I know that being a real American has been important to Governor Palin, so I want to play for you a sound bite of her talking on WMAL radio yesterday with Chris Plant about one of the bedrocks of the American way, the First Amendment.
I'm glad Shuster juxtaposed Palin's "real Americans" garbage against her woeful and potentially lethal ignorance of the Constitution.
If you root for America the same way I root for the Chicago Cubs, you are not one of America's patriots; you are one of America's fans. Fandom is easy. Patriotism is hard. A real American patriot would lay down her life, fortune and sacred honor for American principles. Principles of liberty and equality. Principles of which the unreal Sarah Palin knows nothing.
their only axiom is Patriotism equals War. Willingness to fight in a war, (as long as it isn't their children who actually have to do it), willingness to spend all the country's financial resources on war (especially, if they have a way to make money from it). If a citizen stands up and wishes to discuss whether the war is necessary or desirable, that citizen is branded unpatriotic by the likes of Sarah Palin and the Republican Party as it is constituted today. Hopefully, that will change slowly over the next years. Not only is constant war an emotional drain on a country, it is keeping us from being competitive globally.
Kathy in St. Louis:
And we need a counter axiom.
Frankly, I'm tired of responding with, "We love our country just as much as you do." No we don't. We love it more. In fact, we actually love it, and they don't.
People with no understanding of our founding principles, and who do not care about maintaining them, are unamerican.
that there have ever been worse spokepeople for any campaign? This is my twelfth presidential election and, for the life of me, I can't remember a more hapless bunch. The chubby guy the other day that was trying to like Obama with Louis Farrahkam, Tucker Bounds, the U.S. Representative who looks as if she buys all her clothes at KMart, Carla Fiorina...they are all utterly pitiful.
Not as if that turned out to be a bad thing for us, but it's just one more reason that McCain looks worse every day.
.
Ben Porritt said:
What Ben Porritt meant to say was:
Doubleplus good???
.
"Then why did the McCain campaign kick Joe Klein and Maureen Dowd off their campaign plane?"
Just because she doesn't know what the 1st amendment is, doesn't mean she doesn't know what the 1st amendment is!
I mean, really people? haven't you ever not known something that you really did know? We should be fair to the ignorant person running for the 2nd highest office in America, it's not like it takes a rocket scientest to run the senate!
according to this lady, she and the Senators have to get together and work on the leglislation/laws for our country....which is really, really, really not in her job discription. Her only job is to get up every morning, check to see if John is still breathing and break a couple of ties per year in the Senate. That's it. And I knew that at the end of 7th grade civics, lo those many years ago. Now, why doesn't this empty-headed clothes horse know this rather elementary info?
P.S. She wouldn't RUN the senate. That's not her job. She presides and then breaks ties. You could look it up.
Yes like we haven't seen Bush or McCain remove people who have asked tough questions before...
pot calling the kettle black
Now we know how Sarah got her Journalism Degree, it sure wasn't from good grades. I wonder how many Professors got lucky?
what a pathetic noob intern. he might have go far if his pissant hypocrite loser party of worthless, valueless, inbred shitbags had a chance in hell of surviving into this new unfolding era of rightness and true Democratic bliss. one thousand points of real life fucker. one thousand years of truth.
he'll be a nice replacement for billo c.2020, if he keeps workin' those skillz!.
hilarious!
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