DOWNLOADS: (471)

PLAYS: (7723)

Embed

Conservative columnist David Frum had some choice words on Morning Joe for the industry that has swelled to basically steal money from republican voters.

Republicans have been fleeced, exploited and lied to by a conservative entertainment complex...there are too many to name. Because the followers, the donors and the activists are so mistaken about the nature of the problems the country faces...just a simple question, and I went to Tea Party rallies and asked this question, have taxes gone up or down in recent years? They can't answer this question.

Frum declined to name names but he's more forthright in his ebook, Why Romney Lost. Frum is scathing in his criticism of the usual suspects (Fox News, Rush Limbaugh & talk radio, and many many more charlatans).

DOWNLOADS: (363)

PLAYS: (29782)

Embed

Conservative columnist David Frum, who was speechwriter for former President George W. Bush, blasted Fox News on Sunday for creating an "alternative knowledge system."

In an article published by New York Magazine in late November, Frum had argued that conservative media like Fox News and talk radio "immerse their audience in a total environment of pseudo-facts and pretend information."

In an appearance on CNN Sunday, Frum cited claims made on Fox News that President Barack Obama was proposing a "new Christmas tree tax," something that was found by both The Florida Times-Union and PolitiFact Oregon to be not true.

"It fed into a story about this Muslim-y kind of president trying to destroy a Christian holiday," Frum explained to CNN's Howard Kurtz. "To make this a ground for a cultural conflict, to create a sense in large numbers of people they are being persecuted and attacked at a time when the country is in so much trouble, that's how this thing is fed."

"The question is what is the impact on the viewer?" he continued. "And we know, for example, that people that watch a lot of Fox come away knowing a lot less about important world events. That's a correlation that we know."

Recent polling appears to back up Frum's assertion.

Fairleigh Dickinson University found last month that "some outlets, especially Fox News, lead people to be even less informed than those who say they don’t watch any news at all."

"For example, people who watch Fox News, the most popular of the 24-hour cable news networks, are 18-points less likely to know that Egyptians overthrew their government than those who watch no news at all (after controlling for other news sources, partisanship, education and other demographic factors)," they wrote. "Fox News watchers are also 6-points less likely to know that Syrians have not yet overthrown their government than those who watch no news."

Time for your Professional Left podcast, otherwise known as our newly married C&L contributors Driftglass and Bluegal.

You can listen to the archives at The Professional Left Podcast and make a donation there if you'd like to help these keep these podcasts going or just send them a belated wedding gift. You can also follow them on Facebook here -- The Professional Left Podcast with Driftglass and Blue Gal.

Have a great weekend everyone and for those in the eye of the storm heading towards our coast, stay safe.

Open thread below....

DOWNLOADS: (359)

PLAYS: (433)

Embed

Here's more of Tavis Smiley's panel segment that I posted this portion of yesterday. Cornel West reminds us of what the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. might be saying to President Obama and that the media's caricature of of President Obama as the fulfillment of Dr. King's dream is not true. He is A fulfillment, not THE fulfillment.

As West mentioned, King's real dream was the elimination of poverty and war.

DOWNLOADS: (490)

PLAYS: (9075)

Embed

Unfortunately for the rest of us, Sarah Palin announced she's not going to sit down or shut up any time soon during her interview on Sean Hannity's show on Fox. Lawrence O'Donnell doesn't think Palin is going to run for President and just wants to keep her profile up so she can keep making lots of money.

David Frum and Howard Fineman were not impressed with her performance on Fox and relayed as much during this interview on MSNBC's Last Word.

Here's more from CNN's Political Ticker on the interview:

Palin: 'I am not going to shut up':

In her first interview since the Arizona shootings, Sarah Palin Monday sharply beat back critics who have suggested her at-times charged political rhetoric and use of a graphic featuring crosshairs may have contributed to the shooter’s motivations.

"The graphic that was used was crosshairs. That's not original. Democrats have been using them for years," Palin said in the interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News, where Palin is a paid contributor.

"For many years maps in political races have been used to target certain districts that people would feel that they can get into those districts to whom they believe would represent the constituents' will better than the incumbent," she added.

The map in question – created by Palin's political action committee last spring - featured the crosshairs of a gun over the congressional districts of 20 Democratic candidates – including that of Gabrielle Giffords, the congresswoman who was shot in Tucson nine days ago. Last week, Palin aide Rebecca Monsour defended the graphic, saying the crosshairs were not those of a gun but rather "a surveyor symbol."

But Palin's PAC quickly scrubbed the graphic from its website after the shootings, a move Palin said she found appropriate.

"The contract graphic artist did take it down and I don't think that was inappropriate," said Palin. "If it was going to cause much heartburn and even more controversy I didn’t have a problem with it taken down."

In the 30 minute interview, Palin also addressed the criticism she has faced for her video response to the shootings posted last week on Facebook. Critics particularly took issue with the former governor's use of the term "blood libel," a phrase that for many conjures anti-semetic connotations.

"Blood libel obviously means being falsely accused of having blood on your hands. In this case, that's exactly what was going on," she said, adding later, "Just two days before an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal had that term in its title. And that term has been used for eons."

The phrase, which traditionally refers to a long-standing anti-Semitic myth that Jews murder children for religious rituals, drew fire from the Anti-Defamation League and others. But Palin insisted critics were taking issue with the phrasing in hopes of derailing her overall message.

As they noted, Palin claimed that this was not all about her and that the left just wants to destroy her. I think she's doing a pretty good job of that all on her own. And way to stay classy Sarah with doing exactly the opposite of what you claim and making this day where we should have been celebrating the life of Martin Luther King Jr. all about you instead of Dr. King for the viewers of Hannity's show on Fox.

Second half of the Last Word interview with Frum and Fineman below the fold.

Continue reading »

DOWNLOADS: (423)

PLAYS: (372)

Embed

Alan Grayson expressed his displeasure with Robert Gibbs for attacking "the professional left" on MSNBC. Rep. Keith Ellison has called for Robert Gibbs to resign. Host Chris Jansing asked Grayson if he agreed and thought Gibbs should resign as well.

"No, I don't think he should resign," replied Grayson, "I think he should be fired. He's done a miserable job. People I know refer to him as Bozo the Spokesman."

I have to say I agree with Grayson that Robert Gibbs really has been a horrible White House Spokesman and I've felt that way since he first got the job. I agree with Grayson's other point he made during this interview as well which is that all Gibbs did is to hand the Republicans talking points by bashing their liberal base.

Grayson: I'd like to see Gibbs show some frustration over 15 million unemployed Americans. I'd like to see him show some frustration over 40 million people who can't see a doctor when they need to. I'd like to see him show some frustration over the Republicans who have blocked the President's plans and his programs.

The White House as I said back in January is suffering from Stockholm syndrome. They have come to love their captors and in this case their captors, the people who are imprisoning the President's programs are not the liberals, they're the GOP, the Republicans specifically in the Senate and the Republicans nation wide. They're the opponents for him, not the liberals.

Jansing read some of David Frum's remarks that the GOP fears their base and the Democrats hate theirs and asked him if he agreed with that statement. Grayson decided to punt on that one and took the topic back to Gibbs.

Grayson: Again, that's not really the point. He needs to concentrate on getting things done for the American people and restoring the middle class in this country, not giving us Republican talking points. What he said about Canadian health care, Canadians live three years longer than Americans do on the average according to the CIA, so exactly how bad can their health care be?

You know, if I wanted Fox talking points I'd change the channel to Fox, not listen to the White House. (crosstalk) He needs to get his head on straight and do his job.

Amen to that brother. This administration had better wake up to the fact that kicking their base in the teeth might not work out so well for them come November if they expect to generate any turnout in the mid-term. I can understand where some of the frustration out of the administration is coming from given what they inherited and the obstructionist Congress they're dealing with but Grayson is right, Gibbs has been terrible and needs to go.

DOWNLOADS: (304)

PLAYS: (246)

Embed

Michele Bachmann joined Greta Van Susteren to discuss her new Tea Party Caucus in the House and as they noted over at TPM, it looks like things aren't going so well already.

Bachmann Bungles Rollout Of House Tea Party Caucus:

Rep. Michelle Bachmann's (R-MN) House Tea Party Caucus debut yesterday mimicked the tea party movement it hopes to represent in Washington -- it was confusing, bumbling and offered a dearth of solid policy goals.

Bachmann says the caucus aims to be a "receptacle" in Washington D.C. for the tea party's frustration with spending, taxes, socialism and, uh, billboard design. But if the caucus' first day is any impression, Bachmann's group will also mirror the amateurish political organizing of the movement. [...]

As David Frum's blog reported all day yesterday, Bachmann's caucus list was about as good an example of a poorly-run organization as you can find this week, save for the Department of Agriculture. The Tea Party Caucus list changed throughout the day, with names disappearing and reappearing as reporters called to verify things. The list itself disappeared from Bachmann's website for a time, before finally showing up again and staying up for good.

One Capitol Hill Republican with knowledge of the process told me the embarrassing debacle of the list was a 100% Bachmann affair -- the caucus list is run out of her office and its errors were, as far as my source knew, thanks to Bachmann's staff. Read on...

And as Steve Benen noted:

There's been ample evidence of late that the overlap between the so-called Tea Party "movement" and the Republican Party's far-right base is overwhelming. They are, in effect, one and the same.

The intersection of Tea Party politics and Republican politics became even more dramatic yesterday, with the formal launch of the House Tea Party Caucus, led by frightening right-wing Minnesotan, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R). Dana Milbank had a good report on the kickoff event. [...]

As for the caucus itself, as of late yesterday, the House Tea Party Caucus reportedly has 29 members, with a membership list that's nearly identical to that of the right-wing Republican Study Committee. There is, however, some ongoing controversy on this front -- some of the members included on Bachmann's list of caucus members hadn't formally given their permission to be included in the group.

Sounds like they're off to a good start.

Yeah. But Bachmann does her best to convince Greta just how bipartisan this new caucus is and that they welcome Democrats who would like to join and she claims they've got one Democrat who wants to join, but of course she can't give her name yet. I'll believe that one when I see it but if they do have one it's just going to be another Blue Dog that may as well have an "R" behind his name already. Bachmann also called her new right wing group "pretty mainstream". Yeah Michele, you betcha' it is!

And if there's any doubt about what this wingnut and the Republicans would do if they get the House back this year, here's more from TPM Muckraker as well.

Bachmann: 'All We Should Do Is Issue Subpoenas' If GOP Wins House (AUDIO)

Endless hearings... was there ever any doubt? Maybe two years of watching witch hunts from these McCarthyites would be enough to horrify the public so the Republicans finally go the way of the Know Nothings, but our country really can't take that right now with the shape the economy is in.

Transcript below the fold.

Continue reading »

DOWNLOADS: (722)

PLAYS: (2194)

Embed

Ruh roh... looks like Driftie's favorite Republican turd polisher David f-ing Brooks hasn't been kissing Rush Limbaugh's boots well enough to pass the wingnut purity test. Tsk...tsk. The panel on Fox News Watch questions whether the New York Times op-ed columnist is even a conservative while discussing the paper's "lack of balance". Rather ironic given that this is coming from anyone at ClusterFox in the first place, and Scooter Libby's buddy Judith Miller who helped Dick Cheney sell the Iraq invasion on the front page of the New York Times is one of the panelists. Wow.

Welcome to David Frum's world Mr. Brooks.

DougJ at Baloon Juice made a good point about the little dance that "respectable conservatives" are playing with the rabid right wing of the party.

In another good piece on the state of journamalism, Marc Ambinder proposes something that won’t work:

Rather than end my disquisition on a complaint or a tale of misery, I want to provide a constructive bit of advice as to how we can begin to revivify the honor to which we used to hold truth-tellers. Consider the narrow point that conservative criticism of President Obama is unusually and often bafflingly, even embarrassingly facile. There are plenty of conservatives who recognize this. I can name six: Ross Douthat. Matt Lewis. David Frum. David Brooks. Conor Friedersdorf. Liz Mair. There are many more. But they have no incentive to police their own side. The moment they speak out, they’re branded as apostates, and the conservative movement narrows even further. An impoverished opposition is bad for democracy. I subscribe to the Brendan Nyhan/Robert Frank notion that social shaming may well be a valid way for fact-checkers to convince more than a handful of people that the other side is simply wrong. Frum has done a serviceable job in calling out his fellow conservatives, but he does not possess the power or the infrastructure to shame people who cross a line. As Nyhan proposes, when someone like Frank Gaffney, who still gets invited to major events by reputable people, implies that President Obama a Muslim, he should be shamed into hiding by his fellow conservatives. (Shaming by liberals, or mere corrections, won’t work, and will often promote the myth).

It’s a silly suggestion, people like have Frank Gaffney have no sense of shame and neither do their fellow travelers at the Weekly Standard and National Review. I’m not even sure that Douthat et al. do.

The current system seems like a pretty comfy set-up for conservatives. The crazies can make money off their radio shows and Regenery books and wingnut welfare. The “respectable conservatives” can be hailed as VSPs for their occasional mild, mealy-mouthed criticism of the crazies.

Why change it over a small thing like shame?

The one thing Doug failed to note is that whether they're "respectable" or not, they're all playing the same game and all supporting the same bankrupt conservative ideology. The "respectable" ones aren't any better than their wingnut brethren in that regard.

DOWNLOADS: (773)

PLAYS: (5529)

Embed

Bill Maher hit back at George Will after their little dust up on This Week where as I noted, PolitiFact fact-checked Bill Maher and his claim that "Brazil got off the oil". Maher concedes that he did get it wrong and that he was remembering an ad run by Bill Clinton in 2006 where he said imagine if we can stop being dependent on foreign oil like Brazil.

Maher: I want to say one more thing about the oil spill. I was on, I was in D.C. this weekend, and I did "This Week." I did not realize that there are shows like this on in the morning. And Sunday, they were very nice to me. George Will obviously had it out for me and doesn't like me. That's okay. That's not mutual. I've been a fan of George Will and reading, I'm just a sucker for good writing. He knows how to write, he's an excellent prose stylist...

I mean you know, sometimes a guy can be full of shit, but he writes well. And, you know, he got me on something technical. I said Brazil got off the oil and we could too. We were talking about the oil spill. And yes, Brazil did not exactly get off the oil, but after the '70s, the spirit of what I said was correct. After the '70s oil crisis, they tried a lot harder than we do, and like half their cars now run on, on synth-fuel, ethanol.

Okay, what I was remembering was there was an ad out here in 2006 for Prop 87, which was for us to get off oil, and Bill Clinton did the ad. And Bill Clinton said in the ad, "Imagine if we can stop being dependent on foreign oil. Brazil did it. If Brazil can do it, so can California." Now, I'm sure the conservatives are saying, "Well, yeah, there's one mushy-headed liberal listening to another mushy-headed liberal and getting your facts wrong."

Well, okay, so we didn't get it exactly right. But, you know what? The bigger question is why haven't we actually gotten off the oil? And part of the reason is because of global warming deniers like George Will. And he knows better. He knows better and he uses facts, or parts of facts, way more erroneous than I did. In one of his columns, he said, "According to the University of Illinois Arctic Climate Research Center, global sea levels now equal those of 1979." Well, there is no Arctic Climate Research Center at the University of Illinois, but there are climate scientists, and they said, "We don't know where Mr. Will is getting his information. Our data shows that in February '79, global sea ice was 16.79 million square kilometers, and in 2009 it was 15.45, a decrease in sea ice the area the size of Texas, California, Oklahoma combined.”

…These aren't views, these are misshapen facts.

Bill Maher should have pointed out that George Will criticized him for saying Brazil got off of oil, but that Bill Clinton ad he cited didn’t say they got off of oil. It said they got off of foreign oil. I've criticized Maher for not following issues well enough if he's going to be on television commenting about them. I'll give him credit for admitting he's wrong and addressing an issue, unlike most of the talking heads and our sorry excuse for a media out there. And I assure you George Will is never going to admit he's wrong about anything... ever.

And while we're on the topic of conservatives never wanting to admit they're wrong about anything, how lame was David Frum's defense of George Will? Good grief.

Media Matters has more on George Will’s hackery that Maher pointed out in this segment.

Lashing out at critics, George Will spreads more falsehoods in new global warming column:

SUMMARY: In a column obtained by Media Matters in advance of its publication, George Will falsely claims that in his February 15 column, he "accurately reported" on the contents of an Arctic Climate Research Center document on sea ice data. In fact, while Will suggested the ACRC data undermine the scientific consensus that humans are causing global warming, the document actually states that the sea ice data are consistent with the outcomes projected by climate-change models. Read on...

Stephen has some advice for the Republicans now that the health care bill passed. Allow the Democrats to have some more "Waterloos".