political_talk

George Will on Media Fascination With Sarah Palin

A surprisingly astute quote by George Will from his article dissecting the media's fascination with Sarah Palin, "Sarah Palin and the mutual loathing society". I especially liked the last two lines.

Political nature abhors a vacuum, which is what often exists for a year or two in a party after it loses a presidential election. But today's saturation journalism, mesmerized by presidential politics and ravenous for material, requires a steady stream of political novelties. In that role, Palin is united with the media in a relationship of mutual loathing. This is not her fault. But neither is it her validation.

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Source:  The Washington Post, George Will

Sen. Graham Calls Glenn Beck a Cynic

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) called Fox News host, the tearful Glenn Beck, a "cynic"

in his comments to those attending The Atlantic's 'First Draft of History' conference.

Only in America can you make that much money crying. Glenn Beck is not aligned with any party. He is aligned with cynicism and there has always been a market for cynics. But we became a great nation not because we are a nation of cynics. We became a great nation because we are a nation of believers.

Related:

Glenn Beck's sobbing secrets revealed: A little Vicks Vaporub gets the tears flowing

DAVID BROOKS Refutes the Myth of the Power of the Republican Talk Jocks

In his New York Times column, Republican columnist, David Brooks, on the talk radio jocks, and the myth of their power.

The rise of Beck, Hannity, Bill O’Reilly and the rest has correlated almost perfectly with the decline of the G.O.P. But it’s not because the talk jocks have real power. It’s because they have illusory power, because Republicans hear the media mythology and fall for it every time. [.....]

Sarah Palin Claims Her First Amendment Rights Were Violated

According to Sarah Palin, the Republican candidate for Vice President in 2008, her First Amendment rights were violated when the media claimed that Palin was engaged in negative campaigning.

If [the media] convince enough voters that that is negative campaigning, for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations, then I don't know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media.

Source: ABC News

The final house bill has....

Bob Cesca | Democrat

Congress has repeatedly stated that they have not read the legislation on healthcare reform. In response, Cesca had this to say:

The final House bill has been available online since July. If congressional Republicans and Blue Dogs are incapable of reading a 1,000 pages by now, maybe "writing and creating laws" was a poor career choice.

Read HR3200.

Quotation: bobcesca.com

Erik Prince's Christian supremacist....

Jeremy Scahill | Democrat

Scahill debated with NBC's political director, Chuck Todd, re the world's most powerful private/mercenary army, Xe, formerly known as 'Blackwater'. The quote is Scahill's "alternate" name for Blackwater.

 Erik Prince's¹ Christian supremacist fighting force to eliminate Muslims and destroy Islam globally, and then they bill taxpayers again for this killing that they're doing and they're not held to the same standard as soldiers.

Watch the video.

¹ Erik Prince, the founder of Blackwater, is a multi-millionaire fundamentalist Christian from a very wealthy and powerful Michigan Republican family,
     Related: Prince Implicated in Murder

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Quotation: Huffpo Video

Thomas Jefferson Quotation on a Free Press

Thomas Jefferson | Democratic-Republican Party¹

The basis of our government being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.

¹The Democratic-Republican Party was the dominant political party in the United States from 1800-1824; it then split in to two factions, one of which became the modern day Democratic Party.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons,
Quotation: Letter to Colonel Edward Carrington (16 January 1787) Lipscomb & Bergh ed. 6:57

Sarah Palin Luvs Bloggers and the Media

Sarah Palin | Republican

From a January, 2009 interview with Esquire magazine, Palin had these "pithy" remarks for bloggers, specifically, and the media, secondarily. Hilarious!

 Bored, anonymous, pathetic bloggers who lie annoy me....I'll tell you, yesterday the Anchorage Daily News, they called again to ask — double-, triple-, quadruple-check — who is Trig's real mom. And I said, Come on, are you kidding me? We're gonna answer this? Do you not believe me or my doctor? And they said, No, it's been quite cryptic the way that my son's birth has been discussed. And I thought, Okay, more indication of continued problems in the world of journalism.

Related: Sarah Palin Quotations

Painting by Dan Lacey
Quote Source: Esquire

Sarah Palin Chides Hillary Clinton for Whining

Sarah Palin | Republican

During an interview in August 2008, Palin expressed her views on the need to accept sexism in the media without whining [if you are a woman]. She chided Hillary Clinton as a whiner. Surreal, when you consider all the whining Sarah Palin did regarding media coverage of herself during the 2008 presidential campaign, beginning shortly after that interview. The woman is a simple joke.

She [Hillary Clinton]does herself a disservice to even mention it, really. When I hear a statement like that coming from a woman candidate with any kind of perceived whine about that excess criticism, or maybe a sharper microscope put on her, I think, 'Man, that doesn't do us any good, women in politics, or women in general, trying to progress this country.'

Related: Sarah Palin Quotations

Quote Source: WikiQuote

Today's Dumbest Boob: Betsy McCaughey

Jon Stewart | Democrat

Jon Stewart dismantles more ignorant claims [re healthcare reform] by the right-wing, represented by former New York Lt. Governor, Betsy McCaughey. For more info, visit Media Matters.

 

Related: Awards
Betsy McCaughey

Rush Limbaugh, Birther, on Barack Obama's Birth

Rush Limbaugh | Republican

Referring to Barack Obama's birth, Limbaugh made this comment on the  August 21 broadcast of Premiere Radio Networks' The Rush Limbaugh Show:

Hawaii actually morphed into Kenya one day in 1961.

Audio available here.
H/T Media Matters

Rachel Maddow: The Pizza Parable aka They're Just Not That in to HealthCare Reform

Rachel Maddow | Progressive Commentator

During a recent episode of Maddow's show, Maddow demonstrated to us the utter futility of bipartisanship where healthcare reform is the end goal, through the use of a delightful parable about ordering pizza. Watch the video, and enjoy.

Referring to the contrarian Republicans in Congress and the Senate, Maddow concluded,

 They're just not that in to healthcare reform.

Image, Video and Quotation Source: MSNBC.com

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

VIDEO: SARAH PALIN FAREWELL TO ALASKA SPEECH JULY 26 - 2009

Sarah Palin (R) resigns as the Governor of Alaska after serving for less than half her term.

Click to read the full transcript of Palin's Farewell Speech.