Rep. Steve King Smears President Obama, Bashes Great City Of Chicago

Rep. Steve King, who is one of the darlings of the far right who hails from the state of Iowa, is on the attack again using all of the old and tired clichés about President Obama, Chicago, the Chicago Machine, gangsters, Rev. Wright, Bill Ayers … yadda, yadda, yadda.

Apparently, Rep. King has no new materials and instead resorts to the same tired and weak attacks against President Obama.

KING: Valerie Jarrett is a product of Chicago politics. This is power politics through Rahm Emanuel and Barack Obama, son and daughter of Saul Alinsky, linked up with Mayor Daley, the one that actually hired Michelle Obama and put her into that link, which may have well been the link that put Barack Obama into that machine. The Chicago Machine, we know what it is. Someone called it gangster government. In Chicago, you have gangster government and Valerie Jarrett’s been in the middle of that. She’s been brokering power for a long time. And the link she has with William Ayers, and other nefarious characters in Chicago tells us what we’ve got in the White House itself. I mean she’s there. There are a number of links directly to Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, Valerie Jarrett, and they go back to Chicago.

This guy is a nut, who is attacking Chicago to score political points with the far right (which he should already have in his back pocket if this talk is indicative of anything).

If President Obama, Valerie Jarrett, Rahm Emanuel, Michelle Obama and others are a product of Chicago politics then does that make Steve King truly representative of Iowa politics?

I certainly hope not, but there are some Iowans who continue to vote for this clown to represent them in front of the citizens of the United States of America.

Here is one of the comments in response to the article:

Equalness4all wrote:

What concerns me is the lack of civility we have in discourse, political and otherwise. I believe that it is healthy to disagree, and argument is a good thing, but hate speech seems to be the rule rather than the exeception. Don’t like someone, call them a name, assassinate their character, spread viscious gossip about them. These things can always be attributed to having heard it from someone else. It is so much easier to protray everybody else as the bad guy than to stand up and offer something for the good of the cause. Mr. King’s double speak is also fascinating, unfortunately he is not alone in doing this. Just look at the quote above. “There are a number of links to Chicago…and they go back to Chicago.” Huh? Really intelligent banter. People in Iowa deserve better, people in the country deserve better.

The people of Iowa may deserve better, but apparently Steve King represents them well enough that they support him and his divisive talk.

Some In The U.S. Ignore, Don’t Understand, Or Don’t Care About Olympic Spirit … Unless Their Party Has Presidency

None of these conservatives would have been cheering if the United States of America had lost a chance to host the 2016 Olympics … if John McCain had won the presidency. I suspect there might have been some politics from a few on the left, but I don’t see any way that people on the left would have been cheerleading as our nation, the United States of America, lost an opportunity to host the Olympic Games of 2016. The official U.S. bid, which would have hosted the game in Chicago, failed … much to the stunning joy of so many on the right wing of the political spectrum.

Roland Martin, a popular CNN contributor, wrote a column about the events surrounding the U.S. losing the chance to host the Olympic Games.

Wrote Martin:

I can recall crying along with millions of Americans when our hockey team beat the Russians and won the hockey gold in 1980. Where were those games? Lake Placid, New York. Euphoria spread all across the nation, not only because we beat the mighty Russians, but also because it took place on American soil.

When Carl Lewis and Mary Lou Retton dominated the 1984 Olympic Games, we all beamed with pride because they represented the United States on American soil in Los Angeles, California.

And when Michael Johnson stormed around the track to obliterate the world record in the 200-meter dash (since broken by Jamaica’s Usain Bolt), we relished the win as he took a victory lap around the stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

Americans love home field advantage, and we always desire to show the rest of the world what we are made of.

Many of these hate-driven conservatives cheering the defeat of the U.S., have disgraced an Olympic spirit they could not possibly understand or know – unless one of their own is president.

It has been much easier for them to cheer against the country, bash our president and trash the great city of Chicago.

CNN:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/10/03/martin.olympics.defeat/index.html

Those Opposed To The United States’ Bid To Host Olympics Used Strategy

Those who were anti-United States of America, and the country’s bid to host the 2016 Olympics, cheered as our nation lost its bid to host the Games. To try and hide their anti-U.S. sentiment, the conservative forces of opposition have tried to make President Barack Obama the face of the bid and to make Chicago the face of the bid. Mr. Obama is our president and Chicago is not a foreign country … it is in the U.S. and this was our nation’s official bid to host the Games. Those who opposed the Olympics (the ones who cheered) seem to be anti-U.S. It’s one thing not to want the Games, but to cheer at our nation’s failure speaks lowly of some of these hate-driven individuals.

Here is another example from Media Matters for America:
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200910020043

More Hate-Driven Republican Reaction Over U.S. Losing The Olympics

Here is a “Republican strategist” named Rich Galen making fun of the United States of American failing to win the right to host the 2016 Olympics.

“Other than people who like to cheer, ‘We’re No. 4! We’re No. 4!’ I don’t know how this is anything but really embarrassing,” Republican strategist Rich Galen said, adding that Obama’s failed pitch will probably be the joke on Capitol Hill for weeks to come.

“Given the last two months starting with the August recess and all of the issues that surrounded that, I think that the White House staff, the senior staff needs to get together somewhere and figure out how they are going to fix this, because they are in a deep slump,” he said.

Here is House Minority Leader John Boehner (to Politico) taking a cheap shot at President Obama who was trying to bring the Olympics to the United States of America.

“Listen, I think it’s a great idea to promote Chicago, but he’s the president of the United States, not the mayor of Chicago. And the problems we have here at home affect all Americans, and that’s where his attention ought to be.”

Where is the pride in America from these Republicans and why the hate for Chicago all of a sudden?

Minority Leader Boehner should know that Chicago is not a foreign country. It is in the United States of America. President Obama is president of the United States of America.

We know there are plenty of problems here … maybe Republicans should have worked harder during the last eight years to take care of them when they had the White House and maybe the GOP should cooperate a little to finally get health care taken care of.

This president has enough energy to take on a lot of tasks.

President Obama was a great ambassador for this country (fighting to rebuild bridges destroyed during the cowboy-diplomacy era) and all of us should have been behind him.

Some of us were not and you have to wonder what the real reason for that truly is.

White House Takes On Conservative Misinformation Coming From Fox News, Glenn Beck

The White House’s blog is taking on misinformation being put out on Fox News by the likes of Glenn Beck. As many of you know the far right has been going nuts about President Obama and others working hard to bring the 2016 Olympics to the United States of America. Anyone else remember some of these same Republicans criticizing the president for going overseas on so-called “apology” tours? President Obama is fighting for the U.S. to have the Olympics and many conservatives are fighting against bringing the Olympics to their own country. Where is the patriotism in these right wingers that makes them not want to work hard to bring the Olympics to the U.S. and showcase the greatness of our country? Are these conservatives now, all of a sudden, haters of America (so bitter they would rather see the Olympic games go to pretty much any other country)?

 

When President George W. Bush was in office this would have been deemed anti-American by conservatives.

 

From The White House blog:

Last night Fox News continued its disregard for the facts in an attempt to smear the Administration’s efforts to win the Olympics for the United States. In the past, hosting the Olympics has been a source of pride and unity for the country, but once again Fox News’ Glenn Beck program has shown that nothing is worthy of respect if it can be used as part of a partisan attack to boost ratings.

 

RHETORIC:          BECK SAID VANCOUVER LOST $1 BILLION WHEN IT “HAD THE OLYMPICS.”   Glenn Beck said, “Vancouver lost, how much was it? they lost a billion dollars when they had the Olympics.”  [Transcript, Glenn Beck Show, 9/29/09]

 

REALITY:              VANCOUVER’S OLYMPICS WILL NOT TAKE PLACE UNTIL 2010.   Vancouver will host the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games from February 12 – 28, 2010 and March 12-21, 2010, respectively. [Vancouver2010.com, accessed 9/29/09]

 

RHETORIC:          CHICAGO IS CLOSING THE GOVERNMENT SEVERAL DAYS A WEEK BECAUSE THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO BE OPEN. Beck’s guest Caddell said, “Chicago is closing the government several days a week because they cannot afford to be open. They are going to go and reward — this is the biggest scandal.” [Transcript, Glenn Beck Show, 9/29/09]

 

REALITY:              CHICAGO HAS HAD ONE REDUCED-SERVICE DAY IN 2009, AND WILL HAVE TWO MORE ON THE FRIDAY AFTER THANKSGIVING AND ON CHRISTMAS EVE.  On August 17, 2009, CBS Chicago reported, “If you planned to check out a library book, visit a city clinic or have your garbage picked up on Monday, you’re out of luck.   The City of Chicago is basically closed for business on Aug. 17, a reduced-service day in which most city employees are off without pay. City Hall, public libraries, health clinics and most city offices will be closed.  Emergency service providers including police, firefighters and paramedics are working at full strength, but most services not directly related to public safety, including street sweeping, will not be provided.  That also includes garbage pickup. Residents who receive regular collection on Mondays should expect trash to be picked up on Tuesday. Some other customers may experience a one-day delay as collectors catch up.  As part of the 2009 budget, three reduced-service days were planned for 2009, days which are unpaid for all affected employees — the Friday after Thanksgiving; Christmas Eve; and New Year’s Eve. The City Council recently approved moving the reduced-service day planned for New Year’s Eve to Monday.  The 2009 budget anticipates saving $8.3 million due to the reduced-service days.   In addition to reduced service days, all non-union employees were asked to take a series of furlough days and unpaid holidays, and most non-sworn union employees agreed to similar unpaid time off.” [CBS Chicago, 8/17/09]

 

RHETORIC: VALERIE JARRETT WILL BENEFIT FINANCIALLY. Beck asked, “Is it possible that she is going to benefit if the Olympics come to Chicago?” Caddell responded, “Well, that’s the word. She has certainly had a lot of dealings going on in real estate.” [Transcript, Glenn Beck Show, 9/29/09]

 

REALITY: UPON ENTERING GOVERNMENT, VALERIE JARRETT DIVESTED ALL HER REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT HOLDINGS EXCEPT FOR A SINGLE INVESTMENT THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE OLYMPIC BID. Valerie Jarrett divested all her investment real estate holdings upon entering government except for a single real estate holding that she was unable to sell. This single real estate investment has been determined by White House Counsel and the independent Office of Government Ethics to present no conflict of interest in performing her duties as a White House advisor.  It has nothing to do with the Olympic bid.

 It’s nice to see more and more people stepping up to combat this blatant  misinformation being spread all over the place (not to mention the ridiculous and unfair attacks on the good people of Chicago).

 

The White House Blog:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Reality-Check-Turning-a-Point-of-Pride-into-a-Moment-of-Shame/

Fox Forum Blogger Noel Sheppard Continues To Flog A Dead Horse

Noel Sheppard is concerned about the so-called liberal bias in the media (while writing for Fox which is perhaps the most blatantly biased name in the major media).

Here is how Sheppard’s blog started:

“The greatest threat to America is not necessarily a recession, or another terrorist attack. The greatest threat to America is a liberal media bias.”

So said Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) last week as he announced the creation of a new Media Fairness Caucus, telling NewsMax, “If the American people can’t get good information, can’t get the facts, and can’t make good decisions, then we simply don’t have a viable democracy.”

Although folks in the liberal blogosphere predictably ridiculed Smith’s comments, any honest assessment supports his concerns about the continually declining journalistic standards employed by today’s news media.

Anyone affiliated with Fox News should look inward before looking outward to discuss “declining journalistic standards.” It’s laughable or Fox to criticize anyone for “declining journalistic standards.” Fox News conservative commentator Bill O’Reilly recently was caught lying about CNN’s coverage of the murder of Pvt. William Long. He waged a war of hate and demonization against Dr. George Tiller that has barely skipped a beat since Dr. Tiller was assassinated by a crazed anti-abortion nut. That is just one example. The first part of that statement is too idiotic and nutty to even warrant a response. Also, the American people are smart enough to get their news from sources they trust (even if one of those sources happens to be right-wing-leaning Fox News).

Sheppard, as you might expect, continued:

Before casting this aside as so much conservative posturing, ask yourself whether Barack Obama would be president today if the press had fully vetted him back in 2007 when he first announced his candidacy.

More to the point, would a junior senator from Illinois have beaten Hillary Clinton if the news media prior to the first primaries and caucuses had fully exposed his:

• Connections to domestic terrorists William Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn
• Connections to the Trinity Church and Reverend Jeremiah Wright
• Connections to corrupt real estate developer Tony Rezko
• Totally unimpressive tenure as an Illinois state senator and U.S. senator?

If the answer is “No,” the press elected Barack Obama — NOT the American people, which is indeed a far greater undermining of our democracy than any attack that has ever been made against this country as well as any economic calamity that’s befallen it.

<YAWN> More of the same old tired stuff that Republicans tried to shove down our throats during the election. No matter how much all of the aforementioned issues were touched on (by all corners of the media) conservatives continue to cry that it was not enough. The American people rejected the ridiculous notion of guilt-by-association politics. Bitter Republicans continue to cling to their failed tactics of the their failed bid for the White House in 2008.

The press did not elect President Obama. The people of this nation overwhelmingly elected President Obama with a huge mandate. The whiners on the left are mad because their efforts to paint Barack Obama as some angry black radical who is a hater of America and a friend of a terrorist failed miserably.

The American people wanted ideas rather than demonization.

The Republicans, and bitter people like Noel Sheppard who reach back into the past to chase ghosts (while laughably assisting the Bush-Cheney “Save-Our-Legacy Tour and apologizing for all the previous administration’s numerous missteps and shortcomings), didn’t get it then and still don’t get it now.

Fox Forum:
http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/06/09/noel-sheppard-is-liberal-media-bias-a-greater-threat-than-terrorism-or-recession/