Aw, Lloyd Have Mercy … Right-Winger Attacks NAACP Over Image Awards, Van Jones

Van Jones

Black far-right commentator Lloyd Marcus is back at it trying to score points with conservatives (including Tea Party extremists) through his latest attack on something representing black people.

The saddest part of Marcus’s attack (an opinion piece titled “NAACP Image Award Reaches New Low”) is that he strangely attempts to use Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a weapon to take shots at the NAACP, organization president Benjamin Todd Jealous and NAACP Image Award recipient Van Jones, the victim of a vicious smear campaign led by right-wing extremist Glenn Beck and other on-air personalities at Fox News and on the radio airwaves.

Here is a portion of what Marcus wrote in his attempt to smear the NAACP and take another shot at Jones:

Dr. King’s once-great NAACP has become a negative, shameful tool of the left: overseers committed to keeping their fellow blacks dependent and subservient to the Democrat party. Including once-self-proclaimed Communist Van Jones [pictured] among the honorees at this year’s NAACP Image Award show last night epitomizes the organization’s descent into liberal Hades. Jones was forced to resign as the Obama administration’s green czar due to his radical, far-left ideas, which include believing the Bush administration blew up the towers on 9/11. Jones has spouted extremely vicious and vulgar comments about political opponents. NAACP President Benjamin Todd Jealous called Jones ‘an American treasure.’ Is Jones the ‘image’ that the NAACP wishes to present to young black America while treating black U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and black former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice like dirt? Utterly outrageous and shameful.

I am not sure I totally get the connection Marcus is attempting to draw to link the NAACP to Dr. King. That doesn’t seem to make sense to me. I don’t know that Dr. King really had a particularly strong affiliation or relationship with the NAACP. Contrary to popular belief, not all activists during the Civil Rights Era were directly involved with the NAACP.

Marcus’s column sounds like more right-wing hate targeted at Van Jones, a man conservatives have tried to portray as an extremist, as a communist and as someone who is anti-American (primarily to attack President Barack Obama through his association with Jones).

Right wingers are upset because Jones called Republicans “assholes” at some point in his life. To those who are upset about it, I say, “quit crying.”

Come up with your own awards if you don’t like the ones the NAACP Image Awards are handing out.

As for the comments about former U.S.  Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, I see a split decision. I don’t have a huge problem with Rice (I probably do not agree with her on a whole lot in terms of politics, and that is OK), but Thomas is a completely different story. Sorry, but there is not a whole lot of love over here for Justice Thomas.

As for Jones linking Bush to 9/11, that is disputed. Here is Jones, account of the controversial issue.

Whether people like Lloyd Marcus like it or not, people are not going to throw a talented and bright man like Van Jones under the bus.

I applaud the NAACP for recognizing a man who has given a lot to this country and has much more to give in the years to come.

UPDATE ON VAN JONES: Jones also holds a joint appointment at Princeton University, as a distinguished visiting fellow in both the Center for African American Studies and in the Program in Science, Technology and Environmental Policy at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.

Tim Wise Speaks On White Privilege And Racism Directed At President Obama

Fox News Assists Republican Presidential Candidates

It is becoming increasingly clear that Fox News clearly is home to Republican candidates (arguably in exile) gearing up for potential runs at the White House in 2012.

Fox News is offering its network as a platform for potential Republican candidates such as Mike Huckabee, Sarah  Palin, Newt Gingrich and others to stay in the public eye during the next two-plus years.

In reality, the network conservatives trust is allowing these high-profile (rumored) candidates to basically run a silent phase and fund-raising part of their 2012 campaigns while staying in the public eye.

I wonder when Mitt Romney will get his show.

Media Matters for America:
http://mediamatters.org/blog/201001140010

Sen. Harry Reid’s Comments Well Intended, But Reckless And Ignorant

Sen. Harry Reid has an amazing habit of creating his own troubles, and it seems he is again guilty of a self-inflicted political blunder with a racial twist. Sen. Reid’s comments came in 2008 and were part of the book “Game Change” by Mark Halperin, of Time Magazine, and John Heilemann, of New York magazine. The book was a behind-the-scenes look at the historical presidential campaign of 2008 that featured current president Barack Obama and rivals such as current secretary of state Hillary Clinton. 

Here is a portion of a story written by the Huffington Post that discusses the part in question that now has Sen. Reid, who has issued the customary apology, in some hot water.

“He (Reid) was wowed by Obama’s oratorical gifts and believed that the country was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama – a ‘light-skinned’ African American ‘with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one,’ as he later put it privately,” according to the book.

First off, Sen. Reid did not make these comments intending to do harm to President Obama or out of some racist motivation. In his own way, clumsy as it was, he was attempting to pay the president a compliment. Unfortunately, this poor attempt shows that Reid in some ways does not grasp how serious people are taking political correctness these days (even when you are attempting to be complimentary). A good number of liberals, as Dr. Boyce Watkins points out, often attempt to pass compliments in this kind of ham-handed way to show that they are down for the cause.

The “no Negro dialect” comment is more than a little puzzling to me. It reminds me of something that people must have said in the early 1900s or late 1800s. How many people still use the word “Negro” today? That is just an odd choice of words to say the very least.

By the way, here is Sen. Reid’s apology statement as reported by CNN:

REID: I deeply regret using such a poor choice of words. I sincerely apologize for offending any and all Americans, especially African Americans for my improper comments. I was a proud and enthusiastic supporter of Barack Obama during the campaign and have worked as hard as I can to advance President Obama’s legislative agenda.

The apology was accepted by Barack Obama and should be accepted by others. Sen. Reid (and I have not always been his biggest fan) needs to choose his words better (even if he sees himself as passing a compliment), but it’s clear that while his brain and mouth were malfunctioning, his heart probably was in the right place.

As a side note, RNC chairman Michael Steele has compared Sen. Reid’s comments to those of former Sen. Trent Lott, who felt the U.S. would have been better off if segregationist Strom Thurmond had become president in 1948. As I wrote in an earlier blog, it just shows how ignorant, political and hypocritical Michael Steele is in his role for the Republicans.

Conservative Politicians Will Try To Use President Obama As Weapon

According to an article in POLITICO, Republicans are attempting to use President Obama as a weapon in the upcoming 2010 elections against Democratic rivals.

This strategy is no big secret. In fact, this is merely Republicans being slow to the punch with a strategy Democrats used (successfully) against George W. Bush during the previous eight years. But, this is more than just the politics of President Obama at play. Many of these political haters had already solidified their feelings for Barack Obama before he was even elected president. Make no mistake about it: the racial angle is difficult to ignore. From a pure political standpoint, it is the gift that keeps on giving for the most hardcore of conservatives. This is not about health care, budget deficits or wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (all of which were problems long before Barack Obama was elected president a little less than 14 months ago). Face it, a significant number of were (and still are) quite a bit uncomfortable with a black president. This secret strategy, from far-right conservatives, seeks to exploit that feeling (on top of the usual politics that are to be expected with any president).

This strategy helps fire up that highly conservative base by plastering images of President Obama all across TV sets and print publications.

There are other factors. Included in the other factors is payback. Republicans and conservatives seethed as they felt President Bush was attacked over and over again (he was attacked quite a bit) in the twilight of his presidency. Like a football game, the hardcore Republicans and conservatives were on defense against a juggernaut of an offensive attack strengthened by the momentum of the game. Now, they have the ball and they are on offense. The right wing now has the ball, but it has little game plan (beyond anger and fear).

Anger and fear will not win elections and will not help Republicans as this country increasingly becomes multicultural.

Check out this comment from the POLITICO article:

“For candidates who are running in Republican gubernatorial primaries, it would be a mistake not to contrast their ideology vis-à-vis the president,” said Brad Todd, a GOP ad man who is a veteran of governor’s races. “We are begging for a national election. It will benefit Republicans in every race where that nationalized dynamic is in place.”

Again, this is the old strategy used against the second President Bush. In general, this national strategy will not work as President Obama still enjoys pretty strong ratings. But, in some isolated pockets of the country, such a strategy will work effectively (as it did during the election of 2008). Many pockets of this country still exist where the men and women continue to hate Barack Obama (some even more so) as they did the minute he became the Democrat frontrunner in the primary in 2008.

POLITICO:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31128.html

Amazing How Republicans Become Racially Sensitive When They See Opportunity To Attack Democrats

Republicans have had a rather dubious in regard to race relations for decades, but it seems their sensitivity to race has recently been heightened. The right-wing has spotted some blood in the water and is going after one of its favorite targets: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who likened the Republican health care opposition to slavery. As one might expect, right-wing nuts emerged from everywhere to pounce on Sen. Reid and accuse of him of playing the so-called race card (one of angry Michelle Malkin’s favorite terms). Malkin is just one of a gang of conservatives moving into to attack like one of the groups from the legendary Michael Jackson music video, “Beat It.”

As Media Matters for America has pointed out, however, conservatives have for years attacked progressives (in particular) blacks for being slaves to the government. We’ve routinely heard from conservatives that people who are on welfare are like slaves and that if health care is enacted that people will essentially become slave-like.

Here are the remarks Media Matters for America cited from conservatives (with the usual subjects in Fox News, Rush Limbaugh and Michelle Malkin leading the way):

Fox’s Bolling: “Were you shocked as I was when I heard him?” On the December 7 edition of Fox News’ Your World, guest host Eric Bolling — who also frequently guest hosts for Glenn Beck — asked Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (TX): “[W]ere you shocked as I was when I heard him compare — if you were against health care, you may actually be in favor of slavery?” Bolling later asked if Reid’s comments were an indication of “desperation” about health care reform.

FoxNews.com: Reid “took his GOP-blasting rhetoric to a new level Monday.” In a December 7 article, FoxNews.com wrote that Reid “took his GOP-blasting rhetoric to a new level Monday, comparing Republicans who oppose health care reform to lawmakers who clung to the institution of slavery more than a century ago.”

Limbaugh: “This is outrageous.” On his radio show, Rush Limbaugh said that Reid’s remarks were “outrageous, because Harry Reid knows the Republican Party was born in the fight against slavery.” Limbaugh added that Reid’s remarks are an indication of what Democrats have “been reduced to.”

Malkin: Reid “playing the race card.” In a December 7 post, Michelle Malkin wrote that Reid was playing the race card in his remarks, adding: “I’m sure Nevadans appreciate being likened to slavemasters, too.”

It just goes to show the nuts at Fox News along with a cabinet-level nut like Malkin and the NOTUS (Nut Of The United States) Rush Limbaugh are the biggest of the hypocrites.

Where was Michelle Malkin’s outrage when Glenn Beck used slavery multiple times to attack progressives.

This is another way some conservatives gleefully spit in the face of minorities and act as if minorities are not smart enough to sift through the B.S. and middle-America whites are not smart enough to understand their game.

Check out the evidence Media Matters for America displays to show that conservatives lacked the outrage when they’re diversity-challenged side has made comments using slavery.

Chris Matthews Apologizes For Irresponsible Comment About President Obama, West Point

MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, who hosts “Hardball” on the network, made what a large number of people considered to be a highly offensive and inexplicable statement about President Obama’s speech at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Matthews said that the president went into “the enemy camp” for his speech at West Point. Obviously, you don’t need advanced college degrees to know and see the offensive nature of such a statement. Matthews, rightly, came under fire for those comments.

Here is what Matthews originally said:

MATTHEWS: I didn’t see much excitement. But among the older people there, I saw, if not resentment, skepticism. I didn’t see a lot of warmth in that crowd out there that the President chose to address tonight and I thought that was interesting. He went to maybe the enemy camp tonight to make his case. I mean, that’s where Paul Wolfowitz used to write speeches for, back in the old Bush days. That’s where he went to rabble rouse the ‘we’re going to democratize the world’ campaign back in ‘02. So, I thought it was a strange venue.

That is reprehensible and just plain stupid. At the very least, it was a poor choice of words.

Wednesday night, Matthews was back on the air to issue what could arguably be considered an apology:

MATTHEWS: But first. I’ve gotten some very tough calls from parents of cadets and from former cadets at West Point and about my saying last night that the President going to speak up there to maybe the “enemy camp.” I was talking about the skepticism I saw on the faces in the crowd as President Obama spoke also of course about how West Point was where President Bush went in 2002 to make his most hawkish speech before the Iraq war.

Now I’ve heard too many politicians say things like, “oh that was taken out context” to explain something they wish they hadn’t said let me just say to the cadets, their parents, former cadets and everyone who cares about this country and those who defend it: I used the wrong words and worse than that I said something that is just not right and for that I deeply apologize.

As those who watch me regularly probably got right away, my point was that the military up at West Point was probably a skeptical audience for President Obama given his strong position against the war in Iraq and generally more dovish image. I was wrong to make that conclusion based on the lack of applause or apparent enthusiasm in the ranks of officers and cadets last night. Cadets, one former cadet and a friend of mine just told me, aren’t supposed to show that kind of reaction to a speaker.

He, a former cadet, reminded me that soldiers, including those now in training to face the enemy, want wars to be fought effectively and ended as quickly as possible. I had no reason to assume that the cadets at West Point or their officers who were present last night are more hawkish than the president. People who have watched me over the years know, I think, of my strong devotion to this country and strong gratitude toward those who serve in the military. It’s because our military is so good and true I want the civilians that make the policies and set the missions to get them right, in this country’s best possible interest. And by the way, it’s something we’re allowed to argue about in this country. Whenever I meet someone with a service record I always say, “thank you for your service.” They know I say it, and I hope they know I mean it.

It’s good that Chris Matthews apologized for his comments. He could have done what Bill O’Reilly would do and make excuses, blame the victims and bring on someone like Juan Williams to defend him against a charge. Fortunately, Matthews did not do that and issued a solid apology for his words.

President Obama’s Administration Walks A Tightrope In Justifiable Criticism Of Fox news

President Barack Obama certainly walks a fine line as his administration criticizes Fox News for being the right-wing news organization that clearly it is these days. Frankly, it’s a shame that more liberals do not have the guts to call out Fox News for its far-right commentary and it’s right-wing news (greatly influenced by its far-right commentary). Anita Dunn, David Axelrod, Rahm Emanuel and others from the Obama Administration have made their views about Fox News clear and I find it difficult to disagree with much of what we’ve heard from that trio. But, while the criticism is justifiable, the administration has to be careful not to come across as denying Fox News reasonable access (the kinds of access granted to other networks (this excludes interviews). The administration must be fair to the media in terms of certain kinds of access yet still be up front and honest about its criticisms of Fox News for functioning as Republican operatives.

I thought of this again as I read a column by Chicago Tribune columnist Clarence Page, who is a legendary figure in the industry:

Surely President Barack Obama and his advisers don’t really think that their feud with Fox News will do anything but enhance the cable network’s viewership. A deeper problem is what the flap reveals about Team Obama, which seems to be more comfortable with campaigning than governing.

I’m not happy about that. It does not fill me with glee to see Fox News star Sean Hannity joyfully replaying Obama’s 2004 come-together speech about how we’re “not red states or blues states” but “the United States of America” and asking where is Obama’s promise now?

I see what Clarence is saying … I really do. But this criticism of Fox News, in my opinion, has nothing to do with ratings. Fox News has high ratings and will continue to have high ratings because it has cornered the market on far-right nuts who believe in moronic conspiracies of the mainstream media ( which is in their minds every news outlet but Fox) being out to get them. As far as Clarence’s point about Sean Hannity, he lacks much credibility and is only a factor in society as an entertainer of far-right conservatives. His program lacks any real value as far as news is concerned and is akin to watching an hour of professional wrestling (though Hannity is not that entertaining).
 
More from Page:

I don’t agree with Hannity on much. He’s only a tad more serious-minded as a news clown, in my grumpy view, than his colleague Glenn Beck. But, as much as my wife might run from the house when she hears me say it, Hannity’s right on this one.

Sure, it is disingenuous for right-wing pundits to accuse Obama of dividing the country, considering the five-star job they have done in turning us against each other. But if Obama is being judged by a different standard of civility, it is a standard he set for himself. He promised to bridge Washington‘s culture wars, not fire them up.

Sure, President Obama did promise to bridge the gap, but doesn’t Fox News also profess to being fair and balanced? At least President Obama has legitimately attempted to bridge the gap while Fox News now essentially is suffering from a full-blown case of O.J. Simpson Syndrome (telling a lie so often you begin to believe it is true).

The adminstration should continue to expose the clear 24/7 bias of Fox News (including on the air, on its Web site and on its blog site The Fox Nation), but not to the point of being distracted too much from the real important and real issues our nation faces.

Clarence Page’s column is hopeful, but no amount of reaching out is going to persuade Fox News to become anything close to fair and balanced.

Karl Rove Uses The ‘Arrogant’ Argument Which Is Code For Uppity

It seems that conservative pundits are becoming increasingly upset with President Obama and perhaps seeing him as a little too uppity. That comes across as strikingly apparent as you listen to the words of former George W. Bush strategist Karl Rove, who has found a nice home for himself nad his far-right perspectives at Fox News (imagine that). Here is an excerpt from Rove who goes to the “arrogant” charge against President Obama. And, as has been pointed out here and by other people, “arrogant” is code for uppity.

Check out this from Fox News:

Fox News contributor Karl Rove, who was the top political strategist to former President George W. Bush, said: “This is an administration that’s getting very arrogant and slippery in its dealings with people. And if you dare to oppose them, they’re going to come hard at you and they’re going to cut your legs off.”

“This is a White House engaging in its own version of the media enemies list. And it’s unhelpful for the country and undignified for the president of the United States to so do,” Rove added. “That is over- the-top language. We heard that before from Richard Nixon.”

Rove, who was silent when many who protested the war were labeled anti-American and not supporting the troops, is basically telling President Obama to know his place.

Next he will be calling him “boy” or worse.

Conservatives Are Already Crying Because President Obama Has Won Nobel Peace Prize

It’s difficult to imagine any Republicans in the Untied States of America winning a Nobel Peace Prize since so many of them appear driven by hatred for their own president.

President Barack Obama was named winner of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize and, yes, far-right and even moderate-right Republicans now are beginning to come out in force to whine like spoiled children in a toy store not getting their way. But, think about it, should any of us be surprised some on the right now are mobilizing to go into full attack mode on the president because he won this award for working toward increasing the peace around the world?

No one should be the least bit surprised Republicans are throwing child-like temper tantrum mode as Barack Obama has become just the third sitting U.S. president to win the award.

From Think Progress:

Obama is the third sitting U.S. President to win the award. “Woodrow Wilson was awarded the prize in 1919, after helping to found the League of Nations and shaping the Treatise of Versailles; and Theodore Roosevelt was the recipient in 1906 for his work to negotiate an end to the Russo-Japanese war.” (Jimmy Carter won the award after leaving the presidency, and former Vice President Al Gore won in 2007 for his work on climate change.)

President Obama has worked at worldwide diplomacy to rebuild international bridges damaged and destroyed during seven-plus years of the administration of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. While Republicans have blasted the president for criticizing America, in reality he has been working toward peace to show people we are partners in the world and the U.S. is not the almighty dictator looking down on the rest of the world as if they are inferior.

So, while President Obama was “humbled” by this honor, it appears right wingers are outraged.

The hate, coming from Republicans, starts right at the top with the Republican National Committee which issued this hate-soaked statement:

The real question Americans are asking is, “What has President Obama actually accomplished?” It is unfortunate that the president’s star power has outshined tireless advocates who have made real achievements working towards peace and human rights. One thing is certain — President Obama won’t be receiving any awards from Americans for job creation, fiscal responsibility, or backing up rhetoric with concrete action.

Typical hate coming from an RNC that was asleep at the wheel when the worldwide reputation of the United States of America was going on the toilet under President Bush and Vice President Cheney.

The statement shows that the Michael Steele National Committee, excuse me … RNC, is sticking to failed tactics from a failed presidential campaign (whining about Barack Obama’s so-called star power).

But, wait, it gets better when you check out this blog post from right-wing nut Erick Erickson, of the National Review, who subtly adds what some would consider a racial element to this mix:

I did not realize the Nobel Peace Prize had an affirmative action quota for, but that is the only thing I can think of for this news.

Translation: Here is another unqualified black person winning something that should have gone to a white person … it has to be affirmative action.

Erickson slips in the customary shots at President Jimmy Carter and President Bill Clinton, too.

President Obama is working to bring other nations to the table of diplomacy so many in the worldwide community feel invested in the destiny of the world and not at the mercy of the U.S.

From the New York Times:

Mr. Obama’s foreign policy has been criticized bitterly among neoconservatives like former Vice President Dick Cheney, who have suggested his rhetoric is naïve and his inclination to talk to America’s enemies will leave the United States vulnerable to another terrorist attack.

In its announcement of the prize, the Nobel Committee seemed to directly refute that line of thinking.

“Obama has as president created a new climate in international politics,” the committee wrote. “Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play.”

Congratulations President Obama, but there is a LOT of work ahead. This is no time to rest.

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.

Far-Right Bill Kristol Comes To Defense Of Rep. Joe Wilson

Rep.  Joe Wilson’s outrageous and disgraceful outburst during President Obama’s speech before a joint session of Congress has set in and now some of the far-right commentators are beginning to come to the defense of their newly-declared hero (perhaps he represents their feelings, attitudes, professionalism and ability to self control). I am not contending that Wilson should have someone put a foot up his ass and sending him flying out of Congress. But, he does not to be soundly condemned for his ridiculous outburst that bring into question his mental stability.

Predictably on Fox, Kristol had this to say:

KRISTOL: Can I just say one thing? He [Obama] is leading his party off a cliff, and Speaker Pelosi is going to lead his party — her party off the cliff if they try to rebuke Joe Wilson.

He has apologized. It will be a disgrace if they do some stunt in the House to try to humiliate this man, who is, in fact — has a reputation for bipartisanship on the Armed Services Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee he’s on.

Obama and Pelosi are leading the party off a cliff, I think, and I hope a lot of Democrats say, Slow down. Let’s take a look at this bill.

People on both sides of the aisle have come together to condemn the garbage the world heard from Wilson. This should not be a partisan issue in the very least. This is something both sides should be able to come together and denounce. The fact that Kristol is saying something like this shows how irrational and unreasonable he is for the lack of respect and discipline shown by Wilson. Kristol, rather skillfully, has tried to twist this around and use it as an excuse to attack President Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi. This is not about President Obama and Speaker Pelosi. This is about Joe Wilson.

Think Progress:
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/09/13/kristol-leave-wilson-alone/

Rep. Joe Wilson Is A Disgrace For His Lack Of Self Control And Outright Disrespect … And More

South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson disgraced himself with an appalling display during President Obama’s speech to Congress about health care. I wonder how proud his state must be feeling of this man right now. As if one of the state’s eyes wasn’t blackened enough with the scandal of the governor, this man comes in and disgraces his state on national television and in front of the world with a shocking lack of self control, respect and discipline. It was a truly stunning display that left both Democrats and Republicans nearly paralyzed with shock.

Here is part of a CNN story that describes what happened:

A Republican House member shouted, “You lie” during President Obama’s health care speech to Congress on Wednesday, and members of both parties condemned the heckling.

After the speech, South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson issued a statement apologizing for his outburst.

“This evening, I let my emotions get the best of me when listening to the president’s remarks regarding the coverage of illegal immigrants in the health care bill,” the statement said. “While I disagree with the president’s statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the president for this lack of civility.”

Wilson also called the White House to apologize and spoke with Obama’s Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

The outburst came when Obama denied that proposed health care legislation would provide free health coverage for illegal immigrants. Immediately, Wilson shouted, “You lie!” Watch the outburst and the chamber’s response »

The outburst caused Obama to stop and look toward the heckler. “That’s not true,” the president responded.

Once again, I think this shows the irrational hatred that some on the far right have for this particular president. It also shows that some of what is coming from the far right is less ideal oriented and more hate driven. For this man to lose control (as he did) in this forum speaks to out-of-control, irrational anger and a lack of basic discipline and civility.

This man, Joe Wilson, has disgraced Congress, our country, his state, his constituents and himself.

Here is what some are saying:

• Sen. Dick Durbin (Democrat): It was crude and disrespectful. I think the person who said it will pay a price.
• Sen. Bob Corker, (Republican): Certainly, I respect the office of the president, and I think that’s not the kind of thing that is appropriate in that kind of setting especially/. I don’t know who said it, but my sense is most people don’t think it was a good idea it occurred. And I happen to be one of those.
• Sen. John McCain (Republican): (Wilson) should apologize for it immediately.
• Rob Miller (Democrat who is challenging Wilson): Rep. Wilson’s behavior tonight exemplifies everything that is wrong in Washington. Instead of engaging in childish name-calling and disrespecting our commander-in-chief, Joe Wilson should be working towards a bipartisan solution that makes quality, affordable health care available to each and every South Carolinian.
• South Carolina Democratic party chairwoman Carol Fowler: Once again a South Carolina Republican has embarrassed our state. Never has any member of Congress shown such disrespect for the president during a speech.
• Erick Erickson (conservative for RedState.com: (Wilson is a) “great American hero.
• Sen. Patrick Leahy (Democrat): I’ve never seen anything like it. I talked to a number of my Republican friends on the way out who were mortified and angry that someone would do that.
• Sen. Claire McCaskill (Democrat): Biggest disappointment of evening, the total lack of respect shown by one member for the President. Never acceptable to behave like a jerk.

Wilson shamed himself, his state and his country.

This was cited by Huffington Post:

The non-partisan organization FactCheck.org has debunked the claim that health care reform would mandate coverage for illegal immigrants.

CNN:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/09/joe.wilson/

Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/09/gop-rep-wilson-yells-out_n_281480.html

The Hill:
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/58035-you-lie-mccain-calls-on-wilson-to-apologize

Stop The Race Baiting: Call On Advertisers to Drop Glenn Beck

FOX’s Glenn Beck:

“This president has exposed himself as a guy over and over and over again who has a deep-seated hatred for white people … this guy is, I believe, a racist.”

Beck is on a campaign to convince the American public that President Obama’s agenda is about serving the needs of Black communities at White people’s expense. It’s repulsive, divisive and shouldn’t be on the air.

Join us in calling on Beck’s advertisers to stop sponsoring his show.

Stick with this movement and sign the petition to send a message to Fox News and its advertisers about Glenn Beck’s irresponsibility:
http://www.colorofchange.org/beck/

Is Van Jones Stronger In The White House Or Out Of It?

Blogger Kate Sheppard has an interesting take on the manufactured controversy (led by far-right Fox News nut Glenn Beck) over Van Jones. As many of you know, the right has been attempting for more than a year now to try and portray Barack Obama as some kind of an angry black radical (almost exclusively through people he is connected to – so-called “associations”). The latest person targeted by Beck is Jones (although Beck has been dishonest about not admitting that there appears to be another motivation behind his all-out assault on a relatively low-level member of President Obama’s administration in a role few people would otherwise care about).

But, is Jones more powerful in the Obama administration or out of it?

Here is a part of Sheppard’s take:

Those fears have, to some extent, panned out. Jones’s most public appearance in the past few months may have been when he stood up at a White House press conference to ask the gathered reporters to silence their cell phones (he had no further remarks to make). Instead of playing a leading role in drumming up support for clean-energy polices—something he was extremely effective at—he’s now a relatively low-level bureaucrat trying to steer stimulus funding toward green-job programs. In all honesty, Glenn Beck may have more to worry about with Jones outside the White House than in it.

There may be some truth to that last sentence. Maybe Beck’s efforts (if successful) could turn Jones into something of a political martyr who could be a greater factor outside the Obama administration.

But, Beck’s motives seem to be more about: (1) smearing Barack Obama and portraying him as an angry black radical and (2) marginalizing the somewhat successful ColorOfChange boycott against him by smearing someone who helped start the group.

Two Far-Right Bigots (O’Reilly And Beck) Talking About People Being Anti-American Is Just Dumb

It’s funny to watch two far-right nuts like Bill O’Reilly and Glenn Beck attack this guy Van Jones and attack Rev. Jeremiah Wright (as a way of attacking President Obama as being associated with black radicals so they can try to scare people). This approach failed miserably in the presidential campaign of 2008, but biased individuals like the dishonest O’Reilly and the reckless Beck are sitting there as if their closets are in order bashing people for being anti-American (it’s the modern-day version of calling people communist). Oh, wait, they invoked the word “communist” in their segment, too.

I wonder if O’Reilly harshly grilled Beck about his nasty comments about President Obama:

BECK: This president has exposed himself as a guy, over and over and over again, who has a deep-seated hatred for white people, or the white culture, I don’t know what it is.

Right Wing Idiots Are Fast Approaching The Point Of Dangerous

The right-wing nuts are becoming angrier and more hostile as time passes on and President Obama is still less than a year into his presidency. Anger and hostility can lead to violence. Code words like socialist (and worse) are words that show just how frightening a path many from the lowest element of our country are headed. The enablers who shrug off the hatred and venom in these town hall protests and tea party protests (much of which masks a form of racism) was evident down a heated town hall gathering in Massachusetts where Rep. Barney Frank, a democrat, was a speaker (on the topic of health care reform).

Here is how Think Progress describes the wickedness and anger from some of these protesters (anger of us many saw coming as it became evident Barack Obama was going to become president):

At one point, Frank asked the crowd: “Which one of you wants to yell next?” Frank then excoriated a woman who asked a question while holding up a picture of President Obama defaced to look like Hitler:

QUESTION: Why do you continue to support a Nazi policy as Obama has expressly supported this policy? Why are you supporting it? [...]

FRANK: On what planet do you spend most of your time? … You want me to answer the question? Yes. You stand there with a picture of the President defaced to look like Hitler and compare the effort to increase health care to the Nazis. My answer to you is, as I said before, it is a tribute to the First Amendment that this kind of vile, contemptible nonsense is so freely propagated.

Well said by Rep. Frank. It’s moronic bigots like this person who confronted Rep. Frank, seething with hatred, who sadly benefit from the amazing freedoms we enjoy in this great country.

They’re more interested in hate (for this new president) than in doing something positive for those in our country who need it so badly.

Sadly, we have to put up with idiots like that so that many more can continue to enjoy freedoms.

AS A SIDE NOTE (you will understand this if you watch the video): I think Rep. Frank would have a better conversation with a dining room table than with that bigoted, hateful moron.

Fear Of A Black President

See how racism has gripped the far-right movement polluted by bigots like Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, G. Gordon Liddy and others.