Kerry: The GOP and Talk Radio Practice Cheap-Seat Politics

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) unleashed a blistering attack on Republicans and talk-raido hosts Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck yesterday, saying that they have dragged the political conversation down to the lowest common denominator.

Focusing on the energy proposal, which broke down in negotiations with teh GOP over an emissions-trading program, the senator told the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce that "it's absurd. We've lost our minds. We're in a period of know-nothingism in the country, where truth and science and facts don't weigh in. It's all short-order, lowest common denominator, cheap-seat politics.

"The obstructionism is stunning," Kerry said, describing how Republicans have blocked Senate business with filibuster tactics more during the past 18 months than the period between the end of World War I and the Apollo moon landing in 1969. "I think America really needs to know more of this kind of tactic and how it's shortchanging us."

He also pegged the $700 billion federal bailout program on George W. Bush.

"It was not Barack Obama, it was not the Democratic Party. It was not us who asked for a bailout, or created the situation that required a bailout. And it was in response to a Republican president that a lot of Democrats stepped up."

WH Correspondents, Obama Chuckle at Wanda Sykes' Joke About Limbaugh's Kidney Failing

Wanda Sykes had some supposedly funny remarks at last night's White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington. Having been diagnosed with End Stage Renal Failure, I wouldn't wish kidney failure on anyone. This is tasteless. But, apparently it's funny if your a liberal president or a Washington journalist.

Rush Limbaugh, one of your big critics, boy, Rush Limbaugh said he hopes this administration fails. So, you're saying "I hope America fails," it's like, I don't care about people losing their homes, or their jobs, our soldiers in Iraq. He just wants the country to fail. To me, that's treason. He's not saying anything differently than what Osama bin Laden is saying. You know, you might want to look into this, Sir, because I think maybe Rush Limbaugh was the 20th hijacker, but he was just so strung out on oxycontin he missed his flight.

Rush Limbaugh, I hope the country fails, I hope his kidneys fail, how 'bout that? Needs a little waterboarding, that's what he needs.

Some other examples of Sykes' humor last night:

"I know Governor Palin, she's not here tonight. She pulled out at the last minute. You know, somebody should tell her that's not really how you practice abstinence.

"Sean Hannity, Sean Hannity said he's going to get waterboarded for charity, for our armed forces. He hasn't done it yet, I see. You know, talking about how he can take a waterboarding. Please. Okay, he can take a waterboarding by someone you know and trust, but let somebody from Pakistan waterboard, or Keith Olbermann. Let Keith Olbermann waterboard him. He can't take a waterboarding. I can break Sean Hannity just by giving him a middle seat in coach.

"Dick Cheney, oh my God, he's a scary man, scares me to death. I tell my kids, I says, "Look, if two cars pull up, and one has a stranger, and the other car has Dick Cheney, you get in the car with the stranger."

For the record, Obama took some jabs at himself and the administration, as told by Richard Leiby of the Washington Post, describing who was safe:

Not Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton: "The minute she got back from Mexico, she pulled me into a hug and said I should go down there myself."

Not Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel: "This is a tough holiday for Rahm. He's not used to saying the word 'day' after 'mother.' "

Not even, it turned out, himself: "During the second 100 days, we will design, build and open a library dedicated to my first 100 days."

And: "My next 100 days will be so successful, I will complete them in 72 days. And on the 73rd day, I will rest."

FOX: Carville Wanted Bush to Fail in 2001

The mass media has been having a field day with Rush Limbaugh's assertion that he wanted President Barack Obama to fail in his efforts to socialize the American economy. But FOX News is reporting today that a leading Democrat had the same sentiments about President George Bush, and voiced those thoughts on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001 just before the terrorist attacks.

On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, just minutes before learning of the terrorist attacks on America, Democratic strategist James Carville was hoping for President Bush to fail, telling a group of Washington reporters: "I certainly hope he doesn't succeed."

Carville was joined by Democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg, who seemed encouraged by a survey he had just completed that revealed public misgivings about the newly minted president.

"We rush into these focus groups with these doubts that people have about him, and I'm wanting them to turn against him," Greenberg admitted.

The pollster added with a chuckle of disbelief: "They don't want him to fail. I mean, they think it matters if the president of the United States fails."

Minutes later, as news of the terrorist attacks reached the hotel conference room where the Democrats were having breakfast with the reporters, Carville announced: "Disregard everything we just said! This changes everything!"

The press followed Carville's orders, never reporting his or Greenberg's desire for Bush to fail. The omission was understandable at first, as reporters were consumed with chronicling the new war on terror. But months and even years later, the mainstream media chose to never resurrect those controversial sentiments, voiced by the Democratic Party's top strategists, that Bush should fail.

That omission stands in stark contrast to the feeding frenzy that ensued when radio host Rush Limbaugh recently said he wanted President Obama to fail. The press devoted wall-to-wall coverage to the remark, suggesting that Limbaugh and, by extension, conservative Republicans, were unpatriotic.

"The most influential Republican in the United States today, Mr. Rush Limbaugh, said he did not want President Obama to succeed," Carville railed on CNN recently. "He is the daddy of this Republican Congress."

Limbaugh, a staunch conservative, emphasized that he is rooting for the failure of Obama's liberal policies.

"The difference between Carville and his ilk and me is that I care about what happens to my country," Limbaugh told Fox on Wednesday. "I am not saying what I say for political advantage. I oppose actions, such as Obama's socialist agenda, that hurt my country.

Gibbs Responds to Limbaugh Speech

Robert Gibbs reposnds to Rush Limbaugh's speech before a conservative group.

Palin Tells Rush Limbaugh: The Media Wants Me to Shut Up, That's Not Going to Happen

Appearing on Rush Limbaugh's radio show this afternoon, Gov. Sarah Palin talked about her relationship with the national media.

RUSH: This is an attempt by the media to make you stop being who you are. What it means is, they're really worried about the effectiveness that you have.

PALIN: Well, yeah, I guess that message is they do want me to sit down and shut up. But that's not going to happen. I care too much about this great country. Now, yes, speaking of some of those associations -- and you're right; mainstream media is not holding Barack Obama accountable -- let's talk quickly about ACORN and the unconscionable situation that we're facing right now with voter fraud. And given the ties between Obama and ACORN and the money that his campaign has sent them and the job that he had with them in the past, Obama has a responsibility to rein in ACORN and prove that he's willing to fight voter fraud. We called him on it.

Later in the conversation there is more discussion about the media and how it has handled the campaign.

RUSH: I don't mean to always harp on the media here because everybody does this, but this is a true observation here. If it weren't for the media covering up for Obama and presenting him as a person he's not, he would be at 30% in the polls. Your odds, therefore, are formidable, the things that you and Senator McCain have to overcome in these last three weeks because you're not only waging a race. This is my opinion. She's not saying this, folks. I'm not trying to put words in your mouth, Governor, but you're waging a race not just against Obama and Biden. You're waging a race against most of the mainstream media in this country. One of the things I have to go back and ask you before we lose our time with you. It's something that profoundly offended me. You have borne up under this well. You're from Alaska; thrust onto the national stage. They start these attempts to destroy you, based on your apparent treasonous behavior to feminism. How did it make you feel when they said you had no business being chosen for vice president because you have a child to raise?

PALIN: Oh, isn't that something? The double standards are something else. But, you know what? If my skin isn't thick enough to take those petty immature shots that are coming from some of them on the other side, then I have no business thinking that I could serve as vice president. And keeping it in perspective, too, Rush when you consider the true shots that actually hurt people across America -- those who are worried about losing their homes, their jobs; maybe their kid or their spouse is over in the war zone, they're worried about that person's safety -- those are the true shots that really matter in America today. So the political... (cell phone drops)

She did reconnect the phone call. The transcript and audio of the whole interview is here at Limbaugh's site.

Limbaugh Fires Back at Obama for Quotes in Ad

There has been a back-and-forth between the Obama campaign and Rush Limbaugh that was started when Sen. Barack Obama released an advertisement that used some of Limbaugh's quotes concerning NAFTA and immigration.

Here is the commercial, which is in Spanish:

Here is the English translation from The Associated Press:

English translation of "Dos Caras," or "Two Faces": Obama: "I'm Barack Obama and I approved this message." Announcer: "They want us to forget the insults we've put up with, the intolerance. They made us feel marginalized in a country we love so much. John McCain and his Republican friends have two faces. One tells lies just to get our vote, and the other, even worse, continues the failed policies of George Bush, putting the interests of powerful groups above working families. John McCain, more of the same Republican deceptions."

The "Two Faces" ad aired by the Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee shows photos of immigrants as a picture of Limbaugh appears at the bottom of the screen. Limbaugh is quoted in text as saying, "Mexicans stupid and unqualified" and "Shut your mouth or get out!" As the announcer speaks of Republicans with two faces, a Spanish newspaper headline appears: "They caused the failure of immigration reform." Photos of McCain with President Bush appear.

Here is Limbaugh in April 2006, where the quote on immigration was taken:

And here is Limbaugh's response today in The Wall Street Journal:

And more to the point, these sound bites are a deception, and Mr. Obama knows it. The first sound bite was extracted from a 1993 humorous monologue poking fun at the arguments against the North American Free Trade Agreement. Here's the context:

"If you are unskilled and uneducated, your job is going south. Skilled workers, educated people are going to do fine 'cause those are the kinds of jobs Nafta is going to create. If we are going to start rewarding no skills and stupid people, I'm serious, let the unskilled jobs that take absolutely no knowledge whatsoever to do -- let stupid and unskilled Mexicans do that work."

My point, which is obvious, was that the people who were criticizing Nafta were demeaning workers, particularly low-skilled workers. I was criticizing the mind-set of the protectionists who opposed the treaty. There was no racial connotation to it and no one thought there was at the time. I was demeaning the arguments of the opponents.

As for the second sound bite, I was mocking the Mexican government's double standard -- i.e., urging open borders in this country while imposing draconian immigration requirements within its own borders. Thus, I took the restrictions Mexico imposes on immigrants and appropriated them as my own suggestions for a new immigration law.

Here's the context for that sound bite: "And another thing: You don't have the right to protest. You're allowed no demonstrations, no foreign flag waving, no political organizing, no bad-mouthing our president or his policies. You're a foreigner: shut your mouth or get out! And if you come here illegally, you're going to jail."

At the time, I made abundantly clear that this was a parody on the Mexican government's hypocrisy and nobody took it otherwise.

The malignant aspect of this is that Mr. Obama and his advisers know exactly what they are doing. They had to listen to both monologues or read the transcripts. They then had to pick the particular excerpts they used in order to create a commercial of distortions. Their hoped-for result is to inflame racial tensions. In doing this, Mr. Obama and his advisers have demonstrated a pernicious contempt for American society.

Olbermann's Verdict: Maddow In, Abrams Out

Rachel Sklar originally wrote this post for the Huffington Post, but it was determined that it was not suitable for that site. So now Poynter is publishing it.

In it, Sklar dissects the removal of Dan Abrams from MSNBC's 9 p.m. slot and inserting Rachel Maddow's new show. The post does a critique of Keith Olbermann's role in all of this, and how his internal political strength at the network is growing.

That network anchors might not be best buddies isn't exactly groundbreaking, but putting all of this together suggests something lopsided at MSNBC. It's not particularly opaque, either; here's Jossip's headline, "Rachel Maddow's New Show: The Most Solid Evidence Yet That Keith Olbermann Runs MSNBC"; here is New York's Daily Intel: "With Appointment of Rachel Maddow to Prime-Time Host, Keith Olbermann Appears to Officially Run MSNBC." Maddow obviously was a rising star at MSNBC anyway, but this isn't about why she was hired, this is about who she replaced, and why -- and, behind the scenes, by whom.

Also, Rush Limbaugh got the coveted Silver the other night as Worser Person in the World for daring to make a comment:



All this back and forth aside, it's clear that Olbermann has not only become the face (and voice) of MSNBC, but he has indeed started to shape its editorial content. Is that good? well, ultimately viewers will decide. People who make a living through political commentary should, in fact, by the nature of the job be forceful. But Olbermann always dishes up a main course of attacks on conservatives, often getting personal. (Would he mock a liberal he disagreed with by bringing up a previous drug problem? I doubt it.) And is it wise for any network to allow the talent to make programming decisions?

It is clear that FOX has it voice, and MSNBC-Keith is developing its own. Whether it results in ratings and advertisment revenues remains to be seen. What's truly important is that viewers understand they are watching commentary. Occasionally, the line between opinion and straight news gets blurry. Newspapers have it easy. They have "news" pages and "editorial" pages. Television is different, and the mixing of the two is growing.