O'Reilly Suggests President Obama Tried To Make Boehner Cry ... Aw

I must admit to being among those who are wondering what is going on with new Speaker of the House John Boehner's habitual crying.

But, I did find this passage (as quoted by The Huffington Post) a little interesting:

Bill O'Reilly expressed concern about Speaker of the House John Boehner's emotional stability on his Friday show, and said that international leaders were "laughing" at him and calling him a "sissy."

O'Reilly was speaking to Fox News colleague Chris Wallace, who will interview Boehner on Sunday. "He's got to get his emotions under control," O'Reilly said. He posited that President Obama may have been trying to make Boehner cry during the State of the Union address. He then compared him to two American icons.

"You've got your George Pattons, you've got your George Washingtons--stoic, tough," O'Reilly said. "A lot of Americans, you know, well if the guy's crying every two minutes, does that mean he's strong, does that impact on his credibility?"

So, O'Reilly thinks the president was attempting to make Boehner cry?

If President Obama can make John Boehner do anything then crying is the least of the things he should be trying to make him do.

Although it does remind me of...

"... these aren't the droids you're looking for."

Kelley Williams-Bolar Case A Disturbing One That Color Of Change Is Following

Here is a letter from ColorofChange:

Kelley Williams-Bolar wanted to give her children a better life by sending them to school in the nearby majority-White school district where her father lives — and she went to jail for it. Now, as a convicted felon, helping her children will be even harder — she had been studying to become a teacher, but that dream may have ended as well.

Real justice requires that the punishment fit the crime; by any measure, this is cruelly unjust.

Please join us calling on Governor Kasich to take a public stand and do everything he can to right this injustice (including making sure that Williams-Bolar has the opportunity to become a teacher in Ohio). And please ask your friends and family to add their voices as well — it takes just a moment:

http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/ohioschools

Kelley Williams-Bolar is a single mother of two daughters, and she is a teacher’s aide in Akron city schools who has been studying to become a teacher. According to Williams-Bolar, after their home in a housing project was burglarized, she decided to protect her daughters’ safety by sending them to school in neighboring Copley Township, where her father lives.¹

Williams-Bolar claims that she maintained a part-time residence at her father’s home, but the school district didn’t see it that way. Neither did County Prosecutor Sherri Walsh, who charged Williams-Bolar with grand theft and falsifying records — a third-degree felony. The judge presiding over the case recognized the harshness of the felony charge and encouraged Prosecutor Walsh to offer a plea bargain for a lighter charge — but Walsh flatly refused.²

Williams-Bolar was convicted on the felony charge, and sentenced to 5 years in prison. The judge suspended all but 10 days of the jail time, instead ordering 2 years of probation and 80 hours of community service. She’s out of jail now, but the repercussions could last a lifetime: unless the felony is eliminated from her record, Williams-Bolar may be unable to earn her teaching certificate under Ohio law. Williams-Bolar is only a few classes away from earning her teaching certificate.³

Any parent could understand why Kelley Williams-Bolar did what she did to try to give her children access to opportunity. It’s tragic that families around America must make choices like this every day in order to ensure their kids are safe and well-educated. And it’s tragic that this family’s opportunity to succeed stands to be limited because a single mom chose to put her kids first.

With just a moment of your time, you can make clear to Governor John Kasich that you expect him to lead in ensuring real justice that’s proportional to the facts of the case. By speaking out, you’re not just standing with Williams-Bolar — you’re standing with every parent who doesn’t have access to great schools, and who must make difficult choices.

Please join our call for justice for Kelley Williams-Bolar. And when you do, please ask your friends and family to do the same.

Thanks and Peace,

-- James, Gabriel, William, Dani, Natasha and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
January 28th, 2011

References:

1. "Ohio Mom Kelley Williams-Bolar Jailed for Sending Kids to Better School District," ABC News, 1-26-2011
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/703?akid=1876.868165.A8JX3O&t=7

2. "Kelley Williams-Bolar leaves jail but public outcry escalates," The Beacon Journal, 1-26-2011
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/704?akid=1876.868165.A8JX3O&t=9

3. See Reference 1

Prince Discusses Fox News Credibility In Journal-isms Column

The credibility of Fox News has generally been in question, but has gone in the toilet since the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States.

Since the election of President Obama, Fox News seemingly has gone "all in" as far as its support for conservative causes and Republican/Tea Party candidates.

This is reflected, to some extent, in a column entry written by Richard Prince (you may have to scroll down a bit):

"PPP's annual look at the public's trust in various TV news outlets finds that Fox News' credibility is on the decline, that the traditional networks are seeing an up tick in their numbers, and that PBS is at the top of the heap," the group Public Policy Polling reported Wednesday.

"A year ago a plurality of Americans said they trusted Fox News. Now a plurality of them don't. Conservatives haven't moved all that much — 75% said they trusted it last year and 72% still do this time around.

"But moderates and liberals have both had a strong increase in their level of distrust for the network — a 12 point gain from 48% to 60% for moderates and a 16 point gain from 66% to 82% for liberals. Voters between left and center tend to be more trusting of the media across the board, which is why a fair number of them were still rating Fox favorably even a year ago at this time. But it looks like with a lot of those folks it has finally crossed the line to being too political to trust."

Fox News has become largely untrustworthy. Conservatives find the trust as Fox News validates the right-wing opinions of Republicans/Tea Party folks.

Cantor Bows To Extremists In Refusal To Stand Strong Against Birthers On NBC's 'Meet The Press'

I watched a video clip of Republican House majority leader Eric Cantor being interviewed on NBC's "Meet the Press" and thought he was largely evasive in his willingness to take on the birthers on his side of the political mainstream.

Sure, he laughed them off, but seemed unwilling to strongly denounce the crazy talk.

From Huffington Post:

The new Republican House majority leader says he doesn't think questions about President Barack Obama's citizenship should play a role in the discussion of policy matters.

Two years into the Obama administration, so-called birthers continue to argue that Obama isn't a natural-born citizen and that he hasn't proved he's constitutionally qualified to be president. Birth records in Hawaii haven't dissuaded them.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor says he believes Obama is a citizen and that most Americans are beyond that question.

Appearing Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," Cantor refused to call people who question Obama's citizenship "crazy," saying it's not nice to call anyone crazy.

This article makes it seem as though he was strongly against the birtherism on his side, but I thought he dodged the issue at times and hardly came across as a strong leader against such uncivil talk.

It may not be nice to call people crazy, but it's also not nice to call people socialist, communist, accuse them of wanting to kill grandma, accuse them of wanting to take over the government, etc.

Cantor had an opportunity to prove himself as a strong leader and instead bowed to the extremists on his wing.

Santorum Uses Fox News To Try And Bounce Back From Ridiculous Abortion/Obama/Race Comments

When conservatives make controversial racial comments they turn to Fox News for comfort and to attempt to clarify.

This is precisely what Rick Santorum did when he was welcomed by Greta Van Susteren.

Not even a nice try from a clueless extremist (Santorum) who doesn't get it.

Fox News:
http://nation.foxnews.com/abortion/2011/01/21/santorum-no-apologies-comments-obama-abortion-race

Santorum Makes Racially-Charged Attack On President Obama

Here are some highly controversial comments being made by former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, a Republican who is being billed as a potential 2012 presidential contender, as quoted by The Huffington Post. Now, for a man like Santorum, this really is nothing new and is rather old hat in many respects.

Santorum, like many on the far right, are obsessed with controlling what women do relative to the issue of abortion, but this time he brought in President Obama and the issue of race:

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum (R), a potential 2012 presidential contender, is attempting to trudge out of the mess that he waded into Wednesday when he seemed to suggest that it was objectionable for Obama to be pro-choice because he was black.

That is certainly a paragraph that is going to grab some attention and for rather obvious reasons. Now back to The Huffington Post story:

Here is Santorum's original comment concerning his own pro-life views and why he disputes the president's belief that women should have a right to choose.

"The question is, and this is what Barack Obama didn't want to answer -- is that human life a person under the constitution?" he said. "And Barack Obama says no. Well if that human life is not a person then I find it almost remarkable for a black man to say 'now we are going to decide who are people and who are not people.'"

Does Santorum find it remarkable that he is trying to control a woman and tell her what she can and can not do with her own body? So, now that Santorum is attempting to put himself in the shoes of a black man, perhaps he should consider this thought: Might it be uncomfortable (following Rick Santorum's "logic") for a black man to want to be in the position of trying to control another person and force another person do to something against his/her will (such as abortion)?

How can he sit in judgment of a woman and make decisions for her?

You can read the full context of what Santorum said, here.

Fox News Leads Cheers Of Fascism, Socialism In Launching Attacks

Socialism, fascism seemingly merely is a part of how Fox News does business when attacking Democrats, in general, and President Obama, in specific.

More Proof She Just Doesn't Get It

Sarah Palin simply doesn't get it.

Powerful Words From Keith Olbermann

This is strong stuff in an increasingly toxic environment in our country.

Charles Barkley Puts The Verbal Smackdown On Tucker Carlson

This is how the website Crooks and Liars described Charles Barkley's words directed at Tucker Carlson who had harsh comments directed at Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick (before he slightly walked back from those harsh words).

"There's some idiot on another station named Tucker Carlson, who called out Michael Vick," Barkley said during halftime of a game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks.

"Number one, Michael Vick, we're all pulling for you, man. Keep doing your thing, you paid your debt to society, good luck to y'all in the playoffs."

"Tucker Carlson, who's a nobody, he used to work for us over here, we fired him, because he sucked. Now he goes over there ... He said Michael Vick should be executed, which is total B.S.," he continued.

"TV is a very powerful thing, but you just can't get on here and say anything. He should have never said that. Michael Vick paid his debt to society and we're all pulling for him," Barkley added.

Here is the entire entry from Crooks and Liars:
http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/david/charles-barkley-tucker-carlson-idiot

Celebrating Diversity During The Holidays

Expect Diversity (Holiday) from FerrisState TV on Vimeo.

In this episode of Expect Diversity, show host David Pilgrim sits down with Scott Cohen, director of Instrumental Concert Ensembles; Michael Wade, assistant director of the Office of Multicultural Student Services; and Jonna Toivanen, an international student from Finland, to discuss some of the different religious traditions around the globe.

To commemorate the holiday season, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Christmas are all topics of discussion on this episode of Expect Diversity.

Hopefully everyone had a happy holiday season.

ESPN Commentator's Reported Firing A Reminder You Don't Always Know Who You Think You Know

Ron Franklin

From deep in the files of WTF ...

Ron Franklin, for years, has been an announcer I've enjoyed listening to for football and basketball games on ESPN.

Of course, there are times you see or hear a different side of a cat, and such is the case with Franklin.

From Huffington Post:

ESPN reportedly fired announcer Ron Franklin on Tuesday after he was pulled from the Fiesta Bowl broadcast for making sexist comments to sideline reporter Jeannine Edwards.

According to John Ourand of the Sports Business Journal, an ESPN spokesman said "based on what occurred last Friday, we have ended our relationship with him."

Before Friday's Chick Fil-A Bowl, Franklin said to Edwards, "Listen to me sweet baby, let me tell you something."

After Edwards told him not to address her like that, Franklin responded by saying, "OK, then listen to me a-hole."

Franklin apologized for his remarks on Monday and said he deserved to be pulled from the Fiesta Bowl.

According to SportsByBrooks, Franklin was fired after he didn't apologize to Edwards personally.

Ron, Ron, Ron ... what are (were) you thinking big fella?

I guess it's no wonder ESPN told you to follow the trail on out of Bristol with that kind of behavior and that kind of mentality.