Hilary O. Shelton’s Statement On Van Jones

Hilary O. Shelton, Director of the NAACP Washington Bureau and Senior Vice President of Advocacy and Policy:

“The tactics being deployed by right wing extremist commentators to divert the American people’s attention away from very important issues of our nation such as sustainable energy, lack of dependence on foreign fuel sources, and the creation of living wage jobs are not only unethical but dangerous to the future of our country. Most recently, television commentator Glenn Beck of FOX News attempted to besmirch the character and integrity of President Obama’s administration officials such as White House Special Advisor for Green Jobs Van Jones. This feeble, mean spirited attack is little more than a desperate attempt to derail the adminstration’s priority of clean sustainable energy while working to end our nation’s dependency on foreign energy sources.

“In an economy where unemployment is leaning toward 10 percent, and African-American unemployment lies at over 15 percent, the creation of employment opportunities for all Americans, including African-American and low-income communities, is a critical necessity. It is our experience that Mr. Jones’ plan to reinvigorate urban areas through the creation of green jobs not only demonstrates a constructive vision to invest in our communities, but also recognizes that climate change is indeed a civil rights issue. That is why we support his implementation of this very thoughtful plan.”

NAACP President And CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous On Van Jones

NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous:

“It is sad and unfortunate that our nation’s precious airwaves and cable television time are being occupied with the unscrupulous, diversionary tactics launched by right wing extremists such as Glenn Beck. These desperate tactics divert America’s attention and intellectual resources away from issues affecting our families and communities. These life-and-death concerns are being overshadowed by employing ruthless attacks against Van Jones, White House Special Advisor for Green Jobs and dedicated advocate for safe, clean and healthy communities.

Van Jones has established himself through his many years in public service as a hardworking advocate for positive, progressive change. He is a devoted husband and father. Mr. Beck and the other news services’ portrayal of Mr. Jones to the contrary is not only distracting and disingenuous but harmful and destructive.

“The only thing more outrageous than Mr. Beck’s attack on Van Jones is the fact that there are sponsors that continue to pay him to provide this type of offensive commentary. I can only assume hat this is the very reason that several dozen organizations throughout our country have gone on record stating they will boycott FOX News (the television network home of Glenn Beck). While we defend the right to free speech for all Americans, we expect news outlets throughout our country to uphold civility in their portrayal of the President of the United States as well as members of his administration and others who have wrongfully come under scrutiny. America’s news outlets have the responsibility to uphold accuracy and integrity in their reporting.”

Sen. Lamar Alexander Acknowledges Overreaction About President Obama’s Speech

Fox News has the following comments from Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander, who is one person to the right of the political spectrum who is beginning to see the silliness of the manufactured outrage over President Obama’s upcoming speech to school kids.

From Fox News:

Sen. Lamar Alexander, education secretary under President George H.W. Bush, said he understood “some of the concern, because, you know, people say, ‘Oh, here’s another Washington takeover.’

“But of course the president of the United States should be able to address students. And of course, parents and teachers should decide in what context,” said Alexander, R-Tenn.

He added, “If I were a teacher, I’d take advantage of it, and I’d put up Lincoln and Eisenhower and Reagan and teach about the presidency, and then I’d put up the head of North Korea and say, In that country, you go to jail if you criticize the president. In our country, you have a constitutional right to do it.”

Interesting choices of other presidents to bring up (I suspect that was his way of trying to keep his people to the far right a little happy), but the core of Alexander’s message is on the money.

New Michael Moore Film Set To Come Out In Venice

It will be interesting to see what Michael Moore has in store for the world in his next film, “Capitalism: A Love Story.” The provocative Moore never ceases to draw attention with his powerful work that is designed to light fire under people and force them to think outside of their personal box.

Here is an excerpt from the story:

VENICE, Italy — Michael Moore says his film “Capitalism: A Love Story” is dedicated to “good people … who’ve had their lives ruined” by the quest for profit.

After much success at Cannes, Moore premieres the movie Sunday in his first appearance at the Venice Film Festival. It was warmly received at a press showing Saturday evening and won positive reviews. Variety called it one of Moore’s “best pics.”

“I am personally affected by good people who struggle, who work hard and who’ve had their lives ruined by decisions that are made by people who do not have their best interest at heart, but who have the best interest of the bottom line, of the company, at heart,” Moore told reporters Sunday.

Moore’s films are thought provoking and never dull.

Media Matters Chronicles What Some Far-Right Nuts On Fox News Are Saying About President’s Talk To Students

Media Matters for America has done good work to bring together samples of some of the nutty, out of touch and hypocritical talk coming from those far to the right of what mainstream Americans really feel. When you look at the names on this list (Sean Hannity, Michelle Malkin, etc.) you can see just how dumb the comments and the thought behind the comments are when you break it down. The hatred of these individuals on the far right, for President Obama, has clouded their judgement and destroyed any pretense of objectivity related to anything this president does.

Check out some of the foolishness going out on the airwaves.

Hannity: “It seems very close to indoctrination.” During an interview with conservative columnist Michelle Malkin, Sean Hannity said on his show that the president’s speech “seems very close to indoctrination.” Malkin replied in part: [T]his is not merely a morale-boosting speech that he’s giving. He’s giving it in the context of his Obamacare plan completely under siege. We know that the left has always used kids in public schools as guinea pigs and as junior lobbyists for their social liberal agenda.” Later, Malkin said Obama will “actually deliver a very innocuous speech. I can guarantee you that. But in these classrooms, which are living laboratories for left-wing activism, what you’re going to get are overzealous teachers, teachers’ union brass who are in the hip pockets of the Democrat Party, urge their kids to write letters, to demonize Obamacare opponents, and to call them opponents of change.” [Fox News' Hannity, 9/2/09]

COMMENT: You expect this kind of stupidity from Hannity and Malkin.

Crowley: “This is what Chairman Mao did.” On Fox News’ The O’Reilly Factor, host Laura Ingraham said the speech is “just another slick attempt to brand Barack Obama” and that “it’s a message being sent out by the Department of Education with these questions that without a doubt lead to the further branding of Barack Obama as a savior of our school children.” Also during the segment, Fox News commentator Monica Crowley said, “[J]ust when you think that this administration can’t get any more surreal and Orwellian, here he comes to indoctrinate our children,” and, “[T]his is what Chairman Mao did, Laura. This is like Max Headroom, this is going into every single classroom. There is no escape from him.” [Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, 9/2/09]

COMMENT: Chairman Mao … this is so stupid and ignorant of past presidential speeches it’s almost chilling.

Beck connects Mussolini to purported Obama “indoctrination next week.” Discussing a bas-relief supposedly representing Benito Mussolini, Fox News host Glenn Beck said: “Gee, who is having indoctrination next week? Oh, yeah, that’s right, the president, completely unrelated. This represents, at the time this was made, Mussolini. This was Mussolini. By the way, the artist that made this — his son, ironically and tragically died fighting the army of Mussolini years after this was made.” [Fox News' Glenn Beck, 9/2/09]

COMMENT: It’s Glenn Beck … enough said.

Tantaros: “They do this type of thing in North Korea and the former Soviet Union … very cultish.” Fox News contributor Andrea Tantaros responded to host Martha MaCullum’s comparison of the treatment of Ronald Reagan’s funeral and Obama’s inauguration in schools by stating: “This isn’t a historic moment. I mean it’s historic in the sense that it’s unprecedented. They do this type of thing in North Korea and the former Soviet Union.” Tantaros later added: “I would argue it’s a very fine line. You argue it’s propaganda. It seems very cultish, very sort of get in the minds of the kids.” [Fox News' The Live Desk, 9/3/09]

COMMENT: More efforts from the far right to try and portray the President as someone who is an evil dictator. It’s laughable coming off of so much of what we saw from Bush and Cheney.

Fox & Friends hosted parents who plan to “keep kids home” from Obama stay-in-school “indoctrination” speech. On September 3, Fox & Friends hosted two parents who, in the words of host Steve Doocy, “are concerned [Obama's] message is less about education and could be more about teaching the ideals of a liberal presidential administration.” Onscreen text during the segment read: “Education or indoctrination?”[Fox News' Fox & Friends, 9/3/09]

COMMENT: Using words like indoctrination show how idiotic some of these people are and how they are attracted to Fox News like metal to a magnet. Steve Doocy has no credibility.

Fox Nation asked: “Will You Keep Your Kids Home the Day Obama Speaks to Schools?” On September 3, the Fox Nation website featured a headline asking, “Will You Keep Your Kids Home the Day Obama Speaks to Schools?”

COMMENT: Fox Nation is a safe haven for far-right hatred. It’s a place where conservatives can come in and anonymously spew their right-wing hatred as they hide in cowardly fashion behind their anonymity while laughing hateful and often racist rants against President Obama.

Conservative Hypocrites Ignore Prior Speeches By Presidents

This is from Media Matters for America related to speeches by presidents to students:

Putting aside possible ulterior motives, the conservative freak-out over President Obama’s planned speech to students urging them to stay in school and work hard is due to fears that Obama will use his platform as an opportunity to push his agenda on unsuspecting students. Ironically, that’s exactly what President Reagan did two decades ago. On November 14, 1988, Reagan addressed and took questions from students from four area middle schools in the Old Executive Office Building. According to press secretary Marlin Fitzwater, the speech was broadcast live and rebroadcast by C-Span, and Instructional Television Network fed the program “t o schools nationwide on three different days.” Much of Reagan’s speech that day covered the American “vision of self-government” and the need “to keep faith with the unfinished vision of the greatness and wonder of America” but in the middle of the speech, the president went off on a tangent about the importance of low taxes …

For the rest of the entry, visit: http://mediamatters.org/blog/200909030020

Harwood Takes Some Parents To Task Over Right-Wing Extremism

I found this while checking out Crooks and Liars and it is the kind of thing that makes you think and wonder about what is going on in the hearts and minds of some of these parents out there. The anger and bigotry coming from some of these right-wing extremists has been frightening since the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States of America.

Here is what Crooks and Liars had:

John Harwood lets one slip on MSNBC and tells the truth about these people fear mongering over the President speaking to school children next week.

Novotny: John, what about this controversy over opposition to Obama’s speech to school children?

Harwood: I’ve got to tell you Monica, I’ve been watching politics for a long time and this is, this one is really over the top. What it shows you is there are a lot of cynical people who try to fan controversy and let’s face it, in a country of three hundred million people there are a lot of stupid people too, because if you believe that’s it’s somehow unhealthy for kids for the President to say work hard and stay in school, you’re stupid.

Novotny: Ouch.

Harwood: In fact, I’m worried for some of those kids, I’m worried for some of those kids of those parents who are upset. I’m not sure they’re smart enough to raise those kids.

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/

Companies Pledge Not to Run Additional Ads on Glenn Beck Program

OAKLAND, Calif.—Adding to an increasing list of companies distancing themselves from Fox News Channel’s Glenn Beck, ten new companies whose ads were recently seen during Beck’s program—Applebee’s, Bank of America, Bell & Howell, DirecTv, General Mills, Kraft, Regions Financial Corporation, SAM (Store and Move), Travelers Insurance and Vonage—have pledged to take steps to ensure that their ads don’t run on Beck’s show. Forty-six companies have now committed not to support Beck’s show since ColorOfChange.org launched its campaign three weeks ago after the Fox News Channel host called President Obama a “racist” who “has a deep-seated hatred for white people” during an appearance on Fox & Friends.

Three of the latest defections—Travelers Insurance, Bell & Howell and DirecTv—join the list of advertisers who claim to have already placed Glenn Beck’s program on a “do not air” list, but whose ads have been seen on Beck’s program, apparently against their wishes.

“We could not be happier with the results of our campaign so far,” said James Rucker, Executive Director of ColorOfChange.org. “All 46 companies that have distanced themselves from Glenn Beck should be applauded for their stance.”

“We are still reaching out to companies whose ads we see during Beck’s nightly program,” Rucker continued. “Based on the fact that many of the recent ads on Beck’s program are for gold coins and News Corp properties, it looks like Fox News Channel is struggling to place advertisements on Beck’s show.”

Comments from advertisers recently distancing themselves from Beck:

“As mentioned before, Applebee’s regularly evaluates where our advertising appears,” said Miles McMillin, a spokesperson for Applebee’s Services, Inc., in an email to ColorOfChange.org. “We strive to reach our diverse group of consumers in many different advertising venues. We do advertise in programming where various opinions are debated as we believe discussion about issues important to our country is very valuable. We expect this discussion to be respectful. As also pointed out earlier, we have not purchased advertising time on the Glenn Beck show specifically. However, at this time, we have asked that our advertising that appears on FOX News not be included on the Glenn Beck program.”

In an email conversation with ColorOfChange.org, Joseph L. Goode, Senior Vice-President of Global Media Relations for Bank of America, confirmed that a statement posted on MediaMatters.org [http://mediamatters.org/blog/200908250014] was authentic and that any advertisement placed on the Glenn Beck Program was an error and they would take steps to correct it.

“We don’t advertise on Glenn Beck’s show anymore,” said Charlie Sahner, a spokesperson for Vonage, in an email to ColorOfChange.org.

“I can confirm the authenticity of the statement published on http://jenkinsear.com/2009/08/20/kraft-foods-drops-glenn-beck/”, said Valérie Moens, Senior Manager of Corporate Affairs for Kraft Foods Inc., in an email to ColorOfChange.org. “Kraft Foods has made the decision to stop advertising on the more politically extreme programs on all networks. In recent years, there has been a proliferation of shows with extreme content, including on the political front. These shows often are controversial and do not align with our company or brand values. That’s why we have made the decision to stop advertising on the more politically extreme programs on all networks.”

“We’re not an advertiser, that I can tell you,” said Tom Forsythe, Vice-President of Corporate Communications for General Mills, in a phone conversation with ColorOfChange.org. “It’s not necessarily in response to your campaign. The action has much more to do with the content of the program…Upon hearing your request, I made sure that that was true. But it should have already been true because of the nature of the show.”

In an email to ColorOfChange.org, Jon Gieselman, Senior Vice-President of Advertising and Public Relations for DirecTV, Inc., confirmed that their ads should not be running on Glenn Beck’s program. “We have actually not purchased national advertising from Fox News during his show since August 3rd, and right now we don’t have plans to purchase media in the future,” Gieselman said. “We have already clarified our position with Fox News.”

“To be clear, the Glenn Beck program has never been part of our advertising effort,” said Frank Colangelo, Director of Advertising Research for Travelers Insurance, in an email to ColorOfChange.org. “Any Travelers advertisements that ran during that program in the past were due to commercial placement mistakes by Fox News. In fact we have a standing “no buy” policy with regard to the program and we have confirmed that fact with Fox News.”

“We’ve discontinued our advertising on this program and don’t plan to resume,” said Scott M. Peters, Chief Marketing Officer for Regions Financial Corporation, in an email to ColorOfChange.org.

“Our company, SAM (Store and Move) has complied with your request and “The Glenn beck” show has been put on the “do not air” list for SAM,” said Nicole Henkel, a spokesperson for SAM (Store and Move), in an email to ColorOfChange.org.

“While our distributor controls advertising, we have no plans for ads on this [Glenn Beck’s] program,” said Hank D’Ambrosio, Vice-President of Administration for Bell & Howell, in an email to ColorOfChange.org. “As I said to you in our conversation and reiterated in my conversation with our distributor, in our 102 year history, Bell and Howell has never been involved in politics or in anything that could be construed as discriminatory in any way and never will.”

Last week, ColorOfChange.org began emailing the 150,000+ people who signed their initial petition, asking them to call five major advertisers who continued to refuse to pull their ads: Clorox, Experian (creator of FreeCreditReport.com), Lowe’s, Red Lobster and Vonage. Hours after members began making calls, Lowe’s contacted ColorOfChange.org, pledging not to run additional ads on Beck’s programs. Clorox followed suit Thursday, and Experian did the same on Friday. Vonage’s recent defection leaves Red Lobster as the only company in the group that has not yet responded.

Previous companies who have corrected advertising errors and/or pulled their ads entirely include Airware Inc. (makers of Brez anti-snoring aids), Allergan (maker of Restasis), Ally Bank (a unit of GMAC Financial Services), Ancestry.com, AT&T, Best Buy, Blaine Labs Inc., Broadview Security, Campbell Soup Company, ConAgra, Clorox, CVS, Ditech, The Elations Company, Experian (creator of FreeCreditReport.com), Farmers Insurance Group, GEICO, Johnson & Johnson (makers of Tylenol), Lawyers.com, Lowe’s, Men’s Wearhouse, NutriSystem, Procter & Gamble, Progressive Insurance, RadioShack, Re-Bath, Roche, SC Johnson, Sanofi-Aventis, Sargento, Sprint, State Farm Insurance, Travelocity, The UPS Store, Verizon Wireless and Wal-Mart.

With more than 600,000 members, ColorOfChange.org is the largest African-American online political organization in the country.

Van Jones Resigns

It’s no big surprise that Van Jones resigned from his post with the Council on Environmental Quality. Conservatives did a number on him using the politics of the past, the politics of distorting statements and the politics of guilt by association to smear him. But, I think Jones will be OK and will survive this minor hurdle in his life and career. When you read his resignation letter I think you will see a man who stepped aside to be unselfish and not do damage to what is really important (working on health care, clean energy and more). He could have stayed and fought, and probably would have survived, but he wanted to take himself away as a distraction and a weapon used by conservatives to paint the president as an angry, black radical.

Here is Jones’ letter:

I am resigning my post at the Council on Environmental Quality, effective today.

On the eve of historic fights for health care and clean energy, opponents of reform have mounted a vicious smear campaign against me. They are using lies and distortions to distract and divide.

I have been inundated with calls – from across the political spectrum – urging me to “stay and fight.”

But I came here to fight for others, not for myself. I cannot in good conscience ask my colleagues to expend precious time and energy defending or explaining my past. We need all hands on deck, fighting for the future.

It has been a great honor to serve my country and my President in this capacity. I thank everyone who has offered support and encouragement. I am proud to have been able to make a contribution to the clean energy future. I will continue to do so, in the months and years ahead.

There are some who believe he should have stayed and fought and not let the far-right nuts use the politics of fear and smear.

If some of these conservative nuts, like the integrity-challenged Glenn Beck, showed even a fraction of Jones’ class and unselfishness … the world would be a lot better place.

This is certainly a battle that in some ways the idiotic Beck (who made the outrageous, illogical and stupid charge of President Obama being a racist) has won (although I still think Van Jones can be more effective away from President Obama than by his side). But, if Beck chooses to fight this way then he should not complain when others fight him in a similar way.

Blount Punishment By Oregon Hard To Argue, But …

When Oregon football player LeGarrette Blount chin-checked Boise State player Byron Hout (after Hout struck Blount to get his attention and then trash talked him a little following Thursday night’s game) I thought the suspension would be stiff. At first I thought … four or five games … some people I know talked me off the ledge and thought it might be a little less … two to three games. We were all wrong … VERY WRONG! The furor this mess created as the video was replayed over and over again on ESPN, other media outlets and YouTube probably did Blount no favors as Oregon elected to suspend him for the remainder of the season.

From ESPN:

EUGENE, Ore. — A day after Oregon’s college football season opened, it ended for running back LeGarrette Blount.

Blount was suspended for all remaining games on Friday for punching Boise State defensive end Byron Hout in the jaw following the 16th-ranked Ducks’ 19-8 loss to the 14th-ranked Broncos the night before.

Because he is a senior, Blount’s playing days in Eugene are over.

Oregon’s first-year coach, Chip Kelly, told a sobbing Blount about his decision after reviewing tape of the altercation.

Celebrating the victory on the Broncos’ trademark blue turf, Hout yelled in Blount’s face and tapped him on the shoulder pad. Before Boise State coach Chris Petersen could pull Hout away, Blount landed a right to Hout’s jaw, knocking him to his knees.

I can’t argue with that suspension. Blount did it to himself by losing his cool due to the words of a trash-talking opponent.

Now, it appears Blount’s college football career might be a wrap.

I know it’s wildly popular for people to pile onto Blount and get their shots in on this young man. What he did was a horrible mistake in judgement and there is no question he needed to be punished for the punch and for the reaction as he was leaving the stadium. But, there are some other things I do wonder about: (1) What responsibility does Boise State or whomever have for reportedly replaying the video of the punch on the stadium scoreboard and firing up the crowd as the Oregon players were leaving the field and (2) will Hout receive any significant discipline for his role in starting the fracas on the field (not suggesting a suspension, but he needs to be held accountable for getting something like that started on a weekend when the American Football Coaches Association was emphasizing sportsmanship among teams).

Just a few additional thoughts to think about.

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.

News Hounds Continues To Be Watchdog For Biased, Hateful Fox Nation

Fox Nation, the Fox venture into blogging, has been particularly hostile toward President Barack Obama and has been about as far from fair and balanced as possible. But, like Fox News, Fox Nation has a habit of lying about being fair and balanced when they clearly are not.

Here is part of the News Hounds piece:

The latest example of blatant anti-Obama hate mongering on Fox Nation (Fox News’ website that boastsabout its tolerance and love for civil discourse) is its latest top headline that encourages parents to “sound off” about Obama’s upcoming address to school children. You’d think that conservatives who care about family values and education would be pleased that Obama plans to speak to our country’s young students about staying in school and the importance of education. But when you’re dedicated 24/7 to undermining every thing the opposing Party’s president does, you’ll grab anything and not just oppose it but turn it into incendiary rabble rousing. Predictably, the Fox Nation article offers one side, the anti-Obama side, only. Its one quote is inflammatory suggesting Obama’s address is about “socialism” and “indoctrination.”

Same language from Fox Nation trying to demonize the president from people who have no interest in trying to bring people together.

Shocking: Don Imus Goes To Fox

It appears that Don Imus has found a new home for his views and it seems that new home will likely not be much of a surprise to anyone. The new home for the controversial Imus, who has a history of making what many people feel are racist remarks, has resurfaced on Fox Business Network. I have no problem with Fox hiring him, but it does not surprise me that Fox would open its family up to Imus and it makes sense with the way Sean Hannity fairly recently had him on the network to help rehabilitate his image (as Hannity is apt to do with certain people who get themselves into racial problems with stupid talk).

Here is a portion of the story from Fox:

FOX Business Network has signed a multi-year deal with legendary radio personality Don Imus in which his nationally syndicated program Imus in the Morning will be simulcast on the channel, announced Kevin Magee, Executive Vice President. Beginning October 5th, the program will be presented in High Definition [HD] Monday through Friday from 6-9 AM ET on FOX Business and continue to be syndicated on the radio by Citadel Media.

In making the announcement, Magee said, “We’re excited to welcome a renowned broadcaster like Don Imus to the FOX Business team. His 40 years of on-air experience combined with his superb interviewing skills and capitalist sensibilities will be a great addition to our lineup.”

The program will incorporate additional business news into its format which now offers a mix of current affairs, politics, entertainment and sports as discussed amongst Imus and his genius cast of characters including: Charles McCord, Bernard McGuirk, Rob Bartlett, Lou Rufino, Tony Powell, Warner Wolf and Julie Kanfer.

Imus added, “I love FOX. Roger Ailes is the preeminent genius of American Broadcasting. Who wouldn’t want to do this?”

Hopefully Imus has learned his lesson (I doubt he has fully considering some of the content of his interview with Hannity) and will be able to contribute something positive.

Right Winger Thomas Sowell Talking Foolish Again

Working to make himself at hom on the far right wing of the political mainstream, conservative columnist Thomas Sowell took great strides in that respect with this moronic series of comments:

From Media Matters for America:

Limbaugh guest Sowell said Obama speech to students reminded him of “Hitler Youth”

That is incomprehensibly stupid and irresponsible on the part of Sowell. He may make some friends among the far right of politics, but he is burning bridges in the process.

This is also from Media Matters:

Thomas Sowell went on to remark: “All the dictators want to get their hands on the kids. They get them early on – Stalin, Hitler, Castro, you name them.”

Sowell is falling right into lockstep with what the extremist nuts on the far right want people to believe. It’s ironic that they are the ones talking about indoctrination.

It’s amazing how Sowell is so willing to sell his soul for popularity among the angry right-wing extremists.

Far-Right Bigot Enjoys Dangerous Joke About President Obama

Extremist, right-wing radio talk show host Jim Quinn had a nice little laugh after one of his callers seemed to have a good time making a joke about how President Obama should be placed ”under the care of Dr. Jack Kevorkian” these days. Media Matters for America has documented this and it speaks to the kind of hatred that we’re seeing coming from some of these far-right nuts who are bringing up a lot of death references related to President Obama.

Here is what Quinn added, according to Media Matters, “Indirectly, the health care plan sort of does that, but it does it for us.”

It’s the typical politics of fear coming from the far right.

It’s interesting the things that these right wingers find amusing.

Media Matters for America:
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200909030014

What Is Up With MSNBC’s Pat Buchanan?

Frankly, little should surprise any of us as we listen to the old and pitiful rantings of far-right winger Pat Buchanan, an MSNBC regular who seems to long for a bygone era that most of us are happy to leave in the past.

Check out this Media Matters for America post as it documents some of the words of Buchanan who once again seems to be coming to the historical rescue/defense of Adolph Hitler and the Nazis.

Whether he is trying to rehabilitate Hitler or not, Buchanan is nuts to bring up this kind of talk.

Media Matters for America:
http://mediamatters.org/blog/200909020026

Pat Buchanan’s blog:
http://buchanan.org/blog/did-hitler-want-war-2068

Some Of These Far-Right Nutty Parents Are Pitiful

Some of these far-right nuts, who find a comforting environment at Fox News, on right-wing programs like the dreadful Fox and Friends. Media Matters for America has a clip of a parent or parents wanting to keep their kids home from school so they will not hear President Obama’s Stay-In-School speech that some of these individuals feel is a form of “indoctrination.” It’s amazing to see how some of these men and women on the extreme right have lost their minds in just a few months of President Obama’s administration and have begun to tag him with labels such as communist, Marxist, socialist, radical, racist, a hater of America, a person who wasn’t born in America and so on and so forth. Now, the president is working to encourage young people to stay in school and prejudiced individuals don’t even like that from Barack Obama.

Here is the headline from Media Matters:

Fox & Friendshosts parent who plans to “keep kids home” from Obama stay-in-school “indoctrination” speech

The one-sided video and Fox’s right-wing lean (not even disguised) is pathetic. As one commenter said, it wouldn’t have mattered if it had been run past the board. If the board had passed it then the cry would have been something along the lines of “the liberal board of education caves into liberal, socialist, Marxist, communist, America-hating, non-American, radical, black, white-people-hating President Obama.”

Media Matters for America:
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200909030011

Fox News Compares Coverage Of Ted Kennedy’s Death To Coverage Of Jesse Helms’ Death

Leave it to Fox News to take this next effort to throw cold water on the coverage of the death of Sen. Ted Kennedy. On Fox News Sunday, host Chris Wallace seemed to go off the deep end while crying about the coverage of Kennedy’s death. Wallace decided to compare Kennedy coverage with the coverage of Sen. Jesse Helms after his death in 2008. Obviously, Fox News has a vested interestin portraying other media as having a liberal bias and this is right in line with that theme of drilling into the hearts, minds and souls of their far-right base that the foolish notion that the so-called mainstream media has a pro-liberal bias while pushing the even more foolish notion that Fox is somehow a media outlet that is “fair and balanced” when it is neither.

Here is how the scenario played out as pointed out by Richard Prince on his blog site:

“I also want to talk about the media coverage of Ted Kennedy since his death this week, not only the amount of it, which was extraordinary, but also the tone of it,” host Chris Wallace told his roundtable of commentators.

“And I want to put up the first paragraph of the New York Timesstory on Ted Kennedy’s death. This was the first paragraph this week. ‘Senator Edward M. Kennedy, a son of one of the most storied families in American politics, a man who knew acclaim and tragedy in near equal measure, and who will be remembered as one of the most effective lawmakers in the history of the Senate, died late Tuesday night.”

“Now, here’s the first paragraph of the Times story on the passing of Jesse Helms last year. ‘Jesse Helms, the former North Carolina senator with the courtly manner and mossy drawl, who turned his hard- edged conservatism against civil rights, gay rights, foreign aid and modern art, died early Friday.’”

Wallace turned to Bill Sammon, Washington managing editor of Fox News.

“Bill Sammon, I’m sure some people will be offended that I’m even making the comparison between these two men, but that is a striking difference,” he said.

SAMMON: “It is, and there’s two ways to rectify that obvious double standard. One would have been for the New York Times to find something nice to say about Jesse Helms substantively other than his mossy drawl.

The other, if you’re going to go the — and I think that’s the preferable way to do it, because you want to — when someone dies, you want to find something nice to say. The other way, if they wanted to be fair, would — they would have had to put something in the Ted Kennedy lead about Chappaquiddick, about his demagoguery of Robert Bork being, you know, a lunch counter America and back alley abortions and all that kind of thing. But they didn’t.

So either way you do it, it’s unfair, and that was a striking example.

Wallace turned then to Juan Williams, the only African American on the panel.

WALLACE: Juan, do you think that there’s a striking difference in the way those two men were sent off?

WILLIAMS: Well, I think you should be nice to people at the time of their death in general, no matter what their sins. But in fact, I think it was good journalism. I think, in fact, if you look at the public impact that Jesse Helms had on the country, it was to stand in opposition to civil rights and all — gay rights and all this. And if you look at the public impact of Ted Kennedy . . .

WALLACE: But wasn’t he for something?

WILLIAMS: Yeah, he was for stopping those things, and that’s what the lead said. I don’t have any problem with that. And in fact, Chappaquiddick has been mentioned prominently throughout this whole period.

SAMMON: Not in that lead.

WILLIAMS: Not in the lead, but in the story. It’s not like anybody’s hiding Ted Kennedy’s flaws. We know them.

There’s no question Kennedy’s record was far from squeaky clean.

But, to compare Kennedy’s record to Helms’ record is wrong.

Check out Helms and his deplorable record on race and issues involving homosexuality.

I am not going to beat up on Helms too much here (but I do need to put my argument into context). To compare coverage of Ted Kennedy to the coverage of Jesse Helms ignores a consistent pattern of bigotry (particularly in regards to race and homosexuality) with Helms vs. at least one very bad incident that was a major stain with Kennedy (Chappaquiddick) and his more liberal politics that a lot of conservatives simply don’t like.

Also, spare me the talk of Bork. Yes, Kennedy was very hard on Bork, but Bork was no great friend to minorities or to women (primarily with regard to reproductive freedom).

Glenn Beck Finds A Black Man Who Will Do His Bidding

Maybe Jesse Lee Peterson had the night off. Who knows.

Somehow, far-right nut Glenn Beck managed to find another black man (Stephen Broden of Fair Park Bible Fellowship Church) who would come on his show and do his bidding to attack President Obama and all people affiliated with his administration with the usual nutty charges … socialist, radicals, atheist, Darwin atheists, Marxist … yadda, yadda, yadda.

After Broden spews his garbage then Beck comes back and sneaks in a cheap shot on Michelle Obama.

Beck then essentially reveals (without saying it straight out) that he brought this man on there to get the racism charges off his back. Beck, of course, brings back Rev. Wright again … just because he can. Broden comes back on with the bogus charge of moving the country toward socialism.

Glenn Beck says he would love to have Broden back, but it is quite obvious as to why he wanted this man on the air.

Broden allowed himself to be pimped by Glenn Beck to become little more than Uncle Ruckus from the Boondocks (see video below).

Media Matters for America:
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200908310030