The Politics Of Personal Destruction Again Target President Obama

It’s an old saying these days, but once again the “politics of personal destruction” are back and the target this time is President Obama. Blogger Sandra Rose has an entry that discusses someone purported to be a college acquaintance (John C. Drew) of President Obama. Drew spots off the same old stuff we’ve heard people use to attack President Obama: Marxist, America as the enemy, yadda, yadda, yadda. There are also YouTube video clips from “Breitbart.tv” to further illustrate the FAR-right agenda at play here.

Here is an excerpt from Rose’s blog:

According to Drew, in 1980 Obama saw America as “the enemy” and he predicted a future where the people would “rise up” and “overthrow the government.”

A CNN poll out today shows that the majority of voters don’t think Obama will be reelected to a 2nd term.

An argument could be made that Obama was a young, impressionable, idealistic college student in 1980. But the facts prove that Obama still embodies the same communist/Marxist ideals that he was so passionate about in his college days.

Couple that with the fact that Obama refuses to release his college transcripts from Occidental which, some say, proves his participation in Marxist groups on campus.

Same old stuff: Marxist, socialist, communist …

What are the “facts” that will show us he “still embodies the same communist/Marxist ideals that he was so passionate about in his college days” for the people to see?

Just because people advance a smear over and over again (with either minimal evidence or no evidence to support it) does not make it true.

Misguided Republican Wrong About President Obama’s Polling Woes

Republicans believe some of President Obama's political woes are essentially because he is this radical, socialist and far left politician unwilling to work with the GOP.

Consider this blog entry (I am not necessarily saying this writer is asserting the above):

Ouch! The Hill is reporting that a CNN poll shows that 52% of Americans say Obama does NOT deserve a second term. Only 44% say they would vote for him again. This is true for both all Americans and registered voters.

Fifty two percent is almost the number that voted for all that Hopey Changey nonsense in the first place. Obama’s does have some “hope”. He can either move to the center on his own improving his reelection chances or he can be saddled with a Republican controlled Congress that will make the move for him. Other than that, Obama is looking very much like Jimmy Carter 2.0.

The "Hopey Changey" thing is cute, but overall this is misguided thinking.

I know our Republican friends want to reach back for Jimmy Carter comparisons, but they would be quite foolish to do so for a couple of reasons: Frankly, many of today's voters probably know painfully little about President Carter other than perhaps understanding he is a former president . They would be grossly underestimating President Obama.

It also is misguided because President Obama's struggles actually are due to the fact that he has moved too far to the right in an effort to reach out to Republicans who have become and will remain (as long as Obama is in the White House) the party of "NO."

Progressives that believed we would pull out of the deadly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, restore the worldwide respect of the U.S., rebuild coalitions with our allies around the world, lead the effort to rebuild the economy and push through domestic expected policies have become uneasy.

When President Obama reaches out to the people who elected him his numbers will go back up. They're waiting.

Great Video Captured By Media Matters Of Fox News Host Doocy Uttering A Falsehood/Stereotype

Since Sept. 11, 2001, people of Middle Eastern descent have been unfairly looked upon with a suspicious eye as terrorism paranoia has gripped the United States of America.

On the Feb. 16 edition of Fox & Friends, host Steve Doocy was corrected by his guest, Ahmed Rehab, after he falsely (saying he was speaking for “critics”) asserted that “All of the people who try to blow airliners out of the sky pretty much look alike.” This is the kind of dangerous stereotyping that helps create an atmosphere of hostility toward people who are perceived to be of Middle Eastern descent.

Doocy realized that he had been caught making what many people will consider a racial stereotype and tried to pull himself out of the hole by bringing up the name of Oklahoma City bombing terrorist Timothy McVeigh (a white guy).

Clearly, however, the damage had been done and Rehab should be thanked for correcting the false information (and potentially dangerous information) Doocy was feeding viewers.

Check out the video at the Media Matters for America Web site: http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201002160002

Ann Coulter And Credibility Are Enemies, But This Seals The Deal

Right wing extremist Ann Coulter, who like so many others of her kind finds a home on Fox News, attempted to come to the rescue of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. In her botched rescue event, however, Coulter ended up looking like even more of a nut when she attempted to push her foolish point that Palin (a two-term governor who quit on her beloved state to sell books, make money and work on Fox News) is 20 million times more qualified than Vice President Joe Biden, a long-time former U.S. senator.

COULTER: How about comparing Joe Biden with Sarah Palin? She’s twenty million times more qualified than he is.

GERALDO RIVERA: How do you say that? A two-year governor against a long Senate career. Anyway –

COULTER: How long are we gonna pretend Biden is not just some drunken Irishman embarrassing Obama?

There’s all the evidence you need of how much of an irrational nut Ann Coulter is and how she seems to fit in so nicely at Fox News.

Then, in the end, she shows how much of a hater she is with a vicious stereotype used to attack Vice President Biden.

Another quality Fox News personality.

Limbaugh Again Uses “Uppity” Code Word To Imply President Obama Is Out Of Line

Conservative leader Rush Limbaugh is at it again accusing President Obama of being “uppity” in the way he carries himself. As I’ve written before, the term uppity is a code word that several far-right (and prominent) conservatives have been using to attack this president. It’s a way of describing a black man who has overstepped his bounds and gotten out of line with a white man or white men who are perceived to know more than him, be in a higher social position or be flat-out better. It’s a term from a long-past era that many far-right conservatives, like Limbaugh, would love to see make a comeback.

Face it: “Uppity” is a term that has race written all over it and that is why Rush Limbaugh continues to come back to that term. Among Limbaugh’s goals are to agitate, degrade, inflame racial tension and create conflict.

This is from Media Matters for America:

LIMBAUGH: From InsideHigherEducation.com, you will not believe — well yeah, you will believe it. Everything that used to be unbelievable is not only believable it is happening. “Barack Obama has been called a lot of things since he hit the national stage: Celebrity, elitist and even one who ‘pals around with terrorists.’ But as his poll numbers come back down to earth, and an emboldened conservative movement sharpens its attacks, the label that seems to be sticking to Obama as much as any lately is that of ‘professor.’ Speaking to Tea Party activists in Nashville last week, Sarah Palin did her part to keep the ‘professor’ dig in circulation. The 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee told a frenzied crowd, ‘They know we’re at war, and to win that war we need a commander in chief, not a professor of law standing at the lectern.’ The use of ‘professor’ as a term of derision may have hit its stride in the 1950s, but it dates back to scolding characterizations of Socrates, according to Geoffrey Nunberg, a linguistics professor at the University of California at Berkeley.”

OK, fine. Frankly, I didn’t know that “professor” had become the number one dig. But if it is, fine and dandy. Now get this: “Charles Ogletree, Harvard law professor, founding and executive director of the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for race and Justice says that he sees the ‘professor’ label as a thinly veiled attack on Obama’s race.”

Yes, my friends, you heard me read that. I heard myself read it. So now when we call Obama a professor, we are racist. “Calling Obama the professor walks dangerously close to labeling him uppity, a term with racial overtones that has surfaced in the political arena before, Ogletree said. Describing his divisive confirmation hearings as a circus, Justice Thomas called the proceedings a high tech lynching for uppity blacks who in any way deigned to think for themselves, to do for themselves, to have different ideas. It’s perhaps ironic, then, that the Ogletree, who represented Anita Hill, now sees a bit of the ‘uppity’ label being placed on Obama.”

This is two different kinds of uppity that are being discussed about here. So now is professor the P-word? We’ve got the N-word, we have the R-word, and now we have the P-word? We can’t — we gotta — we gotta speak in code? And only people who don’t know what P-word is will understand what we’re saying.

“The idea that he’s not one of us, Ogletree says of the professor label. He has these ideas on that are left-wing that are socialist, that he’s palling around with terrorists. Those are buzzwords, but the reality was that they were looking at this president as an African-American who is out of place.” You know, Professor Ogletree, I hate to burst the balloon, but the single most important reason Obama was elected was his race.

A bunch of white people who thought electing a black president would assuage all of their guilt and erase our racial past voted for Obama. They couldn’t of cared less what he thought, what he said. He didn’t think of his as uppity, they were being selfish. They didn’t like feeling guilty over our racists past, slavery, and so they thought pulling the lever for Obama would absolve them. It wasn’t for his policies, as we are now quickly learning.

What Clarence Thomas meant by uppity, meaning he wasn’t a liberal black. When Clarence Thomas said uppity black thinks for himself means he’s off the reservation, so to speak. He’s not following the civil rights speech codes set forth by the Reverend Jackson and Al Sharpton and whoever else is in charge of them. But nobody — Obama is uppity, but not as a black. He is an elitist. He does think he’s smarter and better than everybody else. That’s what he was taught. He’s a Harvard man.

The fact that he needed to qualify his use of the word uppity by saying “not as a black” shows he had a full understanding of the racially-inflammatory nature of his words. He is playing into the undercurrent of racism he hopes is continuing to flow in this country to use it as a method of attacking President Obama.

Limbaugh then loses credibility stripes for quoting Clarence Thomas in regard to civil rights.

He also essentially calls white people (I am assuming liberal white people) stupid for voting for voting for a black man to be president of the United States of America.

While most people see a man who rose from humble roots to do great things, it’s clear Rush Limbaugh has an issue with what he sees as an uppity Negro in the White House.

It’s also clear that when most black people accomplish something in life he sees it as being the product of affirmative action (or white guilt) while when white people accomplish something it’s because they worked hard.

Doritos, Single Moms And Racism … Say What??

Leave it to conservatives to take an ad that most normal Americans thought was funny and turn it into some liberal plot to attack black people.

Yes, and many of these same conservatives are apt to accuse black people of playing the so-called race card. For some on the right, the formula is rather simple. Mix a tempting bowl of Doritos, an attractive single mom, an overprotective (albeit funny young son), a would-be date, and the fact that they’re all black, and conservatives see a sinister plot on the part of liberals to reinforce stereotypes of black people. We are in the middle of a discussion on the topic on one of my new favorite blogs, Diversity Ink. I was about ready to go on to the next topic when I became aware of a blog you will see referred to below.

First, however, is the Super Bowl commercial in question.

Some right wingers of color have lost their minds over this commercial.

Here is a fellow blogger’s take on the commercial she found to be far from funny.

I found NOTHING funny about this superbowl commercial for Doritos.

It is white liberal condescension towards black in its most heightened form.It has white liberal disturbing humor written all over it and reinforces its messages loud and clear.

Now if you’ve been reading here long enough, you know I don’t cry racism over racial situations. I see them for the individual events they are, driven by individual idiots, no matter what their color.

However, as a reminder to those who’ve been brainwashed all these long years by liberal and Democratic white ideologies, it behooves me to speak up about this buffoonish commercial.

It goes without saying that I completely disagree with that assessment of the Doritos commercial and the attempt to use it as a weapon against “liberal and Democratic white ideologies” and to advance the tired “brainwashed” theory. This blog I am citing seems less angered by the commercial and more interested in how it can be used as a weapon to attack liberals and Democrats.

The blogger adds:

The little boy’s reaction is instant hostility and violence. When his mother leaves the room he gives this adult male – who he’ll one day grow to be – a warning slap across his face about touching his food and/or his mother.

I don’t care what intentions an adult indicates in front of a child, short of violence, children should respect authority. It is not cute or funny to have them do otherwise.

Further, the message in the (no older than five, this child) boy’s actions suggests, this is a baby-mama, single-parent household, and the boy intends to keep it this way.

These days, we see beer commercial after beer commercial of white guys drinking beer and wanting to push up on white women. Is that indicative of something bad as far as white men and white women are concerned (drinking and potentially hooking up)? I don’t see it that way. I think it was just a funny commercial and I did not see the racism at all. Even more difficult than the racism is seeing the angle about some liberal Democrat plot. That line of thinking is farfetched to say the very least.

The blogger does not see a funny commercial, a young boy protective of his mom or the kind of dating that occurs every day in our society (there are a lot of single moms … whether we like it or not).

This was a cute ad and there was no racism or liberal plot.

Fox News Excuse Making For Sarah Palin Begins

Most of us could care less about whether or not politicians use teleprompters or read it off a sheet of paper when giving speeches. I do find it interesting, however, the large number of people using this to attack President Obama (as if no other president has ever used a teleprompter or read a speech off sheets of paper). So, whether it’s Barack Obama, President Reagan, President Bush, President Clinton or gold ole former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, it really makes no difference to me how they deliver a speech. But, for some reason, it does seem to spark something inside of Sarah Palin who seems to be taking wild shots at President Obama (like a boxer in the final round down on points and needing a miracle knockout to win). Getting in front of the Tea Party nuts sparked something inside of her to go after the president again and prove that the Tea Party movement is little more than an extremist splinter group of the GOP.

Fox and Friends, and its Republican hosts, went on the defensive to defend Palin for using notes to deliver her speech (as just about anyone on Fox is apt to do when it comes to Palin).

Gretchen Carlson, Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade (all right wingers) go out of their way to do damage control for the Fox News newbie Palin and her campaign (which is in the silent phase aided by the network conservatives trust).

CARLSON: I think she did it on purpose.

DOOCY: You do?

CARLSON: I think she did it on purpose. Yeah, because I think it’s an exact opposite of reading off the teleprompter. Reading off complete script written for you with every word in a sentence, and here she’s just taking crib notes on her hand. It makes it look as if she can just talk off the cuff and that she just jotted down a few couple notes before she went off to give a big, long speech.

KILMEADE: I am jealous.

DOOCY: I think she did — I think she did it because she probably does it a lot. I do that all the time.

KILMEADE: I personally am jealous, because I used to get in trouble if I wrote on my palms because my mom explained to me the ink would get through my pores and I would die. So I stopped doing that in the fifth grade.

DOOCY: Really?

KILMEADE: Why doesn’t she just — there’s nothing wrong with if she had a card. Just jot a card down — energy, taxes, hope, whatever it is. But — then no one has a problem. But to sit there and look at — do the interview and then look down at her hand, I think that is — it’s, like you said, Gretchen, before, folksy, absolutely. Down to earth. I can identify. But if you’re going to write it on your hand, why not just say, staffer, can you hand me a card? And then it would have been OK.

CARLSON: Like I say, I think it was on purpose. But anyway, we may never know.

Once again, Fox News comes to the rescue of their beloved Sarah Palin.

Check out how conservatives are rushing to the aid of Palin, who quit on Alaska (to make money selling books and gain publicity for herself) and yet criticizes other leaders for their leadership.

Sarah Palin Attacks Presidency, Barack Obama

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who quit on the state of Alaska, is now lecturing President Obama on what it means to be a leader in an appalling display at the far-right Tea Party Convention.

Once again, Palin proves that she didn’t get it then and she still does not get it now as she goes around the country cashing in on her fame and promoting herself on Fox News.

Media Matters for America:
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201002080002

Civil Rights Groups Decry Beck’s Questioning of Obama’s Name

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, February 5, 2010

CONTACT Jess Levin (202) 772-8162 jlevin@mediamatters.org

Coalition to Fox News host: “America is not a country that defines citizenship or patriotism based on color, or creed, or name”

Washington, DC - Today, Media Matters for America joined six civil rights organizations in decrying Glenn Beck’s comments on President Obama’s name. Beck said “You don’t take the name Barack to identify with America,” but to identify with “your heritage,” “your father in Kenya, who is a radical.”

The coalition of organizations, which includes America’s Voice, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), Center for New Community, Color of Change, NCLR (National Council of La Raza), Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, and Media Matters, released the following statement:

Glenn Beck’s comments reveal the depth of his failure to grasp the true nature of America and of the American people. Ours is a nation of immigrants. Ours is a nation of proud individuals who celebrate their heritage as surely as they love the country in which they live. Ours is a nation that draws strength from its diversity, rather than rejecting it. And America is not a country that defines citizenship or patriotism based on color, or creed, or name.

In 2004, Senator Barack Obama explained that when growing up, he possessed “the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too.” And he was right. It does. Mr. Beck’s inability to accept this fundamental quality of our nation — or at the very least his willingness to pander to those who reject it — should trouble us all. He owes an apology to the people of this great country.

The coalition includes:

America’s Voice

Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA)

Center for New Community

Color of Change

NCLR (National Council of La Raza)

Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition

Media Matters for America

BACKGROUND

As Media Matters noted, Beck said on his radio show yesterday:

BECK: He chose to use his name, Barack, for a reason. To identify, not with America — you don’t take the name Barack to identify with America. You take the name Barack to identify with what? Your heritage? The heritage, maybe, of your father in Kenya, who is a radical? Really? Searching for something to give him any kind of meaning, just as he was searching later in life for religion.

Fair And Balanced Fox News

Fox News Conservatives Continue Riding Scott Brown’s Jock

Every time I see one of these Fox News hacks talking about recently elected U.S. Senator Scott Brown (some Republicans believe he is their Barack Obama) it reminds me of an episode of the Boondocks cartoon when Tom DuBois is trying to get in good with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Riley Freeman (pictured) quickly tires of DuBois trying to get in good with Dr. King and lets his feelings be known:

[The Freemans have Martin Luther King over for dinner]

TOM DUBOIS: Dr King, I just wanted to say that even though you’ve been catching a lot of flak recently, were very honored to meet you. Really.

RILEY: Get off his dick.
[Huey kicks him]

RILEY: Ow! Man, Im just sayin. Mr. Dubois riding Dr. King like a rodeo show.
[Huey kicks him again]

RILEY: Ow!

GRANDDAD: Stop it.

Check out the video (of Fox News continuing to ride Brown’s jock … this time in the form of playing with dolls on national television) at the link below:

Note: Look where Fox News host Steve Doocy’s right index finger is (on the Brown doll’s body) in the early part of the video.

This is the same hypocritical network that both made fun of Barack Obama’s celebrity status and lamented his popularity in the so-called mainstream media.

Media Matters for America:
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201002020004

Reggie Bush, A Victim Of Interracialism?

Reggie Bush, the football star of the New Orleans Saints, is gracing the cover of Essence magazine.

As a result of Bush's image on the cover of Essence, all hell has broken loose and Reggie has become a victim of what can best be termed: interracialism. First off, for those who are unfamiliar with Essence, it is a magazine largely designed for black women from their late teens to their late 40s. Reggie Bush, the cover boy for the magazine, is not being well received by many black women around the nation. The anger over the football star's appearance on the magazine has next to nothing to do with what really should matter about Reggie Bush as a man. The anger ignited by Reggie's appearance on the cover of the magazine is about interracialism - specifically, the fact that Bush is romantically linked to Kim Kardashian, who is perceived by people as being white.

Were Reggie Bush in a pre-approved relationship (with a black woman) then his appearance on the cover of Essence would be welcomed who would drool over his abs (the kind most guys wish they had) rather than seethe over the racial makeup of his girlfriend choice.

Thus, we have the genesis for a new "ism" today: interracial-ism.

Here is a definition of racism:

1. The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.

2. Discrimination or prejudice based on race.

Here is a proposed definition of interracialism:

1. The belief that the racial makeup of relationships accounts for differences in character or ability and that a particular racial relationship makeup is superior to others.

2. Discrimination or prejudice based on the racial makeup of relationships.

Here is an excerpt from a column written by Jenice Armstrong, a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News.

The image of Bush has irritated a long-frayed nerve that is further aggravated by the fact that Essence, a magazine many black women think of as their own, made him its cover image. It's stirred up an old debate about high-profile black men and their preference for dating white or light-skinned women.

Perhaps, as Armstrong suggests in another part of the column, Bush was making an effort to appeal to black women a little more favorably. Or, perhaps he just saw an opportunity to market himself and thought little about whether it was Essence or some other magazine. Maybe Essence thought his sex appeal would transcend interracialism and appeal to black women. Or, perhaps Essence thought the controversy would get people talking about the magazine and sell more issues.

We're talking about Essence, aren't we? Would we be talking about Essence this much if it was LeBron James on the cover with the same pose? No way.

Here is one angry comment over the Reggie Bush Covergate:

“Why is there a white supremacist on the cover of Essence magazine? Because any person who thinks white women are better is indeed a white supremacists. Having this man on the cover is beyond offensive to me as an African American woman. He is just another crude reminder of all the black men who perpetuate racism against black women, by rejecting them and showing the utmost disrespect by choosing to date non-black women, Reggie Bush is even more offensive since his mate is nothing but some white trashy woman. I suspect those of you you do agree with this mess are either Aunt Jemima’s or products of an interracial relationship.”

“This Brotha don’t dig us, so why, pray tell, do we have to see his face staring back at us, on a magazine that celebrates US? This disappoints me. It’s an insult! Later for Reggie Bush and all the other Brothas who turn their back on the black woman once they are successful.”

“Why put a man who clearly prefers the bottom of the barrel of white women than a good black woman on your cover? Clearly, he has no love for the sisters. This magazine is supposed to empower black women not remind us of the disadvantages that we face in today’s society. Please don’t insult our intelligence.”

"White supremacist?" That is so nutty on so many levels it is ridiculous.

That is some powerful stuff right there. In fact, that is just downright ridiculous. The only reason I am showing this quote is to illustrate the hatred that still exists out there and the hostility that people who are in interracial relationships confront on an almost daily basis.

Now, you'll here people say it's not racist, it's not hatred, it's a magazine for black women, it's not racial and ... yadda, yadda, yadda.

Apparently, the page with comments on the Essence Web site has been taken down. From a few published reports, that number of comments had eclipsed the 1,000 mark.

It all comes back to interracialism.

There world needs a lot of things, but another "ism" is not one.

I'll leave with these two arguments from the BET (Black Entertainment Television) Web site:

Anonymous too Said on January 13th, 2010

I agree w/ anonymous. I’m not offended at all. I also wonder why some folks are so angry. Just b/c Reggie is dating an Armenian woman (Armenians are NOT Anglo Saxon), doesn’t mean he has never cared for or dated a “sista”. And why does black love have to be between two black people? Isn’t black love any love that comes fr. someone who is of the black persuasion or who loves someone who is black. It’s a good thing for people to date and love outside their economic level, local community, culture, and yes race – it promotes understanding and ultimately leads to people treating each other better. We are all God’s children, so why keep buying into separatist, racist ideals of segregation? Let’s love each other as God loves us all.

WTF Said on January 14th, 2010

Ok people, I am tired of black women speaking out about black men dating outside of their races. Stop soundling like a bunch of bitter, hard-up females. Move on with your life and live your life to the fullest. Reggie does not want your black ass, he wants Kim’s white ass, so get over it. Alot of black women are coming off as jealous, insecure women. Find love yourself and move forward. It is obvious that Kim and her sister like black guys, hell have you looked at their body types, white men consider then overweight and black men will date any white woman as long as she has a pulse. So don’t get offended, it’s not your loss, because truth be told, black men have always wanted what white men have tossed aside. Think about it.

RoRo Said on January 14th, 2010

I am disappointed in the ignorance people possess when it comes to social issues. As a single “black” female I feel that most of the people that are going to have anything negative to say are bitter “black” single females who are probably single because they are ignorant, judgmental, angry, and put to much thought into what others do in their personal lives. They are just looking for excuses as to why they can’t find a man. For one Kim Kardashian is not white she is Armenian. Second is Russell Simmons “a sale out” I don’t recall him being married to a woman of full black decent, and he is one of the most successful “black” entrepreneurs I know. Now I know that this issue is to support love, weather it be black yellow purple or green, I get it but love does not have a color. I have dated outside my race have been in love with a black man and someone of a different race, I even have a child that is “biracial” as a result of my “interracial” dating. I think people are really immature when it comes to this issue. Think about it would Obama be here if his daddy wasn’t a “sell out” and dated his white mama, did they not at one point and time celebrate “Love”. Let’s be real and stop making mountains out of molehills.

Some of the hatred directed at Reggie Bush and Kim Kardashian makes it seem as though the country has gone in a time machine back to the 1950s.

So much for living in post-racial America.

Right-Wing Hero O’Keefe Finds Out … It’s Hard Out Here For A Pimp

It’s hard out here for a pimp.

James O’Keefe quickly became a hero on the right wing due largely to his efforts to expose/set up ACORN (a partisan effort designed to attack President Barack Obama and other Democrats). O’Keefe proved how quickly you can fall from hero to zero (even with people you think have your back). Looking like he was on his way to a Pimps-and-Hos party, O’Keefe, who has been described by some people as a “Republican activist,” went out on a mission to throw dirt on ACORN and actually had some success as far as harming the credibility of the organization in the courtroom of public opinion. Even as O’Keefe has come under fire for his alleged crimes (that have garnered new media attention for him), conservative media are coming to his rescue while suggesting or whining about a conspiracy.

For what it’s worth, here’s the Wikipedia entry:

In July and August 2009, O’Keefe and 20 year old college student Hannah Giles posed respectively as a pimp and prostitute while going to a number of ACORN offices. They claimed to be seeking advice on how to run an illegal business^[23] which included the smuggling of underage girls from El Salvador for use in the sex trade. Several ACORN employees gave them advice on how to evade detection by legal authorities and how to avoid paying taxes on the girls’ income. O’Keefe secretly recorded the encounters.^[24] On September 10, 2009, O’Keefe published the first in a series of five videos of his ACORN investigation on Andrew Breitbart’s website, BigGovernment.com.^[25][26] Excerpts were frequently aired on the Fox News Channel, but largely ignored by other major media outlets.^[27] As of September 16, 2009, five exposé videos had been released which were set in ACORN offices in five cities: Baltimore, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Brooklyn, New York, San Bernardino, California, and San Diego, California.^[2]

O’Keefe said, “None of the facilities kicked us out.”^[28][29] However, an ACORN spokesperson claims that O’Keefe had no success with “this sham” at ACORN’s New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles offices.^[30] ACORN gave CNN a copy of the police complaint filed against the filmmakers In Philadelphia.^[31] O’Keefe said, “Why does ACORN apparently think that making and publishing an after-the-fact police complaint would cover up its willingness to help our ‘prostitution business’ and its lies about what happened when we visited?”^[32] In San Diego, former ACORN employee Juan Carlos Vera told O’Keefe in the video he had “contacts” in “Tijuana” to help get the underage girls across the border.^[33] Vera later reported what he thought was an attempt by O’Keefe at human smuggling to a police detective.^[34] Vera was fired because of what ACORN called “unacceptable conduct”, although Vera said he initially wanted to help the fake prostitute because she said that she needed to escape her controlling pimp.^[35] ACORN worker Tresa Kaelke, who talked with the filmmakers, said they were “Somewhat entertaining, but they weren’t even good actors.”^[36] According to CNN, the filmmakers released a transcript of their discussion with Kaelke that included a comment left out of the tape in which Kaelke said that ACORN would have nothing to do with their prostitution business.^[37]

Credibility takes a hit when right-wing propaganda machine Fox News and the far right nut Andrew Breitbart are leading those coming to O’Keefe’s defense.

O’Keefe’s pimp status could not stand up to this latest blow (which you will read below).

But, since O’Keefe reached the pinnacle of hero status among our right-wing friends, he has learned a valuable lesson most famously described by the Three 6 Mafia hip-hop song, “It’s Hard out Here for a Pimp.”

On January 25, 2010, O’Keefe along with Stan Dai, Joseph Basel and Robert Flanagan were arrested by the FBI for allegedly trying to interfere with the office phones of Senator Mary Landrieu.^[13] The Senator’s office is located at the Hale Boggs Federal Building in downtown New Orleans. All four individuals have been charged with entering federal property under false pretenses with the intent of committing a felony.^[12] O’Keefe’s bond was set at $10,000.^[11] According to an affidavit filed on behalf of Special Agent Stephen Rayes, O’Keefe admitted to “recording Flanagan and Basel” on his cell phone and aiding in the “planning, coordination, and preparation of the operation.” ^[54] If convicted, O’Keefe and his co-defendants could face up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000.^[55][13]

The Politico reported that O’Keefe and each of the other three men arrested have been “groomed for years to be part of a new wave of activist conservative journalists by a series of influential and often deep-pocket benefactors”.^[56] The Associated Press reported that three of the four defendants had founded a conservative college newspaper: O’Keefe at Rutgers, Joseph Basel at the University of Minnesota, and Stan Dai at George Washington University; with the fourth man, Robert Flanagan writing for the blog of the conservative Pelican Institute. The AP also suggested that the incident may have been a “third rate prank” related to the fact that Senator Landrieu’s office had a reputation for not returning calls from constituents.^[57]

If O’Keefe and his crew did this then they’re nuts.

I know O’Keefe is a young cat, but has he not seen the movie All the President’s Men with Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman? It failed then and it has failed now.

But, hey, it’s not easy out there.

With that in mind, however, I’ve decided to dedicate the video for and lyrics of “It’s Hard out Here for a Pimp,” made famous in the movie Hustle & Flow, to Republican hero James O’Keefe.

It’s Hard out Here for a Pimp

You know it’s hard out here for a pimp (you ain’t knowin)
When he tryin to get this money for the rent (you ain’t knowin)
For the Cadillacs and gas money spent (you ain’t knowin)
Because a whole lot of bitches talkin shit (you ain’t knowin)

You know it’s hard out here for a pimp (you ain’t knowin)
When he tryin to get this money for the rent (you ain’t knowin)
For the Cadillacs and gas money spent (you ain’t knowin)
Will have a whole lot of bitches talkin shit (you ain’t knowin)

In my eyes I done seen some crazy thangs in the streets
Gotta couple hoes workin on the changes for me
But I gotta keep my game tight like Kobe on game night
Like takin from a ho don’t know no better, I know that ain’t right
Done seen people killed, done seen people deal
Done seen people live in poverty with no meals
It’s fucked up where I live, but that’s just how it is
It might be new to you, but it’s been like this for years
It’s blood sweat and tears when it come down to this shit
I’m tryin to get rich ‘fore I leave up out this bitch
I’m tryin to have thangs but it’s hard fo’ a pimp
But I’m prayin and I’m hopin to God I don’t slip, yeah

You know it’s hard out here for a pimp (you ain’t knowin)
When he tryin to get this money for the rent (you ain’t knowin)
For the Cadillacs and gas money spent (you ain’t knowin)
Because a whole lot of bitches talkin shit (you ain’t knowin)

Man it seems like I’m duckin dodgin bullets everyday
Niggaz hatin on me cause I got, hoes on the tray
But I gotta stay paid, gotta stay above water
Couldn’t keep up with my hoes, that’s when shit got harder
North Memphis where I’m from, I’m 7th Street bound
Where niggaz all the time end up lost and never found
Man these girls think we prove thangs, leave a big head
They come hopin every night, they don’t end up bein dead
Wait I got a snow bunny, and a black girl too
You pay the right price and they’ll both do you
That’s the way the game goes, gotta keep it strictly pimpin
Gotta have my hustle tight, makin change off these women, yeah

You know it’s hard out here for a pimp (you ain’t knowin)
When he tryin to get this money for the rent (you ain’t knowin)
For the Cadillacs and gas money spent (you ain’t knowin)
Because a whole lot of bitches talkin shit (you ain’t knowin)

Lyrics.time:
http://www.lyricstime.com/djay-it-s-hard-out-here-for-a-pimp-lyrics.html

Republicans Smacked Down By President Obama

I think the stunning arrogance of the Republicans, who have been reading their own talking points far too much, came back to bite them in the ass in Baltimore last week. The Republicans welcomed President Obama to their annual retreat last week in Baltimore (maybe with the thought they could make him look bad on national television). It was a big mistake. One has to imagine the Republicans never knew what hit them by the time everything was said, done and written (unless you watch Fox News which still tried to spin it negatively for the president). President Obama went onto Republican turf, handled all the partisan attacks, misleading information, fear mongering and falsehoods with dignity, class and intelligence.

With relative ease, the president smacked down most, if not all, of the Republican falsehoods and misleading attacks with charm, poise and intelligence. In all honesty, President Obama made the Republicans looked like a bunch of angry obstructionists using fear, misleading information, false information and hatred as weapons of attack. The president came off looking like a good guy trying to do the right thing while the Republicans came off looking angry and politically hateful.

This is from Think Progress:

House Republicans were fired up and ready to go for their conversation with President Obama at their annual retreat today. According to the New York Times, members of the conservative Republican House Conference said they were “itching to quiz the president and present their policy ideas rather than listen to another lofty presidential address.” Although such sessions generally occur behind closed doors, Republicans agreed to open it up after the White House said it was willing to do so. However, after Obama’s strong performance, some Republicans are now regretting that decision. As Luke Russert reported on MSNBC:

RUSSERT: Tom Cole — former head of the NRCC, congressman from Oklahoma — said, “He scored many points. He did really well.” Barack Obama, for an hour and a half, was able to refute every single Republican talking point used against him on the major issues of the day. In essence, it was almost like a debate where he was front and center for the majority of it. … One Republican said to me, off the record, behind closed doors: “It was a mistake that we allowed the cameras to roll like that. We should not have done that.”

Here is the bottom line: The Republicans believed all of that garbage about teleprompters and questioned the president’s intelligence. They underestimated him (mainly his intelligence) and ended up looking REALLY bad as he handled all of their questions and attacks as if he knew what they were going to say (because he did know what they were going to say).

President Obama was right about how vulnerable these Republicans become with their own base because of how hateful the rhetoric from the far right has become. He turned on the charm and used reason to expose the anger of the far right in attacking his administration. As the president asked how can the far right work with the president when they’re buying into (initiating or advancing) the garbage that he is a fascist, a socialist, he’s trying to harm old people, he is trying to take over government and so on and so forth? They can’t unless they are willing to risk the wrath of people who hated Barack Obama from the moment they first saw him.

But, back to my main point: Republicans made a mistake.

They underestimated Barack Obama and he made them look really bad on a national stage (unless you watch Fox News in which case you would not have seen the entire exchange as they turned away to begin bashing him with right-wing talking points … disguised as fair and balanced).

Think Progress:
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/01/29/russert-gop-obama/
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/01/29/obama-gop-retreat/

Good Point Made By Crooks And Liars Blog

It’s really not that big a surprise that the far right Fox News network was clearly disappointed that President Barack Obama destroyed the Republicans as he went to their retreat, took all of their questions and swatted them all down with relative ease. Crooks and Liars makes a great point that, instead of talking about the event, the Republicans had to punt (rethink strategy and ultimately go back to attacking the State of the Union address).

I like this paragraph from Crooks and Liars:

Sean Hannity and Newt Gingrich attack the President’s State of the Union address as angry, whining, self-justifying, not exactly honest, petulant and unpresidential. Project much boys? Of course no mention of the verbal beating the House Republicans took from the President during their retreat that Fox decided to quit airing after it was obvious it wasn’t going well for them. Hannity was too busy doing what looked like a Presidential campaign ad for Newt when they weren’t attacking Democrats for the better part of this segment instead.

As we know, Fox News is where Republicans go to run the silent phase of their presidential campaigns (Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, etc.).

If President Obama had looked bad, Hannity and Bill O’Reilly would have hammered him with it all night long.

Instead, they pretty much ignored the beating President Obama gave the Republicans.

Apparently Serving The Government Is Not As Noble To At Least One Conservative

It used to be considered noble to serve the public or to serve the government in some way, but apparently those days are gone in the eyes of some conservatives.

Here is a comment from the blog Booker Rising:

Jennifer Burke, a conservative in Washington, writes on Facebook: “And there it is…..let’s increase the already bloated government by rewarding those who go into government service with a forgiveness of student loans in half the time than if they choose a different career path. (No offense to those who work for the government. I just think that kind of policy is plain and simply wrong.)”

Not sure how she proved that the government being bloated would increase. Perhaps these people would be filling jobs that already exist.

Frankly, there should be nothing wrong with serving your government as a way of encouraging graduates to want to give something back after working at paying back massive student loan debt.

This strikes as criticism for the sake of criticism.

Booker Rising:
http://www.bookerrising.net/2010/01/state-of-union-speech-bookerista_27.html

More Irrational Reaction From President Obama’s State Of The Union

President Obama’s State of the Union address really stirred something in those on the far right.

Here is another example from the blog Booker Rising:

Paige Perkins, a conservative Republican, writes on Facebook: “Obama’s SoTU Checklist: Blame Republicans, Blame Republicans, Blame Bush, Encourage bi-partisanship, Declare it’s not my fault, Pat myself on the back, Deliver bad news, Repeat as necessary.”

This is an anger point for many conservatives.

Paige missed the part where President Obama talked about what his administration has added to the deficit. Pointing out the facts (about the state of the economy when President Obama took office) is not blaming.

In baseball, just because a relief pitcher comes in does not mean he assumes responsibility for the runners on base. The starting pitcher bears some responsibility.

President Obama Talked About Jobs Lost During The Last Two Years

Here is an interesting little nugget, at Booker Rising, I found from a conservative writer attacking President Obama’s State of the Union speech:

Quentin Banks, a conservative in St. Louis, Mo.: “Did he mention the 4 1/2 million jobs lost under his administration in the last year? He didn’t? Surprise, surprise.”

Here is an excerpt from President Obama’s State of the Union address on Jan. 27:

But the truth is, these steps won’t make up for the seven million jobs that we’ve lost over the last two years. The only way to move to full employment is to lay a new foundation for long-term economic growth, and finally address the problems that America’s families have confronted for years.

Since he mentioned the last two years I think the last year fits into that timeframe.

MSNBC’s Chris Matthews: “I forgot he was black tonight for an hour”

MSNBC host and commentator Chris Matthews has a habit of making comments that make you shake your head in disbelief.

Matthews offered yet another in regard to President Obama’s State of the Union speech:

MATTHEWS: You know, I was trying to think about who he was tonight, and it’s interesting: He is post-racial by all appearances. You know, I forgot he was black tonight for an hour. You know, he’s gone a long way to become a leader of this country and passed so much history in just a year or two. I mean, it’s something we don’t even think about.

I was watching, I said, Wait a minute, he’s an African-American guy in front of a bunch of other white people. And here he is President of the United States and we’ve completely forgotten that tonight — completely forgotten it. I think it was in the scope of his discussion. It was so broad-ranging, so in tune with so many problems, of aspects, and aspects of American life that you don’t think terms of the old tribalism, the old ethnicity. It was astounding in that regard — a very subtle fact. It’s so hard to even talk about; maybe I shouldn’t talk about it, but I am.

Well, Chris, we almost forgot how foolish you can be, but then you typically bring us back to reality.

Think Progress:
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/01/27/matthews-obama-black/

Media Matters for America:
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201001270078

John McCain … Maverick In Name Only

Sen. John McCain always tried to portray himself as a so-called “maverick” while he was on the campaign trail. But, during and after Wednesday’s State of the Union address from President Obama, for former candidate for the White House proved that he is just another Washington insider playing the game of politics. In other words, Sen. John McCain is a politician like all the rest, as he proved again when he went on Sean Hannity’s far-right Fox News show and uttered the words below.

“What we’re hearing tonight is ‘BIOB’ — let’s call it that from now on. Blame it on Bush. Whatever has gone wrong, let’s blame it on Bush. I think the people of Massachusetts last Tuesday pretty well rejected that line of conversation.”

Voters rejected Sen. McCain’s message during the campaign and should reject it now. The campaign is over and John McCain has revealed his true self as a right-wing partisan who struggles to see any good from the other side and mistakes facts for blame.

John McCain (who wears his far-right cap when he goes on Fox News) must have missed the part where the president accepted the blame for the portion of the deficit he claimed responsibility for last night.

Also, Sen. McCain is misguided. Massachusetts voters likely rejected that Democrats have not done enough to bring the radical change they expected (we’re still in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Democrats are not standing firm on health care, etc.).

Is Sen. McCain crazy enough to think that Massachusetts are troubled by Democrats holding President Bush (whose approval ratings where somewhere around the high 20s to low 30s when he left office) accountable for what happened on his watch? Come on, now!

Think Progress:
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/01/27/mccain-sotu-obama/