**Written by Doug Powers It’s Friday afternoon, which means we’re sitting around waiting to see which documents get dumped out a second floor window of the White House before everybody heads off for the weekend. Until that happens, Jay Carney’s taken it upon himself to keep everybody entertained: WH reporter: “Do you understand the optics when, at the economy event he was on the ground in Orlando for less than three hours, yet he spent roughly seven hours at these four different campaign events. The way this is viewed, you hear from Republicans…” Jay Carney: “…I would challenge you to look at what the President does on any given week, including this week and many weeks going back, and not come to the conclusion that he spends a relatively small amount of time — at this stage — on campaign events. That’s a simple fact”: The Press Corps would ask the President himself if he’s spending much time campaigning, but yesterday Obama’s completely non campaign-related photo op at the Magic Kingdom was followed by the four non campaign-related NYC fundraisers the reporter was referring to (one featuring an Al Green impression that by now is probably Chris Matthews’ cell phone ring tone). Those were followed today by another non campaign-related fundrasier, so the press isn’t able to reach him quite yet : (h/t HAP ) **Written by Doug Powers Twitter @ThePowersThatBe
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Jay Carney: Obama Doesn’t Really Spend a Lot of Time Campaigning
At this point, mocking Chris Matthews for sounding unhinged is a clich
**Written by Doug Powers MSNBC has been leaning forward head over heels to apologize to Mitt Romney over this Thomas Roberts item: What was that all about? Roberts was quoting a blog that took a phrase Romney has used and found out that the KKK used something similar in the 1920′s. There hasn’t been a more incriminating link established since somebody noticed that Sarah Palin and Nathan Bedford Forrest are both right handed. Anyway, today, Roberts apologized : The Roberts apology was preceded yesterday by Chris Matthews: Matthews yesterday: “It was irresponsible and incendiary of us to do this, and it showed an appalling lack of judgment. We apologize, we really do, to the Romney campaign.” Roberts today: “It was irresponsible and incendiary of us to do this and showed an appalling lack of judgment. We apologize to the Romney campaign.” The latter is dangerously close to adding apology copycatting to the list of things for which he needs to ask forgiveness. And even Al Sharpton even got in on the apology (“you know it’s bad when…”): Sharpton also later apologized for accusing Romney of eating all the blueberry pie . Maybe MSNBC has changed how they operate, because “irresponsible, incendiary and an apalling lack of judgment” didn’t used to be things some of their hosts apologized for — they were job requirements. What gives? ***** Update: A reader emails to say that Nathan Bedford Forrest was actually left-handed. That’s based on a book about him. I assumed he was right-handed because of a painting and a photo that showed him carrying a firearm on his right hip. Now that I think about it though, if Forrest was actually left-handed, the slight inaccuracy makes the analogy even more appropriate so I’ll leave well-enough alone. **Written by Doug Powers Twitter @ThePowersThatBe
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MSNBC Leans Forward to Apologize to Mitt Romney
( Note : When I place “The Israel Lobby” in quotes like that, I’m referring to the Mearsheimer and Walt smear thesis of a Jewish interest group section that dominates U.S. policy making toward Israel. I thought I’d put this up at top so there’s no misunderstanding about my meaning at the title.) There’s a ferocious backlash against Thomas Friedman’s latest New York Times column, ” Newt, Mitt, Bibi and Vladimir .” Instapundit has the link to Jennifer Rubin’s essay hammering Friedman, and see also Power Line, ” Tom Friedman Goes Mearsheimer and Walt .” And still more from Jonathan Tobin at Commentary , ” Thomas Friedman and the New Anti-Semitism-Part One “: The notion that the only reason politicians support Israel is because of Jewish money is a central myth of a new form of anti-Semitism which masquerades as a defense of American foreign policy against the depredations of a venal Israel lobby. This canard not only feeds off of the traditional themes of Jew-hatred, it also requires Friedman to ignore the deep roots of American backing for Zionism in our history and culture. Friedman goes on to embarrass himself by contrasting the reception Netanyahu received on Capitol Hill to the one he might get at a center of leftist academia such as the University of Wisconsin. There’s little doubt he would not be cheered there. But the same would be true of most American politicians or thinkers who deviated from leftist Orthodoxy. The notion that liberal campuses are more representative of opinion about Israel than Congress is laughable. It is the sort of whopper one has come to expect from the liberal chorus on the Times op-ed page and shows Netanyahu may have a better feel for what Americans think than Friedman. And continued here: ” Thomas Friedman and the New Anti-Semitism-Part Two .” Meanwhile, check yet another installment of Mondoweiss thanking God for Mearseimer and Walt, ” Why did it take 6 years to talk about the Israel lobby? ” My good friend Norm tells me that these people hate, that progressive especially hate Israel, and that it’s not going away. But I can’t stop shaking my head at the enormous chasm I see whenever I read this stuff. Mondoweiss (and I mean Phillip Weiss) argues that “The Israel Lobby” smear has now gone mainstream and that it’s “safe” for journalists like Chris Matthews to come aboard the good ship anti-Semitism. I guess that it’s just that I’d not realized how exterminationist is the left-wing project. So, I shake my head partly out of my own naïvity. There’s a war going on, and it’s fully enjoined on the question of the defense of Israel. Game on, I say. And give no quarter to these f-kers. Anyway, more from Elliott Abrams, ” Mr. Friedman’s Diatribe Against Israel .”
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‘The Israel Lobby’ Continues to Poison Leftist Politics
MSNBC daytime anchor Thomas Roberts reported today on a blog post from the progressive site Americablog.com linking Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney to a campaign ad with the slogan “Keep America American.” As Roberts notes, the phrase was used as a rallying cry for the KKK during the 1920s: However, it appears MSNBC and the progressive blog both missed the final 5 seconds of the “ad” which clearly reads “Mitt Romney does not actually support this ad.” Not to mention the youtube channel that the blog reports the “ad” to have originated from is not from the Romney campaign but kdipark, whoever that is.
Rick Santorum enjoys Guiness beer. Just like Newt Gingrich . Sen. Scott Brown is also making bets . Was MSNBC’s Chris Matthews sniffing pepper before going live? Rick Perry has a favorite phrase : “I would suggest to you…” Sen Barbara Boxer says “literally” when she really means “figuratively.”
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Midnight snacks 12.13.11
**Written by Doug Powers In Iowa, with the caucus just about three weeks away, Newt Gingrich has more than a ten point lead on Mitt Romney and Ron Paul heading into tonight’s ABC/Yahoo debate that will, they’re saying, focus on the economy. There will be two moderators. The first is an anchor/reporter who has done so much fawning over Obama that when visiting the White House she’s often mistaken for Bambi . To balance things out, she’ll be joined by a former advisor to Bill Clinton who is also now a totally unbiased ABC News correspondent. Here are a few more details : With Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney locked in a pitched battle at the top of the GOP pack and a cadre of other candidates looking to steal their thunder, the stakes could not be higher for tonight’s ABC News, Yahoo News, WOI-TV, Des Moines Register, Iowa Republican Party debate, which begins at 9 p.m. Eastern/8 p.m. Central. The debate, which will be moderated by ABC’s Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos, takes place on the campus of Drake University in Des Moines — in a state where voters will gather less than a month from today to kick off the process of selecting the Republican nominee. To watch, tune into any ABC television station across the country or log on for a live-stream on ABCNews.com, Yahoo.com, MyABC5.com, and DesMoinesRegister.com. Missing from the lineup will of course be Herman Cain, who dropped out a week ago, and Jon Huntsman, who will be in New Hampshire instead, having written off Iowa. Also, some kind of real-time polling app will be used. This sounds similar to the “Tingle-o-Meter” they hook up to Chris Matthews’ thigh before Obama speeches: By downloading IntoNow, free and available for iOS and Android, you can scan your television during the debate — and your mobile device take you to a new realm of political interaction. “People will not only be able to engage in live polling during the debate, but their votes will actually be utilized in questioning the candidates,” said Adam Cahan, Yahoo product manager and co-founder of IntoNow, in an email statement. Yahoo bought IntoNow this year, and they’re also a co-sponsor of the debate, so brace for plenty of product hawking… which is fine. After all, this debate’s mostly about the economy. I’ll post a live link or embed video when the debate begins at 9 p.m. EST. That’s also tip-time of the Michigan State/Gonzaga game in Spokane, and The Caine Mutiny is on TCM, so I hope my satellite remote is up to it. Update: Live video here . I’m plunking down random debate thoughts on Twitter . Update II: Here’s the “$10,000 bet” moment: video platform video management video solutions video player **Written by Doug Powers Twitter @ThePowersThatBe
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Iowa GOP Debate Open Thread: Pre-Caucus Raucous
One more day. And a half, technically. Refocus with these: Comedian laughs like Chris Matthews to Chris Matthews. Piers Morgan is getting serious at CNN. Ann Coulter compares Newt Gingrich to ” a chubby boy who desperately wants to be liked.” Michael Bloomberg commends OWSers on “generally” following the law . Rick Perry thought of Britney Spears during his Porkey Pig moment. Tweet of the day:
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Midday snacks 11.10.11
