Punchak’s comments about Cantor made me curious so I went hunting for the video.
I agree with her. Cantor seems insincere and disingenuous. I like his wife. I feel good knowing that she is in charge of the state nest egg.
The voice bellowing rudely in the background is Cantor’s press secretary Brad Dayspring yelling “That just isn’t true! And I don’t want to let that stand!”
The ghost of Ronald Reagan quickly appeared to make sure Stahl’s honor was defended and that she was telling the truth. Dayspring got the AH award of the week for that intrusion. Talk about wiping out any good Canot managed to do with his Leslie Stahl interview in less than ten seconds.
So is Cantor showing a kinder, gentler face? I haven’t seen it.
We hesitated before posting this picture. We still aren’t comfortable doing it. However, there is no way to convey the inappropriateness without the visual. We are going to post this montage for 24 hours, with reservations, and then take it down so as not to further contribute to something we don’t approve of. Update: as an alternative, we took the President out of the picture.
Congratulations to Loudoun Insider for calling out the Loudoun County Republican Party for their inappropriate Halloween montage featuring President Obama with a bullet hole in his head. According to Too Conservative Blog:
LCRC Goes WAY Too Far
By Loudoun Insider
This cartoon montage just arrived as part of an LCRC email blast. I am no fan of Barack Obama, but putting up a photo of him as a zombie with a bullet hole in his head???????????? Like him or not he is the legitimately elected the President of the United States and Commander in Chief of our armed services in a time of war. THIS IS DISGUSTING AND SHAMEFUL. Someone should send this to the US Secret Service.
WTOP.com printed that Governor McDonnell went on record opposing the depiction of such violence and said forcefully that it wasn’t to happen again:
Gov. Bob McDonnell, through spokesman J. Tucker Martin, called on the Loudoun GOP to “apologize for their actions, and to immediately ensure that such imagery is never used again.”
Virginia GOP Chairman Pat Mullins said such an image “has no place in our politics. Ever.”
Loudoun County GOP chairman Mark Sell said in an email response to The Associated Press that the graphic was “a light-hearted attempt to inject satire humor into the Halloween holiday.”
Chairman Sell needs to grow up and exercise some judgement if that is what he thinks. Remember how appalled most of us were when some reporter threw a shoe at President Bush? Many of those who were outraged weren’t Republicans. They were Americans who had seen their president threatened. I think the same sentiment leaps out at us here.
As Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell urges Congress and the White House to compromise over raising the nation’s debt ceiling to avoid default on federal debt, he’s taking grief from the GOP right. Two candidates in particular who are trying to curry favor with the far right, Claudia Tucker, and Tito Munoz, both take shots at McDonnell for urging compromise.
“I frankly feel that Governor McDonnell’s willingness to bless a retreat that includes tax hikes and an increase in the debt ceiling is just plain wrong. Republicans share in the reckless spending that has gotten (America) to this point and now is the time to roll up our sleeves and get back to our basic principles.”
Tito Munoz voiced his own criticism of the governor:
Tito Muñoz, a Republican primary candidate for the 36th state Senate district in Prince William and Fairfax counties, followed Tucker with a statement saying “I understand the governor’s job, but I disagree with his sentiment that there should be a compromise or retreat from solid, conservative principles.”
In his New York Times column Tuesday, entitled The Mother of All No Brainers, David Brooks talks about the new breed of cat mentioned by Joe Biden, although he didn’t call them that. He spoke of the new Republican since the last election. Brooks contends that the Republicans have extracted trillions of dollars in concessions out of the Democrats:
In negotiations with Democrats on the debt ceiling, Brooks says that Republicans have already extracted large concessions: trillions of dollars in spending cuts, including cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, so long as Republicans agree to raise taxes for the wealthiest Americans and give fewer tax breaks to oil companies.
It’s the “the deal of the century,” Brooks writes, and “if the Republican Party were a normal party, it would take advantage of this amazing moment.”
There’s the catch. Is the Republican Party normal now? Brooks thinks not and continues to pontificate:
If the Republican Party were a normal party, it would take advantage of this amazing moment. It is being offered the deal of the century: trillions of dollars in spending cuts in exchange for a few hundred billion dollars of revenue increases.
A normal Republican Party would seize the opportunity to put a long-term limit on the growth of government. It would seize the opportunity to put the country on a sound fiscal footing. It would seize the opportunity to do these things without putting any real crimp in economic growth.
The party is not being asked to raise marginal tax rates in a way that might pervert incentives. On the contrary, Republicans are merely being asked to close loopholes and eliminate tax expenditures that are themselves distortionary.
I hope they didn’t pay much for him. Talking about a need for vetting!
The Republican Leadership Conference met in New Orleans and ended up shooting itself in the foot pretty quickly with a maverick Obama impersonator named Reggi Brown. Reggie not only took some questionable shots at Obama but he really took aim at some of the party faithful.
Some examples of his poor choice of humor:
1. Lewd photos of Anthony Weiner
2. Saying Gingrich’s supporters “are dropping faster than Anthony Weiner’s pants.”
Last Friday, commentator Bill O’Reilly declared Tim Pawlenty was ‘too vanilla.’ He meant that Pawlenty was not an entertainer and lacked charisma. The former Minnesota governor says he isn’t running to be “comedian-in-chief.”
Tim Pawlenty may be nice, but he’s not willing to be anybody’s fool. So says the former Minnesota governor and 2012 presidential candidate, who blasted claims by Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly that he is too “vanilla” to be president.
“Is he playing the race card on me?” Pawlenty jokingly asked on “Fox News Sunday” before getting serious.
“I’m not running for comedian- in-chief, or entertainer-in-chief. If people want that, they should go to the ball park or Broadway play or a Las Vegas show. … Being strong is not the same as being loud. … So, if you want the clown-in-chief, vote for somebody else. That’s not me.”
Interesting comments from both O’Reilly and Pawlenty. Is it really necessary to have great charisma? Remember Al Gore being compared to a wooden Indian? It was seen to be his downfall at the time. What does a candidate need? Is Pawlenty lacking personality or entertainment factor and is it really necessary to light up crowds? Do ideas even count any more?
The guy seems to be thoughtful and have some solid plans and policy platforms–some that just won’t fit on the head of a sound byte. Some of us find that very refreshing. 7 candidates will put in an appearance at the New Hampshire debates tonight. How will vanilla stack up against the flavor of the month? Odd choice of words after 2 weeks of Weinergate. I think O’Reilly did Pawlenty a big favor, considering the timing.
Those who want to sample the flavors can turn in to CNN tonight at 8 pm.
The following is the opinion of the poster and does not necessarily represent the views of moonhowlings.net administration.
M-H
The Party of Lincoln needs to look in the mirror
by Camillus
Several weeks ago, a tape of NPR’s head fundraiser, Ron Schiller, making remarks critical of the GOP and the Tea Party surfaced. In the tape, Schiller referred to the Republican Party as “anti-intellectual” and described the Tea Party as “racist,” “Islamophobic,” and “xenophobic.” He went on to opine that “Jews” control America’s major newspapers.
Schiller’s bizarre and conspiratorial anti-semitic remarks are disturbing and offensive. His remarks about the GOP and the Tea Party, though, warrant further analysis for a simple reason: they are perceptions widely shared in our society.
Conservatives reacted to Schiller’s comments with anger. In their eyes, it was just one more example of a liberal establishment standing ever-ready to portray Republicans and conservatives as ignorant racists and bigots.
WASHINGTON — Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah was heckled for his support of the Wall Street bailout during his Friday appearance at a conservative gathering, another sign the Republican could face trouble earning his party’s nomination for re-election in 2012.
During an appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Hatch was asked why conservatives should believe him when he discusses federal spending, given his vote in favor of the bailout. That vote has become a litmus test for conservatives and anathema for Republicans running for re-election.
“All I can say is, there aren’t many people who will say I’m sorry. I’m one who will,” said Hatch, who earlier this week met with tea party activists at a town hall-style meeting.
Hatch is looking for support from his party’s conservative base for a re-election bid next year. The 76-year-old will not have it from his fellow Utah senator; Sen. Mike Lee said Friday he won’t endorse Hatch.
No, you didn’t make a mistake, Senator Hatch. You did the right thing. That TARP had to happen according to most financial experts. Why would this audience be so rude? Sen. Hatch has served for many years. I am not even sure why he wants to stay in office. I would tell the rude pigs good bye. You don’t heckle speakers and that includes ones I don’t like or agree with politically.
America can start its self improvement campaign by acquiring manners. The angry crowd got scolded by the moderator. Perhaps throwing them out of the event would hit home.
While John McCain continues to fight a repeal of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, his wife, Cindy McCain, seems just as determined to help the other side. Of course John McCain has done a flip flop on this issue, like many others when he decided he wasn’t quite conservative enough to win re-election to his senate seat without a major make-over.
“Our government treats the LGBT community like second class citizens,” the senator’s wife says later in the video.
Though Cindy McCain has spoken out on behalf of gay rights in the past, the video still came as a surprise to some gay rights activists.
“I’m astonished and impressed as hell,” John Aravosis wrote on Americablog Gay. “The woman basically accused her husband of sharing the blame for gay kids killing themselves.”
Cindy McCain previously appeared in the NOH8 campaign, which opposed California’s gay-marriage ban.
John McCain is traveling overseas this week and his press secretary could not be reached immediately for comment.
What must it be like at the McCain dinner table these days? Cindy works for equality for gals and young Ms. Meghan McCain works for The Daily Beast and is about as moderate of a Republican as one can get and still be considered a Republican.
Young gays have the highest rate of suicide in the nation. It is easy to understand why when one considers the messages they hear from our churches and politicians. Do these messages increase the bullying that happens to these young people?
Colonel Moe Davis can’t stand terrorists and hypocrites. Colonel Davis has assisted Indiana Congressman Brad Ellsworth, a candidate for Evan Bayh’s senate seat, repudiate an attack ad made by his Republican opponent, former Senator and DC lobbyist Dan Coats. Remember Coats from the bad old days?
It seems that Dan Coats is quite the hypocrite on a few things. He needs to be careful who his friends are. He released an attack ad stating that Ellsworth voted to close Gitmo and bring prisoners to the United States. Ellsworth denies the charge.
Here’s Colonel Moe Davis:
Coates has been out of office since 1999. According to the South Bend Tribune:
SOUTH BEND — Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Brad Ellsworth is fighting back against a campaign advertisement his Republican opponent, Dan Coats, released last week.
Ellsworth held news conferences in Indianapolis, Crown Point and South Bend on Thursday to counter Coats’ ad, which says Ellsworth voted to close the federal detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and transfer suspected terrorists to prisons in the United States.
“The claim in the ad is blatantly false. I never voted to close Gitmo,” the Evansville congressman said in an interview at the St. Joseph County Democratic Party Headquarters. “I said I will look at the plan when it comes in and make a determination then if that’s something I think makes Americans secure.”
Coats’ campaign stands by the content of its ad, which cites two votes Ellsworth cast against Republican amendments that would have barred the use of federal funds for closing Guantanamo and transferring detainees to the U.S. for trial. Ellsworth said Congress already has the power to approve or deny federal funding if the president presents a plan for transferring detainees to U.S. soil.
Ellsworth added members of both parties are “pretty notorious” for using such procedural votes to create campaign fodder.
“Those are very common Washington, D.C., tactics — what we refer to as ‘gotcha votes’ for things just like this, where you can refer to them and infer something happened that didn’t,” he said.
Nice job, Colonel Davis, nice job! Moe was the chief prosecutor at Gitmo from 2005-2007. He can call it as he sees it because unlike Dan Coats, he was there and on the right side–fighting terrorism. He knows first hand what Coats did and did not do.
Coats’ attack ad is linked above the video. (and the link has been fixed)
I am not sure women are going to fall for this nonsense. Maybe the women I know are just different from the Palin kind of women. The women I know think for themselves and don’t need to get behind a Ms. Sound byte to have their voices heard.
The video is getting rave reviews in conservative circles. What’s unique or catchy about it, or is it just more of the same?
So is Sarah Palin the cheerleader for Republicans? Tea Partiers? Women? Conservatives? I am really not sure who she represents. All I know is, she quite her elected post to persue loftier ambitions. I can only assume she plans on running for President.
What is Michael Steele talking about? What is he smoking? Every major R in the country is calling for this poor dude’s head. This speech is pretty pathetic.
The video is difficult to hear. The following CBS link clarifies what was said.
So what do the Republicans on this blog think about this matter? Should he go and how dare the Republicans point a finger over Howard Deane. Physicans, heal thyselves. Tim Kaine is looking pretty darn good.
I expect Michael Steele to sort of disappear from the political scenery.
This guy, Rick Barber, is running for congress in a primary in Alabama. This apparent drunken rant wouldn’t be a bit better if he were running for dog catcher.
He speaks to the ghosts of Washington, Franklin and Sam Adams and plans to overthrow the IRS.
Holy cow. Who needs South Carolina!
From Huffington Post:
Yes! Talkin’ sedition with the Founding Fathers! It doesn’t get any better than that.
“Is it worth digging into the substance here?” asks Dave Weigel, who makes a spirited attempt to do just that. But for all intents and purposes, what Barber is doing is railing against modernity itself, working himself into a fantasia of bellicosity.
Anyway, in the next scene of the story, we’ll have a terrified George Washington exclaiming: “WTF, dude?! Why didn’t you tell us that they have Hellfire missiles, mounted on robot planes, capable of cutting a man in half from 30,000 feet in the air? You do know that we are armed with muskets, right?”
Whoever came up with the notion that we were going to throw the bums out and bring in a new breed apparently hadn’t given much thought to what the new breed was like. New breed…be very afraid. It looks like we are all going to have to talk Emma into making those tinfoil hats again.
Republicans got that dead cat bounce from the new law in AZ. However, now they might be going back to the old adage about being careful what you wish for. Now the movers and the shakers in the GOP are worried that there might be a negative impact from this law and that some new potential base might be lost.
Arizona’s immigration law has been an immediate hit with the Republican base, but some of the party’s top strategists and rising stars worry that the harsh crackdown may do long-term damage to the GOP in the eyes of America’s Hispanic population.
From Marco Rubio to Jeb Bush to Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Republicans who represent heavily Hispanic states have been vocal in their criticism of the Arizona law, saying it overreaches. Even Gov. Bob McDonnell of Virginia, a conservative hero for his win last fall, has questioned the law.
And the party’s long-term thinkers worry that the Arizona law is merely a quick political fix which may create a permanent rift with the fastest growing segment of the U.S. electorate.
Most of us were unaware the Governor McDonnell had weighed in on the AZ issue.
The question people need to be asking themselves is will the new legislation help alleviate AZ’s violence. If the answer is no, then they need another strategy. They are making a bad mistake if they are curbing lawn care workers entering the United States. Meanwhile, London burns.
Specifically, Rove, Jeb Bush, and Governor Perry had the following to say:
“I think there is going to be some constitutional problems with the bill,” top Bush strategist Karl Rove said during a stop on his book tour. “I wished they hadn’t passed it, in a way.”
“I have concerns with portions of the law passed in Arizona and believe it would not be the right direction for Texas,” Perry said earlier this week.
Jeb Bush was also blunt: “I don’t think this is the proper approach.”
Regardless of what GOP heavy-weights say, the many folks in AZ are pleased with their legislation. It must be that RINO Karl Rove who just doesn’t have what it takes to be a conservative Republican. [Sarcasm key pressed.]
A big thanks to Elena for this gem. She says that David Frum was subsequently fired from his job at American Enterprise Institute for expressing this opinion. How many of us could have easily have said this:
From the FrumForum
David Forum March 21, 2010
David Frum
Conservatives and Republicans today suffered their most crushing legislative defeat since the 1960s.
It’s hard to exaggerate the magnitude of the disaster. Conservatives may cheer themselves that they’ll compensate for today’s expected vote with a big win in the November 2010 elections. But:
(1) It’s a good bet that conservatives are over-optimistic about November – by then the economy will have improved and the immediate goodies in the healthcare bill will be reaching key voting blocs.
(2) So what? Legislative majorities come and go. This healthcare bill is forever. A win in November is very poor compensation for this debacle now.
So far, I think a lot of conservatives will agree with me. Now comes the hard lesson:
A huge part of the blame for today’s disaster attaches to conservatives and Republicans ourselves. Read More
