FEATURED VIDEO
Heritage Grover Hermann Fellow Brian Riedl comments on the growing number of Americans receiving tax credits and the shrinking number of earners paying higher taxes to support them. More videos »April 20, 2010 | By Amanda J. Reinecker
Zero - Obamacare's links to conservative ideas
President Obama recently told Matt Lauer, anchor of NBC's "Today" show, that his highly partisan health care law borrows ideas directly from The Heritage Foundation's health care reform playbook. This is utterly false.
As Heritage health policy analyst Bob Moffitt explains:
The Obama health-care law "builds" on the Heritage health reform model only in the sense that, say, a double-quarter-pounder with cheese "builds" on the idea of a garden salad. Both have lettuce and tomato and may be called food, but the similarities end there.
This explicit misrepresentation of our research is part of an aggressive PR endeavor to paint Obamacare as a product of compromise and not the extremely partisan takeover of the health care system that it is. In fact, after their meticulous dissections of the bill, Heritage analysts found no redeeming attributes in Obamacare and have openly called for its repeal.
Repealing Obamacare, explains Heritage Vice President Mike Franc, will require support from both sides of the political aisle. Not surprisingly, that support is growing as Americans learn more about their new health care law.
Companies are realizing the astronomical coverage costs they face; employers are facing severe cutbacks and overseas relocations as a result of the new tax and regulatory burdens; thousands of uninsured Americans are learning they'll remain so for another four years; and millions of Medicare Advantage recipients will suffer coverage reductions and even termination of their plans.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. "More negative news is on the way," writes Franc. But disapproval of the bill is not enough. The road to repeal requires channeling America's dissatisfaction with Obamacare into enthusiasm for a market-oriented approach to health-care reform, which would be far less costly and would give Americans far greater freedom.
» Read Heritage's commonsense, principled solutions on health care
As Franc points out, "history demonstrates that those who tout commonsense solutions to difficult problems gain credibility and trust when they persevere." And that's why Heritage isn't giving up our fight to replace Obamacare with a system that puts patients first, not government bureaucrats and special interests.
Tax Day Money Bomb a huge success!
Thanks to an outpouring of support from our members and supporters, The Heritage Foundation's Tax Day Money Bomb last Thursday was a great success.
All told, the Tax Day Money Bomb drew an astonishing $339,000—funds that will be dedicated right away to fighting for the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense.
The overwhelming support for the Tax Day Money Bomb made a statement about just how outraged conservatives are with big-government spending and high taxes. Conservatives have made their voices heard--and we aren't about to turn down the volume!
The response to the money bomb shows the continued strength of the conservative movement and the faith our members have in The Heritage Foundation to lead the charge against unlimited federal spending.
With the success of the Tax Day Money Bomb, we are able to continue this fight with renewed vigor. Not only do we have the resources to put our conservative ideas to work, but we know that we have the support of conservatives like you from around the country.
Thank you for standing at our side.
Leftist news network stirring trouble
"The surest way to incite violence is to suppress legitimate dissent," writes Heritage national security expert James Carafano. Unfortunately, the leftists pundits at MSNBC are trying to do just that by using "the anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing to declare open season on almost anyone right of center," including peaceful tea party protesters.
Some Oklahoma City lawmakers recently proposed creating a state defense force, and MSNBC's liberal pundits are calling this an invitation to civil war. But the formation of such a force, Carafano explains, is "completely legal and appropriate under both the federal and state constitutions."
Not only is MSNBC's criticism of conservative activists unbalanced and misguided, it is hypocritical. As Carafano points out:
Think back to its coverage of Code Pink and the antiwar protests of the Bush administration. None of its commentators fretted over whether the protesters would lead to a resurgence of left-wing violence such as that practiced by the Weather Underground, the Blank Panthers, or the Symbionese Liberation Army. That would have been totally inappropriate — but no more so than what it's eagerly doing now with conservative protesters.
If MSNBC is worried about internal unrest, then it should examine its own practices, which amount to little more than fear-mongering and political posturing. And that won't make us any safer.
> Other Heritage work of note
- In the wake of Moscow's tragic subway bombings in March, American security officials moved quickly to secure America's buses and trains. But was this reaction warranted, or a clumsy political move?
The extremists who terrorized Moscow are not the same groups posing imminent threat to the U.S., argues The Heritage Foundation's James Carafano. "American intelligence needs to prioritize and focus on our most dangerous enemies -- and they ain't in Chechnya." Instead of focusing on illusory threats, we must be realistic about the enemies we actually face.
- The White House announced recently that it is shifting its attention from health care to job creation. Ironically, it is the recently-passed health care bill that will continue to cause job loss. But that isn't the only threat to job creation. For example, Washington lawmakers want to impose new taxes on energy.
Heritage president Ed Feulner offers another solution. "Instead of another 'stimulus,' lawmakers should begin by reducing the corporate tax rate." Doing this, while maintaining the capital gains tax at 15 percent, "could create an average of at least 2 million jobs a year over the next decade."
- How is it possible that our nation's budget has gone from a $300 billion surplus to a $1.5 trillion deficit in one decade? Reckless, thoughtless overspending. Since 2000, the U.S. budget has experienced significant increases in nearly every government program.
"The federal budget today is $1.3 trillion larger than in 2000 under President Clinton. Is America any better off?" asks Heritage's Brian Riedl. One thing is for sure: the solution is not slapping American families with even more taxes
» Read Heritage's solutions to overspending and over-taxation.
- On the heels of the unpopular health care overhaul, liberals in Congress are now pushing for legislation that would set up a permanent fund to bail out large investment houses. Predictably couched in "pro-taxpayer" language, the legislation is anything but. There are several major problems with this bill, says Heritage's Brian Darling. "If creditors know they aren't likely take a loss, and risk has been eliminated from an investment, it's taxpayers who are assuming all the risk."
> In other news
- On the list of top donors to President Obama's 2008 campaign, Goldman Sachs holds the number two spot: the company's employees gave $994,795. Goldman Sachs, one of the most prestigious investment banks, received billions of federal bailout dollars in 2008 and 2009.
- Arizona Republican Senators John McCain and John Kyl have proposed sending an additional 3,000 U.S. National Guard troops to monitor Arizona's increasingly dangerous border with Mexico. The two also requested an additional 700 miles in fencing. Arizona state lawmakers, meanwhile, passed a bill calling for officials "to determine if people are in the United States illegally," Reuters reports. Critics of the new policy argue it opens the door to racial profiling.
- America's rising public debt continues to endanger the global financial system. The government nevertheless continues to spend taxpayer dollars at an unsustainable pace.
- According to a report by the Department of Defense, Iran may be capable of striking the U.S. with an intercontinental ballistic missile by 2015. Reports like this one underscore the growing need to a robust missile defense.
- The EPA is inviting submissions of videos showing the benefits of federal regulation. Does this mean the EPA can't justify its regulations itself?
- "President Barack Obama issued a memo on Thursday that would require hospitals accepting Medicare or Medicaid funds to allow visitation rights to gay and lesbian partners," Reuters reports. By treating all relationships as equal, this federal intrusion strikes another blow against traditional family structures.
Amanda Reinecker is a writer for MyHeritage.org—a website for members and supporters of The Heritage Foundation. Nathaniel Ward, the Editor of MyHeritage.org, and Eva Brates, a Heritage Foundation intern, contributed to this report.
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Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Fwd: MyHeritage.org: Zero - Obamacare's links to conservative ideas
Fwd: Side Effects: Want that Tax Refund? Show Us Your Insurance Card First
April 20, 2010
Want that Tax Refund? Show Us Your Insurance Card First
Obamacare requires all individuals to carry health insurance for themselves and their families. Those who don't will have to pay a penalty. And the Internal Revenue Service is the agency charged with making sure the uninsured pony up.
Just how will the IRS do that? It's not something lawmakers got around to actually, you know, writing down in any detail in that big bill. That's even harder to do than reading that monster. But now that they've made Obamacare the law of the land, they're starting to take an interest in the question. No doubt some are blaming the daily eruptions on congressional staff.
The Senate Finance Committee recently held a hearing to explore what the IRS might do to enforce the congressional mandate to buy health insurance. One answer headlined the Wall Street Journal's report on the hearing: IRS May Withhold Tax Refunds to Enforce Health Care Law:
Steven T. Miller, IRS Deputy Commissioner for Services and Enforcement, explained that, though the agency "won't audit you to make sure you have purchased health insurance under provisions of the new health-care law…it may withhold your tax refund if you can't demonstrate that you are insured."
According to the Journal, if the IRS does not receive notification that a taxpayer has insurance, the agency will notify the taxpayer that he or she must pay a tax penalty. Then, if the penalty payment does not arrive, the IRS may withhold tax refunds due to the filer. But, then, what happens if the taxpayer doesn't have a refund coming?
Of course, as Obamacare increases the tax agency's power, it will also increase its payroll. Heritage Tax Policy Analyst Curtis Dubay noted on FOX Business Network:
"[The IRS will]… be in charge of enforcing the individual mandate that we all have health insurance. They're also going to be in charge of making sure businesses provide health insurance for employees. So they're going to have to add lots more workers."
In Washington, it seems, you can't spell health insurance without I-R-S. That's a shame, because Congress could have dramatically expanded private health insurance without resorting to an unconstitutional mandate. To learn about far better alternatives (hint: auto enrollment in employer-based insurance and a universal tax credit system, for starters), go here.
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Fwd: Morning Bell: The Wall Street Bailout Bill Threat to Your Bottom Line
04/20/2010
The Wall Street Bailout Bill Threat to Your Bottom Line
This past Friday, President Barack Obama again threatened to veto any financial reform bill that fails to tightly regulate financial derivative products which many blame for the 2008 economic crisis. Derivatives work like insurance to protect certain investments, and provide stability to the price of most goods and services. For example, farmers buy derivatives on the price of their crops, so if the price of their crop plummets, the price of the food at the grocery store won't change that much. Airlines buy derivatives on oil, so if the price of oil goes up drastically, they won't have to immediately hike ticket prices.
Lehman Brothers CEO Dick Fuld shares President Obama's view on derivatives. He also blames them for the downfall of his Wall Street firm. But a closer examination of Lehman's failure shows that derivatives may just be a convenient scape goat. Bankruptcy examiners found that it was bad business decisions hidden by complex accounting tricks, not addressed by the current Wall Street Bailout Bill at all, that brought Lehman down. In fact, Lehman's derivatives positions represented only about 3.3 percent of its net assets, and the bankruptcy examiner found its derivatives trades were reasonable and more carefully monitored than Lehman's other assets.
So whenever Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) says his Wall Street Bailout Bill "would have prevented that kind of events from happening" he needs to explain how. If anything, the Dodd plan will only make future Wall Street bailouts more likely and more costly while also stifling consumer choice.
Fwd: MRC Alert: MSNBC's Deutsch Frets Over 'Anger in America,' Incorrectly Labels IRS Plane Bomber a Republican
A daily compilation edited by Brent H. Baker, CyberAlert items are drawn from daily BiasAlert posts and distributed by the Media Research Center's News Analysis Division, the leader since 1987 in documenting, exposing and neutralizing liberal media bias.
Tracking Liberal Media Bias Since 1996
Tuesday April 20, 2010 @ 10:07 AM EDT1. MSNBC's Deutsch Frets Over 'Anger in America,' Incorrectly Labels IRS Plane Bomber a Republican
MSNBC's Donny Deutsch kicked off a week-long segment on Monday about "America the Angry" and hinted that the "rageaholics" in this country could create another Oklahoma City-style attack. After one guest mentioned Joe Stack, the man who flew a plane into an IRS building, Deutsch wrongly derided, "I don't know whether he was Republican or Democrat. I'm assuming he was probably a Republican."2. NYT's Zernike Slams 'Angry,' White, Male, Reactionary Tea Party Movement Mired in the Past
New York Times reporter Kate Zernike saw Tea Party activists calling for a return to an era of less-onerous federal government as reactionaries wishing for a racially homogenous America: "They tend to be white and male, with a disproportionate number above 45, and above 65. Their memories are of a different time, when the country was less diverse." Shouldn't "less diverse" read "less taxed"?3. MSNBC Talking Points: Touting Obama as a Pro-gun President, Lecturing Activists for 'Worrying' Too Much
MSNBC on Monday repeatedly promoted Barack Obama as a pro-Second Amendment President and chastised gun-rights activists for "worrying" so much over this issue. News Live host Monica Novotny talked to Skip Coryell, the founder of the Second Amendment march on Washington and complained, "What are you guys worried about?4. CNN's Rick Sanchez Goes After 'Cheap Shot' From NewsBusters
CNN's Rick Sanchez named me [MRC news analyst Matthew Balan] and NewsBusters to "the very top" of his daily 'List That U Don't Want 2 Be On' on his Rick's List show on Monday. Sanchez criticized me [Balan] for apparently not being able to tell he was "joking" during a segment on April 15 where he stated that "you think it's too cold to have a volcano" in Iceland. I have been monitoring the anchor since September 2007, before he landed his regular weekday gig on CNN. It actually isn't the first time he recognized my criticism of him. On November 12, 2008, Sanchez actually complimented NewsBusters on air: "...[T]he NewsBusters website, which constantly monitors this show -- and we're glad that they do -- questioned my conversation- criticized it with Neal Boortz. In particular, our suggestion that the GOP needs to remain adamantly anti-abortion, to try and keep the Southern vote." However, Monday was the first time that Sanchez mentioned me by name on the air.5. Columnist Kathleen Parker on CBS: Tea Parties 'Dangerous;' Internet Journalism 'Like Terrorism'
On Sunday's Face the Nation on CBS, host Bob Schieffer asked columnist Kathleen Parker about her views on the tea party: "the rhetoric that's coming out from the right side, especially from the tea party....you think it may be dangerous." Parker replied: "this heated rhetoric and some of these words...that are pretty loaded, 'reload,' 'targeting'...there's a danger there."6. Flashback: Media Blamed and Condemned Conservatives After Oklahoma City Bombing
"In a nation that has entertained and appalled itself for years with hot talk on the radio and the campaign trail, the inflamed rhetoric of the '90s is suddenly an unindicted co-conspirator in the blast," charged Time magazine Senior Writer Richard Lacayo in the May 8, 1995 edition of the news weekly, the first quote cited in a "Special Purveyors of Hate & Division Issue" published at the time of the MRC's Notable Quotables newsletter. We also featured a gem from Bryant Gumbel: "The bombing in Oklahoma City has focused renewed attention on the rhetoric that's been coming from the right and those who cater to angry white men," including Rush Limbaugh.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Fwd: National Security Update - "Emergency Response: Are We Prepared?"
Issue in Depth:
Emergency Response: Are We Prepared?
The damage resulting from the terrorist attacks of September 11 and the destruction of Hurricane Katrina demonstrate the United States' vulnerability to both man-made and natural disasters. While it is necessary for the U.S. to disrupt terrorist attacks early in the planning process, it must also have effective disaster response forces and procedures to prepare for a possible attack from chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons. Of course, little can be done to prevent a natural disaster, and mitigating the damage is the only option. Given the variety of threats to the American homeland, it is necessary to examine U.S. preparedness for potential disasters. The "federalization of disasters" is a concerning trend that spreads the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) too thin and weakens local emergency-response teams needed for isolated disasters. To strengthen our homeland security, the U.S. must have effective local emergency-response teams and a federal force capable of responding effectively to grand-scale catastrophes when necessary. See the following research in this week's Issue in Depth to see how the U.S. should prepare for the full range of threats to the homeland.
Latest Research:The Heritage Foundation: Federalizing Disasters Weakens FEMA--and Hurts Americans Hit by Catastrophes
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has been responding to almost any natural disaster around the country, be it a contained three-county flood, or a catastrophe of near-epic proportions like Hurricane Katrina. As a result, many states and localities have trimmed their own emergency-response budgets, often leaving them ill prepared to handle even rain- or snowstorms without federal assistance. This leaves FEMA stretched far too thin and ill prepared to respond to grand-scale catastrophes.The Heritage Foundation: Quadrennial Defense Review's Homeland Defense Realignment Leaves U.S. Less Prepared
The Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) is intended to be a delineation of long-term defense strategy and force structure for the U.S. military. In this year's review, the Pentagon recommended cutting the number of military forces prepared to respond to a weapon of mass destruction (WMD) attack by downsizing U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) forces and shifting remaining personnel to the 10 regions of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This recommendation, however, would leave the U.S. shortchanged in the event of a high-impact disaster.The Heritage Foundation: Time for an EMP Recognition Day
On March 23, 1983, President Ronald Reagan gave a famous speech where he outlined his plans for the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), aimed at protecting America from a nuclear missile attack using land- and sea-based missile defense systems.The Heritage Foundation: The Nuclear Posture Review's Missing Objective: Defending the U.S. and Its Allies Against Strategic Attack
The chief flaw of the Obama Administration's Nuclear Posture Review is that it fails to make a clear commitment to defend the U.S. and its allies. However, if Congress is willing to press the Administration, it can correct many of these weaknesses, resulting in a stronger U.S. nuclear posture and serving important nonproliferation and arms control objectives.More Blogs:
The Foundry: Prepared for Disaster?
The Pentagon's Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), which outlines future threats to the United States, recommends cutting the number of military forces prepared to respond to a weapons-of-mass-destruction attack against America.The Foundry: Who is Going to Pay for FEMA?
Looks like Mother Nature didn't get the message about the budget crises in most of the states. So, she twice dumped a bunch of snow on the Midwest and East that required states, cities, and counties to plow – in between frantic calls to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for reinforcements.Morning Bell: Maintaining Our Dominant Military
At the close of this week's nuclear summit, President Barack Obama told a press conference: "Whether we like it or not, we remain a dominant military superpower, and when conflicts break out, one way or another we get pulled into them."
More Events: April 28, 2010, 10:30 AM
Location: Washington, DC
The Heritage Foundation: China and Cyber Security
Following the incident between China and Google, concern is growing regarding the PRC's threat to cyber security. Please join us as our panel provides us with a better understanding of what kinds of incidents are occurring, how likely the Chinese are indeed responsible, and what can be done about it.
April 26, 2010, 2:15 PM
Location: Washington, DC
American Enterprise Institute: The Christmas Day Attack: What Have We Learned? How Do We Move Forward?
U.S. senator Susan Collins will discuss the current state of U.S. counterterrorism policy as our panel discusses the implications of the Christmas Day terror plot.The Heritage Foundation | 214 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002 | 202.546.4400
Fwd: MRC Alert: 'Watch Your Words,' ABC Advances Clinton's Charge Anti-Obama Rhetoric 'Could Lead to Violent Acts'
Tracking Liberal Media Bias Since 1996
Monday April 19, 2010 @ 09:56 AM EDT1. 'Watch Your Words,' ABC Advances Clinton's Charge Anti-Obama Rhetoric 'Could Lead to Violent Acts'
"Watch your words," fill-in ABC anchor Elizabeth Vargas scolded in teasing Friday's World News, as she trumpeted: "Former President Clinton warns harsh anti-government talk could lead to violent acts, like the Oklahoma City bombing." Introducing the subsequent story, Vargas identified talk radio and Tea Party participants as the culprits: "There is a lot of attention tonight on comments made by former President Bill Clinton, who has weighed in on the angry anti-government rhetoric, ringing out from talk radio to Tea Party rallies. He warns that sometimes firing people up with caustic comments can have unintended and dire consequences."
2. Todd: Crist for President?; Remnick Reveals ObamaCare Passed to Gain New Democratic Voters
Friday follies. Two quotes from journalists worth noting made on Friday night shows. On MSNBC's Hardball, NBC's Chuck Todd forwarded the notion that if Florida Governor Charlie Crist drops out of the Republican primary - where polls put him way behind conservative Marco Rubio - and wins the Senate seat as an independent, "he becomes the most powerful Senator in the United States Senate" and "he becomes, probably, the viable third party candidate in the middle in the country" for President in 2012. A few hours later on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, David Remnick, author of the new book, 'The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama,' outed the real liberal agenda behind ObamaCare as he predicted that instead of being an "albatross" that will hurt Democrats at the ballot box in November, all those new beneficiaries will be grateful and vote Democratic.
3. MSNBC Anchor Touts Journalist Who Compared Palin to Larry the Cable Guy: 'It Is a Good Line'
MSNBC's Peter Alexander on Friday eagerly agreed with a journalist who attacked Sarah Palin as "Larry the Cable Guy, minus the class and intelligence." Talking to Cathy Areu, contributing editor of the Washington Post magazine, Alexander gushed, "It's a good line."
4. Newsweek Slams 'Hate' from 'Antigovernment Extremists,' Links to Beck and Palin
Newsweek's cover touted a story on "Hate on the Right." In fact the word "HATE" takes up half a page, white letters on a black background, with the subhead "Antigovernment extremists are on the rise – and on the march." The magazine connects the hate to Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck, and includes a timeline of past assassinations.
5. MSNBC Touts Bizarre Vanity Fair Piece on Republicans Costing Taxpayers Money by Opposing Spending
MSNBC's Monica Novotny on Friday highlighted a dubious Vanity Fair piece lamenting the "cost" of the Republican Party opposing Barack Obama's agenda. The News Live host talked to writers Duff McDonald and Peter Keating about their contention that the "party of no" has cost taxpayers $1.34 billion.
6. HBO Sports Documentary Blames Reagan for Racial Tension that Scarred Larry Bird
Catching up with an HBO sports documentary which ran several times in March: 'Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals,' painted Boston Celtics basketball star Larry Bird as the victim of a racist national milieu exacerbated by President Ronald Reagan - a formulation which relied on the expert assessment of a journalist who a few years ago contended that if only Senator Ted Kennedy hadn't killed her, he "would have brought comfort...in her old age" to Mary Jo Kopechne. Over video zooming in on Reagan at his Oval Office desk, HBO's narrator intoned: "But as Magic enjoyed his image as a crossover star, it was Bird, the one-time great white hope, who had further emerged as the polarizing racial figure due in part to that era's increasingly conservative political climate."
'Watch Your Words,' ABC Advances Clinton's Charge Anti-Obama Rhetoric 'Could Lead to Violent Acts'
"Watch your words," fill-in ABC anchor Elizabeth Vargas scolded in teasing Friday's World News, as she trumpeted: "Former President Clinton warns harsh anti-government talk could lead to violent acts, like the Oklahoma City bombing."
Introducing the subsequent story, Vargas identified talk radio and Tea Party participants as the culprits:
There is a lot of attention tonight on comments made by former President Bill Clinton, who has weighed in on the angry anti-government rhetoric, ringing out from talk radio to Tea Party rallies. He warns that sometimes firing people up with caustic comments can have unintended and dire consequences.
Jake Tapper, who will interview Clinton for Sunday's This Week, delivered a less inflammatory report. He began: "Commemorating the 15th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing today, former President Bill Clinton cautioned Americans to be mindful of their rhetoric," but also noted how "Rush Limbaugh said if there's a future Oklahoma City bombing, it's Clinton's fault." Limbaugh argued in a soundbite: "With this comment, you have just set the stage for violence in this country. Any future acts of violence are on your shoulders, Mr. Clinton."
Flashback: "SPECIAL PURVEYORS OF HATE & DIVISION ISSUE" of the MRC's May 8, 1995 edition of Notable Quotables, which started with: "Oklahoma City: Conservative Talk Radio's Fault?"
From the MRC's TimesWatch site on Friday: "Hulse Lets Clinton Smear Tea Party Protests as Lighting Fuse for Next Oklahoma City Bombing."
This wasn't the first time a network newscast jumped to promote the effort by a former Democratic President to discredit critics of President Obama. Last September, "NBC Trumpets Carter's Racism Charges," recounted:
Next night: "NBC: 'Blunt' Carter 'Prompted Us to Reexamine Our Assumptions About Race'"NBC anchor Brian Williams touted how "former President Carter spoke up and spoke out about" the supposed racism. Williams alleged "a certain number of signs and images at last weekend's big tea party march in Washington and at other recent events have featured racial and other violent themes and President Carter today said he is extremely worried by it."
— Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center. Click here to follow him on Twitter.
Todd: Crist for President?; Remnick Reveals ObamaCare Passed to Gain New Democratic Voters
Friday follies. Before the weekend ends, two quotes from journalists worth noting made on Friday night shows:
♦ On MSNBC's Hardball, NBC's Chuck Todd forwarded the notion that if Florida Governor Charlie Crist drops out of the Republican primary -- where polls put him way behind conservative Marco Rubio -- and wins the Senate seat as an independent, "he becomes the most powerful Senator in the United States Senate" and "he becomes, probably, the viable third party candidate in the middle in the country" for President in 2012.
♦ A few hours later on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, David Remnick, author of the new book, 'The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama,' outed the real liberal agenda behind ObamaCare as he predicted that instead of being an "albatross" that will hurt Democrats at the ballot box in November, all those new beneficiaries will be grateful and vote Democratic:
When you add 30 million people to the rolls of getting health care, access to health care, seems to me a huge gain and the potential widening of the base for the Democratic Party among a lot of people who might not necessarily vote before. So, I don't think you're going to see a repeat of 1994 come this fall.Of course, few of those 30 million will have any better access to health care by this November than they had before the bill passed.
Todd, Political Director for NBC News, on the April 16 Hardball:
Remnick, Editor of The New Yorker magazine and former Washington Post reporter, on HBO:If Crist got elected as the independent Senator from the state of Florida, he becomes the most powerful Senator in the United States Senate and then, suddenly, you know, all this baggage of political opportunism is gone and instead he becomes, probably, the viable third party candidate in the middle in the country.
We heard during the health care debate that the Republican Party was going to take the health care bill and tie it around the Democratic Party's neck like an albatross, it was going to lead to catastrophic losses come November in the mid-term elections. I'm not so sure that's true. When you add 30 million people to the rolls of getting health care, access to health care, seems to me a huge gain and the potential widening of the base for the Democratic Party among a lot of people who might not necessarily vote before. So, I don't think you're going to see a repeat of 1994 come this fall.From April 5, "NBC Nightly News: Mohammad Ali, Walt Whitman, Annie Oakley and Now...Barack Obama," recounted:
NBC News is certainly enthralled with David Remnick's new book, 'The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama.' After giving him a guest slot on Meet the Press and an interview on Monday's Today show, NBC Nightly News on Monday showcased Remnick in an "In His Own Words" segment to expound on his admiration for Obama's racial identity journey, starting with how Obama follows in the tradition of Annie Oakley:
— Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center. Click here to follow him on Twitter.There are a lot of American characters no matter what the field who make themselves, who create themselves out of what's in the cultural air. It's an American thing, whether it's Mohammad Ali or Walt Whitman or Annie Oakley. And Barack Obama is somebody who grew up in Honolulu and had to learn how to be African-American in the absence of African-Americans. Racial identity is a drama that Obama had to undergo long after he had become comfortable with his own identity.
MSNBC Anchor Touts Journalist Who Compared Palin to Larry the Cable Guy: 'It Is a Good Line'
MSNBC's Peter Alexander on Friday eagerly agreed with a journalist who attacked Sarah Palin as "Larry the Cable Guy, minus the class and intelligence." Talking to Cathy Areu, contributing editor of the Washington Post magazine, Alexander gushed, "It's a good line." [Audio available here.]
As first reported on NewsBusters, Areu slammed the former Alaskan governor on CNN, Wednesday. Playing to MSNBC's left-wing audience, an onscreen graphic playfully asked, "Palin the Cable Gal?"
After explaining that Bill O'Reilly asked Areu to come on his show and defend her remarks, Alexander sympathized, "Areu said thanks but no thanks to Fox. Saying she wanted to appear right here on MSNBC. We don't blame her."
The Washington Post journalist clearly had good reason to feel comfortable on MSNBC. Alexander obviously shared her elitist attitude. He offered this gratuitous aside about the town that Palin was a mayor of: "Having been to Wasilla, Alaska, Wasilla, Alaska doesn't look like a lot of the nice places around this country, admittedly. It leaves a lot to be desired, some would say."
And when Areu made rambling, confusing attacks on Palin, Alexander didn't ask her to clarify. Consider this comment:
AREU: [Palin is] your next door neighbor. Not your boss. But she is your boss. I mean, when someone gets promoted, usually the co-workers chatter. And they talk. And she's no longer part of the team. She's okay. She's part of the team.What does that mean? Alexander didn't ask.
A transcript of the MSNBC segment, which aired at 3:38pm EDT on April 16, follows:
PETER ALEXANDER: What happens when you criticize Sarah Palin? You're about to find out. Cathy Areu is the publisher of Catalina magazine. She appeared on another network, Wednesday, and was asked to comment on the former vice presidential candidate. And here's what she said.—Scott Whitlock is a news analyst for the Media Research Center. Click here to follow him on Twitter.
CATHY AREU: Sarah Palin could do no wrong for so many people. I mean, she is a female Larry the Cable Guy, minus the class and intelligence.
MSNBC GRAPHIC: Palin the Cable Gal?
ALEXANDER: Those comments, calling her a female Larry the Cable Guy resulted in some angry reaction on conservative blogs and an invitation from Fox News to appear with Bill O'Reilly to defend her remarks. Areu said thanks but no thanks to Fox. Saying she wanted to appear right here on MSNBC. We don't blame her. So, here she is. Cathy Areu is owner and publisher of Catalina magazine and a contributing editor with the Washington Post magazine. She was also named one of the most influence women in New York City by the Oxygen Network.
AREU: Thanks for having me.
ALEXANDER: So, were you surprised by the reaction to this on the web and elsewhere?
AREU: What I said was that her supporters would support her no matter what. And I was right. They will. I said, no matter if she makes $12 million since July they'll think she's a Walmart mom. And she's not a Walmart mom.
ALEXANDER: So, if she's not a Walmart mom, how do you define Sarah Palin? Who is Sarah Palin?
AREU: She's Larry the cable guy minus the class and intelligence.
ALEXANDER: So, expand on that, if you will.
AREU: I thought it was a good line. But, it's true.
ALEXANDER: It's a good line. So, let's go behind it. She's clearly having an impact, raising dollars for the tea party and for the Republican candidates.
AREU: But, she's a Larry the Cable Guy. She's your next door neighbor. Not your boss. But she is your boss. I mean, when someone gets promoted, usually the co-workers chatter. And they talk. And she's no longer part of the team. She's okay. She's part of the team.
ALEXANDER: Aren't a lot of Republicans and others going to say right now, well, the problem is that the people in Congress and folks in the White House, they look like they belong as bosses and they are not one of us. And we need someone who's one of us running the country?
AREU: But, she's not. That's the whole point. If she made $12 million since July, she's clearly not one of us. Not a Walmart mom. She doesn't go to Walmart. She doesn't have to wait in lines. She flies first class. She rides in a limo. She wears Chanel lipstick. The lipstick that goes on a pig is now Chanel.
ALEXANDER: True. Fair enough. But, agreed. Having been to Wasilla, Alaska, Wasilla, Alaska doesn't look like a lot of the nice places around this country, admittedly. It leaves a lot to be desired, some would say. It is-
AREU: Population 6,000. Right?
ALEXANDER: Right. Agreed. You were invited to appear on Showbiz Tonight because they knew your opinions about Sarah Palin. How did that come to be?
AREU: They asked if I was fired up about the subject and I certainly am.. As a female small business owner, I definitely am. I mean, she's someone who says she doesn't read. When Katie Couric asked, "Do you read," she didn't know what she said. I'm a magazine publisher. I write for the Washington Post magazine and I'm offended when someone says they doesn't read.
ALEXANDER: Was that questioning fair? Was Katie Couric's line of questioning fair? Republicans have said- Sarah Palin said it's not okay.
AREU: What do you read? She didn't know because she didn't write it on her hand. Had she written it on her hand, she would have known what she reads.
ALEXANDER: Fair enough.
AREU: Thank you.
ALEXANDER: Do you think this sense of outrage from the right has been real or would you say it's manufactured at this point, to what you said?
AREU: Oh, my god! It is so real. I've gotten voice mails. I've gotten e-mail. They are nasty. They are ugly. Someone told me I am dumber than a box of rocks. I think that's rude.
ALEXANDER: Fair enough. Fair enough. I think the Republicans are not content with what you said.
AREU: But, I think they feel that. I think they really believe I'm dumber than a box of rocks. I mean, they really believe it. Her supporters will support her no matter what. She's made $12 million. She doesn't need your help. She's okay. Don't worry.
Newsweek Slams 'Hate' from 'Antigovernment Extremists,' Links to Beck and Palin
The April 19 Newsweek cover that's shamelessly selling the "remarkable" tale of our economic recovery also promises a story on "Hate on the Right." In fact the word "HATE" takes up half a page, white letters on a black background, with the subhead "Antigovernment extremists are on the rise – and on the march."
Pictures illustrating the article strangely connect Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin with 1930's socialists. The caption read: "Huey Long castigated the rich and Father Coughlin denounced Jews in the 1930s. Today, the microphones belong to Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin." (Beck's previous impassioned rebuttal of the comparison to Coughlin is ignored.) This would not be the first time Newsweek's imagined "right wing" Coughlin as an Obama foil.
Evan Thomas and Eve Conant utilize the usual liberal experts – Mark Potok of the Southern Poverty Law Center, who unloads his usual line about militias "roaring back," and historian Alan Brinkley, who opines that "the current surge of fear and loathing toward Obama is 'scary,' he says. 'There's a big dose of race behind the real crazies, the ones who take their guns to public meetings. I can't see this happening if McCain were president.'"
Most of this Brinkley quote is also highlighted in large red letters.
For graphic emphasis, Newsweek also listed a historical timeline of assassinations and bombings, including Oklahoma City and in 1970, "The Weathermen."
This raises the question: if it's fair to somehow associate Beck and Palin with 1930s left-wing ranters, how did Newsweek treat the much more factual connection between Barack Obama and Weatherman bomber Bill Ayers, or Obama's membership for two decades in the church of Jeremiah Wright? Unsurprisingly, those connections were downplayed, and Obama was "disappointed" by being failed by these associates.
On April 18, 2008, an early item on Ayers in Newsweek was helpfully headlined: "Obama: Can't 'Swift Boat' Me."
On May 12, the same Eve Conant who exposed "Hate on the Right" thought Rev. Wright had sadly failed Newsweek's hero:
Wright had been a friend and mentor. Obama had said before that he couldn't cut him off; but after this bitter performance, how could he not sever his ties? "It was a circus," says the senior Obama aide. "Not only was Wright repeating things that were objectionable, but he was also impugning Barack's sincerity."On May 19, Newsweek religion editor Lisa Miller was even stronger, insisting that Wright had attempted to kill Obama rhetorically in "a public murder-suicide attempt," never casting a wary thought about Obama or the "scary" hatred in the hearts of Wright's followers:
All was well, or at least stable, until Wright's public murder-suicide attempt, in which he used rhetoric to assassinate the character of his most famous congregant and reveal the ugliest side of his own….In the meantime, the only image most people have of Trinity is its incomprehensible senior pastor. Those who imagine that the Democratic nominee was converted to Christ by a left-wing hatemonger need to paint in their minds a fuller picture: a young man, intellectual and searching, in prayer at Trinity and awash in the music.For the September 1 issue, in the warmup for the Obama-nominating convention in Denver, Newsweek editor Jon Meacham even found Lincoln in Obama's masterful separation from his longtime spiritual guide:
When Wright's "God Damn America" clips emerged earlier this year, Obama's friend Jim Wallis sent him a note of condolence. Late one night, Wallis received an e-mail in reply, something like: "God has his purposes." "I was quite astounded," says Wallis, the left-leaning evangelical writer, activist and founder of Sojourners. "Here's a 46-year-old, which for me at 59 seems young, and he says something like that. This is not what politicians think and do. Politicians want always to be predictive and controlling."It all reminds me of Newsweek's Howard Fineman, slyly associating Republicans with Timothy McVeigh on May 8, 1995: "the Oklahoma bombing has illuminated a dark landscape much farther afield: a radical fringe of militant gun owners, 'hate radio' talk-show hosts, and religious cultists. Their numbers are small -- and their GOP ties tenuous at best. But their fervor is influential at the grass roots Republicans call their own."
Obama's reply to Wallis reflected a kind of Lincoln-esque fatalism. It is a sad but inescapable fact of life that people--in Obama's case, people close to you--often fail you. Wright, obviously, was far from the first man to disappoint Obama.
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.
MSNBC Touts Bizarre Vanity Fair Piece on Republicans Costing Taxpayers Money by Opposing Spending
MSNBC's Monica Novotny on Friday highlighted a dubious Vanity Fair piece lamenting the "cost" of the Republican Party opposing Barack Obama's agenda. The News Live host talked to writers Duff McDonald and Peter Keating about their contention that the "party of no" has cost taxpayers $1.34 billion.
Apparently, the GOP and various conservative organizations total this much by not supporting health care or the stimulus. Never mentioned in the article or during the segment is the fact that Obama's spending on those two items alone will end up costing taxpayers $3.3 trillion, 2500 times the amount of the expensive Republicans.
During the segment, Keating snidely remarked, "And, you know, Republican offices need heat and light and water and sewage. People are showing up just to say no and we're paying for it!" Earlier in the piece, Novotny played along and complained, "So, for that [the price of the GOP], we've got nothing?"
Lost on the Vanity Fair journalists (and the host) was the fact that parties in opposition obstruct. Their job is to make the case for a viable alternative. When George W. Bush was President, MSNBC was practically the network of opposition.
One of the odder accounting totals in the article is that Keating and McDonald add in the price of conservative think tanks:
THINK TANKS: Didn't think taxpayers were footing the bill for think tanks? Think again. Because most "policy institutes" enjoy tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, the federal government loses about 35 cents in taxes for every dollar given to conservative policy institutes. Here we've included revenues lost because of donations to five of the largest conservative think tanks—the Heritage Foundation, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the American Enterprise Institute, the Cato Institute, and the Manhattan Institute. Sure, they've come up with some interesting ideas. When Republicans enact any of them, you can take this item off our list.On News Live, McDonald confusingly explained, "Well, that's why we added in think tanks and said the cost of taxpayers to funding conservative think tanks has been almost $80 million. If some of those ideas do get enacted, we're totally happy to remove that number from our total."
G.O.P. total: $79.4 million.
So, conservative organizations cost money to taxpayers because they oppose massive new spending from the Democrats? The logic is certainly hard to follow.
A transcript of the April 16 segment, which aired at 10:24am EDT, follows:
MONICA NOVOTNY: As the midterm elections are approaching, there's one Republican motto that's being carried above the rest.—Scott Whitlock is a news analyst for the Media Research Center. Click here to follow him on Twitter.
SARAH PALIN: There is no shame in being the party of no. Or better said by the good governor of this state. He said, "Party of no? Nah. We're the party of hell no."
NOVOTNY: Being the party of no carries not only a political cost but, also, a financial one, it turns out. In a Vanity Fair web exclusive, writers Duff McDonald and Peter Keating break down the numbers and take a look at what they call the most expensive word in American political history. Duff and Peter, great to see you both. So, you broke down the numbers, and it's kind of educating. We've got some full screens up. I'm going to run through a few of them. Congressional salaries, $47.9 million. That's the GOP share of total salaries in Congress. And you started this one when, back in January of '09?
DUFF MCDONALD (Vanity Fair): Yeah, the beginning of the 111th conference.
NOVOTNY: You've got staffer expenses, $231.3 million. The total taxpayer cost, essentially, you guys say, of the party of no, is $132 billion thus far. So, you're saying for $132 billion we've got nothing?
MCDONALD: $1.32 Billion.
NOVOTNY: $1.32 billion. So, for that we've got nothing?
MCDONALD: Well, you know, the evidence is there for you to see. Like- Obstructionism, as we said, can be a good political strategy. But, what is its product? Its product is nothing. It's no.
NOVOTNY: Initially, the obstructionist strategy seemed to be working. Right? I mean, we saw some victories. And, certainly Senator Brown could be the poster child of that. So, initially they would say this really worked for us.
PETER KEATING: Well, sure, it may be working. But, whether or not it's working, the effect of the Republicans saying "No, no, no," is, essentially, we argue, no different than if they stayed home. If they didn't show up, all the no votes would either win or they would lose. But, taxpayers would save money on all the salaries and benefits. And, you know, Republican offices need heat and light and water and sewage. People are showing up just to say no and we're paying for it!
NOVOTNY: Okay, but you will have, certainly, Republicans who- if I had Republicans, GOP pundits or, or lawmakers themselves standing up here would say we have not been doing nothing. We're not the party of no. We came up with our own health care plan. We presented back it in May of 2009. I think they called it patients choice. So, they've been presenting different options. The President just, before they signed the health care bill into law, was saying "I want to bring in some of the GOP ideas." So, they would say we're earning our money?
MCDONALD: Well, that's why we added in think tanks and said the cost of taxpayers to funding conservative think tanks has been almost $80 million. If some of those ideas do get enacted, we're totally happy to remove that number from our total.
KEATING: Yeah, I mean, here's the other thing, there's more than 10,000 people working for the House of Representatives as staff.
NOVOTNY: On both sides.
KEATING: Right, for everybody, right. But the question is, does it take that many thousands of staff members to come up with Mitch McConnell's talking points which everybody repeats every day, every week?
NOVOTNY: Meanwhile, you've got Newt Gingrich. He says he wants the GOP to be the party of yes, the man of the Contract With America. And now we're hearing some rumblings that there may be a new Contract with America being formed. Although, we heard yesterday, Luke Russert, MSNBC's Luke Russert was reporting maybe they are going to call it a blueprint. There's some GOP leaders who are saying we don't want everything specifically in print we want to achieve. So, maybe we'll just call it a blueprint. Do they need to be specific if they want to be this party of no?
KEATING: Well, I think it depends on whether or not they think it's worth it to nationalize the elections. In 1994, all the pundits in the House and the Senate would be decided state by state. But, they came out with a contract- I want to say contract on -- but it's actually a Contract For America. And they had a big national victory. But, then, you know, the thing is that most people don't realize, most of the contract never actually got enacted. So if they come forward with specific proposals, maybe they will get some through and passed into law.
HBO Sports Documentary Blames Reagan for Racial Tension that Scarred Larry Bird
Catching up with an HBO sports documentary which ran several times in March: 'Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals,' painted Boston Celtics basketball star Larry Bird as the victim of a racist national milieu exacerbated by President Ronald Reagan -- a formulation which relied on the expert assessment of a journalist who a few years ago contended that if only Senator Ted Kennedy hadn't killed her, he "would have brought comfort...in her old age" to Mary Jo Kopechne. Over video zooming in on Reagan at his Oval Office desk, HBO's narrator intoned:
But as Magic enjoyed his image as a crossover star, it was Bird, the one-time great white hope, who had further emerged as the polarizing racial figure due in part to that era's increasingly conservative political climate.Then, the Boston Globe's Charles Pierce argued "the triumph of the movement" that supposedly "rolled back" civil rights "took place in the 1980s" and that caused "sublimated frustration" amongst black Americans "and I think one of the ways it got sublimated was into basketball" with Bird catching those "lingering resentments." On screen as Pierce spoke, this New York Times headline:
STUDY SAYS BLACKS HAVE LOST GROUND
Finds Reagan's Policies Have Hurt the Poor and Imperil Emerging Middle Class
Followed by a Washington Post headline: "56% Say President Is a Racist."
AUDIO: MP3 clip.
Hat tip to the persistent Tony Cocco, a Bay Stater who alerted us to the slam on Reagan and followed up with a reminder after he saw the documentary air again.
Pierce is infamous for his 2003 Globe Magazine tribute to Ted Kennedy in which he ludicrously postulated: "If she had lived, Mary Jo Kopechne would be 62 years old. Through his tireless work as a legislator, Edward Kennedy would have brought comfort to her in her old age."
Also, from a few months ago: "Nine Days Before Election, Boston Globe's Pierce Ridiculed Notion Brown Could Win."
From the HBO documentary:
ARSENIO HALL: Has the "N" word ever been used by a white person to describe Ervin? I doubt it.— Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center. Click here to follow him on Twitter.
NARRATOR: But as Magic enjoyed his image as a crossover star, it was Bird, the one-time great white hope, who had further emerged as the polarizing racial figure due in part to that era's increasingly conservative political climate. [on screen: zoom in on Reagan]CHARLES PIERCE, BOSTON GLOBE: The rolling back, institutionally, of the achievements of the civil rights movement were going on apace from about 1975 on, but the triumph of the movement that rolled them back took place in the 1980s. And I think there was people who were very aware in the black community of what was going on, and I think there was a lot of sublimated frustration. And I think one of the ways it got sublimated was into basketball. And I think Larry, through no fault of his own, was the receptacle within which the lingering resentments somehow floated.
Fwd: Morning Bell: There is Nothing Conservative About This President
04/19/2010
There is Nothing Conservative About This President
According to a new poll by the Pew Research Center, public confidence in government is at one of the lowest points in a half century. Pew Research Center president Andrew Kohut writes in today's Wall Street Journal: "A desire for smaller government is particularly evident since Barack Obama took office." Last March, by 54% to 37%, more people said it was a good idea for the government to exert more control over the economy. Now, by 51% to 40%, a majority of Americans say they want less government control.
President Obama has always tried to cast himself as a centrist. During the 2008 campaign, he promised Americans he would cut their taxes, expand the military, and enact "a net spending cut" for the federal government. Lower taxes, a strong defense and shrinking the size of government; these are core conservative beliefs. Unfortunately, President Obama has completely abandoned them by raising taxes on lower-income Americans, cutting defense spending, and enacting a $862 billion failed stimulus.
And we haven't even mentioned the President's health care plan yet. With polls showing that the President's health care plan has only gotten less popular since it became law, the White House has been desperate to portray their plan in as centrist a light as possible. So on March 30th, President Obama told "Today" show host Matt Lauer that "a lot of ideas in terms of the exchange, just being able to pool and improve the purchasing power of individuals in the insurance market, that originated from the Heritage Foundation." Heritage Center for Health Policy Studies director Robert Moffit responds in today's Washington Post: