Steny Hoyer: Republicans, Bullets, Obama

The Left went berserk over Sarah Palin and crosshairs.

Why is it acceptable for DEMOCRAT leader, House Minority Whip, Steny Hoyer to use extremely violent imagery when referring to Republicans and their interaction with Obama?

Hoyer was on the despicable MSNBC's Morning Joe on Wednesday. He used language that was not at all in line with the supposed "new tone" in Washington ushered in after the Tucson shootings.

Video.



Transcript:

STENY HOYER: Bob, I think you're right. I think it's unfortunate that politics is playing a role. I think we're playing Russian roulette, frankly, with the nation's credit worthiness. And unfortunately, all the chambers seem to be loaded in the House side. They want to shoot every bullet they can at the President. I think it's political in that sense, but it is much, much too dangerous to be playing politics with the credit worthiness of the United States, where for the first time in history we wouldn't be able to pay our bills.

I am hopeful, again, John Boehner has offered a number of proposals. Remember back when John Boehner offered a continuing resolution to keep the government open. He lost 59 of his members then on a deal that he made, not a Democratic - Republican agreement, on a deal that he made.

No one called Hoyer on his terrible choice of words.

It's incredibly irresponsible for Hoyer to speak of Republicans wanting to riddle Obama with bullets.

Saying Republicans "want to shoot every bullet they can at the president" is a startling way for Hoyer to make his point.

Where's the outrage now?

Crickets.

The Leftists apply a different standard to themselves.

The hypocrisy of the Left knows no limits.

George Lopez and Sarah Palin

On Tuesday's Piers Morgan Tonight, George Lopez expressed his extreme distaste for Sarah Palin.

If she became president, Lopez says he would leave the country and go to Canada.

Video.



Transcript, from NewsBusters:

PIERS MORGAN,HOST: You said on immigration, "Elect Sarah Palin as President of the US in 2012 and we'll all leave voluntarily."

GEORGE LOPEZ: I agree. If Sarah Palin becomes president at any point, I will say allegedly, I will move to Canada.

MORGAN: Really?

LOPEZ: I will go further north. I've been south. I'll go further north.

MORGAN: You would literally leave the country?

LOPEZ: I would leave the United States of America.

MORGAN: Why would you be so drastic?

LOPEZ: I like my politicians to actually have a political background, to be politically -- to know politics, to actually have inherited something from working in the political world.

MORGAN: Why is someone like Sarah Palin so popular with so many people, do you think? How does she resonate with people?

LOPEZ: Well, she's --

MORGAN: What is she giving them they're not getting from conventional politicians?

LOPEZ: I -- is it that maverickness? Is it that homespun kind of Andy Griffith wink your eye, shift your imaginary gun thing? Maybe. Is it just that we've become a culture of personality? Of do we elect somebody by their smile instead of by their content? It's a little bit of all of that.

Morgan is a terrible interviewer.

Sarah Palin does have a political background.

Lopez is clueless.

When Lopez refers to a "culture of personality" and electing "somebody by their smile instead of by their content," it sounds like he's referring to Obama and his election.

As NewsBusters points out, Morgan promoted the show last night via Twitter using the Lopez statement about moving to Canada.



CNN and Morgan attract viewers with the idiotic bashing of Sarah Palin?

Lopez, Morgan, and CNN all look simply awful here.

Jimmy Williams, Grover Norquist, 'Butt Buddy'

The liberal media are really going off the deep end lately, particularly MSNBC.

Civility is out the window.

On the Dylan Ratigan Show, panelist Jimmy Williams, a Democrat lobbyist, referred to Grover Norquist as Newt Gingrich's "butt buddy."

Video.



Transcript

JIMMY WILLIAMS: One person is controlling the agenda of the United States of America right now and his name is Grover Norquist.

Grover Norquist was Newt Gingrich's butt buddy. He was Jack Abramoff's close friend and laundered money from Native Americans. He charged people $25,000 a pop to go to a Bush White House signing ceremony. He is a petty criminal. And he's made just about every single member of the House of Representatives on the Republican, not the Tea Party, the Republican side, and almost all Republican senators sign a pledge saying that they will never ever for the rest of their lives raise taxes.

I need to know, first of all, do we have on the Left a Grover Norquist? And if we don't, why not?

I don't think it's appropriate for a panelist on a televised news program to use such a crass term as butt buddy.

MSNBC is really a mess.

There is a lack of decency. It's vulgar stuff. This level of discourse at the cable network reflects horribly on NBC News. This gathering place for Leftists is a disgrace.

I know they're desperate for ratings and they're trying to appeal to the fringe Left, but how low are they willing to go?

Jay Carney and Obama's Plan

Jay Carney put on a pathetic performance during the White House press briefing yesterday.

He insisted that Obama has a plan to handle the debt ceiling but he can't quite locate it.

It exists, but where?

What are the numbers?

Video.



Transcript

QUESTION: you basically have this Boehner plan that you say can’t get through the Senate, and you’ve got a Reid plan that the Republicans don’t think you can get through the Senate or the House, and you’re saying we want a compromise, what was the point of giving a primetime address to the nation without an Obama plan and say neither of these other plans can work? Where is -- where is your plan?

MR. CARNEY: I understand that idea that there is not an Obama plan is like --

QUESTION: But there’s not. There’s not one on paper. There’s not one on paper.

MR. CARNEY: -- point number one -- is point number one on the talking points issued by the Republican Party. I get it.

QUESTION: No, no, that’s not a talking point.

MR. CARNEY: Okay?

QUESTION: No, no, show us the plan. It’s not a talking point. That’s unfair. Where is the plan?

MR. CARNEY: We have said from the -- first of all, the President put forward in detail his principles at George Washington University --

QUESTION: Principles, right. That’s not a plan.

MR. CARNEY: -- quite a lot of detail. The President stood before you -- I can’t remember if you were here Friday night. Some of you weren’t because you cut out early, but a lot of you were.

And he put forward in detail with numbers what he’s willing to do. He then referred from the podium to the fact that White House officials will be briefing in detail what our plan is.

Now, the purpose of putting forward a plan on paper -- our interest in this has been to get a compromise, to get a deal. It has not been to politically position ourselves, say, with things that appeal to our base, maybe pieces of legislation that we know can’t pass but it would be greeted warmly by certain constituencies. Our goal, and the reason why the negotiations have been conducted the way they have been conducted, is because we want a result. That’s the way the President has.

And it is simply not the case. The senior members of the House Republican leadership can open their desk drawer, pull out reams of paper that represents the President’s proposals and his counterproposals, and his counter-counterproposals, and his understanding that they need more of this and that he would like more of that. There is plenty of detail.

QUESTION: But even the President gave numbers on Friday night -- White House aides were saying last night he was giving the speech to the nation because most Americans were not paying attention until last night. So even if he gave these numbers on Friday night, they have not -- the American people were not paying attention Friday night, by your own estimation. So why didn’t he say last night, here are the nine things that I support? Here are the numbers, here’s what I want to do on taxes, and just lay it out -- and say, call your congressman with this -- not with this vague --

MR. CARNEY: The point -- I mean, the fact is you address the nation only so often on primetime. The President has been out here with an unbelievable amount of regularity talking to you, talking to the American people throughout this process. He has put forward in great detail -- I mean, if you guys haven’t talked about it on air or put it in your newspapers or online, then you should, because the detail is there.

Secondly, he needed to talk to the American people last night because -- for a good reason -- because they have their own lives to worry about and they count on Washington not always to take care of everything, but to take care of the big things like making sure we don’t default on our obligations. And he needed to talk to the American people, to those Americans who haven’t been paying close attention, to let them know where this stands and why it’s so important and why the risk is there that if Congress doesn’t act -- and we believe it will -- something that has never happened before in our history could happen and it would be very bad, indeed.

That’s why he had to address the country and why he wanted to explain to them his view that compromise is so necessary.

QUESTION: One other quick thing. I think on CBS radio this morning Dan Pfeiffer said that if Congress does not act by August 2nd this could lead to a depression. Is that your position, that we might have a depression in America?

MR. CARNEY: You know what, depression, how you -- what I know, what economic experts have said, is that -- and, again, Republican and Democrat, Jim Baker, Ronald Reagan, all sorts have said that a default on our obligations would produce an economic calamity. How you define that obviously depends on how long it lasts and what the ongoing implications of that would be.

We don’t believe it’s come to pass. Economic calamity is plenty scary and we should not even entertain that.

QUESTION: But over the weekend Democrats were saying there’s going to be a “Boehner drop” if there’s no action. Asian markets are going to crash on Sunday. Didn’t happen. American markets didn’t crash on Monday, and thankfully they have not crashed on --

MR. CARNEY: Ed, I want to move on, but you should go on the air and tell your viewers there’s nothing to worry about. That’s one approach.

Chuck.

QUESTION: Jay, why not release the last offer that Boehner made? I mean, instead of -- if you don’t want to release your own plan, release that plan. If that’s the deal -- if that’s the last offer he made and you guys are willing to go back with a few minor tweaks, release it. It’s the last week -- release it.

MR. CARNEY: I’m not going to -- look, we have shown a lot of leg on what we were proposing --

QUESTION: Where?

MR. CARNEY: From the podium, right here. (Laughter.) And from the Roosevelt Room. Certainly the Speaker of the House can address, or his people can address what they were -- what their last offer was. They claim that they walked away from the table because of the $400 billion --

QUESTION: Why not you do it? If they throw it out there and then you’re --

MR. CARNEY: The President stood here -- Chuck, again, I can’t remember if you were here -- it might have been Kristen -- but the President stood here on Friday night and went into great detail. You should look at the transcript. The President’s people met --

QUESTION: I understand, I’ve seen the transcript -- there’s still nothing out there. Why not just release that plan?

MR. CARNEY: Is it because you -- I mean, look, you need something printed for you, you can’t write it down? There is ample detail --

QUESTION: It’s not a plan. No, it’s not a plan. It was details of the plan, but it wasn’t a plan the same way that we’re getting a plan on the House side or that we’re getting a plan on the Senate side. It’s not.

QUESTION: We don’t know what the Medicare thing is. We don’t know what the Social Security part of this is. There wasn’t -- I mean, there was a lot of missing detail.

MR. CARNEY: We talked in great detail about what’s in Medicare, and you know it.

QUESTION: Why not put it out there, though? You guys went before the American people last night -- and I know that you’re probably getting frustrated because we’re all asking a version of the same question -- but you went before the American people last night and said come -- call your members of Congress and tell them we want a compromise. Well, you had a plan that you were making the case for which sounded like a version of the compromise. Release it to the public. I mean, that’s --

MR. CARNEY: $1.5 to $1.7 trillion in agreed-upon domestic discretionary non-defense savings -- cuts; other savings -- and on the most important stuff, the tough stuff, the stuff that makes it very hard for Democrats to do it but they’d be willing to do it -- important savings on entitlement reform. You know the issues; the President talked about it, other people talked about it, in terms of the kinds of reform that would produce significant savings. Okay? Significant savings in defense -- $400 billion -- significant savings in defense spending. All right? Significant savings in revenue through closing loopholes and tax reform that would produce -- by lowering rates and broadening the base, it would produce significant savings.

There are details -- we can go through details. And what we put forward -- again, this is a fluid situation. The point is, as both parties have said, they were engaged in serious negotiations; we were close to an agreement. One party said they walked away because of an insistence on an extra $400 billion in revenue. We said we could easily talk about that and resolve that issue. And that’s the kind of compromise --

QUESTION: -- $800 billion in new revenue into the Treasury --

MR. CARNEY: That’s correct.

QUESTION: -- coming out of tax reform.

MR. CARNEY: Correct.

QUESTION: And which parts of -- and was entitlement reform going to be cuts upfront and then a condition?

MR. CARNEY: Well, you know how things that had been talked about in terms of the reforms that would obviously be in the entitlements be phased over a certain period of time -- nobody has talked about upfront tax revenues. For example, the President himself said nothing before 2013 -- and how these things would play out. But these were significant savings, real savings -- the kinds of things in terms of entitlement reform that people have talked about for a long time, and Republicans in particular -- the President was willing to do. And he was looking for a partner, and he felt he had one, and he hopes he still has one going forward.

QUESTION: If he comes back with that $800 billion, why don’t you guys just accept the deal, ask a senator to introduce it in the Senate?

MR. CARNEY: We’ll see.

Carol.

QUESTION: Just quickly to follow on Chuck, I mean, the President did say to us on Friday that you guys would open the books and show us the paper. And then when we were in the Roosevelt Room, there was paper that we asked for that we weren’t actually physically handed. So was that -- are you going to give that to us?

MR. CARNEY: The senior people in that room walked you through the numbers, okay? You know -- I mean, we can engage in this, but you know that the reason why we’ve approached it this way is precisely to make it -- to create the optimum circumstances for a compromise. It is -- most of you are veteran Washington reporters. You know how this process works; that if you -- that when you put forward a position, it becomes highly -- on difficult issues, before a compromise is reached -- it becomes charged politically and your chances of actually getting an agreement diminish significantly. That’s how it works. You know that’s how it works.

And it’s for that -- if you don’t, well, you should. Others do. It is precisely because we wanted and believed and hoped that we could reach a compromise that the negotiations were conducted the way they were -- by both sides, by the way.

It is one thing to say that, yes, Republicans put forward plans that everybody knows can’t become law. Republicans were also engaged in quiet, detailed, concrete negotiations to reach a compromise.

QUESTION: Are you worried about activists tearing this -- activists on your side of the aisle tearing it apart?

MR. CARNEY: And theirs. And theirs.

QUESTION: But that’s why you didn’t -- that’s why this hasn’t gone public?

MR. CARNEY: You know how it works.

QUESTION: I understand that, but that is the reason you --

MR. CARNEY: Because we wanted an outcome that if -- as we’ve talked about, we’ve cited Bob Dole and others, you got to hold hands, get in the boat together, okay? That’s why.

Oh, my God.

What an embarrassment!

Listen to the press actually boo Carney:



The guy is a disaster. He lacks control. He isn't quick on his feet. Carney is a lot like his boss.

Paul Ryan 2012 Reelection

The lead story of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel online edition is a "what if" piece by Craig Gilbert.

It's a Democrat fantasy about Paul Ryan struggling to win reelection and the possibility of him losing.

It's a very odd article, something that reads more like Democrat party campaign literature than news.

As the fiscal voice of the GOP and the architect of its plan to scale back Medicare, Paul Ryan is the Republican many Democrats would most like to defeat next year.

A Ryan loss would cost his party a lot more than a seat in Congress. It would deprive it of one of its most influential figures. And it would be a huge blow to its policy agenda, which Ryan has played a central role in crafting.

Could Ryan, often touted as a candidate for Senate or even president, lose a re-election bid for his own U.S. House seat?

That would be a shock. By any conventional calculus, the odds are substantially against it.

At the same time, Democrats are correct in saying this contest won't be a nonevent like Ryan's past campaigns. Wisconsin has been turned upside down politically since the last time Ryan was on a ballot.

"It will definitely be a race he's not used to running," says his likely Democratic opponent, Kenosha County Supervisor Rob Zerban.

In other words, prepare for national money to probably pour into the state again, this time to bloody Ryan.

I'm sure Obama would encourage roughing Ryan up.

Gilbert concludes:

Ryan will enjoy obvious advantages next year (money, the makeup of the district, his own political skills, his electoral history). But there are major wild cards: the political fallout from his Medicare plan, the impact of having Obama on the ballot (and possibly even Walker if there's a successful recall drive next year), and the mad intensity of Wisconsin politics these days.

Gilbert seems to be giving a "you gotta believe" pep talk to Democrats: Stop Ryan. Recall Walker. Reelect Obama.

I think Obama being on the ballot will help Ryan, not hurt him.

This election is going to be a referendum on Obama's policies and his stunning ineffectiveness, especially in terms of the economy.

Obama and Lincoln, Debt and Slavery

Last week, while speaking at a town hall meeting at the University of Maryland, Obama compared himself to President Lincoln.

He stated that the nature of our politics means you don't get 100 percent of what you want.

Obama said he's making compromises in the tradition of our greatest presidents, like Lincoln did with slavery.

Obama asks, "Can you imagine how sort of the Huffington Post would have reported on that? I mean, it would have been blistering, right? You know? I mean, think about it. 'Lincoln sells out slaves.' There'd be protests, run a third party guy."

Not funny.

Video.

Anders Behring Breivik

Anders Behring Breivik

Anders Behring Breivik has been arrested in the deadly Norway attacks.

He's reportedly a "Christian fundamentalist with right-wing tendencies."

Good news for the liberal media!

From Bloomberg:

A 32-year-old Norwegian man was arrested on the island of Utoeya, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Oslo, and authorities have begun interrogating the suspect, police said at a press briefing today. The same person is likely behind the bombing and the shootings on the island, they said. The suspect’s name is Anders Behring Breivik, local media reported. Police declined to confirm the suspect’s name.

The man has been charged on two counts of “dangerous crime to society,” which means he could be sentenced to 21 years in prison, Norway’s toughest punishment, Roger Andresen, deputy Oslo police chief, told reporters today. The man is a Christian fundamentalist with right-wing tendencies, Andresen said.

From the Telegraph:

The blond-haired 32-year-old appears to have set up accounts on the social networking sites Facebook and Twitter just a few days ago.

Although police have not officially named Breivik as the suspect, Norwegian media identified him as the gunman. Police say the suspect is talking to police and was keen to "explain himself".

Eyewitness reports from the island of Utoya, where the shootings took place, have also described a tall, blond haired, blue-eyed Norwegian man dressed as a police officer.

On the Facebook page attributed to him, Mr Breivik describes himself as a Christian and a conservative. It listed his interests as hunting, body building and freemasonry. His profile also listed him as single. The page has since been taken down.

Police chief Svinung Sponheim said that internet posting by Breivik suggested he has "some political traits directed toward the right, and anti-Muslim views".

Blond, blue eyes, Right-winger, with anti-Muslim views - Breivik is a dream come true for the lib media!

It just doesn't get better than this!

...The Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang quoted a friend as saying that the suspect turned to right-wing extremism when in his late 20s. The newspaper also said that he participated in online forums expressing strong nationalistic views.

A Twitter account attributed to the suspect has also emerged but it only has one post, which is a quote from the philosopher John Stuart Mill: "One person with a belief is equal to the force of 100,000 who have only interests."

More, from the New York Daily News:

The killer behind Friday's bloodletting in Norway is a boyishly handsome, blond-haired anti-Islamic nationalist interested in politics, violent video games and the T.V. show "Dexter."

Anders Behring Breivik, a 32-year-old Norwegian national, claims to be a fan of Winston Churchill, classical music, and gory movies like, "300," and "Gladiator," on his Facebook page.

He also claims on the page to be a fan of the sappy HBO vampire drama, "True Blood," and the serial killer show, "Dexter."

Breivik, who was reportedly a Free Mason at one time, has been fingered for the dual attacks that claimed more than 7 lives in the capitol of Oslo, and 80 campers on the island youth retreat of Utoya.

...The shooter belongs to "right-wing circles" in Oslo, the city in which he resides, according to Norwegian TV2. Meanwhile, The Huffington Post cites the Swedish news site Expressen as saying that he is a "self-described nationalist who has also written a number of posts critical of Islam."

He studied at the Oslo Commerce School, an instituion devoted to business and financial management.

In published photos, the alleged killer is shown to don a half smile, preppy clothing, and piercing green eyes that stare into the camera.

...On his Facebook page, Breivik describes himself as a fan of shoot-em'-up video games like "Modern Warefare 2," as well as the fantasy epic, "World of Warcraft."

Perfect!

As more is learned about Breivik and his background, do you think American leaders and officials will bend over backwards to insist that Breivik's horrific rampage is not to be taken as a reflection on Christian fundamentalists or those with conservative views?

Will they warn against a backlash against conservatives?

Will their concern be with people lashing out violently against those with blond hair and blue eyes?

Will they say that the millions of "Modern Warfare" and "World of Warcraft" players should not be considered potential mass murderers?

My guess is no, not a chance.

No way.

Breivik is allegedly a mass murderer, a cold-blooded killer. He allegedly committed heinous acts.

My heart goes out to the families and friends of his victims, and all those affected by the rampage.

Without question, Breivik is to be condemned. This intentional slaughter of innocents is absolutely barbaric. The perpetrator is a monster.

And his profile is what it is.

I just hope that your Mayor Michael Bloomberg types and Leftists in the media emphasize how important it is not to paint blue-eyed (or green-eyed), blond, Christian, conservatives with a broad brush.

Anger over the massacre must not be directed toward blond, blue-eyed conservatives.

Where are the admonitions against profiling the blond and the blue-eyed, the Christian and conservative, the gamers and Winston Churchill admirers?
____________________

Inevitable… “Far Left” Links “Right-Wing” Oslo Killer to Palin and Tea Party
____________________

Watch Breivik's YouTube video.
____________________

Read "An Interview with a Madman: Breivik Asks and Answers His Own Questions."
____________________

New York Times Reader Kills Dozens in Norway

John McCullough R.I.P.

Once upon a time, local television news actually was informative.

The broadcasts weren't loaded with sensational crap and goofy features.

Those days are gone, and now so is the long-time anchorman of Channel 4, John McCullough.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Even in so-called retirement, John McCullough remained a newsman.

He was best known as the respected anchor at WTMJ-TV (Channel 4) - long the station's lone anchorman at 5 and 10 - until he officially retired in 1988. He went on to start McCullough Productions, producing award-wining documentaries for WMVS-TV (Channel 10) and WTMJ.

"John was an icon in the TV news business in Milwaukee," said Mike Gousha, now distinguished fellow in law and public policy at Marquette University. "At a time when viewership for TV news was at its zenith, there was nobody bigger than John."

That said, McCullough didn't act it.

"It was always about the news," said Gousha, who found a mentor in McCullough as a young reporter at WTMJ. "It wasn't about John."

McCullough died Wednesday at a hospital in South Bend, Ind. He was 77. He collapsed Sunday while with his wife, Sandy, at their summer-and-football-season home in Granger near South Bend. No cause of death is known, but it might have resulted from a heart rhythm problem.

...McCullough joined WTMJ-TV in 1967. The station is owned by Journal Communications, which publishes the Journal Sentinel.

"McCullough personified the station," wrote Mike Drew, then TV-radio critic for The Milwaukee Journal. "Older, sincere, solid to the point of stolid, unflashy to the borderline of dull. But also, year after year, reliable, right and no-nonsense."

..."He was a legend," said Hank Stoddard, former WTMJ sports director and a longtime friend. "He was not big on too much happy talk - he could throw a one-liner out - but he didn't tolerate the fluff that you see today on TV news."

When he decided to step down, McCullough made the announcement himself - on his 5 p.m. newscast.

"I spent 22 years here breaking stories, and I wanted to break my own retirement," he said.

I can still hear McCullough's sign-off after the 10:00 news, before Johnny Carson's Tonight Show: "Sleep warm."

Rest in Peace.

Contessa Brewer and Mo Brooks

Contessa Brewer, MSNBC, has yet another clip to add to her highlight reel.

Brewer, former TMJ4 reporter and anchor, is the gift that keeps on giving.

Video, from Breitbart:



Transcript

CONTESSA BREWER: You're simplifying the issues that were on the plate of the nation at that point. We were looking at going, reverting into a depression at that point. Everyone-- the Fed Chairman, the...

REP. MO BROOKS: Well, I disagree that we were going into a depression; but go ahead.

BREWER: Do you have a degree in economics?

BROOKS: Yes, ma'am, I do. Highest honors.

BREWER: OK, so... so, you disagree with the Fed Chairman, Ben Bernanke.

Oh, Contessa, you stepped in it - AGAIN!

What a fool!

Mo Brooks is no schlub.

Mo graduated from Duke University in three years with a double major in political science and economics, with highest honors in economics. In 1978, he graduated from the University of Alabama Law School.

Other "highlights" in Contessa Brewer's career:

Contessa Brewer and John Ziegler

Contessa Brewer and Zach Lahn

Contessa Brewer, MSNBC, White People, and Guns

MSNBC Bashes Republicans on Olympics

Contessa Brewer: Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton

Contessa Brewer and Judd Gregg

Contessa Brewer: Global Warming Snow Job

Contessa Brewer: Islamic Ties, Faisal Shahzad

Contessa Brewer, MSNBC, and Living Green

Contessa Brewer and Tony Katz

Protester at Rupert Murdoch's New York Residence

This guy is truly a disgrace to Cheeseheads everywhere.

This crazed Leftist does not speak for Cheeseheads.

Video.

Rick Santorum and Dan Savage

Dan Savage, founder of the "It Gets Better Project," exposed his hypocrisy when he went on a hate-filled rant during his appearance on Friday's Real Time with Bill Maher.

In addition to asserting, "I wish [Republicans] were all f---ing dead," Savage made some despicable comments about Rick Santorum after Marc Maron had blasted Michelle Bachmann and her husband, Marcus.

Transcript and video.

MARC MARON: I don't want to be crass, but I just hope that Marcus Bachmann takes all that, you know, that rage that comes from repression and denial and brings it into the bedroom with her. I hope he f---s her angrily, because, because that's how I would. And I've thought about it. It's a political statement I'm trying to make.

DAN SAVAGE: Just so you don't get charges of sexism because only Michele Bachmann was involved, I sometimes think about the f---ing the sh-- out of Rick Santorum, just 'cause I think he needs it. It's not just women we're talking about f---ing. It's like, let's bone that Santorum. I'd go for whipping up some Santorum in Santorum.

Do these sound like the sort of comments that would come from someone wanting to spread peace, love, and understanding?

Savage wants everyone to take the "It Gets Better" pledge.

"Everyone deserves to be respected for who they are. I pledge to spread this message to my friends, family and neighbors. I pledge to spread this message to my friends, family and neighbors. I'll speak up against hate and intolerance whenever I see it, at school and at work."

Clearly, Savage does NOT believe in showing respect. He doesn't speak up against hate and intolerance.

To the contrary, Savage is a purveyor of hate.

Yesterday, Rick Santorum was a guest on the Steve Malzberg Show, responding to Savage's remarks.

Here's audio, from NewsBusters, via Breitbart:



Transcript here.

STEVE MALZBERG, HOST: What’s your reaction to this filth?

RICK SANTORUM: It’s just that. It’s filth. It’s, you know, this man has, has gone out there and tried to destroy my integrity. I mean, you’ve heard the whole issue of the Google issue. That’s Dan Savage. You know, it’s, it’s the lowest, you know, debasement of public discourse. It’s, it’s offensive beyond, you know, anything that any public figure or anybody in America should tolerate, and the mainstream media laughs about it. They, they, they kid about it. They write about it. They say, “Oh, Santorum’s got a Google problem.”

And then when you see this kind of even over the top, you know, not even, beyond that, the Google is worse than, than what he said there. They, they laugh about that, too. Why? Because it’s a liberal beating up on a conservative. And that’s okay. Whether it’s Rick Santorum or Michele Bachmann, it’s the Left making fun of someone who believes in the values that built America. It believes in traditional marriage. How outrageous. How bigoted. How hateful that you actually believe that, that, you know, raising children and, and, and families with mothers and fathers is something to be encouraged. That you’re, that, that, just because you hold those opinions, you are subject to the worst form of, of, of, of vulgarity on the internet, on television, and everywhere else, and they get away with, not only do they get away with the mainstream media, but they are applauded by the mainstream media. They are made, they are celebrated by, as you mentioned, in New York, by taking on these, these people who believe in these outmoded virtues, and, the bottom line is I stand and I wear it as a badge of honor that someone as vulgar and as, and as disgusting and as hate-filled as Dan Savage sees me as public enemy number one. To me, that tells me I must be doing something right.

There's no question that a double standard exists in the liberal media.

Leftists like Savage get a pass when it comes to spewing hate.

Casey Anthony Freed (Video)

Casey Anthony is free.

From the Associated Press:

Casey Anthony was freed from a Florida jail early Sunday, 12 days after she was acquitted of murder in the death of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee in a verdict that drew furious responses and even threats from people across the U.S. who had followed the case with rapt attention.

Wearing a pink Polo T-shirt and blue jeans, Anthony left the jail at 12:14 a.m. with her attorney, Jose Baez. After three years behind bars, Anthony was given $537.68 in cash from her jail account and escorted outside by two sheriff's deputies armed with semi-automatic rifles. Neither Anthony nor Baez said anything to reporters and protesters gathered outside.

Anthony, looking somber with her eyes cast downward, said "thank you" to a jailer in the few seconds it took to escort her to the waiting SUV.

"It is my hope that Casey Anthony can receive the counseling and treatment she needs to move forward with the rest of her life," Baez said in a statement released to reporters.

News helicopters briefly tracked the SUV through Orlando's streets, but she quickly vanished from public view.

"This release had an unusual amount of security so, therefore, in that sense, it would not be a normal release," Orange County Jail spokesman Allen Moore said. "We have made every effort to not provide any special treatment for her. She's been treated like every other inmate."

Moore said there were no known threats received at the jail. Officials had a number of contingency plans in place, including plans in case shots were fired as she was being released.

Contingency plans in case shots were fired?

People need to get a grip.

When one believes justice has not been served, it can be extremely disturbing. However, violent outbursts are not appropriate reactions.

...As midnight approached, upward of 100 spectators had gathered outside the jail's booking and release center, where plastic orange barricades had been erected. The crowd included about a half-dozen, sign-carrying protesters who had gathered despite a drenching thunderstorm earlier. Onlookers had varied reactions to her release from the jail, where seven or eight deputies in bullet-proof vests patrolled the area. At least one officer carried an assault weapon and about five officers patrolled on horseback.

"She is safer in jail than she is out here," said Mike Quiroz, who drove from Miami to spend his 22nd birthday outside the jail. "She better watch her butt. She is known all over the world."

Lamar Jordan said he felt a pit in his stomach when he saw Anthony walking free.

"The fact that she is being let out, the fact that it is her child and she didn't say what happened, made me sick," Jordan said.

Not all of those who gathered condemned the 25-year-old.

"I'm for Casey," said Kizzy Smith, of Orlando. "She was proven innocent. At the end of the day, Caylee is at peace. We're the ones who are in an uproar."

Some people are absolutely obsessed with this case. It's a little weird.

Whenever something like this becomes a big TV event, I cringe. It becomes entertainment and the lines between reality and fictional TV drama blur. I view it as exploitation, with the media profiting from crime.

I'm probably one of the few people in the country who didn't follow this case at all. I wasn't interested. I certainly care that a child was murdered, but I didn't want to get wrapped up in the soap opera aspect.

Of course, I'm aware that many believe Casey Anthony killed her sweet little girl, and she got away with murder. Many consider her to be a terrible mother and a terrible human being.

If that's true, that Casey Anthony killed her daughter, Caylee, she's not really free.

I believe justice will be done eventually. Maybe not in this life, but eventually.

Here's raw video of Anthony's release from jail:

Dan Savage: Wishes Republicans F---ing Dead (Video)

UPDATE, July 19, 2011: Rick Santorum responds to Dan Savage.
__________________

Dan Savage is the creator of the "It Gets Better Project."

Many LGBT youth can't picture what their lives might be like as openly gay adults. They can't imagine a future for themselves. So let's show them what our lives are like, let's show them what the future may hold in store for them.

Savage seems like such a compassionate guy, doesn't he?

He cares about people. He really cares.

Here's the "It Gets Better" pledge:

THE PLEDGE: Everyone deserves to be respected for who they are. I pledge to spread this message to my friends, family and neighbors. I'll speak up against hate and intolerance whenever I see it, at school and at work. I'll provide hope for lesbian, gay, bi, trans and other bullied teens by letting them know that "It Gets Better."

"I'll speak up against hate and intolerance whenever I see it."

Oh really, Dan?

I think you're a hypocrite. You speak hate. You exhibit intolerance.

On Bill Maher's Real Time, Savage declared his wish regarding Republicans.

DAN SAVAGE: I wish they were all f---ing dead.

Video.



What a horrible thing to say!

Is this appropriate coming from the founder and ultimate moral authority of the "It Gets Better" Project?

Such hate speech reveals Savage to be a serious part of the problem when it comes to achieving peace, love, and understanding rather than part of the solution.

This statement wasn't an unguarded, private moment for Savage. He said this while on a panel of a nationally televised program.

Savage is a terrible role model.

"It Gets Better"?

Bottom line: Savage says don't hate LGBT people, but wish that Republicans "were all f---ing dead."

Disgusting.

What a hypocrite!
_______________

Savage has realized that his ugly, horrible comment has repercussions. It reveals the "It Gets Better" founder to be a fraud.

He wrote an apology on his blog:

I was on Real Time with Bill Maher tonight. I was talking to someone at the party after the show, and they asked me how I thought it went. Okay, I said—and then I told them that I said something really, really stupid, half under my breath, and I was relieved that Bill and the rest of the panel didn't hear it. But folks watching the show at home might have heard it... so... I want to apologize for... um... wishing all Republicans dead.

I don't feel that way. My dad is a Republican. (Well, he says he's an independent, but he hasn't voted for a Democrat since JFK. My dad is a Republican.) I'm fond of Michael Bloomberg and William Weld and Lincoln Chafee, and I wish no harm—save the political variety—on those Republicans I loathe. Even the one Republican I really had it in for once upon a time—Ronald Reagan—managed to outlive my anger.

It was a stupid, rude, thoughtless remark. I regret it and I retract it and I apologize to anyone watching at home—particularly my father (!)—who may have heard me say it. I had a drink before the show—first and last time I've ever done that—but this wasn't a case of, "In vino, veritas."

This was a case of, "In vino, stupidtas."

Why would Savage say something he didn't mean?

I would NEVER say "I wish all Democrats were f---ing dead."

Those words would NEVER come out of my mouth. Absolutely NEVER. Impossible.

It's not about Savage being "stupid" and "thoughtless." You just don't say something like that unless it's in you. It doesn't happen.

It's like Obama's terribly cruel and mocking Special Olympics remark.

It can't happen unless it's in you.

It's good Savage apologized, but you can't put the toothpaste back in the tube.
________________

Here's more hate from Savage:

*Warning: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE*



After Marc Maron makes some positively inexcusable remarks about Michele Bachmann and her husband, Marcus Bachmann, Savage follows up with this:

DAN SAVAGE: They're grifters and scumbags - the Bachmanns.

...

MARC MARON: I don't want to be crass, but I just hope that Marcus Bachmann takes all that, you know, that rage that comes from repression and denial and brings it into the bedroom with her. I hope he f---s her angrily, because, because that's how I would. And I've thought about it. It's a political statement I'm trying to make.

DAN SAVAGE: Just so you don't get charges of sexism because only Michele Bachmann was involved, I sometimes think about the f---ing the sh-- out of Rick Santorum, just 'cause I think he needs it. It's not just women we're talking about f---ing. It's like, let's bone that Santorum. I'd go for whipping up some Santorum in Santorum.

Savage didn't issue an apology for this. I guess he stands by these comments.

"It Gets Better" Pledge:

"Everyone deserves to be respected for who they are. I pledge to spread this message to my friends, family and neighbors. I pledge to spread this message to my friends, family and neighbors. I'll speak up against hate and intolerance whenever I see it, at school and at work."

Why would anyone, like the president of the United States, want to be associated with a project headed by Savage?

I fully support the idea behind the project.

Unfortunately, Savage's remarks degrade it.

He reveals that he isn't against hate and intolerance. He foments it.

Carmageddon

The freeway is closed this weekend!

It's CARMAGEDDON!

Am I supposed to care?

I might care that 10 miles of the 405 freeway are being shut down if I lived in Los Angeles; but I'm two time zones away.

I don't think traffic will be impacted here in Wisconsin, but it's still stressful knowing that CARMAGEDDON is upon us.

From the Los Angeles Times:

Promptly at 7 p.m. Friday, contract traffic workers in Day-Glo coveralls began systematically shutting down one turn lane after another at Ventura Boulevard and Sherman Oaks Avenue. Finally, they moved in and placed red-orange cones, traffic barricades and signs to block the onramp to the 405 Freeway.

And thus it began: "Carmageddon" -- the closure of 10 miles of the 405 freeway as part of a $1-billion widening project.

The early work wasn't a complete severing of one of the main transportation arteries that keep Los Angeles pulsing. That doesn't happen until midnight. Instead, it was a slow, systematic squeeze, one onramp at a time.

Meanwhile, the usual pool of Friday night traffic seemed to have long bled out of the Sepulveda Pass, as workers left their jobs early, hunkered down at home or fled the area entirely. The few remaining drivers zoomed at unusually rapid speed over the hill that divides the city's Westside from the San Fernando Valley.

Sepulveda Boulevard, which crisscrosses the freeway, was similarly drained of usual congestion. One driver complained of difficulty staying under the speed limit.

The closure of the onramp at Ventura and Sherman Oaks Avenue was watched by perhaps 100 party-goers who celebrated Carmageddon at a poolside party on the fourth floor of the Courtyard Marriott. Some of the revelers were wearing Caltrans costumes, offering an Only-in-L.A. moment when a network of freeways offers as much a common bond as it does corridors for transportation.

I should be thankful that I'm not experiencing CARMAGEDDON. Some people in L.A. aren't taking it too well.

Carmageddon: Tempers flare as 405 Freeway shuts down

Even before the clock ticked midnight -- the official start of a planned 53-hour closure of the 405 Freeway between the 10 and 101 freeways -- authorities had halted all traffic nearing the Mulholland Drive bridge.

The stoppage prompted honking from drivers in the few vehicles caught on the freeway between Skirball Center and Mulholland Drive. A couple of people exited their cars.

One person took another approach, driving backward and swerving around stopped traffic, alarming onlookers concerned that the driver might strike someone in the roadway. Instead, the car was able to make its way in reverse all the way off the highway.

Not good.

CARMAGEDDON. KARMAGEDDON.

It's bad.

Video.


_________________

MORE:

In the Carmageddon drama, L.A. drivers had to know their roles

Summerfest Stabbing - White Guy Did It

UPDATE, July 11, 2011: Greenfield man arrested in Summerfest stabbing

A Waukesha man is recovering after he was stabbed twice in the stomach during Summerfest Friday night.

Ricardo Moran was near the Harley-Davidson stage at 11 p.m. when he got into an argument with a 24-year-old man from Greenfield. Moran told Today's TMJ4 that the Greenfield man bumped into him. The Greenfield man stabbed him twice with a knife, Milwaukee police Sgt. Mark Stanmeyer said.

The suspect was arrested.

When was the suspect arrested?

Why did it take so long for police to release information on the stabbing?
_________________

MSNBC's online report on the Summerfest stabbing at the Dropkick Murphys concert, using WTMJ-TV and JSOnline.com as sources, mentions the race of the attacker.

He is described as a "a white man with a goatee."

Summerfest stabbing victim speaks out

In an exclusive interview, Ricardo Moran tells TODAY'S TMJ4 a white man with a goatee bumped into him, then quickly stabbed him twice in the middle of a crowd. "What I saw in his eyes was something different. He had kind of a smirk on his face. Like he intended to bump me to see what would happen, to see if I would defend myself," Moran said.

Here's the text of TMJ4's online report:

A Waukesha man is recovering after a violent encounter on the Summerfest grounds Friday night.

In an exclusive interview, Ricardo Moran tells TODAY'S TMJ4 a white man with a goatee bumped into him, then quickly stabbed him twice in the middle of a crowd.

"What I saw in his eyes was something different. He had kind of a smirk on his face. Like he intended to bump me to see what would happen, to see if I would defend myself," Moran said.

Police will talk more about the incident on Monday. Summerfest organizers tell TODAY'S TMJ4 they have not added any security, maintaining the festival already has solid security measures in place.

Again, the attacker's race is mentioned, the MSNBC article being a copy of the TMJ4 piece.

A white guy allegedly committed the violent act.

WHITE. The bad guy is WHITE.

However, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, citing TMJ4 as its source, chose to omit the race of the attacker in its online report on the incident.

A man was stabbed at Summerfest Friday night, according to WTMJ-TV (Channel 4).

Ricardo Moran told WTMJ a man came out of the crowd Friday night and cut him twice in the stomach and chest. Moran was hospitalized overnight and released on Saturday, the station reported.

Moran said he was at Summerfest with his wife. At one point, he felt a strong push and turned to see a man who quickly stabbed him. He said he did not know the man or what prompted the attack.

Summerfest officials could not be reached for comment.

The Milwaukee Police Department said it would not release any information on the incident until a Monday morning news conference.

It's weird that TMJ4, and accordingly, MSNBC, chose to report on the attacker's race, while the Journal Sentinel did not.

Has the Journal Sentinel decided it's going to be colorblind?

It's also weird that the police department is staying quiet until a Monday news conference.

Why a news conference at all?

Does this incident merit a news conference, scheduled more than two days after the attack?

Given the PR disaster of the mob attacks last weekend, I suppose I can understand the lengthy silence by the department. All parties probably want to get their stories straight this time to avoid further embarrassment.

Better to wait until Summerfest is over, too.

I wonder if Ed Flynn and the Leftist media will go out of their way to stress that race is NOT a factor in this crime.

Maybe race can be discussed in this crime since the attacker was white. No need to fear a racial emphasis dividing the community in this case.

I don't know.

ABC Disses Founding Fathers

ABC News doesn't want you to have too much respect for the Founding Fathers of the United States of America.

What a message for ABC to choose to send on the Fourth of July weekend, as we celebrate the nation's birth!

I guess the crew at ABC isn't comfortable with paying tribute to our forebearers.

Video from This Week, via Breitbart:



Transcript, from NewsBusters:

DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, HISTORIAN: It's a very slippery slope to start cherry-picking your favorite golden oldie from the Founding Fathers and slapping it on to political speeches today. Democrats and Republicans quote from the Founding Fathers, but we shouldn't act like they were somehow omnipotent.

JOHN DONVAN, ABC: The reality is that the framers - posed in paintings as though frozen on an American Olympus - they were not gods, they were guys - guys who didn't give women the vote and let slavery stand for the time being and who, by the way, were trying to create at the time a stronger central government, of course not too strong, leaving to us a Constitution that we could fix, as needed, - sorry, make that amend - which we've now done 27 times.

BRINKLEY: When you look at the founding documents of our country, they are elastic, they’re meant to be pulled and bent in different directions as each era dictates.

Amended 27 times!

Wow, that Constitution was a piece of crap!

Good grief, ABC.

The Founding Fathers, just "guys," set the groundwork for the greatest nation in history.

Of course, they were creatures of their time, not "frozen on an American Olympus." They lived as we all do, within the historical limits of our lives.

And they weren't gods. The Founding Fathers were very aware of their place in relation to their Creator - God.

They established safeguards to prevent the individual from being subjected to an oppressive, massive central government, while at the same time fully understanding that a UNION needed some framework. They certainly didn't set out to crush citizens under the weight of a heavy central government.

These "guys" were wise enough to understand that their young country was not frozen and the future held unknowns. Thus, they acknowledged change and put in place an orderly process to amend the Constitution.

However, that does not eliminate or diminish the timeless fundamental principles of freedom, life and liberty, that serve as the cornerstones of America.

That group of "guys" formed a "more perfect union," not a perfect one.

Although imperfect, they accomplished greatness.

The generations that followed did as well.

Mike Lowe, FOX 6, Harasses Prosser, Other Justices

Here's a FOX 6 News EXCLUSIVE!

Reporter Mike Lowe goes to Madison and shoves his microphone in the faces of four of Wisconsin's Supreme Court Justices.

They all react in relatively the same manner to Lowe's aggressive behavior: No comment.

Wow! What a scoop!

 

Obama Gets Daughter's Age Wrong

Obama thinks his daughter, Malia, is 13.

He's wrong. She's 12.



Transcript

OBAMA: And, you know, Malia and Sasha generally finish their homework a day ahead of time. Malia is 13, Sasha is 10.

Q: Impressive.

OBAMA: It is impressive. They don’t wait until the night before. They’re not pulling all-nighters. (Laughter.) They’re 13 and 10. Congress can do the same thing. If you know you’ve got to do something, just do it.

From Politico:

President Obama, who has expressed his fears about his daughter Malia becoming a teenager next month, is apparently dreading her birthday so much that for a brief moment on Wednesday, he thought she had already turned 13.

At a press conference at the White House, Obama suggested that his daughters, who “generally finish their homework a day ahead of time,” could serve as role models for members of Congress.

"Malia’s 13, Sasha’s 10," the president said, even though 12-year-old Malia still has a few days to go until her July 4 birthday. "It is impressive. They don't wait until the night before. They're not pulling all-nighters. They're 13 and 10."

In a recent interview on “Good Morning America,” Obama expressed his anxieties about Malia’s upcoming birthday. “I’m not anticipating complete mayhem for the next four or five years, but I understand teenage-hood is complicated,” Obama said.

“I should also point out that I have men with guns that surround them often, and a great incentive for running for reelection is that it means they never get in the car with a boy who had a beer, and that’s a pretty good thing,” he added.

Twice, Obama said Malia was 13, although she's not.

Given that her birthday is just days away, it appears that Obama has already dubbed her a teenager. However, that is inaccurate.

This gaffe isn't nearly as bad as his "57 states" declaration.




And what's with "teenage-hood"?

I think Obama just created a new word.

Not too articulate.

Kind of funny given the criticism being heaped on Michele Bachmann by Leftists for her "bomblets."

I'd like Chris Wallace to ask Obama if he's a flake.

Tom Petty, Michele Bachmann, 'American Girl'

Tom Petty doesn't want Michele Bachmann's campaign using his song, "American Girl."

From Reuters:

On Monday, Bachmann officially announced her candidacy for U.S. president. She left the stage as Petty's "American Girl" blared over the loudspeaker. Uh-oh.

Petty's camp is unhappy with Bachmann's choice of exit music and will ask the campaign not to use the song, according to an NBC News report. (Petty's manager was not immediately available for comment, an employee said.)

Petty previously sent George W. Bush a cease-and-desist letter over his presidential campaign's use of the song, "I Won't Back Down." Bush backed down, of course. But the former president is not alone.

In the past couple of years, musicians have enjoyed great success in getting politicians to see the error of their ways.

After the 2008 campaign, John McCain was forced to make an apology to Jackson Browne to settle a lawsuit over the use of his song, "Running on Empty." A few months after that, California senatorial candidate Chuck DeVore went on bended knee to settle claims made by Don Henley over use of the songs "Boys of Summer" and "All She Wants to Do is Dance."

...A dispute over music played at a campaign event, like the developing Petty vs. Bachmann sued, is an entirely new legal debate. Arguably, so long as a campaign purchases a license from the performance rights organization ASCAP, it should stand on solid ground. On the other hand, Petty could still claim that such music constituted an implied endorsement of the Republican candidate.

More, from the Los Angeles Times:

The Traveling Wilbury and Grammy winner isn't 100% stingy with permission. Petty gave Hillary Rodham Clinton the thumbs up to use "American Girl" throughout her campaign in 2008.

Petty doesn't want Bachmann using his song, cease and desist.

It's his song. That's his right.

However, assuming Bachmann's campaign purchased a license for performance rights from ASCAP, Bachmann didn't do anything wrong.

It's easier for Bachmann to drop the song than to fight it.

Another performer is complaining about a Republican using his or her music. So what else is new?

What I find really out of line in all of this is the response by the Washington Post on Facebook:

Tom Petty wants Michele Bachmann to stop using "American Girl" for her campaign music. What song should Bachmann use instead? http://wapo.st/jeZB0q

What an irresponsible and petty thing to do!

This was a direct invitation by the Post to its Facebook followers to mock Bachmann and her supporters.

Naturally, the Leftists eagerly obliged.

Some examples:

Dan Kriwitsky - ‎"Fly Me To The Moon" OK geeks, you can quote Kahn from Star Trek now.

Suzanne Wolf - Buecker Nah, Jacovich. Bad selection. I don't see that at all. You seem to be confused or misled...not unlike Bachmann herself.

Barbara Arendt - The lady's a tramp

Natasha Jordan - Whaaaa whaaa whaaa @Rosemary.... if she does not like this post or newspaper, why comment on it? DE FRIEND and move on to whatever it is that you do. Just don't come crying back here when the truth gets out about the crazy loon job she real...See More

Yerffej Nala Muioh - Just some spooky halloween music, ghosts, howling wind, ominous music, creaking door.

Jonay Bell - The three stooges?

Dave Logan - If she wants a Petty song, how about "Breakdown" or "Don't Come Around Here No More" as options?

Andy Heaton - The closest thing to "American Girl" is "American Boy." I'm sure her Tea Party supporters will like it.

Rush Storz - Crazy Bitch.

Gerry Cooney - I wouldn't want my name associated with a jackass like her either :)

Doug Traer - ‎"Crazy" (CeeLo and Patsy Kline) "American Idiot" "Fool on the Hill" "If I only Had a Brain" "Stupid Girl" "Creep" "Bitch" "Bitch is Back"

Jane Clavin - american psycho..........lol; someone write it!

Thomas L DeGroat - The opening looney tunes theme comes to mind

Jaynie Britton Richardson - ‎"If I Only Had A Brain".

Ellen Shapiro - I fought the law and the law won?

Denis Kaufman - I'm with Ann Lyons, "Don't Know Much About History."

Dameun Strange - How about 'Bat Outta Hell'

Karen Dowler-Ponciano - ‎"Stupid Girls" by Pink

Very nice.

The Washington Post harnesses its Internet community to belittle and smear a political opponent, encouraging Facebook users to demean Bachmann.

This is such typical liberal crap.

Eugene, Oregon City Council and the Pledge of Allegiance

Some on the city council in Eugene, Oregon believe that the Pledge of Allegiance is divisive.

Its recitation is akin to reciting the Communist Manifesto.

It's not something that should be recited publicly.

The controversy in Eugene began when Councilor Mike Clark wondered why council meetings didn't begin with the Pledge.

From KATU:

Eugene City Councilor Mike Clark, who was elected in 2006, says he always wondered why the council didn't start its meetings with the Pledge of Allegiance.

He says he'll ask his seven colleagues and the mayor on June 20 to begin starting their meetings with the pledge.

The Register Guard reports many levels of government such as the Legislature, the Eugene School Board and Springfield City Council regularly say the pledge.

Clark's suggestion to begin meetings with the Pledge was met with hostility.

A majority of the council would not agree to regularly reciting the Pledge.

From the Register Guard:

Echoes of patriotism resounded at the Eugene City Council on Monday as councilors hotly debated and passed resolutions calling for the domestic redirection of federal “war funds” — and the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance before four council meetings each year.

After a lengthy debate on how the city should spend any money it might receive as a result of a redistribution of federal funds, the council voted 7-1 to endorse a resolution “expressing the City Council’s desire that funds to continue the Iraq and Afghanistan wars be directed to domestic priorities, including the pressing needs in the city of Eugene.”

...Earlier, councilors returned to an ongoing debate over whether future meetings should commence with the saying of the Pledge of Allegiance.

In a revised compromise, the council agreed to recite the pledge at four meetings a year closest to the patriotic holidays of Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Flag Day and the Fourth of July. The council also agreed that excerpts from the U.S. Constitution or Declaration of Independence could be read aloud at the council meeting nearest the Fourth of July holiday.

The first opportunity to recite the pledge will come at the council’s July 11 meeting.

An earlier proposal to also recite the pledge at the annual State of the City address will now be left to the discretion of the mayor.

The issue surfaced several weeks ago when Councilor Mike Clark suggested that the pledge be recited at the start of bimonthly council meetings. But Clark agreed to a compromise put forth by Councilor Alan Zelenka when it seemed clear that a council majority was not prepared to endorse reciting the pledge on a regular basis.

Monday’s vote on the pledge was 6-2, with Councilors George Brown and Betty Taylor in dissent.

Clark said part of his motivation was to respond to constituents who often cite the fact that some Eugene traditions — namely, the eccentric Eugene Celebration in late summer — do not sit well with some residents but are nonetheless tolerated by them.

And, with the resistance to the idea of a public body reciting the pledge, Clark said he feels they are not being given the same liberty.

“Something they value in that way is met with hostility,” Clark said. “Tolerating those differences is an important part of the community that we live in. It has become an issue of tolerance to a certain degree.”

But Brown disagreed.

“This whole notion that we need something for the ‘not-weird’ seems very weird to me,” he said.

It's mind-boggling to me that reciting the Pledge of Allegiance before a government meeting would be a source of controversy.

The idea that a compromise was necessary, only saying it four times a year, is sad.

From MRC TV:

In Oregon, the Eugene Town Council voted 5-2 against a motion to recite the pledge at the opening of every town meeting. There was a compromise allowing the pledge to be said 4 times a year but only on certain holidays. One council member who voted for the ban said reading the pledge was like reading the Communist Manifesto before every meeting.

The Communist Manifesto?

The Pledge should be relegated to being recited only in one's own home but not in a public forum?

Good grief.

That's disgraceful.

I bet NBC's ratings are through the roof in Eugene.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.