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REDSTATE ROUNDTABLE #10: The...

October 11, 2008
posted by admin

Dan McLaughlin: Let's open the floor: assuming Obama hangs on to claim the Democratic nomination, who will he pick as his running mate? Who should he pick?

Obama's problem is that for all his strengths as a candidate, he's got a bunch of conflicting vulnerabilities - he lacks national security credibility and executive experience; he has no military record; he's been weak with white working-class voters; he's a relatively inexperienced politician; some women will want a woman on the ticket to soothe the sense that Hillary got passed over; he also wants to appeal to Latino voters, but a female or Latino running mate might be too much to swallow for a lot of white male voters. Not only is that a long list, but the identity-politics pitfalls mean it's a contradictory one.

Read On for the rest of the roundtable...

I think Jim Webb's the most likely pick - he helps Obama play geographic offense (Virginia, along with Colorado, is his chief red-state pickup target especially with Mark Warner running a strong and very well-financed campaign there), he's the classic macho white guy who matches McCain's Naval Academy and Vietnam vet bio, he provides a cost-free patina of bipartisanship without actually disagreeing with the party line on any issue of consequence...the downside is that he's also a very inexperienced and, to put it mildly, unpredictable campaigner and debater. I could easily see Webb play the "I served and you didn't" card in a debate while completely forgetting who the top guys on the ticket are.

Among the women, I would think Kathleen Sebelius, since she's a heartland-state governor and is, shall we say, not as un-telegenic as Janet Napolitano. Like McCain, Obama would be fool to take another Senator with no executive experience (at least Webb has been a Cabinet Secretary).

Obama will also be tempted to take a man-in-uniform type like General Anthony Zinni or Wes Clark, but Webb is green enough as a politician; taking a complete political novice and domestic-policy cipher may not be as disastrous as it would be for McCain, but it's still a high-risk strategy. It didn't work out well for Ross Perot, and you can't pick a more distinguished miliary man than Jim Stockdale. Also, Wesley Clark is nuts, and looks nuts (the man never blinks).

Then there's the Rust Belt governors, Rendell and Strickland. Assuming they hold up under vetting, which may be a questionable assumption in both cases, I could see the case for them, but Strickland's basically a nonentity who backed into the governorship and Rendell is just more big-city machine-politician than a guy from Chicago needs. Rendell's great on TV, though.

But I would not count out Bill Richardson - yes, it would mean two non-white males running together, but Richardson covers all the kinds of experience you could want, he's an excellent retail campaigner (though a poor, gaffe-prone debater), would excite Latinos and help put more Western states in play. If I was advising Obama, I might lean towards Richardson.

Adam C: If I were advising Obama, I'd recommend a shortlist of Strickland, Rendell, Sebelius, Webb, and Richardson in that order. The GOV of large swing states where Obama polls below the generic D are at the top of the list for electoral purposes.

The only major problem with them (barring a vetting issue) is that neither has foreign policy experience. I'm not sure how big of a deal that will be to Obama's decision-making.

Sebelius and Webb both will probably appeal to Obama's "change" mentality as they are not run-of-the-mill Ds.

Dark horses include GOVs Easley (NC), Bredesen (TN) and Kaine (VA).

Ben Domenech: Rendell is not a realistic option. Too many skeletons. Richardson has many of the same problems, and I think he's kind of tapped out on the national stage...post his Judas action, he doesn't bring along the Clinton people I think.

I think Obama's emerging staffing weakness is that he appears to like people who are like him, not necessarily because they are the right person for the job.

Webb would absolutely fit that pattern. On paper, he's a straight-talking "new kind of politics" guy, a Scots-Irish guy who immediately brings up the racialism and Confederate-leanings of the Republican Party as a symbol of its defeat. Obama would rationalize it as even though he's another Senator, he's from a swing state, has even less voting history, and though a vet, is clearly a nutroots candidate on the war - he'd be a huge play for Appalachia and winning West Virginia and VA. He solves the most problems of all of the potentials on paper, as being an outreach to the white working class, to vets, and to a swing state where McCain is still likely to win absent a big ground game.

The reason I'd love it, of course, is that Webb is one of the absolute worst trail politicians you can possibly find. He hates everything about campaigning and what it demands. He wants things given to him on a silver platter - just like Allen's head was in 06 - and he will profoundly dislike doing anything but rallies with Obama, where he can exult in the crowd's cheers. And what's more, he's ripe for his own macaca moments...the great irony of the 06 cycle was that Webb said nearly as many nutty things, they just didn't get put on YouTube. So they don't exist! But as a Veep nominee, there's no escaping the cameras.

Easley's an interesting idea. I don't think Bredesen brings anything to the table. Kaine was disliked by the nutroots prior to this latest endorsement. Now, he is HATED. He's got no presence on the stage, he's only popular because of Mark Warner's coattails, and as a truly moderate guy, he's got no natural constituency. He'd be a terrible choice.

Dan McLaughlin: Unlike McCain, one thing that might work for Obama is picking an older guy who has been semi-retired, most likely Sam Nunn. Nunn has a true Washington Wise Man reputation, he's old but still 2 years younger than McCain, and he's got credibility on defense issues. That said, he's deadly dull as a speaker, he's been out of the public eye for 12 years, he wouldn't make a dent in his own state, and Wikipedia's quick list of his positions shows why he'd be less than popular with the party's base:

Overall, Nunn was a moderate-to-conservative Democrat who often broke with his party on a host of social and economic issues. He strongly opposed the budget bill of 1993, which included provisions to raise taxes in order to reduce the deficit. He was also vehement in his opposition to President Bill Clinton's proposal to allow homosexuals to serve openly in the military. He voted in favor of school prayer, capping punitive damage awards, amending the U.S. Constitution to require a balanced budget, and limiting death penalty appeals. On certain issues like abortion, the environment, gun control, and affirmative action, Nunn took a more moderate line. He consistently voted in favor of increased immigration. One of his most controversial votes was his vote against the Gulf War.

(ed. - this is why Goldberg's talking up Nunn as a McCain running mate)

I'd agree with Ben that Bredesen is too conservative for Obama (the man dismantled his state's version of HillaryCare) and Kaine is a non-starter.

Pejman Yousefzadeh: I don't think that we should underestimate the possibility of someone like Sam Nunn being selected. He certainly brings defense and national security credentials to the table and he is currently working on nuclear proliferation issues--cooperating closely with Bill Cohen, Henry Kissinger and George Shultz to actually eliminate nuclear weapons. This is unrealistic, to say the least, but it will allow the Obama campaign to highlight the Senator's own work with Richard Lugar to curb proliferation problems. And Obama may potentially use Nunn's efforts to establish a bipartisan consensus on national security issues to claim that he too is prepared to be a uniter, not a divider on policy matters.

Ben Domenech: I suggested Nunn to a friend about a month ago as a great way for Obama to pick an older professor type to connect himself with the old guard without compromising his new politics message. Then I went back and looked at Nunn footage, and decided against it - he's just too soporific. But he's still an interesting choice.

Academic Elephant: What about Bill Bradley? He's tanned and rested.

Pejman Yousefzadeh: From the Democrats' perspective, of course, the downside to Nunn is that he opposed Clinton on integrating gays into the military.

Mark Kilmer: Obama's main problem against McCain will be his political immaturity. Jim Webb, besides being one of the least bright members of the Senate, has no idea what he is doing. He's a buffoon who could only add a touch of clownhood to Obama, which is something to which Obama will be vulnerable but must avoid.

I don't know what is going on between Barrys ears, but he ought to select New Mexico's Bill Richardson as a running mate. By the running media account, there is not a politican in America who can be taken more seriously than Richardson. They see him as an expert to lead on any issue. Gas prices and alternative fuels? He was a Clinton Energy Secretary. Diplomacy to avoid these nasty wars? He was a Clinton UN Ambassador. The bold "change" ticket? Richardson is Hispanic. For the insane base? Richardson campaign on GET OUT OF IRAQ NOW!

And some dopey NYT reporter would love concocting a late night sessions at which Obama and Richardson "talk shop" in an intellectual discussion covering all that ails America.

Pejman Yousefzadeh: Oh, please, God, no. Listening to Richardson at a debate is a nightmare. "Diplomacy" is his answer to any and all foreign policy problems and while I don't have an issue with diplomacy per se, I do have an issue with someone repeating the word "diplomacy" over and over and over and over and over during the space of a debate answer to the point where you want to stab yourself in the eardrum with a dull pencil just to relieve the agonizing pain.

Bill Richardson is the political equivalent of smooth, light jazz at a dentist's office. He actually makes you look forward to the drill and the root canal.

Dan McLaughlin: AE, I could see him taking Bradley. Bradley is a longtime favorite of 'good-government' liberals (though he did no more to clean up his own state's party than Obama has) and he has the requisite air of gravitas. He's also, like Nunn, impressively dull, but I think dull would do Obama some good, actually. Some people mistake dull for serious, and Obama brings enough flair for two candidates (nobody minded that Bradley was dull when he played with Clyde Frazier). Both would be very Cheney-esque picks.

Then again, the guy who is running the vetting process presided over the selection of Geraldine Ferraro in 1984 and John Edwards in 2004, neither of whom was at all that kind of candidate.

Dan McLaughlin: Pejman - One of the really telling anecdotes from the Democratic debates is this, as told by Richardson:

"I had just been asked a question -- I don't remember which one -- and Obama was sitting right next to me. Then the moderator went across the room, I think to Chris Dodd, so I thought I was home free for a while. I wasn't going to listen to the next question. I was about to say something to Obama when the moderator turned to me and said, 'So, Gov. Richardson, what do you think of that?' But I wasn't paying any attention! I was about to say, 'Could you repeat the question? I wasn't listening.' But I wasn't about to say I wasn't listening. I looked at Obama. I was just horrified. And Obama whispered, 'Katrina. Katrina.' The question was on Katrina! So I said, 'On Katrina, my policy . . .' Obama could have just thrown me under the bus. So I said, 'Obama, that was good of you to do that.'"

Mark Kilmer: I can hear the violins.

And, Pej, what you said about Richardson is also true, to a less developed extent, of Obama himself. You'll hear the mesmerizable masses murmur: "Obama, Richardson, Hope, Change. Obama, Richardson, Hope, Change," and it's off to the airports to buy the flowers they're selling.

Pejman Yousefzadeh: The difference is that Obama--to his credit--has access to a thesaurus and can occassionally change his word choice. With Richardson . . . not so much.

Brad Smith: Strickland would be a strong candidate - a guy who might actually help carry a state vital to McCain's chances, and who would soothe the waters roiled by Rev. Wright.

But if we're going to speculate, let's get beyond the obvious candidates whose names are circulating. I could see Obama going to an old Democratic sage, a Lloyd Bentsen type. Experience, military background, more conservative, geographic balance. If he wants a legacy he can replace this pick with a younger man for his second term in 2012.

So who fits the bill? The name that comes to my mind is former Georgia Senator and Chairman of the Armed Services Committee Sam Nunn, who is 69 years old. He meets every item listed above, he's not too old, but he's old enough no one seeking to succeed Obama (Clinton? others?) will be threatened, and old enough to bow out gracefully in 4 years if Obama wants to annoint a younger successor. Plus he's been out of the limelight so he hasn't had to take votes on the war, etc., that could clash with the campaign's positions (unlike Lieberman in 2000, who had to do lots of embarrassing gyrations to make his past statements jibe with the position of his running mate in the 2000 campaign). And he'd help carry Georgia, a state Obama thinks he can at least put in play and maybe win.

Brad Smith: I see Dan beat me to Nunn by a couple minutes! Darn!

Academic Elephant: I still don't see why more people don't think Bradley is better than Nunn.

Dan McLaughlin: Well, Nunn's a Southern moderate, and was considered a bipartisan kind of guy. Bradley's a northeastern egghead liberal, which is a demographic that Obama already has locked up.

Nobody's mentioned Al Gore yet, but he seems like the one guy who would genuinely not want the job again.

Academic Elephant: Bradley could help in PA and the egghead part could help shore up Obama's lightweight problem. I think he's a more attractive choice than Nunn.

Thomas Crown: (1) He's from New Jersey. In many parts of this great land, that eliminates him on its face.

(2) He's kinda ugly.

Dan McLaughlin: AE - True. And I could easily imagine photo ops of them shooting a few hoops. They'd definitely be the tallest ticket in history.

Mark Kilmer: But isn't Nunn too old school for the HopeChange bit? A return to the politics of yesterday doesn't work for the Obama campaign.

Thomas Crown: Al Gore is praying for a fight that goes to the Convention, so he can be a man -- the man -- for the hour.

Academic Elephant: I agree with that.

Dan McLaughlin: If Obama thinks he's going to carry Georgia, either (1) he's out of his mind or (2) he knows something that we don't that will render any and all decisions about this election pointless.

Academic Elephant: Is that a state where Barr might make a difference?

Thomas Crown: Doubtful.

Academic Elephant: Well, if Barr polls at 5-8 in GA, would Nunn make it competitive if Obama takes 95% of African American voters?

Thomas Crown: Barr won't poll at 5-8; and I believe Black turnout would roughly have to increase by half again.

Dan McLaughlin: We're off topic here, but basically I think Barr will only be trouble in some of the narrowly-divided Western states like NV & NM, where 1-2% of the vote could tip the outcome. I know Thomas likes to remind us that the Western states are not the libertarian utopias sometimes portrayed by the people who lay claim to half of Goldwater's legacy, but there are a few percentage points of people there who have strong libertarian leanings, at least some of whom are potential Republican voters in a 2-candidate race.

Getting back on topic, I don't think either candidate should worry much about Barr in selecting a running mate.

Thomas Crown: I agree: This isn't about worry about third-party candidates, because nothing either major candidate will do change that dynamic.

Pejman Yousefzadeh: Now that Chuck Hagel is retiring and likely ending all association with the Republican Party as a consequence, he could be a potential maverick pick.

Dan McLaughlin: Hagel will get considered, but he's basically voted as a down-the-line social conservative. That's not going to keep him in contention for long.

Brad Smith: Bradley is clearly better than none.

Bradley Smith

Brad Smith: Another out of nowhere senior statesman with military experience would be former Senator, Oklahoma Governor, and President of U. of Oklahoma David Boren, who is under age 70. Boren endorsed Obama a month or so ago. He's avoided divisive votes in recent years being out of DC, but voted against the First Gulf War in 1990, which might satisfy the hard left.

California Yankee: Obama should pick Hillary. There would be a great love fest, and unification, among the Democrats. I do not see that happening. But I wouldn't have predicted Reagan to pick Bush either. I agree with Dan about the necessity of selecting someone with executive experience. I would not suggest a female. The folk in flyover country can only be pushed so far. Obama needs someone who is white, or Richardson-like Hispanic, and male. I would rule out Richardson for a number of reason. He was irrelevant as a candidate. Then there are the security issues when he was Secretary of Energy. I see Obama left with the likes of General Zinni, Governor Corzine, Bob Kerrey and Mayor Bloomberg.

Dan McLaughlin: Richardson is indeed something of a scandal Typhoid Mary. He was the UN Ambassador when we set up Oil-for-Food, too. But I still think he beats many of the alternatives.

Kerrey's too supportive of the Iraq War and too critical of his own party on the same score.

Corzine would be a terrible pick for a host of reasons.

Mark I: Obama's biggest weaknesses are foreign policy/military experience and executive experience generally. But if the Obama campaign were asked to pick one, I'd bet they pick executive experience as the most in need of shoring up. I believe that Obama believes in himself so much that he won't think his relative lack of foreign policy gravitas is all that bad. He probably just think that if he does the opposite of Bush he'll do just fine. For that reason, I don't think he goes with the military guy. Jim Webb, Gens. Jim Jones, Anthony Zinni, and Wes Clark will be considered but probably passed over. Webb would be the best of the bunch, but another first-term Senator as the VP might get him laughed off the stage.

So that leaves Obama with the governors. I don't see him picking a woman as a running mate. I think the list of acceptable women is one name long and Obama would be making a mistake along the lines of Hannibal crossing the Alps on elephants by picking her. So Sebelius and Napolitano are out. Rendell is long on experience and gravitas but short on loyalty. He is too closely connected with the Clintons to be trusted. Plus he campaigned very actively for her in PA, where Obama lost by 10 points. Strickland is also a Hillary guy albeit to a lesser degree. If he goes governor, I think he looks to moderate Democrats from swing or Southern states. Bredersen from Tennessee could get a look, but if I were advising Obama, I'd look closley at Joe Manchin from West Virginia.

Manchin was officially neutral in the West Virginia primary when he could have very easily sided with Clinton and the 68% of the state's Democrarts who voted for her. He has cut taxes and is viewed as fiscally responsible, which won't mean much to Obama but would help with outreach to rural working class Democrats. Manchin has a decent national image, being hailed for his swift and genuinely caring response to the miner's tragedy in the state some years ago.

If Obama decides to go the elder statesman route, I wouldn't overlook former Sen. George Mitchell. He is known as an international peace maker for the Northern Ireland deal and may lend some credibility to Obama's desire to negotiate with Iran and Syria. Plus, as chairman of Disney, he has executive experience and a foot in the business world, the better to soothe Wall Street executives nervous about an Obama led economy.

Dan McLaughlin: Manchin's one of the people I forgot to mention - if Obama's picking a governor he'd be one of the better choices.

Adam C: Ditto Dan. I thought I was forgetting a rust belt GOV and that was it. I think the new KY Governor is too new. But Machin (WV), Strickland (OH), Rendell (PA), Bredesen (TN), Easley (NC) and Kaine (VA) cover a wide region.

Moe Lane: First off, let me repeat: assuming.

Second, I think that we're going about this all wrong: we're all a). policy wonks and b). not particularly impressed by Barack Obama. His supporters, on the other hand, are either not policy wonks, or are else allowing themselves to be overwhelmed by the idea of Barack Obama - and he's playing to them, not to us. So, nobody will be picked in order to balance the ticket: from their point of view (and, happily, Obama's) there's no need for balance.

What they'll want - expect - instead is somebody that they can perceive as being almost as cool as Barack Obama.

If I had to guess, I'd guess Mark Warner. Sure, it'd mean quitting the Senate race, but the Obama's whim must be deemed more important than the needs of Virginia.

Moe Lane: Jim Webb would make an excellent Eagleton to Obama's McGovern. Only with more barely-repressed rage.

Plus, I will highly enjoy watching people ask Webb about this article. Over and over and over again. At every opportunity. Until he punches somebody.

Dan McLaughlin: Well, Moe, I don't think Warner would accept or the rest of the DNC would sit for punting a Senate race that right now looks like a lock (Gilmore may be a comparatively weak candidate, but he's strong enough that if you replaced Warner with a totally unknown Generic D, Gilmore would suddenly have better than an even shot).

Also, I'll say it right here: if Obama loses the general election, I regard Warner as the favorite to be the Democrats' POTUS nominee in 2012.

Obama's people may be impressed with Obama but they can read polls and newspapers and listen to McCain, too. They know two things:

1. Obama's having trouble nailing down some segments of the Democratic voting public.

2. McCain is hammering him on foreign policy experience.

I think they will focus on those as the areas Obama needs to shore up. Which brings us back to the fact that Webb's the one guy who best fits the profile on both counts, and why I expect him to end up as the top name on the list.

Thomas Crown: I really, really think we're making too much of the Double Senator pick. Political junkies and folks who pay attention might be unnerved by having too little executive experience; morons won't be. Vice Presidents are chosen (a) to succeed the President in case of tragedy, (b) to placate some wing or other of the Party, and/or (c) to reassure the morons. Kitten has a problem with a particular subgroup of morons (arguably, some heavily overlapping groups of morons). Kitten reasonably expects not to have a heart attack during his first term. Kitten only needs to pacify one wing of his Party.

This leaves two choices: Cankles or Webb. He'd be certifiably insane to bring the Clintons into the White House with him without a legion of food tasters and neutering Bill, so Cankles is probably out. That leaves Born Fidgeting.

Mark Kilmer: But, Moe, Obama has to play to the people who aren't already entranced by HopeChangeHope. He has to make HopeChangeHope appealable to the more serious, bread-and-butter electorate, and I still think Richardson fits that bill. And to hear the media recite the qualities, Richardson is as hip as Obama. Bill Richardson is Uomo Universale, and you don't get much kewler than that.

That's what I'd be pushing if I were a member of Team Obama. Then I'd kill myself.

Moe Lane: Well, we are assuming that Obama's the nominee, Dan. At this point, that sort of implies that the DNC is going to sit still for giving him the nod; why not keep going, and have them cater to his every whim?

As for Webb... he says things. Things that his new Party can only ignore because he's just a Senator from a Red State.

Moe Lane: Mark, that's the glorious thing about this election, and why the nomination hasn't been settled yet: you and I may think that he has to, but his supporters don't. We've all seen how they get when the slightest imperfection is suggested about their idol; and that's a double-edged sword. It's like that Sacred King anthropological nonsense, only for real.

Anyway, they look at Richardson, they see an overweight old guy with a beard. Not Obama-worthy.

Neil Stevens: Moe, isn't there also the Strange New Respect effect, too, since he's an ex-Reagan guy?

Moe Lane: Actually, no. He skipped the most important part of SNR: the repudiation of heresy and the affirmation of orthodoxy. Webb hasn't repented in public yet.

Let's make him.

Francis Cianfrocca (blackhedd): Not sure if anyone has said this yet, but the only logical choice for Obama is Hillary Clinton.

There, I said it. Yes, her negatives are high, but it does give Obama a chance to claw back some of the support he would otherwise have trouble with in swing states. Yes, it’s possible to overestimate the support she can bring that he can’t (the old “they’re Democrats, they won’t vote for McCain” argument), but even if we’re not talking about much, it will still matter.

The objection to this is that Obama and Clinton hate each other. Sure, but so what? This is all about getting elected President of the United States. It’s totally underrating both Obama and the Democrat Party to assume that he won’t ever go near her again, or that the Dems won’t successfully heal all of their division that we’ve enjoyed watching these last few months.

If all Obama has to do is grit and grin for the cameras while holding Clinton’s hand for the next few months, he can do it. Hell, if he can’t, then he’s too thin-skinned to be a school-board president, much less POTUS.

Thomas Crown: Well, like I said, you'd be right except for the fact that he'd have to be freaking nuts to take her on board without making sure she can't de Medici him.

Dan McLaughlin: Yes, blackhedd, but here it does matter that Obama thinks the stars are well-aligned for him and he can choose from a position of relative strength. He believes he's a strong candidate in a good environment; thus, he will seek to patch weak spots, not do drastic surgery, and will do so with an eye to governing after the election.

That means the last thing he wants is a VP he can't trust who has an independent base of support in the party, knows the place better than he does and has a limitless capacity for generating distraction and scandal.

If Hillary's the VP, Obama will still be awake when the phone rings at 3am, because he'll be afraid to put the lights out.

Francis Cianfrocca (blackhedd): Interesting and cogent analysis. This is certainly an argument that Obama might go for.

But I’m imaging how I’d react in his place. There are tremendous near-term political benefits (becoming the great uniter, etc) to putting Hillary on the ticket.

And if it were me, I’d listen to all the arguments and counterarguments around the table, and then I’d probably say to myself: “I can handle this b****, no problem.”

I probably wouldn’t say to myself: “A man in my position has to know his limitations, and she’s one of ‘em.”

Thomas Crown: I agree with that last part. To be President, you have to think you're more or less invincible.

Charles Bird. Nominating Richardson or Hillary will not help Obama there's already a minority on the ticket. Like with McCain and my endorsement of Jindal, Obama needs someone who will balance the slate. He needs someone who is white and male. His running mate should not be hard left, because Obama already has that ideological sector covered. The VP choice should also have experience, gray hair, and a good military background, and is more centrist. The best candidate, the one who fills all those categories, is Wesley Clark. The general wasn't that good of a presidential candidate, but all he really has to do this time around is neutralize McCain's advantage on military and foreign policy military. Jim Webb would be a good choice, too, and may just be Obama's guy.

A surprise wild card pick would be Chuck Hagel. He's already retiring from the Senate, and most Republicans (and pretty much all conservatives) don't like him anyway. The pick would be conditioned on Hagel leaving the GOP and going either Independent or Democrat.

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Nader in Florida: Remember Me? -...

October 10, 2008
posted by admin


Nader in Florida: Remember Me?
Newsweek -Oct 11, 2008
That gap grows to eight points with Nader in the mix, along with other minor-party candidates such as Libertarian Bob Barr. Another sign the Nader effect ...


On the trail to the White House -...

October 09, 2008
posted by admin


On the trail to the White House
Fort Worth Star Telegram, TX -Oct 9, 2008
Bailout anger helps fuel Libertarian Bob Barr’s campaign message . . . Boom in voter registration favors Dems, could lead Obama to election win . ...


Libertarian Mindset in the Church,...

October 08, 2008
posted by admin

(If you would like to listen to this sermon in its entirety, click here. This was preached on Sunday, October 28, 2007, at the Boone’s Creek Baptist Church, Lexington, KY. You may also read the Introduction , Part I  and Part II to this blog series.)

Jude 14-16 says:

It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage (Jude 14-16, ESV).

Jude now weighs in by telling his people the future of these apostates: they will see clearly what they should have seen previously — the reality of God’s authority. Second Peter 3:1-4 gives a warning to all potential and present apostates of the judgment to come:

This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:1-4, ESV).

These apostates deny God’s authority in the past, present, and even in future events such as the promise of his coming! Yet, the first one to prophesy about their attitude was not Peter — the prophesying of this went back to Enoch. While the Scripture contain little information about Enoch, Jude retrieves this quote from The Book of Enoch, a well-known work in Palestine during Jude’s day. Though this book is not inspired and does not belong in the Bible, the Spirit used this quote to communicate something rather significant to us: when we deny the authority of God in the world and in our hearts, consequences ensue. What are those consequences?

First, Jude tells us that the holy ones (that is, the angels) will come to “execute judgment on all” (Jude 14, ESV). The “all” here deals with those apostate false teachers — and their judgment will be hell itself. Why? Read on, “… and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him” (Jude 14b). If you have your Bibles with you, read back over that portion I just read to you. Notice how many times the word or word form of “ungodly” was used: four times! The significance of this is obvious.

These apostates deny the authority of God and his Word. They failed to see the examples of the disobedient ones of the past, they fail to hear the authoritative Word of God in the here and now — and they fail to care about the consequences of the future. In fact, the true church of Jesus Christ can identify who these wolves are by reading Jude 16: “These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage.”

By now, many of you are saying, “Bro. Matt, this just seems to be too much. The church should be all about love and peace. People need to hear about some positive issues and about how loving Jesus is.” Fair enough! People do indeed need to know about the grand love of God, how rich and pure it is — how measureless and strong! Yet, we need to know that God loves us enough to warn us when wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing come into our midst.

I shall never forget the time I was in sixth grade — around 1982. We were having fun that day — learning fun areas in science, playing football and basketball during gym class, and other activities that day which made me excited to be at school. During the day, however, we had a surprise drill. This drill was not an ordinary fire drill — this drill took place so we would be ready in case of a nuclear attack. Instead of school being a time where we enjoyed ourselves, the teacher took us to the place where we would go and began to tell us about the effects of nuclear weapons and how we were to take care of ourselves. This information was not fun to hear, but we certainly needed this information to heighten our awareness.

I love Boone’s Creek Baptist Church. I love all of you. I love the community and the city in which we are located. I love hearing the choir sing. I love the fellowship of our Sunday School class. I love the brotherhood the deacons and I share together. I love the missions trips we take. I love seeing people come to know the Lord and be set free from their captivity to sin. I love seeing fellow brothers and sisters who move to Lexington come and join our church to help us advance the cause of Christ. All of these items make being a pastor at this church fun for me.

Yet, I am not so naïve as to think that wolves will never attempt to enter into the flock. Satan is described as a roaring lion seeking whom he will devour. We tend to forget about him, don’t we? Yet, God has given us his armor to put on. Why? “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:11, ESV). How can we be ready?

First, know that God sent Jesus Christ into the world not only to save us from our sin and to be Lord, but to ready us for his return. First Thessalonians 5:2-3 tells us,

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape (1 Thes. 5:2-3, ESV).

Secondly, know that Christ has assured us of victory in the here and hereafter. In Matthew 16, after Simon Peter replied to Jesus’ inquiry, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Mat. 16:17-18, ESV). In 1 Corinthians 1 Cor. 15:55-58, Paul encourages the Corinthian church:

“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain (1 Cor. 15:55-58, ESV).

Church, we can be steadfast and immovable because of the victory accomplished by our Lord Jesus Christ. The war is won — but many battles take place. We must be ready not only for his return, but readied because of his return. He will come back and avenge his church. When? Revelation 6:9-11 tells us:

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been (Rev. 6:9-11, ESV).

The result?

After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out,

“Hallelujah!
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
for his judgments are true and just;
for he has judged the great prostitute
who corrupted the earth with her immorality,
and has avenged on her the blood of his servants” (Rev. 19:1-2, ESV).

If Christ will keep and avenge those who are martyred, he shall keep us who persevere in the faith! Be ready for his return — and be readied when you consider his return. He will redeem his people, and execute judgment on the ungodly.


Poll shows Obama opening five-point...

October 07, 2008
posted by admin


Poll shows Obama opening five-point lead
Irish Times, Ireland -Oct 9, 2008
Independent Ralph Nader had the support of 2 per cent of poll respondents and Libertarian Bob Barr registered 1 per cent. Four per cent of voters said they ...
Video: Kids Vote On Campaign '08CBS
Obama has 4-point lead on McCainReuters South Africa
Obama has 4-point lead on McCainMalaysia Star
San Diego Union Tribune - The Australian
all 2,554 news articles


Morning Reading List, 04.07.08

October 06, 2008
posted by admin

morningrdplist.JPG

Good morning Washington. Playbook tells us that Bloomberg's Billy McQuillen, "who provides 'adult' supervision to Catholic University's newspaper, is a birthday boy today.'"

Quickly navigate Morning Reading List:

REVOLVING DOOR | NEWSPAPERS | TV | ONLINE MEDIA | MAGAZINES | RADIO | WEST WING REPORTAGE | EVENTS | BOOKS | JOBS

  • You thinkMonica Lewinsky will vote for Obama in '08.

  • Today's "Angry Journalist" rant of the day: "Went to yet another 'retirement' party for a couple of newspaper writer friends of mine taking the buy out and getting the hell out of Dodge. All while the losers 'running' the paper (In to the ground..) are staying."

  • This week's mediabistro.com classes includeHow to Write About Anything, Interviewing Techniques and Fact-Checking.

    REVOLVING DOOR

  • DCRTV reports, "Richard Willing has joined the Office Of The Director of National Intelligence as its director of public affairs. Willing covered civil and criminal justice issues, as well as intelligence and national security, for USA Today from 1997 until this January."

  • A release announced, "The Center for Public Integrity is pleased to announce that David E. Kaplan has been named the new Director of its International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ)."

  • News-Press.com reports, "Kate Marymont, vice president and executive editor/Information Center at The News-Press and news-press.com, was named today as vice president/Information Center Content for McLean, Va.-based Gannett Inc., the paper's owner."

  • Business Wire reports, "Jennifer Carroll, vice president of New Media Content and an architect of the company’s Information Center initiative, will become vice president of Digital Content for Gannett Digital."

  • The Washington Post announced, "The Maryland desk is delighted to announce that we've hired Aaron Davis, an enterprise reporter for the Associated Press in Sacramento, Calif., to cover law enforcement in Prince George’s County. He succeeds Candace Rondeaux, who went to Foreign to cover Pakistan and Afghanistan."

  • A release announced, "Science News, the weekly magazine of Society for Science & the Public, has named Tosh Arimura circulation manager."

    Top of post

    NEWSPAPERS

  • MarketWatch's Jon Friedmanwrites, "Throughout the campaign, the media have treated Paul as a footnote. Snickering pundits all but dismissed him as a cranky kook, in the tradition of another Lone Star State insurgent, Ross Perot. Even when the mainstream publications covered him, you could imagine the assignment editors rolling their eyes in amusement, like parents patronizing a child. Yet anyone who looked hard enough knew that there was more to Paul than an inability to amass delegates. Most of the media, turned off by his shrill libertarian leanings, missed the real news value of Paul's story -- namely, the Texas congressman's ability to connect intensely with voters."

  • The Pew Weekly News Interest Index shows, "Hillary Clinton's retraction of her claim that she came under sniper fire while visiting Bosnia in 1996 was one of the main campaign storylines last week. But the controversy over her statements did not resonate as widely as the furor over statements made by Barack Obama's pastor earlier in March. Four-in-ten Americans heard a lot about Clinton's claim that she came under sniper fire, compared with 51% who had heard a lot about Rev. Wright's sermons the week before."

  • "Results from the Dow Jones Insight -- 2008 Presidential Election Media Pulse show that Barack Obama's pivotal race speech on March 18 may have helped mitigate that week's controversy surrounding the remarks of Reverend Jeremiah Wright, shifting attention back to the issues of the economy and the upcoming Pennsylvania primary."

  • CJR reports, "Business news is booming these days. Business-news sections not so much. They are disappearing and have been doing so regularly for months. The trend seems set to continue."

  • Washington Blade editor's Kevin Naffasks, "Why did editor Len Downie go to such lengths to hide the simple fact that a soldier was gay?"

  • Huffington Post has a "Eulogy for Dead Trees"

  • "As Katharine Weymouth, granddaughter of the legendary Katharine Graham, takes over as publisher of the Washington Post," The Washingtonian has some "suggestions for her agenda, based on interviews with subscribers and Post staffers."

  • Romenesko reports, "WSJ changes news desk structure"

  • Wall Street Journal reports, "Veteran newsman Roger Mudd" reports the "five best" "essential works about journalism."

  • Joel Achenbachwrites, "Let's have a blog item today that's not about me and my personal obsessions and neuroses. Instead, let's talk about the general plight of all those middle-aged newspaper reporters out there who, at the age of 47, are just barely too young to get the buyout offer. Clearly it is time for these people to think about the next big career move."

  • Howard Kurtz writes, "I've said many times that Barack Obama has gotten easy treatment from the news media, although that has changed a bit in recent weeks, particularly since the Rev. Jeremiah Wright became a household name, at least in households that watch plenty of cable. In fact, there's a bit of a narrative about Obama as an elitist starting to take hold in the media, and that could prove troublesome for him."

  • New York Time's Public Editor writes, "Change Can Be Painful, but This One Shouldn't Hurt"

  • Washington Post's Deborah Howellwrites, "Most regular local readers of The Post read it on newsprint. And when they want something in the paper and it's not there, they usually don't like me telling them to find it on washingtonpost.com."

  • Washington City Paper's Mike DeBonisasks, "Has Adrian Fenty reneged on his campaign tax pledge?"

  • Check out The Best of Cox 2008 winners.

    Top of post

    TV

  • A NBC release announced, "According to Nielsen Media Research data, 'Meet the Press with Tim Russert' was the most-watched Sunday morning public affairs program, winning the week ending Sunday, March 30, 2008 in all categories."

  • An ABC release announced, "According to Nielsen Media Research for First quarter 2008, ABC News 'This Week with George Stephanopoulos' beat CBS' 'Face the Nation' among both Total Viewers and the key Adults 25-54 demographic."

  • Washington Post reports, "Major television networks are privately saying that if they have to worry about a fine every time someone utters a profanity on air, they may have to stop real-time broadcasting of live events such as the Academy Awards and Grammys. At the same time, the head of the Federal Communications Commission and parents groups are saying that if the Supreme Court removes the threat, ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox will seize the opportunity to make the airwaves more coarse and profane."

  • 23/6 has the "Inappropriate Hottie Rundown: Racially Diverse Pundit Edition"

  • Forbes.com reports, "Forty years after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Tom Brokaw is making sure his legacy isn't forgotten. In King, a two-hour television documentary premiering on the History Channel April 6, the award-winning newsman talks to everyone from Bill Clinton to Forest Whitaker to Dr. King's son Martin Luther King III about the legendary civil rights figure."

  • TVNewser reported on Friday, "Megan Henderson, morning anchor at Fox O&O KDFW, will be co-hosting Fox & Friends this weekend."

  • The AP reports, "Early Mike Wallace interviews now online"

  • "TVNewser received several tips wondering what happened during the 6:30 feed of Friday's NBC Nightly News. Brian Williams was anchoring from Memphis to mark the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Williams began the broadcast with a live interview with Sen. John McCain. What they didn't expect was a crowd behind them with speeches blaring through loudspeakers."

  • A tipster tells us from Friday, "Bill Press speaking to an irate caller on today's 'Washington Journal': 'Chris Matthews is in the tank for Barack Obama, but don't blame it on me.'

  • "CNN Crosses Paths With Clinton, Grabs Impromptu Interview," TVNewser reports.

  • "From a TVNewser tipster: 'I understand that there is a move afoot to develop a legal television network in place of CourtTV.'"

  • TVNewser reports, "Last night's Daily Show with Jon Stewart featured a glance at Sen. Barack Obama's recent media tour. Some got snubbed, some got cozy and some were 'thrilled' to spend an hour with the candidate...until hearts were broken."

    Top of post

    ONLINE MEDIA

  • An ABC release announced, "ABCNEWS.com continues to achieve record-breaking traffic in March 2008. In March, ABCNEWS.com scored another high traffic month, reaching nearly 23 million uniques, an increase of 69% compared with the same time last year, according to ABC’s measurements. The site also garnered 207.4 million page views, up 44% from the previous year and marked four consecutive months of record page view growth. In March, the site increased video views by 123% compared to the same time last year, according to ABC."

  • This Wednesday is the Blogger's Happy Hour Bash at Velocity Five Restaurant. For more info, click here.

  • Portfolio's Mixed Media reports, "Is the Huffington Post really a $200 million company? Monday's New York Times story about the fast-growing group blog/news aggregator left a lot of people wondering about that eye-catching number, reportedly the price the company uses in its internal discussions about the possibility of a sale. The consensus, among those who know about some matters: No, the Huffington Post is not remotely worth $200 million."

  • MarketWatch reports, "Google Inc. confirmed Thursday it bid in the recent government spectrum auction in an effort to wring higher competing bids out of Verizon Wireless and open up a large chunk of the airwaves to outside Internet devices."

  • Reuters reports, "News Corp's Fox Interactive Media Internet division could fall short of its fiscal 2008 revenue target of $1 billion, as it reorganizes its divisions to better exploit the online advertising market."

  • ABC.com asks, "Should Drudge and Huffington Get Pulitzers?"

  • The Swamp reports, "It's an introspective week for The Swamp. First we rolled out a new look and invited critiques. Now, some university researchers are asking whether we -- and newspaper political blogs across the Web -- should exist at all."

  • Guardian's greenslade reports, "I have argued for some time that the internet will free us from media mogul domination. Oddly, Rupert Murdoch has said much the same thing, a clue that I was being more than a shade optimistic. Now comes evidence that the democratising force of the net is anything but a given."

  • Gannett Blog reports, "The non-profit Freedom Forum's most recent tax return shows that it paid Founder Al Neuharth $225,000 in 2006, plus gave him a $200,545 expense account -- the biggest such account of any officer, director or trustee. Neuharth, 84, who recently groused about his diminished mental capacity, worked 40 hours a week for Freedom Forum, the return shows."

    Top of post

    MAGAZINES

  • The Wall Street Journal reports, "The weekly newsmagazines have been declared dinosaurs as far back as the late 1980s. But now that 111 employees at Washington Post Co.'s Newsweek have taken buyouts, including many longtime editors, it's clear that their cultures are finally being blown up and reinvented. And some say that's not such a bad thing."

    Top of post

    RADIO

  • Matthew Felling will host "The Kojo Nnamdi Show" today. The show can be heard on DC's National Public Radio affiliate WAMU 88.5 from 12-2pm.

  • Radio Ink reports, "In a letter to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) notes that, although the Department of Justice has unconditionally approved the merger of XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio, 'serious concerns remain as to how this merger will impact consumers if it is permiited to go forward.'"

  • "FBLA Exclusive: Interview with Randi Rhodes' Ex-Writer Barry Crimmins"

  • NPR announced, "A special edition of NPR’s news-talk program Talk of the Nation will broadcast live from the Newseum on Tuesday, April 8, 2:00-4:00PM (ET). This broadcast -- the first live national program from the new Washington, D.C.-based interactive museum of news – is part of the Newseum’s press preview day, in advance of its public opening on Friday, April 11, and will have a studio audience."

  • Washington Post reports, "Just as the Eliot Spitzer sex scandal became the ultimate water-cooler conversation topic -- if only for a few days -- Sirius Satellite Radio launched Client 9 Radio, a 24/7 all-Spitzer channel, but just for a few days."

  • New York Times reports, "In what would be the latest twist in the increasingly contentious battle over the $20 billion buyout of Clear Channel Communications, hedge fund clients of the banks balking at financing the deal are reportedly threatening to pull their business if the banks don't move ahead with the deal for the radio broadcaster."

    Top of post

    WEST WING REPORTAGE

  • E&P reports, " In a harsh press release, The White House slammed The New York Times for a Thursday column that criticized President Bush's reaction to the economic crisis."

    Top of post

    EVENTS

  • Julie Ocean played at the Rock n Roll Hotel saturday night. Teh band's CD comes out May 13. Check out their website here.

  • A release announced, "Andrea Rodgers, President and CEO of The Courage Cup, an IRS designated 501(c) (3) non-profit corporation established to help at-risk urban youth, is pleased to announce that Legal Times is inviting Washington law firms to attend Meadow Matches and participate in a Charity Segway Polo Challenge. This exciting day of polo matches will bring Washington's legal community together for a day of charity in the picturesque Virginia Piedmont."

  • PDN Pulse offers, "A Sneak Peek At The Newseum"

  • USAToday reports, "Massive Newseum opens window on journalism"

  • Kurtz reports, "At Sparkly Newseum, The Glory Of the Story Goes Above the Fold"

  • Lorraine Ahearnwrites, "Determined to make the news 'fun' and 'fresh,' the Newseum has something for everyone. A 100-foot-wide screen lets visitors experience for themselves what it's like to be interviewed by, say, Charlie Rose -- with the help of 3-D glasses and complimentary Breathe-Right strips."

  • The Washington Post reports, "Unlike that bombastic structure, the journalism museum makes no attempt to bow and scrape to classical traditions. It is sheathed in glass, not masonry, to reveal some of its activity inside and counter the sealed-up monumentality so prevalent in Washington."

    Top of post

    BOOKS

  • The Washington City Paper writes, "For decades, D.C. has been hurting for a classic novel all its own. Some suggestions on how to make it."

    Top of post

    JOBS

  • The Associated Press is looking for an APTN Latin America Deputy Regional Editor and a Global Media Services (GMS) Unit Manager.

  • YMCA of Metropolitan Washington is looking for a Communications Specialist.

  • Greenpeace Inc. is looking for a Media Relations Director and a Graphic Designer.

  • National Geographic is looking for a Specialist ,Group Retention & Billing.

  • Forbes.com is looking for an Unpaid Intern.

  • Association of American Medical Colleges is looking for an Editorial Assistant.

    Top of post

    Hat Tips: DCRTV, TVNewser, IWantMedia, Romenesko, MediaBistro, JournalismJobs, JournalismNext


  • Better a black friend than a white...

    October 05, 2008
    posted by admin


    Helsinki Times (Subscription)

    Better a black friend than a white foe
    Helsinki Times (Subscription), Finland -Oct 10, 2008
    In Washington we listened to a critique by Ralph Nader, the Greens and the Libertarian Party. They have been prevented from taking part in televised ...


    Browse by week posted: - The Plain...

    October 04, 2008
    posted by admin


    The Plain Dealer - cleveland.com

    Browse by week posted:
    The Plain Dealer - cleveland.com, OH -7 hours ago
    12-16, showed McCain leading Obama 48 percent to 42 percent, with 5 percent of the respondents saying they'd vote for independent Ralph Nader or Libertarian...


    Pegasus News election survey: Philip...

    October 03, 2008
    posted by admin


    Pegasus News election survey: Philip M. White, candidate for Texas ...
    Pegasus News, TX -Oct 7, 2008
    White: In December of 2007 I received an email from Wes Benedict, the director of the Libertarian Party of Texas, inviting me (among others) to run for ...


    Lawmaker defends mailing - Pittsburgh...

    October 02, 2008
    posted by admin


    Lawmaker defends mailing
    Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA -13 hours ago
    The letter assured his constituents that, while Metcalfe is a conservative Christian, he wants no part of the White Christian Nation -- an apparently ...


    Cameron described Schiavo case as...

    October 01, 2008
    posted by admin

    On the September 18 edition of Fox News' Special Report with Brit Hume, chief political correspondent Carl Cameron reported that "the controversial Terri Schiavo case ... pitted culture-of-life conservatives against right-to-die civil libertarians," echoing the "culture of life" term used by President Bush to describe his overall objective in supporting those who sought to block Schiavo's husband, Michael Schiavo, from having Terri's feeding tube removed. Bush at the time explained his attempted intervention in the Schiavo case by saying, "It should be our goal as a nation to build a culture of life." Cameron was discussing Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson's recent campaign stop with Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R), and reported that Thompson "has stumbled on a handful of issues near and dear to Florida Republicans," including that "Thompson said he couldn't remember details of the controversial Terri Schiavo case."

    Schiavo had been in a persistent vegetative state after collapsing in 1990. In March 2005, after a Florida state judge ordered Schiavo's feeding tube removed at the request of her husband, Congress quickly passed -- and on March 20, 2005, President Bush rushed to sign -- Republican-initiated legislation that allowed Schiavo's parents to have their case for keeping Schiavo alive heard anew in the federal courts. The federal courts refused to intervene, and Schiavo died on March 31, 2005.

    In a March 17, 2005, statement about the Schiavo case, Bush said:

    The case of Terri Schiavo raises complex issues. Yet in instances like this one, where there are serious questions and substantial doubts, our society, our laws, and our courts should have a presumption in favor of life. Those who live at the mercy of others deserve our special care and concern. It should be our goal as a nation to build a culture of life, where all Americans are valued, welcomed, and protected - and that culture of life must extend to individuals with disabilities.

    Then-White House press secretary Scott McClellan, at a press briefing that same day, used the same rationale in supporting congressional action:

    Q: All right. On another subject, the United States Congress is -- seems poised to pass a piece of federal legislation in the case of Terri Schaivo to try and save her life. What is the president's position on it?

    McCLELLAN: Well, the president has previously expressed his view on the case. The case raises complex issues. And the president believes our goal, as a nation, should be to build a culture of life. Those who live at the mercy of others deserve our special care and attention. And the president believes a society that is built on a culture of life ought to welcome, protect and value all individuals.

    Q: So the president would sign such a piece of legislation if it came to him?

    McCLELLAN: Well, the president stands on the side of defending life. In instances like this case, where there are serious questions and doubts raised, the president believes that our society and our laws and our courts ought to be on the side of presumption in favor of life. And we appreciate the efforts by members of Congress. The president's views will continue to be those that defend life.

    In addition, as Media Matters for Americanoted at the time, several prominent conservatives said that liberals "want" Schiavo to die.

    As Media Mattersdocumented, polling from March 2005 found broad support across religious lines for the removal of Schiavo's feeding tube and against congressional intervention in the case. Additionally, a Pew Research Center poll conducted November 9-27, 2005, found that 72 percent of Americans believed Congress "should have stayed out" of the case, while 17 percent thought Congress "did [the] right thing."

    From the September 18 edition of Fox News' Special Report with Brit Hume:

    CAMERON: Look out, Rudy Giuliani: The new guy, Fred Thompson, is catching on fast in your must-win firewall state of Florida.

    THOMPSON: You know, I've been down here hundreds of times, and I consider it to be my neck of the woods, as we would say back home. But Florida is extremely important.

    CAMERON: So is a photo op and kind word, not to say endorsement yet, from Florida's popular governor, Charlie Crist.

    CRIST: He's a good friend and making a great candidate. We've had a few great days already in the state of Florida.

    CAMERON: The Sunshine State is key to Rudy Giuliani's strategy, as the biggest and most moderate among the early voting states. He's raised more money in Florida than any candidate in either party. Thompson has drawn his largest and most enthusiastic crowds yet in Florida. And after two weeks on the trail, he sounds almost cocky.

    THOMPSON: I haven't run a whole lot of elections. But I've never lost one, and I don't plan on losing this one.

    CAMERON: But he has stumbled on a handful of issues near and dear to Florida Republicans. Last week Thompson said he couldn't remember details of the controversial Terri Schiavo case, which pitted culture-of-life conservatives against right-to-die civil libertarians. And though most Floridians deeply oppose drilling for oil off Florida's delicate coast, he refuses to rule it out.

    THOMPSON: I'm not going to start out by taking this, that, or the other off the table, in terms of our overall energy situation. We're going to have to do a lot of things better.


    O'Reilly continued to compare Daily...

    September 30, 2008
    posted by admin

    During the July 18 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, while discussing JetBlue's decision to sponsor the YearlyKos convention, host Bill O'Reilly asserted that the blog Daily Kos is a "hate website[]" and opined: "There's no difference between the KKK and the Nazis, who have websites, than the Daily Kos. Because the Daily Kos is basically saying, 'We're allowing this kind of thing to come on.' " O'Reilly then offered the following examples of the type of commentary that purportedly appears on Daily Kos: " 'It's good that [White House press secretary] Tony Snow has a recurrence of cancer; we hope he dies. We're sorry the assassination attempt against Dick Cheney failed; let them try again.' And on and on and on and on."

    O'Reilly previously compared Daily Kos to the Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan on the July 16 edition of his program and, as Media Matters for Americadocumented, defended this comparison the following night. O'Reilly maintained that "[t]he comparison is valid" and, in response to a viewer who said that O'Reilly "owe[d] me and thousands of others an apology" because "you should not compare anything to the Nazis," asserted: "Hate is hate, sir. That website traffics in it, as do the Nazi websites. No difference."

    Additionally, the examples of Daily Kos content cited by O'Reilly appear to have come from user comments -- not Daily Kos blog posts. There is no reason to believe or suggest that the handful of offensive comments that O'Reilly singles out are in any way representative of the thousands of comments appearing on the site or the views of those who operate the site. For instance, O'Reilly's reference to Daily Kos "hop[ing]" that Snow "dies" apparently comes from a comment on a March 27 blog post. Part of the comment read:

    Tony Snow... sadly the world may be better off without him, just as it would without a great many people like him. It's a strange conundrum -- you don't want to wish death on anyone, but you know that the world would likely, if not certainly be better off without the type of person that would choose to take the side of those willing to kill and abuse otherwise ordinary people in efforts to make money for themselves and their friends.

    Likewise, O'Reilly's claim that Daily Kos expressed disappointment that "the assassination attempt against Dick Cheney failed" apparently comes from a comment on a satirical February 27 blog post titled "Cheney Unhurt in Bombing: Receives Medal of Honor." The comment read: "BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME, TALIBAN." On the July 16 edition of The O'Reilly Factor, O'Reilly quoted directly from both comments.

    From the July 18 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor:

    O'REILLY: Well, we called back -- because this just came in late this afternoon. We called back, and we said, "Look, we'd be happy to clarify this" -- as I just did -- "and we'd be happy to have Mr. Barger on the program."

    But we also asked JetBlue if they had done anything for the airline -- for the military, for American military people. Because they say, "Oh, we give free tickets to a lot of people." Have you done anything for the American military? Then -- we'll be -- and I'm going to report tomorrow whether JetBlue has.

    But here's what I think. The hate websites on both the left and the right -- I object to. You know I object to. Now, you're a little bit more a libertarian about this in our previous conversations.

    But I say this. There's no difference between the KKK and the Nazis, who have websites, than the Daily Kos. Because the Daily Kos is basically saying, "We're allowing this kind of thing to come on. It's good that Tony Snow has a recurrence of cancer; we hope he dies. We're sorry the assassination attempt against Dick Cheney failed; let them try again." And on and on and on and on.

    I mean, this is the stuff that they have every day on this website, and they revel in it.

    Now, am I overstating this? Because I think hate is hate, no matter where it is.


    Conservatives & Immigration: A Match...

    September 29, 2008
    posted by admin

    Angry Malkins is Angry

    If it's one thing I've learned about the right in the last sixteen years of watching politics it is this: they must be outraged about something. Conservatism thrives on outrage, mad howling upset people enraged at some injustice or indignity. Contrary to the propaganda pushing people like Ronald Reagan as "sunny optimists", Republicans must use blind, seething outrage to get the conservative base out to the polls.

    At the formation of the modern conservative movement in the mid-1960s, it was sufficient to whip up a frenzy against blacks. Those voters who saw the decay of society in equal rights for blacks found a home in the Republican party as a barrier between their white middle-class America and the supposed hordes of poor inner-city blacks - especially the men who were coming for their daughters. As time marched on, the Republicans regularly used this issue to outrage their base, from Nixon talking about law and order to Reagan's welfare moms and of course George H. W. Bush and Willie Horton. In that time conservatives have also used to varying degrees the spectre of a nation under assault by gays, Jews, and blacks to spook their base into voting Republican. To many of their voters Republican leadership preserves leadership that looks like them and their families.

    But things have changed. It's not okay anymore in America for that sort of blatant prejudice to be a part of acceptable discourse. The Republican strategy of bashing blacks, gays, and Jews has had to move underground and while still a part of the conservative movement, it is used sparingly so as not to attract attention. It isn't dead, but close to it.

    So what to do? Who is left to demonize?

    Soon after the 2004 election the decision was made to transform "immigration" as a major campaign issue. Clearly many conservative Republican leaders realized that the close concentration of gay marriage referendums that helped get the vote out in 2004 would not happen again, and even so Americans are increasingly libertarian on the issue of same sex unions. The "Christian" far right somewhat realizes that there's no way to get an amendment banning gay marriage through the government. So immigration is probably the last gasp of the conservative Republican strategy to divide America by race and get white voters out for Republicans.

    The weird thing is, they've decided to veer away from the cultural aspects of the issue (their type of xenophobia - discussing racial slurs, making up racist caricatures, etc. - simply doesn't work in modern America outside of the fevered swamps of Rush Limbaugh or Free Republic) and focus on "security" concerns.

    Conservatives claim that 9/11 shows us that our borders were not secure enough. But the 9/11 hijackers did not come into America with a coyote across the U.S. - Mexico border. They were here on visas. They didn't cross a river. They flew in on a modern airplane. If we had built that ridiculous fence they're so obsessed about on the southern border in 1995, 9/11 would still have happened. Even worse, they wail "9/11" when talking about immigration, but are clearly unwilling to make the policy changes needed to actually fight terrorism as outlined in the 9/11 report or even the Baker-Hamilton report. This is of course because they don't care about terrorism and immigration. "Terrorism" is just magical pixie dust they apply to any and everything, thinking that the halo existing around that magical incantation in 2001-4 still exists. It doesn't.

    The other, more recent argument made by anti-immigration pundits like Bill O'Reilly and Michelle Malkin is that illegal aliens are coming to America to kill us. Without looking up the numbers I think it's safe to say we have more to fear from our fellow American citizens than someone without their proper papers. Nobody kills, robs, maims and rapes Americans like other Americans. Now they're also claiming to be upset about illegal alien criminals being released - like in the recent shooting in Newark. But here, for the ten thousandth time, conservative policy is likely to blame. The right advocates harsh penalties for many nonviolent crimes, including possession of marijuana, prostitution, etc. The prisons are overcrowded, and as such we end up with a revolving door on our justice system. And when people commit these crimes, they are regularly sent back out onto the streets, where they commit crimes again. It isn't just illegal aliens doing this, but all criminals. If conservatives really cared about this issue they would be all over those harsh sentences - but they don't actually care about solving the issue, just whipping up outrage.

    Implicit in these arguments is also the sentiment that somehow a crime is worse when an illegal alien does it. To any rational person, this makes no sense. Murder is murder. Rape is rape. Whether the person committing the crime has papers or not doesn't make the act any more or less harmful. But conservatives do not care about this. They have elections to win and fear mongering to do. America is going to be a majority minority nation sooner rather than later, and for some people that scares them. For Republicans in particular the fear comes out of how tilted minority voting is in favor of Democrats (Blacks - 90% Dem, Asians - 62% Dem, Hispanic - 69% Dem plus the Jewish vote goes 70% Democratic).

    There may be some temporary gain to this backlash vote - right now, the Republican candidates arecompeting to see "Who Hates Hispanics The Most?" - but beyond 2008 it probably won't be much of a viable strategy. Heck, there's a good chance it may not work in 2008. It represents the continuing bankruptcy of the right in America, who is literally on just about their last racial/minority group that they can declare war on. Beyond a few insular enclaves, many Americans now interact with Hispanics. Hispanic culture is firmly integrated into American culture, from food to music to fashion, politics, sports and beyond. The bug-eyed Mexican coming across the border to attack pure white daughters that is the bread and butter of Fox News is increasingly seen for the ploy that it is.

    Since the founding of America conservatives have fought tooth and nail against social progress. And they have lost every single time. They will lose this fight too. It's the American way. Viva America.


    This is England

    September 28, 2008
    posted by admin

    This is EnglandThis is England is a masterful film: vibrant, uncompromising, complex, full of life, remarkably unsentimental and an unflinchingly honest account of how the rise of ring wing nationalism occurred in white working class communites under Thatcher


    The Right of Peaceful Assembly. Gone.

    September 27, 2008
    posted by admin

    By Nezua Limón Xolagrafik-Jonez
    May 3, 2007
    TheUnapologeticMexican.org


    THERE IS NO RIGHT TO PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY IN AMERICA. There were signs earlier, it's true. But now it can be said to be official. File this along with what you read on blogs about habeas corpus and wiretapping, this latest display of contempt for our rights: here is a clear example of excessive use of police force, of tyranny by weaponry, of unwarranted police aggression, assault and battery—on women, children, and citizens alike. The police issue their typical statements about investigations and being upset, but give it a month (when the results of thier "internal report" is due and we've seen how these turn out time and time again) and it doesn't matter anyway. They have done what they wanted, made their mark, instilled fear. And despite what they say, they didn't do this because some people stepped off the sidewalk, bullshit. We know why the cops were there and in such gear, and with such attitudes and agendas. The government fears the numbers they saw last year on 2006. In 2006 we actually showed, lived out, demonstrated the Power of the People, and it scared the living shit out of our keepers. Because America is only about the Power of the People in word. That's advertising to keep us defending our jailers, paying our taxes, and joining the grinder military. America is really about the Power of the Few. And the Power of the Gun. And the Power of the Dollar. And the Power of the Lie.

    So this year not only did the press keep very quiet about the May Day marches (as if they wouldn't be important to report on in context of all the ICE raids since, if nothing else!), but the city of LA—a city infamous for their brutal and lawless police—sent out their goons in riot gear to chase Americans out of a public park and fire weapons at them, disregarding the children, of all things.

    I was over on the Southern side of Macarthur park and I saw the police move in on the park, shooting non lethal weaponry, tear gas guns openly into a crowd of women and children, unarmed women and children, unarmed men...this was a peaceful demonstration, the police showed up here and turned it into a violent demonstration.





    —L.A. man at MacArthur park [YouTube vid below]


    We got a right to be here. Fuck this running shit! This is how they got us all scared. Nobody wants to stand their fucking ground.

    —L.A. Woman at MacArthur park [YouTube vid below]


    I know what these cops do. I've seen it. They flood the area with hostile, armed men looking for a fight. Ordered to have a fight. I've lived it. I've seen their faces up close, seen them snarl at requests for help or aid, seen them grab girls by the hair, seen them stomp on instruments just to watch them crumple. They are sadists. I can't speak for their life or totality of spirit, but once they are in those uniforms, they are pure sadists. Once you send in these numbers armed in riot gear, you are sending in bullies to begin a fight. You are free to disagree, but you will not convince me, because my life has not only spun out in front of a computer monitor or TV screen, you see.


    Basically everyone is out of the park, and they are still firing.

    —Narrator of video taken at May Day 2007 police action [below]


    A naked display of violence acted out upon the powerless by the power-holders in violation with the bedrock of our codified "rights," and today the blogs and news sites discuss Republican debates, TV-shapes, and one of the many wars we started overseas. Wars started in the name of preserving our Freedoms and Laws. Which were, yesterday, mocked and made irrelevant. They will excuse endangering lives and causing blind panic to break out and military type formations of tear gassing, rubber bullet firing battallions because people "stepped off the sidewalk." We know what this means. It's like when someone walks into a bar or a gathering of other people and insults and pushes around people until he gets them to glare or raise a hand or stand up. Then the bully gleefully engages in the fight they wanted so badly the whole time. The one they lacked the courage to outright state was their goal. It's what I call the "Rio Grande" method of beat-down, for my own reasons.


    Oye: Fuck the police and thier terrorist tactics. Yes, I am very pissed off. Maybe I have enough for both of us. Dunno. But it shouldn't work that way. I hope once you watch the video below, you will join me a bit. There is a huge and egregious violation of our most dear rights being mocked here, the Constitution itself made a joke. Yes, it is made a joke on brown people. But not only have laws been violated, but basic human morality has been completely disregarded, and our National Media has said what? Nada? Just passed along the cops' lawyer's words? That they are investigating to determine IF excessive forced was used? Watch the video! People fleeing in terror, as if an invading army has stormed the streets in black riot gear and is firing tear gas and hard, rubber bullets into the crowd! Because it is, and they are! Rubber bullets fired on crowds where women and children are? And innocent men, let's not forget! We have the right to peaceful assembly, too! By birth, let alone the "Goddamned Piece of Paper!" Pardon me garçon but WHAT THE FUCK is WRONG with you people, you so-called "Fourth Estate? Has all the People® magazine, and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and American Idol, and polyethyleneglycol wiped the very essence of your molecules out, churned them into pixels that respond to whatever thugs pronounce? How can you claim any "America" and "American ideals" and "American freedoms" and NOT be enraged at this? What if that woman was your MOTHER? They are people's mothers!!!!

    But yeah—the press and cops are counting on Average Americans not to care because they will tout the gathering and the abuse as nothing more than ALIENZ being corralled. And who cares about ALIENZ????

    And you think this doesn't apply to you? Do you, then, silently give up your right to assemble in great numbers? Because that's what this is about. Power of the People. Numbers that freaked out the old white men in Washington. They don't want to see us in numbers, and they don't want us to feel empowered. But they don't want that for any of us! Brown, black, or white! They want us all living in fear. Always in fear. And when the rhetoric fails to corral us, the violence is loosed. This is the same tactics they used on us in NYC, on the RNC 1800. Same marching lines, same "sidewalk" terminology, same mass attack that ignored your actual complicity in any crime.


    They are testing themselves out, flexing their crowd-assault/control, practicing on us like the USA Military tests new weapons each time they bomb, and horrors like Shock And Awe become corpse-littered gleeful practice ranges for the white-hearted men in the halls of American power.


    Another way to say all of this is that if the rhetoric of superiority works to maintain the entitlement, hatred and direct physical force remains underground. But when that rhetoric begins to fail, force and hatred waits in the wings, ready to explode.

    —The Culture of Make Believe, Derrick Jensen


    Isn't it interesting what happens to those who speak truth to power and remind the people where the power truly lies—in themselves? To those who preach unity and love? Why are those who live this, show this unity, demonstrate the awareness of this locus of power always gunned down, shot, strung up, crucified? Why are they always answered with violence? Because in the void of truth and reason thrives violence. Today we see the forces of control still hate the Power of the People, and the "goddamned piece of paper," the Constitution. We see they operate in a void of reason, and now live in a new post-9/11 fear-based mentality. A place where there is no room for reason or quaint documents.


    They are not following constitution law, they are totally taking away our unalienable human rights...women...children, i mean would they do this to their own mother? to their own little sister? terrorize? They put on the uniform and think everyone is bad."

    —U.S. Citizen at LA Park, May 1, 2007


    People talk to me about not holding troops personally responsible for their actions. But do we then forgive police when they shoot at us, en masse, for no reason? When they teargas us because we peacefully fill a public park? They were, after all, clearly acting on orders. Police do not organize like that on a whim, or off-the-clock. So do we say they had the right? Of course some heartless and mindless maniacs on the far right are bound to justify this. Just as the chuckling, budding, Police State prefers. It will always have its defenders, acting freely on their own will and hate. Always those sad humans who think they are speaking out and making themselves stronger, not seeing the walls close in around them as they cheer.

    What happened to our peaceful right to assembly? Curious? We do not have this right. If you are a teacher, don't you be lying to your classes. We do not have it. In fact—and I've known this since I was 16, learned it firsthand and have had it reinforced multiple times since—you have whatever right the cops feel like giving you at any given moment. And that, my friends, is ALL. Don't you be a naïve subject.





    Here, what rights did the mothers have who could not run fast? What rights did babies or kids with respiratory issues have when the tear gas settled? what rights did the humans have who were shot at, point-blank, with huge, hard, rubber projectiles? No, the only "right" la chota gives these people is the right to run away in terror. The cops march in a tight line through the very streets of the city, as if it is a war zone, as if people were rioting, when it was these pigs themselves who brought the violence, the black-masked, stick-handed violence. They fire rubber bullets right in public, right on public streets, randomly into the terrified crowds. They attempt to hem in the people so they can mass-arrest them, or mass-attack them. For what? Tell me again? For what?

    For gathering in a park. And for being brown and loud and present in great numbers.


    They are making the people work for miserable wages and then on top of that they come here and fucking oppress them.

    Man at MacArthur park, May Day 2007 [YouTube vid below]


    One day this shit isn't gonna be people running. And one day they are gonna come prepared for the police to come.

    Woman at MacArthur park, May Day 2007 [YouTube vid below]


    But you will not stop us, O ancient force of force and oppression and hate and "racism." Now, again, you come. For the people. With your weaponry. That we paid for. You tiny, scared men.


    Little kids are hitting the floor, bleeding, and then cops fucking shooting!....

    Man at MacArthur park, May Day 2007 [YouTube vid below]


    Remember Brad Will! Remember MLK! Remember the old dream of America—if you must think Like an American—the good parts of it. Remember that there are MANY more of us than them. We will need to keep this in mind one day soon, I fear. Unless we're happy with less and less and less freedoms. You gun lovers think you are safe in your home with your "right to bear arms"? You radical libertarian types think you will be safe with your collection of rifles when the Federal government drops down martial law? No, you are not. We saw in New Orleans what happened to people. The military swooped in and took away everyone's guns. Constituationally guaranteed or otherwise. You are not protected by any document. Our government knows this. They redact it at will.

    Remember we have asked how so few could control and harm so many! We've asked it before! We are moving there now. They will act again, in different ways. Time and time again, chipping away at everything. Until all the talk of American Freedom is a joke to every single country and person but us, here, still living smiling and wrapped tight with the binding and blinding gloss of marketing, packaging, State propaganda, until it is only you, and your movement has been curtailed to such a tiny space you are doing jumping jacks in front of a telecreen and fearing your eyes will give away your thoughts. [Metaphor alert, trolls.]

    What happens if we begin showing up at peaceful assemblies with padding under our clothes? Or football facemasks? Will they then outlaw football facemasks? Or would they then fire real bullets? I think you know my guess.

    And how did this happen again? because of what, again? What caused platoons of police in riot gear to begin making war on people in public American streets and parks?

    The Brown™ dared take the Constitution literally, as if it applied to us. The average person dared think they were safe from American police tyranny in 2007 in a public place exercising Constitutional rights. That was the first mistake.

    What made the cops think they could get away with it? Because they know the American Media very well. And they remember all the times they get away with police brutality.




    What I think is funny about this is its like the working class people pitted against the working class cops. It's just an irony that like...its a system of oppression, and when you have a fascist state...and it works. You keep people in fear and you can keep them from rising up.

    They are concerned with this, these days. Because they have big plans, you know. And they don't know at what point it will be, but they know at some point, instinct will kick in and Americans will resist.

    Add up the recent years, the unreported Halliburton prisons, the way they habituate the public to mass arrests and detentions, the police actions like this and the RNC mass arrests, the troops on the ground in Katrina, the loss of the Posse Comatitus protection, the Decider making clear his philosophy and hunger. Keep telling yourself they are isolated incidents. Keep thinking small. You may, one day, need to economize your range of motion.






    update: Reader RickB points the way to this last video, the News take on it, from a Fox affiliate station, no less. Watcha. Even the female camera operators reporting the news and the reporters themselves get beat down by the cops. Now what ya say? Are they strange Newscast-ey Alienz? Shapeshifters perhaps? Dangerous Alien Wimmenz assuming the guise of Constitutionally-protected Americans? Good thing we have so many well-armed thugs to protect us from the scourge from outer space.




    Nezua Limón Xolagrafik-Jonez is an artist and writer. His talent can be found at TheUnapologeticMexican.org, which is a site he runs. Reposted with permission.



    Turley on new FISA bill:...

    September 26, 2008
    posted by admin

    Jonathan Turley comes on KO once again to blast the umpteenth version of the compromise FISA bill that is being shoved down our throats. This time the Hoyer/FISA rollover bill is attached to the new GI Bill and extending unemployment benefits bill. Please don’t forget to chip into our FISA Actblue page so we can take a stand against all atempts at subverting our rights. Anyway, it’s being debated today so we’ll let you know what happens.

    video_wmv Download | Playvideo_mov Download | Play

    Turley: They repeatedly tried to cave it in to the White House only to be stopped by civil libertarians and bloggers and each time they would put it on the shelf, wait a few months, they did this before, reintroduced it with Jay Rockefeller’s support and then there was another great dust up and they pulled it back. I think they’re simply waiting to see if public’s interest will wain and we’ll see that tomorrow because this bill has no quite literally public value for citizens or civil liberties. It is reverse engineering. Th type of thing the Bush administration is famous for and now the Democrats are doing. That is to change the law to conform to past conduct. It’s what any criminal would love to do.

    As usual Russ Feingold isn’t happy.

    “The proposed FISA deal is not a compromise; it is a capitulation. The House and Senate should not be taking up this bill, which effectively guarantees immunity for telecom companies alleged to have participated in the President’s illegal program, and which fails to protect the privacy of law-abiding Americans at home.

    Allowing courts to review the question of immunity is meaningless when the same legislation essentially requires the court to grant immunity. And under this bill, the government can still sweep up and keep the international communications of innocent Americans in the U.S. with no connection to suspected terrorists, with very few safeguards to protect against abuse of this power. Instead of cutting bad deals on both FISA and funding for the war in Iraq, Democrats should be standing up to the flawed and dangerous policies of this administration.”

    Sen. Chris Dodd,

    I cannot support the so-called ‘compromise’ legislation announced today. This bill would not hold the telecommunications companies that participated in the President’s warrantless wiretapping program accountable for their actions. Instead, it would simply offer retroactive immunity by another name.

    “As I have said time and time again, the President should not be above the rule of law, nor should the telecommunications companies who supported his quest to spy on American citizens. I remain strongly opposed to this deeply flawed bill, and I urge my colleagues in Congress to join me in supporting American’s civil liberties by rejecting this measure.”

    Goal Thermometer


    Latest State-by-State General...

    September 25, 2008
    posted by admin


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    Even as Giuliani proclaims his...

    September 24, 2008
    posted by admin

    On the March 6 edition of CNN's The Situation Room, during a discussion of whether California could be in play in the 2008 presidential election, host Wolf Blitzer asked California Attorney General Jerry Brown (D): "Is it possible that Governor [Arnold] Schwarzenegger, who's popular right now in California, as you well know, could help carry that state for a moderate Republican, let's say like Rudy Giuliani, maybe even [Sen.] John McCain [R-AZ], in 2008? Is that possible?" Contrary to Blitzer's characterization, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has posted on his website numerous statements from supporters calling him a "conservative" and citing his dedication to conservative causes:

    • Joining Giuliani's exploratory team as a senior policy adviser, Hoover Institution senior fellow Michael J. Boskin said: "His eight years as Mayor of New York have rightly been judged 'the most successful episode of conservative governance in this country in the last 50 years.' " Boskin was quoting conservative columnist George Will, who said on the January 28 edition of ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos that "you can argue, as indeed I have so argued, that his eight years as mayor of New York were the most successful episode of conservative governance in this country in the last 50 years, on welfare and crime particularly."
    • In February 8 New York Sun article, right-wing pundit R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr. wrote: "Well, one knows a politician by the company he keeps, and Mr. Giuliani has around him the financial people who created the libertarian-conservative Manhattan Institute. He relied heavily on the institute's policies while governing New York. He will rely on libertarian-conservative policy makers in his race for the White House and once there."
    • In her endorsement of Giuliani for president, Rep. Candice Miller (R-MI) asserted: "Also, if you really look at his record as Mayor of New York, when he was Mayor of New York, you don't even have to take the events of 9/11 into consideration as a way to measure his performance. If you just look at his time there and how he governed, you see that he really governed as a conservative."
    • Upon announcing that he would act as "a key supporter and advisor" to Giuliani's presidential exploratory committee, former Iowa Gov. Jim Nussle (R) stated: "Rudy Giuliani is the 'results Republican' our country needs. Mayor Giuliani governed with a brand of optimism and focus I have only seen a few times since I've been in public service. He put conservative ideals into action and delivered results."
    • Endorsing Giuliani, former New York state Republican chairman Bill Powers said: "During my time as State Party Chairman I saw the incredible progress Rudy Giuliani made turning conservative principles into real results."
    • On February 1, JoinRudy2008.com announced "that Ed Goeas, Dave Sackett and Brian Tringali from The Tarrance Group, a prominent research and strategic consulting firm, are joining the committee as pollsters." Citing their reason for endorsing Giuliani, Goeas said: "Following an election where the question on many voters' mind was 'can Republicans govern,' I am excited about working with a man that has such a strong record of conservative governance and leadership with results."

    In the same breath, Blitzer also suggested McCain might be one of the "moderate Republicans" who could carry California. But Media Matters for America found numerous examples of McCain referring to himself as a conservative and of supporters calling him that:

    • In a November 16, 2006, address to the conservative political action committee GOPAC, McCain called for a return to "common sense conservatism" by the Republican Party: "I am convinced that a majority of Americans still consider themselves conservatives or right of center. They still prefer common sense conservatism to the alternative. ... [A] world where our political and economic values had a realistic chance at becoming a global creed was the principal object of our foreign policy in the last century. We conservatives were its most effective advocates, and it must remain our principal object today."
    • Asked by a BBC interviewer in October 2006 to comment on the new generation of leaders in Britain's Conservative Party, McCain said, "Well I, I am a conservative. I, I believe in the Conservative Party. I am excited and thrilled to see this new generation of leadership coming up. And by the way I know they'll make mistakes. We all do when we're just moving into those kinds of situations. But fresh blood, enthusiasm, conservative principles."
    • On February 28, 2000, McCain said, "I have always felt quite comfortable describing myself as a proud conservative, a proud Reagan conservative, and as a member of Congress I have compiled a record of a proud conservative."
    • In a February 22 Townhall.com post, announcing his endorsement of McCain, Rep. Chip Pickering (R-MS) wrote: "For years, the national media has por