Right wing homes in on first Obama-admin smears-and-lies target: Janet Napolitano
By David Neiwert Saturday Apr 25, 2009 5:31pm
The American Right is never happy unless it has someone it collectively decides will be the Voodoo Doll of the Moment -- a single liberal figure upon whom it can focus all its energies at destroying. And it's obvious that Janet Napolitano is the going to be the first Obama administration official they go after.
You can tell, because already they are starting to lie, distort, and generally smear her any way they can; no hypocrisy is too gross to indulge along the way. No matter that the right-wing extremism report at the heart of the controversy is in fact accurate in every detail.
Yesterday ex-Sen. Rick Santorum was on Greta Van Susteren's show doing the lying, smearing, and hypocrisy schtick for the sake of running down Napolitano:
Santorum: Well, it's not a good thing for this administration to have a Secretary of Homeland Security, who has over 40,000 veterans working in that department out there attacking veterans as potential homeland security problems.
This is flatly false: the report does not smear veterans, but appropriately raises a red flag over the indisputable fact that right-wing extremists intend to recruit veterans.
On it went:
Van Susteren: She didn't actually write the report. She didn't read it before it went out, maybe.
Santorum: It's her department -- the people that she hired. I mean, these are people that she hired, that the Obama administration hired to write this. This isn't holdovers from the Bush administration that wrote this. These are her folks!
This is simply a baldfaced falsehood. These reports were in fact commissioned under the Bush adminstration, as was reported last week by Fox's Shepard Smith and Catherine Herridge:
Smith: So if this bulletin from April 7 looks at the right-wing groups, is there a bulletin that looks at left-wing groups as well?
Herridge: Yeah, we were able to obtain that bulletin as well. It came out in January, and didn't get -- there it is -- didn't get the same attention. It looked specifically at groups like the Earth Liberation Front, or ELF, groups that in the opinion of Homeland Security, in the future will try and attack economic targets and specifically use cyber-attacks, because they see that is sympatico, or in concert with some of their other beliefs.
So there are two assessments. The one on the left, the one on the right is the one that's getting the attention because of the leak.
... I would point out that both of these assessments, Shep, were commissioned under the Bush administration. It takes some time to do them. They only came out after he left office.
Moreover, as Amanda Terkel notes, Fox's Brian Kilmeade and Republican Sen. John McCain both mistakenly claimed that a Bush appointee responsible for the report had been fired. It was indeed a Bush appointee under whose auspices the report was produced -- but he wasn't fired:
The section of DHS that produced the report was the Extremism and Radicalization Branch in the Homeland Environment and Threat Analysis Division. That division is overseen by the Under Secretary for the Office of Intelligence and Analysis. Currently, Roger Mackin -- a Bush appointee -- is serving in that role.
ThinkProgress spoke with DHS spokesperson Amy Kudwa who confirmed that neither Mackin -- nor anyone else at the agency -- has been fired over the report. Yesterday, the White House did announce President Obama's nominee to replace Mackin -- Philip Mudd, who has been Associate Executive Assistant Director of the FBI's National Security Branch since August 2005. Kudwa said that this move was "categorically unrelated" to the right-wing extremism report. Mackin has been serving in an acting capacity, and Obama had been planning to replace him with his own nominee before the report came out. Mackin will still be serving in government, going to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence "on a detail."
Santorum wasn't content just to lie about the matter. He also went for a nice heaping helping of right-wing hypocrisy too:
Santorum: Her first reaction was, "Well, I apologize to anybody who might've been offended."
Van Susteren: Bad apology.
Santorum: That is the -- "I'm sorry if you were offended by it. I don't think you should have been" kind of apology -- that goes down in the Hall of Fame as the Worst Apology Statement.
Back in 2005, here was Rick Santorum "apologizing" for comparing Democrats to Nazis -- saying their use of the filibuster to oppose judicial nominees to "the equivalent of Adolf Hitler in 1942":
Sen. Santorum later issued a statement saying the reference "was meant to dramatize the principle of an argument, not to characterize my Democratic colleagues. ... Nevertheless, it was a mistake and I meant no offense."
Notice how, for Santorum, the possibility that the threat posed by right-wing extremists might be real? And so the whitewash proceeds apace.
Login or Register to post comments.
Napolitano is supposed to resign for a report from the bushies?
Faux Snooze's new theme song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq5_pEO8a8U
What part of EX Senator do you not understand? No one cares what your lying closet-case ass thinks anymore!
..plainly FOX is trying to breathe life back into Santorum's political future.
What an insult to the people of PA this asshat is.
Standard "right" behavior, distort, lie, smear, demagogue, pretend to take the moral high ground, then lie some more. Disgusting.
911 which happened on their watch
Cynically dividing the country for political gain
Turning our allies against us
Emboldening our enemies
Lying the nation to war
Lying about torture
Trashing the Constitution
Illegal wire taps
Politicing the Justice Department
Outing a CIA agent
Turning a record budget surplus into a record deficit
Tanking the economy
Trashing the environment
Killing 4500 American soldiers
Causing the deaths of hundreds of thousands Iraqi men, women and children
Osama Bin Laden didn't get us
Actually he did get us. See #1. But Osama hasn't gotten us again. Bush is like the baby sitter who lets one of the kids run out into the street and get hit by a car but when the parents get home he says proudly "But your other 2 kids are now locked up safely in the basement!"
It was KSM who "got us" not Bin Laden.
And we don't even know KSM's real name.
We sooooooo smart us Americans heehaw
can't you see how Napolitano is a continuation of this bs?
That should be enough for anyone, regardless what Republicans say. So Bushie's people wrote the reports. She's supposed to be in charge of a complete section of government and comes out and makes proven false statements. No apologies. She should be tossed under the bus. If Bushie's gang were still in power, spouting the same BS as her, liberals, Dems and progressives would be howling for their heads. Enough of this partisan bullsh*t. If she's no damn good at her job, it doesn't matter what the hell initial is after her name. And if Obama has the brains to clean her out, he could also do the Dems a huge favour by getting rid of fraudster Geithner as well
Please tell me what it is that you think she is lying about. What make you think she's not qualified? If you want the "partisian BS" to stop, you should stop spouting it.
from 911 came from Canada? Ask Janet, she'll tell you. She's an idiot. I'm not spouting partisan BS. It's the truth, or do you not get the news down there? It's been all over the Canadian press. She's as stupid as the last Homeland Gestapo leader. Oh no. Be afraid. Seal the borders. All those evil terrorists are crossing here there and everywhere. More BS. A lying Dem is the same as a lying Repub.
get a grip, she made an error and already apologized. As long as her errors are not criminal in nature, she can stay right where she is irregardless of dumb asses like you. If you think people in a hyper partisan environment aren't going to make a mistake every once in a while, well you are dumber than I already thought you were.
Besides, what the fuck do you care? Come on down here and live with the mess your fucking heroes created. You might actually then get a goddamn clue.
so quit making excuses for a damn Dem. If she sucks at her job, she sucks at her job. Period. Is everyone perfect at their job? No, they are not. But being the supposed head of a government department should make you at least knowledgeable before you shoot your mouth off like Republicans do. What the fuck do I care? I care because everything your elected/selected idiots do affects me, my country, and the entire world. So don't give everyone that stupid American talking point bullshit like Republicans do. Grow a brain.
Take a pill will ya'... Or it's off to the rubber room for you.
but the difference between yours and mine... I use it. You think that because she offended your precious sensibilities that she should be scrapped? WTF?! You aren't even a citizen STFU
Folks, you are observing why the republican party is dying a well-deserved death. Do the wingnuts imagine they will attract new adherents to their cause by lying and smearing?
"Concerned Canuck" displays all of the unattractive qualities we have come to despise in right-wing jerks: the rage, the intemperance, the name-calling, the idiocy.
Squall on, CC, squall on. "Grow a brain", indeed. Cripes, what a fool.
for almost two weeks and I see for good reason. Thanks Rick, WRG, and especially MarkOfOhio. I call them the Michael Savage Types of self-describing liberals, who in reality are not, and one day will take the Michael Savage leap. I won't mention his other ranting buddy who is also on my ingore list, but there are only two in the whole of C&L commenters.
Make that three, I forgot about Robby!
Yes she did misspeak about 9/11 while answering the question, but she was not wrong about there being terrorist groups in Canada or the fact that some of them have crossed the border to attack the US. Have you forgotten about the plot blow up LAX. Where did they enter the US from? Canada! The greater point that she was trying to make was that there is more of a threat for terrorist to enter this country from the northern border than there is from the southern border. Facts are facts
Perhaps you missed this from yesterday's post, CC:
These are simple, inescapable facts, CC. Deal with it.
I invite you to read toujoursdan's excellent comments @ 12:41.
If David can't convince you that there is “a sizeable terrorist presence in Canada”, and you won't listen to me, perhaps you will believe Public Safety Canada. They list forty (40) known terrorist groups in Canada – including the Abu Nidal Organization, Al Jihad, Al Qaida, Ansar Al-Islam, Hamas, and Hizballah to name but a few.
Here’s the link. See for yourself that we’re right.
http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/prg/ns/le/cle-e...
I wouldn’t be too quick to judge other, when you don’t know what going on in your own country.
that it is YOUR country's obsession with wars and torture that fuels the hatred of all things American. Everyone on this planet is now paying the price for that.
For all of my life, the US has been at war. Sadly, it seems that it will always be that way.
Your right, the US’s policies suck and we are reaping what we have sewn, but that doesn’t negate my point. If you’re going to promote someone who says there are no terrorist groups in Canada you should at least know what you are talking about.
and I didn't defend anyone who did. Please provide a link where I said that.
In case you didn't notice I corrected myself (before your reply) and changed defended to promoted - which you did do.
Hey, canucks are on your side. Really.
No hard feelings, okay?
Thanks for the interesting exchange. Have a good night.
You too.
:)
evidently you are suffering from
an acute case of fart-in-the-head-for-brains.
What ??? It's not OK to say, "I'm sorry that you are offended." That's the Republicans' national sport !! (besides, torture, propaganda, lies, head-hunting,whining). See , now Janet Napolitano is a bad person because she eventually gave a REAL apology. When have we ever heard a REAL apology from John Boner, Rush Limbaugh, George Bush (I'm sorry that my words were misunderstood"), Dick Cheney, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity??
Greta Van Susteren said something like, "If a report like this can slip through....then terrorists can slip through (into the country).
Does that make sense ?
Rick Santorum said that a person doing the job that Janet Napolitano is now doing is mainly judged by their personality.
Does that make sense?
She never apologized to Canada for her blatantly stupid and proven false remarks. She is not qualified for her job. Toss her. Hell, toss the entire Homeland Gestapo. Do you really need the FBI, CIA, AND Homeland Gestapo to protect the homeland? Shades of Nazis or what.
Paranoia runs deep,
Into your heart it will creep…
I'm afraid with buschCo you expect the worst and can only hope for the best.
We may soon see what is worse than torture to obtain false confession.
Napolitano needs to go. She is an embarrassment. Her total ignorance of historical fact is inexcusable.
Thank you, Canadians, for telling us who we should have in our government. Are you really so thin-skinned that you are joining with the Fox/Rush alliance in demanding her resignation because she besmirched the Canadian border? Please. THAT'S what gets you riled up about living next door to the U.S.?
is incompetent. Doesn't matter whether it's a Dem or a retarded Republican. What happens to normally smart Americans after elections? Why is everything so black and white Dem vs Rep with you people? Can none of you think for yourselves without one of the two main parties doing it for you? Is there really no grassroots progressive liberals, or are you all just parrot talking point repeaters?
I'm sure you're aware that there's a well-orchestrated campaign by the right-wing media to take down Napolitano, and anyone else in Obama's administration whose blood they smell. Can you blame us for being touchy about this?
I really liked Canada, guess I didn't meet you.
Come and become a citizen or stop trying to tell us who and what. You can be PO'ed but please...
she was right about something,I just wonder how many others are doing this and to who they are selling them to
http://www.vetvoice.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=...
I agree with them too. What would be the point in directing attention away from the U.S. Mexico border right now. There was a lot of question in the early days of her appointment about her qualifications . I think the department is redundant and misguided. I always thought it seemed a little KGBish to me.
what kind of drugs are you on where you think these ass hats are right?
I'm sorry but when did her off the cuff comments mean more than her ability to do the job?
Bush or Cheney or Rumsfeld or Condi made an "off the cuff remark" I'm sure you defended them viciously as just "making a mistake" right? What's that? Can't hear you. It's different because of the party? Don't think so.
WTF?! It has nothing to do with the politics of the issue, but rather the content of both the person and the comment. Only you would fucking think this was some sort of partisanship and the rest of the right nut jobs. Not everything is politically motivated.... Grow a brain and fucking use it dumbass.
And for the record, up until recently I had a pretty favorable opinion of Condi. I thought she was a bit of a "Yes" person, but she seemed to be the one at the end producing some favorable results in Iraq. Of course, now that it looks like she may have been the first to approve torture, my opinion of her has dropped dramatically.
As for the rest of the assholes you named, their words didn't piss me off, it was their actions (and in some cases inaction).
I personally didn't get wrapped up in everything stupid that left the Bushie's lips, and I find that this site does too much of that. It's a distraction from the real damage that was going on behind the words. Nepolitano made a stupid statement unbecoming of the position. I've admitted it. Now why don't you admit that you wouldn't be foaming at the mouth over it if the stupid statement had nothing to do with Canada.
Rex Murphy of CBC, in his unique style, sums up the feelings of many Canadians:
http://www.cbc.ca/national/blog/video/rex_mur...
Sorry if we offend you Americans, but canucks are also a tad touchy these days.
Canada has been zionized too
Did she really say those things about Canada or is he just making that up? I thought she just read a formal report. Anyway, it could be that napolitano is a bushie. I'd keep an eye on this one. Maybe she is a Manchurian style mole, or just a little brain washed.
No, of course she didn't say those things. The CBC guy was being completely over the top.
South Park sums it up nicely: blame Canada. When all else fails...
Well, she wouldn't have been my first choice. In fact, I can't argue that even having a Homeland Security Department seems rather pointless to me. Isn't the whole point of having government intelligence agencies to secure and protect the homeland? And haven't we already had those agencies in place for most of the past century?
Yes, Napolitano is sounding more like the former head of an Arabian horse organization than a polished intelligence professional. You got me.
yeppers, she made a gaffe and should apologize, but WTF you want her replaced for a relatively minor error? I mean its not like we are building a wall up north and basing our policies on this mistake.
You sure you folks are just pissed off at the mess we made over the previous eight years and just want some appreciation for standing by our ugly mugs?
I can't undo her nonsense, but thanks for being there for us. It really means a lot to have good neighbors like you folks.
Seconded on the good neighbors. We couldn't ask for better.
After watching the Rex Murphy video you posted it became clear to me that Canada has its own versions of FOX New style journalists. Take a mundane but legitimate point, add a few untruths, through in some indignation, take a shot at Obama, and call it news. If Canada keeps this up you won’t be able to tell the difference anymore; they’ll be just like the US… or at least the “fair and balanced” parts of it anyway.
Such as?
She did not say any of this – “Sauda [sic] Arabia is not the 11th province. Mohammed Atta did not fly into New York that terrible day from Prince Edward Island. The 9-11 hijackers did not go to “flight school” in Buttonville” – but he tried to give the impression that that is what she thinks. If you read the transcript of the interview she was giving, she merely misspoke. I don’t believe for an instant that she doesn’t know where the 9/11 terrorists’ came from. It’s an innocent mistake that's been pumped up to make her look bad for pure political reasons. If the comment wasn’t about Canada I doubt you would have given it a second thought. People misspeak. Fair and balanced journalist make it into something that its not.
There are terrorist groups in Canada and they have come across the border to try and attack the US. Remember the plot to bomb LAX… They came in through Canada. That was her point.
PS: I left out race baiting in my earlier critique… all the Mexican bashing like “neither have 11 million or so “undocumented immigrants” flowed from Canada to the U.S.” While true, it is totally uncalled for and it serves no purpose other that to stir up the masses.
PPS: I love Canada, but this is silly. If I were you I’d be more concerned that the Bush Administration tortured people and spied on everyone in the northern hemisphere (that includes you,too). Now that’s worth getting upset over.
Peace
but she DID say that the 9/11 terrorists came to NYC via Canada. Yes, the Head of US Homeland Security actually said that. Unbelievable.
Rex Murphy was trying to make a point. We're your biggest trading partner and our soldiers are dying in your wars, yet the barriers between our countries keep growing. Crossborder trade in the future will be affected. It is already.
It is troubling to Canadians. We've helplessly watched as your country was almost destroyed. We hate Fox news and all the rightwing crazies as much as you do. I like Obama, as do many canucks, and hope he succeeds.
Thanks for your appreciation of us. Peace to you all.
Here is the relevant portion of the transcript. Again, if I were you I wouldn’t sweat the little stuff (i.e: her “Not just those” comment) and focus on her main point, that we have to treat both borders the same. The Mexican border has problems and so does the Canadian border – one of which is the FACT that there are known terrorist groups in Canada and they have entered the United States to try and attack us. Think LAX
Questioner: I'm going to quote you here. A couple of weeks ago, you said that, you cited a feeling in the United States that if things — this is a quote — "are being done on the Mexican border, they should also be done on the Canadian border. We shouldn't go light on one border and not on the other."
You know 6,000 civilians were killed in drug violence in Mexico last year. They export kidnappings. I think we can all agree that's not happening in Saskatchewan. Why the need for same level of security on the Canadian border as on the Mexican border given two drastically different realities?
J. Napolitano: Look, the comment you read of course was taken out of context. The law doesn't differentiate. The law says the borders are the borders and these are the kind of things that have to be done at the borders.
Secondly, yes, Canada is not Mexico, it doesn't have a drug war going on, it didn't have 6,000 homicides that were drug-related last year. Nonetheless, to the extent that terrorists have come into our country or suspected or known terrorists have entered our country across a border, it's been across the Canadian border. There are real issues there.
Questioner: Are you talking about the 9/11 perpetrators?
J. Napolitano: Not just those but others as well. So again, every country is entitled to have a border. It's part of sovereignty. It's part of knowing who's in the country.
We have very dissimilar visa requirements. We want to work with Canada. Canada is such a close friend and ally and good friends with the United States. But I think we've all agreed that it makes sense to have a real border structure there. And again the law in the United States does not differentiate between the Mexican border and the Canadian border, so from my standpoint as the implementer of the law, that's what I'm dealing with.
Here is a link to the full transcript; read it and I’m sure you’ll see that she was not bashing Canada, but simple misspoke in her answer to the question.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/04/20/f-t...
What’s important, is not the three words everyone is focused on, but the context of the other 1470 words in the interview. The big picture is usually more important than the minutia that’s used to camouflage it.
PS: Canada Rocks
calgarylady. She's a Dem. Therefore she only makes "mistakes". I can't believe people on this blog, of all blogs, are defending this incompetent woman. What's next? They are all gonna defend little Timmy Geithner? Rush Limpballs?
Take a pill and go sleep it off... It's not worth having a stroke over.
You keep stating over and over that she's incompetent, yet the only "evidence" I'm seeing from you is that she insulted Canada. Is that it? Please enlighten us.
There's too much unnecessary talk about Canada on a politics blog dedicated to US affairs. I grow weary of this here myself.
Then we'll all shut up to please you, ctalk. If ctalk is unhappy with all of the Canada talk, I'M unhappy with all of the Canada talk. Hear that, Canadians? ctalk says no more Canada talk.
Funny how easy it is to refer to Canadain or European politics when they agree with left wing views but when they disagree it is "what's youur business in america".
Do you think, living next door to your Empire has no effect on us whatsoever???
Apparently so.
Equating having a report get by that tells an inconvenient truth (Military veterans obviously place highly on the list of internal threats - remember Oak. City?) with having a terrorist slip into an airliner? Susteren is an idiot!
I love seeing Little Ricky sitting there powerless.
when you have a Cuban bandleader and a crazy redhead for parents.
;)
And a couple of old coots who constantly barge in unannounced. It's enough to screw anyone up.
Where all embarrassed politicians go to die. As a lobbyist. hows it feel Rick. Remember the good ole days having the families health cared paid by ME.
Hearing the conservatives whine about a report Napolitano had nothing to do with is like the conservatives beating up a kid for doing a book report on a book they didn't want to read, claiming he wrote it. Then again, I never accused the Republicans of making sense.
If you call the Oklahoma City bombing by Tim McVeigh just an anti-government Tea Party on steroids.
I guess Oswald's assassination of JFK isn't a terror attack then.
You're still wrong. In any case.
Unfortunately Napolitano and other members of the Obama administration are feeding this bullshit by issuing various apologies (most notably to veterans) rather than simply pointing out that the accusations are unadorned bullshit.
..I've been wondering why she didn't just read the "offending" bits and ask the guys whether it constituted a grave insult.
Im a vet, the comments are dead on. I am loathe to admit that, but the truth is the truth. And when we are issuing threat assessments to law enforcement I want to see the truth stated, not some bullshit "run through the censorship" nonsense. If you can't get that, I dont know what to say....
the reichwingnuttia gop are holding
a box of matches....
like a child they are about to strike a
match and see what happens.....problem
is the large open can of gas in their
other hand.......oops!
Geeze. Now the bushies have Greta worried about torturers pouring across the borders into the US to terrorize her. Thanks for sharing Greta.
where are the active/on the job (r) lawmakers? r.santorum is just a media whore. i want to hear criticism from someone with skin in the game. santorum will say anything.
The whole republican party is made up of media whores and little else now.
Very astute indeed.
Shane Murphy slams Party Boss Limbaugh for his racism and hypocrisy.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/24/shan...
this is more distraction from the revealing info./photos regarding "enhanced interrogation". the RIGHT
and i see some on this blog looking for something the left/napolitano. i personally can't stand santorum.
Ya, Napolitano is an easy target, but there's so much going wrong with the republicans that they are wasting their time if they aren't on defense all the time now. They have this torture thing, and the released photos, and then there's the death by torture we've hardly even touched on yet.
If there is a God, Santorum goes to hell.
Oh thats who. Timothy McVeigh! I understand why despicable republicans would beseech the contents of a valid report and cry crockadile tears in order to try and insert a wedge between the military and the current administration but sometimes facts from the past just seem to bring us all back to reality.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_McVeigh
http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_kil...
http://www.vetvoice.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=...
as a canadian, i'd like to express that i think Janet Napolitano is full of shit. she is continuing the lies of the bush era as well as regressive policies towards canada. just further shows to us canadians that the idiocy of america is not restricted to party
I agree. I was rather disgusted when she trotted out that old bs from the chimp era and then McCain doing the same. Her idiotic position towards the Mexican border isn't all that great either, if she really wanted to do something about the violence in Mexico (particularly my hometown Juarez) she would be acknowledging the US's role in funding and training various shady groups in Latin America along with the idiotic War on Drugs but of course she won't as most Americans don't want to even entertain the thought the US might have a hand in the violence around the world.
And repubs whining about being singled out for being extremists, here's a clue, STOP being the party of extreme rightwing batshit insane idiots. If you idiots were actually a center right party, people wouldn't be making the connection to you to begin with.
American politician spin. Blame someone, anyone, for anything that goes wrong. Take no responsibility and pass the buck. It was _______ that is the great evil that is doing this to innocent America. Doesn't seem to change regardless what party is in power for some odd reason. And the populace eats it up, like the grand finale of American Idol.
from the north sure have some thin skin. Grow a pair and quit yure bitchen. God, all you guys are doing is whine whine bitch bitch.
The answer is to can her? Really?
b
Babies one and all.
Oh those Cannucks! They are so much better than Americans, they think!
And what of the indigenous in their occupied lands?
http://www.amnesty.ca/take_action/actions/can...
btw, thanks for the link about indigenous people. What connection it has to Napolitano's remarks escapes me, but thanks anyway for the pleasant read.
way to avoid the topic! typical american?
you wouldn't know, but we do know our farts stink. there are many debates in canada, including first nations, but its not my fault you don't get canadian media to hear about it.
for one i believe the government intentionally tries to cause tension between native and white communities by lavishly paying the reserves in view of white communities, while ignoring remote reserves. this essentially helps get the support from the white communities to agree that "first nations get enough, they don't need anymore" even though its not true.
you should grow a brain. Napolitano continues the bush era lies that the 9/11 hijackers came in through canada, which is the only reasoning they have for tough border control. not talking about some off hand comment with no implications. its policy on a complete lie. Where I come from the 'ballsy' thing to do is to stand up for the truth...
but 60% of americans are partisan to one side or the other. a partisan will forgive a fellow partisan for lying. a pretty tiny pair, if you ask me.
Santorum? Who the hell cares what HE says? And if the right is indeed going after her using obvious lies, they will lose even more seats in 2010. Look on the bright side folks... they are continuing their self-destruction, and it will be glorious to watch.
and they can say whatever they want over and over and over again to a crowd the size of the one that voted for obama. it is the biggest soapbox in the country and it is almost invisible to liberals/dems/media analysts/political strategists because most would rather change the station and blame the secondary effects of all that GOP coordinated UNCONTESTED repetition.
none of their shit would go anywhere at all if unions and progressive groups finally figured out they need to concentrate on breaking up the illegal coordinated propaganda operation that feeds talking points and framing to the rest of the media and for the last 20 years has invisibly determined the flavor of america, including making torture acceptable (limbaugh's club gitmo t-shirts anyone?)
Sounds a lot like censorship to me. You like the idea of burning books too Trank?
the talk radio monopoly is a propaganda operation on PUBLIC airwaves with a coordinated one party message often used to intimidate and silence even their own moderates' or thinking republicans. those radio stations are licensed to serve in the public good and instead they are used by one party to dominate local politics in red states where there are no comparable sources of information for people at work or driving, and to undercut democracy nationally.
like paul reveres in reverse they whine and scream bring back the king. they've been wrong about EVERYTHING important, and without that monopolizing of public airwaves to misinform large areas of the country with a disprortionate number of senators your beloved party might still have enough thinking and informed members in leadership that it could survive as a viable party with something to contribute.
instead, with the limbaugh hannity frontmen and brain trust they were taken over by fools like santorum who have lied us into iraq and deregulated us into bankruptcy and turned 'republican' into an epithet and object of derision that might be a lot funnier if not for the magnitude of the disaster you got america into.
in a country that depends on free speech and openness and truth and information for a strong democracy there is no bigger organized censor and political correctness cop and organized disinformation vehicle than the one limbaugh and hannity roll out every day after getting their GOP 'think tank' talking points.
can you name ONE major issue limbaugh and hannity and sons have been right about, except that some liberals are stupid? if the talk radio monopoly is actually an expression of market forces and free speech that would mean the 90% of america they dominate are idiots and jerks who prefer the daily limbaugh/hannity global warming science show and torture is good, bush is great, war is good for business message- is that what you're saying about america robby?
This is why this is only gig R. Santorumcan dredge up.
Why the hell should she apologize for a security report based on real world facts? Anyone else remember Tim McVeigh? I mean, Christ.
And there were other reports talking about left wing terrorists, so this is just so much bullshit.
Ya, it's a republican distraction, but only until next week. Heheh.
When we lash out at Santorum/Limbaugh/Hannity/O'Reilly et al, it's truly a waste of energy. Why?
This is what these guys do, it's all they know. I've decided to stop deriding these guys. Pinging on them is like asking a six year old to act as an adult... literally, they have a juvenile morality and they aren't gonna change-- especially when we demand it.
I've decided the best strategy is to keep pointing out the lies, the misinformation, the ideological inanity with dispassionate surgical precision ala Greenwald.
The left and the right aren't changing sides...anytime soon, or likely, ever. What's needed is for independents and middle-roaders to get clear, concise info from which to understand the goings on. And to do it in a way they THEY connect with.
anyway, my 2c.
back telling lies on Faux News. Love the new look with the glasses and all. Is it just me, or is Ricky 'man-on-dog' Santorum starting to resemble a deranged serial killer guy? Hmmm- I'm thinking Richard Speck, but with a silk tie.
I think he's been too busy plotting his political comeback and run for the Presidency in 2012. Let's see, Palin/Santorum......OMG!
For the love of God, the report WIDELY DISTRIBUTED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES (not some "secret plan" to smear veterans) did not besmirch vets (of which, I am one). It said that "right-wing extremists might attempt to recruit veterans". Is that so far-fetched? What did Tim McVeigh, Terry Nichols, Eric Rudolph (the Atlanta Olympics bomber) and Lee Harvey Oswald all have in common? MILITARY TRAINING!!!
Secondly, with the combined attack on Napolitono & Sebelius, and the long-standing war on Pelosi & Hillary Clinton, does anyone else see a trend? Anybody who breaks out of the Republican mold of what a woman should believe is viciously attacked.
Seems to me that the GOP and their buddies at FOX have no room to "defend" veterans since the Bush admin tried to cut their benifits, extend their tours, and provide substandard medical care.
This is yet another example of Dems falling for false outrage. According to the Washington Post, the American Legion said:
brings out man-on-dog dick santorum.
Don't know what to say except these right wing hacks never cease to disgust me. They're such liars extraordinaire. They did the same thing with Clinton, and anyone associated with his administration. That's all they have-demonizing, fear, anger, paranoia, and blatant dishonesty. Of course, the MSM just plays right along, never calling on their BS.
The other aspect of this, which is nothing new, since I read about it several years ago, is that right wing extremist were enlisting in the military for the sole purpose of obtaining weaponry training. There's nothing untruthful about this recent report. It's not an attack on members of the military. There are certain individuals coming out who would be susceptible to engaging in right wing extremist activity.
I read what was released as part of the report and for Ms. Napolitano to 'apologize' to veterans groups for stating fact proves once again that the media (republicans) can play the Dems for the gutless turds they are. It is a simple fact some of the military are and will always be right-wing nut jobs. Have some spine Dems, let the right-wingers apologize for the McVie's in their ranks. Glad I wrote Kucinich in....
She didn't write it. Even Fox got that right. Note to Loser Santorum:
Remember that grammar school taunt about farts? "He who smelled it, dealt it." That should not be hard for you guys, since you already have your heads up your asses anyway.
Ahhh...more spew of stupidity from Rick "Man on dog" Sanatorium...Why on earth anyone listens to this bag of spew is beyond comprehension....
To date, the wingnuts have not participated in governing this nation out of the terrible mess they, the republican majority and administration, put into. Now a report came out of Homeland Security that calls the right wing fringe a dangerous, bunch of idiots and instead of looking into the mirror, reflecting on what the report says, the wingnuts immediately want the head of this person who had nothing to do with putting the report, that was requested by the Bush administration. This is another expample of the ignorance and delusion of the basic republican.
This is the Iraqi veteran who held up the infamous sign attacking McCain during McCain's RNC acceptance speech.
He's thinking about running for Congress.
Is Adam a good guy or bad guy? Is he a potential right-wing extremist?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmsJe1S0z8w
Janet Napolitano is an abomination to the US Constitution, Declaration of Independence and every good thing this country stands for.
who specifically are these terrorists who entered the U.S. from Canada and where is the evidence that Canada is a terrorist haven? (Why haven't there been any terrorist attacks IN Canada or in the US launched from Canada, if there are so many terrorists here?)
I wrote about this on my blog today and have a clip of how it is played on Canadian television (Global TV News)
Personally, I think this urban myth is a variation on the "Liberals-are-soft-on-bad-guys" meme. Canada is perceived as a liberal "socialist" country and soft on crime, therefore Canada must be full of terrorists just waiting to attack America. "If America becomes more like Canada then it will be taken over by Muslim fundamentalist terrorists, just like France has been."
There is only evidence of one, the Millennium Bomber, and in that case, the U.S. was tipped off by the RCMP but the INS cleared him to board a ferry IN Victoria and Customs got suspicious when he acted nervous. The INS dropped the ball by not scrutinizing him when he boarded the ferry.
But that was one case almost 20 years ago. So there is something else that's driving this meme. And I think it's a way of attacking liberals.
It's a bit rich that Janet Napolitano would say that Canada lets in people the U.S. doesn't when the U.S. has 18 million illegal aliens getting up who-knows-what that it can't even track.
Thank you.
Here’s the proof, that there is a sizeable presence of terrorists groups in Canada – a “terrorist haven” so to speak - that you’re looking for; or is Public Safety Canada pushing an “urban myth” or the "liberals-are-soft-on-bad-guys" meme, too?
http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/prg/ns/le/cle-e...
Next time learn the facts before being so defensive.
Oh, for the record the Millennium Bomber incident was only nine (9) years ago, not twenty (20) as you suggested – you must be using some new form of math or time conversion.
Another supposed Christian who resorts to falsehood and half-truths to mislead the American people. PATHETIC!
Besides, Santorum is a has-been (really a never-was), so why is FAUX dragging his sorry ass before the public as an authority on any subject anyway?
Rick Santoum is scary stupid.
I cringe every time she appears on my screen, as I do when o'really, cannity, cavwhoto, any of the pathetic clowns on Fox. Instant nausea!
The repugnicans are hell- bent on saying aomething, anything to sound as if they really have a better plan for America, but succeed only in changing feet in their putrid mouths.
Seriously, how can they consider themselves credible after their disgusting, criminal showing for the last 8 years? ALL of them.
I hope this new investigation, which our gracious new President tried not to make an issue out of, sends all the guilty parties from the top down straight to jail for long stretches. Maybe then we'll be rid of their appearance on tv, spouting venom and trying to appear wise.
Login or Register to post comments.