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As Media Matters has documented, the right wing has been after Kevin Jennings for some time now. Conservative media unleash anti-gay rhetoric in attacks on Jennings:

The latest target in the Glenn Beck-driven conservative media witch hunt for Obama administration "czars" is Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools director Kevin Jennings. In their attacks on Jennings, numerous conservative media figures have resorted to thinly veiled homophobic appeals to paint Jennings, who is gay, as a "radical" "gay activist" with an "agenda" of "promoting homosexuality in schools," and have misrepresented or distorted Jennings' previous comments about religion and tolerance.

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CNN's Jessica Yellin debunked some of those attacks on CNN's The Situation Room.

Transcript below the fold.

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(original segment from July 20th)

Scumbag Ralph Peters, a retired Lt. Colonel turned Fox News "analyst" made some nasty statements about captured U.S. soldier Bowe Berdahl earlier this week, calling him a deserter and basically saying the Taliban should execute him:

Now look, Julie, I want to be clear. If, when the facts are in, we find out that through some convoluted chain of events, he really was captured by the Taliban, I'm with him. But, if he walked away from his post and his buddies at wartime... I don't care how hard it sounds, as far as I'm concerned, the Taliban can save us a lot of legal hassles and legal bills.

Now a bipartisan group of House veterans led by Ohio Democrat, John Boccieri has sent a letter to Fox News' Roger Ailes, demanding an apology.

As members of Congress and veterans of the United States Armed Forces, it was with incredulity and disgust that we watched Fox News Strategic Analyst Lt. Colonel Ralph Peters (Ret.) suggest on your airwaves that Private First Class Bowe Bergdahl, "abandoned his buddies, abandoned his post, and just walked off," and stated that, if this is true, "the Taliban can save us a lot of legal hassles and legal bills."

Mr. Peters' comments are so far beyond the pale that they don't even approach the decorum and respect deserved by a member of the United States Armed Forces. Mr. Peters' indefensible comments call into question, without any supporting evidence whatsoever, PFC Bergdahl's patriotism and commitment to his country, and suggest in a non-subtle way that he deserved to be captured. The events surrounding the capture of PFC Bergdahl are irrelevant at this point. The only priority should be his safe and immediate release to U.S. forces. Read on...

Peters attempted to backtrack, but according to Think Progress, he's still using Fox News to attack the captured U.S. soldier. Will Ailes do the right thing by firing Peters and publicly apologizing to Bergdahl's family? I wouldn't count on it.

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Larry King talks to Hanan Ashrawi about what's going on in Gaza right now with the bombing of civilian infrastructure and the possiblity of ground attacks by Israel.

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Barack Obama has been saying for months now that the success of his campaign message of change, despite all the nasty and scurrilous attacks lobbed his way, has "vindicated his faith in the American people." Seems innocent enough, no? In fact, seems like an awfully positive thing to say about the country. But John McCain doesn't see it that way. Seeing the presidency slowly recede from his grasp, Senator McCain took his campaign to yet another new low and distorted Obama's remarks in an attempt to question his patriotism.

"This has been a long campaign but recently we've learned more and more about Senator Obama. He said the other day that his primary victory 'vindicated' his faith in America. My country has never had to prove anything to me, my friends. I've always had faith in it and I've been humbled and honored to serve it."

The McCainiacs out there can try to spin this whatever way they want but it's clear to anyone with the ability to read between the lines exactly what's going on here. So much for McCain's promise to run a "honorable campaign." Tuesday can't come soon enough.

Here's the Obama campaign's stern response:

"It's pathetic that John McCain would take a statement Barack Obama has been making for a year about his faith in the American people and distort it to attack his patriotism," spokesman Bill Burton said in response to McCain's attack Saturday. "Sadly, this is what we've come to expect from a desperate, dishonorable campaign that will say anything in a failed attempt to win this election."

Yep.

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Barack Obama sure didn't shy away from the William Ayers/ACORN issue last night. He confronted McCain's smears head on, explaining the ridiculous guilt-by-association "connection" and denouncing them as petty, meaningless distractions.

In fact, Mr. Ayers has become the centerpiece of Sen. McCain's campaign over the last two or three weeks. This has been their primary focus. So let's get the record straight. [...]

Let me tell you who I associate with. On economic policy, I associate with Warren Buffett and former Fed Chairman Paul Volcker. If I'm interested in figuring out my foreign policy, I associate myself with my running mate, Joe Biden or with Dick Lugar, the Republican ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, or General Jim Jones, the former supreme allied commander of NATO.

Those are the people, Democrats and Republicans, who have shaped my ideas and who will be surrounding me in the White House. And I think the fact that this has become such an important part of your campaign, Sen. McCain, says more about your campaign than it says about me.

Full transcript below the fold:

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Look at Joe Biden's face and listen to the inflection in his voice when he learns that the McCain campaign is distributing talking points linking Barack Obama to Osama bin Laden.

"Virginia GOP Chairman Jeffrey M. Fredericks was quoted by Time magazine as telling campaign volunteers to draw connections between Obama and Osama bin Laden."

"I don't believe it … I can't believe it," Biden said. "I'm surprised John McCain hasn't gone down and whacked the guy with his fist. I mean, I don't think there's a prejudiced bone in John McCain's body. But that kind of stuff is really off the wall. I refuse to let myself believe John McCain has anything to do with any of that."

Joe Biden's personal affection for John McCain blinds him from the reality of the campaign that's being waged. Fredericks isn't a low-level volunteer spouting off at the mouth; he's the Virginia state GOP Chairman. And it's not like McCain doesn't know what's going on. When asked specifically about it Monday on a local Virginia TV station,he refused to condemn the remarks, instead saying he would "have to look at the context." Are you kidding? How is it possible to contextualize a connection between Barack Obama and Osama bin Laden?

Open your eyes, Joe: This is the campaign John McCain has chosen to run. He's willing to win at all costs, even if that means viciously smearing Obama with the same people who viciously smeared him back in 2000. The honorable McCain has left the building.

Country first my ass.

Yes, that's McCain sitting next to Rep. Kendrick Meek at an ACORN event. The very same ACORN his campaign now rails against and is accusing of trying to "steal" the election for Obama:

Miami Dade College press release:

Miami, Florida – February 20, 2006 ― Leaders from a diverse array of sectors will hold a rally in Miami on Thursday, February 23, 2006, in support of comprehensive immigration reform in an effort to keep immigration reform at the forefront of the public debate. Leaders from both political parties, immigrant communities, labor, business, and religious organizations will gather to call on Washington to enact workable reform.

The rally will feature Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) as the headline speaker along with elected officials, immigrants and key local and national leaders. Sen. McCain is one of the chief sponsors of the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act; bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform legislation introduced last Congress and scheduled for consideration by the Senate in the coming weeks. A similar rally with Sen. McCain is planned for New York City on February 27

The rally in Miami is being sponsored by the New American Opportunity campaign (NAOC) in partnership with ACORN, Catholic Legal Services - Archdiocese of Miami, Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center, Florida Immigrant Coalition, Miami Dade College, People for the American Way/Mi Familia Vota en Acción, Service Employees International Union, and UNITE HERE.

h/t Kos, who adds:

This campaign is one of a kind. Every time it settles on a line of attack, it always undermines it days later.

Ari at FireDogLake has more...