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As Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski aptly pointed out, if you don't think women feel under attack right now, thanks to Republican majorities in the House and in many states, then go talk to the women in your lives. That we can't even get past that notion with the bewildering amount of legislation being introduced that affect directly the rights of women, demonstrates again why our media fails us to get to the real issues. And Republican strategist Alex Castellanos makes damn sure that we can't get to the facts to have a real discussion.

This is why I will never have a career as a news pundit. If I had been in Rachel Maddow's seat, I would have not been able to keep my cool, reasoned temper, as Rachel so admirably did. I would have gotten right into Alex Castellanos' smug, condescending face and rattled off a litany of all the ugly, factually incorrect and disgusting bon mots (can't call them facts) with which he has been allowed to pollute the national dialogue for decades. I would have thundered down on him his culpability for some of the most vile political ads in American history.

And excuse me, but what in the hell was David Gregory and executive producer Betsy Fischer thinking by booking this misogynistic jerk who is clearly overcompensating from years of rejection and insecurity about his manhood to discuss the systematic and coordinated attacks on women's health and freedom? Was there a bigger caveman who refused to come on, so they had to go with the lesser? All ideas are not equal. Condescension and patronizing false and cherry-picked facts about income that have nothing to do with the fact that Republican-led governments think they have the right to control the reproductive organs of half the population do not deserve a place at the table. Fischer and Gregory owe the women both at that table and in their audience an apology for such an abomination as Alex Castellanos opining on the rights of women.

In Catholic masses all over this country, priests are injecting politics into their sermons, condemning the Obama administration for the new Health and Human Services regulations that religious institutions must offer contraceptive benefits to its members. It doesn't require members to violate their personal beliefs by taking advantage of the benefit, mind you. But this new regulation acknowledges that there are some who may work in a Catholic hospital who may not have the same stricture against contraceptives and want it to be part of their health services. But that's perhaps a too nuanced view:

The Catholic Church reacted strongly Friday to a White House defense of new rules that will force many religious employers to provide contraception to their workers in government-mandated health insurance plans.

"The White House information about this is a combination of misleading and wrong," said Anthony Picarello, general counsel of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. He said the bishops would "pursue every legal mandate available to them to bring an end to this mandate. That means legislation, litigation and public advocacy. All options are on the table."

The new regulations were announced last month by the Department of Health and Human Services as part of an effort to guarantee that women receive free "preventive" healthcare services, including cervical cancer screening, breast pumps — and contraception. They require employers to include those services in their employee health insurance plans by August.

Religious institutions can qualify for an exemption if the services violate their beliefs, but not if they employ large numbers of people who do not share those beliefs. [..]

In a blog post Wednesday, the White House responded that the new rules won't force anyone to buy contraceptives. Cecilia Muñoz, director of the Domestic Policy Council, wrote: "Over half of Americans already live in the 28 states that require insurance companies [to] cover contraception." These include such large states as California and New York, she said.

The Catholic bishops shot back Friday, saying it was misleading to say that no one would be forced to "buy" contraceptives, because everyone who contributes to an insurance plan will be paying a portion of the subsidy that provides for free contraception.

Alex Castellanos and David Brooks are only too happy to pick up the bishops' mantle and further the meme that this is a solid shot across the bow of religious liberty in Obama's war on religion. How nice of them to legitimize Newt Gingrich that way. Rachel Maddow and Xavier Becerra try gamely to point out that refusing contraceptive benefits in the twenty first century is beyond ridiculous, but of course, host David Gregory gives Alex Castellanos the last word.

Out of curiosity, are the bishops equally against ED drugs like Viagra? Why do I hear no denouncing of working against "God's plan" there? The reality is that despite the church's teachings, as much as 98 percent of Catholics admit to using contraception. Would that the church elders focus their efforts on dealing honestly with issues that are in line with the priorities of their members: poverty and social justice, labor unions, climate change and dealing honestly and ethically with their own sex scandals rather than plunge into politicking within homilies on Bizarro World accusations of violations of religious freedom.

Worth reading: Bishop should not insert politics into Mass

It's about time. I make a point of reviewing FEC filings on a routine basis just to see who is giving what to who. The one thing I've learned over the past year is this: When the FEC is asked for an opinion, it will always rule on the side of the Citizens United folks. I have yet to see them give the time of day to voters' concerns.

CREW feels the same way, evidently. Yesterday they filed suit against the FEC, alleging a practice of summarily dismissing complaints without explanation for the basis of the dismissal. Generally, the dismissals occur because of a deadlock between the three Democrats and the three Republicans on the commission. At least, that's the case unless it's a request for an advance opinion of some new and ugly practice by Republican consultants like Alex Castellanos or Carl Forti's Black Rock Group.)

From the press release:

“The gridlock at the FEC makes the Senate look high-functioning in comparison,” said Ms. Sloan. “The FEC is clearly a broken agency. Instead of ensuring fair elections in which all players follow the rules, too often commissioners refuse to act, and then, refuse to even explain why they failed to act. This leaves Americans in the dark, with no legal remedy. Even worse, candidates can freely break campaign finance laws to gain an edge in a federal election without any fear of repercussions.”

The lawsuit itself (PDF) is quite specific, and addresses a complaint filed by CREW with respect to Rep. Duncan Deport-American-Citizens Hunter's exploratory bid for a run at the Presidency in 2008.

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CNN's conservative pundit named Alex Castellanos tried his best to undermine Alan Grayson's charge that republicans have a non existent health care plan which is hurting America. He's as slimy as they get since he's an old ad man and he made me cringe when he said this to Rep. Alan Grayson.

Castellanos: I'm a republican congressman and I have a question. Which particular Americans do you think I'd like to die? Can you name some?

Well I have a name for you..

Kimberly Young

Friends say the Miami University graduate who died this week after reportedly suffering from swine flu delayed getting medical treatment because she did not have health insurance.

News of Kimberly Young’s death Wednesday, Sept. 23, came as a shock to those who knew the vibrant 22-year-old who was working at least two jobs in Oxford after graduating with a double major in December 2008.

Young became ill about two weeks ago, but didn’t seek care initially because she didn’t have health insurance and was worried about the cost, according to Brent Mowery, her friend and former roommate.

Mowery said Young eventually went to an urgent care facility in Hamilton where she was given pain medication and then sent home.

On Tuesday, Sept. 22, Young’s condition suddenly worsened and her roommate drove her to McCullough Hyde Memorial Hospital in Oxford, where she was flown in critical condition to University Hospital in Cincinnati.

There are thousands more just like Kimberly. Castellanos should be ashamed to even go there, but he's a conservative pundit and he can say anything.

I think the blogosphere appreciates a liberal with guts. Alan Grayson needs our support so he can keep fighting for the Kimberly's of America.

After Rep. Roy Blunt, leader of the supposed House GOP Health Care Solutions Group, suggested Thursday that Republicans won't offer a health care plan of their own, Minority Leader John Boehner insisted one was still in the works.

Of course, the Republican plan as in 1993 is to stop health care reform at all costs to prevent an enduring Democratic majority. Bill Kristol, who told Republicans 16 years ago that there was "no crisis" justifying health care reform then, now simply calls on his party to "kill it." With spinmeisters Frank Luntz and Alex Castellanos supplying the talking points that a supposed "government takeover of health care" is "too much, too fast, too soon," obstructionists like Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe boasted his party would "stall" President Obama's health care initiative to ensure a "huge gain" in the 2010 election. In a nutshell, the GOP is proposing to extend the status quo for a nation gripped by a collapsing health care system.

Here, then, is the Republican 10-Point Plan for Health Care:

1. 50 Million Uninsured in America
2. Another 25 Million Underinsured
3. Employer-Based Coverage Plummets Below 60%
4. Employer Health Costs to Jump by 9% in 2010
5. One in Five Americans Forced to Postpone Care
6. 62% of U.S. Bankruptcies Involve Medical Bills
7. Current Health Care Costs Already Fueling Job Losses
8. 94% of Health Insurance Markets in U.S Now "Highly Concentrated"
9. Dramatic Decline in Emergency Room Capacity
10. Perpetuating Red State Health Care Failure

For the details and data behind each, continue reading.

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The blogosphere and groups like American's Voice have been wondering why MSNBC employs such a racist asshole like Pat Buchanan. His behavior during the Sonia Sotomayor hearing s has been reprehensible. White supremacy has always been his mantra and he's been given a license to spew his hatred at an alarming pace. We expect this type of thinking to be displayed on FOX News, but then you listen to what Alex Castellanos says on a daily basis on CNN:

Alex Castellanos, a GOP strategist and CNN contributor, said Obama may be taking the country back to the era of identity politics.

"He didn't play that card in the campaign, he fought against that. And he said we're now at a new place," he said. "And now the question is ... is he taking us back to identity politics saying that someone is a better judge because of their race or their gender or their ethnicity?

...and you realize a simple truth. This is what the conservative movement has to offer. There are no thinkers that can get beyond the race barrier and their hatred for all minorities is palpable. The Sonia Sotomayor hearings reveals this in epic fashion. Here's Pat trying to defend his hatred with Maddow.

BUCHANAN: Affirmative action is to increase diversity by discriminating against white males. As Alan Bakke was discriminated at the University of California at Davis; As Brian Weber, that worker in Louisiana was discriminated against; As Frank Ricci and those firefighters were discriminated against; As Jennifer Gratz, was discriminated against and kept out of the University of Michigan which she set her heart on, even though her grades were far higher than people who were aloud in there. That's the type-affirmative action is basically reverse discrimination against white males and it's as wrong as discrimination against black females and Hispanics and others. And that's why I oppose it.

Gasbag racists like Buchanan, who have lived an elitist life with never any worries about eating food and supporting their families actually thinks he knows what it's like to be a working class family in America. Take away his elitist gifts and let him live in the real world for a year and let's see what happens.

Pat Buchanan is the affirmative action conservative talker for MSNBC because who's left to choose from? Michael Savage. The choices they are left with are extreme right wing radio talk show jocks. So the only reason he's on there airwaves is because they needed to fill that slot. What do you call that, Pat?

Here's a petition to ask MSNBC to fire him: Ask MSNBC to Fire Pat Buchanan

Even Villagers like Bob Shrum are freaked by Uncle Pat's racism.

The right wing talking heads have no ideas for their party, but they sure can come up with an incredible amount of stupid things to say on air.

Alex: Listening to Barack Obama is like having sex, the worst it ever was, was excellent.

There's a reason why Alex does this. Since he's a man who's made an incredible amount of money using imagery and inserting dog whistle politics into his campaign commercials, he's trying to dehumanize President Obama with childish sex jokes and in an way feminize him sexually which in the sick recesses of the Castellanos class, will make him a less effective leader.

Just like in this John McCain campaign ad.

....his most infamous spot ran in the 1990 North Carolina Senate race between Jesse Helms and Harvey Gantt, the former mayor of Charlotte, who also happened to be an African-American. The commercial was called “Hands,” and it showed a white guy sitting at a table, the camera trained on his mitts as he crumpled up a job-rejection notice. “You needed that job and you were the best qualified,” intoned the voice-over. “But they gave it to a minority because of a racial quota.” Ugly? Sure. But it won reelection for Helms.

(h/t Jon)

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CNN should be ashamed of themselves for keeping a Republican smear merchant on their staff as an analyst. He acted like a pig during the primary and had to publicly apologize when he said on air that it was OK to call some women "bitches." And they still have him working for them. I know credible Republican talking heads are pretty hard to find, but this guy is out right garbage that should go out with the TV trash. Here's what he said to Blitzer:

Blitzer: Powerful new criticism of President Obama's economic rescue plan coming from the Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman. Did too much get cut out or is compromise the right thing to do?

Let's discuss in our strategy session. Joining us now, the Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons, and CNN contributor the Republican strategist, Alex Castellanos. Here's what Krugman writes in the New York Times today, among other things:

What do you call someone who eliminates hundreds of thousands of American jobs, deprives millions of adequate health care and nutrition, undermines schools, but offers a $15,000 bonus to affluent people who flip their houses?

A proud centrist. ... [And] how did this happen? I blame President Obama’s belief that he can transcend the partisan divide — a belief that warped his economic strategy.

Pretty strong words coming from Paul Krugman.

Simmons: They are. And Paul Krugman's a very well-respected and seemingly very good economist. I'm not sure he's ever passed one single bill in the United States Senate. So if you take a look at it that way, President Obama's got a real challenge. Which is that he's got to get a bill not only through the House but also through the Senate, where he needs 60 votes and then he'll need some Republicans to go along to get cloture. So this looks like the best he can get to get through the Senate and get some money immediately into the economy.

Blitzer: In the Senate, he not only needed some Republicans to get above that magic number of 60 but he also needed those moderate or conservative Democrats who could have bolted as well.

Castellanos: He's caught between the rock and the hard place on this one. He's got Democrats who want him to spend more on the left and Republicans who say, hey, this is crazy.

And I know Krugman won the Nobel Prize, but so did Al Gore. It can't be that hard. (laughter.)

And if economists were that good, they'd all be rich and they're not. So let's take all this with a grain of salt here.

I mean, what the Democrats are telling the country now is, they're having a debate, 'We're gonna take a big pile of money and set it on fire. We're going to borrow it, make a big pile and set in on fire.' And the argument is that the pile of money is not big enough. So while the Democrats are having this internal debate, the message they're sending is: Big Spending.

Blitzer: We're all looking forward -- when we celebrate your winning the Nobel Prize one of these days -- obviously something you're looking forward to.

Digby reminds us what type of man Catellanos is :

You remember Castellanos. He's the guy who made Jesse Helms' infamous "Hands" ad. He is, in fact Karl Rove's biggest rival for most negative campaigner in the GOP, which is quite a feat.

This person was on CNN throughout the presidential campaign, which makes some sense since he was in the capacity of "Republican campaign consultant." But he has no business being on television commenting on anything but dirty campaign tactics, which is where his expertise lies. He is a professional liar who admits to doing anything necessary to back his team and who even village "polite society" is squeamish about cable.

Why is CNN still giving this jerk a platform from which to do this kind of dirty work for the GOP? He should be on Fox where he belongs, alongside the other creepy political sociopaths.

I agree completely. As Glenn Beck turns creepier every day on FOX I think Alex needs to join him in a segment where they both can cry over the economy to the song "The Tears of a Clown."

UPDATE: There appears to be a coding problem with the YouTube. The original video is at John McCain's campaign website.

Or try this: Download | play Download | play (h/t BillW)

Did you catch it? At the beginning of the ad, the title burns onto a picture of Obama, but the order is striking.

A L Q D C MT RY

(screengrab courtesy of JedReport)

al Qaeda Commentary? al Qaeda Cemetary? al Qaeda Documentary? Who knows? But it's not accidental. In fact, Alex Castellanos is reportedly now working for the McCain campaign. Who is Alex Castellanos?

There is speculation in the blogosphere that Alex Castellanos is behind this video. Who? This guy:

The Republican media consultant Alex Castellanos has been called the father of the modern political attack ad — an appellation he might not offer up himself, though we suspect he’s kinda proud of it. Although Castellanos has served on the GOP media team in every general election since 1988, his most infamous spot ran in the 1990 North Carolina Senate race between Jesse Helms and Harvey Gantt, the former mayor of Charlotte, who also happened to be an African-American. The commercial was called “Hands,” and it showed a white guy sitting at a table, the camera trained on his mitts as he crumpled up a job-rejection notice. “You needed that job and you were the best qualified,” intoned the voice-over. “But they gave it to a minority because of a racial quota.” Ugly? Sure. But it won reelection for Helms. In this year’s Republican race, Castellanos worked on Mitt Romney’s primary bid, but today he sits on what’s known as the McCain Ad Council, a group of A-list Republican admen serving as outside media advisers to the GOP standard-bearer.

FDL offers some more on Castellanos

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If anyone wonders why Hillary supporters are upset over the coverage on TV and in the media just check out Alex.

CASTELLANOS: "Her problem is she's Hillary Clinton. And some women, by the way, are named that [bitches] and it's accurate."

Download | play Download | play

During CNN's primary coverage last night, a segment was about Sen. Clinton discussing the media's acceptance of misogyny into their coverage. Wolf called her words "provocative" as the panel begins to debate it. Later he says it's a little more difficult to discern than racism. Jeffrey Toobin makes some valid points about a NY Times article which referred to her as a "white bitch," (hello Wolf) saying that you can't say something like that about an African American. Not so for Republican Alex Castellanos, who not only disagrees, but thinks she is a "bitch" and says so with smile in his heart. Why does he have a seat with "the best political team" in America? Because he makes disgusting Republican attack ads. Being a distributor of slime in American politics really pays off. I'm sorry, he should be fired on the spot by CNN. What can I call John McCain now? Is it OK to call him pr*&k on TV? Is that OK? "Hi, I'm Wolf Blitzer and John McCain is a pr*&k. We'll have that scoop and much, much more as the best political team in America continues right after the break."

And to see Borger and Brazile---sitting there trying to have a rational discussion after he says the things that he does is just as ludicrous. Borger's retort is to say that a lot of voters don't feel that way and Donna mildly says Alex has a problem with her. I mean, really. What does he have to do to offend them?

Full transcript below the fold:

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