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Newt Gingrich: Vitriol, Hatred, Confrontation, Tumult, Division, Distortion–The New Joseph McCarthy!

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As former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich continues to surge in the polls for the Republican Presidential nomination, it becomes more obvious that the Republican Party “establishment” is horrified at his rise.

Former Congresswoman Susan Molinari of New York, Congressman Peter King of New York, former New Hampshire Governor John Sununu (who worked as Chief of Staff to the first President Bush), former Florida Congressman and MNSBC talk show host Joe Scarborough, and innumerable others are ringing the alarm bell about the dangers of Newt Gingrich as the GOP nominee.

They and those who know politics best see Gingrich as a disaster for the party, similar to Barry Goldwater in 1964, but in many worse worse than Goldwater.

Goldwater did not have the ethical and moral problems of Gingrich. Goldwater did not set out to be another Joseph McCarthy, as Gingrich has done in modern terms.

Why call Gingrich another Joseph McCarthy? Gingrich, similar to McCarthy, levels ridiculous charges and accusations; utilizes virtriol and promotion of hatred; promotes confrontation and tumult and division and distortion with a great relish; does not care how many corpses he leaves behind in his lust for power; and would make the stalemate and gridlock that exists in Washington even worse than it is now!

Newt Gingrich cannot unite the country; cannot solve any of the major problems we are facing; and likely would take us into more foreign wars; promote more wild spending leading to a greater national debt; cause more corruption and scandals (both in government and personally); create more centralization of the powers of the Presidency in dangerous, abusive ways; and would make us wish for the times of Richard Nixon, the most divisive President of the 20th century!

This man is reckless, dangerous, and does not work well with others of his own party, let alone the opposition and the news media. He is a danger to the nation’s future, and one would hope that he would lose massively to Barack Obama, and cause a reassessment of the right wing madness of the Republican Party!

Luke Russert Shines On MSNBC: His Father Would Be Proud!

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One of the pleasant developments in the media world is the rise of Luke Russert to stature on MSNBC!

The son of Tim Russert, the much respected anchor of MEET THE PRESS for two decades, who died of a heart attack in June 2008, Luke Russert at the time was a fresh college graduate who seemed like a nice young man, but who knew that he would shine and develop over the next three years?

Luke Russert has become a Capitol Hill correspondent for MSNBC and NBC News, and has done a very creditable job.

He has matured and become respected in a way that his father would be very proud of, and this morning he was anchor on THE DAILY RUNDOWN, substituting for Chuck Todd.

Don’t be surprised if he, someday soon, ends up as anchor of his own show, as he has become a major asset to MSNBC and NBC in the tradition of his beloved, honored dad!

NBC, MSNBC, And Presidential Offspring And Near Presidential Offspring!

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NBC and MSNBC have mined Presidential offspring, and even near Presidential offspring effectively.

It has been announced that Chelsea Clinton, daughter of President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, will be contributing to NBC Nightly News and Rock Center with Brian Williams.

At the same time, Jenna Bush Hager, daughter of former President George W. Bush, is a contributor to NBC’s Today Show.

Ron Reagan, son of former President Ronald Reagan, is an analyst on MSNBC.

And Meghan McCain, daughter of 2008 Republican Presidential candidate John McCain, is also often on MSNBC.

The Myth About Foreign Aid: Rick Santorum, Of All People, Exposes It!

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During the Republican debate on foreign policy Saturday night in South Carolina, Rick Perry said that foreign aid should be zero budgeted, and nations be evaluated as to whether they should gain foreign aid from the United States.

Newt Gingrich seconded what Perry said, and both talked very toughly. And then Rick Perry was caught in a bind when asked if Israel was part of that strict attitude, with him saying that they were a special case.

Then, of all people, Rick Santorum actually said something intelligent for once, that foreign aid was based on American interests, and that to cut off aid would undermine American foreign policy, using the example of Pakistan specifically as his view that we as a nation need to be engaged with that country, and that Pakistan needed to be a friend, to help counterbalance radical Muslims who have influence in that country.

Santorum was absolutely right, and he pointed out today on MSNBC that foreign aid is only about one half of one percent of our national budget, and that we do not give foreign aid to be nice, but rather for our strategic interests, and that it would hurt us if we abandoned foreign aid, much of which is spent in the United States for military hardware by other nations.

So the great myth about foreign aid was again exposed, but this time by a candidate who generally comes across as not very reputable in anything he believes or says–Rick Santorum.

The average American thinks foreign aid is 10-20 percent of our budget, another indication of how ignorant and lacking in knowledge and insights our citizenry is, and how easily manipulated they can be by candidates such as Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich, who should be ashamed of themselves!

Two Hopes For The Future Of Politics: Elizabeth Warren And Ilya Sheyman

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Many Americans are turned off to politics, and have the growing feeling that it makes no difference who you put in office, as they will be beholden to the “special interests”, rather than the citizenry who elects them.

And yet, there is growing hope that some people running for public office in 2012 actually cannot be controlled or owned by lobbyists and special interests, and two of them are: Elizabeth Warren, running for the Massachusetts Senate seat of Scott Brown, who replaced Ted Kennedy in a special election at the beginning of 2010, but who is one of the most “owned” candidates by the big corporations; and an unknown Illinois Congressional candidate in the Tenth District north of Chicago, Ilya Sheyman, attempting to oust a Tea Party Republican freshman named Robert Dold.

Warren is famous for having promoted the passage of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, one of the major accomplishments of the Obama Presidency. However, the Republicans made it clear that they would oppose her appointment as its head, so Warren turned around and decided to challenge Brown for his Senate seat, and this will be one of the premier stories of 2012, as she inspires many progressives who have hopes for change from the old system that has dominated Washington, DC for so long.

Just as inspiring is the story of 25 year old Soviet Jewish immigrant Ilya Sheyman, who migrated with his parents at age 4 from the Soviet Union. Appearing on UP-WITH CHRIS HAYES on MSNBC this morning, we learned of his motivation to promote the progressive movement, after experience as a community organizer in Waukegan, Illinois; service in the office of Senator Barack Obama; and national Mobilization Director at MoveOn.org.

Warren and Sheyman are both very impressive in their sincerity and commitment at a time when cynicism reigns supreme, so all who care about the future should work to elect Warren and Sheyman and like minded reformers!

Illinois Republican Congressman Joe Walsh: Tea Party Favorite A Total Disgrace!

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Illinois Republican Congressman Joe Walsh, a freshman House member and Tea Party favorite, has made a name for himself by appearing on numerous news shows denouncing President Obama in every way possible, and being very aggressive in his approach to the news interviewers, including the annoying habit of using their first name constantly in every sentence as he answers and talks over them.

This personal quirk is the least of the matter, however, as Joe Walsh is a true example of what is WRONG with America, setting a terrible example for others!

This excuse for a Congressman lacks a decent sense of respect for the President of the United States, to show up when the President gives a speech to a joint session of Congress, as Obama did last week when unveiling his jobs program. Instead, Walsh said he was going back to his Illinois district to meet with businessmen on plans to create new jobs. One has to wonder if he actually did that!

But while he did not meet his responsibilities to be in the House chamber as Obama spoke, Joe Walsh also did NOT return to his Illinois district to go to a court hearing on overdue child support for his three children, now totaling $117,000, over five years of back payments. He claimed he had to be present to vote on some bill, as if every Congressman votes on every bill, particularly when most bills pass by much more than a bare majority, and most votes are not consequential!

It has been revealed that Walsh’s House salary of $174,000 is being garnished for present payments per month of over $2000 child support, but that does not make up for past overdue payments, now over six figures!

One can have a divorce, but that is NO excuse for NOT paying child support, particularly when the provider has a salary as high as $174,000 and can easily afford to pay. It is great that the House is docking him the monthly amount, but it is not enough!

This loser, this bum, this character, this deadbeat dad, who professes family values, but denies his own children what they are entitled to, needs to be ordered to pay the entire back payments at once, and if he does not, be sent to prison and kicked out of the House of Representatives pronto!

This man, who also has gone bankrupt just a few years ago, should not be representing his district and pontificating about the national budget, when he does not take care of his own children and finances properly!

Hopefully, he will be defeated by his constituents next year, having won the seat by a small margin, but first, he should be held accountable, including prison time, if he does not immediately pay his debts!

And, as Lawrence O’Donnell of MSNBC said last night, Walsh should be banned from any interview show until he meets his responsibilities to his children! Amen to that!

First Impressions Of GOP NBC-Politico Debate: Big Winners Are Huntsman And Romney; Big Losers Are Perry, Bachmann, And Paul!

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The debate over the debate tonight at the Reagan Library has begun, and there will be many different views of how the eight Republican candidates for President performed. What follows is this blogger’s view of events in ranked order:

BIG WINNERS–Jon Huntsman and Mitt Romney
BIG LOSERS–Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann, Ron Paul
NO IMPROVEMENT–Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Herman Cain

Already, the author has heard Rachel Maddow say that Jon Huntsman lost an opportunity and is now thrown to the wayside. He could NOT disagree more! Huntsman was, in my view, very solid and substantial in his answers, seemed very Presidential more than anyone, and since he is lowest in the polls, has gained the most, and it should reflect itself in the polls over the next few days. If it does not, then it condemns the Republican Party to certain defeat, as Independents and moderates should be very impressed with his performance!

Mitt Romney also did very well, refuting Rick Perry in a solid and effective way, and showed a calm demeanor, as he demonstrated that being a moderate conservative, as Huntsman is, is the best road to victory for the GOP! The question, as with Huntsman, is whether Republicans will feel the same, and if they do not, then the party is doomed to a terrible defeat in 2012, instead of a good chance for victory with either Huntsman or Romney!

Rick Perry, the frontrunner in the polls the past two weeks, came across as defiantly extremist in his stated views, not bending at all, and yet having trouble defending the horrible record of governance in Texas in so many different ways! If there is any common sense, Perry should lose his front runner status, but we shall see, as a Perry candidacy would move the GOP so far to the RIght that they would lose in a massive way in November 2012!

Michele Bachmann slid further in performance, and was not at all inspiring or convincing, and is now obviously in rapid decline as a serious factor!

Ron Paul may have his followers, but he came across as totally extreme in his libertarian views, and way outside the mainstream. His suggestion that air conditioning be removed from troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, and that would cause their rapid return home, is one of the whackiest and craziest statements ever made in a Presidential debate at any time!

Newt Gingrich came across as very bright and knowledgeable, but did not improve his status as a person from the past, out of office for 13 years, and not to be seen as a serious candidate for the White House!

Rick Santorum may have improved slightly in his performance, but still cannot be regarded as a serious candidate. The fact that he is the only candidate to have served in the US Senate, as well as the US House of Representatives, is certainly a plus, but still there are too many negatives and shortcomings in his candidacy to take him as a likely nominee!

Herman Cain came across as what he has always been–a BLAH candidate, unimpressive, and having no clue as to how to run a government, so his performance was lackadaisical!

So the big winners in my mind are Huntsman and Romney, but I welcome commentary by those who read this blog, as the debate continues over who the GOP nominee for President might be!

Bush And Cheney Emerge: Reminders Of How We Became What We Are!

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The emergence of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney from “exile” helps to remind us of how we came to be where we are today!

Bush was on National Geographic Channel, explaining and justifying his administration’s actions before September 11, on September 11, and since. You would think he would be a bit humble about the shortcomings of his administration regarding terrorism and the wars he initiated, but not one bit of apology was offered!

Even worse, Dick Cheney, who is seen overseas as an international war criminal, has been gloating about his attacks in his memoir on Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, and George Tenet, and claims no mistakes, no shortcomings, no regrets about the foreign policy of the Bush Administration!

And of course, the man who said as Vice President that deficits did not matter, helped to preside over budget deficits that doubled the national debt, and convinced “fat cats”, corporate leaders and super rich people, that it was patriotic NOT to pay their fair share of taxes!

Adding insult to injury, we have today the former CEO of American Express, Harvey Golub, having the nerve to go on MSNBC this afternoon, and attack Warren Buffett for his assertions that wealthy people should pay higher taxes as part of patriotism, and appreciation for their success in America!

Golub says he earned his salary, worked very hard, and should not be forced to pay higher taxes until it is proved that the government handles money in a better fashion. While no one can criticize that assertion, it must be realized that CEOs are paid outrageous salaries to head major corporations, just at a time when many corporations have no morality or concern about firing their employees, cutting their benefits or pay, or adding more tension and pressure to their jobs!

But really, when a CEO says he works HARD, what does that mean? It means he “barks” orders to his underlings; spends time in his office intimidating others in meetings; uses his time on the phone and pushing papers to make himself look busy; and often could not survive without good staff, which he almost certainly treats in a disrespectful and disdaining manner! All he is concerned about is how much wealth he can acquire, how many perks he can have, and the level of arrogance and abuse that he can practice without accountability!

It is time to stop giving deference to corporate leaders, and start demanding that they do their part for their country, instead of expecting the “peasants” below them to bear the whole burden!

So Bush and Cheney emerging reminds us of the alternative of Barack Obama, and cannot but help make the choice for 2012 much clearer!

Jeb Bush’s Advice To Republican Presidential Candidates: Stop Being So Negative About Obama And Offer Positive Alternatives Instead!

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Jeb Bush, former Republican Governor of Florida, brother of former President George W. Bush, and son of former President George H.W. Bush, was on Fox News Channel yesterday, offering good advice to the Republican Presidential field: stop being so negative about Barack Obama, blaming him for everything, much of which is not his doing!

In other words, Bush said it is fine to criticize Obama on making the economic conditions worse, but do not use ridiculous arguments or attacks on Obama. Or as former Congressman Harold Ford, Democrat of Tennessee, said on MSNBC this morning, it is not appropriate to blame Obama for your coffee spilling or your children being sick!

Unfortunately, there has been too much reckless criticism of Obama since Day One, and all it has done is help make the opposition party look preposterous and lacking in substance. As Bush said, the candidates must offer POSITIVE alternatives and a real program of goals if they wish to be able to compete with Obama in the Presidential Election of 2012!

Without naming names, it seems obvious that Jeb Bush is sending the message of the Bush family that they are not happy with Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann, not enthused about Mitt Romney, and most supportive of Jon Huntsman. This interview with Jeb Bush comes after his younger son, Jeb Jr, endorsed Huntsman.

And although he makes clear that he is not running for President himself, it still seems to many that Jeb Bush MIGHT enter the race if Huntsman cannot gain support, and if Rick Perry or Michele Bachmann seem likely to co-opt the race, since the Bushes clearly believe that either of them would be a disaster for the Republican Party!

As many have said, if Jeb did not have the last name of Bush, he probably would already have been running!

So his interview with Fox only adds more to the cauldron of Republican Presidential politics!

A Celebratory Day In The Cable Media World: MSNBC 15th Anniversary And Fox News Channel-Rupert Murdoch Crisis!

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Today, 15 years ago, MSNBC went online as the competitor of CNN, which had begun June 1, 1980. Within a few months, on October 7, Fox News Channel came along as a third competitor in the 24 hour news channel industry!

MSNBC has gone through rough times over its 15 years, but now it is thriving by having emerged as the strong progressive news channel, compared to the moderate approach of CNN and the right wing conservative views of Fox News Channel.

MSNBC has become a station with outstanding talk show hosts, including Chris Matthews, Lawrence O’Donnell, Rachel Maddow, and Ed Schultz, as well as outstanding coverage during the day by other anchor people.

It is a source of much what the author writes about, and it gives us a progressive view of events, which is sorely needed, so Happy 15th to MSNBC!

At the same time, Fox News Channel has misled, lied, deceived, propagandized, and become a Republican propaganda channel, including hiring many of the Republican Presidential field at some point of time.

Fox News Channel has NEVER been willing to cover the news fairly, and has made life miserable for Barack Obama, and has convinced an ignorant portion of the population to believe their myths, half truths, and distortions!

Its talk show hosts are disgraceful, having included Glenn Beck in the recent past, and still including Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity, along with a whole group of unsavory characters who have questionable ethics, but end up on Fox News Channel!

Their employer, Rupert Murdoch, known world wide as one of the most despicable people in the news business, has now become involved in a hacking scandal that threatens to bring him and his news corporation to their knees, symbolically!

Nothing would be more contributing to the future of journalism than to have the downfall of Rupert Murdoch and Fox News Channel, but in reality, that is not likely! That channel is refusing to report the scandal in detail, part of their “managed” and distorted news coverage, figuring that their audience might remain unaware because they lean so much on the manipulated manner of news reporting on their channel!

Even if Fox News Channel survives, seeing Rupert Murdoch and the channel squirm is victory in itself!