The Hollywood Liberal

McCartney: Tea Partiers Are Not Extremists
Robert McCartney: I went to the “tea party” rally at the Washington Monument on Thursday to check out just how reactionary and potentially violent the movement truly was. Answer: Not very. … [O]n the whole, they struck me as passionate conservatives dedicated to working within the system rather than dangerous militia types or a revival of the Ku Klux Klan.

Early Morning Swim

• The bell tools for thee, Goldman.
• Defensive much?
• The terrorist VOLCANO!
• Obama’s pick for SCOTUS?
• The Shrill one on Goldman.
• The man who was almost President.

• The bell tools for thee, Goldman.
• Defensive much?
• The terrorist VOLCANO!
• Obama’s pick for SCOTUS?
• The Shrill one on Goldman.
• The man who was almost President.

?

Can’t Have a Decent Apocalypse Without a Full Cast
Satire by Andy Borowitz According to a source close to Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann, they have already drawn up a list of possible candidates for the additional two horsemen, a list which includes Limbaugh, Beck, Coulter and the entire Cheney family. Satire by Andy Borowitz By Andy Borowitz

According to a source close to Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann, they have already drawn up a list of possible candidates for the additional two horsemen, a list which includes Limbaugh, Beck, Coulter and the entire Cheney family.

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Ken Adelman: Bard Blog on Money & Lobbyists
While Shakespeare wrote about “the milk of human kindness,” California’s Jesse (“Big Daddy”) Unruh quipped, “Money is the mother’s milk of politics.” Zounds, is…

Simon Johnson: Goldman Sachs: Too Big To Obey The Law
On a short-term tactical basis, Goldman Sachs clearly has little to fear. It has relatively deep pockets and will fight the securities “Fab” allegations tooth…

Harmon Leon: Tea Partiers Take San Francisco
What let me down was that these shenanigans took place in our own backyard. There was barely a counter-protester to be found when we needed representation to point out the absurdities of this scenario.

Restore The Constitution Rally: Open-Carry Gun Advocates To Protest Obama, Health Care, Gun Rights
Daniel Almond, a three-tour veteran of Iraq, is ready to “muster outside D.C.” on Monday with several dozen other self-proclaimed patriots, all of them armed….

Trust In Government? Poll Find Nearly 80% Of Americans Don’t
WASHINGTON — America’s “Great Compromiser” Henry Clay called government “the great trust,” but most Americans today have little faith in Washington’s ability to deal with…

In wake of Hannity’s tea party scandal, Fox’s Kristol hypes tea party’s Contract from America

Just days after Fox News canceled Sean Hannity’s plan to host his show from a tea party event with an admission fee, Fox News contributor Bill Kristol repeatedly promoted the Contract from America, a series of agenda items whose writing was organized by a major tea party organization. Kristol’s endorsement is consistent with Fox’s heavy promotion of the tea party movement, in spite of News Corp. chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch’s statement that he didn’t think the network “should be supporting the Tea Party.”

Bill Kristol: “Go online and look at” the tea party movement’s “totally mainstream” Contract from America

Kristol: Tea party movement “has a Contract from America.” On the April 18 edition of Fox News Sunday, Kristol defended the tea party movement, accusing progressives of “[an] attempt to demonize and discredit the movement and not engage it on its ideas. It has a Contract from America.”

Kristol: “Half a million people chose these items,” Contract is “totally mainstream.” Later, during the same broadcast of Fox News Sunday, Kristol stated: “And look at the Contract from America. Just go online and look at it. This is their — half a million people chose these items, totally mainstream, sensible, reformist, limited government — limited government agenda.”

Kristol: Contract from America is “a very good contract. People should look at it.” Later in the program, Kristol stated, “I think one of the items in the Contract from America, if I can come back to the tea parties one last time — it’s a very good contract. People should look at it — is tax reform.” Asked about the need for “spending cuts,” Kristol later added, “That’s also in the Contract from America.”

Days before, Hannity pulled from tea party event after ethical questions raised

Event caused Fox execs “consternation” due to network’s “perceived closeness to… the Tea Party Movement.” Hannity was scheduled to tape his April 15 Fox News show at the Cincinnati Tea Party’s (CTP) 2010 Tax Day Tea Party, which required paid admission, with higher prices charged for better viewing of the program and “all proceeds” benefiting CTP. But after journalism veterans heavily promoted and advocated for the April 15, 2009 tea parties, which it characterized as a response to Obama administration policies. Fox News frequently aired segments — from both opinion and news personalities — publicizing the protests and encouraged viewers to get involved with them. In many instances, Fox News provided attendance and organizing information, such as dates, locations and website URLs. In early April, Fox News announced that four hosts from the network — Glenn Beck, Neil Cavuto, Greta Van Susteren, and Hannity — would appear live at four tea party sites and would broadcast the protests live throughout the day. At one point, Fox News even referred to the tea parties as “FNC Tax Day Tea Parties,” and The Fox Nation also hosted its own “virtual tea party.”

Fox News aired over 100 commercial promotions and over 20 segments in less than two weeks. From April 6 to April 13, 2009, Fox News featured at least 20 segments on the protests, and from April 6 to April 15, Fox News aired at least 107 commercial promotions for its coverage of the protests. On the April 15 edition of CNN Newsroom, media critic and Reliable Sources host Howard Kurtz said, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a news network throw its weight behind a protest like we are seeing in the past few weeks with Fox and these tea parties.”

Fox News’ coverage boosted protests, pushed other outlets to cover. On the April 18, 2009 edition of Fox News Watch, host Jon Scott asked: “Did the FOX coverage and promotion of the coverage, did it force the other networks to pay attention to it?” Then-Fox News contributor Jane Hall replied: “I think it did because the other TV networks ended up leading with it.” Dozens of national and local news reports credited Fox News for publicizing and boosting the protests. Indeed, the Odessa (Texas) American reported of a rally outside Odessa City Hall: “Statements like ‘I saw it on Fox’ were heard around the crowd.”

Fox News heavily promoted Tea Party Express. Leading up to the August 28, 2009, kickoff of the Tea Party Express — a bus tour organized by a Republican PAC and dedicated to opposing President Obama and the Democrats — Fox News, Fox Business, The Fox Nation, and FoxNews.com repeatedly promoted the tour, informing viewers of the tea party dates and locations to “they can be a part” of events. Fox News sent two reporters to the Tea Party Express kickoff event in Sacramento, and embedded correspondent Griff Jenkins on the tour, who went so far as to cheerlead for the protests.

Fox News hosts and contributors were scheduled to participate in 2010 Tax Day Tea Party events. Fox News hosts and contributors were slated to participate in more than a dozen tea party events surrounding Tax Day 2010. Host and Fox Business Vice President Neil Cavuto broadcast his April 15 Fox News and Fox Business shows from the Atlanta Tea Party. Hannity was scheduled to tape his April 15 show at a Cincinnati event which would have funneled proceeds to the CTP, but his appearance was canceled amid a firestorm of criticism.

Murdoch: Fox News shouldn’t be “supporting the Tea Party”

At an April 7 event at the National Press Club, responding to a question from Media Matters for America‘s Ari Rabin-Havt regarding Fox News’ coverage of the tea party movement, Murdoch stated that he didn’t think Fox News “should be supporting the Tea Party or any party” but would like to “investigate” “before condemning anyone.”

Contract from America’s “Founding Partners” include major right-wing organizations

Officials with Armey’s FreedomWorks, Gingrich’s American Solutions “instrumental” in writing of Contract. Kristol suggested that the Contract from America was entirety a creation of grassroots tea party activists. But while the Contract is described on its website as a “grassroots-generated, crowd-sourced, bottom-up” and “decentralized” document whose creation was organized by the organization Tea Party Patriots, many of the Contract’s “Founding Partners” are major right-wing organizations, including former House Speaker and current Fox News contributor Newt Gingrich’s American Solutions for Winning the Future, former House Majority Leader Dick Armey’s FreedomWorks, the National Taxpayer’s Union, Americans for Tax Reform, and The Heartland Institute. Indeed, according to the Contract’s website:

Adam Brandon, Max Pappas, and Tabitha Hale of FreedomWorks have been instrumental in helping organize and unite a broad-based coalition of grassroots organizations, new media outlets, and public policy experts behind the Contract from America, as have Adam Radman with Americans for Tax Reform, Andrew Moylan with National Taxpayers’ Union, Ginni Thomas with Liberty Central, Adam Waldeck with American Solutions, and Lori Roman with Regular Folks United.

Beating Reid Has Long Been Top Priority For Tea Party Express, Memo Shows
The defeat of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was from the outset perhaps the top priority of the Tea Party Express, according to an internal memo. The group’s focus on unseating the Democratic Senate leader appears to bolster the charge that its priorities dovetail more closely with those of the Republican party than with the more independent Tea Party movement.

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SEC files lawsuit against Goldman Sachs for financial fraud
Excerpt: On Friday, almost two years after the financial meltdown that began on Wall Street and reverberated throughout the U.S. economy, a lawsuit has been filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against Goldman Sachs, alleging that the behemoth financial institution engaged in financial fraud. According to the AP, the charges against Goldman relate to a […]

Looking for a Political Job?
Check out the great new job listings over at Political Job Hunt.

A special offer for this week only: If you’re looking to hire someone, get 20% off a new 30 day job listing by simply entering the discount code “congress.”

Massachusetts Republicans Avoid Primary
Massachusetts Republicans “gave an overwhelming endorsement” to Charlie Baker (R) for governor at their state convention over the weekend, giving him “a massive margin that forces GOP rival Christy Mihos out of the race and frees him from what could have been a bitterly divisive primary battle,” the Boston Globe reports.

Baker won 89% of the delegate votes, while Mihos got just 11%, falling well short of the 15% threshold needed to qualify for the September primary ballot.

Ways and Means Testimony
Yesterday I testified to the House Ways and Means Committee regarding clean energy finance and tax policy. You can find my testimony here….



United States House Committee on Ways and Means – Economic – House Ways & Means Committee – National Budget – Taxation

Annotating the Congressional Letter Affirming US-Israel Relations
I received a note today reacting to a set of Congressional letters reaffirming US-Israel relations from Sama Adnan, executive director of the new political action committee advocating for Palestinian interests, NewPolicy.org. He notes that 24 US Senators and 102 House…


Middle East – United States – State of Israel – Warfare and Conflict – Israel-Palestine

Blackburn Won?t Endorse Bachmann?s ?Gangster Government? Rhetoric
On Thursday, Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) referred to the government as a “gangster government,” telling a group of conservative activists, “We’re on to them. We’re on to this gangster government. And we are not going to let them have their way.” The following day, President Clinton — who has drawn parallels between the Oklahoma City […]

On Thursday, Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) referred to the government as a “gangster government,” telling a group of conservative activists, “We’re on to them. We’re on to this gangster government. And we are not going to let them have their way.” The following day, President Clinton — who has drawn parallels between the Oklahoma City bombing incident in 1995 and the current atmosphere of right-wing, anti-government hatred — took aim at Bachmann’s comments. “They are not gangsters. They were elected. They are not doing anything they were not elected to do.”

Clinton said people involved with “hatriot” groups like the Oath Keepers and the Three Percenters may take the wrong lessons from irresponsible rhetoric. “Ninety-nine percent of them will never do anything they shouldn’t do, but there are people who advocate violence and anticipate violence,” he warned. Fortunately, some of Bachmann’s conservative colleagues are heeding Clinton’s warning. This morning, during an appearance on Meet The Press, Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) — also a strong supporter of the Tea Parties — refused to endorse Bachmann’s “gangster government” rhetoric:

GREGORY: Do those kinds of words, April 19th is coming up, which is the anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing, when an anti-government person who was obviously a sociopath attacked the federal government. When you describe a “gangster government,” do you think that is over the line and inappropriate in our political discourse?

BLACKBURN: It would not have been a choice in words that I made. And what we have to realize is that any time you have large public gatherings, whether it is a group from the left, or a group from the right, you’re going to have lots of individuals with different opinions who show up.

Watch it:

This wasn’t the first time Bachmann has described the government as “gangster.” In June of 2009, Bachman took to the floor of the House and declared, “We have gangster government when the federal government has set up a new cartel and private businesses now have to go begging with their hand out to their local — hopefully well-politically connected — congressman or their senator so they can buy a peace offering for that local business.” In May of 2009, Bachmann compared Washington, D.C. to “enemy lines” and urged her supporters to become “armed and dangerous” and fight a “revolution” against cap and trade legislation.

Clinton: If Obama Offers Peace Plan, ?I Will Support It?
Discussing the Middle East peace process on ABC’s This Week, host Jake Tapper asked former President Bill Clinton whether he thought it was “time for President Obama to put a peace plan on the table,” as has been reported the administration is considering. Clinton responded that, while he was “reluctant to give him public advice,” […]

Discussing the Middle East peace process on ABC’s This Week, host Jake Tapper asked former President Bill Clinton whether he thought it was “time for President Obama to put a peace plan on the table,” as has been reported the administration is considering. Clinton responded that, while he was “reluctant to give him public advice,” if President Obama “decides to do it I will support it”:

CLINTON: Let me answer you this way, because I don’t want to do anything to foreclose their options. The argument against doing that is that the current Israeli government, with its current coalition, would almost certainly reject it. And the argument is that this makes us look weak. But I think they [the Israelis] may decide it’s more important to have clarity. And to do something that may be an action-forcing event that would bring them back to the table, if he [President Obama] decides to do it I will support it. And I think that if he decides to do it he should acknowledge that they may come up with a deal that’s slightly different from the one he proposes. But we need to do something to deprive both sides of any excuse not to engage in serious negotiations.

Watch it:

President Clinton also described how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in addition to driving extremism in the Middle East, tends to crowd out other, more positive developments in the region. “Half of the energy coming out of all this organization and money-raising for terror comes out of the allegations around the unresolved Palestinian issue,” Clinton said. “If there were a Palestinian state working in partnership with the policies Mr. [Salaam] Fayyad is following in the West Bank, it would be a whole different world”:

CLINTON: All the Arabs would identify with Israel, they’d have a political and economic partnership, the whole economic basis of the Middle East would shift from oil to ideas. Look at what the Saudi Arabians are doing, they’re building six new towns. The UAE wins the international competition for the clean energy agency, and they’re gonna build a carbon-neutral city. In the UAE. And nobody thinks about this — Dubai is the only country with huge amounts of imported workers that’s actually passed legislation to give these immigrant workers a better deal in the Middle East, they have women in the government, they have a joint public-private decision making process — nobody knows anything about. Why? Because of the Palestinian-Israeli thing.

How could the Syrians stay out there alone, cooperating with the Iranians and letting Hezbollah people travel through Syria, and doing all the things they do? If there were a peace for the Palestinians, they would have to come along with the rest of the Arab states, and there would be a peace between Israel and Syria. This is a huge deal. So the fact that the president is putting new energy into this and taking personal responsibility for it, and trying to get them back to the table, that’s the most important thing.