The Hollywood Liberal

Sunday Talking Heads: May 9, 2010
A little oil spill, some financial reform, and a lot of terror.

Mother and Child by Paul Cadmus

Happy Mother’s Day to everybody’s mother.

A bland and predictable assortment of talking heads on tap.  A little oil spill, some financial reform, and a lot of terror.

Washington Journal: 7:45am – Clarissa Martinez, Nat’l Council of La Raza, Immigration & Nat’l Campaigns Dir. 8:30am – Richard Viguerie, ConservativeHQ.com, Chairman. 9:15am – Darryl Jenkins, Aviation Policy Expert.

ABC’s This Week: Attorney General Eric Holder.  Then Rudy Giuliani. Roundtable, George Will, Shelby Steele of the Hoover Institution, Robin Wright of the U.S. Institute of Peace, John Podesta of the Center for American Progress.

CBS’ Face The Nation: Sen. Christopher Dodd ( D-CT) Chairman, Banking Committee and Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) Ranking Member, Banking Committee.  Then, Admiral Thad Allen, Commandant, Coast Guard; National Incident CDR, Gulf Oil Spill.

Chris Matthews: Joe Klein, Cynthia Tucker, Kathleen Parker, John Heilemann.  Topics: Growing Outrage Over Immigrants Among Us.  The Sale Of Newsweek: Is There No Hope For Old Media?

CNN’s State of the Union: John Brennan, Assistant to Pres. for Homeland Security.  Plus,  Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL).  Roundtable: Amy Walter, and Chris Cillizza.

Fareed Zakaria – GPS: Economics.  Then terrorism with Richard Clarke.  Also Bernard Henri Levy and others talk about radicalization.

Fox News Sunday: John Brennan, Assistant to Pres. for Homeland Security.  Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Rep. Peter King (R-NY).  Fox News AllStars: Bill Kristol, Mara Liasson, Liz Cheney, Juan Williams. Power Player of the Week: Jennifer Griffin, FNC Correspondent / Breast Cancer Survivor.

NBC’s Meet The Press: Attorney General Eric Holder. Roundtable: David Brooks, E.J. Dionne, Katty Kay, author Wes Moore.

Newsmakers: Majority Whip Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) discusses the Senate Democrats efforts to pass financial reform legislation and their record on legislation this session, as many members head into the 2010 midterm elections.

Q & A: Ted Leonsis whose new book is called “The Business of Happiness.” Mr. Leonsis was at AOL from 1993 to 2006. He is Founder and Chairman of SnagFilms, a website where people can watch and share documentary videos. He has also produced films including “Nanking.”

Religion & Ethics: The Priest and the People – This Catholic priest says his role is to meet the people where they are. Cambodian Children – A charity rescues children from the Phnom Penh’s garbage dumps. Hearing from the World – Wendell Berry speaks about the Gulf Oil Spill and knowing our limits.

60 Minutes: Homegrown Terror – Report on American citizens – like the recent would-be Times Square bomber – who have traveled abroad for terrorist training in order to attack America or its allies.  The Secretary of State – Hillary Rodham Clinton as she performs her duties as secretary of state and questions her on the latest developments in foreign policy and the recent terror scare in New York’s Times Square.  Walking Away – It’s estimated that one million Americans walked away from homes “underwater” or worth less than their mortgages even though they could afford the payments. This trend, called strategic default, threatens the economic recovery.

To The Contrary: Topics: 1- The Pill at 50; 2- More births to educated, single women; 3- Afghan Women’s Rights Activist Suraya Pakstad.  Panelists: Global Summit of Women President Irene Natividad; Former EEOC Chair Cari Dominguez; Independent Women’s Voice’s Sabrina Schaeffer; and Political Strategist Ilana Goldman.

Univsion’s Al Punto: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV); Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL);  Former captain of the army intelligence service Alberto Milian; Singer Sting.

C-SPAN’s Book TV.

FDL’s Book Salon: Sick and Tired: How America’s Health Care System Fails Its Patients. “With this guide to America’s health delivery system, complete with her been-there account of its failures, Jorgensen compiles thorough notes for navigating the foggy environs of health care providers and insurers.”  Come chat with the author Helene Jorgensen , 5pm ET.

FDL’s Movie Night Monday: The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia.  “Tucked deeply in the hills of the Appalachian Mountains, the White family lives an existence more like something out of the Wild West than modern-day rural America. The legendary family is known as much for their disturbing and excessive ways as they are for their famous mountain tap dancing legacy, which includes living legend Jesco White (star of the PBS documentary Dancing Outlaw).”  Join the discussion with director Julien Nitzberg and host Lisa Derrick, 8pm ET.

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Late Late Night FDL: Tweety And The Beanstalk
Tweety And The Beanstalk starring Tweety and Sylvester. This Warner Bros./Merrie Melodies cartoon was released on May 16, 1957.

Tweety And The Beanstalk starring Tweety and Sylvester.  This Warner Bros./Merrie Melodies cartoon was released on May 16, 1957.

Directed by Friz Freleng.  Produced by Edward Selzer.  Story by Warren Foster.  Voices by Mel Blanc and June Forey.  Film Editing and Sound Effects Editing by Treg Brown.  Animation by Gerry Chiniquy, Virgil Ross, and Arthur Davis.  Layouts by Hawley Pratt. Original Music, Musical Direction, and Orchestration by Milt Franklyn.

What’s on your mind?

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Using Fingerprints to Track Immigration
A recently implemented immigration program in Oakland subjects anyone booked at local jails to a fingerprint check to determine if they are in the country illegally. The deportation scheme is part of a $1.4 billion federal program that is supposed to be running in every jail in the country within a few years. The program, called “Secure Communities,” was introduced on April 20 in Alameda County and is already under fire from civil rights advocates, who claim it will likely lead to racial profiling and the deportation of undocumented immigrants who pose no safety risk. —JCL Oakland North: If you are arrested in Oakland, prepare to have your immigration history checked. Alameda County recently became the fourth Bay Area county to participate in a federal immigration enforcement program that mandates fingerprint checks on everyone booked at local jails to determine whether they are subject to deportation. The program, which was locally introduced on April 20 and is slowly expanding across the country, has been criticized by civil rights advocates who say its implementation could lead to racial profiling and the deportation of immigrants who do not pose a public safety threat. The program is called Secure Communities and is administered by the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, commonly known as ICE. Under the program, ICE will receive alerts whenever the system reveals that someone booked in a local jail is subject to deportation. “Our hopes are to quickly identify criminal aliens who come into the system,” said Craig Meyer, Assistant Field Office Director for Detention and Removal Operations at ICE’s San Francisco office. “We want to make the Bay Area community safer and that is the goal with this.” Read more

A recently implemented immigration program in Oakland subjects anyone booked at local jails to a fingerprint check to determine if they are in the country illegally. The deportation scheme is part of a $1.4 billion federal program that is supposed to be running in every jail in the country within a few years.

The program, called “Secure Communities,” was introduced on April 20 in Alameda County and is already under fire from civil rights advocates, who claim it will likely lead to racial profiling and the deportation of undocumented immigrants who pose no safety risk. —JCL

Oakland North:

If you are arrested in Oakland, prepare to have your immigration history checked.

Alameda County recently became the fourth Bay Area county to participate in a federal immigration enforcement program that mandates fingerprint checks on everyone booked at local jails to determine whether they are subject to deportation. The program, which was locally introduced on April 20 and is slowly expanding across the country, has been criticized by civil rights advocates who say its implementation could lead to racial profiling and the deportation of immigrants who do not pose a public safety threat.

The program is called Secure Communities and is administered by the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, commonly known as ICE. Under the program, ICE will receive alerts whenever the system reveals that someone booked in a local jail is subject to deportation. “Our hopes are to quickly identify criminal aliens who come into the system,” said Craig Meyer, Assistant Field Office Director for Detention and Removal Operations at ICE’s San Francisco office. “We want to make the Bay Area community safer and that is the goal with this.”

Read more

Related Entries

• May 6, 2010 Arizona F***ed With the Wrong Mexican
• May 4, 2010 Glenn Beck Gets It Right

Copycat Bills Aim at Illegal Immigrants
The push to criminalize undocumented immigrants, as seen most poignantly in the recent legislation adopted in Arizona, is growing. Many more states are seeing anti-immigrant bills introduced in their legislatures, backed by the far-right group Federation for American Immigration Reform Check out this informative essay by Seth Freed Wessler at Colorlines. —JCL Colorlines: The growing number of immigration-enforcement bills in state legislatures around the country are not merely following Arizona’s lead. Rather, the bills—which legislators have discussed or introduced in at least 11 states—are the fruits of a concerted political strategy seeded by the far-right group Federation for American Immigration Reform, which has taken money from a eugenics foundation and was created by a man who warned of a “Latin onslaught.”  In a majority of the states where legislation has been proposed or discussed, the leading lawmakers behind the bills are associated with FAIR’s legislative arm, a group called State Legislators for Legal Immigration (SLLI) that operates in at least 35 states. FAIR was founded over 30 years ago by John Tanton, who is widely credited with spurring the contemporary anti-immigrant movement. Over the past three decades Tanton has expanded FAIR’s reach by cultivating a network of associated organizations, each of which plays a distinct role in the anti-immigrant movement’s infrastructure.  According the the Center for New Community in Chicago, that network includes the Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI), credited with helping to write SB 1070, and the Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank which is regularly used as a source by major newspapers including the New York Times. Read more

The push to criminalize undocumented immigrants, as seen most poignantly in the recent legislation adopted in Arizona, is growing. Many more states are seeing anti-immigrant bills introduced in their legislatures, backed by the far-right group Federation for American Immigration Reform

Check out this informative essay by Seth Freed Wessler at Colorlines. —JCL

Colorlines:

The growing number of immigration-enforcement bills in state legislatures around the country are not merely following Arizona’s lead. Rather, the bills—which legislators have discussed or introduced in at least 11 states—are the fruits of a concerted political strategy seeded by the far-right group Federation for American Immigration Reform, which has taken money from a eugenics foundation and was created by a man who warned of a “Latin onslaught.” 

In a majority of the states where legislation has been proposed or discussed, the leading lawmakers behind the bills are associated with FAIR’s legislative arm, a group called State Legislators for Legal Immigration (SLLI) that operates in at least 35 states. FAIR was founded over 30 years ago by John Tanton, who is widely credited with spurring the contemporary anti-immigrant movement. Over the past three decades Tanton has expanded FAIR’s reach by cultivating a network of associated organizations, each of which plays a distinct role in the anti-immigrant movement’s infrastructure. 

According the the Center for New Community in Chicago, that network includes the Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI), credited with helping to write SB 1070, and the Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank which is regularly used as a source by major newspapers including the New York Times.

Read more

Related Entries

• May 6, 2010 Arizona F***ed With the Wrong Mexican
• May 4, 2010 Glenn Beck Gets It Right

Senator Bob Bennett Ousted At Utah GOP Convention
SALT LAKE CITY — Republican Sen. Bob Bennett was thrown out of office Saturday by delegates at the Utah GOP convention in a stunning defeat…

Max Stier: Federal Workers Play Key Roles for the Nation
We need to reconnect Americans to their government. People need to better understand that public servants are their friends and neighbors who are helping address our collective challenges here and abroad.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson: Fingering Illegal Immigrants for Black Jobless Crisis
California city councilperson Acquanetta Warren cheered the Arizona immigration law at her campaign stops at black churches. She didn’t stop there. Warren is a Republican, running for a state assembly seat, and she’s black.

What Happens In Vegas: Senate Investigators Interview Witnesses In Ensign Probe
Senate investigators on the John Ensign probe were holed up in a Las Vegas hotel yesterday, where they interviewed several key figures in the case, according to a local report.



John Ensign – Las Vegas Nevada – United States Senate – Doug Hampton – Las Vegas

Extremist Leader Seeking To Indict Obama For Treason Says He Was Questioned By FBI
The leader of a movement seeking to have President Obama indicted for treason told TPMmuckraker he was interviewed this week by the FBI.


United States – President of the United States – Talking Points Memo – Federal Bureau of Investigation – Barack Obama

Gaza or bust: Hey, that’s my Promised Land too!
Author’s note: For years and years now, it’s been really hard for me to write anything in favor of Palestinians because there are always so many repercussions. Sure, I don’t receive death threats any more like I used to but there are still all those nasty e-mails to deal with. Bummer. Why bother? Why should […]

Pakistani Taliban Link to Times Square Bombing Attempt Would Have Troubling Implications
Officials say the terror threat against the U.S. may be widening to include an organization with thousands of hardened fighters who have not previously struck in the West.

Officials say the terror threat against the U.S. may be widening to include an organization with thousands of hardened fighters who have not previously struck in the West.

Weekly News Roundup: Muslims, Gays, Nazis and More!
for more visit katiehalper.com and twitter.com/kthalps 1. After obsessing over Muslim background of suspected Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad, media becomes enlightened and religiously tolerant, and overlooks fact that the? man who helped foil bomb plot was Muslim too….



Family Research Council – Times Square – Muslim – Bomb – James Dobson

The Rebirth of Regulation
What do oil giant BP, the mining company Massey Energy, and Goldman Sachs have in common? They’re all big firms involved in massive plunder. BP’s oil spill is already one of the biggest and most damaging in American history. Massey’s…



Massey Energy – Goldman Sachs – Oil spill – Mining – Mine Safety and Health Administration

Iowa lawmaker presses the state to discriminate against LGBT families at campgrounds.
In April 2009, Iowa’s Supreme Court unanimously overturned a 10-year-old ban on same-sex marriage. Although the far right claimed that this decision would upend traditional marriage, a September 2009 Des Moines Register poll found 92 percent of Iowans believed marriage equality had “brought no real change to their lives.” But now, Iowa state Sen. […]

In April 2009, Iowa’s Supreme Court unanimously overturned a 10-year-old ban on same-sex marriage. Although the far right claimed that this decision would upend traditional marriage, a September 2009 Des Moines Register poll found 92 percent of Iowans believed marriage equality had “brought no real change to their lives.” But now, Iowa state Sen. Merlin Bartz (R) is trying to convince the public that LGBT families threaten the institution of…camping. Radio Iowa explains why Bartz is so upset:

Senator Merlin Bartz, a Republican from Grafton, says it appears to him that the Department of Natural Resources wants to make gay couples eligible for family camping at state parks. “They’re citing the Supreme Court case and changing, you know, ‘husband and wife’ language to ’spouse,’” Bartz says.

The rates or fees for camp sites are the same, whether you’re a family or a non-family, but the state allows families to put up more than one tent on a camp site. “They’re changing their language even though the state legislature has not had a debate on this particular issue,” Bartz says. […]

Bartz says he wants to be “vigilant” and keep state agencies from writing rules that extend new benefits to gay couples. “A lot of the advocates of gay marriage in Iowa have said, ‘It doesn’t affect anything. Nothing has changed,’” Bartz says. “The reality of it is that everything is changing.”

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has stated that the change isn’t in response to the state Supreme Court ruling, but to “comply with a state policy that prevents discrimination.” Radio Iowa explains, “The proposed rule will be formally presented to Bartz and the rest of the legislative panel on May10th, but the final draft won’t be up for a committee vote until later this summer.” Bartz has been a staunch opponent of marriage equality, last year calling on county recorders to refuse to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. (HT: Towleroad)

Cuccinelli Switches His Explanation For Censoring Virginia Seal Lapel Pins
Virginia’s right-wing Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R) has taken heat in recent days after he censored the state seal on lapel pins he handed out to his staff. Virginia’s Great Seal, which has been in use since 1776, shows the Roman goddess Virtus standing over the defeated Tyranny. The official seal shows Virtus with […]

Virginia’s right-wing Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R) has taken heat in recent days after he censored the state seal on lapel pins he handed out to his staff. Virginia’s Great Seal, which has been in use since 1776, shows the Roman goddess Virtus standing over the defeated Tyranny. The official seal shows Virtus with her left breast exposed, but Cuccinelli’s version has her chest covered.

When he handed out the pins, he “joked that it converts a risqué image into a PG one,” but after being widely ridiculed for the new seal, Cuccinelli abandoned the pins and denied that he was trying to censor the seal. He blamed the media for creating a “distraction,” claiming the pins were based on “antique” versions of the seal and that he just wanted to give his employees something “unique.”

But in an interview on WAMU yesterday, Cuccinelli offered a completely new explanation, suggesting that it would be illegal for him to use the official seal on the pins:

CUCCINELLI: We just had art for an old seal and we were making a lapel pin and the one thing I know about seal law, and this is the limit of my seal law knowledge, is that there are rules surrounding using the seal. So we didn’t. We made our own pin. If we made a seal — the House of Delegates members, that’s their pin, it’s been used, it’s on all of my letter head and everywhere else.

HOST: Stationary. The flag. It’s on the flag.

CUCCINELLI: Absolutely. It sits right next to me at my desk. So I don’t have any problem with the seal. it is just something we were doing artistically and historically.

Listen here:

Cuccinelli did not mention “seal law” anywhere in the statement he put out to explain the pins, and has not suggested it as the reason behind the change thus far. According to the website of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, who is “charged by law with being the keeper of the seal,” the use of the seal is prohibited for “nongovernmental purposes“:

Section 1-505 of the Code of Virginia provides that the seals of the Commonwealth are deemed the property of the Commonwealth; and no persons shall exhibit, display, or in any manner utilize the seals or any facsimile or representation of the seals of the Commonwealth for nongovernmental purposes unless such use is specifically authorized.

Although Cuccinelli paid for the pin with money from his political action committee, he handed them out to his gubernatorial staff members — who are paid by Virginia taxpayers. A call placed by ThinkProgress to Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office for clarification has not yet been returned.

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