The Hollywood Liberal

Despite Hitting Critics Who Didn?t Read SB-1070, Palin Condemns Newsweek Story Without Even Seeing It
Newsweek’s new cover features former Alaska governor Sarah Palin with a halo around her head and the words “Saint Sarah.” The accompanying article by Lisa Miller explores Palin’s popularity with the religious right, especially Christian women. While Miller notes the feminist criticisms directed at Palin and wonders about her “real motivations,” the article is certainly […]

Newsweek’s new cover features former Alaska governor Sarah Palin with a halo around her head and the words “Saint Sarah.” The accompanying article by Lisa Miller explores Palin’s popularity with the religious right, especially Christian women. While Miller notes the feminist criticisms directed at Palin and wonders about her “real motivations,” the article is certainly not a hit piece. “With her new faith-based message, Palin gathers up the Christian women that traditional feminism has left behind,” writes Miller.

But Palin wouldn’t know all this, because she hasn’t read the article. Nevertheless, on Friday, she went on the Fox News show of her good friend Greta Van Susteren and slammed it:

VAN SUSTEREN: Well, who could forget that infamous Newsweek cover? It shows Governor Sarah Palin in short shorts, running shorts. Well, check out Newsweek’s latest Palin cover. Things are a little different this time. It shows Governor Palin with a halo over her head. The headline, “Saint Sarah.” Now, the article’s about Governor Palin’s appeal to conservative Christian women.

Governor Palin is back with us. Governor, what do you make of the new cover? Now it’s Saint Sarah?

PALIN: Haven’t seen it, but if the title and what I hear about the content is any indication of where Newsweek is going, it’s no wonder that Newsweek is doing so poorly. People are not reading that stuff. It’s not relevant. It’s not interesting stuff that they’re making up and writing. And that’s why they’re going down.

Watch it:

On Twitter, the Washington Post’s Howard Kurtz criticized Palin for mocking it before reading it. “My point on Palin is, read the Newsweek piece and then rip it,” he wrote. “Rip Newsweek too, fair game. Cover WAS mocking. But engage on the substance.”

What makes Palin’s criticism even more ridiculous is that she has sharply reprimanded critics of Arizona’s anti-immigration law who haven’t read the full legislation. From her Facebook page on May 18:

On Fox News this morning, State Department Spokesman P.J. Crowley became the third Obama administration official in short succession to admit that he hadn’t actually bothered to read Arizona’s 10-page long “secure the border” bill before condemning it and criticizing Americans who support Arizona’s necessary efforts to do the job the Obama Administration should be doing. Crowley’s statement follows similar admissions from Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano.

At first blush this revelation seemed unbelievable, but maybe I shouldn’t be surprised. This now seems “the Washington way” of doing things. If the party in power tells us they have to pass bills in order to find out what’s actually in them, they can also criticize bills (and divide the country with ensuing rhetoric) without actually reading them.

Maybe she didn’t get a chance to see the story because she’s too busy reading every single newspaper in the world.

House Democrats reach deal on campaign spending exemptions for businesses, other groups
House Democrats reached a compromise that would exempt the National Rifle Association and other large organizations from proposed campaign finance disclosure rules aimed primarily at large corporations, sources said Monday.



Democratic – United States – Politics – Parties – Washington

Obama’s call for economic stimulus, jobs spending a tough sell in Congress
Congressional Democrats were stewing Monday over President Obama’s urgent appeal for more spending on the economy, saying they share his goals but need more help from the White House to fend off rising concern among rank-and-file lawmakers about budget deficits.


Fiscal policy – Barack Obama – President – United States – Congress

The Fix: Conservative group hammers Reid on stimulus
1. American Crossroads, a conservative outside organization, is launching television ads today that take Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to task for the economic stimulus package passed by Congress last year.


Politics – Conservatism – Conservatives – Parties – United States Senate

Lawmakers accuse BP of ‘shortcuts’
To save time and drilling costs, BP took “shortcuts” that may have led to the oil rig explosion and the spill in the Gulf of Mexico, according to a letter released Monday by two House Democrats leading an investigation of the disaster.


Utilities – Keyboard shortcut – RISC OS – Windows – Shareware

Lawmakers’ committee assignments and industry investments overlap
Rep. Ron Paul is captivated by gold. Over the past two decades, he has written books about the virtues of gold-backed currency. He has made uncounted speeches about the precious metal. He even took a leadership post on the House subcommittee that oversees the nation’s monetary policy, mints and g…


United States – Government – Legislative Branch – Senate – Java

Members Heavily Invested in Industries They Regulate

Protecting the Obama Brand
Joan Walsh, Salon
Two stories about President Obama this weekend pushed my growing unease with his recent moves into full-blown anxiety. They come on the heels of Tim Dickinson's devastating Rolling Stone piece laying out concrete problems with Obama's response to the BP oil spill "“ from delays in cleaning up the Minerals Management Service, distrusting scientists who correctly reported the spill was much bigger than BP said, and waiting more than a week to declare the crisis “an Oil Spill of National Significance,” which corralled new services. Maybe the most damning…

Big Labor Humbled by Blanche Lincoln’s Win
Michael Barone, Examiner
How bad a defeat did labor unions suffer when Sen. Blanche Lincoln defeated their candidate and won the Arkansas Democratic runoff last week? That's like asking how Custer fared at Little Big Horn.Like Custer, the unions bet heavily, putting something like $10 million into Arkansas to support Lincoln's challenger, Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, since he started his campaign in early March. And they did so for good reason. Receive news alertsUnion leaders desperately need Congress to pass their card check bill, which would effectively abolish the secret ballot in unionization elections. Card…