Friday News Roundup - Domestic
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-09-21/friday-news-roundup-domestic
New polls showed President Barack Obama opening up a lead over Republican challenger Mitt Romney, who tried to reshape his message following a damaging videotape from a fundraiser. The Justice Department found that federal agents and prosecutors ignored risks to the public from its "Fast and Furious" operation. And Chicago's first teachers' strike in 25 years ended. David Corn of Mother Jones magazine, Jeanne Cummings of Bloomberg News and Matthew Continetti of The Washington Freebeacon join guest host Susan Page for analysis of the week's top national news stories.
Guests
Jeanne Cummings
deputy government editor for Bloomberg News.
David Corn
Washington bureau chief for Mother Jones magazine and author of the new book "Showdown: The Inside Story of How Obama Fought Back Against Boehner, Cantor, and the Tea Party."
Matthew Continetti
editor-in-chief, The Washington Freebeacon
Friday News Roundup Video
Mother Jones reporter David Corn, who broke the news about the leaked Mitt Romney fundraiser video, discussed why the video had so much impact. "You see Mitt Romney uncut, raw, behind the scenes. And I think everyone wants to see candidates like that to get a sense of who and what they're really like," Corn said. Matthew Continetti, editor-in-chief of The Washington Freebeacon, said the video led to a decoupling of conservative elites from the Romney campaign. Bloomberg Newseditor Jeanne Cummings said the video is important because it's a test of a candidate's likability and compassion.
Comments
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Susan Page, I have so much respect for you. I think you are a great woman journalist, but I am so disappointed with the pro-Obama slant of today's program. I don't think your panel represented the 2 sides of the Romney Obama race in any real respect. The video is going to produce new votes for Romney and there is already clear evidence of that. For the first time, I had to turn off the radio because I could not listen to this liberal brainwashing. I guess I can't rely on this program for a balanced discussion. Diane's staff is so liberal they can't really do their job. It isn't fair for you to receive government funding when you have a political agenda.
Susan Page, I have so much respect for you. I think you are a great woman journalist, but I am so disappointed with the pro-Obama slant of today's program. I don't think your panel represented the 2 sides of the Romney Obama race in any real respect. The video is going to produce new votes for Romney and there is already clear evidence of that. For the first time, I had to turn off the radio because I could not listen to this liberal brainwashing. I guess I can't rely on this program for a balanced discussion. Diane's staff is so liberal they can't really do their job. It isn't fair for you to receive government funding when you have a political agenda.
I would just like to congratulate David Corn on what may be the scoop of the year. Watching Romney insult what must be closer to 75% of the population in one paragraph was jaw dropping. David should win an award for saving the country from this total cluster(redacted).
Ah well! No matter what anyone says, there's always someone around to tell you what you want to hear. The Republicans and the Democrats are masters of the art.
Which, in a way, is just as well. Most Americans can no longer handle the truth anyway.
Last night Brian Williams show featured a segment in which Ted Koppel interviewed various political celebs......Anne Coulter, Bill Maher, Bill O'Reilly.
The topic was the rancor evolving among politicos on TV. The piece was relatively civil and presented some of the contrary remarks from left and right spectra.
The boldest take was that Mr. O'Reilly basically acknowledged that there are huge dollars to be made by being outspoken and oppostional. He said that cable TV is less expensive to execute and the polarization of audiences are great for ratings.
None of this is really "news" to TV viewers but surely means viewers are being knowingly manipulated.......NOT to achieve any political result in particular......rather to haul in humongous profits. Mr. Bill was actually jovial in his revelations.
By the way, the radio program LRC does attempt to present three genuine political streams of thought. Having conservative speakers such as the late Tony Blankley, David Frum, Mary Matlin, and a number of rightist literati present their thoughts alongside Robert Scheer on the left and Matt Miller in the polite center has been a long-standing success since it intentionally downplays "the screaming talking heads" so prevalent in cable networks. Unfortunately, the program runs less than 30 minutes.......barely a teardrop in an ocean of blaring voices.
Some fair points, HA, except that I don't know why anyone would listen to anything Maher has to say. He is a foul-mouthed hater - nothing more. Without his foul mouth and his hate, he'd be flipping burgers at McDonalds.
I wouldn't want to hear from him if he was on the RIGHT!
NPR is horribly BIASED TONIGHT! Too many arrogant snide remarks. You don't understand that Obama is the problem but you are too dumb to realize it. Debt, his inability to deal with the job inside, give aways, and weak international policies- a failure! Are you paid by Obama?
Give it up Mustang.
To think that anyone in this position is paid by the President is just silly. The President is doing a wonderful job. It is you mossbacks who can't seem to understand. Dumb...that is you.
An excellent show in the service of the Committee-to-Re-Elect.
I'm thinking that your usual listener is unusually dull and wouldn't be interested in knowing why the tape is truncated precisely during the portion that Mr. Corn is in such high dungeon about - but in your haste you forgot to ask.
Well, as Nixon's secretary used to say "Things happen."
partisan, you've got a heck of a lot of nerve too!!!!
"Sounds like Mitt Romney hit a nerve with you permanent victims. You can always tell when the truth has been told by the extremes of the over reaction."
Partisan the banking industry has been a "permanent victim." Bonus' talk about your victims, the banks are all victims. Big, big, big, bonus' for running the nation into the ground.
Not to mention the investment guys. Ya, I want to put my social security with this brain trust.
Partisan, lets talk about CEOS in the banking industry friend, who got millions of dollars worth of bonus' for running the last 4 years of the economy this President has had to deal with into the ground. Paid for by me and you Mr. Partisan. Taxpayers, which would exclude a lot of rich folks with 13% tax rates on capital gains. You've got a lot of nerve. This morning I heard on NPR that the big guys running American Airlines are passing out bonus. Worth millions to them selves while denying pilots.
You demonstrate to me which CEOs are worth millions of dollars in bonus when they can't pay their employees a living wage. While still running the country into the ditch.
What you said to Teece Bowman and wrote: "That assumes his goal was to improve the economy and not bring it to a point where hardship and desperation would reshape American values and expectations to the welcoming of a government takeover of every aspect of our lives. "
That would all be ok Partisan if you Republicans hadn't brought us all to our knees, hardship, job loss' in the 100K level every month in 2009 when this president took office. Where were you then Partisan, talking about Banking and Corporate bailouts, handouts, bonus' and pure greed.
Partisan it's ok to be partisan, but it is not ok to reinvent reality. Millions and millions in bonus' Partisan. I know welfare when I see it. Corporate and bank welfare.
@Dianediane: Oh boo hoo..... for one single show the lefties got their collective butts handed to them and you feel it was disproportionate. Welcome to my world. So 99% of the time (and especially when Diane is present) the odds and ideology is stacked left leaning on this show. A publicly funded show should be fairly balanced but that has never been the case with NPR. Those on the left say they are fair and balanced, those on the right say they are fair and balanced, those in the middle sit on their hands? Get a life and deal with the issues in an honest debate forum that is scored upon factual and tactual merit and not on accomplishing ideological goals like yours. BOO HOO HOOO Wahh Wahhhh!!!!!!!
Riley1 wrote: "That would all be ok Partisan if you Republicans hadn't brought us all to our knees"
I'm a libertarian, but anyway it was congress and the federal reserve that caused the housing crisis which by and large brought about the meltdown. The bank bailouts were a desperate attempt to keep the whole system from collapsing and as far as I can tell no main stream politician would have done any different, by the way it's purpose was to save the middle and lower classes.
I'm getting pretty confident now in thinking that Obama will win, I just do not see how Romney can overcome the mainstream media liberal bias that probably most of the swayable voters listen too, add the republican pundits who also bash Romney when he does make a stand for the most minor grievance I just don't see how he has a chance. One thing about the libs they are in lock step in their support, if one gets out of line the very next day their back retracting their comments. What a pity the American public is so dumbed down that they pick politicians like their picking winners for an American Idol popularity contest, we have the government we deserve.
If anyone saw the Univision Obama interview they would see what a news media operation is suppose to do, ask real questions. If Obama was questioned like any republican would be in the same situation the poles would be much different.
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2012/09/21/hector-barreto-on-u...
I'm still amazed that so many people don't seem to realize that the President has too little power to determine the direction the country will go. The direction we will go will be determined by the legislative, who will (or not) pass the laws, and the judicial, who will determine if those laws are (or not) legal.
In addition, both the legislative and judicial branches of government have been corrupted by big money.
And yet, we STILL believe that the President is such a major factor.
The only thing I can figure out is that educators have indeed "dumbed down" our populace.
gary k wrote: "I'm still amazed that so many people don't seem to realize that the President has too little power to determine the direction the country will go"
I don't think you understand the implications of Obamacare and deficit spending.
climatewiz wrote:
A publicly funded show should be fairly balanced but that has never been the case with NPR-
Let me set you straight, cli.
You're starting from an incorrect assumption or two; (1) your opinion does not stack up equally against the facts. Conservatives seem to have trouble telling the difference. NPR tries to refrain from substituting opinion for fact, something conservatives appear to be incapable of doing. (2) This is not a debate forum. The DNR website exists so people can ask questions or leave comments about the show. I think you conservatives are only here to argue and muddy the waters. I doubt that you are a member here. That means you're freeloaders who are actively trying to disrupt the purposes of the program. If you want a debate maybe you should go somewhere else.
Jim Gamble wrote: "This is not a debate forum. The DNR website exists so people can ask questions or leave comments about the show"
Explain the reply option genius? Aren't you the same guy that was caught spewing unsubstantiated sewage before? muddy the waters aye, you couldn't find your ars with both hands.
partpol wrote:
Explain the reply option, genius?
answer: Because sometimes another person knows the answer to your silly ass question. Explanation delivered.
question:
Aren't you the same guy caught spewing sewage before?
answer: Aren't you the guy who spews sewage daily?
I believe the booing that Paul Ryan recieved at the AARP yesterday proves I was correct. Seniors aren't going to vote for having their benefits cut. And Romney can't win without seniors. I believe we agree on this.
Jim Gamble wrote: "Explanation delivered"
Yeah a bad one, besides your violating your own rant by responding to me and climatewiz the way you are, hypocrite.
Glad you remembered your foolishness from before, you sighted specific data from the CBO that you could not back up and cannot be backed up. You're not fooling anyone but yourself, we got your number.
Actually you're only fooling yourself. Your whole premise for being here is flawed. People who listen to NPR are better informed than the general populace. Most of us know that conservatives have to make stuff up to support their viewpoints since the facts don't. If you've come here trying to win "debates" you're wasting your time and making a fool of yourself.
As to the previous conversation, you are also proceeding from a false assumption. You assume I care whether or not my argument convinced you. Let me make this as clear as possible: I don't have the kind of time it would take to break your brainwashing. You're just going to have to go through life deluded if you can't do it yourself.
I do want to thank you, though, if it was you who pointed out I should read the CBO if I'm going to comment on it. I got about halfway through it when I realized the CBO was just humoring Paul Ryan. They made it pretty clear that they didn't take it seriously because the underlying assumptions were so unrealistic. So my point of view on Paul Ryan's budget became much better informed as a result. Garbage in, garbage out, as they say.
As to my responses to your rediculous posts, I just enjoy pointing out to other people how wrong conservatives are. I'm well aware that most of it goes over your head, but I really don't have anything to prove. The fact that you get so serious and angry when I do, makes me laugh. So thank you for that, too!
@Jim Gamble: By the way...I am a member...for now... (1) You state "NPR tries to refrain from substituting opinions for fact, something the conservatives appear to be incapable of doing" Would you like a list of the retractions NPR has made in the past 3 years due to doing exactly that, stating opinion for fact? I also seem to remember a couple of top NPR staffers that are no longer on board for doing this. When I criticize NPR and Diane's show for it's well versed and structured left lean you bristle with disagreement. If you and the rest of the lefties are only looking for a forum where you can impress yourselves with your own "profound" views, then welcome to it. You have found it here. Enjoy your verbal masturbation... I, for one, am not impressed with your own back-slapping and bloviating.
(2) "This is not a debate forum" - you misunderstand... I agree, the DNR website is not a debate forum. The shows and panels are, however, structured loosley as such. My liberal friend if you are of the narrow, deluded mindset that all conservatives are trolls and that only views from the left are noteworthy or worthy of being viewed here, then I hope you enjoy your own small little world. I hope you enjoy talking about and answering your own questions. I know that a pompous smart-ass like you will say that at least it will be an intelligent conversation, but I say you should perhaps consider pulling your collective heads out of your left back pockets (or computer bags), as it were, take a deep breath and think before you start typing. You may actually learn something ... Peace, Out... Jimbo...
Dear Cli,
I'm glad to hear you're a member...for now? A question: if you stop being a member will you stop coming here just to disparage the show, the network, and its audience? As to the rest of that noise, its funny to watch you bloviating while accusing someone of bloviating. So at least we have that whole entertainment thing going for us.
Also, can you name a show that meets your definition of always sticking to the facts? You'll be hard pressed to find anything else that comes close to the DRS. As to that list of yours, you had to go back 3 years to put a list together? Sounds underwhelming. The staffers that are gone? Why do you think they're gone?
And one last thing. I'm actually a moderate conservative who left the party when they decided to impeach the President for doing the same things they were doing. I don't want to be associated with the riff raff of today's Republican party. When I get my party back I'll stop shining a light on the cretins who took it over.
climant, pp:
Posters like Jim Gamble are the reason I hope, when the new DRS (Hey, JG, I think DNR is the "Department of Natural Resources") mb comes along it has an "Ignore" button.
You would think that someone that is so adamant about the purpose of the DRS mb, which "guidelines" he simply made up "This is not a debate forum. The DNR website exists so people can ask questions or leave comments about the show." (see Code of Conduct and Terms of Use, nowhere do they state this, and in fact, just the opposite) would also know that "your opinion does not stack up equally against the facts. Conservatives seem to have trouble telling the difference. NPR tries to refrain from substituting opinion for fact, something conservatives appear to be incapable of doing" does not constitute a valid arugment. Also "Most of us know that conservatives have to make stuff up to support their viewpoints since the facts don't." does not constitute a valid argument.
Examples of same, which never seem to appear, would.
egbent
So you need a button to ignore me? How sad. I didn't know brainwashing worked like that. Useful information, though. I guess.
For once I shall be brief, because I am sick of hearing the punditocracy and the commentariat treat the election as a sporting event. Who's up, who's down, who's in, who's out!
Who cares?
I have three political mantras:
People who try to predict the future thereby prove they're fools.
Polling doesn't count, only voting does.
(And most important of all)
It's a long way to Election Day!
Jim Gamble wrote:
" So you need a button to ignore me? How sad. I didn't know brainwashing worked like that. Useful information, though. I guess."
I demolish your whole point about the purpose of the board, nail you on your lack of ability to back up what you say about Conservatives, and that's all ya got?! That's for proving my point!
Strudel wrote:
"I have three political mantras:
People who try to predict the future thereby prove they're fools.
Polling doesn't count, only voting does.
(And most important of all)
It's a long way to Election Day!"
Agree, 100%. See my post earlier in this thread.
I really enjoy the Diane Rehm show because sometimes I get a new perspective on an issue. This happened in this show. Someone wrote in and reminded everyone that FDR was re-elected with unemployment much higher than where we are currently. I wish the panel had discussed that more rather than reflexively saying "but since then, no one has been re-elected with unemployement this high". I understand that point, but here is what I realized. The recent recession has been compared to the great depression. Quite frankly I think it was a depression but we (government, media, etc.) did not want that reality to take hold. So the logical next question or point in my opinion is, shouldn't we be comparing the recovery to the recovery after the great depression. If this recession is worse than any other recession except the great depression, why aren't we comparing the recovery to the recovery after the great depression. I would expect this recovery to be better than the recovery after the depression, and I believe it is. I wouldn't expect the Obama campaign to point this out, but I do expect to hear this message from independent news organizations, like NPR.
egbent:
I guess I'm going to have to set you straight too. You're delusional because you think you're really doing something here. Not only are your posts irrelevant, you're irrelevant. Obama will win no matter what you do. You are powerless to stop it. You've hitched your wagon to a dead horse called the Republican party. I hope you're getting paid to post here because that's all you're going to get out of it. And the fact that you think posting at the DRS website will somehow make a difference would be sad if it weren't so freaking stupid. But thanks for the laughs!
@Jim Gamble
Still bloviating Jimbo??? Looks like if you can't address the issues directly and with accuracy you are intent on hurling insults and idiotic comments. "Obama will win no matter what you do". "You are powerless to stop it"???? Really? The way I look at it is, there are going to be a lot of people who read your posts here who are going to make sure that in November their votes will effectively cancel out yours. The only ones in this nation who will end up "powerless" are those who choose to be Obamabots and turn every aspect of their lives over to the government. I would laugh at your comments if they were funny, but I actually feel sorry for your deluded pathetic old hide. You not only drank the koolaid my friend, but you are actually making more and the President's campaign spin doctors are trying to add lots more sugar to your batch... keep carrying that koolaid for Obama Gunga Din...
I begin to suspect the GOP pays people to call into NPR.
Nancy Jean from Florida: "It's disrespectful and it helps me decide for Romney."
Like someone turned on their radio at 10 a.m. and decided to vote for Romney because they disliked the tone of a NPR guest?
Or if this how people decide how to vote, I guess we've got the government we deserve.