August 14, 2014

David Gregory Is OFFICIALLY FIRED As Chuck Todd Takes Over NBC’s MEET THE PRESS

BUH-BYE SHILL!!..............IN COMES THE TOAD!......................




The axe finally fell today as David Gregory confirmed that he is out at Meet The Press, and is leaving NBC. Chuck Todd will be the new host of the Sunday morning staple. David Gregory got the boot fast. This was a literal don’t let the door hit you on the butt on the way out. According to CNN, “The sources confirmed widespread speculation that David Gregory, the moderator of the iconic Sunday morning public affairs program for the past six years, will be replaced by Todd. One of the sources said the transition will be swift — so swift that Gregory will not even host “Meet the Press” this weekend.” Gregory confirmed his departure on Twitter:





Gregory won’t get a farewell show. He won’t get to say goodbye on the air. This is all proof that the bosses at NBC have convinced that the show’s problems are all about Gregory. They are going to be in for a rude wake up call if the Chuck Todd era doesn’t bring back the viewers that the show lost after the death of Tim Russert. In reality, David Gregory is getting what he deserved. He isn’t a political journalist, and his lack of interest in the subject matter showed. Gregory repeated partisan talking points as facts and would let anyone get away with saying any untrue statement. Instead of challenging false statements, Gregory would respond with trademark mmmmhmmm. Replacing one conventional D.C. talking point machine (Gregory) with another (Todd) likely isn’t the answer.





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http://www.politicususa.com/2014/08/14/david-gregory-announces-departure-nbcs-meet-press.html

August 14, 2014

President Obama MAY ACCEPT The Boehner Challenge To TACKLE IMMIGRATION ON HIS OWN

Said Bill Rosenberg, professor of political science at Drexel University:






True that. President Obama doesn’t have to face another election. He can, perhaps for the first time since he’s been in office, spend his energy on pet projects and policies that have been senselessly and needlessly blocked by Republicans out of nothing more than petty vengeance and spite. As reported by msnbc.com, President Obama is looking for ways to double down on his 2012 executive order allowing the “DREAMers” - immigrants brought to the U.S. as children – to stay in this country without fear of deportation. This time, he’s hoping to help “as many as 5 to 8 million undocumented immigrants” currently living in the U.S. And he appears to be keen to accept House Speaker John Boehner’s challenge for the President to act unilaterally on immigration.

Of course, despite the fact that President Obama has deported more than a million undocumented immigrants (which has even earned him the not-so-fond nickname “Deporter-in-Chief” from the left), right-wing conspiracy theories abound on why President Obama is contemplating these steps on behalf of undocumented immigrants: He’s personally sneaking into the U.S. tens of thousands of refugee children to create a new generation of voting Democrats; he’s hoping to create tot-size armies to take over the country and drum Republicans out; he’s trying to bait Republicans into impeachment proceedings – because something.


Here’s a one-word theory that explains everything: Compassion.

It’s not like President Obama’s efforts on behalf of undocumented immigrants are unprecedented – and, in fact, the lawsuit Republicans intend to bring against the President is not for executive overreach on immigration. Reagan, by executive order, eased immigration standards for a couple hundred thousand fleeing Nicaraguan refugees; President Bush Sr. halted deportation of Chinese students for four years; Clinton aided Salvadoran immigrants by delaying their deportation; George W. took all kinds of actions, including signing the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (which Republicans now seek to roll back), signing an executive order granting 150,000 Salvadorans the right to remain in the country after an earthquake, and a year later signing another one which sped up naturalization proceedings for green card holders who’d enlisted in the military and eliminated the three-year waiting period. The difference, some say, is the “emergency” nature of past presidents’ executive orders on immigration, unlike President Obama’s “blanket” relief for the Dream’ers and what he’s contemplating at present – but that’s hogwash. To many of us, 57,000 Central American children fleeing gang warfare and even death is what is commonly known as an “emergency.” And, in this country, undocumented immigrants are under constant scrutiny and even danger from weekend warriors who patrol the border and racially profile at the behest and with the approval of Republican lawmakers. Some action needs to be taken to protect both those who flee their dangerous home countries to come here for sanctuary, and those who are already here, contributing to the nation in a myriad of ways.





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http://www.addictinginfo.org/2014/08/13/president-obama-may-accept-the-boehner-challenge-to-tackle-immigration-on-his-own/

August 14, 2014

Potent Hashtag #IfTheyGunnedMeDown Points To Media Manipulating Black Images (IMAGES)

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http://www.addictinginfo.org/2014/08/13/potent-hashtag-iftheygunnedmedown-points-to-media-manipulating-black-image-images-images/

August 14, 2014

Snowden Reveals NSA Program Described as 'LAST STRAW' Before Leak

In an in-depth interview published by Wired Magazine on Wednesday, Edward Snowden discloses what government activities proved to be the "last straw," prompting the whistleblower to expose the depths of the National Security Agency's secret surveillance operation. Speaking with investigative journalist James Bamford—who blew the whistle on a government eavesdropping program when stationed in Hawaii during the Vietnam War and later wrote a number of best-selling books about government secrecy and the NSA—Snowden reveals how a botched U.S. government hacking operation caused Syria's 2012 internet blackout.


Bamford writes:





Snowden also revealed that, after the operatives realized what they had done, one jokingly said: “If we get caught, we can always point the finger at Israel.” During his clandestine meeting with Bamford, Snowden disclosed for the first time the existence of another "Strangelovian cyberwarfare program," codenamed MonsterMind, which he described as the ultimate threat to privacy. Like other programs before it, MonsterMind automated the process of searching for the beginnings of a foreign cyberattack. Unique to the program, however, was that once a suspected attack was detected, MonsterMind would fire back with no human involvement. Snowden explained to Bamford that this is problematic because attacks are often routed through a third-party country. “You could have someone sitting in China, for example, making it appear that one of these attacks is originating in Russia. And then we end up shooting back at a Russian hospital. What happens next?”


“And if we're analyzing all traffic flows, that means we have to be intercepting all traffic flows," said Snowden. "That means violating the Fourth Amendment, seizing private communications without a warrant, without probable cause or even a suspicion of wrongdoing. For everyone, all the time.” Snowden spoke at length with Bamford about his motivations for blowing the whistle on the NSA, but said it was learning about these two particular government operations—along with the existence of the NSA's massive data repository center located in Utah—that finally pushed him over the edge.




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http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/08/13/snowden-reveals-nsa-program-described-last-straw-leak

August 13, 2014

ADVICE For "Meet the Press"

It's time to bring back a Washington institution. Yesterday, Politico's Mike Allen broke the news that Chuck Todd, NBC's political director and chief White House correspondent, is the favorite to replace David Gregory and take over the helm at "Meet The Press." An official announcement on the switch is expected to be made in the next few weeks according to Allen. Of course, this news doesn't really come as a surprise to anyone who's been watching "Meet The Press" of late. Ever since the death of Tim Russert in 2008, "Meet the Press" has floundered, often finding itself at the bottom of the Sunday news show ratings. In fact, the show has seen some of its worst ratings ever under David Gregory.


As a change looms at "Meet the Press," it's worth taking a look at how this once great pillar of political news television has ended up at the bottom of the ratings barrel, and how it can be made great again. And to be fair, it's not all David Gregory's fault. Simply swapping him out for Chuck Todd won't right the ship. One of the major problems with "Meet The Press" of late is that the show assumes that its audience is not following the news, and has no clue about the week's events. But, as Jason Linkins points out over at The Huffington Post, the majority of the people that tune into "Meet the Press" are "well-versed in the stories of the week," and have, "already absorbed the talking points of the major players, availed themselves of a wealth of insight and expertise, and have even participated in their own discussions on current events." Basically, the show's producers appear to think its viewers are a lot dumber and a lot more uninformed than they actually are.


So, when people tune in on Sundays and hear the same old talking points from the same old pundits and politicos, they get bored and change the channel. As Linkins puts it, "One doesn't get the sense that the producers of 'Meet The Press' have in any way accounted for the sophistication of the show's potential audience." And, since the show underestimates its audience, it brings on guests who really can't contribute much to serious debates. Similarly, the show rarely brings on experts on individual issues. Instead, it relies on political pundits, strategists, and analysts who are just reciting either bumper stickers or conventional wisdom. That leads to a lot more "spin" on the issues, and fewer insightful discussions and debates. The result is that big-name guests are thrown softball questions, instead of the hard-hitting grillings that the show was known for back in its early days. Believe it or not, there was a time on "Meet The Press" when lawmakers who went on the show weren't given the red-carpet treatment. Instead, regardless of their political affiliations, they were barraged with questions, and often made to feel uncomfortable, all in the name of enlightening the American people. So, those are some of the major problems that have dragged "Meet the Press" down in recent years.




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http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/25536-advice-for-meet-the-press

August 13, 2014

The WIFE Of A Texas Anti-Gay Group’s President LEAVES HIM For Another Woman

This coach-roach got squished by his own hatred.



A major player in the conservative movement in Texas may have a distinctly personal reason for hating homosexuality: his wife recently left him to begin a relationship with a woman. Ouch. The Lone Star Q obtained court documents regarding conservative political activist and recently named president of the anti-gay group Texas Values, Jonathan Saenz’s split with his wife in 2011. During the divorce filings, it was revealed that Saenz’s wife had been engaged in a romantic relationship with a woman while the two were still married. Needless to say the deeply conservative, deeply religious Saenz didn’t handle it well. His personal history with homosexuality may explain why the man went from merely “anti-gay” to full homophobe in the last few years. As Lone Star Q explains:




Only a year later, Saenz pivoted from conservative jack-of-all-trades to anti-gay movement icon when he was named president of Texas Values, a spinoff of the preposterously offensive right-wing group, Liberty Legal Institute. According to the divorce papers, Saenz had initially tried to bar his kids from even seeing his ex-wife’s girlfriend. He also wanted his ex-wife to undergo a psychological evaluation with a psychologist of his choosing before he would agree to let his kids live with her. Both requests were denied. A regular on Fox, some of Saenz’s handiwork includes: vehemently opposing any workplace anti-discrimination protections for LGBT employees, pushing long-debunked myths which paints gay people as sexual deviants and potential pedophiles, and in at least one case claiming that “gay rights supporters” wanted to put opponents of LGBT equality in concentration camps.




- He’s also a big advocate of Texas Republicans’ equally troubling position that homosexuality can be changed through conversion therapy.









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http://www.addictinginfo.org/2014/08/13/the-wife-of-a-texas-anti-gay-groups-president-leaves-him-for-another-woman/

August 13, 2014

Israeli BACKLASH Follows UN Appointment of Gaza War Crimes Commission

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The United Nations Human Rights Council on Monday announced the appointment of experts to carry out an independent commission charged with investigating possible war crimes during the month-long assault on Gaza that has killed nearly 2,000 Palestinians and 67 Israelis. On July 23 the Council adopted a resolution to launch the inquiry into possible violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws during the assault. The United States issued the sole vote against setting up the inquiry. The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office was quick to criticize the resolution, saying in July that the inquiry would be carried out by "a kangaroo court" and whose "predictable result will be the libeling of Israel." The announcement Monday prompted backlash from Israeli officials who said that Canadian law professor William Schabas, who will head the three-member panel, holds an anti-Israel bias. “The report has already been written and the only question is who signs it,” the Jerusalem Post reports the Israeli Foreign Ministry as saying.



Foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told Agence France-Presse Tuesday, "For this commission the important thing is not human rights but the rights of terrorist organizations like Hamas." Schabas shot back, telling public radio, "I've frequently lectured in Israel, at universities in Israel, I'm a member of the editorial board of the Israel law review, I wouldn't do those things if I was anti-Israel." "As far as I'm concerned [the conclusions of the report] are not written at all, that's the whole point of an investigation," he continued. In an interview with the Canadian Press, Schabas added, "Like everybody inside and outside Israel, I disagree with people. Is everyone in Israel who has an opinion about Netanyahu anti-Israel?" Joining Schabas on the Commission is Senegalese lawyer Doudou Diène, a former UN Special Rapporteur on racism. Though the Council indicated Monday that the third member of the Commission would be British-Lebanese lawyer Amal Alamuddin, she issued a statement Monday that though she "strongly believes that there should be an independent investigation and accountability for crimes that have been committed,” previous commitments prevent her from taking on this role.




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http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/08/12/israeli-backlash-follows-un-appointment-gaza-war-crimes-commission

August 13, 2014

“Running As Dems While SOUNDING REPUBLICAN.” Hey, What Could Go Wrong?

They say that one swallow doesn’t make a summer, and one Politico story certainly doesn’t make a campaign season. But if a recent article there is correct – if the Democratic Party’s strategy this year really is “Running as a Dem (while) sounding like a Republican” – then the party may be headed for a disaster of epic but eminently predictable proportions. “It’s one thing for Democrats running in red parts of the country to sound like Republicans on the campaign trail,” writes Alex Isenstadt. “It’s another when Democrats running in purple or even blue territory try to do so. Yet that’s what’s happening in race after race this season.”


Red Dems

Certainly this isn’t true of every race. Populist Sen. Elizabeth Warren has been brought in to help with Senate contests in several red states, for example. And a recent commentary (in Politico, come to think of it) argued that “an ascendant progressive and populist movement … is on the verge of taking over the party.” So which is it? Are Dems tacking left or veering right? The answer isn’t clear yet. But Isenstadt offers some worrisome anecdotes. He points to several Democratic candidates who are recycling Republican rhetoric, even in districts that went for Barack Obama in the 2012 election. Isenstadt highlights, for example, a campaign video and accompanying material from Colorado Democrat Andrew Romanoff. Romanoff’s video is indistinguishable from a Republican’s, complete with a Paul Ryan-style graph of “soaring” federal debt and admonitions that “you don’t buy things you can’t pay for.” Iowa State Sen. Staci Appel, running for a congressional seat there, is touting her record of opposition to government spending. Isenstadt also cites an Arizona candidate whose ads emphasize added border patrols, and an Arkansas candidate whose TV spot emphasizes a balanced budget and reducing regulations.


Past Shock

You’ve heard of “future shock”? These stories bring on a sensation that might be called “past shock.” That’s the sense that recent history is reappearing at a troubling and lightning-fast speed. These stories are likely to trigger a severe case of déjà vu in anyone who has followed U.S. politics for very long. Democratic rhetoric began echoing GOP talking points in 1994 under President Bill Clinton – and Democrats lost control of the House. When Democratic rhetoric once again tacked right in 2010 under President Barack Obama, Republicans ran to their left with a “Seniors’ Bill of Rights” – and the Democrats lost the House once more. They can’t lose it again, since they no longer hold it. But they can lose more seats, and they can give up the Senate, too. They already have their work cut out for them. President Obama, their party’s leader, may very well spend the next 90 days defending renewed military action in Iraq. Hillary Clinton, the party’s presumptive 2016 candidate, is likely to spend the time between now and Election Day repeating her Republican-like, hawkish foreign policy talk. And these Democratic Congressional candidates will be repeating GOP economic talking points on the home front, too. That’s not “change you can believe in” – unless you’re talking about a change in Senate leadership.




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http://crooksandliars.com/2014/08/running-dems-while-sounding-republican-hey

August 12, 2014

Obama Adviser SLAMS HILLARY CLINTON For Criticizing The President’s Foreign Policy

BAM!!....................


Obama adviser David Axelrod took to Twitter to slam Hillary Clinton after she criticized the president’s foreign policy. Former Sec. of State Clinton was trying to define her own candidacy when recently criticized the president’s foreign policy by saying, “Great nations need organizing principles, and “Don’t do stupid stuff” is not an organizing principle. It may be a necessary brake on the actions you might take in order to promote a vision.” Obama adviser David Axelrod fired back at Clinton on Twitter:





The perception of a difference of opinion between Clinton and the Obama administration is a good thing for her 2016 candidacy. The two biggest criticisms that Hillary Clinton is going to face as a candidate are that she is a return to the past and that her victory would represent a third Obama term.


Former Sec. Clinton was obviously making a play for moderate and conservative voters. The problem is that the people who vote in Democratic primaries, and activists on the left, widely support the president’s foreign policy. In a statement, Ilya Sheyman, Executive Director of MoveOn Political Action blasted Clinton, “Secretary Clinton, and any other person thinking about seeking the Democratic nomination in 2016, should think long and hard before embracing the same policies advocated by right-wing war hawks that got America into Iraq in the first place and helped set the stage for Iraq’s troubles today. These hawkish policy stances are also threatening to undermine the peaceful international resolution of Iran’s nuclear program. Voters elected President Obama in 2008 to bring the war in Iraq to an end. MoveOn members will continue to stand with elected officials who oppose military escalation that could put us back on a path to endless war.”


There is a bit of the same troubling pattern that Democrats saw in 2008 emerging again with the potential Clinton campaign. In 2008, many thought that the Clinton campaign took the Democratic nomination for granted. It was as if some on Team Clinton felt entitled to the nomination. Until recently, Former Sec. Clinton had done a good job of not repeating the mistakes of the past, but her comments definitely rubbed those on the left, who have never forgiven her defense of her Iraq war vote, the wrong way.




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http://www.politicususa.com/2014/08/12/obama-adviser-slams-hillary-clinton-criticizing-presidents-foreign-policy.html

August 12, 2014

Actor James Woods And Fans Go On Twitter To FANTASIZE ABOUT WATCHING Obama And Clinton DIE

James Woods.....a sh*t face, low-grade actor!...........Here, let me toast you.....







Actor and compulsive Obama-hater James Woods decided to take a break from his usual incessant complaints about how President Obama is destroying America to instead actively fantasize about watching him die along with Hillary Clinton. Furthermore, rather than be disgusted by the rhetoric, his fans reacted with enthusiasm, quickly chiming in to lend support. It started with a meme that Woods had come across that he posted despite claiming he usually tries to “keep it on the high road” (not true).




The picture is of Obama and Clinton and the caption reads: “If Obama and Hillary were both drowning and you only had time to save one… which kind of sandwich would you make?” Political disagreements aside, the idea of wishing the president would slowly drown while you watched just because you didn’t vote for him is pretty disturbing. Unfortunately, Woods fans didn’t take it that way. Many specified exactly what they would make if they were watching Democrats drown:















Yeah, give them a “legit trial” before killing them for the crime of being unpopular with conservative actor James Woods. As for Woods, it isn’t surprising that it has come to this. The man has been in a six-year meltdown over Barack Obama being elected that seems to be getting worse. Friends or family should probably check on him. The sort of seething anger he daily spews about Democrats can’t be healthy. Amazingly, Woods blames liberal Hollywood for destroying his career because he doesn’t like the President and not because he casually fantasizes about watching him die. In 2013, Woods told his fans that he had essentially been banned from making movies because of his opinions but refused to stop hating the President because he was a true patriot. After referring to Obama as an “abomination,” Woods tweeted:






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http://www.addictinginfo.org/2014/08/07/actor-james-woods-and-fans-go-on-twitter-to-fantasize-about-watching-obama-and-clinton-die/