January 28, 2014

Romney Still Isn't Over That Benghazi Debate

IGOR BOBIC – JANUARY 28, 2014, 11:07 AM EST

He may have suffered a resounding defeat to President Obama in 2012, but Mitt Romney still can't quite get over a debate in which he says the moderator improperly fact checked one his statements about the Sept. 11, 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya.

Appearing on the Hugh Hewitt radio show Monday, the former governor of Massachusetts said that CNN's Candy Crowley shouldn't have waded into an exchange about whether the President called the attack an act of terror the following morning in a statement in the White House Rose Garden.

"Well, I don’t think it’s the role of the moderator in a debate to insert themselves into the debate and to declare a winner or a loser on a particular point," Romney said of the October, 2012 debate, as quoted by Mediaite. "And I must admit that, at that stage, I was getting a little upset at Candy, because in a prior setting where I was to have had the last word, she decided that Barack Obama was to get the last word despite the rules that we had."

While Obama did refer to "acts of terror" in the statement, his administration later attributed the attack to a spontaneous protest against an inflammatory video.

more
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/romney-still-isn-t-over-that-benghazi-presidential-debate

January 28, 2014

McCain Responds To Ariz. GOP Censure: 'If Anything, It Fires Me Up'

CAITLIN MACNEAL – JANUARY 28, 2014, 10:47 AM EST

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) on Monday responded to the Arizona Republican Party's decision to censure the senator for supporting legislation "associated with liberal Democrats."

"If anything, it fires me up," McCain told Politico. McCain said that he has won elections with comfortable margins, and added that the conservative Arizona residents who do oppose him make up a "very small portion" of voters.

"We've got polling data that shows overwhelming support," he said. "I've won every election in Arizona by very large margins, quite often with the opposition of that element of the party."

The resolution passed by the Arizona GOP charged that McCain supported Obamacare, which the senator rebutted to Politico. "I led the fight for 25 days on the floor of the Senate," he said about his opposition to the law.

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http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/mccain-arizona-censure-fires-me-up

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Palin Defends McCain After Censure By Arizona GOP

DANIEL STRAUSS – JANUARY 28, 2014, 10:41 AM EST

Sarah Palin is coming to the defense of Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) after the senior senator from Arizona was censured by Republicans in Arizona who dubbed him a "Republican In Name Only."

In a post on her Facebook page Palin on Monday, McCain's former presidential running mate, says that she may not always agree with the senator on everything but "it's perplexing to see Senator McCain’s good efforts to uncover the Obama agenda being ignored and perhaps even hindered now by those wanting to censure the Arizona Senator."

"Despite our differences on some other issues, there is no questioning Senator McCain’s dedication to national security in spite of the White House’s agenda," Palin continued.

Over the weekend the Maricopa County Republican Committee voted to censure McCain for having, according to the Maricopa Republicans, a "long and terrible record of drafting, co-sponsoring and voting for legislation best associated with Liberal Democrats." That effort to censure McCain was organized and pushed by tea party Republicans in the state.

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http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/palin-defends-mccain-censure-tea-party

January 28, 2014

Unemployment rates fall in 39 US states last month

Source: ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON (AP) — Unemployment rates fell in four-fifths of US states in December and rose in just two, though most of the improvement stemmed from unemployed Americans giving up on their job searches.

The Labor Department says that employers in 30 states added jobs, the fewest to report gains since August. Nineteen states reported job losses.

Nationwide, employers added just 74,000 jobs last month, the fewest in three years and much lower than the average of 214,000 in the previous four months. Economists attributed some of the slowdown to cold weather.

The unemployment rate fell to 6.7 percent, the lowest in more than five years. But the decline occurred mostly because more people stopped looking for work. The government only counts people as unemployed if they are actively looking for work.

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Read more: http://www.salon.com/2014/01/28/unemployment_rates_fall_in_39_us_states_last_month/

January 28, 2014

The right’s single-mom mistake: Why their latest attacks are clueless and doomed

Republicans are fast losing ground with single moms -- and falsely painting Wendy Davis as a gold digger won't help

CAROLYN EDGAR

When I was in law school at Harvard, I didn’t know Wendy Davis, the Democratic Texas state senator now running for governor of Texas, although we were in the same graduating class. But Davis’ story reminds me of other young mothers I knew at Harvard, some of whom were single mothers. Whether married or single, the mothers in our class were fortunate enough to have a network that assisted them in raising their children while they pursued their educational and career dreams. Each woman’s network was unique to her circumstances, but generally consisted of a supportive co-parent (whether a husband or ex-husband, a partner, a step-parent, or a combination of the above) and extensive support from family and friends who believed the rewards of a Harvard Law School education were worth the short-term sacrifice.

Conservatives are now attempting to discredit Davis’s up-by-her-bootstraps story by questioning the period Davis spent as a single mother between her first and second marriages, and by casting her as a bad mother for supposedly putting her career before her children. These efforts rightly have been derided as sexist. But while the broadsides at Davis are rapidly approaching the point of parody, they also illustrate why Republicans have had such a hard time attracting unmarried women voters in recent elections. Given the GOP’s growing unpopularity with this group, attacking Davis’ single mother story looks like a losing strategy.

By blasting Davis for her so-called lies, Republicans hope to erode Davis’ support among women. Naomi Schaefer Riley, in a biting New York Post Op-Ed titled “Wendy Davis has no future in politics,” declared that “Americans will forgive a lot in a politician. But a woman who leaves her kids is just beyond the pale.” Ann Coulter, with her usual subtlety, called Davis a “gold-digger who found a sugar daddy to raise her kids and pay for her education.”

Schaefer Riley and Coulter are correct that there are women who will be turned off by Davis’ story – namely, conservative women who were already turned off by Davis’ allegiance to the Democratic Party and her pro-choice stance. But conservative pundits and commentators are, once again, underestimating the ability of women voters to determine for themselves what does and doesn’t appeal to them.

more
http://www.salon.com/2014/01/28/gops_single_mom_mistake_why_their_latest_attacks_are_clueless_and_doomed/

January 28, 2014

My personal Fox News nightmare: Inside a month of self-induced torture

I'm a card-carrying member of the ACLU. Here's what happened when I watched 3 hours of Fox every day for a month

JOHN HAGGERTY

One October evening, in the midst of the 2013 government shutdown, I watched Bill O’Reilly work himself into something of a state. He sat at his desk, his hands palms upward, fingers slightly curved, as if cupping something in them. “I want Hagel.” he said, staring into the camera. “I want Hagel. I want him.”
A casual observer might interpret this moment as O’Reilly expressing his fierce but tender desire for Chuck Hagel, the Secretary of Defense. More experienced O’Reilly viewers, however, will recognize it as a signal that the unfortunate Hagel had plummeted downward in O’Reilly’s estimation from pinhead to evildoer. (There are only three kinds of people in Bill O’Reilly’s world: good hardworking Americans, pinheads—people who are not actually malevolent but who are too stupid to understand the way the world really works—and evildoers.)

I know these things about O’Reilly because, for the entire month of October, I watched Fox News for approximately three hours every day, while at the same time strictly abstaining from any other sources of information about current events. The reason I engaged in this self-induced Fox News torture was that it had become clear that the right-wing media in general, and Fox News in particular, were constructing an alternate reality than the one I live in. Fox is, of course, a great driver of public opinion.

On this occasion, in which the government shutdown had resulted in death benefits not being paid to the families of soldiers killed in action, the problem was so egregious to O’Reilly that it could not possibly result from pinheadedness. No, instead there must have been heinous forces at work, and one of the devil’s minions was Chuck Hagel.

Bill O’Reilly, it should be noted, is a man whose mind is entirely undarkened by doubt. I have seen him refuse even to consider the arguments of a Notre Dame theology professor who took exception to his interpretation of the life and message of Jesus. When Juan Williams told him that Jonathan Gruber from MIT had calculated that 80% of American citizens would find their health insurance unchanged under Obamacare, O’Reilly responded, “I don’t believe that for a second…That’s what some pinhead says. That’s not a fact.”

more
http://www.salon.com/2014/01/28/my_personal_fox_news_nightmare_inside_a_month_of_self_induced_torture/

January 28, 2014

Newt Gingrich: Hillary Clinton can’t be president because she doesn’t drive

“Here’s a woman whose effort to get back in touch with us doesn’t involve driving across America"

KATIE MCDONOUGH

New Gingrich believes Hillary Clinton should not be president because she no longer drives a car. Presidents famously do a lot of driving, so Gingrich has a point. (Just kidding, he does not have a point.)

Gingrich made the comment in an effort to frame Clinton as out of touch with regular people. Gingrich considers himself — a wealthy television host and many-times-over failed presidential candidate — one of these regular people.

“Here’s a woman whose effort to get back in touch with us doesn’t involve driving across America — or even driving to the grocery store,” he said on CNN Monday night. “It’s being chauffeured to the national auto dealers convention to tell them, quote, ‘I wish I could drive one of your cars’?”

After taking Clinton’s self-deprecating humor and turning it into some kind of indicator about her ability to lead, he accused her of “relating to foreigners” because she noted during her appearance at the National Auto Dealers Association that she understands how the rest of the world views the United States because of her time as Secretary of State.

more + video of Gangrene...I mean Gingrich:
http://www.salon.com/2014/01/28/newt_gingrich_hillary_clinton_cant_be_present_because_she_doesnt_drive/

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From yesterday:

January 28, 2014

Retiring Senator Says Nobody Is Going To Watch State Of The Union, Anyway

TOM KLUDT – JANUARY 28, 2014, 9:39 AM EST

With retirement in sight, it seems Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) is done showing unconditional reverence for tradition.

During an appearance Tuesday on "Morning Joe," Coburn was downright dismissive of the importance of both the State of the Union speech and the GOP's multiple responses to President Obama's nationally televised address before Congress.

"Well, first of all, the vast majority of America isn't going to pay attention to this speech and the vast majority of America isn't going to pay attention to any of the responses to it," Coburn, who announced earlier this month that he'll step down before his term ends, told the panelists.

A poll released Monday by Fox News indicated that Coburn isn't giving the American public enough credit. According to the poll, 31 percent said they plan to watch the speech carefully while 28 percent said they plan to watch part of the speech. Twenty-three percent said they intend to read about the speech and 17 percent said they have no interest at all.

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http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/tom-coburn-state-of-the-union

January 28, 2014

Erick Erickson Responds To Greta Van Susteren With Graphic Anti-Abortion Screed

TOM KLUDT – JANUARY 28, 2014, 7:51 AM EST

Erick Erickson is grateful to fellow Fox News colleague Greta Van Susteren. Thanks to Van Susteren, Erickson reasoned in a blog post published Monday on RedState, more people will see Texas gubernatorial hopeful Wendy Davis as the abortion lover she is.

Van Susteren unloaded on Erickson on Monday for derisively referring to Davis as "Abortion Barbie."

"I don’t care how much you disagree or agree with Texas’ Wendy Davis, you have to agree that this guy, Erick Erickson, is a real jerk and is really lousy at being a spokesperson for his views," Van Susteren, who's accused Erickson of sexism before, wrote on her blog.

But as Erickson sees it, all Van Susteren did is shine a light on the real Wendy Davis:

more:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/erick-erickson-greta-van-susteren-wendy-davis

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Fox Host: Erickson A 'Jerk' For Calling Wendy Davis An 'Abortion Barbie'

CAITLIN MACNEAL – JANUARY 27, 2014, 5:00 PM EST

Fox News host Greta Van Susteren on Monday criticized Red State editor-in-chief Erick Erickson for being "disrespectful to women," particularly Texas gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis (D), who he has called an "abortion barbie."

"I don’t care how much you disagree or agree with Texas’ Wendy Davis, you have to agree that this guy, Erick Erickson, is a real jerk and is really lousy at being a spokesperson for his views," Van Susteren wrote on her blog "GretaWire."

Van Susteren said that Erickson did not smartly argue against Davis' views, and instead acted "boorish."

"Sometimes if you are smart in your debate, you persuade someone who otherwise had disagreed with you. And then there are the creeps who take cheap shots because they are too ignorant and small to engage in an important discussion," she said. "No one should pay any attention to them – they are not persuasive, they are noise, and in some instances boorish and obnoxious."

more
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/greta-von-susteren-erickson-jerk-wendy-davis

January 28, 2014

Romney Clarifies Earlier Comment To Say Putin Is A Terrible Thug Who's Worse Than Obama

TOM KLUDT – JANUARY 28, 2014, 7:22 AM EST

Mitt Romney wanted to set the record straight on Monday night.

When he said that Vladimir Putin has "outperformed our President time and time again on the world stage," he wasn't really suggesting that the Russian president is superior to President Obama. What Romney meant to say is that it saddens him to see Putin, "terrible president" and "thug" that he is, routinely get the better of Obama.

Romney clarified his remarks during an interview with Fox News pundit Sean Hannity. The 2012 Republican presidential nominee — on a publicity blitz to promote the "Mitt," a documentary that chronicles his two White House bids — pointed to the crisis in Syria and the START Treaty as examples of Putin besting Obama.

"The President has been outmaneuvered on the world stage by President Putin," Romney told Hannity. He quickly added, "But by the way, President Putin is a terrible president." Romney then criticized Putin's character.

more
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/romney-putin-obama-outmaneuver

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original comments by Mitt are here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251350319

January 28, 2014

Christie's National Poll Numbers Plummet

Source: TPM

TOM KLUDT – JANUARY 28, 2014, 6:43 AM EST

Americans have taken a decidedly more negative view toward Chris Christie, according to a poll out Tuesday, a sign that the New Jersey governor's once-solid national profile has been damaged by the scandals surrounding his administration.

To be sure, the latest NBC/Wall Street Journal poll showed that there are still plenty of Americans who don't have an opinion of Christie. But among those who do, the Republican governor's individual rating has taken a dip.

Only 22 percent said they have a positive view of Christie, down 11 points from the NBC/WSJ poll in October. Moreover, his negative rating has climbed from 17 percent in October to 29 percent in the latest survey.

The reversal to Christie's standing dovetails with a rise in public skepticism toward his denials that he ordered or knew about the lane closures on the George Washington Bridge last summer. Forty-four percent now say that Christie is not telling the truth, while 42 percent say they buy his story. An NBC/WSJ poll earlier this month showed that 44 percent believed Christie, compared with only 33 percent who didn't think he was telling the truth.

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Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/chris-christie-poll-americans-nbc-wall-street-journal

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Chris Christie update: New polls spell trouble

Your daily recap of the latest developments from New Jersey

ELIAS ISQUITH

Here’s what you need to know about what’s going on in Christieland:

A new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll finds Christie’s favorability rating continues to drop. Just as worrisome for the Republican governor, the poll also finds most voters — 44 percent — believe Christie is not telling the whole truth about “Bridgegate” (42 percent believe Christie’s being truthful). These figures aren’t a death knell for Christie’s potential 2016 campaign, but as Republican pollster Bill McInturff puts it, the poll “changes the starting point of a national campaign.”

Another new poll, this one from Fairleigh Dickinson and PublicMind, shows 53 percent of New Jersey respondents doubt Christie’s assertion that he didn’t know anything about Bridgegate in advance.

According to a report from the Washington Post, Christie will be hitting the road soon to raise money for the Republican Governors Association, which he chairs. The embattled governor will travel to Texas, Illinois, Georgia, Utah, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Christie aides are trying to spin the trip as proof of Christie’s resilience.

Some rare good news for Christie: He beat a 13-year-old in a game of ping pong on Monday.

full article:
http://www.salon.com/2014/01/28/chris_christie_update_new_polls_spell_trouble/

UPDATE:

Christie Plays 13-Year-Old In Ping Pong, Warns Of 'Ramifications' If He Loses

TOM KLUDT – JANUARY 28, 2014, 11:26 AM EST

You're a 13-year-old kid playing a round of ping-pong against a politician accused of exacting retribution against people who don't give him what he wants. What do you do?

Ivan Fradkin faced such a proposition Monday at a Newark, N.J. Boys & Girls Club when he squared off against Chris Christie in a game of table tennis. The youngster got the better of the governor at the outset.

"You're kicking my butt, man," Christie conceded before joking that "there could be ramifications" for Fradkin. But that was before the two started keeping score. After deciding to play Fradkin to three points, Christie emerged with a close victory.

"That's it, brother," Christie said.

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Video of the game may be viewed here:

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/chris-christie-ping-pong-video