Politics Daily

Obama: Allies Will Soon Take Control of Libyan Campaign

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-22T21:11:00+00:00

Filed under: Democrats, Republicans, Foreign Policy, Obama Administration, International, Congress, Conservatives

Facing criticism for taking military action in Libya without first formally consulting Congress, President Obama said Tuesday he is certain U.S. control over the operation would soon be transferred to the allies, news agencies reported.

"I have absolutely no doubt that we will be able to transfer control of this operation to an international coalition," Obama said at a press conference in San Salvador with El Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes, Bloomberg reported.

Members of NATO are meeting to establish a command structure, which will be done "over the next several days," he said.

Obama Getting Heat From Left and Right for U.S. Role in Libyan Attacks

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-22T09:32:00+00:00

Filed under: House, Democrats, Republicans, Terror, Obama Administration, National Security, Congress, Conservatives, Liberals, Moderates, United Kingdom, France, Military, Barack Obama

President Obama is getting blowback from both sides of the aisle for taking military action in Libya without first formally consulting Congress. Debate in Washington heated up even before reports Tuesday that a U.S. warplane, patrolling Libyan air space, had crashed.

Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.), a conservative member of the House Armed Services Committee, said Obama's "unilateral choice" to join a U.N.-backed coalition establishing a no-fly zone "is an affront to our Constitution," The Hill newspaper reported. The United States, Bartlett said, "does not have a king's army."

Meanwhile, a CBS News poll shows a full 50 percent of Americans approve of the president's handling of Libya.

Since the intervention started Saturday, U.S. Navy warships have launched Tomahawk missiles at Libyan air defenses, while American warplanes have joined other coalition aircraft in attacking military installations and some Libyan ground troops.

A U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet crashed late Monday near Benghazi, but its two crew members ejected and were rescued, the Washington Post and NPR said. Military officials said the plane apparently malfunctioned and was not shot down.

In the Senate, Richard Lugar of Indiana, the top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee and a White House ally on some issues, said Congress should have a full debate on the objectives and costs of the U.S. role in the attacks. And Democratic Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia, a moderate, said, "This isn't the way the system is supposed to work."

But earlier this month, Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned pro-intervention lawmakers that setting up a no-fly zone was a major undertaking that would have to begin with attacks on Moammar Gadhafi's anti-aircraft systems.

Traveling with the president in Santiago, Chile on Monday, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney insisted Obama had consulted personally with congressional leaders on the Libyan situation. And last Saturday, Carney said Deputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonough phoned top lawmakers "to inform them of the imminent action" about to happen. "We take very seriously the need to consult with Congress and we have been doing that," Carney said.

Under the Constitution, only Congress has the power to declare war. But the president, as commander in chief of the armed forces, has authority to take military action in emergencies or in the face of threats to national security. Obama, who was winding up a Latin American trip Tuesday, insists no U.S. ground troops will be deployed and that leadership of the intervention effort will soon be turned over to NATO partners such as Great Britain or France.

For Rep. Dennis Kucinich, that's not enough to justify what the U.S. has done in Libya. The liberal lawmaker called it "an act of war" and said Congress should be called back from a spring recess to decide whether to continue the military action.

On the website Raw Story, Kucinich (D-Ohio) went further, calling Obama's move in Libya "an impeachable offense." The president "didn't have congressional authorization; he has gone against the Constitution, and that's got to be said," Kucinich maintained.

Kucinich noted that then-Sen. Obama argued in 2007 that "the president does not have the power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation."

Kucinich, who has twice run for president as an anti-war candidate, said he was not actually proposing impeachment proceedings but only "raising the question" as to whether grounds exist. In any event, calls for a president's impeachment -- often coming from the far left or the far right on Capitol Hill -- are not unusual. Kucinich himself sought to initiate an impeachment article against President George W. Bush in 2008, but then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi wouldn't go along with it.

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Poll: Slim Majority Supports Gay Marriage

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-18T12:08:00+00:00

Filed under: Republicans, Gay Rights, Obama Administration, Poll Watch, Conservatives

For the first time, more Americans support legalization of same-sex marriage than oppose it, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.

The survey, showing 53 percent backing for gay marriage, comes amid signs of increased acceptance of homosexuals in the U.S. Just five years go in polling by the same news group, only 36 percent favored gay marriage, the Post said.

Taken last weekend, the new survey asked a random sample of 1,005 adults, "Do you think it should be legal or illegal for gay and lesbian couples to get married?" Support for that proposition grew among college-educated whites, political independents, and respondents who didn't regard themselves as religious, the Post said. Men, in general, were on the positive side of the question at the same rate as women.

Republicans, conservatives and white evangelical Christians were among the 44 percent opposed. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

Brian Brown, a gay marriage foe and president of the National Organization for Marriage, said the term "illegal" may have skewed the numbers, since most Americans wouldn't favor imprisonment for violating a law against same-sex marriage. But Brown noted that voters in 31 states have approved ballot issues banning gay marriage.

Although a bill legalizing gay marriage failed this month in the Maryland legislature, gay-rights advocates have had their share of victories. Congress last year repealed the Pentagon's "Don't ask, don't tell" policy that prohibited openly gay men and women from serving in the military. And the Obama administration announced last month that it would no longer defend in court a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act -- which defines marriage as being between a man and a woman.

Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry, said the Post-ABC findings were "consistent with a lot of other polling data we've seen, and the general momentum we seen over the past year and a half. As people have come to understand this is about loving, committed families dealing, like everyone, with tough times, they understand how unfair it is to treat them differently."

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Nevada's Sharron Angle Launches Run for U.S. House

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-16T21:32:00+00:00

Filed under: Republicans, Social Security, Conservatives, 2012 Elections

Republican Sharron Angle kicked off her campaign for one of Nevada's four U.S. House seats on Wednesday with a video of her at a kitchen table, announcing, "I am most concerned about the enormous debt that we're passing along to our children and grandchildren."

Watch video here:

Angle, a tea party superstar who lost by five percentage points to Democrat Harry Reid in a bid for his Senate seat last November, is a divisive figure in her own party.

Here's how Politico characterized her entrance into the 2012 House race, under the headline, "GOP Braces for Angle's Encore Run":

"She's back . . . After unceremoniously crashing the Nevada Senate race last year -- raising record amounts of money and becoming a headache for establishment Republicans while also endearing herself to tea party activists nationwide -- Sharron Angle is returning for an encore performance."

Angle's return to the campaign trail "was greeted among Republican operatives from Las Vegas to Washington with more eye-rolling and regret than surprise," reported Politico.

GOP insiders say Angle was unpredictable and undisciplined in her race against Reid, and she was prone to impolitic statements about the Second Amendment, immigrants and Social Security.

It will be Angle's second run for the House. In 2006, she lost to Republican Rep. Dean Heller, who announced Tuesday he'll run for Sen. John Ensign's seat, opening the way for Angle in the rural Nevada House seat.

Roll Call reported the former state assemblywoman is the first candidate to announce in what is expected to be a crowded GOP field for Heller's seat. Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki and state GOP Chairman Mark Amodei are expected to run. State Sen. Greg Brower told Roll Call on Tuesday that he is considering a bid as well.

Possible Democratic contenders include former congressional candidate Jill Derby, state Assemblywoman Debbie Smith and state Treasurer Kate Marshall.

"We were going to pursue this seat whether Sharron Angle jumped into it or not," Zach Zaragoza, executive director for the Nevada State Democratic Party, told the Associated Press.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal first reported Angle's campaign announcement. AP reported Angle did not immediately respond to a request for a comment.

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Sen. Rand Paul Heading to Key Presidential Contest States

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-16T09:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Senate, House, Republicans, 2012 President, Congress, Conservatives, Tea Party

A father and son running for president at the same time? It seems highly unlikely, but Rep. Ron Paul says the odds are 50-50 that he will again seek the Republican presidential nomination, and his son, Sen. Rand Paul, has trips planned soon to South Carolina and Iowa -- two of the states where the 2012 race will begin.

Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is headed to Charleston, S.C., Monday for an off-the-record meeting of influential conservatives, CNN reported. He is slated for a return trip to the state to promote his new book, "The Tea Party Goes to Washington," and he has a speaking engagement at a GOP dinner in Des Moines, Iowa, on April 2.

The first-term senator, who shares his dad's libertarian leanings, has made an impression with his uncompromising stands on spending issues. But he probably wouldn't even flirt with the notion of running nationally unless his dad decides to take a pass on 2012. Even so, when a senator starts spending time in states like Iowa, South Carolina and New Hampshire in the months preceding an election year, his travel schedule gets the attention of the political press.

Ron Paul (R-Texas) ran for president in 2008, winning 16 delegates and a strong following drawn to his fiscal conservatism and opposition to the war in Iraq. In 1988, he ran nationally as the candidate of the Libertarian Party, getting 430,000 votes nationwide.

Two father-and-son combos have served in the White House -- John Adams and John Quincy Adams, and George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush -- but none competed against each other.

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Fox News Adds Indiana Democrat Evan Bayh as Commentator

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-15T12:58:00+00:00

Filed under: Senate, Democrats, Republicans, Media, Governors, 2010 Elections, Conservatives

Former Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh, an influential voice for moderation during his 12 years in the U.S. Senate, has signed on as a political commentator with Fox News.

Bayh, 55, chose not to seek reelection last year -- and his seat was subsequently lost a Republican in November, Dan Coats.

"I'm pleased to offer analysis of public policy and politics to the millions of Americans who get their news from Fox," Bayh said in a statement issued by the network. He will "lend a valuable point of view" and will be part of Fox's coverage of the 2012 presidential race, Fox Senior Vice President Michael Clemente said.

In Indiana, Bayh is a household name. He is a former governor and the son of Birch Bayh, who also served in the Senate and ran for president in 1976, losing the Democratic nomination to Jimmy Carter.

A lawyer, Bayh recently joined the Washington firm of McGuireWoods and became an adviser to the New York-based private equity firm of Apollo Global Management, according to the Indianapolis Star.

Fox News, often criticized for leaning too heavily on conservative Republican commentators, recently suspended former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum from their contributor roles because both are edging toward candidacies for the GOP presidential nomination.

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NPR Sting Video Was Edited to Accentuate Negative

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-15T10:58:00+00:00

Filed under: Republicans, Scandal, Gaffes, Media, Video, Conservatives, Tea Party

A surreptitious video depicting an NPR fundraiser criticizing Republicans and tea party activists during a meeting with phony Muslim donors was edited, leaving out important context for the controversial remarks.

The sting, conducted by conservative video-maker James O'Keefe, led to the removal last week of NPR chief executive Vivian Schiller, who was not one of those shown in the video but took responsibility for her subordinates' loose talk -- including a comment asserting that the tea party movement is "scary" and "seriously racist."

But an analysis of the full, two-hour video -- a much shorter version lit up the Internet -- shows that NPR fundraisers Ron Schiller (no relation to Vivian) and Betsy Liley also talked positively about Republicans and conservatives during their lunch date with the bogus donors. And they make it clear to the prospective contributors that their money would not influence news coverage.

"There is such a big firewall between funding and reporting," Ron Schiller says in the longer version of the video. "Reporters will not be swayed in any way, shape or form."

NPR reporter David Folkenflik and The Blaze, a conservative news aggregator set up by Fox News commentator Glenn Beck, analyzed the longer O'Keefe tape and discovered the short version had been edited in a misleading way. Some of Ron Schiller's remarks were run out of sequence in the flow of questions and answers.

While Schiller does say the Republican Party has been "hijacked" by the tea party and Christian evangelicals -- and is "fanatically involved in people's personal lives" -- it is evident in the full tape that he is not giving his own view but rather quoting two influential Republicans, according to reporter Folkenflik. Schiller does not challenge those assertions, but they are not his.

"Except for a couple of unfortunate forays [into] political opinion, I think Ron Schiller actually did a fairly remarkably good job of explaining how NPR works and what you can and cannot expect if you contribute money to the NPR foundation," said Al Tompkins, who teaches journalism ethics at the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla.

But the first version of the video that showed up on the Internet last week seemed to confirm conservatives' suspicions about a liberal bias at NPR. And the revelations came as Republicans in Congress pushed to cut off federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which allocates financial support to NPR. While Schiller, in the video, said NPR "would be better off" in the long run without federal money, he also said losing the government assistance would be very hurtful in the short term.

Ron Schiller had already announced he was leaving NPR for another job when the video surfaced last week. His departure was then accelerated.

O'Keefe, who employs people he calls citizen journalists for his hidden camera stings, first popped up in 2009 with a video showing a worker for the liberal community activist group ACORN giving improper tax advice to individuals masquerading as a pimp and prostitute. Last year, O'Keefe pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor after being charged with trying to tamper with the phone lines in the New Orleans office of Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.)

O'Keefe did not answer requests this week for comment on the editing of the video, Folkenflik said.

Folo Tom Diemer on Twitter http://twitter.com/tomdiemer

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Can the Girl Scouts Help Balance Georgia's Budget?

Joanne Bamberger — 2011-03-14T08:27:00+00:00

Filed under: Republicans, Taxes, Woman Up, Conservatives, Analysis, Economy

If Georgia lawmakers get their way, corporations doing business in the state will get a nice tax cut and the Girl Scouts will be chipping in to help make up the difference in the budget.

Yup. As crazy as that sounds, that's what's going on in the Peach State. In an attempt to bring more jobs to Georgia, GOP lawmakers have proposed a cut in corporate tax rates for domestic and foreign corporations, while calling for a tax increase on gasoline and groceries.

Like most states, Georgia has a budget problem. A recent task force that studied how to manage the shortfall recommended cutting corporate taxes. To help make up for that loss in revenue, House Bill 385 would impose a tax on nonprofit fundraising efforts, which would mean taxing the popcorn sold by the state's Boy Scouts, as well as those Tagalongs and Samoas that the Girl Scouts sell every year to raise money for their leadership and community involvement programs.

The Girl Scout's slogan for the organization's annual cookie drive is "Every Cookie Has a Mission." If this new tax law is passed, that mission will, in effect, include helping the state balance its budget.

The proposed bill doesn't specifically target the goodies that neighborhood Brownies and Daisies sell, but the impact is just the same.

While policy debates are always being made about whom to tax and how to create more jobs, shifting even a portion of the tax burden to nonprofits reflects a certain tone-deafness in the name of fiscal responsibility. How could Georgia Republicans not have foreseen that their new strategy would make them look like the Grinch sneaking into Cindy Lou Who's house at Christmas and stealing the roast beast?

But there's a larger issue here than just one state's approach to its budget crisis. This move in Georgia is just the latest episode in a growing effort to change our culture through legislation. Wisconsin is pitting teachers against taxpayers with its collective bargaining saga. In New Hampshire, some lawmakers want to stifle college-student voters because those crazy kids vote with their hearts, not their heads. And, as Lent proceeds, Congress is investigating religion in a way that makes me think about those so-called Salem witches.

Such efforts may seem "neutral on their face," as they say in the law, but when viewed together they create a larger picture of how those with more power treat those who have less.

As for those Scouts in Georgia, there is one leadership lesson they're learning from all this. The head of the Greater Atlanta Girl Scouts, Marilyn Midyette, reportedly sent an e-mail encouraging parents and supporters to contact their lawmakers about the proposed shift in the state's tax laws -- but asking them to do it in a courteous and "Scout-like" way, of course.

You can follow Joanne Bamberger on Twitter and Facebook.

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The Gridiron Club's 2011 Political/Media Roast and Toast Lyrics

Annie Groer — 2011-03-13T11:43:00+00:00

Filed under: George W. Bush, Senate, House, Democrats, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Dick Cheney, Nancy Pelosi, Ron Paul, Humor, Media, Bill Clinton, Governors, Congress, Conservatives, Harry Reid, Republic of Dish, Barack Obama, John Boehner, TSA Screening, 2012 Elections, Egypt Crisis

Once again, you won't see this costumed spoof on C-SPAN or YouTube, unless someone among the record 633 invited guests at Saturday night's 126th annual Gridiron Dinner surreptitiously captures the singing, dancing and wise-cracking and posts it online.

Of course there's always a chance an adroit cellphone or camera-toting guest will violate club rules, either at the dinner or at Sunday's matinee reprise show, thus busting an image-less tradition in place since 1885.

Say what you will about the irony or hypocrisy of a group of journalists barring media cameras from broadcasting the onstage antics (C-SPAN has been asking to do just that for a quarter century). Only the speeches by President Obama, Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana (cracking jokes for the Republicans) and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sibelius (doing stand-up for the Dems) will be on the written record, although many more details will likely leak out.

In a nod to the times, tweeting, Facebooking and other instant communication about all aspects of the dinner were embargoed until it ended.

So in the interest of semi-transparency, herewith the lyrics from every parody performed
this weekend by nearly 100 journalists and a handful of vocally-blessed ringers with truly great voices.

Don't Stop Believin' (Journey/Glee)

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADERS singing about Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Obama

DEM CHEERLEADER 1

He came from Ha-wai-i, with hope, change and audacity.
Now two years later and he is on the run.

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADER 2

In a designer blouse, not long ago she ruled the House. She lost her power, and it's just no damn fun.

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADER 1

He calls her on the telephone.

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADER 2

Says Nancy, are you all alone?

BOTH

For a moment, they both shut their eyes, and dream on and on and on and on.
What if midterms, had turned out very differently?

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADER 1

What if red states had turned blue?

CHEERLEADER 1

What if we could, cap and trade and then we'd save the whales.

CHEERLEADER 2

Health care for all,

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADER 2

Dental too!

BOTH

Don't stop, believin'.

REPUBLICAN CHEERLEADERS 1& 2

Who are you deceivin'?

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADER 1

We're cooked.

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADER 2

We're through.

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADERS 1 & 2

Whoa oh oh!
Don't stop believin'.

REPUBLICAN CHEERLEADERS 1& 2

Dudes, you must be dreamin'.

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADER 1

Farewell.

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADER 2

Aloha.

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADERS 1 & 2

Whoa oh -oh!

CHORUS

Don't stop!

LIVIN' ON A PRAYER (Bon Jovi/Glee)

REPUBLICAN CHEERLEADER 1

Boehner used to work in a bar.
Palin hunts for moose, they're not very far.
Like Russia, they're in her yard.

REPUBLICAN CHEERLEADER 2

Bachmann would repeal this whole room.
Newt is back for more, O'Donnell might fly in soon, On her broom.

REPUBLICAN CHEERLEADER 1 & 2

Now, that we're run by the Tea Party
Let's fire all the unions, make them work for free.
With God and money we rule the House for now,
Just don't ask us how.

REPUBLICAN CHEERLEADER 1

Are we screwed next year?

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADERS 1 & 2

Hell yeah! You haven't got a prayer.

REPUBLICAN CHEERLEADER 2

Senate seemed to be so near.

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADERS 1 & 2

No way, you haven't got a prayer.

CHORUS

Haven't got a prayer!

TIME WARP (Rocky Horror Show/Glee)

SPEAKER

And now the part, where we sing 'bout ourselves.
I apologize, boss, if this causes any stress.
But fair is fair, and no one is exempt here,
So now it's time, to poke fun at the press.

PRESS CHEERLEADER 1

I remember, when newspapers were dying
Network ratings in the dumps, it surely looked like the end.
The furloughs were appalling, but then Bloomberg started calling.
We're back in business again.

CHORUS

We're back in business again.

PRESS CHEERLEADER 2

There's Arianna on the left.

PRESS CHEERLEADER 1

Glenn Beck's on the right.

PRESS CHEERLEADER 2

Juan Williams works for Fox now.

PRESS CHEERLEADER 1 NPR?

Not so bright.

PRESS CHEERLEADER 2

Is that Jul-i-an Assange there?

PRESS CHEERLEADER 1

No, he's not that insane.

BOTH

But thanks, Jules, your leaks were our gain.

CHORUS

We're back in business again.

REPORTER

I took a flogging, before I started blogging,
Each morning I write tweets, then switch to video.
I like to write at Starbucks, it's like the newsroom 'cept it don't suck,
Maybe I'll go to work at Patch, and cover 'burbs in Kokomo.
Politico sent out a news alert, in just one hour it's the thirty-third.
The cycle never stops, 24-7 in the know.
Enrollment's up in J-school. We're the cool kids but not that cool.

DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICANS CHEERLEADERS AND REPORTER

So welcome to Gridiron, my friends.

CHORUS

Welcome to Gridiron, again.
Wel-come to Grid-iron, a-gain.

KNOCK AROUND BARACK (Rock Around the Clock, Bill Haley)

Cast portraying Republican Reps. Eric Cantor, Kevin McCarthy, Paul Ryan, Darrell Issa

CANTOR

House went up 63, thanks a lot Barack
Six more seats in the Senate, thanks a lot Barack
Boehner's now the Speaker, and the Dem's are still in shock
We're gonna knock Barack around the clock
Pick your spending cuts, and come with us
We'll put it all in an Omnibus

RYAN, McCARTHY, ISSA

We're gonna block Barack around the clock
We're gonna block block block it's our bedrock
We're gonna rock gonna rock our great big voting bloc

CANTOR

When health care dies, and earmarks flee
We'll owe a debt to the tea par-ty

TRIO

We're gonna move Obama to the right
We're gonna mock mock mock his election fright
We're gonna talk, gonna talk, and then we might indict

CANTOR

Republicans will have our way
We'll protect your wealth when you pass away
We're gonna knock Barack around the clock
It's just a recipe for more gridlock
We're gonna block, gonna block Barack around the clock.

CHORUS

We're gonna block Barack around the clock
It's a recipe for more gridlock
We're gonna knock, gonna knock Barack around the clock.

A BOEHNER MEDLEY (From: Johnny Angel, Shelley Fabares, and It's My Party, Lesley Gore)

Cast portraying John Boehner

LEAD SINGER

Johnny Boehner (GIRL GROUP: Johnny Boehner), he's our Speaker (he's our speaker)
He's got charm and grace and such élan
We Republicans are thrilled
That he's our No. 1 man

Johnny Boehner (GIRLS: Johnny Boehner), how we love him (how we love him)
He's the one who some of us adore
How we hold our breath when votes
Are counted on the House floor

He gets headaches
All his ducks in a row
Shot down by his own folks
No wonder that he smokes
In his loafers, and his bright-colored ties
At least he wears a shirt
While others online flirt

Johnny Boehner (GIRLS: Johnny Boehner), we still love him (we still love him)
He's so orange, suave and doctrinaire
If his convictions have to die
At least he'll do it with flair

ALL SHOUT: LOOK! HERE HE IS NOW!

BOEHNER (It's My Party and I'll Cry If I Want To)

Nobody knows just how hard it can be
Keeping a caucus in line;
Right wingers go their own way.
They pay their speaker no mind.

I'm try'n to show them some leadership here
Some gravitas and some gu-uts;
How did I end up in bed
With all these Tea Party nuts?

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to,
Cry if I want to, Cry if I want to;
You would cry too if it happened to you.

LADIES OF MAINE (Lady of Spain, Eddie Fisher)

Cast portraying: Republican Sens. Jim DeMint; Sen. Rand Paul; Sen. Olympia Snowe

DUET

Ladies of Maine, we abhor you
Loyalty means nothing to you
How could you work with those yahoos?
Just when we needed you most?

Stimulus money, how could you?
Gays and abortion, why would you?
Tea party's now aiming for you
Ladies of Maine, you'll be toast.

CHORUS:

Ladies of Maine, you'll be toast

REPUBLICAN MEMOIRS (Paperback Writer, The Beatles)
Cast portraying George W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, and Dick Cheney

BUSH

Hey Dick and Rummy, did you read my book?
It took me DAYS to write, you should take a look
it's based on my mem'ry of decider days
how I got Saddam,
Even when I learned that he had no weapons

CHORUS

He had no weapons

RUMSFELD

Iraq's my story and I do confess
How because of YOU it became a mess
Paul Bremer, Condi Rice and Colin too
Screwed the whole thing up
Never told me that we needed more troops there
Needed more troops there

CHORUS:

Needed more troops there...troops there....troops there...

CHENEY

Mine will come out soon and then I'll settle scores
Like Iraqi prisoners you'll be on all fours
Al Qaeda's working to destroy this place,
Still a real grave threat
But Obama knows that we did the right things

CHORUS:

We did the right things

BUSH, RUMSFELD, CHENEY

If you really like them you can have our rights,
We can make a movie for you overnight.

BUSH: Brad Pitt, RUMSFELD: George Clooney, CHENEY: and Matt Damon too.

They can play our parts
Just as long as they can make us look macho
Make us look macho

CHORUS:

Make them look macho...macho...macho

FINGER IN THE WIND (Candle in the Wind, Elton John)

Cast portraying GOP Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham

MCCAIN:

Gays in the military
Used to never bother me at all
I was happy once letting
The Joint Chiefs make that call
And on immigration,
You know my old stance was withdrawn
And my message, it became:
"Hey Juan, get off my lawn." [shout this line]

And it may seem to you I lived last year
With my finger in the wind
Never knowing what to cling to
'Cause I had to win
And when it comes to all your judgments
Frankly, I don't give a damn.
I still have my Senate seat
And my best friend, Lindsey Graham

CHORUS
He still has his Senate seat
And his best friend, Lindsey Graham

LEADER OF THE PAC (Leader of the Pack, the Shangri-Las)
Cast portraying Mitch Daniels and Girl Group

SPOKEN:

MITCHETTE 1

Is she really gonna give to HIM ?

MITCHETTE 2

Well, there she is. Let's ask her.

MITCHETTE 1

Betty - Is that Mitch's PAC you're supporting?

BETTY:

Mm-hmm

MITCHETTE 2

Gee - it must be great giving to Mitch.
Is he doing anything for you?

BETTY

Uhn - uhn

MITCHETTE 1

By the way, where'd you meet him?

SUNG:

Betty:

I met him at the O-M-B
He read tax code and rules to me
You get the picture?

MITCHETTES

Yes, we see

BETTY:

So now I give to the AIMING HIGHER PAC.
(Motorcycle Noise)
Some folks say he's a true heavyweight (Mitchettes: weight, weight)
Though he may come from a really dull state

MITCHETTES

(Watcha mean when ya say that he comes from a really dull state?)

BETTY

They said he had no height
But I fell for his might
That's why I give to the AIMING HIGHER PAC
(Motorcycle Noise)
One day I might want somebody new (Mitchettes: new, new)
But till then Mitch will just have to do

MITCHETTES

(Watcha mean when ya say that ya might want somebody new?)

BETTY

My Hoosier's plans are grand
But sometimes he seems bland

CHORUS

But still she gives to the AIMING HIGHER PAC

THE IMPOSSIBLE TWEET (The Impossible Dream, from Man of La Mancha)

SARAH PALIN character

To tweet the un-thought-about tweet
To own my own name through trademark
To scorn those who opine against me
To shoot caribou on a lark

To give those at C-Pac the shaft
To star in reality shows
To bear the unbearable liberals
To blog about things I don't know

This is my quest
To side-step the press
To run if I want to
Not under duress

To fight for the right
And to lay waste the left
To be willing to refudiate
Without knowledge or heft

And I know if I only stay true
To my Tea Party base
That my books and my speeches will sell
If I just show my face

CHORUS

And her world will be richer for this
Who needs work or an office to seek

PALIN

I'll rise as a modern-day Shakespeare
To tweet the un-thought-about tweet

I'VE SEEN EVERYONE (I've Been Everywhere, Hank Snow)
Cast portraying Karl Rove and various GOP presidential candidates names in the song

ROVE

Well, back in the day, you know
They called me the ARCHitect
I had a certain knack for knowin'
Who the people WOULD elect

But this time I dunno unless
There's someone I've missed
And, listen, man, I've looked at
Every hopeful on the list!

I've seen every one, man
I've seen every one, man
Sure as the mornin' sun, man
They all wanna run, man
Egos by the ton, man
I've seen every one.

I've seen...
Romney, Huckabee, Christie, Giuliani
Johnson, Huntsman, Daniels and Pawlenty
Roemer, Cain, DeMint, Santorum
Trump, Bush, Bachmann, Barbour and Bolton
Perry and Pence and Palin and Paul
Gingrich, too, I've seen 'em all.

Tim is excitin' -- NO, not very
But HE's got Red Hot Smokin' Mary
Cain's an expert with a pizza
Mitch, he's shorter than Scalia
Haley hopes he can win it all,
And history'll get an overhaul.

I've seen every one, man
I've seen every one, man
Sure as the mornin' sun, man
They all wanna run, man
Egos by the ton, man
I've seen every one.

I've seen ...
Huckabee at his weekly weigh-in
Sarah Palin out surveyin'
Eye of Newt and chin of Romney
Guy in drag, that's Giuliani
Mitt, he's drivin' fast and far
With man's best friend strapped to his car.

John McCain, I guess he's history
What he's thinkin', it's a mystery
Where the heck is Harold Stassen
Guess he's pushin' up the grass..an'
Someone mentioned Alan Keyes

CHORUS (Shouted)

Not again!! Oh, spare us please!

CHORUS

We've seen every one, man
We've seen every one, man
Sure as the mornin' sun, man
They all wanna run, man
Egos by the ton, man

ROVE

I've seen every one.

EVERYTHING's COMING UP ROSES (Gypsy)

Cast portraying Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid

PELOSI

Things are swell!

REID

Things are fine!

PELOSI

Harry's still got his JOB, I got mine

REID

Now we're back.

PELOSI

Frick and Frack.
REID

Nancy, everything's coming up roses!
PELOSI

Lost the House
REID

That's okay

PELOSI

Running things was a drag anyway

REID

Budget cuts? Not for us

PELOSI

Honey, we would be holding our noses!

REID

Who needs winning! Power's lost its lus-TER

PELOSI

My head was spinning!
REID

It's our turn to filibus-TER!
PELOSI

We give up! To the right!
REID

Let them get 60 votes every night!
PELOSI

Our stimulus ... will stimulate!
REID

Any year now! Just you wait!
PELOSI

There's really nothing left for us to do!

REID

Nancy, everything's coming up roses for me and you!
PELOSI

Boehner's in charge; let's see how much that he can do!
BOTH

The mess that we left him will mess up his Tea Party!
CHORUS

Everything's coming up roses for you and for me!

JUST LIKE A LIBERAL (Bob Dylan's Just Like a Woman)

Cast portraying Howard Dean

HOWARD DEAN

Nobody feels any change
Since that election night Chicago - it's all the same!
Everyone supposed, we knew `The One' we chose
But lately we seen the emperor has no clothes
Now we're wondering: Who's that man?

(refrain)
He looks just like a lib-ral
Yes he does and he writes books just like a lib-ral
Yes and his knee jerks just like a lib-ral
But he works with ... the Re-pub-li-CANS

John Boehner's his new friend
Can you believe they cut the rich man's tax again?
What were those campaign pledges worth?
Quell the oceans, heal the earth
Don't ask don't tell the country of your birth
End the war, close Guantanamo - "No we can't!"

(refrain)
He's so cool just like a lib-ral
Yes he is Harvard Law School just like a lib-ral
Suffers us fools, just like a lib-ral
SOLOIST and CHORUS: But he rules with Republi-CANS

MY FAVORITE FRIENDS (My Favorite Things from "The Sound of Music")

Cast portraying Sec. of State Hillary Clinton and global leaders named in the skit:

(Spoken) Oh, no! We said WHAT about WHO?

How dare that Wiki-Leaks publish our super-secret cables? Can you imagine
a world where diplomats say what they really think about foreign leaders?

Well it would certainly make it more fun to listen to Hillary Clinton. Here
comes our frequent-flying secretary of state now.

HILLARY CLINTON, singing:

A thin-skinned French MIDGET who goes by Sar-KO-zy
A dirty old man that they CALL Berlus-CO-ni
A nut job named KARzai who we must defend
These are a few of my favorite friends

Kim JONG-il's a drunken delusional FAT man
MedVEDev and Putin are Robin and BATman
In a Mafia state run by Russian made-men
CHORUS: These are a few of my favorite friends

Germany's MERK-el is timid and NER-vous
QuaDAffi's had sexy UKRAINian nurses
Prince ANdrew's bad language can SOMEtimes offend
CHORUS: These are a few of her favorite friends

After long flights
When this job bites
When I'm feeling bleak
I simply imagine my favorite friends
When they see their WI-ki leak

IT WAS NEWS TO ME (You Belong to Me)

Cast portraying CIA Director Leon Panetta:

PANETTA

See the pyramids along the Nile.
Authoritarians were just our style.
Revolutions brewing all the while
How was I to see?

Tunis, Cairo, those kids ran amok
Hid their plans where we would never look
A very secret place they call Facebook
It was news to me.

Could it be that after all those years
Of giving tyrants cash and guns and gear
Egypt, Bahrain all that oil so dear
Won't belong to us?

CHORUS

Won't belong to us!

_________________________________________________

TSA MEDLEY (Heigh-Ho from "Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs" and Give up the Funk)

TSA SCREENER

Heigh-ho! Heigh-ho! To frisk you we must go! We'll reach way down and grope around!
Heigh-ho! Heigh-ho.

Heigh-ho Heigh-ho! Heigh-ho! We'll goose you 'til you glow!
We're going to look, in every nook! Heigh-ho! Heigh-ho!

If you say NO, say NO! To X-Ray you must go! And we'll divulge your every bulge!
Heigh-ho! Heigh-ho!

Heigh-ho Heigh-ho! Heigh-ho! This may feel kind of low!
If it's a pain, then take the train! Heigh Ho! Heigh-Ho

HARRIED AIR TRAVELER

You got a late flight to catch, you're in line, losing time
There's a whole lot of waitin' goin' on (Heigh-ho!)
You feel a hand on your waist, moving 'round, slidin' down
There's a whole lot of feelin' goin' on (Heigh-ho!)

Don't touch my junk! (Heigh-ho!)
CHORUS: Don't touch my junk! (Heigh-ho!)
I know my rights! (Heigh-ho!)
Stay outta my tights! (Heigh-ho!)
When did the courts (Heigh-ho!)
Let you into my shorts? (Heigh-ho!)
Yo, screener punk! (Heigh-ho!)
CHORUS: Don't touch my junk!
_____________________________________________________________

SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW (from the Wizard of Oz)

Cast portraying Health Sec. Kathleen Sebelius and characters from The Wizard of Oz

SECRETARY SEBELIUS

Somewhere over the rainbow
Mandates lay.
We made sure they won't start 'til
After Election Day.

Somewhere over the rainbow
Cost curves bend,
And the savings we promised
Will cause the debt to end.

But if you have a slacker son
Who's sitting home upon his bum,
He's covered.

And if conditions pre-exist,
You won't lack coverage due to risk.
Don't you just love this?!

Somewhere over the rainbow
Folks will see
A better system if it's fine
with Justice Kennedy.
Some day they'll thank us, yes they will,
But only after
They...get...very ... ill.

TRIANGULATE (Twist and Shout)
Cast portraying Bill Clinton

Well, take it from Bubba now (CHORUS: take it from Bubba)
Tri-ANG-u-LATE! (CHORUS: tri-ang-u-late)
Fake it, fake it, Obama now (CHORUS: fake it Obama)
For me it worked great. (CHORUS: It worked great)

You're going to look so tight (CHORUS: look so tight)
You're going to look so slick (CHORUS: look so slick)
Play the left against the right now (CHORUS: left against right)
Just like I did in 96 (CHORUS: ninety-six)

[8-bar dance break]

CHORUS

Aaah, aaah, aaah, aaah, (squeal)

Well, it's really not that hard now (CHORUS: not that hard)
Tri-ANG-u-LATE! (CHORUS: triangulate!)
Your opponents aren't that smart now (CHORUS: not that smart)
You know they'll take the bait (CHORUS: Take the bait, oooh!)

You're a silver-tongued devil, (CHORUS: silver-tongued devil)
There's no one so deft (CHORUS: none so deft)
You can own the whole center now (CHORUS: own the whole center)
If you freak out the Left (CHORUS: freak out the left!)

CHORUS

Aaah, aaah, aaah, aaah

"MAKE IT STOP" ("Start Me Up" Rolling Stones)

RED CHEERLEADER 1

Yeah we started up
So long ago you thought we'd never stop
Since we started up
You wondered when the show would ever stop

We've been on so long
Bill Daley's nappin' on a table top
Seventh course is done
Alan Greenspan's beggin'make it stop, make it stop, make it, make it, make it stop

We've made you ladies sigh
We've made you grown men cry
We singe but never fry
Sometimes we're cute, sometimes we're mean
Sometimes out meaning is impossible to glean

CHORUS

Time to stop
Time to stop

"THE GRIDIRON PLAYERS'' ("Livin' on a Prayer" Bon Jovi)

BLUE CHEERLEADER 1

They got some nerve to stand up on stage

They're barely employed, they don't act their age
They lust for . . . your gaffes

They been from Dogpatch to Camelot
Coverin' politicians some were clean some not
For tellin' truth to power they're OK but -- for laughs
Is this all they got?

Whoa-oh the Gridiron players
Whoa-no they don't have a prayer
They got a band, pretty costumes to wear
But whoa-no they don't have a prayer

CHORUS

Whoa-oh the Gridiron players
Whoa-no they don't have a prayer
They got a band, pretty costumes to wear
But whoa-no they don't have a prayer

"THE GRIDIRON-RON'' ("Da Doo Ron Ron," Crystals)

RED CHEERLEADERS; BLUE CHEERLEADERS; OLD NEWSBOY;
GOOD-GIRL & BAD-GIRL GROUPS
RED CHEER 1

Tonight we showed the world the way to get along

RED DUET

At Gridiron-ron at Gridiron

RED CHEER 2

Just drink a glass of wine and sing a silly song

CHORUS

At Gridiron-ron at Gridiron
RED DUET

Strange bedfellows
Dancing dosi-dos
'Til the curtains close
CHORUS

At Gridiron-ron at Gridiron

BLUE CHEER 1

Sebelius tried sell us medicine

BLUE DUET

At Gridiron-ron at Gridiron
BLUE CHEER 2

Mitch Daniels rocked us like a crazy man
CHORUS

At Gridiron-ron, at Gridiron
BLUE DUET

Monday we will fight
But we're friends tonight
By the rosy light
Of Gridiron-ron of Gridiron

OLD NEWS

We started up the show in 1885
CHORUS

The Gridiron-ron, the Gridiron

OLD NEWS

Some of us remember 'cause we're still alive

QUINTET

At Gridiron, son, at Gridiron

QUINTET

O say can you see
Sweet Civility
Baby 'tis of thee
We sing at Gridir'n at Gridi-ron

CHORUS REPEATS VERSE

O say can you see . . .

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Congressional Approval Drops Below 20 Percent, Poll Finds

Christopher Weber — 2011-03-11T16:40:00+00:00

Filed under: House, Democrats, Republicans, Poll Watch, Congress, Conservatives

Americans' approval of the job Congress is doing is on the decline again, hitting 18 percent this month after inching above the 20 percent mark in February, according to a new poll out Friday.

The Gallup survey found that Congress' approval rating is "essentially back to where it was just after last November's midterm elections."

Following a historical trend, voters' approval bumped up slightly when the new Congress took office in January, giving the GOP control of the House. Americans generally feel better about their representatives on Capitol Hill immediately following power shifts. But this year it didn't last.

Friday's approval (or disapproval) numbers fall evenly along party lines, with just 20 percent of both Republicans and Democrats giving thumbs up to Congress, according to Gallup. Fifteen percent of independents approve.

Since Gallup began tracking the measure in 1974, congressional approval has averaged about 34 percent. Since 2008, however, Congress' approval rating has been below 20 percent in 15 of 39 months, including a record-low 13 percent last December.

Read the complete results of Gallup's new poll here.

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Why Gingrich Needs to Find His Inner Victim

David Gibson — 2011-03-10T21:34:00+00:00

Filed under: Republicans, Religion, Bill Clinton, 2012 President, Culture, Disputations, Conservatives, Newt Gingrich, Ethics

Newt Gingrich has always been a hard guy to feel sorry for, given his blustery and often bilious political opinions and an indulgent personal life marked by three marriages and a chilling indifference to the dire circumstances of his jilted spouses.

As David Frum put it, "It's not the infidelity. It's the arrogance, hypocrisy, and -- most horrifying to women voters -- the cruelty. Anyone can dump one sick wife. Gingrich dumped two."

And yet Gingrich's latest explanation for his tendency to stray from his vows -- an attempt to soften his image with the public ahead of an expected run for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination -- doesn't seem to be helping, either.

Democrats, Republicans Disagree on Peter King's Muslim Hearings, Poll Finds

Christopher Weber — 2011-03-10T12:36:00+00:00

Filed under: Democrats, Republicans, Poll Watch, Congress, Conservatives, Islam

Opinions fall largely along party lines regarding Rep. Peter King's hearings examining the threat of radical Islam in America, with Republicans much more likely to say they are appropriate, according to a new poll.

The USA Today/Gallup survey found that 52 percent of all Americans said they support the New York Republican's exploration of the issue, compared to 69 percent of Republicans. Just 40 percent of Democrats said the hearings are appropriate.

Gallup said independents' views were similar to the national average, with 51 percent supporting King.

King heads the House Homeland Security Committee, which is holding hearings Thursday that critics say scapegoats Muslim Americans for the threat of terror attacks on U.S. soil.

Latest From Gingrich: Presidential Announcement Likely in May

Tom Diemer — 2011-03-10T11:26:00+00:00

Filed under: House, Republicans, Fundraising, 2012 President, Conservatives, Campaigns, Newt Gingrich

Former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich is taking the carefully choreographed process of launching a presidential campaign to a new level this year.

After tiptoeing toward forming an "exploratory" committee earlier this month, Gingrich instead revealed only that he had created an exploratory website. In fact, NewtExplore2012.com is little more than a fundraising tool. As Politics Daily's Walter Shapiro put it, the on again/off again roll-out had "all the grace of a suitcase falling down a flight of stairs."

But that was only the beginning. In a conference call this week to former aides, Gingrich said that if he runs, he will announce his campaign in front of historic Independence Hall in Philadelphia in May, according to CNN and the Associated Press. And he is leaning toward "yes," those involved in the call said. Gingrich also reportedly said he couldn't go into much detail "for legal reasons." Whether that Philly announcement will be a full-throated declaration of candidacy, or simply the official formation of an exploratory committee is not clear.

What exactly is an exploratory committee?

The Federal Election Commission notes that before deciding for sure on a national campaign, a would-be candidate "may first want to 'test the waters' -- that is, explore the feasibility" of running. That could entail traveling the country to assess public support, and just as importantly to determine if sufficient money can be raised. "An individual who merely conducts selected testing-the-waters activities does not have to register or report as a candidate even if the individual raises or spends more than $5,000," the FEC says, referring to the dollar threshold that requires filing as a "candidate."

Once that hopeful person -- with toe in water -- raises or spends more money than what is "reasonably needed" for a test run, or refers to himself as a candidate, or authorizes advertising, that person becomes a "candidate" in the eyes of the FEC -- even if still technically in the exploratory phase.

For Newt Gingrich, terms like "exploratory committee" are not trivial, since even the run-up to a candidacy forces the prospects to sort out their finances and be careful to comply with complicated campaign finance requirements -- the aforementioned "legal reasons," including documenting who is paying for what.

That is apparently why Gingrich, who presides over a network of non-profits and commercial enterprises, seemed to pull back from forming an exploratory committee earlier this month and merely made mini-news with his website. But even the prelims -- the website asking for donations -- will fall under FEC purview if he decides to make a real go of it in May.

Despite the complexities, the step-by-step process leading up to a full-blown presidential candidacy has big benefits -- mainly free media attention. Each announcement along the way will be treated as an Event by reporters eager for the launch of the late-starting 2012 presidential campaign.

Folo Tom Diemer on Twitter http://twitter.com/tomdiemer

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Survey Rebuts Rep. Peter King's Claims on Radicals and Mosques

David Gibson — 2011-03-10T10:29:00+00:00

Filed under: Republicans, Religion, Investigations, Immigration, Terror, National Security, Disputations, Congress, Conservatives, al Qaeda, Islam

As Rep. Peter King opened his controversial hearing into "radicalization in the American Muslim community" on Thursday morning, researchers were noting that King's claims about mosques in the United States being controlled by "radical imams" who are producing extremists are apparently untrue.

King, a Long Island Republican under fire for once supporting Irish Republican Army terrorism but now pursuing Islamic extremism, has claimed that over 80 percent of American mosques are controlled by "radical imams" and that Muslims are "an enemy living amongst us" who are not helping authorities combat terrorism. He has also lamented the number of mosques in the United States because they breed "home-grown" terrorists.

But a 2008 survey of 1,410 Muslims that was the largest ever conducted showed that almost all Muslims who regularly go to a mosque are likely to agree with the statement that Islam and the American political system are compatible.

The study by Karam Dana, who teaches at Tufts University, and colleague Matt A. Barreto shows that among Muslims who do not attend religious services regularly, 77 percent answered "yes" when asked whether Islam and American political values are compatible. Among those who are regularly involved in a mosque, that figure rose to 95 percent. The research confirmed results from a smaller, earlier survey.

"The more religious American Muslims happen to be, the more they participate in American politics," Dana told Religion News Service.

Like other religious institutions in the United States, mosques have helped members assimilate into American society and promoted support for American civic and political values, Dana said.

"Decades of scholarship on religious institutions, be they churches or synagogues, have shown that they foster participation in the political system," said Dana. "We believe that mosques are no different."

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Sarah Palin: Could She Run as an Independent or Third Party Candidate?

Suzi Parker — 2011-03-09T22:56:00+00:00

Filed under: Republicans, 2012 President, Woman Up, Independents, Conservatives, White House, 2012 Elections

Sarah Palin talks a lot about the tea party.

On Fox News last week, she said, "I find inspiration in tea party patriots [and] those with common sense who aren't playing a lot of games."

She could be considered the tea party's godmother. With her Sarah PAC and support for 2010 tea party candidates, Palin has generated a lot of good will, not to mention publicity, for a movement that began only two years ago. She also isn't afraid to attack popular Republicans such as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

Should Rep. Peter King Investigate the Catholic Church?

David Gibson — 2011-03-09T16:40:00+00:00

Filed under: Republicans, Religion, Terror, Disputations, Congress, Conservatives, Analysis, Islam

Rep. Peter King, the Long Island congressman who for years supported the Irish Republican Army as it waged a terror campaign to eject the British from Northern Ireland, says that track record has no bearing on his controversial decision to hold hearings this week on what he calls the "radicalization" of Islam in America.

The two examples are different, he argues, and the main reason is that unlike radical Muslims, the I.R.A. never launched attacks in the United States. (That made sense, since Irish-Americans were sending crucial material support to the I.R.A.)

"I understand why people who are misinformed might see a parallel. The fact is, the I.R.A. never attacked the United States. And my loyalty is to the United States," King, the Republican chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, told The New York Times.

In Iowa, 'Social Issues' Emphasis Could Limit GOP Presidential Field -- and Focus

Jill Lawrence — 2011-03-08T22:27:00+00:00

Filed under: Republicans, 2012 President, Conservatives, Analysis, 2012 Elections

DES MOINES, Iowa - For Republicans with White House dreams, Iowa is the Rubik's cube of primary states. Should they tack right to win over the state's influential bloc of social conservatives? Should they be true to themselves, even if that could backfire? Should they throw up their hands and launch instead in New Hampshire or South Carolina? And if they do that, will Iowa be lost to them in a general election?

Several White House prospects are grappling right now with those questions as the Iowa calendar fills up with events designed as platforms for values issues. Many will participate March 26 in Rep. Steve King's "Conservative Principles Conference," and last month they began showing up one by one as part of a "presidential lecture series" sponsored by a socially conservative group called The Family Leader.

Stung: NPR Execs Caught in Candid Chat With Would-be Muslim Donors

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-08T12:50:00+00:00

Filed under: Scandal, Gaffes, Media, Video, Conservatives, Ethics, Tea Party

A video made surreptitiously by a conservative sting artist shows phony, would-be Muslim donors meeting with two NPR fundraisers who are caught on the tape making candid, awkward comments about the Republican Party -- and also talking bluntly about the ouster of commentator Juan Williams.

The sting operation, produced by conservative activist James O'Keefe, shows NPR fundraisers Ron Schiller (who has since announced his departure from NPR) and Betsy Liley at lunch with two men masquerading as wealthy Muslim donors. That the NPR people appear to tell the supposed contributors what they want to hear is not an unusual approach for fundraisers.

But against the backdrop of a possible cut off of NPR funding proposed by the GOP-controlled U.S. House, Schiller can be heard saying that "very little of our funding comes from the government." That is correct. "In the long run," he said, "we would be better off without federal funding." That's at least debatable. Then, talking about the GOP, Schiller added: "The current Republican Party, particularly the tea party, is fanatically involved in people's personal lives and very fundamental Christian -- and I wouldn't even call it Christian." In answer to a leading question about the tea party movement, he adds, "Basically, they believe in white, middle America, gun toting -- it's pretty scary. They're seriously racist."

Schiller, who said Tuesday night his resignation as NPR Foundation's senior vice president for development would take effect immediately, went on to say that he was proud that NPR let Juan Williams go last year after Williams said on Fox News he would be concerned if he boarded a plane with fellow passengers in Muslim garb. "He lost all credibility and that breaks your ethics as a journalist." Schiller says.

NPR, in a statement, said: "The fraudulent organization represented in the video repeatedly pressed us to accept a $5 million check, with no strings attached, which we repeatedly refused to accept. We are appalled by the comments made by Ron Schiller in the video, which are contrary to what NPR stands for. Mr. Schiller announced last week he is leaving NPR for another job."

O'Keefe's Project Veritas gained notoriety in 2009 in another covertly made video that showed individuals posing as a pimp and prostitute seeming to get advice on gaming the tax system from a representative of ACORN, a liberal community activist organization. O'Keefe went too far last year when he and three others were charged with attempting to tamper with the phone lines in Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu's New Orleans office. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, received three years' probation, a $1,500 fine and 100 hours of community service.

Watch the new video, courtesy YouTube.

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Rep. Alcee Hastings Sued for Sexual Harassment of Former Aide

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-08T10:50:00+00:00

Filed under: House, Democrats, Republicans, Scandal, Investigations, 2010 Elections, Congress, Conservatives

A conservative group with a proclivity for filing lawsuits has sued Florida Rep. Alcee Hastings, accusing the 74-year-old Democrat of sexual harassment of a woman who worked for a commission he once led.

Judicial Watch says Hastings made "unwelcome sexual advances" on policy adviser Winsome Packer between January 2008 and February 2010, when he co-chaired the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Washington Post reports. Hastings, who is divorced, denies the allegations.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, also accuses Hastings of retaliating against Packer after she rebuffed him -- threatening her job with the panel and marginalizing her. The harassment allegedly included unwanted hugs, "humiliating and inappropriate" questions in public settings and an invitation to accompany him alone to his hotel room.

"Ms. Packer was particularly vulnerable to such threats because she was a Republican working for the Democratically-controlled commission," the lawsuit asserts. ". . . Eventually, the emotional distress, anxiety and humiliation caused by the sexual harassment and retaliation caused Ms. Packer to suffer severe health problems and forced her to leave her prestigious position."

The commission, also known as the Helsinki Commission, and its former staff director Fred Turner, are also named as defendants. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and a public admission from Hastings that he violated Packer's rights.

Hastings, who gave up the commission leadership after Democrats lost control of the House last year, said a draft of the complaint that he'd seen was filled with "numerous inaccuracies and untruths." He told the Post, "I have never sexually harassed anyone. In fact, I am insulted that these ludicrous allegations are being made against me. When all the facts are known in this case, the prevailing sentiment will be, 'How bizarre.' "

In its 16-year history, Judicial Watch has filed dozens of lawsuits, mostly against Democrats, including at least 18 against the administration of former President Bill Clinton. Packer, a native of Jamaica, self-published a novel last year titled "A Personal Agenda," which was "inspired by her own experiences" and "offers a unique look at political relationships and aims to show that racial, cultural and sexual harassment knows no color," according to a publicist's news release.

Hastings, too, has a history. Now in his 10th term, he was accused of bribery and perjury, impeached by the U.S. House and removed from his post as a federal judge in 1989.

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N.C. Gov. Bev Perdue Vetoes Challenge to Health Care Reform Bill

Mary C. Curtis — 2011-03-07T12:45:00+00:00

Filed under: Democrats, Republicans, Health Care, Woman Up, Governors, 2010 Elections, Conservatives, 2012 Elections

North Carolina won't be joining the list of states challenging federal health care reform legislation -- not yet, anyway. Over the weekend, Gov. Bev Perdue, a Democrat, vetoed legislation passed by the GOP-controlled state legislature that challenges a provision that would require the purchase of health insurance.

In a statement, Perdue called the house bill "an ill-conceived piece of legislation that's not good for the people of North Carolina." She said the state law contradicts federal law, and that since 27 states are already challenging it, "this issue will reach the Supreme Court in a timely manner without North Carolina spending money and energy on it."

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