Kevin Koster commented on Scott Walker Caps Off His Fox News Whistle Stops With A 16-Minute Interview With Greta Van Susteren
2012-06-05 04:39:03 -0400
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Walker was clearly lying at several points during this interview, in addition to having the completely unfortunate posture of sounding smug rather than contrite toward his constituents. Should he survive the recall, he will still likely face being thrown from office during the next regular election by the number of people who simply don’t like recalls.
I find it interesting that GOP talking points about this recall mention that recalls shouldn’t happen unless someone has broken a law or “done something wrong.” Walker did do something wrong – he openly attacked union workers in his state. But none of these people are talking about how much they were crowing about Governor Gray Davis getting recalled in California in 2003 after a big effort by Darrel Issa, who had clearly thought this would be his big chance to get the big seat and wound up dropping out in tears when it became clear that Arnold Schwarzenegger had much more support.
The Frank Luntz focus group on the prior hour on Hannity was really, really scary. The level of anger and sheer hatred on the part of the Walker supporters in that room (and they easily outnumbered the small handful of opponents) was palpable. When the opponents got a moment to say something, they were usually shouted down fairly quickly or interrupted by Luntz so he could show another campaign ad to throw off their answers. It was frustrating to see the two women getting thrown so easilly, but it was easy to see why it was happening. I wanted to ask some of the Walker supporters if they just wanted the teachers to get paid minimum wage with no benefits, and hope that their kids got good educations that way. Because that’s what this comes down to – do you want to support the people in local and state government who do the jobs that take care of everyone (teachers, public hospital nurses and staff, firemen, police) or do you not want to pay for these services for anyone? In that case, we can all just home school our kids, hope that we never need to go to the hospital, and hope that we never need to call a cop or a fireman to help us. Because they won’t be there when we need them.
I find it interesting that GOP talking points about this recall mention that recalls shouldn’t happen unless someone has broken a law or “done something wrong.” Walker did do something wrong – he openly attacked union workers in his state. But none of these people are talking about how much they were crowing about Governor Gray Davis getting recalled in California in 2003 after a big effort by Darrel Issa, who had clearly thought this would be his big chance to get the big seat and wound up dropping out in tears when it became clear that Arnold Schwarzenegger had much more support.
The Frank Luntz focus group on the prior hour on Hannity was really, really scary. The level of anger and sheer hatred on the part of the Walker supporters in that room (and they easily outnumbered the small handful of opponents) was palpable. When the opponents got a moment to say something, they were usually shouted down fairly quickly or interrupted by Luntz so he could show another campaign ad to throw off their answers. It was frustrating to see the two women getting thrown so easilly, but it was easy to see why it was happening. I wanted to ask some of the Walker supporters if they just wanted the teachers to get paid minimum wage with no benefits, and hope that their kids got good educations that way. Because that’s what this comes down to – do you want to support the people in local and state government who do the jobs that take care of everyone (teachers, public hospital nurses and staff, firemen, police) or do you not want to pay for these services for anyone? In that case, we can all just home school our kids, hope that we never need to go to the hospital, and hope that we never need to call a cop or a fireman to help us. Because they won’t be there when we need them.
Kevin Koster commented on Chris Wallace Asks, Is It Time For The Obama Campaign In Chicago To Panic?
2012-06-04 05:02:29 -0400
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If we were to listen only to Fox News and Rush Limbaugh, we’d have to think that Obama’s people were panicking. But that would completely bely the truth.
The truth is that the Obama people aren’t taking anything for granted, but they’re in a good position to defend their record and to answer Romney’s attempts to challenge them. Because it means that Romney has to stand up and say something rather than wait for his opponents to fall away.
If anyone is becoming desperate, it’s the Romney campaign. They have a candidate that most of the Republicans did not want to support, trying to fight an uphill battle against a president who is still popular with the voters. If the economy were in free-fall, as it was in 2008, or in just a steady decline, as it was in 1980, Obama would be in a hard position. But having a jobs report that just doesn’t show enough jobs gained this month? If that’s all Romney has, it’s not going to be the catalyst to put him in the Oval Office, and he knows it.
The GOP has been desperate to remove Obama since before he even took the oath of office in 2009. Every single action or statement he has made has been challenged at one level or another. If the unemployment rate rises a tenth, they say it’s because of his bad policies. If the rate drops, they say it’s because people aren’t looking for work. No matter what he does, they throw bricks. And even if he’s doing his job and getting things done, they make things up – like the “apology tour”.
Over the next five months, the desperation will grow in the GOP ranks, until things completely come to a head in October. One has to wonder what Dick Morris will be predicting by that point…
The truth is that the Obama people aren’t taking anything for granted, but they’re in a good position to defend their record and to answer Romney’s attempts to challenge them. Because it means that Romney has to stand up and say something rather than wait for his opponents to fall away.
If anyone is becoming desperate, it’s the Romney campaign. They have a candidate that most of the Republicans did not want to support, trying to fight an uphill battle against a president who is still popular with the voters. If the economy were in free-fall, as it was in 2008, or in just a steady decline, as it was in 1980, Obama would be in a hard position. But having a jobs report that just doesn’t show enough jobs gained this month? If that’s all Romney has, it’s not going to be the catalyst to put him in the Oval Office, and he knows it.
The GOP has been desperate to remove Obama since before he even took the oath of office in 2009. Every single action or statement he has made has been challenged at one level or another. If the unemployment rate rises a tenth, they say it’s because of his bad policies. If the rate drops, they say it’s because people aren’t looking for work. No matter what he does, they throw bricks. And even if he’s doing his job and getting things done, they make things up – like the “apology tour”.
Over the next five months, the desperation will grow in the GOP ranks, until things completely come to a head in October. One has to wonder what Dick Morris will be predicting by that point…
Kevin Koster commented on O’Reilly And Goldberg Ignore Fox & Friends Anti-Obama Video While Whining About Media Favoritism Toward Obama
2012-06-02 06:03:23 -0400
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I believe that Goldberg goes back and forth. Sometimes he says something that makes sense – such as when he correctly pointed out last year that Laura Ingraham baited Charlie Rangel into the insult he threw at her year. But on other days, he throws the venom around, such as when Andy Rooney passed, and this case where he could take cheap shots at Dan Rather.
O’Reilly is clearly trying to prepare a narrative in advance for the election aftermath. In the event that Romney somehow squeaks through, O’Reilly will say that this was the choice of “the folks” and that his own advice of telling Romney to be angry and aggressive (meaning: like O’Reilly) was a big success. In the event that Obama holds his own and gets his 2nd term, O’Reilly will say it was all due to the media being in the tank for Obama, rather than arising from any issues with Romney.
O’Reilly is clearly trying to prepare a narrative in advance for the election aftermath. In the event that Romney somehow squeaks through, O’Reilly will say that this was the choice of “the folks” and that his own advice of telling Romney to be angry and aggressive (meaning: like O’Reilly) was a big success. In the event that Obama holds his own and gets his 2nd term, O’Reilly will say it was all due to the media being in the tank for Obama, rather than arising from any issues with Romney.
Kevin Koster commented on Deadbeat Dad Joe Walsh Lectures O'Reilly Viewers About Fiscal Responsibility
2012-06-02 05:54:45 -0400
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Wait a second. Isn’t this the same guy who made a fool out of himself in a coffee shop town hall last year where he had to apologize for yelling at his constituents? The thing where he used the excuse that he’d had too much coffee before blowing up at the people who were there to ask him policy questions? (Kind of like his version of the Twinkie Defense)
Walsh’s comments here were not only a matter of barely cloaked racism – they were deliberately nasty in terms of partisanship and personal attacks. He’s a pretty unfortunate piece of work and one can only hope that his constituents will send him home to think about what’s wrong with his conduct before he can do any further damage.
Walsh’s comments here were not only a matter of barely cloaked racism – they were deliberately nasty in terms of partisanship and personal attacks. He’s a pretty unfortunate piece of work and one can only hope that his constituents will send him home to think about what’s wrong with his conduct before he can do any further damage.
Kevin Koster commented on Bill O'Reilly, Laura Ingraham Pimp Pro-Life Propaganda & Praise Lila Rose's "Journalism"
2012-06-01 17:34:39 -0400
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The bill was an obvious attempt at a “gotcha” vote to smear Democrats by painting them as voting against a moral issue. The fact that they couldn’t get the GOP votes to put it through speaks volumes to the failure of this idea.
Kevin Koster commented on Fox & Friends Anti-Obama Video Doesn't Cost "Rogue" Producer His Job
2012-06-01 17:31:30 -0400
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Fox has fired producers for far less than this when they actually disagreed with the work. In this case, it’s clear that this is work they completely agree with.
Kevin Koster commented on Hannity "Really Happy" With Donald Trump
2012-06-01 17:30:15 -0400
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Ellen, hope I didn’t step on anyone’s toes. I’m probably just surprised that Schoen actually stuck up for her – given his behavior over the last year I would have expected him to side with Hannity. And it’s probably also due to me finding all of Trump’s statements so ridiculous that I don’t know how to address them.
Kevin Koster commented on Bill O'Reilly Hearts Lila Rose's Crusade Against Planned Parenthood
2012-05-31 12:48:23 -0400
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Lila Rose’s attempts at gotcha videos suffer from the same problem as James O’Keefe’s pranks – they are built from the assumption of the problem and then designed to fulfill their own hypothesis.
O’Reilly was told repeatedly last night that the employee on the tape had been fired, and that one person saying something out of line should not be used to impugn an entire organization.
O’Reilly’s worst part of this was when he was politely told by two female guests that this is a bogus issue – and that there are real healthcare issues that women have concerns about which people like Lila Rose always ignore. O’Reilly became visibly frustrated with his guests and began waving his arms to dismiss their statements. His clear idea was to pigeonhole the women into saying yes to his thesis that “this conduct in the video by Planned Parenthood is bad, and shows a problem happening there” – which would of course allow him to then say that his guests had endorsed the GOP attack to defund PP. His guests were smart enough to avoid making such a statement, instead putting the emphasis back where it should be – womens’ health.
O’Reilly ended the segment, after telling one of the guests he would give her the last word, by cutting the women off and repeating his own thesis since he couldn’t get the women to do it. All in all, this was a pretty shocking display by O’Reilly of, well, misogyny…
O’Reilly was told repeatedly last night that the employee on the tape had been fired, and that one person saying something out of line should not be used to impugn an entire organization.
O’Reilly’s worst part of this was when he was politely told by two female guests that this is a bogus issue – and that there are real healthcare issues that women have concerns about which people like Lila Rose always ignore. O’Reilly became visibly frustrated with his guests and began waving his arms to dismiss their statements. His clear idea was to pigeonhole the women into saying yes to his thesis that “this conduct in the video by Planned Parenthood is bad, and shows a problem happening there” – which would of course allow him to then say that his guests had endorsed the GOP attack to defund PP. His guests were smart enough to avoid making such a statement, instead putting the emphasis back where it should be – womens’ health.
O’Reilly ended the segment, after telling one of the guests he would give her the last word, by cutting the women off and repeating his own thesis since he couldn’t get the women to do it. All in all, this was a pretty shocking display by O’Reilly of, well, misogyny…
Kevin Koster commented on Donald Trump Pretends He'd Rather Not Talk About President Obama's Birth
2012-05-30 05:39:30 -0400
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Wolf Blitzer actually asked Trump about that amazing Hawaii investigation team and what it is “they can’t believe they’re finding”. Trump refused to directly answer the question other than to repeat his statement. Blitzer cornered him on it, and Trump again refused to answer the question. Meaning that he can’t answer the question.
Van Susteren at least asked the direct question of what Trump would specifically want to see to answer his “questions”. As in, what piece of evidence would finally convince him to go home. And Trump’s only answer was “Good Solid Proof”. Van Susteren called him on this, clearly asking what would constitute “good solid proof”. Trump just repeated his statement, again proving that he couldn’t answer the question.
Van Susteren at least asked the direct question of what Trump would specifically want to see to answer his “questions”. As in, what piece of evidence would finally convince him to go home. And Trump’s only answer was “Good Solid Proof”. Van Susteren called him on this, clearly asking what would constitute “good solid proof”. Trump just repeated his statement, again proving that he couldn’t answer the question.
Kevin Koster commented on Griff Jenkins’ Misleading Wisconsin Recall Interviews Suggest Walker Landslide
2012-05-26 13:37:35 -0400
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I agree that the only concession Walker has made is that he didn’t sell his behavior well enough to the public before he did it. But I don’t see that as either him or Kleefisch being particularly apologetic or even chastened much. Instead, they’re blaming the voters of Wisconsin for somehow not understanding what they were up to. Kleefisch in particular has come across as quite smug in the most recent interviews.
I also agree that even if they survive the recall, the damage to their political careers (and to this movement to attack public employee unions) will be considerable. It’s not likely that Walker will get back into office for another term after this – voters who don’t want to deal with the recall will take care of the matter in the next scheduled Governor election.
And that will mark the end of Walker’s political career. It’s pretty clear that he fancied himself another Rick Perry – a younger, photogenic GOP governor with aspirations toward higher office than just the governorship of one state. Had this attack worked, Walker would have fast-tracked himself to the top of the heap. Instead, he’ll become another occasional commentator on Fox News, and probably one of the talking heads that pops up on Hannity’s panel.
I also agree that even if they survive the recall, the damage to their political careers (and to this movement to attack public employee unions) will be considerable. It’s not likely that Walker will get back into office for another term after this – voters who don’t want to deal with the recall will take care of the matter in the next scheduled Governor election.
And that will mark the end of Walker’s political career. It’s pretty clear that he fancied himself another Rick Perry – a younger, photogenic GOP governor with aspirations toward higher office than just the governorship of one state. Had this attack worked, Walker would have fast-tracked himself to the top of the heap. Instead, he’ll become another occasional commentator on Fox News, and probably one of the talking heads that pops up on Hannity’s panel.
Kevin Koster commented on Tucker Carlson Hearts Discredited Author Ed Klein
2012-05-26 13:30:17 -0400
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Carlson only did this so he could get away with both plugging Klein’s book and re-air some of Hannity’s fawning “interview” of Klein. I wouldn’t be surprised if Hannity told Carlson to make sure this was in the discussion to keep the story alive until Hannity returns next week.
I particularly enjoyed the dramatic presentation that somehow Klein’s book is the victim of a sinister conspiracy rather than being the cheap gossip compilation that Klein has become notorious for peddling.
The idea that it’s Carlson and Bozell doing the shilling for the book only makes the whole thing sillier.
I particularly enjoyed the dramatic presentation that somehow Klein’s book is the victim of a sinister conspiracy rather than being the cheap gossip compilation that Klein has become notorious for peddling.
The idea that it’s Carlson and Bozell doing the shilling for the book only makes the whole thing sillier.
Kevin Koster commented on Colin Powell Brushes Away Hannity’s Attack Dogs
2012-05-23 22:11:14 -0400
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Colin Powell lived up to his role as an elder statesman. He made intelligent statements, even some of which I might disagree with around the edges. But he was very much on top of his facts and on top of the situation. And he did not give Hannity the license or the room to do much past his initial talking points.
I particularly appreciated him saying that he rejected the very premise of the talking point of Obama going on an “apology tour”. In several places, he corrected Hannity and then made the point that it would take too long to point out everything wrong in his statements.
I find it interesting that Fox tried to jump on the idea of Powell not endorsing Obama. But that’s not exactly what he said. He said he has not decided who he will back. He may well back Romney. Or he may go with Obama again. But he hasn’t outright said that he will not support Obama. Readers and viewers of Fox might not know that distinction.
I particularly appreciated him saying that he rejected the very premise of the talking point of Obama going on an “apology tour”. In several places, he corrected Hannity and then made the point that it would take too long to point out everything wrong in his statements.
I find it interesting that Fox tried to jump on the idea of Powell not endorsing Obama. But that’s not exactly what he said. He said he has not decided who he will back. He may well back Romney. Or he may go with Obama again. But he hasn’t outright said that he will not support Obama. Readers and viewers of Fox might not know that distinction.
Kevin Koster commented on Bill O’Reilly’s Big Investigation Into Occupy Wall Street Short On Facts, Long On Unsubstantiated Allegations And Attempts To Smear Obama
2012-05-23 21:45:18 -0400
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I find it interesting that Crowley has never been asked on Fox about her swipe at Sandra Fluke on the occasion of her engagement. Anytime a Democrat or someone Fox doesn’t like has a verbal gaffe, the clip runs on a loop forever. Crowley makes an openly nasty and demeaning statement and it’s immediately dropped. I’ll give her credit for apologizing – but apologies haven’t earned non-Fox commentators any leeway on that network…
Kevin Koster commented on Greta Van Susteren’s Wasteful Spending Probe Ignores Republican Waste
2012-05-23 15:56:23 -0400
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The GOP always goes after the 9th Circuit because they don’t like those judges. Go figure – it’s the least conservative circuit in the country. So any chance they can attack it, they will. Notice how McCarthy snuck in a nasty shot about the 9th Circuit being the most overturned one in the country – something I doubt is actually the case.
Further, the 9th Circuit has made clear that they are holding a legal conference – any non-conference activities like the snorkeling and other fun vacation stuff Van Susteren sniffed about have to be paid for by the individual attendees. This is also not the first time they’ve met in Hawaii – I wouldn’t be surprised if they have a deal with the hotel.
McCarthy’s other nasty shot was to tell the Circuit judges and staff to either have their meeting via teleconference or to hold the get-together in his own district in Bakersfield. Van Susteren herself came up with the novel idea of telling the Circuit to use a high school gymnasium “for free”. As though this would actually be free and forgetting that one big part of the cost of the event is the travel and lodging to put everyone together in a single location. You could hold such an event at any high school (and have to pay for the resources) and you’d still have to get the attendees there.
Further, the 9th Circuit has made clear that they are holding a legal conference – any non-conference activities like the snorkeling and other fun vacation stuff Van Susteren sniffed about have to be paid for by the individual attendees. This is also not the first time they’ve met in Hawaii – I wouldn’t be surprised if they have a deal with the hotel.
McCarthy’s other nasty shot was to tell the Circuit judges and staff to either have their meeting via teleconference or to hold the get-together in his own district in Bakersfield. Van Susteren herself came up with the novel idea of telling the Circuit to use a high school gymnasium “for free”. As though this would actually be free and forgetting that one big part of the cost of the event is the travel and lodging to put everyone together in a single location. You could hold such an event at any high school (and have to pay for the resources) and you’d still have to get the attendees there.
Kevin Koster commented on Palin: Our Country’s Prosperity May Depend On Smearing Obama With Rev. Wright
2012-05-22 14:23:45 -0400
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I’ve gotten to the point where if I see Palin on the tube, I hit fast forward.
I was more interested in Hannity trying to stir something up out of the Breitbart non-story about the high school kid antagonizing his teacher and getting more of a response than he bargained for. Of course, that bit didn’t include all the prior instances of him ringing this bell and pushing the teacher with this stuff.
I was more interested in Hannity trying to stir something up out of the Breitbart non-story about the high school kid antagonizing his teacher and getting more of a response than he bargained for. Of course, that bit didn’t include all the prior instances of him ringing this bell and pushing the teacher with this stuff.
Kevin Koster commented on Dick Morris Disses Fox News Poll To Predict A Big Romney Win
2012-05-17 17:43:34 -0400
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If things turn out the way they’re shaping up, this could wind up being O’Reilly’s waterboarding moment. You could have a monthly update on whether Hannity has fulfilled his promise to be waterboarded and whether O’Reilly has confirmed that Dick Morris is finished on Fox…
Kevin Koster commented on Ben Stein Critiques Obama: “Not In The Same League Of Presidential Genius As Nixon”
2012-05-17 04:11:11 -0400
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The issue isn’t whether Nixon was smart – he was actually a very smart political animal. Unfortunately, he was also paranoid to a tee and it was this paranoia that ultimately did him in.
The issue is that Stein is trying to say that Nixon was some kind of genius when it came to understanding the presidency – and while Nixon was wily and at times quite effective, he was no genius. If he had been, he never would have been forced from the White House in disgrace.
But on another topic, I found the Dick Morris talk more interesting. Even when pushed by O’Reilly, Morris stuck to his guns that he thinks that Romney will win the election in a landslide. (And it sounds like Hannity is drinking this Kool-Aid too, as he was saying that he thought the presidential campaign would be over very soon since Romney was so far ahead…) O’Reilly actually told Morris “If this doesn’t go the way you’re saying, you’ll be finished. You’ll be lucky to get a job in Topeka. You’re really out on a limb.” Morris, pushed into the corner, chose to double down and insist on a historic defeat for Obama. One wonders if O’Reilly will remember this discussion on the day after the election…
The issue is that Stein is trying to say that Nixon was some kind of genius when it came to understanding the presidency – and while Nixon was wily and at times quite effective, he was no genius. If he had been, he never would have been forced from the White House in disgrace.
But on another topic, I found the Dick Morris talk more interesting. Even when pushed by O’Reilly, Morris stuck to his guns that he thinks that Romney will win the election in a landslide. (And it sounds like Hannity is drinking this Kool-Aid too, as he was saying that he thought the presidential campaign would be over very soon since Romney was so far ahead…) O’Reilly actually told Morris “If this doesn’t go the way you’re saying, you’ll be finished. You’ll be lucky to get a job in Topeka. You’re really out on a limb.” Morris, pushed into the corner, chose to double down and insist on a historic defeat for Obama. One wonders if O’Reilly will remember this discussion on the day after the election…
Kevin Koster commented on Democrat Steve Murphy Confronts Hannity’s B.S. Re “Unvetted” Obama
2012-05-15 12:17:43 -0400
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The fact that Hannity can’t find anything else and is now resorting to angrier personal attacks is an indication of how weak he believes his case is for supporting Romney. Interesting that last night Dick Morris referred to Obama as “a drug addict” without any challenge. These guys are really getting frantic if that’s all they have.
Kevin Koster commented on Obama-Hating Marine Gets Sympathetic Platform On Huckabee
2012-05-15 12:14:32 -0400
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Stein’s comments fall under the idea of “contemptuous words” and under the UCMJ have correctly resulted in his removal from the service. He can complain all he wants about it, but he took an oath and then violated it. Open and shut case.
I agree that he’s actually trying to get himself a nice little speaking/talk radio gig where he can sit and opine all day. Good for him. I’m sure there are plenty of KFI-like stations where he can peddle his wares and make nasty comments about Democrats to a receptive audience.
I also agree that if he had done this under Bush, Fox News and the radio pundits would have pilloried him. Just as they did various military people who refused deployment to Iraq or came out against the wars. Interesting that those were bad people for opposing Bush, but this guy is gold because he doesn’t like Obama.
I agree that he’s actually trying to get himself a nice little speaking/talk radio gig where he can sit and opine all day. Good for him. I’m sure there are plenty of KFI-like stations where he can peddle his wares and make nasty comments about Democrats to a receptive audience.
I also agree that if he had done this under Bush, Fox News and the radio pundits would have pilloried him. Just as they did various military people who refused deployment to Iraq or came out against the wars. Interesting that those were bad people for opposing Bush, but this guy is gold because he doesn’t like Obama.
Kevin Koster commented on Irony Alert! Karl Rove Blasts Media Silliness, Says Same-Sex Marriage Is Not A Major Issue
2012-05-13 15:12:31 -0400
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Rove is on shaky ground and he knows it. His own electoral map is not working out the way he was hoping, and he had to actually acknowledge that on the air. (This is another one of those moments that show how frantic Dick Morris is now becoming.)
But the double standard is consistent: If Rove and his PAC put out an attack ad against Obama, they’re “just pointing out the facts” (to the delight of Sean Hannity). If a Democratic PAC puts out an attack ad against Romney, it’s “just politics.” That makes sense, doesn’t it?
But the double standard is consistent: If Rove and his PAC put out an attack ad against Obama, they’re “just pointing out the facts” (to the delight of Sean Hannity). If a Democratic PAC puts out an attack ad against Romney, it’s “just politics.” That makes sense, doesn’t it?