General Colin Powell addresses the GOP “Dark Veil of Intolerance”

General Colin Powell called the GOP out regarding their recent outrageous statements and actions. Appearing on Meet the Press, Powell said “My party, unfortunately, is the bastion of those people — not all of them, but most of them — who are still basing their positions on race. Let me just be candid: My party is full of racists, and the real reason a considerable portion of my party wants President Obama out of the White House has nothing to do with the content of his character, nothing to do with his competence as commander-in-chief and president, and everything to do with the color of his skin, and that’s despicable.” Powell made some strong statements but will he simply be dismissed as a RINO? Reade the linked story and share your thoughts.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/13/colin-powell-gop_n_2467768.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

Meet the Press Guest Doris Kearns Goodwin did a little “woman bashing” today

This morning on Meet the Press the discussion was surrounding David Patraeus’ resignation. The discussion eventually centered around why powerful men succumb and jeopardize their careers. One of the round table participants was presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. She was the only woman panelist and she started rattling off a list of women who had made a powerful man stumble. I was shocked when she said “Monica Lewinsky derailed” President Clinton for a while. Clinton was the president “the most powerful man in the Western world”, and Lewinsky was an intern, and she derailed him? Clinton is revered in most circle and lewinsky can’t get a job. Who got derailed? I think Goodwin’s statement was even more stinging because she was the only woman on the panel, and she was effectively woman bashing.

Cory Booker angry at GOP for using his words against him

Cory Booker appeared on Rachel Maddow’s show last night, and he is fighting mad. In light of Booker’s statements regarding the 2012 presidential campaign on Meet the Press the GOP have created a “mock” petition entitled “I Stand with Cory Booker”. Democratic Newark Mayor Cory Booker just landed himself some new BFFs within the Republican Party. “The Republican National Committee today launched an “I Stand With Cory” petition in a nod to his mega political fumble on Sunday’s Meet The Press. It reads, “Yesterday New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker, a surrogate spokesman for the Obama campaign called the president’s attacks on the free arket ‘ridiculous’. That’s right Mr. President, we aren’t going to let you destroy free enterprise. Stand up for America. Stand up for job creators.” This is presidential politics like it or not and as many have said the president might need to start recruiting some new surragates because lately the surrogates are straying from the playbook and creating news instead of articulating the vision of the president.

https://net.gop.com/istandwithcory/Default.aspx

Why was Michele Bachmann pressed about her faith on Meet the Press?

Today I watched David Gregory interview Iowa Straw Poll winner Michele Bachmann on Meet the Press. Bachmann could never get my vote, but I must say I am getting a little sick of the questions she is getting regarding her faith. In America you are not going to be elected President if you don’t say you believe in God, but it you say God gives real direction to your life you’ve got a problem. If you say that you seek him for direction and purpose in your life you will be depicted as some kind of religious lunatic. That was the brush that Gregory used this morning in an attempt to paint her as some kind of religious zealot. No, I don’t share Bachmann’s extreme opinions but her faith is her business. Some say if you wear your faith on your sleeve like she does you are going to be asked questions, and I get that, but how many times are we going to discuss the word “submissive”. Submission does not mean the man is master and the wife is a slave. The Bible also says “Husbands love your wife as Christ loves the church.” So if this is the case the husband is not simply saying “jump” and the wife responding how “high”. If the economy is the main problem ask her questions about that. So let’s stop with the religious questions unless we are going to question Romney and Huntsman on their Mormon faith or Cain on his Baptist faith.

Should BP CEO Tony Hayward be on the job 24/7?

Over the weekend Tony Hayward was seen at a yachting competition in England. People are furious that this man would take a day off in the midst of this crisis. Today, President Obama is supposed to play golf with Vice President Biden, and the other night the president took his daughters to a baseball game and some have a problem with this, but is this really fair?   Hayward who has become a master of PR gaffes does have a life other than the spill. He is tasked with overseeing the gulf disaster, but he still has other things including his family that demand some of his time. He is CEO of BP that is his job and like it or not people do take time off from their jobs. The work still goes on if Hayward steps off American soil. He might be arrogant and out of touch, but the man does deserve a brief respite from the crisis. Do you work 24/7? No. It would be against the law. You need time to rest and revive, and hopefully a rejuvenated Hayward might actually learn feet are for walking and not constantly sticking down one’s own throat.

Rand Paul cancels Meet the Press appearance

“After two days of bruising media coverage about his views on elements of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the campaign of Kentucky U.S. Senate candidate Rand Paul tells me it has canceled the candidate’s upcoming appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” — something the show’s host and producer are currently sounding the alarm about on Twitter. “Rand did Good Morning America today, set the record straight, and now we are done talking about it,” said campaign spokesman Jesse Benton. “No more national interviews on the topic.”* It is interesting that once Paul really started saying the things that he truly believes that he would decide now is the time to stop talking. His experience seemed to be reminicent of Sarah Palin’s introduction to the national press. She seemed ill-prepared for the Katie Couric interview so she blamed her inadequecy on Couric’s questions. She positioned herself as the victim of a set up, and Paul is now suggesting he was misrepresented on the Rachel Maddow Show. I heard Paul on the Laura Ingraham radio show and she warned him to stay off MSNBC and he agreed, but Maddow did not trick him she asked a question and he answered it. Paul actually got off script. He likes to talk about small government and lower taxes, but the other night we heard what this man really thinks and he knows if that is revealed to the public his chances of winning the Senate seat might be diminished.

*Washington Post

Why is Sunday Morning Talk Devoid of Color?

This morning it was announced that CNN Candy Crowley would be the new anchor of State of the Union. She succeeds John King who will be getting a new show at 7PM. When Tim Russert died in 2008 there was talk of Gwen Ifil filling his seat at Meet the Press, but that spot went to David Gregory. George Stephanopolis is now anchoring Good Morning America and his seat is now up for grabs. Maybe just maybe a person of color will be seriously considered. There are countless qualified candidates that could bring an interesting perspective to the conversation.

Did We See Too Much of the President Sunday?

It is so interesting too hear so many pundits criticizing the president for appearing on too many shows. One reporter Peggy Noonan referred to his numerous appearances as “boorish.” So why would President Obama choose to be on 5 talk shows on Sunday and appear on David Letterman tonight? He did it to get his message out. He got the opportunity to give the same message in 5 different places. Let’s be real who among us watched all 5 shows? The answer is probably no one. Some of us our Face the Nation folks and some prefer Meet the Press so you probably saw him once. How many people get up on Sunday morning and prefer to watch Inside the NFL? They might see him tonight on Letterman. Only true political junkies and media pundits saw him everywhere? Why would they do that? It’s their job to see everything so they can talk about it. So is the president over exposed? No, he is just getting his message out there, and he is giving the people numerous outlets to hear it.

Bristol Palin’s Baby Daddy will be on tomorrow’s Today Show

Today while watching the NBC Nightly News I heard a promo for tomorrow’s Today Show. Levi Johnston will be their guest so he can feed America some more inside information on the Palins. He supposedly lived with them briefly last year. Why would a reputable news show entertain this guy? Are they really that desparate for negative information on Sarah Palin? Today while watching Meet the Press Sen. McCain said he has never seen a modern day politician ripped apart by the press like Sarah Palin. It seemed like such an overstatement, but when I see Levi Johnson getting all this shine I have to wonder is the old Maverick actually telling the truth?

Rudy Giuliani on CNN and Morning Joe Defending Sanford By Throwing Clinton Under the Bus

Master politician Rudy Giuliani appeared on Morning Joe and CNN spouting the new GOP line. When asked  if disgraced Gov. Mark Sanford should resigned he responded well let’s look at Bill Clinton. He said Clinton lied under oath and he did not resign. That does not answer the question. Sandford went AWOL from his state and left his staff scratching their heads. He put his staff and his family in an awkard position. So say this happens on both sides of the aisle is not an answer or a justification for bad behavior.  Sanford was a very visible and vocal critic of the former president. Mitt Romney gave a more enlightened response when he appeared on Meet the Press.  Romney commented on people in public office “people in public life ought to be held to a higher standard. … I heard one … former governor say, ‘Well, everybody makes mistakes.’ Well, that’s true. But not all mistakes are the same. And not everybody is a governor or a senator or a president. And we expect [those] people to live by a higher standard, because what they do is going to be magnified, their families are going to be hurt more by what they do, the things they care about will be hurt, and the culture of the nation
and the people who follow them will be hurt.”  Romney’s response is the kind of response one expects from someone who wants to lead, and Giuliani’s response is the kind one should expect from someone committed to dividing.