The Democrat Thread

[BigSqwert]

Someone should inform Peter King about the radicalization of Christian Americans. Maybe he can hold a hearing or something.

[BigSqwert]

Who needs tsunami warnings anyway?

by digby

 

I was watching the live coverage of the tsunami in Japan last night and could not believe what I was seeing. It was something out of a movie -- a movie that I would have thought was somewhat ridiculous until I saw this surge from the birds eye view. Unbelievable.

 

I'm sitting here now, six blocks from the beach in California, waiting for the wave to hit the west coast. Luckily it doesn't appear to be dangerous to us at this point.

 

The good news is that if the Republicans have their way, when one of these things does hit us in this earthquake zone, we won't have warning:

Thur

s

day night'

s

ma

s

s

ive earthqua

k

e in Japan and the re

s

ulting t

s

unami warning

s

that have alarmed U.

S

. coa

s

t

s

,

s

eem li

k

ely to ignite a debate over a previou

s

ly little-di

s

cu

s

s

ed

s

ub

s

ection of the

s

pending bill

s

currently being debated in Congre

s

s

.

 

Tuc

k

ed into the Hou

s

e Republican continuing re

s

olution are provi

s

ion

s

cutting the National Oceanic and Atmo

s

pheric Admini

s

tration, including the National Weather

S

ervice, a

s

well a

s

humanitarian and foreign aid.

 

Pre

s

ented a

s

part of a larger deficit reduction pac

k

age, each cut could be pitched a

s

tough-choice, belt-tightening on behalf of the GOP. But advocate

s

for protecting tho

s

e fund

s

pointed to the cri

s

i

s

in Japan a

s

evidence that without the money, di

s

a

s

ter preparedne

s

s

and relief would

s

uffer.

 

"The

s

e are very clo

s

ely related," National Weather

S

ervice Employee

s

Organization Pre

s

ident Dan

S

obien told The Huffington Po

s

t with re

s

pect to the budget cut

s

and the t

s

unami. "The National Weather

S

ervice ha

s

the re

s

pon

s

ibility of warning about t

s

unami'

s

al

s

o. It i

s

true that there i

s

no plan to not fund the t

s

unami buoy

s

. Everyone

k

now

s

you ju

s

t can't do that.

S

till if tho

s

e [Hou

s

e] cut

s

go through there will be furlough

s

at both of the t

s

unami warning center

s

that protect the whole country and, in fact, the whole world."

 

The Hou

s

e full-year continuing re

s

olution, which ha

s

not pa

s

s

ed the

S

enate, would indeed ma

k

e

s

teep cut

s

to

s

everal program

s

and function

s

that would

s

erve in a re

s

pon

s

e to natural di

s

a

s

ter

s

(not ju

s

t t

s

unami

s

) home and abroad. According to

S

obien, the bill cut

s

$126 million from the budget of the NW

S

.

S

ince, however, the cut

s

are being enacted over a

s

ix-month period (the length of the continuing re

s

olution) a

s

oppo

s

ed to over the cour

s

e of a full year, the effect would be roughly double.

I realize that the productive wealthy can't be taxed but I hope they're all thinking ahead and employing their own natural disaster experts or they might suffer right along with the rest of us.

Edited March 11, 2011 by BigSqwert

[StrangeSox]

This is eerily similar to "something called 'volcano monitoring'"--->"alaskan volcano erupts"

 

But hey, cutting NOAA, NSF, NIH and introducing creationist anti-evolution bills on a yearly basis isn't anti-science or anti-intellectual! It's Pro-Skepticism!

[Y2HH]

This is eerily similar to "something called 'volcano monitoring'"--->"alaskan volcano erupts"

 

But hey, cutting NOAA, NSF, NIH and introducing creationist anti-evolution bills on a yearly basis isn't anti-science or anti-intellectual! It's Pro-Skepticism!

 

...and you've jumped the shark. Gratz, Fonzie.

[StrangeSox]

...and you've jumped the shark. Gratz, Fonzie.

 

?que?

 

edit: I was poking fun at jenks ignoring all of the examples of the GOP gutting science funding or introducing anti-science bills.

Edited March 11, 2011 by StrangeSox

[BigSqwert]

Compassionate conservatism at its finest.

[StrangeSox]

Compassionate conservatism at its finest.

 

This is more "insane-old-manism" than anything to do with conservatism.

[BigSqwert]

This is more "insane-old-manism" than anything to do with conservatism.

 

Indeed. I just feel like ranting on conservatives today. Give me my outlet.

[Y2HH]

Indeed. I just feel like ranting on conservatives today. Give me my outlet.

 

BigSqwert...more like BigJerk. Complete with your bandwagon hopping "I joined Soxtalk in 2005" date.

Edited March 11, 2011 by Y2HH

[BigSqwert]

BigSqwert...more like BigJerk. Complete with your bandwagon hopping "I joined Soxtalk in 2005" date.

 

And I lurked before I joined.

Edited March 11, 2011 by BigSqwert

[NorthSideSox72]

This is more "insane-old-manism" than anything to do with conservatism.

Yeah, that's not conservative, that's 91-year-old-losing-his-mindism.

 

[Y2HH]

Yeah, that's not conservative, that's 91-year-old-losing-his-mindism.

 

You have to take BigSqwert with a metric ton of salt. I mean, look at him...he has Capt. Picard trying to kill Chunk.

Edited March 11, 2011 by Y2HH

[HuskyCaucasian]

Mark my words, Obama's meeting with the Blackhawks today will be used in an attack ad next year.

"During a global crisis, Barack Obama was busy meeting with hockey players..."

Edited March 11, 2011 by Athomeboy_2000

[StrangeSox]

Maybe in Detroit.

[Y2HH]

Maybe in Detroit.

 

[Y2HH]

Maybe in Detroit.

 

Oh, and you're on here during the day as much as me...do you work?!@#$#@!

[StrangeSox]

Oh, and you're on here during the day as much as me...do you work?!@#$#@!

 

Sometimes!

 

VEry project-driven, a little slow this week but busy for a while after that. Also, ADD.

[BigSqwert]

Falling For it Again

 

by digby

 

I can hardly believe this, but it looks as though Glenn Beck's website The Blaze, has done some serious analysis of the James O'Keefe NPR tapes and found that they were .... edited.

 

Shocked? I knew you would be.

1. Mu

s

lim Brotherhood connection

s

 

Much of the con

s

ternation over thi

s

video center

s

on the que

s

tion of why would NPR executive

s

meet with a group connected to Mu

s

lim Brotherhood. Did they

k

now? And if Mu

s

lim Brotherhood i

s

mentioned, how are the tie

s

characterized? I

s

the edited video mi

s

leading on the

s

e point

s

?

 

In thi

s

fir

s

t

s

ection, the narration de

s

cribe

s

the player

s

and

s

ay

s

the NPR executive

s

were preparing to meet with the member

s

of

“

Mu

s

lim Education Action Center.

”

The narrator then de

s

cribe

s

the MEAC a

s

a

“

Mu

s

lim Brotherhood front group.

”

It doe

s

not explain how the NPR executive

s

would have a ba

s

i

s

to believe they were meeting with a Mu

s

lim Brotherhood front group.

 

The raw video help

s

u

s

evaluate how the NPR exec

s

might perceive the men. The men de

s

cribe them

s

elve

s

a

s

board member

s

but indicate that they are at lower level

s

in the organization

…

one of them explaining that he i

s

relatively new to the board

…

the other

s

aying he wor

k

s

in mo

s

tly an

“

ob

s

ervation ba

s

i

s

.

”

You will

s

ee that in thi

s

clip.

 

Further, we compare the edited video with the raw video on the important

s

ection of how the actor

s

de

s

cribe the role/connection of the Mu

s

lim Brotherhood to their effort

s

. The edited video include

s

a reference to

s

ome of the original founder

s

of MEAC being member

s

of the Mu

s

lim Brotherhood in America. I

s

thi

s

the only reference and ba

s

i

s

for the NPR exec

s

to con

s

ider MEAC to have a Mu

s

lim Brotherhood connection? The raw video al

s

o include

s

a longer

s

ection of de

s

cription that

s

eem

s

to downplay connection

s

of the MEAC group to the Mu

s

lim Brotherhood a

s

popularly perceived.

 

2.Doe

s

Ron

S

chiller react to

“

S

haria

”

mi

s

s

ion

s

tatement with amu

s

ement?

 

The narrator note

s

that the MEAC web

s

ite include

s

thi

s

phra

s

e:

“

We mu

s

t combat intolerance to

s

pread acceptance of

S

haria acro

s

s

the world.

”

 

S

haria i

s

defined a

s

“

the

s

acred law of I

s

lam.

”

But the interpretation of that definition ha

s

many variation

s

acro

s

s

many I

s

lamic tradition

s

. That alone would not be a firm clue for the NPR executive

s

of the group

’

s

belief

s

.

 

Of greater concern, though, i

s

how the video i

s

edited at thi

s

juncture.

 

S

o after

s

aying that the MEAC web

s

ite advocate

s

the

“

acceptance of

S

haria,

”

the video cut

s

to the NPR exec

s

aying,

“

Really? That

’

s

what they

s

aid?

”

The cadence i

s

jovial and upbeat and the narration move

s

on. The implication i

s

that the NPR exec i

s

aware and perhap

s

amu

s

ed or approving of the MEAC mi

s

s

ion

s

tatement. But when you loo

k

at the raw video you realize he wa

s

actually recounting an unrelated and innocuou

s

i

s

s

ue about confu

s

ion over name

s

in the re

s

taurant re

s

ervation.

 

3. How doe

s

S

chiller de

s

cribe Republican

s

?

 

S

chiller

’

s

negative comment

s

about Republican

s

and con

s

ervative

s

have gotten a great deal of attention.

 

He clearly

s

ay

s

s

ome offen

s

ive thing

s

, while being very direct that he i

s

giving hi

s

own opinion and not that of NPR.

S

till

—

a wildly

s

tupid move!

 

But you may be

s

urpri

s

ed to learn, that in the raw video,

S

chiller al

s

o

s

pea

k

s

po

s

itively about the GOP. He expre

s

s

e

s

pride in hi

s

own Republican heritage and hi

s

belief in fi

s

cal con

s

ervati

s

m.

 

4. The

“

s

eriou

s

ly raci

s

t

”

Tea Party

 

NPR exec Ron

S

chiller doe

s

de

s

cribe Tea Party member

s

a

s

“

xenophobic

…

s

eriou

s

ly raci

s

t people.

”

 

Thi

s

i

s

one of the rea

s

on

s

why he no longer ha

s

a job!

 

But

the clip in the edited video implie

s

S

chiller i

s

giving

s

imply hi

s

own analy

s

i

s

of the Tea Party. He doe

s

do that in part, but the raw video reveal

s

that he i

s

largely recounting the view

s

expre

s

s

ed to him by two top Republican

s

, one a former amba

s

s

ador, who admitted to him that they voted for Obama.

 

At the end, he

s

ignal

s

hi

s

agreement. The larger context doe

s

not excu

s

e hi

s

comment

s

, or hi

s

judgment in

s

haring the account, but would a full context edit have been more fair?

S

ee what you thin

k

:

 

5. Are liberal

s

more educated than con

s

ervative

s

?

 

You may al

s

o have

s

een a

s

ection of the video where

S

chiller de

s

cribe

s

liberal

s

a

s

more educated than con

s

ervative

s

. But

the raw video

s

how

s

a

s

ection where

S

chiller i

s

he

s

itant to criticize the education of con

s

ervative

s

and the other executive, Bet

s

y Liley, i

s

out

s

po

k

en in her defen

s

e of the intellect

s

of Fox New

s

viewer

s

.

 

Would it have been fair to include the broader range of the executive

s

s

tatement

s

? The impre

s

s

ion of the original video, that the exec

s

were only ho

s

tile toward Republican

s

and con

s

ervative

s

, i

s

incorrect.

 

6. Doe

s

NPR need federal funding?

 

Let

’

s

loo

k

now at one of the other

s

ection

s

mo

s

t featured in new

s

report

s

about the original video

—

the comment

s

about federal funding for NPR.

 

S

chiller

s

ay

s

that NPR,

“

in the long run,

”

would be better off without federal funding and that mo

s

t of the

s

tation

s

would

s

urvive a lo

s

s

of

s

uch funding. The implication i

s

that

S

chiller doe

s

not believe federal funding for NPR i

s

important. In the raw video, however,

S

chiller explain

s

the ri

s

k

to local

s

tation

s

in more detail and why NPR i

s

doing

“

everything we can to advocate for federal funding.

”

 

7. Audio i

s

s

ue number one

 

In the relea

s

e of the raw video, there are two

s

ection

s

where the audio become

s

an i

s

s

ue.

 

In thi

s

fir

s

t clip the video (complete with

“

timecode

”

s

tamp) continue

s

to play while the audio goe

s

into

s

ome

k

ind of glitchy loop.

 

Thi

s

could be an actual glitch, though not one I

’

ve

s

een li

k

e thi

s

in 25 year

s

of wor

k

ing with video editing.

 

It could al

s

o be a

“

glitch

”

edited into a loop to cover a

s

ection of the recording on purpo

s

e.

 

In any ca

s

e here it i

s

:

 

8. Audio i

s

s

ue number two

 

The video producer

s

“

redacted

”

a 1:24

s

ection of the audio. They explain that thi

s

i

s

for the

“

s

afety of a reporter illegally in foreign country.

”

 

The implication from the editing i

s

that Bet

s

y Liley i

s

de

s

cribing the activitie

s

of the reporter in que

s

tion:

 

The Blaze contacted NPR to

s

ee if Liley recall

s

the nature of her comment

s

here, but thu

s

far they have been unable to accommodate our inquiry.

 

Conclu

s

ion:

 

Anyone loo

k

ing at the edited ver

s

ion of the Project Verita

s

video would be concerned about the conduct and view

s

expre

s

s

ed by the NPR repre

s

entative

s

. But

s

hould we al

s

o be concerned about the deceptive nature of

s

ome of the video

’

s

repre

s

entation

s

?

S

ome will

s

ay no

—

the end ju

s

tifie

s

any mean

s

, even if unethical. Other

s

may be bothered by the

s

e tactic

s

and view

s

imilar project

s

with a greater degree of

s

k

eptici

s

m.

Uh, that's Glenn Beck's website saying that. If you don't believe them, you can view the tapes yourself. This may not be all of it for all I know.

[StrangeSox]

LOL, of course.

 

Doesn't matter at this point because NPR reacted as poorly to this as they did to the whole (self-created) Juan Williams fiasco.

[lostfan]

Why does James O'Keefe have any credibility whatsoever? Why do people listen to anything he says? (I know the answer, just asking out loud)

[StrangeSox]

I really don't know.

 

also those who love O'keefe the most are also tend to be those who b**** about liberal media bias and "gotcha!" journalism.

Edited March 11, 2011 by StrangeSox

[lostfan]

Hey remember 2 years ago when the DHS released a report (that was not supposed to be leaked to the public, but they are infiltrated by Fox News) about military veterans being in right-wing extremist organizations, which happens to be a factual statement, and everybody flipped the f*** out and drummed up self-righteous indignation? The suspect in the attempted bombing of the MLK Day parade is a veteran. IJS.

[StrangeSox]

Second thought on the NPR thing: They're a news organization. Why the hell didn't they investigate O'Keefe's s*** claims and once-again-edited tapes instead of having a meltdown first?

[StrangeSox]

Hey remember 2 years ago when the DHS released a report (that was not supposed to be leaked to the public, but they are infiltrated by Fox News) about military veterans being in right-wing extremist organizations, which happens to be a factual statement, and everybody flipped the f*** out and drummed up self-righteous indignation? The suspect in the attempted bombing of the MLK Day parade is a veteran. IJS.

 

It was more a narrative about how Obama was having the DHS target right-leaning political groups! And ignored that reports like this are somewhat routine and necessary, given that there are far right-wing nutty militia groups that like to kill people.

 

[lostfan]

Second thought on the NPR thing: They're a news organization. Why the hell didn't they investigate O'Keefe's s*** claims and once-again-edited tapes instead of having a meltdown first?

isn't this kind of a standard left-wing reaction to right-wing bulls***?