Schultz Gives Bush The Credit He Deserves

Since the right wing is still claiming Bush is actually responsible for bringing OBL to justice, I thought I'd share these videos. I'd also like to add that Senator John McCain (video here) seems to have regained some sense of integrity by standing against his own party and debunking the myth that torture lead to OBL's whereabouts. This important development, at a time when 43% of Americans say torture is sometimes justified, further discredits Bush apologists who claim torture was an effective tactic. Not only did those methods fail, but the idea that GWB deserves recognition for the recent victory is absurd. The first video by Think Progress, is a montage which does a great job of recounting how Bush let bin Laden slip away while also revealing his true concern for finding America's most wanted man. In the second video, Ed Schultz gives credit where credit is do and is even joined by awesome firebrand Alan Grayson, the former Congressman from Florida. Remember how upset the right wing was when he said of the Republicans during the health care debate, "Don't get sick. If you get sick, America, the Republican health care plan is this: Die quickly?" And here we are 2 years later with a plan to kill Medicare. I think if he chooses to run again in 2012, he's got a shot at getting his seat back in senior heavy Florida. But I digress, this time around he joins Big Eddie calling GWB the worst president of his lifetime, while also crediting him for other failures.

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Ed Schultz Explains How Union Busting Affects the Entire Middle-Class

The Center for American Progress shared data that proves how unions are supporting, not hurting the middle class. Teapubliklan goal: Break the unions, break the Democratic Party, become a full blown plutocracy, fix unemployment % by removing the minimum wage and bring back sweat-shop jobs here at $3 per hour, 6 days a week with no paid time off, child labor laws weakened(check MO), womens reproductive rights-gone (all red states). Do these union haters understand this CAN happen here?

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Republicans Agree...Obama is Extorting BP - Unbelievable!

The GOP is still out there defending BP, even after Rep. Joe Barton had to retract his apology to BP CEO Tony Hayward. First, the Republicans cried that Obama wasn’t doing enough about the Gulf oil spill crisis, and now they’re complaining that he’s overstepped his bounds. Mike Papantonio appears on MSNBC’s The Ed Show to take on the GOP and their defense of this corrupt corporation.

Matthews Creating His Own Sideshow

In keeping with the cantankerous mood I find myself in these days, let’s discuss Chris Matthews. About a month ago Matthews dissed his colleagues at MSNBC by saying that he was the only one on the network inviting opposing opinion. In the case of Keith Olbermann, that may be true. However in Keith’s defense, his show has always been about skewering untruths generally from the other side. Yes, Fox and Limbaugh are often targeted, but it doesn’t mean what he says is less factual. His show is not about debate, it's more about setting the record straight.  Rachel Maddow asks conservatives on daily and is often refused because they know their factless rhetoric will not go unchallenged.  David Frum, Nancy Pfotenhauer, Tim Phillips and recently Richard Cohen were verbally eviserated trying to use that technique. Granted, it gives other conservatives pause appear, but her aim is true and it’s why she has a growing fan base. That said, former Bush speech writer Mark McKinnon is a frequent guest and I’m confident Colin Powell is among those who would appear again if asked.  The lesson is to be honest and not falsify objectives so the debate can continue.  Now there’s Ed Schultz who has really seemed to take personal offense to some of Matthews recent comments. He really seems to be a guy 'mad as hell who isn't going to take it anymore' - from anyone!  His show is formatted in a very similar way to Chris’, yet once the battle has begun and no one can hear a thing, he shuts them down and redirects as needed. Having opposing opinions all screaming at the same time doesn’t do the viewers a bit of good, but that's what Matthews show promotes.  Schultz has just as many "righties" on as Chris. I guess the difference is, that Chris recycles BFF's like Tom DeLay who should be in jail and Nazi Pat Buchanan. It just strikes me a bit odd that Matthews has decided to make a right hand turn and trash his colleagues just as it became evident that the Comcast deal was “on”.

When the Stupak Amendment (yes, that again) passed the House HCR bill in early November, Matthews hosted Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO) of co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus. She had circulated a letter which had about 40 signatures of House Democrats who say they will oppose the health care bill if it's used to restrict abortion rights. He badgered, interrupted and was downright rude to her for the entire interview. She had appeared on Rachel’s show the night before so I knew what her goal was, but anyone watching Matthews wouldn’t have heard a thing. Matthews’ conservative Catholic upbringing was on display for all to see. In his world, women do not have the right to decide what happens within their own bodies. He kept talking over her about how taxpayers don’t want their money to go towards abortions. I emailed his show and told him I didn’t want mine going to unjust wars either.  Like I always say, “You can’t be pro-life and pro-war”. I find it odd how many people can’t see that.

Last week, this is what Matthews said about the far left as he calls us. You know, those who had the biggest impact on Obama’s election. "I don't consider them Democrats, I consider them Netroots. And if I see they vote in every election, or most elections, then I'll be worried. But I'm not sure they're regular, grown-up Democrats. I think a lot of these people are troublemakers who love to sit in the back seat and complain. They're not interested in governing this country. They never ran for office, they're not interested in working for someone in public office. They get their giggles out of sitting in the back seat and bitching." Daily KOS founder Markos Moulitsas fired back, "In 2003, when Bush landed his plane in the aircraft carrier, and spoke in front of the banner that said, 'Mission Accomplished,' Chris Matthews had an entire show based on that event, and he said everybody knows that we won the war, except a few critics. Well, I was one of those few critics. People like me in the Netroots were some of those critics. And it turns out that we were right and the Beltway conventional wisdom was wrong. And once again, we're in a situation where people like Chris Matthews don't learn from these mistakes. They're trapped in this bubble and they think that they know better. If Chris Matthews is worried about us working, and if he thinks that we're not Democrats, then he really should be worried, because he's got a thing coming."
Markos Moulitsas Slams Chris Matthews on "The Ed Show."

I've never heard him insult or dismiss Dick Armey's Teabaggers.  I guess the lack of diversity in those crowds has gone unnoticed by him.  To give that group of bigots more credibility than activist organizations like Moveon.org, Democracy Now or even Daily Kos is a tell tale sign of where Matthews true allegiances lie.  He didn't mention how Armey's D.C. luncheon was cancelled last week because no one signed up to attend.  You can bet had it been a cancelled lucheon for someone on the left, it would've been included in "Sideshow".