Erick Erickson's Blog, page 215

Another Politico Hit Job

Editorial Note: I missed Hogan's post. Bumping this down botton. His is better.

Here is the latest hit job on Sarah Palin. There is just one problem with it. It doesn't appear to be true.

Take, for example, this bit:

According to a source familiar with the situation, she backed out of planned interviews with conservative talk-show hosts Sean Hannity and Mark Levin the morning she was scheduled to talk to them.

Mark Levin is responding to this on his Facebook page.

This is a flat out lie. Sarah Palin never backed out of any interview with me. Period. And John Martin, the reporter, never contacted me to ask me directly. I insist on a retraction.

Likewise, the CEO of the Southern Republican Leadership Conference, Charlie Davis, is disputing the Politico article.

The Politico has a well documented history of wanting to be first rather than right in breaking news.

They famous got Fred Thompson's fundraising numbers wrong back in 2008.

They declared John Edwards would be dropping out in 2008 when he did not.

Note that it was also Jonathan Martin in the Politico back in 2008 who announced Fred Thompson would be dropping out of the race before the Iowa primary.

Morning Briefing for October 21, 2010

RedState Morning Briefing

For October 21, 2010

Go to www.RedStateMB.com to get
the Morning Briefing every morning at no charge.

1. NPR Fires Juan Williams For Telling the Truth

2. Dick Blumenthal lying about death penalty stance.

3. Ivy League to bring back ROTC any second now, right?

4. Judge Rules Against New Drilling Regs

5. James Cameron: Green For Thee

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1. NPR Fires Juan Williams For Telling the Truth

National Public Radio has fired Juan Williams, its long time correspondent, over remarks Williams made on the O'Reilly Factor.

Specifically, in a conversation about Islamic terrorism, Williams said on the O'Reilly Factor that he sometimes had fear on airplanes seeing muslim passengers in Islamic garb.

NPR said Juan Williams' comments "undermined his credibility as a news analyst with NPR" and "his remarks on the O'Reilly Factor … were inconsistent with our editorial standards."

For reference, NPR recently ran a segment on how to speak "tea bagger".

All Juan Williams did is say both exactly how he feels and how many, many other Americans feel on this subject.

…

I would encourage you to go here and tell the NPR Ombudsman what you think considering NPR is perfectly willing to teach you how to speak tea bagger, but cannot let one of its contributors express his feelings on Islam and terrorism.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

2. Dick Blumenthal lying about death penalty stance.

The death penalty has been an issue in the recent Connecticut gubernatorial election, and it seems to have spilled over into the Senatorial election, too - mostly because Dick Blumenthal can't be bothered to remember if he started loving the death penalty in 1990, or in 2005. Then again, knowing Blumenthal… he probably decided that he could claim both and get away with it. It's a habit with the man.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

3. Ivy League to bring back ROTC any second now, right?

Instapundit passes along an excellent point from one of his readers: the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy has been ordered suspended, via judicial fiat. The military has complied with the court order, although they strongly disagree with it: there is a moratorium on enforcing DADT, and openly gay soldiers may serve. Whether you are happy with this development or not, there is one detail about this which is kind of important: the stated reason Ivy League colleges typically give for forbidding ROTC programs on campus has just gone away. The military just stopped discharging openly gay soldiers. It's over. The Ivy League won.

So let's get those ROTC programs back on those campuses.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

4. Judge Rules Against New Drilling Regs

Offshore oil and gas activity is covered under a voluminous set of federal rules known as 30 CFR 250. Amending the Code of Federal Regulations is a process that requires some time and deliberation. Specifically, the process is designed to allow for public comment, and for the agency to take those comments into account in crafting a final rule.

But the Department of the Interior, through the old MMS and its successor agency BOEMRE, didn't amend the CFR in imposing these new rules. Instead, they circulated the new rules, without benefit of public comment, as "Notices to Lessees". Lessees are the oil and gas companies who operate on federal leases. By design, NTLs are supposed to be interpretive; their intent is not to create new laws or new regulations, but to provide guidance on existing ones.

Judge Martin Feldman in New Orleans District Court calls foul.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

5. James Cameron: Green For Thee

Ann McElhinney and Phelim McAleer have produced a video that shows the hypocrisy of the "carbon-intensive" lifestyle of green proselytizer James Cameron. Cameron recently dropped a million dollars into the Prop 23 fight. As Ann points out at BigGovernment, Cameron isn't the only Prop 23 opposition financier living large.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

Back on Tonight

I'll be filling in for Herman Cain again tonight on WSB Radio from 7pm to 10pm.

The call in number is 1-800-WSB-TALK.

You can listen live at http://wsbradio.com.

Pay attention as I discuss precisely why Christine O'Donnell is legitimately my hero this campaign season.

And consider this an open thread.

Filling in for G. Gordon Liddy

I'm filling in for G. Gordon Liddy today. The show airs live from 10am to 1pm ET and repeats through the day on various stations.

You can listen live at http://www.radioamerica.org/PRG_ggordonliddy.htm.

Consider this an open thread.

Morning Briefing for October 20, 2010

RedState Morning Briefing

For October 20, 2010

Go to www.RedStateMB.com to get
the Morning Briefing every morning at no charge.

On a programming note, I will be filling in for G. Gordon Liddy this morning from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET and for Herman Cain from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. ET.

1. Armageddon: What Democrats Are Hiding & Why They Are Really Scared

2. Senate Republicans May Not Try to Repeal Obamacare

3. Obama and Democrats lie about Citizens United and campaign money

4. Union Peppers Parents with Pedophilia Flyers At Disneyland

5. The Heartbreak of Palin Derangement Syndrome.

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1. Armageddon: What Democrats Are Hiding & Why They Are Really Scared

Unions and Democrats are scared. They should be.

Very soon, Democrats and their union bosses' worst fears may soon be realized and, if they cannot continue their slight of hand, it may threaten their very existence. While it is true that Democrats and their union bosses are facing possibly debilitating losses on November 2nd, they are hiding the really bad news from voters until after November 2nd.

Do you remember that promise we heard back in 2008 about transparency? Democrats and, in particular, then-candidate Barack Obama stated emphatically that "transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency." What a joke that was. Well, it's time to shed some light on the house of cards that is about to come crashing down on Democrats' and union bosses' heads.

In June, a conversation took place in a hotel restaurant in Washington. As a latecomer to the conversation, it was easy to pick up that the topic that was the $165 billion union pension bailout bill introduced by Sen. Bob Casey [D-PA] in March.

Upon introductions, one of the individuals stated, "this is Armageddon."

Please click here for the rest of the post.

2. Senate Republicans May Not Try to Repeal Obamacare

I have told you this before and I will tell you this again. Unless you elect Pat Toomey, Marco Rubio, Ken Buck, Ron Johnson, Dinno Rossi, Rand Paul, Mike Lee, Sharron Angle, and Joe Miller, we will never see Obamacare repealed.

Senator Judd Gregg is up today saying that repeal is not recommended.

Here's the thing — Senate leadership staff will say this is just Judd Gregg, who is retiring, and not reflective of the Senate GOP leadership. There is a problem though.

In the past several weeks, there have been several closed door, off the record meetings of high dollar donors getting briefings from various elected officials, including several Senators. In each case the donors have been "reassured" by the Senators present that they have no intention of repealing Obamacare, just restructuring it.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

3. Obama and Democrats lie about Citizens United and campaign money

Barack Obama and the Democrats have a story about this election. It goes like this. The Supreme Court ruled that corporations have free speech rights in the Supreme Court decision Citizens United. Since then, all this corporate money has flowed into campaigns, blah blah blah. And the press has completely accepted this line of thinking.

It is complete nonsense. They probably want to concoct a falsehood so that this election somehow is not about the White House. But the reality is that their core narrative is simply false on its face.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

4. Union Peppers Parents with Pedophilia Flyers At Disneyland

To fans of the all-things Disney, one of the unions that represents workers at Disneyland (located in Anaheim, California) may have just crossed the line.

Unite-HERE, the union that went through a nasty civil war and break-up, has had an ongoing labor dispute with Disneyland for nearly three years. Over the course of the three years, the union has rejected Disneyland's contract offers, and has engaged in street theater as well as a hunger strike.

Despite the more dramatic antics the union has engaged in, the union's latest tactic of passing out flyers saying "Places like Disneyland are magnets for pedophiles" is drawing criticism.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

5. The Heartbreak of Palin Derangement Syndrome.

It's sad that this needs to be brought up, but it must: it would appear that the Netroots - as per their continuing habit of acting as if the American political system was identical to a pre-Giuliani Times Square peep show emporium - has gotten themselves in a bit of a scrape, again. Specifically, they spent several cheerful hours hooting and hollering over the way that THAT WOMAN suggested that the Tea Party not "party like it was 1773? before they noticed that… well, that the Boston Tea Party was in, well, 1773.

A couple of things: first, this storyboard; which is both cruel and accurate.

Second, while I understand and expect that your average online progressive blogger has about much awareness of American history as, say… Oh, this is awkward. An online progressive blogger would be the actual yardstick for 'abysmally ignorant about American history.' Nonetheless, while I understand that the Online Left is dumb… really, Gwen Ifill. You're supposed to be one of the bright talking heads.

Tsk, tsk.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

I'll Be Filling In For Herman Cain Tonight

I'll be filling in for Herman Cain tonight on WSB Radio from 7pm to 10pm.

The call in number is 1-800-WSB-TALK.

You can listen live at http://wsbradio.com.

Consider this an open thread.

Senate Republicans May Not Try to Repeal Obamacare

I have told you this before and I will tell you this again. Unless you elect Pat Toomey, Marco Rubio, Ken Buck, Ron Johnson, Rand Paul, Mike Lee, Sharron Angle, and Joe Miller, we will never see Obamacare repealed.

Senator Judd Gregg is up today saying that repeal is not recommended.

Sen. Judd Gregg (N.H.), the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, said that repealing the new healthcare reform law — or looking to defund it — were not good options.

"I don't think starving or repealing is probably the best approach here," Gregg said on the Fox Business Network. "You basically go in and restructure it."

Here's the thing — Senate leadership staff will say this is just Judd Gregg, who is retiring, and not reflective of the Senate GOP leadership. There is a problem though.

In the past several weeks, there have been several closed door, off the record meetings of high dollar donors getting briefings from various elected officials, including several Senators. In each case the donors have been "reassured" by the Senators present that they have no intention of repealing Obamacare, just restructuring it.

The Senators seemed to think the high dollar donors were not kooks like those tea party activists and would understand the practical need to just "restructure" instead of "repeal." Unfortunately, the Senators have badly misread the donors.

In any event, you can be sure that Judd Gregg is not speaking out of turn and is not a lone wolf on this issue. His view reflects that of the Senate GOP leadership despite their protestations to the contrary.

Again, if you haven't sent money to Joe Miller, Sharron Angle, Ken Buck, Pat Toomey, Rand Paul, Ron Johnson, Mike Lee, and Marco Rubio, you better. Repeal of Obamacare depends on them.

UPDATED: It is worth noting that neither Mitch McConnell nor Lamar Alexander have signed on as co-sponsors to Jim DeMint's legislation that would repeal Obamacare.

John Raese Gets a Big Endorsement

John Raese has received the Charleston Daily Mail's endorsement. That's a pretty big deal for a Republican challenging the Governor of West Virginia for this Senate seat.

For a sense of it, just consider that the newspaper considers their choice a "painful" one.

WEST Virginians must soon choose who will represent them in the U.S. Senate for the next two years. The issue in the race is how Democrats have used their 59-41 majority, and whether West Virginians want to see more of the same.

The Daily Mail endorses Republican John Raese.

Make no mistake. That choice is painful.

Gov. Joe Manchin is one of the most engaging and effective governors in the state's history. He has tackled many of the state-erected barriers to economic growth - a broken workers' compensation system, uncompetitive tax rates, an unfair legal climate.

The governor also has tried to educate liberal Washington on what its barmy energy plans would do to the U.S. economy.

But it's no use.

John Raese Get a Big Endorsement

John Raese has received the Charleston Daily Mail's endorsement. That's a pretty big deal for a Republican challenging the Governor of West Virginia for this Senate seat.

For a sense of it, just consider that the newspaper considers their choice a "painful" one.

WEST Virginians must soon choose who will represent them in the U.S. Senate for the next two years. The issue in the race is how Democrats have used their 59-41 majority, and whether West Virginians want to see more of the same.

The Daily Mail endorses Republican John Raese.

Make no mistake. That choice is painful.

Gov. Joe Manchin is one of the most engaging and effective governors in the state's history. He has tackled many of the state-erected barriers to economic growth - a broken workers' compensation system, uncompetitive tax rates, an unfair legal climate.

The governor also has tried to educate liberal Washington on what its barmy energy plans would do to the U.S. economy.

But it's no use.

Rape and Ken Buck's Record

The left never ceases to amaze me in their willingness to use people to tar and feather their opposition through half-truths and lies. In much the same way the NAACP used the murder of James Byrd to attack George Bush with a series of lies, the left is doing the same with a rape victim in Colorado against Ken Buck.

The Colorado Springs Gazette covers this pretty extensively and shows just how disgusting it is.

The case stems from an alleged date rape and Buck's decision to not prosecute the case. Buck, in explaining why to the victim, said that the jury would more likely than not let the guy off because of evidence the defense had. He sent the case to another District Attorney to review and that District Attorney agreed with Buck.

As the Colorado Springs Gazette explains:

Date rape convictions are especially unlikely. Typical cases consist of "he said" v. "she said" and not much more. The defendant has the advantage of a presumption of innocence; the victim is burdened with providing proof. Throw alcohol into the equation, and conviction becomes even more far-fetched. Add a hint of seduction by the victim, such as partial nudity before going to bed with a defendant, and conviction becomes almost impossible. Even jurors who want to convict cannot do so lawfully without proof beyond reasonable doubt.

That's what Buck faced when he explained to the victim why he could not pursue conviction. He explained with compassion that a jury would not convict because of information the defense would use. He said a jury might interpret her complaint as "buyer's remorse," a statement misrepresented by opponents to make it sound as if Buck questioned her motives. Buck advised her of other legal remedies but warned that they may lead to hurtful defense attacks. To be certain he was making the right call, Buck asked the office of then-Boulder District Attorney Mary Lacy, arguably the state's most aggressive sex crimes prosecutor at the time, to review the case. Lacy's prosecutors concurred with Buck.

Never mind that Ken Buck has an impressive career of locking up rapists and murders. In fact, some of the victims have come forward to defend Ken Buck. But that doesn't matter to the left in Colorado. They are doing what they can to distort Buck's record and smear him.

Ken needs to be able to fight back folks. Give what you can.