Another GOP "tar baby" smear

The latent racism among some politicians never ceases to amaze me, especially when it is written down in memos. Earlier today, I found this on The Politico (via HuffPo):

In a 20-page memo on GOP electoral woes, Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) [at right] repeatedly misspells Barack Obama's name – it's one R, Congressman, not two - and then manages to use the racially charged term "tar baby" in a paragraph about Obama and immigration.

"Remember," Davis writes, "Hispanic voters are a swing group in this election and future elections. John McCain, being from a border state, may be out of sync with many Republicans but he has standing among Hispanics. Barrack Obama has not made the sale to Hispanic voters. Thus, this issue is a tar baby for anyone who touches it, with land mines everywhere."

Of course, what will follow now is how Davis "meant nothing" by using the term "tar baby." Right. And Mel Gibson abhors anti-semitism, too.

It's no wonder that Republicans have trouble courting the so-called "black vote." Maybe because they don't deserve it.

My racist is less offensive than your racist

Yes, that's what this moronic debate between the various camps in the Don Imus debate seem to be saying.

First off, how idiotic are these two? Michelle Malkin is little more than another right-wing hate monger that Fersatz News puts on the air for horny young Repubes to drool over. And she brings plenty of racist history with her - click Here for one of her better examples.

The question needs to be asked - is our children learning? Just kidding. Seriously though, who the hell is Malik Shabazz? What has this guy done to deserve national attention? I cracked up when Malkin refers to Shabazz's "15 members." Oooooo. 15 members? Someone get me FEMA - we have ourselves a national emergency. (FEMA will promptly respond, in three days.)

What did Fox do - put out an APB for angry black men? Big deal. It isn't too hard to find white racists, either. Malkin proves nothing.

What's more, I wonder about the timing of Malkin bringing on Shabazz. Hmmm. I'll chew on that one for a moment. Let's see - Imus fired for making blatant racist statements... then Fox brings on Malik Shabazz, a guy that probably 99.9999999% of the American population doesn't even know exists (vs. Imus, who had a radio population and TV viewing audience of millions).

The message from Fox is a not-so-subtle reference to Imus' firing - "See? We can find black people who are racist, too!"

Y-A-W-N.

There are racists of every color, ethnicity, sexuality and gender in America. And when they make millions to propagate their racist views, they deserve to be exposed for the intolerant, churlish rubes they are. Let society shun them and deny them the millions they would otherwise earn.

Just a few more points, because I've got better things to write about than Malkin, Fox News and Shabazz.

Malkin has got to have the worst camera presence ever. I'd love to see her fill in for Bill O'Reilly for a month - the show would be canceled in days. She's on TV because of her looks, not her smarts or broadcasting skills. Sounds a bit like Ann Coulter, doesn't it?

Malkin does something during this broadcast that Fox personalities (notice I'm not calling them journalists) have fine-tuned to an art form - distorting guests' remarks. Shabazz doesn't call her a "whore," he calls her a "political prostitute for Bill O'Reilly." Yet, Malkin comes right back with her righteous indignation - "You called me a whore..."

Guess what? She is a political prostitute. What's more, Shabazz defames hard-working prostitutes the world over by even suggesting that Malkin is one.

And I'll take it even a step further - BOR is a political pimp for Fox News and the Republican Party because he remains obsessed with the trivial, irrelevant, sexually deviant aspects of our society, which really is a reflection of him. (Anyone heard of the sexual harassment suit brought against him in 2004?)

I get a kick out of Malkin deriding Shabazz for profiting from his "racial poison" and "stoking racial demagoguery." Again, I refer you Here to see a sparkling example of Malkin doing both.

Here's a video response to the above clip on YouTube that I found interesting. It's not very well produced, it jumps around a little, it starts off racy, but in the end it does make a point, backed up with statistics I've seen at credible news outlets. Anyway, here's the clip:



Two more quick points...

I've written it before and I'll write it again - we seem to be reverting back to the late-1990s mentality in our society and media. By that I mean we seem to be obsessed with the trivial, while not paying attention to what is really important.

I've also previously written about how some feel Fox isn't even worthy of our time or scorn. It is. The "network" has millions of viewers, many of whom sit in their chairs and believe stuff like this. When people just give up and let the network go about its business, Fox wins, because that adds an aura of legitimacy and to a network that has done very little to deserve it.

I'm very happy that leading Democrats have declined to appear on Fox News because of its far-right agenda. When many prominent people appear Fox, it sends the wrong message of legitimacy - just like when Dick Cheney appears on Rush Limbaugh's program, or when leading politicians from both political parties used to frequent Imus' show.

MSNBC bids Imus adieu

Look at that punim. Don Imus has reason to be cranky today. Yesterday, he was abruptly fired by MSNBC, ending an 11-year relationship with the network. The fate of his radio program is still in question. For now, CBS is maintaining that he'll be suspended without pay for two weeks. So far, that's the extent of his punishment.

I'm already tired of this story, to be honest, but I'd be remiss to leave out a few things. First, a good parody...



Stephen never disappoints.



Michael Smerconish brings up some interesting points here - he is right that people in our society walk around just waiting to be offended, but he's way off base with regard to the Rutgers women's basketball team. Words DO have meaning, and consequences. Yes, he was looking for a cheap laugh, by using racially hateful and insensitive comments.

Smerconish is normally a conservative I respect and listen to, because of his noted lack of hateful comments; he's level-headed and reasonable. But, he's got the Imus case all wrong.



I'm anticipating that this will be the first and last time in my life that I will agree with Laura Ingraham about anything, but I give her credit for reacting the way she did in this clip. The footage runs out, but evidently, she didn't return for the next segment.

It's hard to overstate how much I despise the insipid Hannity, and the footage above is precisely why the likes of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson getting involved in this controversy clouds this issue. It gives conservative jackals fodder for the hypocrisy cannon, and distracts from what Imus said or what this whole story is about in the first place.

These two morons have a history of making highly racial and insensitive remarks themselves, so for them to come to the "aid" of Rutgers basketball players is absurd, and the height of hypocrisy.

What annoys me even more is the fact that Repubes are trying to make political hay out of the Imus remarks, when they really should keep their mouths shut. Take a look at this footage...



Terry Jeffrey, editor-at-large of Human Events magazine, probably says the most idiotic and contradictory statements I've heard on television in quite a long time.

"Don Imus represents the decline in standards in American broadcasting"?!? Surly you jest, Mr. Jeffrey.

Apparently Jeffrey's never heard broadcasts of Matt Drudge, Ann Coulter, Laura Ingraham, Michelle Malkin, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage, Tom DeLay, etc.? Talk about selective outrage. I'm choking on righteous indignation. Jeffrey almost (almost!) sounds like the right's idiotic answer to this whole mess vis à vis Sharpton and Jackson on the left.

As Keith Olbermann rightfully pointed out tonight on his show, where's the outrage over the "racist right's" comments. A recent sampling:

• Rush Limbaugh calling Barack Obama [and Halle Berry] "Halfrican American"

• Michael Savage saying the Voting Rights Act means "a chad in every crackhouse"

• Neil Boortz saying Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA), an African-American Congresswoman, "looks like a ghetto slut"

• How about former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay comparing Democrats to Nazis? (Scroll down a few messages and you'll hear audio of it.)

These are just a few examples. I don't have enough time or energy to cite them all, but that's a pretty good "worst of" list.

Jeffrey winds up this clip with a breathtaking bomb:

"I think this type of programming underestimates the intelligence for the potential audience it has."

I'll remember that the next time I hear Rush Limbaugh comparing Democrats who oppose funding a destructive, idiotic war to Stalin, while Vice President Dick Cheney plays the role of Ed McMahon, nodding in agreement and braying like a donkey. (I blogged about this last weekend.)

By the way, and I know I've mentioned this before, but when you have five minutes to kill, drop by the Human Events Website - it really is a kick.

Here's a press conference that the Rutgers Womens Basketball Team held yesterday...



Elegantly said, and well put. It will be very interesting to hear what comes of the meeting between Imus and the team. I give those girls a lot of credit for even agreeing to meet with him; it's going to be a pretty uncomfortable meeting all around, but mostly for Imus. It should be.



Here's Al Sharpton on CNN's Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer. I agree with just about everything Sharpton is says, but it's tough to get past the messenger. He's got such a checkered past, it's tough to look past his credibility problem. But, he's right about Imus.

I'll say it one more time, and then I'm movin' on, because I've had enough of this story already, but I hate it that Sharpton's even involved in this matter, because it's just fodder for the right's cannon of hate and intolerance.

I find it profoundly sad that Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are spokesmen for African-Americans today in any capacity. Seriously, it undermines the issue whenever these two idiots show up and preen before the cameras and sound as if they've never done anything wrong in their lives.

Anyway, one down, one to go - time for Imus to go from CBS, too, but I'm not holding my breath.

I do wonder, getting back to Terry Jeffrey's comments, if this will be another excuse for Republicans to try and arrogantly push their morality on the rest of us. The FCC has done it before, and they'll undoubtedly try again. I really hope this isn't another Janet Jackson moment.

"Racust" in the Morning blabbers on

I have no idea what kind of a person Don Imus is. But maybe his idiotic statements from last week about the Rutgers University Women's Basketball Team is knowing enough. If I owned the radio station that Imus works for, I'd fire him. Without equivocation.

The only good thing about this is watching this old lizard squirm and try to come up with some reason, any reason, that he should be kept on the job.

I laughed in this video when I heard him say that "these young women don't know me." They don't need to, moron. A racist is still a racist, so Imus' attempt to put his comments into context adds nothing. Zero.

"I'm a good person who said a bad thing"? I dunno - it sounds like a PR job to me.

His lame explanation that "we make fun of everyone on this show, including me" is no defense, either. So, he's been making fun of everyone for the past 30-odd years on his show, Imus in the Morning. So what?

Hey, I'm a Howard Stern fan, and had he said the same thing, I'd think he should be fired, too. Stern has toned down his act quite a bit since moving over to Sirius Satellite Radio, though. I wonder if money has anything to do with it? He only got a $500 million, five-year deal. It's a whole new ballgame when you cross over to the largely uncensored medium of satellite, but I digress.

When Howard was on terrestrial radio, he should have been fired on a number of occasions, and on a few, he was. Since I've been a fan, the one big thing that I remember he got into hot water about was making fun of Selena's death, but in that instance, he wasn't making fun of her race, if I'm remembering it right. Still, one could have made the case that he should have been fired, and he nearly was.

Anyway, back to Imus - yes, he does do a great deal of charitable work, without question, but it's obvious why he's bringing it up now - to try and save his job. His charitable work does not excuse what he said.

It's interesting to see him go on the Mel Gibson/Michael Richards apology tour. It's fun watching him squirm and agreeing to talk to Al Sharpton and to meeting with the basketball team. He wouldn't be doing any of this if his job wasn't in jeopardy.

Here's footage of Newsweek's Howard Fineman giving it to Imus this morning on his radio show, but in a respectful way. Nice job, Howard. And Fineman's right - this is a teaching moment. Maybe he'll survive this and continue his show. He does have the support of a great many politicians who come on his show, but I don't know if they support him in this case.



By the way, Imus seriously needs to consider putting the cowboy hat back on - without it, he looks even more disturbing.