Romney On Perceived Overseas Gaffes: Media Want To Distract From Obama's Record

» 41 comments

Tuesday morning, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney addressed the criticism he's received for several alleged gaffes during his trips to London and Israel, blaming the media for what he believes is its insistence on diverting attention from real issues.

Before Romney left Poland this morning, Fox News reporter Carl Cameron asked the former governor about his perceived missteps. Romney accused reporters of overlooking the substance of his international trip and instead trying to distract from what he sees as President Barack Obama's poor handling of the economy.

'I realize that there will be some in the Fourth Estate, or whichever estate, who are far more interested in finding something to write about that is unrelated to the economy, to geopolitics, to the threat of war, to the reality of conflict in Afghanistan today, to a nuclearization of Iran,' Romney said. 'They'll instead try and find anything else to divert from the fact that these last four years have been tough years for our country.'

Romney had recently taken heat for comments many perceived as gaffes ' while visiting London, he criticized the city's handling of the Olympics; and while in Israel, he made a controversial remark blaming Palestine's lack of economic success on cultural differences with Israel.

Watch the clip below, via Fox News:

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• Blame the media'Good one, Mitt. Give any freakin' press access at all and you wouldn't have these problems. At least old man McCain understood the game he was in. Romney seems essentially clueless.

• Thats all in Willard's bag of tricks. Blame the media. Romney is utterly clueless and last I checked, it was the British press that had more of a problem with the criticism of the Olympics, than the American press corp.

• So Willard wanted to have a fancy international tour, but didn't want press coverage?  If he wasn't shitting the bed at every single stop, wouldn't he be complaining if he wasn't getting enough press?

• I've never heard that before,' blame the media when you fall short!

• You're right Mitt!  I dare anyone here to show me 3 times he's stuck his foot in his mouth on this trip!  Go ahead!  Show me any gaffes in London or Israel, or Poland.  I can't think of any?  HA HA HA HA!

• Willard, release your tax returns !!!

• Can any liberal describe to me in less than a paragraph any of his gaffes?  What 'gaffe' did Romney make on this trip?

• HMMMM. Well Mittens I have an idea for you, go try another network other than FAUX News.

• Whine on, Willard.

  You've got FOX teabagging you 24/7, and you blame your problems on the media.

•  I find it funny that the media can put out a 5 minute segment on Romney's supposed 'gaffe' by stating a fact in London but can't afford 30 seconds to the news that consumer confidence is down to the levels it was in January

• Obama's record with Poland: ( Actual gaffes)

  'Obama's record of Polish political gaffes' 

  'May 2012: Obama refers to 'Polish Death Camps' 

  'March 2012: President Obama's 'hot mic' promise to Russia' 

  'May 2011: President Obama's token visit to Poland'

   'April 2010: President Obama goes golfing during presidential funeral' 

  'September 2009: Obama announces plans to scrap the missile defense program in Europe'

  'February 2009:  Biden says White House is ready to 'press the reset button' with Russia'

  'November 2008: Obama contradicts Polish President on missile defense'

  http://washingtonexaminer.com/...

• Is that snark?  You're kidding right?

• Willard McDole went to 10 Downing Street and took a huge dump on the British people.

  Fresh after eating some hot sauce 

• Was this post about Obama?  I think my reading comprehension skills may be out of wack?
  By the way, the missle defense was not scrapped.  It's been moved from land to sea!

• Willard is a COMPLETE IDIOT !

• The Obama Press Corpse ignores Romney's magnificent speech in Israel to feature Palestinian propaganda and lies:

  'How AP, NPR Lied About Romney 'Jewish Donors' Speech, Using Palestinian Propaganda'

  'Romney made no claim about the 'cultural superiority' of Jews over Arabs, as Erekat claims'and as the AP and NPR report dutifully, recycling a false meme of Jewish self-regard that is common in both anti-Israel propaganda and antisemitic literature.

   Instead, Romney praised Israel's entrepreneurial culture'which is striking precisely because it runs counter to the socialist politics many Jews brought with them to their new state.

  The AP and NPR have disgraced themselves in twisting Romney's words to provide fodder for his critics.'

  http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2012/07/30/How-the-AP-and-NPR-Lied-About-Romney-Jewish-Donors-Speech-Using-Palestinian-Propaganda

•  The most dangerous was MI6. There were others, as you well know.

• Type faster. Your guy is pissing it away.

• Yeah, blame the media and Obama for your failures. 

• Magnificent? lol, this is embarrassing. It's like you are paid to say these things, but it's so twisted that even a paid staff will find it hard to continue with this horrid job. 

•  You are just jealous of Romney's success.

• I think it is time to start talking about 2016. What Republican is entitled to the nomination then? Gingrich?

• The point of Willard's whole trip was to draw attention to himself and showcase his foreign policy cred. Don't whine because the media followed him down the rat hole he dug for himself.

  Keep crying, breitard.

• Curious'  How come the MSM doesn't care about the unemployment rate, unsustainable debt, looming tax increases, and the economy on the brink of another recession?

• My favorite was when he gushed about Israel's socialist government run health insurance.

• Christie.

• The irony was sweet.

  Somewhat related, I enjoyed the opening ceremony of the the Olympics, the tribute to GOSH and NHS. All of the Republicans kept telling us how people in various single payer nations clamored to get out of the system. Yet, the Brits did this homage.

•  Because, it's all part of a wide-ranging conspiracy, Tina.

• Oh, I don't know.  I am kind of partial to his bigoted comments that Palestinian Arabs have a culture completely directed to utter failure.

• Did he have a chance to check on those tax shelters while he was away or too busy making a gd fool of himself? STFU and cough up those tax returns Thurston.

• You replied to the wrong post because my name is not Tina nor am I female.

• Thought the fact that Romney couldnt remember the Labour Leader's name was completely comical. He called Ed Miliband'.'Dear Leader'

• This time the Republicans may jettison the extreme and go with the other Mormon.

  I cannot possibly imagine Huntsmann having shit all over himself going from the UK to Israel to Poland.

• Well the wet magic under garment that is Romney, whenever he explodes, he runs to daddy, Fox for a bail out.

  If the media has any respect, they would not chase Romney around until he seeks for them to be interviewed.  Fox has done a wickedly destruction of the news media.  Fox at the most once a week gets about 3.35M by O'Reilly.  There are 313M people in USA.  MSM there are more of you and less of Fox.  Stop modeling your business like Fox.  

  Stop the insanity.

• Because the numbers don't clearly foretell of another recession right now.  Obama will have an ad campaign to convince the American people that treasonous Republicans in the House and Senate purposely kept them from getting jobs in order to put party before patriotism.

  The voters already know that their tax increases are coming because Republicans are holding them hostage as a favor to the rich.  This is not something the Republicans really want to take into November.

  By the way, when Obama gets his 2nd term, he will demand that the GOP, assuming they still hold the House, give a 3-year extension of the now-Obama tax cuts to those making < $250K.  Only then will Obama talk tax reform to eliminate loopholes and reductions in budget spending, and probably on a $1 tax increase for $1 spending cut basis.

• You would think so, based on press coverage, but it's wide open for 2016 for both parties. 

  Romney had the money and the organization against a bunch of clowns and still had to struggle to win because republicans just don't like him. The next nominee (after Romney loses) will have to have the entire package: money, organization, grassroots /tea party appeal, and Republican establishment backing. That's a tall order.

• This?
  http://www.cnbc.com/id/48417194

• One wonders what Romney thought while he sat there watching that, in attendance with his wife Anne. Probably 'Oh sh-t!'

• Sorry. I'm sure you can understand my confusion.

  Because, it's all part of a wide-ranging conspiracy, Charlton Heston's Ghost.

• The party may be changing, it certainly seems to be on the verge of a great change in Texas, today, but the SOP, the modus operandi, has always been to nominate someone who has sought the office before and lost. Nixon. Raygun. Poppy. Dole. McCain. To be sure, W was an exception, but if the party holds to its time-honored tradition, aren't we left with Bachman, Cain, Gingrich, Pawlenty, Toll Booth, Santorum, arguably Huntsmann? If we limit the field to serious candidates, that would mean Gingrich, Huntsmann, Pawlenty, Santorum; serious + likely to get the nomination, Pawlenty, Santorum; serious + likely to get the nomination + electable, Pawlenty.

  You may well be right. The matrix may have changed.

•  It worked for Gingrich, at least temporarily'VERY temporarily.

Righty Media Pimp Obama 'Whipped Factor' Parody Of Newsweek 'Wimp' Cover

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Even critics of Republican candidate Mitt Romney would have to admit that he took Newsweek's desperation-reeking 'Wimp Factor' cover in stride, but the same cannot be said for some well-trafficked corners of the conservative media. Sites from to are gleefully disseminating a parody Newsweek cover with a thick, juicy entree of misogyny, with a side order of racism. The parody cover features President Obama, with the headline 'The Whipped Factor.'

Newsweek has a history of begging for attention with provocative covers, and the Romney cover is a classic example of this. The 'Wimp Factor' peg is a self-referential tribute to a 1987 Newsweek cover story on George H.W. Bush, one which also achieved the cheap recognition its modern counterpart seeks.

To be clear, my objection to the Newsweek cover has nothing to do with notions of 'civility' or an aversion to name-calling. The problem with the cover is that the critique has no value. The term 'wimp' is the vernacular of unimaginative bullies, and therefore doesn't present a supportable thesis. Additionally, as another blogger put it, 'it equates superficial masculinity with competence and integrity.'

By definition, the use of this critique says more about the person making it than it does about Romney. Michael Tomasky's commentary makes the case that Romney is politically craven, a more focused criticism that, alas, doesn't pop on the newsstand (that's the place where old people buy printed versions of the news you read online).

However, the parody cover (originated by JLF's Jon Ham) that's being passed around the right-wing blogosphere (with incisive commentary like 'Heh') is a hideous example of the worst in political tit-for-tat. Rather than lampoon Newsweek's desperation for attention, these folks decided to take a shot at President Obama, picturing him on a Newsweek cover with the blaring headline 'The Whipped Factor,' and sub-headlines about the influence of First Lady Michelle Obama and senior advisor Valerie Jarrett.

In case you're unfamiliar with the subtext, 'Whipped,' in this context, is shorthand for 'Pussy-Whipped,' a bro-code pejorative meant to convey excessive deference to a female sex partner. Let's not dwell on this, but simply imagine, for a moment, if influential, well-trafficked political websites like Politico or, hell, Mediaite decided to speculate on the effects of Ann Romney's or Sen. Kelly Ayotte's respective vaginae on Mitt Romney's decision-making process.

As if that's not offensive enough, let's not discount the racial implications of calling our first black president, whom Ancestry.com has just linked to America's first documented slave, as 'whipped.' Oh, I'm sure they didn't mean it that way, it's just a happy coincidence that ought to delight the folks at Stormfront.

Instaundit and Powerline are very influential blogs in the conservative media, but it's early yet. There's still time for others to weigh in on the side of decency.

(h/t NoMoreMisterNiceBlog)

ann romney, Instaundit, Jon Ham, kelly ayotte, Michael Tomasky, Michelle Obama, Mitt Romney, Newsweek, Powerline, President Obama, Valerie Jarrett, Wimp factor

• Whipped = whipped like a slave?

  Just when you thought Tommy couldn't be a bigger left-wing hack. Good grief.

• Good lord.

• Whipped? wow, I guess they let that out by mistake. 

• 'He's weird!'

  'He's a bully!'

  'He's a corporate raider!'

  'He's a wimp!'

  Make up your little pinheads, Obama Press Corpse.

  Romney is not thinskinned like King Obama.

  If the press treated Obama like they do Romney or they stopped covering for him, Obama would be laying on the embroidered rug in his office kicking and screaming while Valerie worked to calm him down.

• Sorry, but the person you mention in your avatar would be embarrassed to be a Republican today. He was pro-choice and recognized the threat the religious right posed to this nation. Oh, and by the way, with all the dog whistle racism in the Party of NO, I have no doubt in my mind the use of the word 'whipped' refers to slavery. Are you proud? As a registered Republican for more than 30 years I can assure you this does not represent in any way, the party I joined.

• Of course you think the word 'whipped' refers to slavery, you're a loon.

• He's right. Goldwater would have repudiated your hackery and stupidity.

• Conservatives used to be funny and wry. WFB is rolling in his grave.

• Try staying on topic, Roger. Be a good little hack and play the race card like the rest of your pals.

• 'Sites from to''  Doesn't anyone proofread their posts any more?  I got as far as this post's second sentence and found myself abandoned in the middle of a thicket of incomprehensibility.  Unbelievably sloppy!  If you're too lazy to check what you've written before you post it, why should I trust the accuracy of anything you have to say?  Come on Tommy, you can do better than this.

• If it weren't for CNN, ABC, MSNBC, ABC et al pushing this story, it would have been a non-starter. How many people read Newsweek anyway? 12? the people who work at Newsweek probably don't even read it.

• The pussies on the right appear to think Bin Laden is alive.

  The pussies must think Mitt Romney is President.

• Mediaite has never let spelling or grammar or coherence get in the way of hit counts.

• Tommy,

  Isn't there any irony you shirk when you write your own headlines?

• Ha!

• A thicket of incomprehensibility.

  That is a phrase to remember.

• When you see a sign that says 'Obama isn't working' and think of 'lazy' 'shiftless' black people like Tommy does'..What do you except he thinks when he sees the word whipped

• By the way Norman,

  I want logic and grammar first in a column before partisan thought.  I believe that we can agree that the forum members should not serve as spell checkers.

• Righty Media Pimp Obama 'Whipped Factor' Parody Of Newsweek 'Wimp' Cover

• What does that mean?  It doesn't rhyme'it's just a bunch of words that as a header explain nothing.

  That's poor.

• Excuse me, but do the following phrases ring a bell: Anglo-Saxon, Kenyan born, Muslim? Do I need to go on? Instead of debating policies and ideas, the Party of NO has been reduced to dog whistle polictics because the Democrats have adopted many of their ideas such as the health insurance mandate.

• He literally is crazy.  Nuts.  Absolutely bonkers. 

• Do the Header again and at least use a verb.

• Whipped sounds like Wimp.  But, Tommy knows that.  However, hate-filled nuts like to call everything racism.  It's weak.  Lazy.  Ignorant.  Bigoted.  Demeaning.  But, it's all they got.  What an absolute disgrace.  Tommy thinks that black people are so weak and inept that that white liberals must protect and provide cover for them. 

  You should try looking at people with black skin as your equal, Tommy.  Stop looking at them as mentally handicapped saps.  Your continued bigoted words are deplorable and nauseating.  

  You've turned this site into a circus.  It's become a complete joke because there isn't a rational person who takes you serious.  Look through the comments.  The only people who agree with you are as hate filled as you are.  You should be embarrassed. 

• Honestly, this is why I get irritated with this site.  I do get caught up with partisan arguments.  But, this place is a venue where the media is being critiqued and quite often mocked.

  I f you can't write a simple leading sentence..I think it makes the author look foolish and dilutes whatever message was originally meant.

• Sorry, I lost my temper.  I know BS when I see it'long weeks.
   I was just tired of word games.  I hope I was polite.

• 'Whipped' ?!  Q-Q

  Racist slave imagery ' cruel and reprehensible.

• Tommy you get more pathetic with each new faux racial angle.  Whipped in the context that it is being used above is PU$$Y WHIPPED!  How do you not understand that?  Either you are ignorant or you are a paid liberal stooge.

• There is a dog whistle somewhere someone hears that somehow will be applicable.

• I live in the South 'it's just not what y'all think it is.  Where do y'all live?  I'd hazard a guess that almost everyone actually lives in other places than the 'South' and has no idea what they are talking about and is logically basing their reasoning off of old data.

• 'racial implications'

  *drink*

• I will do this one time and never again.  America is a young country and is constantly growing.  The South lost a huge battle and had to rebuild and it changed the cohesivenes of the Republic that was America.   People/governments got specific on what their needs were.

  The ones that weren't so populated had to argue harder and sometimes more forecefully to make their point heard.

  So, the argument is representative but it does favor a majority.

  I am doing this on the fly and if I am wrong'OK'tell me where I am wrong.

  So, a lot of people are tired of working hard while others don't.

  So one of the major arguments is'why try if nobody else does?

  The other one is'why is it I always have to be responsible when nobody else cares?

• That is excellent'I never would have thought of it that way'.but you can always create a strawman.  Good Lord, it is not the way I live my life.

Tennessee Man Allegedly Assaults Girlfriend Over Romney Picture On Her Facebook

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Let this story serve as a reminder that not every American is fully tuned in to political affairs.

A Claxton, Tennessee man who suspected his live-in girlfriend of having an affair was reportedly set off into a rage over a photo of another man on the girlfriend's Facebook page. That other man is presumptive Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

According to the Anderson County Sheriff's Department, upon seeing Romney's photo on his girlfriend's page, Lowell Turpin 'angrily demanded to know who the male was.' When Turpin felt the girlfriend was 'attempting to communicate with friends through her Facebook account,' he proceeded to throw her personal laptop against the wall and' punch her in the face.

The 40-year-old Turpin remains in the Anderson County Jail after being charged with domestic assault. The girlfriend also reportedly told an officer that Turpin 'has been violent toward her multiple times over several years.'

[Beautiful mugshot via KnoxNews.com]

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Aurora Shooter James Holmes Formally Charged

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On Monday, Aurora theater shooting suspect James Holmes has been formally charged in his second court appearance after a mass shooting in Colorado on Friday, July 20.

Holmes faces a total of 142 official counts for his role in the theater shooting, including charges of first-degree murder ' 24 counts of murder and 116 counts of attempted murder.

Holmes was additionally charged with being in possession of explosives after investigators discovered that his apartment was rigged to explode.

Holmes took 12 lives and wounded 59 other moviegoers in his attack on the audience at the Century 15 theater in Aurora, Colorado.

Holmes first court appearance on July 23 was broadcast live nationally, but this appearance was not broadcast upon request of the defense.

h/t AP

• He is a coward. He wore a full body armor while gunning down people.
  I guess we went in there with the intent to get hit but LIVE while other people die.

• We can talk about ' and act on ' airline safety immediately after a jetliner crash. We can talk about building better buildings immediately after a hurricane or earthquake. We can talk about implementing better safety guidelines after an outbreak of a food-borne disease like salmonella.

  But God forbid we ever dare to talk about improving our woefully inadequate gun laws immediately after a murderous spree like this.

  So glad to see we continue to cater to the gun lobby.

McCain Calls Howard Kurtz's Newsweek Article 'Liberal, Left-Wing Trash'

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On Monday, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) slammed a Newsweek article published by Howard Kurtz in the Daily Beast for factual errors and liberal bias. He said that Kurtz's piece, and the allegations contained within, are 'foolishness' and 'left-wing trash.'

RELATED: Mitt Romney Responds To Newsweek Cover Story Calling Him A 'Wimp'

In a piece on McCain, Kurtz claimed that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and McCain's relationship still suffers from a rift incurred during the tough presidential primary fight in 2008.

As for McCain's relationship with Romney, it seems to have improved'-somewhat'since 2008. The wounds sustained during their primary battle had been unusually deep and personal: When Romney charged him with promoting amnesty for illegal immigrants, McCain accused his rival of 'desperate, flailing, and false attacks.' And at one point, Romney ripped McCain for 'Nixon-era' tactics. But once the battle ended, says McCain, 'nobody helped me more than Mitt Romney.' The vanquished candidate visited McCain's retreat in Sedona 'and we became friends. I wouldn't say close friends. Why look back in anger? It's not healthy for you mentally.'

McCain said that the allegation that there were ever 'deep and personal' wounds between Romney and the former GOP presidential nominee was baseless.

'It's just foolishness,' said McCain. 'It's just the kind of liberal left-wing trash that I have to put up with from time-to-time.'

McCain said the article contained a factually incorrect assertion that after losing the 2008 election he took a vacation in Tahiti.

'I didn't,' said McCain. 'The most amateur fact-checker would have known that. I went after 2000. That shows you the kind of slip-job work that went to the story, I'm reluctant to even comment on something like that.'

According to POLITICO's Dylan Beyers and Manu Raju, Kurtz has acknowledged the Tahiti error but says he never questioned McCain's support for Romney.

'The Newsweek piece makes clear that Senator McCain is enthusiastically supporting Mitt Romney,' Kurtz told POLITICO . 'To the extent the Romney camp is not (with some exceptions) taking McCain's advice or giving him a prominent campaign role comes in part from three interviews with the senator himself. Nothing 'liberal' or 'left wing' about that. I appreciate Senator McCain being generous with his time and regret the mix-up about the date of his vacation.'

Watch Kurtz interview McCain below via Newsweek, Daily Best:

h/t POLITICO

> >Follow Noah Rothman (@Noah_C_Rothman) on Twitter

• A conservative claiming bias at the hands of that bad ol' wibwul media?

  Who could have predicted that one?

BBC Defends Refusal To List Jerusalem As Israeli Capital In Olympic Coverage; Athletes, Government Angrily Respond

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The British Broadcasting Corporation is coming under fire on Monday from Israel's Prime Minister and Olympic athletes after the organization refused to list Jerusalem as the nation's capital but noted that East Jerusalem is the capital of the Palestinian territories. The BBC corrected their original entry, but still do not list Israel's 'capital' as Jerusalem. In a statement provided to Mediaite, the BBC has issued a defense of their updated Olympic facts page for Israel and affirmed their position as an unbiased news organization.

In mid July, several Israeli media outlets noted that the BBC had refused to list Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in their coverage of the Olympics. Jerusalem, where the nation's Knesset operates, was not listed as the nation's capital.

Since 1950, Israel's formal capital has been the city of Jerusalem. Other news organizations covering the Olympics, such as NBC, have unequivocally listed Jerusalem as the nation's capital.

Until several days ago, BBC listed the capital of Palestine as East Jerusalem despite the fact that Palestine is not a formally recognized nation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesman issued a stern statement expressing his government's dissatisfaction with the BBC and saying that he was 'dismayed' by the broadcaster's decision not to list Jerusalem as the nation's capital.

'Every country [and noncountry] participating in the London 2012 games has been given a page on your website with background information about the country, including mention of the capital city. Every country [and non-country], except Israel,' wrote Netanyahu's spokesman Mark Regev. 'Jerusalem is the capital of the State of Israel, and accordingly we respectfully request the immediate rectification of this matter.'

Israel's Olympic athletes have also slammed the BBC for hedging on the issue of Israel's true capital city. The team produced a video last week in which they made it clear that Israel's capital was the city of Jerusalem.

Both the Palestinian and Israeli entries on the BBC's website now have been amended. Palestine's entry lists Ramallah as the 'administrative capital.' Jerusalem is now listed as Israel's 'seat of government' with the caveat that most foreign nations locate their embassies in the city of Tel Aviv.

Regev said that the change was not satisfactory and again requested that 'Israel's capital be identified accurately on [The BBC's] website.'

According to the American Center for Law and Justice, the BBC has a history of sensitivity towards the dispute over Jerusalem's official status. In 2007, after referring to the city as Israel's capital, BBC offered a retraction and apology to Palestine for their 'factual mistake.'

A BBC spokesperson told Mediaite that the BBC maintains its impartiality and the correction that the BBC made to both Israel's and Palestine's pages is sufficient:

'The Olympics page on the BBC Sport website provides extensive information on the London 2012 games, including the profiles of all the teams taking part.

Due to an error which was made at the time the information was added onto the website, incorrect details and mistakes appeared on the Israeli and Palestinian team pages. This has since been rectified in line with BBC policy.

The BBC as an impartial broadcaster remains committed to accuracy and we regret if anyone was offended by this'

Watch Isreal's athletes slamming the BBC below:

h/t American Center for Law and Justice

> >Follow Noah Rothman (@Noah_C_Rothman) on Twitter

• Get over yourself Israel.

Mitt Romney Touts Strong U.S.-Israel Relationship In Israel Speech

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Mitt Romney spoke earlier today in Israel, continuing on his overseas tour that began in England and will conclude in Poland. Romney praised Israel's achievements as 'a wonder of the modern world' and 'a tribute to 'the resilience of the Israeli people,' and touted the strong relationship between Israel and the United States.

Romney said maintaining Israel's security 'is in the vital national security interest of the United States.' He took note of those who have stated publicly that they wish to wipe Israel off the map, and decried anyone who would merely brush such comments off as 'excessive rhetoric.'

He said it would be 'foolish' not to take the statements of Iranian leaders at their word. Romney listed many atrocities committed by Iran against its own people and other countries, declaring that 'it is Iran that is the leading state sponsor of terrorism and the most destabilizing nation in the world.' Romney said that everyone should be joining the international effort to 'prevent a nuclear-armed Iran.'

He dismissed containment as a viable option for Iran, making his case that those most committed to stopping a nuclear Iran are not warmongers, but 'the true peacemakers.'

'History teaches with force and clarity that when the world's most despotic regimes secure the world's most destructive weapons, peace often gives way to oppression, to violence, or to devastating war' We must lead the effort to prevent Iran from building and possessing nuclear weapons capability. We should employ any and all measures to dissuade the Iranian regime from its nuclear course, and it is our fervent hope that diplomatic and economic measures will do so. In the final analysis, of course, no option should be excluded. We recognize Israel's right to defend itself, and that it is right for America to stand with you.'

Romney closed his speech by saying that neither the United States nor Israel should 'stand silent as those who seek to undermine Israel voice their criticisms.' He said that 'by history and by conviction,' both countries are bound together, and 'no individual, no nation, no world organization will pry us apart.'

Watch Romney's full speech below, courtesy of Fox News:

Egypt, foreign policy, Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, middle east, Mitt Romney, National Security, nuclear, Peace, Terrorism, war

Candy Crowley Grills Republican Senator On What In Obama's Foreign Policy Is 'Weak'

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Republican senator Kelly Ayotte appeared on CNN's State of the Union today, and after brushing aside a few gaffes Mitt Romney made during his overseas tour, claimed his foreign policy would be stronger than President Obama's. Candy Crowley reminded Ayotte that Obama ordered the mission that killed Osama bin Laden and has increased the use of drones, and asked her what in that shows a weak foreign policy.

RELATED: Piers Morgan And Dan Rather Admire Obama's Foreign Policy Record, Ponder Why Others Don't

After Crowley reviewed Romney's gaffes, Ayotte argued that he would be 'strong' on foreign policy and will not 'go around and apologize for America.' She dismissed the gaffes as something to be expected occasionally in a campaign, but used the context of the Olympics to praise Romney for his leadership role in putting the 2002 Winter Olympics together in Salt Lake City.

Crowley then brought up Obama's foreign policy record and asked Ayotte how anyone could think the president has not been strong in this area.

'We're talking about a man who upped the drone war to get at al-Qaeda operatives, both in Pakistan and Yemen, well beyond what George Bush ever did. This is the man who gave the okay to go get bin Laden, now, of course, deceased. He wound down the war in Iraq, he's winding down the war in Afghanistan. And more important to Americans, I think ' there have been no attacks on U.S. soil since President Obama took office. What is weak about that?'

Ayotte said she gives credit to Obama for ordering the bin Laden mission and the increased use of drones, but then accused the president of 'outsourc[ing] leadership to the United Nations' on dealing with the situation in Syria. She insisted that 'apologizing for America' has been a big part of his foreign policy, and said Obama should be tougher on sanctions against Iran.

Watch the video below, courtesy of CNN:

• So basically beyond empty blog-sourced memes' she doesn't even know what foreign policy is'

  great! good job Senator!

• Every time I hear senator Ayotte speak, I am less impressed with her. She does not seem terribly bright, she never, never answers a question, and she is not particularly adept at memorizing or regurgitating talking point. I realize she is a mouthpiece for an inarticulate, terrible presidential candidate and might be given some grace for that, but she is still a poor surrogate. Kudos to you, Candy for helping to expose the Senator's gross and manifold failings.

•   'go around and apologize for America.'

  Only the most ignorant Americans, the right wingnut tea bagger clowns, buy that line of bulltripe.

• this proves that the gop will attack obama on anything. It's like jealous school children criticizing someone for getting an A on their report card instead of an A+ even though they've never achieved anything close to it.

• I agree with you Kelly sounded almost stupid then. I thought she had sense but she is as dumb as the other Republicans, like Sarah Palin with two brain cells. Glad to see Candy pushing for a change. The GOP has no leg to stand on as Obama has excelled in Foreign policy-one word #ROMNEYSHAMBLES.

• Yes, she does a really weak job at selling these talking points. The Republican women who advance seem 100% sure of their nonsense, regardless of any basis in fact which oppose the viewpoint they're promoting. Rep. Cathy Rodgers gets better marks for her delivery than Ayotte, as she's completely behind what she says, no matter how outlandish or ludicrous.

  Ayotte seems to be rolling her eyes at what comes out of her mouth half the time.

CNN Plays Pink's 'Stupid Girls' Teasing Segment On Sarah Palin

» 16 comments

Sarah Palin is back in the news after she posted a photo of herself online in support of Chick-fil-A. Now, the fact that Palin tweeting a picture of herself at a fast food joint is newsworthy is quite stunning, but this morning on CNN, a segment on the Palin story began with the musical stylings of Pink's 'Stupid Girls.'

RELATED: Michele Bachmann's Entrance On Jimmy Fallon? The Fishbone Song 'Lyin' Ass Bitch'

CNN anchor Randi Kaye teased the segment by saying, 'Sarah Palin is apparently hungry for chicken and controversy.' Palin stopped at Chick-fil-A to show her support in the midst of national attention on its founder's anti-gay stance and the chain's donations to anti-gay groups.

NewsBusters' Noel Sheppard highlighted the musical choice earlier today, saying there would be 'outrage' if a similar song was used to 'introduce any female Democrat.' HotAir adds that the song selection is generally the job of the production staff, so if there was any 'malice aforethought,' it was from one or more individuals on the crew, not Kaye herself.

Watch the segment below, courtesy of CNN:

h/t NewsBusters

• typical of the left's hate mongers.  

• GOP the party of equal rights as long as you're not gay or any color other than bright white & not christian. The list gets longer as Palin & her ilk get uglier. 

• Good for CNN they have been stupidly right wing of late so hope they are getting some common sense back.

• The Republican party knows she is a 'Stupid Girl', no one other than Dick Cheney has the balls to say it'.Maybe now, some others will come forward, I'm sure they don't want 2012 to be another replay of 2008 with Palin being a 'stupid girl' again'Too funny

• It looked to me like the song was to cover the commercial break and the first story was just a coincidence.
  The plural 'Stupid Girls' has nothing to do with a picture of Todd and Sarah. (a guy and a girl)
  Prove me wrong.

  Tomorrow I shall watch Morning Joe and invent a conspiracy about all the XTC and Who songs Joe plays during the breaks.

• Didn't Dick Cheney answer that question this morning? 

• I'm sure all Americans can appreciate that the Half-Baked Alaskan was able to snag a free, healthy deep-fat fried meal for her family. I applaud her grifting ability.

• And people wonder why CNN has no audience, they decided they would play to the extreme leftists, MSNBC and CurrentTV has a lock on that group.

• What's the problem here?  She IS stupid.  Next, they should play the theme to 'Beverly Hillbillies' to introduce the next story on her.  Honestly, the dumbest politician in recent history ' and that's saying  a lot.  An absolute embarrassment to this country.

• really? they did not have to pay? please link

• Faux outrage from a Faux outrage site at Newsbusters.

• more like she was PAID..
  what a wannabe celebrity..
  we all know how jesus love rich corporate donations and cheap fried foods..
  priase lord..

• So' go take your pants off, roll your tank top half way up your gut, get a bag of chips, turn off all the lights and close the blinds, and watch yourself some Faux News' 

•  cnn iz hatemongers? heh

• wow, you just make shit up in your head also'.how nice

• Um, CNN employs Erick Erickson of REDSTATE.COM and Dana Loesch from Brietbart's website. Do you actually understand what a leftie is?  The right is constant in playing the victim card.  Perhaps the song is fitting though.  'Stupid Is As Stupid Does!  And the whole family embracing the trash bin that is Reality shows is just sad.  Does anyone here think the President will allow his daughters to do a Reality show after they leave the Whitehouse?  Me neither!

Thursday Ratings: Lawrence O'Donnell Tops MSNBC, CNN, HLN

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On Thursday night, MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell topped his network's lineup (in demo) ' as well as beating the primetime lineups of CNN and HLN in demo and total viewers. Colleague Ed Schultz ruled the night in total viewers, beating all at MSNBC, CNN and HLN.

Here are the rest of your Thursday night ratings:

Sarah Palin Weighs In On Chick-Fil-A Controversy By Stopping In To 'Support A Great Business'

» 5 comments

Just about every pundit or public figure of relevance has weighed in on the controversy surrounding comments made by the fast food chain Chick-fil-A's CEO Dan Cathy regarding his support for gay marriage rights ' or, rather, a lack thereof. The latest form of a proxy battle surrounding gay marriage comes in the form of either eating or not eating at the restaurant. On Saturday, former Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin made her opinions on the matter known by tweeting out a picture of herself and her husband, Todd Palin, eating at Chick-fil-A.

RELATED: Red Eye On Chick-Fil-A Controversy: YouTube Star Antoine Dodson Doesn't Care And Neither Should You

Palin took to Twitter on Saturday to inform her more than 800,000 followers that she thinks Chick-fil-A is a 'great business.'

Stopped by Chick-fil-A in The Woodlands to support a great business. fb.me/KM9ogGda

' Sarah Palin (@SarahPalinUSA) July 28, 2012

The tweet was followed by a series of invictives by people incensed by her support for this great business, which clearly is a stand in for 'I don't like gay people.'

'You get extra homophobe sauce on your sandwich,' asked one follower.

'You check for gays first,' inquired another follower.

'F**k both you & Chick fil-a! Hateful ignorant a**es,' noted yet another concerned citizen.

The comments on Palin's Facebook page, where she posted a picture of her and her husband carrying two large bags of takeout from the restaurant, were far more supportive.

h/t Huffington Post

> >Follow Noah Rothman (@Noah_C_Rothman) on Twitter

• Sarah Palin Weighs In On Chick-Fil-A Controversy

  Thank GOD.
  Now I can take it easy today.

• Just about every pundit or public figure of relevance has weighed in on the controversy'
  '.and then along come Palin to put her two cents worth in.

• Sarah Palin: political parasite.

• Sarah Palin eating at a Chick-Fil-A in Houston.  Never in a million years would I think this would be a story.

• Nice to hear from Sister Sarah. She is a total parasite

Red Eye On Chick-Fil-A Controversy: YouTube Star Antoine Dodson Doesn't Care And Neither Should You

» 4 comments

The crew at Fox News Channel's Red Eye took on the controversy surrounding Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy's anti-gay marriage comments on Friday. The cast noted that YouTube star of 'The Bed Intruder Song,' Antoine Dodson, has said he does not care about the controversy surrounding the Chick-fil-A and thinks the food is delicious. The hosts of the show determined that his impression of the controversy was the most lucid that they had heard from any opinion leader.

RELATED: Chick-Fil-A's Head Spokesman And VP Of Public Relations Has Died Unexpectedly

Red Eye host Andy Levy noted that Dodson, an internet celebrity and member of the gay community, has weighed in on the Chick-fil-A controversy and said that he doesn't particularly care about the religious or political beliefs of the franchise's leadership. His only concern is just how appetizing their chicken is.

'I don't care about one person's opinion or how they feel ' that's how they feel. That's fine,' said Dodson. 'Chick-fil-A makes good meals and I eat there, you know what I'm saying? Quite frequently. So, no one is going to stop me from eating there.'

'People say a lot of crazy things,' Dodson concluded.

'He is a treasure,' Levy noted after playing a clip of Dodson's defense of Chick-fil-A.

'This guy is the conscious of America,' said Greg Gutfeld who had assumed his alternate ego for the evening, actor Victor Roberts. 'What he's saying is kind of what everybody thinks.'

'I think he's actually said the most cogent, intelligent thing that has been said about this controversy in the last 20 years,' Gutfeld concluded.

Anna Kooiman asked who decided it would be a good idea to get Dodson on record with his opinions on Chick-fil-A. 'Are we going to start interviewing all sorts of YouTube sensations,' she asked.

'But he's smarter than every politician,' said Gutfeld.

'I think I speak for the CEO of Chick-fil-A when I say Antoine Dodson is America,' said Bill Schulz.

'You can't tell people what to do,' said comedian Bonnie McFarlane. 'Like my Jewish husband 'he'll only drive German cars and only eat at the Swastika Café.'

Gutfeld said that politics is usually boring so when a controversy like this breaks out, it attracts people who are otherwise turned off by political debates, which is why this particular debate caught fire in the public imagination.

Watch the segment via Fox News Channel:

> >Follow Noah Rothman (@Noah_C_Rothman) on Twitter

• Political sentiments is simply not a compelling reason for a community to pressure a business.

  enter the public debate, don't shut it down.

• I'm probably never eating at Chick-Fil-A after seeing Sarah Palin eating there. I'm NEVER EATING AT CHICK-FIL-A.. EVER. :)

  Regardless, Republicans are on the wrong side of history with everything they do pretty much.. now even complaining the olympics are too multiculture. It's the olympics.. it's supposed to be multiculture you backwoods hicks. This is why the GOP is slowly being pushed out of power, they are embarrassing and wrong on almost all issues.

• Dodson sounds a bit smarter than some 'Elected' Mayors'

• Chick-fil-A is going to be crushed, Snow!

Piers Morgan Doubles Down On Romney Defense: UK Tabloids' Response Is A 'Classic British Reaction'

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CNN anchor Piers Morgan doubled down on his criticism yesterday of the press' reaction to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's expressing concern over London's security preparedness. Morgan said that what Romney described as being 'disconcerting' was merely an echoing local concerns about the security situation, which the British press had been describing as a 'shambles' for weeks. He went on to say that turning on Romney for saying what everyone knew was true made him 'feel a bit sorry' for Romney and added that he felt it was a typical British response to foreign criticism.

RELATED: Piers Morgan Defends Romney's Olympics Comments: 'He Was Just Speaking The Truth'

'The most talked about story remains Mitt Romney,' said Morgan. He went on to feature the universally angry reaction from the British tabloids towards Romney's comments.

After detailing the reaction in London to Romney's skepticism about their security preparedness, Morgan went on to double down on his defense of Romney's comments which he said was only echoing what the press in the U.K. had been talking about for the past month.

'He's getting hammered, isn't he,' asked Morgan. 'But, you know, I feel a bit sorry for him. Mitt Romney was only really saying what everyone in Britain has been saying for the last month. So we've been moaning away, but the moment an American politician moaned, we all decided to turn on him.'

Morgan added that he felt the response by the British papers to Romney's remark was a 'classic British reaction.'

Watch the clip below via CNN:

> >Follow Noah Rothman (@Noah_C_Rothman) on Twitter

• Shouldn't Morgan be in jail?

• It's a fact! The English hate Piers Morgan. They are thrilled he's in America now.

• Yes, classic''..and 100% correct.
  Unfit Mitt the lame Twitt is a loser and a moron. The UK press could smell the stench of Unfit Mitt the Twitt long before he arrived for this little visit to prove to the world what a huge loser he is.

• I almost feel sorry for Mitt. Unlike 'You didn't build that' phony campaign, his gaffs made the front page internationally. Way to go Mitt! 

• Bu, bu, bu, but Piers says Willard didn't step on his pud in England'.

  Yes, this is Frothy Rothy's second bailout Willard post about Piers Morgan. I eagerly await the third!

  In the meantime, maybe you could investigate the OTHER f*ckups Willard had yesterday'. met w/ MI6 or referring to the 'backside' of 10 Downing or throwing poor tax deduction, errr' I mean dancy horse Rafalca under the bus!! Or you could just stick to Rove shaking his head in amazement at Willard's inability to interact with other humans on Fox this morning'. and if that doesn't do it for you Frothy, hows about 250 words on a 'SHOCK' poll out of Ohio, by Republican pollster, that has the President up 8'.

• I have last night's Red Eye playing in the background.  Imogen Lloyd Webber was just talking about you'

• Morgan's getting a eye-opening view of anti-Americanism now that he's on this side of the Atlantic.  All Romney did was sum up what's been said their own media, and not only was he nicer about it, unlike the talking heads he had grounds to critique having being involved in the Olympics once himself.  

  Were he still back in Britain, Piers would be leading the charge along with the Brit Press; nothing says 'readership' like whipping up the populace into yet another anti-American fit.  Over here, he can finally get some perspective on what Americans have to tolerate.

• Strange times indeed when Noah has to resort to using Peirs Morgan to try and defend Romney' The Telegraph and daily mail are right leaning but lets not mention that.. Let's not mention either that #Romneyshambles was trending all day in the UK yesterday so the people seemed to echo the sentiment that Romney's a goof..  And let's not forget that conservative Mayor Johnson and conservative  Prime Minister Cameron started the whole thing by publicly calling Flip Romney out..

Jim Walton, President Of CNN, Quits

After more than 30 years at this company and nearly 10 years as the leader of this great news organization, I have decided to leave my role at CNN on December 31, 2012.

For some time, I've been talking with Phil Kent about wanting to make a change, and he supports my decision. I've told Phil that I will cooperate with any transition timeline that he and Time Warner want to implement. Phil requested that I work out the year and be available after that if needed, which I've agreed to do.

I am proud of what we have accomplished together over these last 10 years ' innovative programming, the development of great talent in front of and behind the cameras, expansion in digital and mobile, significant investment and expansion in international coverage, financial success and, most importantly, great and trusted journalism. Thank you for the role you have played in our successes.

CNN needs new thinking. That starts with a new leader who brings a different perspective, different experiences and a new plan, one who will build on our great foundation and will commit to seeing it through. And I'm ready for a change. I have interests to explore and I want to give myself time to do it.

The next few months will be filled with election news and other important events that will require all of our focus to report the news with the quality and expertise the world expects of CNN. I look forward to working alongside each of you, as I have over the past 30-plus years, to do just that.

Brian Kilmeade Is Not Happy With The British Press' Slams On Romney: They 'Better Back Off!'

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Mitt Romney stepped on a plane and headed to England with the hopes of appearing presidential and, in that, he succeeded'only if you remember the fact that the British hated all of our first presidents thanks to that whole war thing. Yes, thanks to a few'uh'poor choices, Romney has now become a bigger villain to the British people than Voldemort, Blofeld, and the Daleks combined. The Daily Mail, a newspaper frequently described as akin to 'England's Fox News,' was so incensed that they wrote up Romney's visit with the headline 'Who Invited Him?' Back here at home, on 'America's Fox News' Fox News, Brian Kilmeade rushed to the defense of his countryman.

RELATED: Krauthammer Slams Romney Over Olympics Comment: 'Unbelievable,' 'Incomprehensible'

During a Fox & Friends discussion of recent polls showing that Americans trusted Romney more on economics but, overall, found President Obama much more likable, Chris Wallace pointed to the British snafus as evidence of Romney's likability problems. An indignant Kilmeade stepped in:

'It was like a candid response to a security question and the British press are going to town with it. I think the British press better back off and so should the officials! This guy could be president!'

Before Kilmeade could throw on a tri-corner hat, rush off to Boston, and begin chucking British tabloids into the Harbor, Wallace reminded him that, yeah, Romney kind of deserved it, likening his Olympic comments to someone you wouldn't want to go clothes shopping with.

'If you ask me if that suit makes you look fat, I'm not going to tell you it does even if it does, Brian.'

Unfortunately, Mitt Romney just doesn't have the foreign policy experience to know that the unique relationship we have with England requires us to never let on when we think her butt looks big.

Watch the clip from Fox News below:

(h/t TPM via Wonkette)

• Maybe Brian could get his boss to hack their phones and dig up some trash on them!!

  Oh!!!the Rupert Murdoch phony outrage team of clowns is crying foul!! What a bunch of hypocrites!! Unfit Mitt the lame Twitt is a huge moron and he proves it every single day, you regressives own the dolt!! Live with it, and lose with him!
  LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

•  'They 'Better Back Off!', or what? Brian! 

• Or Rupert just might have to call the wahhhhbulance!!

• Brian will hit the brits with his purse.

• This Fox News clown doesn't seem to have any real arguments.

•  None of them EVER do!

• Nothing like hybris in the morning' 

•  'Romney has now become a bigger villain to the British people than Voldemort, Blofeld, and the Daleks combined.'

  I hope to god nobody considers this person to be a serious journalist

• I often wondered why FOX doesn't use Brian Kilmead's vast forehead space for one of their news tickers.

•  Well, ZombieAndrew, not serious in the way you were/are/will be.

• i think you mean high-bris?

• Brian Kilmeade is right.

  The British Press should back off and give Mitt Romney plent of room to fall flat on his face'

  Romney is leaving a lasting impression on the British Prime Minister, the London Mayor and the British people in general with the loose tongued insults'

  'Keep up the good work Romney. 

  Would we stand for it?!?

  Not really, so then, why should they'

• #KILlMEade PLEASE

• But they should take the Andrew Breitard News Corpse seriously?

•  I think Willard and his German horse Rafalca are going to wow Britain like nobody since Colonel Blimp. 

  I know everybody where I live is pretty excited to have the Romney's dressage jumping horse representing our nation.  Can't wait for the hor's d'oeuvres

• Mitt Romney has been going down like a lead balloon. First impressions really count. Romney has simply come across, as an insulting and unwelcome guest'

• Not a happy camper writes: 'I think Willard and his German horse Rafalca are going to wow Britain like nobody since Colonel Blimp.  ''

  Willard Mittington Romney probably deducts the small fortune he spends on his Olympic Dressage Horse from his income taxes that he's keeping hidden from the American voters (otherwise known as 'you people').

  Show us the tax returns, Mittens!

• let's hope Mitty doesn't relieve himself at the Wailing Wall.

• I can only imagine that a 'high-bris' might have left Kilmeade coming up short' which may explain his over-compensations.

• Who the hell is Brian Kilmead?

  Who's brother, brother-in-law, son, etc, is he over at Fox that he got a job there?

•  Rupert is no longer allowed in the country, so he can't do much.

•  He'll probably say that the Wall is the right height.

• Or an ad for Botox

• Kilmeade: 'Oh, no you din'net!  It's on like Doocy's  Dong!'

  Even Shep Smith thinks Kilmeade's a puss.

Finally: PolitiFact Takes On The Scourge Of Misleading Chain Emails

» 1 comment

We all get them. Often times, they come from your well-meaning relative of seasoned age who finds the tidbit within just too juicy to second guess before passing it along to you. Yes, they are chain emails. Several weeks back, we noted how PolitiFact had taken on the scurrilous impact that erroneous Facebook posts can have on the national dialogue. Now, PolitiFact has assigned its Pulitzer Prize-winning researchers to go after chain emails and the so-called 'facts' they purvey.

RELATED: Seriously? PolitiFact Fact Checks Unattributed Facebook Posts About Health Care

In PolitiFact's chain email section, they have reserved a box at the top which conveys perhaps the most intuitive notion ever conceived by man ' most chain emails are false. Not just false, mind you ' 'pants on fire.'

53 percent of the facts that PolitiFact tested merited a 'pants on fire' rating, while another 25 percent were just plain old 'false.' Only 8 percent of chain emails received the coveted 'true' or 'mostly true' rating.

Among the flaming pant-clad claims are gems like the health care reform law contains to 3.8 percent sales tax on real estate transactions. Because, why not make the housing market worse? Another email claims that President Barack Obama 'doubled the national debt in one year' ' try as he might, it would be an impossible task to achieve. Yet another dubious email asserts 'the media won't publish a real photo of Trayvon Martin with tattoos on his face.' If 17-year-old Martin had tattoos on his face, his intimidation factor would have probably prompted George Zimmerman to think twice before picking a fight.

But the question that we all really want PolitiFact to tackle is just where is this international lottery being held? And when am I going to collect my winnings. It's been months, for Pete's sake.

> >Follow Noah Rothman (@Noah_C_Rothman) on Twitter

• Politifact has some very troubling credibility problems to say the least.

The (Not So) Negative 2012 Presidential Campaign

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Unless you've been living under a rock, you've heard plenty about this year's nasty presidential election.

According to a NBC/WSJ poll released on Tuesday, the negativity has weighed on the favorability ratings of President Barack Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney. The President's unfavorables jumped 5 points in a month, from 38 percent to 43 percent, and Governor Romney is now on track to head to the convention as the first GOP nominee with a negative favorability rating.

At first glance, the shift in the numbers seems in line with the narrative of two campaigns losing respect with the American people as they battle to define each other before the fall. But a comment from Republican pollster Bill McInturff indicates that the negativity has had an earlier, more dramatic effect this time around. 'These are numbers you usually see in October,' McInturff said of the favorable/unfavorable ratings.

Is this election really that much more negative, or is it just being framed and received that way? Hard to say, but it's more likely that a boring race is feeding the news media's growing obsession with the gossipy side of politics. That negative feedback loop makes the race feel much nastier than it actually is.

As your writer said last week: highly negative campaigns are nothing new, especially from an incumbent. President Obama has borrowed a page from Karl Rove's 2004 playbook and tried to define his challenger early and often. In turn, Gov. Romney has thrown a series of counter-punches to deflect the media's attention back onto the President.

But most of this cycle's attacks are actually not that damning, offensive, or controversial ' despite the media's attempt to read all of them as such. Gov. Romney's tenure at Bain Capital is fair game, whether he agrees or not, because Romney himself has made it a cornerstone of his credentials. 'Firms,' the successful spot that showed Romney singing 'America the Beautiful' behind text about outsourcing and Swiss bank accounts, was tastefully blunt on matters that Gov. Romney refuses to prove false by releasing his tax returns.  On the other hand, Priorities USA's newest ad, called 'Romney's Gold,' takes the attacks to such a silly level that the spot doesn't deserve the title 'attack ad.' One is savvy, one is petty, but neither is vitriolic.

Democrats have their own complaints with GOP's tactics. They don't like insensitive punches that Romney surrogates occasionally throw at the president, including former Gov. John Sununu's line that the President should 'learn how to be an American', or a Romney campaign adviser's claim that the governor better appreciates our 'Anglo-Saxon heritage.' But the birther elements fired up by that kind of messaging are a punchline among the moderates and independents whose votes will turn the election; at this point, those kind of statements are more tone-deaf and absurd than hateful. The attacks don't approach the negativity of Swift Boat or Willie Horton ads of the past, and no Romney or Obama spot has yet to exploit the same primal fears of Lyndon B. Johnson's infamous 1964 'Daisy' ad.

This 'historically negative' campaign feels more like a tedious, well-funded back-and-forth between a battered incumbent and a relatively unlikeable challenger. The election has few compelling storylines ' the economy is sluggish but hardly collapsing. President Obama's 'hope and change' energy has transformed into the grizzled reserve of incumbency. Gov. Romney is hardly a flashy, pop-culture icon, nor is he a party messiah. As the election has little else to offer that is sexy or entertaining, the media becomes hyperfocused on the mudslinging.

The problem is that neither side has resorted to the type of attacks that could make this a truly nasty campaign: at no point has the Romney camp run an explicitly racist ad, and the Obama camp hasn't used Gov. Romney's Mormon religion as a cudgel. That's not to say ads of that kind aren't in the pipeline, but little suggests that either side will hurl anything like the  'Before Its Too Late' ads that opponents used against Harold Washington in his 1983 run for Mayor of Chicago.

Despite this, the political elite would have you believe the campaign's tone is 'nauseating.' No, what is actually nauseating is our incessant need to inject hyperbole into conflicts that are far too trivial to be paid such attention.

Take a Fox News segment that aired Tuesday in which the host asked a four year old lemonade stand operator how the President's 'you didn't build that' statement made her feel. Her yawn and non-answer suggest it made her feel like taking a nap. Or take an ABC News controversy from over the weekend, in which reporter Brian Ross rushed to connect the Aurora shooter to the local Tea Party. He quickly found himself in hot water after the story he 'broke' turned out to be pure BS. These are just two examples of the overhyped politicization of every pin that drops on the American landscape.

The effect is to turn voters against the campaigns that they perceive as the engines of this nonsense. The campaigns are certainly to blame for lighting the fire. But just like a misbehaving child seeking attention, the campaigns feel rewarded by the free media attention and in turn create a bigger and bigger cottage industry of 'contrast activities.'

Amazingly, the polls remain 'incredibly steady' despite all of this supposed negativity. Contrast spots may be having an affect on targeted demographics in swing states, where margins of victory are set to be thin and any shift in votes is crucial. But while the petty bickering is enough to grab the nation's attention and annoy it, the arguments aren't nearly substantive or controversial enough to shift national public opinion in a fundamental way. They may damage our personal opinions of the nominees as men, but they have not shaken the polls from their summer-long stasis.

If 'negativity' suddenly cause a huge shift in the polls, or we see historic voter apathy in November, maybe then it will be time to evaluate the depths our politics have fallen to. Barring that, this overhyped Beltway narrative will continue feed on itself, and the news media will continue to let the candidates off the hook on the real issues. We're worse off for that than we'll ever be from a couple of politicians throwing a few spit balls at each other.

Glenn Beck Calls My Chick-Fil-A Column 'Just Plain Awful,' I Think Beck May Be Just Plain Bigoted

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For the past week or so, I have had the distinct pleasure of covering the PR train wreck that is Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy's random anti-gay diatribes, diatribes that have lost them customers, corporate partnerships, and the right to step foot in Boston. They have, however, garnered the chain the endorsement of homophobic chicken-fan Mike Huckabee, who created 'Chick Fil-A Appreciation Day.'

Glenn Beck, a man I admire, took umbrage with my write up of Huckabee's holiday. So much so that he called it 'just plain awful.'

Well, guess what, Mr. Beck, you and the Huckster might be 'just plain bigoted.'

So what happened here? Well, it turns out that Beck has a problem with me calling Huckabee 'anti-gay' just because he supports Chick-fil-A's legal and financial crusade to end gay marriage. Here's Beck's well-reasoned argument from his radio show:

'Why can't people just be for something without hating something? I don't buy corn flakes because I like frosted flakes. That doesn't make me anti-corn flakes. That means I am pro-frosted flakes.'

Wow. That's so true. Except for one little detail. I'm going to assume that Glenn Beck hasn't spent millions of dollars to ban corn flakes. I'm going to assume that Glenn Beck isn't going out of his way to push for legislation that would make it illegal for people to eat corn flakes.

Yes. That argument is crap. And it has been crap for decades.

You see, I've gotten more hate mail over this series of Chick-fil-A columns than anything else I've written for this site. And you know why? It's because I've stopped drawing a distinction between anti-gay marriage and anti-gay. And you know why I did that? Because there isn't one.

The year is 2012 and punches will no longer be pulled. If you still believe that a group of Americans don't deserve the same legal rights that you do purely because of their minority status, then you are a bigot. Plain and simple. Every single one of you.

Oh, wait. I'm sorry. I take that back. If you're over 85, then you get a pass. This is no longer your world and I don't blame you for not understanding it. If you're too old to understand NetFlix, then I give you full permission to head off into the dark night with your misconceptions comfortably intact.

But the rest of you? You have no excuse. Your traditions are not an excuse. Your religion is not an excuse. Your Bible is certainly not an excuse. Not unless you follow every single last rule in that book.

Hey, I could waste time here getting into the myriad of rules in the Bible that modern Christians have casually discarded, rules like not eating shellfish or sleeping in a bed with a menstruating woman, but I won't. Because we all know them. Because rational minded people have been pointing out these same hypocrisies for the past 50 years.

So, no, you can't hide behind your Bible. The fact of the matter is, you are a bigot. Mike Huckabee, you are a bigot. Execs of Chick-fil-A, you are all bigots. And any reader reading these words right now who still believes that homosexuals shouldn't be allowed to sign a simple paper allowing the love of their life to truly share in said life, you are all bigots. And unless you can admit that simple fact, proudly proclaim your bigotry as you desperately flail your arms and lose this war of your own choosing, then you just plain aren't worth listening to.

And that, Mr. Beck, is what we are talking about. You may think we're talking about Mike Huckabee's right to eat a chicken sandwich wherever he wants, but we're not. Not until laws get changed. Until then, we're talking about the right of the people to point at men like Huckabee and Dan Cathy and call them exactly what they are.

Oh, and by the way, I wasn't going to boycott Chick-fil-A. I don't need to. I don't go there anyway. There's a great chicken joint down the street from me that I go to.

And just so you know, the owner of that place is gayer than Glenn Beck's clothing line.

Watch the video from GBTV below:

James Holmes Sent Graphic, Disturbing Notebook To Psychiatrist Before Shooting

» 2 comments

Police have learned that James Holmes sent a notebook to a psychiatrist at the University of Colorado before last week's shooting in Aurora. One law enforcement official close to the investigation told Fox News that the notebook, which they found on Monday, was 'full of details about how he was going to kill people.'

The source claims that the notebook was sitting in the mailroom for almost two weeks, and there were some rather graphic images found inside.

'Inside the package was a notebook full of details about how he was going to kill people' There were drawings of what he was going to do in it ' drawings and illustrations of the massacre.'

Among the images shown in the spiral-bound notebook's pages were gun-wielding stick figures blowing away other stick figures.

The FBI is currently holding on to the notebook. The agency is not commenting on the new evidence, due to a gag order issued by a county district judge on Monday.

h/t Fox News

• Mental illness is not a joke.

• In this country it is! I mean, how can you tell?

GOP Rep. Steve King Makes Fifth Attempt To Make English Official Language So More Will Get His Jokes

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Rep. Steve King (R-IA), appearing on Fox News Channel on Wednesday, discussed his most recent attempt to introduce a bill to the House that would make English the official language of the United States. He told Fox News Channel that he can tell when people do not speak English at citizenship naturalization ceremonies because those immigrants who are not fluent in English do not laugh at his jokes.

RELATED: GOP Rep. Steve King Makes Fifth Attempt To Make English Official Language So More Will Get His Jokes

King explained that he is bringing up this issue again, despite having introduced similar legislation in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 and today without succeeding in moving the measure forward, because it takes time before social legislation can be passed.

'Many on the hard-core left in America are about dividing America and pushing us into language enclaves, ethnic enclaves, welfare enclaves,' said King. 'We need a unified United States of America and there is no more powerful unifying tool throughout all of history and humanity than a common language.'

Fox News anchor Jon Scott noted that the Immigration and Naturalization Service lists being able to speak, read and write English is already a prerequisite in order to become a U.S. citizen. 'Why do we even need an amendment like yours,' Scott asked King.

King went on to say that he can tell who speaks English and who does not at swearing in ceremonies for new American citizens based on who laughs at his jokes:

I have seen, and many in this country have seen, citizenship oaths taken in foreign languages. I've given speeches at naturalization ceremonies ' I like to go there, I like to welcome new Americans. But I can notice if I tell a joke who laughs and who doesn't. Those that don't understand English don't laugh at those jokes don't understand English, but they're being sworn in as American citizens.

The lesson here is clear: next time you make a joke that bombs, just tell yourself that your audience doesn't understand English. Then again, Rep. King may just be spoiled by audiences who humor him by chortling even at the duds. After all, when you're a member of the House Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry, everyone laughs at your jokes.

Watch King's interview below via Fox News Channel:

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Gun Sales Reportedly Spike Following Aurora Theater Shooting Tragedy

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The Denver Post reports that background checks for people wanting to buy guns in Colorado spiked by more than 41 percent since the Aurora, Colo., movie theater shooting that left 12 people dead and dozens more injured. Coloradan firearms instructors say they've seen increased interest in the training programs required for a concealed-carry permit.

'A lot of it is people saying, 'I didn't think I needed a gun, but now I do,' ' the worker said. 'When it happens in your backyard, people start reassessing ' 'Hey, I go to the movies.''

The Post reports that between Friday and Sunday the Colorado Bureau of Investigation approved background checks for 2,887 people who wanted to purchase a firearm. That's a 43 percent increase over the previous weekend and a 39 percent jump over the first weekend of July.

The biggest single-day was the Friday of the shooting, when there were reportedly 1,216 checks ' a 43 percent increase over the average number of the previous two Fridays.

It is common for gun sales and requested background checks to spike immediately following a mass shooting. In 2010, after Jared Loughner allegedly gunned down six people and injured others in Tucson, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, background checks in Arizona reportedly jumped 60 percent from one year earlier. A similar spike was experienced in 2007 after the shootings at Virginia Tech University in 2007 left 32 people dead.

[h/t The Denver Post]

>> Follow Andrew Kirell (@AndrewKirell) on Twitter

• and that's what happens when people are barraged by all this anti-gun legislation frenzy coming from the media and politicians.

• Libertarians get jealous when one of their fellows hogs the spotlight.

• Someone shoots people with a gun. Scared people run out to buy guns. What a cycle. A win/win for manufacturers and distributors of firearms.

• Those with a brain, know the cycle is we have a tragedy and the left starts screaming about that pesky 2nd Amendment before the bodies have even been removed from the scene.  They also know that criminals will always be able to get a weapon no matter what the law is, so the liberal solution leaves the criminals armed and innocent civilians unable to defend themselves. .

• 'Yeeee Haaaww!!!

  A massive win for gun makers that just goes round and round and round. Everyone should have a gun and we do. We're the most armed country in the world.
  'Fantastic statistics and only tell part of the impressive story.

  'U.S. citizens own 270 million of the world's 875 million known firearms, according to the Small Arms Survey 2007 by the Geneva-based Graduate Institute of International Studies.'

  'Impressive!

  http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/08/28/us-world-firearms-idUSL2834893820070828

• Really? Because I've not seen a lot of mass murders using a bazooka. The idea that if you take really dangerous weapons out of the hands of criminals, that they'll get them anyway, is ridiculous. Sure, it MAY happen ' but why not make it as difficult as possible for them to get their hands on weapons of mass murder as opposed to the system we have right now which makes it as easy as possible?

Saturday Night Live To Do Two Special Thursday Shows In Run Up To Election

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Just like in 2008, Saturday Night Live will air a series of special live election specials on Thursday nights, a move which always feels like the biggest contradiction of one's own title since The Neverending Story ended. The special episodes will air on September 20th and 27th.

In the weeks leading up to the 2008 presidential election, the NBC series premiered Saturday Night Live: Weekend Update Thursday, three special episodes that featured cameos from former cast members like Bill Murray, Will Ferrell, and Chris Parnell as well as more time for Tina Fey's instantly iconic Sarah Palin impression to shine. The special presentation was repeated for three more episodes in 2009. Plans for Spring 2010 editions never came to fruition.

And yet, despite the lack of anyone as perfect for mockery as Palin (Who knows? Maybe in a desperate attempt to court gay voters, Mitt Romney will choose Stefon as his running mate and we'll be set), the show is bringing the specials back.

It had been theorized that they'd make a return since NBC's Fall schedule included some late premiere dates for a Thursday show or two, but the episodes weren't confirmed until today's Television Critics Association Press Tour event with Entertainment Chief Robert Greenblatt.

(h/t Stuart Levine)

• Maybe SNL will do a skit about the criminal prosecution of two of Rupert Murdoch's top capos, Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson. At least one of those two will deliver Rupert to prosecutors in exchange for immunity, and Rupert will be in prison (or a fugitive) by election day.

Both Parties Wrong On Voter Fraud: Voter ID Laws Won't End Endemic Practice Of Absentee Ballot Stuffing

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In a segment on MSNBC on Tuesday, two political operatives rehearsed their familiar parroting of political talking points in the debate over voter identification laws. Both sides of the debate are benefiting from the topic with each party's base becoming ever more fired up as they perceive themselves to be under siege by a malevolent opposition which is actively attempting to undermine their votes. But this debate masks the real problem of voter fraud which neither party wants to address ' the problem of absentee ballot fraud. This institutionally accepted practice is rampant and has corrupted the American electoral system for decades, but no one bothers to address it because both sides benefit from the practice.

RELATED: Jon Stewart Tears Apart FL Gov. Rick Scott's Curiously Targeted 'Voter Purge'

On Tuesday, former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell told MSNBC said that it was easier to get a gun in his home state of Pennsylvania than it was to register to vote. He further suggested that the extent of voter ID laws was to restrict Democratic constituents' access to the polls.

He debated former Newt Gingrich campaign consultant Rick Tyler on the issue, who countered by asking Rendell if airports and libraries also favored Republicans in disproportionate numbers because they too require photo ID. 'Maybe [libraries are] disenfranchising people because they don't want them to be able to read,' Tyler asked rhetorically.

Both political operatives are guilty of grossly oversimplifying the situation, as are the political parties they represent.

As MSNBC host Touré said recently, 'voter fraud is a red herring.' Now, his follow up ' that voter ID laws were intended solely to disenfranchise minority voters so they could not cast their ballots for Democrats ' is offensive, conspiratorial and unsubstantiated. But he has a point: if Democratic opponents of voter ID laws oppose those laws because it is a heavy-handed way to address the relatively few cases of individuals showing up at the polls and voting under other people's names, they are largely correct.

Opponents of voter ID laws often cite a statistic from the Bush-era, when an investigation into voter fraud cases between 2001 and 2006 netted only 86 prosecutions. This is a measly figure, although some opponents of voter ID laws confuse prosecutions with existing cases. Voter fraud is often a victimless crime (insofar as the victim is often unaware their vote has been stolen) and is difficult to prove in court on the rare occasion when there is enough evidence to prosecute voter fraudsters. Most cases of fraud go unreported.

However, the endemic problem that plagues American elections is not voters showing up to the polls and forging a signature in order to cast another voter's ballot. The real issue is the substantial problem of absentee ballot fraud. This is a bipartisan scheme. It is rampant and it is often officially sanctioned, according to the testimony of those who are prosecuted.

This blog post chronicles and links to stories about the more than 40 individuals who were arrested on charges of absentee ballot stuffing in order to influence both local and national elections in favor of Democratic politicians.

In December 2011, six Democratic operatives were arrested and pleaded guilty to charges of absentee ballot stuffing in New York state. 'This is an on-going scheme and it occurs on both sides of the aisle,' convicted Democratic operative Anthony DeFiglio told police after his arrest in November 2009. 'The people who are targeted live in low-income housing and there is a sense that they are a lot less likely to ask any questions.' DeFiglio continued, saying 'it was common knowledge that these people were never going to receive an absentee ballot.'

But the phenomenon is not limited to Democratic party operatives. In June of last year, Indiana's Republican secretary of state was found guilty of six of seven counts of voter fraud including false registration, voting in another precinct, submitting a false ballot, theft and perjury.

In 1997, the Miami Herald won a Pulitzer Prize for deconstructing how Republican Joe Carollo defeated Democrat Xavier Suarez in Miami's mayoral race despite losing at the polls via absentee ballot fraud. 'That's how it's really done. How elections are pilfered. With absentee ballots,' writes the Miami Herald's Fred Grimm.

These are just the cases that become known. Many more cases of absentee ballot fraud go undetected and unreported.

This is one instance where both parties are truly guilty of ignoring a corrupt status quo. Democratic opponents of voter ID who dare suggest there is no voter fraud are being patently disingenuous. Republicans who submit that voter ID laws are the answer to every instance of voter fraud are guilty of being similarly coy about the real problem.

Democrats and Republicans are benefiting from energizing their base voters by insisting their vote is under assault from the other side, but neither is addressing the real problem. Institutional absentee ballot fraud is an epidemic that threatens the integrity of America's political system and no one seems particularly concerned about it.

Watch the party-line debate on voter ID via MSNBC below:

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• If you aren't able to get an ID card, then you have bigger problems than voting. 

• Here's a story idea for you Noah ' why not report on,
  'Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., confirmed that a recent spate of
  national security leaks originated in the White House as she called for
  President Obama to stop the flow of information out of the White House.'

  This is one instance where one party is truly guilty.

• Congratulations on the acknowledgement that these voter ID laws are disingenuous. What I would ask you, Noah, is why are Republicans pushing them? You make it like one side is just as bad as the other side, now everyone to your rooms, but it's the right that is pushing for these measures. 

• Republicans are so dishonest. The only reason you are pursuing this ID law BS is to stop people who are less likely to have ID, i.e., blacks, young people and the poor , i.e., Democratic voters. You guys never produce any evidence of signifinat voter fraud. You are prepared to cheat in order to vote for people who are bleeding ordinary people to death. You are shameful organisms.

• Dems protest that their voters are too stupid to get an ID.

  That explains why they vote Dem.

  Ed Rendell suggests just posting a couple of friendly New Improved Black Panthers at each polling place to assist. Also do what they do in Philadelphia: hand out 'street money' to motivate the base.

• 'Many more cases of absentee ballot fraud go undetected and unreported'.

  If they're undetected and unreported, how do you know about them? Just making shit up again?

  Here's a crime that was detected and reported, and is now being prosecuted:

  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/25/world/europe/two-ex-editors-for-murdoch-to-be-charged-for-phone-hacking.html

  But you won't read about it on Mediaite.

• Even Chris Matthews approves of using 'street money' in situations where losing is not an option.

• You forgot to link to the Weekly Standard, Rupert.

  The national security leaks in the Bush White House were so frequent that they resembled Dick Morris paying hookers to p*ss on him.

• It's an attempt to suppress the Democratic vote plain and simple. Anyone saying anything else is a liar or stupid or both. These new laws won't do anything to stop this kind of voter fraud. The kind that does exist, vote buying won't be affected now will it? I'm hoping the Feds lawsuit will stop this law from taking effect in PA because it could affect the Presidential election. If you don't believe me just ask the PA House Majority Leader Mike Turzai who said this law would deliver PA for Romney. If you pay attention sometimes you'll hear a Republican tell the truth.

• There is not one study that any Republican can show that voter ID fraud is happening in large numbers. It is actually very rare in the US. I hope Democrats are keeping up an active campaign of opposing these obviously bigoted laws.

• Noah dances around the issue, but he knows what is going on here, no matter how he tries to deny it. The voter ID laws are more likely to effect Democrat voters, which is why a PA politician touted that the new voter ID laws would give Romney the state. Call it what it is, an attempt to discourage the opposition from voting. We all know voter turnout in this country is laughable as it is, so if you want to eliminate some votes for the opposition just throw up obstacles to voting. As Noah acknowledges, targeting absentee ballots would effect Republicans; that's why they're not passing laws targeting that.

• what the heck does ID requirement at polls have to do with absentee voter fraud? since one doesnt show or not show ID with an absentee ballot, one mails it in. right?

• having a ID is a obstacle to a constitutional right?  really? so you support no ID to buy a gun correct?

• Like they did in the Al Frankton, or whatever his last name was? It was clearly a fraud!

• This is a very balanced article. If it is a problem, the absentee ballots should be a addressed. However, I doubt there will be enough time before the election.

• Buy a Beer at the Ball Park?'..Need an ID

  Buy a Gun at a Gun Shop?''.Need an ID

  Buy Smokes at the Local Fast Fill?''.Need an ID

  Cash a check at the local Check Cashing Store?''.Need an ID

  Go to Vote?'''Need an I''..OMFG THAT'S DISINGENUOUS!!!!!!!

• I guess these bozos never go to the store or into a town where they can get a voter ID they have had two years to get it. If you have to have an ID to do everything else then you should be able to PROVE who you are! I agree with your comment!!!