Congressman: Did ACORN bust lead to Anita Dunn’s departure?

Ah, our little Maoist Anita Dunn. Her remarks in the infamous clip end with “President Obama came out of the background of community organizers…”

She took on Fox News, Fox News pushed back and now Dunn is done as the White House community organizer of communications.

Liberals said it was an interim appointment. But as Charley Steiner would say if he covered politics instead of sports, “She’s listed as interim, but aren’t we all.”

Republican Congressman Steve King of Iowa, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, said there may be more to Dunn’s departure than meets the eye: ACORN.

Federal agents raided the ACORN/SEIU Local 100 headquarters in New Orleans just before she left the White House. King may be way out in right field on this one, but he sees a connection with Dunn and ACORN through her husband, who is a lawyer. Maybe.

It seems to be a stretch.

His press release:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Steve King made the following statement and issued this release regarding the resignation of White House communications director Anita Dunn.

“Anita Dunn left the White House earlier than expected. Not only has Dunn lavished praises on Chairman Mao and compared him to Mother Teresa, Dunn’s husband has a public record of protecting ACORN and protecting President Obama’s relationship to ACORN.”

“ACORN’s national headquarters are now under a full attorney general investigation. Congress and Attorney General Holder need to launch their investigations and a special prosecutor needs to be named – sooner rather than later.”

Background:

- Four days after Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell raided ACORN’s national office in New Orleans, seizing paper records and computer hard drives, White House communications director Anita Dunn – the wife of a leading ACORN defender – has resigned abruptly from her position. Dunn was the lead critic of Fox News for reporting on the ACORN prostitution scandal, which originally broke on September 10. Dunn subsequently launched a public attack against Fox News on October 11, and she even stated “let’s not pretend they’re a news network” in reference to Fox. The White House press office, likely under Dunn’s direction, blocked Fox from a press pool event on October 22 that included all other networks in their classification. The White House has since given up on its effort to discredit Fox News

- Anita Dunn is married to Robert Bauer, who served as general counsel for Obama for America. In 2008, Bauer sent a letter to then-Attorney General Michael Mukasey arguing that Department of Justice should not investigate election-related fraud allegations against ACORN. The letter is available at http://rawstory.com/images/other/ObamaJusticeletter.pdf. Footnote five of Bauer’s letter complains that “In the last week, several members of Congress who are officially affiliated with the McCain-Palin campaign have written to the Attorney General and U.S. Attorneys pressuring them to investigate ACORN.” The letter also claims that Republican concerns regarding ACORN-related fraud were “manufactured.” Subsequent revelations have validated these Republican concerns and proven the existence of additional fraudulent activities. The clear message of Bauer’s letter was to tell the DOJ to back off from interfering with ACORN’s activities

- ACORN has admitted to over 400,000 fraudulent voter registrations in the 2008 election cycle.

by Don Surber

Our Constitution is 20 pages (the original is 11). It governs our entire country. The new healthcare bill is over 2000. It focuses on one issue. What’s wrong with this picture?

Holy crap!!

Lou Dobbs says he is leaving CNN

By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer David Bauder, Ap Television Writer 37 mins ago

NEW YORK – CNN’s Lou Dobbs, a lightning rod for criticism following his transition from a business journalist to an opinionated anchor on such issues as illegal immigration, told viewers on Wednesday that he was quitting his nightly show to pursue new opportunities.

"This will be my last broadcast," Dobbs said after giving the day’s headlines. Dobbs, who hosts a daily radio show unrelated to CNN, said the network had allowed him to be released early from his contract.

Dobbs was a CNN original, signing on when the cable network started in 1980. For much of that time, he hosted a nightly business broadcast that became one of the most influential shows in the corporate world, and CNN’s most profitable show for advertising revenue.

But Dobbs said his world view changed after the 2001 terrorist attacks and corporate corruption scandals, and he began to more freely express his opinions. He was particularly persistent in bringing the immigration issue to the fore, winning him both higher ratings and enemies. Latino groups had an active petition drive seeking his removal.

His presence became awkward for CNN, particularly as it began emphasizing reporting and non-opinion shows. He angered management this summer by pressing questions about President Barack Obama’s birth site after CNN reporters determined there was no issue.

Dobbs said the decision came after many months of discussion with CNN U.S. President Jon Klein. Dobbs said he wanted to concentrate on his role as a commentator and on advocacy journalism.

Klein hailed Dobbs’ "appetite for big ideas, the megawatt smile and larger than life presence he brought to our newsroom."

"With characteristic forthrightness, Lou has now decided to carry the banner of advocacy journalism elsewhere," Klein said. "We respect his decision."

Dobbs said he was proud of his role in helping to build the first cable news network. He said some leaders in media, politics and business "have been urging me to go beyond my role here at CNN and to engage in constructive problem-solving."

Seated at an anchor desk in front of a screen with a fluttering American flag, Dobbs mentioned his interest in issues such as health care, jobs, immigration, climate change and the wars.

"Unfortunately, these issues are now defined in the public arena by partisanship and ideology rather than rigorous empirical thought and forthright analysis and discussion," he said. "I will be working diligently to change that as best I can."

His resignation was hailed by activists who were seeking his ouster.

"Our contention all along was that Lou Dobbs — who has a long history of spreading lies and conspiracy theories about immigrants and Latinos — does not belong on the most trusted name in news," said Roberto Lovato, co-founder of Presente.org. "We are thrilled that Dobbs no longer has the legitimate platform from which to incite fear and hate."

Tom Saenz, president of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the leading Latino legal organization, said, "I think the Latino community can and should celebrate that Lou Dobbs is no longer on CNN."

Dobbs did not immediately return telephone and e-mail messages to talk about his critics.

Although he joined CNN in 1980, Dobbs left the network for two year in 1999, after angrily complaining on the air about a decision by then-CNN President Rick Kaplan to switch away from his show to a live news event. An Internet venture failed and when Kaplan left CNN, Dobbs returned.

A decision on who will replace Dobbs is expected to be announced on Thursday.

You only need to read my Crackbook posts to see that I’m fired up today!!

• If you have today off but have never served a single day in our armed forces, you had better be going around & thanking every service person you know. You also better be doing something nice for service folks in general. Because YOU did NOTHING to deserve today off. Most vets don’t get today off. You working in a government position affords you many luxuries that our vets don’t have. You’d better f*cking earn it.

• No, vacation and sick days don’t count – they are not just a free day off given to you. I’m just over government people being given "Teddy Roosevelt Farted" day off. Or "Millard Fillmore Took a Whiz" day off. Or "Benjamin Franklin Was Never President, But He Is on Our Money" day off. You didn’t earn it.

• Oh, and for God’s sake, no backlash against Muslims for one person’s act…or wait, actually adding up all Muslims’ acts against American citizens – a whole shitload of Muslims’ acts. Yeah.

Yeah, I’m over it.  On top of that, I had to call my frakking insurance company again today because stupid COBRA takes over a week to update their records, which results in CVS calling me, saying that they can’t fill my prescriptions because I don’t have insurance.  So CIGNA says, oh, just have CVS call us directly and we can approve it over the phone. I tell that to CVS and they tell me they are too busy to do that for every customer. 

Whether or not that’s true, You. Never. Tell. A. Customer. That.  Never.  That is soooooo bad.  So I called the manager and she said that from now on, she would make sure that associate was trained properly, as it IS their policy to call the insurance company FIRST.  That’s right, little bitch.  You are in trouble!!!! I also told the manager that I shouldn’t see that tech when I pick up my meds. 

And, I’m just sick of people bitching:

• I hate my life!! Fool, who the f*ck do you think can fix THAT?  YOU!!! Only YOU!!! So stop bitching and do something.  Or, shut the f*ck up!!
• I hate the legal system!!  Well then f*cking rewrite it and prove that your solution is better, fair, and can be applied across the board.  Or, shut the f*ck up!!
• I hate my body! Then get therapy to find out why or change your eating and/or exercise.  Or, shut the f*ck up!!
• I hate my job!!  Then look for a new one, do something to grow your skillset, go back to school.  Or, shut the f*ck up!!
• I want a relationship! Then leave your house, join a group, get a hobby, TALK to people.  Or, shut the f*ck up!!
• I hate our local government!! Then vote, join your local party, go to meetings, run for office.  Or, shut the f*ck up!!
• I hate Lawgirl!! Then stop reading.  Or, shut the f*ck up!!  (That last one was a pre-emptive shut the f*ck up for the hate I’m sure will come out of this post.)

For My Veteran

Reposted from last year with a new ending

Today is Veterans Day, my love, and this is my dedication to you.  I am so proud of you for your service to our country.  When you graduated from high school, you and your friends were lined up and ready to enlist.

Your father was unable to serve during World War II, because of a health issue.  Instead, he learned how to build airplane engines.  Thus began your love affair with flying.

You went into the Air Force so that you could fly the planes you loved so much.  You loved taking care of your planes.  You were and are enthralled by the feel of controlling the plane.  You had such a great time.

After a couple of years, Vietnam started and you were sent over. You were all of 20.  You helped drop the Marines and G.I. Joes into their positions and picked up the healthy, the wounded and the dead from their worst nightmares.  You never once turned back – you were always so brave.  Everyday you knew could be your last, but you kept going.  You were so proud to serve your country.

You are the first Vietnam Vet I have ever heard discuss all of the good things that our folks did over there.  You and other soldiers adopted orphanages and brought them gifts and showed them what Christmas was.  I loved the pictures of the kids and your friends.

You never expected to return from Vietnam, but you did.  Unfortunately, there was no hero’s welcome for you.  You were spit on, verbally abused and called a murderer.  I know that you still resent that.

When you came home, you wanted to continue to serve but chose to do so on a local level – you became a police officer.  Over the next 25 years, you worked your way up to detective.  You still fret over one of the cases that involved an 11 year old boy being sexually assaulted and murdered.   You knew who had done it but the man had fled the state and there wasn’t enough evidence to get him back.  It haunts you to this day that the boy’s killer was never punished.

One of your stories appeared in True Detective.  It was the story of a beautiful new bride who was killed by her new husband not long into their marriage.  You were so adorable in the pictures.  You were so proud of your job.

You never looked at your time in Vietnam as a bad experience.  You loved being “in the shit,” both there, and here at home.  You would love to go back in one more time.  I think you would be so happy to go out in a blaze of glory.  Of course, I am selfish and want you to stay here forever with me. 

You wonder why men and women aren’t so eager to serve today.  You can’t comprehend refusing to serve.  I never understood that until I was with you.

I love you with all of my heart and I so appreciate what you have done for us.  I wish I could go back in time and give you the homecoming you deserved.

To My Veteran and to all of the veterans who have served and are currently serving, my deepest, warmest gratitude.  You have done or are doing something that many, including myself, are not brave enough to do.  You faced the worst and came out the best.  Thank you.

Note to the Unknown Soldier by Five for Fighting

I don’t know you
I never met you
For laughs I’ll call you Sam
You were the son
Of Mrs. Someone
I hope she understands
Sam you were all that you had
Are you happy or sad
I never knew you
But I’m told you’re the best we had
Were you so tall
Did you play Basketball
Was there a sweetheart at home
Did you write her letters
Did it make you better face the great unknown
Sam did you feel alone
You were so far from home
I never knew you
But I know you’re the best man I know
Could you tell it was time
See it coming in the back of your mind
When it was over, was it over
Sam I’m glad you’re on my side
I don’t know you
I never met you
Can I call you Sam
Did you have a son
A daughter with a little one
I might go and thank Sam you’re the best that we have
You make me happy and sad
If you were here, I’d buy the beers
I’d shake your hand and say good man
And though the sun would shine about the same
It’s a better world because you came
Sincerely yours, my kids will know your name

The pro-Fox Democrats

Daniel Libit Daniel Libit Sun Nov 1, 6:02 pm ET

Democratic pundit Bob Beckel has been under contract with Fox News for six years. And in the midst of the White House war against the cable network, some of his liberal friends think that’s six years too many.

They invited him to lunch the other day for an intervention: Why is Beckel — a true-blue Democrat who worked for Robert F. Kennedy and ran Walter Mondale’s 1984 presidential campaign — giving comfort to the enemy?

Beckel’s response: “I talk to more persuadable voters in a month than anybody on MSNBC and CNN talks to in a year.”

In the eyes of some of their party brethren, Beckel and other Democratic strategists and pundits who appear regularly on Fox News are traitors to the cause. Or at least gluttons for punishment.

And some of them feel that way, too.

“It sucks,” says Democratic direct-mail consultant Liz Chadderdon, a regular on the network. “It is very, very tough to be a Democrat on Fox.”

During an October 2007 hit on “The Factor,” Chadderdon referred to the detainees at Guantanamo Bay as “victims.” It was a verbal faux pas, and she knew it. But no sooner did she get off the air than she received a death threat — the first of a handful she says she’s received after appearing on Bill O’Reilly’s Fox show.

More recently, Chadderdon has been invited to talk business with Fox’s Neil Cavuto — on the main network and on the two-year-old Fox Business Network — even though she readily admits that she has no background in economics.

“Speaking about those issues is not my forte,” said Chadderdon. “And I’m getting the tar kicked out of me.”

So why does she keep doing it? For pretty much the same reason Willie Sutton robbed banks. Fox is where the viewers are — No. 1 in the prime-time news ratings and drawing more than twice as many viewers on weeknights as either MSNBC or CNN.

“You know how I know nobody watches CNBC?” said Chadderdon. “I compared the pope to my 11th-grade algebra teacher, and nobody sent me a letter.”

Lanny Davis, former White House counsel for Bill Clinton, says some of his fellow Democrats privately encourage him to keep appearing on Fox — even as they boycott the network themselves.

“I get very positive but whispered reinforcement,” he said.

Davis made news during last year’s Democratic presidential primaries when he said that Fox was the fairest of the cable networks in its treatment of Hillary Clinton.

And now, he insists, the claims of bias directed at Fox are overstated, at least insofar as they come from devotees of one of its competitors.

“Is there a difference between Fox and MSNBC?” he asked. “You count the number of guests on Rachel [Maddow] and Keith [Olbermann] who are conservative Republicans. If you get to double digits, I’ll buy you dinner for each one.”

Susan Estrich is perhaps the most identifiable Democratic pundit on the network. She’s been on the payroll for more than a decade, having first gotten to know Fox News President Roger Ailes when they were working on opposite sides of the 1988 presidential campaign.

Estrich says they’ve become good friends and that when she’s had beefs about the network’s coverage, management has been receptive.

“If there is something I think is not right, I pick up the phone and I call,” she said. “What I have been hopefully able to do is offer my thoughts both inside and outside.”

Estrich encouraged Democratic pollster Doug Schoen to join Fox Nation at the end of the 2004 election. Weary of the unpredictability of other networks’ schedules, he was happy to sign on — and says he’s encouraged his Democratic friends to do the same.

“They are the most professional network of any I have dealt with,” he said. “If you are a Democrat who wants to deliver mindless talking points on Fox, it’s probably best to go to MSBNC and hope you get a chance to recite them. I think Fox encourages critical views of all sides, asks different kinds of questions and wants to have diversity of view.”

Beckel believes Fox viewers are more open to the Democratic side of the story than stereotypes might suggest. And indeed, a 2008 Pew Research survey found that while almost half of viewers who regularly watch Fox News identify as Republican or Republican leaning, 39 percent tip Democratic and 12 percent have no stated angle at all.

Chadderdon is skeptical that her Fox hits do much to advance the progressive cause. But she says they’re good for business.

“The clients I have dealt with will say to me that they are impressed I have gone on [Sean] Hannity and O’Reilly,” she says.

Nevertheless, Chadderdon has been dialing it back in recent months, making polite excuses when bookers call to inquire about her availability. Plus, she has adopted a personal policy of not going on Hannity’s show after he was condescending to her on the air last summer.

“When the hit was over, I ripped off the microphone and started screaming at the producers,” Chadderdon recalls. “They ignored me and said, ‘Thanks for coming’ and hung up.”

Fox News did not respond to requests for comment for this story.

Peter Fenn knows what it’s like being the cable news version of Sisyphus — pushing the political boulder up the hill week after week. After regularly appearing on Fox for many years, Fenn says he started to pull away following the 2006 midterms. A few months prior to the elections, a “Hannity & Colmes” episode on which Fenn appeared alongside conservative pundit Ann Coulter was the mocked subject of a “Daily Show” feature called “Great Moments in Punditry as Read by Children.”

“After that, I thought this was getting ridiculous,” Fenn said. He continued to appear less frequently, until calling it quits after a show in May 2008 in which Michelle Obama’s patriotism was being served up for debate.

Beckel said he’ll persevere, even if it means taking blows from liberals who weren’t even born when he was fighting the good fight.

“There is a frustration when you are getting yelled at by people who weren’t even a gleam in their daddy’s eye when you were getting beat up by hard hats on Wall Street [while] protesting Vietnam,” he said.

He looks at the bright side.

“I get on Hannity every Monday night and say Obama is the greatest economic president since Franklin Roosevelt and watch Hannity’s jaw drop,” Beckel said. “And that is one of the great moments of my week.”

Follow this logic: if the top person in the company is limited to $200k/yr, then what am I limited to in middle management?

This is called grasping at straws

Home > News> Local

Local Hispanics Say BMV Letters Discriminate Against Them

By Patrick Preston | Investigative, Political Reporter
Published: October 16, 2009

» 6 Comments | Post a Comment

COLUMBUS, Ohio—Members of Central Ohio’s Hispanic community say they are the victim of racial profiling by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. The BMV sent out 47,457 letters last week to vehicle owners that do no have Social Security numbers, drivers license numbers or state identification numbers attached to their vehicle registrations.

Owners receiving the letter were told they have 60 days to produce identification or their registration will be canceled. The letter follows a change in policy that closed a legal loophole allowing undocumented immigrants without insurance or a drivers license to register a vehicle using the power of attorney process.

Stripped of their valid vehicle registration, undocumented workers could be pulled over, arrested and deported back to their home country if caught driving unregistered vehicles.

“This is nothing else but racial profiling,“ said a Columbus resident who received one of the letters this week and wished to remain anonymous. The man stated he is an American citizen and an Ohio resident for 26 years. “Nobody else got a letter, only the Spanish people.“

BMV spokesperson Lindsay Komlanc said the BMV did not look at drivers’ last names or use racial profiling in sending the letters. Komlanc said the BMV is not assuming that those receiving letters acted fraudulently, but she acknowledges the BMV is being aggressive in enforcing the law.

“The only way the scan was run was by people who did not have a social security number, drivers license number, or identification card number,“ Komlanc said. “At the end of the 60 days, anyone who has not provided the additional documentation will have their vehicle registration canceled.“

Ohio Hispanic Coalition president Joseph Mas said he and other attorneys are reviewing legal options, including the possibility of challenging the constitutionality of the BMVs actions.

“Why not wait until those vehicles come up for renewal, renewal of the plates, and then on a gradual basis begin to address that,“ Mas said. “And, of course, if we’re lucky it’s possible that the federal
government by that time would have already advanced immigration reform.“

This is called ignoring the obvious

Brunner defiant as donations ebb

Democrat says she’s staying in race for Senate

Friday,  October 16, 2009 3:09 AM

By Joe Hallett and Jack Torry

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Jennifer Brunner is trailing Lee Fisher in raising money.

Despite continuing campaign money woes, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner said yesterday that she will not drop out of the Democratic race for U.S. Senate against Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, her better-financed rival.

“There’s some rumor-mongering going on that I’m getting out of the race,” Brunner said. “There are two ways to move ahead: You either run faster or pull someone back, and I prefer to run faster. I will see this thing through to the end.”

While not revealing her fundraising totals for the third-quarter reporting period that ended Sept. 30, Brunner said she raised less than the $228,000 her campaign collected in the second quarter.

“Every quarter I increase. I did not increase this quarter,” she said.

Asked how she can continue the campaign if she lacks sufficient funding, Brunner said, “I can stay in until primary election day (May 4) and hopefully until the general (election on Nov. 2, 2010).”

Third-quarter campaign finance reports were to be sent to the Federal Election Commission yesterday. The Brunner campaign did not make her fundraising totals public.

Fisher, meanwhile, reported that he raised about $620,000 in the third quarter and has about $1.6 million in cash on hand. Since entering the race, Fisher has raised more than $2.5 million.

Fisher and Brunner are running for the Democratic nomination to replace retiring Republican Sen. George V. Voinovich.

Brunner, who took in less than $500,000 during the first two quarters, said she has replaced her campaign-finance team.

“We just needed to take a different approach,” Brunner said, adding that the campaign will focus its fundraising on what she labeled “a strong grass-roots network of support.”

John Green, director of the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron, said it is too early to say Brunner’s effort is in trouble, “but certainly these fundraising numbers aren’t good for her campaign. Low fundraising at this point can convince observers that a candidate is not viable.”

The leading Republican Senate candidate, former congressman Rob Portman of Cincinnati, reported raising $1.3 million during the third quarter, down from the $1.7 million raised during the second quarter.

Still, Portman said he has raised $6.2 million for the campaign so far and had a balance of $5.14 million as of Sept. 30.

Portman’s primary opponent is expected to be Thomas Ganley, a wealthy car-dealership owner from Cleveland. Ganley has said he would use his personal wealth to finance his campaign.

In other federal races:

• GOP Rep. Pat Tiberi of Genoa Township, preparing for a challenge from Democratic Franklin County Commissioner Paula Brooks, had more than $930,000 on hand after raising nearly $333,000 for the quarter, according to his campaign. Brooks reported a cash balance of $152,744 after raising $161,850 in the third quarter.

• Freshman Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy, D-Columbus, took in about $242,000 and had nearly $500,000 on hand, her campaign will report. Republican Steve Stivers, who is challenging Kilroy for a rematch of their close 2008 race, reported raising about $274,000 and having about $266,000 on hand.

• Rep. Zack Space, D-Dover, is in a comfortable position in terms of campaign cash. His campaign said the filing it would send to the election commission by last night’s midnight deadline would show more than $965,000 on hand after Space raised more than $255,000 for the quarter.

Space’s potential GOP opponents so far have just a fraction of that amount.

Ahhh, and they slowly come around

Late-Night Comedians Turning on Obama By Douglas J. Rowe Sun Oct 11, 11:49 AM PDT “That’s pretty amazing, winning the Nobel Peace Prize,” Jay Leno said Friday night of President Barack Obama’s latest accolade. “Ironically, his biggest accomplishment as president so far … winning the Nobel Peace Prize.” That joke may be indicative of the TV comedy world sharpening its arrows a bit more when the current occupant of the White House is the target, The New York Times reports. President Barack Obama Awarded Nobel Peace Prize The Times quotes Bob Lichter, who has tracked themes in late-night humor for 21 years, as saying “it will be telling to see how the comedians treat” the president’s winning the peace prize: Is there now a caricature taking hold of a man more celebrated than accomplished? Lichter, of George Mason University’s Center for Media and Public Affairs, said it was too soon to tell whether the Oct. 3 Saturday Night Live skit suggesting that Obama has accomplished nothing is a “harbinger” or not. “The danger is that Mr. Obama is going to be defined by inaction and not living up to expectations,” he said. SNL skit: Obama has done nothing SNL this weekend joined in the jokes about Obama not deserving the prize just yet, suggesting that honors like People’s Sexiest Man designation may soon go to children. Last week Jon Stewart continued with the “done nothing” theme on The Daily Show, chiding Obama for not yet getting around to reversing the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy about gays. He cited Obama’s “full plate” of business. Stewart then acted apoplectic, displaying his exasperation. “All that stuff you’ve been putting on your plate?” he said. “It’s [expletive] chow time, brother. That’s how you get things off your plate.” Ric Keller, a former Republican congressman from Florida who once wrote jokes for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, told the Times: “There have been some clear shots coming across the bow from the comic left.” But Jeff Nussbaum, a Democratic speech and joke writer, disagreed that late-night comedy is a leading indicator of the zeitgeist. “To use an economic term, it is more of a lagging indicator,” he said. Those old enough to remember Watergate might recall that it took Johnny Carson awhile to start making jokes about President Richard Nixon and his connection to the break-in. But once the Tonight show host did, it felt like the beginning of the end for the U.S. leader who eventually resigned.