Think Progress

Ari Fleischer quits PR job for Tiger Woods because his legacy was so bad it harmed Tiger’s rehabilitation.

Earlier this month, the New York Post reported that Tiger Woods had hired former Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer to help plot his strategy for returning to golf. Since his time as President Bush’s top spinmeister, Fleischer has become a consultant for the sports industry, advising Mark McGwire and the Green Bay Packers. Woods gave his first interviews since his scandals to the Golf Channel and ESPN yesterday, limiting the chats “to an almost impossible-to-maneuver five minutes.” Fleischer, however, wasn’t by Woods’ side during these interviews:

Meanwhile, former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer acknowledged in an e-mail to the AP that he had been working for Woods and had decided to withdraw.

The AP gives no reason for Fleischer’s departure, but FoxSports reports that Fleischer “fell on his sword because he felt he was becoming the story“: “Fleischer’s legacy, whether fairly or not, remains propagating Bush/Cheney myths — like Saddam Hussein attacked America on Sept. 11, 2001 — which Americans don’t want to hear. Having him in behind the curtain gave the impression Woods had something to hide, and that words were being fed to him.”

Former Bush speechwriter tells GOP: Democrats’ passage of health care is actually ‘our’ Waterloo.

Last summer, during a conference call with conservative activists, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) said that if the Republican Party was able to defeat Democratic efforts to pass a comprehensive health care bill, it would “break” President Obama and be “his Waterloo.” Last night, former Bush speechwriter David Frum posted a note on his website addressing his fellow conservatives on the consequences of the Democrats successfully passing a health care bill. He castigated them for refusing to deal with Democrats throughout the process — especially when the final health care bill incorporated many ideas from the Republican Party — and said that a “huge part of the blame for [yesterday's] disaster attaches to conservatives and Republicans ourselves.” He concludes that “it’s Waterloo all right: ours”:

A huge part of the blame for today’s disaster attaches to conservatives and Republicans ourselves. At the beginning of this process we made a strategic decision: unlike, say, Democrats in 2001 when President Bush proposed his first tax cut, we would make no deal with the administration. No negotiations, no compromise, nothing. We were going for all the marbles. This would be Obama’s Waterloo – just as healthcare was Clinton’s in 1994. [...]

This time, when we went for all the marbles, we ended with none. [...]

So today’s defeat for free-market economics and Republican values is a huge win for the conservative entertainment industry. Their listeners and viewers will now be even more enraged, even more frustrated, even more disappointed in everybody except the responsibility-free talkers on television and radio. For them, it’s mission accomplished. For the cause they purport to represent, it’s Waterloo all right: ours.

Frum also writes that Rush Limbaugh “wants Republicans to fail.”

GOP lawmaker shrieks ‘baby killer’ at pro-life Democrat Rep. Bart Stupak.

When House Republicans tried to use a motion to recommit to send the reconciliation package of health reforms back to committee to essentially kill the bill, Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) gave a passionate speech urging his colleagues not to fall for the ploy. Stupak said that Democrats have moved a pro-life bill in every way, by restricting taxpayer funds to abortion and by providing millions of Americans will quality health insurance. However, CNN is reporting that as Stupak gave his speech, a Republican lawmaker yelled “baby killer” at him. Murmurs were heard from the Democratic side of the aisle, and a Democratic lawmaker shouted “who said that?” No Republican answered. Watch it:

CNN’s David Gergen observed that Republicans had joined rowdy, and at times vulgar, tea party protesters all weekend in rallying against the bill. He warned that the heavy influence of the tea parties, Rush Limbaugh, and other extreme right-wing voices is dangerous for the Republicans politically.

Watch HuffPost’s video of the shouted remark.

House approves health care reform by vote of 219-212.

Moments ago, the House of Representatives passed the Senate health care reform bill by a vote of 219-212, approving the most sweeping domestic legislation since Medicare. “Senator Kennedy wrote that access to health care was the great unfinished business of our society – that is, until today,” said Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). Once the bill reached 215 votes, members began chanting “one more vote” and the chamber erupted in applause. Members excitedly counted down the last few seconds of the vote and started began chanting “yes we can.” Watch it:

More at The Wonk Room.

Fox ‘News’ cheerleads for Tea Party protesters.

Serving its traditional role as the voice of the Tea Party movement, Fox News has been dedicating inordinate coverage today to the couple thousand anti-health care protesters gathered outside the U.S. Capitol. Fox host Megyn Kelly breathlessly reported every movement and rallying cry of the protesters, declaring at one point: “Fox News alert! … Protesters are outside and, now we are getting word, inside the U.S. Capitol!” Kelly invited Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) onto the show to ask him about the protesters. Weiner dismissed the question, noting, “The important action is going on the floor of Congress.” He added, “The important story today is whether or not there we are going to be able to get 216 votes to save the taxpayers a lot of money and provide insurance for people that don’t have it.” Watch a compilation of Fox’s promotion of the Tea Party protest:

The ‘Kristol Ball’ predicts that ‘the bulk’ of health care reform will be repealed by 2013.

Today, the House of Representatives plans to vote on final passage of the Democrats’ health care reform legislation, which has unleashed a wave of unhinged political posturing from the right. Many Republicans believe that repealing health care benefits in subsequent years is their ticket reclaiming power. “Sparked by the conservative activist group Club for Growth,” the repeal movement has won the support of Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) and House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), who said Republicans would “have an effort to repeal the bill.” Today, on Fox News Sunday, right-wing pundit Bill Kristol predicted that “the bulk” of health care reform would be repealed by 2013:

People are concerned about the future of this country and they think this bill is bad for it by a majority, and I believe that will be the Republican message and the Republican message will be a responsible one to repeal this bill and replace it with better health care reforms and to get a handle on the debt, which this bill increases…The American public are going to insist on its repeal over the next three years. We are! I predict in 2013 the bulk of this will be repealed and replaced with better health care legislation.

Watch it:

Of course, the “Kristol ball” doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to making predictions. Plus, as Igor Volsky has pointed out, once the bill is enacted repeal will not look like a favorable option. “The short term benefit of motivating your base by condemning a drawn out and somewhat dirty process may be substantial, but repealing policies that give billions of dollars in federal funds to the states and protect individuals from some fairly egregious insurer practices makes little sense,” he wrote.

Rep. Barney Frank distributes ‘Little Punk Staffer’ buttons to Capitol Hill aides.

At an American Bankers Association summit last week, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) urged the bankers to fight financial reform. To make his point, he bashed people who work in Congress and called them “little punk staffers“:

“Don’t let those little punk staffers take advantage of you and stand up for yourselves,” Boehner said. “All of us are hearing from our friends and constituents on lack of credit, you can’t get a loan, the more your government takes and taxes, the more regulations you have to comply with the more cost you have there and less amount you are going to have available to loan to customers.”

White House National Economic Council Director Larry Summers fired back at Boehner, pointing out that the biggest problem in the financial system certainly isn’t that bankers do not have enough of a voice in the policy process. Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) wrote Boehner a letter and called on him to apologize: “I am appalled that a Leader of the House, who must know what good work is done by our staffs, would take such an inaccurate cheap-shot at these people, for the purpose of ingratiating himself with bankers.” A House staffer told ThinkProgress today that Frank is now distributing “Little Punk Staffer” buttons to Hill aides, in a clear shot at Boehner’s insult.

Tea Party protesters reportedly spit on one lawmaker, call others ‘faggot’ and the n-word.

Today’s Code Red rally appears to be one of the most raucous Tea Party gatherings on Capitol Hill yet. In addition to protesters shouting with rage at federal lawmakers, Sam Stein reports on some more disturbing incidents:

A staffer for Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) told reporters that Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-M.D.) had been spit on by a protestor. Rep. John Lewis (D-G.A.), a hero of the civil rights movement, was called a ‘ni–er.’ And Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) was called a “faggot,” as protestors shouted at him with deliberately lisp-y screams. Frank, approached in the halls after the president’s speech, shrugged off the incident.

But Clyburn was downright incredulous, saying he had not witnessed such treatment since he was leading civil rights protests in South Carolina in the 1960s.

“I heard people saying things that I have not heard since March 15, 1960 when I was marching to try and get off the back of the bus,” [said Clyburn.]

Clyburn added, “I think a lot of those people today demonstrated that this is not about health care…it is about trying to extend a basic fundamental right to people who are less powerful.” TPM, Mother Jones, and The Hill have reports of similar behavior by the Tea Party protesters.

Tea Party sign threatens gun violence if health care passes.

Tea Party activists have gathered on Capitol Hill today for a “Code Red” rally against health care reform. Speakers at the event included Republican Reps. Steve King (IA), Michele Bachmann (MN), and Mike Pence (IN). The gathering was organized by Tea Party Profiteer organizations like FreedomWorks and Americans for Prosperity. ThinkProgress attended today’s rally and spotted a sign threatening violence if health care passes. The sign reads: “Warning: If Brown can’t stop it, a Browning can,” referring to Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) and a Browning firearm:

Update Cameron Brenchley caught another shot of the signs:

Update Another sign caught by flickr user TigerHawkBlog:

Fox News commentator Geraldo Rivera criticizes Bret Baier’s Obama interview.

Yesterday on the radio program “Brian and the Judge,” Fox News commentator Geraldo Rivera criticized fellow network personality Bret Baier for not treating President Obama respectfully during his recent interview. Former Bush press secretary Dana Perino was also on the show and completely disagreed with Rivera, claiming that President Bush also received “aggressive” treatment:

RIVERA: At a certain point, you gotta recognize, in my opinion — and again, I’m not putting Bret down in any way shape or form — when the President seemed exasperated and frustrated and unable to complete a sentence, I thought at some point you got to make a difference between the guy who’s the Senate whip or the House whip, or the assemblyman, the leader of the state senate. He’s not a mayor, he’s the President.

PERINO: There’s not a single reporter who ever interviewed President Bush who would have done anything different. … I was there for 7.5 years, I watched them all. … They’re aggressive and they should be. [...]

RIVERA: I’ve done some of the most aggressive interviews ever on television, I’ve been down people’s throats, I’ve had my hand around their neck, I’ve had my nose broken. Point: there is some decorum and if that same thing happened to George Bush and I was watching that, I think that everybody at Fox News would’ve said, “Hey, that Keith Olbermann went way too far.”

PERINO: You can’t compare Bret Baier to Keith Olbermann!

Rivera added that the only person who gets “beat up the way Bret Baier beat up Barack Obama” is Sarah Palin. Listen here:

Fox News, however, treated the Bush administration with kid gloves, which is why officials went on the network so often. As Outfoxed showed, Bush’s cozy relationship with Fox News was around even during the 2000 campaign. In December 2008, at the end of the Bush tenure, Vice President Cheney thanked Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace for personally defending the Bush administration, promising him a big interview in return. ThinkProgress put together a video comparing Baier’s interview with Obama vs. his 2008 interview with Bush. Watch it here.

Cuccinelli: Homosexual ‘acts’ are a ‘detriment to our culture.’

This month, far-right Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli “urged the state’s public colleges and universities to rescind policies that ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, arguing in a letter sent to each school that their boards of visitors had no legal authority to adopt such statements.” The move was so controversial that even Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) slightly backed away from supporting it. In a new interview with CBS 6, Cuccinelli says that gay “acts” are harmful to society:

Q: Do you think that gays — the practice of homosexuality — is a detriment to our culture?

CUCCINELLI: The acts are. You certainly want everybody in your society to be integrated into your society. So, that’s a focus I’d like to take, but there’s a distinction. And it’s one that the General Assembly seems to be wrestling with every year, and we’ll leave that one to them for now.

Watch it:

(HT: Right Wing Watch)

Seven years of war in Iraq.

Seven years ago today, President Bush launched the Iraq war. In a televised address to the nation, Bush told the American people “at this hour American and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger.” Over the last several years, ThinkProgress has been keeping a Timeline of the Iraq War, marking the key events in the U.S. invasion, occupation, and now ongoing withdrawal from the country. Among the most significant events of the last year were:

JUNE 30, 2009: Jubilation as U.S. Combat Troops Withdraw From Cities. Six years and three months after the March 2003 invasion, the United States has withdrawn its remaining combat troops from Iraq’s cities and is turning over security to Iraqi police and soldiers. While more than 130,000 U.S. troops remain in the country, patrols by heavily armed soldiers in hulking vehicles have largely disappeared from Baghdad, Mosul and Iraq’s other urban centers. Iraqis danced in the streets and set off fireworks overnight in impromptu celebrations of a pivotal moment in their nation’s troubled history. The government staged a military parade to mark the new national holiday of “National Sovereignty Day,” and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki made a triumphant, nationally televised address. [Washington Post, 6/30/09]

AUGUST 11, 2009: Massive Bombings In Northern Iraq and Baghdad. Two truck bombings in northern Iraq and attacks targeting day laborers in western Baghdad killed at least 51 people and wounded scores early Monday, Iraqi authorities said. The attacks underscored the Sunni insurgency’s continued ability to inflict mass casualties as the country’s Shiite-led government tries to demonstrate it can handle security with minimal assistance from the U.S. military. [Washington Post, 8/11/09]

JANUARY 7, 2010: Iraq bars 15 political parties with Baathist ties from upcoming elections. At least 15 parties will be banned from upcoming parliamentary elections because they have been linked to Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party or have promoted Baathist ideals, Iraqi officials said Thursday. The decision by the Justice and Accountability Commission, in charge of cleansing high-level Baathists from the ranks of the government and security forces, seemed to be an attempt to purge candidates with links to the old political order, many of whom are popular among secular nationalist voters. The move is a blow to hopes of bringing opposition figures — who turned to violent resistance over the past seven years — into the political fold, part of the U.S. strategy to bolster the government. [Washington Post, 1/8/10]

On March 7, Iraqis braved terrorist attacks to go to the polls in Iraq’s second parliamentary election since the U.S. invasion. Latest returns show that incumbent Prime Minister Nouri Maliki “has strengthened his lead over main rival Iyad Allawi in Iraq’s parliamentary elections, with partial results now in from all 18 provinces.”