AP Ignores Cries Of ‘Socialism,’ Claims That Congressional Republicans Have ‘No Desire To Demonize’ Obama
AP Ignores Cries Of ‘Socialism,’ Claims That Congressional Republicans Have ‘No Desire To Demonize’ Obama
This morning, AP writer Jim Kuhnhenn wrote that “congressional Republicans show no desire to demonize President Barack Obama, so they’re condemning Democratic leaders instead.” As evidence, Kuhnhenn quotes Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), the House Minority Whip, saying that “We want to work with this president“:
Listen to the No. 2 Republican leader in the House, Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia. “We want to work with this president,” he said Sunday. “We want people to regain their confidence in Washington. And what people are looking for is results.”
But what of the $787 billion economic recovery legislation that not a single Republican in the House supported? That, Cantor said, was “Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi’s stimulus bill.”
But Kuhnhenn’s thesis ignores the effort by the congressional GOP to paint Obama and his policies as socialist in nature. For instance, at CPAC last week, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) called Obama “the world’s best salesman of socialism“:
Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina, the only member of the senate to earn a perfect rating from the American Conservative Union, called President Obama “the world’s best salesman of socialism” on Friday in describing his prime time speech earlier this week.
DeMint, a fierce opponent of government expansion, told the CPAC crowd that conservatives might have to “take to the streets to stop America’s slide into socialism.”
It isn’t just the backbenchers like DeMint who are demonizing Obama as a socialist. Members of the GOP congressional leadership are pushing that line of attack as well:
– Last week, House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) called Obama’s budget proposal “one big down payment on a new American socialist experiment.”
– Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has said that Obama is trying “to basically Europeanize America.”
– At CPAC, Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), the third-ranking Republican, denounced Obama’s economic agenda as “European-style socialism.”
Apparently, the AP doesn’t consider attempts to cast Obama as a socialist to be efforts to demonize him.
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They’re not boo-ing… they’re chanting ‘Barack!’ ‘Barack!’
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:38 pmOf course they’re trying to paint the President as a socialist.
Why do you think they keep trying to convince him to nationalize the banking systems?
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:41 pmThe Associated Press Editors need to look up a few words;
Bias
Irrelevance
Extinction !!
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:42 pmApparently, the AP doesn’t consider attempts to cast Obama as a socialist to be efforts to demonize him.
Are Socialists Demons? If so, TP is the Abyss….
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:44 pmWell we tried Fascism for eight long years and all we got from that two wars,millions of Iraqi refugees of which only less than a thousand we allowed into this country,a collasped economy, 45 million people without health care,std`s are through the roof as teen pregnancy and a disintegrating infrastructure what more could the re-pukes want…….hoping Obama fails!PHUCK U traitors on the REICH!
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:47 pmApparently, the AP doesn’t consider attempts to cast Obama as a socialist to be efforts to demonize him.
Key point – it’s not working. No one, other than GOP retards cares about socialism. It’s like calling Obama “skinny” – it’s not important to the discussion.
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:47 pmI find it rather funny that all of these people who are fierce opponents of government expansion will do anything and say anything to keep themselves planted right in the heart of government.
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:48 pmGiven George W Bush’s penchant for big government and socialist experiments these might actually be meant as praise. Remember, Sarah Palin has been hailed as one of great Republican thinkers and she governs one of the most socialist states in our nation.
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:48 pmThe AP has always been biased towards Republicans! Liz Sidoti for example loved to cater to John McCain by bringing him his favorite sprinkled donuts and coffee. The Republicans continue to do what they do best…..LIE!
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:49 pmCheeseFlap always says
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:50 pmCan’t hear your own hatred when
Ears filled with own turds
TIRED OF THE B.S.? MAD? EMAIL THEM……
kcarroll@ap.org,
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:51 pmmOreskes@ap.org,
feedback@ap.org,
jloven@ap.org,
lmargasak@ap.org,
lquaid@ap.org,
msilverman@ap.org,
npickler@ap.org,
rfournier@ap.org,
thunt@ap.org,
info@ap.org,
jpace@ap.org,
traum@ap.org,
apme@ap.org,
bschweid@ap.org,
And is anyone actually surprised that the AP has an obvious bias towards the right? Check out who owns the AP and then their political affiliations.
Since the MSM is owned by republicans, we (libs, progressives) are basically playing against a team (refukclicans) who has bought off the refs. Hence, we must work all that much harder to overcome our handicap.
This is why I think the single biggest thing we can do to level the playing field is to promote a national boycott of the these media conglomerates. Hit them in the only place they give a fukc about, their wallets.
TP, I think this is a worthy cause. How about us getting a champion for this?
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:51 pmSome time in the not to distant past, the AP became a wholly owned subsidiary of the RNC. I don’t believe anything they print these days.
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:53 pm.
Somehow chants of “FAILURE” are still ringing in the air…
.
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:53 pmLet them try to say Obama is a socialist. That’s the same thing John Mccain did on the campaign trail and you saw what happened. The more the GOP tries to use terms like Socialism in connection to Obama the more out of touch they become. Combine this with their new leader Rush Limbaugh and you are gauranteed to see the GOP collapse. I’ll bet the white house is kicking back with a bowl of popcorn as Obama tries to be bypartisian and the GOP continues to resort to its craving for partisianship. Can’t wait for mid-terms next year!
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:54 pmMost Americans couldn’t even give you a good definition of socialism. They know it is evil right up their with Muslim, gays, and abortion rights.
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:54 pmThe Rush – led party of obstructionists are so eight track!!!
raynman Says:
They’re not boo-ing… they’re chanting ‘Barack!’ ‘Barack!’
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:38 pm
__________
Did you mean “Boo-rack, Boo-rack,” Mr. Smithers?
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:57 pmShorter AP: Lay back and enjoy it.
http://www.pufferfishblog.com/
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:57 pm.
Did AP miss CPAC?
.
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:58 pmchristopher wiwi Says:
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Well we tried Fascism for eight long years and all we got from that two wars,millions of Iraqi refugees of which only less than a thousand we allowed into this country,a collasped economy, 45 million people without health care,std`s are through the roof as teen pregnancy and a disintegrating infrastructure what more could the re-pukes want…….hoping Obama fails!PHUCK U traitors on the REICH!
AMEN TO THAT!
March 2nd, 2009 at 2:02 pmI am sure that most of us can readily recall that when Bush was president, ANY hint of criticism toward him was met with outrage and calls for retraction, after the critic was labeled a traitor and anti-American.
Now, however, that Obama is president, and cleaning up the huge piles of steaming crap left on the WH doorstep, the media, the politicians, and pundits don’t even blink at criticism of him, his policies, and even labeling him as Marxist, communist and socialist.
March 2nd, 2009 at 2:11 pmThey are demonizing him because their experiment with capitalistic fascism worked so well for us!
March 2nd, 2009 at 2:11 pmgee, Keltoi — you’ve resorted to name-calling? That’s so un-Keltoi-like…
March 2nd, 2009 at 2:16 pmAs evidence, Kuhnhenn quotes Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), the House Minority Whip, saying that “We want to work with this president“
——————-
Well, too bad for Kuhnhenn and the Republicant’s because most of the people in this country don’t think this is true.
A recent poll showed that only 34% of Americans think that the Republican’ts are in the least bit interested in working with the President.
March 2nd, 2009 at 2:16 pmMarie Says:
Now, however, that Obama is president, and cleaning up the huge piles of steaming crap left on the WH doorstep, the media, the politicians, and pundits don’t even blink at criticism of him, his policies, and even labeling him as Marxist, communist and socialist.
Oh — THEY don’t blink at their own senators telling them that they need to follow the example of the TALIBAN. Come on. Traitorous theocrats concerend only with their political party — NOT concerened about their country.
March 2nd, 2009 at 2:17 pmIt would be more accurate to say that they do not want to appear to be demonizing the president. The only reason they want the distiction of targets (”We’re going after the ‘Dems’, not the president”) — and I say the ONLY reason — is that they don’t want to have to try to fight off the ‘racist’ accusations that would follow, mainly because too many of them CAN NOT defend their (all-to-real) racism.
March 2nd, 2009 at 2:21 pmhow are republicans supposed to operate with this biased liberal media?
HA!
March 2nd, 2009 at 2:21 pmDemonizing is only political angle they have left and it is only hurting them, they just don`t get it and never will.
March 2nd, 2009 at 2:22 pmDeMint, a fierce opponent of government expansion, told the CPAC crowd that conservatives might have to “take to the streets to stop America’s slide into socialism.”
Where was he during BushitCo’s eight years of increasing the size of government, taking our fourth Amendment rights away and spending our grandkids money on his war?
Streets?? Come on down my street and meet me in my front yard.
March 2nd, 2009 at 2:28 pmFellow Bloggers,
It is about time we call it like we see it. From now on…it’s not the republican party , it’s the facsist party of America.
When will we call it like it is???? When government and corporations work together for the benifit of corporations, it’s called Facsism…period!
Why are we not calling them out on it???? Start using that word when discussing the policies of the republican party.
START CALLING REPUGS FACISTS!!!
March 2nd, 2009 at 2:29 pmSomeone explain to me why the socialistic moves the government has been forced into even while W and Paulson were holding their hands out, is not the result of the failed capitalistic system the rethuglicans championed for so long. I find it ironic to say the least that the government is moving to socialism to correct the failed capitalist system that took us down.
March 2nd, 2009 at 2:30 pmThe Dogfather Says:
gee, Keltoi — you’ve resorted to name-calling? That’s so un-Keltoi-like…
Juuuust asking a question, Dogfather, didn’t call anyone a name. Besides, I know many posters here who wear the label proudly.
March 2nd, 2009 at 2:38 pmBesides, I know many posters here who wear the label proudly.
What, “Abyss”?
March 2nd, 2009 at 2:41 pmWayne A. Schneider Says:
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Besides, I know many posters here who wear the label proudly.
What, “Abyss”?
No, Socialist. The Abyss is a synonym for Hell, Hades, the Pit, etc, where one would find Demons. Hence the analogy
Socialists:Demons TP:Abyss
if calling someone a Socialist is Demonizing them. Which it isn’t.
March 2nd, 2009 at 2:50 pmrepugs are absolutely the club of NO.
hey stupid, don’t you realized we already have a socialism, take a look around:
schools
police
road/infrastructure building
medicare
fighter fighters
water
big businesses
So get over your unintelligent bs argument. Dogshit.
March 2nd, 2009 at 3:01 pmI just got an e-mail from Newsmax (I like to keep up with what the right wing is lying about), and the title of this particular message (which was just an ad for one of their sponsors) was:
“Fight Back Against Obama’s Socialist Tax Plan”
March 2nd, 2009 at 3:06 pmif calling someone a Socialist is Demonizing them. Which it isn’t.
It is the way the right wing uses the term. It’s like the way they say the word “law-yer” in a sarcastic, derogatory way, as if being a lawyer was bad in and of itself. It’s Code Talk, meant to rile up their base and make them stop thinking and start fearing.
March 2nd, 2009 at 3:08 pmThe President Obama that no one is demonizing, is that:
Obama the Socialist
March 2nd, 2009 at 3:10 pmObama the Communist
Obama the Hussein
Obama the Al Quedai
Obama the Kenyan born
Obama the Malaysian
.
.
.
Obama’s socialism is no different than Bush’s socialism; as functioning to maintain the class division.
March 2nd, 2009 at 3:12 pmKeltoi Says:
if calling someone a Socialist is Demonizing them. Which it isn’t.
No, you’re supposed to say, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”
I realize that the Republicans are attempting to frighten Americans by constantly yammering about socialism, but I think they have a point. I do think that President Obama would like this country to lean much more toward democratic socialism than it does, much like Western Europe. And I say, “Hooray! It’s about frickin’ time.”
March 2nd, 2009 at 3:25 pmgummitch Says:
——————————————————————————–
Keltoi Says:
if calling someone a Socialist is Demonizing them. Which it isn’t.
No, you’re supposed to say, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”
A Tweety Hah! to you, Gummitch!
I realize that the Republicans are attempting to frighten Americans by constantly yammering about socialism, but I think they have a point. I do think that President Obama would like this country to lean much more toward democratic socialism than it does, much like Western Europe. And I say, “Hooray! It’s about frickin’ time.”
Thank you! That is my point exactly. It is all a semantics game; you can be Progressive, but not Liberal. You can be for greater government involvement/control in basic services, but you can’t be a Socialist. There is nothing Demonic about Socialism. It is a political perspective one can agree or disagree with, but there is nothing inherently malignant about it.
Now, this assumes that Americans are grown ups, and educated, informed ones at that, which is, sadly, quite a stretch. But anyone who doesn’t think Obama leans more toward Socialism than he does toward Capitalism just isn’t paying attention.
March 2nd, 2009 at 3:33 pmBut anyone who doesn’t think Obama leans more toward Socialism than he does toward Capitalism just isn’t paying attention.
Didn’t you read what gummitch said? You forgot to add “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”
You do understand that a Capitalist way of life is not guaranteed by our Constitution, don’t you? (You won’t find the word “capitalism” in it anywhere.)
March 2nd, 2009 at 3:50 pmWayne A. Schneider Says:
——————————————————————————–
But anyone who doesn’t think Obama leans more toward Socialism than he does toward Capitalism just isn’t paying attention.
Didn’t you read what gummitch said? You forgot to add “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”
You do understand that a Capitalist way of life is not guaranteed by our Constitution, don’t you? (You won’t find the word “capitalism” in it anywhere.)
Of course! It is a traditional approach to economics as old as the country, but nowhere is it mentioned as having a Constitutional protection. If so, the New Deal would have been bounced by the Supreme Court completely.
March 2nd, 2009 at 4:01 pm“But anyone who doesn’t think Obama leans more toward Socialism than he does toward Capitalism just isn’t paying attention.”
We are not a Capitalist nation. We are a Facist Democracy and the People are trying to correct that.
Right now you can stand with the People or the facist corporations. The corps don’t give 2 sh|ts about democracy.
Capitalism is regulated. Facism is not. The corps own this country. We are a Facist Democracy!
March 2nd, 2009 at 4:19 pmPufferfish, You know it. It’s time to break up the greedy club and get back some of the stolen monies.
The mafia didn’t have it so good compare to these crooks.
March 2nd, 2009 at 4:22 pm48, republicans hate facts:
don’t forget that a lot of the conservatives in the US opposing Roosevelt also had their fingers in the eugenics movement and Nazi-ism. For example, Prescott Bush.
March 2nd, 2009 at 4:56 pmThe AP is a propaganda tool, plain and simple.
March 2nd, 2009 at 5:38 pmIt started to become real clear a couple years ago when they started to go over the top with misleading headlines and stories.
I would often read a story and say to myself “wtf?”, then look at the byline and say “Oh it’s the AP again, that explains it”
Keltoi Says:
if calling someone a Socialist is Demonizing them. Which it isn’t.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
It is a slander if it isnt true and Obama is NOT a socialist. There is nothing WRONG with being a socialist. There is nothing WRONG with being a Mason or a Bhuddist but I wouldnt want people running around telling people I WAS a Mason or a Bhuddist when I am not.
March 2nd, 2009 at 5:58 pm“Socialism” is the culture of corruption Republicans “code-word” for Communism.
So, in accusing President Obama of being a “socialist” they are saying that he’s the “Red Menace” and should be opposed at every opportunity until he caves into the culture of corruption Republicans (who only care about our country and American families) even though the culture of corruption and greed Republican’s outrageous and obscene policies over the past eight years prove otherwise…the Republican Party is the real totalitarian, monopolistic Red Menace.
March 2nd, 2009 at 9:36 pmSpeaking of “demonizing” Obama:
Obama may be demonized if Obama does not address Bush’s racial discrimination against black people.
On balance, George W. Bush hates black people (indicated at http://andrewyu-jenwang.blogspot.com/2008/12/andrew-yu-jen-wang-responds-to-stokely.html George W. Bush “doesn’t care about black people”).
Submitted by Andrew Yu-Jen Wang
March 3rd, 2009 at 3:06 amB.S., Summa Cum Laude, 1996
Messiah College, Grantham, PA
Lower Merion High School, Ardmore, PA, 1993
pax Says:
Most Americans couldn’t even give you a good definition of socialism. They know it is evil right up their with Muslim, gays, and abortion rights.
The Rush – led party of obstructionists are so eight track!!!
OK. The definition is? Also post the definition for Fascism.
It seems that many here have things confused.
Who is and was doing what?
Without the talking points please. You might just add in Republic also because of Article IV Section 4 of the constitution.
Rhetoric serves no purpose if you don’t know what things really mean.
March 4th, 2009 at 6:06 pmThen you might explain why anyone should care about what the AP says. How does it affect you in this economic mess we’re in.
It’s certainly not worth the ranting that is going on here.
March 4th, 2009 at 6:08 pmWang111 Says:
Speaking of “demonizing” Obama:
Obama may be demonized if Obama does not address Bush’s racial discrimination against black people.
On balance, George W. Bush hates black people (indicated at http://andrewyu-jenwang.blogspot.com/ 2008/ 12/ andrew-yu-jen-wang-responds-to-stokely.html George W. Bush “doesn’t care about black people”).
Submitted by Andrew Yu-Jen Wang
B.S., Summa Cum Laude, 1996
Messiah College, Grantham, PA
Lower Merion High School, Ardmore, PA, 1993
Wang. You’re a one subject person aren’t you. You need to seek some help. Just an observation Wang. Your obsession is noted again and again and again and again, and again..
March 4th, 2009 at 6:12 pmHey Wang. Bush is gone. I thought you should know that.
March 4th, 2009 at 6:13 pm