Carlson: ‘You Don’t Hear As Much About The Scrutiny’ Of Pelosi Because Conservative Women ‘Get More Attacks’
Carlson: ‘You Don’t Hear As Much About The Scrutiny’ Of Pelosi Because Conservative Women ‘Get More Attacks’
On Fox and Friends this morning, the hosts discussed a recently released Fox News poll that measures the favorable opinions that Americans have about former Alaska governor Sarah Palin and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The poll found that 47 percent of respondents had a favorable opinion of Palin while only 28 percent had a favorable opinion of Pelosi.
“Also, 61 percent of you feel that governor Sarah Palin, former governor, has been treated unfairly by the mainstream media,” commented Steve Doocy. Co-host Gretchen Carlson suggested that Pelosi’s numbers are low even though she doesn’t get much “scrutiny” because “if you’re a conservative woman, you get more attacks“:
CARLSON: It’s interesting because even though that number shows that Pelosi has a much higher unfavorable rating, you don’t, you don’t at least hear as much about the scrutiny of Nancy Pelosi as you did about Sarah Palin. And that may go back to that whole age old argument that if you’re a conservative woman, you get more attacks than if you have liberal points of view.
Watch it:
The contention that the media treats conservative women worse than liberal women is conventional wisdom on the right. But Carlson’s claim that scrutiny of Nancy Pelosi is under the radar is surprising considering her own network’s often times downright mean treatment of the first female speaker of the House:
– On the November 10 edition of Fox and Friends, for instance, radio host Laura Ingraham said that “Pelosi basically did everything except sell her own body” to pass health care reform.
– On Nov. 4 on the O’Reilly Factor, Dennis Miller said Pelosi had a “sub-reptilian intellect” and likened her face to a “lizard laying on a hot rock.”
– On October 30, Fox and Friends laughingly re-enacted protesters calling for Pelosi to “burn in hell.”
– On October 21, Bill O’Reilly mocked Pelosi, saying, “If there wan’t Botox involved, with all due respect, there might have been more expression” on her face.
– On August 6, Glenn Beck joked about putting poison in Pelosi’s wine.
– On May 20, Hannity guest Jay Thomas said, “I think if you waterboarded Nancy Pelosi, she wouldn’t admit to plastic surgery.”
– On May 19, Dennis Miller called her a “train wreck” and a “shrieking harridan magpie.”
On Fox, a progressive woman like Pelosi doesn’t just get “scrutiny,” she gets insults.
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O’Reilly warns of a coming ‘tax revolt’: ‘Pelosi will be bobbing up and down in the Boston Harbor.’
O’Reilly warns of a coming ‘tax revolt’: ‘Pelosi will be bobbing up and down in the Boston Harbor.’
Glenn Beck had Fox News host Bill O’Reilly on his radio show today to promote their upcoming “Bold & Fresh Tour,” which will take the two right-wing personalities around the country to preach “the truth — straight up, whether you like it or not.” When Beck brought up Dennis Miller’s appearance on the O’Reilly Factor last week — in which Miller warned of a coming “insurrection“– O’Reilly predicted a “tax revolt” that will “get nasty” and end up with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) “bobbing up and down in the Boston Harbor.”
BECK: Last week, I head you say that — you were on with Dennis Miller. … You two were talking about an insurrection coming.
O’REILLY: Tax revolt.
BECK: He used the word insurrection. And not in a comedic way.
O’REILLY: Yeah, tax revolt. I think people, when they figure out how badly they’re going to get hurt in the next few years, there’s going to be a tea party on taxes and its gonna get nasty. Nancy Pelosi’s going to be bobbing up and down in the Boston Harbor.
This statement appeared to be too much for Beck even, who replied, “Uh, I don’t think that’s necessary.” Listen here:
After ‘getting a lot of flack,’ Tea Party protesters rethink burning Periello and Pelosi in effigy.
After ‘getting a lot of flack,’ Tea Party protesters rethink burning Periello and Pelosi in effigy.
On Saturday, the Danville Tea Party in Virginia plans on holding a “Fired Up for Freedom” rally. The group originally boasted that it would be “burning Rep. Tom Perriello and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in effigy in response to the passage of landmark healthcare legislation.” Even after significant media attention and criticism, Tea Party organizer Nigel Coleman vowed on Friday to move forward with their plans. Yesterday, however, Coleman said that those plans are now “up in the air” because the group is afraid of counter-protesters:
But Coleman said Sunday that some members of his group were “uneasy” with the idea of counter-protesters and that people might mistake the TEA Party Patriots for being violent. Coleman compared the event to similar acts of protest in the nation’s history, such as opposition to the Stamp Act of 1765. [...]
“I still would like to do it,” Coleman said, “but it’s still up in the air at this point. We’ve already started stacking firewood and building the effigy …we will have a bonfire. Burning someone in effigy was just gonna be part of it.” [...]
“We were using it as a symbol of how things are similar to that (colonial) period in history,” he said. “Things have gotten out of hand … the more real we get, the more unreal it gets.”
Coleman added that the public reaction to the group’s plans has been “kinda strange.”
"We will not be going forward with the plan,” a crestfallen Coleman told me by phone moments ago. “We had to cancel it. The property owner won’t allow us to do it. The media attention was something that he didn’t want.”Coleman said he was upset that people had gotten the wrong idea about his plan. “I'm disappointed that the story got out of hand and people misinterpreted something we thought would be a little historical lesson,” he said. “They made people believe that we were committing an act of violence,” in a reference to the “liberal blogs.”
Tea Party activists plan to burn Reps. Periello and Pelosi in effigy.
Tea Party activists plan to burn Reps. Periello and Pelosi in effigy.
The Danville TEA Party organization in Virginia is holding a “Fired Up for Freedom” rally next Saturday where it will be “burning Rep. Tom Perriello and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in effigy in response to the passage of landmark healthcare legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.” Danville TEA Party Chairman Nigel Coleman said that the group’s members feel like they have “no representation in Congress.” Periello, however, met with the organization in the past. On Nov. 5, he had a conversation with several of the TEA Party members, attempting to explain his position while they talked over him:
In July, protesters also hung Democratic Rep. Frank Kratovil (MD) in effigy outside his district office. (HT: Blue Virginia and Firedoglake)
These shocking and despicable acts are becoming all too common at extreme right-wing Republican rallies. Hanging Members in effigy or displaying images of Nazi concentration camps on the steps of the Capitol have no place in any debate and Republican Members of Congress must condemn these actions.
Fox and Friends laugh about heckler telling Nancy Pelosi to ‘burn in hell.’
Fox and Friends laugh about heckler telling Nancy Pelosi to ‘burn in hell.’
Earlier this week, extreme anti-choice activist Randall Terry launched a contest to encourage people to make videos burning House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) in effigy. “Who Can make the best ‘Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid BURN IN HELL!‘ video?” said Terry’s press release. At the Democratic rally yesterday announcing the House’s health care reform bill, a heckler called out, “Nancy Pelosi, you’ll burn in hell for this.” Apparently, this violent rhetoric and claims of damnation was funny to the folks at Fox and Friends, who laughingly re-enacted the heckling on their show this morning. Watch it:
Previously on Fox News, Glenn Beck joked about putting poison in Pelosi’s wine.
Rehearsal for an anti-choice protest: ‘Okay, you stand here and she’s gonna whip you with this whip.’
Rehearsal for an anti-choice protest: ‘Okay, you stand here and she’s gonna whip you with this whip.’
This week, radical anti-choice activist and Operation Rescue founder Randall Terry launched a contest encouraging people to make videos burning House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) in effigy. Today, he and his followers are on Capitol Hill “with signs and costumes, talking to House Staffers as they enter work,” and they plan to visit Pelosi “and discuss with her child-killing in healthcare and ‘the wrath to come.’” ThinkProgress’ Matt Duss caught Terry preparing for this charade this morning, telling one of his followers, “Okay, you stand here and she’s gonna whip you with this whip.”
Today’s protest is allegedly the first in a series that will last until Nov. 12, designed to “defeat health care.”
Far-Right Activist Launches Nancy Pelosi And Harry Reid ‘Burn In Hell!’ Contest
Far-Right Activist Launches Nancy Pelosi And Harry Reid ‘Burn In Hell!’ Contest
One of the most notorious far-right activists is Randall Terry, who founded the organization Operation Rescue, a radical anti-choice group. In the past, Terry has warned that he and his followers would engage in terrorism unless Congress excludes funding for abortions in health care legislation, launched a “Defeat Sotomayor” campaign that depicted the Supreme Court judge as a skull-faced killer, and used the occasion of the assassination of George Tiller to declare that the doctor, who performed abortions, was a mass murderer.
In his latest attempt to drive attention to his hate-filled agenda, Terry has launched a contest to encourage people to make videos burning House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) in effigy. Randall Terry’s press release states:
Join a Contest! Win Prizes!
Who Can make the best “Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid BURN IN HELL!” video?
First prize: Expenses paid for weekend here in DC during Roe vs Wade anniversary, Jan 22-24, including pro-life training seminar (Includes travel stipend!), and full Insurrecta Nex television series. [...]
Send link of your video by NOVEMBER 15, 2009 to: Burninhell@overturnroe.com
Legal Mumbo Jumbo: Obey local laws on open flames; be careful; if under 18, do not burn Nancy Pelosi in effigy unless your mom or dad is with you, and gives you permission, and strikes the match; do not burn yourself; do not burn another human being; do not burn small animals; do not burn large animals; do not burn anyone from PETA; and remember: this is not a threat to Nancy Pelosi’s or Harry Reid’s person…it is a prophetic witness of what awaits them when they die if they do not repent for this horrific sin.
Randall also recorded a video demonstrating how to burn an effigy of Pelosi and Reid, telling the audience that “Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid will be waiting in Hell!” Watch it:
Pelosi Dismisses Tenther Reporter: ‘Are You Serious?’
Pelosi Dismisses Tenther Reporter: ‘Are You Serious?’
Recently, a reporter with right-wing press outlet CNSNews asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi whether health reform violates the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution. The Speaker gave the question exactly as much respect as it deserved:
CNSNews.com: “Madam Speaker, where specifically does the Constitution grant Congress the authority to enact an individual health insurance mandate?”
Pelosi: “Are you serious? Are you serious?”
Listen here:
Pelosi is right to be dismissive of the fringe right-wing theory behind this question, which has no basis in the Constitution itself. Article I of the Constitution gives Congress the power “[t]o regulate commerce…among the several states” as well as the authority to “make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution” its power to regulate commerce.-Een ultra-conservative Justice Antonin Scalia acknowledges that these constitutional provisions give Congress sweeping authority to enact laws that regulate “economic activity.”
CNSNews’ question to the House Speaker essentially parrots a claim by two discredited right-wing attorneys that a provision of health reform known as the “individual mandate” exceeds Congress’ authority because it does not regulate economic activity. This claim is wrong.
When confronted with the “tenther” question, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) offered an entirely novel argument against the individual mandate. Although Boehner admitted that he is “not a constitutional lawyer,” he added that “it’s wrong to mandate that the American people have to do anything”:
Boehner said: “Well, I’m not a lawyer and I’m certainly not a constitutional lawyer, but I think it’s wrong to mandate that the American people have to do anything.
“You know, one of the things that’s great about America is that we have the freedom to do anything that we want, as long as it doesn’t infringe on somebody else’s freedom,” said Boehner.
For the record, nothing in the Constitution says that an Act of Congress is unconstitutional simply because John Boehner thinks that it is “wrong.”
Broun calls Pelosi a ‘domestic enemy of the Constitution.’
Broun calls Pelosi a ‘domestic enemy of the Constitution.’
At a town hall last week, Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) continued his campaign to inject over the top, paranoid rhetoric into America’s political discourse. “I’m chairman of the Second Amendment Task Force fighting for Second Amendment rights. Those gun rights are actually critical to prevent treason in America,” said Broun, according to Athens Banner-Herald reporter Blake Aued, who provided a transcript of Broun’s remarks to TPM. Broun then said that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is one of the “domestic enemies of the Constitution” that he says he swore to defend against:
I’ve gotten to be good friends with Justice Antonin Scalia, who he and Justice Clarence Thomas are the only ones who have any concept of what the Constitution is supposed to be and, and do what they’re supposed to do as justices by upholding the Constitution. But, in fact every, when I was sworn into the Marine Corp, I was sworn to uphold the Constitution against every enemy, foreign and domestic. We’ve got a lot of domestic enemies of the Constitution (applause) and one of those sits in the speaker’s chair of the United States Congress, Nancy Pelosi.
Previously, Broun has said that President Obama wants to go “down the road” of Hitler and has the pieces in place to “establish an authoritarian government.” He has also said that Obama, Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) are part of a “socialist elite” that wants to declare martial law in America.
Speaker Pelosi responds to Republicans: ‘I’m in my place. I’m the Speaker of the House.’
Speaker Pelosi responds to Republicans: ‘I’m in my place. I’m the Speaker of the House.’
Earlier this week, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) put out a press release criticizing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) comments on Afghanistan, saying that Gen. Stanley McChrystal should “put her in her place.” Today, Pelosi responded during her weekly briefing:
It’s really sad that they really don’t understand how inappropriate that is. I’m in my place. I’m the speaker of the House — the first woman speaker of the House. And I’m in my place because the House of Representatives voted me there.
Pelosi added that she hadn’t heard sexist language like what was in the NRCC press release in “decades.” Watch it:
Congressional GOP Fundraising Committee On Pelosi: It’s Time To ‘Put Her In Her Place’
Congressional GOP Fundraising Committee On Pelosi: It’s Time To ‘Put Her In Her Place’
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has a press release today, hitting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) for having the temerity to express doubts that Democratic members of Congress will support with the troop increase that Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal has recommended for the war in Afghanistan. The release claims that in the past, Pelosi has made “pleas for action in Afghanistan” and is now “backpedaling on Afghanistan amidst increasing criticism from the radical left.” It cites her saying this:
“I’ve also made it clear it’s a very difficult vote to get from the members,” she added. “Their constituents don’t like an escalated war in Afghanistan. They’d like to see a different approach. But let’s see what the president has to say.” (Glenn Thrush, “Pelosi skeptical about Afghan surge, McChrystal,” Politico, 10/05/2009)
Pelosi, of course, is not “backpedaling” in any way. In the first paragraph of the Politico article cited by the NRCC, the reporter notes that Pelosi said she is still “agnostic” on a troop surge; she was simply stating the realities in her party.
So what is the NRCC’s solution to dealing with Pelosi? It wants McChrystal to “put her in her place“:
What place does the NRCC think that this accomplished woman — the first female Speaker of the House in U.S. history — deserves to be in?
I think the place for a woman is at the top of the House of Representatives. It's evidence they long for the days when a woman's place was in the kitchen. Now a woman is third in line for the presidency... But it's not surprising, coming from a party that's 80 percent male and 100 percent white.An NRCC spokesman still insists that Pelosi is "playing out of her league."
Pelosi: ‘There’s no reason for Mr. Grayson to apologize. If anyone should apologize, everyone should apologize.’
Pelosi: ‘There’s no reason for Mr. Grayson to apologize. If anyone should apologize, everyone should apologize.’
Republican lawmakers have been pressing Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) to apologize for saying that the Republican alternative health care proposals would force sick Americans to “die quickly” (even though their own members have been making absurdly false claims about Democratic plans). Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) said that Grayson should “do the right thing and recognize the comments that he made were disrespectful to the House and to the decorum.” Today in her weekly press conference, however, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said that there’s no reason for Grayson to apologize:
Apparently Republicans hold Democrats to a higher standard than they hold members of their own party. … There’s no reason for Mr. Grayson to apologize. If anyone should apologize, everyone should apologize.
Yesterday, Grayson did say he was sorry — to all the people who have lost their lives because they didn’t have health insurance (almost 45,000 Americans each year).
Rep. Kennedy responds to ‘Bury Obamacare’ signs: ‘It’s not a real stretch as to what the message is here.’
Rep. Kennedy responds to ‘Bury Obamacare’ signs: ‘It’s not a real stretch as to what the message is here.’
At the 9/12 rallies earlier this month, the American Life League distributed signs declaring, “Bury Obamacare with Kennedy.” In Providence on Saturday, the late senator’s son, Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), commented on the signs, saying that they carried a violent message:
“Unfortunately, these town hall meetings have been hijacked by these Tea Party folks and extremists who really take away from the honest dialogue on the facts of the debate and end up seeing this issue devolve into fear mongering and the peddling of misconceptions,” he said, referring again to the sign that referenced his father’s death.
“They had mass-produced signs, ‘Bury ObamaCare with Kennedy,’ ” he said after the AARP event. “It wasn’t just an individual who was over the edge in their ideology and vitriol. This stuff was mass-produced and mass-distributed and mass-funded. When you put that together with folks around the country calling in very destructive ways for other things about Obama, and connotations of my family name, it’s not a real stretch as to what the message is here.”
Judie Brown, the president of the American Life League, claimed that the over 10,000 signs distributed by the group were neither “violent” nor “insensitive.” “I believe it was extremely insensitive for his father to have advocated the death of millions of babies,” said Brown. “I don’t think what we did was insensitive.” After Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) worried aloud that today’s political climate could spark violence, five former Secret Service, FBI and CIA officers told Politico that they too were concerned that “supercharged political vitriol could lead to violence.”
Pelosi Stands By Public Option: We Won’t Pass The ‘Private Insurance Profit Perpetuation Act’
Pelosi Stands By Public Option: We Won’t Pass The ‘Private Insurance Profit Perpetuation Act’
Today, in testimony before the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee Forum on Health Insurance Reform, health care whistle blower Wendell Potter reminded Congress why a public option is essential to reform. If Congress fails to create “a public health insurance option to compete with private insurers, the bill it sends to the President might as well be called, ‘The Insurance Industry Profit Protection And Enhancement Act,’” Potter said.
At the end of the hearing, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) agreed with Potter. “You cited a public option as one way for it to reach its achieve its goal,” she told him. “We will be passing the ‘Private Insurance Profit Perpetuation Act.’ We have no intention of doing that”:
Mr. Potter, you said it well when you said if we do a plan that doesn’t really achieve its goal, and you cited a public option as one way for it to reach its goal, we will be passing the ‘Private Insurance Profit Perpetuation Act.’ We have no intention of doing that. We want the private sector to thrive — we don’t want our members to go into an exchange where they only have one choice, where there’s sole sourcing. But that the public option provides that competition.
Watch it:
Potter has harshly criticized Sen. Max Buacus’ (D-MT) proposed framework for reform, calling the bill “an absolute gift to the industry.”
“A public option must be created to provide true choice to consumers or reform will fail to fix the root of the severe problems that have been caused in large part by the greedy demands of Wall Street. By creating a strong public option and restricting the insurance companies’ ability to enrich executives and investors at the expense of taxpayers and consumers, HR 3200 [the House health bill] will truly benefit Americans,” Potter said in his opening statement. “The Baucus plan, on the other hand, would create a government subsidized monopoly for the purchase of bare bones high deductible policies that would truly benefit big insurance. In other words, insurers would win, your constituents would lose.”
Kristol: Leave Joe Wilson alone!
Kristol: Leave Joe Wilson alone!
Today on Fox News Sunday, Rep. Joe “You Lie!” Wilson (R-SC) said that he will not offer an apology to the House for his conduct during President Obama’s joint address to Congress. The House leadership has said that unless Wilson apologizes, they will introduce a resolution of disapproval. Later in the show today, Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol issued a desperate plea for Democrats to leave Wilson — who has a “reputation for bipartisanship” — alone. He said that Pelosi will be leading the party “off the cliff” if they rebuke Wilson:
KRISTOL: Can I just say one thing? He [Obama] is leading his party off a cliff, and Speaker Pelosi is going to lead his party — her party off the cliff if they try to rebuke Joe Wilson.
He has apologized. It will be a disgrace if they do some stunt in the House to try to humiliate this man, who is, in fact — has a reputation for bipartisanship on the Armed Services Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee he’s on.
Obama and Pelosi are leading the party off a cliff, I think, and I hope a lot of Democrats say, Slow down. Let’s take a look at this bill.
Watch it:
Republican leaders, including Minority Leader John Boehner (OH), have also been pressuring Wilson to apologize to the House.
Steele accuses Democratic congressman of ‘climbing up on Nancy Pelosi’s lap.’
Steele accuses Democratic congressman of ‘climbing up on Nancy Pelosi’s lap.’
Yesterday, RNC Chairman Michael Steele made appearances in Indiana and Ohio, criticizing and taunting Reps. Baron Hill (D-IN) and Zack Space (D-OH). During an appearance in Zanesville, OH, Steele took aim at Space, offensively saying that he’s “climbing up on Nancy Pelosi’s lap“:
He took jabs at U.S. Rep. Zack Space for not holding a town-hall forum on the issue and “climbing up on Nancy Pelosi’s lap” by voting for cap-and-trade energy legislation and supporting the Democrats’ proposals to reform health care.
Steele asked those in attendance to pay attention to the debate throughout the fall because Democrats “are guaranteed to bury language in the bill with triggers to do what they want to get done.”
Fox Pushes Bogus Conspiracy Theory That Nancy ‘Music Czar’ Pelosi Is Banning Patriotic Muzak
Fox Pushes Bogus Conspiracy Theory That Nancy ‘Music Czar’ Pelosi Is Banning Patriotic Muzak
Yesterday the right-wing site The New Ledger published a report about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) “problem” with “patriotic music”. For years, when you would call a congressional office and get put on hold, you’d either hear no music or some patriotic tunes. According to The New Ledger, “the Democratic House leadership” made “a sweeping decision” to replace the patriotic music with smooth jazz.
Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) even sent a letter to House Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Daniel Beard — who, The New Leader points out, “reports to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi” — objecting to the change. But as ThinkProgress reported yesterday, this story is nothing more than a conspiracy theory. We spoke to Beard’s spokesman Jeff Ventura:
The music was changed during recess as a pilot program in an attempt to offer offices a choice of hold music. [...]
This had nothing to do with the leadership — not in the beginning or the final outcome.
Basically, congressional offices have traditionally been able to have a choice of music or no music. The CD that had been in the congressional muzak system for “a long time” was a “patriotic tunes CD.” The CAO’s office wanted to test a program giving people a choice of multiple CDs and decided to try out a jazz CD because it’s “what a lot of companies have when you’re on hold.” However, based on the feedback they received, they simply decided to go back to the old system.
Nevertheless, Fox News decided to pick up the false report and run with it. From Sean Hannity’s show last night:
HANNITY: Now up until now you probably have been enjoying lovely patriotic tunes. Well, that is until Nancy Pelosi had anything to say about it. Under the current Democratic leadership, patriotic music was replaced with smooth jazz elevator music. … Well, let this serve as a lesson to the Democrats — don’t meddle with our patriotic music.
This morning, Fox and Friends discussed the important issue with former boxer George Foreman, who broke out and started singing “America the Beautiful” at the end of the segment. Foreman said that patriotic music was “a necessity” because it’s a “privilege” to call your federal lawmakers and something you can do “only in America.” “You better not have that jazz playing.” Host Steve Doocy noted that the “Democratic leadership” had decided to go back to the original music. “America wins!” he declared. Watch it:
Since when is jazz not American?
Transcript: More »
Right-Wing Conspiracy Theory: Nancy Pelosi Is Banning Patriotic Hold Music On Congressional Phones
Right-Wing Conspiracy Theory: Nancy Pelosi Is Banning Patriotic Hold Music On Congressional Phones
Today, the right-wing site The New Ledger has a report about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) “problem” with “patriotic music”:
If you’ve ever been stuck on hold with a congressional office in the past, at least you’ve been able to enjoy some good patriotic music, as opposed to the lilting tones of generic smooth jazz that have been driving elevator users insane for decades. For years, congressional offices have played patriotic anthems as the background music during hold times.
Not any more. After we were startled by the hold music when we called a House office recently, sources on Capitol Hill informed us this week that the Democratic House leadership has made a sweeping decision that congressional offices now have the options of “smooth jazz” elevator music or no music at all.
The post was picked up by various right-wing blogs. Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) has even sent a letter to House Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Daniel Beard — who, The New Leader points out, “reports to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi” — objecting to the change.
This conspiracy theory is the craziest thing since freedom fries. And birthers. ThinkProgress spoke with Beard’s spokesman Jeff Ventura, who cleared up the confusion:
The music was changed during recess as a pilot program in an attempt to offer offices a choice of hold music. [...]
This had nothing to do with the leadership — not in the beginning or the final outcome.
Here’s what happened: Congressional offices have traditionally been able to have a choice of music or no music. The CD that had been in the congressional muzak system for “a long time” was a “patriotic tunes CD.” The CAO’s office wanted to test a program giving people a choice of multiple CDs and decided to try out a jazz CD because it’s “what a lot of companies have when you’re on hold.” However, based on the feedback they received, they simply decided to go back to the old system.
So for the record, there is no left-wing conspiracy to ban patriotic muzak.
Hoyer: ‘I’m for a public option, but I’m also for passing a bill.’
Hoyer: ‘I’m for a public option, but I’m also for passing a bill.’
Yesterday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said at a news conference that “there’s no way I can pass a bill in the House of Representatives without a public option.” But Pelosi’s refusal to back down on the issue was undermined a bit today by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), who said that while he supports the public option, he was open to abandoning it to get a bill passed:
Hoyer (D-Md.) emphasized his support for a public option in a teleconference call with reporters, but also said he wants to ensure Congress sends a bill to the president.
“I’m for a public option, but I’m also for passing a bill,” he said. Democrats believe the public option is necessary, he said, “but we’ll have to see.”
He added that there are many other important parts of healthcare legislation approved by three committees in the House.
Hoyer’s comment echoes HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’ recent claim that the public option is “not essential,” which the Obama administration has aggressively sought to walk back.
Joe The Plumber Says He Would ‘Beat The Livin’ Tar’ Out Of Pelosi
Joe The Plumber Says He Would ‘Beat The Livin’ Tar’ Out Of Pelosi
This past weekend, at the right wing’s RightOnline blogger conference in Pittsburgh — sponsored by Americans for Prosperity — Alternet’s Adele Stan reported that Joe “the Plumber” Wurzelbacher attacked Nancy Pelosi for calling teabaggers “un-American.” (In fact, Pelosi said “drowning out opposing views is un-American.”) Wurzelbacher said that in the good ol’ days, he would have been able to physically “beat” Pelosi:
WURZELBACHER: For Pelosi to write about us bein’ un-American and disprespectful — I’ll tell ya what: I respect nobody who lies to me and manipulates me and takes my money and puts my children in debt. They want me to be respectful towards them? Please! You know, I’m not the most civilized person: Those kind of people, I usually took behind the woodshed and just beat the livin’ tar out of ‘em.
(UPDATE: Crooks and Liars has the video.)
Joe reiterated his statement in an interview with Stan after his speech:
STAN: There’s a lot of talk about fears of violence in these town hall meetings, and you know there was a guy who showed up with a gun strapped to his leg in New Hampshire — and I’m wondering what you have to say to that narrative?
WURZELBACHER: Let me start off by saying that I don’t advocate the violence, however, that being said, Congress has been lying to us for years. They take advantage of us, they manipulate us, and years ago people like that would’ve been taken behind the woodshed and slapped upside the head a couple times. I’m not telling people to go out and do that and I don’t advocate that if we can make our point through facts.
Listen:
For someone who doesn’t advocate violence, Joe sure spends a lot of time talking about it. A few months ago, he told Think Progress that anyone who criticized the military would’ve been shot “back in the day” and that he’d personally like to slap around anyone who “talked treasonous talk about America.”
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