BuzzFlash Honors

John Shadegg

Many Republicans rose up to whine about the prospect of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed being tried in New York City. Of course, the United States has tried and convicted numerous terrorism suspects in this country with no problems, and Republicans such as Rudy Giuliani was for trying terrorism suspects on U.S. soil before he was against it.

But no Republican raised a stink with the flair of Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ).

"I saw the Mayor of New York said today, "We're tough. We can do it." Well, Mayor, how are you going to feel when it's your daughter that's kidnapped at school by a terrorist? How are you going to feel when it's some clerk -- some innocent clerk of the court -- whose daughter or son is kidnapped? Or the jailer's little brother or little sister? This is political correctness run amok."

Kidnapping, huh. Not killed or wounded, stabbed or beaten, but kidnapping. Why is Rep. Shadegg so intrigued about kidnapping?

Perhaps because Rep. Shadegg knows a thing or two about kidnapping. After all, Shadegg was the representative who kidnapped, er, "borrowed" Maddie, daughter of his chief of staff, to use as a prop to argue against health care reform.

Technorati Tags: BuzzFlash Honors gop hypocrite John Shadegg health care reform terrorism New York City Chad Rubel

BUZZFLASH MEDIA PUTZ OF THE WEEK

Bill O'Reilly

For reporting that is an embarrassment to the profession of journalism, and for being beholden to corporate paymasters rather than the citizens of America.

Poor Bill O'Reilly.

Bill O spends his hour-long show spinning lies and deceit about the world around him, but lately, he has felt a little ignored and neglected. People started paying more attention to Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, and yes, even Rupert Murdoch.

Heck, Keith Olbermann ignored him for most of the summer and O'Reilly hasn't even won the Media Putz award since June 4. So like any spoiled child, O'Reilly knew he had to act out to get attention.

Mission accomplished!

O'Reilly and Fox "News" Senior Judicial Analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano were discussing on Tuesday the necessity to try terrorist suspects in New York City.

Napolitano: But it is not I who is saying it. It is the Constitution that is saying it.

O'Reilly: I don't care about the Constitution.

Napolitano: I do.

O'Reilly: The Constitution isn't here, you're here. Don't be a pinhead.

Just because the Constitution isn't sitting in the studio with you, Bill, doesn't mean it's not relevant. Of course, this could be in the same GOP spirit of House Minority Leader John Boehner, who claimed he had the Constitution in his hands and was reading from it at Michele Bachmann's Super Bowl of Paranoia. Then again, Boehner said he was quoting the Constitution but it was really was the Declaration of Independence. Oops.

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WINGS OF JUSTICE

Jane Hamsher

Progressives have learned that it's much easier to fight against something than for something. Fighting against the Bush reign of disaster was a pretty easy task, simple to take shots even with one arm tied behind the back.

But Jane Hamsher, founder and publisher of Firedoglake, is part of a new generation of leading activists who is holding the fire to the feet of Democrats to make sure the progressive agenda gets passed.

While many were celebrating the House's passage of the health care bill, Hamsher stepped up and pointed out that the legislation would make it more difficult to afford biologic drugs. Hamsher notes that she took biologic drugs with her bouts with breast cancer -- she is a 3-time survivor of breast cancer.

"But thanks to Representatives Anna Eshoo and Joe Barton, there will be no generic versions of these drugs. At least not for 12 years, if the House health care bill announced today passes.

"And because of an "evergreening" clause that grants drug companies a continued monopoly if they make slight changes to the drug (like creating a once-a-day dose where the original product was three times per day), they will never become generics. Instead of the Waxman-Deal amendment that granted much more reasonable terms to biologic patent holders, Speaker Pelosi chose to include the Eshoo-Barton amendment. And we could all be paying for that choice for the rest of our lives."

But this has been typical of Hamsher, who has been pounding Democratic politicians to pay attention to the base, to remember about the kind of change people voted for in record numbers in 2008.

Technorati Tags: BuzzFlash Honors wings of justice Jane Hamsher Firedoglake health care reform breast cancer Chad Rubel

Tom Coburn

Earlier this week on Veterans Day, we noted that the Senate was hoping to pass legislation aimed at helping injured vets, including the Caregiver Bill, which would provide funding, support and healthcare coverage for those who provide care for wounded veterans of the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The bill went nowhere on Wednesday, however, and it's all thanks to one man. A solitary senator stood up and said "no" to the troops and their overstretched families on Veterans Day. Paul Rieckhoff, founder and director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, had this to say to MSNBC's Keith Olbermann about this lawmaker:

He's isolated here. This isn't even the GOP. This is one senator standing in the way of the most comprehensive health reform and health benefits package for caregivers, the wives, husbands, grandmothers, parents, who are caring for the most severely wounded folks. They are really under tremendous pressure and tremendous stress, and they need stress counseling themselves. That's a part of this bill.

And he's very isolated. Every veterans group has lined up against him on this and he's got to back down. We hope the American people will pressure him to do just that.

Who is this man? The fearless Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), more commonly known as Dr. No.

You see, Coburn is just misunderstood. He's all for the troops, as long as "for the troops" = cheering those who go off to fight bad guys. Yeah! Dr. No says, "kick some butt, GI Joe!" But when it comes to troops who happened to have the bad luck to go and get hurt out there on the battlefield, well, Coburn clearly doesn't want to have to deal with that.

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BUZZFLASH MEDIA PUTZ OF THE WEEK

Rupert Murdoch

For reporting that is an embarrassment to the profession of journalism, and for being beholden to corporate paymasters rather than the citizens of America.

In searching for a Media Putz, we try to find one over-the-top incident within a week. This week's winner made it very easy to select him due to multiple infractions.

Backing up Glenn Beck's cries that President Barack Obama is a racist is enough to get you the Media Putz crown. But this wasn't Rupert Murdoch's only offense -- this week.

However, we should start with the big stuff.

DAVID SPEERS: The Glenn Beck, who you mentioned, has called Barack Obama a racist, and he helped organize a protest against him. Others on Fox have likened him --

RUPERT MURDOCH: Yeah.

SPEERS: -- to Stalin. Is that defensible?

MURDOCH: No, no, no, not Stalin, I don't think. I don't know who that -- not one of our people. On the racist thing, that caused a [unintelligible]. But he did make a very racist comment, about, you know, blacks and whites and so on, and which he said in his campaign he would be completely above. And, you know, that was something which perhaps shouldn't have been said about the president, but if you actually assess what he was talking about, he was right.

In the 43 seconds of video (above), Murdoch says Glenn Beck was right (uh, no), Obama was a racist (still, no), and claims no one on Fox News compared Obama to Stalin (wrong again, Glenn Beck did so).

Technorati Tags: BuzzFlash Honors media putz Rupert Murdoch Fox Fox News Glenn Beck President Barack Obama racism Chad Rubel

WINGS OF JUSTICE

Diane DeGette, Other House Members Who Stood Up Against Stupak Amendment

Progressives who have been fighting for health care reform have been asked, "At what price do you want it?" Why universal health care should come at some imaginary price -- when single-payer is the most effective and most efficient method of health care delivery -- is beyond belief. However, in the world of bizarre political compromises, this question is an unfortunate reality.

The weakening of the public option -- triggers, opt-out -- is some of that price. Waiting for certain benefits to kick in is a price. Having those trapped in an employer situation not have access to a public option is a price. And not having abortion, a legal procedure, covered under the public option -- as a result of the Hyde Amendment is a price.

But the more than 40 House members led by Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) have stood up and said the Stupak Amendment is too high a price to pay for health care reform.

"This is offensive to women -- the notion is an insult, it is unworkable and it is discriminatory. Why should a woman purchase separate insurance in advance because she might have an unplanned pregnancy or a pregnancy that goes terribly wrong -- who anticipates that? Would we expect someone to purchase supplemental coverage because they might get cancer or get hit by a bus?" said Rep. DeGette.

Technorati Tags: BuzzFlash Honors wings of justice Diane DeGette House Stupak Amendment pro-choice health care reform Chad Rubel

House Republicans

Over the past several months, the one thing that Republicans consistently said they agreed upon when it came to Democratic healthcare reform was the idea that insurance companies should not be able to deny coverage based on preexisting conditions.

Think Progress illustrates here that House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) is practically addicted to repeating the phrase whenever someone challenges him with a healthcare question:

While leading GOP opposition to health care reform over the past few months, Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) has simultaneously insisted that Republicans believe in helping Americans with preexisting conditions get health care. Currently, "in 44 states, it's legal for health insurers to deny coverage to people who have previously been sick, or charge them more for treatment."

"And so there are a number of things that Republicans believe are essential," Boehner told NPR in September. "We believe that making sure that people who have preexisting conditions have access to affordable health insurance." On Fox News last week, Boehner said that Republicans wanted to focus on helping "those with preexisting conditions."

...In a blog post in June, Boehner wrote, "Quality health coverage must exist for every American, regardless of preexisting health conditions."

Boehner's not the only one who seems to have Preexisting Conditions Tourette Syndrome. In delivering the Republican rebuttal to President Obama's address on healthcare reform earlier this year, Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA) outlined four basic tenets of reform "where we can agree." The very first one is that "all individuals should have access to coverage, regardless of preexisting conditions."

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BUZZFLASH MEDIA PUTZ OF THE WEEK

Fox "News"

For reporting that is an embarrassment to the profession of journalism, and for being beholden to corporate paymasters rather than the citizens of America.

The MSM loves to tell us that there is Fox "News" with O'Reilly, Hannity, and Beck and then there's Fox "News" on the rest of the time. Fair and Balanced.

Hmmm, well, based on what we've seen lately from the "news" part of Fox "News," their argument is as thin as the pastrami in a New York City deli.

Chris Wallace is seen as the legitimate face of Fox "News." After all, Wallace, son of a real journalist in Mike Wallace, has hosted "Meet the Press" on NBC and was on "Primetime Thursday" on ABC. Certainly, Fox plays that up when accused of news bias.

Here was the chance, the ultimate chance, to toss a few hard questions to Rush Limbaugh, prove the naysayers wrong, show them that Fox has a real news department.

Technorati Tags: BuzzFlash Honors media putz Fox News Chris Wallace Rush Limbaugh Gretchen Carlson Michele Bachmann right wing Chad Rubel

WINGS OF JUSTICE

Al Franken

Stirring the pot is something Republican politicians are already good at doing and where Democratic politicians are catching up. We recently profiled one newcomer who has set a tone in a brash style in Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL). But as we are learning from this week's winner, sometimes you can be quieter and still be effective at stirring the pot.

Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) got a very late start this year. Wasn't his fault. The people of Minnesota wanted to be really, really, really sure he was the winner. But it certainly hasn't taken him long to get established.

And there was speculation, er, obnoxious rhetoric from the right-wing that the Senate would be nothing but jokes with Franken in the chamber. Funny coming from senators who say some very amusing, yet not purposefully funny material when they act "senatorial."

Those who have followed Franken or heard him on Air America radio know that the modern version of Al Franken was very serious and very knowledgable.

And yet, even when Franken was known for his comedy, there was always a quieter, subtler nature to his humor.

Calling attention to Halliburton's practices hasn't got the progressive realm very far in the mainstream picture. But Sen. Franken called attention to Halliburton in a way where others fell short.

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Joe Lieberman

You're probably already aware of why Gawker might be referring to Joe Lieberman as "a sanctimonious, thin-skinned, self-satisfied monster. And a pious, amoral scumbag. And a narcissistic, deluded underminer who represents everything that is wrong with the United States Senate. And a war-mongering, concern-trolling religious zealot. And, generally, a bastard. And probably a racist."

His de-facto defection to the Republican Party on the healthcare reform bill in the Senate has been widely explored this week. Many have pointed out that Lieberman has to straight-up lie in order to defend his intended vote against the public option. It make sense that he'd need to lie, lying down with the GOP as he is.

This video from two different campaign events in 2006 archived by DailyKosTV shows Lieberman touting his support for universal healthcare and a public option as a reason to send him back to the Senate. You can watch the mash-up here, but we've taken the liberty of culling the relevant text below, with our own emphasis:

On July 6, 2006, Lieberman promised "the people of Connecticut, I can do more for you and your families to get something done to make health care affordable, to get universal health insurance.

Then, on Oct. 23, 2006, he said that he had already "offered a comprehensive program. Small business health insurance reform, plus something I call MediKids to cover all the children in America on a sliding fee basis up until the age of 25. MediChoice to allow anybody in our country to buy into a national insurance pool like the health insurance pool that we federal employees and members of Congress have." Lieberman also promised to "cover 95 percent of those who are not covered now, and... reduce the pressure on rising costs for all the millions of others."

So, Connecticut voters, how's that working out for you? Oh, you say the guy you sent to Congress is standing in the way of all those things? And that his name is Lieberman too?  What a coincidence!

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