Russ weighs in on Holder

Russ Feingold weighs in on Eric Holder (in an interview on the Rachel Maddow Show,) and discusses whether an investigation and potential prosecution of Bush, Cheney and others for war crimes would be 'on the table' under Holder's watch.



I find it interesting that Russ is using phrase 'on the table' when discussing an investigation of the Bush Administration. "On the table." Really? Is this a hint that we are going to see a new approach from Democratic leadership?

Racists flushed out into the open

Angry GOPers are now accusing Colin Powell (once a Republican, now a Black man) of endorsing Obama simply because he is African American.

Powell - who spoke as eloquently as anyone I have yet heard, about the reason Obama is the best choice for America - has apparently brought the racists right out of their closets.

Note each one: as John McCain has said - we will know their names:

-- Pat Buchanan on Hardball, accused Powell of being a traitor to the Republican Party, and said that he endorsed Obama simply because he is Black.



-- Rush Limbaugh

Limbaugh: Where are the inexperienced, white liberals Powell has endorsed?

Rush Limbaugh said Colin Powell's decision to get behind Barack Obama appeared to be very much tied to Obama's status as the first African-American with a chance to become president.

"Secretary Powell says his endorsement is not about race," Limbaugh wrote in an e-mail. "OK, fine. I am now researching his past endorsements to see if I can find all the inexperienced, very liberal, white candidates he has endorsed. I'll let you know what I come up with."

As for Powell's statement of concern this morning about the sort of Supreme Court justices a President McCain might appoint, Limbaugh wrote: "I was also unaware of his dislike for John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Anthony Kennedy and Antonin Scalia. I guess he also regrets Reagan and Bush making him a four-star [general] and secretary of state and appointing his son to head the FCC. Yes, let's hear it for transformational figures."

Limbaugh obviously forgot that Clarence Thomas... is Black.

-- George Will:



Who will step out next? Let's get you all out in the sunshine where we can see you... without your sheets, shall we?

So long Keith and Chris

Washington Post: Liberal Blogs Assail Anchor Changes:

Olbermann's show is the most popular on MSNBC. In a strikingly friendly interview with Obama that aired last night, Olbermann asked the Democratic nominee whether he should use "more exclamation points," adding: "Have you thought of getting angrier?"

Republicans have been assailing the cable channel for months. Steve Schmidt, McCain's top strategist, has called MSNBC "a partisan advocacy organization that exists for the purpose of attacking John McCain," and White House counselor Ed Gillespie has complained about an "increasing blurring" of the line between NBC News and MSNBC's "blatantly partisan talk show hosts" such as Matthews and Olbermann.

I really love this second paragraph. How amusing they are, the GOP attack team. No mention of Fox News continually attacking Obama, only outrage that two anchors on one national network attack McCain. I'm sure the McCain team is right; Obama should rightfully - as part of nightly news coverage -be attacked on FOX, while anyone that shows the slightest distaste for McCain on MSNBC is obviously 'partisan.'

Its all... ridiculous. They are all partisan. We gave up real news reporting years ago in this country. Its simply a matter of picking your poison. Do you want the right wing 'news,' or the left wing 'news?'

I do have a few comments about the recent demotion of Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews of MSNBC.

It is true that Keith Olbermann was open and forthcoming with his 'liberal' (or simply angry) viewpoint, as was Chris Matthews at times. However this provided something of a balance to the rest of the corporate media which leans heavily to the right - to the point of presenting GOP propaganda as news, and on a daily basis.

It was nice to have a choice. For awhile. Somewhere in the middle lay the truth. By removing Olbermann and Matthews, any pretense of balance is now gone.

We have long since given up any pretense of neutral, unbiased news reporting: that simply no longer exists in the world of corporate media. All national networks present GOP talking points as news.

To see this documented with uncanny precision, just watch Jon Stewart's 'Daily Show' on any given night. Pay close attention to Jon's regular montages of news clips from each of the major networks. Every 'competing' network uses the exact same 'catch word of the day.' Jon deftly plays them back to back - it is impossible to miss.

They are all 'reporting' from the same script.

Without any rogue anchors leaning to the left, we will be forced to consume an endless diet of right wing propaganda... if we tune in at all. As for me, I'll continue to get my news from Jon Stewart: the most trusted man in America.

I found Olbermann's outrage refreshing. Olbermann was the only newsman with the courage to confront the issues that the other networks would not touch; issues that infuriate a vast number of Americans. Olbermann gave voice to our rage; and it is a righteous rage, a just and very real rage. This country is falling apart... and no, we will not go to the happy room.

Let he or she who is really and truly non-partison and unbiased in their reporting cast the first stone at Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews. Not that it matters. Ever since the day Bill Clinton signed the Telecommunications Act of 1996, our national media has become nothing more than a propaganda tool for a handful of elite, wealthy owners:

The Act was claimed to foster competition. Instead, it continued the historic industry consolidation begun by Reagan, whose actions reduced the number of major media companies from around 50 in 1983 to 10 in 1996, reducing the 10 in 1996 to 6 in 2005.

That's right... we've gone from 50 media companies in 1983... to only 6 in 2005. And strangely, they all spout the very same talking points.

Thanks again Bill. And so long Keith and Chris.

Back to you Jon.

Olbermann lays waste to Bush and Iraq policy

More media outrage over Scooter Skate

This from RAW STORY:

MSNBC's Dan Abrams expressed outrage at the Scooter Libby commutation on Monday, saying, "The public should appreciate the famous or powerful will be treated just as harshly as anyone else. ... This sends the message that if you know the president or the vice president well enough, even a jury and judge cannot ensure justice. ... As they say, the president had the right to do it, but it wasn't the right thing to do."

Finally the media is 'noticing' that laws and justice don't apply to this administration. Bush - er, make that Cheney - may finally have overplayed his hand. Of course he wouldn't think so. The squawkings of the unwashed masses are clearly none of his concern.

Corrupt to the Core

On the 'silencing of the Scooter':

Joe Wilson with Keith Olbermann: Springing Libby Shows Administration Is "Corrupt to the Core"

Editor & Publisher

Tuesday 03 July 2007

New York - Former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, husband of outed CIA operative Valerie Plame, tonight ripped President Bush's decision to commute the prison sentence of Lewis "Scooter" Libby in the CIA leak case.

Appearing in an audio interview on MSNBC's "Countdown," Wilson called the move the latest evidence that the administration is "corrupt to the core." He added that it meant that the president was now participating in the "obstruction of justice."

Wilson called on both the president and Libby's former boss, Vice President Cheney, to "come clean" on their roles in the leaking of his wife's name, now that Libby has been spared prison. He called the leaking of the name "treasonous."

Asked by host Keith Olbermann if there was a "quid pro quo" - Libby would remain silent about crucial details of Cheney's role in the case in exchange for a pardon or commutation - Wilson answered, "absolutely."

Mika takes back the airwaves

While assigned to the news anchor's chair for MSNBC's Morning Joe program, apparently Mika Brzezinski protested the choice of leading the morning news with yet more Paris Hilton anti-news by attempting to burn the script; eventually tearing it up -- all live on the air.

Take back the news! (Please?)