NPR fires Juan Williams after he forgets himself for a second and tells the truth.
Don’t miss this piece: I firmly believe, as I have for quite some time, that Obama is destined to be a one-term President, whether he wants to be or not. So, who is going to replace him in 2012? For me, this is the key question that is deciding my votes on November 2nd. …. H/T to Tamerlane for the heads up. The writer is a valued regular commenter around here…
10 days out…predict the winner:
Mock the French all you want but…the French government FEARS the French people. In our nation we fear our government. Who is more free?
Senior Couple to Wells Fargo: ‘Show Me The Note that says I owe you money or I am calling a lawyer…’
America on the brink of a Second Revolution
Hell Is Murky: Let us get up on the Halloween stick with one of the original horror stories…
Snapshot of L.A.
Venice
Wow I can’t believe that NPR would fire Juan over that. Any sane person would at least for a second think OH SHIT in that situation. For someone being honest it sucks that they fired him.
This is truly sad. Williams had been with NPR over 20 years and based on a statement just released from him, the person called him, told him he had crossed the line, and rejected his explanation. When he asked, in incredulity, if this was final and he would not even be allowed to come in and discuss it face to face, he was told the decision came from higher up and nothing could be done about it.
It is interesting that CAIR released a statement prior to NPR reporting on the firing and makes me wonder what, in anything, that had to do with it.
Should the Federal Government fund organizations that do not allow free speech? Williams was billed as an analyst and not a journalist for NPR (as if journalists are impartial either any more).
I agree Greyledge Gal. This is sad. We have really gone around the bend on political correctness in relationship to Islam.
Stifling free speech to this extent is frightening.
NPR turned itself into a PR agency/religious cult for teh Messiah in 2008, and they are complaining about Williams crossing the line between reporting and opinion?!!@$%^!
Guess now they’ve turned themselves into al Jazeera West.
I think Obama will not only run for re-election in 2012, but he will win.
And that’s about the most depressing thought I have had all year!
I will explain. Obama’s ego will not permit him to step aside and let a qualified person be the Democratic presidential nominee. The Republican Party, now scared out of its wits by the success of the Tea Partiers in making a big noise (even if not in winning every election they enter) will nominate a far-right idiot, of which the G.O.P. has an ample supply. By comparison to the right-wing idiot, Obama will look better to many voters.
If there is any candidate among the Republicans who could attract centrist or independent votes, I don’t know who that would be.
So, we are down to the following possible Republican candidates (in no particular order): Gingrich, Romney, Palin, Pawlenty, Huckabee, Chris Christie, Jeb Bush, Rick Santorum, Donald Trump, Ron Paul, etc. … ad nauseam (and I really mean ad nauseam).
There are two people on that list who if nominated might beat Obama (but I won’t name them as I do not wish to aid their candidacies).
I do not think there is any reason to think Hillary will run in 2012, as I do not think Obama will absent himself from the scene.
I’ll play. I think Gingrich or Christie could beat Obama. I agree that the Republican bench is soo weird that Obama would easily win against any of the others.
Gingrich has had three wives and at least as many fairly public extramarital affairs, and our property taxes have gone UP as a result of Christie’s policies and actions.
I am not campaigning for either one of them, I just think that they would be the most challenging Republican nominees. For a Republican to win they need to attract Independents and Democrats and none of the crazy-religious Republicans would be able to do that.
Thanks so much for the link, John!
Hillary will run again. Her camp has admitted they’re gearing up for 2016, and Bill is going around campaigning for all the Hillary supporters in 2008. Why not move up the schedule a little?
I have a feeling that Obama won’t run in 2012. No doubt he wants to; I agree with that. But after the midterms, especially when we see how bad the damage was from Mr. “You’ve Got Me!”, I think perspectives are going to change. Important ones.
I agree with ducksoup. I think the GOP candidates in 2012 will be Huckabee and Santorum. Obama, if he runs, will trounce them. But then, so would Hillary.
This is all guesswork, of course, which is why it’s so hard for all of us to come up with some type of reasonable voting decision. Sigh. You just have to pick your horse and place your bet.
Arrrgh! Too little coffee. What I meant to say was that IF the GOP nominates rightingers like Huckabee and Santorum, Obama will beat them.
Right now that seems inevitable – the GOP is cowed by their base. But in the next couple of years, the Tea Party types could overplay their hands. The more people know about them, the less the TP types are liked. The GOP could become emboldened by that occurrence, and cast out the social conservatives entirely, going for the Independent voters, moderate Republicans and conservative Dems. In that case, they would run someone like Tim Pawlenty. And Obama would be crushed electorally.
Let’s face it, the next election is the GOP’s to win or lose. My money is on them winning.
I’m trying to filter out any wishful thinking on this, but I believe I see what you are seeing — a 2016 is safe to talk about now, and there’s no reason to wait that long.
I believe BO does NOT want to run again. He’d be much happier as a pro-am golfer, or host of his own TV show. The question is, can the evil masterminds behind his 2008 run pull together another heist in 2012? Remember, we were ambushed in ’08. We’ll be on the attack this time.
By early 2011 we will see many crawling out of the woodwork to declare themselves candidates for 2012 against Obama who is sure to run again. His ego is much too large to suggest he will take a “pass” this time around. The DNC is smart to recognize the fracture that would take place within the ranks thus leaving the door open for a GOP win regardless of who they choose to run.
If I had to select a couple of GOP contenders I would assume that much will be made of Christie and Rubio, both relatively new to the political scene. Throw in Liz Cheney as a possible VP and this may very well be the ticket they settle for.
Don’t see the RNC getting too excited about Gingrich who comes with more baggage than Samsonite, or Santorum who is much too ultra conservative for a general election.
Whoever runs it is sure to be a bleak enterprise once again. I am already prepared for few surprises on November 3rd as I watch my country march more and more to the Right. And it won’t be pretty.
The swing to the right is happening in a lot of countries: Sweden, Holland, Austria, France, Britain, Hungary and here in the USA.
I find it very frightening. At least in France some protestors are fighting back, but here in the USA there is no one in the streets except the rightwingers.
It’s fear that drives the populace into the arms of the GOP. They want to someone to tell them what to do and this group is more than willing to oblige. They are better at “authoritarianism” than the Dems have ever been.
Had Obama worked on creating jobs rather than handing the healthcare industry another boon, the “radicals” springing up as GOP contenders would never have seen the light of day.
Instead we are listening to a group of people promising to cut every piece of government spending which could lead to even more dire results than what we are facing today.
If the proposals of these extreme measures alone don’t signal that something is inherently wrong than I guess nothing will. Critical thinking has been replaced by fear and that is going to be very difficult to live with if these promises are kept.
I’m not sure what it will take to get Americans into the streets. Dismantling SS? Robbing 401ks? Food prices spiking?
What I am convinced of is that there will be an artful campaign to persuade everyone that any and all assets or civil liberties stripped away is for our own good or in the cause of national security. Bush&Co laid the groundwork and Obama is simply running the next leg of the relay race.
Notice how quickly the Appellate Court jumped in with an injunction on the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ ruling. Everything goes back to the way it was. That was after an emergency request by the government. The on-going revelations on foreclosure fraud and the assault on rule of law are being referred to as “technicalities, mere paperwork mishaps,” which is oddly reminiscent of turning a word like torture into its less offensive form, “enhanced interrogation.” Obama says he wants to look to the future. We ought to be asking ourselves what future he has in mind. I don’t think it’s one that will suit a lot of us. Unless, of course, you find yourself in the top 1-2% income bracket.
While unemployment and poverty continue to rise, particularly in our once middle-class suburbs, the purchase of luxury goods is back to pre-Recession/Depression levels. Party like there’s no tomorrow! Gotta love that trickle down theory.
The Republicans have nothing to offer but same old, same old–cut taxes, strip regulation. In fact, the Koch brothers are already planning their next conclave with invites to all the usual suspects: big oil, insurance companies, the Chamber of Commerce, Wall St. banks, Karl Rove, Glenn Beck, etc., etc. Last time round even Justices Scalia and Thomas were in attendance. See here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/20/scalia-thomas-koch-industries_n_769843.html?utm_campaign=102010&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Alert-politics&utm_content=Title&utm_term=Politics+Brief
Rock the house down to promote a “culture of prosperity.” Another code phrase for f**k the American public.
We’re not going anywhere except down the chute. Republican candidates? Chris Christie is being touted as the New Republican darling. Which means privatizing has come to save the world. Did you know that Bechtel is running around buying up the world’s water reserves? It’s not our world any longer; it’s corporate owned. Can’t wait until we’re buying water credits. I think they tried that down in South America. Didn’t work very well.
I’m beginning to agree more and more with Chris Hedges: there will be no change or reform through the electoral process. It’s been corrupted along with everything else.
Peggy Sue sez: “I’m beginning to agree more and more with Chris Hedges: there will be no change or reform through the electoral process. It’s been corrupted along with everything else.”
I think that’s the money quote right there. The electoral process is compromised beyond all recogition. We can’t vote our way out of the mess we’re in. Simply not possible.
Peggy Sue,
Here is that Bechtel clip from the doc The Corporation.
“Even that which fell from the sky.”
Another water creep is T Boone Pickens….the corporate raider and oil baron.
Just like the Bush family, he bought a huge aquifer except it is in the United States and he’s just sitting on it. He states the ‘hydrocarbon era is ending’ but water is a whole different story. And of course, he is heavily invested in natural gas (fracking and flammable water) and windmills…but wants the govt to support his dreams/investments.
I’ll let him speak for himself about water in this Playboy article from 2007.
http://www.playboy.com/articles/t-boone-pickens-interview/index.html
PLAYBOY: Your other major new business is water. Is water the next oil?
T. BOONE PICKENS: I don’t see it that way. It’s a resource.
PLAYBOY: Then how is it unlike oil?
T. BOONE PICKENS: Oil isn’t renewable. Water is. Our project has a life of 200 or 300 years. It will be a $2 billion to $2.5 billion project.
PLAYBOY: The plan is to pipe panhandle groundwater—which is under your and your neighbors’ ranches—to waterhungry cities such as Dallas. What are the major obstacles?
T. BOONE PICKENS: We just have to find our first customers. It’s a project that will happen, but I’m not in any big rush. As with natural gas, the longer you wait without selling it, the more valuable it becomes.
PLAYBOY: At some point, however, are there pressures to cut your losses?
T. BOONE PICKENS: I always say, “Don’t rush the monkey and you’ll see a better show.”
PLAYBOY: Can you understand how some people would resent that you or another individual owns a resource such as water?
T. BOONE PICKENS: If you own the surface, you own the groundwater. That’s just the way it is.
PLAYBOY: Within the greater scheme of your businesses, how significant is water?
T. BOONE PICKENS: To date I’ve got $80 million in the project. I consider it to be a long-term investment. It’s only one of our businesses but an important one. I think it’ll do pretty well for us. “
Wow you guys are way off. Everyone on ducksoup save Paul could beat Obama in 2012 if the economy still sucks.
“Obama’s ego will not permit him to step aside and let a qualified person be the Democratic presidential nominee.”
This makes a lot of sense to me. On the other hand, I don’t think Obama’s ego could handle losing in 2012 either. I think his defeat in 2000 was devastating for him. Since then, he has only been willing to run in races where he’s guaranteed to win.
I think it’s a verrry long shot, but if his approval ratings continue to drop and it looks like he would lose, there might be a chance of him dropping out.
Indeed. I think his ego is bored with the presidency. Narcissists needs constant praise and stroking, and react very badly to criticism or resistance.
I’ve been paying a bit of attention to Mike Pence lately. He ‘looks’ Presidential, shallow as that may be. He seems to be scandal free, and has a nice family. Of course, the same could be said about my mailman..but wth.
Sophie’s Mailman 2012! (Seriously- could he be any worse?)
Does he get mail sorted correctly? If so, that’s a step in the right direction!
Oddly enough, my youngest daughter looks a lot like the mailman, but I swear it’s a coincidence….
Madamab, great post! I really like your voting strategy. I do think it’s very important that the Dems hang on to the Senate for lots of reasons. At this point, it looks like they will – if only by a hair.