Democrat Rep. Betty Sutton Calls for Charles Rangel To Resign

TheHill.com:

In a major development, Rep. Betty Sutton (D-Ohio) on Friday night called on beleaguered Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) to resign.

Sutton's statement comes one day after the House ethics committee charged the 80-year-old Democrat with multiple violations.

In a statement to The Hill, Sutton stated, "It is regrettable, but Charlie Rangel needs to resign from his seat in Congress. This isn’t about being a Democrat or Republican, this is about preserving the public trust. Our nation is facing extraordinary challenges and we must be focused on building a sustainable economy that will allow our workers and businesses to flourish."

Sutton has built a reputation as a crusader for congressional ethics. In 2008, she led the fight to pass legislation creating the Office of Congressional Ethics, which now serves as an independent ethics body within the House of Representatives.

Abandon ship.

Ann Coulter Takes Down Rick Sanchez Over Andrew Breitbart, Shirley Sherrord Race Scandal

Judge Sharply Questions Obama Administration Argument Against Arizona Law SB1070

YahooNews.com:

A federal judge sharply questioned the Justice Department's key argument that Arizona's immigration law interferes with federal enforcement of immigration law. 

"Why can't Arizona be as inhospitable as they wish to people who have entered or remained in the United States?" U.S. Judge Susan Bolton asked in Thursday's hearing, according to the Washington Post.

She also questioned the argument that federal law "pre-empts" (i.e. trumps) the Arizona statute.

"Where is the pre-emption if everybody who is arrested for some crime has their immigration status checked?"

But Bolton also suggested that making it a state crime to lack immigration documents could violate a Supreme Court ruling prohibiting states from creating their own "immigration registration systems," the Los Angeles Times reports.

The Justice Department is asking Bolton to bar the law from going into effect next week.

Ass-backwards.

Megyn Kelly Openly Mocks Tom Tancredo’s Call For Obama’s Impeachment

Yeah, those FOX anchors are clearly just here to serve at the pulpit of the GOP:

Tom Tancredo is the one time presidential candidate who has served five term in the House of Representative. And while he is no longer serving his constituency, he has by no means left the world of partisan politics. He showed up on America Live to discuss his recent call to impeach President Obama, and to say that host Megyn Kelly destroyed him in this debate, might in fact be an understatement. 

Having been out of politics for a year or two, Tancredo seems to have lost a step, at least judging by his appearance on Fox News today. Perhaps more relevant from a media angle however, is just how forcefully Kelly comes out against Tancredo, calling ridiculous his claim of “Obama being more dangerous than al Qaeda.” 

Kelly had received some criticism of late by some on the left who felt that she may have been overly harsh on former democratic strategist Kirsten Powers in debating the New Black Panther Party. But as we see in the following clip, Kelly can be a bad-ass regardless of the political point-of-view.

Of course, considering how much flak former President Bush got from the Right on issues such as "amnesty" for illegals, "compassionate conservatism" and the NCLB act, Kelly sounds foolish for alleging that he was an "ideologue", but sometimes the GOP can clearly be there own worse enemy.

Democrat Charles Rangel Faces House Ethics Committee Hearing, Snaps At Reporters Questions

CNN.com:

The House Ethics Committee will hold a formal hearing on alleged violations by Rep. Charles Rangel, the New York Democrat forced to step aside as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee earlier this year over ethics questions.

In a document issued Thursday, the panel appointed an eight-member adjudicatory subcommittee to determine if allegations against Rangel "have been proved by clear and convincing evidence."

A formal hearing will be a trial-like session involving formal charges with lawyers for the House acting as prosecutors and Rangel's lawyers defending him.

There was no immediate information available on the possible charges Rangel faces. According to the ethics committee document, the subcommittee that will hold the formal hearing will have its first organizational meeting on July 29.

n comments to reporters, Rangel said he welcomed the news and wanted to testify in his defense.

"It gives me an opportunity to respond to my friends and constituents who have supported me for 40 years," Rangel said. "All I've been able to give them is 'trust me.' "

Obama Signs Six-Month Extension Of Emergency Unemployment Benefits

WaPo.com:

President Obama signed a six-month extension of emergency jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed on Thursday, restoring aid to nearly 3 million people whose checks have been cut off since the program expired in early June.

The White House signing ceremony came barely three hours after the House approved the $34 billion measure on a vote of 272 to 152. The Senate passed the measure Wednesday after a months-long stalemate.

"Americans who are fighting to find a good job and support their families will finally get the support they need to get back on their feet during these tough economic times," Obama said in a statement. He called on Congress to swiftly approve additional measures to create jobs and bolster the sluggish recovery, including a package of small-business incentives that faced a battery of GOP objections in the Senate late Thursday.

"Small businesses are the engine of job growth, and measures to cut their taxes and make lending available should not be held hostage to partisan tactics like those that unconscionably held up unemployment insurance," Obama said.

The jobless bill revives a program that provides up to 99 weeks of income support to those who have lost their jobs in the recession. Advocates for the unemployed said checks in some states are likely to go out quickly; in others, people can expect a delay of several weeks. 

I don't care how it gets paid for it's the right thing to do--to think, the MSM media has been focusing more on Shirley Sherrod than the millions of families desperately in need of jobless benefits of late shows you once again where their priorities are.

Bill O'Reilly Gets Back At Rachel Maddow: ‘Character Assassins’ At MSNBC, Who Abide By ‘If You Can’t Beat Them, Slime Them’

Mediaite.com:

Among the many narratives that have come from the whole Shirley Sherrod saga, perhaps the most entertaining has been the resurrection of the bitter rivalry between Fox News and MSNBC. Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow have both launched vicious assaults for what they saw as FNC’s role in the Sherrod scandal, and last night, Bill O’Reilly fired back, saying of his rivals at NBC, “That’s why (the) character assassins do what they do. If you can’t beat them, slime them. “

O’Reilly was one of the first opinion media journalists to call for Sherrod to resign over her speech that has since been revealed to have been taken out of context, but then later apologized for getting it wrong. But while O’Reilly owned up to his part in this story, he took great exception to Maddow’s accusation that Fox News’ “scare white people” strategy, calling her a “loon.”

O’Reilly’s full court defense was in evidence as he referenced Washington Post columnist Howard Kurtz, who had quoted Fox News executive Michael Clemente’s directive of “getting this story right.” It’s worth noting that on many previous occasions, O’Reilly has dismissed Kurtz as a “partisan hack,” but in this instance it appears that his work is to be trusted.

O’Reilly got very personal, though not calling out Olbermann or Maddow by name, instead going after NBC News chief Steve Capus, whom O’Reilly (and presumably other execs at Fox News) appears to hold most accountable.

Glenn Beck Mocks Keith Olbermann's "Special Comment" On Shirley Sherrod

Mediaite.com:

Keith Olbermann temporarily came back from vacation last night to do a special ’special comment’ on the Shirley Sherrod firestorm that has overtaken the newscycle this week. In the ten-minute long segment Olbermann compared the Sherrod case to the 19th century Alfred Dreyfus treason case, called Fox News’ “perpetual smear machine” and singled out “the scum that is this assassin ‘Breitbart.” 

All of which may have been music to the ears of Olbermann fans and Fox News foes, but mainly just provided Glenn Beck with some extra good material with which to riff off on today’s radio show. And boy did he make the most of it. In his best Olbermann voice, between howls (and snorts) of laughter, Beck mocked the MSNBC anchor’s uber-serious (some might say pompous) tone: “I have sat at this desk for seven years and my ratings tell me I won’t be sitting here for very much longer. They’ve taken one of the worst guys on television and had him fill in for me and they’re already starting to hire a staff and graphics for his show.” And it’s all thanks to “that scoundrel…Brrrreeeiiiitbart.” Cue Dreyfus-inspired, pirate tongue roll.

Perhaps this is a good time to note that Beck, in his scathing reviews of both the White House and NAACP over their reaction to the Sherrod video, has barely mentioned Breitbart as a culpable party for releasing an edited clip in the first place and branding it as racist. And it any mention of it certainly didn’t make it into this jolly-fest.

Beck concludes: “Thank you for that history lesson, Keith, you are so far from a joke.”

Olbermann's a joke and so are his ratings.

Dan Lungren: "Democrats Must Be Behind In The Polls Because They Are Pulling Up George W. Bush"

"Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The polls show the democrats are in trouble because every time that happens social security is pulled out of the back pocket. Republicans are going to destroy social security. This party is the only party that saves social security.


"Democrats must be behind in the polls because they are pulling up George W. Bush. I have looked all over the campus, I can't find him. I went down to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. He left!


"Maybe you folks didn't notice. President Obama is there. What a real shame it is that current democrats are running away from the democratic party of J.F.K.


"He told us, forget about class warfare. A rising tide lifts all boats.


"Maybe you ought to listen to some of those on your side who didn't talk about fear but talked about hope."

Only 4 In 10 Say Obama Deserves Re-election

The continuous milking of the race card by the Left clearly isn't working on the majority of Americans who are clearly just fed up with a radically-Leftist President who only looks out for residents of Blue states:

Nearly half of all Americans think President Barack Obama does not deserve re-election in 2012, according to a new national poll.

A Quinnipiac University survey released Wednesday indicates that 48 percent of the public thinks Obama doesn't deserve a second term in office, with four in ten saying he does deserve to be re-elected. By a 52 to 34 percent margin, Independent voters say the president doesn't deserve re-election.

Thirty-six percent of people questioned in the poll say they'd vote for Obama if the next presidential election were held today, with 39 percent saying they'd cast their ballot for the Republican candidate. Thirteen percent say their vote depends on which Republican would be facing off against Obama and 12 percent say they are undecided. By a 37 to 27 percent advantage, Independents say they'd vote for the Republican candidate.

Robert Gibbs Apologizes to Shirley Sherrod on Behalf of Obama Administration

Mediaite.com:

As expected, the topic of the day at today’s White House briefing was Shirley Sherrod. Press Secretary Robert Gibbs fielded many questions on her ouster, apologizing on behalf of the administration for what he rightly called an “injustice.” In a dramatic turn, Jake Tapper informed Gibbs that Sherrod was watching the briefing, and Gibbs directed his apology to her. Tapper also pointed out that he (among others) had performed due diligence before acting on the story (unlike Secretary Tom Vilsack). See the remarkable exchange below.

Tapper also asked Gibbs if he agreed with critics who say the administration overreacted because they’re scared of conservative pundits, to which Gibbs replied, “No.” Responding to Chip Reid later in the briefing, Gibbs did not rule out the President speaking about this in the near future, and called this a “teachable moment.” I would bet that President Obama makes some sort of statement by the end of the day.

Elisabeth Hasselbeck Unloads on Kathy Griffin, But Joy Behar Waters Down Smear of Scott Brown's Daughters; 'It Was Just a Joke'

Newsbusters.org:

On her Bravo show last Tuesday night, Kathy Griffin trashed Sen. Scott Brown's two daughters as "prostitutes." CNN reporter Dana Bash, who was present with her husband John King, erupted into laughter.

Yesterday on ABC's "The View," co-host Joy Behar tried to throw a wet blanket on the ensuing outrage over the "joke," which included condemnations of Griffin's comments by Scott Brown himself and by Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.).

"It's just a joke," Behar repeatedly affirmed during a heated exchange with co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who vehemently disagreed.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Hasselbeck exclaimed. "We've always said politicians' kids are off limits! If someone went around calling Barack Obama's two girls prostitutes, people would be up in arms. Laybacks! Kathy Griffin's got to back up on that one right now!"

Hasselbeck ripped Griffin as "scum" for her remarks. "You defend your daughters against scum who comes after them and calls them someone like a prostitute," Hasselbeck asserted about Scott Brown's condemnation of Griffin's "joke."

Joy Behar is such a bitch.

Glenn Beck Exposes Liberal Blog "Think Progress" Phony Racist Charges Against Tea Party

BigGovernment.com:

Do you remember the abortive “Crash the Tea Party” movement? It was the brainchild of a liberal that explicitly called for progressives to commit fraud in order to attempt to discredit the Tea Party protests.

At Pajamas Media we covered the abortive effort extensively, and made note of the very real bigotry the Crashers unwittingly revealed… in themselves.

This morning, I came across this video from Think Progress:

Typical of the kind of dishonest effort Think Progress produces, the video heavily edits clips so that you have no idea what the context of a statement is or precisely what someone they’ve edited is trying to say.

Worse, the video “liberally” makes use of counter Tea Party protesters and infiltrators, including “Crash the Tea Party” drones, in order to fabricate their view.

The guy who claims “I’m a proud racist, I white” was actually driven out of the Tea Party protest he attempted to infiltrate.

Nice work, Think Progress!

Liberal Massachusetts Joins Effort To Bypass Electoral College

More revenge for Bush vs. Gore 2000:

The state Legislature is poised to give final approval this week to a new law intended to bypass the Electoral College system and ensure that the winner of the presidential election is determined by the national popular vote.

Both the House and Senate have approved the National Popular Vote bill. Final enactment votes are needed in both chambers, however, before the bill goes to the governor's desk, the Globe reported last week.

Governor Deval Patrick's press office didn't immediately return a message this morning seeking comment on whether he would sign the bill, if it makes its way to his desk. 

Under the proposed law, all 12 of the state's electoral votes would be awarded to the candidate who receives the most votes nationally. 

Supporters are waging a state-by-state campaign to try to get such bills enacted. Once states possessing a majority of the electoral votes (or 270 of 538) have enacted the laws, the candidate winning the most votes nationally would be assured a majority of the Electoral College votes, no matter how the other states vote and how their electoral votes are distributed.

Illinois, New Jersey, Hawaii, Maryland, and Washington have already adopted the legislation, according to the National Popular Vote campaign's website.

Supporters of the change say that the current Electoral College system is confusing and causes candidates to focus unduly on a handful of battleground states. 

Critics say the current system is not broken. They also point to the disturbing scenario that Candidate X wins nationally, but Candidate Y has won in Massachusetts. In that case, all of the state's 12 electoral votes would go to Candidate X, the candidate who was not supported by Massachusetts voters.

The measure passed both branches of the Legislature in 2008 but did not make it all the way through the process.

Liberal Journalists Plotted to Protect Barack Obama From Rev. Jeremiah Wright Scandal

FOXNews.com:

A group of liberal journalists in 2008 sought to sweep under the rug the Rev. Jeremiah Wright scandal that threatened to derail then-Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign, according to documents obtained by The Daily Caller, an online publication founded by Tucker Carlson, a conservative contributor for Fox News.

The documents offer evidence to conservative critics who have long held that the mainstream media were in the tank for Obama, and bolsters the argument that reporters with major news outlets are biased in their coverage.

Journalists working for Time, Politico, the Huffington Post, the Baltimore Sun, the Guardian, Salon and the New Republic expressed outrage over the tough questioning Obama received from ABC anchors Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos at a debate and some of them plotted to protect Obama from the swirling controversy, according to the Daily Caller.

Spencer Ackerman of the Washington Independent pressed his fellow journalists to deflect attention from Obama's relationship with Wright by shifting topics to one of Obama's conservative critics, the Daily Caller reported.

"Fred Barnes, Karl Rove, who cares – and call them racists," Ackerman wrote.

Conservatives can easily recall how much then-Senator Barack Obama ran away from race while on the campaigning for President in 2008--distancing himself from the likes of race-baiters Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson and even going so far as to leave the church of his longtime controversial pastor Jeremiah Wright. Would it be any surprise that an MSM media long in the tank for Barry would conspire to protect their hero from Rev. Wright? Not one bit.

Bill O'Reilly: Why Are Sanctuary Cities Going Unpunished?