Tag Archives: Benjamin Netanyahu

January 22, 2013 · 8:45 AM

10 things you need to know today: January 22, 2013

obama-inauguration-speech-465.jpg

The Week

1. OBAMA DELIVERS ROUSING, PROGRESSIVE INAUGURATION SPEECH
President Obama used his inaugural speech to articulate a decidedly liberal vision for his second term. Drawing inspiration from the most important events in American history — from the Revolutionary War to the civil rights movement — Obama proclaimed that the Founding Fathers’ dream of equality and liberty would not be fulfilled until the country reduced income equality, ensured equal rights for gays and women, protected the most vulnerable citizens from the inequities of laissez faire capitalism, and found a better way to welcome “striving, hopeful immigrants.” [The Week]
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2. THREE AMERICANS DEAD IN ALGERIA ATTACK
Three U.S. citizens — Victor Lynn Lovelady, Gordon Lee Rowan, and Frederick Buttaccio — were killed in last week’s hostage standoff at a natural gas complex in Algeria, while seven Americans made it out safely, the State Department said Monday. “The blame for this tragedy rests with the terrorists who carried it out, and the United States condemns their actions in the strongest possible terms,” department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said. The desert siege began last Wednesday when Mali-based, al Qaeda-linked militants attempted to hijack two buses at the plant, were repelled, and then seized the gas refinery. Algeria says 38 hostages of all nationalities and 29 militants died in the standoff. Five foreign workers remain unaccounted for. [CBS News]
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3. ISRAEL VOTES IN ELECTION; NETANYAHU LIKELY TO REMAIN
Israelis went to the polls on Tuesday in an election that will almost certainly assure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu another term. Polls in recent weeks have predicted a victory for Netanyahu’s ticket, a combination of his conservative Likud Party and the ultranationalist Yisrael Beiteinu. The polls have also shown the joint ticket declining in strength, from the 42 seats it holds in the current parliament to perhaps 32 or 35, and losing support to the Jewish Home, a party further to the right. [New York Times]
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4. INDONESIA SENTENCES BRITISH WOMAN TO DEATH FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
An Indonesian court sentenced British woman Lindsay June Sandiford, 56, who is a grandmother, to death for smuggling cocaine worth $2.5 million in her suitcase onto the resort island of Bali. Prosecutors had only sought a 15-year sentence. Sandiford — who had claimed in court that she was forced to take the drugs into the country by a gang that was threatening to hurt her children — wept as the sentence was read and declined to speak to reporters. Sandiford’s lawyer said she would appeal, a process that can take several years. Condemned criminals face a firing squad in Indonesia, which has not carried out an execution since 2008, when 10 people were put to death. [Associated Press]
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5. PRINCE HARRY LAMENTS NUDE ROMP IN VEGAS
Speaking for the first time about his nude romp in a Las Vegas hotel room last year, Prince Harry said he had “probably let myself down, I let my family down, I let other people down.” Still, he said, “I was in a private area and there should be a certain amount of privacy that one should expect.” Photographs of Harry in that hotel room went viral just weeks before he was set to begin his tour of duty in Afghanistan. The 28-year-old noted that his lack of judgment in the situation was “probably a classic example of me… being too much army and not enough prince.” [CNN]
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6. GROUPON HALTS GUN-RELATED DEALS AMID NATIONAL DEBATE
Groupon, the largest daily deals site in the U.S., has suspended gun-related offers in teh wake of the Dec. 14 shooting massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., that left 20 children and six adults dead. “The category is under review following recent consumer and merchant feedback,” Julie Mossler, a spokeswoman for Chicago-based Groupon said. The suspension includes deals for shooting ranges and clay shooting. [Bloomberg]
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7. PHILIPPINES TO CHALLENGE CHINA’S CLAIMS TO SOUTH CHINA SEA
The Philippines says it will challenge Chinese territorial claims in the South China Sea at a U.N. tribunal. Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said that the country had exhausted “almost all political and diplomatic avenues” to resolve the dispute with China. China claims a U-shaped swathe of the South China Sea, claims which overlap those of several South East Asian nations. In a statement China maintained its sovereignty over the disputed waters. [BBC]
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8. ADHD DIAGNOSES IN CHILDREN INCREASING
A new study of health records by the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Medical Group suggests that rates of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have jumped by 24 percent since 2001. “That is a very significant increase,” says Darios Getahun, a research scientist with group. The apparent rise in diagnoses is likely caused by growing awareness of the condition among parents and doctors, he and other specialists say. The study looked at health records of more than 840,000 children, ages 5 to 11, who were diagnosed by an expert. It found that 2.5 percent of children were diagnosed with ADHD at the start of the study in 2001, vs. 3.1 percent in 2010. [USA Today]
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9. GOOGLE GROWTH SLOWS AS MICROSOFT GAINS GROUND
New research indicates that Google search fell 3 percent year-on-year in 2012, and growth in the Android mobile operating system slowing. In search, Google market share dropped below 90 percent for the second month in a row to 88 per cent, its lowest in five years. Meanwhile Microsoft’s Windows Phone is experiencing strong European growth, particularly in Britain and Italy, with shares hitting 5.9 percent and 13.9 percent respectively — up from 2.2 percent and 2.8 percent a year ago. Microsoft Bing search rose by 0.19 percent to 4.99 percent. [Telegraph]
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10. POLICE SENT TO CHRIS BROWN’S HOME IN HOAX
Los Angeles police responded to a call alleging a domestic violence dispute at the home of singer Chris Brown, but the alert turned out to be false. (Brown was arrested in 2009 for attacking then-girlfriend Rihanna.) The call about Brown’s home is the latest so-called “swatting” prank that’s intended to get multiple officers, including specialized SWAT teams sent to the home of a celebrity.  Last week, Beverly Hills police responded to a fake armed robbery call at Tom Cruise’s house. [Associated Press]

 

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October 10, 2012 · 11:25 AM

10 things you need to know today: October 10, 2012

The Week

Romney says he won’t pursue abortion laws, Toyota recalls 7 million cars, and more in our roundup of the stories that are making news and driving opinion

POSTED ON OCTOBER 10, 2012, AT 8:13 AM

 

Toyota has recalled more than 7 million cars because of malfunctioning power window switches that could cause fire.  Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

 

1. MITT PROMISES NO ABORTION LEGISLATION
Mitt Romney said Tuesday that he would not pursue any abortion-related legislation if he were elected president. “There’s no legislation with regards to abortion that I’m familiar with that would become part of my agenda” ,  he told the The Des Moines Register. Romney did say, however, that he’d reinstate a policy banning nongovernmental organizations from using federal money to pay for abortions. Romney’s campaign team immediately sought to downplay the remarks. “Gov. Romney would of course support legislation aimed at providing greater protections for life,” said spokeswoman Andrea Saul. [Associated Press]
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2. TOYOTA RECALLS 7 MILLION CARS
Toyota Motor Corp. announced a massive recall of more than 7 million cars on Wednesday due to malfunctioning power window switches that could pose a fire risk. The recall affects nearly 2.5 million vehicles in the U.S. The recall is on a variety of models over multiple years, including the Yaris, Corolla, and Camry. No accidents, injuries, or deaths have been reported, and the windows can be fixed in about 40 minutes, said the Japanese company. [Reuters]
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3. SANDUSKY GETS SENTENCE OF 30 TO 60 YEARS
Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky has been sentenced to 30 to 60 years behind bars for the serial molestation of young boys. Judge John M. Cleland said the punishment guarantees Sandusky, 68, will be in prison for the rest of his life. The disgraced coach gave a rambling speech declaring his innocence. “We’re in the fourth quarter,” he said. “In the fourth quarter, you find out who will stand by you. For those standing up for me, we will continue to fight.” [Philadelphia Inquirer]
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4. MENINGITIS DEATH TOLL CLIMBS TO 12
Four more deaths are being attributed to an outbreak of meningitis linked to contaminated steroid shots, bringing the number killed in the U.S. to 12. Lawmakers are calling for stricter regulation of pharmaceutical companies. The number of those infected has climbed to 121, and health officials say as many as 13,000 received the tainted injections. The Massachusetts company that produced the steroid has closed voluntarily and has recalled its product. [Reuters]
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5. ISRAEL’S NETANYAHU CALLS FOR EARLY ELECTIONS
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, hoping to take advantage of high favorability ratings, announced that he would hold elections in early 2013 instead of October of next year. Netanyahu argued that an early vote was necessary because his coalition government cannot pass a national budget. “It is impossible to pass a responsible budget,” Netanyahu said. “Facing two upheavals around us, economic and security, it is my obligation to put the national interest above all else. Therefore, I have decided that the good of the state of Israel requires holding elections now.” [Wall Street Journal]
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6. TWO AMERICANS WIN NOBEL PRIZE IN CHEMISTRY
Americans Robert Lefkowitz and Brian Kobilka won the 2012 Nobel Prize in chemistry for their work showing how body cells respond to stimuli. Their work has helped the development of more effective drugs, said the prize committee on Wednesday. [Reuters]
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7. TALIBAN SHOOTS 14-YEAR-OLD ACTIVIST
A 14-year-old girl in Pakistan who blogged about life under the Taliban and the need for girls’ education was shot by gunmen as she was coming home from school. The extremist group took responsibility for the attack  that left Malala Yousafzai wounded in the head and neck. A Taliban spokesman declared, “This was a new chapter of obscenity, and we have to finish this chapter.” Pakistani lawmakers have condemned the attack. [Associated Press]
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8. SURVEY: 1 IN 5 AMERICANS HAS NO RELIGION
The fastest growing religious group in America is actually those with no religion at all, according to a new Pew survey. Approximately one in five people said they are not affiliated with any religion, up 25 percent from five years ago. Thirty-three million Americans say they aren’t religious, with 13 million in that group identifying themselves as atheist or agnostic. [CNN]
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9. RUSSIA FREES ONE JAILED PUSSY RIOT MEMBER
One member of the activist punk band Pussy Riot was freed from prison on Wednesday after the three jailed members asked a Moscow court to overturn their two-year sentence for protesting against President Vladimir Putin. The court left the sentences in place for Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, and Maria Alyokhina, 24, and issued a suspended sentence  for Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30. The trio argued their performance outside a cathedral was a criticism of politics, not religion. [Associated Press,Reuters]

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10. SARAH PALIN TO WRITE  FITNESS BOOK
Sarah Palin writing a book about getting fit? You betcha. The former Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential candidate told Peoplem agazine that she and her family want to educate America about maintaining a healthy lifestyle. “Our family is writing a book on fitness and self-discipline focusing on where we get our energy and balance as we still eat our beloved homemade comfort foods!” she said, adding, “We promise you what we do works.” [People]

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October 3, 2012 · 12:29 PM

10 Totally Fake Stories Bannered By Drudge This Year

Think Progress

Matt Drudge continues to capture the attention of the polical media “because of his brand recognition and, in 2012, because he has a direct line to the Romney campaign.”

But Drudge has used this position to continually mislead the public and the media. Tuesday night’s “bombshell” was just one of many recent examples. Here are 10 completely fake banner stories by Drudge in 2012:

1. Obama proposed to “repeat” auto bailout for every industry in America

Obama just didn’t say that. He said he wanted to bring back manufacturing jobs to every industry. You can read the transcript.

2. Obama “admits fabricating” his girlfriend in his memoir

As the Atlantic reported: “Obama is clear at the start of the book that certain characters are composites, writing, ‘For the sake of compression, some of the characters that appear are composites of people I’ve known, and some events appear out of precise chronology.’”

3. New evidence that Obama was “born in Kenya”

It was actually just an error in a pamphlet produced by his literary agent’s assistant.

4. Obama is giving out free phones

The “Obama phone” is really a program started by Reagan and expanded by Bush that provides subsidized phone service to low-income Americans.

5. Condoleeza Rice at the top of Romney’s list for Vice President

In response to the Drudge Report banner, which recieved wide-spread attention in the press, Rice said that “all of her previous statements denying interest in being Romney’s vice presidential pick ‘still stand.’” In a June interview with CBS, Rice said “there is not way I would do this… I don’t see myself in any way in elected office.”

6. Sherrif Joe Arpaio has uncovered evidence that Obama’s birth certificate is fake

The new evidence was just a collection of warmed over theories from internet conspiracy websites.

7. David Petreaus under consideration for Romney’s Vice President

It’s unclear how President Obama would know the internal deliberations of the Romney campaign. Nevertheless, the White House “flatly denied” the report, stating “such an assertion has never been uttered by the president.” A Petraeus spokesman said “as he has stated clearly numerous times before, he will not seek elected office.”

8. Biden proposed a “global tax”

As the Hill noted at the time, Biden was referring to a tax “under which the American government would impose a domestic tax on American companies that were shipping jobs — or profits — overseas to avoid paying taxes.” The Obama administration regularly discusses the proposal.

9. Obama had time to meet with a pirate but not Netanyahu

In September, Drudge suggested that Obama found time to meet with a pirate but not Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The photo was actually taken in May 2009 for the White House Correspondents Dinner.

10. Explosive new video of “race speech” will expose Obama

The “new” video was a speech from 2007 that was widely reported at the time. The only new footage was of Obama criticizing the federal government’s response to Katrina.

In addition, Drudge regularly links to internet conspiracy websites, including those that promote the idea that 9/11 was an “inside job.”

October 2, 2012

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September 20, 2012 · 10:18 PM

Fox News and Matt Drudge turn ‘pirate’ gag into international incident

"Fox & Friends" attempts to turn a Twitter prank into an international incident. Photo: Screenshot via FoxNews.com.

 

Anything Fox News or Drudge Report can find to negatively portray President Obama, they will jump on it and repeat it over and over again.

However, there’s just one problem…

The Raw Story

If you were watching Fox News or reading The Drudge Report on Thursday morning, you might mistakenly believe that President Barack Obama blew off the prime minister of Israel this week to chat up a colorfully costumed man who looks more like “Captain Morgan” than any government leader.

“TOO BUSY FOR ISRAEL,” a “Fox & Friends” kicker headline read in all-caps, stamped below a photo of Obama sitting next to man dressed like a pirate. “PRESIDENT FINDS TIME FOR PIRATE, LETTERMAN.” Hosts Brian Kilmeade and Steve Doocy piled on, attributing the photo to “International Talk Like A Pirate Day,” an unofficial holiday marked every year on Sept. 19.

Co-host Gretchen Carlson added: “I’m going to have to see more on that story because it doesn’t totally seem to gel.” Still, the show went on, with the “Fox & Friends” production team repeatedly displaying the pirate photo and even cuing up pirate music. Doocy later said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was “getting the Clint Eastwood treatment” from Obama, and showed a photo of the Israeli president cross-cut with an image of an empty chair.

Matt Drudge, the conservative media aggregator behind The Drudge Report, took the bait. “BUT NO TIME FOR NETANYAHU…” a headline on his popular conservative website declared, according to a record of the post captured by liberal watchdog group Media Matters for America.

It didn’t take long for savvy web users to point out that the pirate photo not is new. It turns out the image was taken as part of a Twitter joke for the White House Correspondents Association dinner, which typically features a night of political comedy and a satirical speech by the president. It has been available online since May 2009.

Reacting to the obvious blunder, a Twitter account for “Fox & Friends” corrected the repeat error. “The picture we aired this morning of the President & the pirate was from 2009,” they explained. Drudge, however, did not offer a correction.

This video is from “Fox & Friends,” broadcast Thursday, Sept. 20, 2012, as snipped by Talking Points Memo.

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August 19, 2012 · 3:05 AM

Meet Archie Hackney

Barack Obama, Archie Hackney

Archie Hackney’s name should be known to every American, especially every GOP politician and a few Dems as well.

The picture on the left was taken on May 24, 2012 when President Obama was in Des Moines, Iowa giving a speech about congress renewing wind energy contracts.

Mr. Hackney, a WWII veteran,  felt it was imperative to stand up in the presence of his Commander-in-Chief.   Mr. Hackney has apparently maintained the values instilled upon him during an era where the office of the presidency was respected whether you agreed with his politics or not.  He was still the leader of the free world.

Archie’s picture with the President brings tears to my eyes.  We need more citizens and politicians like Archie.

That sort of respect has dissipated greatly since the election of Barack Hussein Obama, the 44th President of The United States of America:

The 10 Worst Moments of Disrespect Towards President ObamaThe 10 Worst Moments of Disrespect Towards President Obama

It starts from the Superiority Syndrome: People acting as if they’re more important than a U.S. President — when they clearly are not.  To fingers in the face.  To people questioning his already established and proven citizenship.

The incidents of disrespect towards President Obama continue.

When people criticize Administration policy, that’s just politics.  But several incidents directed at this President appear to find new lows.  Of course, people can disagree with the President. But, why can’t people respect the Office of the Presidency?

The very public nature of disrespect towards President Obama is noteworthy.  Did Gov. Jan Brewer (R-AZ) have to conduct business with the President in front of reporters?  Wasn’t there a better time and place? Would a visiting leader from a foreign country be greeted with a finger in his face by a Governor? If not, why would it happen to the leader of our own country? Could a hockey goalie have executed a quiet no-show for a White House invitation honoring his team? See Facebook for the answer on that one.

It wasn’t the end of the world when Speaker John Boehner refused the President’s date to speak to a joint session on jobs in September 2011.  And yes, the White House picked that date to steal attention from a GOP debate.  But like so many moments of disrespect towards the 44th President: No one can find another example in American history where a U.S. President requested a date to address Congress and was refused. Can anyone find another incident like the Brewer one?  That the list below can even be compiled is telling.

1. The birther fiasco (2009-2011). No evidence. No proof. No documentation.  But the story traveled on for years. Yes, Hawaii is part of the United States of America.

2. “You lie” (Sept. 2009). That any individual — no less a member of Congress watching a U.S. President during a joint session on live national television — is so lacking in self control that this moment was made possible is incredible — even in an age of incivility. Remember this happened only nine months into Obama’s presidency and is another “we can’t remember that ever happening ever before” moment. Close your eyes and pretend Rep. Maxine Waters was Wilson doing this to President Bush and image the reaction.

3. Signs of the Tea Party (July 2010) and Naked Racism (April 2011).  Anyone remember California GOP official Marilyn Davenport’s racist e-mail? Did she ever resign for that?  I remember all the criticism of the NAACP – particularly from Black Republicans — for their “Tea Party resolution” of 2010.  Where was that indignation regarding what can be viewed in this video? Click here.

4. Donald “unchecked ego” Trump inflames birther fiasco, media assists (April 2011). The mouth of Donald Trump is a powerful thing when joined with a 24-hour cable news cycle desperate for viewers.  That news organizations invited Trump on the air unchallenged with zero proof of what he was saying speaks volumes on the state of journalism.  That Trump was completely comfortable demanding that a U.S. President “show him his papers” displays a superiority complex that exists among those who can’t accept someone they view as “lesser” in a position of power over them.

4. Deadbeat dad and probable one-termer thinks his presence before the President actually matters and needs to tell everyone (Sept 2011). The disrespect isn’t that probable one term Congressman Joe Walsh (R-IL) wouldn’t attend the President’s Sept. 8 speech. The disrespect is that Rep. Walsh actually believed that everyone knowing he wasn’t attending was important.  That he needed to announce he would not attend on national television, as if anyone cared, was yet another delusional superiority episode.  That proudly showing public disrespect towards the President is a winning strategy in some political circles reveals a lot.

5. Newt Gingrich’s “Kenyan anti-colonial behavior” comment (Sept 2010). Even Washington Post columnist and conservative thinker George Will slammed this attempt to define the President as “foreign.” Never mind the facts: President Obama wasn’t reared by his father in Kenya with whom he spent only a month of his 50 years on this earth. The strategy to define the President as a “foreign” or “alien” being was started by Sarah Palin in 2008.

6. One of the underlying premises of disrespect towards the President is that he can be ordered around and dictated to like he’s Tipi the laundry boy.  The presumption that a U.S. President can be ordered around is a new phenomenon that appears to have gotten underway around January 2009.  From big mouth Congressmen to millionaires with nothing to do, you name it — they all inherently believe they can order President Obama around.  At least Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is an actual leader of something. Regardless, read this and ask yourself if you think this would have happened to Presidents Bush, Reagan or Clinton.

7. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer puts her finger in the President’s face (January 2012). The photo speaks for itself.  Of course there are strong political disagreements between President Obama and Gov. Brewer.  But is it just possible there was a better time and place for this conversation?  Brewer said she felt “a little threatened” by President Obama. Please.

8. GOP House, prompted by Tea Party — refuses to raise debt ceiling (Aug 2011). Sounds like this was just hardball politics right? Let’s review the facts: The debt ceiling had been raised 69 times since 1962 without incident.  Seven times during Bush II and 18 times during Reagan.  Suddenly, with President Obama, a shiny new precedent is set with regard to raising the debt ceiling.  Another never before seen incident is born.

9. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) Publicly Announces His Top Political Priority (Dec 2010). McConnell wants the President out of office?  No news there, but, wait, there’s more to it. “Our top political priority over the next two years should be to deny President Obama a second term,” Sen. McConnell told the Heritage Foundation.  Of course the Senate Republican Leader doesn’t want the President to be re-elected.  But what’s with the public announcement? In July 2010 McConnell acknowledged his single most important political goal: President Obama being a one-term President. Again: In public and on national television.

10. Speaker Boehner refuses speech date request (September 2011). No it is not the end of the world.  Of course, the White House intentionally wanted to step on a GOP debate that same night. But, this is yet another first in American history. Once again, no one can find another instance where a President of the United States requested a date to address Congress and was refused.

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July 26, 2012 · 5:09 PM

Netanyahu: Romney Lying About Their Friendship

Is there anything that Romney doesn’t lie about?

Daily Kos

Bibi Netanyahu told Vanity Fair

“I remember him [Romney] for sure, but I don’t think we had any particular connections, I knew him and he knew me, I suppose.”~Bibi Netanyahu, July 2012 in Vanity Fair Interview, (middle of Page 4)

But, to hear the pathological liar, Mitt Romney, tell it the two were as thick as thieves (no pun intended) while they both worked at Bain Consulting Group in the 1970s (not to be confused with Bain Capital.)

Romney to the New York Times:

ROMNEY: “We [Mitt & Netanyahu] can almost speak in shorthand.  We share common experiences and have a perspective and underpinning which is similar.”

In December GOP Debate regarding how America should handle Iran:

ROMNEY: “I’d get on the phone to my friend Bibi Netanyahu and say, ‘Would it help if I said this? What would you like me to do?’”

Sounds like Romney would put Bibi First and America Second and that is very disturbing to me.

In April 2012, Romney said:

ROMNEY: “Israel’s current prime minister is not just a friend, he’s an old friend”

Romney has touted his ‘friendship’ with Netanyahu as being “nurtured through meals in Boston, New York and Jerusalem.”

Look, it’s no surprise that Romney is a pathological liar and is lying about his “friendship” with Bibi to garner the Jewish vote — duh — But I would urge all my Jewish friends to remember that no one, of any religion or non-religion, can believe a thing that comes out of Romney’s mouth because he lies like a smelly old, nasty rug.

I would also remind my friends that Romney has hired most of Bush/Cheney Advisors and he, and they, have been chanting on and on about starting a war with Iran and ignorantly and falsely accusing Russia of still being the “Soviet Union” and also ignorantly thinking the world is still fighting the Cold War.

Mitt Romney has no Foreign Policy as his alleged Foreign Policy is exactly what the Bush/Cheney Advisors tell him it is — with no thoughts of his own and no core beliefs — Mitt just lies to the world about everything, including but not limited to, his fake, make-believe longtime close friendship with Bibi Netanyahu.

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January 20, 2012 · 4:19 PM

Newspaper Editor: Israel Should Consider Assassinating Obama

This is an unfortunate meme that seems to be making the rounds internationally and domestically…

Gawker - John Cook

Andrew Adler, the owner and publisher of the Atlanta Jewish Times, a weekly newspaper serving Atlanta’s Jewish community, devoted his January 13, 2012 column to the thorny problem of the U.S. and Israel’s diverging views on the threat posed by Iran. Basically Israel has three options, he wrote: Strike Hezbollah and Hamas, strike Iran, or “order a hit” on Barack Obama. Either way, problem solved!

Here’s how Adler laid out “option three” in his list of scenarios facing Israeli president Benjamin Netanyahu (the column, which was forwarded to us by a tipster, isn’t online, but you can read a copy here):

Three, give the go-ahead for U.S.-based Mossad agents to take out a president deemed unfriendly to Israel in order for the current vice president to take his place, and forcefully dictate that the United States’ policy includes its helping the Jewish state obliterate its enemies.

Yes, you read “three” correctly. Order a hit on a president in order to preserve Israel’s existence. Think about it. If I have thought of this Tom Clancy-type scenario, don’t you think that this almost unfathomable idea has been discussed in Israel’s most inner circles?

Another way of putting “three” in perspective goes something like this: How far would you go to save a nation comprised of seven million lives…Jews, Christians and Arabs alike?

You have got to believe, like I do, that all options are on the table.

It’s hard to tell whether or not Adler is just some crank. But the Atlanta Jewish Times, which he purchased in 2009, appears to be a real community newspaper. It was founded in 1925 and, according to Wikipedia, claims a circulation of 3,500 and staff of five. To judge from its web site, it’s a going concern.

A nervous Adler told me over the phone that he wasn’t advocating Obama’s assassination by Mossad agents. “Of course not,” he said.

But do you think Israel should consider it an option? “No.”

But do you believe that Israel is in fact considering the option in its most inner circles? “No. Actually, no. I was hoping to make clear that it’s unspeakable—god forbid this would ever happen. I take it you’re quoting me?”

Yes. “Oh, boy.”

When I asked Adler why, if he didn’t advocate assassination and didn’t believe Israel was actually considering it, he wrote a column saying he believed that the option was “on the table,” he asked for a minute to compose himself and call me back. He did a few moments later, and said, “I wrote it to see what kind of reaction I was going to get from readers.”

And what was the reaction? “We’ve gotten a lot of calls and emails.”

Nothing from the Secret Service, though. Yet.

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July 26, 2011 · 2:05 AM

Fox News Has Mainstreamed Pam Geller’s Islamophobic Hate Speech

Media Matters

In the aftermath of the tragic shooting in Oslo, Norway, the manifesto of accused killer Anders Behring Breivik is being examined, and commenters are noting that he frequently cited fringe, so-called “antijihad” writers including Atlas Shrugs blogger Pamela Geller.

Geller has long been a reliable source for Fox when the network needs or wants to highlight far-right, fringe, and extremist opinions — and Geller has only benefited from the exposure. And now that the opinions Geller proudly holds have been connected to a horrific act of violence, Fox News’ role in mainstreaming Geller and her brand of Islamophobic activism should be put under the microscope.

[...]

Fox News Has Aggressively Mainstreamed Geller

Geller Engaged In Fundraising For Her Issues On Fox. On June 28, 2010, Geller appeared on Fox News’ Fox & Friends where she promoted her book about “the Obama Administration’s War on America,” discussed her campaign to place signs on taxis that state “Honor killing victims: Is your family threatening you? LeaveIslamSafely.com,” and to instruct Fox viewers how to contribute to her campaigns through her website. [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 6/28/10]

Geller On Fox: Developers Of Islamic Community Center Near Ground Zero “Want To Stab Americans In The Eye.” On May 27, 2010, Geller appeared on Fox News’ Fox & Friends to criticize the developers of the Park 51 Islamic community center in New York City:

I think that that’s wrong. I think there’s no tolerance there. I don’t know why they’d want to stab Americans in the eye with that. [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 5/27/10]

Geller On Fox: A Mosque “Basically Embodies The Very Ideology That Inspired” 9-11 Attacks.On May 15, 2010, Geller appeared on Fox News’ Huckabee to discuss her opposition to the New York City Islamic community center, calling it “an outrage, an insult” and “humiliating to the families and to all Americans.” Geller called the community center “a mosque” which she said “basically embodies the very ideology that inspired those attacks on 9-11.” [Fox News, Huckabee, 5/15/10]

Geller On Fox: “All The Evidence Points To Obama’s Anti-Semitic Associations.” On July 27, 2010, Geller appeared on Hannity and claimed that President Obama’s meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was a “photo op” and accused Obama of being anti-Semitic. [Fox News,Hannity, 7/27/10]

Geller Compared Islamic Community Center To A “Ku Klux Klan Shrine” Near A Black Alabama Church. On August 11, 2010, Geller appeared on Fox News’ Fox & Friends and voiced opposition to plans to develop an Islamic community center in lower Manhattan. Geller said:

This is not a religious issue or a freedom of speech issue. Would you build a Ku Klux Klan at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Alabama? It has nothing to do with that. [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 8/11/10]

Geller On Fox: “Arabic” Is “A Spearhead Of An Ideological Project That Is Deeply Opposed To The United States Of America.” On February 14, 2011, Geller appeared on Fox Business’ Follow the Money to discuss Arabic language instruction in Texas schools. Gellar said that Arabic “is the language of Islam and it is a spearhead of an ideological project that is deeply opposed to the United States of America.” [Fox Business, Follow the Money, 2/14/11, via Nexis]

Geller Routinely Uses Downright Outrageous, Hateful Rhetoric

Geller: “President Obama Is Indeed A Bastard, Literally And Figuratively.” In an April 29, 2011, post on her blog, Atlas Shrugs, Geller wrote, “President Obama is indeed a bastard, literally and figuratively.” [Atlas Shrugs, 4/29/11]

Geller Compared Critics Of Muslim Radicalization Hearings To “Pre-War Nazi Germany.” In a March 9, 2011, post on her blog, Atlas Shrugs, Geller compared criticism of Rep. Peter King’s (R-NY) hearings on the purported radicalization of American Muslims to “what it must have looked like in pre-war Nazi Germany.” [Atlas Shrugs, 3/9/11]

Geller: Obama “Is A Third Worlder And A Coward” Who’s “Appeas[ing] His Islamic Overlords.” In an April 13, 2010, post on her blog, Geller wrote: “Obama is a third worlder and a coward. He will do nothing but beat up on our friends to appease his Islamic overlords. All this is going down while Obama plays footsie at his nuclear nonsense campfire — sucking up to Iran’s enablers while beating up our allies.” [Atlas Shrugs, 4/13/10]

Geller Called Obama “President Jihad” And Said Obama Was “Advocating Jihad.” In an April 1, 2010, blog post titled, “President Jihad: Obama Encouraged Violent Palestinian Muslim protests against Israel,” Geller claimed Obama “is agitating Muslims against Jews” and stated:

The President of the United States is advancing jihad against the oath of office that he took. [Atlas Shrugs, 4/1/10]

Click here for more outrageous and hateful commentary from Geller

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December 7, 2010 · 4:00 AM

In Climate Solidarity, Palestinian Firefighters Help Israelis Fight Wildfire

After all, we’re dealing with a humanitarian issue which knows no borders.

Think Progress

In a demonstration of solidarity in the climate crisis, Palestinian firefighters were some of the first to help Israel fight the unprecedented wildfires in the divided nation. The fires are caused by record heat and drought, a predicted consequence of the long-term climate change in the region spurred by fossil fuel pollution. A team of 21 Palestinian firefighters from the Bethlehem civil defense team left the southern West Bank in four fire engines at 4 am Sunday, and “were received respectfully” by Israeli teams, Bethlehem Civil Defense Chief Ibrahim Ayish told the Jerusalem Post:

After all, we’re dealing with a humanitarian issue which knows no borders.

The solidarity shown by the Palestinians, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, the United States, and others who have come to Israel’s aid in the face of climate disasters is precisely what is needed among the political and corporate leaders who have gathered in Cancun to make progress ending the pollution that is boiling our entire planet.

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November 30, 2010 · 5:20 PM

Leaked cables reveal America’s ‘profound hatred of democracy,’ Chomsky declares

I don’t agree with Chomsky on some things  but he just might be correct on this one…

Raw Story

What does the release of over 250,000 secret US State Department cables by WikiLeaks ultimately reflect?

“What that reveals is the profound hatred for democracy on the part of our political leadership and of course the Israeli political leadership,” Noam Chomsky, renowned American linguist and political dissident, told Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman on Tuesday.

In the context of Israeli and US policymakers view of Iran shown in the cables, Chomsky said that the perspectives of the leadership stand in sharp contrast to the opinions of the populations they supposedly serve.

“[US Secretary of State] Hillary Clinton and [Israeli Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu surely know of the careful polls of Arab public opinion,” Chomsky said.

Specifically, the scholar noted the Brookings Institute’s recent release of its annual poll on what Arabs think about Iran, the United States, and Israel.

Continue reading here…

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