State of the Union: 2014

[coalesce]

I used to be annoyed with Al Sharpton too but he has really toned down since he started appearing on MSNBC. It's difficult to criticize him when they had people like S.E. Cupp.

As a lifelong New Yorker, I can never forgive Al Sharpton for his role in the Tawana Brawley lie. His behavior was beyond reprehensible.

Michael

 

[Olowkow]

As a lifelong New Yorker, I can never forgive Al Sharpton for his role in the Tawana Brawley lie. His behavior was beyond reprehensible.

Michael

His role? It was a bizarre tale, and he was taken in and duped as were a lot of other people at the time. The story had that hint of plausibility. He made a mistake. Why can you "never forgive"? Are you suggesting he was conspiring with someone to promote her false story? I might have missed something.

Rev Al is currently one of the best spokesmen for progressive blacks, or whites for that matter.

 

[Ziggurat]

His role? It was a bizarre tale, and he was taken in and duped as were a lot of other people at the time. The story had that hint of plausibility. He made a mistake. Why can you "never forgive"?

Perhaps it has something to do with Sharpton never apologizing or even expressing any regret. Or even acknowledging that it was a hoax.

Rev Al is currently one of the best spokesmen for progressive blacks, or whites for that matter.

That is a sad, sad statement.

 

[AlBell]

From the internet here's how many people watched in each year of the Obama presidency:

2009: 52.4 million
2010: 48 million
2011: 42.8 million
2012: 37.8 million
2013: 33.5 million

Fewer and fewer people seem to be interested each year. Couldn't find this year's ratings yet but the trend suggests it might be less than 30 million.

People eventually realize listening to a liar has no upside potential.

 

[Tsukasa Buddha]

The "US decreased carbon emissions more than any other country" was such a farce. The people who care about the environment should know it:

But some perspective is in order. The carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. in 2011 were second only to China, which emitted 8,715.31 million metric tons.

Few other countries even come close to emitting the amount of carbon dioxide that the U.S. does. The U.S. improvement results are different when the reduction amount is measured by the percentage change.

By that measure, dozens of countries fared better than the U.S., which reduced its emissions by 6.2 percent, including France (8.3 percent reduction), Germany (14.2 percent), Italy (15.1 percent), Spain (8 percent) and the United Kingdom (13.2 percent) — all of which*committedto reducing emissions under the*Kyoto Protocol*that took effect in 2005 and has since been extended through 2020. The United States*did not ratify*the treaty.

Also noteworthy, the EIA*credited*most of the U.S. reduction in carbon pollution to slower economic growth, weather, higher gasoline prices and an increasing shift from coal to natural gas — not necessarily the government’s energy policy, as claimed by Obama.

http://www.factcheck.org/2014/01/facts-of-the-union/

The deficit claim should also ring hollow. You lie, with statistics!

 

[AlBell]

The "US decreased carbon emissions more than any other country" was such a farce. The people who care about the environment should know it:



http://www.factcheck.org/2014/01/facts-of-the-union/

The deficit claim should also ring hollow. You lie, with statistics!

Did you expect otherwise? Fool me once, etc.

 

[Travis]

Well I guess that proves once and for all that climate change is a hoax.

 

[Olowkow]

Perhaps it has something to do with Sharpton never apologizing or even expressing any regret. Or even acknowledging that it was a hoax.




That is a sad, sad statement.

Golly! Sorry you're sad. True, he should have acknowledged it was a hoax, and expressed his regrets for being taken in so easily. I'm surprised I agree with you on anything.

I would have acknowledged it as a hoax, personally, were I in his shoes. I think his political point of view is an important one although one which I often disagree with.

 

[Travis]

Beck is like pretty sure that this all about Obama warning us he'll soon be a dictator.

 

[Virus]

Rev Al is currently one of the best spokesmen for progressive blacks, or whites for that matter.

I agree.

 

[DGM]

That was a very good speech; it left almost no room for a reply. I'm anticipating a lot of Republican blood on the ground after they walk into a buzz-saw with their responses.

Why can't the Republicans get someone who can make a speech without invoking God? They keep putting these dingbats in front of the media instead of competent politicians.

Bush speechwriter accuses Obama of plagiarism in State of the Union

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sidesho...agiarism-in-state-of-the-union-143818874.html

 

[Travis]

Jim Garrow has a pretty morbid take on the State Of The Union.

The Speech:

"The Boy Who Cried Wolf" is at it again. Perhaps a real wolf will eat him so we don't have to listen to the lies. Rabid dogs are put down for the protection of the innocent and to prevent the spread of disease.

Our "loyal opposition" can't even yell "You lie" without offering an apology later and backing down from speaking the truth. Ted Cruz and Rand Paul made their usual attempt at truth telling but like the Scripture tells us "A prophet is without honor in his own land", and they will be ignored unless it is to hold them up to ridicule on the morning talk shows.

In the meantime the meteor of doom continues on its course with the mad man Obama laughing derisively at the "colonialist empire" he is wreaking havoc on and bringing down. The great Satan allowed its guard to slip and a quisling agent to penetrate. His work of devastation is not done and he has spread his manure of deceit across the land again.

 

[NoahFence]

Jim Garrow has a pretty morbid take on the State Of The Union.

Which is the same response he'd give if the speech consisted of:

"My fellow Americans. Kittens, puppies and bunnies. Rainbows made of skittles! Ford, Chevy, Chrysler. McDonalds and apple pie. Thank you and god bless America"

 

[Tsukasa Buddha]

I thought the minimum wage plan sounded familiar, and I was right. It is exactly what LGBT groups have been trying to get him to do. And he didn't. The excuse is bizarre:

Gay rights advocates are seething over Obama’s refusal to grant employment discrimination protections to gays and lesbians working for federal contractors, safeguards they have been seeking for years. And some immigration overhaul supporters were disappointed that he did not act on his own to halt deportations, which have soared during his presidency and angered many Hispanics.

On both issues, White House officials say the place for action is in Congress, where successful legislation would be far more sweeping than the steps the president could take by himself. But work on an employment non-discrimination bill and an overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws is stalled on Capitol Hill, leaving advocates perplexed as to why their calls for executive action did not fit into Obama’s vow to act “whenever and wherever” Congress will not.

“In the absence of congressional action, an executive order that prohibits discrimination by contractors is a tailor-made solution to the president’s expressed aims,” said Fred Sainz, vice president of Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest gay advocacy organization. Sainz said his frustration with the White House’s inaction on the issue was “growing by the day.”

Ben Monterroso, executive director of the immigration organization Mi Familia Vota, said: “The president said he is going to use executive orders to act where Congress fails, and we expect him to do the same with immigration reform.”

Linky.

Also, the grand income inequality focus people were expecting didn't really pan out. The "MyRA" sounds particularly troubling.

 

[Polaris]

Oof! BURN! You sure are proud of that one, huh? That has to have taken a lot of time to put together - although, for a polemicist of your caliber, perhaps it's all in a day's work.

I came up with "Al Shart-ton" right off the top of my head. And I don't even do the "do vulgar things with names" thing - it just strikes me as lazy.

 

[AlBell]

I thought the minimum wage plan sounded familiar, and I was right. It is exactly what LGBT groups have been trying to get him to do. And he didn't. The excuse is bizarre:



Linky.

Also, the grand income inequality focus people were expecting didn't really pan out. The "MyRA" sounds particularly troubling.

The feds want to control all your savings (i.e. think General Fund) rather that wait on taxing it.

 

[coalesce]

His role? It was a bizarre tale, and he was taken in and duped as were a lot of other people at the time. The story had that hint of plausibility. He made a mistake. Why can you "never forgive"? Are you suggesting he was conspiring with someone to promote her false story? I might have missed something.

Rev Al is currently one of the best spokesmen for progressive blacks, or whites for that matter.

Sorry for being so late with my response.

New York City in the late 1980s/early 1990s was a different place than it is now. There were a lot of racial tensions: the Crown Heights riots, the nauseating murder in Howard Beach of Michael Griffin, Bernard Goetz, but the Tawana Brawley story was waaaaayyyy more than just a "bizarre story" or a hoax. It was a intentional, purposeful, hateful fairy tale foisted upon this city by people who KNEW it was a lie from the get-go and not only allowed it to happen but reveled in the attention given to him, Alton Maddox and C. Vernon Mason by a salacious press and an insatiable public who knew a good story when they see it, or have one fabricated for them. Incendiary press conference after incendiary press conference, frivolous lawsuits, and after all the smoke had cleared, all that was left was the truth. And the truth was THE RAPE NEVER HAPPENED. Sharpton, Maddox and Mason KNEW it never happened but went ahead with all their vile accusations anyway, because what the hell, it sure beats working for a living.

And the upshot? The good reverend had to pay Dutchess County Assistant DA Steven Pagones $65,000 because Mr. Pagones had the audacity to sue the four of them and defend himself against the lies from those asshats. But don't worry, the good reverend had his supporters like Johnny Cochran pay his fees. Why should he have to pay out of his own pocket when there's a line of of fools who will gladly do it for him.

You can maintain that the good reverend is one of the best spokespersons for the progressive side, but dig a little deeper into history and see who you're throwing your hat into the ring with. Sub-human behavior like the good reverend exhibited should not be tolerated on either side of the political spectrum. It has no place in a civilized society.

Michael