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Geez Louise. What in the hell does Lou Dobbs have to do next before CNN decides to reign him in or can him? Apparently Dobbs didn't take too kindly to Karen Finney calling him out as using hate speech for the comments he made about her former boss, Howard Dean on his radio show. Our friends at Media Matters posted that one: Dobbs on Howard Dean: "[H]e's a bloodsucking leftist -- I mean, you gotta put a stake through his heart to stop this guy".

DOBBS: Do you think they are also evil mongers? Is that the latest from Senator Reid? We've gone from un-American now to evil mongers.

FINNEY: Our American values say that we believe in free speech. We believe in --

DOBBS: Then why is everybody trying to constrain expression?

FINNEY: Because what we're seeing is, I believe that tyranny is when you organize for the purpose of being disruptive, or when you use hate speech like "I want to drive a stake through Howard Dean's heart."

DOBBS: Really? Did I say I wanted to do that through Howard Dean's heart?

FINNEY: I heart that on your radio program.

DOBBS: You heard me make a reference to Bram Stoker, an allusion to Howard Dean and, as a matter of fact, I was --

FINNEY: That is a convenient correction, Mr. Dobbs. But you called him a blood sucking liberal.

(CROSSTALK)

FINNEY: But how does your saying things like that --

DOBBS: Excuse me. Excuse me. If you will permit me, I called him a blood sucking leftist because of the approach he took.

(CROSSTALK)

FINNEY: Oh, excuse me, leftist, not liberal.

As Finney pointed out, the "leftist" vs "liberal" part wasn't exactly the portion of his comments that concerned her the most. So what does Dobbs do? He plays this from Ed Schultz as some sort of defense that there is hate talk from the left as well.

SHULTZ: Sometimes I think they want Obama to get shot. I do. I really think that there are conservative broadcasters in this country who would love to see Obama taken out. They fear socialism. They fear Marxism. They fear that the United States of America won't be the United States of America anymore.

So there's your left wing hate speech in Dobbs' world folks. Pointing out the obvious. And what does Dobbs finish the segment with? Attacking Finney again, and defending the idiot who brought a gun to a town hall. Wow.

Full transcript below the fold from CNN. Apparently they decided to leave out some of the ugliness with "(CROSSTALK).

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We have been documenting the increasingly violent and threatening protests at Democratic town hall events around the country, and now it seems things are reaching the boiling point. The Secret Service has finally gotten involved:

There were signs comparing President Barack Obama to a Nazi and showing him with an Adolf Hitler-style mustache, but federal officials believe another sign referencing the president and his family went too far.

A man who was holding a sign reading "Death to Obama" Wednesday outside a town hall meeting on health care reform in Hagerstown, Md., has been turned over to the Secret Service.

Washington County Sheriff's Capt. Peter Lazich said the sign also read, "Death to Michelle and her two stupid kids." Read on...

As many have said on blogs and the tee vee, these protests have nothing to do with health care reform, and they never did. They are temper tantrums being thrown by small minded, uneducated, racist white people who are angry about having a black Democrat in the White House. I'm encouraged to finally see the Secret Service getting involved in a public way.

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From The Cafferty File:

The increasingly bitter battle over health care reform is making some people question President Obama’s leadership.

Critics suggest that when it comes to governing on issues like health care, the president is missing the smooth confidence and “Yes we can” charisma that got him elected.

New York Times Columnist Maureen Dowd writes of this debate that seems to be spinning out of control:

“President Obama has proven quicksilver instincts, but not in this case. You would think that a politician schooled in community organizing and the foul balls of a presidential campaign would be ready to squash this kind of nuttiness.” Dowd adds that Mr. Obama knows how to rise to the occasion, but he may be running out of time to do so.

On Salon.com, Camille Paglia criticizes the president for proposing only “vague and slippery promises” when it comes to health care. Paglia, who supports the president, faults him for handing over much of the debate to congressional leaders and also seeming to be in an unexplained rush to get something – anything – passed.
She compares it to the “massive boondoggle” of the economic stimulus package, which the president pretty much gave Congress free rein to turn into one big pork project.

And it’s not just health care. The list of issues this president faces is mind-boggling and probably unprecedented: from the economy and healthcare to immigration reform (which Mr. Obama now says won’t happen until next year) on the home front… to Afghanistan, Iran, and North Korea overseas.

Critics say on a lot of this stuff, the president is talking, not leading.

So here's the question: Is Barack Obama meeting your expectations as president?

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Glenn Beck just can't understand why anyone would dare to call him a fear monger. I'm just surprised it was the likes of Bill O'Reilly saying it to him. It's pretty pathetic when Bill O'Reilly starts sounding like the voice of reason.

After Bill'O shows the clip of Rep. Bob Inglis saying Glenn Beck trades in fear Beck defends himself by noting a panel discussion he had earlier on his show, but he somehow fails to mention this: Visions of Nazis are dancing in Glenn Beck's head. At least the advertisers are responding to his hatred.

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It made for a pretty long video -- even edited down -- but Bill Clinton's speech last night was not only pretty long but very compelling. His subject was the progressive movement and how it is moving forward with real momentum now -- something, he explained, that really is a product of the reality that America is changing dramatically.

As we become more and more multicultural, he observed, the nation naturally will become more communitarian in how it approaches problems and will increasingly as a result adopt real progressive solutions, while discarding the old fake divisions -- particularly the racial ones -- that have plagued us since our beginnnings. And he offered some thoughts on not only the necessity of keeping that momentum but how we do it.

At one point he was challenged by an audience member who shouted out in protest about Clinton's adoption of the "don't ask don't tell" policy for the military, and Clinton answered sharply and compellingly. It was a reminder of just how strong Clinton can be when dealing with critics.

I'd hoped edit it down to a normal-length video but just couldn't. But the message is well worth the length.

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The always classy Coultergeist:

In the discussion with Coulter, in the first video below, Hannity brought up an old statement by Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, brother to Obama’s Chief of Staff: “Services provided to individuals who are irreversibly prevented from being or becoming participating citizens are not basic and should not be guaranteed. An obvious example is not guaranteeing health services to patients with dementia.”

Hannity showed that statement with the clear suggestion that it somehow indicated the current health care bill will include euthanasia, even though the statement was made in 1996 by someone who is not part of the Obama administration. Hannity went on to conflate the statement with the health care bill by (falsely) describing it as “taking seniors in a room and offering them end-of-life counseling.”

Coulter agreed. She added, “Totally ironically, Zeke Emanuel is on my death list. Hold the applause. I’m going to be on the death panel.”

Hannity, obviously stunned, said, “In other words, you get to pick who dies.”

“Right. I have a list,” Coulter answered. “Should I start with the ‘A’s?”

Was Hannity outraged that she spoke that way? Heck no. In a half-admiring tone, he said, “I can read the headlines tomorrow. It’s going to be Ann Coulter…”

It's not the first time that Coulter has fantasized about killing a person. She also wanted to put "rat poison in Justice Stevens' creme brulee".

Of course, Fox News remains blissfully unconcerned by providing a forum for Coulter's murderous impulses and fantasies.

Princess Sparkle Pony's Photo Blog: Today's lousy healthcare coverage brought to you by Siemans and Novartis, out of the kindness of their hearts. Tired...

Capital Eye: Health Care Cheat Sheet

Legal Schnauzer: Karl Rove did NOT deny involvement in the Siegelman case

h+ Magazine: The Salk Institute for Biological Studies has proven that genetic diseases can be cured by combining gene therapy with stem cells.

TreeHugger: North Carolin Senate bans moutaintop wind turbines. Too ugly!

3 quarks daily: How the brain hard-wires us to love Google, Twitter, and texting

Excellent town hall sign, dude! Photo found at Blue Hampshire Politics. That guy can dream...

Open thread below...

There are few who have steered the course of an art form the way Les Paul did. Had he not invented the solidbody electric guitar or the multi-track recorder, I'd still be writing an homage to a great innovator in jazz and pop guitar playing today, but fortunately for musicians and listeners alike, he was much more.

Les Paul (nee Lester William Polfus) heard sounds in his head that was beyond the technology available, and was ingenious and determined enough to chase after them. The result is the basic tools that make up rock and roll as we know it. I defy you to find any nonclassical recording after say, 1960, that wouldn't sound quite different if not for his contributions.

A musician foremost and a scientist second, Paul continued to play a weekly gig at New York's Iridium well into his nineties, frequently letting younger up and coming musicians and big names alike join him onstage for a chance to jam with a legend. It's an openness, lack of pretense and clear demonstration of a love of music that any performer who can claim .01% of Paul's impact would do well to learn from.

Les Paul died today at 94 from complications from pneumonia. The cliche about his work living on can not be understated.

Note: I apologize for the horribly sexist Listerine commerical midway through the clip, though it's kind of hilarious.

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August 12, 2009

(Nicole) MSNBC's Keith Olbermann is going out of his way to refute the rumors of a deal made between FOX and MSNBC by naming Billo the Clown once again as his Worst Person in the World. His infraction this time? The insinuations by Bill--all completely unresearched and unconfirmed BY BILLO'S OWN ADMISSION--that MSNBC parent company GE is under suspicion for supplying parts found in roadside bombs, purportedly placed there by Iranian forces.

So he smeared a company which he had previously threatened with public blackmail. You can talk all you want about feuds and cease-fires and childishness. But if I or any actual reporter like me had gotten as much wrong in any story as Bill O'Reilly got wrong in this one, I'd be fired in 15 minutes, as he should be now.

Silly rabbit. No one actually thinks Billo the Blowhard is a reporter, do they? He's a talking head. And as we've seen time after time from Fox News Channel, the heads need only talk, not have a brain, much less report facts. Facts have a liberal bias, Keith, and that's something you'll NEVER find on Fox News.

Transcripts below the fold

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Our friend Digby was on an excellent panel today at Netroots Nation in Pittsburgh discussing how we find ways to talk about economic issues in America going forward, especially since we have to confront such an endless deluge of right-wing BS framing.

She points out, adroitly, that for some reasons, deficits and federal spending are only a problem when a Democrat occupies the White House. Moreover, that deficit spending in support of an illegitimate overseas war is never questioned, while deficit spending to stop the USA from falling into an economic depression or to help Americans with their health care is readily attacked without raising an eyebrow.

As usual with Digby, it's entertaining and enlightening.

Amato and I are having fun hanging out with our blogging friends. Bill Clinton is speaking tonight, and we'll have video from that in the morning.

As the mind-numbing stupidity rages on in the debate over health care reform, there has been one booming industry that has gotten little attention as of late -- Medical Tourism. Fox News has tried to trash the industry, but it's becoming more and more popular.

We've heard the right wing talking points about how people from all over the world come here for medical treatment, but what rarely, if ever gets pointed out in response is that each year, tens of thousands of Americans travel outside the U.S. in to get medical treatment, sometimes life-saving procedures. Many of these people have health insurance, but they make the trips because their insurance companies won't cover the whole procedure, if they cover it at all. According to Newsweek, 60% of Americans find medical tourism appealing:

A new survey funded by Your Surgery Abroad, an online directory of medical tourism, found that more than 60 percent of Americans are willing to leave the country for cheaper medical services. “As people’s budgets in America are getting tighter, they’re much more inclined to start thinking about going abroad to save money,” says Adam Nethersole, the managing director of Your Surgery Abroad.

Wealthy patients have always crossed international borders (even the Nomads took trips to health spas), but the decreasing cost of travel has encouraged Americans of more moderate means to whip out their passports for medical procedures. And while more elective procedures like rhinoplasty and face-lifts used to attract consumers to exotic lands, a growing number of Americans are now traveling abroad for essential procedures like cardiology and cancer treatments. Read on...

If our health care system is so fantastic, why do thousands of Americans leave the country to get treatment elsewhere? Should we be surprised when we live in a country ranked 37th in the world by the World Health Organization? This isn't an indictment on our health care professionals, it's a testimony to the skyrocketing costs of medical care in this country and greed and rationing on the part of insurance companies. Perhaps some of our Democratic representatives and pundits might start picking up on the medical tourism business when talking about health care reform?

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August 12, 2009 MOX News

(Nicole:) Our very own CSpanJunkie attended Rep. Rick Larsen's town hall meeting on health care in Everett, Washington. By all accounts, it wasn't one of the crazed mob scenes they love showing us on the cable channels.

However, the addition of decorum did not bring with it the addition of sense. And in response to one person's dutiful recitation of misinformation, courtesy of the right wing, Rep. Larsen retorted with a classic line I think should be part of every Democratic congressman's repertoire:

CITIZEN: I have two real concerns about the nationalized health care insurance.

Why are all Americans forced into a government-run health care and insurance plan when only 46 million out of 312 million are uninsured? Do you want me to break down how those insured are found? 12 million are illegal immigrants, 17 million earn $50,000 plus and choose not to have inurance. 8.8 million without insurance for four months or less…or more because they’re between…they’re unemployed and between jobs. 8.2 are chronically uninsured. That’s a total of 46 million people. I’d be willing for the government to buy insurance policies for the 8.2 million chronically uninsured, but the other 37.8 million are not the responsibility of the American citizens and I will…I’m not willing…and I am unwilling to throw my present health care away for them.

LARSEN: Thanks. Thanks, Jim. Thanks for your input and your comments. With regards to the first comment about being forced to buy health care, I’ll say it again, not ‘till I’m blue in the face, I may get cold enough and I’ll look blue in the face here tonight, but it won’t be until I’m blue in the face. The bill does not force anybody to buy health care, to change…to change….I’m sorry, the bill does not force anybody to change their health care plan. If you’re in a plan, you will not be forced into the public option. You will not be forced into the health insurance exchange. Now folks will say that’s not true, but I’ve got facts on my side and you’ve got Glenn Beck on your side. It’s just not going to play off that way.

Bravo, Rep. Larsen...let's keep marginalizing Beck and his ilk in the exact same way over and over until even these Fox News viewers are too embarrassed to cite him.

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Well, well, well. Besides Lou Dobbs blatant hatred of immigrants, and his latest birther debacle, now he's decided to trash the Southern Poverty Law Center, and instead of bringing anyone from their organization on to attempt to defend themselves, he asks his guests Ron Christie, Hank Sheinkopf and Chris Stirewalt to weigh in on whether there has been a rise in right wing militia groups across the country instead. I'm not sure why he thought any of these people were qualified to debate the topic. If he'd wanted to have a fair argument on this, he'd have brought in our own Dave Neiwert, and Mark Potok from the Southern Poverty Law Center and debated both of them himself.

My friends John Amato and Dave Neiwert are both travelling to the Daily KOS event right now, but I hope when Dave gets some time, he can take on Dobbs himself on this one.

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From The Daily Show:

Larry Wilmore urges white people to deal with the fact that America is getting darker.