TEXT SIZE: A A A A
Thursday, September 9, 2010

 

Before she became a darling of the Tea Party movement and a threat to the GOP establishment, not just in Delaware but nationally, conservative Senate hopeful Christine O;Donnell developed something of a reputation as a pundit with outspoken views about things that that even socially conservative talking heads sometimes shy away from -- things like premarital sex, porn, even masturbation.

As noted earlier this week on the top political blog Talking Points Memo:

O'Donnell has said, for example, that masturbation is wrong, and that looking at pornography is equivalent to cheating on your spouse. She outlined her views in a November 1998 article titled "The Case for Chastity" for Cultural Dissident.

She wrote:

"When a married person uses pornography, or is unfaithful, it compromises not just his (or her) purity, but also compromises the spouse's purity. As a church, we need to teach a higher standard than abstinence. We need to preach a righteous lifestyle."

A dozen years later, O'Donnell may get an opportunity to bring her ideas to the corridors of the Capitol, the greatest bully pulpit in the world. In the election to fill the Delaware Senate seat once occupied by Vice President Joe Biden, O'Donnell and her Tea Party allies are in a seeming neck and neck dogfight with the establishment candidate, the more moderate U.S. Rep.and former governor Mike Castle. The primary is Tuesday, and given the expected GOP tsunami, an O'Donnell upset would give her at least a decent shot in November, even in nominally blue (hen?) Delaware.

Last night, I spent the longest two hours of my life (more on that in tomorrow's Daily News) at a Tea Party Express rally outside the state capitol in Dover where O'Donnell -- whose youthful attractiveness and right-wing views have garnered more than a few comparisons to a certain ex-half-tern Alaska governor -- spoke and then answered reporters' questions.

Except about sex. When I tried to ask her if she's use her Senate platform to push issues such as reduciug promiscuity, her tone became somewhat indignant:

That has nothing to do with this campaign! That has nothing to do with this campaign (exasoerated tone.). That has nothing to do with this campaign, alright? Well, I'm a social conservative that's obvious, but none of this is relevant to the campagn. Everybody knows my platform, they're up on my website.

I wanted to follow-up, and ask her her views on related issues such as abortion. But she abruptly ended her impormptu news conference about 20 seconds after that. Earlier, O'Donnell said her initial legislative push -- the winner of the election takes office immediately in November because it is a special election due to Biden's 2009 resignation -- will one that has no chance of becoming law. That would be a repeal of the Obama health care plan that she acknowledges would be vetoed by the incumbent POTUS.

More later...

Posted by Will Bunch @ 11:34 AM  Permalink | 61 comments
Thursday, September 9, 2010

Building a house of worship =  Burrning another religion's holy book. Huh?

Media conservatives, led by Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin, are comparing a Florida church's plans to burn Qurans on the anniversary of the 9-11 attacks to plans to build an Islamic community center in Manhattan.

It's not just "media conservatives" -- John Boehner, your next Speaker of the House, also believes this. I'm sure you guys can explain it to me. Apologies for the slow blogging over the last day -- I was out, um, reporting, spending a lovely evening with Christine O'Donnell down in Dover, Del. More on that later.

Posted by Will Bunch @ 8:30 AM  Permalink | 96 comments
Wednesday, September 8, 2010

 

September 11 is a very important day for Glenn Beck. For one thing, the king of all right-wing media talks about it all the time -- more on that in a second. What's more, the horrors of Sept. 11, 2001, as pretty much the event that made the Fox News Channel host into the national lightning rod that he is today -- the vehicle that caused him to complete his journey from a Morning Zoo "rodeo clown" to a political guy who suddenly was replacing the so-9/10 Laura Schlessinger on radio outlets coast to coast and then leading a series of transparently self-serving honoring the troops rallies for Clear Channel.

But Beck has talked a lot about 9/11 over nine years  -- and the highly notable exception of his bizarre September 2005 attack on the family members of victims of the terrorist attack -- the emphasis has been on extreme reverence for that day in American history. When he was getting off the ground on FNC, he used the images of 9/11 to launch  project he claimed would bring Americans back together.

As recounted in my new book The Backlash, he said on his now imfamous March 13, 2009 "We Surround Them" program of the attacks that...

“[t]he skies were filled with black clouds and our hearts were full of terror and fear. We realized -- for the first time -- how fragile we really were.” As Beck addressed his coast-to-coast audience, viewers saw images of anguished, tearful women, head in hands, mouths agape, staring at the hellish fires of the World Trade Center, then a mother racing down a Manhattan byway pushing two children in a stroller, away from the deadly dust.

 
"to bring us all back to the place we were on September 12, 2001. The day after America was attacked we were not obsessed with Red States, Blue States or political parties. We were united as Americans, standing together to protect the values and the principles of the greatest nation ever created."
 
In fact, Beck even told his much ballyhooed Restoring Honor rally in D.C. last month that 9/11 was a sign from the Almighty, presumably to turn Americans away from things like greed and back to the things that really matter:
 
He has been sending us wake-up calls, and you can send two kinds of wake-up calls. One through fear, like 9/11. Nine-eleven woke us up, and we stood shoulder-to-shoulder for a very short period of time. Politics didn't matter. Color didn't matter. It didn't matter if you were poor or if you were rich. We were Americans together. Beyond that, we were God's human creation standing together.
 
So, with that all as a backdrop, what matters the most to Glenn Beck on September 11, 2010, the ninth anniversary of the day that terrorists slaughtered nearly 3,000 innocent Americans and ripped apart the lives of their families and friends?
 
Cashing in, apparently.
 
In Palinland, of all places.
 
The spiritual guru of the 9-12 Project will be marking the anniversay of 9-11 along with his new best friend Sarah Palin with a high-priced (and as far as the actual program goes, somewhat mysterious) event at the Dena'ina Center in Anchorage, Alaska. The potential event has been rumored and discussed under the radar for days, possibly even as the launch of a Palin 2012 presidential bid.
 
But apparently, in the immortal words of Steve Martin in "The Jerk," it's yet another "profit deal" for the two leading high-def hucksters of the right wing. According to the Ticketmaster page, tickets for this solemn 9-11 commemoration run from a low of $73 to a top price of $130, and that's not all. There's also $225 for a special meet-and-greet with Beck (and possibly with Palin), so that die-hard (and not economically struggling) Beck fans can wish him a happy 9-11 in person.
 
If there's a contradiction or some sort of irony in cashing in over 9-11, that seems to have eluded the hosts. Palin wrote this week on her Facebook page:
 
"We can count on Glenn to make the night interesting and inspiring, and I can think of no better way to commemorate 9/11 than to gather with patriots who will 'never forget.'
 
Visa and MasterCard accepted.
 
Truth be told, outrageous as Beck's latest scheme is, it's almost hard to work up the outrage at this point because to those of us who aren't drinking the David Barton-fueled Kool-Aid, this is simply who Beck is: One of the most shameless business people in America, who happens to be in the business of entertainment and warping some minds politically in the process. Beck has millions of fans -- and to him they are all walking ATM machines. He thinks nothing of selling the people who admire him overpriced gold coins or surivial seed banks and "Food Insurance" kits, none of which they need, and almost every Beck event not named "Restoring Honor" is designed around maximizing ticket prices.
 
That's why Glenn Beck made $32 million last year and Sarah Palin made $12 million in a matter of months.
 
The only difference is that this time it's 9/11.
 
And Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin are open for business 365 days a year.
 
UPDATE: One commenter below says that money from the event would be benefitting 9/11 families -- my initial check of a handful of news stories about the event does not turn that up, nor is that mentioned on the Ticketmaster page. If Palin or Beck or their reps say anything to that effect I will update the post, obviously. Of course, Palin also promised to donate her $100,000 fee for speaking to the Tea Party Convention back to the movement, and we've not seen evidence of that yet.
Posted by Will Bunch @ 12:39 PM  Permalink | 75 comments
Wednesday, September 8, 2010

 

This is cool -- the Daily News now has a blog for my own corrupt and contented Delaware County. In a shocking development, it's called TheDailyDelco.

My first impression? You think Attytood is opinionated (and maybe a tad self-righteous) -- check out when Brother Bill Bender gets wound up -- about the Tea Party and transparency:

Tea party groups from southeastern Pennsylvania are hosting a Republican candidates’ forum tonight at the Quality Inn Conference Center in Montgomeryville. It’s being billed on tea party Web sites as “an evening of frank discussion between the Tea Party Coalition and those candidates who seek our votes for public service.”

Then there’s this: “The entire event is OFF THE RECORD as we expect a forthright but respectful conversation. No recording or video devices will be permitted.” What?

There’s a time and place for off the record, but this clearly ain’t it, with a major election less than two months away. Why can’t the candidates be on the record and “frank” simultaneously, so the rest of the electorate can hear what they have to say?

I could not have said it any better myself.

Posted by Will Bunch @ 8:20 AM  Permalink | 31 comments
Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Your Philadelphia Phillies (winning ugly, but we'll take it) move back into first place in the National League East for the first time since May.

There's no turning back, baby!

Posted by Will Bunch @ 10:31 PM  Permalink | 14 comments
Tuesday, September 7, 2010

This one was phoned in by Barack.

He also told me "they don't realize they're the ones who're square" -- not sure what that means.


Posted by Will Bunch @ 9:22 PM  Permalink | 8 comments
Tuesday, September 7, 2010

This first one goes out to Rahm.


Posted by Will Bunch @ 9:16 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Everyone's welcome tonight -- even if you want to just stroll in, tell me where to go, and walk right back out -- when I sign copies of The Backlash from 6 to 7 p.m. tonight at the Barnes & Noble on Rittenhouse Square in Center City (Philadelphia, for you out-of-towners), which is at 1805 Walnut Street to be exact.

See you there (here are the details) and if you're nice about it maybe we'll all go out for a beer afterwards and talk about...the Phillies?

Posted by Will Bunch @ 11:36 AM  Permalink | 34 comments
Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Because you wanted to see it....my cover story for today's Daily News on "Islamophobia" around the country (bad) and in Philadelphia (not as bad).

Posted by Will Bunch @ 11:20 AM  Permalink | 19 comments
Monday, September 6, 2010

 

It's been a rare thing lately but I thought President Barack Obama had a good day today -- although we'll see what the dreaded media spin cycle has to say about that. I thought it was a good day because a) he proposed an infrastructure plan that -- as is the case, occasionally -- would be good government if he somehow could get it past the 37 Percenters (that's how much of the U.S. is represented by the Gang of 41) and is also good politics, whether or not it passes and b) for Labor Day gave his most impassioned speech in months, so much so that when I stumbled across it on CNN on my satellite radio in the car I actually listened all the way to the end for once.

That said, I wonder if all anyone will talk about tomorrow will be this:

“They talk about me like a dog,” Obama said with a chuckle of his political opponents. “That’s not in my prepared remarks but it’s true.”

I'm starting a pool right now on which right-wing media personality (or elected official, for that matter) will be the first to point out that "dog" is a particularly biting insult in the Arabic world and thus more proof that Obama is "a secret Muslim." Regardless, the TV talking heads will probably dissect this six ways 'til Sunday, literally, and Sunday is five long days away.

It will surely divert attention from what's important:

 

President Obama, looking to stimulate a sluggish economy and create jobs, called Monday for Congress to approve major upgrades to the nation’s roads, rail lines and runways — part of a six-year plan that would cost tens of billions of dollars and create a government-run bank to finance innovative transportation projects.

With Democrats facing an increasingly bleak midterm election season, Mr. Obama used a speech at a union gathering on Labor Day, the traditional start of the campaign season, to outline his plan. It calls for a quick infusion of $50 billion in government spending that White House officials said could spur job growth as early as next year — if Congress approves.

Voters want Washington to do something about jobs, and infrastructure is the best way to go here. Most Americans have a good handle on how these type of projects create jobs for the middle class and also have seen with their own eyes how badly this nation has neglected it infrastructure for the last 40 years or so. This particularly appeals to those handful of sensible swing voters, while those who don't want Washington to spend another dime on anything are a) a vocal and large minority, but still a minority and b) people who wouldn't vote for Obama if he discovered a cure for cancer on the same day he landed a head shot on Osama bin Laden. Will the new Obama jobs program happen in gridlocked Washington? Almost certainly not, not between now and November, but there's never a bad time for a good idea.

As for Obama's style, you only had to listen to the speech for only10 seconds to learn that the guy relishes the campaign trail, and actually he was more lively than his general election speeches in the fall of '08 which seemed intentionally dulled up at times. The weird thing is that I think Obama also has passion for the task of governing -- geeky passion, at times -- but you'd think he could work a little more excitement into his speeches during the three seasons of the year not named Fall.

 

Posted by Will Bunch @ 10:40 PM  Permalink | 72 comments
Pages: 1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  6  |  7  |  8  |  9  |  10  | 

Total pages: 207 | Jump to:
About Will Bunch
Will's new book: Learn about it here and purchase it here.


Will Bunch, a senior writer at the Philadelphia Daily News, blogs about his obsessions, including national and local politics and world affairs, the media, pop music, the Philadelphia Phillies, soccer and other sports, not necessarily in that order.

E-mail Will by clicking here.

PLEASE COMMENT WITH PASSION...

...but not with racial slurs, potentially libelous allegations, obscenities or other juvenile noise. Such comments will, at our discretion, be deleted in their entirety, and repeat offenders will be blocked from commenting. ALSO: Any commenter advocating killing any government official will be immediately banned.

Thanks.

Blog Roll
Philly/National
 
Atrios
 
Kiko's House
 
Suburban Guerilla
 
Booman Tribune
 
All-Spin Zone
 
Philly (Dragonballyee)
 
Afro-Netizen
 
Rowhouse Logic
 
MyDD
 
Bad Attitudes
 
Billmon
 
iFlipFlop
 
CorrenteWire
 
upyernoz
 
Tattered Coat
 
Fables of the Reconstruction
 
Slacktivist
Philly
 
Citizen Mom
 
The Next Mayor
 
Philly Future
 
Philadelphia Will Do
 
Philebrity
 
Young Philly Politics
 
Phillyblog
 
Welcome to Phillyville
 
Phawker
 
A List of Things Thrown Five Minutes Ago
 
Keystone Blog
 
Philadelphia - America's Hometown
 
BlankBaby
 
Above Average Jane
 
Phillyist
 
Metroblogging Philadelphia
 
The Clog
Politics
 
Josh Marshall
 
Daily Kos
 
Juan Cole
 
Oliver Willis
 
Andy Borowitz
 
War and Piece
 
Wonkette
 
BuzzFlash
 
Raw Story
 
Cursor
 
Crooks and Liars
 
Swing State Project
 
Kevin Drum
 
Talk Left
 
AmericaBlog
 
Hullabaloo
 
Mad Kane
 
Think Progress
 
Jesus' General
 
The Carpetbagger Report
 
Majikthise
 
Echidne of the Snakes
 
David Sirota
 
Glenn Greenwald
 
TBogg
 
Fire Dog Lake
 
Taylor Marsh
 
Matthew Yglesias
 
Jon Swift
 
Drudge Report
Sports
 
Beer Leaguer
 
The 700 Level
 
Dick Polman
 
Balls, Sticks and Stuff
 
Shallow Center
 
Philling Station
 
Phillies Nation
 
A Citizen's Blog
 
The Good Phight
Media
 
Romenesko
 
Editor and Publisher
 
Pressthink
 
Buzzmachine
 
The Inksniffer
 
Media Bloodhound
 
Eat the Press
 
Mickey Kaus
 
Media (Huffington Post)
If you must
 
Blinq
 
The Corner
 
Instapundit
 
Andrew Sullivan
 
Free Republic
 
James Taranto
 
Blonde Sagacity
 
ScrappleFace
 
Blogorrhea