Is thr Main Stream Media Waking Up to the Idiocy of Hosting Hate Group Leaders?

In the past I have lamented that all too often main stream media news outlets - CNN and MSNBC have been particularly guilty - have provided platforms for hate group leaders to spew anti-gay venom without ever (i) challenging the anti-gay rants and/or (ii) revealing to viewers the other ugly baggage that such individuals carry with them.  A perfect case in point in the past has been Tony Perkins, a man who is virulently anti-gay, has white supremacist ties and who constantly cites thoroughly discredited "research" to support his anti-gay lies.   New analysis by Media Matters suggests that news outlets that want to be considered legitimate have of late been giving Perkins the cold shoulder.   Here are highlights:

Family Research Council (FRC) president Tony Perkins has all but ceased to appear as a guest on CNN and MSNBC. It's a dramatic change for the anti-gay hate group leader, whose constant appearances on cable news during the 2012 GOP primary cycle drew criticism from progressive faith groups.

Since becoming president of the Family Research Council in 2003, Perkins has used his position as a leader among social conservatives to command significant media attention. FRC hosts the annual Values Voters Summit, making Perkins an easy choice for networks looking for a prominent voice to comment on social conservatism and GOP politics.

In 2010, the Southern Poverty Law Center labeled FRC an anti-gay "hate group," citing the organization's propagation of known falsehoods about LGBT people.

That label, unfortunately, didn't stop cable news networks from continuing to invite Perkins on national television on behalf of social conservatives. During the 2012 Republican presidential primary season, Perkins appeared on CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News a total of 56 times. MSNBC was particularly friendly to Perkins, with Hardball host Chris Matthews praising Perkins as an "honest conservative" who always tried "to find the truth" during a November 2011 interview:

Perkins' platform on cable news didn't sit well with audiences familiar with his long and sordid history of bigoted anti-LGBT rhetoric.  Faithful America, a progressive Christian group dedicated to "reclaiming Christianity from the religious right," launched a petition in February 2012 asking the network to stop inviting Perkins on air. The petition garnered 20,000 signatures, which were delivered to MSNBC's headquarters.

Perkins' platform at MSNBC created an awkward situation for Hardball host Chris Matthews. At a March 2012 book event, Matthews was asked about his willingness to invite Perkins on his show and admitted that his critics "may be right." At a book signing a few weeks later, Matthews told Faithful America members that the group had "a good argument" for no longer hosting Perkins." Perkins did appear on Hardball once more, in a joint appearance with gay Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA. But rather than offer the warm welcome Perkins had come to expect, Matthews grilled Perkins on his anti-LGBT extremism.

In the summer of 2013, Faithful America launched a similar petition targeting CNN after the network hosted Perkins to discuss the Supreme Court's ruling on Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The petition urged CNN not to let Perkins "speak on behalf of America's Christians" and quickly gathered more than 32,000 signatures.

A new Equality Matters analysis finds that both MSNBC and CNN have largely ended their practice of hosting Perkins in the months since the end of the 2012 GOP primary.  . . . . Perkins' appearances on CNN have steadily declined in the last year, and he hasn't been on the network since February: At Fox News, on the other hand, Perkins' appearances have held steady and actually increased in the past year. 

While Perkins has virtually disappeared from MSNBC and CNN,  FRC's anti-LGBT bigotry and misinformation hasn't entirely faded from the airwaves. In February, CNN's Crossfire hosted FRC senior fellow Peter Sprigg to champion an Arizona bill that would have allowed businesses to refuse services to LGBT people. In May, the network turned to the FRC's Ken Blackwell for his thoughts on gay NFL player Michael Sam.

CNN's willingness to host lesser-known FRC figures shows much work remains to keep anti-gay extremists off of cable news. But if CNN and MSNBC have indeed decided to stop hosting Perkins, that's undoubtedly a major step in the right direction.

It should come as no surprise that Fox News, a/k/a Faux News, continues to air Perkins' message of hate and discrimination.  Other, legitimate networks continue to be pressured to put Perkins and his fellow hate merchants in a pariah category that drives them from the airwaves. 

Alec Baldwin: GLAAD Spokesman and Andrew Sullivan ‘Killed’ His Show

It is always interesting to watch celebrities who refuse to take personal responsibility for the actions and/or their statements comments.  Actions do have consequences, yet blaming others seems to be the preferred course of action.  Alex Baldwin is a case in point.  Don't get me wrong, the man can be entertaining and I did actually watch his MSNBC show once or twice.  But blaming others for his firing when no one made him shoot off his big mouth is juvenile at best.  He shot off his mouth and the chips need to land where they may.  Blaming GLAAD and/or Andrew Sullivan is merely a distraction from Baldwin's own bad behavior/stupidity.  The Wrap looks at Baldwin's effort to blame anyone but himself.  Here are highlights:

Former “30 Rock” star says that “the fundamentalist wing of gay advocacy” helped take down his MSNBC show

Well, at least Alec Baldwin is accepting full responsibility for the demise of his MSNBC show.
Oh wait, maybe not so much….

Baldwin, whose show “Up Late With Alec Baldwin” was terminated by mutual decision on Tuesday, following a backlash over his use of a homophobic slur, told Gothamist in an interview that “the fundamentalist wing of gay advocacy” — in particular, GLAAD vice president of communications Rich Ferraro and gay writer Andrew Sullivan — had “killed” his show.

While maintaining that he had not used the word “faggot” during his confrontation with a paparazzo earlier this year — Baldwin has said that he uttered “fathead” instead — the actor nonetheless singled out Ferraro and Sullivan for blame.

“[I]f I called him ‘cocksucking maggot’ or a ‘cocksucking motherfucker’… ‘faggot’ is not the word that came out of my mouth. That I know,” Baldwin said. “But you’ve got the fundamentalist wing of gay advocacy — Rich Ferraro and Andrew Sullivan — they’re out there, they’ve got you. Rich Ferraro, this is probably one of his greatest triumphs. They killed my show. And I have to take some responsibility for that myself.”  Baldwin admitted via his Twitter account that he shouldn’t have used the word “cocksucker,” saying that Ferraro had told him it was an anti-gay slur.

“I consider GLAAD’s campaigns to end the Boy Scout of America’s ban on gay scouts, raise national visibility of the violence and inequality facing transgender people, and battling for marriage equality to be among my ‘greatest triumphs,’” Ferraro and GLAAD said.

Ken Cuccinelli Summarized in 47 Seconds

I'm no fan of Virginia Attorney General and would be governor of Virginia, Ken Cuccinelli, a/k/a Kookinelli or Cuckoo.  The man symbolizes all that is wrong with the Republican Party of Virginia and the GOP nationally.  The proud embrace of ignorance, racism, homophobia and religious extremism in general are now prerequisites to being a Republican.  My former GOP colleagues try to convince themselves that such is not the case, but they need to take a good look at themselves in the mirror and listen to what GOP elected officials like Kookinelli/Cuckoo are saying.  MSNBC summarized Kookinelli succinctly in less than a minute:

As Blue Virginia notes: 

Ken Cuccinelli is: "pro life, anti gay, and a climate change denier...[he's] equated Medicare to mugging the sick and elderly...he has sued the EPA, he has suggested that gays are not protected by the 14th amendment, and he has said your Social Security number is being used to track you." What a guy, huh? 

It is frightening that Kookinelli is running for governor rather than being carted off to an insane asylum where he belongs.

Exposing Tony Perkins' and Mitt Romney's Lies About Marriage

I have vented before about the mainstream media giving anti-gay hate group leader Tony Perkins (who also has white supremacist ties) a platform from which to spout deliberate lies and falsehoods about the LGBT community and the true history of marriage.  The latest lazy news outlet to allow Perkins to spout unchallenged lies is CNN.  Fortunately, Lawrence O'Donnell on MSNBC let Perkins have it and laid out the falsehood that marriage has always been "one man and one woman."  He also touched on Mitt Romney's hypocrisy - Mr. Etch A Sketch conveniently forgets that his grand father had five wives.  Just like he's forgotten his past homophobic bullying.  Here's a clip of O'Donnell's smack down for those who missed it last night:

In addition, GLAAD president Herndon Graddick has a scathing piece in Huffington Post that goes after the shiftless news anchors who never challenge Perkins' lies.  Here are highlights:

 Judging by its coverage of President Obama's announcement that he now supports marriage equality, it appears CNN still has a little "evolving" of its own to do.

The bulk of the media's coverage of this issue has been focused on what this statement will mean politically for President Obama and the Democratic Party -- and what it means for the future of marriage equality, now that a solid majority of Americans and the president support it. This includes CNN, which had several thoughtful pieces and interviews on these ideas. For example, Anderson Cooper's panel of Alex Castellanos, Paul Begala and Evan Wolfson broke down the issue purposefully, in a way that would help the audience better understand the significance of this announcement.

So with a wealth of political thinkers, analysts and strategists to go to -- why has CNN turned to Tony Perkins three times in the last few days to represent the "other side?"

Here's the crux of the problem -- and the exact reason why GLAAD's Commentator Accountability Project was born. Tony Perkins and others of his ilk cannot be used to exemplify those who simply oppose marriage equality. CNN is more than welcome to interview him on the issue of marriage equality, of course. His is unquestionably one of the loudest voices in the nation speaking about the issue.

But when Perkins gets interviewed, a responsible journalist needs to tell the audience exactly who Perkins is speaking for. Based on his own statements -- Tony Perkins represents people who believe supporting LGBT equality is akin to being a terrorist. Who believe marriage equality is the same as bestiality. Who say that gay people are "vile," "hateful," "spiteful" "pawns of the enemy." Tony Perkins does not represent people who oppose marriage equality. Tony Perkins represents those who oppose LGBT people -- period.

If CNN wants that side represented in this discussion, then Perkins is absolutely the right man for the job. But they need to make it clear to the audience that that's what he's there for. And by not doing so, they have not told the whole story. Wolf Blitzer's interview with Perkins is a perfect example of this.

To cable news viewers, he's just the conservative guy who comes on sometimes to talk about gay stuff from a Republican point of view. But Perkins' own statements will show you that those positions don't come from politics. They are the result of pure animus towards gay people, and a belief that they're doing the work of "the enemy."

You can expose how extreme Perkins' positions are by challenging them, like O'Brien and Morgan did. But you're still not telling the whole story, unless you tell your audience what's at the heart of those positions. We are once again asking journalists to hold anti-gay activists like Perkins accountable for their own statements against LGBT people, and to deliver that critical information to their audiences.

Sioux City Journal Devotes Entire Front Page to Bullying - But Fails to Condemn Christianists

In an unusual and in many ways amazing editorial the Sioux City Journal devoted its entire front page to an attack on bullying in the wake of the tragic suicide death of Kenneth Weishuhn after the 14 year old experienced extreme and relentless anti-gay bullying.  I certainly commend the Sioux City Journal editorial staff for their effort to address what is becoming an epidemic - needless deaths due to bullying and mistreatment.  Unfortunately, the editorial fails to take on the principal force that is fueling the type of anti-gay bullying that caused 14 year old Weishuhn to take his own life:  the non-stop poison being disseminated by the Christian Right which seems to believe that the only good gay is dead gay.   And right behind the Christianist in terms of responsibility for the bloodbath are members of the GOP who whore themselves to the vilest elements of the Christian Right.  Until such time as society and our elected officials have the balls to openly and repeatedly condemn the Christianists and their message of hate and intolerance, anti-gay bullying will continue to be among the last acceptable forms of hate based intolerance and bigotry.  Here are highlights from the Sioux City Journal editorial:

Siouxland lost a young life to a senseless, shameful tragedy last week. By all accounts, Kenneth Weishuhn was a kind-hearted, fun-loving teenage boy, always looking to make others smile. But when the South O'Brien High School 14-year-old told friends he was gay, the harassment and bullying began. It didn't let up until he took his own life.

Sadly, Kenneth's story is far from unique. Boys and girls across Iowa and beyond are targeted every day. In this case sexual orientation appears to have played a role, but we have learned a bully needs no reason to strike. No sense can be made of these actions.

Now our community and region must face this stark reality: We are all to blame. We have not done enough. Not nearly enough.  This is not a failure of one group of kids, one school, one town, one county or one geographic area. Rather, it exposes a fundamental flaw in our society, one that has deep-seated roots. Until now, it has been too difficult, inconvenient -- maybe even painful -- to address. But we can't keep looking away.

The documentary "Bully," which depicts the bullying of an East Middle School student, opened in Sioux City on Friday. We urge everyone to see it. At its core, it is a heart-breaking tale of how far we have yet to go. Despite its award-winning, proactive policies, we see there is still much work to be done in Sioux City schools.

[S]chools must be at the forefront of our battle against bullying.   Sioux City must continue to strengthen its resolve and its policies. Clearly, South O'Brien High School needs to alter its approach. We urge Superintendent Dan Moore to rethink his stance that "we have all the things in place to deal with it." It should be evident that is simply not the case.  South O'Brien isn't the only school that needs help. A Journal Des Moines bureau report last year demonstrated that too many schools don't take bullying seriously. 

But as Gausman and Nate Monson, director of Iowa Safe Schools, are quick to remind us, this is more than a school problem. If we want to eradicate bullying in our community, we can't rely on schools alone.  We need to support local agencies like the Waitt Institute for Violence Prevention and national efforts like the one described at stopbullying.gov. Bullying takes many forms, some of them - Internet, Facebook, cell phone - more subtle than others.  .   .   .   .  All public and private institutions need to do more to demonstrate that bullying is simply unacceptable in our workplaces and in our homes.

Some in our community will say bullying is simply a part of life. If no one is physically hurt, they will say, what's the big deal? It's just boys being boys and girls being girls. Those people are wrong, and they must be shouted down.

We must make it clear in our actions and our words that bullying will not be tolerated. Those of us in public life must be ever mindful of the words we choose, especially in the contentious political debates that have defined our modern times. More importantly, we must not be afraid to act.
 
It is the business of all of us. More specifically, it is our responsibility. Our mandate.  If we're honest with ourselves, we will acknowledge our community has yet to view bullying in quite this way. It's well past time to do so.  Stand up. Be heard. And don't back down. Together, we can put a stop to bullying.

It's a great editorial and I again applaud the newspaper's editorial board.  But sadly the principal architects of continued anti-gay hate and the bullying that flows directly from it get off free.  The gay-hating Christianists  and their puppets in the GOP - including those in the Republican Party of Virginia - MUST be confronted and condemned and given the message that their hate and intolerance will no longer be tolerated.   That also means that the main stream media MUST cease giving platforms for hate group leaders (e.g., FRC's Tony Perkins)  to spew their lies and poison.  MSNBC, are you listening???

MSNBC Continues to Give Hate Group Leader a Platform

Few things drive me more crazy that the lazy main stream media and its continued use of hate group leaders for interviews as if they were legitimate spokesman who had either relevant credentials or lead legitimate organizations. If that's the standard for an interview invitation, why not invite the Imperial Wizard of the KKK? Especially, if the invitee is Tony Perkins who certainly has his white supremacist ties. Once again MSNBC proved that it has no journalistic standards by having Perkins appear on its Friday morning show where Perkins laughably claimed social conservatives weren't judgmental (not once was Perkins challenged). By that standard, I guess whites who lynched blacks in the old South weren't anti-black. Think Progress looks at the ongoing bullshit being given a platform by vile hate merchants like Perkins. Here are some highlights:

The Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins appeared on MSNBC this morning to discuss last night’s GOP presidential debate and the recent revelations that Newt Gingrich allegedly asked his second wife for an open marriage.

The conservative leader — who regularly condemns gay people, “churns out brochures that compare same-sex marriages to those bonds which might exist between a man and a horse,” likens gays to terrorists, calls LGBT rights a battle of “good versus evil,” and claims gay teens kill themselves because they know that they’re “abnormal” — expressed concern about Gingrich’s personal past, but also raised questions about the wisdom of asking about his marriage during the debate. Ultimately, he suggested that Evangelical Christians are “not judgmental” and understanding, and could embrace a candidate who has sinned:

PERKINS: More than anybody, Evangelicals understand the story of Redemption, that people make mistakes and there can be a turning point. The tension becomes — have we reached that turning point on these issues and were they mistakes, were they character flaws that remain….People don’t want to be seen as that judgmental, because they’re not judgmental, but at the same time, they’re having some serious questions about the character of the candidate.

Does anyone have a vomit bag handy? Shame on MSNBC for providing a platform for a man who is best defined by his hatred of others - and not just hatred of gays.

Why Does MSNBC Invite Anti-Gay Liars on TV to Represent Christians?

I have long lamented the laziness and irresponsibility of the main stream media ("MSM") that results in anti-gay bigots and Christianists who lack any legitimate credentials being given platforms as either representatives of everyday Christians and/or "experts" on social issues, especially those pertaining to homosexuality. Would the MSM invite the Imperial Wizard of the Klux Klux Klan on to talk about the threat posed by blacks who seek civil equality? Or neo-Nazi leaders to talk about Jewish Americans? I think not, yet we see the precise equivalent time and time again when extreme Christianists and hate group leaders are brought on to TV news programs and allowed to spew lies and untruths while never being challenged. It's one thing when this travesty occurs on Fox News. It's something far different when the offending networks are CNN, MSNBC and the three main networks. A group called Faithful America has shouted out "enough is enough" and launched a petition addressed to MSNBC demanding that hate group leader and white supremacist lover Tony Perkins cease being provided a platform by MSNBC. Sign the petition here (I've already signed it). Here are highlights from the Faith in Public Life that looks at what lead to the petition effort againstMSNBC:

MSNBC is in the news this week for announcing that they may finally be ending their contract with contributor Pat Buchanan, who has come under fire in the last month (deservedly) for publishing another book with incendiary racist commentary. Led by Color of Change and CREDO Action, hundreds of thousands of people pressured MSNBC to fire Buchanan. This latest update suggests MSNBC finally listened to their concerns.

Unfortunately, Buchanan wasn’t the MSNBC’s only problematic regular contributor. As Media Matters has tracked, Family Research Council president Tony Perkins has appeared on the network 18 times in the past year alone–almost as often as he’s gone on Fox News.

The Southern Poverty Law Center has rightfully declared Family Research Council a hate group because of their consistent, unwavering commitment to spreading hateful lies about the LGBT community.

Speaking on MSNBC, Perkins has falsely claimed that “the research is overwhelming that homosexuality poses a danger to children,” and another FRC official has called for criminalizing homosexuality.

Yet instead of accurately identifying FRC as a untrustworthy hate group, MSNBC has continued to treat its officials as legitimate political commentators, most recently inviting Perkins on air just yesterday twice to discuss how evangelical Christians view the Republican presidential candidates.

In response, Faithful America has launched a petition calling on MSNBC to “stop inviting Family Research Council spokespeople on the air to represent the views of Christians and other people of faith.”

Just as racist rhetoric has no place in the media, anti-gay liars should not be baptized as credible Christian messengers, particularly for a network built on progressive viewers. MSNBC should continue its move to improve its contributor rolls by keeping FRC off its shows.

MSNBC Suspends Pat Buchanan

For years failed GOP presidential candidate Pat Buchanan has been marching down a road of increasing extremism and open bigotry. Last October, Buchanan released a new book,"Suicide of a Superpower", in which his batshitery and bigotry simply went over the top. Among the chapters were: "The End of White America" and "The Death of Christian America." The chapter titles somewhat speak for themselves and are reflective of Buchanan's antipathy towards blacks, Muslims, gays - the list goes on and on. The unbridled bigotry in the book - which some called out right racist - apparently was too much for MSNBC where Buchanan and Buchanan has been suspended "indefinitely." CBC News looks at the situation. Here are highlights:

MSNBC's top executive said Saturday that he hasn't decided whether conservative commentator and author Pat Buchanan will be allowed back on the network.

Buchanan, a former GOP presidential candidate and a paid MSNBC contributor, hasn't been on the network since the publication of his book "Suicide of a Superpower" last October. The book has chapters titled "The End of White America" and "The Death of Christian America" and its author argues that the United States is in the "Indian summer of our civilization."

"When Pat was on his book tour, because of the content of the book, I didn't think it should be part of the national dialogue much less part of the dialogue on MSNBC," said MSNBC President Phil Griffin. The minority advocacy group Color of Change has circulated a petition urging MSNBC to fire Buchanan.

Griffin would not discuss the length of Buchanan's contract with MSNBC or whether it would be renewed.

Unfortunately, Buchanan's views seem to be more and more mainstream within the GOP base filled as it is with Christianists, Tea Party loons, and white supremacists.

HRC and Rachel Maddow Call Out NOM for Faked Photos

I wrote yesterday about the story broken by fellow Blogger Summit attendee, Jeremy Hooper of Good As You, who caught the ever dishonest National Association for Marriage ("NOM") photo shopping Obama rally pictures to give the utterly false impression that NOM has large, wide spread support for its anti-gay jihad. Hopefully, the expose will go viral now that Rachel Maddow did a segment on NOM's dishonesty which can be viewed here. To further ratchet up scrutiny of NOM's sleazy practices, HRC has released a letter condemning NOM's dishonesty. Here's the text of the letter to NOM which was disseminated via press release:

Dear Mr. Brown:

Your organization has sunk to a new level of deception by manipulating photographs from an Obama campaign event in Ohio to trick Granite Staters into believing support for the National Organization for Marriage is much greater than it really is. And while I know that NOM has never been above misleading the public to further its cause, this new phoniness is an example of just how far you will go to make people believe your pursuit - the denial of equal treatment under the law -- is supported by New Hampshire voters and Americans in general.

There's no mistaking the facts: 62 percent of Granite Staters oppose repealing marriage equality. In addition, polls reflect that a majority of Americans support marriage equality nationwide. And it's no secret that support is growing as Americans from all walks of life come to the understanding that all that gay and lesbian families seek is to have our love and commitment recognized and legally protected. Yet NOM futilely and painstakingly attempts to convince otherwise.

The fact that you had to "steal a crowd" from someone else's event to create the illusion that people support your cause is evidence that you and your cohorts are truly scraping the bottom of the barrel.

Americans want the truth. And the truth is voters in New Hampshire want the legislature to leave the popular marriage law alone and focus on the economy and budget matters.

With the example of supposed Christians like Brian Brown and similar professional Christians, it is little wonder that the "no-religion" category is the fastest growing among young adults. How can anyone with a shred of integrity and honesty want to wear the Christian label if it puts them in the same ranks as the liars and hate merchants at NOM and its allied "family values" organizations.

Michele Bachman BFF Bradlee Dean Sues NBC, MSNBC, Rachel Maddow, The Minnesota Independent Newspaper

Michele Bachmann BFF and "preacher" friend Bradlee Dean - a certifiable lunatic, in my opinion who has definitely blimped out big time compared to his younger and cuter days - has filed a $50 million defamation lawsuit against NBC, MSNBC, Rachel Maddow, The Minnesota Independent Newspaper. Apparently, the in my view mentally challenged Dean has taken offense with news coverage that has stated that Dean supports the execution of gays. His case is based on the equivalent of a debate over the number of angels that can stand in the tip of a needle. Dean is on record as lauding Islamic extremists who apply Islamic law to execute gays, but somehow in Dean's small and simple mind, lauding those who execute gays isn't the same as supporting the execution of gays. Both MSNBC and the Minnesota Independent are standing by their stories and blowing off Deans possibly attention getting lawsuit. The down side of the lawsuit, of course, is that it will underscore the unsavory elements of Bachmann's religious extremist supporters. It's one thing to be a Bible beater and something far different to be an extremist endorsing murder and violence, especially in the wake of the horrors in Norway a week ago. Fellow Bilerico contributor, Jillian Weiss looks at this batshitery from the untethered Dean. Here are highlights:
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Bradlee Dean, the controversial heavy metal minister of the anti-gay organization "You Can Run But You Cannot Hide International," filed a lawsuit yesterday in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia. The suit alleges defamation and false light invasion of privacy against NBC, MSNBC, Rachel Maddow, The Minnesota Independent Newspaper and its reporter, Andy Birkey. The suit seeks $50 million in damages.
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According to the suit, Dean is upset about this article from May, 2010 in the Minnesota Independent:GOP-Linked Punk Rock Ministries Says Executing Gays Is 'Moral'. The article quotes Dean as saying the following on his radio show:
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Muslims are calling for the executions of homosexuals in America." This just shows you they themselves are upholding the laws that are even in the Bible of the Judeo-Christian God, but they seem to be more moral than even the American Christians do, because these people are livid about enforcing their laws. They know homosexuality is an abomination.
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If America won't enforce the laws, God will raise up a foreign enemy to do just that, that is what you are seeing in America."
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The bottom line is this... they [homosexuals] play the victim when they are, in fact, the predator. On average, they molest 117 people before they're found out. How many kids have been destroyed, how many adults have been destroyed because of crimes against nature?"
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In the lawsuit, Dean does not deny making these statements, but says he told the Independent's reporter that he does not advocate execution of gays. He also says Rachel Maddow repeated the Independent's allegations. Although he admits that she noted that Dean had said that he doesn't advocate execution of gays, the lawsuit says that she was insufficiently sincere in making this disclaimer.
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The rambling complaint also alleges that the defendants, by broadcasting Dean's statements, "sought to significntly harm the 'big political prize' which they loathe, Christian conservative presidential candidate Michele Bachmann, who they sought to link to Plaintiffs. Congresswoman Michelle Backmann [sic] is regularly and maliciously disparaged, defamed and held in a false light on many other NBC and MSNBC cable shows, including but not limited to the broadcasts of television hosts Chris Mathews, Ed Schultz, and Lawrence O'Donnell. In sum, by destroying Plaintiffs, Defendants Maddow, MSNBC and NBC sought to destroy Bachmann, a Christian conservative presidential candidate who they despise and hate for her religious and political beliefs."
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Dean's lawsuit has a very tough row to hoe. If Dean is, as he seems to be, a public figure by virtue of his relentless public relations campaign to tout his anti-gay ministry and his success in his attempts to achieve media coverage, then the law will require him not only to prove negligence by NBC, MSNBC, Rachel Maddow, The Minnesota Independent and its reporter, but also "actual malice," meaning that they knew the statements to be false and defamatory and intended to harm him. Since the evidence seems to point to the fact that Dean did, in fact, say what he is alleged to have said on his radio program, and he did not deny it in his suit, then he cannot prove an essential element of his claims -- that the media coverage was false.
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I would imagine that the Bachmann camp is livid over this lawsuit. It's just not what she needs right now, to be lumped together with a rabid anti-gay publicity hound who is claiming that everyone is out to get him because he is "Michelle Backmann's" number one fan.
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In my view, Bradlee Dean has long been in need of a serious mental health intervention. But, then, the same is true for Michele Bachmann and her husband "Marcia" Bachmann.

Thomas Roberts Takes On GOProud Kapos

Given what the Republican Party has become, I find it difficult to grasp how anyone who isn't clinically mentally disturbed or who has had a lobotomy. I find it even more difficult to understand how anyone gay can be a Republican when denigrating LGBT Americans and maintaining our third class citizen status is a matter of party platform. Thus, members of GOProud strike me as somewhat akin to kapos who worked for the Nazi regime. I just don't get it. Neither does MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts who took Jimmy DeSalvia, the head of GOProud, deservedly to task. Here are highlights from Huffington Post followed by a video clip:
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Openly gay MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts had some very harsh words for Michele Bachmann and the GOP on Friday.
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Roberts was speaking to Jimmy DeSalvia, the head of GOProud, a gay Republican organization, about Bachmann. DeSalvia said it was important to "replace" a "failed president," and that his organization had reached out to all the GOP presidential candidates. (Bachmann is known for her ferocious opposition to gay rights, and video footage has shown that a clinic she co-owns practices so-called "conversion therapy" on gay people.)

"You will replace [Obama] with a person who would extinguish you," Roberts said to DeSalvia. He adding that Bachmann is someone who "doesn't believe that you have a right in this country to get married, that believes you don't even have a right in this country to be gay because she co-owns a clinic that will convert you.
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MSNBC Fires Keith Olbermann

Back in early November I wrote about the fear that MSNBC might take a hard lurch to the right if Comcast's take over of NBC was approved and former Bush fundraiser Steve Burke (pictured at left) was placed at the helm of MSNBC. Sadly, such fears were apparently justified as evidenced by Keith Olbermann's departure from MSNBC which Olbermann announced last night. As I indicated in November, the boyfriend and I have been faithful in watching MSMBC, but if the management wants to kill the cutting edge and much needed investigative approach of Olbermann and Maddow - who may be next in Burke's cross hairs - then our viewing habits will change and MSNBC can kiss out loyalty goodbye. John Aravosis at America Blog is unhappy as well and here our some highlights (make sure you sign the petition backing Olbermann):
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Keith says he was told "this is going to be the last edition of your show." Here's the rather curt statement from MSNBC.
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Wow. Not a smart move by MSNBC. More than a few folks on Twitter, and elsewhere, are noting the interesting coincidence of Comcast being given approval to take over NBC just three days ago. Rather interesting timing. It's also interesting that the Republicans take over the House and suddenly Keith is gone - perhaps MSNBC has decided it wants more conservatives, or at least to lose its fiercest liberals.
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If I were CNN, I'd hire him fast. This is the kind of energy and intellect CNN needs in its evening shows (not that it doesn't have some good talent). But Olbermann knows TV. And he's no Glenn Beck, but at the same time is a perfect counterpoint to the Becks of the world.

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Again, it looks like my days of tuning into MSNBC all evening is a thing of the past. I will tune in for Rachel, but beyond that my comment to MSNBC is go f*ck yourself.

Is Pending Take Over of MSNBC By Bush Donor Behind Olbermann Suspension?

Personally, I am both disheartened and livid over MSNBC's suspension/firing of Keith Olbermann for what in the grand scheme of things are totally insignificant political donations - especially when compared to Rupert Murdoch's $1 million donation to the GOP. Yes, I will continue to watch Rachel Maddow's show, but the rest of the MSNBC lineup can kiss my ass goodbye. My displeasure is all the stronger inasmuch as it now seems that there may be some skulduggery going on. While it is true that final approval of Comcast's take over of MSNBC is still pending, it seems all too possible that the targeted MSNBC might be trying to please its future masters in advance by whacking one of the best journalists around in my opinion simply because he criticizes the political bedfellows of Comcast. If I were Rachel Maddow, I'd be sweating bullets waiting for the next shoe to drop.
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It is increasingly frightening to me that so much of the MSN seems to be more and more an extension of the conservative political machine. Rather than report facts or - heavens forbid - challenge GOP assertions, the anchors just parrot GOP talking points. Case in point: Diane Sawyer's interview with John Boenher. I thought I'd vomit. It might just as well have been a GOP paid commercial. If Steve Burke (oictured above), a former Bush donor, is going to be at the helm of MSNBC, I suspect we can soon write MSNBC off as a serious news source. Here are highlights from Think Progress:
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We have been notified that Comcast has not yet officially taken over MSNBC/NBC Universal. . . . . once Comcast gains final approval from federal regulators to move forward, Comcast COO Steve Burke, a Bush fundraiser, will be placed at the helm of MSNBC and other NBC companies.
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As many bloggers have noted, conservative MSNBC host Joe Scarborough has donated to Republican candidates for Congress while promoting the same candidate on air, but has never been disciplined. Moreover, Gawker notes that MSNBC has been exempt from the formal NBC ethics rules for years. It is still a mystery why MSNBC selectively applied NBC’s ethics rules to Olbermann.
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Comcast’s latest regulatory battle has been to oppose Net Neutrality — a rule allowing a free and open Internet — because the company would prefer to have customers pay for preferred online content.
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Olbermann has been a strong voice in favor of a free and open Internet. Republicans, on the other hand, have supported the telecommunication industry’s push to radically change the Internet so corporate content producers have the upper hand over start-ups like blogs, independent media, small businesses, etc. As Reuters has reported, the incoming Republican Congress has signaled that it will vigorously side with companies like Comcast against an open Internet.
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Frankly, I don't believe that this action against Olbermann is a coincidence. Also, if we lose a free and open Internet in this country, it will be one more step towards a very scary America where the supposed principles of the nation are increasingly trashed and ignored by the far right and big business.

Radio Host Stephanie Miller Comes Out

I have long advocated since my own long belated coming out others who are able to do so without being fired (I was forced from a law firm for being gay) or suffering other severely negative consequences need to come out publicly. Why? Because it is the best mechanism to destroy the stereotypes that our Christianist enemies seek to disseminate daily to our detriment. As more and more ordinary citizens come to know LGBT individuals who are not what are detractors claim, we strike continuing blows against those who want us legally sanctioned for not abiding with their fear and hate based religious views. Radio host Stephanie Miller has struck such a blow. While "out" amongst friends for some time, now she has made it official and came out on her show yesterday. AfterEllen has these highlights:
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Miller’s sexual orientation was not a secret among her friends and family, but she rarely talked about her private life on air — other than to make jokes about being single.
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If you’re not a radio fan, you still may have seen Miller. She had a brief stint on MSNBC before Rachel Maddow came on the scene and she frequently appears on TV talk shows, often sparring with conservative hosts or guests. Since her dad is a former running mate of Barry Goldwater, Stephanie is quite familiar with the GOP.
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Stephanie, thank you for your courage. It does make a difference.

MSNBC Presses Obama on Campaign Promises

The New York Times has a story on the way that some of the MSNBC news show hosts are calling out President Obama on the disconnect between his campaign rhetoric and his actions now that he's in office. I believe that many people - be they liberals, independents or moderates - are increasingly discussed that instead of being a LEADER, Obama is being a follower and seeking to force Congress to take a leadership role instead. Over dinner last night, in fact, we got on this topic and one of our friends noted that Obama has utterly failed to lead in the manner of FDR, Truman, Lincoln and other presidents who LEAD Congress to enact change rather than sit on their hands or give meaningless nice sounding speeches followed by no action. Personally, I am disgusted with Obama's failure to deliver on campaign promises and I know more and more people who say they will either vote against him in 2012 or stay home - unless the GOP candidate was some type of lunatic like Sarah Palin. Here are some story highlights:

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If President Obama happened to glance at “The Rachel Maddow Show” last Monday, he might have winced. Ms. Maddow pretended to celebrate the passage of a health care overhaul bill in the House, calling it “potentially a huge generational win for the Democratic Party” — but then halted the triumphant music and called it an “electoral defeat.” The Stupak amendment, she said, was “the biggest restriction on abortion rights in a generation.” Then she wondered aloud about the consequences for Democrats “if they don’t get women or anybody who’s pro-choice to ever vote for them again.” She returned to the subject the next four evenings in a row.
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The spectacle of Democrats sniping at one another is not new, but having a TV home for it is. MSNBC — sometimes critically called the “home team” for supporters of Mr. Obama — has even hit upon the theme with a promotional tagline, “pushing back on the president,” in commercials for “Hardball,” Chris Matthews’s political hour.
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“Our job is not to echo the president’s talking points,” said Phil Griffin, the president of MSNBC. Our job is to hold whoever’s in power’s feet to the fire.” . . . But is it good business? MSNBC is projected to take in $365 million in revenue this year, roughly the same amount as last year, when the presidential election bolstered its bottom line. Three years ago, before making a left turn, it had revenue of about $270 million a year.
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It is certainly reaching the White House. Anita Dunn, the departing White House communications director, calls Mr. Olbermann and Ms. Maddow “progressive but not partisan,” and in doing so, distinguishes them from Fox News, which she considers a political opponent. The MSNBC hosts, she said in an e-mail message last month, “often take issues with the administration’s positions or tactics and are never shy about letting their viewers know when they disagree.”
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Ms. Maddow said that apart from an off-the-record meeting between Mr. Obama and commentators that she attended last month, she has heard little from the White House. Mr. Griffin said, “We heard a whole lot more from the Bush White House.” . . . Sitting down to a midnight dinner in the East Village after her program on a recent Thursday, Ms. Maddow had shed her suit for a T-shirt. Four minutes in, a fan asked for an autograph. “You’re doing great work,” he said while she signed her name.
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MSNBC’s political tilt — and Ms. Maddow’s ascension to one of the most influential positions in progressive America — are still starkly new phenomena. A Rhodes scholar with liberal radio roots, Ms. Maddow started to host MSNBC’s 9 p.m. hour on the eve of last year’s presidential election, at a time when MSNBC was wrestling with its political identity. New viewers materialized overnight, peaking at nearly two million a night in October 2008. Without an election to drive viewership, her program averaged 880,000 viewers last month.
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Topics often tackled on Ms. Maddow’s program include the relationship between the United States military and politics (something she is writing a book about) and the repeal of the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy toward gays in the military. Two gay members of the military, Dan Choi and Victor Fehrenbach, approached Ms. Maddow’s producers about coming out on her show, in March and May respectively. Introducing Mr. Fehrenbach, Ms. Maddow intoned that he was about to be fired “in the shadow of these political promises left unfulfilled.”
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I think Rachel (and Keith too) are wonderful. I am so over news anchors and alleged commentators merely parroting the administrations talking points without ever asking if the statements are true or consistent with past promises. And Rachel is no easier on the far right. I particularly love it when she finds former video footage of some GOP demagogue making statements utterly the opposite of their current rant. Hypocrites need to be exposed for the liars that they are and MSNBC is doing a great service to the country. For readers who have not watched the network's evening shows, you need to do so.

NBC's Tim Russert Dies of Heart Attack

While more recently I had not agreed with some of his reporting - e.g., beating the Rev. Wright story to death and in my view catering to Hillary Clinton during the primaries - I nonetheless was sad to learn that Tim Russert died this afternoon of a heart attack. I had watched him on "Meet the Press" just recently. It's perhaps even more of a shock now that I have realized that he was only a little more than two years older than me (I had thought he was older than 58 and I guess I don't look so bad for my age after all). I can certainly think of numerous people much more deserving of death than Russert. His unexpected death should be another wake up call to all of us that we truly do not know how much time we have in this life, so we need to enjoy the moment and find some magic and wonder in every passing day. My thoughts and condolences go out to his wife and son. I am glad that Russert had been able to vacation with his family just days ago. Here are some highlights from MSNBC:

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WASHINGTON - Tim Russert, NBC News’ Washington bureau chief and the moderator of “Meet the Press,” died Friday after a sudden heart attack at the bureau, NBC News said Friday. He was 58. Russert was recording voiceovers for Sunday’s “Meet the Press” program when he collapsed, the network said. He and his family had recently returned from Italy, where they celebrated the graduation of Russert’s son, Luke, from Boston College.

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Russert was best known as host of “Meet the Press,” which he took over in December 1991. Now in its 60th year, “Meet the Press” is the longest-running program in the history of television. But he was also a vice president of NBC News and head of its overall Washington operations, a nearly round-the-clock presence on NBC and MSNBC on election nights.

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Survivors include Russert’s wife, Maureen Orth, a writer for Vanity Fair magazine, whom he met at the 1976 Democratic National Convention; and their son, Luke.

The Media's Role in Divisive Politics

I am sitting at home with MSNBC on with Dan Abrams and sadly the progaram is another shrill and shallow piece trying to make much of Jeremiah Wright's stupid remarks rather that look at the REAL issues that should be under discussion in this campaign cycle: soaring foreclosure rates, families unable to make ends meet, many millions without health insurance, a never ending disaster in Iraq, etc., etc. One has to wonder whether the talking heads are simply lazy, or are they more concerned about generating sensationalism rather than having a critical discourse on the issues that truly impact the nation's future. Personally, most of the talking heads are little better than self-importance cheap whores, frequently hired more for looks, family ties, and other criteria that have nothing to do with intelligence or competency. Tonight's story is basically aimed at ginning up racial disharmony. I find it disgusting and sadly cynical. Which brings me to something my friend Billy at Kenya Worm wrote as he contemplates moving back home to South Africa (a country that is now in some ways far more progressive than the USA). These are the words that struck me:

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The reason why I put this down as an 'opener' to my post is that, if I were one of the narrow minded 'biggots' that came out of Apartheid SA, I would have missed out on so much in my life. I would not have made some great 'local' friends here in Kenya, I would not have had dinner last night with a friend from Vietnam, I would not have met such a diverse and colourful group of people in my remarkable life. It's remarkable not because I've made such an impression on the world, but because the world has made such a remarkable impression on me! How can we truly say that we are better or worse than anybody else, or base our judgements of people on something other than their personality? And then, base this judgement of their personality on their background as well. The old saying about having to walk in somebody Else's shoes before you make up your mind is remarkably true...

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Would that some of us in the USA could learn these concepts. Dan Abrams, I mean you.