Good Afternoon!
This freak-out by Peter King under pressure from Soledad O’Brien is must-see TV. I’m surprised he didn’t have apoplexy trying to defend the imaginary“apology tour” meme originated by Karl Rove. I thought I’d put it on the front page, in case everyone hasn’t seen it yet.
Here’s the transcript, thanks to Think Progress.
O’BRIEN: Never once in that speech, as you know, which I have the speech right here. that was — he never once used the word “apology.” He never once said “I’m sorry.”
KING: Didn’t have to. The logical — any logical reading of that speech or the speech he gave in France where he basically said that the United States can be too aggressive. […]
O’BRIEN: Everybody keeps talking about this apology tour and apologies from the President. I’m trying to find the words ‘I’m sorry, I apologize’ in any of those speeches. Which I have the text of all those speeches in front of me. None of those speeches at all, if you go to factcheck.org which we check in a lot, they all say the same thing. They fact check this and they say this whole theory of apologies…
KING: I don’t care what fact check says.
O’BRIEN: There are fact checks. You may not care, but they’re a fact checker.
KING: No. Soledad. Any commonsense interpretation of those speeches, the president’s apologizing for the American position. That’s the apology tour. That’s the way it’s interpreted in the Middle East. If I go over and say that the U.S. has violated its principles, that the United States has not shown respect for islam, that’s an apology. How else can it be interpreted?
O’BRIEN: I think plenty of people are interpreting it as a nuanced approach to diplomacy is how some people are interpreting it. So I don’t think that everybody agrees it’s apology.
A couple more news updates:
According to Dave Wiegel, speechwriter Matthew Scully, whose draft of Mitt Romney’s acceptance speech was tossed out by Stuart Stevens and Romney may be the main person behind the “backbiting” that is all over the media today. Wiegel:
My friend and former colleague Tim Noah was the first, I think, to notice that you can’t cross Republican speechwriter Matthew Scully. In 1993, after the George H.W. Bush administration ended, Scully revealed that the president “trusted the wrong people.” In 2007, as the second Bush ediface collapsed, Scully wrote an Atlantic tell-all about the administration’s fumbles. Scully dropped so many dimes on Michael Gerson that the floppy-haired speechwriter could have bought a java chip Frappucino. “At the precise moment when the State of the Union address was being drafted at the White House by John and me,” wrote Scully, “Mike was off pretending to craft the State of the Union address in longhand for the benefit of a reporter.”
In Scullyworld, every Republican has the makings of greatness until he’s undone by bad staffers who — in his one, telling character flaw — he’s unwilling to sack.
David Corn has the leaked videos from that fund-raiser Romney thought was private and off the record!
One of the leaked videos from a Romney fund-raiser that I wrote about on Saturday night, has been posted at HuffPo, along with the news that the source of the videos has turned over the original, unedited version to David Corn of Mother Jones. And what do you know? Corn has already posted his reactions, along with additional quotes from the devastating video.
During a private fundraiser earlier this year, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney told a small group of wealthy contributors what he truly thinks of all the voters who support President Barack Obama. He dismissed these Americans as freeloaders who pay no taxes, who don’t assume responsibility for their lives, and who think government should take care of them. Fielding a question from a donor about how he could triumph in November, Romney replied:
There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That that’s an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what…These are people who pay no income tax.
Romney went on: “[M]y job is is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.”
There is much, much more at the link. I wonder how this will go over with working- and middle-class voters when it appears in their local newspapers?
Comments
94 responses to “CNN’s Soledad O’Brien Confronts Rep. Peter King on “Apology Tour” Lies (and Red Hot News Updates)”
Here’s hoping David Corn will be on Lawrence O’Donnell’s show tonight!
BB, I wanted to put the link to your post on Saturday about the leaked videos here so folks can find it…since we have been getting lots of new readers lately:
Saturday Night Open Thread: Leaked Videos of Romney Fund-Raiser Go (almost) Mainstream « Sky Dancing
The Daily Beast has posted it too.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2012/09/17/romney-voters-dependent-on-govt.html
Implicit in what Romney’s saying is to me, a large part of what is wrong with his campaign and with the Republican party. They want to govern the country so that life is better only for their own people not the 47% for which Romney seems to have so much disdain. They’re just going to take care of the members of their country club and to hell with the rest of the country. That kind of inclusiveness doesn’t win elections.
Romney has really f&cked himself this time. I don’t see how he recovers.
Obama staffers are retweeting every mention of it on twitter.
Jay Rosen @jayrosen_nyu
“You feed the beast and then get angry the beast is feeding on you.” http://huff.to/OAPTyW The Romney campaign has its “disarray” moment.
Absolutely! How can you want to govern a nation when you don’t like the people? Crazy.
That’s exactly what others have been saying: Republicans love America, but hate Americans.
TPM: “Devastating.” — Josh Marshall
For me, the foreign policy attacks were about this bad as well. They both serve to reveal who the candidate really is and it’ not pretty. Seems to be repellent, craven, and autocratic in a way which should make you impossible to support,
Corn says he’ll have more video posted soon.
I know I didn’t have a thing to do with this after Ralph linked to it, but I went to Think Progress and other sites and did the “got a tip”. Somehow I want to think i helped Ralph get this video out.
Videos had been around a long time for no one to have picked up on them. Glad they have now.
better timing now … Romney has that out of touch label hung to every limb
and we have some interesting facts to go along with that … on top of Paul Ryan’s scamming us for his college degree … he didn’t pay for that!!!
http://www.romneys47percent.com/
Markos Moulitsas @markos
RT @Scout_Finch: 47% of Mitt’s staff just logged on to LinkedIn to start putting out feelers.
Sorry, I couldn’t resist….
This should get him lots of hispanic support, NOT. Base election here we come.
TPM: Romney Kicks Off Hispanic Outreach Effort With Full-Throated Attack On ‘Amnesty’
I personally & professionally know 10 people besides myself who work for a living, do not receive money/food/health care from the government & who pay taxes who are voting for Obama. If Obama already has 47% in addition to people like us, it shouldn’t be difficult for him to get another 3.1% to take him over the top. WHOO-HOO.
Ditto, 10 no problem.
Ditto.
Oh & I know 2 people who are voting Republican – one who has never had healthcare, refused employer health care (she would have had to pay 20% of the premium), has medicaid for her 3 children born out of wedlock to 3 different fathers. Children on medicaid. The other gets government support for fostering children (medicaid, expenses, free xmas gifts 4 the kids) & adopted 3 foster kids covered by medicaid & the youngest gets FREE college tuition when/if he goes to college. One is Hispanic, the other white. Both Xtians.
I have an ex sister-in-law like that. Absolutely batshit insane if you ask me!
Speaking of a truly fucked up individual:
and it’s written up like this already:
Conservatives Embrace Romney’s 47% Remarks
The right thrills to an alleged gaffe. “It only serves to excite the conservative base,” says Raccio.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/rosiegray/conservatives-embrace-romneys-47-remarks
I took for granted the wingnuts would love the videos.
Good. Maybe they’ll convince Romney to double down on it. He’ll be the first presidential candidate to lose all 50 states.
If he he loses the south I will get out my skis or ice skates and have fun in front of Haley Barbor’s House or Bobby Jindal’s House for hell will have truely frozen over.
BTW guess where all the people are that don’t “pay” taxes …
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/09/where-are-the-47-of-americans-who-pay-no-income-taxes/262499/#.UFfhdLfv7nk.facebook
BB, Do I need a clean up on aisle 6 down below?
I don’t see anything bad. Could you be more specific?
I thought I, in trying to embed, linked back to this blog. Maybe i didn’t. Sorry.
Oh, I see. I’ll go look.
The Telegraph reports on the leaked videos:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/us-election/9549608/US-Election-2012-leaked-video-shows-Mitt-Romney-saying-Obama-voters-are-government-dependents.html
This is my favorite part of the transcript:
Yeah, if Mittens was a Mexican-American, he would definitely be the Republican nominee for president – NOT! What percentage of the 1% are Mexican-American?
ecocatwoman, that’s a good one but my fav is 47% don’t pay taxes.
Tammy Baldwin ahead in Wisconsin Senate race.
http://www.politicususa.com/gop-senate-dreams-dying-tammy-baldwin-takes-wisconsin-lead.html
Yay!!!!!
Obama campaign: Romney has written of half of America. (Politico)
“These are people who pay no income tax.” Mitt Romney’s tax returns were unavailable to comment.
The best comment.
A few days ago the source of the secret videos tried to post them at dailykos, and DK users HR’d him/her into oblivion, calling them fake. Other users tried to post them and got hammered too. But David Corn took the trouble to authenticate them and now has a giant viral scoop.
Markos is now furious! I can’t help but experience a little bit of Schadenfreude.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/09/17/1132889/-Crap-community-behavior
roflmao … Karma strikes again!!!
That is spectacular!
Somehow that makes it even better.
Mona Eltahawy @monaeltahawy
Here’s hoping RT @rezaaslan: Today, Mitt Romney Lost the Election – Bloomberg via @BloombergNow http://bloom.bg/OUhgzV
It’s even better for me too, Ralph, because of their purge policy during 2008.
Personally, I think he lost it over his Libya attacks on Obama and the State Dept.
Couldn’t happen to a more deserving individual. Lol!
Romney campaign finally responds to devastating videos with weak, pathetic non-response:
I’d love to be a fly on the wall at Boston HQ.
Oh yeah, he’s really concerned. /s
Those people are struggling because of what he and the rest of the 1% did!
You know, as much as this exposes Mitt the Twit, the thing I would wish most for this country, is to see the republican party for what it is. I know the media will never see this as important as it is, but please let the 47% GET IT.
I want at least 4 or 5% more to get it.
Nice to see this on memeorandum from CBPP.
Misconceptions and Realities About Who Pays Taxes
Tonight, on CNN, Erin Burnett, had three people on and one was Roland Martin. Her first comment was “you look really happy” to Roland.
ROFLOL!!
Via Brad DeLong…
Note that if:
You make $60,000
You are married with three minor children
You tithe 10% to the CJCLDS
You pay $3000 in state and property taxes
You spend $1000 in job expenses and tax preparation fees
You have $5000 in child care expenses
Then, according to Romney, you are a moocher.
I’m a girl MOOCHER!
🙂
The comment on Brad’s post is
Well, looks like the right finally got their whitey tape.
Too bad for them it’s whitey doing the talking.
Whitey doing the talking is a good one!
No matter what, this has been one Hell of a relaunch of the Romney campaign today!! 🙂
I’m so excited, I’m going to have trouble falling asleep tonight!
Me 2 I’m sure!
definitely something to sleep on……….
I would like to say, how proud I am to be welcomed on this blog, All of the front pager’s, the commenters. Everyone here, you listened to this shit and heard Mitt the Twit.
We love you too!!!
What Kat said!!!!
I’m glad you’ve been hanging around more lately!!
I have spent so many years being a care giver for my parents, (and wish I could still do that) they have passed away now, I can’t find jobs now in the music field. I have been helping my husband start a Kite surfing repair business. He has another job so my hours are “anytime.” It’s really hard on me because I don’t sleep on cue, ha. But anytime I have is reading Skydancing. My secret pleasure.
Well, it’s great to have you. Now come on up to the new thread!
I really enjoy your comments and links, pd. You contribute so much. Glad to have you here!
Yes, me too.
Glad that you too are selective, and we know why. pdgrey is good.
TBogg’s take on this is delicious.
Blahs And Browns To Form Scary Legion Of America Doom
Wow! In response to the video released by David Corn today, DNC chair Reince Priebus told CNN:
“No, I don’t think the candidate’s off message at all.”
http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/09/17/863411/romney-stands-by-claim-that-47-of-americans-are-dependent-on-government/
The GOP and associated wingnuts live inside a continuous feedback loop, so they won’t get the message until Nov 7th.
I doubt they will get it even then, they’ll cry voter fraud, just watch them… even if they disenfranchise 11% of minority, elderly, and young voters, they will still think some one stole something from them …
First comment is a killer.
100% of Americans are dependent on government, and we will continue to be so until people like Romney privatize every square inch of the country and there are no more public roads or fire departments or law enforcement or public schools or any of the other things that a government governs.
Sometimes you wonder if they hear what they are saying.
They have no concept of markets or economics. Somethings should be public because they can’t and don’t function–or completely don’t exist–under complete privatization. They believe something that is not only inherently evil but inherent in complete error. They want to throw out everything we have learned in the last 150 years. I’m waiting for them to outlaw antibiotics.
Prejudice against Muslims now resembles anti-Catholic prejudice of the past | Doug Saunders | @nytimes http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/18/opinion/catholics-then-muslims-now.html?hp&gwh=82AD9B8A0B02176A083CB4FDB02AA649
Billionaire Romney supporter/adviser Harold Hamm (the man who bought North Dakota’s oil) complains that his company has to pay 2% of income in taxes.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/09/13/843341/romney-hamm-taxes/
I think a few million Americans would love to switch places with that whiner.
David Corn on Rachel Maddow right now. Great show.
This is something in the bigger skim of things I worry about, too.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/09/17/former-justice-souter-pervasive-civic-ignorance-in-u-s-could-bring-dictatorship/
He’s right to be concerned, so am I.
I really don’t see anything new in what Romney is saying here, except that it is Romney saying it. Usually this kind of rhetoric is left to the attack dogs. But this has been the right wing mantra all along. It’s nice to have caught him on tape spewing the party hate, but the people who are appalled already are against Romney, and I’m afraid there are a lot of others seeing this who are going “Right on!”.
Hope I’m wrong.
No, the right on crowd is loving it. Fortunately, the test as a small part of the population. The fight is over a few votes in a few swing states and most of those states are very blue collar. This will go over like a lead balloon.
I hope you are right. Yes, the way things are trending at the moment seems to favor Obama in most of the swing states, and I’m pretty confident. It will be very interesting if we can get some polling that shows the effect of this “gaffe” on the blue collar vote, if that’s possible.
It doesn’t matter if the righties like it. What matters is the 47% of Americans Romney is dismissing–which includes military members, senior citizens, and plenty of middle-class people with legal deductions.
Of course you are right about the many perfectly respectable hard working people who in large part comprise this 47%. I just think you are misunderestimating the average American’s capacity for self delusion. They can be unemployed for years, on food stamps and medicaid etc., and still see themselves as the future well to do, and consequently, Republican. It’s always the “other” that is guilty of mooching. Who can forget the clueless folks demanding the government keep their hands off their Medicare?
I’m just afraid there may be a lot more of this kind of people than you think there are. Then again, I just watched “Here comes Honey boo boo child”.
Nude frolic in tycoon’s pool
Last Updated: 3:21 AM, August 7, 2011
Posted: 1:47 AM, August 7, 2011
It was as if the Playboy Mansion met the East End at a wild party at private-equity titan Marc Leder’s Bridgehampton estate, where guests cavorted nude in the pool and performed sex acts, scantily dressed Russians danced on platforms and men twirled lit torches to a booming techno beat.
The divorced Sun Capital Partners honcho rented a sprawling beachfront mansion on Surf Side Road for $500,000 for the month of July. Leder’s weekly Friday and Saturday night parties have become the talk of the Hamptons — and he ended them in style last weekend with his wildest bash yet.
This is the private equity business man’s home Mitt spoke at. Seem a high profile divorce was
in the mix.
http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/pulp/2009/07/marc_leder_lisa_divorce_settlement.php
As long as we are digging, (hell, we are hateful people, he he).
We’re discussing this in the new thread. Come on up!
Since I’m gossiping, I now have my conspiracy theory, the x did it.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/item_xTjvSsv2y4nyLEcHsDbMzN