AP Highlights GOP Problems for 2016, Ignores Democrat Baggage
In the liberal fantasyland that is the Associated Press, it's only Republican governors with an eye on 2016 that are fraught with potential problems that could end their campaigns before they begin. In their May 2 AP story, reporters Bob Lewis and Charles Babington sought to convince readers that the Republicans governors of Virginia, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Florida are all train wrecks.
Lewis and Babington focused in particular on Virginia's Bob McDonnell and Louisiana's Bobby Jindal, who are unpopular in no small part because of moves they made on tax policy. McDonnell signed off on massive tax increases for transportation, while Jindal’s failed attempt to reform his state tax code -- making the state income tax free but boosting some sales taxes to make up for lost revenue -- has eroded his once-stellar popularity. Of course, plenty of Democratic governors thinking about 2016 also hiked taxes, but they were curiously left out of the mix.
AP Attributes Ill Intent to Republicans Passing New Va. Voter ID Law
We've come to expect this sort of thing from MSNBC, but the Associated Press should be ashamed of itself. In a story about Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) signing into law a new voter ID law requiring a photo ID to vote-- which may be provided free-of-charge to indigent Virginians, by the way -- the AP strongly suggested the bill is an attempt by Virginia Republicans to prevent a Democratic presidential candidate from winning the state in 2016.
"Republican majorities in the Virginia House and Senate pushed the bill to passage one year after a more modest GOP-sponsored voter identification law failed to prevent President Barack Obama from winning Virginia for the second presidential election in a row and a Democratic U.S. Senate victory," the AP noted in the fourth paragraph of their March 27 story. As you can see in the full story pasted below, this was in the context of hyping a liberal Democrat's charge that requiring voter ID is akin to Jim Crow-era disenfranchisement efforts (story accessed via FoxNews.com, emphases mine):
AP Attributes Ill Intent to Republicans Passing New Va. Voter ID Law
We've come to expect this sort of thing from MSNBC, but the Associated Press should be ashamed of itself. In a story about Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) signing into law a new voter ID law requiring a photo ID to vote-- which may be provided free-of-charge to indigent Virginians, by the way -- the AP strongly suggested the bill is an attempt by Virginia Republicans to prevent a Democratic presidential candidate from winning the state in 2016.
"Republican majorities in the Virginia House and Senate pushed the bill to passage one year after a more modest GOP-sponsored voter identification law failed to prevent President Barack Obama from winning Virginia for the second presidential election in a row and a Democratic U.S. Senate victory," the AP noted in the fourth paragraph of their March 27 story. As you can see in the full story pasted below, this was in the context of hyping a liberal Democrat's charge that requiring voter ID is akin to Jim Crow-era disenfranchisement efforts (story accessed via FoxNews.com, emphases mine):
Soledad O’Brien Cites Liberal Group Debunking Romney Tax Plan, Dismisses Supporter of Plan as ‘Conservative Think Tank’
[UPDATED BELOW] CNN's Soledad O'Brien showed her glaring liberal double standard on Thursday, citing a liberal source to debunk Mitt Romney's tax plan while casting its supporters as either "completely partisan" or unworthy sources.
Her source, the Tax Policy Center, is the joint venture of two liberal think tanks, but since the American Enterprise Institute is a "conservative think tank" O'Brien threw water on the credibility of its support for Romney's tax plan. And she herself cited a TPC blog post attacking Romney's plan, but wouldn't accept a defense of the plan because it was a "blog post."
Maddow: Abortion Foes Would Force Pregnant Woman to Bear ‘Rapist’s Baby’
For years I have heard abortion enthusiasts contort themselves in knots to avoid saying "baby" when talking about abortion.
Leave it to MSNBC's plucky Rachel Maddow to go where few liberals dare -- acknowledging, albeit indirectly, that abortion involves killing human life at its most vulnerable. (video after page break)
Republican VP Short List = Nasty Media Hit List
In just a matter of days, presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney will announce his choice for his 2012 running mate. No matter who Romney picks, however, the liberal media's line of attack is already clear. The Media Research Center reviewed news coverage of several potential picks, and found many have already been caricatured as too far right or outside the mainstream.
Soledad O’Brien Thinks Obama — Not Governors — Should Get Credit for States With Low Unemployment
Soledad O'Brien apparently thinks President Obama should get the credit for states with low unemployment, as she pressed two Republican governors to admit on Friday's Starting Point.
Interviewing Gov. Terry Branstad (R-Iowa), O'Brien mentioned his state's low unemployment rate and asked "Do you think that the governors get the credit for that or shouldn't President Obama get the credit for that?" She phrased the question as though Obama should not only receive some, but the whole of the credit for the state's low unemployment. [Video below the break. Audio here.]
She asked the same question of Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell (R). "[I]f it's jobs, jobs, jobs, and I started by saying your state unemployment number is 5.6 percent, which is a number that lots of states would love to have, do you get credit or doesn't the President get credit for that?"
Republicans have touted that seven of the ten U.S. states with the lowest unemployment rate have Republican governors.
Conversely, O'Brien asked the Democratic governor of Maryland only what he thought about governors deserving "all the credit," not phrasing the question as though they should receive all the credit. "Do you think the governors deserve all the credit for how states do?" she asked, to which Gov. Martin O'Malley (D-Md.) predictably answered no.
She also used an O'Malley talking point later in the show – states with low unemployment are doing well because they have "the greatest amount of minerals."
"[A]as we heard from Governor O'Malley, right? He believes that states that have more minerals, that's correlated to how well they do," she argued. "So, some states do well because that they're just historically have done well. They have more minerals, et cetera."
"And by the way, four years ago, they may have had a different governor. I mean, you'd have to do an entire assessment of that," she responded to the Republican argument of why some states have better unemployment rates than others.
A brief transcript of the segments, which aired on Starting Point on June 13, is as follows:
[7:18 a.m. EDT]
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Let's start with jobs, your state has an unemployment rate – number that is significantly better than many in the country at 6.8 percent, I believe. When you look at states across the nation, seven out of ten of the best recovering states are run by Republican, three out of 10 are run by Democrats. And it's been a big talking point obviously for the GOP. Do you think the governors deserve all the credit for how states do?
Gov. MARTIN O'MALLEY (D-Md.): No, but I think they each have a responsibility to move their states forward to great jobs opportunity, and make their economies expand. Look, we're all in this together. The states that have been able to come through this recession virtually without any sort of a blip are those states that have the greatest amount of minerals, Soledad. But for the rest of us, we have to make tough decisions in order to create new opportunities and new jobs in a fast and changing economy.
[7:39 a.m. EDT]
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Your state unemployment figures are very good, 5.6 percent is the last number I've read. President Obama, though, when I look at the polls, and we just showed them a moment ago – he's leading in polling in your state. Do you think it's likely that in fact, the President will take the state of Virginia come the election?
Gov. BOB MCDONNELL (R-Va.): No. And I say that –
O'BRIEN: I'm looking at the polls while you say that. You say no, but I'm looking at the polls, they say yes.
MCDONNELL: Well, there's only one that matters and it's not today, it's four months from now. And that's a much better position than about four months ago. Romney was down by about eight points and I think the more people examine this President's failed leadership and the impact of some of his energy and tax and regulatory policies in Virginia, and compare that with Mitt Romney's ideas, I think it gets better for Romney in Virginia.
This is still a right-of-center state. I won by 18 points a couple of years ago after Obama, and what I'm hearing on the ground from business people and from just the independent voter is this jobless record of 41 months over 8 percent. And a crushing national debt, are the things that are driving people towards Mitt Romney. I think it gets better every month for Romney.
O'BRIEN: But if it's jobs, jobs, jobs, and I started by saying your state unemployment number is 5.6 percent, which is a number that lots of states would love to have, do you get credit or doesn't the President get credit for that?
MCDONNELL: Well, here's the question. The CNBC poll just came out to show that 11 – or 12 out of the 15 states with the best business climates have Republican governors. So I would say if it was something President Obama was doing or this magic stimulus was creating all these jobs, you'd see that all over the place, Soledad, and you don't.
What you see is unemployment over 8.2 percent now almost going on 42 months. This President's policies of regulation, taxation, outsourcing jobs, being hostile to the free enterprise system, is not working.
But in states like mine, where really on a bipartisan basis our legislation working with me, putting policies in place, we've driven down the unemployment rate 2 percent in the last couple of years. So I think it's what the governors are doing that's making a lot of difference. It's not this President's policies. He's actually hurting us on energy and regulations, making it harder for businesses to grow.
[8:16 a.m. EDT]
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Your state's unemployment is low, 5.1 percent, I believe. Republicans have been very public in touting that seven out of 10 states with the best job rates are run by Republicans. Do you think that the governors get the credit for that or shouldn't President Obama get the credit for that?
GOV. TERRY BRANSTAD, (R) IOWA: Well, all you have to do is look at the state of Illinois right next door. They're a basket case, and they raised taxes. They have the biggest public debt of any state. They have the most unfunded liabilities on their pension system, and they're $4 billion behind in paying their bills on time.
Surrounded by states like Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa, all getting our financial House in order, reducing the tax and regulatory burden. There's a big contrast. You can look at California as well. $17 billion in debt. They're following the Obama plan. It doesn't work. You can't borrow your way to prosperity.
The federal government has a $16 trillion national debt. Forty percent of the money they're spending is borrowed money. There is no way this can be sustained. We need a change.
(...)
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: – as we heard from Governor O'Malley, right? He believes that states that have more minerals, that's correlated to how well they do.
CELESTE HEADLEE, host, The Takeaway: Right.
O'BRIEN: So, some states do well because that they're just historically have done well. They have more minerals, et cetera. And by the way, four years ago, they may have had a different governor. I mean, you'd have to do an entire assessment of that.
Soledad O’Brien Cherry Picks Poll Numbers In Favor of ObamaCare
CNN's Soledad O'Brien cherrypicked poll numbers to argue that the American public favors ObamaCare, when four polls from the last week show more Americans opposing the law than favoring it.
On Friday's Starting Point, O'Brien challenged Gov. Bob McDonnell's (R-Va.) premise that "about 60 percent" of Americans oppose the ObamaCare mandate. She cited "the latest poll" from Bloomberg showing a majority of respondents wanting the law to remain mostly or completely intact.
"So I think on the polling, you might be wrong there," O'Brien corrected the governor. However, at least four polls released days after the Bloomberg poll show more voters opposing the law than supporting it.
All in all, of seven recent polls on ObamaCare only two show the public favoring the law or its repeal -- and O'Brien chose the poll numbers most favorable to Obama.
An NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey conducted from June 20-24 had 41 percent of respondents saying ObamaCare was a "bad idea," compared to 34 percent calling it a "good idea."
A Washington Post/ABC News poll released this past week shows 55 percent of registered voters have an "unfavorable" impression of "the federal law making changes in the healthcare system," compared to just 37 percent having a "favorable" impression.
A Rasmussen poll from this week has 54 percent favoring a repeal of ObamaCare, versus just 39 percent opposing a repeal. And a Fox News poll conducted from June 24-26 shows 49 percent of respondents opposing the health care law, with 39 percent supporting it.
In addition, an Associated Press poll was conducted around the same time as the Bloomberg poll, and it recorded 47 percent of respondents opposing the health care reforms of 2010, with only 33 percent supporting the reforms.
One poll, released by the Public Religion Research Institute, had 43 percent opposing the repeal of ObamaCare, with 35 percent favoring it. However, the Bloomberg poll was more favorable to Obama with 58 percent of respondents wanting the all or most of ObamaCare to be upheld.
So out of seven polls, Soledad O'Brien picked the one most favorable to President Obama.
CNN’s Crowley Asks Gov. McDonnell ‘Don’t You Credit Obama’ for ‘Good Fortune Virginia Has?’
As we approach Election Day, it's becoming more and more important for the Obama-loving media to give credit to the President for the economies of swing states governed by Republicans that are doing better economically than the rest of the country.
Candy Crowley did her part on CNN's State of the Union Sunday by asking Governor Bob McDonnell (R-Va.), "Don’t you credit President Obama at all for the good fortune that Virginia has?" (video follows with transcript and commentary):
CANDY CROWLEY, HOST: Let me talk to you a little about the swing state of Virginia, and I want to show our viewers your unemployment rate which has basically stayed two to three points below the national unemployment rate. It’s a success story really. Okay? You like this. I understand that. But, but, even as you embrace it as a Republican governor, does it not make it difficult for Mitt Romney, who has the same problem in other swing states, to come in and say, “The economy is terrible and, you know, you need to elect a new president?” Because Virginia is doing very well under President Obama.
Actually, I think it makes it easy for Romney to go to a state like Virginia and say, "See how much better your doing under Republican leadership. Imagine how much better you'd be doing if the federal government employed the same economic policies."
McDonnell agreed:
GOVERNOR BOB MCDONNELL (R-VIRGINIA): Yeah, I don’t think it undermines his argument at all. Two reasons. One is as well as we’ve been fortunate to do with the lowest unemployment in the southeast, I tell people, “Think how much better we’d do if we had President Romney.” And number two, I think that there’s something going on with Republican-governed states. Seven out of the ten states, Candy, nationwide that have the lowest unemployment rates, Republican-governed states. Eleven out of the fifteen with the best…
Crowley wasn't having any of this and instead interrupted her guest:
CROWLEY: Don’t you credit President Obama at all for the good fortune that Virginia has? He’s done nothing at all that helped you all?
MCDONNELL: Well I ask you, “What would you point to that would lead you to say that that unemployment?” The only thing I can say is he had a seven, he had nearly trillion dollars in stimulus, and that was one-time spending. Did it help us in the short-run…
CROWLEY: Did it help?
MCDONNELL: …with healthcare and education spending? Did it balance the budget? Sure. Does it help us in the long-term to really cut, cut the unemployment rate? I’d say “No.” But we’ve done a lot of things. Republicans and Democrats in Virginia doing some things that I requested on economic development and targeted tax cuts and other things that I think have made a difference. So, I’d say Republican governors are doing some things that are making a difference, and that’s why I’m trying to get more of them this year.
Crowley continued to press the point:
CROWLEY: So just a tiny bit of credit to the President?
MCDONNELL: Well sure. I think there’s national policies that have had some impact, but I can tell you this: if we didn’t have all these attacks on Virginia’s energy industry, we’d be in a lot better shape. This president on coal, natural gas, nuclear, not letting us drill off-shore, the Environmental Protection Agency’s over-burdensome regulations on coal and natural gas, have made it much more difficult for us. We’d be lower on the unemployment rate if we didn’t have these policies.
Crowley then changed the subject.
Prepare yourself for more such nonsense like this.
The reality is that many Republican-led states are indeed doing far better than the rest of the nation, and Obama's fans in the media need to somehow convince the American people that his policies are working better there than in Democrat-run states because of him and not the governors at the helm.
Yes, it's quite a feat, but they're going to do their darnedest to pull off this three card monty.