Putin Backs Away from Assad Regime from the Globe and Mail [of Toronto]
"In a striking rebuke to Syria’s embattled government, Russian leader Vladimir Putin has warned that the Assad regime’s days may be numbered and a ceasefire with rebel forces must be reached. With international support waning for President Bashar al-Assad, Mr. Putin declined to stand squarely by the dictatorship that he was once thought to prop up."
Disillusioned Working Class is Biggest Worry for Russia’s Leaders (Neil Buckley) from the Financial Times [of the UK]
"More worryingly for the leadership, there are stirrings of
disillusionment among the mass of working class and country-dwellers that have been the bedrock of Mr Putin’s support."
In Second Term, What Will Obama Do About Bush Tax Cuts? (Noam Scheiber) from the Daily Beast
"If he wins in November, the president will again face the Bush tax cuts. A secret meeting in 2009 suggests he may be ready to walk away from his promise to middle-class voters."
I would have no problem with this -- but it would certainly be politically challenging to say the least.
Pelosi Rips Limbaugh Over `Slut’ Comment, Calls on House GOP to Repudiate It (Greg Sargent) from the Washington Post
"Congressional Democrats who have vowed to make the birth control controversy central to this year’s elections have been handed a gift in the form of one of the leading voices in the GOP: Rush Limbaugh. In an interview with me, Nancy Pelosi considerably upped the stakes in this fight, ripping Limbaugh’s recent comments about women who use contraception as “obnoxious,” and calling on House GOP and other Republican leaders to publicly repudiate them."
Will Sandra Fluke Sue Rush Limbaugh? (Allison Yarrow) from the Daily Beast
"Sandra Fluke, the law student pilloried as a “slut” by Rush Limbaugh for testifying in favor of access to birth control, tells Allison Yarrow in an interview that she won’t stop fighting—and she may file suit."
YOU GO GIRL!! Sue his ass! Fluke is not a public figure -- and Limbaugh has libeled her in the most unambiguous terms.
Why Does Rush Limbaugh Get Away With Calling a Young Woman a 'Slut'? (Conor Friedersdorf) from the Atlantic
"Many conservatives ignore or excuse in the talk-radio host behavior that they'd be horrified to engage in themselves. ... If a deranged gunman held a loved one hostage and forced them to make those remarks, as if of their own volition, they'd feel deeply embarrassed and ashamed doing it. Yet when Limbaugh says these things -- when he said other things as indefensible in the past -- he remained and remains a frequently celebrated, seldom criticized figure within the conservative movement."
Who’d Have Thought that Rush Limbaugh Would Become the Great Uniter in This Divisive Political Season? (Kathleen Parker) from the Washington Post
"Indeed, he has united decent people of all stripes and persuasions with his vile remarks about a Georgetown University law student. ... Limbaugh owes Ms. Fluke an apology — an event doubtless many would love to watch."
Gee, when is the debate going to get back over to that burning-issue-of-the-moment, religious liberty? Parker is very on-the-money in her column concerning how much Limbaugh has kicked from the stage the religious liberty argument the GOP was pushing. Increasingly, the issue is being "framed" (a term I hate!) in the way Democrats and progressives have been stressing. Can the GOP move it back onto their turf? I doubt it. Look for right-wingers to double down in some form in the coming days. Why? I could be wrong about this (roomfuls of lawyers might impact this question) but I will predict right now that there is no way in Hell Rush Limbaugh will apologize for what he has said. To my knowledge, he has never apologized for anything he has ever said; I suspect he is mentally and emotionally incapable of it. Moreover, look for his legions of dittoheads to rally around him. Update: indeed, Limbaugh doubled down on his Friday program.
Even if Limbaugh were considering an apology, the following item further reduces the chances of that happening:
Senate Democrats Launch Petition Targeting Rush Limbaugh (Jennifer Bendery) from the Huffington Post
"The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee launched an online petition on Thursday to rally supporters to denounce conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh for his attacks on Sandra Fluke, the Georgetown law student at the center of the contraception debate raging on Capitol Hill. "
I actually suspect that the Dems (and Nancy Pelosi specifically) know that upping the ante in this partisan way will actually make it LESS likely that Limbaugh will apologize or that GOP leaders will repudiate him. It's one thing to simply apologize to Sandra Fluke. It is a very different thing to apologize to this woman (or even sympathize with her) in the face of a blatantly partisan "petition." Unsure about that? Check out this rant at the late Andrew Breitbart's website against any GOP lawmaker who would even CONSIDER apologizing to Fluke!
On the other side, though, there is this story:
Tipping Point: GOPers Start To Turn On Rush Limbaugh from Talking Points Memo
"Looks like Republicans aren’t going to stick by Rush Limbaugh this time. Despite the dangers they’ve faced in the past when criticizing the giant of conservative talk radio, high-profile Republicans are going on the record disavowing Limbaugh’s attack on a Georgetown law student — some are even demanding he apologize."
And this one:
Rush Limbaugh in Hot Water with Sponsors After 'Slut' Remark from MSNBC
"After a firestorm of calls, posts and Tweets from angry consumers, two companies pulled their advertisements with Rush Limbaugh after the conservative radio talk show host called a Georgetown University law student a "slut" for speaking out about the current debate over birth control."
Who knows? Facing a roomful of lawyers and big money sponsors booking for the exists, I guess in that space I could see Limbaugh issuing a watered down, wholly insincere grunt of an apology. Money will certainly talk louder than common decency with this "entertainer."
Is Rush Limbaugh Hurting Republicans? (Chris Cillizza) from the Washington Post
"Limbaugh’s ultimate fealty is to ratings and his listeners not to the American public writ large. Limbaugh’s audience eats up the red meat he throws out and loves him for it. It makes them all the more ardent fans and listeners. Controversy is a good thing for him. Republican politicians have a very different mission than Limbaugh."
The GOP’s Vagina Monologue (Dana Milbank) from the Washington Post
"When will Republicans stop their vagina monologue? March is federally recognized as Women’s History Month, and Republicans have been celebrating the occasion in a most unusual style: with a burst of interest in women’s private parts."
Fight for Women Voters Takes Center Stage in Ohio (Erin McPike) from Real Clear Politics
"... it is in Ohio -- the marquee state among the 10 holding contests on Super Tuesday and a key swing state in the general election this fall -- where the clash over the women's vote is reaching a flash point."
Santorum and the Sexual Revolution (Charles Blow) from the New York Times
"Various comments made by the Republican presidential candidate illuminate his war with the 1960s."
Rooting for Santorum (Joe Nocera) from the New York Times
"If Rick Santorum were to capture the Republican presidential nomination, he’d surely get crushed by President Obama. But it would be good for his party."
Mitt Romney’s ‘Hair On Fire’ Problem (Benjy Sarlin) from Talking Points Memo
"The chief problem, several Republicans and conservative activists told TPM, isn’t that Romney won’t attack Obama. It’s that he hasn’t shown he wants their support enough. And the latest “hair on fire” line didn’t help, drawing condemnation from conservative pundits starting with Rush Limbaugh. One unaligned GOP strategist dismissed the notion Romney wasn’t as willing to go after Obama, suggesting the reason his attacks weren’t connecting with voters “simply [has] something to do with Mitt’s
personality.”"
Why Republicans Need to Get Over the Idea of Jeb Bush in 2012 (Howard Kurtz) from the Daily Beast
"Some GOPers want the other Bush to ride to their rescue in November. Howard Kurtz on why the supposed savior is out of step with conservatism."
Sheriff Joe Arpaio Contemplating Taxpayer Funds to Continue Birth Certificate 'Investigation'? from Daily Kos
"Two things jump out, obviously. One, that he is so taken with this 'scanned documents are scanned' theory he is now contemplating having his sheriff department spend actual money following up on it. Two: he says "get some more help"? More? Is this jackass saying he had previous help from his own paid sheriff's staff, despite denying it mere hours beforehand?"
No comments:
Post a Comment