Chris Matthews implicated in Abramoff scandal

[madfloridian]

And follow the embedded links to Americablog and other places. Very interesting.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/1/4/1137/26232

"Okay, things are suddenly starting to make sense. If you were wondering why Chris Matthews was so desperate to explain away the Abramoff scandal, now we know why. Aravosis has the scoop.

First there's this:

Abramoff forms a group called the "Capital Athletic Foundation." The group appears to play a key role in the Abramoff scandal:

...allegations that Abramoff used NCPPR and CAF to pay for overseas trips for House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, and other Republican lawmakers and that he attempted to influence lawmakers with large donations from various American Indian tribes.

More on thbe Capital Athletic Foundation from the Washington Post:

Records for GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff's Capital Athletic Foundation show that less than 1 percent of its revenue has been spent on sports-related programs for youths, and federal investigators are looking into how large amounts of money were funneled through the nonprofit group to support Abramoff's interests. (Thomas Butler -- The Hill)

Now this is where it gets interesting:

Then we go back to March 5, 2003 and find out that Chris Matthews helped put on an event benefiting the very same "Capital Athletic Foundation":

Curiouser and curiouser.

[Dinger]

1. Oh My

This is going to be something.
:popcorn:

[InsultComicDog]

2. Verrry Interesting

Explains a lot

[AuntiBush]

101. Took the Words Right Out of my Mouth!

Is sure does explain a lot! Very, very interesting... huh.

:popcorn:

[oregonindy]

3. LOL...so this is why he was trying to spin it as only jack jack jack

[ClayZ]

13. He said Jack A. was S A T A N today..... hahaha

What does that make him? Satan's Tweety!

[Al-CIAda]

31. I thought it was Cunningham he was speaking of,(Satan) not Abramoff.

[ClayZ]

37. Maybe I heard it wrong... but I thought he was referring to Abramoff.

He said it while being interviewed earlier in the day... They repeated it on his show.

I should quit watching that anyhow ! ! !

[psychopomp]

39. VIDEO LINK here

http://www.canofun.com/blog/videos/tweetyabramoffsatanjan307.wmv

[leftofthedial]

84. he means the devil made him do it

[cal04]

4. here's the article at Americablog

Then we go back to March 5, 2003 and find out that Chris Matthews helped put on an event benefiting the very same "Capital Athletic Foundation":
It's called the Interactive Spy Game Gala. Scheduled for March 26 at the International Spy Museum in Washington, the event's purpose is to raise about $300,000 for the Capital Athletic Foundation....

Fox News Channel's Tony Snow is master of ceremonies, and Fox's Brit Hume and MSNBC's Chris Matthews are aboard. Opera great Placido Domingo is an event committee member. But, this being Washington, the event will be mostly populated by powerful lawmakers, including Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas; Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa.; and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif.
And it was only just a few hours ago that we reported how Chris Matthews was trying to downplay the impact of the Abramoff scandal in terms of what it said more generally about Republicans. Very interesting indeed.

An aside: I can't wait for Rick Santorum to explain what he was doing there.

http://americablog.blogspot.com/2006/01/hardballs-chris-matthews-foxs-tony.html

[FreedomAngel82]

8. Rick too?

Wow.

[peacetalksforall]

27. I had Fox on for a few minutes - I think I heard the quartet say that

there were many (as in MANY) more Dems involved than Repubs.

[SidDithers]

49. What do you expect from Fox...

don't watch that stuff, it'll rot your brain.

Sid

[flyarm]

28. I can't wait for Rick Santorum to explain what he was doing there.

i wonder if this is what keith olberman meant when he refered to a congressman from PA?? i thought that was curiouser!!

fly

[IntravenousDemilo]

83. Santorum?

You mean, "the frothy mix of lube and fecal matter that is sometimes the byproduct of anal sex". It's everywhere!

[leveymg]

61. "Athletic Foundation"? This reminds me of the "marching societies"

the Brownshirts started in order to skirt Weimar Republic prohibitions against uniformed drills by paramilitaries.

Fundraiser held at the Spy Museum?!!!! Somebody has a real twisted sense of humor, here. Guess the joke's on us.

Does Tweety have an intelligence background or was he fooled, too? This seems more and more like a Judy Miller tryst with Jack Abramoff in a Skybox. The DC MSM-GOP relationship is so incestuous. :pals: :grouphug:

[RaleighNCDUer]

63. "Does Tweety have an intelligence background...?"

I think it's safe to say that there is no connection between Tweety and intelligence.

[leveymg]

65. Why would you say that?

That was just a rhetorical point, but you seem to be sure the answer is no.

[RaleighNCDUer]

67. Because over the years, I've seen nothing coming from him

that even resembles intelligence.

Just my snarky point of the day.

[leveymg]

70. My snark meter needs recalibration. eom

[malaise]

115. Who is not invovled in this??

Damn
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/25/AR2005062500983_pf.html

[FreedomAngel82]

5. Oh wow

Very interesting. Shows why he flips and flops around on being for and against Bush. Just wondering: is Abramoff tied to Bohemian Grove?

[madfloridian]

6. Here's a link to the group mentioned in the article.

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Capital_Athletic_Foundation

[hang a left]

7. Whoa...

I wonder if Tweety was ever paid for "favorable" positions. Well that is a stupid statement. My bad. I wonder if Matthews was ever paid BY Abramoff for favorable positions.

[noamnety]

46. Whether or not he was paid

As a reporter, he should have made a point of disclosing his involvement in the organization. If he'd done that from the start, with a little "in the interest of full disclosure" announcement, this would be a nonissue.

[goclark]

81. Wow! Did anyone else hear Tweety

respond to another talking head what he thought about reporters taking money from people like Jacko?

I thought the other talking head said that he thought it was OK and Tweety kinda a whispered his response. I thought he said, "No, I don't think it is the right thing to do."

Wish someone had the video of that little gem.


I do know that I heard him refuse to name names of people that could be involved with Jacko.

I thought that was really strange, he is usually so quick to give all the names and spill all the beans that he can spill.

May he rot in hell.

[Blue_Roses]

9. not only this

Chris Matthews brother--who is a repub--is running for office in Pennsylvania.

hmmm...:popcorn:

[Sydnie]

11. Let me guess .. as a Republican, right? n/t

[txindy]

21. Oh, you betcha.

And Tweety thinks his brother is perfect and if his brother is a repub, well,...

Tweety is a tool.

[Sydnie]

24. As Scottie would say

"a Vital Tool". :rofl:

(In case you missed the Press gaggle today, that was a hot buzz phrase today from Scottie.)

[Divernan]

71. Probably counting on big $$ from Abramoff when he decided to run.

Cross that donor off the list, kiddo!

[Catch22Dem]

10. Didn't he call Abramoff "Satan" tonight?

I dug that.

[LittleClarkie]

26. Yep. Caught it live

The image he was painting was like the snake in the garden, seducing young staffers with promises of wealth. "Want some of what I've got, kid? The fancy clothes and the fancy cars and the fancy grub? Come, we talk."

I think I want to be careful how I see this connection. Because there are several Dems who have connections to Abramoff as well. It was pointed out that it's not illegal to take a certain amount of money from him. That's not the illegal part.

[Zambero]

68. Since Chris Matthews earns his living doing the devil's work...

...he would be in a very good position to know who's Satan and who isn't.

[Divernan]

72. But legal connections -they represent states with Indian tribes/casinos.

If Dems' constituents made campaign contributions, and those constituents were also clients of Abramoff, that's a lot different than Abramoff's direct bribes and gifts to Republicans.

[John Q. Citizen]

111. No Democrats are known to have taken money from abramhof.

Unless you know of any....

[Joyce78]

12. Matthews is still evading the draft ... he's a Peace Corp Volunteer.

He's a POS ... who would watch his show? He's an MSNBC shill.

[mandyky]

44. The Peace Corps is a legitimate alternative to military

service in my belief. Not that I am sticking up for Matthews.

He is not in the PC now though.

[Lasher]

64. The Peace Corps is an honorable alternative to military service

However, if you joined the Peace Corps to avoid the draft during the Vietnam war,

http://www.discoverthenetwork.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=1759

and if you deride Democratic critics of the Iraq war as "carpers and complainers", then you are a hipocrite.

http://mediamatters.org/items/200512230005

[mandyky]

93. I disagree with that too

The Iraq War and the Vietnam war are different, not only that that was 30 plus years ago. People do get to change their minds.

Earning a deferment by serving in the Peace Corps is not draft dodging. He served his country.

All that said, I am still not sticking up for Matthews. Some of his comments about Democrats are indefensible. And his man love for Bush is sickening. We all know Matthews is a tool for the RNC in general and for Bush and administration in particular.

He actually was quite respectful about Howard Dean getiing a medical deferrment, and I am not sure if he blasted Kerry personally, although he had the swiftboat liars on quite a bit. So I am not ready to call him a hipocrit about 2 different wars.

[Lasher]

116. It is your right to disagree, but your argument is flawed.

For the sake of this discussion the wars in Vietnam and Iraq are exactly alike - It was wrong for us to get involved in either of them.

We of the Kennedy and Johnson administrations who participated in the decisions on Vietnam acted according to what we thought were the principles and traditions of this nation. . . . Yet we were wrong, terribly wrong. We owe it to future generations to explain why.
--Robert McNamara, Secretary of Defense in the 1960s

While on vacation in Crawford, Texas, Commander-in-Chief George W. Bush must have been drinking from the same well as Lyndon B. Johnson when LBJ got American boots stuck in Southeast Asia’s unforgiving swamps. . . . LBJ consequently lost his job and caused millions of American and Vietnamese casualties. Let’s hope that GWB isn't leading us down another rocky road.
--Col. David Hackworth, U.S. Army Retired

The Striking Similarities Between Vietnam and Iraq: Can You Say Quagmire?

I see you object to the term, 'draft dodger'. I hate to get hung up on semantics, and the application of this label is not central to my position that you have challenged. Regardless, I shall offer this definition:

A draft dodger, or draft evader, is a person who defies and avoids ("dodges") the conscription policies of the nation in which he or she is a citizen or resident, by leaving the country or going into hiding. The term became popular during the Vietnam War to describe citizens of the United States who dodged the mandatory conscription policy, in order to avoid serving in the war, by leaving the country, usually to Canada, or (less often) Mexico. The term may be applied to individuals who avoid military service by other means.

<snip>

Other uses of the term

The term draft dodger is used to describe those who avoid military service by any number of means, such as:

Active draft resistance: persons who openly defy the draft, and who do not flee or go into hiding to avoid conscription.

Deserters: those who join the military, but flee from the service (including from the field of battle).

Becoming a conscientious objector: whether or not one's anti-war religious faith is genuine, or merely a ruse to avoid military service.

Seeking excusal from military service due to health reasons: both legitimate and feigned.

Claiming to be homosexual, when the military in question excludes gays.

Seeking and receiving a student deferment.

Enlisting in the a branch of the military, such as the United States National Guard, whose members are unlikely to be deployed into combat. U.S. politicians who come from well-established political families, such as Dan Quayle and George W. Bush, have been accused of unfairly using family influence to secure Guard assignments that would be unavailable to ordinary citizens.

Serving with the military in a non-combatant role (such as a medic) in which one is less likely (under traditional rules of warfare) to be exposed to enemy fire. Al Gore was accused of draft-dodging for serving as a war correspondent, rather than as a soldier, during the Vietnam War.

Simply declining to enlist. During the Vietnam War, not all eligible young men were drafted; many who had a high lottery number simply took no action, knowing that they were unlikely to ever be drafted. Some hold the view that young persons (or young men) of combat age have an affirmative duty to enlist in the military during wartime, even if not drafted.

Wikipedia Encyclopedia

By this definition Matthews certainly was a draft dodger, since he joined the Peace Corps and applied for a deferment.

FYI, I was also a draft dodger, having received a college deferment. I flunked out, however, and was drafted into the Army, where I served during 1969 & 1970.

But the application of this term is not particularly important. The word 'hypocrite' is.

It is logical to suppose that Matthews avoided the draft because he did not support the Vietnam war. This seems even more likely when you consider this exchange:

Hardball with Chris Matthews May 25, 2004

Interview with Terry Holt, a national spokesman for the Bush 2004 campaign:

MATTHEWS: John Kerry went to Vietnam. He volunteered. Why didn‘t the president volunteer to go to Vietnam? He‘s for the war.

HOLT: Well, the president flew

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: No, but why didn‘t he volunteer to go to Vietnam if he was for the war? Shouldn‘t people who support wars go and fight them?

HOLT: But, in fact, he was one of the—he served in the National Guard honorably for his country.

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: But why didn‘t he go and fight in the war? He believed in it.

HOLT: Well, everybody made a decision about how best they served. He served as a fighter pilot in the Texas Air Guard.

MATTHEWS: No, but if you believe in a war, shouldn‘t you fight it, rather than someone who doesn‘t believe in it, a draftee getting drafted in the war?

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5067144/

My point is this: Matthews objected to the Vietnam war and joined the Peace Corps to avoid being drafted to serve in it. That's OK. The war in Iraq is a similar circumstance. As a prominent media figure, Matthews is a hypocrite when he demeans others on account of their opposition to the war in Iraq.

[tularetom]

14. I hope someone has forwarded

this to NBC. Next to o'lielly there is nobody I'd rather see run off of the airwaves than tweety (aka the creepy staffer).

[SoCalDem]

15. More from a blog

http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:4G1HVECATQIJ:blatherwatch.blogs.com/talk_radio/politics/++%22Capital+Athletic+Foundation.%22+matthews&hl=en

scroll down .....



July 06, 2005
rabbi daniel lapin's name resurfaces in investigation
The Jack Abramoff/Delay scandal gets more odiferous every day and reveals more layers than a Walla Walla Sweet--many of which are peeling off at the feet of prestigious Seattle law firm Preston Gates, for whom Abramoff worked around the turn of the century.


Seattle Weekly reporter Rick Anderson's latest installment in this smelly saga places controversial fundamentalist talk show host Rabbi Daniel Lapin (KTTH,Sundays 7-10p) and Toward Traditon, his Mercer Island charity, a little closer to the stink.

Lapin is the ultra-orthodox Seattle rabbi tangled in the unfolding influence-peddling-and-everything else scandal in the Capitol and swirling around his close political friends: disgraced superlobbyist Jack Abramoff, meaneocon Tom DeLay, Christian conprop guru Ralph Reed and, distantly, neocon theorist and activist Grover Norquist.

Lapin dismisses the scandal as an accounting error.

Anderson's story reports US Senate investigations that reveal the boy-faced Reed's laundering scheme for money supplied by an Indian casino client and disguised as a "deceptive Deep South antigambling campaign."

That campaign and other Reed-managed antigambling drives are now part of a U.S. probe into the allegedly fraudulent practices of former Preston Gates D.C. lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who arranged the secret money flow, investigators say. Documents indicate Abramoff, during and after his Preston Gates years, steered more than $4 million in tribal gaming money to gambling foe Reed, former head of the Christian Coalition.

This astounding story of greed and hypocrisy, comes close to Lapin. Anderson writes:

New Senate documents show Seattle radio host Rabbi Daniel Lapin was more than just a friend and fellow religious conservative to embattled D.C. lobbyist Jack Abramoff (see: "Meet the Lapin Brothers," May 11). Lapin was also on the payroll of Abramoff's D.C. charity, Capital Athletic Foundation. According to Abramoff's e-mails, CAF was sometimes used as a money conduit to avoid paying higher income taxes.

At one point, the e-mails state, Abramoff proposed using Lapin and another person on CAF's payroll to create a "research" project as a tax write-off, but Abramoff's accountant worried the IRS would see it as a "sham transaction," and the idea was apparently dropped. Abramoff also proposed using Lapin's Mercer Island charity, Toward Tradition, as an apparent money pass-through to help fund Ralph Reed's antigambling drives (see main story), then learned the charity didn't have the correct IRS status.

There is no indication Lapin, who would not comment last week, was aware of the schemes. Abramoff is a board member of Lapin's charity, and Lapin was one of four people who collectively earned $20,000 a month at Abramoff's D.C. charity, according to Senate documents.

Rabbi Lapin has positioned himself as a stern moral leader in the Seattle area, even partnering with controversial anti-gay evangelical Rev. Ken Hutcherson organizing anti-gay rights events and getting into faith-based pissing matches with local liberal clergy. BlatherWatch wonders how long the veneer of local respectability will last for the the rabbi as Sen. McCain's investigations in Washington unfolds.

Read the whole blatherWatch file on Lapin:

rabbi daniel lapin: a man who stands by his scandal-ridden friends

rabbi daniel lapin: more national embarrassment

rabbi daniel lapin, a long look backward

the rabbi with the tinfoil yarmulke (and we thought he was just boring...)

Posted by michael hood on July 06, 2005 at 11:06 PM in Evangelicals, KTTH 770 am , Rabbi Daniel Lapin , politics, talk radio | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

[Laura PourMeADrink]

53. Is he the rabbi that 's on Imus occasionally? nt

[IntravenousDemilo]

85. If his name is Lapin,

he should be a rabbit, not a rabbi.

[AspenRose]

90. Ha ha, good one

;-)

[joefree1]

16. Whoo, that's juicy

Say bye bye tweety.

Anybody hungry?

[Me.]

17. Just A Guess

But perhaps his incredulity and blowing it off is due to the fact that he was suckered. His "street creds", as he likes to say, have dropped to zero and he may feel like a complete ass. Hard for him to admit to and take. We'll know by how vicious he is on his show about this. Satan may just be his starting point.

[Joyce78]

18. Matthews bro is a Repuke

However, I've always heard that Tweetie wants to run to replace Arlen Specter.

[Lex]

19. Kicked and recommended.

Tweety is doing like Bob Woodward did on LKL when he was poo-pooing the leak case against Scooter Libby.

It was "no big deal" according to Woodward because later we find out he's all entangled in it!

[Joyce78]

25. It Was No Big Deal for Woodward

Because he had a big book deal. Same deal for the NYT reporter who pursuaded the NYT to sit on the story for a year.

[Joyce78]

20. http://www.gov.my/

Is anyone else having trouble accessing here?

[The Doctor.]

22. Well it doesn't sound like Mathews was that deep.

need more info.

[madfloridian]

30. Agreed, but that should be fun finding more info.

It would explain a lot about his flippant attitude toward a lot of it.

[KittyWampus]

55. Very True, I Dislike Guilt By Association Witchhunts....

rooted, in part, in being a Wes Clark fan.

[madfloridian]

112. Who did Clark associate with that bothers you?

in the guilt by association.

[txindy]

23. This surprises me not at all

Think any other MSNBC reporter will cover this? Yeah, right.

Kicked and recommended.

[peacetalksforall]

29. I think Matthews should 'recuse' himself right off his program and I also

think MSNBC should 'recuse' themselves right off the airwaves.

Self-lol!

[BuyingThyme]

32. I think Kos missed the boat on this one.

Now there are two big issues here -- one is the fact that Matthews has cavorted with Abramoff in the past...

Then there's the ethical issues with this so-called journalist hanging out in (and helping with) such a blatantly partisan event.

No, Kos.

The big issue is in the fact that Matthews has apparently raised money for an illegal money laundering front whose purpose is to undermine our democracy.

What're ya smokin' tonight?

[flordehinojos]

34. thank you for this,

"The big issue is in the fact that Matthews has apparently raised money for an illegal money laundering front whose purpose is to undermine our democracy."

now i undestand.


:patriot:

[Supersedeas]

74. all of these issue ought to be explained on Tweety's show

[BuyingThyme]

33. kcik

[lovuian]

35. Yes and Chris was part of the Plamegate episode too...

Interesting is right...

[RSchewe]

36. No wonder he was talking caca yesterday... n/t

[amandabeech]

38. Here's a Counterpunch article from Joshua Frank quoting

Newsweek, to the effect that the Capital Athletic Foundation funneled money to West Bank Israeli settlers for items like night scopes. The article is from April 2005.

http://www.counterpunch.org/frank04272005.html

If true, people were giving money to at least a partially front organization that not all might support.

Does anyone know anything about this?

[leveymg]

69. That would certainly match up with Abramoff's other ties with the Israeli

military, intel and ERW. While he was a lobbyist at the Greenberg & Traurig law firm, he promoted Congressional junkets such as this described by SourceWatch: http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Greenberg_Traurig

4. "Miami-headquartered firm partially funded/sponsored delegation to Israel by House-Senate Armed Services Committee members and government contractors to witnes and be briefed on interrogation resistance procedures and torture techniques ... One of lobbyists joining them to Israel included Jack London, CEO, CACI International, the American defense contractor implicated by Major General Antonio M. Taguba in outsourced Iraqi torture at Abu Ghraib prison." See Taguba Report.

Ali Abunimah, "Israeli link possible in US torture techniques. In exchange for interrogation training, did Washington award security contracts?" (http://www.dailystar.com.lb /...) The Daily Star (Lebanon), May 11, 2004. Also posted May 18, 2004 by San Francisco Indymedia (http://sf.indymedia.org /...).
Tom Flocco, "Gonzalez confirmation hearing ignored US / Jordan torture links and legislative junket to Israel to witness 'anti-terror' exercises," (http://911citizenswatch.org /...) 911citizenswatch.org, January 7, 2005.

[sakabatou]

40. Hello!

:evilgrin:

[BuyingThyme]

41. :hi:

:hi:

[sakabatou]

86. ...

... um... right. You misunderstand me... "Hello!" is an expression one says when one sees something unexpected.

[Skidmore]

42. Aww, guys, come on....Tweety has to pay for that snazzy new

expensive house somehow...you know, the one he bought since * came into office. :) I remember reading about it a couple of years ago. He needed a down payment and closing costs. Jeez, someone needs to investigate these media types like Tweets who have been considered rising stars since the junta took over. When did Hardball become Softball exactly?

[Tesla]

43. They called it Hardball when Clinton was in office....

now it's "Lickballs"

I think he and Andrea have something going.

He can get her to giggle like a school girl.

[bklyncowgirl]

45. Come clean Chris did you know it was a front operation?

Or were you just clueless to the fact that it's founder was a crook?

[txindy]

57. He loses either way.

If he knew, he's a crook, too, and a fraud. If he didn't know, then he didn't do any investigating (Great fact-checking there, Tweety, you 'journalist', you!) into the 'charity' involved - a 'charity' that never gave money to the supposed 'cause'.

Tweety is a tool.

[ngGale]

47. So, Tweety has dibs on the hat Abramoff....

was wearing today, he sure commented about how expensive it was. Tweety, the want to be mafia don.

LMAO! :popcorn: Just when you think this story can't get any weirder.

[Rowdyboy]

48. My word of the day: Schadenfreude "Pleasure at the expense of assholes"

I hope this costs Chrissy big-time.

[Armstead]

50. The bigger issue is the whole inbred nexus of Power and Money

Tweety is a symptom of something much bigger and darker. These so-called "journalists" and pundits have become part of the power structure they are supposed to be objectively covering.

Reporters should not become part of the scene they are covering. They are supposed to maintain a skeptical detachment. You can;t have that if you are simultzneously trying to push your way into the club.

[MadisonProgressive]

51. OMG

[blm]

52. It's likely that Matthews' BROTHER is involved with this - We should look

into that aspect.

[txindy]

54. You're right. I never thought to look at Abramoff's contributions to him.

But since Tweety's brother is political, that's a very valid point.

[blm]

56. More than just political - Tweety's brother is a GOP insider.

.

[txindy]

58. Yep, and Tweety gushes about him.

So, yeah, I'd say there are probably tentacles within reach of the guy, if not all around him. Abramoff's tentacles. That's why Tweety is trying to pin it all on "Satan" Abramoff.

[fooj]

110. It's gross...I've seen him in action!

Ugh!!!!!!!!!!:puke:

Peace.

[drbtg1]

59. potentially interesting angle

Thanks

[LonelyLRLiberal]

95. Someone asked Tweety yesterday to name those involved, and

he, verly snippily, refused to get into names - since even speculating about names is common media sport, I thought that odd - these posts make the old light bulb click on.

[MellowOne]

60. Everybody has their "price"

With enough money, supposedly you can buy anybody.

[gkhouston]

99. I'm guessing his "price" wasn't money, but access

he impresses me as the sort who'd want to rub elbows with the powerful and name-drop about it later, sort of like that "sunny nobility" crap he was spouting about Bush.

[jim3775]

62. No surprise there. n/t

[insane_cratic_gal]

66. When it rains it pours

Put that irony in your pipe Tweety and smoke it.

Maybe now we know why you've been defending the pond scum of this Administration

[Trevelyan]

73. Dean calls for rejection of Alito (Petition link inside)

Dear Senator,

President Bush has handed the far-right special interests a special gift by nominating Judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. Alito's extremist record makes him a threat to civil rights protections, environmental protections, privacy rights, religious freedom, and workers rights.

I ask you to vote not to confirm Samuel Alito to a lifetime position on the Supreme Court of the United States.
http://www.democrats.org/page/petition/rejectalito
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/1/4/82550/12447

Dean calls for rejection of Alito (Petition link inside)
by Siberian
Wed Jan 04, 2006 at 06:25:50 AM PDT
This doesn't appear to have been posted here yet but I think it's important that it gets some exposure here. While often there are calls here to 'freep this poll' for no other reason then to try to send a message using an unscientific poll I think petitions are a far more valuable tool for making your voice heard.

Late yesterday Howard Dean sent out an following email to subscribers of the DNC's mailing list calling for Alito to be rejected by the senate. While such a petition may have mimimal impact in swaying the opinions of republicans in the Senate, with a strong following it may have an impact on how unified the Democrats are in opposing Alito.

Dean is hoping to raise an additional 250,000 signatures in the next 48 hours to get the petition over 1 million. If you oppose Alito's nomination please sign this petition. Full text of Dean's email is below the fold.

[Donovan61]

75. I am so not shocked

I thought Christ the screamer was just another repug suck-up. Thanks for connecting the dots. Now we know he's just another mercenary in the Bush disinformation army.

[mzmolly]

76. Buying off reporters too? Boy would that explain the mass slumber

in the media.

[Eric J in MN]

77. We don't know what Chris Matthews knew.

Maybe he didn't even know that Jack Abramoff was the director of the sham charity.

I'm not getting on board with pinning this to Matthews, yet.

[Sydnie]

79. well, as Matthews would say

If he didn't know, he should have. It's his job to find out. He would hold someone else's hand to the flame over something like this, why should he get off that easy?

[madfloridian]

80. I did not post that either. Associates do count if you're a journalist

He knows the caliber of the people he was associating with in planning that event. Just look at the names.

[Eric J in MN]

100. He showed up. He didn't plan the event, as far as I know.

nt

[madfloridian]

103. But look who he was associating with.

That is my point. BTW, I quoted Kos and Avarosis on this. Chris Matthews has had a burr up his tail forever, and he has been letting his true colors show.

The event was cancelled because of the illegal Iraq invasion, for which Tweety also beat the drums.

I have heard him diss Clinton, rip Dean apart during the campaign...and tear into others. I have no sympathy for him.

I posted what he was working on with Abramoff, and if you wish to defend him for it be my guest.

[Eric J in MN]

114. Who said the event was cancelled?

nt

[H2O Man]

102. I agree.

I think that in time few people will view this as significant.

[madfloridian]

78. Aravosis: March 26 event that was planned cancelled because of war.

Hardball's Chris Matthews, FOX's Tony Snow and Britt Hume helped raise money for shady Abramoff charity
by John in DC - 1/04/2006 12:43:00 AM


UPDATE: "Not that it changes anything, but the event was canceled at the last minute since we invaded Iraq right before it was to take place. The fact still remains that Matthews, Snow and Hume agreed to host an apparently all-Republican fundraiser for Abramoff's shady charity."


http://americablog.blogspot.com/2006/01/hardballs-chris-matthews-foxs-tony.html

[Time for change]

82. I'm very glad to see this

I hate that bastard. I swear, he cost Gore the 2000 election -- or rather he cost him winning the 2000 election by enough so that it couldn't be stolen from him -- with his constant carping about how boring he was, his sighing during the debates, and how he would do anything to be President.

[SeattleRob]

87. Tweety the whore

Abramoff is one of his johns.

[Hardrada]

88. Nail Tweetie!

I'm tired of this phony so-called journalist.

[The Stranger]

89. Hope he fries.

[McCamy Taylor]

91. Tweety's been desperate to remake himself recently. No one

protects the battered child more than the abusive parent, and lately he sure has been acting like an abusive parent in the ER hovering around his battered child when it comes to protecting the Constitution, the law and the US troops. Lots of guilt on those shoulders. Lots of denial. Lots of "nothing to see here." And it doesn't help that he is followed by Keith "I strive to emulate Edward R. Murrow" Olbermann, whom he used to treat as a joke but who is now the serious player when it comes to dishing out the news that keeps us free.

[radio4progressives]

92. So are DU members intending to mobilize around the Tweety Conflict Issue?

Just asking...

it's a pretty significant matter for someone like tweety doing "punkitry" on his 'lick balls' (to use a monicar mentioned up thread) show when he's embedded with the bad ole boys club and aides them with their shanigans, while posing as "hard hitting" member of the "media" pretending to be scrutinizing these operatives.


This is has been apparent throughout his career, but apart from media matters, i don't see grassroots activism around this issue which i think ought to be led by du members. and it isn't just tweety, but he's at the top of the list apart from the faux snooze jerks, and the obvious repuke ops on the ray-dio.

the membership of this forum alone should be able to mobilize the level of attention and action around these assholes apart from mereley venting here on the board... (not to be confused with posting information to raise awareness such as this thread and others).

i'm advocating media activism.. if not now, when?

[Generator]

94. God help me for my schadenfraude

Or however you spell it. But I had to stop myself from doing a happy dance around the room. I have that saved for Rove being indicted. But DAMN this is a title that warms the cockels of my liberal loving press whore hating heart! :headbang:

[autorank]

96. Original Source: The HollywoodReporter.Com--Kudos, excellent post.

This is the source KOS used. Nice. It's called a smoking gun.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1830226

[fooj]

97. You bet it's a smoking gun. I just sent it to Tweety...

Perhaps he'll take some interest in our brand of investigative journalism.

Peace.

[fooj]

98. Here's what I sent...

Ruh Roh. So much for investigative journalism, huh Matthews?


Have you no shame?


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=45971&mesg_id=45971

Is this why you called Abramoff "Satan" yesterday? Hmmmmmmmmm...

[autorank]

105. ROFLMAO...

I heard the Young Turks last night on Sirius. Mankewitz was claiming the media wasn't biased on purpose, just lazy. Well, you and I share a major 'tude about Tweetie I gather. He'll have 2 fascists and a sane conservative and call it balanced...all the time.

Now we know why!

That letter is great. You inspired me.
-------------------------------------------------
Chris,

Please explain the following:

Abramoff and Capitol Athletic Foundation:

"Records for GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff's Capital Athletic Foundation show that less than 1 percent of its revenue has been spent on sports-related programs for youths, and federal investigators are looking into how large amounts of money were funneled through the nonprofit group to support Abramoff's interests. (Thomas Butler -- The Hill)"

Matthews and Capitol Athletic Foundation:

"Fox News Channel's Tony Snow is master of ceremonies, and Fox's Brit Hume and MSNBC's Chris Matthews are aboard. Opera great Placido Domingo is an event committee member. But, this being Washington, the event will be mostly populated by powerful lawmakers, including Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas; Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa.; and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif."
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1830226

Could this be why your shows are so biased, why you stack your panels with right wingers, why you are so adamant in defending the Bush people.

Thanks
------------

He'll be wrting back or calling me soon :rofl:

I still like your letter better. The answer to your question, btw, is NO, he has no shame, none, zilch, zip, nada...

[SlavesandBulldozers]

104. my my. . Tweety, what a twisted nest you've woven.

and i don't mean your blonde coif.

[abramoffisajackass]

106. Wow

I thought Matthews was a Dem?

[senseandsensibility]

107. Really?

You really thought that? Although repugs like to call him a Dem, and he used to work for a Dem, he carries water for * endlessly. He voted for him at least once. And, if you actually watch his show, he favors repugs.

[cry baby]

108. And now we know who he is keeping company with. nt

[JohnyCanuck]

117. And he told his audience

he gets a woody every time he sees the presidential ass in a tight pair of jeans.

[KansDem]

109. Lest we forget: Chris Matthews wanted Gore to concede if he won EC only.

From November 10, 2000

RIGHT UP UNTIL Election Day, we heard over and over about the “legitimacy” questions that would arise should Al Gore win the electoral map as George Bush won the popular vote. Chris Matthews, writing contemptuously of the vice president’s political morality, noted, “Al Gore, knowing him as we do, may have no problem taking the presidential oath after losing the popular vote to George W. Bush.” The Bush camp, according reports in The New York Daily News, were busy planning to challenge such a result. “The one thing we don’t do is roll over,” one Bush aide promised, “We fight.”

Common Dreams

But I don't recall Chris writing the same thing about Bush when the opposite proved true(?) Could he have been in on the scam from the outset?

[BuyingThyme]

113. kcik