MSNBC host Tamron Hall drops the mic on a conservative journalist for refusing to answer her questions.
The ThinkProgress team actually paused what we were doing to watch this throwdown (quite rare).
Oh dear, did Tamron just call your victim card Tim?
Pat Buchanan officially fired from MSNBC.
MSNBC dropped conservative commentator Pat Buchanan on Thursday, four months after suspending him following the publication of his latest book.
The book “Suicide of a Superpower” contained chapters titled “The End of White America” and “The Death of Christian America.” Critics called the book racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic, charges Buchanan denied.
MSNBC President Phil Griffin said last month that he didn’t think Buchanan’s book “should be part of the national dialogue, much less part of the dialogue on MSNBC.”
The network said on Thursday that “after 10 years, we have decided to part ways with Pat Buchanan. We wish him well.”
Buchanan writes about the firing himself in a self-pitying column that reads more like a list of enemies than anything. Gays and blacks and feminists and Jews and liberals all conspired to get Patsy fired, just because he made a living out of saying and writing awful, awful things about them. It’s so unfair. He’s been “silenced” — because I guess being able to get books and columns published any time you want is exactly the same as not being able to say anything at all.
“Pat Buchanan has had regular access to major mainstream news media for close to four decades now,” writes Ed Kilgore. “That should be enough for anybody, much less for a guy who often seemed determined to channel the disreputable ideologies of the pre-World-War II Right.”
![Buchanan blames everyone but himself.
Talking Points Memo:
Pat Buchanan’s explanation for his problems at MSNBC is exactly what you might expect: “Militant gay rights groups” and “people of color, Van Jones” are responsible.
On Saturday, MSNBC President Phil Griffin addressed Buchanan’s recent absence from the network, where he hasn’t appeared as a pundit since October, saying that Buchanan may not be allowed back because of some of the views in his book, “Suicide Of A Superpower.”
“Pat and I are going to meet soon and discuss it,” Griffin told the Bill Carter of the New York Times.
[…]
[O]n Wednesday, Buchanan offered [an] explanation for his troubles. “Look, for a long period of time the hard left, militant gay rights groups, militant — they call themselves civil rights groups, but I’m not that sure they’re concerned about civil rights — people of color, Van Jones, these folks and others have been out to get Pat Buchanan off TV, deny him speeches, get his column canceled,” he said on Sean Hannity’s radio show. “This has been done for years and years and years and it’s the usual suspects doing the same thing again. But my view is, you write what you believe to be the truth.”
The following is from the preface of Buchanan’s new book:
When the faith dies, the culture dies, the civilization dies, the people die. That is the progression. And as the faith that gave birth to the West is dying in the West, peoples of European descent from the steppes of Russia to the coast of California have begun to die out, as the Third World treks north to claim the estate. The last decade provided corroborating if not conclusive proof that we are in the Indian summer of our civilization.
In other words, America is dying because there aren’t enough white people and them damned Mexicans is takin’ over.
I’d say the crazy old racist has no one to blame but himself.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxnf2m4jCd1qfengno1_1280.jpg)
Buchanan blames everyone but himself.
Pat Buchanan’s explanation for his problems at MSNBC is exactly what you might expect: “Militant gay rights groups” and “people of color, Van Jones” are responsible.
On Saturday, MSNBC President Phil Griffin addressed Buchanan’s recent absence from the network, where he hasn’t appeared as a pundit since October, saying that Buchanan may not be allowed back because of some of the views in his book, “Suicide Of A Superpower.”
“Pat and I are going to meet soon and discuss it,” Griffin told the Bill Carter of the New York Times.
[…]
[O]n Wednesday, Buchanan offered [an] explanation for his troubles. “Look, for a long period of time the hard left, militant gay rights groups, militant — they call themselves civil rights groups, but I’m not that sure they’re concerned about civil rights — people of color, Van Jones, these folks and others have been out to get Pat Buchanan off TV, deny him speeches, get his column canceled,” he said on Sean Hannity’s radio show. “This has been done for years and years and years and it’s the usual suspects doing the same thing again. But my view is, you write what you believe to be the truth.”
The following is from the preface of Buchanan’s new book:
When the faith dies, the culture dies, the civilization dies, the people die. That is the progression. And as the faith that gave birth to the West is dying in the West, peoples of European descent from the steppes of Russia to the coast of California have begun to die out, as the Third World treks north to claim the estate. The last decade provided corroborating if not conclusive proof that we are in the Indian summer of our civilization.
In other words, America is dying because there aren’t enough white people and them damned Mexicans is takin’ over.
I’d say the crazy old racist has no one to blame but himself.
Stories to Watch: 9/27/11
It will not stop raining. It’s been like a week. The window of opportunity for further grilling is slowly closing. Panic sets in. Now here’s the news…
Huge scandal as it’s revealed that the White House strong-armed Ford into pulling ads critical of the auto bailout. The only problem with this story is that it seems to be completely made up.
The GOP plans to create a whole bunch of jobs by investigating Planned Parenthood for no good reason.
A local Los Angeles nutjub is dragged out of an Obama speech after shouting that the President is the antichrist. An LA County supervisor says the guy routinely shows up to county board meetings to make lunatic statements. “He talks about Jews in his diatribes and seems very anti-Semitic,” says Michael Antonovich. “I don’t have the impression he’s dangerous, but he has issues that could use some help.”
Turns out that cutting Keith Olbermann loose was about the worst thing MSNBC could’ve done, ratings wise.
The Tea Party specializes in solving problems that don’t actually exist.
When the guys at the foundation dedicated to perpetuating the policies of Herbert Freakin’ Hoover don’t like your jobs plan, it’s probably awesome.
The White House is extremely confident that the Affordable Care Act will survive a SCOTUS test.
Tea Party hero Rick Perry doesn’t know what the original Tea Party was all about.
Finally, John Huntsman may be disqualified from an Oct. GOP debate due to low poll numbers.
News Roundup for 9/6/11
Charles Koch
-Headline of the Day-
“Petro-Boss Charles Koch Labels Obama ‘Saddam Hussein,’ Tells Big Donors He Must Be Defeated In ‘Mother Of All Wars.’”
Remember how the right freaked out over news that Teamster President James Hoffa told a crowd that unions were at “war” with the Tea Party and we all had to vote to “take these son of a bitches out?” You should. It was yesterday.
At the time — which is to say, right this very minute — it was (is) the worst thing ever in the history of worst things ever. Which explains why the right wing is all up in arms about Tea Party puppetmaster Charles Koch saying awful things about Barack Obama and calling for open war against the duly elected US government. Andy Brietbart, Shelly Malkin, Jim Hoft, Erick-Erick, etc., all have the same thing to say after their de facto boss made a statement extremely similar to Hoffa’s.
And I quote, “…”
That’s right, nothing. Not a peep.
Remember, no matter what it is, it’s always OK when Republicans do it. (ThinkProgress)
-Speaking of Labor Day-
Huzzah for the hard work that goes into making America great!
Click to embiggen
Ha ha! See, ‘cause they’re in China and US corporation outsource. It’s funny if you think about it!
Oh, now I’m sad. (MSNBC)
-Bonus HotD-
“Texas Cut Volunteer Fire Department Funding by 75% This Year.”
Fire departments are the worst kind of socialism. Rick Perry knows it’s better to take the rational approach and pray.
That’s been working about as well as you might expect. (Crooks and Liars)
News Roundup for 8/25/11
The couple in happier times
-Headline of the Day-
“Condi Rice Photos Are Moammar Gaddafi’s Dictator Porn of Choice.”
One of the things about being ousted from power is that it’s a lot like dying; if you aren’t prepared for it, people are going to find some embarrassing things in your left behind stuff. In the case of Moammar G or K or Q or whatever, that means “a big ol’ catalogue of fap fuel made up of Condoleezza Rice photo scrapbooks hidden in his torture castle.”
It’s not like there weren’t clues. “I support my darling black African woman,” he said in a 2007 Al Jazeera interview. “I admire and am very proud of the way she leans back and gives orders to the Arab leaders… Leezza, Leezza, Leezza… I love her very much. I admire her, and I’m proud of her, because she’s a black woman of African origin.” Oh yeah, crack that whip, baby. Make those Arab leaders beg!
“I think I don’t need to see the photos, but bizarre and creepy are good adjectives to describe much of Gadhafi’s behavior,” said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland. “It doesn’t surprise me. It’s deeply bizarre and deeply creepy, though, if it is as you described.”
To this blog’s knowledge, this is the first time in history the State Department commented on photos stashed under a guy’s mattress. (Wonkette, MSNBC)
-Cartoon time with Mark Fiore-
Hey kids, Little Suzie Newsykins is back and she’s here to tell us what she learned on her summer vacation. Yay! 
Click for animation
I think there might be something wrong with Suzie… (MarkFiore.com)
-Bonus HotD-
“Cantor Spox: If There’s Hurricane Damage, Costs Will Have To Be Paid For With Spending Cuts.”
Ooh look! A brand new hostage! (Talking Points Memo)
Stories to Watch: 8/2/11
Burgers tonight — inside, in a skillet, because there’s no way you can imagine what it’s like out there now. It’s a freaking sauna. And it looks like rain. Now here’s the news…
Biden’s alleged “terrorists” comment brings down an avalanche of victim cards. Remember it the next time one of these clowns calls a Democrat a Marxist.
Tiny pinhole of sunlight in the debt limit deal: Nancy Pelosi gets to appoint the House dems on the “super-committee” and she saysshe’s not appointing anyone who’ll allow cuts in entitlement benefits.
The Economic Policy Institute has issued a report finding that the debt limit deal will cost 1.8 million jobs in 2012. And, now that the debt ceiling stupidity is behind them, Democrats think it’s time to focus on jobs. Too late, guys. Too late.
Joe Lieberman is insane.
Returning to yesterday’s theme, the stock market hates the debt limit deal.
The Republican commitment to America can only go so far. Asking that their fundraising doodads be American-made is apparently too far.
Hate-porn writer Pam Geller’s new book is eerily similar to Anders Breivik’s crazy-assed manifesto.
MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow isn’t going anywhere any time soon. The network extended her contract until 2014.
Finally, Rick Santorum is Glenn-Beck-level crazy.
There’s Only One Pledge that Should Matter to House GOP — And It’s Not Grover Norquist’s
The head of the anti-tax taliban, Americans for Tax Reform’s Grover Norquist, just blinked.
Washington Post:WITH A HANDFUL of exceptions, every Republican member of Congress has signed a pledge against increasing taxes. Would allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire as scheduled in 2012 violate this vow? We posed this question to Grover Norquist, its author and enforcer, and his answer was both surprising and encouraging: No.
In other words, according to Mr. Norquist’s interpretation of the Americans for Tax Reform pledge, lawmakers have the technical leeway to bring in as much as $4 trillion in new tax revenue — the cost of extending President George W. Bush’s tax cuts for another decade — without being accused of breaking their promise. “Not continuing a tax cut is not technically a tax increase,” Mr. Norquist told us. So it doesn’t violate the pledge? “We wouldn’t hold it that way,” he said.
Norquist later walked his statement back a hair. “Any changes in taxes should be kept separate from the budget deal,” he said on MSNBC this morning. It’s not extremely clear why it should be kept separate from debt limit negotiations, other than the fact that Norquist sensed he’d given away too much. Still, if doing away with Bush’s high-end tax cuts doesn’t violate the pledge, it doesn’t violate the pledge.
Of course, as a conservative activist, Grover probably doesn’t feel like he’s under any obligation to be shackled by consistency. After all, he said pretty much the exact opposite about a year ago, so there’s definitely a pivot here.
“Norquist doesn’t want Bush’s budget-busting tax cuts to expire, but that’s not the point,” explains Steve Benen. “Republican lawmakers are terrified of violating his pledge, and here’s Norquist, on the record, saying GOP members can keep their word and allow a return to Clinton-era rates.”
The fact that “Republican lawmakers are terrified of violating his pledge” should be disturbing to everyone. There’s only one pledge that actually matters — their oath of office — and if it ever comes to a point where a pledge not to raise taxes and a pledge to “bear true faith and allegiance” to the US and Constitution and “faithfully discharge” their required duties, then there shouldn’t be any question at all that the anti-tax pledge goes out the window. You don’t get to throw the nation — and the globe — into economic turmoil because you once made a promise to a fanatical nutjob.
You do what’s best for the nation, Grover’s little pledge be damned.
-Wisco
Are Halperin’s comments more offensive than the term “tea-bagger?
Apples and oranges. Obama never talked about how he was going to shove his dick here or there. Tea Partiers brought it on themselves by saying they were going to “teabag the White House” and “teabag congress.”
They made fools of themselves and it remains to be seen whether they’ll ever live it down.
Stories to Watch: 5/20/11
You ever wish your PC had an ass, so you could kick it? Now here’s the news…
Obama, Netanyahu meet. Not a lot accomplished.
Everyone on the right is saying that Obama threw Israel “under the bus” with his call for a return to 1967 borders. The Anti-Defamation Leagues Abe Foxman disagrees — but that’s probably because he’s so antisemitic.
Are you a bright teen who thinks it would be fun to debate Michele Bachmann on the subject of the Constitution? Then get ready for threats of rape and violence. Bachmann is a Tea Party hero and apparently the ‘baggers have decided that calling 16 year-old Amy Myers a “whore” and threatening to publish her home address so nuts can come have their way with her is what the founders had envisioned.
Fox big Roger Ailes doesn’t like that Chris Matthews said Sarah Palin is “pathetic.” Luckily, there’s no reason for anyone at MSNBC to give a fuck what Roger Ailes thinks.
Speaking of Sarah, apparently she’s got heartburn or something. Get well soon, Moose-o-lini!
Story #4,307 about how Mittens Romney has a problem because GOP bigots hate Mormons. We get it.
A recess appointment for Elizabeth Warren gets some backing.
Finally, how are all those new GOP governors doing? Not so good.
