On The Internets 07.23.2010

• Was Andrew Breitbart's recent hit piece on Shirley Sherrod (the black USDA official falsely accused of racism by a racist using altered video) actually designed to attack black farmers? Talking Points Memo has uncovered some compelling evidence that points to the timing of the release of the video, and suggests it may have been an attempt to derail the settlement of a large class action suit against the USDA by black farmers. "For years, and continuing through the 1990s, the USDA denied loans and grants to scores of farmers simply because they were African-American. Timothy Pigford finally sued the department in 1997; the suit became a class action with 400 additional plaintiffs and 2,000 farmers thought eligible; and the result was what's known as the Pigford settlement, decided in 1999...But thousands of farmers missed the original Pigford deadline, due to shoddy work by their own lawyers and inadequate promotion, among other reasons. In response to a decades-long movement to re-open the Pigford class, Congress passed another $100 million in the 2008 farm bill to help settle new claims; earlier this year, the Obama administration announced an additional grant -- called Pigford II -- of $1.25 billion." Congress has not yet paid the money, and in fact, the vote is due within the next two weeks. Breitbart is a dangerous, deceitful, and manipulative racist, and this coordinated attack by him and Fox News has many levels. This deserves much more scrutiny.

• A new right wing talking point has emerged regarding the Breitbart/USDA manufactured scandal that attempts to argue that Fox aired the video only after Sherrod was forced to resign. This is patently 100% false. Media Matters has posted a time line of the smear, showing how the edited video went from Breitbart to Drudge to Fox to the rest of the conservative blogosphere all before Sherrod resigned. And, true to form, Newsbusters was right there attacking the "liberal media" for not covering the story.
  

• As a general rule, I like and support President Obama a lot. I think he is doing a great job, especially when one considers the state of the country when he was inaugurated. But the way the Administration handled this recent Sherrod incident was a real disappointment to me. The people in the White House should have known better than having a knee-jerk reaction to some stupid story on Fox News from Andrew Breitbart. It may have been Tom Vilsack's decision, but I don't think he would have done something so high profile without some mid-to-high level White House staffer's knowledge. The president himself utilized the standard Republican tactic of blaming the media. "He jumped the gun," Obama said of Vilsack, "partly because we now live in this media culture where something goes up on YouTube or a blog and everybody scrambles." Yeah, but you don't need to scramble, Mr. President. This was, to my count, at least the fourth Fox/Breitbart manufactured, race-based scandal since Obama took office. That is what those guys traffic in. At the beginning of your term, Mr. President, your administration took on Fox News, and argued (correctly) that they are not really a news organization. Naturally, the spineless pussies who make up the rest of the media stuck up for Fox. It is time you try again to push back on Fox. Not you, personally. But get some damn A-list surrogates to do the attack, and then you can stay above it all, where you like to be. Being above it all is nice, but you need someone to be down in the weeds doing what needs to be done. The conservative media is willing to say, literally, anything about you to damage your credibility, agenda, and presidency. Playing nice with these people will not make them like you. Stop reacting to them. Stop falling for it. Start fighting back.
  

• Keith Olbermann returned from his vacation to deliver a scathing commentary on the Breitbart/USDA "scandal." He tears apart the usual suspects: Breitbart, Fox, Limbaugh, etc, and then questions why the Administration keeps falling for these tricks, and why no one in the real media (except for him) will ever take Fox to task for its roll in creating numerous race-based, faux scandals it has been trafficking in for the last two years.
  

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• Recently declassified documents from the Truman Administration show that, despite objections from the military, Truman went ahead and desegregated the military. Truman did this because it was the right thing. The documents show that extensive surveys were done to gauge the attitudes of soldiers and military leaders about blacks and Jews, and their thoughts on their integration into the military. Jews had always been integrated, but the discussions are interesting, nonetheless. According to the documents, only 7% of soldiers approved of integrating the military. Seven percent!! What this shows is that the military objected to racial integration, yet Truman did it anyway. Eventually, the military and the population came to accept and support the decision. This is exactly how the issue of gay service members should be treated, as well.

• Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN), a tea party darling, suggested in a recent interview that a new Confederacy will have to be formed if elections don't go the way the conservatives want in 2010 and 2012. "I hope that the American people will go to the ballot box in 2010 and 2012 so that states are not forced to consider separation from this government." It is dangerous, radical talk like this that explains why less than 20% of Americans say they support the tea party movement and its ideas. Starting a second confederacy in 2012 will be just as treasonous then as it was in 1860, when conservative state governments didn't get the election results they wanted.

• A woman named Ieshuh Griffin, who is running for an assembly seat on Milwaukee's city council has had her dreams of running on the "NOT the Whiteman's bitch" party dashed. Actually, in Milwaukee, if you are an independent running for office, you are allowed a five word statement of purpose to explain what you are about. So, even though we now know Ms. Griffin is "not the whiteman's bitch," we will still need a little something different for her to be on the ballot, as the Assembly Board has rejected her slogan. (h/t: my friend Bryan)

• Another current right-wing freak out is the Muslim Community Center being built two blocks away from where the Twin Towers used to be in New York. Sarah Palin and other Muslim bashers are saying it's a stab in the heart to Americans, and is inflammatory to New Yorkers. First of all, what Palin and her ilk are doing is equating Islam with terrorism. Even President Bush was very careful not to do such a thing. This is a community center, not a monument to Osama Bin Laden. It's highly bigoted to think otherwise. Second, Palin has repeatedly attacked New York City as not being part of "real America" (i.e. the parts of America who voted for her and McCain), so how would she know how New Yorkers are supposed to feel. She hates them anyway (point of fact, New Yorkers are overwhelmingly in favor of the center). Lastly, this center is not at Ground Zero, nor is it called the "Ground Zero Mosque." It is a full two city blocks away. Anyone who has been to NYC knows that two city blocks is a good distance away in Manhattan's dense grid. But, you know what else is a mere two city blocks from Ground Zero? Numerous strip clubs. Yet, why is no one on the right outraged by the idea of strippers gyrating nakedly on "sacred ground"? At Forbes.com, Conor Friedersdorf writes, "As an American in good standing, I'd like to be heard--and to make sure that James Madison, a colleague of mine in citizenship, is heard too. The fourth president of the U.S. once wrote, 'Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.' It's a line that National Republican Trust neglects to remember." A Muslim community center has nothing to do with 9/11. Those attacks were carried out by radicals who perverted their own religion. Not unlike the KKK who cloaked themselves in Christianity while committing thousands of acts of terror. No one ever denied a Christian community center from being built because they were upset by the KKK. No one lumped in all Christians with the KKK. So, why the double standard? Oh, and lastly, the center will be called Cordoba House.

• Things are not looking good for Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY). The long serving House Dem (40 years!), has been charged with numerous ethics violations after an exhaustive 18 month investigation. Rangel is clearly feeling the heat. When asked about the charges by NBC's Luke Russert, he kind of went off (in as much as Mr. Rangel "goes off"):
  

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• Thank you Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) for telling Americans what the real agenda will be if the GOP takes control of the House, "all we should do is issue subpoenas and have one hearing after another." All we should do, eh? So, it's a return to failed policies of the past and launch bogus investigations of the Administration. Sounds suspiciously similar to the 1990s Republican agenda. Haven't we all moved past this idea of wasting the tax payer's money with frivolous, partisan investigations that uncover nothing? Notice how Bachmann doesn't mention any actual wrongdoing that needs to be investigated...

• I'm gearing up for tomorrow's Superchunk set at MAHA. Tim over at Lazy-I has an exclusive interview with the band. I suggest you check it out. And check out this classic 'Chunk video for "The First Part."
  

• The hit SyFy Network series Eureka has returned for its fourth season. It's a lighthearted science fiction/comedy show that tells the story of a small town Sheriff who has to guard over a town comprised completely of the nation's top scientists. The show was getting into a rut last season, but for this season the writers have found a creative way to mix it up. If you've never seen the show, it may seem confusing now, but give it a try. It airs Fridays at 9pm Eastern.

• It's hard to think of anything hotter than a beautiful, naked, Spanish woman smoking a cigarette. Egotastic has the visual proof of this. Some model named Gaelle Garcia Diaz plays the part of the naked smoking Spanish chick. (NSFW)
  

Have a great weekend!