***ADDED: Something else the Blaze didn’t bother to share was this.

You have to wonder what’s going on with Glenn Beck.

Beck’s fall from grace started when his site, The Blaze, falsely attacked James O’Keefe — to the delight of the very people who used to attack Beck. Then Beck, of all things, betrayed the Tea Party in the worst way any conservative could. I thought he’d hit bottom with that. After all, how much lower can you go than selling out to the mainstream media?

Well, yesterday, what I thought had been a rhetorical question was answered when The Blaze went full Andrew Sullivan, full Politico, full Wonkette, and and attacked Sarah Palin over a situation involving her family. 

The Governor’s sin? Composing what amounts to a touching article about her family’s life with Trig – Todd and Sarah Palin’s youngest son with Down Syndrome.

To understand how misleading the Blaze attack is, you first have to read what Beck’s writer, a piece of work named Eddie Scarry (more on him below), wrote:

What’s the first thing that came to mind when you heard that Rick Santorum‘s special needs child was in the hospital with pneumonia late last month? I bet all of Mitt Romney‘s money it wasn’t Sarah Palin unless you are Sarah Palin. …

(more…)

From everything I’ve read, the only factor remaining in Governor Palin’s decision-making process about a 2012 presidential run is the impact the campaign would have on her family — which is why I think Bill Maher went here [emphasis mine]:

Now, I’m not saying that sexism doesn’t exist and isn’t real. And we can’t, but we can’t throw around the word “sexist” just to stop people like me from pointing out that Michele Bachmann, now running second for the Republican presidential nomination, isn’t a dangerous nincompoop. And when I point out that Sarah Palin is a vainglorious braggart, a liar, a whiner, a professional victim, a scold, a know-it-all, a chiseler, a bully who sells patriotism like a pimp, and the leader of a strange family of inbred weirdos straight out of “The Hills Have Eyes,” that’s not sexist. I’m saying it because it’s true, not because it’s true of a woman.

Really, Bill, this is “true?” Who has it in them to look at this photo of Tripp and Trig Palin, two beautiful and perfect children, and make jokes about “inbred weirdos?”

There was a lot of news, outrage and commotion over the weekend over Maher and his panelists ripping Michele Bachman’s husband, the appalling hate f**k comment directed at her, and Maher’s defensiveness when it comes to being called sexist. But from everything I’ve seen — including most of the paragraph quoted above aimed at Governor Palin herself — all of those comments were directed at adults perfectly capable of defending themselves. No one will argue that any and all of those comments were in poor taste, even for a HBO program proud of such things, but the real line that was crossed Friday night was Maher’s astonishingly obscene attack on Sarah Palin’s family — which obviously includes her children.

(more…)

Wait, you mean a guy who makes his living via the sexploitation of females with Grandpa Porn has a low opinion of a female whose ideology is one he cannot either make vulnerable or exploit? Shocking!

Look, but no touch.

In a new interview with the London Independent newspaper, Flynt rambled from topic to topic until he settled on Palin, who is considering whether to run for the Republican nomination for president this year.

“Sarah Palin is the dumbest thing. But I made a fortune off of her. [He made a porn film called Nailin' Palin, based on her],” he said.

Yes, Flynt still made money off of Palin. In terms Flynt can understand, a strong conservative woman put food on the table of a progressive man. Emasculation. Rather awkward, yes?

Flynt wasn’t finished.

(more…)

Jack Stuef, the Wonkette writer behind the “Trig is retarded” piece which ended up costing Wonkette the entirety of  its advertisers (Blogads remains because they have to: they co-own the turkey but can only get the Clintonista astroturf ads nowadays) is out.

Writes Stuef:

All Wonkette editors leave you eventually. Today, it is my turn. So this is my last post ever. What a ride, etc.! I’ve enjoyed making fun of politics for this dumb little blog. But now it is time to move on. I came to this site a 21-year-old kid.

[...]

I live in New York now, and I came here to get back into stand-up comedy and take a shot at writing for television, but I just haven’t had the time.

Yeah, that’s what it is … time.

But get ready, because there’s a shooting-star-the-more-you-know moment in here that actually may be a gem in the rough:

(more…)

In their ongoing crusade to target and silence decent, everyday Americans as racists, some in the MSM love to use the term “dog-whistle” in order to ascribe racial motives to words like, say,  “basketball.” Well, lately I’ve been hearing a dog-whistle of my own — a dog-whistle of the journ-o-list variety that tells me that in their relentless campaign to destroy Sarah Palin and undercut her as a serious political force, the MSM is preparing to up the ante when it comes to using the Governor’s own family and children as a political weapon against her.

First, a little background…

Why the Media Whips Up the Palin-Fury

Watching the MSM react to Governor Palin over the last few years has been an illuminating crash course in Alinsky 101. Like elite, elbow-patched community organizers, the media collectively targets, polarizes, demonizes and intentionally creates a perpetual storm of personal drama around the Governor in the hopes of exhausting even those of us who support her. I call it whipping up the Palin-Fury.

This is a common tactic from the Left, but one we usually see played out in the streets with the idea being to so toxify the atmosphere that decent people give up the fight and go home just to get away from the awfulness of it all. The last few months of ugly and relentless pro-union protests in Wisconsin — though a failure for the left — were a textbook example of this. However, when it comes to Governor Palin, what we’re seeing is this tactic practiced by almost every so-called “objective” news outlet in America.

(more…)

A queer rhetorical and ideological alliance is found recently between President Obama and Joe Guzzardi, a senior writing fellow for Californians for Population Stabilization (CAPS) and a prominent contributor to V-DARE.com, which Leftists have denounced as a “White Supremacist/hate group” website.

Mr. Guzzardi writes:

…population control [is] the ultimate green practice. As long as the most environmentally enlightened Americans ignore the relationship between population growth and environmental sustainability, then America will lose the green fight. In the 1970s, reducing population was so mainstream that biologist and Stanford University Professor Paul Ehrlich regularly appeared on the Johnny Carson Show as an advocate. Today, it’s rarely mentioned…

[A] solution to slowing America’s population… advocate for limiting family size. Having two or more children is not an obligation.

In a stunning display, Mr. Obama echoes Guzzardi’s “solution” in a recent town hall appearance. During the question-and-answer, Mr. Obama singled out for Alinsky-ridicule at least two attendees for their dissent in driving “Big SUV/Monster Trucks,” and having too many kids:

Obama has also championed abortion and callously mocked the Special Olympics and “water heads.”

The Urban Dictionary defines “water head” as “a person with mental health problems, i.e. downs syndrome, or retard.” (more…)

The Internet phenomenon that is Trig’s Crew (Twitter tag #TrigsCrew) might represent the most potent example of the power of online activism we’ve seen yet. In a matter of hours, citizen activists rallied around the righteous cause of condemning a vile Wonkette attack against Governor Sarah Palin’s three-year-old son, Trig with astonishing results.

Best of all, and contrary to Andrew Sullivan feeling all “queasy,” this was not a “Palinista” uprising. (Heads up: When it comes to Trig Palin, Sullivan is nothing more than Wonkette with professorial elbow patches.) Decent people of all political stripes, including some in the media, put partisan politics aside over this — and it was a beautiful thing to behold. Better still, organized under their hash tag, a group of citizen activists discovered the small “d” democratic wonder of Twitter and effectively learned how to politely, firmly, and publicly fight for something they believed in.

Personally, I’m not a boycott person, but that’s my right. Others have a right to boycott, and brother, did Trig’s Crew put on a boycott. All on their own, they organized a list of Wonkette advertisers, tweeted them directly with a request that they pull their ads, and kept track of those who did and didn’t. Within hours, it was obvious a tidal wave was brewing and by the next day it was just as obvious that it had hit. As of this writing, over 30 advertisers agreed with Trig’s Crew and pulled their ads from Wonkette. Seemingly, and in record time, the dismantling of a fairly mainstream, left-wing snark-site seemed probable.

Like the Tea Party, Trig’s Crew has represented the very best of mainstream America as they engaged in an inspiring First Amendment online debate with dignity and decency. So commendable is their behavior, that Slate’s Dave Weigel obviously had to dig pretty deep to come up with this single tweet — one of thousands — in order to manufacture something (which required some back-filling in the form of a later update) that might tarnish the whole movement as “jumping the shark.” Obviously, this is the MSM-Alinsky-Tea Party-Playbook all over again — where a single and unique negative out of an ocean of positives is intentionally amplified to unfairly brand the kind of grassroots campaign elites always find so threatening.

Whatever.

(more…)

Apparently, having a baby in public is using said baby as a prop but using said baby as a ploy against the object of your political hatred is not using baby as a prop at all. Interesting logic.

I feel as queasy about this flexing of Palinite muscle as I do about the original, disgusting, asinine story. In some ways, I see a legitimate come-uppance for a tacky site that published a simply inexcusable piece of mean-spirited dreck using a child who cannot defend himself, treating him as if he were subhuman, which he most definitely isn’t. But I also recoil from mob action like this, for the impact it has on fearless free speech and the chilling effect it will have on an already cowed and defensive MSM when covering the truly tough stuff about Palin.

(more…)

Do you think that attacking a baby with Down Syndrome is beyond the realm of human decency? If so, you’re a prude. Get with the times! It’s fun to attack special needs children and call them “retarded.” Sure, I called out the cowards at Wonkette and Louis C.K. at FoxNews earlier today, but this just seems like the kind of thing that requires a double whammy. Afterall, they aren’t afraid of dog-piling on the Palin children. Is there anything more spineless than attacking a helpless baby simply to try and disturb the mother? I contend that there is not … though I once knew a man with a compulsive fear of pickles.

Attacking Sarah Palin’s “Retarded” Son:

(more…)

First Wonkette deleted comments, then they deleted Stuef’s byline. Now this:

UPDATE: I regret this post and using the word “retarded” in a reference to Sarah Palin’s child. It’s not nice, and is not necessary, but I take responsibility for writing it. For those who came and are offended by this post: I’m sorry, of course. But I stand by my criticism of Sarah Palin using her child as a political prop.

–Jack Stuef

I appreciate that Stuef realizes how many people his post hurt – not political outrage, but actual hurt from moms and dads of children with special needs, family members of those with special needs, etc., and the children themselves. I have three family members who have special needs and let me tell you, they don’t need someone putting a target on their back and calling them “almost human” in a zealous fit to take shots at a political figure.

(more…)

From Legal Insurrection:

First of all, Sarah Palin doesn’t “parade” her kids around any more than any other politician.  Hey Ken, have you seen all those photos of the Obama kids with their parents on vacation and elsewhere?  I’ve addressed this phony “prop” charge before.

But more important, Layne has a very convenient memory.  In 2009, as I documented in my post Wonkette Goes After Trig Palin Again, Layne mocked Trig, including running this photoshop which he took from a posting board:

(more…)

This is why we take screenshots.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

(more…)

Is this supposed to make it all better?

Posted by Dave Weigel at Slate:

UPDATE: Wonkette editor Ken Layne looped me in on an e-mail to AdWeek, in which he wrote that Steuf has been admonished.

I have four kids myself and I wouldn’t want them mocked on the Internet by a bunch of cretins on the Internet. And that’s just one reason why I wouldn’t parade my children around in the media. What kind of mother does that?

In any case, Jack has been admonished and put on night probation until further notice. Anything involving Palin, I want to make it extra clear that *Palin* is the problem with America. Not her kids. Not her little kid, anyway. The older ones seem to be on their own path and you can’t really blame Sarah for it, although she certainly encourages the sleaziest possible behavior from her grown children, which is hardly a very “family values” thing to do. But as far as Jack’s future, a few months on the night shift  cleaning up the furious, ALLCAPS unmoderated Wonkette comments, without pay, should teach him a thing or two about writing stuff that confuses the target. Trig is cool with us. Sarah Palin, on the other hand, is a grave danger to America.

Sarah Palin didn’t “parade” Trig Palin around in the media. She held him in public. It’s hyperbole to state otherwise. Layne is unconcerned with the welfare of the Palin children, otherwise he would have pulled the post and fired the guy that wrote it costing them advertisers. Pretending to recognize and uphold “family values” is shtick Layne uses to lend himself credibility in this instance where none actually exists.

(more…)

While we disagree with Mediaite from time to time in this space, there is one thing on which we do agree and that is children used as political targets: you shouldn’t.

Tommy Christopher takes on Wonkette Editor Ken Layne:

(more…)

As a result of this morning’s post condemning an outrageous post from Wonkette in which blogger Jack Stueff mocks Trig Palin over his Down Syndrome and suggests that Todd Palin slept with his daughter, outrage spread across Twitter and now Wonkette advertisers are pulling ads. (See complete and continually updated Twitter list of companies here.)

Papa John’s was the first:

Then came Huggies:

Now the Vanguard Group:

The outrage continues to spread across Twitter. We will update with further reactions here.

*UPDATE: Holland America Cruises drops Wonkette:

Now Nordstrom’s drops Wonkette:

*UPDATE 3: Bob Evans Farms and Reliant Energy have pulled ads from Wonkette:

Please remember these companies’ integrity with your dollars.

*UPDATE 4: DealSwarm:

Coldwell Banker also drops Wonkette:

And another, this time clothing company J. Jill:

Starkist:

Starwood Hotels:

T Mobile:

Verizon:

REI:

Yay Toyota!

Betty Crocker:

Finish Line:

Adobe:

Choice Task Force:

Texas Education Agency:

Ford:

Kodak:

Coca Cola:

See full and immediately updated Twitter list of companies here.

The Wonkette brand of Myspace satire strikes again. Calling him the “greatest prop in history,” Wonkette proceeds to make fun of the little boy on his birthday because that’s what good writers who know about politics do.

They consider this satirical? This entire thing sounds like it was written by some guy, in this case, Jack Stuef who got tired of being bullied on the playground and, seeing his once chance to sound cool and impress people, decides to bully a child. You picked on a kid, dude. Yay for you.

What’s he dreaming about? Nothing. He’s retarded.

[...]

His mom went to a lot of trouble to leak amniotic fluid over 8 states to make sure that he arrived in this world somewhat alive,”

[...]

Enjoy yourself today, Trig. Have fun! Get drunk (on purpose this time)! We can hardly wait for 15 years from now, when you will finally be able to vote and will be sent off by your mother’s junta to fight the Union in the Great Alaska War. It’ll be quite a loss. You’re the smartest one in that family.

This is what happens when a little-known blogger who edits the literary equivalent of the bathroom wall in Walmart isn’t clever enough to either write satire or convey why he doesn’t like the Palins. And this is considered acceptable by progressives.

(more…)

Sometimes it’s the questions you don’t ask that are telling.  Case in point: the New York Times account of our event with Governor Palin last night.

Young America’s Foundation hosted Governor Sarah Palin for the keynote address at the opening banquet of our Reagan 100 weekend. This weekend marks the 100th anniversary of Ronald Reagan’s birth. Celebrations are taking place across the country, but this is a particularly significant weekend for our organization—since the spring of 1998 we’ve been preserving Ronald Reagan’s beloved Ranch home in the mountains north of Santa Barbara, Rancho del Cielo. Today Ronald Reagan’s Western White House is a place where young people come to be inspired by the life, the ideas, the character of Ronald Reagan.

Photo credit: (c) Jensen Sutta

And Governor Palin visited the Ranch for exactly the same reason.

The Governor gave a powerful speech at our banquet last night, before an enthusiastic overflow audience. She eloquently and gracefully paid tribute to one of the most significant speeches in American history, Ronald Reagan’s “Time for Choosing” address—while at the same time outlining a vision for America that builds upon President Reagan’s.

The speech was universally well received by our audience of all ages. But the New York Times chose to focus on some of the logistics of the event in their account:

Presidential contenders, regardless of their celebrity, are put through a gauntlet of rituals that require a delicate air of patience as they deal with their admirers. Prospective candidates, particularly if they are courting supporters, routinely sit through dinners and mingle with guests. But in her case, Ms. Palin entered the room only for her speech and left immediately after.

The appearance here was marked by tight security and rigid rules, with guests admonished to stay in their seats when she arrived. (“We’d all like to jump up and give her a high-five, but please stay at your tables,” Kate Obenshain, vice president of the foundation, announced from the dais. “There will be no book signings or autographs.”)

Governor Palin has a remarkable effect on people. For many conservatives, she’s a rock star. When the Governor walks into a room, normally even-keeled and good-natured people tend to forget their surroundings and rush towards her—to give her hug, to tell her how grateful they are for her courage, to tell her specifically how she has touched their lives. Event planning requires adherence to a basic schedule. At a minimum, you have to make it possible for your speaker to take the stage, in the “friendly confines” of tightly-packed and small room. Not an easy task with a superstar like Sarah Palin but our team sought to make the event run smoothly. (more…)

Really, GQ?  Using cheap shots at politicians to sell your magazine?

#FAILANDGOAWAY

I am not sure what I was going to get my husband for Father’s Day, but I can assure you, if the product graces the pages of GQ Magazine, it will not grace our Father’s Day!

The Junior High bathroom wall mentality on Twitter and other Social Media outlets is reaching…and I will not sit idly by while they use my child to do so. (more…)

A week ago, news began to break in San Francisco about a targeted gay-bashing crime that allegedly occurred on February 26.

Three cousins from Hayward have been charged in San Francisco with a hate crime and assault for allegedly firing a BB rifle at the face of a man they believed was gay, an attack the men videotaped, authorities said Wednesday.

Investigators believe the assailants chose the victim because he appeared to be gay. When the men were pulled over, police found a video camera that was used to film the shooting, investigators said.

Clearly, of course, this had to be a Christian right-wing, tea party, anti-government, bigoted homophobe from the South. Right?

Wrong.

The three men, Shafiq Hashemi, 21, Sayed Bassam, 21, and Mohammad Habibzada, 24, the driver, were arrested. (more…)