Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina was asked about the bill using a football metaphor and he took the opportunity to move the goal line, spinning a possible Obama victory into a long-term loss.

Thank you for this OPINION.

Of course, since this remains a MEDIA INTEREST site… I’m not sure why this story is RELEVANT… again.

But this seems par for the course around here. Write an article that is slanted leftward (even if just a little), it’s relation to media is inconsequential. Then, when called out on it, deny or insult the posters… and give the ol’ Colby line, “we don’t have to tell you anything.”

What I don’t understand is why sites like this (which is trying to become more and more like HuffPo daily… as they try to slant less left, and this site slants more) refuse to admit it. Are you afraid of losing readers? Are you incapable or recognizing your own biases, or that you interject opinion where none is needed? Or are you trying to be sneaky, and subtly encourage people towards one POV, without telling them they’re being preached to?

Oh, Mediaite… you had such promise…

Graham is a confirmed, Republican In Name Only, so when he slams, a Democrat..or in this case, a Progressive-Liberal, like President Obama, be assured it’s a slam of “snow ball” quality…hard on the outside, but is SOFT, and melting, on the inside ! He is doing it for “effect”.

THE ONLY person Graham is “for”, is LINDSEY GRAHAM.

His own self-interest, is the only thing, one can depend upon. He is another legislator, that’s “For Sale”, to the highest bidder.

I agree with INB (no surprises there). This site needs balance if it wants to get more than a few commentators. For example, you single out Lindsey, and I for one am glad Linsdey is speaking so candidly — it’s a refreshing change.

Yet, there is NOT a single mention of Howie Kurtz on Reliable sources who today ONLY discussed Nelson’s hold out for better anti-abortion language (a failure for sure). Mediaite did NOT criticize Howie for not even mentioning the goodies Nelson brought home to his State in exchange for his vote. Nelson was bribed by Reid and Howie doesn’t even mention it. How reflective of “real journalism” is that CNN? Yet silence at mediaite.
Proof positive that CNN is lyng when it says “we report ALL sides” and this board is quiet?

MikeL — I agree — THEY ARE ALL FOR SALE, and yet they have to nerve to say Afghan needs to clean up it’s corruption to gain support of American’s, while they participate in corruption day in and day out. See Mary and Ben, for starters.

And though Chicago has long been a go-to political metaphor for backroom dealing, the fact that it conjures President Obama’s political past doesn’t hurt one bit when it comes to 2010.

OK, I’m going to need to buy a vowel on your (ahem) analysis, Joe — Chicago politicians have had a bad reputation of strong-arming and vote-fixing going back decades, but now that Obama is a prime example of it, all of a sudden “it doesn’t hurt one bit”?

How so, when the guy had historic (the BHO Admin’s favorite word) high approval ratings coming in that have sunk much like a body weighed down by cement shoes in Lake Michigan? Are you saying people aren’t getting wise to David Astroturf, Rahmbo “Dead Fish” Emanuel, and the Chi-town machine that gave us Rod Blagojevich and Roland Em-Burris-ment?

Make sense of this for me — scratch that, make sense of it for everyone. You failed on your first attempt.

Thanks TfT…

I think the problem around here is very reminiscent of the problems facing the newspaper industry. For a long time, the papers were the only source of news… and when the readers said, “Hey, we don’t like your bias,” the papers showed them the finger and told them to go somewhere else… but there was no place else. Now, there are many news outlets and the newspapers are dying…. but they’re still too stubborn and self satisfied to change… and so the NYTimes lays off another group of people.

Unfortunately, it seems that Mediaite has picked up the old school mentality, instead of new-era management. Right now the site is still young and growing… but what will happen if you, me, and a few others around here decide we’ve had enough? The site moves further left, the reader/commentators (which are the real reason people come around here) become an echo chamber for the left, and the site plateaus. This is not the way to run things… it’s a mistake.

And again, I’m not suggesting that Mediaite start over again… but bring on a few new “editors” to expand the political diversity, stop current editors from posting biased articles outside of the “Columnist” header, and stick to the principals with which the site was founded… namely media and media related content. This is no different than The Weather Channel reporting on Tiger Woods… it goes against the brand, and (IMO) more articles like this, and the continued bias shown by the majority of content providers, will prevent this site from spreading to more than a handful of readers.

The potential for this site to become the industry standard is there… but not if they continue running things like this.

MikeLI wrote:

Graham is a confirmed, Republican In Name Only, so when he slams, a Democrat..or in this case, a Progressive-Liberal, like President Obama, be assured it’s a slam of “snow ball” quality…hard on the outside, but is SOFT, and melting, on the inside! He is doing it for “effect”.

This morning Graham’s slamming the Obamastration, but he might be spitting all over the Club for Growth (or, as he’s called them, the “Club for Greed”) hours from now. That’s why the MSM’s Sunday shows love him — he’s a Republican, so they can claim they’re being “fair,” but he’ll never move more than his toes into “right-wing” territory.

Add to the proposed changes software that reminds you to close your HTML tags. (grumble)

> but what will happen if you, me, and a few others around here decide we’ve had enough?

A huge party.

Awe! Poor Lindsey. He’s still trapped in the closet. Don’t expect this one to stand up for anyone when he can’t even stand up for himself! Your party is still dead. Just wait until 2010. If you think the teabaggers have them by the gnads you’re right. Split the party and we win again. Don’t split the party and we win again. Just keep pandering to the idiots. Dems won’t vote for you and teabaggers won’t either no matter how much the one man minstral show that is Michael Steele sucks up to them!

By the way, here’s just one more reason why Republicans are dead.
From Crooks and Liars:
“But for the most part, Republicans have voted together to block Democrats’ attempts to pass legislation more often than any Congress in history. On December 18, Republicans broke the modern-day record for the most filibusters in history, according to Campaign for America’s Future.”

Now, this will make a nice campaign ad. Let’s say you are unemployment right now. Republicans filibustered and dragged out the passage of unemployment extensions for a full month. They did this by trying to tie ACORN to the bill. After 30 days the bill passed 90-0. So, some 200,000 people were directly affected by this. You can just guess how they’ll vote. Then, there was all of the Republicans that got busted trashing the stimulus while taking credit for the funds in their states where they thought no on was watching. Wrong! Thanks to several lefty websites, we’ve already nailed many of them. These will also make nice campaign ads.

In typical liberal fashion, m hopes the opposition voice gets shut down and shut out. Oh how I recall the old liberal saying: “opposition is patriotic”. Those were the days!!!

And for roxsteady — must you throw out the racist attack? Another typical liberal maneuver.

Roxsteady wrote:

Let’s say you are unemployment right now. Republicans filibustered and dragged out the passage of unemployment extensions for a full month. They did this by trying to tie ACORN to the bill. After 30 days the bill passed 90-0. So, some 200,000 people were directly affected by this. You can just guess how they’ll vote.

Oh, OK, roxie. Tell me, why was it so important to the Democrats NOT to defund ACORN, an organization that is at best incompetent at its own mission and at worst a criminal enterprise that systematically endorses voter fraud, prostitution, human trafficking, and underage prostitution?

May in your little corner of the world, nobody cares about the Federal government possibly having a hand in clearing the way for young teenage girls from El Salvador to be sold as sex toys as long as it results in a Democrat possibly running for office. My advice: Get out, do some traveling, and see how other people feel about that.

60 votes!! Delivered to the Republicans and Sen. Jim DeMented is their Waterloo. DeMented raised the ante when he said, “If we’re able to stop Obama on this, it will be his Waterloo. It will break him.” What DeMented didn’t realize is that when Obama beat the Republicans on this it is the Republicans’ Waterloo and going down with them will be the Republoteabaggerists.

We must keep reminding ourselves what a mess the Republicans made of this nation in only 8 years. From boom to bust, an additional near $7 trillion added to the national debt in that period, a crashed market, unemployment doubled under George W. Bush and the Republicans. It takes seven kinds of an idiot to believe the Republicans or their surrogates, the Republoteabaggers, are any part of the solution to the very problems they caused.

This controversy has lasted so long because of the fantasy the Republicans ever intended any bipartisanship. Now it’s in their faces and a win. Anything less could destroy our nation and hand the reins back to the very group that brought about our decline.

So, Adkins, you’re saying that ObamaCare is popular? That all of a sudden, because Obama, Reid, and Pelosi bribed and threatened their way to a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, the majority of Americans that say they don’t want it are going to fall in line? That they are gullible enough to agree with Obama’s self-grade of B+, and that upon signing the bill, all the incompetence, mismanagement and dishonesty of the past eleven months will be forgotten and he’ll get his “A”?

In the words of Aerosmith, “Dream On.”

m says:
December 20, 2009 at 1:39 pm

I know, you hate that people don’t always agree with you, and want to talk about it. I’m pretty sure there are a number of other sites where people like me and others who don’t always agree with you, aren’t allowed to talk. Free speech is a b*tch, isn’t it?

roxsteady says:
December 20, 2009 at 1:58 pm

Now, this will make a nice campaign ad. Let’s say you are unemployment right now.

I didn’t think anyone was still “unemployment.” Didn’t Obama tell us that the recession was over, and everything was fine again? Sure the unemployment numbers seem to keep going up… but they said it was “over,” so it must be. Darn numbers, always trying to contradict the President.

Bill Adkins says:
December 20, 2009 at 2:50 pm

We must keep reminding ourselves what a mess the Republicans made of this nation in only 8 years. From boom to bust…

False. The economy was starting to decline in the last years of Clinton, but rebounded for a while under Bush. The economic problems were the result of YEARS of poor oversight and management from Congress (both Republican and Democrat)… not one person, not one action.

I’m sure these facts don’t matter to you… because you only want to see through the prism of “Republicans are always wrong,” but perhaps telling the truth will help someone else… perhaps someone who isn’t a proud anti-Semite, like you.

This controversy has lasted so long because of the fantasy the Republicans ever intended any bipartisanship.

And here, I thought it was the Democrats… who hold a majority in both houses, who were holding things up. Remember, they’ve got all the power… so why were the Republicans able to delay things this long?

Oh, and if things are so great… why is someone like Keith Olbermann willing to “go to jail,” because the current bill is bad? Again, you’re rooting for this because the Republicans are rooting against it… not because you actually support the content. And how could you?! Being that nobody has actually seen it yet…

L.n. Smithee says:
December 20, 2009 at 3:03 pm

Please don’t quote America’s greatest rock band when talking to Adkins. Aerosmith always makes me happy (except when they cancel shows and I’ve got tickets to see them twice)… and Adkins always makes me sad. Don’t besmirch the undeniable awesome-itude of Aerosmith, by linking them to Adkins! ;)

What I’m saying is you and the Republicans and Graham and DeMented and the Republoteabaggerists ala Impotent Dick Armey all lose. That all the eggs you had were in that basket of potential defeat of Obama. Because the nation will not forget all the incompetence, mismanagement and dishonesty of the 2001-2009 Error that brought the nation to its knees and the brink of disaster, the Blunder in Iraq, the clusterfuck in Afghanistan, the perversion of American values in Cheney’s office and that the fantasy that Republicans are strong on national security is exposed as just that, a fantasy. .

Steven Tyler doesn’t like you either, blue.

Bill Adkins says:
December 20, 2009 at 3:20 pm

Uh-huh… and that’s why the Republicans are currently polling better than Democrats… and why Obama’s approval numbers keep slipping… right?

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/generic_congressional_vote-901.html

Bill Adkins says:
December 20, 2009 at 3:22 pm

Steven Tyler doesn’t like you either, blue.

I’m so sure.

Graham is such a putz. Constantly tasting the ashes of bitterness & playing the Patriot Card. Predictively with the crowd who erect roadblocks of human stupidity in the way of progress & positivity. So typical.

Ohh. The goonlets dare to bring up the years of Resident alcoholic, BushDrunk. The worst and most demeaning years in American history. He/the Repunks left a bloodied world. A quivering lump of historic failure. Poisonous. Toxic. An administration that created & oversaw events leading to the meltdown of the nation. 2 failed, impossible wars. A health-care system collapse. The gluttonous raping of the U.S. Treasury. Soo much more. “Mission Accomplished!!!” Yup indeed. Yet the merchants of ignorance still are unable to admit any of it. Intellectually weightless little people. A manipulable herd. Read their words.

Graham, from S.C. is talking about Chicago politics?! What a buffoon!!

By the way, ImNotBlue – If you don’t like the site then leave, all you do is bitch anyway.

Nachi definitely needs to stay away from MSNBC.

I have to state this, many won’t like it:

Many of you are or becoming zombie ideologue commenters! I like the commenting interaction but same words put different order in a sentence much of the time delivering the same zombie message.

You Attack/defend from/for the same position/politicians/poltical parties,cable news station, etc. I have to imagine you know this happening. If you are paid to blog for a paticular political party, work for a particular party etc. then I can understand. Then be brave enough to declare that so we know.

Zombie is zombie thinking. One track mind. OK, Had to get that off my chest, I know pople will attack me for this BUT know what I’m attacking. My meesage is that you are not solving anything doing this.

The real finger pointing (middle fingle please) by most of us including Mediaite should be pointed right toward DC and your state’s congressmen/women!

The story here is what a cluster**** to think that Bribes arn’t happening in DC/legislation by MOST politicians in BOTH parties. The bribes are just getting bigger and more outrageous.

The fact that bribes are occurring impact your life/family more than any stupid zombie comment on this or any site could ever do. Attack that and don’t put up with the political BS.

The other real story and why dangerous is that the MEdia including Mediaite are not so affended by what politicians do (LIKE BEN NELSON’s medicaid bank robbery, yes, all you not in Nebraska will get to pay for Nebraska’s poor medical care, what a bunch of BS) that they don’t attack them and call them out for doing. 4th Estate my ass.. Public trust my ass.

I take it back, NOW I feel better.

ImNuts can’t leave, he’s learning a lot here. That so-called education of his hasn’t worked so well. He seems to have a problem with reading comprehension (and understanding the facts). He needs to stick around.

ImNuts said: “I didn’t think anyone was still “unemployment.” Didn’t Obama tell us that the recession was over, and everything was fine again? Sure the unemployment numbers seem to keep going up… but they said it was “over,” so it must be. Darn numbers, always trying to contradict the President.”

I believe the thought process is that things are now stabilized. Darn that unemployment number for dropping last month. And by dropping, ImNuts interprets as “goes up.” Mal Education.

ImNuts said: “False. The economy was starting to decline in the last years of Clinton, but rebounded for a while under Bush. The economic problems were the result of YEARS of poor oversight and management from Congress (both Republican and Democrat)… not one person, not one action.
I’m sure these facts don’t matter to you… because you only want to see through the prism of “Republicans are always wrong,” but perhaps telling the truth will help someone else… perhaps someone who isn’t a proud anti-Semite, like you.”

Right. They didn’t call them the Bush tax cuts for nuthin! Oh, and this was my favorite part — when you said that the economy was in a decline, but it rebounded under Bush (and then well all fell asleep and woke up when Obama became president and were like “whaaaa?”). That’s like saying Madoff was poor growing up but then made billions of dollars… listen I gotta go take a nap. I’m sure I’m not leaving anything important out (PERIOD).

And that “it’s not one man” line of BS doesn’t fly around here. Especially when you and Ms. TFT peg everything on Obama. But he’s not just one man, he’s every man, right? I think you and Ms. TFT have a weeping ichat session to get to.

It’s just my freedom of speech, baby (that’s republican black hip speak, by the way… big ups Michael Steele!)

Ted says:
December 20, 2009 at 3:51 pm

By the way, ImNotBlue – If you don’t like the site then leave, all you do is bitch anyway.

So that’s your rational… “If you don’t like it, get out?” Hmm… and I thought the left was against that strategy.

But you do help prove my point… if someone like Ted, who thinks personal attacks and venom is “acceptable dialogue” when it’s towards someone on the right, approves of the site… exactly who do you think your market is? I don’t think when this site was in the planning phase, “Ted” and all the other “Ted’s” out there were part of the goal… were they?

TfT says:
December 20, 2009 at 3:56 pm

Nachi definitely needs to stay away from MSNBC.

No… Nachi needs to stay away from the internet. ;)

RazorsEdge says:
December 20, 2009 at 4:59 pm

While I agree with much of what you said… I question whether it’s Mediaite’s responsibility to discuss or “uncover” such things. Mediaite’s responsibility is to talk ABOUT the media… not the politicians. If something noteworthy happens to a politician IN the media… fine. But this isn’t the 4th estate… rather it’s WATCHING the 4th estate.

tjl says:
December 20, 2009 at 5:49 pm

ImNuts…

Starting out with a goofy personal attack always signifies well thought-out and reasoned ideas are to follow…

Ugh.

I believe the thought process is that things are now stabilized. Darn that unemployment number for dropping last month. And by dropping, ImNuts interprets as “goes up.” Mal Education.

Wrong.

Unemployment claims rise unexpectedly
By Hibah Yousuf, staff reporterDecember 17, 2009: 9:34 AM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — The number of Americans filing for initial unemployment insurance rose last week, the government said Thursday. Analysts had expected a decline.
There were 480,000 initial job claims filed in the week ended Dec. 12, up 7,000 from the previous week’s revised 473,000, the Labor Department said.

Check your facts next time.

Oh, and this was my favorite part — when you said that the economy was in a decline, but it rebounded under Bush (and then well all fell asleep and woke up when Obama became president and were like “whaaaa?”).

Well, that’s not what I said at all. In the last few years of Clinton, the internet bubble which has causes so much prosperity, had begun to decline. The excitement over new technology and worldwide information caused many business to open… only to close their doors after they failed to be profitable (anyone remember Pets.com?). Later, under Bush, things stabilized a bit and the economy started to improve, as was seen with skyrocketing Dow numbers. However, it hit its peak, and then started to sharply decline around October of ’07.

But the fact of the matter is, things were pretty great for a while under Bush. Now, I never said that this was Obama’s fault… I never even brought him up in this context. It’s a straw man argument from you… please stop being so dishonest.

And that “it’s not one man” line of BS doesn’t fly around here. Especially when you and Ms. TFT peg everything on Obama.

Well, no I don’t… and I challenge you to find where I have. But more over, what the heck are you talking about?

It’s just my freedom of speech, baby (that’s republican black hip speak, by the way… big ups Michael Steele!)

Ah… racism. Remember folks, it’s okay that tjl says something undeniably racist… because he was saying it against a Black Republican… and there’s no need to respect them. Right, tjl. Your form of racism is acceptable… to some.

But not to me.

ImNotBlue but IAmAnIdiot – You are nothing less than a self absorbed dweeb in need of a hobby, Good luck on that.

@ImNotBlue

I’ll take your NOT 4th estate comment under consideration. Mediaite comments section not the proper place for politics.

My angle here is 4th estate and 4th estate watchers have let the public down. Less watchdogs now and more political cheerleaders. You can argue the state of politics today (messy) a result of the media not doing their ethical/standards roles properly.

To be fair, I think all of us have transitioned into political speak on comments.

Ted says:
December 20, 2009 at 8:04 pm

Thanks, but no thanks. I’m busy enough as it is.

And thank you once again for your enlightened and well informed comment. Clearly you know the issues backwards and forwards… that’s why you feel no need to talk about them. Ever.

RazorsEdge says:
December 20, 2009 at 8:22 pm

Mediaite comments section not the proper place for politics.

Well, I can’t 100% blame Mediaite for that. Since we’re talking about news and news events, politics eventually creeps in. It’s the articles with which the comments are based that are the problem. The articles should be media articles… not political articles… that only encourages the political banter, and takes away from the stated goals of the site.

My angle here is 4th estate and 4th estate watchers have let the public down. Less watchdogs now and more political cheerleaders.

I agree with you on that! Well said.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2009/dec/18/politifact-lie-year-death-panels/

Palin wins inaugural “Lie of the Year Award” from Politifact. And she certainly deserved this one.

Bill Adkins says:
December 20, 2009 at 9:08 pm

Yes… even though it wasn’t really a lie.

As a retired Union worker, Michigan I support and agree with the Senator from South Carolina. He is correct in his words and wisdom. Then real item of concern is the Obama administration and their closed door type of so-called “transparency” and lies. What a uselsess administration. I wouldn’t vote for them this time. They are pathetic in running a country and continue to lie to the taxpayers.