Aug 18 2010
The Right Hook – 08/18/10
The Right Hook, a weekly segment which covers the machinations of the right wing, from the Republican Party to the Tea Party Patriots, and beyond. By Chris Bennett
It’s fall, football season, and the War-hawks are in the thick of it. General David Petraeus is running a media blitz and attempting an end run around President Obama. The general’s goal is to push back the 2011 withdrawal date for troops in Afghanistan. Petraeus is on a speaking tour and talking about “progress” even as the Taliban becomes stronger and more popular in the wake of U.S. inflicted civilian casualties. Last season General Stanley McChrystal attempted an end run around the president in order to secure more troops for the so-called surge in Afghanistan. McChrystal suffered a career ending foot-in-mouth injury a few weeks ago when Rolling Stone magazine printed the general’s comments regarding his superiors back in Washington. However, McChrystal is not entirely out of the game. Yalies seeking out quality Ivy League edumacation will be able to take the general’s course next fall. The subject? Leadership.
Dr. Laura Schlessinger apologized for spewing the n-word last week on her radio show. An African American caller named Jade told Schlessinger she was offended by comments made by friends of her white husband in her own home. First off, Schlessinger told Jade she was being hypersensitive, then used the n-word about a dozen times. Despite the apology, the National Urban League has called on Schlessinger’s syndicator to drop her show. Yesterday, Schlessinger did just that– in order to speak, and write, and to further her vision for a post-racial America.
Right wing bloggers are attempting to gain traction with a falsely premised story about health care rationing under President Obama. A panel of cancer experts advised the Food and Drug Administration to consider revoking approval for Avastin, used to treat advanced breast cancer. The FDA gave Avastin fast-track approval status in 2008. The drug has proven to have serious side effects and to not significantly prolong life. However, the right wing blogs Redstate, Hot Air, and Big Government are attempting to portray the medical debate over Avastin’s safety and effectiveness as a cost-driven debate. It is not. Associated Press and the Wall Street Journal reported that the FDA does not even discuss monetary costs of the drugs it considers for approval.
Public education as a vast money-laundering scheme for Democrats may be one of the right win’s newest talking points. According to Rep. Michele Bachmann, Rep. Steve King (R-IA), and Tea Party senate candidate Sharron Angle (NV), that is just what public education is. Here’s the logic: the Democrats fund struggling school districts during an economic meltdown, some of that money get used to pay teachers, then some of that money goes to pay union dues. Then, the unions turn around and fund Democratic candidates. That’s the theory anyway. Here’s the reality: the Supreme Court in its Citizens United decision allowed any corporation to make unlimited political donations. Yesterday, Bloomberg News reported that Fox News and Wall Street Journal parent company News Corp just donated $1 Million to the Republican Governors Association.
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