Why Doesn’t CNN’s Roland Martin Get Axed like Carville and Begala Did?
By Fleaflicker on March 28, 2008 at 7:42 PM in Bamboozling, Barack Obama, CNN, James Carville, Jesse Jackson Jr., Paul Begala, Rev. James Meeks, Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., Roland Martin
Just this past January, James Carville and Paul Begala were fired from CNN for their association with Hillary Clinton. But Roland Martin? He’s CNN’s new favored commentator. The only thing is, CNN doesn’t tell you that he is a professional apologist for and supporter of Barack Obama. He is also a friend and close associate of Obama’s national Co-Chairman, Jesse Jackson Jr. and he attends the Salem Baptist Church of Reverend James Meeks, another of Barack Obama’s spiritual advisors. So why hasn’t he been fired too?
Let’s begin with a little history.
On March 24, 2007, SEIU and the Center for American Progress Action Fund sponsored a Presidential Health Care Forum in Las Vegas. All of the Democratic candidates showed up but one candidate stood out from the rest of them. But not in a manner he would have preferred. Yes, Barack Obama bombed big time at this forum. He was unprepared. He stammered a lot and generally received terrible reviews. And on March 28th in CNN’s The Situation Room, Democratic strategist James Carville gave his opinion of the race merely repeating what everyone already knew.
CARVILLE: But what’s happening [...] to Senator Obama is, he has had a couple of less-than-impressive performances at a health care forum out in Las Vegas and things like that.
(CROSSTALK)
CARVILLE: [H]e’s a very talented guy. And he’s very effective. [H]e started out pretty good. I mean, it’s pretty remarkable he is where he is, in terms of somebody…
STEELE: Right.
CARVILLE: … new, and — and burst on the scene like that. But I think that what might be a little troubling, if I was running Obama’s campaign, is, is that he seems to get up — need to get up to speed on a couple of these issues.
Shortly thereafter CNN began receiving phone calls from the Obama campaign complaining that Carville was a Hillary partisan and couldn’t be considered as unbiased political analyst. Then the blogosphere caught wind of the Obama camp’s concerns …
“Respected” bloggers like Stoller and Kos chimed in. First was Stoller, arguing that Carville is just like a Politico hack. Stoller implied that Bay Buchanan, despite her work for Tom Tancredo, was more ethical than Carville.
Stoller: “James Carville’s Blogger Ethics Problem”
James Carville is identified as a CNN Political Analyst, and here he is spreading conventional wisdom about Obama that is worthy of the Politico. That’s fine, since that seems to be what political analysts on the TeeVee do. Carville blathers about how Obama is thin on the issues, isn’t performing well as of late, etc.
What CNN doesn’t mention is that Carville is also sending out fundraising solicitations for Hillary Clinton’s campaign for President and is an advisor for her campaign.
This is crazy. It’s just crazy. When CNN commentator Bay Buchanan took over the Tancredo campaign, she resigned from the network. This isn’t exactly the same situation, but the lines are thin. Carville isn’t getting money from Clinton, but there are other ways of compensation in politics and everyone knows that.
Not to be outdone, Kos jumped in. First, of course, he reminded people of his importance by pointing out that he worked on Dean’s failed Presidential bid. Then he claimed that ordinary Americans have no idea who James Carville is.
Pull out the waders, folks. It starts to get deep.
Kos: “The Carville/CNN ethics dilemma”
Bullshit. When I was a consultant for the Dean campaign, I had a big-ass disclaimer, where the most expensive ad on Daily Kos is placed, disclosing my role. Sure, in his cocktail party circuit, everyone knows Carville is a Hillary partisan, but that can’t be assumed for the general public.
But the biggest culprit here is CNN, which should put up that disclaimer whether Carville agrees to it or not. It’s their responsibility to ensure they remain a “trusted name in news”, and refusing their audience full disclaimers of their guests conflicts of interest is beyond the pale.
Yeah, like no one recognizes Carville’s massive shiny dome. And he is such a humble person that he is quite easily mixed up with any number of people. Yes, it is unlikely that anyone outside of the cocktail party circuit recognizes James Carville. Sure, Kos, whatever you say. Since you are so important. But I assure you, when you describe yourself and use the words big ass in the same sentence, I find you entirely credible.
But what about the message Carville delivered? Was it accurate? Was it partisan? According to most of the people that watched the forum, James Carville was not only correct in his observations of Obama, he nailed it. The well-respected Ezra Klein stated that Obama appeared overwhelmed.
Ezra Klein: “A Lack of Audacity: How Obama’s health care plan resembles the candidate himself”
The first stumble of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign came last March, at the SEIU health care forum in Las Vegas, Nevada. Until then, the Illinois senator’s explosive charisma, preternatural ease on the stump, and inspirational back story had dominated the coverage, pushing down vague concerns about his inexperience and the precise ratio of sizzle to steak. But standing on the podium, Obama seemed, for the first time, unprepared and overwhelmed. He stammered before the surprisingly tenacious grilling of 23-year-old Morgan Miller, who asked, simply, why his web site had more specificity on lead poisoning than health reform. After lamely questioning whether she had visited his campaign or Senate web site, Obama pleaded, sensibly, for more time. “Keep in mind,” he said, “that our campaign now is, I think, a little over eight weeks old … If we have another forum in a couple of months and it’s still not there, I’ll be in trouble.”
If Carville and Klein are not good enough political observers, perhaps the reviews Here, Here and Here will serve as satisfactory unbiased observers of fact.
Despite all of these observations, it was decided that James Carville and Paul Begala had to go. Even Bill Richardson’s campaign got into the act. Richardson’s spokesperson, Tom Reynolds told CNN:
A Clinton Friend’s Role Sets Off Intense Criticism of CNN and a Re-examination
“What you saw last night lacked full disclosure. The average viewer out in middle America may not know the inside-the-Beltway connection.”
With pressure mounting, CNN president Jonathan Klein made a decision that under the circumstances he apparently felt he must. From the way the decision was reached, the chattering masses concluded that CNN was doing the ethical thing.
“He’s not on the Hillary payroll, but he’s on the Hillary bandwagon, and that should be disclosed as much as we can,” Mr. Klein said. “I wasn’t comfortable with it myself as I watched it.
“He has disclosed all of this previously and repeatedly on our air,” he continued. “He happened not to last night, and it’s an unfortunate omission.”
CNN was redeemed. Or so one would think.
While watching a recent installment of CNN’s Sound Off, I listened to CNN’s recently hired contributor Roland Martin. Mr. Martin comes across as an affable gentleman with a long resume designed to impress people. But once he starts speaking, it is clear that he is hardly an unbiased examiner of facts. He has a specific agenda, and it is evident that CNN has given him a platform from which to preach his point of view.
It is important to begin by disclosing that Roland Martin is a member of Reverend James Meeks’ Salem Baptist Church where he is a fellow congregate with Jesse Jackson Jr. It should also be pointed out that Mr. Martin is a firm supporter of Senator Obama. Of course, CNN doesn’t disclose Mr. Martin’s affiliations. We are left to rely upon “resume” information to judge Mr. Martin instead of the FACTS that clearly demonstrate that he has alliances and an axe to grind.
During this show, Martin made it clear that he believes that we need to move on from the Wright and Farrakhan controversy and get back to discussing the issues. Ok…. but in explaining why we should return to “discussing the issues,” his real agenda is revealed. According to Martin, the Trinity United Church of Christ has been given a bum rap.
Controversy [Roland Martin]
The church did not give Minister Farrakhan an award. The Trumpet magazine which used to be a part of the church. It is no longer a part of the church although according to Reverend Otis Moss III they do provide him with some financial assistance. The magazine gave him the award. The church didn’t vote to give Minister Farrakhan an award, the magazine did.
Is this twisted logic from Martin? Does he expect us to believe that everything is “cool” now that Wright has “retired” from the church and that a new pastor has taken over just in time to turn the page? And that these events occurred at the same time that Obama has been scrutinized for his associations?
We are to be assured that everything is “cool” now because Wright isn’t there any more and Obama wasn’t there when Wright said those horrible things? Uh huh… yep, that sure is a good reason to move on. NOT!
Let us examine this Trumpet controversy and then gauge the credibility of Martin’s argument. The most amazing thing about Trumpet Newsmagazine is that it appears to have been disappeared from the Web. All links of which I am aware lead to a page that has NOTHING to do with the magazine. That is no small feat, even for the most Web savvy. Web pages don’t just disappear. There has to be a deliberate action to scrub the information, and the people performing the “scrubs” have to know what they are doing. And in this case it appears that they have done their homework well because nothing exists that I can find. Isn’t it convenient that this would happen at the exact same time that Senator Obama is under increased scrutiny because of his association with his church and his pastor?
Fortunately, not all traces of Trumpet Newsmagazine have been disappeared. For example, we have the original mission statement of the magazine heralded on the Trinity Church’s Web site:
In fulfilling our church motto, “Unashamedly Black, unapologetically Christian” and the mission of the pastor to educate, nurture and empower the people of God, the Trinity Trumpet is committed to honoring our African roots and traditions, to giving voice to our deepening faith in God and to serving the ethnic diversity in the global Christian community as well as those outside the church by highlighting journalistic issues that impact, address and speak to our shared human experiences and beliefs in a racially oppressive society.
So what this does tell us is that Roland Martin was misleading us when he said that Trumpet Magazine was not affiliated with the Trinity United Church of Christ. It may not be now but it sure was until very recently. Could it be that Trinity decided that since there was so much controversy and even an IRS investigation into them that they should probably make all the traces of this go away? Or did they decide that the general public, already repulsed by Wright’s racist and anti-American rants, would go over the edge to learn that in the last issue Wright added another title to his resume: BIGOT.
In referring to the Italian people in general Wright, in the same issue that praised Louis Farrakhan, called the whole of the Italian people “garlic noses.”
“(Jesus’) enemies had their opinion about Him,” Wright wrote in a eulogy of the late scholar Asa Hilliard in the November/December 2007 issue. “The Italians for the most part looked down their garlic noses at the Galileans.
“From the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth (in a barn in a township that was under the Apartheid Roman government that said his daddy had to be in), up to and including the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ death on a cross, a Roman cross, public lynching Italian style. …” Wright wrote.
Not exactly the words of praise one would expect from a pastor. If Wright were Shakespeare, he might have said: “I come to give Caesar a breath mint, not to praise him.” Seriously, this is outright bigotry and such bigotry doesn’t develop overnight. It isn’t a five-minute outburst that occurs incidentally once every 20 years. It is a deep-seated resentment that one has carefully cultured for years. His bigotry isn’t something that someone accidentally just happened to catch on tape some Sunday. And it is clear that the Trinity Church financed the written vehicle for Wright to spread his gospel of bigotry, hatred and racism even if they have disappeared all traces of the evidence for now.
But back to Roland Martin… It is clear that he is an advocate for Wright and Obama. And it is also clear that he is very willing to distort the truth to make it seem like his guys are just fine. But who else is Roland Martin? What makes him tick? Just what other strong beliefs does he have that his viewers should be aware of?
One of the more controversial beliefs that Roland Martin espouses is his solidarity with Reverend James Meeks that homosexuality is an “evil sickness.” In fact Martin takes Reverend Al Sharpton to task for his attempts to make the “black” clergy more accepting of homosexuals.
Faith - not social pressures - must govern church on issue of homosexuality
What leaders of this effort must come to understand is that the fundamental issue is that gays and lesbians want to be accepted and embraced by the church, and not acknowledge that they are engaged, in the eyes of the church, in sinful behavior. This, regardless of what Sharpton or anyone else has to say, is the reason there will never be a happy medium on this issue.
~snip~
As individuals, gays and lesbians - those claiming to be born this way and others who say they have evolved to live a homosexual lifestyle - are naturally going to want to live their life as they see fit. And yes, the last thing they want to do is sit in a church and listen to someone from the pulpit castigate their way of life. I get that.
But someone who is living with a member of the opposite sex while not married also doesn’t want to hear that being preached. And surely the man or woman cheating on their spouse prefers not to hear their behavior cast as being sinful and unGodly.
So Roland Martin believes that homosexuality is both sinful and ungodly. How absolutely fundamental of him. Martin firmly holds this belief. And like the members of Wright’s church, he isn’t apologetic.
That isn’t being homophobic. It’s being a Christian. And no one should have to apologize for that.
Besides being a homophobe, oh sorry… I mean Christian, just who is Mr. Roland Martin? Well one thing about Roland Martin is obviously true. He is intensely focused on “black” issues for “black” Americans. He seems to share the afrocentric belief system of people like Reverend James Meeks and Reverend Jeremiah Wright. And we are expected to accept that it is just a happy accident of fate that he shares the same beliefs as Jesse Jackson Jr. and Barack Obama.
In his resume, Mr. Martin claims to have been the former founding news editor for Savoy magazine. This magazine aspired to be a “black Vanity Fair.” New Savoy Magazine Goes on “Hiatus” The first issue featured an article on Barack and Michelle Obama. But it wasn’t financed well from the start and ceased publication. Another of Mr. Martin’s business adventures is much more revealing because this one is still in publication. Martin was the former founding editor of BlackAmericaWeb.com, another black-focused news source. In fact an interesting article appeared in their most recent issue concerning the controversy surrounding Barack Obama and Jeremiah Wright. True to form, they decided that rather than take a stance about Obama and Wright’s positions, they would instead attack Hillary.
To counter the statement that Hillary made in Philadelphia Tuesday concerning the Wright controversy, BlackAmericaweb put out a distorted article featuring the pastor of the church the Clintons belonged to when Bill Clinton was President.
Clinton’s Pastor During White House Days: Whites ‘Would Do Well to Listen’ to Rev. Wright
The pastor of the Washington, D.C., church attended by Bill and Hillary Clinton during their days in the White House says whites in America can learn from listening to the sermons of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Sen. Barack Obama’s retired pastor, who has been criticized recently for statements about race and American foreign policy.
The Clintons are no longer members of Foundry UMC, but have deep roots in the denomination.
According to an article published in the Christian Science Monitor, Sen. Clinton’s mother Dorothy Rodham taught Sunday school at First United Methodist Church in their hometown of Park Ridge, Illinois. That’s also the church where a young Hillary began to grow spiritually and participate in community service.
In Arkansas, Bill and Hillary Clinton affiliated with the First United Methodist Church, Little Rock. According to published reports, the Clintons maintain their membership at that church.
And yes, if what was stated in this article was true it would seem to damage Hillary in some respect. Because if her spiritual advisor feels this way, then she must have some credibility problems since she claims to be very spiritual. But that is the rub to this. Because this story is only half true. And the part that isn’t true is the most important part. But fortunately there are other sources of information to get at the truth, which our media has apparently developed a severe allergic reaction to.
The view from Clinton’s former church
But the senior minister at Clinton’s former church — who took over the pulpit there after the former first lady left — has come out in defense of Barack Obama’s provocative former pastor, chastising white Americans for succumbing to fear in their reaction to his fiery sermons. Read more….
Clinton has not returned to services at Foundry since 2001, her spokesman said, but both Bill Clinton and his wife have thanked Foundry for providing a refuge during the most difficult hours of his administration — particularly his impeachment trial at the height of the Monica Lewinsky scandal.
While the Foundry pastor who closely counseled the Clintons retired soon after they left the church, his successor has stood in solidarity with Obama’s pastor since controversy first erupted over videotapes of incendiary sermons delivered by Wright. One widely played clip shows Wright sermonising against racism and urging parishioners to sing “God damn America”.
Notice the words in bold? They completely contradict the headline from BlackAmericaweb, that publication of which Roland Martin was the founding editor. This helps determine the legitimacy of his credentials despite how impressive they appear at first glance.
But just in case you got the mistaken impression that journalism was alive and well in other parts of the world this article goes on to distort what really took place and who was involved.
The Clintons bid a highly personal farewell to Foundry in 2001, reading from the Bible and delivering a ermon as a family. The former president suggested they would remain active in the church, telling the congregation that “this is not really a goodbye, but the beginning of a new chapter of our lives with Foundry”.
Asked yesterday whether the New York senator would consider returning to Foundry in light of Snyder’s support for Obama’s pastor, a spokesman for Clinton distanced her from the church.
“I think not being a member of or attending a service there for the past seven years speaks for itself and renders the hypothetical moot,” Philippe Reines, a longtime Clinton aide, said in an email response to Guardian America.
Again, the bolded words highlight the inaccuracy. Because you see, it was Bill Clinton alone that delivered an address to the Foundry church at the end of his Presidency. And he very specifically thanked the pastors there who helped him and the Clinton family during their darkest hours.
Remarks at the Foundry United Methodist Church - Bill Clinton - Transcript
Especially, I would like to thank Reverend Wogaman for being my pastor and friend, my counselor and teacher. Most of you know that for more than 2 years now, he and two other minister friends of mine have shared the burden of meeting with me on a weekly basis. It has been an immense blessing to me and to my service as President.
Rev. Wogaman also serves as a spiritual counselor to the President, along with Rev. Gordon MacDonald and Rev. Tony Campolo.
That clears that up quite nicely.
So where does that leave us? Clearly it has been demonstrated that Roland Martin is a known associate with people that are very close to the Obama campaign and that he has a propensity to distort the facts in such a light that is beneficial to his candidate. So where is the outrage? Why aren’t Stoller and Kos writing about this clearly unethical decision by CNN to put an Obama partisan on the payroll with no disclosure at all? None. Zip. Nada. Just where is Bill Richardson’s outrage? Or is he too busy counting his thirty pieces of silver to care about something so trite as ethics and fairness? Yes it seems quite obvious that the people that were so adamant about causing Carville and Begala to lose their jobs don’t really care about ethics at all. But if I am wrong let them prove me wrong, and join with me in demanding that CNN fire Roland Martin immediately. It’s the ethical thing to do.
You just keep hitting them out of the park!!
this going up at mydd?
Question from “JustHillary.com” It’s all about her.
Q: But, your whole life you’ve had a regular church home, so it must be unusual that you don’t have a regular one now.
Senator Clinton: I don’t feel that way. I kept my membership at First Methodist in Little Rock when we moved to Washington, and I still have kept it there. I was back there last summer and it felt like going home. That was a very important church to me when I was in Little Rock.
The Methodist church in Washington D.C. that Bill and Hillary Clinton famously attended during Bill’s presidency has returned to the limelight with its new plans to “honor” same-sex couples with special worship services. The 7.9 million member United Methodist denomination officially prohibits its congregations from hosting same-sex rites.
See Jeff Sharlet’s shocking exposé “The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power” to be published in May.
Also, as Hillary Clinton came under increasing scrutiny for her story about facing sniper fire in Bosnia, one question that arose was whether she has engaged in a pattern of lying.
The now-retired general counsel and chief of staff of the House Judiciary Committee, who supervised Hillary when she worked on the Watergate investigation, says Hillary’s history of lies and unethical behavior goes back farther – and goes much deeper – than anyone realizes.
It’s clear to me!
And why are there no videos of this March 2007 stumble of Obama?
You ought to wing this over to Media Matters……
Love Media Matter but does anybody else wonder why Media Matters has not called out Keith Olbermann yet?
I’be wonderred that and even emailed them asking, when they send me the new things that have them mad, the latest being how the media lied about what Clinton said about Obama not being a patriot, because he said Hillary and McCain love their country last week, BUT didn’t mention most of the times the media was claiming this was because they were coverring the things Obama’s camp said, like the McCarthy remarks. But they never answerred about Olbermann. I really was disspointed they totally ignored KO special remark about GF.
So Susan what should we do? seperate letters? A petition? Roland was really bad on Lou today, but Lou won.
I heard Lou on the radio with Paul Krugmhan. and even Lou Dobbs said that Senator Clinton was the best on economic policy and issues.
Lou knows who’s batting for who. He has been around a little to long not to know it when he sees it. What was disturbing was watching Roland blatantly shovel Obama turds saying Floridians and Michiganites “should have followed the rules” never mind the AA community has been dis-enfranchised for 8 years in a row.
And one other thing about people not knowing who James Carville is.
How could anyone forget he was the only one with enough humility to live up to a bet and put a garbage can over his head.
That one will go down in the pantheon of TV history, right next Richard Clarke being the only person to apologize for his failings at the 9/11 commission hearings.
That was the last time I heard anyone openly take responsibility for their actions.
I wrote to Media Matters a week ago precisely for what you mentioned. Keith is the worst BS artist and he does it intentionally. Media Matters chooses to overlook KO and instead picks on minor little stories. They, too, have lost credibility and are off my favorites list. Boycott them all!
I’m heartbroken about it, but I’m afraid Media Matters has become yet another home for Obamabot apologists. Check out the posts- they are all pro-Wright, pro-Obama, and viciously anti-Clinton. Try to post a criticism of Obama, and you’ll get flamed as a “racist” by the idiots who live there. I’ve given up on that site after being a regular for well over a year.
Carville had to be canned from CNN because the way you win, if your Obama, is to eliminate the competition…
I don’t know what he plans to do if he gets to the general…
If he plans to lose then he will be alright.
Great post! Martin’s bias is so obvious. You could see his obvious frustration over the Wright topic even coming up at all after Obama’s speech. It’s almost as if he was saying to himself, “why are you even bringing this up and not giving Obama a pass after this great speech”. It’s like he doesn’t understand why whites would consider this an issue. His bias was clearly on display recently after a tape was played of Clinton saying last year, that everybody knows the MI primary was not going to count. When the clip was finished, he had a huge grin on his face and yelled
That’s the last time I turned on CNN when he’s on.
Blue Spot
Thanks a bunch!
CNN has numerous commentators on who are obvious partisans for a candidate, especially for Obama. Every once in awhile you will get someone like Anderson Cooper say that he or she is an Obama/Clinton supporter, but for the most part they get the nebulous title of ‘democratic strategist’.
It doesn’t take long to figure out who is for who, but that’s because I follow politics. I can’t imagine what someone who takes a cursory look at the channel thinks.
It’s because of this hiding of commentator support that I have fully stopped watching CNN.
….PS. I always loved how Kos would lord everyone his role as a consultant for Dean. Like there aren’t a dime a dozen former failed campaign workers out there.
Roland is a joke. I just watched Dobbs eat him for lunch when he tried to justify Reverend Wright by using the “sound bite” argument. The man is despicable and being able to spew his venom in thirty seconds doesn’t make him any less despicable. Roland could take a story of Obama waterboarding something and somehow make it look like the other guy’s fault. But we should be used to that on CNN. They have a whole gaggle of “analysts” that nobody ever heard of before until The Lord Obama needed them.
I think Begala got fired because he came out and said he was sure he was the ONLY guy on the whole NETWORK who was speaking in favor of Clinton. And it was the truth.
I’ve taken it a step further. I don’t watch any of them at all. Unless there’s some serious Breaking News Story that I should be aware of. The TV is off. Like it is now.
Here that ADVERTISERS??????
Oops I meant HEAR!!!
They probably need a hearing aid and a translator.
I also heard Martin say awhile ago that Obama had BETTER be the nominee because his “listeners” are going to be really really mad if he isn’t. Somebody needs to tell the Obamas that The office of the President is not some Affirmative Action position whereby all the competition is just supposed to go away. Who ARE these snooty people anyways? If you ask me, the constand “cry” for Hillary to “drop out” is coordinated by the Obama camp in conjunction with Howard the Coward Dean.
Who cares if they are mad, what are they going to do, burn their Prius’s and stop drinking $6 lattes?
Look we’re talking about well off 20 something professionals - they won’t do anything that jeopardize their incomes and cushy lifestyle.
They are the 21st century’s version of yuppies.
RWC, I wish that my child had that kind of luxury. Obama does and did. My kid is struggling for a job that may well go ‘over seas’. I detest this and I detest Obama’s wink, wink about NAFTA. And his surrogates can burn for all I care, cause the truth is I’m scared for my children and me.
I’m sorry, the “wink” was from the Clinton campaign regaring NAFTA, she just misspoke AGAIN. Do your own homework.
Molly, do you have a source for your comment? It would be interesting to exploit this evidence.
How is it possible that this country is allowing the media decide who should we vote for or who should get out of the race? UNBELIEVABLE!! It’s sad but I am only watching FOX. Seems like they are the only ones giving some fare press. I have a brain, no pundit or party elder is telling me how or for whom to vote!
How is it possible that this country is allowing the media decide who should we vote for or who should get out of the race? UNBELIEVABLE!! It’s sad but I am only watching FOX. Seems like they are the only ones giving some fare press. I have a brain, no pundit or party elder is telling me how or for whom to vote!
Over at Media Matters For America, one poster called me a Loser because I failed to note that “All the Liberals” were for Obama and was refusing to “give in” and “admit” that Obama had won the nomination. His list of “All the Liberals” included DailyKos, MoveOn, and Huffington Post.
That’s right- Obama should be handed the nomination because three liberal blogs say so.
He also named Pat Leahy, Ted Kennedy, John Kerry and Bill Richardson in his list of “All the Liberals” who have told me that Obama has won, and it’s over. Of course, Kennedy and Kerry have no business being for Obama because they are Superdelegates from Clinton states and we’ve been told ad nauseum by the Obama camp that the Superdelegates MUST obey the wishes of their constituents (I’m sure they’ll call on Casey to reverse himself after Pennsylvania votes.)
I have a comment for those folks. But it involves sign language. The universal symbol for my middle finger.
I never liked this guy. My husband hates him because he seems to have an ENORMOUS chip on his shoulder. He is so overtly pro-Obama, it’s hard to watch election results when he’s on. I turn the volume off…he spews pure venom. So it makes perfect sense that he goes to Rev. James Meeks’ church. He’s filled with hate and CNN needs to get rid of him! While we’re at it, I used to love Keith Obamaman and now he just seems full of rage and hate as well. Obama is inspirational, alright. From what I’ve seen, he inspires hate.
I believe you have your candidates mixed-up. Do some research before popping off. Thanks
Flealicker, great post again. Still on Wright but commenting on a different aspect here.
We know the Wall St. Journal poll oversampled. We know that there is an impact from Wright.
But we don’t get it reported in the media really, right?
Wrong. Barack Obama lost a delegate. It was announced on NPR today. From C.I.’s Iraq snapshot
http://thecommonills.blogspot.com/2008/03/iraq-snapshot_28.html
But while that battle’s gone on, a new battle emerged today, totally unexpected. It sent the Barack Obama campaign into a tizzy. On NPR’s The Diane Rehm Show today, a caller named John from Dallas, TX spoke. He explained he supported Barack Obama. He explained he voted for him. He explained he caucused for him. He explained he was selected as a delegate to represent Obama. Most importantly, he explained he could no longer support Barack Obama. Hillary Clinton won the primary in Texas.
That’s why Leahy was sent out. Clamp down on this quick! Stop it before it bleeds further! Jeremy Wright is toxic and viral and it has destroyed Barack Obama. Not Hillary or anything she’s said. The fact that Wright damned the United States of America is not going down easy despite media lies.
Wow, he’s like a magician. They’ll fall for your tricks if you divert their attention.
I know I can’t watch CNN when he is on. He was on Lou Dobbs Tonight and Lou had to call him down. He needs to go and go now! Thanks for giving us the facts.
Okay, a tad off-topic, but what I find MOST hilarious in all of this is little wimpy piss-ant Kos puffing up his chest and speaking of himself as if he is in the same league as Carville.
LMTWAO!
Um, most of America at least vaguely knows who the ragin’ Cajun is, and the role he played in two, (count ‘em) WINNING presidential campaigns.
Does the average American know who squeaky-voiced little Markos is? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Oh, Lord, thank you, Larry. Best laugh I’ve had all day.
FleaFlicker, That was quite the carpet you laid out and one more pet you applied Advantage to.
I recommend you send this one, registered mail, to Jonathan Klein.
Healthcare Healthcare Forum;
Obama said he was a constitutional law professor.
Senator Obama accords himself a station he has not earned. (as in tenure)
. New York Sen. Hillary Clinton doesn’t have a written plan yet, but no one questions her expertise, since she was the chief proponent of the issue during her husband’s presidency.
Senator Clinton knows this subject matter cold and everyone acknowledges it.
A new kind of politics;
Does anyone need reminding that the current Administration has used this EXACT method to avoid accountability?
How many times in seven years have we seen congressional testimony given by an individual that had just replaced the last corrupt hack and claiming ignorance of what happened just yesterday!
Senator Dodd, of all people, has said something similar to what Leahy said and these are two individuals who porport to be FOR the right to VOTE?
Mind you , I did not say re-vote.
Rowland Martin,(has a house in a trust?) Rev. Meeks, Rev. Wight,Jabir Muhammad,Ayers, Emil Jones, Sen. Obama, Michelle Obama, Rezko.
This party is just getting started. Glad you brought the…truth (read refreshments)
I am an Obama support who is not at all anti Clinton and I promise that I will not blame Senator Clinton for the hostile tone of many of these posts.
The University of Chicago supports Senator Obama’s claim to have been a law professor. His critics assumed, wrongly in the case of the University of Chicago, that being a professor meant being tenured. He was a Senior Lecturer and senior lecturers were considered by the University to be professors.
“Senior Lecturers are considered to be members of the Law School faculty and are regarded as professors, although not full-time or tenure-track.”
The only reason he wasn’t tenured was that he turned down offers from the University to become a tenured professor.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0308/Obama
He was a senior lecturer. Period. It says on his CV and webpage.
He taught the same three course (two of them seminars) over the years.
He has no legal publication other than his two bestselling books.
He is not qualified to be a law professor…Do I need to say more?
Obviously UChicago Law School is not as Internet savvy as the folks at Trumpet, who really scrubbed the website squeaky clean. I wonder why took such trouble.
Excuse me, Fleaflicker - that was you, not Larry. Sorry for not giving the correct credit.
Hey… I don’t mind if you thank Larry. I thank him too for allowing me to post here.
Perfect. I noticed this back right after Iowa, Roland had some ridiculous op-eds on the CNN home page. I wrote email after email, day after day, to CNN pleading with them to either make him say he was an Obama supporter or to get him off the air until I finally just tuned CNN off all together and stopped watching. Perhaps we need to start a letter writing campaign to the head honcho at CNN and get them to do this. I know it is too late, but it is ridiculous that he presents himself as neutral!
This is EXCELLENT, Fleaflicker.
I knew there was a reason I despised Roland Martin.
good one, fleaflicker
Of course it’s partly because he’s a voice for Obama, but don’t you think he’s also protected because he’s AA? That old double bind: White liberal guilt.
There’s just something about elite progressives and their lack of real relationships with people of color that makes them tolerate behaviors that they won’t tolerate in other whites.
It’s the modern day form of “noblesse oblige” and should be seen as the form of exploitation and condescension that it is.
You nailed it Mary Jo Kopechne. I finished reading Fleaflicker’s excellent post and had a similar thought… J. Klein must be afraid of not being PC or being called a ..whatever…
But one has to wonder, how come that these two bloggers, and the Obama campaign have so much power over CNN ? Especially with someone like Carville.
It is amazing that there are almost no voices at all
through the media spectrum that are not obviously and heavily biased (and I mean in a tacky manner) with Obama. I don’t want pro-Clinton but there is almost zero unbiased reporting. It is like the selling of a President (or just of a nominee?).
Tonight Roland outdid himself with open anger, lots of huffing and puffing and a total inability to articulate his adamant stand that FLA and MI voters have no rights and no vote. Period!!! He looked like a total fool.
His lack of logic or emotional self control reminded me of another CNN commentator, vehemently claiming (last month which seems so long ago) that Hillary Clinton must stop her campaign now because she is going to go down in history as that terrible person who blocked the first black US President! How’s that for entitlement?
Actually, we don’t need any more “words” to describe the mind state of Obama, his entourage, and his major demographic votes: They all reak of the same sick mind-set of “entitlement”. They are owed the world and why, in the world, would the rest of us expect them to think rationally, explain their positions, or, worst of all, be responsible for - and consistent about anything that they say or do?!
It’s time that those of us who are still semi-sane, not hooked on prescription drugs, MSM mania, pseudo-religion or a messiah figure finally get the real picture:
We are trying to talk to the BRAIN DEAD and, guess what? They can’t hear us. And if they could they wouldn’t want to. It was require active thought process and that’s just too much trouble.
Daily Kos-Markus admits to being a Republican and having voted for George H.W. Bush in 1992
Arianna Huffington: First a Democrat who dated California governor Jerry Brown. Then became a Republican and went on Bill Mahr’s show in the 1990’s telling us to all vote for Bob Dole.
MoveOn.org-throws its’ support to a Senator that didn’t even show up to vote in the organizations favor after the “General Petraus General Betray Us” ad caused a furor up on Capital Hill. You know who did vote not to condemn MoveOn for that ad? Hillary Clinton. Barack again (cue crickets) was a no show and yet this is their knight in shining armor.
They are all a bunch of snake-oil salesmen.
MarkAss also was not in favor of gays in the military. He wrote something official to that effect. If I can just find it again.
Try googling Francis Holland + Mar**s using the full name of the latter - he crossposted articles about Mar**s to My Left Wing - I remember one about M’s position on gays in the military.
Mr. Holland got banned from there because he went too far in some allegations but I think he had his own blog.
My sweet dear niece gave me some serious pause today with her comments about why certain party bigwigs might like Obama over Hillary.
For her, Obama was just another Bush. Inexperienced, a poser, someone who would need plenty of guidance. In other words, someone who needs a Dem Cheney, someone with experience to yank his chain and tell him which way is up and what a marvelous uniter he was and how the world loved him. And by the way, shouldn’t he sign another energy bill, the industry needed a bigger tax break. No…? Well how about a signing statement, so popular with Junior.
Hillary, on the other hand, would be too seasoned to be duped by a bunch of toadies trying to pull her by her apron strings or tea cups, to paraphrase the junior senator from Illinois.
I got the absolute worst visual…
Can you imagine Obama issuing signing statements?
“Uh, I really meant to uh veto this bill.”
Ok I have been up to Roland’s shenanigans ever since I saw him appear as some random political analyst a few months ago. What the hell does he know anyway, besides loving Louis Farrakhan.
But now I am PISSED. I had NO idea that Carville and Begala were FIRED. I definitely noticed they weren’t on as much and only reappeared on the network recently.
What can we do to all work together and get Roland OFF the air??? Let’s have one united petition or something so that we can show the media not to mess with Hillary supporters!
Larry, can you start something like this??
The first time I saw Roland Martin’s obvious annoyed expression when a fellow newscaster expressed a fair accessment about Obama after the NH victory by Hillary, I knew right away this guy is a strong Obama supporter. My first sense was correct, he is so Blatanly pro Obama that you wonder why CNN allows him to be the analyst for the program.
One thing I would like to point out, all the black commentators in that “the best Political analysis team” are pro-obama.
I have stopped watching CNN, which used to be my favorite chanel, now I am watching FOX, at least it is fair to Hillary.
What perplexed me about American Media is they jump on everything that is perceived “racial” but sexist, misogynistic comments by the commentators can go on without any restrains. I abhor the unfair treatment of Hillary by the Media, the journalists and so-call political analysts that anti-Hillary should be ashamed of themselves.
The media on-sided positive coverage of Obama reminds me of the coverage of Irag in the begining.
If Obama is the Democratic Nominee and he loses to McCain ( Which I am 100%sure),history will judge that Media and the Democratic party were responsible for robbing the Democratic party that RARE CHANE to get back to the White house in 08.
it has always been so obvious to me that fat little roly was a typical black pro obama bullshitter. its no wonder fox is soaring in popularity for not supporting obama. they dont support hillary either, but they do what the other networks refuse to do, stay on that lying obamas ass ! cnn should do the same before they get in the same love fest for obama like msnbc. the whole world is watching this obama thing and quite frankly, its embarassing for all americans to have to watch obama lie so blatantly every damn day…
oh, and can someone at cnn please give pro obama hate hillary cafferty some prune juice. he looks like he hasnt moved his bowels in a long long time. get rid of roland as soon as possible before nobody listens to biased cnn anymore. blitzer and dobbs are ok though.
I am not a Democrat, but I do recognize how blatantly biased CNN, Roland Martin, and all at MSNBC are for Obama. I actually feel sorry for Hillary and how they are treating her. I think this will backfire and she will win. If Obama wins after all of this Rev. Wright coverage, something is wrong with America.
I’m a “typical white person.”
Do you own homework and come up with some real arguments.
The world is changing and we need a leader who would bring representation to all Americans, not just the typical white person.
do you really think that all the presidents that preceded the BOBO were only representing white Americans?
All you have to do to find your answer is look at the numbers who voted for 0bama. Uninformed, self-interested and just plain stupid.
[...] Why Doesn’t CNN’s Roland Martin Get Axed like Carville and Begala Did? (by Fleaflicker at No Quarter) Just this past January, James Carville and Paul Begala were fired from CNN for their association with Hillary Clinton. But Roland Martin? He’s CNN’s new favored commentator. The only thing is, CNN doesn’t tell you that he is a professional apologist for and supporter of Barack Obama. He is also a friend and close associate of Obama’s national Co-Chairman, Jesse Jackson Jr. and he attends the Salem Baptist Church of Reverend James Meeks, another of Barack Obama’s spiritual advisors. So why hasn’t he been fired too? Click through for the details of Martin’s relationships with Obama supporters. [...]
This post was pretty funny.
Thanks for the shout out. Just be sure to link to the website, http://www.rolandsmartin.com.
I haven’t read any good fiction lately, and your post - along with the hilarious and out of control comments - dude wonders for me on this overcast day.
You guys have a good day and I’ll see you on TV sooner rather than later!
Thank you Martin, for responding to this article. I heard you on Michael Baisden on 4/24. You were brilliant. You stopped Linda dead in her races tracks. She did not know how to respond to your question.
Keep up the excellent work on CNN! I respect your opinion very much. However, some people can not accept it. I wonder why?
A Loyal Fan!!
This post was pretty funny.
Thanks for the shout out. Just be sure to link to the website, http://www.rolandsmartin.com.
I haven’t read any good fiction lately, and your post - along with the hilarious and out of control comments - did wonders for me on this overcast day.
You guys have a good day and I’ll see you on TV sooner rather than later!
I hope this is the real deal. It gives us a chance to tell you directly how unprofessional you are. Unless your profession is being an Obama partisan and apologist. Try reading your own stuff if you haven’t read any good fiction lately. Oh and maybe you should learn how to post links correctly if you want people to actually visit your site.
[...] hit CNN’s Roland Martin, and CNN, hard on March 26th in Fleaflicker’s story, “Why Doesn’t CNN’s Roland Martin Get Axed like Carville and Begala Did?” We [...]
[...] to be on their website. It is a part of their BIG TENT approach. Republicans, Terrorists, Racists, Homophobes and Bigots For Obama is their battle cry. And the Obama campaign only takes this stuff down when [...]
[...] website. It is a part of their BIG TENT approach. Republicans, Terrorists, Racists, Mysogynists, Homophobes and Bigots For Obama is their battle cry. And the Obama campaign only takes this stuff down when [...]
i can’t STAND Roland Martin!!! I change the channel from CNN anytime he speaks…he’s so incredibly biased and full of hot air!!!