Glenn Beck Merely a Figment of His Imagination

David Brooks says Glenn Beck (and his kind) isn't as relevant as Beck thinks that he is. Listeners aren't the same as voters, Brooks says. But perhaps it's just wishful thinking on Brooks' part because folks like Brooks, conservative, yet coherent and intelligent, can't be heard above the din:

Let us take a trip back into history. Not ancient history. Recent history. It is the winter of 2007. The presidential primaries are approaching. The talk jocks like Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity and the rest are over the moon about Fred Thompson. They’re weak at the knees at the thought of Mitt Romney. Meanwhile, they are hurling torrents of abuse at the unreliable deviationists: John McCain and Mike Huckabee.

Yet somehow, despite the fervor of the great microphone giants, the Thompson campaign flops like a fish. Despite the schoolgirl delight from the radio studios, the Romney campaign underperforms.

Meanwhile, Huckabee surges. Limbaugh attacks him, but social conservatives flock.

Along comes New Hampshire and McCain wins! Republican voters have not heeded their masters in the media. Before long, South Carolina looms as the crucial point of the race. The contest is effectively between Romney and McCain. The talk jocks are now in spittle-flecked furor. Day after day, whole programs are dedicated to hurling abuse at McCain and everybody ever associated with him. The jocks are threatening to unleash their angry millions.

Yet the imaginary armies do not materialize. McCain wins the South Carolina primary and goes on to win the nomination. The talk jocks can’t even deliver the conservative voters who show up at Republican primaries. They can’t even deliver South Carolina!

So what is the theme of our history lesson? It is a story of remarkable volume and utter weakness. It is the story of media mavens who claim to represent a hidden majority but who in fact represent a mere niche — even in the Republican Party. It is a story as old as “The Wizard of Oz,” of grand illusions and small men behind the curtain. Read the rest at NYT. He comes to a pretty interesting conclusion.

Glenn Beck has a teleprompter malfunction:

Obama Congratulates Brazil

Obama and Lula da Silva, president of Brazil, at the recent G20

"You can play a great game and still not win," Obama said. These will be the first Olympic games in South America. After Obama congratulates Brazil, he talks about the jobs report:

David Axelrod:

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Obama and McChrystal Meet Aboard Air Force One in Denmark

Obama met with Gen. Stanley McChrystal while on Air Force One in Denmark. McChrystal was in London and flew in to meet Obama.

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Update from Politico:

"The president wanted to take the opportunity to get together with Gen. McChrystal," explained White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. "The President realized that he would be close and thought it was a good opportunity to continue the conversation and discussion about Afghanistan and Pakistan that happened -- at least started in the middle of September in a meeting and continued in the Situation Room for three hours on Wednesday."

Gibbs said the possibility of meeting was first raised on Wednesday, when Obama phoned McChrystal prior to meeting with him and other advisers to discuss Afghanistan.

Asked for a response to McChrystal's comments in London, which seemed to criticize the more restrained Afghanistan strategy reportedly advocated by Vice President Biden, Gibbs demurred.

"I haven't had an opportunity to talk to [the president] about it, and I'll see what we can get after this meeting," Gibbs said.

Obama Makes His Pitch for the Olympics Video

Update: Chicago knocked out in first round of voting. I suppose Obama will give his best "We did our best" speech at 4 pm today. He can model what a good loser and a good sport looks like.

The IOC decision will be coming at about 11 am eastern. Watch the decision announcement live stream here.
Michelle Obama gives a passionate pitch and then introduces Obama.

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White House Press Briefing Oct. 1

Obama Bans Texting and Driving For Federal Employees

Text Messaging While Driving by Federal Employees. Federal employees shall not engage in text messaging (a) when driving GOV, or when driving POV while on official Government business, or (b) when using electronic equipment supplied by the Government while driving.

Read the entire executive order here.

Obama to Target Youth Crime and Violence

Obama to use the Chicago murder to address youth crime and violence nationally.

A chilling cellphone video of a Chicago honors student's fatal beating has captured national attention, and President Obama responded Thursday by announcing that two Cabinet secretaries would travel to his hometown next week.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. and Education Secretary Arne Duncan would meet Wednesday with school officials, students and residents and talk about school violence.

"Obviously, [the incident] is of great concern to the president, as somebody who lives in Chicago," Gibbs said. "But would and should be a concern for every American." LAT

Chicago police have no tips, thanks to the unwritten "no snitch" law. It's beyond madness when a kid is brutally beaten while somebody rolls video.

Obama's Options in Afghanistan

Obama may be waiting for the Afghanistan election to be resolved, says Alex Thier, Director for Afghanistan and Pakistan at the US Institute of Peace. Normal people talk in quiet voices (not screaming talking heads) about Obama's decision:

McChrystal might change his mind about more troops:

In a lengthy telephone interview, retired Gen. James L. Jones outlined Obama's plans for reassessing the war effort. Jones noted that although the administration has seen some progress in Afghanistan and Pakistan, it remains uncertain about the outcome of President Hamid Karzai's contentious bid for reelection. Obama has scheduled at least five meetings with his national security team over the next weeks to reexamine the strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan. "Tuesday marks the start of five scheduled intensive discussions with the National Security Council, as well as field commanders and regional ambassadors, on Afghanistan," Jones said. He said he expects two of the meetings to be held the next week but stressed that there is no target date to complete the review. "I don't have a deadline in my mind. I think the most important thing is to do it right. But it is going to have a high priority in the administration to do this pretty relentlessly. We have a lot of other things on the table as well." In his Aug. 30 classified assessment, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the U.S. and International Security Assistance Force commander, said he urgently needs more troops within the next year or his mission will "likely result in failure." McChrystal advocated a full counterinsurgency strategy in which the military aggressively and systematically protects the Afghan population, and will request 10,000 to 40,000 more troops to carry out his counterinsurgency mission, according to sources. The upcoming meetings will begin with the assumption that the McChrystal strategy is correct, Jones said, adding that the president will "encourage free-wheeling discussion" and that "nothing is off the table." Asked why al-Qaeda, which is comparatively safe in its current sanctuaries in Pakistan, would want to return to Afghanistan, where more than 100,000 U.S. and NATO troops are stationed, Jones said, "That's a good question. . . . This is certainly one of the questions that we will be discussing. This is one of the questions, for example, that one could come back at with General McChrystal." Jones said it remains possible that, after a decision on strategy by the president, McChrystal might change his mind about the need for more troops. "We will ask General McChrystal, and say, 'Okay, now that you've heard what our strategy is, does this affect your thinking in terms of your resources and, if so, how?' " Jones said. The Nation

Pawlenty Says Healthcare Bill a Manure Spreader in a Windstorm

Tim Pawlenty, who wants to be president, says the healthcare bill is a "manure spreader in a windstorm." That's pretty funny. At least Pawlenty speaks in a quiet voice.

Obama Speaks on Iranian Talks in Geneva - Video

Obama first talks about Sumatra, Samoa and American Samoa and then launches into an update on Iran.
"Today's meeting was a constructive beginning but it must be followed by constructive action by the Iranian government," Obama said. Iran has to grant IAEA inspectors full access to the nuke site within 2 weeks.

It's just the beginning of negotiations:

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Lindsey Graham Slams Beck and Birthers

Yay for Lindsey Graham! It is so about time. More please.
Graham, however, appears to equate Beck's looniness, the birther movement and other rightwing attacks with attacks on Bush. No way were attacks on Bush in the same league as to what's going on today. No way. The attacks today are more personal, more vile, more hateful and more dangerous.

More:

Obama Speaks to Governors

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White House Counters Beck's Lies About Valerie Jarrett

Glenn Beck, ever in pursuit of attention, took aim at Valerie Jarrett. Beck is an idiot folks. He's also a little off kilter.
The White House pulls a Reality Check:

Last night Fox News continued its disregard for the facts in an attempt to smear the Administration's efforts to win the Olympics for the United States. In the past, hosting the Olympics has been a source of pride and unity for the country, but once again Fox News' Glenn Beck program has shown that nothing is worthy of respect if it can be used as part of a partisan attack to boost ratings.

RHETORIC: VALERIE JARRETT WILL BENEFIT FINANCIALLY. Beck asked, "Is it possible that she is going to benefit if the Olympics come to Chicago?" Caddell responded, "Well, that’s the word. She has certainly had a lot of dealings going on in real estate." [Transcript, Glenn Beck Show, 9/29/09]

REALITY: UPON ENTERING GOVERNMENT, VALERIE JARRETT DIVESTED ALL HER REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT HOLDINGS EXCEPT FOR A SINGLE INVESTMENT THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE OLYMPIC BID. Valerie Jarrett divested all her investment real estate holdings upon entering government except for a single real estate holding that she was unable to sell. This single real estate investment has been determined by White House Counsel and the independent Office of Government Ethics to present no conflict of interest in performing her duties as a White House advisor. It has nothing to do with the Olympic bid.
RHETORIC: BECK SAID VANCOUVER LOST $1 BILLION WHEN IT "HAD THE OLYMPICS." Glenn Beck said, "Vancouver lost, how much was it? they lost a billion dollars when they had the Olympics." [Transcript, Glenn Beck Show, 9/29/09]

REALITY: VANCOUVER'S OLYMPICS WILL NOT TAKE PLACE UNTIL 2010. Vancouver will host the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games from February 12 – 28, 2010 and March 12-21, 2010, respectively. [Vancouver2010.com, accessed 9/29/09]


RHETORIC: VALERIE JARRETT "WAS LAST SEEN WITH THE NEA." Beck's guest, FOX News contributor Pat Caddell, said, "[Obama] is going to go [to Copenhagen] with Valerie Jarrett who was last seen with the NEA pumping up their use of, you know, money." [Transcript, Glenn Beck Show, 9/29/09]

REALITY: VALERIE JARRETT WAS NOT ON THE NEA CONFERENCE CALL. Valerie Jarrett was not a participant in the August 10, 2009 United We Serve/NEA conference call.


RHETORIC: CHICAGO IS CLOSING THE GOVERNMENT SEVERAL DAYS A WEEK BECAUSE THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO BE OPEN. Beck's guest Caddell said, "Chicago is closing the government several days a week because they cannot afford to be open. They are going to go and reward -- this is the biggest scandal." [Transcript, Glenn Beck Show, 9/29/09]

REALITY: CHICAGO HAS HAD ONE REDUCED-SERVICE DAY IN 2009, AND WILL HAVE TWO MORE ON THE FRIDAY AFTER THANKSGIVING AND ON CHRISTMAS EVE. On August 17, 2009, CBS Chicago reported, "If you planned to check out a library book, visit a city clinic or have your garbage picked up on Monday, you're out of luck. The City of Chicago is basically closed for business on Aug. 17, a reduced-service day in which most city employees are off without pay. City Hall, public libraries, health clinics and most city offices will be closed. Emergency service providers including police, firefighters and paramedics are working at full strength, but most services not directly related to public safety, including street sweeping, will not be provided. That also includes garbage pickup. Residents who receive regular collection on Mondays should expect trash to be picked up on Tuesday. Some other customers may experience a one-day delay as collectors catch up. As part of the 2009 budget, three reduced-service days were planned for 2009, days which are unpaid for all affected employees -- the Friday after Thanksgiving; Christmas Eve; and New Year's Eve. The City Council recently approved moving the reduced-service day planned for New Year's Eve to Monday. The 2009 budget anticipates saving $8.3 million due to the reduced-service days. In addition to reduced service days, all non-union employees were asked to take a series of furlough days and unpaid holidays, and most non-sworn union employees agreed to similar unpaid time off." [CBS Chicago, 8/17/09]White House

Of course, this won't be enough for the ignorant Beck followers. I'm sure he'll have a whole show countering this. It's like the birther movement. No matter what proof, what evidence you show, it would never be enough. But I suppose in the age of the Internet, where rumors spread like wildfire, this kind of rebuttal is necessary.

Michelle Obama and Oprah Woo Copenhagen

Michelle Obama and former Olympic gymnast Nadia Comaneci.

Today, Michelle Obama will attend a lunch hosted by Denmark's Queen Margrethe II. At 1 pm, she'll attend the IOC opening ceremonies and at 3:30 pm, she'll meet with IOC President Jacques Rogge. Obama leaves for Copenhagen tonight:

Two of Chicago's heaviest hitters arrived Wednesday, and first lady Michelle Obama wasted no time in captivating some of the International Olympic Committee members who will decide a 2016 Summer Olympic host-city race considered too close to call.

As she passed through the lobby of the Copenhagen Marriott, where the IOC members are staying, she gave two thumbs up and a hug to one of the first members she encountered, Nicole Hoevertsz of Aruba.

Not only that, Hoevertsz said later, but the first lady congratulated her on having been named Tuesday as secretary to Aruba's council of ministers.

It is that sort of preparation and attention to detail as much as the case she makes for her city that the Chicago 2016 bid committee hopes will make her a key player in Copenhagen. The second big name to arrive Wednesday, Oprah Winfrey, also hopes to influence the IOC's voting, which she called "a decision that could be a landmark in Chicago history."

On Friday, the IOC will choose Chicago, Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo or Madrid. Read the rest at the Chicago Tribune

U.S. and Iranian Diplomats Talk in Geneva

U.S. diplomats are talking one on one with Iran and group talks are being held. High-level officials from Britain, France, Russia and Germany are taking part. China sent a low-level official:

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It is the first known direct high-level meeting between Washington and Tehran in years of attempts to persuade Iran to freeze its uranium enrichment program. Iran says the program is peaceful, but some western nations fear it could eventually produce nuclear weapons.

Some hope
The EU's Javier Solana, who is formally heading the one-day negotiations with Jalili, was upbeat before the start of the talks in an 18th century villa in Geneva.

The fact that the meeting is taking place at all offers some hope, reflecting both sides' desire to talk, despite a spike in tensions over last week's revelations by Iran that it had been secretly building a new uranium enrichment plant. MSNBC

Now that Obama is willing to hold diplomatic talks with Iran, the U.S. has world support, said Bob Shrum. Then John Feehry, a republican strategist, wonders aloud if Iran is playing us. Leave it to the republican.

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White House Press Briefing Sept. 30

Alan Grayson Says Democrats Need Guts

He's right about that. Democrats need guts.
He goes on to call republicans "knuckle dragging neanderthals." He might be right about that. But hyperbole from either side is obnoxious.

Grayson apologizes to the dead:

Beck Moves on To New Target: Valerie Jarrett

Update: White House counters Beck's lies.

Glenn Beck is a twisted simpleton, the worst kind of simpleton.

Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah

Gibbs Dismisses Cantor

John McCain and Eric Cantor and other republicans have been saying Obama should stop thinking and do whatever it is that Stanley McChrystal says. What a bunch of malarkey. And why do they care now? For longer than eight years no one cared what was going on in Afghanistan. Now it's hurry up? Do republicans really think we're all that stupid?
Obama has more to consider than the General. He also has far more to consider than McCain or Cantor. Gibbs puts Cantor in his place: