At
Mother Jones, Mariah Blake writes
Why Do CNN and HLN Keep Giving Airtime to George Zimmerman's White-Power Buddy?
Since George Zimmerman was arrested earlier this week for allegedly threatening his girlfriend with a shotgun, many of his defenders have gone silent or turned tail. Speaking on Fox News after Zimmerman's Tuesday arraignment, Geraldo Rivera, a former Zimmerman booster, went so far as to call him "borderline psychotic."
But Zimmerman's neighbor and de facto spokesman, Frank Taaffe, has pressed ahead with the media crusade he began in the runup to Zimmerman's trial on charges of murdering unarmed teen Trayvon Martin. And despite revelations that Taaffe is a convicted criminal and unabashed racist who hosts a white-power podcast, cable news networks have continued giving him a platform.
Most recently, Taaffe appeared on CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight and argued that Zimmerman was suffering from post-traumatic stress. Morgan asked Taaffe what Zimmerman—who faces charges of aggravated assault with a weapon, domestic violence battery, and criminal mischief—was doing in a house full of guns. "Boys will have their toys," Taaffe replied. He also called Zimmerman's girlfriend, Samantha Scheibe, and his ex-wife, Shellie (who has alleged that Zimmerman threatened her and her father with a gun, too) "opportunistic." […]
In media interviews during Zimmerman's trial, Taaffe made similar personal attacks on Martin and posted virulently racist comments on Twitter—one read "the only time a black life is validated is when a white person kills them." […]
|
Blast from the Past. At Daily Kos on this date in 2003—Keep Bush off the CA, WV and IL ballots:
Rove decided on a September convention to maximize two political advantages -- the ability to spend "primary" funds as late as possible, before federal limits apply, and to squeeze out every drop of political blood from 9-11. (Words chosen carefully.)
Problem is, several states have filing deadlines for presidential candidates earlier in the year. One of them is Illinois.
State Dems have agreed to amend the law by forcing state House Republicans to waive election fines against a host of Democratic officeholders and to agree that "dimpled chads" should be counted. Those may be laudable things, but...
What the heck are Illinois Democrats thinking?
Would the GOP be so accomodating -- they of the mid-decade redistricting in three states. Screw the bastards. They made a crass political decision to stage a late primary, they should now suffer the consequences. |
Tweet of the Day:
If the Founders wanted the president to fill vacancies in the courts why didn't they put it in the SECOND AMENDMENT? #tcot
— @LOLGOP
On
today's Kagro in the Morning show, it's our first post-nuclear show! We give you all the info you'll need to shut up just about anybody you're likely to run into at Thanksgiving dinner. Like the "time machine paradox" that once allowed the Senate to go nuclear, then erase its tracks so everybody spent the next 35 years thinking it had never been used. And yes, that's available to the Senate today, and always has been. Because time machine! Next, the infuriating story of police misconduct in Miami Gardens, FL. To pick you back up for the weekend: "Right-Wing Author Abandons Cultural Populism, Decries 'White Trash,'" and the story of Rolling Jubilee and Strike Debt. Thanks, Occupy!
High Impact Posts. Top Comments.