The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age

    Barack Obama Jr Threatens Mitt Romney

    By rmrd0000 on Fri, 10/19/2012 - 9:41pm |

    If President Obama had a son who felt the urge to punch Mitt Romney in the face for disrespecting his father during the second debate and told the host of a Black media radio show about that urge, media outlets would have pounced on the threat. The major news networks, newspapers and magazines would have blared the story 24-7.

    Obama would have to personally apologize for his son's remark. The son would have to apologize publicly. The parenting skills of Barack and Michelle  would have been questioned. How could the Obama's be an example for family life in America? Why were the Obama's disgracing the United States? 

    While Obama's son would have been taken to task, Tag Romney, who said that he wanted to punch the President for calling Mitt Romney a liar, is given a pass. There has not been large scale pushback on the comment. There have been no media demands for an apology from Mitt and Tag.

    Tag's "punch" line came up during a Romney family appearance on "The View" on October 18th. Ann Romney appeared on the show with one of her sons. Mitt took a powder on the show because he was caught on the "47%" tape criticizing the Liberal When asked about Tag's threat, another Romney son passed the comment off as a joke. The son pointed out that he had been hit by Tag in the past. Tag doesn't hit that hard, so the President shouldn't be concerned. Both Romney sons are such talented comedians (not).

    Lawrence O'Donnell did a segment pointing about that Obama had not used the word liar, but focused on how past statements by Mitt Romney were different than Romney's present position,. O'Donnell noted that while Obama had not called Romney a liar, he had. The Television nopinion show host openly invited Tag to meet with him to personally address the charge that  Mitt Romney is a liar. I doubt that Tag will take up ODonnell's challenge.

    Romney has gotten frequent passes on his blatant lies during the campaign. Now the Romney son is getting a pass on an obvious outrageous statement. 

     

    Comments

    Boy have you got this right!

    Well done!


    by Richard Day on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 2:33am

    Absolutely right.  That comment by Tagg was so distasteful it should have sent shudders around the country.  His brother's comment--that Tagg doesn't hit that hard--was on par with Mitt's shrugging off the story about he and his classmates holding down a boy while Mitt cut off his hair.

    And, yes, if it had been the son of a black president saying those things, there would have been no end to it. 

    The Romneys scream "privilege" everywhere they go. 

    His wife, Ann, a potential First Lady, doesn't have the foggiest about how to talk to "the little people."  Her attitude is "Just shut up and vote for my husband because I said so."

    Mitt's bullying performances during the debates show he will always and forever be the CEO at the board meeting and can't fathom being a servant of the people. 

    Yet here we are, in a confounding squeaker of an election.  If a minority candidate behaved like that there would be no future for that person.  Sort of shows that we haven't actually moved that far ahead.

    If Barack Obama loses to Romney it'll solidify the message that in the end white money and white privilege will always win.  That's too painful to even contemplate.

     


    by Ramona on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 7:07am

    I have been watching Republicans like Ron ChristIe on "Ed Schultz" and John Fund on "Real Time" defend Romney's statement that Obama didn't call the Libya embassy attack a terrorist attack. The technique that both used was to simply deny reality and in the face of video evidence that Obama refused to call the attack a terrorist attack. The GOP and it's spokespeople are psychotic and they have drawn almost half the country into the delusion. 

    The Republicans are so determined to make Obama a one term President that they delayed resetting the debt ceiling and compromised the credit rating of the Unites States. Now to gain political points on the Libya embassy attack, Darrell Issa releases data that identifies Libyans working with the US to overthrow Assad.

    Threatening the President is a Class D felony. The Right would be calling for Barack Obama Jr to be investigated. Liberals/Progressives face a double standard. 

    On a larger level however Liberals are winning. In order to vote for women to vote for Romney, a significant number of women have to believe that Romney would either not sign the Blunt amendment despite Romney stating that he would be glad to sign the bill. Women voting for Romney also have to  believe that the Blunt amendment only applies to religious organization. Kay Bailey Hutchinson used her position to support this lie on television. The Republicans cannot tell women the truth on where the party stands. 

     

     

     


    by rmrd0000 on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 10:23am

    The Republicans understand Republican women better than we do, I'm afraid.  They know exactly which buttons to push, which fears to exploit, which methods of stroking will work best. (pro-life, family values, freedom of religion, for example.)

    Those women, having had a lifetime of exploitation, are deaf and blind to what we consider absolute facts.  They grasp onto one or all of those fears and cannot look beyond them.  We are the enemy attacking all they hold dear, and it doesn't help that they see us as immoral socialists.

    I thought for a moment there that they saw through Romney/Ryan, et al, but apparently not.  The number of women who see Mitt as the one who cares most is growing. 

    You don't know how much it hurts to have to write that but I know too many of these women.  They believe what they want to believe and facts just get in the way.  It's called "faith" and it's what they go on, even in the voting booth.


    by Ramona on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 10:39am

     It's called "faith".....

    I'm going to have to disagree with you on this - it's a lot of things, but 'faith', IMO,is a misnomer.  It's choosing to be ignorant or residing on the isle of denial or brainwashed or even fear.

    I make no excuses for any who march in lockstep because it is perceived to be easier and/or safer.  For those that proclaim to be one issue voters, i.e. 'pro life no matter what the consequences', this takes very little effort and alleviates them from obtaining any knowledge about any other issue. 


    by Aunt Sam on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 1:20pm

    I can understand Tag's feelings.  I can accept his acknowledging them.  What I cannot condone is his explanation that he did not "punch" the President because he was protected by Secret Service.  It would have been okay if Tag had said, "sure I wanted to hit him, because he was embarrassing my father and, in my view, mis-characterizing his words and deeds but I'm an adult and that's not how adults resolve political disagreements."  But Taggart Romney's statement demonstrates that he respects only brute force and power - certainly not free speech or the rule of law.  Anybody wonder where he got his values?


    by HSG on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 9:22am

    Tagg got his values from the same father that brother Josh got his values, Mitt Romney. Josh Romney called Obama an " obstinate child".

    Nice family.


    by rmrd0000 on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 10:29am

    Shocking, I feel I shall faint.


    by PeraclesPlease on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 12:33pm

    I can understand why Tagg would bring up physical violence.  He was brought up in a family in which other people are disrespected, and in which physical violence/threats are condoned or even advocated to dominate others.

    And this in the family of a purported highly religious man who has held a position of leadership in his church. Bishop Mitt and his condescending 'you people' wife. Seems like they were always too busy counting their money, dodging taxes, bankrupting businesses built by others, and raiding workers pension funds to teach their sons decent human values, and honorable behavior.

    If the kid wants to fight, let him sign up in the military. And Ann, your sons doing missions for Mormonism is not 'serving' America like putting their chickenhawk Romney asses at risk in war.


    by NCD on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 10:48am

    I heard about and that it would be carried by CNN or shown more on MSNBC but did not see it even mentioned.  IT SHOULD BE brought out you can tell Mr. Romney has a violent tendency and his sons comment confirms it


    by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 10:55am

    Yes, you can see it by his prison tatoos and serial arrests.


    by PeraclesPlease on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 12:35pm

    A Presidential threat is a Class D felony


    by rmrd0000 on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 1:18pm

    Lame PP.

    The really big criminal$ don't fit your neat little stereotype. Try non-serial arrested, non-tattooed Allen Stanford, facing 110 years.

    ...and goodness gracious, Mitt and Tagg hang with the non-tattoed non-serial arrested guys from Stanford's collapsed Ponzi empire!


    by NCD on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 2:02pm

    Lame? Bunch of old farts sitting around worrying cause someone said they coulda shoulda woulda hit someone, what with an important election 2 weeks away?

    Meanwhile Afghanistan is falling apart and Syria is close to jumping the shark with Russian & Turkish involvement - should be a fun foreign policy debate this week - I'm sure there will be an important discussion about Romney's comment at the Olympics and whether we should pressure China to open up to US exports (for the umpteen billionth time)

    Perhaps we shoulda never given up our monarchy.


    by PeraclesPlease on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 2:59pm

    I'm not sure you guys could handle a Muslim Queen.


    by quinn esq on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 3:23pm

    Hate to break it to you, but she's a tad bit more spritely than Queen Liz II.

    But if "you guys" means them other bums, yeah, bunch of low-life cads - I'll handle this one.


    by PeraclesPlease on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 6:44pm

    You must be right, only you are keeping your eye on the ball. The rest of us have not been making campaign contributions. We have not help organize responses to True The Vote thugs who plan to intimidate voters in minority communities. We have not gotten involved in voter education projects and providing numbers to phone numbers that can provide assistance if there is trouble at the polls. In Ohio, there is a plan for people to remain in line and openly challenge the sec of State's plan to close early voting polling places  hours earlier than they have closed in the past.Yes, only you have been keeping your eye on the ball noting that there is an important election in the next few weeks.

    Regarding Syria, good old wingnut Darrell Issa just outed several Syrians who were helping the US. Issa doesn't care about Syrians, he just wants Obama out of office.Issa is not a patriot. Unless you want US boots on the ground in Syria, the administration has been doing things to aid the situation in Syria. Don't expect Obama to detail everything that is happening in the foreign policy debate on Monday. Obama does worry about the security of allies in Syria.


    by rmrd0000 on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 3:40pm

    You're writing a whiny blog about some moderately stupid pseudo-machismo comment from a sheltered trust-fund brat. What that has to do with the rest of your activities, I don't care.


    by PeraclesPlease on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 6:47pm

    How about not reading my whiny post. Your major purpose on many posts seems to play the contrarian. You want to argue just to argue. The kids glove treatment that Tagg got would not have happened in the case of a Black President's son. The main stream media would have followed Foxnews over the cliff.

    This will be my last communication with you about this subject on this particular blog. You are boring me.


    by rmrd0000 on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 9:51pm

    Fox News and CNN are tag-teaming to knock Susan Rice out of the water, which will make life tough for Obama come foreign affairs debate tomorrow.

    Ain't that a bit more important than what Tagg said? You think that's being contrarian - I think it's focusing on important stuff and letting the trivial roll off our shoulders.

    I.e. Benghazi threatens to hurt Obama a lot - since Romney has no foreign policy at all, it's his only card in his sleeve.

    But sure, why not another column about Tavis and Smiley while we're at it.


    by PeraclesPlease on Sun, 10/21/2012 - 12:56pm

    It would seem relevant that Mitt and Tagg, have been, and apparently still are, financially connected to brokers who sold fraudulent CD's in one of the largest Ponzi schemes in US history.

    But I've said before Romney is going to Kick Ass, not just Obama, but Taliban, Syria, al Qeada, Iran, Egypt, Libya, Russia, China, fake Palestinians, UN bureaucrats, the 47% American moochers, religious freedom haters, fake rape victims, the IRS, the deficit, illegals, and he will Kick Ass in that bad part of Afghanistan Ryan was talking about.  And HOLD onto our GAINS in Afghanistan as Ryan said! Fraudsters on Wall Street though are not on his list. That is a confounding prescription for saving the future!


    by NCD on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 4:02pm

    Situation in Afghanistan is hopeless, but Obama's been playing it as a win. How to explain his useless "surge" aside from a wannabe Petraeus, whose surge in Iraq didn't work worth a shit either? Best thing to do is stonewall until 7 November and then close up shop.

    So explain to me Obama's foreign policy in 15 words or less. I imagine Romney will be sadly desperate and dangerous, but what have we accomplished the last 3 3/4 years, and what do you think we'll be accomplishing the next 4 1/4?


    by PeraclesPlease on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 6:53pm

    Obama accomplished a lot with the Afghan Surge. He proved it wouldn't work. To the Pentagon and the public.

    Plan for next 4, no new wars.  No Iran war, no US forces on the ground in Syria. Bring 'em home.


    by NCD on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 7:12pm

    I have to confess that many times I stated I would like to smack Bush and Cheney.

    He made a stupid and I'm sure in his mind, a macho statement.  Was it wrong?  Of course it was, as well as ill-advised as it adds to the Romney negatives. 

    Heck, I've said I'd like to smack the arrogance and smugness off of Ann's face, not to mention her husbands - but even if able to, I wouldn't. 

    His statements were and are disrespectful, but don't think it warrants the time and energy to pile on when considering all the other issues that deserve the outrage.


    by Aunt Sam on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 1:32pm

    Its the Romneys who are piling it on. Their behaviors are telling us who they are.

    Your personal feelings about Ann frankly don't excuse the son of a Presidential candidate for his public comments. Should one of your close relatives ever run for President, however, you may create a 'Auntie's a mean blogger' PR problem for them.


    by NCD on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 2:01pm

    Your personal feelings about Ann frankly don't excuse the son of a Presidential candidate for his public comments.

    I have no idea what this means. ????


    by Aunt Sam on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 3:05pm

    More mucho macho - disculpe & move on. 2 weeks before elections nothing makes sense.


    by PeraclesPlease on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 6:55pm

    I do think tat the fact that if an Obama son had made the statement that Tagg uttered, the media would have focused on the subtle threat aspect of the statement. There has been no time and effort expended by the media on the topic. Neither Tagg nor Mitt or any Romney campaign official has apologized.

    Putting this in perspective, the media would have served as an aided to the Romney campaign by making the Obama campaign address the threat that was made. The Romney campaign is getting a free pass.


    by rmrd0000 on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 2:07pm

    Oh, there is a long list on the Romney's (he alone or with whoever as a unit), rgetting a pass on more than a few really very serious and threatening things, but this would be way down at the bottom, it's just my opinion that this isn't even n the top twenty.

    And the truth is that as you 'if Obama's son...', well this is an exercise in futility since it wasn't and never will be and also since we can surmise the response but it's just a hypothesis.  And when we assume...........................(well, we all know the rest).


    by Aunt Sam on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 3:11pm

    Yes they would, faux "news" would have pushed it endlessly. But its stupid and stupid is what faux does. I don't think we should go stupid as well to compensate. That's one of the problems I have with MSNBC. I like having a liberal news source but I thought it would be a smart liberal network. Sometimes it is but too often its as stupid as faux, just liberal stupid instead of conservative stupid. The O'Donnell "come punch me" rant is just dumb.


    by ocean-kat on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 3:57pm

    I feel the same way.  I usually turn to MSNBC for my "liberal fix" but too often lately they're getting silly into stupid.  I avoid Ed Schultz most of the time and I can't stand Rev Al's shouting so he's gone now.  I thought that rant from O'Donnell the other night was so over the top I wanted to scream.  I like what he has to say most of the time but I'm getting tired of that slow, precise way of talking--as if we're cretins and it's the only way we'll understand.

    I know they're getting nervous about the election but enough already!  I really do like UP with Chris Hayes and Melissa Harris-Perry on the weekends.  They are smart and bring in people who actually have something to say without resorting to tiresome talking points. The others could learn from them.


    by Ramona on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 5:37pm

    Yes, its not all bad. I like Maddow most of the time. I think "the daily howler" goes overboard in its critique of her. Some of his criticisms are justified, sometimes he's just hypercritical.

    I wish MSNBC would get it together. I don't think liberals want a liberal O'reilly type screamer, a liberal Coulter type who outrageously insults constantly, or a liberal Hannity type that lies constantly, even if the yelling and insults and lies are about conservatives. Just give us accurate quality news from a liberal perspective and liberals will tune in.


    by ocean-kat on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 7:32pm

    MSNBC leads CNN in viewership. This may be because, after watching news with journalists who act like stenographers, people do like seeing Ed Schultz taking to union members, and workers laid off because of Bain. They like hearing Rachel Maddow address the lack of objectivity found in Politifacts analysis of the truth of Democratic party challenges of statements by Republicans.

    Rev. Al Sharpton played a major role in putting pressure on the judicial system in the Trayvon Martin case.I think the sometimes feisty anchors on MSNBC to provide an avenue of relief.

    Perhaps the problem MSNBC faces is that there a very few rational Republicans that are capable of rational discussion. I for one would it want MSNBC to become CNN.


    by rmrd0000 on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 10:11pm

    Excellent analysis, but you forgot one thing ... the republican base "thrives" on violence, especially when directed at Obama.

     


    by Beetlejuice on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 1:59pm

    Here's the Lawrence O'Donnell video at Huffpo

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/19/lawrence-odonnell-tagg-romney-w...

    which has the audio of Taggert way at the end around 8:20 after O'Donnell's long rant on Romneymen and avoidance of military service. You can hear Tagg say with a transcript on screen that he felt like doing it but he didn't do it because you don't do things like that in a campaign--after a  quick crack about the Secret Service being in the way, clearly said facetiously--he  basically said you don't do that because when you sign up for the whole campaign process you know a part of the game you agreed to is getting insulted by the other side and taking it and maybe giving back the same.

    Also Google seems to have been able to find 17,000+ articles on this story:

    Tagg Romney Calibrates 'Swing' at Obama Remark

    New York Times (blog)-Oct 18, 2012
    Tagg Romney quickly indicated he wasn't speaking literally about ... Although Tagg Romney, 42, the eldest of the five Romney sons, was ...
    In mho, those two things, taken together, show it's been covered quite a bit more than enough.
     
    I just can't get outraged about lack of outrage on this, I am sorry.
     
    If disturbed about anything, I guess I'm a little disturbed about how much time and attention the media has given this already.
     
    Lawrence O'Donnell's first 8 minutes are a little bit more worthwhile, but not much, mho. It's got a little bit too much emphasis on personal mano-a-mano hatred of protected rich boys who don't serve, without enough hatred of too many enlisted boys losing their lives in his mix. (Not to mention many minutes of evening news coverage given over to what was said on a daytime entertainment talk show by a presidential spouse.) His emphasis too often comes across to me as: it's okay to be a war monger if you've served. In which case, guess what, Lawrence? that leaves Obama out.

    by artappraiser on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 3:52pm

    To each his own


    by rmrd0000 on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 3:53pm

    I'd like to add that I'd rather see some of that national coverage time spent on this, outside the Tampa area:

    October 15, 2012: 24-year-old Army Spc. Brittany Gordon, a soldier from St. Petersburg, was killed while serving in Afghanistan.

     

    Here's a photo of her for those who don't want to watch the video:

    with an article suggesting she may have been killed in an insider attack, a suicide bomber.

    I would like to know why she volunteered for service, what convinced her to do such a thing, and less about  people who didn't volunteer for service.

     

     


    by artappraiser on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 4:17pm

    Just curious, do you mean that you would like this particular death to receive more national coverage or do you wish the ongoing death of U.S. and allied soldiers, regardless gender, should be more front page news?


    by A Guy Called LULU on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 4:18pm

    Both. And always, no matter the conflict or it's political standing. Especially with a volunteer force, where there is no draft that can bring the cost closer the public's mind, it falls ont the media.

    I happened to chose this example here because it takes it out of the realm of this silly story about rich and/or successful guys talking macho to each other about who insulted who and who is insulted by what and smart guys avoiding service etc. etc. But just to be fair,I should mention that a lot of white guys have been getting the KIA "honor" in Afghanistan lately.

    I forgot to edit in the link to the story with the photo, here it is:

    http://www.kuow.org/post/media-reports-female-soldier-jblm-killed-inside...


    by artappraiser on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 4:28pm

    Thanks. I read and then commented on the first comment and in the interim you edited and added to it like again just now. I wouldn't have asked my question if the second part of the comment had already been in front of me.

     I agree that men playing macho guy gets silly and old, but for a President or candidate to try to out macho each other presents clues that should be paid attention to.


    by A Guy Called LULU on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 4:36pm

    Ted Koppel spent at least two nights reading the names of war dead in Iraq in 2004 and 2007 on ABC, Republican leaning Sinclair Broadcasting blocked the 2nd show, and many on the right in 2004 were incensed by it, thought it was antiwar and partisan.

    (2007) Brent Bozell, president of the Media Research Center, derided what he called the program's "partisan nature," saying its one goal was "to turn public opinion against the war."

    Artappraiser, does your interest in dead troops have any larger meaning, such as your convictions relating to supporting or not supporting any particular recent or prospective war, or war in general?


    by NCD on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 7:57pm

    Well I've had up close and personal experience with a death in Afghanistan, so I have no problem with more recognition of the sacrifices these heroes make. I reject any implication that my post ignores the loss of life.  Have a nice day.


    by rmrd0000 on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 5:16pm

    Well done on your essential point which, as an old white guy who grew up in Southern Ohio, I concur with---that if a black president's son had uttered a remark like Romney's son did, the right wing media would have gone nuts, and the rest of the media would have followed, and apologies would have been demanded.

    I thought Obama missed a good joke at the Al Smith dinner:

    "Sometimes these debates can get out of hand. Governor Romney's son Tagg said he wanted to rush the stage Tuesday night and start throwing punches. The Secret Service pondered what to do and decided, based upon genetics, that they should increase the Governor's protection." 


    by Oxy Mora on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 5:34pm

    Great "punch" linesmiley


    by rmrd0000 on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 5:46pm

    Thanks.


    by Oxy Mora on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 6:56pm

    Love that joke.  Alternately, "If Tagg Romney would like to fight me, I'd advise him not to opt out of Obamacare first."


    by Michael Maiello on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 5:47pm

    Good one. I think he missed an opportunity. Maybe it will be put in the form of a question at the debate.


    by Oxy Mora on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 6:57pm

    Tagg is 42...! Maturity time warp like Dubya? Has he ever done an honest days work in his life, or does he just shuck suckers like Dad?

    I thought he was 30 at most. Everything these people do and say tells you who and what they are, I shudder to think of these haughty egotistical clowns running the country.


    by NCD on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 7:26pm

    Tagg is 42?

    I'm 37, so I mean this self critically, but we really have extended the limits of adolescence, haven't we?


    by Michael Maiello on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 8:07pm

    This explains quite a bit, very good piece IMO:

    http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/magazine/108815/tagg-romney-myth-sel...


    by Aunt Sam on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 9:11pm

    Have to admit that I am do desensitized to violent political rhetoric that I didn't react to this at all, nor would I have reacted had Obama a son who said the same thing about Romney.  Nor would I react if any celebrity said they wanted to sock Romney in the jaw.

    And, frankly, the day I found out that a teenage Mitt and his square friends tried to cut some hippie's hair, I've wanted to out him in a figure four.

    But, yes, you're right.  This is how the righties would have reacted.


    by Michael Maiello on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 5:50pm

    On the voter suppression front, the Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting that billboards placed in minority communities to intimidate potential voters are being pulled down.Clear Channel the billboard company who put up the signs says that the ads were paid by an anonymous out-of-state family foundation. After community and national protests objecting to the billboards, Clear Channel realized that the company had a policy of not accepting anonymous donors.

    Clear Channel is allowing 10 billboards that have a message countering the intimating message of the controversial ads to remain in place. The company donated the 10 opposing billboards after it received negative comments from the community.


    by rmrd0000 on Sun, 10/21/2012 - 11:22am

    Oops, the link to the article.


    by rmrd0000 on Sun, 10/21/2012 - 11:25am