Yes, it must be the truth. After all the President says so, and the Obama fawning media repeats ad nauseaum, and the left wing blogs get their marching orders, and yadayadayada.

Hundreds of billions were cut starting this January from Medicare plus, that's from current medicare recipients, that's as a result of Obamacare. Soledad looked like a stammering idiot, nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.

WingnutSteve steps on the rake again @ 1 by typing:

Yes, it must be the truth. After all the President says so, and the Obama fawning media repeats ad nauseaum

Actually, it must be the truth because it's the truth. Now, if you can demonstrate otherwise, I hope you will do so. You haven't, so I'm guessing you won't. Most likely, because you can't. But saying it's not the truth is probably all the proof you require of yourself.

Hundreds of billions were cut starting this January from Medicare plus, that's from current medicare recipients, that's as a result of Obamacare.

Actually, the "cuts" in question are not to "medicare recipients", but to medical providers, and it is in the growth of Medicare over the next ten years. In fact, the changes to the program expand benefits to seniors in the bargain. Again, if you can demonstrate otherwise, I hope you will.

With that said, Paul Ryan's budget makes the same cuts that both he and Mitt Romney are now pretending to be outraged about, as even Brit Hume on Fox "News" noticed, despite Ryan's stammering attempt to avoid that truth:

(Yes, that's a clip from the Fox interview taken off of MSNBC because they had an isolated version of just the Medicare section, but you can watch Fox's version of the entire interview here.)

But, after all the President says so, and the Obama fawning media at Fox "News" have their marching orders, eh Steve?

Seriously, dude, step away from the con men. You'll be so much happier when you do.

I watched the interview on my kitchen tv. She was marginally respectful, as you can see. It was a wonderful experience, and my coffee was pretty cold when it was done because the intensity was so hot I forgot to drink up.

They really do live in a hermetically sealed bubble...

I have noticed a horrible trend at CNN. They treat campaign rhetoric from both sides as equally valid, even when one side is obviously lying.

This was a nice change.

I found this doubly shocking, in a quite welcome way, due to the fact that Soledad is a strong right winger who is married to a big right wing honcho, and, in the past, has allowed every GOP lie to go unchallenged until very recently. CNN has stated that their convention and general election coverage would be "unbiased". It made me laugh when I read that, because in GOP land, anything other than the most slavish stenography and repetition of their talking points is "Left Wing Bias". No amount of polite deference is enough to please or cover for them sufficiently. I'm hoping that they do this to EVERYONE, but I'm sure it was probably just a fluke, even though she did it twice in one day to two different RR surrogates.

All the Reich wingers have is to constantly LIE and keep repeating the lie over and over and over even when you are being called out on that lie they know all they need to do is repeat it ad nauseam and as you can see there will always be ignorant, brain washed, low information idiots like Wingnut Steve that swallow the BS.

He actually saw O'Brien as the so called "stammering idiot", I mean really that is all you need to know about how brainwashed these Faux News sycophants are.
The main problem is the fact that anybody is allowed to knowingly get on national TV and put up political ads etc that are nothing but bald faced lies.
It should not be allowed, it is precisely the same as Nazi Germany and the Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda.

As long as it is 100% legal and in fact encouraged to tell nothing but bald faced lies then there is no way possible to fix the mess we are in.

It should be a federal offence with prison time for the one that made the ad and a 100 Million dollar fine to the broadcast channel that aired it.

Wow. Who knew Soledad had that in her? Every now and then something good happens...

Sununu. Screechy and unhinged. Fucking hilarious. I wonder if he was mad because he was getting his ass kicked by a woman. He strikes me as that type. How did that asshat get elected Gov of a US state??

Chris Christie was the keynote speaker at the Koch brothers' $ummer Seminar.

Chris Christie will now be the keynote speaker at the Republican National Convention.

In both cases, you can bet the farm on the fact that billionaire sociopaths Charles and David Koch are controlling the content of the RNC.

Mr. Ed @3 wrote:

She was marginally respectful

It is not disrespectful for a journalist to speak truth to power.

The real problem is that Sunuunu has no respect for the truth and refused to follow basic rules of decorum by repeatedly interrupting O'Brien, and, when that failed, to resort to an ad hominem attack when she persisted in fact-checking against his deceptive spin.

One-sided bias should not be congratulated in the media. When has Soledad gone "Newsroom" on Democrat politicians? She might be too busy reading liberal blogs, on air, while debating Romney advisers.

John1513, refer to my above comment. I have been disgusted with her for years for being a confirmed, dyed in the wool right winger. You are just pissed that she seems to have found some journalistic ethics. Nobody is allowed to fact check your fearless leaders, whom you are slavishly loyal to. YOu know damn well this woman is right wing all the way, as CNN has been for years. I'm sure if she was reading from Breitbart or some similar fact free crap, you would have no problem.

My goodness that was refreshing!

If O'Brien continues this trend of acting like a real journalist there at CNN, she's only going to get herself fired.

But it will be great while it lasts.

DrFelch asserted @ 6:

Soledad is a strong right winger who is married to a big right wing honcho

Your evidence to support that claim? I have a feeling you may be confusing O'Brien with Campbell Brown. She is married to former top George W. Bush official and current top Romney advisor Dan Senor, though she is no longer at CNN (thankfully!)

Nunyabiz @ 7:

As per our very few rules for commenting at The BRAD BLOG personal attacks on other commenters are not allowed. (That does not apply to personal attacks on folks like myself and Ernie and other bloggers who have the "bully pulpit" as posters, which also allows us to return fire as well. But regular commenters may not personally attack other regular commenters.)

Please consider this a warning and if WingnutSteve would like me to remove the comment at 7 which attacks him, please let me know and I'll be happy to do so.

Thanks for doing your best to raise the level of discourse here when possible people, so that I can continue to keep it a fully open forum that does not require registration or moderation of comments by those who follow the rules. Thank you.

John1513 @ 12 knee-jerked:

One-sided bias should not be congratulated in the media. When has Soledad gone "Newsroom" on Democrat politicians? She might be too busy reading liberal blogs, on air, while debating Romney advisers.

Okay, I'll bite. What is "one-sided bias" about quoting from independent fact-checkers and the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office?

And when have "Democrat politicians" brought the type of blatant lies to her show when they deserved to be held accountable for those lies?

Feel free to share your evidence here. Like WingnutSteve, I suspect you'll be unable to, since it appears that you are too busy reading the one-side bias of Rightwing blogs while trolling this one.

Brad, Thanks for pointing this out. I did not confuse the two women, per se, just who they were married to. Per Wikipedia: "Since 1995, O'Brien has been married to Bradley Raymond, co-head of investment banking at Thomas Weisel Partners"
I cannot firmly establish that Mr. Raymond is, factually, a right winger, he's just the co-head of investment banking at T. Weisel partners. I'd be willing to wager, though, that he is a republican, right wing, and supports Romney. I have yet to come across anybody of that stature, in that field, who is/does not, but this is pure conjecture on my part. As for the woman herself, she's the one who convinced me, long ago, that CNN had gone hard right, due to her on air actions with both R and D persons. Just from observing he in the past, as I said before, I find her about face in just the last two days nothing less than shocking. Thanks for helping to clear that up.

What gives with MSM pundits? They’re starting to act like real journalists.

This time it’s MSNBC’s Chuck Todd calling out Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad for falsely accusing Obama of undermining welfare reform.

Brad I didn't step on any rake but thanks for the concern. Yes, the cuts to Medicare advantage are reductions in anticipated increases and yeah the cuts are mostly in the form of payments to doctors. Doesn't change the fact that over the next ten years Medicare will have less money (estimated as high as $700 billion) than it needs to allow for growth. Please don't tell me that this amount of reduction in the program won't effect senior citizens, of course it will!

Remember the spending cuts President Obama touted during the debt ceiling fiasco of 2011? Those were not actual cuts for the most part, it was almost entirely cuts to anticipated increases in future spending. And he bragged about it. And now he's calling foul for cuts to spending being labeled the same way??

Ryan's plan does not cut Grandma's Medicare in a few months. It gives 10-12 years for a transition to a voucher system. Good idea? I'm not sure I like it but at least he has a plan to try and save it, and to keep it market based vice government. I imagine that eventually we will all be stuck with some form of socialized care but at least we have somebody trying to come up with a solution to avoid that. Unfortunately I don't think it will ever get to a debate which the people deserve.

Also, Brad thanks for calling out Nunyabiz for his hateful comment although I must admit I didn't read it. After reading this comment from him a few days ago:

COMMENT #5 [Permalink]
... Nunyabiz said on 8/2/2012 @ 10:36 am PT...

Funny, crying shame no such mythical invisible being exist.
If he/she/it did exist how could these Reich wing nutbags still be alive and not hanging by the scrotum over a fire pit?

I don't bother to read his stuff anymore. Feel sorry for him actually..

Oh WingnutSteve @ 21, you really need to learn to quit while you're behind.

Yes, the cuts to Medicare advantage are reductions in anticipated increases and yeah the cuts are mostly in the form of payments to doctors.

Well, by "mostly", I think you mean entirely in the form of payments to doctors and insurance and none whatsoever "from current medicare recipients," as you initially and completely inaccurately argued in your first comment @ 1 when you charged that Medicare facts were little more than "Obama fawning media repetitions" of what the President says.

So, I guess that's your way of saying you were wrong, since you have proven yourself unable to type those words no matter how many times you are proven wrong here over and over (and over) again.

Doesn't change the fact that over the next ten years Medicare will have less money (estimated as high as $700 billion) than it needs to allow for growth.

Actually, I am aware of no serious person charging that those cuts will leave Medicare with "less money...than it needs to allow for growth." Source? Or just pulling it out of your ass again?

Please don't tell me that this amount of reduction in the program won't effect senior citizens, of course it will!

As I noted in my previous response, Seniors are gaining additional benefits because of the restructuring. If you have evidence to prove otherwise (you don't) feel free to share it.

In either case, however, the point here is that Romney and Ryan (and you) are pretending to be outraged about it all WHEN THE RYAN PLAN INCLUDES THE EXACT SAME CUTS!

Ryan's plan does not cut Grandma's Medicare in a few months.

Neither does Obama's, as I'll guess you know now (if not before when you left your initial completely inaccuarate comment.)

And now we get to the biggest rake I believe you have ever stepped upon here...

It gives 10-12 years for a transition to a voucher system. Good idea? I'm not sure I like it but at least he has a plan to try and save it, and to keep it market based vice government.

Um, Steve..."to keep it market based vice government"? To "keep" Medicare "market based vice government"?

Are you pulling a Tea Bagger here and demanding that the "Government keep it's hands out of Medicare"?

I imagine that eventually we will all be stuck with some form of socialized care but at least we have somebody trying to come up with a solution to avoid that.

Um, you do realize that Medicare is a socialist program, right?

What next, Steve? Your campaign to keep the government out of our Armed Forces?

As mentioned, you should have quite while you were behind. But, please, feel free to ask for another helping.

Whoa... okay, misspoke there. I'm talking about healthcare in general not medicare which is obviously not market based but would become so under Ryan's plan.

Did Soledad send you her crib notes from "Talking Points Memo"? You're a walking talking point sir.

Obama's cuts start in 2013. That effects seniors in 2013. That's just over four months from now. That totals hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicare over ten years, starting four months from now, in 2013. Effecting senior citizens, not doctors, grandmothers.

Ryan's cuts do no such thing. Spin it how ever you want.

BTW Brad. I spent a long friggin time in the Armed Forces and there were a lot of times I wished the damn government would get out of the way. Shit woulda got done a helluva lot faster and a helluva lot smarter

Brad #17

Sorry, I just am sooooo absolutely fed up with the likes of any Reich wing nut Tpublican that I simply just do not care to try and maintain much civility anymore, they certainly never do.
I will try though.
I suppose I could have just said "like a certain poster here" as opposed to WS and everyone would have known exactly whom I was referring to.
How do you remain civil while surrounded by such insanity?

Wingnut #22

While my response had one small truthful sentence pertaining to you and it was indeed an attack on you, although I didn't even notice it as being so until I reread it just now. So sorry for the minor attack.

It seems that certain comments just prove a pertinent point...The republican base consists of "The super rich" and "The super stupid", with no in-between. Where the dumbed-down continue to vote against their own best interests and future well-being, and against the well-being and future of our country.

Amen to Ralph. So few words but they say it all. How so many people vote against their best interests befuddles me.

Sununu says Romney likes Ryan's plan, "for it's guts". I'm sure he likes it, for it guts Medicare, for it guts Medicaid, for it guts Social Security. What a joker. When (or HOW) did Snu snu become relevant again?

Here's what the Republicans were talking about. It's easy to see why they were confused. Obama agreed that 1/3 of Obamacare funding came from Medicare cuts and stated that he'd veto any effort to reverse that decision.

Link to Obamacare interview with the President

Why doesn't the person telling Solidud all the talking points through her earphone come out from behind the curtain and go head to head with Sununu? I like the red face on Solirat when she realized he was right.
Notice how often now the Rachel Maddow's and O,brien are getting pwned lately. Maddow has had like five people from the right on her show,always the same fast talking slanted show with a panel of chickens,looking like they are watching a card trick..