Broward's News Beat- Fighting Fake News One Story At A Time: January 2008

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Giuliani 'ran like a coward on 9/11'

Families of firefighters killed in the Sept. 11 terror attacks on the World Trade Center rallied in Orlando Tuesday in anticipation of the state's upcoming Republican primary. Unfortunately for Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, the firefighters are not in his corner.

"We want America to know that [the Giuliani campaign] is lying to America and to the American pubic," said Jim Riches, a deputy chief in the New York Fire Department, "telling all of Florida that the New York City Fire Department backs him, when that's another lie."

Firefighters and their families vowed to dog the former New York mayor at all of his Florida campaign stops because the state figures prominently in Giuliani's big-state primary strategy. The protesters think that Giuliani was aware that firefighters who responded to the World Trade Center attack were carrying defective radios and did not hear the order to evacuate.

"He didn't prepare us before, during, or after," says Riches.

Giuliani has campaigned strongly on his leadership during the attacks on New York, claiming he is the best suited to prevent an "Islamic terrorist war against us." But the firefighters were quick to question that courage.

"Yeah, the decision he made was, which direction he was going to run," says Riches. "And he ran north, and that's all he did."

The Giuliani campaign labeled the display a misleading, partisan attack. The former mayor is also emphasizing his ability to deal with the economy, distancing himself from the 9/11 pitch.

This video is from CNN.com, broadcast January 22, 2008.

Did Obama Win Nevada

On Saturday, in Nevada, they elected city delegates whom will then go to the county and then to the state, where the national delegates will be selected to go to Denver.

There are two kind of delegates. The more important kind, nationally speaking, are the latter, of which Obama — according to a revised AP count — is expected to emerge with 13 to Clinton's 12.

That's the technical grounds on which Obama claimed a kind of victory. The Clinton campaign's and the Nevada party's objections to this earlier this evening were yet more technical, but also accurate: The national delegates haven't yet been formally awarded.

"The Obama campaign is wrong. Delegates for the national convention will not be determined until April 19," said Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson.

But the only plausible scenario in which the awarding of delegates chances is one in which one of the candidates drops out of the race and endorses the other. In which case it'll be academic. So in the only likely scenario that matters, Obama will wind up with one more delegate out of Nevada, an all-but-meaningless number in any case.

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Voter Intimidation in Nevada

UPDATE via Taylor Marsh: "NEVADA UPSET: Clinton over Obama"

::::::::::::::

Taylor Marsh has been on this story since last week. This morning, in "Free Elections Epilogue," Taylor posts, "Salon.com's Joan Walsh this morning":

But United Farmworkers' Union co-founder Dolores Huerta went further, accusing the Culinary Workers Union of intimidating Clinton supporters and keeping them away from the caucuses. Union leaders are telling Clinton backers if they don't vote for Obama, "they won't get transportation, they will be fired," Huerta said. She also argued that Clinton has a "cultural, political and social relationship with the Latino community, which Senator Obama does not have." Latinos call Clinton "Hilaria," Huerta said, adding derisively that they call Sen. Obama "Como se llama?" (as in "What's his name?") …

… .. Pro-Clinton blogger Taylor Marsh picked up the tale, relying on Marie Angers' account. But so far, Antuna has been silent since talking to the Sun. Reached by telephone Friday afternoon, at first she didn't want to talk. "I'm just afraid to say anything," she said. But then the CWU shop steward of 24 years agreed to tell her story.

Taylor continues:

As Walsh states in her piece, Atuna has been silent since originally talking to the Sun. Angers, whose name I have not used until this post, would not even allow me to use her name in the audio interview (the story I broke before anyone). As I said in this post taking on the Sun's piece, this is about free elections and having the right to vote for whomever you want.

Read all.

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Nelson-Martinez Ad For Voting On The 29th

CROSS POSTED AT http://ChangeInTalahassee.com

For Florida's tax panel, a pivotal vote

Despite strong opposition from business and agriculture interests, members of the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission on Thursday passed a proposal to give voters the option of reducing property taxes by shifting the burden to taxing some services and eliminating some exemptions.

The 8 to 3 vote, at a meeting of the commission's Government Procedures and Services Committee, was a victory for former Senate President John McKay, who has been on nearly a decade-long crusade to overhaul Florida's tax system. McKay's allies now include Darryl Rouson, a St. Petersburg lawyer and the co-sponsor who was among the eight votes in favor. "I like the idea of transferring the tax burden," Rouson said.

The proposal would reduce property tax bills by at least 25 percent by eliminating property taxes collected statewide imposed by the Legislature to support public schools, about $8-billion a year. Replacing that would be an equal amount of taxes on services or the closing of exemptions, which McKay calls "special interest tax breaks" that benefit only a politically-connected few.

Testifying in opposition were lobbyists for Realtors, accountants, architects, farmers and other groups who said the tax shift would unfairly penalize businesses and reduce Florida's ability to compete with other states and foreign countries.

The three members who voted no were Orlando lawyer Jacinda Mathis, Clearwater real estate agent Nancy Riley and Brian Yablonski, a St. Joe Company executive. The tax proposal's next stop is the potentially hostile Finance & Taxation Committee.

Read The Post Here

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David Brock Issues Open Letter to NBC News President Steve Capus

Brock raises serious questions regarding the on-air conduct of MSNBC's Chris Matthews

Washington, D.C. -- Today, Media Matters for America President & CEO David Brock issued an open letter to Steve Capus, the president of NBC News, raising serious questions about the on-air conduct of MSNBC Hardball host Chris Matthews. Given Matthews' long history of degrading commentary, Brock has urged Capus to protect the network's trusted reputation for fair and equal coverage and, as Capus himself articulated, "continue the dialogue about what is appropriate conduct and speech" on the air.

Highlights from the letter include:

"Senator Clinton's candidacy aside, Matthews' degrading attacks on women constitute a broader and more troubling pattern that has unfolded over the years. During his coverage of the 2000 presidential race, Matthews repeatedly referred to author Naomi Wolf as "the political equivalent of Viagra." His on-air treatment of CNBC anchor Erin Burnett ("Could you get a little closer to the camera? ...You're beautiful. …You're a knockout.") has been described by Emily's List President Ellen Malcolm as "sexual harassment brought to you by MSNBC."'

[…]

"[A]s you well know, programs like Hardball define wider media narratives and agendas and shape public perceptions about public affairs, especially, as is the case now, when the nation is poised to make critical choices about its future direction. Given Matthews' record detailed above, I fear that he will continue to insult, misinform, and ultimately disserve the public as we continue to engage in a basic process of our democracy in the coming months."

Below is the full text of the letter:

January 16, 2008

Steve Capus

President, NBC News

NBC Television Network
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York , NY 10112

Dear Mr. Capus:

I'm writing today to express urgent concern over the appalling on-air conduct of MSNBC Hardball host Chris Matthews and to ask that you engage Media Matters for America and other concerned parties in the broader community of NBC viewers in a constructive dialogue about appropriate remedies to this most unfortunate state of affairs at NBC's cable news channel MSNBC.

As you know, the event precipitating the current firestorm surrounding Matthews' conduct occurred on MSNBC last week in the wake of Senator Hillary Clinton's victory in the Democratic primary in New Hampshire . During MSNBC's coverage that night, Matthews said he would "never underestimate Hillary Clinton again" -- an apparent reference to his long-standing pattern of on-air denigration of Senator Clinton's candidacy and persona -- documented in a Media Matters survey of Hardball with Chris Matthews published December 18, 2007 (attached). The following morning, on the MSNBC program Morning Joe, Matthews said of Clinton , "the reason she may be a front-runner is her husband messed around" and that "she didn't win [ New York ] on her merits." These statements were demonstrably false, utterly disrespectful, and, as the ensuing controversy has revealed, deeply offensive to many Americans.

Given Matthews' history of animus toward both Senator Clinton and President Bill Clinton, these remarks might be seen as just par for the course. After all, MSNBC has entrusted Matthews -- as Hardball host, frequent on-air news anchor for MSNBC, and host of the syndicated Chris Matthews Show run on the NBC broadcast network -- with a prominent role in political campaign coverage throughout the last year, despite his 2001 statement referencing Clinton reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer magazine: "I hate her. I hate her. All that she stands for." To my knowledge, Matthews has not disputed the quote, which betrays an ugly and unprofessional personal bias that unfairly skews political coverage of one of the leading candidates for President of the United States night after night on MSNBC.

Matthews has referred to Clinton as a "She Devil," compared her to a "strip-teaser" and referred to her as "witchy." He has referred to men who support her as "castratos in the eunuch chorus." He has suggested Clinton is not "a convincing mom," and said "modern women" like Clinton are unacceptable to " Midwest guys." Even Matthews' journalistic guests have called out Matthews for using sexist rhetoric. On one episode of Hardball devoted to what Matthews repeatedly referred to as Clinton 's "cackle," Politico reporter Mike Allen broke in and said, "Chris, first of all, 'cackle' is a very sexist term." Matthews has hosted right-wing radio host Michael Graham, who said on Hardball:

"Anyone listening to Hillary Rodham in her speech last week about patriotism, that screaming, screeching fingernail, I wanted to bludgeon her with a tire iron. That's what I wanted to do." (Matthews is quoted on the jacket of one of Graham's books endorsing the radio host as "the funniest political observer in the country. The guy turns the truth into a punch.")

According to a Media Matters count, over the course of two weeks in 2006, Matthews barraged his guests with 90 separate questions about what Matthews has variously described as Bill Clinton's purported "lifestyle," "social life," "personal behavior," and "personal life." This pattern of obsessive personal attacks on the Clintons has, of course, been glaringly on display for years; back in 1998, Salon memorably described Hardball as the "official cable club house for Clinton-haters."

But last week -- with America engaged in an invigorating democratic process, in a moment freighted with the potential for historic progress and promise in the hearts and minds of millions of Americans as, for the first time in our history, both a woman and an African-American are leading candidates for the presidency -- Matthews' sexist attack struck a nerve.

Senator Clinton's candidacy aside, Matthews' degrading attacks on women constitute a broader and more troubling pattern that has unfolded over the years. During his coverage of the 2000 presidential race, Matthews repeatedly referred to author Naomi Wolf as "the political equivalent of Viagra." His on-air treatment of CNBC anchor Erin Burnett ("Could you get a little closer to the camera? ...You're beautiful. …You're a knockout.") has been described by Emily's List President Ellen Malcolm as "sexual harassment brought to you by MSNBC." Matthews once ended an interview with right-wing radio host and author Laura Ingraham by saying, "I get in trouble for this, but you're great looking, obviously. You're one of the gods' gifts to men in this country. But also, you are a hell of a writer."

During coverage of a presidential debate last spring, NBC News chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell appeared compelled to remind Matthews that Democratic Senator Barack Obama's wife, Michelle, is a Harvard-educated lawyer as Matthews focused obsessively on her physical appearance, stating she "looked perfect," "well-turned out ... attractive -- classy, as we used to say. Like Frank Sinatra, 'classy.' "

Why NBC apparently believes such conduct and speech to be informative, appropriate or responsible broadcasting in the public interest is a question for you and for General Electric's management and Board of Directors. In this regard, I should note that gender-based attacks have also been documented by Media Matters on MSNBC's show Tucker, hosted by Tucker Carlson. Carlson invoked Lorena Bobbitt to claim that Clinton is tapping into women's anger toward men, and on another broadcast of Tucker, said of Clinton : "[W]hen she comes on television, I involuntarily cross my legs." During a discussion of how gender might play into Senator Clinton's candidacy, Carlson's right-wing guest Cliff May said, "At least call her a Vaginal-American."

My concern about your network's broadcast standards is not limited to sexism. In 2006, Matthews hosted right-wing pundit Ann Coulter the day after she had posited on another NBC cable network, CNBC, on The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, that Bill Clinton is gay. Questioned about the remark by Matthews, Coulter offered a bizarre theory to conclude Clinton "shows some level of latent homosexuality." She continued, "I don't know if he's gay, but Al Gore -- total fag." Matthews concluded the interview with, "Well, thanks, Ann, you're great."

In Warp Speed: America in the Age of Mixed Media, the esteemed media critics Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel wrote, " 'Hardball' has no grounding in reporting, no basic news function, is not designed to elicit facts or explore issues with policy-makers."

That judgment notwithstanding, as you well know, programs like Hardball define wider media narratives and agendas and shape public perceptions about public affairs, especially, as is the case now, when the nation is poised to make critical choices about its future direction. Given Matthews' record detailed above, I fear that he will continue to insult, misinform, and ultimately disserve the public as we continue to engage in a basic process of our democracy in the coming months.

My concerns are based in fact. According to a study by the nonpartisan Project for Excellence in Journalism of political media coverage in 2000, Hardball accounted for 12 percent of all media reports that discussed presidential candidate Al Gore's purported "tendency to exaggerate," a false campaign narrative perpetuated by the Republican National Committee. Indeed, Matthews seemed so unfair in his treatment of Gore that NBC Today show host Matt Lauer upbraided him on the air, saying, "Let's be honest here. Al Gore irritates you." "The public has been saying that too," Matthews replied.

The aforementioned Media Matters study examined Matthews' statements on Hardball about the two then-front-running candidates in each political party, Clinton and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, in the months of September, October, and November 2007. The results showed Matthews made 10 negative remarks about Clinton for every negative remark he made about Giuliani. Moreover, Matthews made nearly three times as many positive remarks about Giuliani as about Clinton .

In addition, Matthews has said on Hardball that he believes Republican Senator John McCain "deserves to be president."

Mr. Capus, during the controversy last spring surrounding Don Imus' racist and sexist remarks broadcast on MSNBC -- remarks first documented by Media Matters -- we commended your acknowledgement that NBC has a responsibility to protect the network's trusted reputation for fair and equal coverage and to "continue the dialogue about what is appropriate conduct and speech" on its air. In the case of Chris Matthews, I implore you to once again consider the gravity of that responsibility.

I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

Stop Chris Matthew's Woman Bashing

Using overtly sexist language, he has referred to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) as a "she devil" and compared her to a "strip-teaser." He has called her "witchy" and likened her voice to "fingernails on a blackboard." He has referred to men who support her as "castratos in the eunuch chorus." He has suggested Clinton is not "a convincing mom" and said "modern women" like Clinton are unacceptable to "Midwest guys." He has called her "Madame Defarge" and "Nurse Ratched."

Had enough? Contact MSNBC to tell them what you think.

Mr. Phil Griffin,
Senior Vice President, News
NBC Television Network
30 Rockefeller Plz
New York, NY 10112
phil.griffin@nbc.com

Steve Capus,
President, NBC News
steve.capus@nbc.com

MSNBC
letters@msnbc.com
MSNBC/Microsoft-NBC
30 Rockefeller Plz
3rd Fl
New York, NY 10112
(212) 664-4444

Chris Matthews
hardball@msnbc.com

After Clinton won the New Hampshire Democratic primary, Matthews asserted: "[T]he reason she may be a front-runner is her husband messed around." He described her performance at a debate last Saturday as apparently "good enough to seem good enough here for women who wanted to root for her anyway."

His sexism is hardly limited to comments about Clinton. During coverage of the New Hampshire primary, he said that Clinton is the only viable woman presidential candidate "on the horizon." He couldn't think of a single female governor eligible to run: "Where are the big-state women governors?" he asked. "Where are they? Name one." In fact, several of the states that currently have women governors are comparable in population to the states in which the male presidential candidates serve or have served as governor.

In November 2006, shortly after the Democrats took the majority in Congress, Matthews asked a guest if then-presumptive speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was "going to castrate Steny Hoyer" if Hoyer (D-MD) were elected House majority leader.

During coverage of a presidential debate last spring, NBC News chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell was compelled to remind Matthews that Sen. Barack Obama's (D-IL) wife, Michelle, is a Harvard-educated lawyer after he focused obsessively on her physical appearance.

The good news is that people are speaking out against Matthews' flagrant, persistent sexism.

Of the New Hampshire primary results, the blog TalkLeft, observed:

"It was a revolt of women sick and tired of the likes of Chris Tweety Matthews and the Media Misogynists.

Barack Obama did not lose New Hampshire. The Media did. Their misogynist hatred of Hillary Clinton was soundly rejected by the voters. Especially the women voters of New Hampshire.

How the Media will react to this well deserved rebuke is the question. And let's be clear, Chris Matthews should be removed from covering this race. His offensive behavior is a disgrace to NBC."

It's time to play a little "hardball." Please contact MSNBC and Chris Matthews today and let them know what you think.

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Ugly Right Raises Their Head Over Denial Of Marriage Amendment

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Vote No On 1

We can all agree, not just in Broward, that a Florida Tax Reform is necessary, but when it comes to voting on Amendment 1 on January 29th, We say no.

From firefighters their jobs will be cut and our lives will no longer be safe to school teachers telling us that our educational system will be affected.

Let this mess of a amendment go down in flames and tell the Legislator to go back in March and get it right this time. Do not give this Legislator a pass vote NO

There are a number of reasons why:

• The plan gives most of the relief to those who need it the least
(long-term Save Our Homes property), while giving very little to
those that have seen their taxes rise the most (non-homestead
property).
• It will perpetuate the current system and exacerbate the shift of
tax burden from homestead to non-homestead property. It will also
continue to shift tax burden to new homeowners.
• While some solution to portability is needed, there are serious
constitutional concerns about providing it.
• The 10% cap for non-homestead property is so high as to be of
little value to most properties.
• The $9.3 billion five-year taxpayer savings estimate is likely
overstated. The proposal does not restrict local governments'
ability to increase millage rates to recoup revenue losses, thereby
lessening the savings for some and shifting more tax burden to
others.
• And perhaps most importantly, if the voters approve this new
amendment, future attempts to reform non-homestead property taxes
will be extremely difficult."

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Did Property Tax Apprasier Lori Parrish even read the Amendmant?

How is it, that many are surprised that in the proposed amendment, the City or Counties can still raise your taxes?

They did not read the amendment.

The proposed property tax changes that voters are voting on starting on January 14th.
you can read it here.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz Voting Against Property Tax Amendment

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, said she is voting against the proposal.

"There are ways that we can do property tax relief, but this is not one of them," Schultz said. The amendment, she said, "is going to do long-term damage to our kids, in terms of their well-being and their education."

The average homeowner would save about $240 — but only if local governments don't raise taxes, which the proposed constitutional amendment would allow them to do, possibly obliterating any potential savings.

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Continue reading "Clinton way ahead of Obama in Florida" »

Join HRC President Joe Solmonese

Primary Day Training with Joe Solmonese
When: Wednesday, January 16 6:30 pm
Where: Art Serve in Ft. Lauderdale
Address: 1350 E. Sunrise Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale, 33304
RSVP: HRC Organizer Toby Quaranta at 202.459.3307, or by email at Toby.Quaranta@ hrc.org

If you can't make it to the training but still want to help, Toby will be on the ground in Ft. Lauderdale until Primary Day. To learn more about the campaign, visit Red & Blue's webpage at www.floridaredandbl ue.org.

Join HRC President Joe Solmonese and HRC members from Broward County for a Training!

Join us in Fort Lauderdale for a training on how to take action on Primary Day.

Joe Solmonese will be at our Wednesday, January 16th training to be held at Art Serve. If you can attend, RSVP with HRC Organizer Toby Quaranta at 202.459.3307, or by email at Toby.Quaranta@ hrc.org

HRC is organizing an education campaign against the November state constitutional amendment that would ban same sex marriage --already illegal in Florida-- and eliminate all domestic partnerships. Health benefits are on the line, and the government will take an even larger role in your daily life.

Will you volunteer a few hours this month to help build a campaign to defeat this harmful amendment?

.

Clinton way ahead in Florida

Hillary Clinton remains far ahead of Barack Obama among likely Democratic voters in Florida's Jan. 29 primary.

Quinnipiac University, in its new poll released this morning, shows her with 52 percent. Obama has 31 percent.

Her 21-percentage point lead over Obama is virtually unchanged from December, Quinnipiac said in a news release, when she had a 22-point lead.

John Edwards has only 9 percent in the current poll, compared with 19 percent in December.

Dinner and a (drag) show to raise money for LaFontaine

Posted At The Miami Herald

Mark LaFontaine, who hopes to become the first openly gay member of the Florida Legislature by winning the seat about to be left open by state Rep. Jack Seiler, is getting a little help from a current openly gay elected official.

U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, a Massachusetts Democrat and openly gay member of Congress, will help LaFontaine raise money at two events on Jan. 13.

Frank, who serves as the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, will appear at a closed-door fundraiser at a Wilton Manors home that morning. But for the evening event, the campaign was looking for something "a little more off-beat," said Stephen Gaskill, LaFontaine's spokesman.

Their choice? Lips, a bar and restaurant in Oakland Park, known for "drag dining."

"We thought it would be something that people would turn out for," Gaskill said. "There are always fundraisers for $100 or $150, where you get the same thing. We thought it would be fun to have dinner and a show at an unusual location."

Definitely not your typical campaign fundraiser. Check out info here.

Bryan Caletka To Run For Broward County Commission

Broward County Commissioner John Rodstrom drew another opponent in his re-election bid this year as Davie Vice Mayor Bryan Caletka filed to run.

Homestead exemption A fraud

Homestead exemption falls short of promise

Doubling the homestead exemption!

My Ass!

It's Gov. Charlie Crist's No. 1 weapon in selling the property tax cut plan that goes before voters Jan. 29.

The message framing has rolled off his tongue in public appearances from Miami to Tallahassee. He used it again Monday in Broward County to promote passage of Amendment 1.

But to say the measure would double the current $25,000 homestead exemption is a fraud. (Read Story here.)

Thompson's Last Stand

Former Senator Fred Thompson (R-Tennessee) provides an important lesson in effective campaign messaging.

Sen. Thompson is relying on a strong showing in South Carolina to propel his candidacy to the White House. CNN reported this afternoon that the Thompson campaign is joking about South Carolina as "Custer's last stand."

Of course, General Armstrong Custer was defeated and killed in the Battle of Little Bighorn.

Apparently, Sen. Thompson didn't learn anything from the opening scene in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. Sen. Thompson either doesn't know history, doesn't want to stick around in the race, or both. (To be fair, Sen. Thompson has a history of remembering the facts wrong, or not at all.)

They Never Learn, Do They?

Giuliani's New York canvassers are trolling Red Sox Nation in Yankees garb, in advance of the primary:

Some Rudy Giuliani volunteers bused here from New York City struck out as they went door to door in advance of Tuesday's Granite State primary while wearing caps or jackets of the hated New York Yankees.
"Some people really don't think," said a person with knowledge of the situation.

"You're in the middle of Red Sox Nation wearing stuff from their enemy. It's absolutely ridiculous.

Strike two?

Ron Paul to Cross Picket Line... Again

Republican presidential candidates are jumping ahead of one another to cross the picket line of workers who have public opinion handily on their side. First, it was Mike Huckabee, who said he didn't realize that he was going to be crossing the line.

Up next, Ron Paul, who will appear on the Tonight Show this evening.

As ThinkProgress points out, this isn't the first picket line that Ron Paul has crossed. In December, Paul appeared on The View -- despite the striking writers. He later said that he "doesn't care about the unions or the pickets."

Also make sure to check out FlipperTV.

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