Arsalan Iftikhar's Thank You Letter To Don Lemon

Fox News anchors work heard to be ignorant and offensive. For Don Lemon, it just comes naturally. Lemon unsurprisingly placed his foot in his mouth when he asked Muslim civil rights attorney Arsalan Iftikhar if he supported ISIS.

“Again in August, 16 percent of French citizens support ISIS,” Lemon pressed. “Would you describe those who support ISIS as Islamic extremists? Do you support ISIS?”

The question stunned Iftikhar.

“Wait,” he replied. “Did you just ask me if I support ISIS? I just answered your question. I said that obviously these 16 percent of people support the ideology, but again, I don’t think that would necessarily extrapolate to supporting of killing of innocent people.”

Imagine asking a German civil rights lawyer if he supports the Nazi Party. That gives you an idea of how tasteless Lemon's question was to Iftikhar.

In Islamic Monthly, Iftikhar thanked Lemon in an open letter. Get ready for the snark.

“Now to be completely honest with you,” Iftikhar wrote, “I totally thought that I had misheard him because surely there was no respectable journalist in the world who would ask a Muslim human rights lawyer whether he supports an organization which violates human rights each and every day.”

“But then I remembered that I was dealing with Don Lemon,” he said.

Just reading that made me flinch. Iftikhar delivered a serious burn to Lemon. Unfortunately for Lemon, Iftikhar is just getting warmed up.

Iftikhar wrote, “In less than 24 hours, there were nearly 5,000 media articles written condemning Don Lemon for his asinine question in major publications such as BuzzFeed, Deadspin, The Hollywood Reporter, USA Today and more. Most of these articles called the ISIS question just the latest in a series of major Don Lemon on-air gaffes; including his previous theory about Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 perhaps flying into a “black hole” or once asking an alleged Bill Cosby rape victim why she didn’t bite off the comedian’s penis whilst being allegedly raped by him.”

Iftikhar finishes off Lemon with these paragraphs.

“I can honestly say that I have never become more ‘famous’ than after this latest Don Lemon gaffe,” Iftikhar said, before implying that Lemon has perhaps brought enough embarrassment on CNN that he may be following the likes of Ed Henry over to a different news network.

“It is a sincere honor to be added to the litany of famous ‘Malaysian-black-hole-penis-biting’ Don Lemon media gaffes which can be added to his audition tape for his next job at FOX News Channel,” Iftikhar wrote.

“So from the bottom of my heart,” he concluded, “I want to publicly thank Don Lemon for making me famous with his patently offensive racist dumb-ass question.”

Let's recap Lemon's other lowlights.

Lemon was actually stupid enough to ask Mary Schiavo, the former Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Transportation, if Airlines Flight 370 disappeared in a black hole. Lemon finds a way to trivialize a tragic plane disappearance.

Lemon projected blame on alleged Bill Cosby rape victim, Joan Tarshis, for not defending herself. If you wonder why more women don't come forward about being rape than just watch this interview.

Lemon: Can I ask you this, because—and please, I don't mean to be crude, OK?

Tarshis: Yeah.

Lemon: Because I know some of you—and you said this last night, that he—you lied to him and said, "I have an infection, and if you rape me, or if you do—if you have intercourse with me, then you will probably get it and give it to your wife."

Tarshis: Right.

Lemon: And you said he made you perform oral sex.

Tarshis: Right.

Lemon: You—you know, there are ways not to perform oral sex if you didn't want to do it.

Tarshis: Oh. Um, I was kind of stoned at the time, and quite honestly, that didn't even enter my mind. Now I wish it would have.

Lemon: Right. Meaning the using of the teeth, right?

Tarshis: Yes, that's what I'm thinking you're ...

Lemon: As a weapon.

Tarshis: Yeah, I didn't even think of it.

Lemon didn't have to ask that.

Liz Wahl Quits Russia Today On-Air

Russia Today anchor Liz Wahl quit Russia Today on-air.

"And that is why, personally, I cannot be part of a network funded by the Russian government that whitewashes the actions of Putin," Wahl said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Wahl told Anderson Cooper that staffers at Russia Today were forced to whitewash the coverage of the international crisis in the Ukraine.

"RT is not about the truth; it's about promoting a Putinist agenda," Wahl told CNN. "And I can tell you firsthand, it's about bashing America."

Russia Today is funded by the Russian government. Wahl is an American journalist. She was formerly employed in the RT Washington bureau.

Newt Gingrich's Silly Attack on Hillary Clinton

According to Newt Gingrich, Hillary Clinton shouldn't run for President since she hasn't drove since 1996.

“Here’s a woman whose effort to get back in touch with us doesn’t involve driving across America — or even driving to the grocery store,” Gingrich said. “It’s being chauffered to the national auto dealers convention to tell them, quote, ‘I wish I could drive one of your cars’?”

Perhaps people can relate to Newt Gingrich claiming to be a fiscal conservative while facing bankruptcy. Let's not even talk about Gingrich's well-publicized personal life.

Shocking News: Reps. Blackburn & Rohrabacher Dodge Question on CNN

Reps. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) did not want to answer CNN host Ashleigh Banfield's question on his they would be willing to not be paid during of government shutdown. Don't count on Blackburn or Rohrabacher to sponsor an amendment for suspension of pay in the continuing resolution.

BLACKBURN: We are waiting to see what they send back, and I hope that as you were running the countdown clock that you are I have two grandsons, and their share of the national debt is now over $53,000 each.

BANFIELD: No no no. I’m sorry. I asked a specific question, and there are a lot of the government workers going to stop receiving their paychecks, and a there are a lot of the military service members who are serving overseas who might be stopped being paid and veterans whose benefits will be affected. Would you —

ROHRABACHER: Let me answer that. Members of Congress should not be treated any differently than any other federal employee.

BANFIELD: Is that a yes?

ROHRABACHER: Whatever happens to us when it comes to what we get in benefits and whether it is retirement or health care and whatever happens to the average federal employee should happen to us, and that rule should not be changed.

Republicans are now getting called out on their phony fiscal conservative bullshit by the media. It's about time.

Robert Zimmerman Jr. Promotes Racism on CNN

“We have to grow from this. I want to know what makes people angry enough to attack someone the way that Trayvon Martin did. I want to know, if it is true, and I don’t know that it was true, that Trayvon Martin was looking to procure firearms, was growing marijuana plants, or was making lean, or whatever he was doing. I want to know that every minor, high schooler, that would be reaching out in some way for help—and they may feel it’s by procuring firearms or whatever they may be doing—that they have some kind of help."

Robert Zimmerman Jr., on CNN

Robert Zimmerman Jr. was asked on CNN how he could help heal the racial rift in America. Zimmerman responded by accusing Trayvon Martin of attempting to acquire a gun and grow marijuana. Zimmerman racially played-up Trayvon Martin as an angry thug. Zimmerman has no interest in racially healing America. Zimmerman used an opportunity to racial understanding to racially stereotype Trayvon Martin.

Wolf 'You Gotta Thank the Lord' Blitzer

Only Wolf Blitzer can cover the horrible Oklahoma tornado tragedy by playing a game of high five with a baby and asking awkward religious questions to a tornado survivor.

WOLF BLITZER: I guess you gotta thank the Lord. Do you thank the Lord for that split second decision?

REBECCA: I’m actually an atheist.

WOLF BLITZER: Oh, you are? Alright.

Blitzer makes the fluff coverage on the Today Show look like 60 Minutes.

CNN Epic Failure of Boston Bomber Arrest Reporting

Talking Points Memo put together this video compilation of CNN reporting that a suspect has been arrested in the Boston Marathon bombings case. CNN was so confident in their reporting they posted it as the lead story on their homepage.

CNN desperately tried to face face on-air when it turned out their reporting was false. The results are painful to watch. I'm guessing that an executive at CNN is going to have Peter King's ass.

Quote of the Day

"As we know at this point, we don't know anything."

Jake Tapper, of CNN, on the Boston Marathon bombings.

Cable news is a place where people are demanded to say stupid things 24 hours a day.

Rick Scott Dodges Soledad O'Brien Question on Gun Control

CNN anchor Soledad O'Brien takes Gov. Rick Scott to task on ducking questions on gun control. Scott keeps repeating "respect the families" as a way to avoid answering questions on what measures he would support on gun control. Scott says we should respect the families and then listen to what people have to say. O'Brien is asking Scott what he has to say about gun control. Scott doesn't want to have this converstation.

O’BRIEN: Well, you know, I understand that people often say that in the wake of a tragedy, let’s wait, and I actually think I’ve covered enough of them that, you know, we’ll wait until we bump up against the next tragedy and there will be one no, doubt about it. I guess I would like to hear from elected officials what are you willing to change? [...]

SCOTT: Right now, what we ought to be doing, let’s talk about all of the issues and think about what we can do to improve it. But here is what I think. one, I have been to the law enforcement funeral desk in our state. And the heart goes out to those families. [...]

O’BRIEN: Okay. I think with all due respect, are you not going to answer my question, because I guess —I just want you to tell me what you would be comfortable to support, and I get it, it will be part of a conversation, but I think there have been a number of things on the table and I don’t feel like you’re telling me, you know, should people not be able to buy high-capacity magazines? What are you willing to say would be a good start, that would you bring to the table in control? Any conversation about guns?

SCOTT: Well, you know, my focus is, one, respect the families, mourn their losses,make sure our schools are safe, and then start the conversation and listen to the Floridians. What I do every day is travel the state, almost, pretty much every day, and listen to Floridians and get their ideas and then come back, based on those ideas of what we can improve.

O’BRIEN: Well, I hope it all goes —all those conversations turn into meaningful conversations before I get to go out and cover another tragedy of which we’ve now done a bunch of them.

Mark Zandi on Mitt's Romney's Tax Plan

Via Steve Hynd: Economist Mark Zandi appeared on CNN. Zandi backed the Tax Polcy Center's findings on the Mitt Romney tax plan.

Zandi: Yeah, I think the Tax Policy Center study is definitive study. They're non-partisan, they're very good. They say given the numbers that they've been provided by the Romney campaign, no, it will not add up. Now, the Romney campaign could adjust their plan. They could say okay I'm not going to lower tax rates as much as I'm saying right now and they could make the arithmetic work. But under the current plan, with the current numbers, no it doesn't.

Zandi is the chief econimst for Moody and respected by both parties. Zandi was an economic advisor to John McCain's presidential campaign. Zandi can hardly be accused of being a liberal partisan.

Wolf Blitzer's Horrible Romney Interview

Wolf Blitzer softballs his way through his interview with Mitt Romney. Blitzer takes Romney at his word that he didn't mean any mean-spirited harm by 47 percent statement.

“Well, Wolf, as you know, I was talking about how do you get to 50.1 percent of the vote,” Romney said. “I’d like to get 100 percent of the vote, but I figure that’s not going to happen, so I was trying to tell contributors how I get to 50.1 percent. I think it’s always a perilous course for a candidate to start talking about the mathematics of an election.”

Romney clearly implied that 47 percent of Americans were freeloaders that felt entitled to food.

There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That that's an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what. These are people who pay no income tax.

Romney also said at the fundraiser that no one handed him anything. Never mind that he lived off of stock options given to him by his late father. Translation: Mitt Romney had everything handed to him.

Seriously, Erin Burnett is a Wall Street Cheerleader

Erin Burnett is a former Goldman Sachs employee. Burnett did a mocking piece of commentary of Occupy Wall Street. If there was any doubt that Burnett is a Wall Street supporters, Alison Kosik of CNN did a story on Burnett's show about Burnett's "groupies" on Wall Street. This is news. Seriously?

Here is Burnett's infamous "seriously" piece dissing Occupy Wall Street.

Another Poll Shows People Don't Support Ryan Budget

A new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll finds 58 percent oppose the Paul Ryan plan to turn Medicare into a voucher program. Only 35 percent support Ryan's proposal. 56 percent think the Ryan plan would be bad for the elderly. Senior citizens are in agreement. 74 percent of seniors oppose the plan.

People are catching on to the Party of No.

According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey, a majority also don't think the GOP has cooperated enough with President Barack Obama and, for the first time since they won back control of the House last November, the number of Americans who say that Republican control of the chamber is good for the country has dropped below the 50 percent mark.

What Ryan doesn't add is that the Congressional Budget Office ruled that repealing the Obama's health care reforms would add $230 billion over the next decade. Ryan's tax cuts would also add to the deficit. Ryan isn't trying to reduce the deficit. He wants to shrink government and shift the tax burden on the middle class. George W. Bush did that and job creation during his administration was horrendous.

Leave Donald Trump Alone

Poor Donald Trump is mad at those mean reporters asking him about President Barack Obama's birth certificate.

“The problem is every time I go on a show — like as an example, this morning — the first question you asked me is about the birth certificate,” said Trump, who has said on numerous occasions that he’s “proud” to embrace the issue. "I think my strength is jobs, the economy and protecting our nation from OPEC, China and the other countries that are ripping us off.”

It is interesting that Trump is changing his tune. He advised the Republican Party to go birther 24/7.

TRUMP: "I think it's a very bad thing for Cantor to have done because I'll tell you, people love this issue especially in the Republican Party. And there's something to what we're saying."

I like to ask Trump when is he going to reveal what his crack team of CSI investigators have found in Hawaii. I'm guessing never.

Nic Robertson Calls Out Fox News

CNN foreign correspondent Nic Robertson accuses Fox News of lying about the other networks coverage of Libya. Robertson said he sees the Fox News team "more at breakfast" than coverage the Libya story.

Silly journalist, Fox News doesn't do journalism. One of Fox News' host plays with puppets. Asking Fox News to do journalism is like asking Kevin Smith not to be a slacker.

Douchebag of the Day: James O'Keefe

James O'Keefe is a seriously mentally disturbed young man. What else could explain his bizarre plan to try have sex with CNN reporter Abbie Boudreau on camera. O'Keefe's plan was to isolate Boudreau on a private boat and attempt to seduce her. O'Keefe had a memo went a list of sexual items to help him entice Boudreau into having sex.



What could make this creep think he could get Boudreau into bed is beyond me. I can only imagine that O'Keefe has a problem with women and believes all sex is like a porn movie. This is an example of written speech O'Keefe's was going to attempt to seduce Boudreau with.

Abby, I want to take you to a higher place. CNN must be a tough place to work, let's make some headline love."

Attempting to film a woman having sex without her knowledge has nothing to do with conservative or liberal politics. It is just downright hateful and potentially criminal. Fortunately, O'Keefe's assistant Izzy Santa warned Boudreau in advance. I don't think it would be unreasonable to be concerned about Boudreau's safety if Santa went through with her part of the plan of getting Boudreau onto the boat. In the CNN video, Boudreau explains the conversation she had with Santa.



O'Keefe is getting rightfully condemned on both sides of the blogosphere.

Caleb Howe of Redstate.com

If an enterprising citizen can expose media bias with a video camera and good idea, that’s a good thing. But I fail to see how luring a lone female reporter to a remote location and isolating her on a boat, surrounding her with sex toys and pornography, and trying to convince her that the virtual stranger sitting next to her is coming on to her, possibly in front of a “sex tape machine,” does that. That’s not a recipe for a gotcha video, it’s more like a step-by-step instruction on how to cause discomfort and fear. What an ugly and potentially traumatic situation to create on purpose. It’s not clever or funny, it’s sick.

Lindsay Beyerstein

O'Keefe feared that Boudreau might get the better of him as a journalist, so he plotted to destroy her with sex. Happily, it all blew up in his face.

O'Keefe's above-ground career as a conservative activist may be over for the time being. He won't go away, of course. He'll just be pushed deeper in the shadows. There's always work for a dirty trickster in politics. I look forward to reading some day that O'Keefe has been arrested for a fourth-rate burglary.

This is without question the sleaziest story I covered since the Mark Foley scandal.

Update: Boudreau filed another story on O'Keefe's foiled plans.

Update: John Cole tweets a dead on observation.

O'Keefe's big mistake was to stop targeting black people. Media would have never noticed he was a scumbag until he went after one of them.

Rick Scott & GOP Establishment

Bill McCollum openly trash-talked Rick Scott during his concession speech.

"This race was one for the ages. No one could have anticipated the entrance of a multimillionaire with a questionable past who shattered campaign spending records and spent more in four months than has ever been spent in a primary race here in Florida.

"While I was disappointed with the negative tone of the race, I couldn't be more proud of our campaign and our supporters for fighting back against false and misleading advertising when we were down by double-digits."

Rick Scott has torn the state Republican Party apart in his bid for governor. Scott has attacked Republican Party of Florida chairman John Thrasher. The two will meet tomorrow to talk. Scott told Peter King of CNN that Republicans will get in line behind him.

KING: One of the big questions the morning after your big win in this primary is whether the Republican Party of Florida can heal its wounds. You had a very personal campaign against your opponent, Mr. McCollum. My understanding is he has yet to call you. Please correct me if I'm wrong on that part. And here's a statement he issued after he conceded the race to you: "No one could have anticipated the entrance of a multi-millionaire with a questionable past who shattered campaigning spending records and spent more in four months than has ever been spent in a primary race here in Florida.

Do you view it as your obligation to heal these wounds in the party in Florida or is it his obligation?

SCOTT: Well, the part -- the party will support the candidate that lives the American dream, believes in the Republican principles. That's me. Now, I've lived the American dream. I want that dream for all Floridians. I know what the Republican Party stands for, which I stand for -- limited government, fiscal responsibility, personal freedom, personal responsibility. So that the Republican Party will support me. We're going to do very well and we're going to win in November. November 2nd will be a great night.

Scott had no GOP insiders working on his campaign. The establishment cannot stand him. The RPOF will help the Scott campaign but it is going to be an extremely dysfunctional relationship. Scott cannot boss Republican leaders around like he does with his health care companies.

Andrew Breitbart's Hysterical Conspiracy Theory

Digraced conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart when on CNN brought an imposter to play Eloise Spooner; the wife of the farmer Shirley Sherrod helped.

BREITBART: If it is the case and it can be shown to me that the incident she is talking about was done many years ago... in her current context. As a reporter, you tell me how you confirmed that the incident she is talking about was 24 years ago. You tell me as a reporter how CNN put on a person today who purported to be the farmer's wife. What did you do to find out whether or not that was the actual farmer's wife.

If there is anyone that knows investigative reporting it is Andrew Breitbart.

Getting a lecture on journalism from Andrew Breitbart is the equivalent of Tiger Woods giving a sanctimonious on the virtues on abstinence. It is not an accident one of the labels for this post is humor.

Tea Bag People

Republican strategist Mary Matalin accidently calls the Tea Party "tea bag people." Her husband James Carville can't contain his laughter. Cable news is is why the Daily Show will never run out of comedy material.

Hat tip to GottaLaff.

Marco Rubio Hearts Offshore Drilling

Marco Rubio still supports offshore drilling. He has been rather consistently politically tone deaf on the issue. Rubio reiterated his support of offshore drilling to Wolf Blitzer.

So now you’re talking about deep-water drilling. And I only want to see it if it can be done safely. And that’s why it’s so important that we study why this happened. And if you tell me we’re going to have to put up with a couple of more of these, of course not. But can it be done safely? There is evidence that it can be done safely. It’s being done safely all over the world.

I encourage Rubio to go down to Pensacola and give his offshore drilling speech.