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Dick Durbin Tag

Dick Durbin's Facebook comment that a senior House Republican told Obama "I cannot even stand to look at you" was exposed as a lie. The lie did not originate with Durbin, he merely passed on what Harry Reid told the Senate Democratic caucus based on information provided to Reid by The White House. That White House lie, now admitted but chalked up to a "miscommunication," inspired Chris Matthews and guests David Corn and Cynthia Tucker, to lash out at Republicans for demonizing the President:

Hardball -  A Pattern Of Disrespect Screen Shot

A main focus was the disrespect shown by Republicans by repeatedly calling Obama a liar, which the panel agreed was because of hatred of Obama for the "other" and not one of us, and in the case of Tucker, coming right out and calling it racist:

Mandy noted the other day, WH spox denies Sen. Durbin claim House GOPer told Obama “I cannot even stand to look at you”. It gets more interesting. It turns out that Dick Durbin wasn't "lying" if by lying you mean saying something he knew to be untrue.  It was curious why Durbin would not name names.  Now we know.  He would have had to name Harry Reid as his source. The White House gave the line to Harry Reid, who read it to the Democratic Senate caucus, one of whose members -- Durbin -- went public with it.  The story still was false, and the White House is claiming a "miscommunication." I'm not buying that.  The supposed statement took place on October 10, as Democrats were standing united against cutting a meaningful deal with Republicans. I'm leaning toward the "miscommunication" not being so, but part of a White House strategy to hold the party together at a critical time. Huffington Post reported (h/t Hot Air), Harry Reid Told Caucus That Pete Sessions Was Behind Obama Insult, Senators Say:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told his Democratic caucus last week in a private meeting that a top House Republican said to President Barack Obama, "I cannot even stand to look at you," according to two Democratic senators who were present. The account was confirmed by two Senate Democratic aides who said they independently learned of the exchange from other senators. A White House official said Thursday that the administration did relay such a message to Reid, but that it was the result of a miscommunication. “While the quote attributed to a Republican lawmaker in the House GOP meeting with the President is not accurate, there was a miscommunication when the White House read out that meeting to Senate Democrats, and we regret the misunderstanding," the official said in a statement.
Politico further reports:

In a Facebook posting over the weekend, Democratic Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois alleged that a top House Republican leader told President Obama, "I cannot even stand to look at you," during a negotiation meeting over the government shutdown, according to a report last night in The Hill.  The claim drew sharp denials from Republican leadership and the White House.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said in a Facebook post that the alleged confrontation happened during a meeting between Republicans and the president. "Many Republicans searching for something to say in defense of the disastrous shutdown strategy will say President Obama just doesn't try hard enough to communicate with Republicans," Durbin said. "But in a 'negotiation' meeting with the president, one GOP House Leader told the president: 'I cannot even stand to look at you.'" "What are the chances of an honest conversation with someone who has just said something so disrespectful?" the Illinois Democrat added. An aide to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said he had "no idea what [Durbin's] talking about."
Durbin did not name the individual to whom he referred in his Facebook post and offered no further specifics as to when the alleged exchange supposedly took place. Boehner’s spokesman Michael Steel denied the claim, saying, “The speaker certainly didn’t say that, and does not recall anyone else doing so,” according to National Review’s The Corner.  A spokesman for Eric Cantor also said the House Majority Leader does not remember anyone saying that. In today’s press briefing, White House press secretary Jay Carney flat out denied the exchange occurred, saying “it did not happen.” https://twitter.com/samsteinhp/status/393078474791206912

Dick Durbin earned the nickname Turban Durbin when he compared U.S. soldiers to Nazis in 2005, a verbal example of Godwin's law: As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one Norbie remembered it: Snapped this pic at a red light on...

As we speak, a "breakthrough" agreement will be announced regarding border security.  More on that later It's all a dance and ratifies a bad policy of rewarding law-breakers over law-abiders. Via Mark Kirkorian at NRO, ‘The Border Security Ruse’: The latest attempt at providing political cover for pusillanimous Republican...

In light of "questions" by both Lindsay Graham (since clarified) and Dick Durbin as to whether bloggers are entitled to First Amendment protection, I thought these two videos might be worth watching. Floyd Abrams (btw, father of Dan Abrams, television legal commentator and proprietor of Mediaite...

Are bloggers entitled to constitutional protection, Dick Durbin wonders out loud. I have a better question, are Senators entitled to anything? https://twitter.com/realmyiq2xu/status/339112015907938304 ...

Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke at Chicago's annual May Day celebration in Chicago as a flag of Che Guevara waved before him, yet when questioned by Rebel Pundit about his presence at the rally teeming with anarchist, communist, and socialist groups with their red flags,...

Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) returned to the Capitol today almost one year after he suffered a stroke. In a series of interviews with selected press, the Senator said that he would have voted against the fiscal cliff legislation, saying it was "overweighted with spending," but...

Looks like Democrats' gift horse on Medicare, if it is anything at all which is far from a given, is going to be "means testing": Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) on Friday proposed means testing Medicare benefits as a way to reduce the deficit, an indication that Democrats may...

At least this time Dick Durbin didn't go all Godwin on us like he did last time. Even though Democrats do seem to be throwing around Nazi analogies out of frustration, Durbin didn't go there. But this was embarrassing, even for the senior Senator from Illinois. When I...

John Ruberry has the details: Valerie Jarrett, a close friend of the Barack and Michelle Obama is the former CEO of Habitat Company, which managed Grove Parc, a federally subsidized apartment complex on Chicago's South Side that can be accurately described as a slum. Jarrett is...

This would be good, via WaPo: Much of the speculation about Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s political future has focused on whether the Republican who has made a name for himself suing the federal government would run for re-election, or for governor in 2013 But in an...