Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Lawrence O'Donnell unloads on Arizona Rep. Trent Franks for refusing to admit that if Arizona lawmakers had not relaxed gun laws more people would have survived the Tucson shooting. This is a must see!

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Lawrence O'Donnell refuses to let Franks bullshit his way out of answering the question and his righteous anger at this pathetic excuse for a public servant makes me proud to be a regular viewer of MSNBC.

I think Lawrence deserves a raise.

41 comments:

  1. Anonymous2:32 AM

    What a slimey, evasive and self-serving piece of crap that man Franks is! I'd love to know what he means when he says "...the same gun used by police officers across Europe..." What countries in Europe would they be?
    Wish there were more Lawrence O'Donnell's around too.

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  2. Anonymous3:01 AM

    So, Franks' solution is teaching people to respect each other as children of god. Loughner has psychological problems-a lack of respect was not the cause of this tragedy. Franks proposes no practical solutions to preventing future violence like this. His anathema of government intervention in any regard and absurd devotion to unregulated guns and ammo above all else is pathetic.
    Also, his wish that a law enforcement officer had been there was ridiculous as well. Is he proposing cops on every street corner all the time? Because how else would a cop have been there for sure? Nice police state we'd have then.
    Then he ends with a straw man to O'Donnell...do you wish there had been no policeman there?
    How do these idiots get elected?

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  3. angela3:13 AM

    Amazing.
    If you talk to these ass coverers you'd think J. Loughner could have done the same amount of damage with a ham sandwich as he did with the thirty bullets.
    And boy are they carrying Scared Sarah's water. I'll bet a whole lot of PAC money is being dispersed.

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  4. Hannah3:30 AM

    At first I would have said he lost me at "We are all Children of God" but then he REALLY lost me when he said Sarah Palin has respect for the sanctity of life. This gentleman is purely pandering to his base, and apparently needs Palin's backing in some way. Not sure, is he up for re-election next? Thank you for pointing out this man's hypocrisy, Lawrence!

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  5. Pat in MA3:31 AM

    Lawrence is awesome. Simple question Congressman. Banning use of large clips doesn't solve the entire problem, but it's reasonable and doesn't take away anyone's precious guns. And since the Congressman is so concerned about mental health issues, I'm sure he's not planning to vote to repeal health care, right? Sure. And did you catch his comment at the end about taking guns away? NO ONE SAID THAT.

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  6. Anonymous3:45 AM

    LLLLLove LO'D but worry he's gonna scare God's Own Party members from coming on his show.

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  7. Anonymous3:56 AM

    Gosh, Rep. Franks is an idiot - a simplistic, stubborn, non-thinking idiot!

    I was so relieved to see O'Donnell voice frustration over Franks' endless loup of "it's not the gun," "if only the gunman had respect for other people as innocent children of God." Good freaking grief - what is wrong with Rep. Franks? Is he an automaton?

    I loved it when O'Donnell said the lack of respect for the innocent children of God was was there in 2004 when the GOP allowed the ban on assault weapons and large ammunition clips to expire. He nailed that!

    Pompous piety in the service of ignorance is not respect God or anyone else. I hope Franks is a two-year wonder and will time to contemplate his stupidity when he is voted out of office in 2012.

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  8. Anonymous4:06 AM

    I think the bomb found at the MLK parade in Spakane, WA is a direct result of c4p having a 3 day money BOMB for SarahPac.

    http://www.npr.org/2011/01/19/133045335/fbi-probing-race-as-motive-for-bomb-at-mlk-parade

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  9. Anonymous4:13 AM

    I think he deserves a raise too. I watched it yesterday & was cheering all the way. Too bad the MSM doesn't have real reporters anymore.

    I love MSNBC, at least Ed, Keith, Rachel & Lawrence. They're just the best.

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  10. Randall4:30 AM

    Franks' (and many gun-people's) argument is the same old line:
    Guns don't kill people - PEOPLE kill people. And if there were no crazy people, everything would be fine and we could all peacefully own fully automatic, unlimited-bullet clips, grenade-launching weapons and no one would get hurt.

    SO how about a compromise?

    How about until the NRA can prove there are NO crazy people running around - until then - we limit the clips to 10 (or fewer) bullets?

    * and by the way - guns kill people all the time! Often, the owner of the gun "didn't know it was loaded!" and it "just went off!" *

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  11. Anonymous4:44 AM

    I saw it and it really pissed me off. I called his offices, like a good citizen, and told him how I felt about how inappropriate his stubborness (sp?) was in light of the events. I told him his priorities are messed up and that everyone else new the OBVIOUS answer to the question, what was wrong with him? Maybe if he gets enough calls, he might change his mind. Ha, won't hold my breath.

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  12. Anonymous4:59 AM

    "I blame the individual for the first 10 bullets, I blame the LAW for the next 21 bullets"

    Powerful statement, I hope it's quoted widely.

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  13. Anonymous5:10 AM

    "...the same gun used by police officers across Europe..."

    But, but, but.... I thought EUROPE was the root of all evil! Socialism, don'tcha know?!

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  14. Anonymous5:21 AM

    good call gryph...

    that was amazing. thank you. its nice to see reporters finally asking the hard questions.

    again, thank you.:)

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  15. Anonymous5:42 AM

    Sorry, just couldn't watch it more than two minutes. It was obvious what a slimeball Franks is. And his argument is obviously ridiculous. What is this had been the response to 9/11? "The real issue is that those terrorists should have been respectful children of god, so let's not change any of our laws or tighten our security in any way.

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  16. Anonymous5:57 AM

    Loved Lawrence's parting shot in this exchange: "That's silly."

    As in, "That's it. You are beneath contempt. I will not waste my breath on you any longer."

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  17. Anonymous6:14 AM

    As a "child of God", I think AZ needs to recall that POS. Franks says "so your answer is to take all the guns away even from the policemen". What an idiot. Lawrence O'Donnell was terrific - as usual.

    Sharon1943

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  18. "I blame the individual for the first 10 bullets, I blame the law for the next 21 bullets."

    I agree, Anonymous. Very powerful.

    Next best line was the final one, "Don't be silly,"
    answering Franks' saying maybe Lawrence wanted to take guns away from everyone including police.

    I heard a bystander had a gun and almost shot the hero who grabbed Loughner's gun, thinking the one with the gun must be the shooter. So there was one more gun there. It didn't help. It almost hurt.

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  19. Anonymous6:28 AM

    That's the closest I've ever come to taking a sledge hammer to my computer. That man is loathsome. Yeah, just make sure everyone is a child of god and we're cool.

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  20. Anonymous6:37 AM

    That was great,O'Donnell whipped Franks like a rented mule.Franks will never go on his show again however.It's alright with me if I never see that harelip hypocrite again.

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  21. Anonymous6:40 AM

    I hope we all took away O'Donnell's statement that even police officers can't hit the right target most of the time.

    Imagine if untrained civilians start firing their guns willy nilly! As another poster said, more guns probably just mean more people dead or wounded. After all, who can tell who is the bad guy in a crowd if everyone whips out a gun?

    Gees, the simplistic politicians such as Trent Franks simply take a bad situation and make it worse. But the, he's one of Sarah's people so it's not surprising he has no ability to analyze anything. All he can do is repeat the NRA's talking points.

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  22. Anonymous6:42 AM

    Lawrence O'Donnell is amazing and I wish I had the stomach for more news after Rachel. I don't know how he holds it together as well as he does. He has always impressed me greatly with his spine and relentless inquiry. Love that guy.

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  23. good on you lawrence!
    what rock in the arizona desert did they find this franks under? this is exactly what these "public servants" do - they get on tv for exposure and then try to weasel their way out of the real questions we need then to answer. unfortunately they get away with it most of the time because the media doesn't want to appear combative and thus overly partisan in the minds of many, so they let their own questions go unanswered. it wasn't always so. but lawrence follows up, and then follows up again and again and again.
    even though franks was made to look like the eejit he appears to be, he at least got his plus in for sarah palin, fundamentalist doctrine, and the nra's agenda. so i guess it was sort of a win-win in his mind.

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  24. yes anonynous at 5:57 am, lawrence said bye bye to franks perfectly like he was a literal CHILD of god.

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  25. Gasman8:23 AM

    Trent Frank is an asshole. His response was to try and trot out the straw man argument that the left wants to take guns away from the police. Then he seemed to be trying to evangelize for his particularly bizarre take on Christianity.

    Rep. Franks, answer me this: what size magazine would Jesus have for his semi-automatic Glock 9mm?

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  26. Anonymous8:40 AM

    While I agree with everything Larry said I was turned off by his manner. Sometimes he lets his emotions get the better of him. Like when he went after Grayson. He did apologize but it's really too late.

    He needs to learn to be less emotional while he gets these guys to demonstrate their "asshats".

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  27. Anonymous9:28 AM

    ATTENTION ALL YOU SELF PROCLAIMED "CHILDREN OF GOD",

    instead of trying to force your "beliefs" in fairy tales and folk lore onto the rest of us, or thumping your book of selected tales try reading it instead and better yet, if you were following the dictates of the patriarchs in THE BOOK you wouldn't have time to be sticking your noses into things you are apparently too ignorant and inexperienced to understand.

    Many of you remind me of the old saw, "The empty wagon makes the most noise."

    WHAT WOULD JESUS DO? HE WOULD BUY THE BIGGEST FU##ING GUN HE COULD AFFORD!!!

    Sell Your Cloak and Buy a Sword: Luke 22:36
    He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one."
    -- Luke 22:36
    **********************
    Matthew 10:34-39 (New King James Version)

    34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
    **********************
    "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple." (Luke 14:26)
    **********************
    Matthew 6:1 Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them.
    **********************
    Matthew 6:6 But you, when you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut your door ,
    pray to your Father which is in secret
    **********************
    PRINCE OF PEACE??? YEAH, RIGHT!!!

    SOOOOOO, Keep your National Prayer Day and other public prayers to yourself! It is in THE BOOK!

    Oh, and BTW, ALL THE BAD ANGELS WERE MALE! ;o)

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  28. Anonymous10:07 AM

    Thank you, Mr. O'Donnell!!!
    I shall not address Franks' winding worm words.

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  29. What I like most about Lawrence O'Donnell is his passion. And his righteous anger. Especially loved his interview with Michael Reagan. (I know all about those Irish Family Feuds.) It was obvious that Michael has had no contact with the rest of his family for years. And to call his "brother" an embarrassment to the family was beyond the pale. If anyone needs further proof that certain members of the right wing have their heads up their asses, they need only see O'Donnell's interview with Trent Franks. Silly indeed. But dangerously so.

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  30. Anonymous11:28 AM

    Lawrence, you had me at "I blame the shooter for the first 10 bullets; I blame the LAW for the next 21".

    I love you Lawrence! Keep kicking Tea-publican ass!

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  31. Anonymous12:01 PM

    We need more journalists like Lawrence O'Donnell who ask a question and then push for an answer. Far too many of them let the politicians get away with dodging the question and changing the subject to a rehash of the same tired old talking points.

    There is absolutely NO reason for anyone to have a magazine that holds that many bullets. It's an easy excuse to say that people who are mentally ill should not have access to guns, but the same people who are saying that are the very same right wing politicians who scream about their rights when stricter gun laws are proposed.

    If you can't offer a real solution (and telling everyone to just be nice to each other is NOT a solution), then just SHUT UP because you have ZERO credibility!

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  32. Anonymous12:02 PM

    Has this been posted here?

    From Politico Jan 11, 2011- but probably fits in with the topic:

    Some of the exact same themes that he told Larry were repeated from this Politico interview.

    http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush/0111/Franks_takes_defense_of_Palin_to_a_new_level_.html

    "“If every person in the world was like Sarah Palin, there probably wouldn’t even be need for government because no one would be in danger of any kind,” Franks said in a phone conversation with POLITICO. “If every person were like Sarah Palin, this world would be a peaceful, beautiful world to live in.”"

    Yeah right.

    Waiting to see the abuse of another famous song by the wingnuts.

    I saw this Larry O'Donnell clip
    and there is some religious imagery dogwhistling by Franks in it. Children of god and so on.

    Franks offers up more stupidity, and repetition of the wingnut talking points and strawmen.

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  33. Alan Grayson Blames Palin For Arizona Shooting:

    Grayson goes on to offer his own summary of Palin's appearance on Sean Hannity's Fox News show: "Palin: I am so misunderstood. Hannity: I am so misunderstood. Palin: I am so misunderstood."
    Even before I heard earlier Palin's whining about 'misguided finger-pointing' and 'irresponsible statements from people who are apportioning blame,' I thought about this: Palin came to my district, and told her people to 'take me out.' Palin told people again and again, 'don't retreat, reload.'"
    "A right-wing commentator offered anyone $100 to punch me in the nose. We received so many threats of violence from tea baggers that we started a file," Grayson writes. "And the day before Gabby was shot, I received a postcard saying 'you better get some personal protection. You could very well be getting your ass kicked soon.'"

    http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2011/01/grayson-blames.php

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  34. Everyone with a republican congressman needs (mine is) needs to contact him/her to encourage passage of Carolyn McCarthy's law to ban high-capacity ammo magazines.

    I'm socially liberal, but I support the 2nd amendment, ESPECIALLY in rural areas. However, it makes no sense that assault/semi-automatic/automatic weapons are considered the same as a hunting rifle. To the NRA, it's all or nothing. That's the mentality we need to change.

    Also, I don't think it's helpful for people to attack someone based on their appearance. According to Wikipedia, Trent Franks was born with a cleft lip & palate and underwent the 1st of 9 surgeries when he was less than 3 weeks old. Doctors held out little hope that he would survive infancy.

    Finally Anon 4:06 am said:
    "I think the bomb found at the MLK parade in Spokane, WA is a direct result of c4p having a 3 day money BOMB for SarahPac."

    Does anyone else know about this Palin money bomb?

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  35. Anonymous12:48 PM

    WOULD YOU GIVE AN IDIOT A LOADED GUN?

    Well, 50 percent of you did without a qualm when you helped put GW the (idiot) in the Whitehouse along with pre-fixed Dibold voting machines and repug bought and paid for "supreme crooks". And you did it TWICE!

    Where were you finger pointer anti gun clowns when the "decider" was killing thousands of children, and other inocent civilians in Iraq in an illegal war that he and Cheny both admited was started to get control of their oil. Or torturing innocent women and children in Gitmo and other secret prisons?

    Where were you bleeding hearts when the anti-choice murderers were blowing up women's clinics and shooting the doctors, nurses and personell after the antis posted their names, addresses and photos onto a website.

    If you are not out leading anti war, anti violence protests then you are as guilty of the murders as those who pull the triggers, explode the bombs, strafe the villagers. Have you written to your POTUS and demanded the wars be ended or that those who make obscene profits from war materials must pay for the wars from their profits? Then you are guilty as the profiteers of murder and bankrupting America. Don't like wearing these shoes??? Tough shit, you keep trying to make others wear the shoes you manufacture in your ignorance.

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  36. BAustin1:25 PM

    Bristol is one unhappy, unpleasant girl. Instead of being thankful for the blessings she has, she continues to show that she is her mothers daughter.

    BTW - I think Levi must have had a DNA test. I think the whole moving the kid to AZ, changing the last name deal would have wound up in an AK family court otherwise. Now, hopefully, he can spill the beans!!!

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  37. AKRNC2:07 PM

    Typical non-answer from the idiots at the GOP who can't defend themselves. The stupid comment Franks made about doing away with guns, even taking them away from police officers, was an immature display from someone who was simply unable to defend his assinine comments. I hope his Twitter account gets overwhelmed with messages calling him out on his stupidity, it's @RepTrentFranks; also his phone # in D.C. is (202) 225-4576. If you like, let him know just how stupid he sounded on The Last Word.

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  38. Gasman8:18 PM

    Anon @ 12:48,
    Apparently, the view is mighty fine from atop your high horse. Just who the fuck are you to assume that any "bleeding heart liberal" hasn't been involved in all those causes? You are one dumb S.O.B. to start railing about that which you obviously do not know.

    And exactly who the hell uses the phrase "bleeding heart liberal" any longer? Next, you'll be favoring us with "pinkos" or railing about fluoridation in our drinking water.

    Exactly who do you think were the foot soldiers in all of the causes about which you rail if it wasn't the "bleeding heart liberals?" We know that it wasn't by and large the moderates, and it certainly wasn't the conservatives. Who is left, Einstein? You really are a moron.

    You seem like nothing more than a teabagger troll that imagines himself/herself clever by trying to assume some other identity. You've merely exposed yourself to be a sock puppet buffoon.

    Ted Williams must have had you in mind when he said, "if you don't think too good, don't think too much."

    Maybe you shouldn't try and think so much.

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  39. Anonymous6:54 AM

    Gasman said...

    Very appropriate name for a pathetic gassbag.

    Try writing without looking in the mirror but first learn to read and make a real attempt to NOT PUT YOUR WORDS IN OTHER PEOPLE'S MOUTHS.

    Excessive self stimulation and bad drugs will cause you to rage incoherently as you have done. Get help.

    Has no one ever explained to you that it is useless to attempt to enter into a battle of wits with no equipment?

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  40. Gasman10:53 AM

    Anon @ 6:54,
    Such profound courage from one who types ANONYMOUSLY.

    So far, you've certainly displayed not a whit of wit, yet you feel emboldened to chastise others for not living up to your intellectual standards. Please, dazzle us all with your wit. Pardon me if I don't hold my breath while I wait.

    Your previous post is still a compendium of half baked imbecility, it is still nonsensical, and you are still a moron. I see you found it convenient to simply ignore my rather pointed criticisms regarding the painfully obvious inconsistencies in your pissy little screed. Why trouble your tiny little mind with thorny logic and facts, eh? Ted Williams had you pegged.

    Maybe it's time you got out of your jammies, got out of mommy's basement, and became an adult.

    I'll also not hold my breath waiting for THAT to happen.

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