allowed to go unchallenged, Schmidt of course gave Romney the win...

This is a long article so I'm posting the most interesting IMO. Phil unplugged if you will....LOL

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/msnbc-phil-griffin-fox-news-obama-375932

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THR: Do you want more Republicans to come on MSNBC?

Griffin: Yes. Look, we like all ideas. I do think this channel is about depth. I love it when Rachel gets a big interview and it's smart, thoughtful and always polite. Morning Joe obviously gets a wide variety of guests. But people have to be prepared to go on our shows. Whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, you have to be prepared. But everyone is welcome.

THR: You tend to develop talent on the air instead of hiring them from another network or local news. How do you know when a contributor is ready to become a host?

Griffin: I've seen how we did it before. We put on a lot of people who had never been on MSNBC before. There is nothing worse than that debut, and you wonder if that person is going to succeed with your audience. I saw that when I was a worker bee here. We don't do that now, and I'm never going do that again. It's too painful; you will have an ulcer. When Rachel began her show in 2009, I already knew our audience loved her. When we put Lawrence O'Donnell on, he'd filled in at 8 p.m. for basically half a year the previous year. I knew he was going to be successful; it was just a matter to what degree. Ed Schultz had been successful at 6 p.m. before we moved him to [primetime]. Chris Hayes had filled in. Melissa Harris-Perry had filled in. There were no ulcers during that period. We don't do that now, and I'm never going do that again. CNN did that with Eliot Spitzer. It's too painful; you will have an ulcer.

STORY: Viewers Scatter, MSNBC Rises and Combined Audience Grows During DNC

THR: There are people, including some at your own company, who have asserted that cable news is responsible for debasing the political dialogue in this country.

Griffin: Yeah, my little hairs go up when people criticize cable news with a broad brush. That criticism comes from people who don't actually watch us. They dismiss us when in fact we are doing real, thoughtful, informative segments, whether it's having a war correspondent talk for an hour about what's going on in Afghanistan, or the voter ID issue, which we've done across the board at MSNBC. Chris Hayes did two hours on Foxconn [the Chinese iPhone factory where harsh working conditions have led to riots]. It was said you can't do really thoughtful, smart pieces and get an audience and make it popular. I think we've done that.

THR: Have you watched Aaron Sorkin's The Newsroom?

Griffin: I will watch it, and I'm sure I'll love it because everybody says I'd love it. But I want to watch Breaking Bad, and I don't have time to. But with Newsroom, it's like this is what we do and I'll be judgmental, and I don't want to be that jerk who says, "Oh, it sucks."

THR: Is there an on-air personality on another network that you would like to have?

Griffin: Yes. I don't know if I should say this. [Fox News anchor] Shep Smith. I just like his way. I like everything about him.

THR: Former CNN president Jon Klein occasionally used to have lunch with Fox News chairman Roger Ailes. Have you ever had a meal with Roger?

Griffin: No. I would love to.

TALLAHASSEE —

The Florida Republican Party said Friday it is adding its heft to an effort to unseat the last three state Supreme Court justices appointed by a Democratic governor.

State GOP Chairman Lenny Curry said the party’s executive board has voted to oppose the merit retention of Justices Barbara Pariente, Fred Lewis and Peggy Quince on Nov. 6. A conservative group, Restore Justice 2012, has labeled the three a liberal-leaning bloc on the seven-member court, which has stymied a variety of initiatives advanced by the Republican-ruled legislature in recent years.

Curry didn’t say whether the party would steer cash toward Restore Justice, which has reported only modest fundraising. Instead, party leaders lashed out at the justices as activists, pointing to a specific death penalty ruling.

“While the collective evidence of judicial activism amassed by these three individuals is extensive, there is one egregious example that all Florida voters should bear in mind when they go to the polls on election day,” GOP spokeswoman Kristen McDonald said. “These three justices voted to set aside the death penalty for a man convicted of tying a woman to a tree with jumper cables and setting her on fire.”

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/national-govt-politics/florida-gop-joins-fight-to-unseat-three-justices/nSHfy/

once in a while Pete would catch them at the basketball court. Always so good for the President, toting all those briefcases, bags, whatever. I know he's back in school but would still love to see him drop by the WH. Anyone have any info on him? How he's doing, is he close to finishing school?

ON THE ROMNEY CAMPAIGN PLANE--Flying from Philadelphia to Boston, Mitt Romney gave reporters in the press cabin some quality candidate time. After joking with a reporter who had been accidentally left behind by the press bus and later passing out beef jerky, the GOP candidate was back again—this time to give reporters a read-out about his phone call on Friday afternoon with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

He said he and Netanyahu, a longtime friend who he had first met in the late 1970s when they were both working at the Boston Consulting Group, had talked about Iran and other issues of concern in the Middle East, including the unrest in Syria. All serious issues, Romney acknowledged, but he couldn't resist ribbing the prime minister.

"I complimented him on his address at the United Nations," Romney said. "I suggested that his graphic was not up to the normal Boston Consulting Group standards." Pausing, he added, "No, I didn't actually do that, but I was thinking that."

Romney was referencing a cartoon-like graphic in the shape of a bomb that Netanyahu employed to explain the threat of a nuclear Iran.

More: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/romney-talks-longtime-friend-netanyahu-jokes-bomb-graphic-214956317--election.html

Biden fires up Democrats near site of Romney’s ’47 percent’ remarks
by George Bennett | September 28th, 2012

Two miles and a few economic strata from the site of Mitt Romney‘s “47 percent” remarks, Vice President Joe Biden told a retiree crowd today that Romney and running mate Paul Ryan don’t understand America and have “bet against the American people.”

Biden stumped for President Obama‘s reelection at the Century Village of Boca Raton retirement community. The legendary Democratic condo bastion is just down Lyons Road from Marc Leder‘s house in upscale Long Lake Estates, where Romney was secretly videotaped telling big-dollar donors in May that 47 percent of Americans are “dependent upon government” and won’t vote for him.

Biden said Romney’s remarks, and remarks by Ryan about a “culture of dependency” on government, show the Republican ticket is out of touch with ordinary Americans.

“I don’t recognize the country they’re talking about,” Biden told the crowd that filled the large lobby of a clubhouse building. “I know where I come from, Americans got knocked down but they’re getting back up. I know where I come from, nobody feels dependent, all they want is an opportunity. I know where I come from, these people are fighting back with every single thing they have. I don’t sense any sense of dependency. They’re just looking for a little opportunity, a level playing field, a fair shot,” Biden said to loud applause

“Ladies and gentlemen, I got news for Gov. Romney and Congressman Ryan. America and Americans are neither dependent nor in decline. And I’ll say to them, gentlemen, it has never, never, never been a good bet to bet against the American people.”

http://www.postonpolitics.com/2012/09/biden-fires-up-democrats-near-site-of-romneys-47-percent-remarks/

WASHINGTON -- Police had to intervene at a Wednesday night campaign event for Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) after protesters unfurled a giant banner trashing West and attendees retaliated by throwing beer, ice cubes and even a salt shaker.

West was minutes into his speech outside of Pirate's Cove hotel in Port Salerno, Fla., when a handful of protesters came out onto a balcony above the event and began shouting, TCPalm reported Thursday. The protesters, who were with a group called Stand-Up Florida and who specifically rented out a hotel room to crash West's event, rolled out a banner that read, "Allen West is out of touch, Allen West is out of office."

From there, the event devolved into disarray. Andrew Mina, a field director for Mitt Romney's presidential campaign who was in attendance, yanked the banner down as West supporters booed and threw "water, ice cubes, beer and a couple of middle fingers" toward the balcony, the newspaper reported. Meanwhile, the protesters used a megaphone to shout criticisms of West's economic record and play an audio reel of controversial comments made by West in the past.

At one point, an elderly West supporter attempted to throw a glass salt shaker up at the protesters. But he "could only throw it a few feet before it shattered on the ground," according to TCPalm. Throughout the minutes-long exchange, West "quietly stood in the corner with his campaign team."

More on this fiasco at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/27/allen-west-protesters_n_1920560.html?utm_hp_ref=miami&ir=Miami

http://www.rydercup.com/usa/

Mitt Romney insisted he's going to win the presidency—despite polls showing him losing ground to President Barack Obama in battleground states.

In an interview with NBC News' Peter Alexander, the Republican presidential nominee rejected the idea that he's failed to connect with voters anxious over issues like high unemployment and the struggling economy.

"We're going to win. There is no question in my mind. We're going to win," Romney told NBC on Monday in Colorado, where he's campaigning. "The polls go up, polls go down. There've been some weeks I am ahead, some weeks I am behind. You know, all these states that voted for Barack Obama the last time, right now the majority of people in those states are saying that they don't want to vote for Barack Obama. My job is to make sure they understand what I stand for, they understand the path forward I would take. If I do that well, I'll be elected president, and I expect to do it well."

Romney talked to NBC News at the airport in Denver just before flying to a rally in Pueblo. His campaign scheduled a round of last-minute interviews with the three major television networks—ABC, CBS and NBC—to allow Romney to respond to Obama's Sunday interview with CBS' "60 Minutes."

Much more at: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/romney-no-mind-going-win-184119905--election.html

after he threw his tantrum? Will the President be allowed to have his supporters there? I'm not happy at all with Crowley, Bob Schieffer and whoever else they have from the right running these debates, but I do hope the Dems make a few rules. Is this open attendance with tickets to anyone?