Paul Begala

CNN's Begala: 'If Barack Obama Cured Cancer,' GOP 'Would Attack Him'
By Brad Wilmouth | June 5, 2014 | 5:51 PM EDT

On Thursday's New Day on CNN, during a discussion of President Obama's decision to release five high-risk Taliban prisoners from Guantanamo Bay in exchange for hostage Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, without even notifying Congress first, liberal CNN commentator Paul Begala took a gratuitous swipe at Republicans as he cracked that, "if Barack Obama cured cancer, the Republicans would attack him for putting oncologists out of work."

At about 8:30 a.m., after conservative commentator Cheri Jacobus gave her view of the Bergdahl prisoner trade, noting that Democrats have also been critical of the President, co-host Chris Cuomo turned to Begala and posed the question:

CNN Liberal Begala Sees 'Enormous Problem' in Obama Breaking Law with Taliban Release
By Brad Wilmouth | June 4, 2014 | 8:08 AM EDT

Add CNN political commentator Paul Begala to the list of liberals finding fault with the way President Obama handled the release of five Taliban members from Guantanamo Bay in exchange for American hostage Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl.

On Wednesday's New Day on CNN, the liberal spinmeister took the Obama administration to task for not obeying the legal requirement that Congress should be informed 30 days before the release of prisoners from Guantanamo Bay. [See video after break.]

Begala's Blunder: Warns Republicans Not to Defend Democrat and NAACP Benefactor Donald Sterling
By Tom Blumer | April 27, 2014 | 11:59 PM EDT

In a Saturday afternoon tweet, former Bill Clinton campaign strategist and former CNN talking head Paul Begala showed that he's quite a confused guy concerning Los Angeles Clippers' owner Donald Sterling. Sterling, as noted previously (here and here), has been caught on tape chiding a person who is apparently his girlfriend for "taking pictures with minorities" and "associating with black people." Sterling sees her as a "delicate" "Latina or white girl" who shouldn't "associate with black people." He asks her not to bring black people, including NBA legend Magic Johnson, to games.

Given these developments, Begala gave a "friendly tip" to several conservatives and Republicans, specifically talk radio's Sean Hannity and GOP Senators Rand Paul and Ted Cruz. In the process, he betrayed a likely need to broaden his media consumption habits beyond the liberal bubble. Begala's tweet follows the jump:

Maher: Sarah Palin at 16 Was ‘Probably Pregnant But Still in Third Grade’
By Noel Sheppard | November 23, 2013 | 1:25 PM EST

You would think given all the heat MSNBC’s Martin Bashir is taking for his vile comments about Sarah Palin earlier this month, comedians might want to lay low for a while in attacking the former Alaska governor.

Not HBO’s Bill Maher who on Real Time Friday said, “When Reagan was elected, Sarah Palin was barely 16, probably pregnant, but still in third grade” (video follows with transcript and commentary):

Paul Begala: 'California, Illinois and New Jersey - Places Where They'd Hunt Romney Down With Dogs'
By Noel Sheppard | November 2, 2012 | 8:01 PM EDT

Imagine the media outrage if a conservative commentator listed states where Barack Obama would be hunted down with dogs.

On CNN's OutFront Friday, liberal contributor Paul Begala said, "When Bush Sr. carried Pennsylvania, he also carried California and Illinois and New Jersey, places where they would hunt Romney down with dogs" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

ABC, NBC Fail to Lunge at Harry Reid's 'Explosive Accusation' That Romney Hasn't Paid Taxes
By Matthew Balan | August 3, 2012 | 3:37 PM EDT

The Big Three networks largely yawned at Majority Leader Harry Reid's wild charge on the Senate floor on Thursday that GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney hasn't paid taxes in 10 years. ABC, CBS, and NBC failed to mention it on the evening newscasts on Thursday. On Friday morning, CBS This Morning was the lone broadcast morning show to report on Reid's "explosive accusation," as correspondent Nancy Cordes put it.

By contrast, all three networks covered Rep. Joe Wilson's 2009 "you lie" shout at President Obama at the State of the Union within 24 hours and were unanimously scandalized at the "stunning moment" in the House chamber, as then-anchor Charles Gibson labeled it on ABC's World News. Both ABC and CBS trumpeted Wilson's outburst as the "shout heard 'round the world."

Paul Begala Honors Lugar in Newsweek for Moderation, But Has Trashed Lieberman, Scott Brown
By Tim Graham | May 14, 2012 | 10:28 PM EDT

James Taranto at The Wall Street Journal reports that Newsweek's Paul Begala, the perennially trash-talking Clinton political operative, "has a tiresome paean to Dick Lugar, the defeated GOP senator who felt his opponent wouldn’t do enough to reach across the aisle."

If this man didn't have double standards, he would have no standards at all. This is the same Begala that wrote in January 2010 that Barack Obama shouldn’t reach out to newly elected moderate Republican Sen. Scott Brown. He should “throw an elbow under the hoop”:

Ignorant Maher: Romney Only Gives to Mormons - 'His Cult'; 'That's Not a Charity - They're Not Poor People'
By Noel Sheppard | April 28, 2012 | 10:19 AM EDT

Bill Maher on Friday evening once again displayed a level of ignorance and intolerance that should completely disqualify him as a political commentator.

On HBO's Real Time, the vulgar anti-theist said Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney doesn't give to charity. "All his charitable donations are to Mormons. He gives to his cult. That’s not a charity. They're not poor people" (video follows with transcript and commentary, serious vulgarity warning):

Greg Gutfeld: 'Asking a Comedian to Make Fun of Obama Is Like Asking a Priest to Mock Christ'
By Noel Sheppard | April 16, 2012 | 8:31 PM EDT

Greg Gutfeld on Monday attacked comics for not making jokes about the current White House resident.

Appearing on Fox News's The Five, Gutfeld said, "Asking a comedian to make fun of Obama is like asking a priest to mock Christ" (video follows with transcript and absolutely no need for additional commentary):

Paul Begala: 'I Put Together a Federal Budget' That 'Created the Greatest Boom in American History'
By Noel Sheppard | March 20, 2012 | 8:35 PM EDT

There may be no more pompous and conceited person on the airwaves today than CNN contributor Paul Begala.

Appearing on Erin Burnett OutFront Tuesday, the former Clinton adviser actually said, "I put together a federal budget that was balanced, and it created the greatest boom in American history and global history" (video follows with transcript and commentary, file photo):

Paul Begala: 'Newt Gingrich Would Be a Godsend to the Democrats'
By Noel Sheppard | November 21, 2011 | 9:26 PM EST

Because you probably don't pay much attention to Newsweek or the Daily Beast, you likely didn't know former Clinton adviser Paul Begala is now a columnist for the combination of these failing so-called news organizations.

Demonstrating exactly why the merger of these two perilously liberal outlets appears to be a financial bust, and why he fits in so perfectly, Begala on Monday published a piece entitled, "Newt Gingrich Would Be a Godsend to the Democrats":

CNN's Begala: 'At Least 10 Percent of Us Are Gay Or Lesbian'
By Mike Bates | July 16, 2011 | 3:34 PM EDT

Friday night on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees, the lead story was on a counseling clinic owned by presidential candidate Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and her husband.  Cooper spoke of "allegations that the clinic engages in so-called reparative therapy," described by Cooper as "based on the theory that gay people can be turned into heterosexuals through a combination of prayer and willpower."  The host's use of "so-called" set the stage for CNN political analyst Paul Begala to fulminate.

Using the word "crackpot" to characterize reparative therapy no fewer than nine times, Begala insisted Mrs. Bachmann should be interrogated: