Obama Takes Swipe at 'Folks Waving Tea Bags'

For some, the economic crisis has catalyzed cultural suspicion of the president

(NEWSER) - President Obama has enjoyed a pretty good week—the rescue of the kidnapped cargo-ship captain went swimmingly, and the first family enjoyed some softball coverage of its new dog. But this week also saw the boiling-over of the segment of Americans who loathe the president, observes the Economist. Besides the tax day “tea party” protests, the American Spectator compared Obama to Mussolini, and the conservative blogosphere has reclaimed the word “fascist” from the left with gusto. More»

(NEWSER) - Evaluations of the effectiveness of yesterday’s anti-tax “tea parties” are split predictably down partisan lines, Chris Cillizza writes for the Washington Post. Republicans touted the protests, which brought out tens of thousands and garnered major media coverage, as a success. “I think something is going on out there,” said South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford. Newt Gingrich likened the populist demonstrations to Ross Perot’s 1992 campaign. More»

Tens of thousands set to attend nationwide demonstrations

(NEWSER) - Fiscal conservatives across the country will reenact Revolutionary history today with tea parties in every state to protest taxes and increased spending, ABC News reports. Tens of thousands are registered to attend in major cities, testing whether anti-Obama budget sentiment, which has picked up steam on the Internet, with help from Fox News, is “the beginning of conservative online grassroots politics,” says a Republican Internet strategist. More»

Prez will sit down with Garrett in Beijing

(NEWSER) - President Obama has apparently softened on Fox News and will grant the network an interview while in Beijing. “I will interview POTUS on camera,” tweets Fox’s Major Garrett. “4 other networks will too. 10 mins per. Many had asked. Can say now.” Though the White House has been searingly critical of Fox recently, calling it a political party, not a news organization, those attacks steered clear of correspondents like Garrett, USA Today reports. More»

Asked about Beck brouhaha, News Corp. chairman is unrepentant

(NEWSER) - Rupert Murdoch backed his host over his advertisers in a Sky News interview last weekend, saying Glenn Beck probably shouldn't have called President Obama a racist on the air some months back, but what he said was right. Asked about the Fox host's assertion that Obama made racist comments during the Henry Louis Gates arrest brouhaha, Murdoch said, "Um, that was something which perhaps shouldn't have been said about the president, but if you actually assess what he was talking about, he was right." More»