text:
Guest: Clarence Page, Pat Buchanan, Steve McMahon, Kendrick Meek, Clarence Dupnik, Maria Teresa Kumar
CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: Charlie's angle.
Let's play HARDBALL.
Good evening. I'm Chris Matthews out in Los Angeles. Leading off
tonight: Crist watch. In a few minutes, Charlie Crist, the governor of
Florida, is expected to make it official he's out of the Republican Senate
primary in Florida and will run as an independent. Crist is just the
latest victim of the Republican Party's purge of moderates. Crist's move
may have thrown a lifeline, ironically, to Democrat Kendrick Meek, who
would have been a huge underdog in a two-man race. Meek joins us at the
top of the show tonight.
Plus, the story they're calling "bigot-gate," the gaffe heard 'round
the world. It's when Britain's prime minister, Gordon Brown, referred to a
voter he'd just met as a bigot while wearing a live microphone. It
reminded us of columnist Michael Kinsley's famous statement that a gaffe in
politics is when a politician says what he really thinks. We'll take a
look back at some of the great truth-telling moments in politics.
Also: Hit them where it hurts, the pocketbook. The voices calling for
a boycott of the state of Arizona because of its tough new immigration law
are growing louder by the minute. We'll see what effect that has on the
state's lawmakers.
And talk about hitting them where it hurts, Republicans are hungrily
going after those three vulnerable Senate prized seats, Barack Obama's old
Senate seat in Illinois, Joe Biden's old seat in Delaware, and majority
leader Harry Reid's Senate seat out in Nevada, a possible in-your-face
trifecta for the Republican Party this year.
And "Let Me Finish" tonight with the importance of getting involved.
Sometimes we're talking life and death.
We start with the news out of Florida about Governor Charlie Crist.
Florida Democratic congressman Kendrick Meek is a senatorial candidate.
Well, guess politics can be surprising. There are a lot of twists and
turns, Congressman. Are you surprised that you may be involved in what
looks to be a very tight now three-way race for the United States Senate?
REP. KENDRICK MEEK (D-FL), SENATE CANDIDATE: Well, we feel very good
about the position that we're in today, and we're going to feel just as
good tomorrow. I think that the move that the governor is making is for
his own political survival and not necessarily for the people of the state
of Florida, and people will see through that.
In the final analysis, I look at it from the standpoint that I'm
running against two Republicans for the United States Senate, and I'm the
only Democrat in the race or will be the only Democrat in the race come
MATTHEWS: Do you know that? Do you know that Charlie Crist is going
to line up with the Senate Republican leadership, that he'll vote for Mitch
McConnell for leader?
MEEK: I don't know. I don't even know if...
MATTHEWS: You called him a Republican. How do you know he's going to
be a Republican in the Senate or be an independent who sits on the
Republican side and votes with them on the big issues? How do you know
MEEK: Well, what I do know is that the governor has put indications
out earlier today that he's going to move to the independent side. What I
know right now is that his picture hangs at the Republican Party in
Florida, that he's the head of the Republican Party because he's a
Republican governor. And now he has a press—he's going to have a press
conference saying that he's an independent. That's in his own mind.
There are still issues that he has taken positions on that are in line
with Speaker Rubio, and it's going to be very hard for him to now say,
Well, you know, I've changed my mind now, I feel differently about it.
MATTHEWS: Yes.
MEEK: And I've been consistent through this campaign. I believe that
it will be a plus-up. We qualified by signature. It was the first time in
history in a state that we've done it. Because we've started with a grass
roots campaign, I think it's going to help us in the coming months.
MATTHEWS: Well, he may have hoisted himself on his own petard. Here
he is in a Web video the Rubio campaign has put out. It shows Crist's
appearance just a month ago on "Fox News Sunday" with Chris Wallace. Let's
That failed us. That's the video. I'm going to tell—basically,
it's—for purposes of this interview, it's Charlie Crist telling Chris
Wallace that he will run as a Republican. And Chris asks him a number of
times, and he stuck to it. So this is a month-old tape, but it's certainly
fresh in your mind. You say he's still a Republican.
MEEK: Still a Republican. The governor is known for flip-flopping on
issues. Remember, just a few minutes ago, he wasn't sure—and I was
watching your show—he wasn't sure if he supported the stimulus or not,
and now he's saying, Well, I don't know about—I have deep concerns about
offshore oil drilling. Just a few moments ago, he was for offshore oil
drilling. So he has been inconsistent as it relates to his leadership.
We feel that we have been solid with—with the people of the state
of Florida. I feel that we have tracked all 67 counties. I'm a Floridian.
I look forward to representing all of the state of Florida. I believe that
there's a hard base of good will voters that are there, that are willing to
elect me to be their next United States senator.
We were doing good watching both Crist and Rubio fight each other
through the primary process. We feel that that will continue to happen up
until November. And we're just going to continue to work hard, Chris. I
mean, I am not a candidate from central casting when you look at this kind
of a race, a statewide race, and I think that's going to be benefit to me
and my campaign.
MATTHEWS: What's that mean? What's that mean? I guess I don't know
what you mean by that.
MEEK: Well, what I mean is that you're not—I'm not your typical
candidate. I represent a district in Dade and Broward County. I used to
be a former state trooper. I used to be a sky cap. And now I'm running
for the United States Senate. I think it works well in a service state,
and I look forward to talking about my life experience but also talking
about how I've stood up for everyday people in the state. And I know that
that's been a benefit for us and will continue to be a benefit for us. And
central casting...
MATTHEWS: Let's take a look at you. Let's take a look at you. Let's
take a look at you. You're talking about where you stand in this race.
Let's take a look at the polling. Now, these are an average of all the
polls that have been out there. It shows you in a tough situation.
According to the average of polls—and I'm sure you've looked at them—
you're running about a quarter of the vote, about 23 percent.
For a major-party candidate—look at the registration down there in
Florida. There's 4.7 million Democrats in the state of Florida and 4.1
million Republicans. And yet you're running—that's highly an advantage
for any Democrat. And now you're running against two Republicans and
you're still only running 23 percent. That's a pretty—well, it's a weak
performance so far. What are you going to do to change the situation to
get it back up to where you ought to be as a major party candidate?
MEEK: Well, Chris, what we know is that Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio
have spent tens of thousands—hundreds of thousands of dollars on
television in Florida. We haven't even ran a 15-second ad yet. We've gone
out, we've talked to Floridians. We feel we start to not only ratchet up
our campaign. We're keeping our powder dry. This is the end of April, the
beginning of May. Election day, August, November, we'll be where we need
to be. And we know that we start to reach out, the support that we're
going to be building up, the announcements that will be made in the next 72
hours are going to be helpful to our numbers.
And we feel that we're in a race for several months. I'm excited.
I'm very excited about our future in Florida, and I believe that we will be
at the top of the ramp (ph).
MATTHEWS: Well, you may—Congressman, you may have gotten a big
break today with the Republican vote split between Charlie Crist, the
independent now it looks like, getting a lot of Republican support, and of
course, Marco Rubio, who looks like he's headed toward the nomination of
the Republican Party. Good luck in the race, Congressman.
MEEK: Thank you.
MATTHEWS: Thanks for joining us on HARDBALL. Come back again.
MEEK: Thank you.
MATTHEWS: Let's turn now to "Newsweek's" Howard Fineman. He's an
MSNBC political analyst, and the best, I think. Howard, this thing is so
fascinating. He wasn't willing—the congressman there, the Democrat,
wasn't willing to push Charlie Crist, but it seems to me—you and I know
how it works in the Senate. You got to choose sides. You got to sign up
with one party or the other, or you don't get any committee assignments.
So isn't—isn't Charlie Crist sort of stuck now, having to admit at some
point in the next couple of days, Damn it, I'm a Republican, because I'm
going to sign up with them when I get down—when I get up there?
HOWARD FINEMAN, "NEWSWEEK," MSNBC POLITICAL ANALYST: I don't think
necessarily. I think what Crist's candidacy now is going to test is the
proposition of whether there is a middle left in American politics. I
mean, we're in an era, Chris, where studies have shown that the Congress is
as divided in partisan terms since any time since after the Civil War,
really. You know, we've got the sort of taffy-pull to the left and to the
right. If Crist plays it right, he's going to say, you know, I will do
what's in the best interests of Florida when I get there. And by the
MATTHEWS: Pot luck? I mean, is he going to tell them, I'm going to
keep it secret whether I'm going to vote for the Republican leader or the
Democrat leader to organize the Congress?
FINEMAN: Well, I don't know. He may not. I think if he has to
choose—and you may be right, he has to—I think he says—I think
he's more likely to say Democrat than Republican. I mean, what's happened
MATTHEWS: Wow!
FINEMAN: Well, what's happened in the last month is that his numbers
have improved—his job approval rating has improved, according to the
Rasmussen poll. It's up 11 or 12 percent in the last month to 56 percent
job approval, which is pretty darn good for any incumbent politician in
America. And it's happened because he's kind of moved to the left because
he vetoed that education bill...
MATTHEWS: Yes.
FINEMAN: ... that the teachers unions didn't like. He's getting
about a third of the support of Democrats, as I read the polls. He's got
significant traction among the Democrats, although...
MATTHEWS: Is this a slow walk to Specter-dom? Is he doing what
Arlen's doing, only a little slower, more at a Floridian pace?
FINEMAN: Yes, that—you know, that's—that's a good possibility,
the sort of "walking Lawton," if you remember Lawton Chiles...
MATTHEWS: Right.
FINEMAN: ... to a moderate, you know, sort of conservative Democratic
view. I think that's quite possible. It depends on whether Kendrick Meek,
who was really, you know, smiling justifiably when he—when you started
the show there—whether he can take advantage of the way that
everything's been scrambled by this announcement. It very much is up to
Meek to gain traction in the polls over the next, you know, couple of
MATTHEWS: Yes.
FINEMAN: ... or month or so. If he doesn't, then the soft area, the
room for Crist to go, is to the left and not to the right.
MATTHEWS: Yes, I think that's so smart. I mean, I'm just in
political terms, crass terms, if you will. If Charlie Crist says, I'm
probably going to line up with the Democrats as an independent—sort of
the way that Joe Lieberman, who's probably got some popularity down in
Florida—if he says it like this, I'm going to be my own man, my own
Floridian man, but I'm going to vote with the Democrats for leadership
issues because I think it's smarter for our state—of course, it's
smarter for him, too.
Is there a pattern here he can run against and say, like Specter did -
Specter appealed to the voters of Pennsylvania, I think, pretty
effectively by saying, I didn't leave the Republican Party, it went to the
right of me. I was center-right, it went far right. There is a pattern—
look, Bob Bennett out in Utah—he's certainly no liberal, certainly no
moderate—he may not get renominated. John McCain is fighting hard to
get renominated. And Kay Bailey Hutchison couldn't win the governorship.
And Grayson, who's the establishment candidate in Kentucky—just to
finish the field here—it looks like he's the underdog.
So you could argue, couldn't you, if you're Charlie Crist, We moderate
Republicans, we Midwesterners who moved down to Winter Park, we live down
there on the Gulf coast, we moderates, we're regular people, we're not far-
right crazies—we're getting run out of our party.
FINEMAN: Yes, I think that's what he's going to try to do. And
Rubio's challenge is to win in a three-way race, you know, which at least
on the surface, appears, you know, to be easier. But again, it depends on
whether Meek can make up the difference and really become a major player.
If he doesn't, then all the room for Crist is to the left, to the
Don't forget, there are a lot of independents there, also. Those
people listed as "other" in your chart are 2.5 million.
MATTHEWS: Yes.
FINEMAN: And there are three states in Florida, three states within a
state—you know, the south, the Miami area, the north, which is more, you
know, southern in national political terms, and then the battleground once
again is going to be the I-4 corridor, central Florida, you know, from
Tampa all the way over to Daytona Beach. That's Charlie Crist's home
territory. That's where the Midwesterners are. That's where the moderates
MATTHEWS: Yes.
FINEMAN: That's where he's got to take his stand, if he's going to
pull this thing off.
MATTHEWS: Well, Howard, as always, you smartened me up. You make me
smarter. Thank you. No, really. I didn't know he might go Democrat. We
don't know for sure, but that does look like the smart move at this point
for Charlie Crist, fighting for his life down there. Thank you, Howard
Fineman, as always.
FINEMAN: Thank you.
MATTHEWS: Coming up: More calls for a boycott, an economic boycott
that counts, against Arizona. They're even going after the Arizona drinks,
the iced teas and stuff. They aren't even made out there. What's next,
the University of Phoenix? They're going to for anything associated with
the state. How's this going to affect Arizona.
But first, during the commercials: Misperceptions about President
Obama's tax policies are getting worse, believe it or not. We're going to
show you how, how everybody's getting it wrong.
You're watching HARDBALL, only on MSNBC.
MATTHEWS: Well, time for a lesson in getting your facts straight.
Misperceptions about President Obama's tax policies are getting worse. The
latest "New York Times"/CBS poll shows that 34 percent of the general
public and 64 percent of tea partiers think taxes have gone up under
President Obama. In fact, 95 percent of working families have received a
tax cut. Pollster.com says the numbers are the result of misleading
rhetoric combined with people's biases.
We'll be right back.
MATTHEWS: Welcome back to HARDBALL. Pressure continues to mount
against Arizona's new immigration law and calls to boycott the state are
growing. The city of San Francisco and now the Denver public school
district have banned all official travel to Arizona. The National
Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders is seeking an injunction
against the law out there. And the Justice Department, the U.S. Justice
Department, is weighing whether to mount a legal challenge to Arizona. And
immigrants' rights groups around the country took to the steps of the
Arizona capitol today to announce that they plan to sue the state.
Well, can Arizona continue to withstand the heat they're getting?
Pima County sheriff Clarence Dupnik says he doesn't want to enforce the new
law. And Maria Teresa Kumar is the founding director of Voto Latino.
I want to start with the law enforcement official. Sheriff, this law,
can you—can you tell me what you mean? Are you really not going to
enforce this law? What does that actually mean out in the streets when
this law goes into effect in 90 days?
CLARENCE DUPNIK, SHERIFF, PIMA COUNTY, AZ: I will enforce it if I'm
ordered to do so, or if the county attorney tells me that I have no choice.
But let me—the listeners don't understand what's going on with reference
to this law. We don't need this law, is one of the reasons that I don't
want to enforce it. We enforce the federal immigration laws now. We in
the Pima County Sheriff's Department, Tucson, Arizona, arrest more illegal
aliens than any other state or local agency in this state, but we turn them
over to the border patrol.
Why would I arrest them under a state law, put them in the Pima County
jail and force an overwhelming problem for the rest of the criminal justice
system and then send the local taxpayers a huge tax bill, when it's just
totally ridiculous and unnecessary?
MATTHEWS: OK, why did the—why did the voters seem to want it out
DUPNIK: Because I don't think they understand that we don't need the
law. I think...
MATTHEWS: Well, they obviously see—they obviously see so many
illegal people in the state of Arizona, it's gotten to them. They don't
feel the government's doing its job of protecting the border, or they
wouldn't be so angry and so moving to the right on this issue, would they?
DUPNIK: I think that the federal government and state and local
agencies in this state do as best they can to deal with the border problem
and the problem of illegal immigration. That's not the issue.
Another part of this law—and I've never heard this in any other law
since I've been—I've been a police officer in this state for 52 years.
I've been the sheriff for 30 years, and I've never seen a law where it
says, If a citizen in this state—and I'm quoting exactly—if a citizen
in this state does not believe that we are enforcing this law as they feel
we should, they can sue us.
So now we're in the "damned if we do and damned if we don't" position.
The legislature put this in the law so the citizens could sue us if they
didn't think we were enforcing the law properly.
MATTHEWS: Yes.
DUPNIK: So now we're damned if we do and damned if we don't because
we get sued by people who feel that we're profiling, and now we're going to
get sued by people who feel we're not profiling enough.
MATTHEWS: I hear it coming. Anyway, Maria Teresa Kumar, thank you
for coming on the show, first time since his law was passed out there.
What's going to happen in politics around the country in terms of activism
after this happens?
MARIA TERESA KUMAR, VOTO LATINO: Thanks for having me on again,
Chris. First of all, what—we're starting already to see the trickle
effects. The ACLU today went in and challenged the law on the Arizona
level. We're also looking at the Obama administration, who's also looking
at sending Eric Holder to see if it actually holds muster for the
But then we're also seeing civil rights groups, student groups, folks
organizing on FaceBook, going after businesses at the very local level who
conduct business. The most egregious one I've seen so far that actually
seems to be catching on is boycotting the Diamondbacks. And they first
went to Denver and they were boycotted there. Then they're going to San
Francisco and Chicago. And one of the primary reasons is because the owner
of the Diamondbacks, Ken Kendrick, he's one of the largest financers of the
Republican Party in the state of Arizona.
So, folks are saying, I may not be from Arizona, but I do believe that
the law is unconstitutional. We're marginalizing two million Americans who
happen to be Hispanic living in Arizona. And we're also creating,
unfortunately, a distrust of the police system.
And, more than anything, what the police need is partners within their
community. And Latinos, unfortunately, they're not going to come out of
the shadows, even if they do witness crime, regardless of their status.
MATTHEWS: Well, let me ask you this. Let me ask you this. I know
you're concerned about the community out there. You care about it. You're
part of it.
Let's talk about it in human, real-day terms. You're Hispanic. You
have a certain complexion. You have a certain accent, perhaps. And you're
legal in this country. You're totally legal. You're here maybe a couple
of generations, in fact.
KUMAR: Yes.
MATTHEWS: Why does that law bother you, except in terms of your
attitudes and feelings about your community? Does it affect you in your
daily life, really? Would a police officer really stop somebody that has
been here for a couple generations or a person who is legally documented to
work here? Would that person really face harassment? Do you really
believe that will happen?
KUMAR: I absolutely do. I can tell you that from right now. First
of all, I'm first-generation.
But my grandmother, who has been here for close to 25 years, she
barely speaks Spanish, but she's—excuse me—she barely speaks English,
but she's an American citizen.
MATTHEWS: Well, will she be bothered by police? Does she think the
police willing bother her? What happens if she just shows her documents
and say, thank you, officer, have a nice day? What difference does it
KUMAR: Well, that's the biggest problem, Chris, is that this actually
requires that you carry your birth certificate.
And, for my grandmother, who has an accent, and she walks around with
her I.D., because she doesn't drive, that isn't enough to demonstrate that
she's not undocumented. And I think the sheriff pointed out even better is
that all of a sudden we're giving everyday citizens the opportunity to be
vigilantes and make sure that the cops are doing their job.
We don't know what someone looks like if they're undocumented. That's
the shocking part.
KUMAR: But I do think that this puts the Republican Party in a very
difficult position for the midterm elections, primarily because you see a
swing state of Arizona where 17 percent of the voting population is
Hispanic. And nothing is going to polarize them more than this anti-
immigration legislation.
MATTHEWS: OK. I'm asking everybody this. I'm going to ask you. Do
you personally support this bill that's been put together by Lieberman and
by Lindsey Graham and by John Kerry that says basically there will be a
road to legalization, to naturalization for people who have been here
illegally, that there will be some opportunity to come in here as guest
workers, and there will be other reforms made along the border, but there
will also be an I.D. card that's checkable from now on for employers?
So, an employer, henceforth, if this law is passed, won't be able to
say, I didn't know the person was here illegally. Would you support
comprehensive reform, not just legalization, but the whole deal?
KUMAR: No, I think we need comprehensive—we need comprehensive
immigration reform. There's no question in my mind that our borders are
The fact that we're talking about human trafficking, narcotics, all of
that, we need—and we need to secure our borders. And the fact that we
have 10 million undocumented folks, five million of them who are children,
we have to get them out of the shadows. And these are...
KUMAR: We're talking about families who are...
MATTHEWS: I'm with you. I'm with you. I'm with you.
MATTHEWS: I'm just trying to find a compromise on this show where
people who want human rights for people who have been living here and their
children especially who have been educated here at the same time recognize
that every country has a right to decide who comes into it.
I'm sorry. Every country in the world has that right. They should do
it fairly and progressively, I argue. But they have the right. It's the
question of how they do it. And I think this California—this Arizona
law is causing a lot of trouble. Maybe it will shake people into some
reasonable solution. But I haven't seen it yet. Everybody is just going
to the barricades on this. And it looks like nobody is getting anything
Anyway, thank you, as always, Maria Teresa.
And, thank you, Chief Dupnik.
KUMAR: Thank you, Chris.
MATTHEWS: Up next: Who told former President Bill Clinton to lose
weight? It's in the family. I love this stuff. I think I have heard it
myself. It's in the—I mean about me. It's in the "Sideshow," coming up
on MSNBC.
MATTHEWS: Back to HARDBALL. Now for the "Sideshow."
Earlier, we brought you news of the boycotts over Arizona's tough
immigration law. It turns out there's also an Internet campaign against
the popular drink AriZona Iced Tea. Well, the hitch is AriZona Iced Tea
isn't based in Arizona. It's based in New York. Yesterday, the company
posted on its Web site a note explaining its origins and location, making
it clear that AriZona Iced Tea is in fact an American company. Tough break
on that name, I guess.
Anyway, speaking of the Arizona law, once and perhaps future
presidential candidate Mike Huckabee was asked to comment by "The Dallas
Morning News." He wouldn't say whether he agreed or disagreed with the
Arizona immigration law. But see if you can read into what Huckabee did
say—quote—this is Huckabee—"America is a lot like Disney World, in
that, once you get a ticket, you're in, and you don't have to keep showing
your ticket to keep riding the rides. That's the whole point of liberty."
Well, actually, when it comes to getting people to stand in line and
wait their turn, Disney World is a lot better organized than this
On a lighter note, yesterday, Bill Clinton was at a Washington
financial forum when he talked about his next role, his big role, father of
the bride. Actually, the former president has some shaping up to do
apparently before he walks Chelsea up the aisle. Take a listen.
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: She doesn't
think I'm in shape to handle it. You know, you've got to walk—she told
me the other day, she said, dad, the only thing you have got to do is walk
me down the aisle, and you need to look good.
CLINTON: So, I said, well, what's your definition? And she said, oh,
about 15 pounds.
CLINTON: So, I'm halfway home.
MATTHEWS: Oh, Bill.
Fifteen pounds. I wish the bride's father well, because I have tried
to lose 15 before. Chelsea is expected, by the way, to get married this
summer out in the Clintons' favorite vacation spot, Martha's Vineyard.
Now for the "Big Number." Tonight, we have actually got two of them.
So, catch this. The 111th Congress—that's the one right now—
which took office this past January, is the oldest Congress in—oldest
people in it, meaning. The average age of the lawmakers, well, according
to the "Hill" newspaper—here it is—guess now—guess -- 63, average
age for the U.S. senators. Average age for members of the House of
Representatives, 57, the oldest Congress ever.
It doesn't seem all that old to me. Anyway, average ages, it's
interesting, isn't it, 63 for senators—they seem older than that—and
57 for members of the House of Representatives—tonight's big numbers.
Up next: Following Prime Minister Gordon Brown's gaffe the other day,
we're going to look back at some truth-telling moments. Gaffes are
inevitable when the politicians says what he or she really thinks.
You're watching HARDBALL, only on MSNBC.
JULIA BOORSTIN, CNBC CORRESPONDENT: I'm Julia Boorstin with your CNBC
"Market Wrap."
A triple-digit rally for the Dow, as fears eased about a European debt
crisis. The Dow Jones industrials soaring 122 points, the S&P 500 adding
15 points, and the Nasdaq surging a little bit more than 40 points.
Expectations that the E.U. and IMF will wrap up bailout negotiations
this weekend taking the edge off fears that Europe's debt crisis—
Greece's debt crisis, could spread through Europe. Meanwhile, jobless
claims falling by 11,000 last week. It's an encouraging sign, but the
decline was not as big as expected.
Smartphone-maker Palm shares soaring more than 26 percent on news that
it's being acquired by Hewlett-Packard.
And drugmaker Dendreon surging 27 percent after the FDA approved its
new prostate cancer treatment vaccine.
Health insurers doing well across the board on strong earnings reports
from Aetna, WellPoint, and UnitedHealth, but BP shares tumbling more than 8
percent as that oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico continues to grow.
That's it from CNBC, first in business worldwide—now back to
MATTHEWS: Welcome back to HARDBALL.
Well, here's a moment of schadenfreude for you, you know, that German
word for joy through others' tragedy? Britain's Prime Minister Gordon
Brown, campaigning for reelection, was caught unaware on a hot mike.
Let's listen.
GILLIAN DUFFY, VOTER: ... don't say anything about the immigrants
because you're saying that you're -- you're—you—well, all these
Eastern European what are coming in, where are they flocking from?
GORDON BROWN, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: A million people come from
Europe, but a million people, British people, have gone into Europe.
Good to see you all. Good to see you. Thanks very much.
That was a disaster. Well, I just—should never have put me in with
that woman. Whose idea was that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know. I didn't see.
BROWN: It was Sue, I think. It's just ridiculous.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not sure if they will go with that one.
BROWN: They will go with it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did she say?
BROWN: Oh, everything. She was just a sort of bigoted woman. She
said she used be Labor. I mean, it's just ridiculous.
MATTHEWS: You know, sometimes, you get a peek inside the real
political world, not the speeches, not the debates, not the TV ads. I was
in politicians for years. This is what it's like in the real politics.
Anyway, the reaction of the front page of the British press was, oh,
my God, Brown with its head in his hands. There are the headlines, "Brown
Penitent After Bigot Gaffe Torpedoes Campaign, and "Brown's Bigot Blunder
Plunges Labor Campaign Into Crisis."
Well, in a debate that just ended this afternoon, Brown tried to
lighten the mood with this opening statement. Let's listen.
BROWN: There's a lot to this job. And, as you saw yesterday, I don't
get all of it right.
MATTHEWS: Wow, this is perhaps a career-ender. We will see. He was
already in trouble. How does this stack up in the annals of political
We have two pros joining us now, Clarence Page, who never makes a
gaffe, "Chicago Tribune" columnist...
MATTHEWS: ... Michael Smerconish, who eats this stuff up. He's a
radio talk show host out of Philly and an MSNBC political analyst.
Let's talk about this. First of all, talk about this incident, you
first, Clarence, then Michael.
Is this unfair? The woman was a bigot. The woman was making comments
about foreigners. She had certainly an attitude. And, apparently, she
gave him a whole string of attitude about this. And he just figured, why
am I doing this on camera and giving her the stage, when I'm fighting for
my life?
What was wrong with what he said?
CLARENCE PAGE, COLUMNIST, "THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE": Well, Chris, you
know Michael Kinsley's old adage about how Washington is where a gaffe
occurs when somebody tells the truth.
That's true in Great Britain as well. It sort of reminds me of back
during the primary when Barack Obama's statements about working-class folks
in Pennsylvania, your home state, where, in despair over lost jobs, they
turned to God and religion.
You know, what he was saying was arguably true. But it's not the kind
of thing a candidate says who is trying mightily to win an election. And
Brown is in that similar situation now.
MATTHEWS: Your thoughts, Michael Smerconish, on Gordon Brown...
MICHAEL SMERCONISH, MSNBC POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, wait a minute.
MATTHEWS: ... who was—who is probably running third now.
SMERCONISH: Well, wait a minute.
Ms. Duffy, poor Mrs. Duffy, literally goes out for a loaf of bread,
sees the prime minister in her neighborhood. She engages him, Chris, on
the deficit, how to educate her grandchildren, how is she going to pay for
And the comment—the comment is, these Eastern Europeans, where are
they all flocking from? I'm not willing to concede that the woman is
bigoted. And he comes across as uppity. He comes across as insincere.
The only question in my mind is, when he got in that car, did he reach
for the Purell or the baby wipes first? Because he wanted no part of her.
He thinks he's so superior. And he will probably lose as a result of this.
MATTHEWS: OK, I hear you, buddy.
MATTHEWS: You are working the crowd yourself.
MATTHEWS: Here we go with Virginia Senator George Allen on a somewhat
more dangerous road he took in terms of language. Let's listen.
SEN. GEORGE ALLEN ®, VIRGINIA: This fellow here, over here, with
the yellow shirt, macaca, or whatever his name is, he's with my opponent.
And he's following us around everywhere.
So, welcome. Let's give a welcome to macaca here.
ALLEN: Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia.
MATTHEWS: You know, Clarence, before that happened, I thought George
Allen had it all, an incredibly famous name. His father was a very popular
football coach here out in L.A. and also back in Washington. He had the
religious people with him. He had the conservatives with him.
He was a very charming guy to hang out with. And he makes a comment
which most people took as racial.
PAGE: Yes, that's true. I was surprised, too, by how much he
plummeted afterwards, partly because of how he handled it, not just that
weird word, macaca, in itself.
And Gordon Brown is in that same situation. By the way, I don't
disagree with Michael in regard to the word bigot being awfully strong in
regard to this woman. Immigration is a big issue, a hot issue right now in
England. A lot of working-class voters are indeed upset about it. Maybe
they understand the facts. Maybe they don't, but you don't say something
condescending like calling her a bigot, simply because she's worried.
So, that—that's the kind of thing that could sink him to third
MATTHEWS: OK. Let's take a look at Gerald Ford in the 1976 debate
with Jimmy Carter. A lot of us remember this moment. "TIME" magazine
headlined this story the blooper heard round the world. I don't think
anybody who ever watched this ever forgot it.
MATTHEWS: Let's listen.
GERALD FORD, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There is no Soviet
domination of Eastern Europe, and there never will be, under a Ford
MATTHEWS: How did that go over in Bridesburg, Michael?
MATTHEWS: How did that go over in the Polish neighborhoods of Philly
and Chicago? What do you think they thought of that, that they weren't
under Soviet domination?
SMERCONISH: Well, not only—not only there, but also anywhere where
people watched "SNL," because all that it did was—and un—I think
unfairly—I happen to think Ford was a bright guy, University of Michigan
But he got—he got tagged as being that "SNL" bumbling figure. We
all—we all got him confused with Chevy Chase by the end of it. And that
that was just fuel for the fire.
MATTHEWS: But, you know, Max Frankel, Clarence, asked him again when
he put that question from the "New York Times." He said, are you serious?
Are you saying there's no Iron Curtain? Are you saying Czechoslovakia and
Bulgaria and Albania and all of those countries aren't under the Soviet
hoof? This is in '76. They were. It was the Warsaw Pact. They were all
there ready to gun him down. Anyway, what did you make of that?
PAGE: Yes. I was in Chicago when Ford said that. The next morning,
I was on my way to work on the bus. One of my Lithuanian neighbors was
walking up and down the aisle just shouting about Ford, did you hear what
he said last night? Could you believe it? Nobody there was telling him to
shut up, because everybody was just aghast at what Ford said. It's not
what you say, it's what other people hear.
MATTHEWS: OK. Here's Governor Romney, in one of my personal
favorites, Mitt Romney's father, when he with a running for president in
1968, and didn't know jack about foreign policy, and foolishly started
talking about it. Here he was asked about why he changed his position on
the Vietnam War. Let's listen to one of the all timers.
GOV. GEORGE ROMNEY, FATHER OF MITT ROMNEY: Well, you know, when I
came back from Vietnam, I just had the greatest brainwashing that anybody
can get. When you go over to Vietnam --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: By the generals?
ROMNEY: Not only by the generals, but also by the diplomatic corps
over there.
MATTHEWS: Michael, that was the end of that man's run for president,
because he didn't know anything and he basically said I don't know
SMERCONISH: It's unfortunate. It caught up with him. Look, I think
every one of them has had a moment like this. As I'm sitting here watching
your highlight film, it's like NFL Films, I'm thinking, who hasn't said
something boneheaded like this? Heck, I do it every day on the radio.
MATTHEWS: Is it something I said? That's what I feel like saying
when I do it. Clarence, let's do the final one. This is not as serious,
because we know this guy's a lot smarter than this. Here was Reagan
horsing around during the—what was called a mic check—we all call it
mic check—before giving one of those Saturday radio addresses back in
the '80s. Now, put this into perspective, Reagan really wanted to get rid
of nuclear weapons. Here he sounds like a kid having fun with the
microphone. Here he is. Let's listen.
RONALD REAGAN, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My fellow
Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today that I signed legislation that
will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.
MATTHEWS: Ha! That was a real hoot, wasn't it, Clarence?
PAGE: Yes, a real hoot. Apparently, the soviets put their missiles
on alert when they got wind of that. That wasn't a campaign gaffe. That
was a foreign policy gaffe that could have had really serious consequences.
It didn't hurt him as far as his re-election effort was concerned. But it
certainly said something about watching what you say around an open mic,
which every politician ought to remember.
MATTHEWS: We all should. Michael, your thoughts on that one? That
was somewhat lucky, because nothing went wrong ultimately.
SMERCONISH: Well, Chris, you might think, Clarence might think I'm
nuts for saying this. I've always wondered if it weren't deliberate on
Reagan's part, to send a message to the Soviets that, hey, this old guy is
not wrapped too tight, and maybe we should come to the negotiation table
and resolve some nuclear weapons issues with him.
Because they did. He brought Gorbachev to his knees.
MATTHEWS: I know it had a happy ending. But I think you're confusing
him with Nixon. Because Nixon always wanted them to think he was a little
nuts. Remember that? That was serious. The crazy man theory, he knew
exactly what he was doing. I think Reagan was much more of an innocent in
that regard. But, you know, I know some of your callers, crazy as some of
them are, Michael, probably believe you. Or you believe them.
Thank you, Michael Smerconish. Thank you, Clarence. It was a lot of
fun. It's fun for us to watch, of course, when it's not one of us on this
Up next, the GOP, the Republicans are poised to win some big trophy
seats. They're going after all the big name-brand seats in the Senate.
They may win almost every one of them. The strategists are coming up.
They're warming up right now.
But, first, during this commercial, you want to see this new
television ad from Democratic Congressman Joe Sestak. He's out running
against Arlen Specter. You'll see his ad in one minute. This is HARDBALL,
only on MSNBC.
MATTHEWS: A new television ad out today from Democratic Congressman
Joe Sestak up in Pennsylvania. Take a listen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, Mr. Specter, if you have a problem with Joe
Sestak's record as the real Democrat, go ahead and attack that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But please, Mr. Specter, don't lie about Admiral
Sestak's distinguished service record.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Specter, this is what we do when Admiral
Sestak comes to speak to us.
REP. JOE SESTAK (D), PENNSYLVANIA: I'm Joe Sestak and I authorized
this message.
CROWD: Yes!
MATTHEWS: That's pretty good. The veterans have spoken. We'll be
right back.
MATTHEWS: We're back. Thirty six Senate seats are on the ballot this
November. But there are three seats, in particular, that Republicans have
their eyes on, the Seats once held by President Obama and Vice President
Biden, and the seat now held by Majority Leader Harry Reid. Well, the
"Washington Post" spotlights it in the front page today. And Texas Senator
John Cornyn, the man in charge of winning those Senate seats for
Republicans, told the "Post," quote, "I call them the trophy seats."
Let's talk about these trophy seats, and how they're going to go this
fall. And is there anything Democrats can do to stop them? Let's go to
the strategists. Steve McMahon is a Democratic strategist, and Pat
Buchanan is an MSNBC strategist.
Steve, it looks like they've already started the bowling. The pins
are starting to fall already in favor of the Republicans. Who would have
thought Teddy's seat would have gone first? Isn't that the first
indication that this could be a very good R year, Republican year?
STEVE MCMAHON, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, it may be. But I hope
what it was is a wake up call to Democrats that you can't take independents
for granted. I think what you're going to see over the next several months
is Democrats picking issues that appeal especially to independents, so that
independents come back in the fold.
You know, the president won independents by a two to one margin—or
almost a two to one margin in 2008. Republicans have been winning by the
same margin recently. And we need to bring them back. And I hope that's
what Scott Brown's message was to Washington and the Democratic community.
MATTHEWS: So what is it, Pat? Is it a wake-up call? Is it a sign of
things to come? Is the victory of a Scott Brown in the base state, the
Kennedy state, does that tell you that's the way the wind is blowing?
PAT BUCHANAN, MSNBC POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes, it does, Chris. I think
it does. Very interesting, in 1960, we elected two United States senators
and one seat was in Massachusetts, the other in Texas. LBJ's seat, as you
recall, went early for John Tower. And Massachusetts, however, they had
the McCormick-Kennedy praise, 29-year-old Teddy. He won it fairly handily
after the missile crisis.
But now I really think that Republicans are going to pick up Delaware,
because Mike Castle is a terrific candidate, Illinois because the Democrats
have not nominated an outstanding candidate. Nevada is different, because
Harry Reid, I think—it's not a pro Republican thing that's going on
there. It's really anti-Harry Reid.
MATTHEWS: Yeah, it could be. Sue Lowden could be a very attractive
candidate out there. We'll see the former state senator, former TV person
out there. Let's take a look at Illinois now. This is a fascinating.
It's been in the dark. I want Steve, who knows a lot about these things,
to tell us, Giarnoulias, the banker, his bank's failed. The family bank
failed. This guy Mark Kirk looks like he's going to pick it up. Let's
take a look at what's happening out there.
We've got a graphic right there see it, 39, that's Kirk. So he's
edged ahead. It looks to me like they've got a very good shot out there to
pick that Obama seat up, the Republicans.
MCMAHON: OK, so here's what they have: they have a pretty good
candidate, who, by the way, is a moderate, not a conservative. And a lot
of Republicans coming out of primaries, these days, are conservatives and
some of them too conservative to win. But he's a moderate Republican,
which is good. He's running against somebody who has a problem with the
family bank, which is obviously bad.
The person who is nominated in Illinois was actually the second choice
of most Democrats. Lisa Madigan, the attorney general, would have easily
held that seat. But Illinois is a solidly performing Democratic state. So
I expect that as Giarnoulias explains the situation and circumstances
around this bank failure, that things are either get better, or I think
Democrats are going to have a problem in the Fall.
MATTHEWS: Let's look at this video from the NBC station out there in
Chicago, WMAQ. Let's listen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does your campaign need the equivalent of a
presidential hug today to be successful?
MATTHEWS: Pat is that kind of political mating hurt in Illinois like
it does in Florida?
BUCHANAN: I think, Chris, looking at Illinois, that will really be a
humiliation if Barack Obama loses. It would be like Jack Kennedy losing
Massachusetts in 1962, Chris, because Illinois is as Democratic today as
Massachusetts was in the days of Kennedy/Lodge. So I think that's really
going to be a bad defeat. And it's going to be sort of a disgrace for the
Democratic machine that Obama has got together there in the White House,
with Axelrod and Rahm, who really ought to be able to put something
together to hold his seat in about the fifth most Democratic state in the
MATTHEWS: Pat, I think you're building a case. There's a lot of
Illinois senators over the years, Dirksen—you know, I think of more
recently Fitzgerald.
BUCHANAN: That's 50 years ago.
MATTHEWS: Fitzgerald had the seat before Obama did. The idea that
it's somehow a hard left state, I just don't think it's serious.
BUCHANAN: It is far more left than it used to be back there when
Nixon was running against Humphrey, when it was a 50/50 state. Chris—
MATTHEWS: Percy was in there for practically 25 years.
BUCHANAN: Chris, it has gone Democratic in the last five straight
presidential elections.
MCMAHON: I think even you would agree that if Lisa Madigan or any
other Democrat that wasn't flawed was running for that seat, they would
easily hold it.
BUCHANAN: I agree with you.
MATTHEWS: Let's throw one to Pat here. Pat, you're going to win.
You won—I think Mark does have the slight edge there, because of
Giarnoulias' bank problems. I think you're right there. But I don't think
it's the biggest upset of the century. It's not stealing the bacon from
the Democrats.
Delaware, Pat, jump in here. It looks to me like the decision by Beau
Biden not to run for his father seat, giving it to the moderate governor,
who has won every office in the history of Delaware, he's got to be the
favorite. But you're not going to claim that's a big lefty state.
BUCHANAN: No, I would say, look, Mike Castle is clearly a
tremendously strong candidate. Democrats had to be aware that if he
stepped in, they're going to be the underdogs. Even Beau Biden is going to
be the underdog. But it does tell you something that Beau Biden ducked a
fight. He wants to live to fight another day. He's got a clean record.
Why go up against a guy he can't beat?
MATTHEWS: Well said. Let's go to Nevada. It's a fascinating race
with a live incumbent. Your thoughts, Steve. It looks to me like Sue
Lowden—I have met her a very few times, a very attractive candidate,
former state senator, very TV conscious. She's a former reporter, knows
her stuff.
MCMAHON: She recently said, though, that she talked about the old
barter system and talked about how people used to come to the doctor with a
chicken and pay for their health care that way. I think she has some
learning to do as a candidate. Harry Reid, as we all know, is a very tough
leader and a very good campaigner.
MATTHEWS: OK. OK. Well, you went for the midsection there. Thank
you very much, Steve McCain—McMahon—McCain—McMahon and thank you
Pat Buchanan.
When we return, I'm going to have some thoughts about the importance
of doing something when it's a matter of life or death. You're watching
HARDBALL, only on MSNBC.
MATTHEWS: Let me finish tonight with a story of life in the big city.
And I'd like to think—I do think it's exceptional. The other day, they
buried Hugo Tale=Yax in Queens, New York. He was a homeless man who had
come to the great American city from Guatemala. He died because in the
last act of his life, he tried to protect a woman who was being mugged
right there on the sidewalk with him.
In his last act, this man obeyed the most basic rule of his
upbringing, love thy neighbor. He put his life at risk to protect someone
who was, that last night of his life, his neighbor. Hugo Tale-Yax, from
Guatemala, living in New York, not doing well, but strong enough of
spirited heart to race across a sidewalk on a dark Spring night and save
someone from harm.
Love thy neighbor. Stabbed by that mugger, he lay on the sidewalk
while dozens of people walked by. Some looked, even took note of his dying
moments, but did nothing. He was a neighbor that night, and they didn't
lift a finger.
I remember this happening before in the Borough of Queens in 1964. A
young woman, Katherine Genovese 9ph), Kitty, her neighbors called her—
Kitty was walking home from a parking lot and was stabbed 17 times and
then, later, sexually assaulted. Lots of people heard her screams that
night. "Oh, my god, he stabbed me," and finally, "I'm dying, I'm dying,"
And nobody came to her aid that night. She had no neighbor, not in that
sense that we are all, in some way, taught to be a neighbor.
One guy said he couldn't hear her cries because of his air
conditioner. This was March, as "the New York Times" reported, one of the
coldest days on record.
One of the great things about living in a big city is that you learn
to let other people go on about their business. You don't judge. You
don't butt in. You know, you're street smart. But there's this other
thing, this refusal to get involved. You're not a stranger, but you're a
neighbor, who at that moment is needed to stand up and be a fellow human
I know it's tough, and it's easy to blame or come up with excuses.
They're called moral alibis. But at some point think hard about all those
people who turned their eyes, ears and hearts from Hugo Tale-Yax and Kitty
Genovese. You are the world you're living in.
That's HARDBALL for now. Thanks for being with us. Right now, it's
time for "THE ED SHOW" with Ed Schultz.
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text:
Yesterday I attended VMware's Cloud Foundry announcements. More on those announcements over at Techmeme. If you're a developer it'll be hard to miss what VMware's doing here. It's very significant and means a lot to a group of companies, from Amazon, Google, Microsoft on one side and Rackspace and Salesforce on another. We're all trying to figure out what it means for us, because they now are hosting apps (new competition for Rackspace, which is where I work!)
I'm excited by what VMware's doing. Why? Because it's open source. Listen to VMware co-president Tod Nielsen, who tells me what it means.
Yes, we're seeing new competiton, but we expected that when we released our cloud stack to open source (we knew we were empowering our competitors with our own code. How scary!) So, how will Rackspace compete? On service. See, most companies don't have geeks who know what node.js is. They'll need a partner to help them get their businesses online and up to date. The hosting and app platforms are quickly turning into commodities so service is one of the areas that will really matter.
Thanks to VMware for inviting me over yesterday, quite interesting announcements!
The rest of this article is reprinted with permission from Rackspace's Building43:
This week, VMware introduced a major new PaaS called Cloud Foundry. The project is available as open source software, and it provides a platform for building, deploying and running cloud apps.
"The value proposition for Cloud Foundry is it's the first real open PaaS, or platform as a service," explains Tod Nielsen, Co-President of the Application Platform Group at VMware. "And by open we mean we're going to support multiple frameworks—be it Ruby, Java, Node.js—we're going to support a whole set of services as well as any cloud. By any cloud, we're actually going to offer to host a service ourselves, we're going to work with folks like Rackspace and allow you to offer Cloud Foundry as a service that you'll provide, and there'll be a behind the firewall version that enterprises can run in their private cloud. Then we have something we call the Micro Cloud, which instantiates Cloud Foundry onto your lap top so developers can write code themselves, and then they can push to whichever cloud option they choose."
Because the project is open source, it does not restrict developer choices of frameworks, application infrastructure services and deployment clouds. "The challenge with the cloud today…" says Nielsen, "is it feels like the Hotel California—you get into one cloud and then you get trapped and you can't get out. If the industry is really going to let this paradigm take it to the next level, it's got to be open. It's got to provide the flexibility and freedom for developers and corporations to deploy where they want and when they want and move things around as necessary."
Cloud Foundry aims to allow developers to remove the cost and complexity of configuring infrastructure and runtime environments for their applications and focus on the application logic.
"One of the things that developers complain about today," explains Nielsen, "is if they're in a corporation, to actually get an application deployed requires all kinds of work to provision a server, provision a database, provision middleware, make sure it's all set up, coordinate with the operations team and write IT tickets. We had one developer say, 'it's like I spend all my time writing IT tickets'. The value proposition for Cloud Foundry is we want to help you write code, not tickets."
More info:
Cloud Foundry web site: http://www.cloudfoundry.com/
Cloud Foundry blog: http://blog.cloudfoundry.com/
Cloud Foundry on Twitter: http://twitter.com/cloudfoundry
Read more posts on Scobleizer »


text:
Rand Paul filibusters Brennan nomination over drone policy
As Washington, D.C., sat frozen on Wednesday by a promised snowstorm that failed to show, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul ground Congress to a halt in a rare show of congressional protest made famous by Jimmy Stewart in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."
The Republican lawmaker on Wednesday made good on his promise to conduct an hours-long talking filibuster on the Senate floor over the nomination of John Brennan to head the CIA, as a way to protest the Obama administration's use of drone strikes.
The filibuster drew eight other senators, including one Democrat, onto the floor. Members of both parties have publicly expressed concern over the drone policy.
Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, Mike Lee of Utah and Marco Rubio of Florida and Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon all spoke in support of Paul.
"This is an important issue that goes beyond John Brennan," Paul said from the floor. Paul added he holds nothing "personally" against Brennan or the president, but that his filibuster is rooted in principle over constitutional rights.
By 5 p.m. ET, Paul had spoken for more than five hours about the civil liberties he believes are under attack and the Obama administration. For breaks he had entertained "questions" from colleagues.
Paul's public protest followed his request to the administration last month for an explanation of whether the president "has the power to authorize lethal force, such as a drone strike, against a U.S. citizen on U.S. soil and without trial." Such executive power violates Americans' constitutional rights, Paul said.
Attorney General Eric Holder responded to Paul in a letter released on Tuesday that President Barack Obama does have the authority to target Americans with unmanned aerial vehicles, but "has no intention" of doing so. The only exception, he said, was if the U.S. were facing an "extraordinary circumstance."
Paul, who had previously threatened to filibuster Brennan's nomination, called Holder's response "frightening" and "an affront to the constitutional due process rights of all Americans."
Brennan has defended the administration's use of drone strikes abroad.
Paul's protest began at 11:45 p.m. ET, when he rose to state: "I will speak until I can no longer speak."
At one point on Wednesday, Paul likened Obama to a "king" and accused Obama of changing his position on constitutional rights after becoming "intoxicated with power."
Paul stressed that Americans should not allow their fear of terrorism to override basic rights.
Five hours into the filibuster Wednesday, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid stepped in to try and cut it off. Paul refused.
"The only thing I would like is a clarification if the president or the attorney general will clarify that they're not going to kill noncombatants in America," Paul responded.
Olivier Knox contributed to this story.


text:
In this tutorial we will show you how to create a detailed audio receiver icon using Photoshop's vector editing capabilities. Let's get started!
Tutorial Assets
The following assets were used during the production of this tutorial.
Step 1
Open Photoshop and create a new document sized at 900 px wide and 500 px high with resolution of 72 px/inch.
Step 2
Use the Rounded Rectangle Tool (U) with radius of 5px to draw light grey (#f0efef) rectangle. This rectangle will be the base of our receiver. Apply Bevel and Emboss from Layer Style panel.
Step 3
Cmd/Ctrl-click on Vector mask thumbnail to create selection, create new layer on top, add Clipping Mask, fill layer with white color, and then add noise by choosing Filter > Noise > Add Noise from the main menu with settings of 30%, Gaussian and Monochromatic.
Blur the noise by choosing Filter>Blur>Motion Blur with an angle of 0 and a distance of 55 pixels, to create brushed metal effect. Apply Gradient Overlay to this layer, change Blend Mode to Multiply and set Opacity to 80%.
Step 4
Pick up Rectangle Tool (U) and draw small black rectangle - "foot", apply Gradient Overlay from Layer Style, and position this layer below receiver "body" layer.
Draw another black rectangle using Rectangle Tool (U) just below "foot" layer.
Repeat the process to create the other foot.
Step 5
Create grey (#6e6e6e) rectangle, using Rounded Rectangle Tool (U) with radius set to 3px and apply following layer styles.
Position this rectangle below receiver body using the image below as reference.
Step 6
Create black (#141414) rounded rectangle with radius of 70px and apply Bevel and Emboss and Stroke from Layer Style panel. Give this layer name "display".
Cmd/Ctrl-click on Vector mask thumbnail to create selection, go to Select > Modify > Expand to expand selection by 3px, then create new layer just below rounded rectangle and fill it with black color. Clear the selection by pressing Cmd/Ctrl + D on keyboard. Name this layer "display background".
Step 7
Let's create dvd tray. Draw black rounded rectangle with 10px radius and position it like on the image below.
Cmd/Ctrl-click on Vector mask thumbnail of "display" to create selection around, make sure you are on "dvd tray" layer, inverse selection (Select > Inverse), and then hit Delete on keyboard to delete the top part of rectangle.
Add following layer styles to "dvd tray" layer.
Create selection around "dvd tray" layer (Cmd/Ctrl-click on layer thumbnail), expand selection by 3px (Select > Modify > Expand), create new layer below "dvd tray", fill with black color and apply Bevel and Emboss.
Choose Custom Shape Tool (U), load Nature Shapes and draw Sun2 shape using #4c4c4c color.
Step 8
It's time add command button. Grab Ellipse Tool (U), create black circle and add this blending options to the circle.
Draw a white circle in the middle of the prevoius one and add Outer Glow and Color Overlay.
Draw another circle (#242424) in the middle of the prevoius one, but just a bit smaller, and give this layer Gradient Overlay.
With Ellipse Tool (U) create one more circle (#1d1d1d) in the middle and apply Bevel and Emboss and Stoke from Layer Style panel.
Add command name in the middle using Horizontal Type Tool (T), and direction arrows using Polygon Tool (U). For the color use #777777.
Step 9
Using method explained in Step 8 create command button on the right side of the receiver. Create stop, play, pause, forward, rewind and eject commands using Rectangle and Polygon Tool. For the color use #777777.
Step 10
Use the Horizontal Type Tool (T) to add some text and numbers on display. Use a range of type sizes and weight to provide focus to the important elements. For the color use #64efdd. Add an Outer Glow using the same fill color.
Step 11
Open up a new document at 4px by 4px. Zoom into the document and use the Pencil Tool (B) to draw two horizontal lines across the canvas. Go to Edit > Define Pattern and give it a name of LED.
Add an Pattern Overlay to the text and numbers on display.
Step 13
Add more figures on display and apply Outer Glow and Pattern Overlay as described in Step 10 and Step11. The Musical sign can be found in Custom Shape Tool > Music Shapes > Eight Note, while the other signs can be easily created using Rectangle and Ellipse Tool.
Step 14
Cmd/Ctrl-click on "display background" to create selection around it, create new layer on top, drag a white to transparent gradient, from top to bottom, to create a highlight, then change the Blend Mode to Soft Light.
Step 15
In this step we are going to add phones and aux inputs. Draw circle using Ellipse Tool and fill it with #777777 color. Edit Layer Styles to include Inner Shadow, Inner Glow, Bevel and Emboss and set Fill to 0%.
Create another circle using #777777 color and scale into position to sit centrally. Set Fill to 0% and apply following layer styles.
Create one more circle using #353535 and place it centrally. Add input name using Type Tool and apply Drop Shadow. Group these layers into "phones" group.
Duplicate "phones" group, move it a bit to the right and change input name to AUX and group name to "aux".
Step 16
Let's move on. It's time to create USB connector. Grab Rectangle Tool and draw black rectangle. Set Fill to 0% and add layer styles.
Draw another black rectangle, a bit smaller then previous one, lower Fill to 0%, open Layer Styles and apply Drop Shadow, Gradient Overlay and Stroke.
Draw one more black rectangle, again bit smaller then previous one, and apply following layer styles.
Finally create one more black rectangle, set Fill to 0%, double click on layer to open Layer Style and apply Inner Glow, Gradient Overlay and Stroke.
At the end add connector title and signs. Apply Drop Shadow to text and signs.
Step 17
In this step we will create command buttons. With the Ellipse Tool (U) create a grey (#777777) circle, set Fill to 0% and add Inner Shadow, Inner Glow and Bevel and Emboss.
Add another circle, smaller then first one, open Layer Style, apply Inner Shadow, Outer Glow, Inner Glow, Gradient Overlay and Fill to 0%.
It's time for another circle but this light grey (#e4e4e4), and the add following Layer Styles.
The last circle - set Fill to 0% and apply Outer Glow and Gradient Overlay from Layer Style panel.
Finish this step by adding title to the button. Also apply Drop Shadow.
Step 18
Use method explaind in Step 17 to create input and volume buttons.
Step 19
Add receiver model number using Type Tool and apply Drop Shadow from Layer Style panel.
Open up Powered By Envato API logo (listed in Tutorial Assets) in Photoshop, grab only Envato logo, and import in our design. Scale it down and position like on the image below. Double click on layer to open Layer Style, and give this layer Inner Shadow, Bevel and Emboss and Color Overlay.
Step 20
We're almost there! Create new layer just above background layer, create an ellipse selection and fill it with black. Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and apply blur with a 8px radius.
Create new layer above our shadow layer, then create ellipse selection with Elliptical Marquee Tool (M), around left "foot", fill it with black, and give this layer Gaussian Blur with 2px radius. Lower the Opacity to 90%.
Duplicate this layer (Cmd/Ctrl + J) and position it below the right "foot".
Finally apply Gradient Overlay to the background.
That's it. I hope you learned something new from this tutorial and I also hope you liked it and had fun!


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Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
Release: Gross Domestic Product by State
This series was discontinued as the source split the industry components into individual series.
For more information about this release go to http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/gdp_state/qgsp_newsrelease.htm.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Real Gross Domestic Product by Industry: Private Industries: Educational Services, Health Care, and Social Assistance: Health Care and Social Assistance: Hospitals and Nursing and Residential Care Facilities for Great Lakes BEA Region (DISCONTINUED) [GLAKHSPTLNRSRGSP], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GLAKHSPTLNRSRGSP, September 26, 2023.


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Barbell Reverse Curls ExerciseFact Checked On: 6-26-2018 By: Rob Miller
Home » Exercise Videos » Barbell Reverse Curls Exercise
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Top 3 Exercise VideosAffiliate Disclosure
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Testofuel is the most effective testosterone boosting supplement on the market that ive tested.
Top Bodybuilding Supplement – Crazy Mass
The Crazy Mass Bulking Stack was designed for skinny guys looking to gain pure mass.


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In-ceiling loudspeakers are becoming more and more pleasing to both the eyes and ears.
From the aesthetic point of view, companies are now offering in-ceiling models that are barely noticeable – after all, the point of architectural speakers is that you don't really want them to be seen, only heard.
Toward that end, the new Helos 12 and Helos 22 in-ceiling speakers from MartinLogan are not completely invisible (some in-ceilings can be painted over so they really just look like part of the ceiling finish) but they feature a sleek bezel-less design to help them look pretty stealthy.
But don't let the looks fool you. Under the frame-less grilles is a wealth of technology that includes MartinLogan's proprietary Vojtko crossovers for what the company says helps produce low distortion and seamless driver integration. It's used in the company's vaunted and beautiful electrostatic freestanding loudspeakers for which MartinLogan is renowned.
These additions replace the Helos 10 and Helos 20 models, and have the same neodymium soft-dome tweeters and high-rigidity aluminum cone woofers, the company says. The Helos 12 includes a single 1-inch pivoting tweeter that can be aimed toward the listening destination for improved performance, while the Helos 22 serves up single-point stereo sound with a pair of 3/4-inch tweeters.
MartinLogan says both models include one 6.5-inch midrange/bass cone with extended throw driver assembly and thermal protection.
On the outside, the company says the ultra-low-profile grilles for the Helos 12 and Helos 22 can also be painted for near-invisible blending into the ceiling, while a magnetic system secures them easily into place.
The Helos 12 run $299 each and the Helos 22 are $399 apiece.
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It is clear that collaboration is a necessity in navigating today's complex work environments where ambiguity and change are constants.
What is not clear is how to make collaboration part of an organization's culture and the default behavior pattern for leaders.
One possible solution comes from Morten T. Hansen's 2009 book, Collaboration: How Leaders Avoid The Traps, Create Unity, And Reap Big Results.
Hansen has been studying collaboration since the 1990s and offers a clear model for thinking about and managing collaboration.
He makes it clear that collaboration is fundamental to successful strategic execution; he emphasizes that collaboration must be part of the overall vision in order for improved results to be sustained.
To be an effective collaborative leader, Hansen asserts that three elements are necessary: redefining success, involving others, and accountability.
Element 1: Redefining Success
Hansen suggests that the definition of success can no longer be about just achieving your personal or organizational functional goals. To be a collaborative leader, one must expand the definition of success to include both functional and cross-functional goals. By shifting our perspective on success, we set the stage for creating a collaborative culture capable of succeeding in complex ambiguous environments.
Yet, according to Hansen, it is not enough to set broad goals that cut across the organization. Leaders, he wrote, must also invite and support others to engage in the broader, organizational decision-making process.
Hanson offers a simple model he coined called T-Shaped Management as a way to think about the leader's role in managing vertically—in their own job—and horizontally—in the cross-functional organization. I think this concept is especially important in the areas of sustainability and social responsibility where a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach need to be coupled with assertive individual action.
Element 2: Involving Others
Hansen's research indicates that leaders who invite others into the decision-making process—leaders who are genuinely open to collaborative learning while remaining decisive and accountable—can make better decisions and reduce resistance to change. Opening up discussion and decision-making for debate, however, brings its own challenges, in particular managing individual accountability in a group setting.
Element 3: Accountability
Accountability means that leaders need to stop blaming others and assume responsibility for both successes and failures. Accountability is an important element in any setting; however, for collaboration to take place, accountability is essential.
Distributing accountability can open the door for dysfunctional social loafing or freeloading type behaviors. According to Hansen, collaborative leaders work to prevent this by modeling personal accountability and holding others accountable through identifying specific, individual goals and actions that align to the broader goals. They also integrate individual goals and actions into the collaborative process to ensure that the balance across individual and group focus is maintained while producing results.
Collaboration Isn't Easy
The value of collaboration needs to be explicit and an ongoing practice in organizations; it needs to be modeled by key leaders. The question becomes: "Why don't more organizations and leaders incorporate collaborative approaches into their work?"
Collaboration is not easy and there are traps that need to be overcome in order to be successful. It is not as simple as telling people to be collaborative—there are tensions involved and skills required in being successful at operating collaboratively and in creating a culture that embraces collaboration. Engaging the group raises tensions around self-esteem and power dynamics. The skills to be effective require one to be open, forthright, and empathetic as well as being an effective listener and inquirer. In addition, the system or culture must routinely reinforce these types of skills and balance tensions for collaboration to be effective.
Hansen emphasizes these challenges by describing four barriers to collaboration that involve motivation or ability issues:
- Not being open to influence, alternative views, or diversity of opinion,
- Not being forthright and freely sharing of information,
- Inability to coordinate people and information effectively, and
- Inability to transfer complicated knowledge across the collaborative network.
Hansen's book is strong in describing a whole-system approach to a collaborative framework with tools for assessing collaborative efforts and ways of thinking about how to pinpoint ineffective efforts. The book, however, provides little information on how to implement the framework or make corrective changes in non-collaborative behavior.
Other resources will be needed from research and knowledge areas such as collaboration, shared leadership, coaching, and teamwork to create an action plan that helps implement a change effort.
Read other posts by Susan Hoberecht
Keep up with our community: Facebook | Twitter | Saybrook's Organizational Systems Program


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Bá and I will participate this year again in the awesomeness that is TR!CKSTER. During Comicon in San Diego, while amazing stuff happens inside the convention center, there's just too much going on, and more and more it's easy to lose focus of what you want, what you love and what you're looking for. For these reasons, some amazing folks created a place outside the convention center where you can focus on creators who do their own comics, and where you can learn and discuss how to become a creator yourself talking with some great talented bunch of authors you admire or soon will discover.
This year, TR!CKSTER is promoting an activity called Cocktail Hour, in which one accomplished creator, or a team of creators, will spend one hour with one person who subscribe, to help develop this person's project. As it's put on the website, "YOU will bring a project you're working on and brainstorm, design, chat, troubleshoot, and create alongside one of your favorite working storytellers. Bring a script, an outline, character designs, comic pages, storyboards, screenplay pages, whatever you need, and experience one of the most focused working sessions of your life as you drink and create, together. Time and day to be mutually determined"
Bá will do one cocktail hour, and I will do another.
What does that mean? What can we do with your project? How can we help you?
- Let's say you're an artist with no script. We can look at your artwork and help you with your technique, with your inking or coloring, with your style. We can tell you what publisher your work fits better, and maybe we can even know who to talk to at the publisher. We can give you advice on how to start writing your own stories, and how that can be different than working with other writers. We can give you tips and advice on self-publishing.
- Let's say you're an artist with a script or project. We can look at your script, your story, your project, and help develop it further, see where it can be improved, talk about schedule, talk about craft and how the art and the words work together to tell your story. We can look at your character designs and help out create the look of your story, help you make your art your own.
- Let's say you're a writer with no artist. We can give you advice and tips on how to find artists, we can look at your script and tell which artist or style to look for, maybe we even know somebody who really fits your project. We can help sketch the characters, think about covers, design, how to package your story to propose your project to a publisher, and what publisher does the kind of books you want to make. We can go over your script and polish it, maybe tell you what artists like to see in a script and what doesn't help the artist to understand what that scene/panel is about, we can help you break down a scene in panels and pages.
If I got yourself interested in learning while helping out TR!CKSTER, go to the TR!CKSTER indiegogo page and subscribe to one one hour of intensive learning. It will be tons of fun, guaranteed. There are other amazing artists offering the same Cocktail Hour workshop, so maybe you can also have an amazing time with Jill Thompson and her storytelling and watercolor skills, or you can get expressive, cartoony and funny with Scott C (just to name two), it's your call. While you're checking the link, see all the other ways you can get fun stuff and help maintaining this amazing creator friendly space, buying prints and books.
Let's all meet up at TR!CKSTER and celebrate the art and love of making comics.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Tr!ckster Cocktail Hour
Posted by Fábio Moon at 3:55 PM
Labels: art, cocktail hour, Fábio Moon, Gabriel Bá, San Diego, sdcc, story, style, trickster, workshop
3 comments:
- DanHale said...
This sounds like an amazing opportunity. I am really tempted to do it, I think like I could learn a lot in the hour.
- Mike said...
Gaaaah! If only I could get a flight out there... I am definitely going next year!
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6 cartons Dunhill Button Blue. Sold in cartons of 10 Packs of 20 Cigarettes. Meaning a Total of 60 packs or 1200 cigarettes. Tar: 7mg; Nicotine: 0.6mg; Length: 88mm; Type: King size; Box Type: Hard Pack; Product: European made cigarettes, cigars and tobacco;
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While piering over the edge of a dock, taking pictures and looking for an invasive (but beautiful) marine bryozoan, I saw a flash of dark. In the second that followed, my first thought was a large salmon, but its movement was too fluid and agile. My next thought was small seal, but the shape and size weren't right. Since I had my camera in the water, I pointed in that direction and took a shot. An instant later, the flash opened like a parachute and came to an abrupt halt a dozen feet from the water's edge.
The octopus changed colors in two quick waves before dashing under the dock. I was afraid that was the last I'd see of it, but it then "tip toed" (for lack of a better description) with much less urgency across the boat launch to the next dock. This was an odd time and an odd place to find a giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) which is generally nocturnal and spends the day in their favorite crevice.
Particularly before recreational diving came into being, it's easy to imagine how tall tales grew out of the existence of such a terrifically unusual creature. I have an old marine biology text, where the author refers to our Pacific Coast species as devilfish (not uncommon still today). At the same time, the author decries the misnomer and describes the creatures in colorful language not found in modern textbooks. The fear people had of old was clearly derived from ignorance. It was not unusual for the octopus to be depicted with pincers at the end of its arms or other nightmarishly concocted details. Today… many divers consider encountering these intelligent creatures like bumping into an old friend – except the friend's under water… and doesn't actually get very old (only 3-5 years!).
I mentioned above that this octopus changed its color. For a creature with so many striking features, this is probably one of the most impressive. Octopuses and their kin (squid and cuddlefish) have four types or groups of cells that can influence their color. The most useful for this octopus is the chromatophore. The pigment-containing chromatore cell is surrounded by more than a dozen muscle cells and at least one nerve cell to trigger an instant contraction or relaxation of the chromatophore, thus changing the visible pigment. In the image to the left you can see the shudder of light running across the octopus. Other amazing features include their beak, their suckers, their lack of many hard parts, their diet, intelligence, ink, hydropropulsion, fishing pressure …). Maybe I can blog about those later.
We have two octopus species in the shallower waters of the Pacific Northwest – The giant Pacific and the Pacific red octopus (Octopus rubescens). The red is small (up to 20″ with arms spread), while the Pacific giant can reach 160 pounds and stretch their arms 24′! Much larger individuals are thought to exist. The octopus in these photos was a more modest size – 3 or 4′ while swimming and basketball sized while walking. Other identifying features include lots of flat, rounded skin flaps on the giant Pacific and more cylindrical, pointed skin flaps on the red. Also, the red has three skin flap eyelashes just below each eye; the giant Pacific has none.
Divers enjoy regular visits with giant pacific octopus, but for those who don't get more than wader deep in the water, it's worth keeping an eye out for them when you're exploring the intertidal, particularly in rockier areas. They can survive for some time out of water as long as they stay cool and damp.
To get a wonderfully close look at these critters, check out the Port Townsend Marine Science Center or Seattle Aquarium. Octopus week at the Seattle Aquarium is coming up (2/13 – 2/20). A highlight is the annual Valentine's Day "blind date". A male octopus has already been introduced into the tank with the female, but they are currently separated by a perforated gate. The holes allow them to sense each other but not to come into contact. At noon on Valentine's Day the two will be allowed to meet in octoperson.
On the Kitsap Peninsula, the Poulsbo Marine Science Center is a fabulous place to visit an octopus and enjoy other marine life. Currently "Mr. Bob" is the resident octopus. You can see a couple pictures under News on the PMSC website. Exploring the Center is free of charge and the doors are open 11-4 Thursday-Sunday.
There are lots of places to look for more information. A couple good starts might be The Giant Octopus Web Page or The Cephalopod Page. May you be so fortunate to enjoy a devil of your own! JEff
Jeff Adams is a Washington Sea Grant Marine Water Quality Specialist, affiliated with the University of Washington's College of the Ocean and Fishery Sciences and based in Bremerton. You can follow his Sea-life blog, email to email@example.com or call at 360-337-4619.


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Packers 23, Vikings 14: In position
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Afterward, the place to be was the equipment room. As T-Bone and Red and Bryan and their colleagues went about their work, Aaron Rodgers was sitting atop a table, Mike McCarthy was off to the side. And by the time Sidney Rice had caught Russell Wilson's game-winning touchdown pass in Chicago, it was standing room only.
The Green Bay Packers had taken care of their business, winning another grinder, a 23-14 come-from behind triumph over the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field. Like many of their victories this season, it wasn't the most aesthetically pleasing effort, and in continuing their hard-luck theme, they incurred two more injuries to starters – right tackle T.J. Lang (ankle) and wide receiver Jordy Nelson (hamstring). One could also have argued that if the Vikings had a quarterback half as good as Rodgers, maybe the outcome would've been different.
Nevertheless, the Packers had improved to 8-4 on the season, and thanks to Wilson and Rice hooking up in overtime to give the Seattle Seahawks a 23-17 victory at Soldier Field, moved into a first-place tie with the archrival Chicago Bears atop the NFC North standings.
"I can't say there are many Seahawks fans in the locker room," Rodgers said with a wry smile, "but we appreciate the help."
A little while later, the end of the Indianapolis Colts-Detroit Lions game was on the very same TV. And when Andrew Luck's game-winning TD to Donnie Avery beat the yet another of the Packers' NFC North rivals – dropping the Lions, the Packers' opponent next Sunday night, to 4-8 – there again arose such a clatter. And at some point, the St. Louis Rams had delivered some help of their own, with Greg Zuerlein beating the San Francisco 49ers with a 53-yard game-winning overtime field goal in St. Louis.
All of which left the Packers this: Despite being outplayed by the 49ers in the regular-season opener, despite having a victory Stolen in Seattle by the replacement officials, despite squandering a 21-3 lead in an Oct. 7 loss to Luck and the Colts, and despite an embarrassingly lackluster loss to the New York Giants on national television, they are front-and-center in the NFC playoff picture with four games to play.
While NFC South-leading Atlanta (10-1) appears destined for the No. 1 seed, the Packers (8-4) and Bears (8-4) are a half-game out of the conference's No. 2 spot currently held by the 49ers (8-3-1). While the NFC East-leading Giants (7-4) play Monday night against Washington (5-6), and plenty can change in the season's final month, the Packers have the scenario they want: They control their own destiny and can accomplish all of their goals in a season that at 2-3 looked bleak.
"Everything's right in front of us, regardless of the Bears outcome today," said Rodgers, who was able to catch the endings of both the Bears' and Lions' losses before his post-game press briefing. "We still have the Bears at Chicago (on Dec. 16) and the division very well could come down to that meeting. We have Detroit next week. They just lost the game at the end, so they're 4-8, but it'll be a tough opponent for us. Any time you're playing that team and that defense on Sunday night football, everything's right in front of us. We've got to go win our home games and get a couple wins on the road."
McCarthy, meanwhile, has always followed what he calls 'The 10 Win Rule:" You don't start talking about the standings or the playoffs until you get to 10 wins. And at present, his team needs two more to get there.
"Yes, I'm aware the Bears lost. That's good, but it doesn't really mean anything to me. I don't start counting right now," McCarthy said, arriving at the podium moments after the Seahawks' victory. "We were in first place for how many days (before losing to the Giants)? We need to beat the Lions. That's where I'm at.
"I'm glad we won today. I thought our preparation throughout the week was OK. We talked about it as a team last night: We needed to win this game. We needed to go about it the right way. We still have things that we need to clean up. We were able to overcome injuries. I think it speaks volumes to the character of the players in our locker room. It's a good group of men. I enjoy coaching them. We need to improve."
There's no denying that.
On offense, Rodgers celebrated his 29th birthday by completing 27 of 35 passes for 286 yards with one touchdown and one interception (98.0 rating), the running game had its second-most productive game of the year (a combined 27 carries for 124 yards and a touchdown from James Starks and Alex Green), and the unit got Mason Crosby in position for four field-goal attempts, three of which the beleaguered kicker made.
On defense, the Packers survived largely because the Vikings (6-6) watched second-year quarterback Christian Ponder make a couple of back-breaking mistakes – two interceptions to safety Morgan Burnett – and because superstar running back Adrian Peterson's Herculean effort (21 carries for 210 yards, including an 82-yard touchdown) wasn't enough.
"As we came into the tunnel (after the game), (defensive end) Everson Griffen was there behind me, talking," Peterson said. "He was saying, 'Why do I feel like we won, but we're leaving here with a loss?' That's just what type of feel it was. We know that there were things that cost us the game.
"It's very disappointing, especially the way we ran the ball today. And now, you can look at it and say it was all for nothing."
The Packers took the opening kickoff and drove 75 yards in eight plays, with Rodgers finding James Jones for a 32-yard touchdown on which Jones made a spectacular catch over Vikings cornerback A.J. Jefferson. And when the Packers defense held Peterson to 2- and 3-yard gains before Ponder's third-down incompletion to force a punt, they pushed the lead to 10-0 on a 30-yard Crosby field goal that doinked off the left upright but made it through.
The Vikings pulled within 10-7 when Ponder hit tight end Kyle Rudolph on a 7-yard touchdown pass with 12 minutes 18 seconds left in the first half. Little did the Vikings know that their second-year QB wouldn't complete another pass until hitting Rudolph for a 21-yard gain with 3:32 to remained in the game – an astonishing 38 minutes 46 seconds between completions.
"We definitely want to improve our passing game. That is something that we will keep working to improve," said Vikings coach Leslie Frazier before emphatically stating that Ponder would remain the team's starter. "You want to create a little bit of balance for sure, especially as well as we were running the ball."
Indeed, Peterson was spectacular. On a third-and-1 play from the Minnesota 18-yard line, he exploded off right end, shed would-be tackles by Burnett, M.D. Jennings, Mike Neal and Tramon Williams and was off to the races on an 82-yard touchdown that gave Minnesota a 14-10 lead with 5:08 left in the half.
Then, on the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter, Peterson broke loose again, taking off on a 48-yard run down to the Green Bay 12. But two plays after that Ponder rolled to his right and threw back across the middle in the general direction of wide receiver Michael Jenkins – and into the hands of Burnett. Rather than taking a 21-10 lead, the Vikings watched the Packers drive 51 yards in the other direction for a 47-yard Crosby field goal that trimmed the lead to a single point (and earned Crosby a standing ovation from the Lambeau Field crowd of 70,567.
"I thought Morgan Burnett's interception in the end zone was the biggest play of the game," McCarthy said. "I thought our whole sideline changed after that."
After two Vikings punts sandwiched around a failed trick play that started with a Randall Cobb lateral back to Rodgers and ended in Rodgers' eighth interception of the season, the Packers took the lead for good with 2:12 to go in the third quarter. After 11- and 7-yard runs by Green to start the drive, Starks took off around right end on a 22-yard touchdown run that made it 20-14.
"We ran ball more effectively than we had all season. Good combination of James Starks and Alex Green running the football, doing a nice job," Rodgers said. (Green and Starks combined for 28 carries for 114 yards against Arizona on Nov. 4). "That gave us good balance. Obviously, the key drive of the game was after Morgan's second pick."
Indeed, on the ensuing Vikings possession, Peterson had another explosive run – this one for 23 yards, to the Green Bay 40 – and a debatable personal foul penalty on Tramon Williams gave Minnesota a first-and-10 at the Green Bay 25. But Ponder promptly was picked by a diving Burnett, who sliced in front of Rudolph on the final play of the third quarter.
The offense then embarked on its longest drive of the season – an 18-play, 11-minute march that ended in Crosby's third field goal of the day, from 31 yards – to make it a two-score game at 23-14. From there, it was over.
"This is a big win for us, to bounce back from last week, pull off a division win like this – especially when the back runs for 200 yards, and we still find a way to win this game," veteran defensive tackle Ryan Pickett said. "It says a lot about us.
"We're still improving. We're still trying to get better. I think we're going to do that. I think we're going to continue to get better through this last stretch of the season."
Listen to Jason Wilde every weekday from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on "Green & Gold Today" on 540 ESPN, and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/jasonjwilde.


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For most New Mexicans the most anticipated time of the year is not Christmas, it's the chile harvest. Around mid August chile roasters start appearing in grocery store parking lots in preparation for the arrival of our sacred fruit. Once the harvest arrives the smells of fresh roasted chile permeate the air throughout Albuquerque. Even my best description would be pointless, it's something you have to experience first hand and once you get a good whiff of fresh roasted chiles you will become instantly addicted to the intoxicating aroma.
|Fresh Green Chile
OK, I admit I do not normally purchase fresh roasted chile every year. Most of the time I just buy frozen chile in the grocery store, its convenient, the product is consistent and for most of my recipes it was good enough. But that was all before I started this blog. Now I've got a reputation to uphold and frozen green chile just isn't going to cut it any more. So when the chile harvest hit town I started looking for the best Hatch Chiles I could find. I found a local store, Chile Traditions, which had fresh Hatch Chile. They were actually unloading sacks of chile from the truck when I pulled up. I eagerly purchased my sack of hot chile and had them roast most of it but saved some choice chiles to roast at home.
|Disc-It with the Roast-It
Once I got home I fired up my Disc-It with the Roast-it attachment. I filled up the basket with the spicy fruit and started roasting. As the chiles started to roast I got a good whiff of the burning capsaicin and started to cough. Oh, yah this was going to be a good batch of chile.
|Roasted Green Chile in the Roast-It.
With my chiles roasted and cleaned it was time to start eating. I started with Green Chile Cheeseburger, and I threw on a couple of piece of bacon for good measure. Cheeseburgers alone are great but you throw on a couple of strips of fresh roasted green chile and it's just amazing much better a burger can be.
|Green Chile Cheese & Bacon Burger
A couple of days later we decided to try cooking up some rellenos. Cheryl and I have never made rellenos before, so we consulted our buddy Google for some pointers and started cooking. For our first attempt they turned out really good, once I get the recipe down I'll post it. But just incase our rellenos didn't turn out I grilled up some petite sirloins for back up. Besides what would go better with a deep fried chile filled with cheese that a little steak??
|Frying Rellenos in the Disc-It
My chile is all clean and frozen just wait to be call up for culinary duty but serious doubt it's going to be enough to last past Christmas. Regardless how long it last, every delicious bite will chronicled right here. I can't wait to cook up another Green Chile Pork Butt with my fresh chile, It's going to be guud!!