Monthly Archives: July 2022

UPDATE, Wednesday, 5:13 AM PT: Hulu will now accept political issue ads, a change in the policy of the streaming platform after Democrats chided the company for rejecting spots on abortion and guns.

In a statement, The Walt Disney Co., parent of Hulu, said, After a thorough review of ad policies across its linear networks and streaming platforms over the last few months, Disney is now aligning Hulus political advertising policies to be consistent with the Companys general entertainment and sports cable networks and ESPN+. Hulu will now accept candidate and issue advertisements covering a wide spectrum of policy positions, but reserves the right to request edits or alternative creative, in alignment with industry standards.

Hulu had previously had a policy prohibiting ad content that takes a position on a controversial issue of public importance (e.g. social issues). It would accept spots for political candidates and campaigns, but they were to be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

The executive directors of the Democratic Governors Association, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee blasted the company after Hulu refused to stream ad spots on abortion and guns.

PREVIOUSLY: Leaders of three top Democratic committees blasted Hulu for its decision to reject advertising spots on abortion and guns, calling out the streaming service for censorship of the truth.

The spots here and here were turned down, with Hulu citing a long standing policy to reject spots related to controversial issues. Its guidelines prohibit content that takes a position on a controversial issue of public importance (e.g. social issues).

In a statement first made to the Washington Post, the executive directors of the Democratic Governors Association, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said, Hulus censorship of the truth is outrageous, offensive, and another step down a dangerous path for our country. Voters have the right to know the facts about MAGA Republicans agenda on issues like abortion and Hulu is doing a huge disservice to the American people by blocking voters from learning the truth about the GOP record or denying these issues from even being discussed. The three committees called on the company to reverse the policy. A spokesman for the DGA said on Tuesday that they had not heard back from Hulu and they still have our money.

Hulu and its parent company, The Walt Disney Co., have not commented, but a source familiar with the situation cited the streamers policy, noting that it applied not just to abortion and guns but other controversial topics.

No election cycle passes without candidates and campaigns seizing on an outlets rejection of one of their advertisements, something that inevitably calls more attention to the spots in question. But Hulus rejection of the spots reflects the growing attention to streamers policies when it comes to political advertisements, as they are given more leeway to reject such spots than are broadcasters, who are bound by FCC rules set by federal statute. (Stations are all but bound to run spots from candidates, but they have leeway when it comes to issue ads.)

The prohibition on such topical advertising spots is likely to become even more of an issue as campaigns increasingly look to streaming services to reach voters, in particular younger voters. But platforms have different policies. The non-subscription platform Pluto TV in the Washington, D.C. area is full of issue ads, many of them from lobbying groups trying to reach lawmakers about controversial legislation. The subscription platform Peacock, meanwhile, lists controversial issue and political advertising as among the categories of spots that require review by NBCUniversal at least 72 hours before streaming.

Hulus policy does say that they will review on a case-by-case basis certain political ads. That was the case with Suraj Patel, running for Congress in New York. He protested after submitting an ad spot that made mention of abortion, guns and climate change. In a letter he shared with the site Jezebel, he wrote to Disney CEO Bob Chapek and Hulu president Joe Earley, claiming that his campaign received a call from a Hulu representative, explaining that there was an unwritten policy to not include topics considered too sensitive. He noted that TV and cable outlets accepted the spot.

He also wrote that given the decline in cable subscriptions, your network is a key source for information and entertainment for many viewers in the country. Patel later told the Washington Post that the ad ran after his campaign made edits to it, replacing the words climate change with democracy and substituting footage of the attack on the U.S. Capitol with a shot of Donald Trump. Later, though, Hulu contacted his campaign to tell him the original spot would be accepted, according to the Post.

Hulu evaluates how they review candidate ads, with candidates given greater flexibility to explain their positions, the source said. Although those guidelines are not disclosed, they do reserve the right to ask for edits.

Disney ran into a political buzzsaw earlier this year over a Florida law that restricted K-3 teachers from talking about sexual orientation and gender identity, legislation that came to be known by opponents as the Dont Say Gay bill. After initially declining to weigh in on the bill, the company reversed course and condemned it, leading to the states governor, Ron DeSantis, to lead an effort to strip Disney of its special district status at its Florida theme parks.

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Democrats Blast Hulu For Rejecting Political Issue Ads On Abortion And Guns; Streaming Service Cites Ban On Spots With Controversial Topics - Deadline

Whether its Ronald, Donald or Arnold, Americans are all too familiar with the phenomenon of the second-tier celebrity turned politician. So when the TV doctor Mehmet Oz decided to run for Senate in Pennsylvania, his background as a B-lister seemed well suited to the role.

As he proudly notes in his official biography, Oz has won Emmys, has written eight bestsellers, and was featured on six seasons of The Oprah Winfrey Show. He is a master of traditional media. But now the daytime TV star is facing a Democratic opponent who has proved himself a media success story in his own right though his area of expertise is Twitter, not television.

When John Fetterman entered the race, the relatively little known lieutenant governor had his work cut out for him: a Bernie Sanders backer who supports universal healthcare and a $15 minimum wage, he is running to replace a Republican in a swing state.

But he has rapidly made himself a national name as he tears into Oz on social media hammering him, in particular, on the question of whether hes really from Pennsylvania at all. Oz has said he moved there in 2020 to a place his wifes parents own. Before that, he lived in New Jersey for decades.

In Fettermans view, Oz is still a Jersey boy, and the Democrat has weaponized meme after meme against his rival. Fetterman has posted a picture of Ozs face on a Pennsylvania drivers license, labeled McLovin in an homage to cinemas best known fake ID. He has mocked his rival for apparently filming an ad for his Pennsylvania campaign in his New Jersey mansion. And he has employed the services of the most Jersey person this side of Bruce Springsteen: Nicole Snooki Polizzi.

In a clip that has received more than 84,000 likes on Twitter, the Jersey Shore reality star offers some savage sympathy: I heard that you moved from New Jersey to look for a new job, she says. I know youre away from home and youre in a new place, but dont worry, because youll be back in New Jersey soon.

Fettermans attacks arent limited to the digital world. He had a pilot fly a banner over the Jersey shore saying, Hey Dr Oz. Welcome home to NJ! John. He posted the image online, flexing Pennsylvania credentials by dedicating it to yinz and youse down the shore today a combination of Pittsburgh and Philly-speak. Hes also selling a Dr Oz for NJ sticker. And in a coup de grce on Thursday, Fetterman confirmed that he had launched a petition to have Oz honored in the New Jersey Hall of Fame, which celebrates the accomplishments of state residents.

Oz himself has a ways to go when it comes to the art of the political stunt. He posted pictures of himself visiting Pats and Genos, the dueling cheesesteak shops, across the street from each other, that are a Philadelphia landmark. It was a rookie error, akin to a New Yorker taking a selfie at Times Square any local can list at least five cheesesteak places theyve deemed better than those two. Fetterman called Oz a tourist, and even Pats itself replied: Do you even live in [Pennsylvania]? And can you spell the town you live in? (Oz misspelled the name of his supposed home town, Huntingdon Valley, in a campaign filing.) When youre getting burned by a cheesesteak shop, you know you need to up your social media game.

While Fetterman has proved himself a natural in the art of trolling, you can almost feel the blood, sweat and tears poured into Ozs efforts. When he posted a doctored image of Bernie Sanders with Fetterman labeled best friends, Fetterman replied with a meme mocking Ozs graphic design skills. When the Republican shared a picture of a dictionary definition of John Fetterman a Bernie Sanders socialist who is wrong for Pennsylvania it felt like exactly what it was: an attempt to crowbar old-fashioned political boilerplate into a modern format. (It also placed John Fetterman between justice and jurisdiction, which, as several people pointed out, is not how the alphabet works.)

Perhaps in desperation, Oz has recently adopted a new tactic: a John Fetterman basement tracker that records how long its been since the Democrat has held a public event. But instead of coming off as a blow to his opponent, the strategy just seems mean-spirited. What took Fetterman off the campaign trail was a stroke on 13 May.

Despite his pause from IRL campaigning, Fettermans strategy appears to be working. Polls have repeatedly put the Democrat on top in the race, and he has raised about nine times as much as his opponent since April. A win in November may serve as a political lesson about the importance of carving out a digital identity and could be crucial to Democrats chances of holding the Senate. Like so many others these days, Fetterman is working from home and finding that he can still get things done.

More here:

Has Democrat John Fetterman found a way to beat the reality-TV politician? - The Guardian US

A group of Democrats introduced a bill Tuesday that would impose term limits on Supreme Court justices.

According to a report in Axios, the bill would let the president appoint a justice in the first and third years of his term and each justice would serve for 18 years before retiring from regular active service.

Democrats said the current court, consisting of members appointed for life, is illegitimate because of the popular vote and such recent decisions as its refusal to continue upholding abortion as a right.

Five of the six conservative justices on the bench were appointed by presidents who lost the popular vote, and they are now racing to impose their out-of-touch agenda on the American people, who do not want it, Rep. Hank Johnson, Georgia Democrat and co-sponsor of the bill, said in a statement.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island Democrat, will introduce the bill in the Senate, Axios reported.

The bills chances of becoming law and taking effect are very slim on two counts.

First, the near-certain lack of Republican support dooms it in a 50-50 Senate where most business requires 60 votes.

Its constitutionality is also dubious since one of the few specific provisions of Article III, which established the judicial branch, states that The judges, both of the supreme and inferior courts, shall hold their offices during good behaviour, i.e., for life barring impeachment for misconduct.

But Democrats remain undeterred.

Term limits are a necessary step toward restoring balance to this radical, unrestrained majority on the court, said Mr. Johnson, who is chairman of the Judiciary subcommittee on courts.

The Axios report said the bill would keep the number of voting justices at nine by moving an existing justice, the longest-serving first, to senior status upon each biennial appointment.

The senior justices, as is the case in lower federal courts, would retain pay and some official duties, including voting if the number of justices drops below nine for any reason.

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Democrats introduce bill to impose term limits on Supreme Court justices - Washington Times

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Democrat strategist Lis Smith, who worked for Pete Buttigieg's 2020 presidential campaign, recalled how she felt while helping disgraced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo respond to sexual assault allegations during an interview with the Washington Posts's Jonathan Capehart on Tuesday.

Smith also served as an aide to former New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and has recently appeared on several shows to discuss her new book "Any Given Tuesday: A Political Love Story."

Smith told Capehart that she had never heard a "whisper" of any sort of sexual behavior coming from Cuomo.

"So I went to advise him, and he swore. He looked us each in the eye when we met with him, and he just said, Nothing else will come out. There is nothing else that will come out," Smith told the Washington Post writer and MSNBC host.

ANDREW CUOMO GOT ADVICE FROM BILL CLINTON ON HOW TO HANDLE SEX SCANDAL

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during the daily media briefing at the Office of the Governor of the State of New York on June 12, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Jeenah Moon/Getty Images)

"And I found myself in a situation that it felt like a little bit like quicksand, that I was, like, getting pulled in over my head, and there's no way for me to get out. But I trusted him. You know, you have to understand, this was someone that I really did believe in, and so it was really hard for me to grapple with the fact that maybe he wasn't being truthful to me," Smith said.

She said loyalty was important to her and that while working in politics she had come across many politicians that were quick to "disappear" at the first sign of trouble.

Smith added that she never wanted to be that person.

"But, ultimately, it was by the time the AG report came out and there were new allegations in there that he, one week prior to the report dropping, had looked us all in the eye and said there's going to be nothing new in, even though he knew that it would be in there, it was beyond clear to me that, you know, my loyalty had been abused."

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio blasted "disgraced" now-former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. (John Lamparski/Getty Images; Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

NY GOV. CUOMO RESIGNS AMID SEXUAL HARASSMENT SCANDAL

"I felt like my gender had been weaponized and been used sort of to provide him cover as an advisor. I mean, I was really a behind the scenes advisor. I wasn't really going out in the press and talking that much to reporters. It was mostly helping to prep him for stuff, but I did still feel like my gender had been weaponized," Smith told the Post.

She said that she learned to not conflate loyalty with integrity and added that she was "employing blind loyalty" towards Cuomo at the time.

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Former New York state Gov. Andrew Cuomo (C), former New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio (R) and New York state Department of Health Commissioner Howard Zucker hold a news conference on the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in New York on March 2, 2020 in New York City. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

Smith called de Blasio "childish" and "annoyingly condescending" in her new book, and said the former New York City mayor was also "intellectually lazy."

During an appearance on MSNBC, Smith compared de Blasio to an "unshowered" college student who believed he was smart because "hed read one line of a Communism for Dummies book."

Hanna Panreck is an associate editor at Fox News.

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Democrat strategist on advising Andrew Cuomo on sexual assault allegations: 'My loyalty had been abused' - Fox News

Former President Donald Trump blasted Democrats for crime waves in blue cities at a speech for the America First Policy Institute on Tuesday.

Trump emphasized law and order in his speech, blaming rising crime on Democratic efforts to defund police in major cities.

Under Democrat rule in Democrat-run cities, Democrat-run states and a Democrat-run federal government, the criminals have been given free range more than ever before, Trump said.

There has never been a time like this, he went on to say. Our streets are riddled with needles, and soaked with the blood of innocent victims. (RELATED:The Bears Cant Even Be Bribed To Stay In Crime-Ridden Chicago)

There is no longer respect for the law, and there certainly is no order. Our country is now a cesspool of crime, we have blood, death, and suffering on a scale once unthinkable.

Violent crime hit record highs in Atlanta, Baltimore, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. in June. Homicide, rape, assault and robbery have been on the rise since 2020.

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Soaked With The Blood Of Innocent Victims: Trump Blasts Democrat Politicians In Speech Focused On Crime - Daily Caller

Given that tortured backstory, Democrats said they were hardly surprised that voters knew so little about their prized infrastructure bill. Some lamented that their own party hasnt done enough to promote it.

We were so focused on passing the next thing, we forgot to tell people about it. And thats a huge mistake, said Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.). We passed a historic, bipartisan infrastructure bill. And why we werent crooning about that from minute one is still a mystery to me.

Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.) speaks with members of the press outside the White House.|Patrick Semansky/AP Photo

While House Democrats collectively held over 1,000 events to promote the bill, the polling shows it didnt resonate with most people. Roughly one-third of voters said they believed it was still being worked on in Congress, while 9 percent believed it was not being worked on in Congress and will not be passed. About 37 percent said they didnt know the status of the package at all.

There was a bright spot in the data for Democrats: Pollsters said the trend could be reversed before this falls midterms if the party can harness the right message. They found that voters support for the infrastructure bill reaches 80 percent after learning about whats in it Democrats just have to reach them first.

In selling this legislation, the first order of business is to remind, inform, and convince voters that it is now law, Third Way analysts, from a polling firm that worked for Bidens campaign, wrote in a memo.

The poll, which included 2,000 likely voters from across the country, found that the bills biggest programs were also its biggest selling points. Nearly 8 in 10 people said they believed it was extremely or very important to have better roads with fewer potholes, as well as high-quality water. Sixty-five percent of people felt the same about improving high-speed internet.

But the pollsters cautioned that Democrats shouldnt try to pitch the bill as a solution for all problems. For instance, it found that voters dont believe politicians promises that the bill will fight inflation or climate change. Instead, they advised Democrats to stick to the basics: Better roads, cleaner water, and faster internet made with American products and built by American workers is what this bill is about and what sells.

Another message that worked: Attacking Republicans for voting against the broadly popular bill.

The memo found that swing voters were much less likely to support a Republican as the result of a message attacking GOP lawmakers for siding with Big Oil on the bill. Voters also said they were less likely to support Republicans after viewing negative messages that called out GOP members who took credit for local project funding that came from an infrastructure bill they voted against.

Party arms like the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee have already leaned into that type of attack, which theyve dubbed vote no, take the dough. But many Democrats believe their party needs to do more.

Weve not done a good job with that. I never understood why we would not be running an ad against every single Republican who didnt vote for the infrastructure bill, said Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.).

Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.) speaks during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing.|Stefani Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images

Other centrist Democrats said the polling should also act as a general warning about their strategy. These centrists complained the party tended to move quickly past more modest achievements, like last months bipartisan gun deal, rather than laud them as significant progress.

Instead, those Democrats argue, some in their party push for more sweeping bills with no chance at becoming law in the current Congress like a ban on so-called assault weapons to demonstrate ongoing pressure to base voters.

Centrist Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.) said hes worried some of his Democratic colleagues will do the same thing if theyre able to pass a bill this summer that would allow the government to negotiate drug prices with Medicare. Thats a long-held priority for the party, but the rest of the proposed legislation has significantly shrunk compared to earlier iterations that also aimed to address climate change and taxes frustrating progressives.

Were going to have the same problem on prescription drugs, mark my words, Schrader said. When the prescription drug bill comes out, it passes, the Democrats are gonna go well, Thats great, but ... The average person is gonna go, But? That means its not that good, isnt it? And thats not true. Its a great, great bill.

The Third Way and Impact Research poll was conducted online from June 2 to June 9, with a margin of error of 2.2 percentage points.

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Democrats have another infrastructure problem - POLITICO - POLITICO