Here we go again, Fake "war crimes" by Israel bashers exposed - damning effect still on Reports of IDF Crimes: Fiction Based on Rumors - Defense/Middle ...Claims that IDF soldiers deliberately killed civilians during Operation Cast Lead were based in hearsay, a military investigation has concluded. The two soldiers who first reported the alleged incidents several weeks ago had not seen the incidents themselves, and had no personal knowledge to support the allegations... B'Tselem, accused the IDF... ... www.israelnationalnews.co... Then again, it (false accusations by the infamous un-reliable radical political group: B'tzelem) reminds us all the UN's such loud & harsh "accusation" of Israel of "killing Kids in Gaza", then later on "woke up" told the truth, AKA retracted it , UN retracts claim over Gaza school attack [Feb 4, 2009] ... The UN has retracted a claim that an Israeli strike, which killed more than 40 people in northern Gaza last month, hit a school run by a UN ... www.rte.ie/news/2009/0204... www.abc.net.au/news/stori... news.yahoo.com.au/a/-/wor... www.worthychristianforums... yet, the damage of the false accusations on innocent Israel is still there, full force.
Here we go again, Fake "war crimes" by Israel bashers exposed - damning effect still on
Reports of IDF Crimes: Fiction Based on Rumors - Defense/Middle ...Claims that IDF soldiers deliberately killed civilians during Operation Cast Lead were based in hearsay, a military investigation has concluded. The two soldiers who first reported the alleged incidents several weeks ago had not seen the incidents themselves, and had no personal knowledge to support the allegations... B'Tselem, accused the IDF... ... www.israelnationalnews.co...
www.israelnationalnews.co...
Then again, it (false accusations by the infamous un-reliable radical political group: B'tzelem) reminds us all the UN's such loud & harsh "accusation" of Israel of "killing Kids in Gaza", then later on "woke up" told the truth, AKA retracted it ,
UN retracts claim over Gaza school attack [Feb 4, 2009] ... The UN has retracted a claim that an Israeli strike, which killed more than 40 people in northern Gaza last month, hit a school run by a UN ... www.rte.ie/news/2009/0204... www.abc.net.au/news/stori... news.yahoo.com.au/a/-/wor... www.worthychristianforums...
yet, the damage of the false accusations on innocent Israel is still there, full force.
I ran accross the 3/15/09 60 Minutes show online, http://beta.sling.com/video/show/130320/87/60-Minutes,-031509, and I find the show pretty interesting, though Bernanke doesn't go through the entire history of the FRS. (I won't go through all of it here, but there are plenty of links and sources about the full story, if you're willing to know. Remember, Woodrow Wilson regretted creating the FRS).
About Bernanke's policies, though, IMO, he's either fooling himself or he's a pretty shrewd actor, as he seems emotionless throughout the piece (or it could be the editing).
It could be global warming, or even the solar system heating up (Yes, apparently, it's not just the Earth that's heating up, http://www.livescience.com/environment/070312_solarsys_warming.html.), but this guy, who's not a college undergrad, has his own opinion about Bernanke's policies: http://capitalbeat.com/?p=2647.
Uh, why is all of this talk about the FRS and its policies becoming so popular on the MSM now, even though it's been all over the indy media for years?
Very interesting indeed...
EMK
MyBO: Robert Gibbs on the President's Housing Plan
C4L: Member Blog Spotlight: Santelli Responds to Gibbs
One thing for everyone to know, hearing the two of them combined is funny, but it reminds me of people going after each other on the show, Yomamma. (Look, both of them are talking about drinking coffee while criticizing sarcastically each others' opinions about the housing plan.)
Another point, I am critical about the MSM's influence on issues and opinions, and I've made this really clear on many of my pre-election posts. Also, due to the biasing that the MSM has done, it is understandable that Obama's staff have been really edgy. However, in this case, the concerns from people like Santelli are from a point of view that happened to start off as off the mainstream, but it managed to become a signal that the MSM is paying attention to on its radar!
In my opinion, I am happy that Rep. Paul's supporters are getting some well-deserved MSM coverage, but also, that Pres. Obama is also doing what he can under the stressfull and intimidating conditions he has been going through.
HOWEVER, ONE THING MUST BE KEPT IN MIND, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT YOU SUPPORT OBAMA OR PAUL OR ANYONE ELSE, MAINSTREAM OR OTHERWISE: THE MSM, OR CORPORATE MEDIA LOVES IT WHEN A DEBATE OVER AN ISSUE DISSOLVES INTO A HISSY FIT BECAUSE IT MAKES GOOD RATINGS, AND THE SUPPORTERS OF EITHER SIDE BECOME SO POLARIZED INTO SUPPORTING THEIR PERSON OR ISSUE THAT THEY BECOME UNWILLING TO HEAR THE OTHER SIDE OUT, WHICH IS ALSO WHAT THE COPORATE LEADERS WANT IN ORDER TO KEEP THE *TRUTH* OF THE SITUATION SILENT!!!!!
I know that some MyBO members may disagree with me, while people who are C4L members that casually read MyBO might take my post as ridiculous, but granted that there are bills like HR 645 that are out there that no one is paying attention to, and there are several other events called out on blogs like MyBO and C4L, it would be nice that people remember to actually calmly and open-mindedly speak to each other.
Because it requires open and honest discussion and the issues at hand are worth looking into, I say that it is necessary that supporters from MyBO and supporters from C4L, as well as supporters from other sites have an open dialogue about this before we become too polarized!
Agree or disagree, but this is my opinion based on my observations on the video links.
Thank you for hearing me out.
Sincerely,
"The society's deprivation relies/ not on our differences/ but the separation within."
--Linkin Park, "Frgt/10"
Why didn't they make MyBO an independent blog (see the part called, sarcastically, "Jetsons vs Flintstones") is beyond me, but the MSM playing their games, as usual, it's no wonder why there seems to be a communication issue. (Though I think some debate and analysis of the stimulus package is necessary, but many of you won't agree.)
Anyway, blogs and news reports are talking about Cheney mentioning that the "country's in danger" over and over again, but what's he up to really...HR 645? Is California's situation one of his ideas for getting that bill to pass?
Pay attention to these bills, including HR 645:
IRS Revisions: HR 161, HR 162, & HR 779
Stop the Congressional Pay Raise Act: HR 156
Federal Reserve Abolition Act: HR 111
Now this one's not really important, but this is one is fun to look at: HR 778.
These are just my thoughts, but look at the bills that I have up, except HR 778, which I put up for fun!
BBC's way of how to legitimize monsters in the middle east
Forget BBC bias, BBC is totally anti Israel committed, 100% on the side of most radical Islamic group on the middle east, the Genocidal Hamas!
When it interviewed (Jan 18, 2009) the Hamas spokesperson in Syria Osama Hamdan (the monster who said that the purpose of the "resistance" is to wipe off Israel) it handled him in such a manner as if he is a "normal" and average statesman.
Despite the 'big words' by the jihadi group who on top of all has that stupidity of arrogance that is only laughable if it weren't such a serious bunch of bloody murderous thugs, but BBC's audacity of replaying Hamas' phrase of: '"giving" Israel a week to pull out', as if we all don't know that Israel pulls out or back in, when it sees the situation fit to do so.
Later on (on the same day) BBC said: who is responsible for the civilian causalities in Gaza will be disputed between Israel and Hamas, (besides the fact that BBC never to explain that its all Hamas fault, but I want to talk about BCC's worse part than just bias anyway) again this "en par" equation between a democratic free for all unique country in the middle east (where an Arab can get to highest position in Israel's govt.) vs the Islamic group that oppresses any non Muslims and acts towards a totalitarian repressive Caliphate.
Your program today was simply an embarrassment. I sat in my car listening in utter disbelief as you asked listeners and commentators, “Where is the line when it comes to ugly campaigning?” You went on to say that things had turned sour on both sides, listing some examples of the tit for tat, wondering what the candidates should do differently.
I find it deeply disturbing that journalists such as yourself, along with the McCain campaign, find it reasonable to compare ugly comments and jokes about age and sex with violent threats and labels that rile up those still consumed with racial hatred.
There is no doubt that anyone running for public office better have a thick skin. We all know that campaigns get dirty. As seasoned campaign advisor Joe Trippi reminds us in his book The Revolution will not be Televised:
In 1800, John Adams called his rival Thomas Jefferson a pagan, and atheist and a traitor. His campaign said that if Jefferson was elected, “murder, robbery, rape, adultery, and incest would be openly taught and practiced.”
Of course all candidates must be scrutinized in our effort to discern who will best serve our nation. Of course many personal issues must be brought to light. And of course, some of that will result in ugliness.
But this election year is unique. For the first time in our history we have a candidate who is also a person of color with a real chance of winning the highest office in the land. Why should this require a more watchful eye over the public discourse? Why is this different than two white guys spewing ugliness at each other? History holds the answer.
This nation’s history includes every manner of violence toward people of color. In the not-so-distant past, angry mobs dragging people of color out into public places or into dark woods to be beaten and killed. Remember Jasper, Texas just 10 short years ago? Three white men attacked James Byrd, a black man, and tied him to their truck. They dragged him to his death over several miles. Why? Because he was black. It still makes me sick to think of it.
Lest we forget its horror, this from CNN’s story on the attack:
The battered body of James Byrd Jr., 49, was found Sunday, the day after he was last seen apparently hitching a ride home from a party.
"It was real brutal and real serious," said Jasper County District Attorney Guy James Gray. "The body came apart."
The sad truth is that this kind of hate still exists. Gov. Palin and Sen. McCain must realize they can’t control what people in their rallies might find themselves emboldened to do once their veiled comments, perhaps unwittingly, give these haters legitimacy.
We like to think of ourselves as civilized and people like those three men in Jasper as aberrations. Unfortunately, hatred can boil just below the surface for years and years in people, waiting patiently for the tiniest opening, the tiniest provocation, or perhaps Joe’s empty six-pack, to be unleashed. It is YOUR job as a journalist and commentator to remind the McCain camp of this, to remind America of this.
Trying to compare the calls to kill Barack Obama to the nickname Caribou Barbie, or comments about McCain’s age is beyond ridiculous; it is irresponsible. When was the last time you saw and angry mob run out and attack old people just because they are old? While we women have been and are still abused by men, no one believes that some sexist man is going to beat up Sarah Palin because he thinks she's an "uppity woman."
How is it possible that you don’t know the answer to your own question? How is it that you cannot make that answer known to others? Death threats cross the line, lies cross the line, especially lies that breed hatred and contempt.
The media used to function as the conscience of this nation, but no more. Where is the sense of decency? Where is the backbone? Where is the free media that took down a President for the quaint little crime of wire tapping and breaking and entering?
For many months the McCain camp has done nothing to stop their surrogates and supporters from lying about Sen. Obama - about his faith (he’s a Muslim) about his citizenship (he’s not American), and his education (he was schooled in a radical Wahabbist in Indonesia). And recently, that theme has become a central tenant of the campaign with Gov. Palin lying about the quality and context of Obama’s relationship with Bill Ayers. Will you not hold them accountable for the mood that gets generated as a result?
You heard the McCain supporter who called into your show repeat the lies she has heard, many directly from the McCain campaign, and you did not correct her. Only as an afterthought did you think to tell your listeners that she stated factual inaccuracies.
When Obama supporters pounced on Governor Palin’s daughter and her pregnancy as a way of discrediting the Governor, Barack Obama said forcefully and repeatedly that families are off limits. While I agree and am proud of his sense of decency, clearly derogatory comments about personal behavior are in no way equal to those that incite racial hatred and violence. Furthermore, this particular family matter does have policy implications, as Palin is an advocate of “abstinence only” programs, which obviously don’t work.
You brought up Obama’s supporters picking on John McCain because he is old. Sen. McCain's age is germane to the question of a McCain presidency because he has chosen someone that people across party lines think of as unprepared to serve as President. And as for Palin, she plays up her folksy roots as part of her appeal, saying she’s qualified in part because she’s a hockey mom/pit bull with lipstick. She winks during debates and uses her down-home charm to deflect questions she does not wish to or cannot answer. Is it fair game to question her seriousness as a candidate? Absolutely. To assume this questioning is occurring simply because she’s an attractive woman is an insult to thinking Americans everywhere.
More attempts to make nonsensical comparisons include your comments on Ayers, Rezco and the Keating 5. Sen. Obama may have showed poor judgment in attending a meetings and serving on a Board with a past criminal, or even taking money from a criminal not yet caught, but he himself committed no crime. John McCain was the subject of a Congressional investigation for his own unethical behavior in relationship to Keating. Because of John McCain’s personal actions as part of the Keating 5, the regulatory investigation of Keating was stopped, and a couple of years later the American people were stuck with a $2.6 billion bill and 20,000 people lost their savings – a problem we are seeing exacerbated many unregulated years later. That is substantively different, is it not?
But you and others in your profession seem completely unable to grasp how one is an issue of guilty by association, and the other an issue of guilty by one’s own actions.
How much more journalistic weakness must we endure? How long will you sit idly by and treat the unfolding McCain campaign narrative like it is a sitcom storyline rather than the dangerous provocation of confused and intolerant people who have been encouraged to be sacred of the “others” in our world.
God forbid we should suffer some kind of unspeakable loss.
It is my fervent hope, and daily prayer, that journalists and commentators like you will never have to rue the day you shirked your responsibilities to our nation by downplaying the increasing hate-speak and calls for violence surfacing at McCain/Palin events.
Signed your no-longer-so-loyal listener,
Rima
41-year-old white woman for Obama
Overalnd Park, Kansas
I am a P.O.W (Pissed Off Woman).
I'm pissed becasue with 55 days left before the election, the news media is still falling for the circus tricks of Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin.
I'm pissed because today, an entire newscycle was dedicated to the "lipstick on a pig " story. Anyone with even half a brain could see that Sen. Obama in no way called Gov. Palin a pig.
I'm pissed because we find out that there is an Ass-for-Oil program in our own government. Yup, Ass-for-Oil. The Dept. of the Interior has been engaging is some disgusting stuff. Drug use, sex with oil executives in exchange for contracts, the list goes on. This is how our country spends tax payers money.
I'm pissed because tomorrow is the 7 year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and this nation is still stupid enough to believe that Republicans can keep them safe and Democrats cannot. The Republicans have taken this tragedy and turned it into a gimmick. A cheap trick that spits in the faces of the 3,000 dead and their families.
I'm pissed because Sen. John McCain has said repeatedly that he knows how to catch Osama bin Laden but refuses to share this information with the FBI, CIA, or even Pres. Bush.
I'm pissed because the news media will not do it's stinking job and expose Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin for the liars and manipulators that they are.
Finally I am pissed because all the important issues of this election: ECONOMY, EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE, POVERTY, ACCOUNTABILITY et al are being ignored.
There I feel better, now its time for me to register more voters.
Dear Mr. Obama,
Please do not let us down. There is too much at stake for the people of this great nation. Forget political careers. Forget partisan agendas. I have no doubt that if McCain continues to play the mainstream media like a fine violin, we will be looking down the barrel at another 4 years of disastrous economic policy, corrupt and constitution-shredding political maneuvering, and an increasingly unstable footing on the world stage (on almost every front).
So please, I beg of you, do NOT underestimate Sarah Palin(1). Don't treat her with kid gloves; ignore her. Focus, focus, focus on the issues. Get into policy specifics about the economy. Stay on target, do not let the enforcer slam you into the boards.
I've heard concerns articulated(2) over Joey "The Shark" Biden and whether he'll be able to take on Palin in the debates without coming out as "sexist" or a "bully". As Biden mentioned on Meet the Press(3) this morning, he's debated tough and intelligent women before. But I think all this is moot; he doesn't have to take the attack dog approach. One particularly astute commenter at Dailykos made this observation:
As I sat in that auditorium today. While discussing foreign policy issues, he constantly referenced conversations he had with people like Musharaff, phone calls with world leaders, friends from places like asia or south america. If he just fires off anecdotes and conversations between himself and world leaders (i.e., "The last time I was in [Insert foreign nation] I spoke with [insert foreign leader] and he/she told me that the biggest problem is . . . ")He will just make her look so naive and inexperienced. What is she going to do, try to drive the debate back to her pre-coached talking points and pontificate about her layover in Ireland?
THIS is exactly the course that Biden must pursue to silence the clamor surrounding this superficial superstar. Attack obliquely, with a subtle knife. The fact of Biden's experience will simply trump her artificially-inflated significance in the political arena.
You have masterfully utilized the internet to your advantage, creating a groundswell of passionate supporters able to connect and act in ways never before possible during a federal election. Please, use your allies on television to their full potential as well.
Right now, the mainstream media is your enemy. They've latched onto Palin like she was a member of the Spears family. Suddenly, she's "sympathetic", "relatable", and an "every-woman". She is being sequestered from the hard-hitting journalists. It appears that her only media appearance in the near future will be an interview with People magazine(4). Pure fluff. A brilliant tactic that we should have expected from the GOP, those master manipulators.
Jon Stewart is your friend. The Daily Show's recent evisceration(5)(6) of John McCain's "maverick" identity is chock full of damning clips that should be taken and used in a wide-spread advertising campaign. This identity is the only leg he has left to stand on; the only thing giving his new-found rallying cry of "change" any credibility. Cut it off at the hip.
Call McCain and the GOP on their blatant lies and Rovian tactics. But don't be mealy-mouthed. Don't be polite. Show RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION. (You have shown the first signs(7) of this, but the point needs to be made with even greater fervor.) This is a very delicate path to walk. You have to raise your voice without appearing to be a whining victim(8). Be tough. Be staunch. Be unapologetic.
The Democrats need to be powerful, they need to be concise. They need to condense their criticisms into catchy, memorable, damning soundbites (harkening back to the GOP's mastery at manipulating the media to their advantage; this skill is the primary reason for their dominance in this area. Learn it. USE IT.) This campaign's responses to McCain's lies and attacks have been too ponderous, the returning volleys have come from too many angles to grab the electorate's attention. The Dems need to become a laser beam. Condense, focus. Annihilate.
Forgive the frankness of my words. I implore because I care.
- Meg
1) http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/09/sarah-palin-is-not-hockey-mom.html
2) http://www.slate.com/id/2199363/
3) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032553/#video
4) http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0908/13208.html
5) http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=184111&title=john-mccains-big-acceptance
6) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZvehP7vV9s&eurl
7) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSmn25rvQRo&eurl
8) http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/09/mccain-camp-acc.html
WHAT IF IT WASN’T THE ISLAMIC LOBBY THAT CONTROLS? What if it was not Islamo Arab [oil] lobby that sucks you to the bone and controls all international bodies? * We wouldn’t have been sending so many billions (in gas money) to those that hate us (no matter what we do). * The UN would finally start doing something, stopping the Arab genocide in the Sudan for starters… * The UN would have less bigoted anti-Israel obsessive “condemnations”. * US & EU could breath a little... * Anti American bashing wouldn’t be a “fashionable” feature. * War on terror would be easier.
* Oppressive totalitarian Islamic Republic of Iran wouldn’t get their ultimate weapon to destroy the world. * Islamic militants’ crimes against humanity wouldn’t be “justified” as “victim-hood”.
Wasn't that moving and special, what a speech! This is going to be a great week. Get ready for day 2 and i suggest watching it on PBS. Much less agravation as opposed to watching the convention on MSM.
Oh yes:
Finally! The Convention is here. I for one am totally excited. So excited that I decided to watch all of my convention coverage on C-SPAN.
That's right C-SPAN.
Think about it. You get to watch gavel to gavel coverage without hearing the voices of talking heads behind desks parsing every word uttered by the Obamas, Bidens, or Clintons.
You get to actually hear the stories of REAL people from our country as they speak about the issues that matter to them- to all of us.
You get to watch the convention without seeing a ticker scroll across the bottom announcing the latest results of some bogus "poll".
You get to see the "controversial" process of including Sen. Clinton's name on the first ballot, without hearing Chris Matthews slurp all over himself. The media really seems fixated on this one, like they are hoping for a convention coup.
Finally and most importantly, you get to hit the MSM right where it matters most- in the money gut. If more people decide that they have had it with the biased, sensationalized, bullchip reporting of the MSM, and actually switch to C-SPAN it might make the corporate owned media folks sweat a little. Maybe they would actually start REPORTING the news instead of trying to MAKE the news.
Either way, I'm still going to switch to C-SPAN for the next four days.
Have a Happy Convention People!
Why doesn't the mainstream media point out McCain's lies and contradictions on the "Cross in the Sand" story, but ran with the Hillary exaggeration in Kosovo?
In the latest example of his problem distinguishing between fact and fiction, John McCain repeated the "cross in the dirt" story at Rick Warren's Faith Forum. For those of you unfamiliar with with the story here is a recap: On Christmas Eve, as he was in solitary confinement, a prison guard loosened the ropes that were tying him to the wall. On another occasion, the same prison guard came over to McCain, as he was let "out of my cell to stand alone in the outdoors and look up at the clear, blue sky...," and with his foot, drew a cross in the dirt in front of McCain.
But, people are now questioning the truth of this entire story. Why?
First, because Alexander Solzhenitsyn had a very similar experience: Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the Russian author who spent many years in the gulag of Siberia, bears witness to the power of the cross.
"As he waited, head down, he felt a presence. Slowly he looked up and saw a skinny old prisoner squat down beside him. The man said nothing. Instead, he used a stick to trace in the dirt the sign of the Cross. The man then got back up and returned to his work.
As Solzhenitsyn stared at the Cross drawn in the dirt his entire perspective changed. He knew he was only one man against the all-powerful Soviet empire. Yet he knew there was something greater than the evil he saw in the prison camp, something greater than the Soviet Union. He knew that hope for all people was represented by that simple Cross. Through the power of the Cross, anything was possible."
It's almost certain that John McCain had read this story in Solzhenitsyn's most famous book, seeing as McCain thinks Solzhenitsyn "was a writer with unusual gifts, utterly devoted to his art, brilliant and exacting, producing work that would stun not just literary worlds but the entire Cold War political world." (See McCain's praise of Solzhenitsyn in his book "Hard Call: The Art of Great Decisions.")
Second, if you had had this extraordinary experience, and a famous writer, a writer that you have written about your admiration for, had a very similar experience -- wouldn't you publicize it? Wouldn't you write about it? And wouldn't you have talked about it at the Warren faith forum when you we're relaying the story? You and Alexander Solzhefrickingnitsyn have this incredible shared experience of being imprisoned , having someone draw a cross in the dirt, it inspires you and you don't publicize it? You don't talk about it? You don't write about it even as you write specifically about Solzhenitsyn and your admiration of him. So, there are different versions and there is an example of a famous author having a very similar experience. (Note: thanks to blogger "Throwing Stones" for this summary, from which I've borrowed liberally.)
Third, the version that he gives in his book "Character is Destiny," is different than the dramatization from a primary campaign commercial he released in 2007, where the guard uses a stick to draw a cross.
Fourth, in the 2000 campaign he told a similar story ABOUT ANOTHER P.O.W.! That story can be found here: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?es=9904EFDE1239F93AA15751C0A9669C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all
Fifth, McCain's pre-1999 detailed stories about his captivity never mention this incident, even though he says one other guard was the only one he ever remembered to show any sign of humanity. How can this powerful story -- the incident that he now says he'll never forget -- have been overlooked by him until 25 years later when he was running for president and trying for the first time to establish to the Religious Right his pro-Christian principles?
All these points are well explained by the excellent "Young Turks" team here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90Ue-p-xxsM
With all this, why did Hillary's very telling Kosovo tarmac story have such long legs and yet the MSM is letting the "cross in the sand" story drift away? (Particularly on the heels of McCain's changing his "giving false names to the North Vietnamese" story in order to claim to Pennsylvania voters that the team whose names he appropriated was the Pittsburgh Steelers when previously it had been the Green Bay Packers.) Some are backing off saying that there's no video to dispute McCain's story as there was with Hillary. But his own words and common sense tell you that he's lied somewhere along the line. Shouldn't someone ask him to reconcile his stories?
This is crucial stuff -- McCain is so caught up in using his POW experience to make his case that he either is determined to invent stories to add luster to his background or, frankly, he's just lost it. Recall that he told Warren that he has vivid memories of this incident.
Do we want to have four years of this man deteriorating further into senility? Of him forgetting who our friends are and where their borders lie?
I'm not taking credit for anything happening, but having written the original post a few days ago, you cannot imagine my profound relief at the campaign's nimble, hard and loud retort to James Corsi's smear, Obama Nation.
As I wrote at the time, "Fight back hard. Not dirty, but hard." I'm ecstatic that someone in Chicago or camping out in Hawaii did just that. Whoever it was, thank you!
And a special thanks to Media Matters for pushing the MSM to write about the lies and distortions in the book.
Another day of angst over prejudicial programming practices by the cable networks. In a relatively slow news day... It's tough to understand why the cable and network news nets fail to provide live coverage of Barack Obama's appearance before the National Urban League conference in Orlando. Hard to believe... but of the cable nets, only Faux News actually started to carry Barack's speech, but after a few minutes cut away to run commercials. After that, Faux returned with a voice over Obama speaking.. "We will continue to monitor this... and return if something newsworthy happens."
Excuse me.... "Newsworthy?" What was this appearance by Obama in Florida?!?!?!
The Press talks about an Obama Bias; All while giving McCain special treatment
By Mitchell Bard @ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mitchell-bard/the-press-talks-about-an_b_114086.html#postComment
I am so sick of hearing about how the media are biased toward Barack Obama. It's bad enough that John McCain's campaign is making this completely bogus claim, but now the mainstream media are reporting it as if the slant towards Obama is a given. (Today, a Yahoo! news headline blared, "McCain vs. Obama: Is the media playing fair with coverage?.")
Once again, the McCain camp is taking a page from the playbook Hillary Clinton employed against Obama. And while Clinton's claim was dubious enough, for McCain to try to argue that he is not being treated fairly by the media is downright outrageous. Why? Because nobody in the history of modern politics has been a bigger media sweetheart than John McCain. And in this campaign, he is allowed to virtually say or do anything without being called on it.
The ridiculousness of McCain claiming that he is getting the short end of the stick with the mainstream media is so silly, since the idea that he gets coddled by the press is hardly a new idea. MediaMatters keeps a running list of instances in which the media have failed to challenge or present an accurate portrait of McCain's views. And it's a substantial list.
Back in March, Glenn Greenwald wrote a piece on Salon.com that expertly described the special treatment the press accords McCain, and how liberal pundits are just as likely to drink the McCain Kool-Aid. Greenwald concentrates on the idea that it is taken as a given that McCain is a foreign policy expert, so his gaffes are ignored. He writes:
"Reporters have already decided that John McCain is a Serious, Knowledgeable Foreign Policy Expert -- and an honorable, truth-telling gentleman -- and therefore there is no reason to tell voters about evidence that demonstrates that he's anything but that. Evidence that reflects poorly on McCain's foreign policy seriousness or character is actually suppressed or concealed because they think it can't be newsworthy, because such evidence just can't be true, by definition."
Greenwald goes on to note that "reporters who have long covered McCain themselves constantly admit that they accord McCain special, favorable treatment and don't even realize the deep corruption they're acknowledging." He cites Ana Marie Cox of Time saying on CNN:
"I think what happens is that you -- if you've been covering him for a long time, there's a sense that, well, he does that all the time, it's not worth reporting, because he does -- he's a cranky old man. I mean, to be quite frank [...] And also, we wrote it off to, like, you know, he hadn't had his fifth cup of Starbucks today."
The issue of the moment when Greenwald wrote his Salon.com article was McCain's repeated gaffe of saying that Iran was linked to al-Qaeda in Iraq. But it's not like McCain has stopped there. In the last couple of weeks, he has repeatedly talked about "Czechoslovakia," a country that hasn't existed for 15 years, and, just this morning, he described "the situation on the Iraq/Pakistan border" on ABC's Good Morning America. Only, Iraq and Pakistan do not share a border
I am not arguing that McCain's geographical aphasia is quid pro quo proof of his foreign policy incompetence. But I am arguing that McCain never gets called on his errors by the mainstream media (Diane Sawyer was silent after his Iraq-Pakistan statement on Good Morning America), where Obama would absolutely be taken to task (and probably called inexperienced) if he made the same errors.
More importantly, the mainstream media's genuflection at the feet of McCain keeps the facts of McCain's lack of foreign policy acumen from reaching voters. Tom Brokaw cited an ABC News/Washington Post poll on Meet the Press yesterday that said that respondents overwhelmingly believe that McCain would make a better commander in chief than Obama. Given the media coverage, it's easy to see why Americans currently feel that way. But that doesn't mean the evidence backs up that belief.
As Greenwald noted in his March Salon.com article:
"The reality is that John McCain's understanding of foreign policy and his approach to national security has proven to be simplistic, destructive and idiotic. Nobody spewed more pre-invasion falsehoods and confused and misleading claims about Iraq than John McCain did. And he's been the Prime Cheerleader for one of the most destructive wars in U.S. history. The notion that he has expertise in foreign policy or sound judgment is a total myth, yet it's one that his press fans accept and enforce as orthodoxy. "McCain's simple-minded militarism, his ignorance about national security, and his moronic view that the U.S. should run the world through endless wars ought to be one of the most intensely debated issues in the campaign. But it won't be because -- as Marcus said -- the media has already decided that McCain is a Serious Expert in these matters and that national security is his strength, and evidence to the contrary won't be reported."
"McCain's simple-minded militarism, his ignorance about national security, and his moronic view that the U.S. should run the world through endless wars ought to be one of the most intensely debated issues in the campaign. But it won't be because -- as Marcus said -- the media has already decided that McCain is a Serious Expert in these matters and that national security is his strength, and evidence to the contrary won't be reported."
I share Greenwald's frustration over how the mainstream media takes McCain's experience and expertise in foreign policy as a given. I made the same argument in this space on July 1 and pointed out how prescient Obama's judgments have been on the same issues.
It is frustrating that the media repeatedly refer to McCain as being a "maverick" (a Yahoo! news search of "McCain maverick" returned 520 hits in just the last three weeks) and as someone who frequently goes against the leadership of his party, even though he voted 98 percent of the time with his fellow Republicans (43 of 44) in 2007, and with Bush 95 percent of the time in 2007 and 89 percent of the time since Bush took office (according to a Congressional Quarterly voting study).
It is also frustrating that the mainstream media is quick to call Obama a flip-flopper for changing his view on FISA (and allegedly changing his views on Iraq and gun control, even though the evidence shows that his message has been consistent on these issues), while failing to mention McCain's reversals of his positions on virtually every issue of substance, from taxes to Iraq to torture to the economy. (I wrote at length about McCain's flip-flops on July 6.)
It may well be true that Obama's trip to Afghanistan, Iraq and Europe is getting a lot of press coverage, and much of that coverage is positive. But given how the mainstream media have glossed over McCain's inadequacies, treating his foreign policy gaffes the way the press ignored John F. Kennedy's affairs, for McCain to make the claim that he is getting screwed by the mainstream media is truly laughable.
But it is effective. A Rasmussen poll released today revealed that 49 percent of those asked thought that reporters were trying to help Obama win. Give McCain's campaign credit. They've done a good job of shoveling this manure into the public consciousness.
Maybe I am making a strategic mistake here. Maybe I should be urging the media to grant McCain more coverage. Because shining a light on McCain's views, conduct, record and speaking style can only help Obama's candidacy.
*My Words*
My thought process is that most of this is about ratings. If they realy showed McKeatingFive for what he realy was all of his gaffes and flip-flops this race would be a breeze and there would be nothing for them to report. McCain has had some serious gaffes and flip-flops that went under the radar. When McCain defaluted on one of seven of his homes in June for non payment of taxes over the last four yearsI thought it was about to be a done deal. Nope the story never hit the light of day. it didn't even make any head way on most of the blogs. I just so happened to come across it on the Huffington.
It saddens me that the media is controling the American voters perception. Whats going on in our nation today is to serious to play the ratings game with. As an Obama supporter now more then ever it is extremely important that we get the word out regarding Obama's positions, voting record and the plans he has for this country. We can no longer except or think the media will do it. They are to busy looking for a "slip up".
* UPDATE*
To add insult to injury during an interview done tonight 7/22/08, in an interview with CBS News' Katie Couric tonight, John McCain made the false assertion that the Surge brought about the so-called Anbar Awakening. Except, as MSNBC"s Keith Olbermann points out, the Surge was announced after the Awakening. Olbermann also explains that CBS News edited the gaffe out of the final interviewed that aired Tuesday night. This is done after Katie complains that "The glory days of TV news is over". Hummm I wonder why? here is the link to the coverup: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/22/mccain-gets-history-of-th_n_114419.html
Nothing but 'ARAB RACISM' & 'ISLAMIC BIGOTRY' created maintains drives the 'MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT'
Simply put, the powerful Arab Muslim majority of the middle east (convinced they "own" the place) is intolerant against the (though democratic and multi-racial, multi-culture, still it's majority of the population and official identity is) non-Arab, non-Muslim Israel.
