Zero Updates

Poor Julian Assange, He's the Victim of ...a Leak!

2010-12-22T10:19:00.001-08:00

You've gotta feel sorry for Julian Assange these days. He and his organization have been responsible for the leaking of about a quarter of a million documents, stolen from diplomatic and military sites, and they've subsequently incurred the wrath of the United States and other governments. His opponents have threatened to assassinate him, while his defenders have portrayed him as just another bold journalist and martyr. WikiLeaks, meanwhile, is not pretending to be just another journalistic organization, they are promoters of justice. Assange says of his organization, wikiwhatever, "We are an organisation that does not promote leaking." Surely, this is nobleness at its finest.

Unfortunately for Assange, his modus operandi has inspired someone in the Swedish justice system. There have been leaks from the Swedish prosecutor detailing his private behavior with a couple of Swedish women. If their allegations hold true, Assange will be charged with violent sexual assault. He has refused to take an AIDS test at the request of one of the women. The more we hear about the case, the less this seems like a trumped up case.
Of course, we should not be hearing any of this information if it weren't for an overenthusiastic person who had access to his case and saw it fit to leak the information to the press in the interests of promoting justice. Cruel irony.

Assange Interview with John Humphrys:
news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9309000/9309320.stm

Why the Ground Zero Mosque Will Fail to Accomplish Its Mission

2010-08-12T17:37:00.000-07:00

Moderate Muslims are engaged in a battle with Conservative Americans over the construction of a mosque near Ground Zero. Both sides will lose. Those who view the issue as purely one of legal significance have cleared every hurdle, except that of the court of public opinion, while those who associate the mosque with the 9/11 terrorists have no legal, or even logical recourse in the situation.

The supporters of the mosque construction have successfully defined the issue as being of rights and tolerance, while their opponents have wearily been trying to cast the issue as one of insensitivity to the families of victims of the 9/11 attacks.

It now seems likely, with the blessing of the overwhelming majority of the New York City Council and Mayor Bloomberg, that the Cordoba Center's construction will proceed. This does nobody any good, except a few liberals who will pat themselves on the back for achieving a fabulous victory for open-mindedness and tolerance. What actually transpires, unwittingly, is that America is being carved out into two parts, us and them. The mosque will serve as a perpetual reminder to the separateness of a population that is ostensibly trying to integrate into the western mainstream, even while assuring us that it is very distinct from the terrorists who claim the name of Islam. Walking past the Cordoba Center on the way to the Ground Zero subway station will be a frequent reminder that the most innocuous seeming mosques in the western world can be breeding places for terror. The irony is seemingly lost on its organizers.

So what's an honest-to-goodness, moderate, peace-loving, cash-endowed organization like the Cordoba Initiative to do in order to redeem the reputation of Muslims in America and heal the wounds of 9/11? For starters, it shouldn’t highlight the common ground it shares with Islamic terrorists around the globe: An Islamic house of worship blocks away from Ground Zero strengthens a mental association, or mis-perception, between Islam and terror, and generally fails as a public relations strategy. The alternative is to find common ground with the enemies of Islamic terrorists--Westerners, Christians and, yes, even Jews.

What better way to establish Islam as a religion of peace than to publicly oppose terror and support its victims? Opportunities abound. Last week, for instance, ten aid workers, including 8 westerners, were killed by the Taliban. Secretary Clinton was quick to point out that Muslims around the world “reject” the murder of these Christian aid workers and their two Afghan colleagues. Building a worship and cultural center is hardly likely to soothe the hurt of the families and friends of those killed. The Cordoba Initiative and like-minded organizations can and should rally together now to compensate the victims’ families and pay for burial services and transportation of the victims’ bodies back home. They may do so publicly, not as a publicity stunt, but rather to highlight the fact that terrorism hurts Islam and fair-minded Muslims will right every wrong committed in the name of Islam.

As a case in point, evangelical Christians (who differ from Jews on a couple of significant theological issues) have the respect of some of the most devout followers of Judaism. Evangelicals can be counted upon to defend Jews and Israeli statehood, at virtually any cost. This is no accident, nor is it the result of shared citizenship. It is the product of shared values, the protection of life and liberty among them.

Islamic charities such as the Cordoba Initiative should take up the challenge and develop an other-focused policy in order to heal the rift between the Islamic and non-Islamic world. Every victim of the Taliban, Hamas, Hizbollah and other terrorist organizations deserves to be compensated. Grandiose projects and loud condemnations of Islamic terror can’t replace the healing power of lending a helping hand to the many victims of terror around the world.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Reads the Bible

2009-09-01T21:41:00.001-07:00

The Washington Post ran a story yesterday about September 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in which they essentially admit that waterboarding worked:

But for defenders of waterboarding, the evidence is clear: Mohammed cooperated, and to an extraordinary extent, only when his spirit was broken in the month after his capture March 1, 2003, as the inspector general's report and other documents released this week indicate.

This is hardly a surprise, notwithstanding the protestations of liberals who have a monopoly on compassion.

One little tidbit at the end of the article is of note:

He requested a Bible for study in his cell, according to the source, in order to better understand his enemy.

His Bible reading habits might just be better than those who are his "enemy".

Peggy Noonan: Reagan Conservative to Obama Liberal

2009-06-21T21:55:00.000-07:00

Peggy Noonan has undergone a transformation from being a diehard conservative to a fan of candidate and now President Obama. At some point in the last six years she started to sour of President George Bush. She shocked her readers in the Wall Street Journal when she criticized his second inaugural speech in a column entitled Way Too Much God. Some of her most ardent readers were dismayed, this coming from a lady who'd been writing reverential books about the Pope, and had just published her reminiscences of 9/11 in a book called "A Heart, a Cross, and a Flag".

She then praised Sarah Palin one day, trashed her a few days later not knowing that MSNBC's hidden mics were recording her conversation, and then trashed Mr. Palin in writing in her column.

If you're seeing a pattern, you're right. Peggy Noonan is confused and unsure of her standing. One of these days she will write a most eloquent piece on why the Republican Party has left her. Before she does that let's examine her most recent column against one she wrote a few years ago.

The first column sings the praise of Ronald Reagan. She praises President Reagan for being tough with the Soviets and refusing to yield. He spoke strongly in favor of democracy and for oppressed peoples. In her words, "Reagan’s actions toward the Soviets were matched by his constant rhetorical pounding of communism." The power of President Reagan's words was not lost on Noonan. She continues "He kept it up, for eight years, from 'the evil empire' to 'Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall,' a constant attempt to use words to educate and inspire."

Fast forward to the 6th month of President Obama's first term. Hundreds of thousands of citizens in Iran have taken a risk of protesting in the streets against a sham election for that country's president. Circumstantial evidence seems to indicate that the Guardian Council decided the election in favor of President Ahmadinejad before the event took place. President Obama has remained largely silent on the subject and has not voiced support for these brave protesters. Definitely not something Reagan would do. Noonan's article on the subject (article #477 on her website) extols Obama's silence. In her words, "Mr. Obama was restrained, balanced and helpful in the crucial first days, keeping the government out of it" and " It must be asked if a formal statement of support for the rebels would help them."

Can you imagine Reagan asking the "rebels" in the Soviet Union if they wanted a formal statement of support?

Bernie Madoff - Democrat Donor Extraordinaire

2009-03-13T00:06:00.001-07:00

Apparently "the rich" are not the exclusive domain of the Republicans. Bernard Madoff and his family were among the most generous donors to the Democrat Party. We would have heard all about it if his last name were Abramoff and he supported the Republicans. You will be hard-pressed to find anyone who has made such lavish donations to political campaigns of either party.

Bernard Madoff is one of the best friends the Democrats have ever had.

Here is the scoop. Source: The Huffington Post Campaign contribution database. There's gotta be a reason why President Obama talks more about Rush Limbaugh than Bernie Madoff. Now we know.

The Media is Finally Playing Fair

2009-02-12T17:59:00.000-08:00

Evidently some reporters are upset because President Obama's first press conference appeared to be scripted. Reporters were apparently pre-selected by the Obama White House. Here's a sampling of remarks from the President which might indicate that the event was fine-tuned:

Obama: "All right. Chuck Todd. Where's Chuck?".
Obama: "Ed Henry. Where's Ed? CNN. There he is."
Obama: "Helene Cooper. Where is Helene? Here you go."
Obama: "Major Garrett. Where is Major?"
Obama: "Sam Stein, Huffington Post. Where's Sam?"

The press was not kind in their reporting of an obviously scripted affair.

Here's what USA Today wrote:

Then, after opening remarks, Obama called on reporters from a predetermined list assembled by White House press secretary Robert Gibbs.

Veterans say they hadn't seen such a stifling atmosphere since the 1980s, when President Reagan called on reporters using a seating chart.

In a scathing critique in Salon, Eric Boehlert writes:

"reporters, either embarrassed for Obama or embarrassed for themselves, continued to play the part of eager participants at a spontaneous news conference, shooting their hands up in the air in hopes of getting Obama's attention. For TV viewers it certainly looked like an actual press event."

Okay, I confess. The truth is that USA Today and Salon (and the New York Times and virtually everybody else) did not criticize President Obama. Those quotes are (slightly) edited critiques of a press conference with President Bush. Substitute Obama for Bush and Ari Fleischer for Robert Gibbs for unedited versions of the above quotes.

There was one unselected questioner who got to ask the last question. Here is the transcript from the New York Times website:

QUESTION: One more, Mr. President.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you, guys.

There's change you can count on.

Burris: An Able Replacement for Barack Obama

2009-01-13T21:15:00.000-08:00

Democrats have been busy tying themselves in a knot over the appointment of Roland Burris as the replacement for Barack Obama. At first they refused to seat him in the Senate on its opening day. Then they ran around explaining exactly why they would. This Thursday he will be sworn in as a Senator by Vice President Cheney. Nonetheless, his association with Chicago crook and Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich remains an embarrassment to Democrats. Meanwhile there have also been questions about his lack of qualifications for the post.

Lost in all the debate about this appointment has been one key question: Will he be able to adequately replace Barack Obama? Quite simply, the answer is yes. To do this all he needs to do is vote with the Democratic majority 100% of the time. This effectively guarantees that he will have voted like Obama 96% or 97% of the time. That would be the nearest one could get to cloning Senator Barack Obama.

Going Green

2008-12-18T22:16:00.001-08:00

This site is green. We're saving the planet.

When Pro-Choice Isn't

2008-12-16T20:11:00.000-08:00

It is one of those times when you know that President Bush is more pro-choice than the pro-abortion folks at NARAL Pro-Choice America. In the next few days his administration will introduce regulation to allow doctors, nurses and pharmacists to refuse to participate in anything in their profession which they find morally objectionable. This includes not just providing information about abortions, but providing birth-control care or sale of abortifacient drugs.

The Office of the President-Elect™ is already working on ways to reverse this regulation before it's signed by the current President.

In communist China parents are often forced to abort their own children. In Obama's pro-choice America medical practitioners might be forced to help other people abort their children.

Today's Wall Street Journal has the story.

Are You Paying Detroit Salaries?

2008-12-12T20:25:00.000-08:00

Detroit's auto industry (not to be confused with the American auto industry) is on the verge of getting a few billions of dollars thrown at them via President Bush. NPR carried a story on Friday morning in which they interviewed a unionized employee from one of the GM plants. If they don't receive this infusion of federal money, he said, their plant would have to close down. He worked at one of the biggest plants in Michigan, one that manufactured Cadillacs. So if this gent is to be believed, a few billion dollars in federal aid to GM will send Americans rushing out to purchase Cadillacs. Back in the old days, if you made a good product, it would sell on its own merit.

What really irks me about the Detroit bailout is that the unions have obligations to their members and now expect the American taxpayer to pay for them. Among them:
Laid off Detroit workers are eligible to receive up to 95% of their pay.
Retired workers enjoy health benefits that are not available to most Americans.

This means that you could be paying the salary of an unemployed person, a salary that might be higher than your own. You could also be paying for excellent health benefits for Detroit retirees, health benefits that typically add $1,000 to the price of every car manufactured by Detroit automakers. Since Detroit's cars are not selling well, you dear taxpayer, must foot the bill.

Distressing Poll

2008-12-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

Democrats and other Americans ought to be highly distressed by the results of two surveys commissioned by one John Ziegler, a documentary film maker who might one day become the Michael Moore of the right. Ziegler's facts far outweigh Moore's poundage.

The first survey was conducted among some 500+ Democrats who voted for Barack Obama. It was conducted by Zogby. The Zogmeister felt deceived because the results made Democrats look stupid. So he refused to conduct the same survey among Republicans lest they come out looking smart. So for a few extra dollars he commissioned a second survey, this time polling over 1,000 people who voted for McCain.

One thing is clear, Democrats are generally poorly apprised of issues in the news:

35 % of McCain voters got 10 or more of 13 multiple choice questions correct.

18% of Obama voters got 10 or more of 13 questions correct.

McCain voters knew which party controls congress by a 63-27 margin.

Obama voters got the “congressional control” question wrong by 43-41.

Those that got “congressional control” correct voted 56-43 for McCain.

Those that got “congressional control” wrong voted 65-35 for Obama.

Voters in the South had the best response rate on “Congressional control” (+22)

Voters in the Northeast had the worst response rate on “Congressional control” (+9)

Those that could associate Bill Ayers’ name/story with Obama voted 52-48 for McCain.

Those that knew Obama had made negative comments about “coal power plants” voted 76-24 for McCain.

Those that knew Obama had his opponents knocked off the ballot in his first campaign voted 66-34 for McCain.

Those “exposed” to MSNBC scored 90% correct on the three Palin questions (including an incredible 98% on the pregnant teenage daughter question), while those not exposed to MSNBC averaged 84% correct on those three questions.

Ziegler's own commentary on the surveys is here.

The Family That Pays Together Stays Together

2008-12-03T20:34:00.000-08:00

Apparently the one thing that can keep divorced couples together is money, or more precisely the lack of it. Not kids, not sanity, not counsel, not common friendships can do quite as good a job at keeping some couples together as can a bad economy.
Yahoo reports on this trend.

'tis the Season to Hate Israel

2008-12-02T20:45:00.001-08:00

A group of people describing themselves as "peace activists" have used a church to spew anti-Israeli venom. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, whose vertebral strength is generally unimpressive (in matters of Christian orthodoxy anyway), was surprisingly quick to criticize the organizers of the church service that was used to lash out at Israel for defending itself.

"The Twelve Days of Christmas" was distorted by members of England's Angry Left and sung as:
"Twelve assassinations/ Eleven homes demolished/ Ten wells obstructed/ Nine sniper towers/
Eight gunships firing/ Seven checkpoints blocking/ Six tanks a-rolling/ Five settlement rings/
Four falling bombs/ Three trench guns/ Two trampled doves/ And an uprooted olive tree,"

No mention of mentally retarded children strapped with explosives or women forced to give up their children to kill innocent Israelis.

NPR Listeners: Not As Smart As They Might Think

2008-11-27T20:30:00.000-08:00

One of the mildest insults that comes my way each election season is "You must get your news from FoxNews!" Truth is that I have watched about 3 hours of FoxNews in my entire life, about half of it via web snippets posted on YouTube during the last few months. Proudly TV-illiterate, I thought it was "Fox news", as in the news on the Fox channel, not FoxNews, a separate entity that competed with CNN.

That being said, my primary font of daily news has been NPR. I resent the smarter-than-thou attitude of most NPR devotees and actively complement news and opinion from other sources. Their spin is ever so subtle, but we'll save that discussion for another day.

All this being said, I know that when I chat with any regular NPR listener I can expect them to have a slightly better understanding of the world than, say, Joe the Plumber. After all, a college-educated, 50-year-old white male, earning $78,000 a year*, ought to know better, no?

The truth about what the average NPR listener does NOT know is quite sad. Consider this:

3 out of every 10 can't name the U.S. Secretary of State.
3 out of every 10 can't tell you which party currently has a majority in the US House of representatives.
4 out of every 10 can't name the British Prime Minister.

To be fair to them, that's better than folks who get their news from virtually every other source, save for readers of the New Yorker and Atlantic Monthly.

Rush Limbaugh and Hannity & Colmes audiences did much better at naming the majority party in Congress (83% and 84%) than did NPR listeners (73%).

College grads comprise 54% of NPR's audience, but only 31% of Hannity & Colmes' audience, yet, H&C's viewers did better on two of the three questions.

The survey was conducted by the Pew Research Center, which NPR and PBS fiends know is not a conservative organization.

* Standard profile of the "average" NPR listener. I forget where I heard this statistic.

The Victory Speech

2008-11-10T18:35:00.000-08:00

It's been almost a week since a speech by The One and I have tried to recall what exactly it is that I remember about that night. There weren't any lines that were particularly memorable. A couple of once-conservative commentators, Peggy Noonan and Kathleen Parker, want to believe that every soul in this nation was greatly moved with emotion and likely wept with tears of joy. Count me out.

I will remember McCain graciously praising Obama and the significance of his victory for the African-American community. The boos from the McCain audience made me cringe. The silence when Obama praised McCain as a rare breed of American hero left me disappointed. Some "change", a million partisans.

The one thing that I am genuinely happy about is that the African-American community is rejoicing at this final barrier being broken in the struggle for racial equality. This one event represents the fulfillment of a dream that many never thought possible. Many of the folks interviewed before and after the election said that this was the first time they'd voted, because they felt their vote was going to make a difference this time.

One image of election night that will forever remain in my memory is that of Jesse Jackson, finger stuck in mouth, weeping copiously. No one, no one, would feign that emotion and risk embarrassing himself on international television. The man was genuinely moved by the moment. There were millions of others like him. It captured the one redeeming factor of the election.

The Victim-Friendly Constitution

2008-10-28T22:44:00.000-07:00

"[W]e need somebody who's got the heart, the empathy, to recognize what it's like to be a young teenage mom. The empathy to understand what it's like to be poor, or African-American, or gay, or disabled, or old. And that's the criteria by which I'm going to be selecting my judges."
--Barack Obama, speaking to Planned Parenthood in July 2007.

The most qualified judges in an Obama administration will be the ones who can feel your pain, not those who care about a strict interpretation of the constitution.

Starvation in Zimbabwe

2008-10-27T20:36:00.000-07:00

The power of a single person to destroy the a nation is arguably more evident in Zimbabwe than anywhere else. In this article in the Times of London, Jan Raath writes that 5 million people are now facing starvation.

The article dateline Mutare says that food reserves are exhausted. This is heartbreaking stuff. I can hardly imagine this happening in Mutare. Eight years ago we did our grocery shopping in Mutare. It is one of the prettier towns in southern Africa. Mutare ('Umtali' as it was known during its colonial days) was a friendly and safe town. The large TM's supermarket was frequented by both black and white Zimbabweans. Nearby, Sisco operated an African equivalent of Sam's--a large warehouse-style operation. We'd leave our shopping list with one of the owners and would return a few hours later to pick up our bags, all neatly packed with every item on our list checked off. Then there was the meat store, actually two of them with the same name. One catered almost exclusively to blacks, many of whom relished parts of an animal which most westerners would abhor, and the other store catered to everyone else. They sold the best bacon available anywhere on this planet. I don't know this for a fact, but my guess is that the Sisco has closed down, and possibly the TM's too. I'd be surprised if the meat stores are still around.

The article says:

Emaciated children are dying in hospitals, many more are being turned away to die at home. At one Manicaland hospital a doctor said that they were getting more cases of hunger-related diseases than ever before. “Half of the admissions end up in the mortuary,” the doctor said.

One organization that is trying to help Zimbabwe is Africandela. I do know at least three of the people mentioned on their website and trust them. Please help if you can. They accept gifts in kind too.

The Dirty Dozen

2008-10-25T18:41:00.000-07:00

This story is not about John McCain's campaign staffers, otherwise you would have heard all about it on CNN, MSNBC, NPR,and the rest.

It's about campaign staff, including Obama's spokeswoman in Ohio, hastily withdrawing their fraudulent voter registrations. One good thing is that we won't hear much about how Republicans steal elections.

An excerpt from today's New York Post:

"A dozen staffers - including Obama Ohio spokeswoman Olivia Alair and James Cadogan, who recently joined Team Obama - signed a form letter asking the Franklin County elections board to pull their names from the rolls."

In Their Own Words

2008-10-25T15:43:00.000-07:00

Some of Obama's most fervent supporters tell you why they're supporting him. This audio snippet is from the Howard Stern show. (It's clean, okay for all ages.) I'm not sure whether you should laugh hysterically or weep with sorrow.

Listen.

Obama Spreads the Wealth (Except His)

2008-10-24T20:05:00.000-07:00

The Obamas earned about $4,200,000 in 2007. By his own definition of "the rich", Barack Obama should be taxed at the highest rate on about $3,950,000 of that. In the Clinton years this would have been approximately $1,540,500 in patriotic dues, plus another $50,000 on the first $250,000. All in all, the Obama family should have paid Uncle Sam $1,600,000.

Did they? No. They stocked away $240,000 in tax free accounts for their children's education. (Poor Michelle, it was a trade off between the high cost of piano and ballet lessons on the one hand, and a quarter of a million dollars in a tax free investment for Malia and Sasha on the other.) Barack also paid $45,000 into a personal retirement plan, a plan that was the result of legislation that he initiated. (Okay, he does have at least one legislative accomplishment.) The Obamas did give away $240,000 in charity, but at 5.7% of their gross income, it's not quite as generous as residents of more than half the United States.

At the end of the day, the Obamas' tax-avoidance, tax-free income generation scheme deprived Uncle Sam of over one third of their tax burden. Hank Adler has more to tell about how the Obamas don't really walk the talk when it comes to paying taxes.

Just Another Day in the Neighborhood

2008-10-23T18:24:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama is such a thoughtful and kind soul. He goes through the trouble of reading books and writing highly flattering blurbs of them just because their authors happen to live in his neighborhood. Here's what Barack said about a book written by one William Ayers, a guy from his neighborhood, in 1997.

Why I Am Voting for John McCain on November 4

2008-10-20T21:26:00.000-07:00

Commander in Chief: McCain has the respect of American soldiers. A former prisoner of war, McCain showed extraordinary character and political leadership by leading the efforts to normalize relations with Vietnam. His recommendation of the surge strategy--after first talking with commanders on the ground during several visits to Iraq--has turned out to be a winning strategy. He has earned the respect of our soldiers by placing victory in Iraq above victory in November.

He stands up for what he believes: As unpopular as it was (and I still don't like the idea) campaign finance reform was his idea and he was willing to take a hit for it. His biggest critics now were the ones who once thought he deserved a lot of respect for pushing campaign finance reform. Count on him for speaking his mind and sticking with his convictions. Democratic Senator Russ Feingold once said "He's a great guy to fight an uphill battle with legislatively. He keeps his word...I probably shouldn't be saying this stuff, but to be honest about it, it was one of the better professional experiences I've ever had in my life."

Global Affairs: There are few people in Congress who understand foreign policy better than McCain. Dealing with Russia, Pakistan, Iran, and North Korea will remain challenges for many more years to come. We need a president like McCain who can lay out a plan for peace backed by military strength. He will not compromise the strength of our military preparedness. His goal in Iraq, to withdraw our troops after we have success, honors our troops, restores confidence in our military, and will leave the American people feeling prouder. Allowing a calendar to dictate withdrawal dates is a recipe for complete failure.

Life matters: McCain has been consistently pro-life. Nothing in life matters more than life itself.

The messiah Has A Halo

2008-10-20T19:41:00.000-07:00

Associated Press photographer Alex Brandon captured the halo of Obamessiah. Or was it a creative AP Photoshop artist at work?

Colin Powell and the "Obama is a Muslim" Canard

2008-10-19T22:02:00.000-07:00

Colin Powell suggested falsely that the McCain campaign has been calling Barack Obama a Muslim. The fact is that nowhere has the McCain campaign ever suggested that Obama is a Muslim. Au contraire, McCain has strongly criticized his own supporters who have dared mention Obama's middle name, fully respectful of Obama's touchiness on the subject.

McCain could easily point out that Obama had a beloved pastor, not imam, for the last 20 years. That would be the strongest defense of Barack Obama's brand of Christianity. Why won't he mention it?

Not All Parts of the USA Are Patriotic

2008-10-19T21:57:00.000-07:00

Sarah Palin has good reason to say that she enjoys campaigning in the pro-America parts of the country. Barack Obama does not quite discriminate in the same way. Not everybody would equate campaigning in William Ayers' living room with talking to a pro-America audience. Obama's spiritual adviser (Reverend Jeremiah Wright--the man Obama would no sooner disown than he would disown the black community) and his cronies would also not be the most pro-America audience.

Obama and the Progressive Media

2008-10-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

I get my morning dose of liberalism from NPR and then scan opinionjournal.com for the other side. The bias on the NPR side reeks. Consider the Gwen Ifill case: Both NPR and PBS conned their listeners into thinking they were getting the full story because they quoted blurbs from McCain, Michelle Malkin and Gwen Ifill. What was left out on both NPR and PBS was the fact that Ifill's "age of Obama" book is due to be released Jan 20. What a difference it would make if their listeners knew that Ifill stands to gain monetarily based on an Obama win or, rather, that the success of her book is predicated upon an Obama victory.

Then there were the "fact checks" after the Palin-Biden debate. Oh my, major error on Palin's part--McCain did not sponsor legislation requesting oversight of Fannie and Freddie. Chuck Hagel was the true sponsor, McCain was merely a co-sponsor. Did they mention Biden's fantasy about Hizbollah being driven out of Lebanon because Obama and Biden yelled at Hizbollah? Oh no, not a word. So at the end of the broadcast Biden remains the foreign policy expert.

Another fact-check after the McCain-Obama debate--did Obama really request $3 million for a projector. Yes, but no says NPR. It was really a nice projector, not the little desktop model that you are thinking of. So McCain was wrong again.

What about the Obama-Ayers relationship? Wikipedia says that the board met monthly for the first six months, and quarterly thereafter. So we can safely guess that these two saw each other at least 25 times, plus perhaps an equal number of times for meetings of the Woods Foundation. They also met several times at school meetings--their kids went to the same elite school. That's about 50 encounters, including Obama's campaign kick-off at Ayers' home. "Just a guy who lives in my neighborhood." My foot.

Three Reasons Why I Won't Be Voting for Obama

2008-10-06T22:44:00.000-07:00

With all the political attacks going on these days, it is very easy to get distracted by lies, irrelevant facts, and half truths. It's harder to filter all all the noise from the things that really matter. Here below I've isolated three crucial things about Barack Obama that should give you pause about voting for him. The list could be longer, but these things say enough about his character and love of country. Feel free to pass this along, especially if you agree.

1. Ties to Domestic Terrorists: Neither Barack Obama's books nor his campaign talk much of his experience as the founding Chairman of the Board of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge (CAC). He was the chairman of this organization from 1995-1999 and stayed on the board until 2001. It's easy to tell why he's so silent about this experience: CAC's founder is a notorious, unrepentant, 1960s terrorist, William Ayers, who bombed the Pentagon, the US Capitol, and the New York City Police headquarters. Ayers has not expressed any regret for his actions. Obama and Ayers remained together on the board for 6 years. Barack Obama also launched his first run for the Illinois State Senate at the home of William Ayers in 1995. Is this patriotism at work?

2. Won't Acknowledge Our Troops' Successes: There were a total of 5 combat deaths in Iraq in July this year, the lowest since the war started in 2003. When confronted with the astonishing success of our troops in Iraq, Barack Obama steadfastly refused to acknowledge that our military strategy ("the surge") was working. Our soldiers can surely stand to hear some acknowledgement and encouragement for the sacrifices and struggles our they make on a daily basis. Are we ready to have this man as our Commander-in-Chief?

3. Disregard for Life Itself: As an Illinois state senator. Barack Obama voted against an act that would provide protection to newborn infants that survived abortions. The exact language used said "A live child born as a result of an abortion shall be fully recognized as a human person and accorded immediate protection under the law." Mr. Obama didn't agree. A few weeks ago when asked "When do human rights begin?", Obama replied that it was "above my pay grade". If life itself doesn't deserve to be protected, can he be trusted to protect this great nation?

Blog Unblocked

2008-04-12T13:36:00.000-07:00

This blog was blocked before this first post was made. Something about its name (I think) suggested to the folks at Blogspot.com that it might be a "spam blog". I have no idea what that means, but I am glad it has been unblocked.

For the curiously inclined, the words "zero updates" are an anagram of my real name.