June 22, 2009
Comments Off on Poor George Bush: Still The Boy In The Bubble
I came across this story and I was sure surprised at what was in it versus the version of the story that got more publicity. Let me explain.
There were two versions of the Bush speech in Erie, Pennsylvania story: one from the Washington Times and one from Fox News. Fox News used some of the reporting from AP but only bits and pieces. There is a third version that did not get as much air time as the others. Once you get to the unexpurgated story from AP, a little different picture emerges. Neither the Fox version or the WaTimes carried this little gem and I can see why:
The topic of Guantanamo Bay arose during a question-and-answer session, in which e-mailed or submitted questions were screened and chosen by a moderator during the event.
No wonder Fox did not come clean with this little gem. The Washington Times is obviously no better. This means that despite Bush’s proclamations about being a free man and getting on with his life, he’s still the Boy In The Bubble when it comes to facing the American public. Even a friendly audience like the one he spoke to in Erie before “a group of business leaders” is subject to have their questions screened in advance.
This is nothing new for George. He had questions screened for every public appearance while he was president. There was a time during a European trip where a group of school children was gathered to talk to him but he wouldn’t do it because his advance staff had no time to screen the high school students for anti-Bush sentiment or hostile questions. They cancelled the appearance over it.
George Bush was afraid not only of school children, the public at large but also the military. He wouldn’t answer any questions from the troops unless they were first submitted to their commanding officers and then the Bush advance team. Every softball question possible was asked because he had enough time in advance to memorize an answer and not get caught off guard like a deer in the headlights with a question he may not have a viable answer to.
I remember every president from JFK thru Clinton speaking off the cuff at public events and press conferences and whipping out cogent, intelligent responses. Even fucking Richard Nixon was pretty adept in handling the press and the public until Watergate broke. President Obama demonstrates the intelligence and quick-witted savvy that endears the people to a president. JFK had it. Reagan had it. Clinton had it. Obama certainly has it.
The only president in the last 50 years who sheltered himself from the slings and barbs that come with the job, the stuff that gets you in contact with the people of this country is the Boy In The Bubble: George Walker Bush.
Some things never change with that guy.
link: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/nation/ap/48543487.html
June 4, 2009
Comments Off on Lamar Smith: The Texas Village Idiot
“It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.” ~ Mark Twain
Violating this cardinal rule of politics is the ace in the hole for Lamar Smith, the republican idiot who represents the folks of the 21st District in Texas. Known for being one of the small NeoCon parrots in Texas, every now and then he spreads his wings to say something else stupid to get himself noticed on the national stage. He pandered to some guy from Project Runway and lined up his staff for a clothing inspection on one occasion. He famously used a ridiculous scenario to tell us that 99% of American would support waterboarding when 58% of American already said that they thought the procedure was torture. Now comes the icing on the manure cake Lamar has built up over the years.
Today, Lamar Smith went on some yo-yo’s show over on Fox News and declared what he thought was the greatest threat to America.
It wasn’t the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan.
It wasn’t global warming.
It wasn’t the economy and the billions of debt.
It wasn’t the mortgage or banking crises.
In wasn’t terrorism or extremist violence.
It wasn’t even torture and it’s NeoCon defenders.
Lamar Smith today declared the greatesn threat to America is…
Liberal media bias.
Are you shitting me? Is it still April Fool’s Day? No, it’s not and Mr Smith was totally serious. Liberal media bias is the greatest threat to America today.
Lamar has begun a congressional caucus to promote media fairness. He said he wants the media to adhere to the highest standards of their profession and to encourage them to report the facts, not offer up their opinions. Yet he comes on Fox News to publicize that new caucus. He assumes that people are not getting the facts because they repudiated the negative campaign of John McCain last year and supported Obama’s message of hope. I wonder why he would choose Fox to announce this on since they are the most biased of all the cable channels. There isn’t one non-conservative host for any of their news programs. In fact, most of the shows on Fox can’t really be called news given the sensationalism they demonstrate. They are more accurately called entertainment.
Maybe if three times as many Liberals were getting air time than conservatives I could see Lamar’s point but the opposite is true. Maybe if there were a channel dedicated to espousing the Liberal point of view then I could see his point but the opposite is true. Lamar Smith says this isn’t about censorship but when his side of the picture gets shown much more often than any other point of view and he still thinks that the problem is a Liberal Media bias, the problem isn’t media bias. The problem is a short-sighted NeoCon from Texas who wants it all his way and no one else’s way. George Bush used to feel that way but he’s gone. Lamar Smith has volunteered to take George’s place as the Texas Village Idiot.
Congratulations, Lamar.
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/02/
goper_99_of_americans.php
March 15, 2009
Comments Off on Fox News lies about EFCA
They can’t seem to get it right. Instead, they just get it rightwing which is never right. But when you are losing the battle for the hearts and minds of the public and lying might get you back in the game, then lying it is. It is classic NeoCon strategy but this time it won’t work.
The drum banging by Fox News about the Employee Free Choice Act has been a one note song. They keep claiming that the EFCA will take away the secret ballot in union certification elections but that claim belies the very name of the legislation. If it really does that then what does the Free Choice part of the Act refer to? Fox News hopes the viewing public is too stupid to recognize the huge lie sitting right before them that Fox keeps repeating when the truth is the Act gives employees more choice, not less. It gives them a right to form a union using a card check instead of an election. If Fox told its viewers that simple fact their main issue would go away and they would not be able to keep trumpeting about this boogyman under the bed that does not exist.
Fox is clearly in bed with the republicans and their big business allies on this issue. They want you to forget the impact that unions have had on the economic health of this country. If we look back into our nation’s history we discover some pretty cogent facts about the power of unions.
- Unions were responsible for the standardized 40 hour work week.
- Unions pushed for the two day weekend for their workforce.
- Unions sought to eliminate child labor from the workforce
- Unions fought for better pay for their workers which led to an increase of the size of the middle class.
- Unions made businesses include pension plans and health care in their benefits packages.
- Unions kept CEO pay and management pay in general at a reasonable level compared to the average worker’s salary
- Unions helped to integrate the workforce and recognize fair pay standards for all workers.
- Unions helped establish a minimum wage platform to keep workers from becoming part of a working poor class
- Unions forced companies to adopt basic safety standards to protect workers from dangerous situations
No wonder that businesses do not want to level the playing field for union workers. They have been on the run since Ronnie Ray-gun blasted the Air Traffic Controllers union out of the sky. Four successive anti-union administrations have dealt serious blows to unionization forces in this country. The EFCA is a step to restoring fair play and equality between the workers and management. Government has stacked the deck over the last 40 years and management has taken advantage of that crooked deal to freeze unions out of constructive participation in the economic health of the United States. The race to the bottom in terms of wages and health care has not gone unnoticed and the middle class is under an increasing attack from corporate interests who care only about their bottom line and nothing else. Fox News caters to just these interests. Small wonder that they are so adamantly against an expansion of workers rights.
Keeping the argument in perspective is vital to the passage of the EFCA. Calling Fox out on their campaign of lies is just a first step. Remember, the EFCA is an expansion of employee rights, not a denial or a contraction. Current law allows for a company to allow collective bargaining with a union if they realize that the majority of the workers want the union or they can force an election (which is tilted in favor of management despite it being a secret ballot). All the EFCA does is to retain those two options and then add a third one: allowing a union to be formed if the majority of a company’s workers sign a card check indicating they want a union. It’s a simple option but one that management cannot easily control and, thus, the outcry and the lies. Even Warren Buffet has bought into the lies since his comments on the subject shows he’s gotten his talking points from Fox News and he has not read the bill in question. Sad.
Fox News should be ashamed of themselves for passing out this catalog of lies masquerading as fact. But, hey, it’s Rupert Murdoch, king of the NeoCons, and lying is SOP in the book of business ethics he follows. No surprise.
Black & White and Cardinal Red All Over 