Tuesday, February 17, 2004

THE REAL STORY IS THE MEDIA

Today marks the Wisconsin primary, the coronation of John Kerry as the Democratic presidential nominee, and the completion of the destruction of the dreams of America's Deanie Babies.  As of tomorrow Howard Dean has no campaign strategy, no campaign airplane, no campaign schedule and no campaign manager.  It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

Will today also mark the end of this absurd story about Bush's service in the National Guard?  Hopefully ... but probably not. 

Did you folks know that about one week ago U.S. intelligence operatives uncovered a memo from a leading terrorist bemoaning the level of American success in Iraq?  The memo was from Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, one of the world's most wanted Islamic terrorists today.  Al-Zarqawi was exhorting Al Qaeda to promote a Sunni - Shiite civil war in Iraq, the only way he sees to turn around the American success in Iraq.

We're winning!  That's news, isn't it?  A leading Islamic terrorist says that the United States is "suffocating" the jihad in the Middle East!  Isn't that just what we went over there to do?  Don't you think that's news?

Apparently it's not.

Columnist Diana West searched the transcripts of the White House media briefings for last week and found that there was only one question about the memo.  Only one.  The enemy admits it's losing, and this gets only one question.  But what about President Bush's service in the National Guard?  Well, that issue brought over 100 questions.  We're fighting a war on terror in the middle east.  The enemy is bemoaning our successes, and questions about Vietnam rather than the war on terror overwhelm White House press briefings by a factor of over 100 to 1.

I think that former ABC news correspondent Peter Collins pretty well sums things up.  He says that there is a working template that the mainstream Washington and DC press corps is using to formulate its coverage of both the war on terror and the presidential campaign.  That template is summed up in four words:  "Democrats good.  Bush bad."  If there is a news story out there that can make George Bush look bad, the media is going to pursue that story to the end.  If there's a story that makes Democrats look good, the media will go for it. 

The National Guard story had the potential (though unfulfilled) to make Bush look bad ... so the press rode it for all it was worth.  The al-Zaqawi memo had the potential of making Bush look good.  It was ignored.

Let's not leave this discussion without addressing John Kerry's little bimbo eruption last week.  This is a story that was largely ignored by the mainstream political press.  Let's turn the clock back to 1992.  The Drudge Report contains this summary of media reaction to a rumor of an affair George H.W. Bush, who was running for reelection.  A book hit the newsstands with a quote contained in a footnote.  The quote was from a long-dead ambassador.  The ambassador said that he had arranged a little afternoon delight for George Bush 41 back in 1984.  The media jumped on this like a crow on a June Bug.  A CNN reporter confronted Bush with the allegation as he was hosting the Israeli Prime Minister in his office.

Drudge compiled this brilliant flashback into how the media grilled George H.W. Bush over claims of infidelity in 1992.  Now, contrast that flashback from Drudge to this story in which a reporter from the Washington Post says they wouldn't run the story about a Kerry affair even if someone produced photographs.  So, you have to ask yourself whether or not the media has a different standard for Republicans and Democrats.  Duh!  And here's a good wrap-up from World Net Daily.

A brief sidestep here .... what of the Kerry infidelity story?  Isn't it a bit odd how the father of Alex Polier changed his story over the course of a few days?  In this story the father of Alex Polier is quoted as saying that he thinks that John Kerry is a "sleazeball."  Terry Polier said "He's not the sort of guy I would choose to be with my daughter."  Then, yesterday Terry Polier issues another statement.  This time saying that he intends to vote for him for president of the United States. 

Let's just take one example here.  Joe Conason wrote a story in Salon last week about the alleged Kerry affair.  Conason wrote "But the kind of proof usually required by national news organizations isn't what Drudge needs in order to put innuendo into circulation."  

So .. Joe Conason pursues a high standard before he puts innuendo into circulation?  Back to the 1992 rumors about Bush 41.  Back then Drudge reveals that Conason wrote a magazine article entitled "1,000 Reasons Not to Vote for George Bush."  Reason number one was "He cheats on his wife."

You get the picture here, don't you?  For more you can Just read Drudge's summary to see the extent to which the media went to pursue the 1992 Bush rumor, and to ignore the 2004 Kerry rumor. 

Most of you are unaware of a little gem that appeared on an ABC News website last week.  It was written by ABC News Political Director Mark Halpern.  Halpern wrote:

"The Washington and political press corps are biased.  There's a universal sense that liberal political positions on social issues like gun control, homosexuality, abortion and religion are the norm.  That there's a belief that government is a mechanism to solve the nation's problems.  That more taxes on corporations and the wealthy are good, and the press does not accept President Bush's justifications for the Iraqi war."

Know this.  Over 90% of the people who bring you your news every morning in The New York Times, USA Today and your local newspaper will vote for John Kerry in this year's presidential election.  Most of these people will be using that "Democrats good; Bush bad" template for their coverage. 

The vast majority of the mainstream media believes that George Bush is bad and must be replaced.  They will be doing everything they can in their "objective" coverage of this campaign to see to it that this comes to pass.

DEANIE BABY ATTRITION CONTINUES; WISCONSIN TODAY

Well, the Wisconsin primary is today, and the Deaniacs are bracing for another blowout. It just doesn't look good for Howard Dean. After today, he intends to go back to Vermont and reassess his campaign. But he says he's not quitting. It's hard to see how he will stay in, especially with all the big states coming up March 2nd.

There was a little drama when Dean shook up his campaign again yesterday, giving national chairman Steve Grossman the boot for saying Dean was going to quit the race if he lost Wisconsin, even though Dr. Dean had reversed himself and said he would stay in. Once he loses today, the money will surely stop flowing into the campaign and there will be few supporters left.

If Dean does decided to stay in, there seems to be little reason too. He has no chance of being the nominee and zero chance of getting on the ticket. He would essentially just join the Sharpton-Kucinich sideshow that seems to be running just to have something to do (it does keep the debates interesting, however.)

Oh well, it was a great ride for the Deanie Babies. There's always 2008 and 2012 to think about.  

TWO-YEAR WAIT FOR SADDAM TRIAL?   

This is what's wrong with the death penalty. Saddam Hussein was captured 2 months ago...and now they're saying it may take two years for Saddam to be put on trial. You have got to be kidding me. What could possible be delaying Saddam's dirt nap?

Yup..you guessed it...red tape. According to Salem Chalabi, who is one of the people setting up the courts, it will take time to select judges, prepare courts and establish jails. "It is a balance that we have to work here between trying to protect the defendants' rights and meet international standards of due process of law and the wish of the Iraqis for quick vengeance." That's right, they're worried about protecting Saddam's rights. What's next? He's going to hire Johnny Cochran?

Too bad Saddam didn't draw his gun when he was captured. They could have put him back in his hole and filled it with dirt. 

DUKE UNIVERSITY

A brief note on liberal indoctrination on our nation's college campuses. 

The Chairman of political science department at Duke University, Robert Munger, recently said that another Duke department head told the Duke faculty that conservative students needed to be confronted with their hypocrisies but liberal students did not because they already understood the world.  No members of the faculty protested that suggestion.  'Nuff said.

ARE SMOKERS STUPID?

Well, of course they are.  Any decent judge would take judicial notice of the fact that smokers are, on average, less intelligent than non-smokers.  You do know, don't you, that a larger percentage of Democrats smoke than Republicans or Libertarians.

I got this email from a lady who visited a restaurant with sections for both smokers and non-smokers.  She writes:

 There were also two televisions in this restaurant...one for the non-smoking section and one for the smoking section.  The television in the non-smoking section was showing the Fox News Channel while the television in the smoking section was on some channel like UPN or WB and it was showing Elimidate (a trashy, tabloid-type date show).  When I saw this, I immediately thought of you and everything that you have said about non-smokers being smarter than smokers.  This, yet again, goes to show you are correct

GOING TO BED HUNGRY

Yesterday on the campaign trail we heard John Edwards say "Let's think about it.  In a country with our wealth, to have children going to bed hungry!"

Hold on a moment.  Where does Edwards get the idea that so many children are going to bed hungry in America?  Several years ago, during the Clinton era, a liberal activist group tried to figure out whether or not children were suffering from hunger in America.  Parents were asked if during the past year any of their children had ever complained about being hungry.  Now just how many of you parents have managed to go through one year without hearing "Mom, I'm hungry" from your child?  For every parent who answered "yes" to that question the "researchers" determined that we had a child who was "going to bed hungry." 

Do you think anyone will question Edwards about the source for his information?  Yeah, right. 

NADER'S EGO JUST CAN'T STAND IT

It looks like Ralph Nader just can't stand it any longer.  Reports are that he is going to launch yet another quest for the presidency.  Democrats are alarmed because Nader sucks votes away from their candidates.  Well, I guess the anti-capitalist socialist movement deserves their fun in this race too ... as if Kerry wasn't giving them enough comfort.

JOBS, JOBS, JOBS, JOBS

Recent polls show that the American people are more concerned about jobs than they are the war on terror.   It's one thing to worry about finding work ... it's quite another to think that the government has a role to play here.  Just where is it written that it is the function of the federal government to provide you with a job, or to help you find one?  Getting a job is your problem, not the government's. 

It's just this simple.  During your early years you work to develop job skills and a work ethic.  When your education process is over you take your work skills, your experience and your work ethic into the marketplace.  If the skills you developed match an available job, and if you and the person who owns that job (the employer) can reach an agreement on wages, benefits, etc.,  you get hired and you start to earn an income.  Where is the government role here?

Sadly, with each passing year more and more Americans adopt the idea that the government is there to make sure they get a good job.  Freedom and economic liberty cannot survive this level of voter stupidity.

SNOWBOARDERS --- VERMIN ON THE SLOPES

I just spent a few days skiing the slopes of Breckenridge in Colorado.  These two days have left me more convinced than ever that snowboarders ("riders") are the scourge of the slopes.  It's not the boards, it's the culture.   The snowboarding culture is one of rudeness and disdain for the rules.  At one time I had a rider actually jump off a small rise and soar over my head.  As he landed he hit an elderly gentleman.  Did he stop?  Are you kidding.  He just continued down the hill like nothing happened.  A friend also got nailed by another rider. 

I know the ski areas depend on snowboarders for revenue, and they do represent a huge growth area for winter sports.  In the future, though, I would prefer looking for ski resorts where these animals are excluded.

AND WE'RE SUPPOSED TO IDENTIFY WITH THESE GUYS

CNN had some interesting coverage this morning on the New York Yankees.  Did you know that the salaries for the starting lineup for the New York Yankees now hits $113,490,000.  Alex Rodriguez isn't the leader either.  Jeter at shortstop is pulling down $18.9 million a year.  Here is the starting nine ... with salaries in millions.

Mussina (P)    14.75
Posada (C)    10.2
Giambi (1B)    17.4
Cairo (2B)      .9
Rodriguez (3B) 16.0
Jeter (SS)     18.9
Matsui (LF)     7.0
Lofton (CF)    3.1
Sheffield (RF) 13.0

Boy ... would I ever like to see this team fail this year.

READING ASSIGNMENTS

If you aren't already disgusted enough about the politically correct leftist tilt on our college campuses, this Mike Adams column ought to pretty well do it.

This document intercepted by U.S. intelligence should have been the big news of the month.  It wasn't.  The media was too wrapped up in its investigation of George Bush's military records.

Who has been promoting the idea of charging people to send email as a way to get rid of spam?  Oh yeah ... that was me.  It seems that some other people have the same idea. 

Break up the BBC? Why not just dissolve it?  Let the free market move take over.  That wouldn't be a bad idea here either.

As we all know ... today's college students, not unlike yesterday's college students, know everything ... including what is best for the United States and the rest of the world.  Click here to read how these wonderful all-knowing college students at UC Berkeley treat a speaker with ideas they don't share.

Sticking with the atmosphere on our college campuses for a moment ... Here's the link for a website NoIndoctrination.org, where college students can post stories about professors bent on indoctrinating students rather than educating them.

When is the word "diversity" not tolerated on campus? When someone tries to put the word "intellectual" in front of it.  An excellent column from John Leo.

Equality.  Equality of what?  Equality of results?  Opportunity?  Thomas Sowell has some words for those of you who absolutely refuse to believe that there can be bona fide measurable differences between groups of people.

Fred Barnes, writing in the Weekly Standard, says people shouldn't be so afraid of John Kerry.

Jake Tapper makes a great case that in the presidential race, the medals don't matter. It didn't help the first President Bush in 92 or Bob Dole in 96.

This column talks about how the Endangered Species Act endangers the rights of landowners.  Good read from Doug Bandow.

We're sure to hear more about this.....Paul Greenberg chronicles more flip-flopping from Kerry.

Think yesterday was "President's Day?" Wrong, the legal name is "Washington's Birthday." Set yourself straight here.

The New York Post is reporting that Bill Clinton, surprised at how poor Weasley Clark performed at the polls, is pushing to be Kerry's running mate. Two flip-flops instead of one would make a pair.

Democrats are skeptical of President Bush's military record that was released by the White House. The Bush Administration could release videotapes of George Bush actually serving in the Alabama National Guard and it wouldn't be enough.

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