IT NEEDS TO BE SAID AGAIN

This story ran in Newsweek in the first place, without appropriate corroboration, because of Newsweek's intense desire to publish a story that would embarrass the Bush Administration.

Newsweek says that "there was absolutely no lapse in journalistic standards here."  Some are taking Newsweek to task for that statement.  As an editorial in today's Wall Street Journal says:  "But if printing such an explosive allegation based on the memory of what a single, anonymous source claims he read is standard Newsweek procedure--no documents were even produced--its readers must wonder about the rest of its content too."

But .. Newsweek says that there was no laps in journalistic standards.  Before we can gauge whether or not that statement is correct we need to have some idea of just what journalistic "standards" Newsweek is measuring itself by. 

Might I submit to you that the Newsweek journalistic "standards" bear close resemblance to the following:

1. The Bush Administration didn't rely on faulty intelligence in its move to depose Saddam Hussein; instead, Bush  "lied."
2. Any story from an anonymous source critical of a Republican president, no matter how thinly based or weakly corroborated, must be initially believed as true and may be reported as such if deadlines are close.
3. Any story from an anonymous source critical of a Democratic president must be initially believed as untrue and should only be published out of a fear that some other news organization is going to publish it before you do.
4. Torture of Muslims is a widespread and accepted part of the U.S. military culture.
5. Virtually all of the detainees being held in Guantanamo are innocent and should be immediately released, perhaps with reparations payments for their incarceration.
6. Every action involving the U.S. military under other than a Democratic commander in chief will, within no less than 21 days, become a "quagmire."
7. There is no legitimate reason for the application of U.S. military force overseas under a Republican president until after the nuclear tipped missiles are actually launched.
8. There is no reason not to apply U.S. military force overseas under a Democratic president.
9. Anti-war activists are prone to tell the truth.  Military officials are prone to lie.
10. Reporters never lie, unless they work for The Washington Times or the Fox News Channel.
11. America is great because of its government, so long as that government is controlled by Democrats.
12. If the United States government is controlled by Republicans, America is not great.
13. Freedom has nothing to do with America's greatness, no matter who is in control of our government.

Yeah .. I could go on with the list, but you get the idea.  Newsweek had a story that could embarrass the Bush Administration and denigrate our military.  Under Newsweek's loose standards the story ran.  It fit the template ... that template being that any story critical of the Bush administration, our war effort in Afghanistan or Iraq, or our military must be given every benefit of the doubt.

And people died.

WILL REPUBLICANS CAVE

Much talk in Washington about whether or not the Democrats have secured enough Republican support to prevent a change in the rules that allow filibusters of judicial appointments.  There is also a question as to whether or not the Republicans even have the guts to stand up to the Democrats on this.  My guess is that the Democrats don't yet have the votes they need, but it matters not.  It doesn't matter because Bill Frist and the rest of the Republican caucus don't have the guts to stand up to the media and the Democrats on this issue.  So ... the GOP will cave; and when they do the power in the Senate will have been effectively handed over to the Democrats.  Business as usual. 

Now .. in case you've forgotten, here's the scorecard.  The Washington Times ran a story last week detailing just how obstructionist the Democrats have been on judicial appointments.  The Times article put to rest once and for all the idea that the Democrats were just doing to the Republicans what the Republicans did to the Democrats when Clinton was the one making the judicial appointments.  The Times looked at all presidential nominations to federal appeals courts during the first two-years of the first terms of recent presidents.  The following list shows the percentages of presidential appellate court nominees who were eventually confirmed by the Senate: 

Harry Truman            100%
Dwight Eisenhower    92.3%
John Kennedy             77.3%
Lyndon Johnson          96.2%
Richard Nixon              87%
Gerald Ford                 81.8%
Jimmy Carter             100%
Ronald Reagan            95%
G.H.W. Bush                 95.7%
Bill Clinton                     86.4%
George Bush                53.1%

Can it be any more clear?  For the 10 post WWII presidencies the confirmation rate for appellate court nominees averaged 91.2%.  For George Bush it's 53.1%  Now ... remember that two of Bush's nominees were first appointed to the appellate bench by Bill Clinton.  Bush re-nominated them as an act of goodwill toward Clinton and the Democrats.  If you take those two confirmations out of the mix, Bush's confirmation percentage is 50%.

This Democratic filibuster technique is merely another element of their extreme bitterness over losing the 2000 election.  It's time to call them to task for their trashing of the Constitution.  Too bad we don't have the Republicans in office with the nads to do it.

VICENTE FOX CAVES IN

Just when it seemed like Mexican President Vicente Fox was going to stand his ground over his comments about work, Mexicans and blacks, he bowed to the gods of political correctness. .  What's worse is the manner in which he rolled over.  He made a couple phone calls to race pimps Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton and apologized.  Say it isn't so, El Presidente!

Fox was skewered for his supposedly "racist" comments.  They were nothing of the sort.  Racism is the belief that one entire race is inferior to another.  As I told you in yesterday's Nuze, Vicente Fox was merely stating the truth about elements of the black culture in America, when he said:

"There's no doubt that Mexican men and women - full of dignity, willpower and a capacity for work - are doing the work that not even blacks want to do in the United States."

What he said was merely a statement of fact.  There's nothing racist about it. Certain Mexicans are indeed doing the work that not even some black Americans want to do in the United States.  It's work that some whites don't want to do either.  It seemed like Fox was going to stand right by his remarks, thus sticking it to the politically correct crowd here in this country.  But yesterday, he launched right into the Mexican revisionist backstroke, placing a call to Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and issuing this statement:

"The president regretted any hurt feelings his statements may have caused.  He expressed the great respect he and his administration has for the African-American community in the United States."

At least he didn't take it back.

Meet Iris Iris is a beautiful, loving, Border Collie mix that some piece of garbage shot in the leg and abandoned. She's all healed and looking for a loving home. Just look at that face! How can you resist? More about Iris.

YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK

That's right...Viagra, Levitra, Cialis and the like...all paid for by you and me. There is legislation being introduced in Congress to stop the funding, scheduled to kick in next January.  This brings up an important question.  Exactly what drugs should the government be paying for?  What other billions in recreational drugs are we going to have to cover?

Looks like the Gimme Generation is about to give the taxpayers the shaft on this one.  Gimme an erection!  Hey, if the taxpayers are going to pay for erections for old men, why not hire some hookers for them as well?

WARD CHURCHILL RESPONDS

Remember Ward Churchill?  This is the lunatic professor from the University of Colorado that made the statements calling the victims of 9/11 "Little Eichmanns" referring to the Nazi official Adolf Eichmann, who sent people to their deaths at concentration camps in World War II.

In the scrutiny that followed his remarks, it was discovered that this ultra-leftist wacko was also a liar, pretending to be an American Indian when he wasn't.  He also copied some artwork and passed it off as his own.  Quite a few people in Colorado called for his ouster, and there was some talk awhile back that the state might buy him out just to get rid of him. Well there's a bit of news today about this nutcase....he's speaking out, sort of.

Churchill

submitted a 50-page report to the committee investigating his actions.   He claims he has proof that he is actually an American Indian and he also responds to the plagiarism charges against him, saying in one instance he was editing together a chapter in a book for which he never took credit. Whatever. News reports covering what he turned in don't mention some of the other charges against him.

How many other Ward Churchills are there on the payroll at public universities across the United States?  Since departments at universities tend to be overwhelmingly leftist, probably quite a bit.  They'll probably fire him and give him a huge settlement in the process...citing his First Amendment rights.

Then, of course, he'll be snapped right up by some other institution of higher learning to serve on their liberal faculty.

DO YOU THINK I'VE DONE SOMETHING TO MAKE ELINOR MAD?

This email arrived yesterday from someone named Elinor Frost.  She calls herself Ellie:

"What is your level of education?  What have you done to make a contribution to society?  You are what you call liberals.  I have a PhD and make a good living, but I don't make it off the backs of others ... bet you do."

Amazing.

REDNECK SCRAP BOOK

You do know there is pretty much an endless supply of these. Does your car need some bodywork? If you're a redneck, just fix it on up with any ol' thing. View the whole scrap book.

READING ASSIGNMENTS

The Defense Department weighed in yesterday on the Newsweek Koran desecration story.  Their verdict?  Newsweek made the whole thing up.

Newsweek retracted their story...sort of.  The Media Research Center reports there is a retraction in the magazine's latest issue....if you can find it.

Why does the media insist on calling Islamic terrorists "insurgents?"  Christopher Hitchens takes a look at the New York Times in particular.

Pat Buchanan says the conservative movement has passed into history and the movement is broken up, crumbled and dismantled. Read more here.

That shouldn't come as much of a surprise: a new survey reveals the media voted overwhelmingly for The Poodle. Media bias, anyone?

The United Nations is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to build a new building at taxpayer expense, and John Hinderaker says the numbers don't add up.  The U.N. mismanaging money? You don't say!

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist says it's time for President Bush's judicial nominees to have their up-or-down vote.  Sounds like the button is about to be pushed on the nuclear option.

The special interest groups are digging in over the president's slate of judicial nominees, and David Limbaugh says the left just got a lot nastier.

Thomas Sowell talks about 'Dirty Harry' Reid, and says the Senate Minority Leader seems inclined to smear anyone for any reason. He cites Reid's calling the president a "loser" for starters.

Good news: we're all done paying federal taxes.  The Tax Freedom Day was last month on April 17th.  All of the money you earned during those first months went straight to the government.  Doug Bandow reports.

Morning Sickness: Sure, Rugby is a rough sport, but it shouldn't be this rough.

WHAT THE HECK ARE THOSE POINTY HAND THINGS?
These are links to each individual story on the Nuze, p-links for the geeks out there. Plus, they work today and they'll work tomorrow. Now you can easily discuss/debate/rip apart the Nuze without worrying about the links going bad. Enjoy!

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