Fair and Balanced?

I'm not banging the drum for anyone this presidential election.  With one exception, I don't see much difference between them all.  Vote for Romney, Santorum, Gingrich or Obama - you're voting for someone who's been vetted and approved by the corrupt system that is destroying our economy and wiping out the middle class.

And the media, which is owned by the same multi-national corporations that control the system, wants to be sure you don't pay any attention to that little man, Ron Paul,  who somehow keeps quietly accumulating followers and holding on in the primaries.

Here's today's New York Times Headline:  Romney Edges Past Paul in Maine Caucus .  He "averted embarrassment", says the first line, by beating Ron Paul by 3%.  "Mr. Paul was unbowed, and gave no indication that he would drop out."

I beg your pardon?  It would be embarrassing to lose to Ron Paul? The once- assumed GOP candidate loses to Santorum in three states, then finishes just 3% ahead of Paul in Maine, and the question is whether Paul's ready to say "uncle"?

Dear New York Times - time for a little remedial journalism.  These headlines would have been objective versions of campaign developments.  The copy that followed should have expanded on these themes:


Romney Hangs On to Slim Lead, Paul Is Strong Second in Maine

Maine Rejects Santorum and Gingrich, Pits Romney vs. Paul


As Romney Struggles, Paul Has Strongest Showing Yet

This campaign is a perfect example of what journalism has become.  Dana Bash of CNN infamously said, on camera, that many people are worried, as she is, that Ron Paul won't drop out and will weaken the GOP's chances against President Obama in the general election. Ron Paul's supporters are big into YouTube, so you can see it over and over - and see people's reaction.  The New York Times says a strong second place finish should be persuading Paul to drop out.

News coverage is not impartial and it is not balanced.  It's been a long time since journalists had the goal of finding the truth and reporting it.  Corporate ownership and advertising dollars destroyed journalism and now your only hope of at least seeing behind the lies is Jon Stewart - he's the closest thing to a media watchdog we have.  After noting the media ignored Ron Paul back in August, he was back to note that nothing had changed a month later.

The media laughed at Ross Perot, hoping American would laugh with them.  He scared them to death - he didn't play the game they'd learned to play.  Ron Paul is a similar threat.  Whether you agree or disagree with him, he is stating views that would threaten a solidly entrenched system of corruption.  And the media doesn't want you to notice.

Outsmart them.  Listen, pay attention, notice how they try to influence what you think, and then think for yourself.

Sorry, Lady, You're Just Not Right Enough

This is probably an indication of where the Republican Party is going. I shouldn't be surprised, yet I am.

Dede Scozzafazza is a moderate Republican Assemblywoman who was running for Congress in the 23rd Congressional District against Democrat Bill Owens and Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman. She's been under intense fire from Republicans, including Sarah Palin, who label her as too "liberal" in her stances on gay rights, abortion rights and fiscal issues.

She has now pulled out of the race as a new poll shows her too far behind to catch up and she says her campaign doesn't have the money necessary to do an advertising blitz. She hasn't endorsed either candidate. Really - how could she?

The blogs are buzzing today; this could be the sign of things to come. Republicans who don't toe the line that the Rush Limbaugh set have drawn way over to the right may be bumped aside by third party challengers who are willing to stand way over there.

"I think we are going to get into a very difficult environment around the country if suddenly conservative leaders decide they are going to anoint people without regard to local primaries and local choices," said Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker, who had endorsed Scozzafava.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/01/MNOI1ADFLE.DTL&type=politics#ixzz0VcQqtRUJ

Fred Thompson (you remember him, don't you?) is already putting his truly significant support behind Hoffman.



And here's what Scozzafazza had to say: It is increasingly clear that pressure is mounting on many of my supporters to shift their support. Consequently, I hereby release those individuals who have endorsed and supported my campaign to transfer their support as they see fit to do so. I am and have always been a proud Republican. It is my hope that with my actions today, my Party will emerge stronger and our District and our nation can take an important step towards restoring the enduring strength and economic prosperity that has defined us for generations.

On Election Day my name will appear on the ballot, but victory is unlikely. To those who support me – and to those who choose not to – I offer my sincerest thanks.

Dede

If the Republican Party is going to be taken over by the hard line Right Wing, I can actually envision a viable third party emerging; a place where those blue dog Democrats and moderate Republicans can meet. But they'd better hurry up and do it.
Glenn Beck, The Cheney Clan, Rush and Sarah P. are very effective at getting the word out and somehow many people are buying it.

I have a growing sense that the ultra right is growing more and more paranoid and the rhetoric I'm hearing is designed to frighten any sympathetic listener into believing the new mantra: If you're not with us, you're with the Devil.

It's going to take not just liberals and progressives, but moderates to show them for the fear-mongerers they are.

Thanks for Your Efforts to Create a Bipartisan Coalition in This Time of Crisis

This is what I found in my email inbox today. No comment.

An urgent message from our Townhall Sponsor, The National Republican Trust PAC

Dear Townhall Reader:

D-Day has begun.

With your help and the help of almost 50,000 other Americans, we at the National Republican Trust PAC - also known as GOPtrust.com - have begun our TV assault in Georgia against Barack Obama and the left-wing Democrats who want total control over Congress.

Our new TV ad has begun to run across Georgia exposing Obama's plans.

As you know, Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss is fighting to keep his Georgia seat in GOP hands.

It is critical he does so. Chambliss will be the key Senate vote in stopping Obama's radical agenda.

But Sen. Chambliss faces an incredibly stiff challenge from his opponent Jim Martin.

Just last week Obama, Chuck Schumer and Washington Democrats poured almost $1 million into the state to defeat him.

They are bussing in thousands of "organizers" to snatch this election from the GOP.

This is why our campaign is so vitally important.

Fox News analyst Dick Morris says this election is vitally important to all of us across the country.

Morris says if Obama wins the Georgia seat, he will ram through Congress a radical agenda on taxes, guns, abortion - he can even shut down talk radio!

Dick Morris says we at the National Republican Trust PAC "are leading the fight to save Chambliss and keep Obama from getting a filibuster-proof Senate."

Dick says this won't be easy for Chambliss because the Obama camp has more money and they are experts at voter turn-out - the key to winning this race.

But Dick says we can still defeat Martin and Obama.

We need your help today to do it!

Please donate to our cause by Going Here Now

See our new TV ad exposing Obama and Martin - Go Here Now

Thank you.

Scott Wheeler
Executive Director

And Now the Analysis Begins

Our president-elect has chosen his chief of staff. Rahm Emannuel is a Washington insider. That's got the media tongue's wagging..."Is this the change he promised?"

No sooner had Obama been declared the winner than my inbox began to fill with letters from people with agendas, urging me to be sure and contact him to push for a list of changes that runs the gamut from universal health care to safer chew toys for puppies. Nancy Pelosi is already making up her to-do list and Senate Republicans are promising to stand firm and push back on anything the new president proposes.

The president of Iraq is filming an obnoxious little statement saying he's sure that our new president will be "flexible" on a timetable for withdrawal.

Give the man a little room!

I voted for Obama because I believe I can trust his judgement. His stated agenda - the economy, renewable energy, health care, foreign relations and the war in Iraq - fit with what I believe are our top issues. And the actions he proposed during his campaign sounded reasonable and appropriate.

Yes, we should pay attention. President Obama is an unknown quantity - we don't know what happens to a candidate once he's had all the security briefings and given the full picture of the reality of trying to get things done in Washington.

But I refuse to start picking apart every move he makes before he's had more than a couple of nights' sleep as the president-elect.

I intend to sit back, breathe, and watch. I am confident I will be satisfied with what I see. I have to - or the joy I felt at his victory means nothing.

It tickled me no end that the head of ICE quietly disappeared as soon as the election was over. The cockroaches are beginning to flee as the curtains are pulled back.

And I'm simply astounded by the GOP dogs turning on Sarah Palin. Do I doubt that there's truth in what they're saying? Not really. But I also think it's a perfect illustration of the dysfunctionality of the Republican machine. They can't accept that they ran a bad campaign, that they distorted their candidate until the country couldn't accept him, that they couldn't overcome the country's utter disgust with the state of the nation under the current administration. So they're going to try to blame Palin. And maybe try to be sure to torpedo any thoughts she's entertaining about running in the future.

Or wait - maybe you have to think in a more twisted fashion to understand the strategy. The leaks were made by Republican campaign workers to Fox News, their biggest apologist.

Maybe they're trying to make us feel sorry for her. "Give the woman a break - they were SO mean to her after the 2008 election!"

Governance by manipulation. A time honored Republican strategy. No thanks.

Get to work, President Obama. And let me know how I can help.

Sarah Palin's Pastor Problem

I am still fuming about the bailout. But let us not forget the candidate who could be a 'heartbeat away from the presidency.'
Why isn't this story being picked up by the rest of the news services? Obama's pastor problems certainly got big play.

Witch hunt and Keith Olbermann

Clever, Clever, Clever

So the GOP has chosen Alaska's governor as the vice presidential nominee. Now that's clever.

Sarah Palin is the perfect answer to so many of McCain's problems....she's young, she's a Washington outsider...even a political outsider. She's a woman. If I agreed with her politics I'd probably be dancing in the streets.

I'm hoping that women who are still smarting from Hillary Clinton's fall from the political podium are smart enough to look beyond gender.

I was raked over the coals via email by a NOW official for not enthusiastically jumping on board the Clinton bandwagon during the primary. It wasn't about gender for me. Nor was it about race. I had problems with Clinton as a candidate. I found less to worry about in what I knew of Obama.

Now the Republicans have a woman on the ticket. This could make McCain's many unpalatable positions go down a lot easier. If this smart, capable woman thinks he's okay, maybe he's not as bad as we thought, huh?

Don't settle for the easy answers. Women are an important part of this nation's voting block and they need to use that power intelligently. That doesn't mean voting for one of our own simply because she's one of us. Condoleeza Rice is a smart, capable woman, too. Do you agree with her political views?

This election is about very important issues: the economy, the war, the environment, our relationship with the rest of the global community.

I don't presume to tell you what to do. But I desperately hope that no matter whether you're a woman or a man, white, red, black or any other color in the rainbow, gay, straight, rich or poor, young or old, you use your head as well as your heart. Decide where you stand on the issues and support the candidate who best represents what you believe to be the right answers.

Be clever, too.