The Big Lie

"'You need us,' the Fourth Estate claims. 'Because we are professionals and we will tell you what is true.'

"Except when they don't. Except when what really happens does not fit into their predominantly east-coast understanding of what the people of this diverse country value and want. Except when reporting gets in the way of being opinion-shapers, vetters of presidential appointees, and those running for office. (For more on the media's extremely rude and virulent attacks on certain presidential candidates, see the film Media Malpractice). And this is, I believe, the main reason that many ordinary Americans find the so-called Fourth Estate increasingly irrelevant.

"Consider the stunningly incompetent reporting of CNN 'reporter' Susan Roesgen, who interrupted a man at the Chicago Tea Party who was discussing Lincoln, telling him (and her viewers) what to think: 'Do you know that the 'state of Lincoln' gets 50 billion dollars . . .' She did not let the man finish, and she ended her confrontation with Tea Party goers by saying that they were all anti-government and anti-CNN. At the end, you hear the crowd chanting at her: 'You are not a reporter.' And this is true. She moved from reporting to confronting, from telling viewers what was happening, to telling them what to think about it. She ended that particular discussion by becoming a salesperson for the 'stimulus' package.

(For a better, if not "professional" look at the Chicago Tea Party, see The Chicago Tea Party that Susan Roesgen Missed, by the guy who wants her job).

"It was clear that Ms. Roesgen went to Chicago with an agenda, and that agenda was not to report on what was actually happening (good, bad and ugly), but rather to obtain footage for a particular point of view: that the Tea Parties were 'anti-government and anti-CNN.' Whether this was her own agenda or that of her bosses, she is nevertheless responsible for her unethical behavior. She was not reporting on news, she was, rather, creating propaganda.

"This is incompetent reporting. It was also clear that Ms. Roesgen went to Chicago, the largest city in the 'Land of Lincoln' in complete ignorance of that great president's economic views. Any Illiniois school child could have educated her about this, since she failed to prepare herself for her day's work. This is stunningly incompetent.

"FYI Ms. Roesgen: The man you interviewed--the one whose child was 'already in debt'--was refering to this statement made by Abraham Lincoln:

"'Property is the fruit of labor...property is desirable...is a positive good in the world. That some should be rich shows that others may become rich, and hence is just encouragement to industry and enterprise. Let not him who is houseless pull down the house of another; but let him labor diligently and build one for himself, thus by example assuring that his own shall be safe from violence when built.' Reply to New York Workingmen's Democratic Republican Association (March 21, 1864).

"It took this former Illiniois schoolgirl exactly 40 seconds to pull it up on the Internet. I simply googled the italicized phrase along with the word 'Lincoln.' Susan, the next time you go to Chicago, and you are dealing with real people--those who can both walk and chew gum at the same time (unlike the Pols) and who (unlike the Pols), do not tell you exactly what you want to hear--be sure to do your homework.

"I suppose one could argue that neither CNN nor Fox are real news outlets because they have to foment controversy in order to produce 24 hours of nonstop "news" every day. So, should we consider 'responsible' newspapers, like the Los Angeles Times? In an editorial in that paper, Marc Cooper had already labeled the Tea Parties this way: 'Anti-Obama Taxpayer Tea Parties steeped in insanity.' That was before the Tea Parties had even happened.

"And then there's my hometown paper, The Albuquerque Journal. I tend to be partial to it because it is independent and published right here. But they have gotten a new breed of reporters lately, ones who are so lazy that they go out to an event for 15 minutes, quote liberally from the AP, and believe they have a story. Thus they told us that 'a few thousand'attended the Albuquerque Tea Party, even though there were official numbers that could have been obtained with one phone call to the police. From the AP, they got the idea that all of these Tea Parties were anti-Obama rallies promoted by Dick Army. With a few phone calls and some additional leg work (there's that word again, the one that the lazy reporters avoid), the reporters could have interviewed the five housewives who organized the Tea Party here, and they could have found out that none of them had even talked to Senator Army, and that all funding was local and private, and all the work was done by volunteers.

"Instead the Journal has piled on to the Big Lie: The Tea Parties were partisan, about taxes, and poorly attended. And therefore not very important. In fact, they were so unimportant that the President of the United States had a press release put out saying that he didn't know about them. (Consider the logic of that!) Because according to Janet Napolitano of DHS, Tea Party goers are all insane nutjobs that are a threat to the United States. Right up there with war veterans and those of us who understand that the Constitution limits the powers of the Federal government in the 9th and 10th amendments.

"This is the strategy of the Big Lie. It is a propaganda technique first defined in Nazi Germany, but it has been in use since Pericles. It means to keep repeating an untruth over and over again, baldly, and without evidence, until it is believed by most people."

Where were my fellow blacks?

"The crowd was exuberant with shouts of no taxation without representation. All around me were people who were fed up with big government. This was our moment to corporately express our dissatisfaction with a runaway big spending and overtaxing government. Americans from all walks of life joined together in one great voice … I wish!

"Missing from this crowd was my fellow black Americans along with Hispanic Americans. In a crowd of a thousand or more, I could only count 10 or less black and brown people … WHY?

"This tea party was not about the current president, any political party, or ethnic group. It was about the right of all Americans to be taxed fairly and governed justly under the Constitution of our Founding Fathers. A call for sanity; a call for our representatives in Washington to hear the voice of the people and stop the madness, stop the spending!

"Where were our fellow Americans of color? Surely you feel the same sting of Big Government that the Anglo-Americans feel. This is not about color! We are all Americans and must stand shoulder to shoulder against the insanity of the past administration and this present administration – or we shall all fall.

"I missed you today. How I would have loved to stand in a sea of diverse Americans with one purpose: save this country from socialism, fascism and a one-world government. God will judge us by our loyalty to Him, not by our loyalty to color. God is no respecter of man. We must stand together as fellow Americans or face the chaos of division.

"One Nation under God. United we stand, divided we fall!"

Rev. Lucian L. Thompson

Rev. Thompson, I will tell you why. Many blacks have been bamboozled into thinking that your tea party was tantamount to a KKK rally. They thought the tea parties were opportunities for "white folks" to bash the "black president." They thought the tea parties were Obama "hate fests." Media is mainly to blame on casting dispersions on those events. I heard a black caller on Michael Savage calling the the attendees of the tea parties "idiots." He was happy to see the white people angry because they had a black president. Dimwit.

Another Obama sham event

"Now comes this report about Obama's recent surprise foray into Iraq:

"According to an e-mail from a sergeant in Iraq:

We were pre-screened, asked by officials "Who voted for Obama?", and then those who raised their hands were shuffled to the front of the receiving line. They even handed out digital cameras and asked them to hold them up.

Take a look at the picture at AP and notice all the cameras are the same models. Coincidence? I think not.

"Though in the blogosphere this contrivance has received the attention and outraged criticism it deserves, Obama's media claque has portrayed the sham as though it were an authentic display of respect and enthusiasm from the front lines. To me, however, the fake enthusiasm is in reality far less repugnant than the open abuse of our troops – officially asking that they declare their political allegiance and giving preferential treatment to those who declare their support for Obama. Whatever the complexities of life at the higher echelons where politics and personal relations must inevitably play their role, inviting and exploiting open displays of political loyalty in the ranks, and even worse at the front lines, shows reprehensible disrespect for a tradition important not only to the integrity of our troops but of our military and our nation as a whole. Whatever show Obama's people wanted to put on, what their reported actions show beyond doubt is their ruthless disregard for the honorable tradition of non-partisan service that has helped America to avoid the shabby fate of so-called 'banana republics' whose constitutions proved as susceptible to rot as the fruit for which they are named."

Love Those Comments From The Huffington Post

I hope Ms Huffington is not in a huff. Obama worshipers fall all over themselves in rapt adoration:

"What a fraud B.O. is. he blames the U.S. the most be cause he cannot afford to portray Mexicans in a negative light whatsoever, especially when he's going to try to ram amnesty down the throats of Americans this summer before all of his political capital is spent. He also needs the Hispanic vote for re-election."

"Chains we can believe in!"

"Let's hope Barry doesn't bow to another head of state on this trip. He really needs to stop this disburbing habit. He should bow to the constitution of the United States and not to foreign heads of states."

"Where's the Change We Can Believe In, Mr President? And don't you have enough wars on your hands?"

Obama’s (State) Secrets

"Though Obama’s made several clear steps toward change from the previous administration — here we pause to cite elements from the now-familiar litany: closed Guantanamo and the black sites, ended the use of torture in interrogations, made public several eye-opening post-9/11 Bush Justice Department memoranda — there has also been confusion on some issues, like rendition, and in court cases Obama lawyers have increasingly invoked Bush-era arguments, or worse.

'In the last week alone, the Obama DOJ (a) attempted to shield Bush’s illegal spying programs from judicial review by (yet again) invoking the very “state secrets” argument that Democrats spent years condemning and by inventing a brand new “sovereign immunity” claim that not even the Bush administration espoused, and (b) argued that individuals abducted outside of Afghanistan by the U.S. and then “rendered” to and imprisoned in Bagram have no rights of any kind — not even to have a hearing to contest the accusations against them — even if they are not Afghans and were captured far away from any “battlefield.” These were merely the latest — and among the most disturbing — in a string of episodes in which the Obama administration has explicitly claimed to possess the very presidential powers that Bush critics spent years condemning as radical, lawless and authoritarian.'

"That’s Glenn Greenwald from Monday in Salon, in a lengthy and thorough review of the administration’s recent displeasing moves and the tide of criticism rising in response." 

Keep the Comments Coming In!

"Jen,
Fox new's decided to cover these event's and give them fair creedence rather than paint these folk's as anti-government and un-patriotic like the leftist outlet's have done. Also Fox has pundit's that parlay to the right just like CNN and MSNBC has those who parlay to the left.The difference is you actually get a counterpoint on Fox where you get mostly none from the other network's.

"I was at a protest in Richmond, Va. yesterday and I can tell you that as much blame was put on Republican's for this fiasco as Democrat's. One speaker wrapped up by saying Throw them out !! Throw them all out !! and the crowd reacted in kind.

"One Republican running for AG was passing out campaign flier's and was frowned upon for pandering and quickly left.

"With that said, did you attend one yesterday ? Or does Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow or Air America tell you what to think? Also are you totally convinced that all of these folk's were conservatives, because I spoke personally with several folk's who identified themselves as liberal's who were sick and tired also.One African American gentlemen was holding a sign that said I Now Know What Buyer's Remorse Is, Sorry Guy's Won't Happen Again. Another African American gentleman had a sign that said Don't Blame Me I voted For The Chic.

"I think what's stuck in your craw the most is the fact that half of America ain't rollin' over for your lord and savior. We had to hear for eight year's how dissent was patriotic even when our very flag was being burned. Now these same bozo's are saying we are un-patriotic right wing extremist's just because we don't support their guy.

Please spare me any moral equivocation you may have.

   

No Hope for This Change

"You can hardly pick up a paper or listen to a newscast without hearing how inflationary Uncle Sam’s bailout efforts are. 'Money out of thin air' is a phrase never so popular as it is these days. And, indeed, every bit of the money going to bail out the administration’s political cronies on Wall Street and fatten Obama's constituency everywhere else is being created out of thin air.
 
"The Federal Reserve recently proposed what may be the most inflationary policy in it’s history, directly buying government securities to the tune of a trillion or so. Thin air again is the well from which all the Fed’s funds are dredged up."

Again, loving those comments

"regarding Obama's 'tax break' for the middle class and economic recovery: it's not working.

"again, everyone knows 70% of our economy is driven by consumer spending, i.e. houses, cars, etc.

"I voted for Obama and have great respect and hope for him, but I'm sorry, an extra $30 in your paycheck every two weeks is useless in terms of getting the economy moving again.

"this 'savings' is eaten up by increases in gas taxes, etc. it's gone. (He's awake.)

"the middle class MUST have a much larger tax break, reduction in payroll deductions for medicare, sales tax holidays, etc., IF Obama is serious.

"throwing trillions at AIG and the banksters, while giving us pennies indicates he is not serious about fixing the problem."

-- "Superpole"

Superpole is super intelligent.  If I were president, he would be on my economic team.

He said "while giving us pennies."  Well. Obama did promise "change."

The antiwar movement has largely collapsed in the face of Obama’s victory

"The big truth is that the antiwar movement has largely collapsed in the face of Barack Obama’s victory: the massive antiwar marches that were a feature of the Bush years are a thing of the past.

(Let me rant. I used to help to organize antiwar protests in the early 90's. This dishonest faction of the antiwar movement of today that protested Bush but will not protest Obama are full of spineless, gutless, jellyfish hypocrites. Please quote me on that. They don't hate war. People are still dying and they stay home. They don't care. They just hated Bush and that is all. They are happy their guy Obama is running the wars and Bush is not. Hey you gutless Bush haters, ESPECIALLY MOVEON.ORG! Your hypocrisy is sickening.)

"Those ostensibly antiwar organizations that did so much to agitate against the Iraq War have now fallen into line behind their commander in chief and are simply awaiting orders. Take, for example, Moveon.org (Hypocrisy Supremacists), the online activist group that ran antiwar ads during the election — but only against Republicans — in coalition with a group of labor unions and Americans Against Escalation in Iraq. Behind AAEI stood three of Obama’s top political operatives, Steve Hildebrand, Paul Tewes, and Brad Woodhouse. Woodhouse is now the Democratic National Committee’s director of communications and research. He controls the massive e-mail list culled by the Obama campaign during the primaries and subsequently, as well as a list of all those who gave money to the presumed peace candidate. These donors are no doubt wondering what Obama is doing escalating the war in Afghanistan and venturing into Pakistan..."

The treason of the Congressional Black Caucus

"The Congressional Black Caucus is a collection of far-left blacks who embrace anything and everything that is socialistic, communistic, afrocentric (read 'racist') and Ameriphobic. While some are likely brainwashed unfortunates (they often come off as quite dull), others are vintage, hardened radicals who would indeed sooner see a government such as that in Cuba replace ours."

and

"The Congressional Black Caucus and the far left (most notably, certain dolts in the entertainment industry) would have us believe that the treatment of blacks in Marxist paradises such as Cuba is far superior to that which they 'suffer' here in America. However, according to Humberto Fontova, a Cuban exile and noted author, there aren't even any blacks in positions of power in the Castro government – never have been. The idea that the Cuban experiment – indeed, any communist nation – has proven a haven for blacks is pure, propagandistic pap.

"If you're black and you want to do well, the U.S. is the place to be. Case bloody closed. I'll publicly debate any member of the Congressional Black Caucus on that point, anywhere on the planet.

"On the heels of the Congressional Black Caucus' trip to Cuba, President Obama (who attended a Marxist cult church for 20 years) lifted travel restrictions for Cuban-Americans with family in Cuba, as well as restrictions upon monetary gifts they are allowed to send to them. Many Cuban-Americans, including influential ones, are outraged at this maneuver, since the Cuban government is known for confiscating such funds to use for its benefit.

"The Obama administration is aware of this, but elects to sell it to us as a way of softening relations with Cuba and 'paving a road for democracy' there. To this nonexistent end, Marxists are now going to be given quarter and legitimacy via the Congressional Black Caucus, which cannot be brought under scrutiny, lest one be branded a racist.

"The days of black pimp politicians and activists holding black Americans in thrall with abject deceit and the rhetoric of victimization have got to end. Americans – particularly black Americans – must be made to recognize their true enemies for who they are. They must grasp the reality that following putrescent vermin like those in the Congressional Black Caucus will destroy all opportunities for them and their descendants, and ultimately land blacks in a system rivaling that of the slave days in terms of misery and degradation."

What religion is Joel Osteen?

"King pointed out that many Americans are still confused about Obama's religion and asked, 'Does it matter?'

"'Well, it matters to me,' said Osteen. 'It matters to me that I know he loves the Lord, and I think it's important that he has convictions from his faith. So to me, it matters when I'm making my personal decisions.'

"Mrs. Osteen weighed in, too: 'It does. It matters to me. … I believe he is a Christian.'

"Now, let's stop right there for a moment of reflection."

Officials Say U.S. Wiretaps Exceeded Law

"WASHINGTON — The National Security Agency intercepted private e-mail messages and phone calls of Americans in recent months on a scale that went beyond the broad legal limits established by Congress last year, government officials said in recent interviews.

"Several intelligence officials, as well as lawyers briefed about the matter, said the N.S.A. had been engaged in 'overcollection' of domestic communications of Americans. They described the practice as significant and systemic, although one official said it was believed to have been unintentional."

Don't worry. They are watching.