Category Archives: Media

Silver Star Awarded In Afghanistan

March 9, 2008 Ross

Army Spc. Monica Lin Brown, the second female soldier since World War II will be receiving the Silver Star, the nation’s third-highest medal for valor.

Army Spc. Monica Lin Brown saved the lives of fellow soldiers after a roadside bomb tore through a convoy of Humvees in the eastern Paktia province in April 2007, the military said. After the explosion, which wounded five soldiers in her unit, Brown ran through insurgent gunfire and used her body to shield wounded comrades as mortars fell less than 100 yards away, the military said.

In her own words, the 19 yr. old medic said . . .

I did not really think about anything except for getting the guys to a safer location and getting them taken care of and getting them out of there.
“We stopped the convoy. I opened up my door and grabbed my aid bag,” Brown said.

She started running toward the burning vehicle as insurgents opened fire. All five wounded soldiers had scrambled out.

“I assessed the patients to see how bad they were. We tried to move them to a safer location because we were still receiving incoming fire,” Brown said.

Great story of all that is good with America and the Americans fighting the war. Wait and see if it makes the nightly news. But don’t hold your breath.

2008 Election, Media, Politics

News Conference Preparation

March 5, 2008 Ross

One or two of the Democrat contenders might just melt down on their own once the media starts to grow a pair and ask some questions. The Wizard of ID captured perfectly the way Clinton appearances have been managed. Slowly, things are changing.

The weakest link of the two is Obama. He was seen yesterday running from reporters, er, his campaign was late and he had to run, when a Tony Rezko question came up. The media was surprised to see an Obama that they had not seen before.

What Recession?

February 28, 2008 Ross 1 Comment

Who better to comment on the financial misdeeds of President Bush (who he affectionately calls the ‘shrub’) than Air America Radio investor and talk show host Mike Papantonio?

According to Papantonio, Bush has this economy in ‘a full-blown recession.’ Actually, he is hoping the economy goes into a recession, or at the very least convince you that the economy actually is in a full-blown recession.

Probably not as good a record as say, Air America Radio, but here are some facts about our economy that the rabid left either ignores or lies about.

Since losing 4 million jobs after the combined effects of the Clinton recession that Bush inherited, and the attacks on 9/11, and devastating hurricanes, that snake-bit president has presided over 54 months of continuous job growth, creating over 8.3 million jobs since August 2003.

Despite all the catastrophic spending the economy of this country has so-far withstood (war and hurricanes), deficit spending is below 1.5% of GDP. That’s lower than the average of the last 40 years.

In true liberal fashion, this significant bit of dishonesty with smoke and mirrors is this statement that we are in “a full-blown recession”. The lesson here is simply this. The economy is still growing. Only in liberalspeak can they both be happening at the same time.

This claim of a recession employs the flawed liberal logic that an increase is a cut. Even the left-leaning Christian Science Monitor has to admit that the economy has grown by “1.4 percent for the calendar year, whereas the economy normally posts growth of 3 percent or so.” In other words, because it did not GROW as much as it has in the past (another fact Papantonio ignores), it must be a full-blown recession.

The unemployment rate was 5 percent in December. This is below the average of each of the past four decades. Of course this must be bad news.

Real after-tax personal income per person has increased over $2,800 – or 9.6 percent – during this snake-bit administration. The truth is the poor are actually getting richer.

And, if you are happy with the price of gas and food nowadays, you can thank the environmentalist movement, and wimpy politicians who won’t stand up to them, for preventing us from using our own resources while making the problem worse with bio-fuels.

Media, Pensacola

DuPont Responds To Spelter Case

February 27, 2008 Ross

Not since last October, in the Pensacola News Journal, have you heard about the Spelter, W.Va. class action case taken by local Air America Radio Host and attorney Mike Papantonio. And that was the press release about the Levin-Papantonio firm winning a $196 million lawsuit against E.I. DuPont. It has grown since then. Just yesterday the company issued a public response to the class action lawsuit. And the $127 million in attorneys fees. This was somehow missed by the local paper.

Dupont’s response is summarized . . .

“The court’s decision to include biennial chest CT scans in the medical monitoring program is particularly troubling. CT scans are not recommended for such medical monitoring because the risks of harm, including risks of cancer due to radiation exposure, outweigh any benefits. This determination is supported by a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The trial evidence showed that neither the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, nor any other authoritative medical screening authority, recommends CT scans for screening asymptomatic patients. The court’s rulings, which adopt a plan that includes regular CT scans, ignore the consensus of the medical community.

“The court also erred in estimating the cost of the medical monitoring program at $130 million. Plaintiffs’ counsel presented a grossly inflated cost projection as justification for a larger award of attorneys’ fees. This estimate is based on implausible and inflated assumptions and forecasts about medical costs and participation rates for the class members. This projection overestimates the reasonable expected cost of the program by many tens of millions of dollars. DuPont‘s funding obligations will be based on the actual cost of the program, not plaintiffs’ unrealistic estimate.”

And the wrap-up of the total damages at this point goes like this.

On Monday, Bedell approved $127 million in attorneys fees and nearly $8 million in litigation costs, which will be taken from the overall award of $381 million.

Are These Real Democrat Flip-Flops?

February 26, 2008 Ross

Sure looks like it to me. And, let me catch my breath that this comes from the Washington Post. The WaPo lists 5 each from Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton.

For example . . .

Special interests In January, the Obama campaign described union contributions to the campaigns of Clinton and John Edwards as “special interest” money. Obama changed his tune as he began gathering his own union endorsements. He now refers respectfully to unions as the representatives of “working people” and says he is “thrilled” by their support.

and

NAFTA In a January 2004 news conference, Clinton said she thought that “on balance [NAFTA] has been good for New York and good for America.” She now says she has “long been a critic of the shortcomings of NAFTA” and advocates a “time out” from similar trade agreements.

Interesting that the title of the piece is ‘Top Obama Flip-Flops’ when there are five each on Obama and Clinton. So who ever accused the WaPo of being fair and balanced anyway?

h/t Hip Hop Republican

2008 Election, Media, Politics

McCain’s Troubles, Are McCain’s Troubles

February 11, 2008 Ross

A level of media attention is being focused on commentators on the political Right like Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter (How’s that for a ticket?), assigning blame to them for, allegedly, hurting the candidacy of John McCain. That, and the notion that people like Rush are driven to criticize McCain because McCain doesn’t tow his line. Both just a bit preposterous.

The issue isn’t that McCain doesn’t run in lock-step with conservatives. The issue with Rush and Ann, including myself, is that McCain and others (including the President) continue to say McCain is a conservative when, on the whole, he is not. It is dishonest to label him a conservative while appealing for conservatives’ votes.

“Right-wing pundits hurting McCain”

I don’t see it as the pundits are hurting McCain. What is happening here is the pundits are exposing McCain’s record. In that vein, I see it as McCain hurting himself. Hurting himself in two ways. First by his stance on the following: Gitmo, rights for enemy combatants, gang of fourteen, McCain-Feingold, McCain-Kennedy, voted against tax cuts before he would (presumably) vote for their extension, for starters. And second, by telling us and anyone who would listen, that he is a conservative.

Making the pundits to be the reason, instead of McCain himself, for hurting McCain is to miss or ignore all of the above.

He’d still be better for this country than either of the democrat wannabes. But it is his ‘reaching out,’ to further liberal principles, that is causing McCain’s troubles. Continue reading McCain’s Troubles, Are McCain’s Troubles →

2008 Election, Media, Politics, Uncategorized

McCain History, Switching Political Party

February 4, 2008 Ross

It ended up not happening, but in 2001, a few weeks before Jumping Jim Jeffords killed the republican majority by changing his party affiliation to Independent, Sen. John McCain considered switching parties when John Weaver, McCain’s chief political strategist, made overtures to key democrats.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) was close to leaving the Republican Party in 2001, weeks before then-Sen. Jim Jeffords (Vt.) famously announced his decision to become an Independent, according to former Democratic lawmakers who say they were involved in the discussions.

In interviews with The Hill this month, former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) and ex-Rep. Tom Downey (D-N.Y.) said there were nearly two months of talks with the maverick lawmaker following an approach by John Weaver, McCain’s chief political strategist.

Sen. McCain was testing the waters in 2001, and, by his voting and legislative record, has been building that liberal ‘base’ ever since.

If you are looking for a conservative to lead the party, this is just another thing to consider, and ignored by the mainstream media, on how conservative Senator McCain really is. Switching political party does not sound like something a ‘conservative’ would even entertain.

2008 Election, Immigration, Media, Pensacola, War On Terror

By Their Circle Of Friends, Sen. John McCain

January 27, 2008 Ross

Like the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, in politics, the company you keep says something about you. Take Sen. John McCain on immigration, for example. He says he has seen the light now that his strong advocacy for amnesty (or whatever descriptor you wish to apply), in the form of the President’s amnesty bill, or as they call it, the comprehensive immigration reform bill, has failed. But has he really?

Sen. McCain has recently dropped all kinds of names as potential advisers, except where it comes to illegal immigration issues. On that subject, the man is . . .

Dr. Juan Hernandez, McCain Hispanic outreach director: “We must not only have a free flow of goods and services, but also start working for a free flow of people.”

A credentialed member of a Mexican Cabinet position, heading the presidential Office for Mexicans Abroad. But wait, there’s more!

A hybrid of two cultures, he is the first Mexican American to hold a Mexican Cabinet position, heading the presidential Office for Mexicans Abroad. The office, newly created by President Vicente Fox, seems tailor-made for Hernández, a trusted aide handpicked by the president to protect the rights of Mexican émigrés and their families, and, perhaps just as importantly, to reach out to the millions of Americans of Mexican ancestry.

As Florida’s primary voting approaches, is it any wonder why Sen. McCain is not mentioning illegal immigration (the war, no, the economy, the war, the economy) and who his trusted advisers are on that subject? Between now and Tuesday the 29th, if not at all, will someone ask the senator if he shares Hernandez’s views of “Mexico First/” “Just A Region”/”Free Flow of People” or not?

h/t Michelle Malkin | Juan Hernandez website

UPDATE: couple hours later. Turns out, McCain was asked a little while ago, but not from a member of the media. Hear the exchange and see the transcript on Hot Air. Feel any better about him now? I don’t.

2008 Election, Immigration, Judiciary, Media, Politics, Uncategorized, War On Terror

Recent John McCain History

January 24, 2008 Ross

Have you noticed how the media seems to have selected a Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain? It is also apparent that you should not know the John McCain of last year, and the year before that, and the year before that. If the media thought that it was important, they would have told you by now. This man is no conservative. And if he is the media’s choice, then that should be a clue that he is not where the republican party needs to be going.

Aside from the several McCain positions that Ann Coulter illuminates below, I can add two more things he did, and does, to her list of why I don’t want the Senator to be President. It has nothing to do with his position on the war on terror and defense, except for his position on waterboarding, Club Gitmo, and constitutional protections for the Club Gitmo enemy combatants.

One is his little coup in the Senate known as the gang of fourteen. Designed to intervene in judicial appointments, and prevent the ‘nuclear option’ concerning them. Effectively obstructing the Executive branch in judicial appointments and nominations. Politically speaking, McCain is left of Arlen Specter for crying out loud. And the other thing that turns me off about McCain is that he hardly knows the Reagan he speaks of if he is willing to subjugate conservative principles to the furtherance of liberal principles in order to ‘enlarge’ the party just to get votes. Otherwise known as the end of the republican party as we know it. And you know the media is down with that.

Ann Coulter writes . . .

John McCain is Bob Dole minus the charm, conservatism and youth. Like McCain, pollsters assured us that Dole was the most “electable” Republican. Unlike McCain, Dole didn’t lie all the time while claiming to engage in Straight Talk.

Of course, I might lie constantly too, if I were seeking the Republican presidential nomination after enthusiastically promoting amnesty for illegal aliens, Social Security credit for illegal aliens, criminal trials for terrorists, stem-cell research on human embryos, crackpot global warming legislation and free speech-crushing campaign-finance laws.

I might lie too, if I had opposed the Bush tax cuts, a marriage amendment to the Constitution, waterboarding terrorists and drilling in Alaska.

I’m beginning to see why he is the media’s choice. It’s not by accident that Sen. John McCain is the democrat’s favorite republican.

link: Ann Coulter

2008 Election, Media, Politics, Race Relations

Huckabee To Pick Up Black Endorsement

January 20, 2008 Ross

This will be good news for the Huckabee campaign. Rev. Bill Owens, founder of the Coalition of African American Pastors, is expected to be endorsing Mike Huckabee’s run for president tomorrow, the official observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

In an interview with an AP reporter yesterday, Rev. Owens said this about Huckabee . . .

He has actually done what he talks about when it comes to the African-American community, rather than just pandering.

His observation of Huckabee (R-AR) walking the walk really matters to what families in communities are hoping for.

h/t Sunnydale

The Lunch Counter