Monthly Archives: October 2007

Media, Politics, War On Terror

MSM Ignores Gen. Sanchez’s Comments, About Them

The so-called mainstream media (MSM) was all over Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez speech, or so you may have thought. We heard his criticism of the Bush administration for inadequate strategy and prosecution of the war. But these so-called journalists couldn’t bring themselves to tell you what else Sanchez had to say in the same Q&A session at the Military Reporters & Editors convention last week.

For starters . . .

Sanchez opened by criticizing the U.S. news media, saying he was unfairly labeled “a liar” and “a torturer” because of the Abu Ghraib scandal, and he alleged that the media have lost their sense of ethics. He said that members of the media blow stories out of proportion and are unwilling to correct mistakes, and that the “media environment is doing a great disservice to the nation.”

Democracy Project link

Politics, War On Terror

Democrats Flunk Foreign Relations 101, On Purpose

Unable to secure defeat fast enough, house Democrats decide to vote on a resolution to condemn Turkey for genocide from a hundred years ago. Turkey is also our ally, a key ally in the war on terror. Key is an understatement. Turkey is supporting the war effort by allowing transit to Afghanistan and Iraq through Turkey allowing a re-supply line to northern Iraq and west.

About 70 percent of U.S. air cargo headed for Iraq goes through Turkey as does about one-third of the fuel used by the U.S. military there. U.S. bases also get water and other supplies carried in overland by Turkish truckers who cross into Iraq’s northern Kurdish region. In addition, C-17 cargo planes fly military supplies to U.S. soldiers in remote areas of Iraq from Incirlik, avoiding the use of Iraqi roads vulnerable to bomb attacks. U.S. officials say the arrangement helps reduce American casualties.

Now, why do this now? Now that the surge seems to be working, now as we are seeing opposing Iraqi factions beginning to work together and get along? Could that be why it is NOW?

Meanwhile, Turkey has recalled their Ambassador to the U.S., Ambassador Nabi Sensoy. Last year France’s national assembly voted to condemn the Armenian deaths and Turkey responded by canceling contracts with the French military. These Democrats have learned from history, and in this case, wish to repeat it. It will surely put a stick in the spokes of supporting our troops in Iraq and the war effort. Oh that’s right. They support the troops.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) says . . .

Why do it now? Because there’s never a good time and all of us in the Democratic leadership have supported it.

President Bush says . . .

Its passage would do great harm to our relations with a key ally in NATO and in the global war on terror.

Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul was right on . . .

Unfortunately, some politicians in the United States have once again sacrificed important matters to petty domestic politics despite all calls to common sense. This unacceptable decision by the committee, like its predecessors, has no validity or respectability for the Turkish nation.

Is this their idea of how wartime allies should be treated? With them in the White House, it is questionable if we would ever have a wartime ally again, should we need one, or several, or many.

AP: White House raps lawmakers on Armenia

Ambassador Sensoy’s ‘Exit Interview by John Gizzi

Media, Politics

Google Gets Political

They refuse to run an ad that points out Moveon.org’s participation in campaigning against Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME). Oh really? Suddenly, Google is more than a platform. I don’t like what I’m seeing. Here’s the ad. What’s the problem? Wouldn’t have anything to do with their tax status as a non-political 501c would it? Well it should.  More at Michelle Malkin.

MoveOn.org has made Susan Collins their #1 target.

Senator Susan Collins has a long record of success, based on her ability to work across party lines to do what is right for this country. From healthcare to national defense, Susan Collins has taken a measured and moderate approach that has yielded an admirable record of bipartisan accomplishment.

Senator Collins has worked hard for the people of Maine, but now extreme contributors from the Far Left have decided to attack her. MoveOn.org has contributed more money to her opponent than all of the presidential candidates combined, $250,000 already, more than a year before the 2008 election. They have run 9 attack ads against her, almost $1 million worth, including one featuring children dressed in military fatigues, forced to crawl under barbed wire.

General PetraeusWe’ve seen the destructive effect of MoveOn.org’s dirty politics many times, including their recent outrageous attack on U.S. General David Petraeus in the New York Times.

Now MoveOn.org and other extremists have focused on Susan Collins, and they are using the same ruthless methods they’ve always used.

MoveOn.org has decided that Susan Collins is their number one target for 2008. Your contribution of any size will help send a message to MoveOn.org that their extreme, destructive political tactics will not be accepted.

2008 Election, Politics

Democrats Nominate Rush Limbaugh?

Brian Williams was on the Today Show this morning and speaking to Mitt Romney about the Republican debate yesterday hosted by MSNBC and moderated by Chris Matthews, who claims that he is an independent host. Williams says to Romney that it appears that Republicans have chosen Hillary Clinton as their opponent, since he and Rudy Giuliani and a few others had referred to her specifically. If you go by who the Democrat primary candidates and their leadership are talking about, you would think that they are running against Rush Limbaugh.

2008 Election, Media, Politics, War On Terror

Sen. Hillary Clinton Get’s Nod From Terrorists

When it comes to Hillary Clinton, you don’t have to make anything up. When it comes to Rush Limbaugh, you do have to make things up, as liberals do.

“I hope Hillary is elected in order to have the occasion to carry out all the promises she is giving regarding Iraq,” stated Ala Senakreh, West Bank chief of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terrorist group.

and

“All Americans must vote Democrat,” stated Jihad Jaara, an exiled member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror group and the infamous leader of the 2002 siege of Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity.

The Iraqi government doesn’t want us to leave yet, not prematurely. The terrorists do want us out, as does every democrat in the democrat presidential primary. Hillary has a choice to make as to which of these two she chooses to support. Our ally or our enemy.

One thing about these quotes that need to be vetted, if the ‘progressives’ around us are to believe them. And that is, whether are they being financed by Rupert Murdoch? Because you know, according to them, he and the neocons own the media and all that they report. I know it makes no sense, but that’s what they say they believe.

Link: It’s official: Terrorists endorse Hillary in ’08

Fairness Doctrine, Media, Pensacola

Atheism Programming On Air America Radio

Air America has always said that there is a sound following for what they call progressive talk radio. That’s why I find it amusing that they will have a religious program for Atheists. Well, that’s what their religion is, Atheism. Yeah, that’s a great way to expand your listening audience. Go for that 1 percent.

Air America Radio is broadcast somewhere, is on the internet, and some short wave frequencies. But soon, with the help of Henry Waxman and the Fairness Doctrine, they are hoping to expand their audience beyond friends and family. Now is your chance to get in at the ground level, potential investors are welcome to contact radio host Mike Papantonio at Ring of Fire Radio, an Air America Program, if they wish to help him finance their continued success.

Media, Pensacola, Politics, Uncategorized

Newspaper “Outs” Anonymous Forum Poster

2 Comments

I really don’t see the point in ‘outing‘ the identity of a poster in any forum on any topic when that forum permits the use of an alias. Use of an alias offers an anonymous opinion, which is just that, an opinion. Forums are meant to encourage dialog and the forum is where that dialog belongs, with one possible exception below.

IMHO, there is only one exception, and that is if any laws are broken, then the authorities (that wouldn’t be the newspaper) should be notified. Then, the newspaper has an obligation to report whatever ‘news’ is generated by the authorities. That’s journalism. This forum flap is not journalism. Despite what Pensacola News Journal editor Richard A. Schneider says . . .

You have the right to know that and we have the obligation to tell you.

I couldn’t disagree more. In the context of anonymous posting, should the newspaper take on the role of bully toward posters who they don’t particularly like or who carry some amount of notoriety or their occupation? Should they publish the poster’s email address? Of course not. If an editor has something to say about a post, the forum is the place to respond, with or without an alias. To strip the anonymity and take it to the editorial page where the unwashed might see a huge and (to borrow a recently overused word) “phony” scandal is something more than irresponsible.

If you want to stifle debate then change the rules to not allow aliases. It certainly will trim the tripe.

The irony of a newspaper (which has special first amendment protection) actively attacking free speech might be considered an abuse of that protection, and is just a bit hypocritical if not unethical in an of itself.

Pensacola News Journal: Paper holds officials accountable, even Godzilla

2008 Election, Media, Politics

Hillary Clinton’s ‘Karl Rove’ Puts Her On Defense

1 Comment

Funny what comes up around the Blackwater USA inquisition on Capitol Hill. Hillary Clinton According to John Edwards, Mark Penn’s company helped prepare Blackwater’s chief to prepare for his congressional testimony. Mark Penn is Hillary Clinton’s political adviser “who is like her Karl Rove,” Edwards said.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Hillary Clinton found herself defending her chief strategist Friday after The Associated Press reported that the public relations company Mark Penn runs had helped prepare the chief of the controversial military contractor Blackwater USA for his congressional testimony.

“Mark Penn did no work on the Blackwater account,” Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson said Friday afternoon.

I’m sure the billing records would corroborate that. Who would even ask for them? I don’t see this as any big deal really. Ironic, yes, but nothing illegal or even improper. Private companies have clients that want their services. That’s what they do. I felt the same way about Armstrong Williams too.

If there is no double standard, ahem, then I suppose the mainstream media will jump on the ‘dump Mark Penn’ bandwagon like they did with Armstrong Williams. What are the chances?

Politics

110,000 New Jobs Created, How Would Democrats Fix This?

1 Comment

Oh No. Adding to the three years of continuous job growth, another 110,000 more were created in September, while an earlier estimate of job losses in August was revised to a gain, quashing fears of recession. The unemployment rate is at 4.7 percent, up from 4.6. 5 percent or below is considered full employment. Tax revenues are up. Oh please tell me how the Democrats in Washington intend on fixing this.

related: from Reuters

Belly up to the counter. Politics are on the menu and Ross is on the grill.