Category Archives: Media

2010 Election, Economy, Florida, Media, Pensacola, Politics

Farid Khavari Interview, Florida Gubernatorial Candidate

Tampa community radio station WMNF 88.5 FM did their due diligence last week by informing their listeners on a candidate running for governor of the State of Florida. They broadcast a telephone interview with Dr. Farid Khavari in Miami.

There are two audio links below. The first one contains the interview. The show begins with listener comments about a previous show about oil drilling in Florida. The Khavari interview begins about 5 minutes into the show. The second link starts with the listener comments about the Khavari interview.

The interview: RadioActivity for 2/16/10
Listener comments: RadioActivity for 2/17/10

As Dr. Khavari explains his plans, his platform, you can also find it in writing on his website. You won’t find any smoke and mirrors there. You will find smoke and mirrors on the websites of his challengers, Alex Sink and Bill McCollum.

Links:

Note: Those within reach of Pensacola may pick up a Khavari for Governor campaign data sheet and bumper sticker at Philly’s, 3900 Creighton Road.

2010 Election, Media, Pensacola, Politics

Khavari For Governor – Press Release

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Below is a press release from the Khavari For Governor of the State of Florida Campaign, because you’re likely to not see it anywhere else in the Panhandle. That, and because he is the only candidate from either party who has a plan for Floridians.  Press release follows . . .

There is hope for Florida Democrats, despite Alex Sink

Miami, FL Feb. 16 —  Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink’s candidacy for governor in 2010 has many Democrats worried. Polls show her 10 points or more behind the leading Republican candidate, state Attorney General Bill McCollum. After months of campaigning, it is becoming clear to Florida Dems that Sink has no message and no plan to lift Florida out of its economic mess.  Voters look at her lackluster performance as CFO, and many assume that the next occupant of the governor’s mansion will be a Republican.

However, more Democrats are turning to the number two Democratic candidate in the primary race, noted economist Farid Khavari. Khavari’s plan to create 1,000,000 new private sector jobs in Florida, without subsidies, is winning support from Democrats and Republicans alike. His plan to create a state-owned bank has gained national acclaim, and candidates in other states are jumping on the public banking bandwagon.

“Many Democrats are outraged that the state party leadership anointed Sink as the favored  candidate without any input from the local chapters,” said Khavari. “The Democratic Party of Florida has thrown over $1.2 million in support behind Sink, making her look like a champion fundraiser. In Florida, the media only pay attention to which candidates have raised the most money, not where it came from. The Party is not supposed to support any candidate until after the primary.

“But people from all parties are disgusted with crony politics,” Khavari continued. “They have gotten sick and tired of politicians who look after the interests of banks and insurance companies, while neglecting the people.  We have a different approach. We’ll never get – or take–  a dime from a bank or an insurance company, but our plans will help millions of Floridians get jobs and achieve real financial security, without higher taxes.”

Noting Sink’s focus on counting paper clips while over a million Floridians are out of work and 800,000 Florida homes are in foreclosure, Khavari said, “As CFO, Alex Sink stood by while the State Board of Administration lost tens of billions of dollars. McCollum is also responsible, along with Charlie Crist.
The only people who profited from the SBA in the past three years are investment bankers who sold so-called securities to the geniuses at the SBA.” Sink, McCollum and Crist are the three trustees of the SBA, which handles state retirement funds and other funds from about 1,000 government-related entities.  “Ignorance, neglect, or corruption?” asked Khavari. “The results are the same. We can’t afford crony politics any more.”

Farid A. Khavari, Ph.D. is an economist and author of nine books, including Environomics. His latest book, Toward a Zero-Cost Economy, is available in stores or for free download at his website, www.khavariforgovernor.com.

related link: Pensacola News Journal, related story of how to get off of the grid

Daniel Nocera, the MIT Ph.D. who enthralled a standing-room only IHMC audience last week with his matter-of-fact confidence that he and his research colleagues have solved the world’s energy problem.

Note: Dr. Khavari wrote the book on it, Towards a Zero-Cost Economy

Not to make this a ‘who invented the internet’ discussion, self chest-pounding is not important here. Forget that. But isn’t it good that we have a candidate running for Governor of the State of Florida who is not only knowledgeable about the technology, but knows how to incorporate it in Florida’s economy?

Examiner: Dr. Farid Khavari just what Dems ordered for Florida governor?

Economy, Media, Politics

Democrat Governors Want "New Strategy"

Democrat governors at the National Governors Association’s weekend meeting, are troubled about President Barack Obama’s track record on responding to Republican political attacks and urged him to better connect with anxious voters. Some calling for ‘a new election-year strategy focused on the economy.’

A new strategy? Focused on the economy? The truth finally comes out. Despite what the administration said all last year, and the media dutifully repeated, the focus never was about reviving the economy. Contrary to what candidate Obama said to get elected, that turning the economy around, fixing the home mortgage crisis, and creating jobs was going to be his top priority, once in office that priority quickly shifted to a takeover of health care .

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson offered this advice to Obama: “Rapidly decide what we’re doing on health care and then move to jobs and the economy.”

Bad advise Governor Bill. Democrats’ best chance of saving their political butt is to drop their version of health care. Recognize the fact that the folks (after 70 years) still don’t like it. Stop attacking businesses, and do something to promote economic activity outside of government deficit spending. Do something to help in the private sector, where money is made and jobs, permanent jobs, are created.

Unfortunately, the governors showed no regrets for the huge debt incurred with little to no results. Gov. Richardson, I think that’s Obama’s problem.

Not taking responsibility for anything he messes up is another. Community organizers like to form commissions. Takes the heat off of them, puts it elsewhere. Obama doesn’t need a commission to tell him how not to spend money he does not have. All he needs to do is what we have to do. Look in the checkbook. If you see red, don’t spend, don’t borrow, and don’t steal.

AP: Democrats worried about Obama track record.

Media, Pensacola

How Independent Is The News Media?

Not to belabor the point that there is a bias in news reporting because in a general sense that notion isn’t even debatable. But what do you call it when news is not published, not printed?

Rather than call that a bias, it seems to me to be a matter of independence. Left talkers like Mike Papantonio say that the media is owned by the political Right. Ridiculous I know, but that’s his story and he’s sticking to it.

So here’s an example of bias by omission, where a news media outlet doesn’t print a legitimate news story, when on the same subject and with the same players, the news story was front page, above the fold, and front cover.

Speaking of the debut of Air America Radio host Mike Papantonio and his Ring of Fire radio program. In January 2004 it was big news in the Pensacola News Journal, front page, above the fold. In the Independent, another local weekly paper it earned a front cover. Two of them in fact. Including a spot on ABC’s WEAR-TV

In 2007, AAR filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The PNJ printed a 2 column inch AP syndicated blurb. Nothing else. It was portrayed by the Independent as entering its Golden Age. Later in 2007, Independent publisher Rick Outzen credited AAR as being a good thing. Providing a ‘refreshing voice’ for talk radio. He also said this . . .

News media should give perspective to the news. More voices are better. Then the public will truly be informed.

So last month, when Air America filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, liquidating all remaining assets, did you even know? Not if you depend on the Pensacola News Journal and the Independent for your news and information.

I know it shouldn’t be the case, but do you think that online sponsorship and advertising dollars has a deleterious effect on a publisher’s independence when it comes to reporting the news? Specifically these publishers?

Seems like Papantonio has caught on to the same game that he accuses the political Right of doing because his advertising ‘investments’ in the PNJ and the Independent seem to have payed off.

Judiciary, Media, Politics, War On Terror

Why Civilian Trials For Terrorists?

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To understand why President Obama’s Attorney General Eric Holder chose to try five of the worst terrorists in New York City, putting the brakes on their military tribunal process in which they already plead guilty, all you need to know is where he came from.

That, plus the sensationalism of having the opportunity to put the previous administration on trial is a ‘crisis’ too good to pass up. Especially after Obama said on this matter, that he was going to look forward and not backward.

Holder said he was going to speed up justice for these detainees. He didn’t say it was his friends in the al-Qaeda bar that caused the trial delays he now criticizes.

Holder is a partner in a law firm, Covington & Burling, which has been representing 18 detainees at the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba. You may have seen a picture of one of the other lawyers at C & B, David Remes. A natural defense attorney for the panty bomber don’t you think?

Where are the conflict of interest concerns? Not to mention the increased security risk the administration is putting upon New Yorkers. Not to mention the world stage that this dog squeeze will be put on, using their new found freedom to resume their jihad in a media that will be hanging on their every word.

The motivation is purely political. Obama ran on closing Club Gitmo without a plan on how he was going to do it. To fulfill this promise, who better to do that than Eric Holder, a lawyer in a law firm with a track record of attempting to criminalize the prosecution of the war by the Bush administration. He and Holder both enhanced these terrorists’ defense when they said that they deserve the same protection of our judicial system and Constitution afforded to U.S. citizens. They enhance their defense when they both said publicly that these enemy combatants were tortured. And in a civilian criminal trial, they enhanced their defense because they were not Mirandized.

Remember this. They all had already plead guilty in the military tribunal court system. Rather than let that play out, Holder resurrected it in favor of a show trial.  Reckless behavior for a Commander in Chief don’t you think?

Populating the Justice Department with terrorist defense lawyers is one thing. But what about people with direct ties to terrorists and loony radical groups?

Having heard an earful from New Yorkers, including Mayor Bloomberg and the Democratic Senators, Obama is looking for a way to back peddle, a way to save face. The only right thing to do here is to leave it all under the purview of the military court system and to send the panty bomber to Club Gitmo to face his fate as well. Watching this dance between the American people and his far-left base will be a show in and of itself. Not one I’ll take any enjoyment in seeing.

The President has not shown himself to be on the side of the American people when it comes to the war on terror. If Americans are left with no other alternative than the ballot box to make a correction, I’m confident that they will.

Links:

Fairness Doctrine, Media, Politics, Venezuela

Hugo Chavez Takes Cable Channel Off The Air

It is by design that Americans are guided and protected by a Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Unfortunately for the people of Venezuela, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, the hemisphere’s idiot, feels no such responsibility to freedom of speech in his country.

It is just a bit ironic that some in our country feel that freedom of speech is not as important as being  fair. In fact, some in the Executive branch feel that enemy combatants should have constitutional protections while denying constitutional protections of U.S. citizens when it comes to freedom of speech. They are cut from the same mold as Chavez.

Link: Hugo Chavez takes channel off air after it refuses to televise speech – Telegraph.

Fairness Doctrine, Media, Pensacola, Politics

Progressive Radio Goes Belly-Up, Again

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What's next? Making speech 'accountable?' The Fairness Doctrine?

It is with a touch of schadenfreude to deliver this news today. Air America Radio goes bankrupt, again.

Getting yet one more chance to learn the hard way how business economics works, for a lack of advertising support, they’ve just run out of ‘investors’ to keep them afloat.

There’s one thing about Liberals on a mission to compete with radio talkers on the Right. They refuse to learn from their mistakes. Watch for a new Liberal Progressive station, LP Radio for short, on a short wave frequency near you.

“The very difficult economic environment has had a significant impact on Air America’s business. This past year has seen a `perfect storm’ in the media industry generally,” the company said in a statement on its Web site.

The New York-based network said its “painstaking search for new investors” came close to succeeding even this week, “but ultimately fell short.”

Updated 1/24/2010

link: Air America Radio Closing, Filing for Bankruptcy | Pensacola News Journal story

Fairness Doctrine, Judiciary, Media, Organized Labor, Politics, Supreme Court

Why The Left Hates Freedom Of Speech

Forget about the fact that McCain-Feingold was plainly and clearly contrary to the 1st Amendment of the Constitution. Especially the ”Congress shall make no law’ part. Here’s what the First Amendment of the Constitution is . . .

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.                    {emphasis added}

Forgive me, but what part of NO is unclear here?

And forget about the negligence of President Bush for signing that gawd-awful piece of legislation. Can’t stop there though. Both Bush and Obama deserve a refresher course regarding the oath they took when they placed their left hand on the bible and raised their right hand to (ostensibly) God.

Just what does it mean ‘to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States?’ To both those Presidents, apparently it means don’t protect it at all. Shirk that responsibility and schluff it off to the Judicial branch.

But the far Left, including President Obama, is outraged that people and groups of people of any kind have the same right to free speech as you or I. Their straw man villain is ‘corporations.’ They’re foaming at the mouth that big corporations will start buying elections. Uh, does anyone believe that McCain-Feingold took big money out of political campaigns? Can you say ‘George Soros’ and the myriad of 527’s?

What’s ironic to me is the fact that, well gee, Big Labor has the same rights as General Motors now. Oh, bad example, that’s owned by The White House. But you get the point here don’t you? No one is disadvantaged, everyone has not only the right, but the opportunity to group resources together to make political statements of support either for or against any candidate. Whether a club, a union, a town, a corporation, or a wacko forum on the Huffington Post.

I think that’s what ‘freedom of speech’ embodies.

But to think that no one is disadvantaged would not quite be true with the current state of the mainstream media and here’s why. That part of McCain-Feingold what was stricken today prevented political speech either for or against a particular candidate within 30 days prior to an election. The only exception to that is the media. That’s making the large and foolish assumption that the media today is as it was a hundred years ago. But unfortunately, it is no longer the same media watchdog that was afforded specific protection in the Constitution. If you listen to the Left nowadays, they’re claiming that the media is controlled by the Right. Ridiculous of course, but it doesn’t matter to make my point.They help make my point.

That the folks cannot exercise free political speech 30 days before an election, tilts the power of persuasion away from the people and gives it all to the media. And we all know that in the last election, the McCain-Palin ticket was not only running against Obama-Biden, but against the media as well. The sum of which could not be overcome. (aside from the fact that McCain ran with one arm tied behind his back, but that’s another matter) That’s a power that neither the Left or the Right should accept.

But, what is Obama and the wacko Left wanting to do about this freedom of political speech? They want either a Constitutional amendment taking it away, or for Congress to make a law, (echo. . .shall make no law) taking it away. Forfeiting the people’s power back to the media. President Obama’s statement:

With its ruling today, the Supreme Court has given a green light to a new stampede of special interest money in our politics. It is a major victory for big oil, Wall Street banks, health insurance companies and the other powerful interests that marshal their power every day in Washington to drown out the voices of everyday Americans. This ruling gives the special interests and their lobbyists even more power in Washington–while undermining the influence of average Americans who make small contributions to support their preferred candidates. That’s why I am instructing my Administration to get to work immediately with Congress on this issue. We are going to talk with bipartisan Congressional leaders to develop a forceful response to this decision. The public interest requires nothing less.

As we just learned with Obamacare, when the Left and Obama over-reach, they do it on steroids.

related links:

Media, Politics

It's Simple, Not This Way

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CNN is in mourning. Chris Matthews is puzzled why Brown won when he campaigned on being the 41st vote against Obamacare. But it’s real simple. The people of Massachusetts, like the majority of Americans, don’t like Obama’s version of health care reform. It’s not that they don’t want health care reform.

They know how expensive their own state health care system is. They know Obamacare will be worse. Brown didn’t run on no health care reform, he ran on stopping Obama’s version. He ran on stopping the secrecy, the payoffs, and the takeovers.

Obama got a lot of support from Independents in his run for The White House. The people in Massachusetts have had a chance to see how Obama has governed with arrogance, and now realize that that’s not what they voted for. This time, they’re voting for change once again. You could call it buyer’s remorse.

Question now is, will Obama have the audacity and the arrogance to stay on the same path, or will he, like Bill Clinton, do his best to do the people’s business, instead of that of his ideological far-left base?

Now, anyone can answer the question that was asked in January and February. Will Obama and Democrats overreach? The people in Massachusetts answered that with a resounding YES.

link: In epic upset, GOP’s Brown wins Mass. Senate race