Tag Archives: Media

What Recession?

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.

related links: Pensacola News Journal | Christian Science Monitor | The White House | Bureau of Economic Analysis

DuPont Responds To Spelter Case

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.

related link: Daily Report

Are These Real Democrat Flip-Flops?

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?

related links: Top Obama Flip-Flops | Democrats Equally Adept at Shifting Positions

h/t Hip Hop Republican

Earmark, “Congressionally Directed Spending.”

Earmark smearmark, where is the will to forbid them? Not in Washington DC that’s for sure. Washington’s fix regarding earmarks works as good as their answer to campaign financing. It still goes on but it now has a different name, “congressionally directed spending.” Take Rahm Emanuel for example. He is chairman of the House Democratic Caucus and has been a major proponent of making earmarks in spending bills more transparent. Rahm speaks with forked tongue.

Rep. Rahm Emanuel was extremely proud when the House passed a major spending billRahm Emanuel, who is chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, has been a major proponent of making earmarks in spending bills more transparent. early this year that contained not a single special-interest project. “This is an earmark-free bill,” the Illinois Democrat jubilantly declared on Feb. 1.

A week later, however, he and 18 other Illinois lawmakers signed a letter to the Energy Department to “express our strong support” for a bio-energy project at the University of Illinois. Emanuel also sent his own letter to the department seeking “support and assistance in securing” $500,000 for Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago and $750,000 for the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Such requests for specific institutions are commonly known as earmarks. But Emanuel, a member of the Democratic House leadership, declines to call them that. “Letter-writing is not an earmark,” he said in an interview.

What perfect Clinton-speak. Letter-writing for earmarks is not an earmark. That and, it depends on what the definition of is is. Pelosi and Reid are doing a bang-up job on their ethics reform campaign, beginning with William (Dollar Bill) Jefferson (D-LA). And it goes downhill from there.

Washington Post link: Pet Projects’ Veil Is Only Partly Lifted

Morning Joe, That Went Well

The MSNBC morning show called Morning Joe had some real fireworks in the studio Wednesday morning. Co-host Mika Brzezinski had more respect for the show than to have the lead story be Paris Hilton waltzing out of county jail. I’m on her side with that. I don’t watch the show, but as the video shows, Mika Brzezinski refused to read it and explained her reason. She became increasingly furious over two things, the producer’s insistence that she read the stupid story, and Joe telling her to “read the story” and telling her she’s not a real journalist because of her refusal to do the story to ‘get control of your life.’ ON THE AIR

It made for some intense television. I agree with her point, and Joe should have backed her on it. Yea, Mika did seem to lose it on the air. Watching the video, you wonder how she managed to not bitch-slap Joe and the guy who snatched the lighter from her. She tried to burn the script. Too much coffee maybe, but she didn’t deserve the derogatory comment that Scarborough made to her, and more than once. And what’s the problem with the producer of the show if they don’t lead off with that stupid story? Will something bad happen? Is the 24 yr old airhead demographic so important for MSNBC that real news gets bumped?

Go Left TV Takes On Conservative Media

Proof that the fairness doctrine is a big mistake, the left has sprouted up a new presence on the Internet in the form of GoLeft.tv. It’s a mistake in the sense that everyone has a shot at playing pundit, success or failure depends on them, not the government.

They are properly optimistic, with all the bravado of the kick-off of Air America Radio a couple years ago. From the press release. . .

“Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage, Bill O’Reilly, Michael Medved and the rest of right-wing, conservative media, beware!”

Among the people behind GLTV is a familiar face in Air America Radio land. Pensacola attorney Mike Papantonio, and his buds at his BIG LAW law firm are the major “investors” in the project. The “Pap Attack” is something he does on his Air America Radio show called the Ring of Fire, available on short wave, the Internet and a few conventional AM outlets. As referenced in the previous post, watching a minute or two of the Pap Attack will give you an idea what hate radio (hate Internet?) is.

20 Loopholes In Immigration Bill

Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions (R) released a list today of 20 loopholes in the current immigration bill. Watch how little attention this gets in the MSM. But first, check out Session’s press release where he lists the 20 loopholes.

Then get on the phone or email your representatives. Never mind that you may have already done that. Do it again.

Continue reading 20 Loopholes In Immigration Bill

General’s Letter To The Iraqi People

While watching the newscasts today of the al-Sadr instigated demonstrations in Iraq, demonstrations against U.S. and coalition forces, here is the one news item the media is sure to miss. Gen. Petraeus’ letter to the Iraqi people upon the 4th anniversary of the fall of Saddam’s regime. It’s also time to review the 7 reasons (not 1) that we went into Iraq in the first place.

To the Iraqi People:

Monday, April 9, 2007 will mark the 4th anniversary of the liberation of Iraq from Saddam Hussein’s regime. For many in Iraq and around the world, it will be a time for reflection on the early days after liberation in 2003 and on what has transpired since then. Continue reading General’s Letter To The Iraqi People