Sarah Palin's new book and the New York Times

The New York Times once again shows its extreme bias. John Hinderaker of the Powerline blog nails them. Go here to read his excellent comment. For a more objective review go here.

White House Criticizes Foxnews

Brit Hume and Bill O'Reilly do a great job in the following video.

Two Million Patriots Rally in Washington

Received the following email today with a link to some of the best photos of the Washington rally that I have seen. I have posted a few of them but go to the link to see them all.

http://www.lookingattheleft.com/2009/09/conservative-woodstock-rocks-the-capital/  

"Mary Beth and I attended the march on Washington, D.C. on 9/12/09

It was positively awsome!  Close to 2 million people making history in America.

Enjoy,

Pete "

 

 

Interesting Debate on Tea Party Express

The following was aired on CNN. It is a bit long but it is worth your time. If you want to learn more go here.

Jim Wetzel gives the Aiken Standard Advice

The following letter by Jim Wetzel appeared in the Aiken Standard today. Jim rightfully chides the paper  for its failure to report the Governor's statement of his reasons for not accepting all of the "stimulus." I doubt the Standard will actually give it's readers the opportunity to read the Governor's statement so I have included a link.

Letter to the Editor

For a “news” paper that hasn’t seen fit to report on Governor Mark Sanford’s statement of his reasons for not accepting all of the stimulus package money the Aiken Standard seems quick in rejecting his stand, suggesting a position not arrived at through knowledge or the exercise of reason.

In Governor Sanford’s letter of March 10, 2009 to the members of the legislature he outlined: that his team had carefully examined the stimulus bill and its long term implications on the people of South Carolina; that the $1.2 billion stimulus is short term, would be added to the state budget over the next two years and would raise the annualized state budget by 10%; 75 % of that money is mandated by federal statute for directed uses that cannot be redirected by the state; the state currently is burdened with $20 billion in unfunded political promises; the stimulus added annualized state budget and directed uses of the funds will only compound the state’s long-term budget liabilities; but 25% of that money (approximately $700 million) is for discretionary spending by the state governor; and using that money to pay down the very sizable state debt and contingent liabilities would not penalize the people of South Carolina, would avoid budget shortcomings and ensure the state’s long term economic strength.  Having lived and struggled with a spendthrift legislature this is merit display of concern by our governor for our state and its citizens.

We are in a live-for-today, get-what-you-can and world of irresponsibility where government money is nobody’s money, to be grabbed and used whenever opportunity permits.  But government money is always taxpayer’s money (in this case ours, our children’s and our grandchildren’s).  It is commendable that there is still a person in public office, specifically Mark Stanford, who really cares about the future prosperity of our state and nation, and who would be so diligent and thoughtful as to carefully state his reasons.  I suggest that you read his letter; report it as “news” to your readers and take that opportunity to rethink your position.

Jim Wetzel

Moses and DeVine Intervention

The Aiken Standard published on February 18, 2009, still another letter from Moses Mims who as usual extolled the countless virtues of the Obama administration. He also exaggerated approval ratings for President Obama and his plans. While Mims says that Obama and his plans enjoy a 76% favorable rating, Rasmussen Reports Obama had 60% approval as of February 18. As for his plans, some of which are nebulous, only 38% believe the so-called stimulus bill will help.

As is customary for all those of the liberal left, Mims indulges himself in obligatory bad-mouthing of Republicans and the Bush administration, which he blames for our current economic problems. This he and his like minded comrades do with the full support of main stream media despite the fact that much of the problem can be traced back to potentially well meaning (I give the benefit of a doubt), but irresponsible pressure on banks to give mortgages to individuals who could not afford them. From that point we started down a slippery slope that may never end.

This pressure for risky loans came during the terms of Presidents Carter and Clinton and their congresses. Long time Congressman Barney Frank (D) and long time Senator Chris Dodd (D) were the protagonists (we need term limits) and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were the enthusiastic implementing organizations.

Mr. Mims also takes a swipe at Rush Limbaugh who understandably is hated by the left because he graphically exposes its dubious plans and deceitful practices to the light of day. I don’t listen to Rush everyday and sometimes I don’t agree with him, but thank goodness he is out there exercising his free speech rights just as Mr. Mims does.

Mr. Mims prejudice about the rights of a private citizen to exercise free speech gives fair warning to those who have genuine fears about where our great country is headed. Soon we will see the "Fairness" Doctrine re-instated or a similar bill to hush Rush and all other citizens who share information or opinions which differ from the policies of the Obama administration. 

The Aiken Standard on February 18 also published a guest column by Jack DeVine who has opinions that differ from those of Mr. Mims. DeVine reviews the Obama record after one month in office and discusses his take on The Good and The Not So Good.

Under the Good category he praises President Obama’s active leadership, his looking forward, not back and his assembling of a talented and solid team.

On the Not so Good side he criticized those who continue to dis George Bush., saying it was time to be honest and respectful to our former President. Mr. DeVine said the outsourcing of the stimulus package to the congress was a huge blunder and the closing of Guantanamo and liberal hand-wringing on interrogation tactics were moves that diminish our security in a dangerous world.

I applaud the Aiken Standard for publishing the guest column from Jack Devine and the Moses Mims letter.  I have lived in several countries where the press is closely controlled and citizens who speak or write opinions that differ from those of their government do so at their own risk.

I urge citizens of our great country, of every political persuasion, to write to their elected representatives and demand that they protect our free speech rights. The “Fairness” Doctrine re-instatement or something similar but cleverly disguised must never be approved.

UPDATE; Peach made  excellent  comments to this post and mentioned Senator DeMints article in The Augusta Chronicle today. Go here .

Authors of Their Own Doom

Their follows an excerpt from a very interesting story about the decline of newspapers.To read the entire blog and the many interesting comments go here.


"Authors of Their Own Doom


By William Murchison on 2.2.09 @ 6:10AM



Just what I needed: more bad news about the news business. My business, one way or another since 1964, when I labored not only as general assignments reporter and feature writer for a small-town newspaper but also took photos and, yes, converted same to plastic engravings via that technological wonder, the Fairchild Scan-A-Graver."

The Washington Post seeks that elusive final victory

An excellent piece from Power Line


"The Washington Post seeks that elusive final victory


Posted: 03 Dec 2008 07:55 PM CST

As George W. Bush completes the last weeks of his presidency, the phrase "bloodied but unbowed" comes to mind. The MSM is delighted about the first part, of course, having done all it could to inflict that condition. But it still seems to rankle that Bush has not confessed to large-scale error. With the exception of a trip to "re-education camp," nothing Bush could do would delight his liberal detractors more than such a confession.

In the meantime, Dan Eggen of the Washington Post pretends the MSM has its confession in this piece obnoxiously titled "Reflecting on His Tenure, Bush Shows New Candor." Eggen contrasts the president's "new condor" with the old Bush who "once was unable to provide an example of a mistake he had made in office." (emphasis added). (I believe that Eggen is referring to a statement Bush made during a debate with John Kerry; which presidents have enumerated their mistakes in a presidential debate?). Eggen clearly wants to create the impression that Bush finally is confessing to mistakes he made in office.

But Eggen doesn't deliver the goods. He cites Bush's statement that when he ran for office in 2000, he didn't expect anticipate war, and was not prepared to be a war time president when he took office. But which politicians in 2000 were expecting a war, and who among the viable presidential candidates had experience in leading during war time? Here, in effect, Bush is regretting not being FDR, Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson or Richard Nixon.

As to Bush's war time leadership, the best Eggen can offer is Bush's statement in an interview with ABC that he wishes "the intelligence had been different" on Iraq. Bush added that this intelligence failure is his "biggest regret." But Bush didn't collect the intelligence; he simply relied on the intelligence collected and analyzed by others. The fact that he wishes the intelligence community had served up better intel is not much of a mea culpa. I regret that the restaurant where I had lunch today didn't serve up a better meal, but I mostly blame the restaurant.

Finally, Eggen cites Bush's statement that he regrets not enacting comprehensive immigration reform and that the "tone in Washington" got worse not better during his administration. But regret that something happened (the tone got worse) or didn't happen (Congress wouldn't pass legislation) is not the same thing as regretting a mistake. I doubt Bush thinks there is anything he should have done but failed to do that would have enabled his vision of immigration reform to become law or that would have made Washington a harmonious city during the past eight years. I certainly don't think there is.

But though Eggen comes up empty, I have heard the president admit to mistakes in office. He has said (I don't recall where) that some of his tough talk ("bring it on") was a mistake. And he has said that although, he didn't have it put up, he shouldn't have stood near that "Mission Accomplished" banner.

Perhaps Dan Eggen regrets writing a bogus story when there was a genuine one that would have served him almost as well.

The left's obsession with extracting mea culpas from Republican presidents is longstanding. David Frost's interview with Richard Nixon is still considered a hot topic in some circles. The same obsession naturally does not apply to Democrats. Has the Washington Post ever fretted about whether Jimmy Carter was sufficiently contrite (or candid) about his failed policies towards Iran? Or whether Bill Clinton regrets giving al Qaeda a virtually free pass while disgracing himself and his office by having sex with an intern and then lying about it?

The bottom line on Bush is that he has cited a few mistakes, could no doubt cite a few more if he were so inclined, but has no obligation or good reason to do so.

Illegitimi non carborundum

On Friday Human Events published an interesting piece on how the main stream media is selectively using polls favoring Obama to demoralize Republicans and hopefully depress the McCain vote. 

Typical headlines in recent days include "Polls Point to Struggle for McCain" (Post) and "Polls Show Obama Gaining Among Bush Voters" (Times) -- both items running on October 24.  Similar stories appear on virtually a daily basis, showing eight to ten point national margins for Obama and similar Obama numbers in crucial states for John McCain, such as Ohio and Virginia.  

In state-level surveys, the Post this week (October 27) ran a top-of-page-one story about the campaign in Virginia, headed "Poll Gives Obama 8-Pt. Lead in Va." Unmentioned by the Post was an October 24 Mason-Dixon poll, a respected source on southern elections, that showed McCain ahead by three points in Virginia (47-44). Evidently no poll can make it as a Post news story unless it shows Obama winning by a hefty margin.

Likewise ignored by the Post and Times are polls that show McCain winning by two points in Florida (Mason-Dixon, October 23; Strategic Vision, October 22), leading by two points in Ohio (Strategic Vision, October 22), ahead by a percentage in Missouri (Suffolk University, October 19), winning by two points in North Carolina (Rasmussen, October 24), and so on. These results, also within the margin of error, suggest a close election far different from the landslide being predicted by the Post, the Times and some of their media brethren.  

Look at enough of these survey data, and it's apparent that, for the establishment media, the polls are a weapon selectively used to create a bandwagon psychology for Obama and spread defeatism among his opponents… 

The good thing about conservatives is that we tend to think for ourselves.  The Obama campaign has done everything they can to stack the deck.  Call their bluff – Make sure to vote on Tuesday!



Marianne

Truth in Advertising

The Aiken Standard published an editorial criticizing negative politics and compared Republican ads about unrepentant terrorist William Ayres to Democrat ads about Bush ( and by extension McCain). The Obama Ayres association is the awful truth and much of the Bush bashing that has been a steady drumbeat from the liberal left for several years is in no way a moral equivalent. It is also true that Bush is not running for President. The following video from a documentary will give everyone the shivers.To read more follow this link Confederate Yankee

American Thinker

We have added to our links the excellent informative website American Thinker. This link will take you to an article that makes a convincing argument that unrepentant terrorist William Ayers was the ghost writer of Barack Obama's first book. Who wrote it?

City of Aiken Referendum

The Aiken Standard reports tonight that the current partisan election method will remain in place. Thank goodness. I don't have the numbers yet but I am sure they will be published in the morning. Indications are that the turnout was very low. UPDATE- Turnout was only 8 percent and 71 percent said no to the change. A very sad showing but the right conclusion.

Biden's Bluecollar and the Media

The following article was sent to me by email and it had been posted on TOWNHALL.COM. Compare the inaccuracy and romanticizing of mainstream media when reporting on Biden as opposed to the innacuracy and demonizing  perpetrated by the vast majority of the media when reporting on Sarah Palin and her family. When reading most of the liberal media today you must remember that you are in a "conscience free zone."


"TOWNHALL.COM 08/31/08


Joe Biden once got in trouble for plagiarizing a speech and inflating his academic record. So it will not surprise you to find that his famous working-class background turns out to be mythical. But it may surprise you to learn that Biden isn't the one who has trouble with the facts.

In his Wednesday night speech at the Democratic convention, Biden referred to "those of us who grew up in middle-class neighborhoods like Scranton and Wilmington." In the video preceding his address, he said that the people he knew as a boy didn't regard themselves as working class but as middle class.

So what did the news media report? "Sen. Joseph R. Biden accepted the vice presidential nomination of the Democratic Party with a speech that harkened back to his working-class roots in Scranton," said The Washington Post. The Wall Street Journal informed readers that "Sen. Joe Biden showcased his working-class upbringing." The New York Times said he "spoke frequently, and earnestly, of his blue-collar background."

No, he didn't. In fact, he did just the opposite. Anyone paying attention would have noticed as much. But the legend of Joe Biden, born in a welding shop, dies hard with political reporters, who find it easier to romanticize a gritty, hardscrabble childhood than a conventionally comfortable one.

The facts are there for anyone who wants to look at them. When Joe Biden Sr. died in 2002, his obituary in the News-Journal of Wilmington reported that when he married in 1941, "he was working as a sales representative for Amoco Oil Co. in Harrisburg."

It went on, "Biden also was an executive in a Boston-based company that supplied waterproof sealant for U.S. merchant marine ships built during World War II. After the war, he co-owned an airport and crop-dusting service on Long Island." Upon moving his family to Delaware, the News-Journal said, Biden "worked in the state first as a sales manager for auto dealerships and later in real-estate condominium sales."

Executive, co-owner and manager? Those titles identify the jobholder as solidly middle class, if not better. They fall in the category of white-collar occupations, not blue-collar.

And Biden Sr. clearly knew the difference. In his book, "Promises to Keep," Biden writes that his father was "the most elegantly dressed, perfectly manicured, perfectly tailored car sales manager Wilmington, Del., had ever seen."

Biden notes that he himself could have gone to the best public high school in Delaware. Instead, he enrolled at Archmere Academy, a Catholic prep school that made him think he had "died and gone to Yale." He took a summer job to help pay the steep tuition, which today amounts to $18,450 a year.

That doesn't mean the Bidens never had financial trouble. Biden says they had to move in with his mother's parents after one setback, and he remembers "when the electric company would send a collector to the house."

For nearly a year, the father was reduced to cleaning boilers for a heating company. But middle-class people are not immune to unemployment and bad business deals, and the Bidens regained their footing before long.

So where did he get his working-class reputation? Partly it comes from Biden's streetwise demeanor and his preoccupation with the fact that his family wasn't as well-off as some of the people he knew -- which seems to have given him a permanent chip on his shoulder. Partly it comes from his frequent tributes to blue-collar folks, such as the firefighters who took him to the hospital when he suffered an aneurysm.

But mostly it reflects journalists' weakness for simple, vivid narratives. It's easy to write about a statesman who worked his way up from a log cabin. It's easy to write about a leader who came from great wealth. But someone growing up the son of a sales manager is a bit lacking in color and drama.

The errors about Biden bring to mind the recent satirical report from humorist Andy Borowitz: "A member of the U.S. Olympic diving team was disqualified from competition today when it was learned that he did not have a sufficiently compelling human story line to exploit on the NBC telecast of the worldwide sporting event."

Biden just didn't have a sufficiently compelling human story line for a presidential campaign. Luckily, he does now.

AN ENLIGHTENED VIEW

“He ventured forth to bring light to the world"

"The anointed one's pilgrimage to the Holy Land is a miracle in action - and a blessing to all his faithful followers”---------

The above quote is the lead on a story by Gerard Baker about Obama’s grand tour that appears on the Times Online website today. It is very clever and well worth the read. Times Online

"PROGRESSIVES" AND THE MEDIA

On July 21 the Aiken Standard published a wailing opinion column written by David Sirota. The column is entitled “When is Moving Away from the Center called ‘Centrism’?” Let us hope that the Aiken Standard has not decided to make him a regular. The following appears on his website. Check out the various links contained in his piece and be aware.

“Latest Column: This Summer's Trilogy of Truth
By David Sirota, 6/27/08
The future of the media is cloudy. In this brave new world of YouTube, Facebook and 400 cable channels, book publishers are fretting about obsolescence. But books have survived radio and television for the same reason they will survive the Internet. Human life is simply too complex to be represented by a news spot or a blog post � and three new tomes demonstrate how books will always be the necessary instruments for deeper analysis. They are a trilogy of truth in this era of misinformation.
Read the rest of Sirota's newest nationally syndicated column here...
CONTACT YOUR LOCAL EDITOR: If you would like to see Sirota's weekly column in your local newspaper, just go here to find the contact info for your local newspaper editor and send them a message with the request (remember - be polite and respectful!).
Who Is David Sirota?
David Sirota is a political journalist, New York Times bestselling author and nationally syndicated newspaper columnist living in Denver. His daily blog can be found at Credo action (his old blog was at this site, but moved). He is a senior fellow at the Campaign for America's Future and a board member of the Progressive States Network - both 501(c)3 nonpartisan research organizations. He writes a weekly, nationally syndicated column for Creators Syndicate which was launched in the Fall of 2007 and which now appears in newspapers with a combined daily circulation of more than 1.6 million readers. Newspapers running Sirota's column include, among others, The Denver Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Seattle Times, The Idaho Statesman, The Everett Herald, The Idaho Falls Post Register and The Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star and The Ocala Star-Banner. Sirota also contributes regularly to the Denver Post's website, is a senior editor at In These Times magazine. Sirota's two books, Hostile Takeover and The Uprising, were both New York Times bestsellers. He has been profiled in Newsweek and the Rocky Mountain News and is widely known for his reporting on political corruption, globalization and working-class economic issues often ignored by both of America's political parties. The New York Times has called him a "populist rabble-rouser" with a "take-no-prisoners mind-set," while the Philadelphia Daily News labeled him "a progressive powerhouse." The American Prospect said Sirota is "the kind of pundit you'd like to have on your side in a knife fight and wouldn't want to cross in a dark alley." Syndicated columnist Molly Ivins said, "Sirota is a new-generation populist who instinctively understands that the only real questions are 'Who's getting screwed?' and 'Who's doing the screwing?'"

BIOGRAPHY: See Sirota's full biography here.
ARTICLES: See all of Sirota's writings in the lefthand column of this website.
MEDIA APPEARANCES: See Sirota's recent newspaper appearances here and television appearances here.

ALL THE NEWS FIT TO PRINT-NOT REALLY!

Thanks to FOXNews.com for posting the following article. Click on the title to read the entire piece.


The McCain Op-Ed The New York Times Wouldn’t Publish
by FOXNews.com
Monday, July 21, 2008
By Sen. John McCain
In January 2007, when General David Petraeus took command in Iraq, he called the situation “hard” but not “hopeless.” Today, 18 months later, violence has fallen by up to 80 percent to the lowest levels in four years, and Sunni and Shiite terrorists are reeling from a string of defeats. The situation now is full of hope, but considerable hard work remains to consolidate our fragile gains.

AIKEN STANDARD STRIKES AGAIN

JULY 8, 2008

AIKEN STANDARD STRIKES AGAIN- While explaining his veto of the DNA bill Governor Sanford made the following points:
“There were some other good provisions in the bill that I would like to see passed at some point. I favor prisoners having the right to DNA testing to prove their innocence. There was also a condition that would have allowed family members of missing persons to have their DNA tested against unidentified remains.”
In light of his comments and the main concern of the web author I cannot understand why the Aiken Standard felt the following web posting should be on the front page of its paper today unless it suited their own "political" concerns.