Jim Geraghty on the bloggers struggle to topple the Sauronic Eye of CBS and their media colleagues who should have been appalled at CBS’ reckless partisan reporting.
We must also repeatedly hammer away at the reputations of the Tim Russerts and Tom Brokaws and Wolf Blitzers. Apparently, their standards aren't all that different from Rather's, or else they would have objected quicker, louder, and more publicly. The other networks and major newspapers have generated so far mostly gentle rebukes. No major newspaper has called for Rather's resignation. None calls them out as fools and mendacious mercenaries for having the audacity to call Bill Burkett an "unimpeachable source." In retrospect, all that phrase told us was that CBS had not received the memos from Bill Clinton.
From his comments before and after his "apology" — a thin gruel of legalistic weasel words that stretches the definition of that word — Rather has made clear he believes that those clad in pajamas and typing on computers are in no position to judge him. Our role, in his vision, is to passively imbibe his disinformative propaganda the way geese receive cornmeal to make fois grae. He sits behind his anchor desk, confident that his status is impenetrable and that any attack made by the Pajamahadeen against his position would be a useless gesture, no matter what technical errors we may have proved. He steadfastly believes that CBS television stations remain the ultimate persuasive power in the news universe, and he intends to use it.
But Rather should not be too proud of this technological agitprop dispersal system he's constructed. The power to hype a fake memo is insignificant compared to the power of the blogosphere.
Here is a quote for you:
"The power to destroy a planet is insignificant when compared to the power of the Force."- Darth Vader
Well put.
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
It Figures
I was very excited to get my issue of Time in the mail today, because it was supposed to have an article on the boys from Power Line.
When I got the issue out of the mailbox and excitedly opened the magazine to read the article, I couldn't because there was a printing error and several pages, including the article on Power Line, were folded over and stapled into the spine of the mag. I had to tear out the staples so I could read it.
"Elite" media...go figure.
When I got the issue out of the mailbox and excitedly opened the magazine to read the article, I couldn't because there was a printing error and several pages, including the article on Power Line, were folded over and stapled into the spine of the mag. I had to tear out the staples so I could read it.
"Elite" media...go figure.
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
Famous scientists from around the globe are disappearing, and Chronicle reporter Polly Perkins is bound to get to the bottom of the story. After a mysterious meeting at the Radio City Music Hall with one of the scientists yet to disappear, air raid sirens wail bringing the citizens of New York into the streets. Hundreds of unidentified aircraft are flying over the city. However, are they warplanes? No. They land revealing themselves to be giant robots that attack the city. As Polly finds herself in the middle of the destruction looking for clues to the identity of the attackers, a call for help is broadcast. Enter Sky Captain, here to defend the city from these mechanical monsters!
This movie is a must see, and definitely on the big screen. Don’t wait for the rental. The retro styling and soft focus of this film made me think I was actually watching a movie from the ‘30s. I know this film was mostly CG, but it does not matter. Conran’s visual styling and CG compliments the retro look perfectly. Plus, it’s just plain cool having ‘30s era technology fused with futuristic technology. Flying robots that attack New York. A P-40 fighter plane that is also a submarine. Laser guns. There is a big nod to the Buck Rogers comics of the ‘30s and 40's era.
The acting performances (only real thing in the movie) were good and believable. Jude Law plays Sky Captain, a dashing hero type, and does it well. Giovanni Ribisi plays Dex, the Captain’s eccentric sidekick genius, and he does it perfectly. I’m not a Gwyneth Paltrow fan, but she does a nice job acting in this role. A headstrong reporter that doesn’t listen to anyone and has no regard for others fits her perfectly.
I’ve seen this movie described as unique, and it is. It is like nothing you and I have ever seen before. CGI done right. A movie done right. As Andrea Jackson of the Daily Buzz would say: worth the full price of admission.
This movie is a must see, and definitely on the big screen. Don’t wait for the rental. The retro styling and soft focus of this film made me think I was actually watching a movie from the ‘30s. I know this film was mostly CG, but it does not matter. Conran’s visual styling and CG compliments the retro look perfectly. Plus, it’s just plain cool having ‘30s era technology fused with futuristic technology. Flying robots that attack New York. A P-40 fighter plane that is also a submarine. Laser guns. There is a big nod to the Buck Rogers comics of the ‘30s and 40's era.
The acting performances (only real thing in the movie) were good and believable. Jude Law plays Sky Captain, a dashing hero type, and does it well. Giovanni Ribisi plays Dex, the Captain’s eccentric sidekick genius, and he does it perfectly. I’m not a Gwyneth Paltrow fan, but she does a nice job acting in this role. A headstrong reporter that doesn’t listen to anyone and has no regard for others fits her perfectly.
I’ve seen this movie described as unique, and it is. It is like nothing you and I have ever seen before. CGI done right. A movie done right. As Andrea Jackson of the Daily Buzz would say: worth the full price of admission.
Modified Limited Hangout
The Wall Street Journal’s lead editorial puts together the incriminating threads of the CBS memo debacle. Also check out The Washington Post’s “Questions Surround Man Who Provided” and USA Today’s ”CBS Backs Off Guard Story". Via Power Line.
It’s interesting that as soon as the “All Seeing Eye” network released the apology from Rather and the CBS News for supposedly being “misled” by the forged memos that the other big networks jumped on the bandwagon and started reporting that the memos are fakes and that Rather stood by them, knowing he couldn’t authenticate them. I was watching the Today Show on NBC and they had a blurb about Rathergate on their headlines segment. MSNBC.com has an article available where you can watch an interview with John “Hindrocket” Hinderaker of Power Line.
Make sure you check out Power Line for a full run down of the latest Rathergate developments and some excellent questions that need to be addressed by CBS.
It’s interesting that as soon as the “All Seeing Eye” network released the apology from Rather and the CBS News for supposedly being “misled” by the forged memos that the other big networks jumped on the bandwagon and started reporting that the memos are fakes and that Rather stood by them, knowing he couldn’t authenticate them. I was watching the Today Show on NBC and they had a blurb about Rathergate on their headlines segment. MSNBC.com has an article available where you can watch an interview with John “Hindrocket” Hinderaker of Power Line.
Make sure you check out Power Line for a full run down of the latest Rathergate developments and some excellent questions that need to be addressed by CBS.
Saturday, September 18, 2004
Now this is a Truck!
I am in the market for a new truck. Maybe I'll get this fossil fuel guzzling behemoth. 7 miles to the gallon on diesel, room for 5, and can hall 20 tons. Just what I was looking for.
Thursday, September 16, 2004
Tell Me Why I have to be a Powerslave!
To my surprise, John J. Miller at NRO gives a nod to the 20th anniversary of Iron Maiden’s album Powerslave. My favorite album as well. I still upon occasion crank up “Powerslave” on the old iTunes and play it loud.
More Nostalgia
Another anniversary that will take some of us back to our younger years. Transformers, the “Robots in Disguise”, are celebrating their 20th anniversary.
I picked up a Transformers’ comic called The War Within- The Age of Wrath written by Simon Furman and drawn by Joe Ng. The storytelling is good. The series takes place on Cybertron millions of years before the Transformers came to earth. The art is the real grabber here though. Joe Ng’s robots are awesome. The coloring is a bit dark, but the art makes up for it. I’ll buy this title again. It would be helpful, but not necessary, to read the previous two volumes of The War Within. These volumes are available in a trade paperback.
Now if I could just get a hold of an old Optimus Prime figure, the days of my youth would be complete.
I picked up a Transformers’ comic called The War Within- The Age of Wrath written by Simon Furman and drawn by Joe Ng. The storytelling is good. The series takes place on Cybertron millions of years before the Transformers came to earth. The art is the real grabber here though. Joe Ng’s robots are awesome. The coloring is a bit dark, but the art makes up for it. I’ll buy this title again. It would be helpful, but not necessary, to read the previous two volumes of The War Within. These volumes are available in a trade paperback.
Now if I could just get a hold of an old Optimus Prime figure, the days of my youth would be complete.
At Home with the CBS Evening News
NRO’s Duncan Maxwell Anderson on Dan Rather and CBS.
In CBS's comfortable little TV world catering to liberals in their living rooms, a felony has been committed: falsifying government documents. Dan Rather, or someone who works for him, probably knows who committed the forgery. Anyone who impedes the investigation, even after the fact, also becomes an accessory, and could go to jail.
And by the way, even if you're a journalist, the right to forge documents isn't covered by the First Amendment.
If I worked for CBS, the words “felony” and “accessory” would scare me into ponying up the forger.
In CBS's comfortable little TV world catering to liberals in their living rooms, a felony has been committed: falsifying government documents. Dan Rather, or someone who works for him, probably knows who committed the forgery. Anyone who impedes the investigation, even after the fact, also becomes an accessory, and could go to jail.
And by the way, even if you're a journalist, the right to forge documents isn't covered by the First Amendment.
If I worked for CBS, the words “felony” and “accessory” would scare me into ponying up the forger.
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Wictory Wednesday
Today is Wictory Wednesday. Our attention now turns to some other races this election year. This week we are focusing on John Thune who is running against the obstructionist Senator Tom Daschle. Thune has a small lead over Dashcle, who is outspending him in the campaign. This is a great time to donate to John Thune's campaign and stop Daschle's obstructionism.
If you have a blog and want to participate, go to Wictory Wednesday and get yourself on the blogroll.
Blogs that participate in Wictory Wednesday:
If you have a blog and want to participate, go to Wictory Wednesday and get yourself on the blogroll.
Blogs that participate in Wictory Wednesday:
Vietnam Vet Lied about Atrocities
A Vietnam Vet that testified about atrocities committed during the war says that he was coerced by Kerry to lie.
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
The Killian Memos: "Rathergate"
The fallout continues from Dan Rather’s stubborn resistance to actually admit that the memos are fake and that CBS has been duped.
Lots of stuff on the Killian memos in the media today.
Johan Goldberg on Dan Rather going the way of the dinosaur.
Jim Geraghty from NRO’s Kerry Spot on Rather’s lame second defense of the memos.
James Taranto’s (Opinion Journal’s Best of the Web) take on Rathergate.
The Washington Post’s Michael Dobbs and Howard Kurtz on how Marcel Mately didn’t authenticate the memos as CBS had cited.
John Podhoretz on CBS' Big Blunder. (Link Courtesy Hugh Hewitt)
And I could go on…
Some entertainment has come out of this fiasco as well.
Check out two new documents that have come to light (funny stuff) here and here.
As always check out Hugh Hewitt, Powerline, Little Green Footballs, and a host of others. Hugh points out some new posts of importance to check out:
New posts of importance on the CBS melt-down at RatherBiased, Betsy'sPage, Aaron's Rantburg, Blackfive, RedState, CommandPost, Powerline, LGF, KerrySpot, Instapundit, and many others.
Lots of stuff on the Killian memos in the media today.
Johan Goldberg on Dan Rather going the way of the dinosaur.
Jim Geraghty from NRO’s Kerry Spot on Rather’s lame second defense of the memos.
James Taranto’s (Opinion Journal’s Best of the Web) take on Rathergate.
The Washington Post’s Michael Dobbs and Howard Kurtz on how Marcel Mately didn’t authenticate the memos as CBS had cited.
John Podhoretz on CBS' Big Blunder. (Link Courtesy Hugh Hewitt)
And I could go on…
Some entertainment has come out of this fiasco as well.
Check out two new documents that have come to light (funny stuff) here and here.
As always check out Hugh Hewitt, Powerline, Little Green Footballs, and a host of others. Hugh points out some new posts of importance to check out:
New posts of importance on the CBS melt-down at RatherBiased, Betsy'sPage, Aaron's Rantburg, Blackfive, RedState, CommandPost, Powerline, LGF, KerrySpot, Instapundit, and many others.
Monday, September 13, 2004
CBS Forgeries Roundup
Little Green Footballs has compiled a list of all its fake CBS document posts so it is easier to get the information.
Hugh Hewitt has some great comments about bloggers at his site:
And I’m not even wearing my pjs.
Hugh Hewitt has some great comments about bloggers at his site:
As for the CBS meltdown, John Fund has a nice essay on the big blinders CBS is wearing, and kindly credits me as the unofficial historian of the blogosphere, a job no one could really do. It would be like being the historian of the Borg. The cumulative impact of the blogs on CBS/Rather credibility has reduced that fabled news organization to the status of whiner, and it cannot hope to combat the combination of its own shoddy reporting and the multiplying power of citizen journalism --open source journalism.
One example: Not long ago a young man in San Diego began a blog --Stones Cry Out, a nicely designed, solidly reported, center-right Evangelical blog. Here is author Rick Brady's Saturday post on CBS. Now, obviously, Brady isn't going to have the traffic of Powerline, INDC Journal, Instapundit etc, but he will have unique traffic --people going just to his site, because they know him, or found and like his blog, or were referred there by the Fraters gang (which is how I found him), and thus the CBS story spreads beyond its already established audience.
Technorati founder David Sifry explained the importance of this to me at the Democratic Convention in Boston, calling it the "power of the tail." Sure, a few hundred blogs seem to own a large share of the traffic, as N.Z.Bear's rankings by traffic shows. But there are tens of thousands of blogs each racking up unique visitors. If those blogs in the tail pick up a meme --say, "Dan Rather is a doddering fool and CBS is covering up for him"-- its spread across the universe of people using the web for information gathering is huge and almost instantaneous. And irreversible because a friend or colleague of Rick is much more likely to believe his analysis because he knows and trusts Rick than it is some knucklehead from CBS who is attempting to dismiss Rick as a pajama-wearing loon.
And I’m not even wearing my pjs.
"I'd Rather Be Blogging"
John Fund on the role of bloggers in the deconstruction of CBS' forged documents. On Fox News, Jonathan Klein, a former vice executive president who oversaw CBS' "60 Minutes" debated Stephen Hayes of The Weekly Standard on the authenticity of the Bush Documents. Mr. Klein dismissed the bloggers, who have taken a swift and decisive role in challenging CBS, like this:
Mr. Klein dismissed the bloggers who are raising questions about the authenticity of the memos: "You couldn't have a starker contrast between the multiple layers of check and balances [at '60 Minutes'] and a guy sitting in his living room in his pajamas writing."
He will regret that snide disparagement of the bloggers, many of whom are skilled lawyers or have backgrounds in military intelligence or typeface design. A growing number of design and document experts say they are certain or almost certain the memos on which CBS relied are forgeries.
Heavies mentioned in Fund's article are Hugh Hewitt, Powerline, and Little Green Footballs. Continue to check these sites out as CBS unravels and the guys in pajamas continue to tenaciously take apart the media elite.
Mr. Klein dismissed the bloggers who are raising questions about the authenticity of the memos: "You couldn't have a starker contrast between the multiple layers of check and balances [at '60 Minutes'] and a guy sitting in his living room in his pajamas writing."
He will regret that snide disparagement of the bloggers, many of whom are skilled lawyers or have backgrounds in military intelligence or typeface design. A growing number of design and document experts say they are certain or almost certain the memos on which CBS relied are forgeries.
Heavies mentioned in Fund's article are Hugh Hewitt, Powerline, and Little Green Footballs. Continue to check these sites out as CBS unravels and the guys in pajamas continue to tenaciously take apart the media elite.
Friday, September 10, 2004
As ugly as it is, it is a fight to the finish and we must fight it that way or we will pay the price.
Here is the latest email from newly promoted Lt. Colonel David Bellon in Fallujah. He comments on the seven Marines and three Iraqi Special Forces soldiers that were killed by a suicide bomber, military action in Fallujah, and points out that we need to continue this fight or pay the consequences.
As heart broke as the Marines of the battalion were, last night they really took it to the insurgents inside of Fallujah. Contrary to what might be in the media, the mission was not "retribution" for the suicide bombing. It was part of a regular operation that was slightly accelerated in light of what happened. We had been watching the city for quite a while and killed many, many terrorists last night. The battle lasted for hours and hours later, we were still getting secondary explosions off of objectives that we destroyed. You must have faith that the Marines are giving much better that we get.
Such action does not lessen the pain for the Marines who lost their buddies but it gives them a chance to fight and that is what they want. I saw the SgtMaj for the battalion that lost the seven Marines the morning after the explosion. He told me "there is still plenty of fight left in them" (the Marines). Sure enough, that night (last night), they delivered. Regardless of what the enemy throws at them, the Marines will always be laying in the tall grass looking to take the fight to them. There is a major effort to "keep the noise level down" and stay out of the news but it does not mean that the Marines are not out there every day performing. I cannot say it enough, they are amazing.
The Iraqi Special Forces soldiers were outraged by the attack and were also full of fight afterwards. They wanted to go into Fallujah that day and attack the muj. Their commander stood in front of them and told them to bide their time. It came soon enough. They participated in last night’s action and did well. In fact, we just took on 200 more recruits and continue to have high expectations for them. These guys are under constant threats. When they go home on leave, it is not uncommon for them to have to move their families around in order to avoid kidnappings or murders of not only themselves but their entire families, children and all. We just spoke to them today about having faith that we will win and to believe that things will get better. In fact, I am much less tolerant of Americans who are losing their stomach to see this through. These Iraqis have never known freedom and have no idea what life could be life if they see it through, yet they put their lives on the lines based on nothing but faith.
Having seen the tragedy in Russia this week we cannot help but shake our heads here and wonder when the rest of the civilized world will wake up and realize that we are in the middle of a struggle for civilization. History will show that the outcome of this struggle will be no less critical to our collective future than WWII. Islamic Fundamentalism inspired terrorism is mutually exclusive to peaceful coexistence with anyone who does not buy into their twisted view of the world. For the masses of appeasers who are still blabbering on about "dialogue" and concessions, I would simply offer that what transpired in Russia is not an aberration. The enemy we face here is the same one that murdered the children in that school, is the same one that flew the airplanes in the towers, and is the same one that bombed the train in Spain.
Perhaps even more sobering is that as horrific as these events are, they pale in comparison to what they aspire to. Believe me, if they could get into a school in Wichita or Sacramento, they would gladly do it and convince themselves along the way that they are doing God's work as they ape for the cameras before killing as many innocent people as they can. The "recruiting videos" that we capture contain graphic scenes of beheadings, tortured confessions and insanely violent rhetoric. Even after what we have seen, it is hard to watch them. The enemy celebrates them.
History will be unkind to those leaders who do not have enough faith in their people to be honest enough with them to clearly state that the free world is now engaged in a war with extremist criminals who have literally been praying for this confrontation for decades. It is not "life as normal." It is beyond imagination how "experts" can get on the news shows and blame Russia for what happened in that school. Russia is no more to blame than the US is to blame for 9/11 or Spain is to blame for what happened this spring. As ugly as it is, it is a fight to the finish and we must fight it that way or we will pay the price.
Wise words from someone who is in the thick of it and knows what the cost of relenting in this effort will bring.
If I haven’t done so yet, I would like to thank the Lt. Colonel’s Dad for keeping the rest of us informed by sharing his son’s emails with us. In addition, many thanks to the members of the Armed Forces that are fighting and sacrificing in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is greatly appreciated.
As heart broke as the Marines of the battalion were, last night they really took it to the insurgents inside of Fallujah. Contrary to what might be in the media, the mission was not "retribution" for the suicide bombing. It was part of a regular operation that was slightly accelerated in light of what happened. We had been watching the city for quite a while and killed many, many terrorists last night. The battle lasted for hours and hours later, we were still getting secondary explosions off of objectives that we destroyed. You must have faith that the Marines are giving much better that we get.
Such action does not lessen the pain for the Marines who lost their buddies but it gives them a chance to fight and that is what they want. I saw the SgtMaj for the battalion that lost the seven Marines the morning after the explosion. He told me "there is still plenty of fight left in them" (the Marines). Sure enough, that night (last night), they delivered. Regardless of what the enemy throws at them, the Marines will always be laying in the tall grass looking to take the fight to them. There is a major effort to "keep the noise level down" and stay out of the news but it does not mean that the Marines are not out there every day performing. I cannot say it enough, they are amazing.
The Iraqi Special Forces soldiers were outraged by the attack and were also full of fight afterwards. They wanted to go into Fallujah that day and attack the muj. Their commander stood in front of them and told them to bide their time. It came soon enough. They participated in last night’s action and did well. In fact, we just took on 200 more recruits and continue to have high expectations for them. These guys are under constant threats. When they go home on leave, it is not uncommon for them to have to move their families around in order to avoid kidnappings or murders of not only themselves but their entire families, children and all. We just spoke to them today about having faith that we will win and to believe that things will get better. In fact, I am much less tolerant of Americans who are losing their stomach to see this through. These Iraqis have never known freedom and have no idea what life could be life if they see it through, yet they put their lives on the lines based on nothing but faith.
Having seen the tragedy in Russia this week we cannot help but shake our heads here and wonder when the rest of the civilized world will wake up and realize that we are in the middle of a struggle for civilization. History will show that the outcome of this struggle will be no less critical to our collective future than WWII. Islamic Fundamentalism inspired terrorism is mutually exclusive to peaceful coexistence with anyone who does not buy into their twisted view of the world. For the masses of appeasers who are still blabbering on about "dialogue" and concessions, I would simply offer that what transpired in Russia is not an aberration. The enemy we face here is the same one that murdered the children in that school, is the same one that flew the airplanes in the towers, and is the same one that bombed the train in Spain.
Perhaps even more sobering is that as horrific as these events are, they pale in comparison to what they aspire to. Believe me, if they could get into a school in Wichita or Sacramento, they would gladly do it and convince themselves along the way that they are doing God's work as they ape for the cameras before killing as many innocent people as they can. The "recruiting videos" that we capture contain graphic scenes of beheadings, tortured confessions and insanely violent rhetoric. Even after what we have seen, it is hard to watch them. The enemy celebrates them.
History will be unkind to those leaders who do not have enough faith in their people to be honest enough with them to clearly state that the free world is now engaged in a war with extremist criminals who have literally been praying for this confrontation for decades. It is not "life as normal." It is beyond imagination how "experts" can get on the news shows and blame Russia for what happened in that school. Russia is no more to blame than the US is to blame for 9/11 or Spain is to blame for what happened this spring. As ugly as it is, it is a fight to the finish and we must fight it that way or we will pay the price.
Wise words from someone who is in the thick of it and knows what the cost of relenting in this effort will bring.
If I haven’t done so yet, I would like to thank the Lt. Colonel’s Dad for keeping the rest of us informed by sharing his son’s emails with us. In addition, many thanks to the members of the Armed Forces that are fighting and sacrificing in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is greatly appreciated.
Three Years of Terrorism since September 11
VDH on the War on Terror. A teaser:
Ask yourself: What do a Russian ten-year-old, a poor black farmer in Darfur, an elderly pensioner in Israel, a stockbroker in New York, and a U.N. aid worker in Afghanistan have in common? In the last three years, they have all died in similar ways: Unarmed and civilian, they were murdered by a common cowardly method fueled by a fascist ideology.
Make sure you read the whole thing. Definitely worth it.
Ask yourself: What do a Russian ten-year-old, a poor black farmer in Darfur, an elderly pensioner in Israel, a stockbroker in New York, and a U.N. aid worker in Afghanistan have in common? In the last three years, they have all died in similar ways: Unarmed and civilian, they were murdered by a common cowardly method fueled by a fascist ideology.
Make sure you read the whole thing. Definitely worth it.
Right Again
Hugh Hewitt is right on the money, as usual.
As the third year of the new century's first war comes to a close, the United States is not anywhere near victory, but is on the offensive and deeply engaged in battles that cannot be avoided in lands just as diverse as Germany and the Phillipines were 60 years ago. The only question is whether American will is sufficient to the task of the many more years of battles ahead, and to the new fronts which seem to be inevitable. We will find out on November 2. A vote for Bush is a vote to continue to wage aggressive war on Islamist fanatics and their nation-allies. A vote for Kerry is a vote to withdraw from that war and hope we don't get hit again.
Pay special attention to the highlighted portion. Make sure you check out Hugh’s site today. Tons of stuff on CBS and the authenticity of the papers on President Bush.
Powerline has some incredible coverage of the CBS Hoax as well so check it out.
As the third year of the new century's first war comes to a close, the United States is not anywhere near victory, but is on the offensive and deeply engaged in battles that cannot be avoided in lands just as diverse as Germany and the Phillipines were 60 years ago. The only question is whether American will is sufficient to the task of the many more years of battles ahead, and to the new fronts which seem to be inevitable. We will find out on November 2. A vote for Bush is a vote to continue to wage aggressive war on Islamist fanatics and their nation-allies. A vote for Kerry is a vote to withdraw from that war and hope we don't get hit again.
Pay special attention to the highlighted portion. Make sure you check out Hugh’s site today. Tons of stuff on CBS and the authenticity of the papers on President Bush.
Powerline has some incredible coverage of the CBS Hoax as well so check it out.
Thursday, September 09, 2004
James Taranto and Best of the Web points out MoveOn.Org’s latest spin piece:
MoveOn.org, along with an outfit called Win Without War, is sponsoring a series of "candlelight vigils" tonight to "honor" the servicemen who "have given their lives in service to our country." An e-mail announcing the event, from MoveOn's Peter Schuman, contained this statement: "Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld diminished their deaths by calling the toll 'relatively small.' " Here is what Rumsfeld actually said:
If you take all of those patrols, and look at the number of incidents, they're relatively small. If you look at them from our standpoint, a single loss of life is large, and it's a life that's not going to be lived. I don't know how to calculate it or calibrate it for you any better than that.
It truly takes chutzpah for MoveOn.org to portray itself as "honoring" the troops when in fact it is using their deaths in an effort to score cheap political points.
There is so much spin going on these days I’m getting dizzy.
MoveOn.org, along with an outfit called Win Without War, is sponsoring a series of "candlelight vigils" tonight to "honor" the servicemen who "have given their lives in service to our country." An e-mail announcing the event, from MoveOn's Peter Schuman, contained this statement: "Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld diminished their deaths by calling the toll 'relatively small.' " Here is what Rumsfeld actually said:
If you take all of those patrols, and look at the number of incidents, they're relatively small. If you look at them from our standpoint, a single loss of life is large, and it's a life that's not going to be lived. I don't know how to calculate it or calibrate it for you any better than that.
It truly takes chutzpah for MoveOn.org to portray itself as "honoring" the troops when in fact it is using their deaths in an effort to score cheap political points.
There is so much spin going on these days I’m getting dizzy.
More Media Spin
Jed Babbin with more media spin. Today’s spin: the New York Times trying to disenfranchise our troops abroad with an error riddled story that attempts to keep their absentee votes from reaching our shores to be counted. The Times fears that the votes will more than likely be in favor of President Bush, therefore giving him the win in November.
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
Wictory Wednesday
It's Wictory Wednesday once again and there are less than two months to go to one of the most important elections in this country's history. Who will you choose? A liberal senator that represents the extreme left of his party or President Bush who has proven he will protect this country and has a proven track record.
To make sure President Bush is re-elected, volunteer, and if you have already, encourage others to do so. If you have a blog and want to participate, go to Blogs for Bush and sign up for their blogroll and then get yourself on the Wictory Wednesday blogroll.
To make sure President Bush is re-elected, volunteer, and if you have already, encourage others to do so. If you have a blog and want to participate, go to Blogs for Bush and sign up for their blogroll and then get yourself on the Wictory Wednesday blogroll.
Kerry's Lasting Legacy
Despite anything Kerry does, accomplishes, or fails to do in the near future, there is one thing that he must do: apologize to his fellow Vietnam Vets for vilifying them at home. Jed Babbin of NRO on Senator Kerry:
Thirty years later, it still makes their blood boil. When, in April 1971, John Kerry testified to a Senate committee that "...war crimes committed in Southeast Asia [were] not isolated incidents but crimes committed on a day-to-day basis with the full awareness of officers at all levels of command," he said that the average American soldier who fought in Vietnam was a war criminal. Kerry's statement was false, a blood libel that hangs in the air to this day. If John Kerry had apologized, maybe he'd never have had to deal with the little group that calls itself "Vietnam Veterans for Truth."
The article goes on to talk about the various experiences of the Vietnam Veterans for Truth. The group is planning a rally in Washington to protest Kerry’s lies about the veterans and his continued lies for the past 30 years. More from the article:
When Kerry accused Americans of raping, cutting off ears, heads, and limbs, and razing villages in the manner of Genghis Khan, he wasn't talking about some random "other": He was talking about these men. They and their fellow Vietnam veterans were — and are — innocent of the atrocities of which Kerry accused them. They can't forgive Kerry for what he said, or forget what they suffered because of it. They took Kerry's accusation personally. It would have been impossible for them to do otherwise. In Larry Bailey's words, "I never told a lie about John Kerry. He never told the truth about me."
This isn't about politics. Pete Webster told me, "If the GOP were running Hillary Clinton, we'd still be saying, 'Kerry lied.'" The Vietnam Vets for Truth want their reputations restored, and they want Kerry to apologize for more than 30 years of defaming their character. As they see it, Kerry stole their honor from them in 1971. They want it back — and they're coming to get it.
Unlike the veterans from any other conflict, the Vietnam vets did not return to praises and honors. They were shunned and treated like well, criminals. John Kerry is a good part of the reason why.
While searching the Internet, I found an article by Barbara Stock over at IntellectualConservatives.com that recounts the horror story of one Vietnam Vet’s homecoming:
On the radio last week, one man related that he had unpacked the uniform that he wore home from Vietnam all those years ago. It had not seen the light of day for over thirty years. He showed it to his children and grandchildren and, for the first time, spoke of the day that he returned home from war and was spat on, cursed at, and literally had to run a gauntlet of protesters who threw human waste and rotten fruit on him and his fellow vets. With the words “baby killers” ringing in his ears he was warned by laughing policemen not to retaliate or he would be arrested. So he ran. The able-bodied helped the wounded as they do on any battlefield because those on crutches or in wheelchairs were not spared the profanity and bags full of feces that were thrown at them by the raging anti-war protesters.
You can check out Vietnam Veterans for Truth here, and a Google search will yield many more veteran groups that are against Kerry and his libel.
Thirty years later, it still makes their blood boil. When, in April 1971, John Kerry testified to a Senate committee that "...war crimes committed in Southeast Asia [were] not isolated incidents but crimes committed on a day-to-day basis with the full awareness of officers at all levels of command," he said that the average American soldier who fought in Vietnam was a war criminal. Kerry's statement was false, a blood libel that hangs in the air to this day. If John Kerry had apologized, maybe he'd never have had to deal with the little group that calls itself "Vietnam Veterans for Truth."
The article goes on to talk about the various experiences of the Vietnam Veterans for Truth. The group is planning a rally in Washington to protest Kerry’s lies about the veterans and his continued lies for the past 30 years. More from the article:
When Kerry accused Americans of raping, cutting off ears, heads, and limbs, and razing villages in the manner of Genghis Khan, he wasn't talking about some random "other": He was talking about these men. They and their fellow Vietnam veterans were — and are — innocent of the atrocities of which Kerry accused them. They can't forgive Kerry for what he said, or forget what they suffered because of it. They took Kerry's accusation personally. It would have been impossible for them to do otherwise. In Larry Bailey's words, "I never told a lie about John Kerry. He never told the truth about me."
This isn't about politics. Pete Webster told me, "If the GOP were running Hillary Clinton, we'd still be saying, 'Kerry lied.'" The Vietnam Vets for Truth want their reputations restored, and they want Kerry to apologize for more than 30 years of defaming their character. As they see it, Kerry stole their honor from them in 1971. They want it back — and they're coming to get it.
Unlike the veterans from any other conflict, the Vietnam vets did not return to praises and honors. They were shunned and treated like well, criminals. John Kerry is a good part of the reason why.
While searching the Internet, I found an article by Barbara Stock over at IntellectualConservatives.com that recounts the horror story of one Vietnam Vet’s homecoming:
On the radio last week, one man related that he had unpacked the uniform that he wore home from Vietnam all those years ago. It had not seen the light of day for over thirty years. He showed it to his children and grandchildren and, for the first time, spoke of the day that he returned home from war and was spat on, cursed at, and literally had to run a gauntlet of protesters who threw human waste and rotten fruit on him and his fellow vets. With the words “baby killers” ringing in his ears he was warned by laughing policemen not to retaliate or he would be arrested. So he ran. The able-bodied helped the wounded as they do on any battlefield because those on crutches or in wheelchairs were not spared the profanity and bags full of feces that were thrown at them by the raging anti-war protesters.
You can check out Vietnam Veterans for Truth here, and a Google search will yield many more veteran groups that are against Kerry and his libel.
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
The Associated Press: Creating Today's News
Quite a stir was turned up with the AP's fictitious news reporting. While the original release of the "Crowd Booed" story has been erased, it won't be forgotten by the diligent members of the blogosphere. Swimming through the Spin has great coverage of the embellished story by AP writer Tom Hays.
Sharp eyed posters over at Free Republic spotted this story about the president's reaction (version #1) to news of Bill Clinton's upcoming surgery:
Needless to say, there was massive outrage. Many on the thread had listened to the speech live and heard no boos at all and were screaming liberal media bias...and rightfully so. Others e-mailed the AP to express their displeasure. So, minutes later, a new version gets posted to the same yahoo link and another thread pops up on Free Republic:
Of course, someone with access to the raw wire posted this as well to archive this monumental, and perhaps intentional screw up.
Someone at the Associated Press has some major explaining to do.
Powerline has a great post about this media scandal as well. Make sure you check out Powerline's regular page to see all the stuff on this ongoing story. My buddy Peter over at Slublog has the contact information for the Associated Press:
Kelly Smith Tunney, director, Corporate Communications
Jack Stokes, Media Relations Manager
450 W. 33rd St.
New York, NY 10001
Email: info@ap.org
Phone: 1-212-621-1500
Fax: 212-621-1723
Ridiculous. The AP has not just shot itself in the foot, but has blown it off. Their credibility is gone, and Tom Hays should be.
Sharp eyed posters over at Free Republic spotted this story about the president's reaction (version #1) to news of Bill Clinton's upcoming surgery:
WEST ALLIS, Wis. - President Bush (news - web sites) on Friday wished Bill Clinton (news - web sites) "best wishes for a swift and speedy recovery."
"He's is in our thoughts and prayers," Bush said at a campaign rally.
Bush's audience of thousands in West Allis, Wis., booed. Bush did nothing to stop them.
Bush offered his wishes while campaigning one day after accepting the presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention in New York. Clinton was hospitalized in New York after complaining of mild chest pain and shortness of breath.
Bush recently praised Clinton when the former president went to the White House for the unveiling of his official portrait. He lauded Clinton for his knowledge, compassion and "the forward-looking spirit that Americans like in a president."
Needless to say, there was massive outrage. Many on the thread had listened to the speech live and heard no boos at all and were screaming liberal media bias...and rightfully so. Others e-mailed the AP to express their displeasure. So, minutes later, a new version gets posted to the same yahoo link and another thread pops up on Free Republic:
WEST ALLIS, Wis. - President Bush (news - web sites) on Friday offered former President Bill Clinton (news - web sites), who faces heart bypass surgery, "best wishes for a swift and speedy recovery."
"He's is in our thoughts and prayers," Bush said at a campaign rally.
Bush offered his wishes while campaigning one day after accepting the presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention in New York. Clinton was hospitalized in New York after complaining of mild chest pain and shortness of breath.
Bush recently praised Clinton when the former president went to the White House for the unveiling of his official portrait. He lauded Clinton for his knowledge, compassion and "the forward-looking spirit that Americans like in a president."
Of course, someone with access to the raw wire posted this as well to archive this monumental, and perhaps intentional screw up.
BC-Bush-Clinton, 1st Ld-Writethru,150 Bush offers best wishes for Clinton's recovery
Eds: SUBS lead to include reference to surgery. DELETES 3rd graf previous, Bush's audience, because of uncertainty about crowd reaction.
WEST ALLIS, Wis. (AP) - President Bush on Friday offered former President Bill Clinton, who faces heart bypass surgery, "best wishes for a swift and speedy recovery."
"He's is in our thoughts and prayers," Bush said at a campaign rally.
Bush offered his wishes while campaigning one day after accepting the presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention in New York. Clinton was hospitalized in New York after complaining of mild chest pain and shortness of breath.
Bush recently praised Clinton when the former president went to the White House for the unveiling of his official portrait. He lauded Clinton for his knowledge, compassion and "the forward-looking spirit that Americans like in a president."
Someone at the Associated Press has some major explaining to do.
Powerline has a great post about this media scandal as well. Make sure you check out Powerline's regular page to see all the stuff on this ongoing story. My buddy Peter over at Slublog has the contact information for the Associated Press:
Kelly Smith Tunney, director, Corporate Communications
Jack Stokes, Media Relations Manager
450 W. 33rd St.
New York, NY 10001
Email: info@ap.org
Phone: 1-212-621-1500
Fax: 212-621-1723
Ridiculous. The AP has not just shot itself in the foot, but has blown it off. Their credibility is gone, and Tom Hays should be.
Friday, September 03, 2004
RNC Wrapup
I went to a party for the prez last night. We watched an RNC promo video on John Kerry’s considerable flip-flopping. We watched Retired General Tommy Frank's endorse the president. Zell Miller was a great topic of conversation, not spewing venom like John Edwards claims, but showing righteous indignation at his party’s support of those who represent the extreme left of Democratic party. We also dicussed our local Republican Candidate for U.S. Congress, Brian Hamel. He is running against Mike Michaud (Democrat). I’ll have more on Mr. Hamel in the weeks to come.
The President delivered an excellent speech last night, and the video intro was amazing. Watching the president get rigged up with body armor and then deliver the opening pitch of a Yankees game was classic, and a good reminder of how the tragic events of 9/11 brought us together as Americans, united, not two Americas as some would have us believe. The speech was a good combination of domestic issues (I bought a house during President Bush’s term) and his firm resolve in defending this country and eliminating terror, which face it, has defined his first four years in office. You can get the specifics on the President’s plan for America at GeorgeWBush.com.
Kerry’s tactless response was a wild-eyed (well, maybe not) rant at a special midnight rally in Ohio. After not having an extended interview with a reporter on camera in over a month, he comes back with this speech?
Hugh Hewitt’s thoughts on Kerry’s response speech:
And the combination of that reliability with the generally repellant qualities of John Kerry may make the NOvember 2 Bush win even larger. Could Kerry have given a more off-key, bitter, and self-destructive speech than the one he delivered last night in Ohio? The collapse in Kerry's standing in his internal polling must be total to have triggered such a melt-down.
I discussed the options available to Kerry on yesterday's program with John Podhoretz and Terry Eastland --very smart guys who have been around presidents and campaigns for dozens of years. We all agreed that Kerry would never embrace the "Michael Moore option" of running on anger and paranoia because it is a recipe for electoral disaster. But that's what Kerry grabbed on to last night, in a speech that may go down in American history as the worst ever delivered by a nominee. It is reason enough, I think, to reject debates with this fellow, whose apparent problems and insecurities about the past are every day becoming more apparent. Wild accusations that every responsible memebr of his party's leaqdership know to be false must be sending shock waves through that group this morning. Can you imagine Joe Lieberman reading Kerry's remarks? Or even Bill Clinton? Kerry's lost it, and that he did so on a night when George Bush reminded America why our enemies fear his leadership.
Even a bad jobs report this morning wouldn't have changed the fundamentals of this election, but a rebounding number and the continued solid expansion of the economy has put Kerry in a box. Kerry could have chosen to lose with dignity, running a Bob Dole race. Instead he has decided on a march through the fever swamps. It will be an ugly 60 days as a result, but perhaps on the other end, the Democratic Party will get the jolt it needs to exile the Moore nuts from its midst. The GOP is in a commanding position, but the country needs two responsible parties, and right now, the Democrats have become unhinged. When Kerry colklapse and takes Daschle, Murray, Boxer annd others with him, perhaps the message will get through that the country will not tolerate this nuttiness in a time of war.
Overall I felt that the GOP convention was a great success. I enjoyed watching all the events and would love to go to the next big one. I am encouraged. And I know that John Kerry can’t become the president of this great country.
On separate note, I just read a great article about Chris Matthew’s by Andrew McCarthy.
The President delivered an excellent speech last night, and the video intro was amazing. Watching the president get rigged up with body armor and then deliver the opening pitch of a Yankees game was classic, and a good reminder of how the tragic events of 9/11 brought us together as Americans, united, not two Americas as some would have us believe. The speech was a good combination of domestic issues (I bought a house during President Bush’s term) and his firm resolve in defending this country and eliminating terror, which face it, has defined his first four years in office. You can get the specifics on the President’s plan for America at GeorgeWBush.com.
Kerry’s tactless response was a wild-eyed (well, maybe not) rant at a special midnight rally in Ohio. After not having an extended interview with a reporter on camera in over a month, he comes back with this speech?
Hugh Hewitt’s thoughts on Kerry’s response speech:
And the combination of that reliability with the generally repellant qualities of John Kerry may make the NOvember 2 Bush win even larger. Could Kerry have given a more off-key, bitter, and self-destructive speech than the one he delivered last night in Ohio? The collapse in Kerry's standing in his internal polling must be total to have triggered such a melt-down.
I discussed the options available to Kerry on yesterday's program with John Podhoretz and Terry Eastland --very smart guys who have been around presidents and campaigns for dozens of years. We all agreed that Kerry would never embrace the "Michael Moore option" of running on anger and paranoia because it is a recipe for electoral disaster. But that's what Kerry grabbed on to last night, in a speech that may go down in American history as the worst ever delivered by a nominee. It is reason enough, I think, to reject debates with this fellow, whose apparent problems and insecurities about the past are every day becoming more apparent. Wild accusations that every responsible memebr of his party's leaqdership know to be false must be sending shock waves through that group this morning. Can you imagine Joe Lieberman reading Kerry's remarks? Or even Bill Clinton? Kerry's lost it, and that he did so on a night when George Bush reminded America why our enemies fear his leadership.
Even a bad jobs report this morning wouldn't have changed the fundamentals of this election, but a rebounding number and the continued solid expansion of the economy has put Kerry in a box. Kerry could have chosen to lose with dignity, running a Bob Dole race. Instead he has decided on a march through the fever swamps. It will be an ugly 60 days as a result, but perhaps on the other end, the Democratic Party will get the jolt it needs to exile the Moore nuts from its midst. The GOP is in a commanding position, but the country needs two responsible parties, and right now, the Democrats have become unhinged. When Kerry colklapse and takes Daschle, Murray, Boxer annd others with him, perhaps the message will get through that the country will not tolerate this nuttiness in a time of war.
Overall I felt that the GOP convention was a great success. I enjoyed watching all the events and would love to go to the next big one. I am encouraged. And I know that John Kerry can’t become the president of this great country.
On separate note, I just read a great article about Chris Matthew’s by Andrew McCarthy.
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
RNC Day 2
Governer Schwarzenegger was awesome last night. Not a grand slam like Guilianni, but definitely a home run. He was on fire. And the "economic girlie men" line was great. He inspired the crowd.
First Lady Laura Bush did a fine job, but should have gone before Arnold. She did what she needed to do though.
Now on to Jenna and Barbara. I actually felt embarrassed for them as I watch them nervously fumble through their speech. Who wrote this stuff and how did it get through the filters?
The big hitters are in the lineup tonight and there should be some fireworks. Democratic Senator Zell Miller and Vice President Dick Chenney.
First Lady Laura Bush did a fine job, but should have gone before Arnold. She did what she needed to do though.
Now on to Jenna and Barbara. I actually felt embarrassed for them as I watch them nervously fumble through their speech. Who wrote this stuff and how did it get through the filters?
The big hitters are in the lineup tonight and there should be some fireworks. Democratic Senator Zell Miller and Vice President Dick Chenney.
Tom Brokaw and the Liberal Media: Creating the News
As I watched the NBC Nightly News on Tuesday I became very confused as Brokaw reports that President Bush, in an exclusive interview with Matt Lauer, expressed doubt that the war on terror could be won. There must have been two interviews, because in the interview I watched the President didn't express any doubts about the war on terror. There must be some mistake.
Wait, there was no mistake, the liberal media is once again putting it's spin on the news. By picking out a few choice words from President Bush's comments, Kedwards and the liberal media sources completely took what he said out of context and tried to make a juicy soundbite out of it. Michelle Malkin roots out the media's created headlines and Hindrocket of Powerline breaks it down:
John Kerry and the liberal media know that his campaign is imploding and that President Bush is getting a huge boost from the convention. Make sure George W. Bush is re-elected to another term by volunteering or donating to the Bush campaign. If you have a blog and want to participate, go to Blogs for Bush and sign up for their blogroll and then get yourself on the Wictory Wednesday blogroll.
Wait, there was no mistake, the liberal media is once again putting it's spin on the news. By picking out a few choice words from President Bush's comments, Kedwards and the liberal media sources completely took what he said out of context and tried to make a juicy soundbite out of it. Michelle Malkin roots out the media's created headlines and Hindrocket of Powerline breaks it down:
Faux Controversy of the Year
Or maybe of the decade. I mean, of course, the teapot tempest over President Bush's purported sudden defeatism in the war. The idea that Bush may suddenly have changed his mind and decided that the war is a loser is so ludicrous that the current media storm can only be accounted for by panic over the prospect of the Kerry campaign's implosion.
Michelle Malkin tracked down the transcript of the Lauer interview, and the one sentence being denounced by the Dems and repeated in the media is even more absurdly out of context than I had expected. The question from Lauer that started the discussion was, "Do you really think we can win this war on terror in the next four years?” The discussion that followed was obviously about the time horizon in which the war on the Islamofascists can be won. Lauer obviously understood this, and did not think that he had gotten a scoop: the President's surrender in the war on terror.
In fact, if you go on a minute or two after the one sentence the Democrats are braying about, Bush said this:
I know if steadfast, strong and resolute — and I say those words very seriously — it's less likely that your kids are going to live under the threat of al-Qaida for a long period of time. I can't tell you. I don't have any … definite end. But I tell you this, when we succeed in Iraq and Afghanistan, it's the beginning of the end for these extremists. Because freedom is going to have a powerful influence to make sure your kids can grow up in a peaceful world. If we believe, for example, that you can't win, and the alternative is to retreat … I think that would be a disaster for your children.For the media to promote the idea that Bush seriously suggested that the war on terror can't be won, and is now "recanting," as the Associated Press reported today, is journalistic malpractice of an appalling sort.
John Kerry and the liberal media know that his campaign is imploding and that President Bush is getting a huge boost from the convention. Make sure George W. Bush is re-elected to another term by volunteering or donating to the Bush campaign. If you have a blog and want to participate, go to Blogs for Bush and sign up for their blogroll and then get yourself on the Wictory Wednesday blogroll.
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