Biographical Sketch of Frederick J. Flintstone ... aka Fred Flintstone

This biographical information on Frederick J. Flintstone, aka known as Fred Flintstone, may shed some light on the claims of Gov. Sarah Palin that dinosaurs and human beings did in fact share the planet at the same time. According to Wikipedia, "Fred lives in the fictional prehistoric city of Bedrock, a world where dinosaurs coexist with modernized barefoot cavepeople and the cavepeople enjoy "primitive" versions of modern conveniences such as telephones, automobiles, and washing machines."

Wikipedia on Frederick J. Flintstone:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Flintstone

Gov. Palin Thinks Dinosaurs and Humans Lived Together ... Or Is She Thinking Of The Flintstones?

Gov. Sarah Palin never ceases to amaze. Apparently, the latest is her version of creationism taken to a bizarre extreme. Did human beings and dinosaurs live together? And, if so, how long ago did humans and dinosaurs coexist on Earth? Should we assemble a panel of the greatest scientific minds to explore these pressing questions/unresolved issues that could lead to some major breakthroughs in human history as we know it? No, lets ask Gov. Palin. This if from the LA Times accessed through Huffington Post: "Soon after Sarah Palin was elected mayor of the foothill town of Wasilla, Alaska, she startled a local music teacher by insisting in casual conversation that men and dinosaurs coexisted on an Earth created 6,000 years ago - about 65 million years after scientists say most dinosaurs became extinct - the teacher said. After conducting a college band and watching Palin deliver a commencement address to a small group of home-schooled students in June 1997, Wasilla resident Philip Munger said, he asked the young mayor about her religious beliefs. Palin told him that 'dinosaurs and humans walked the Earth at the same time,' Munger said. When he asked her about prehistoric fossils and tracks dating back millions of years, Palin said 'she had seen pictures of human footprints inside the tracks,' recalled Munger, who teaches music at the University of Alaska in Anchorage and has regularly criticized Palin in recent years on his liberal political blog, called Progressive Alaska." In the words of the immortal philosopher Fred Flintstone (Dino's owner ... as you can tell by the license tag in the image), "Yabba-Dabba Do!"

Huffington Post on Palin and dinosaurs:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/28/palin-claimed-dinosaurs-a_n_130012.html

Fox News Reporters Crack Me Up

This Fox News reporter (oh my goodness) goes to this diner in Pennsylvania and asks the people in there who is voting for Sen. John McCain, and like no one raises a hand. Then he asks who is going to vote for Sen. Barack Obama and almost everyone raises there hand (including a lady in the background who raises both hands). So, how does Fox analyze the support pattern ... you just have to see it and ask yourself, with respect to his expert analysis of people in the room he had just surveyed, "what in the hell was he looking at?" I think it's safe to say his analysis of the vote in the diner was less than scientific. This would have to be the most blatant case of voter irregularities since Florida in 2000.

Great Catch by News Hounds Showing How Belligerent and Wrong Sean Hannity Was On Economy

News Hounds did it again. The premier Web site devoted to exposing half-baked truths and lies by Fox News Channel caught conservative host Sean Hannity chastising a guest who predicted the current economic crisis several weeks back. Watch how Hannity, a right-wing extremist, shouts him down and is flat-out belligerent and unprofessional in interrupting and belittling his guest for having the audacity to have a different opinion on the state of the economy. The guest, economist Robert Kuttner, was tough and more than equal to the task as he remembered what you learned in grade school about standing up to the bully on the block and not being steamrolled. Kuttner was on point with his message and never wavered even as Hannity made a strong effort to try and intimidate him. Weak on arguing the economy with an economist, Hannity also tried to slam Sen. Barack Obama by bringing up the old guilty-by-association argument he has been shoving down the throats of his viewers and listeners for months. In this case, people are worried less about Jeremiah Wright (... Hannity ignores Sen. John McCain's associations with Rod Parsley and John Hagee) and more about the economy and their pocketbooks. But, with the current economic crisis, look at this video and ask yourself who the fool on this panel really was?

News Hounds:
http://www.newshounds.us/2008/09/11/hannity_has_a_bullyboy_meltdown_at_suggestion_economy_is_in_trouble.php

Another Palin Gaffe ... Apparently the Supreme Court Has Heard Only One Case

Apparently, CBS may have footage of Gov. Sarah Palin struggling to name a major U.S. Supreme Court case other than Roe v. Wade. I would think the average college student could probably name more than one Supreme Court case beyond Roe v. Wade. Off the top of my head ... uh ... Brown v. Board of Education ... Thurgood Marshall? Come on now Gov. Palin. How about arguably the most famous U.S. Supreme Court case in the last 10 years ... Bush v. Gore ... one that attempted to resolve the messy presidential election of 2000. Gov. Palin could not remember that one? This is almost too difficult to believe. I certainly hope that this is just rumor with little or no truth to it. But, if this is true ... heaven help us if Sen. John McCain should be elected and something unfortunate should happen to him and put her in a position to be president of the United States.

Huffington Post on Palin:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/29/latest-palin-gaffe-cant-n_n_130395.html

Bill O'Reilly Spinning In The No-Spin Zone

Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly, by anyone estimation one of their many highly-conservative television show anchors, was in full conservative mode trying to attempt to spin a Sen. John McCain victory out of a debate in which most observers came away with the feeling Sen. Barack Obama was the debate winner. O'Reilly went on to belittle everyday people who raised their hands to salute Obama as the winner in the recent presidential debate in Oxford, Mississippi. O'Reilly flat-out belittled everyday voters by saying that "professionals (presumably journalists and the television show talking heads on the cable networks)" believed McCain won the debate (as if to say that the average American who thought Obama won was not sophisticated enough to really see through the emotion or whatever of the debate). O'Reilly once again showed that he is out of touch with mainstream America sitting up in the big house on the plantation thumbing his nose at the everyday people who are the backbone of the United States ... men and women who worked hard and built this country for financial fat cats like him. Of course, O'Reilly is a right-wing advocate who seems to have a personal interest in fueling the Republican cause during this election cycle.

Republicans Vote Down Bailout Because Nancy Pelosi Hurt Their Feelings

Facing the greatest economic crisis since just after 9/11, and some would argue the greatest since the Great Depression, a $700 billion bailout bill could have turned things around. But, in the end, the measure which required bipartisan support failed ... narrowly. Now, I will be the first to admit I am no economist (although I did pretty well in the one college economics course I did take), but I do know one thing that is disturbing ... grown folks crying about how someone's speech made them pout and vote against legislation that they might otherwise have supported. The Dow Jones plummeted 778 points (the most ever in a single day) as the greatest fears of some turned into an all-too-true reality. The bill failed 228-205 in the House. Listen to this garbage from Minority Leader John Boehner, "We could have gotten there today had it not been for the partisan speech that the speaker gave on the floor of the House. He further said that Pelosi's words, "poisoned our conference, caused a number of members that we thought we could get, to go south." If the Republicans and the Democrats who voted against it did not want to support it ... fine. But, for the Republicans to come out and say that some of them may not have supported or voted for the bill because they had their feelings hurt by some things that they took offense to from Pelosi. That is pathetic ... nothing short of pathetic. Sen. John McCain needed to take on more of a leadership role. He supposedly suspended his campaign to come to Washington D.C. to get some things done to help the economic crisis. But, in the end he failed and could not get it done even with the strong support of President Bush, who also was pushing for bipartisan support for the legislation. McCain suspended his campaign (with the expressed purpose of aiding the process toward a solution) to get the job done, but still failed to pull together the bipartisan coalition necessary to get the job done. Now, McCain must answer for this failure.

MSNBC on Bailout crisis:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26884523/

Huffington Post's Edsall:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/29/bailout-bill-fails-as-dow_n_130285.html

Atlantic.com:
http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/09/mccains_share_of_the_blame.php

Fox News Completely Blows Out Of Proportion A VERY, VERY, Minor Obama Stumble

Fox News, apparently angered that so many people are of the opinion that Sen. Barack Obama narrowly won the first presidential debate last week in Mississippi, is trying mightily to stir up something out of nothing. This latest weak attempt by Fox News to try and rehabilitate Sen. John McCain's struggling campaign in the eyes of the mainstream media has to do with a minor stumble as he began to tell the story of a bracelet he received from the mother of a soldier. he started to say "Sgt." (for Sergeant Ryan David Jopek) but then probably remembered that the bracelet was from the mother of the soldier and quickly corrected himself. You can see if for yourself on the linked video from News Hounds. Fox News, however, unbelievably tried to spin it as if to make it seem he could not remember the soldier's name. Anyone who looks at that video and sees it the way Fox News spun it is obviously a card-carrying Republican (and a hardcore one at that). Fox News takes this minor slip that everyone else saw for what it was worth, and tried to spin it into this horrible gaffe in an effort so bizarre and weak it would be laughable except for the fact that the network has such a large audience (and apparently a significant influence on a rather good-sized number of people in this country). This "gotcha" move is a pitifully weak one ... even by the standards of Fox News. This apparently breathtaking mistake (you'll get the meaning behind that if you visit the link) is especially weak in light of so-called foreign policy expert Sen. John McCain stumbling over the names of foreign leaders, especially Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

News Hounds:
http://www.newshounds.us/2008/09/29/barack_obama_takes_gretchen_carlsons_breath_away.php#more

Sen. Joe Biden Looks Vice Presidential Discussing the Debate ... Gov. Palin ... Missing

Sen. Joe Biden, the vice presidential candidate for the Democratic Party, was on CNN, MSNBC and even Fox News discussing the debate and offering analysis. Sen. Biden looked vice presidential and confident in his words and records as he went on the major cable networks for interviews. Meanwhile, Gov. Sarah Palin is still being hidden by the Republicans. How can people be confident that Gov. Palin is ready to be vice president of the United States when she is still being shielded from the media and managed so carefully by the campaign team of Sen. John McCain. Is this a form of sexism that the Republicans wanted her on the ticket, but now seem to not respect her enough to let her go out and face the music without all of these ridiculous conditions? How bad do the Republicans look when Sen. Obama knows he does not have to shield Sen. Biden from the mainstream media because he is supremely confident his vice presidential candidate can confidently conduct himself. Meanwhile, Gov. Sarah Palin is essentially on the back of a political milk carton.

Sen. Obama Played His Cards Very Well And Used A Strong And Wise Strategy

Sen. Barack Obama was masterful in his approach to dealing with Sen. John McCain during the first presidential debate at the University of Mississippi, in Oxford. Sen. Obama repeatedly spoke of his agreements with Sen. McCain on some of the issues. Some people have taken it as a sign of weakness, but nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, it showed Sen. Obama's ability to reach across the political aisle to complement people and concede when those on the other side are doing things the right way. Most important of all, it was a smart strategy for Sen. Obama to connect with the independent voters who detest political partisanship and want someone who is focusing more on the issues and less on gotcha politics. I think that is one of the reasons that Sen. Obama looked far more presidential in this debate that was supposed to play to Sen. McCain's supposed strengths relative to foreign policy. Sen. McCain was extremely condescending to Sen. Obama by repeating lines like "he just doesn't understand." That was something that did not play well with even some of the regular voters that even Fox News interviewed for debate analysis ... on FOX NEWS! About the only people who felt that Sen. McCain won and looked more presidential were the usual highly-conservative pundits on Fox News and the people in Sen. McCain's camp (now free to jump back into politics as apparently the Arizona senator's campaign is running again ... since he decided to show up in Mississippi for this debate).

Obama Looks Presidential ... McCain Looks Angry, Tired And Living In The Past

Sen. Barack Obama went confidently on Sen. John McCain's political turf (a debate at the University of Mississippi, in Oxford, largely centered on foreign policy) an had a strong performance ... one this blogger believes he solidly won. Of course, our "friends" at Fox News Channel shockingly see it the other way, but are we really surprised by that? I think not. Most of what I took in from the post-debate coverage was from CNN to get a more unbiased perspective (or at least more balanced perspective) on how Sen. Obama and Sen. McCain performed in this first presidential debate (one that Sen. McCain was gracious enough to show up to). Sen. Obama was strong and decisive in his comments. It was noticeable to me that he talked many times directly to Sen. McCain who looked away, looked at moderator Jim Lehrer, looked at the crowd and looked down at his podium. Sen. Obama was confident and well-versed on foreign policy and looked very presidential. There is no doubt in my mind that Sen. Obama won the debate (although I do concede that McCain had a strong finish). McCain appeared far too condescending, angry at times and rattled as he fumbled over mispronounced names of the Pakistan president and the Iranian president. It was interesting to me to listen to the conservative panel on Fox News Channel declare Sen. McCain the winner and ignore some of his pronunciation gaffes, the fact that he said the Iraq war would be quick and easy, that we knew where the (still yet-to-be-found) weapons of mass destruction were located and so on and so forth. Sen. Obama was strong, he was level-headed, he was well-prepared, and his delivery was very strong.

Highly Conservative Columnist Kathleen Parker Express Concerns About Gov. Sarah Palin

You know you're in trouble, as the Republican nominee for the vice presidency, when someone as rabidly-conservative as Kathleen Parker is firing criticisms at you. But, that is precisely the position that Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican nominee for the vice presidency, finds herself in these days. Parker, who generally takes in, processes and spits out Republican talking points like a machine, has shown that even some on the right wing are becoming increasingly concerns with the viability of Gov. Palin, whose popularity and approval ratings are plummeting. "Some of the passionately feminist critics of Palin who attacked her personally deserved some of the backlash they received. But circumstances have changed since Palin was introduced as just a hockey mom with lipstick - what a difference a financial crisis makes - and a more complicated picture has emerged. As we've seen and heard more from John McCain's running mate, it is increasingly clear that Palin is a problem. Quick study or not, she doesn't know enough about economics and foreign policy to make Americans comfortable with a President Palin should conditions warrant her promotion." Here is a final comment from Parker on Gov. Palin, "Only Palin can save McCain, her party, and the country she loves. She can bow out for personal reasons, perhaps because she wants to spend more time with her newborn. No one would criticize a mother who puts her family first."

Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/26/kathleen-parker-after-int_n_129535.html

Palin Is In Over Her Head ... Couric Interview Is Further Evidence

Republican Gov. Sarah Palin, of Alaska, clearly is in over her head in her candidacy for vice president of the United States of America. Even some Republicans are beginning to splinter off and see the all-too-ugly truth that Gov. Palin is nowhere near prepared to serve as president of the United States and the thought of her being one step away from the presidency is a thought that is nothing short of chilling. Unfortunately, it's probably too late for Gov. Palin to bail out of a spot she should never have allowed herself to be put in to begin. The latest example of Gov. Palin's lack of preparedness to be vice president of the United States was on full display during her recent interview with Katie Couric. Now, being a smooth talker does not necessarily equate to being presidential or vice presidential. However, being or appearing ill-prepared for even the most common questions (delivered with authority) should not be enough to knock someone off stride - someone in the mix to possibly become vice president of the country. CNN's Jack Cafferty was one of many people quick to point out Gov. Palin's struggles, struggles he termed "disastrous," in a commentary. Said Cafferty to CNN colleague Wolf Blitzer, "There's a reason the McCain campaign keeps Governor Palin away from the press." I wonder if people will heed this warning, from Cafferty, as documented by Huffington Post, "If John McCain wins this woman will be one 72-year-old's heartbeat away from being President of the United States. And if that doesn't scare the hell out of you, it should."

Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/26/jack-cafferty-if-sarah-pa_n_129724.html

Biased Doocy Again Commits A Journalistic Atrocity ... But, Are We Surprised?

Fox News Channel's Steve Doocy again has shown his anti-Democrat, pro-Sen. John McCain bias and he has done it at the expense of decency on the conservative cable network. Doocy repeatedly interrupted his "liberal" guest and all but applauded his "conservative guest. After repeated interruptions of the one guest he then turned around and called the "liberal" guest rude when he had the nerve to do the same thing later in the segment. Is Doocy so crazy that he could not remember rudely interrupting his guest only to turn around in crazy fashion and criticize the previously interrupted guest for being rude and interrupting? We know that Fox News is the network conservatives follow, but the hosts could at least pretend to try and show some drop of objectivity in their presentation. Doocy and his morning crew have sacrificed any claim to objectivity the Fox News Channel ever had. This is the same network that, in almost clinically-psychotic fashion, then turns around and routinely calls other networks, Web sites and newspapers biased. It's unbelievable. Once again, our friends at Fox News Hounds were all over this one.

News Hounds on blatant Doocy bias:
http://www.newshounds.us/2008/09/25/steve_doocy_bias_apparent_in_discussion_moderation.php#more

Todd Jones Era Finally Comes To An End ... We Should Salute Jonesy

The Detroit Tigers are up by two runs, entering the bottom of the ninth inning, and 40-year-old Todd Jones comes strolling out to close out the game and preserve a victory. But, this is Todd Jones. So, you know it isn't going to be easy. Jones walks one and gives up a base hit. Now, you have runners on first and second base and no one is out. Even on the coldest day, you can feel the beads of sweat beginning to build on your forehead. Jones goes into his windup and delivers the pitch ... it's swung on and it's a pop up out of bounds on the first base side. One down. Next batter ... walked. Bases loaded and no one is out. Weak base hit drives in a run. The bases are still loaded, your lead is down to one and there is still just one out. Now, that damp forehead has turned into Niagara Falls. Jones delivers his next pitch ... it's a ground ball to short ... 6 ... 4 ... 3 ... GAME OVER. It wasn't pretty, but Todd Jones gets it done. A tragedy is averted ... barely. Today, however, that Todd Jones era has come to an end as the veteran close has announced his official retirement from Major League Baseball. "So this is it," Jones wrote in an article written by Lynn Henning of the Detroit News. "If you're a Tigers fan, I'll never stress you out again. If you're not a Tigers fan, you'll never have me as your ace in the hole, convinced I'll blow a lead against your team." Jones always brought a little bit of stress, but more often than not he got the job done. Even at his worst, during the 2008 season, he still looked pretty good compared to the guys who tried to fill his big shoes in Detroit's lineup. Jones' positive attitude and team-first mentality will be missed. His closing abilities will be missed and, most of all, his great sense of humor will be a difficult void to fill for the Tigers.

Detroit News article on Jones' retirement:

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080924/SPORTS0104/809240423/1004/SPORTS

The Detroit Hostage Crisis Is Over ... Matt Millen is Finally Fired

After years of being held in a prison of football futility, fans of the Detroit Lions finally received a glimmer of hope as one of our captors, Matt Millen, has been fired or, as the Detroit News quoted, he was "relieved of his duties." Millen is no longer team president of the Detroit Lions ... ending a horrifying run as the team president and general manager with a pitiful eight-year record of 31-84 overall (unlike Playstation 2, you just can't hit the reset button when things are going as bad as this). It ends one of the most pathetic eras of running a sports organization in the history of professional athletics. William Clay Ford Sr., owner of the Detroit Lions, issued a statement through the team's media relations department that read, "I believe that this decision is in the best interest of this organization," Ford Sr. said. "I appreciate Matt's efforts. Matt worked tirelessly during his tenure to win, and he would be the first one to tell you that you have to win in this league. It just didn't work out." Mr. Ford believes this decision is in the best interest of the franchise. Well, no kidding. It is a necessary move ... albeit several years too late to likely prevent the Lions from continuing to bottom out before we see any signs of realistic improvement with the woeful product on the field every Sunday. If this was a car Mr. Ford was putting on the road it would have been recalled. Lets face it, the Lions have probably three players that are good enough to maybe draw significant interest from other teams (receivers Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams and linebacker Ernie Sims). That's it. There might be a guy or two who could come in and fill a role for another team, but those aforementioned three are about the only personnel the Lions have who have any kind of legitimate value. Millen simply did not get it done and he had to go. Next, someone should be gathering some boxes together to get ready to give head coach Rod Marinelli and his staff the boot. Marinelli has failed, he seems to have no answers and the only passion he really seems to show is when he is in press conferences arguing with reporters. Matt Millen, take it easy brother. You tried and failed, and you should have pulled the parachute and bailed out sooner. Rod Marinelli, save yourself, take the other parachute and give someone else a chance who may actually have a little more of a clue what to do to turn this thing around. Marinelli and Millen have failed us. Half of that combination is gone and now we need to allow Marinelli to deplane.

Limbaugh Has Made Other Racist Attacks on Obama And Other People of Color

Conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh has made many racial attacks on Sen. Barack Obama, and many other people of color throughout his career. But, for the purposes of this blog, I will focus on his race smears against Sen. Obama, the Democratic Party nominee for President of the United States. He referred to the biracial Obama and actress Halle Berry as "Halfrican Americans." Typical Limbaugh: Disgraceful and dumb, but enabled by legions of blind loyalists who follow him like ants after food. So, Limbaugh has been known to play racial politics to try and emphasize the fact that blacks are black and somehow different and dangerous ... people who need to somehow be isolated and carefully watched ... avoided at most costs. Limbaugh is like leftover food cluttering and stinking up your refrigerator: He's not as good as it once was to some people, he's old and tired, people don't really want him as much as they once did, people would much rather have something fresh and good, and most people would rather just throw him away and be done with him. Now, some people would strongly dispute whether or not what Rush Limbaugh had to offer was ever good in the first place.

Media Matters on Limbaugh:
http://mediamatters.org/items/200701240010

Limbaugh Again Race Baiting With Smears Against Obama's Ethnicity

It's not exactly breaking news to point out conservative Rush Limbaugh playing racial politics as part of his fanatical devotion to the extremist wing of the Republican Party (there are many, many good people in the Republican Party ... Rush Limbaugh simply is not one of them). Anyway, Limbaugh has made a career out of playing to the racial fears (black people and Muslim are dangerous) and racial animosity (under qualified black people are stealing jobs from more qualified white people thanks to the evils of affirmative action) of those on the right wing. He plays to the weaknesses of so many conservatives. Here is the Limbaugh smear, "These polls on how one-third of blue-collar white Democrats won't vote for Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic Party nominee for president of the United States, because he's black, and - but he's not black. Do you know he has not one shred of African-American blood? He doesn't have any African - that's why when they asked whether he was authentic, whether he's down for the struggle. He's Arab. You know, he's from Africa. He's from Arab parts of Africa. He's not - his father was - he's not African-American. The last thing that he is is African-American. I guess that's splitting hairs, I don't - it's just all these little things, everything seems upside-down today in this country." So, Obama's dad is from Africa, his mom is from America (Barack himself was born in America), but he is not African-American according to Limbaugh. That is just plain dumb. Oh, and by the way, Kenya (where Barack's father was from) is not an Arab country. First of all, this is anti-Muslim racism. Limbaugh and people on his side of the political spectrum have been trying to play upon fears of Muslim people in the wake of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. This is why so many people are doing everything within their power to try and portray Sen. Obama as a Muslim or an Arab. Don't buy into fear smear.

Media Matters on Limbaugh comments:
http://mediamatters.org/items/200809220015?f=h_latest

McCain Lies and Flat Out Plays David Letterman for Katie Couric

Sen. John McCain, a shell of the man of integrity who ran for president unsuccessfully in the Republican primary in 2000, is finding it difficult to be truthful. Apparently, his lack of honesty came back to bite at least one late night television show host, and a prominent one at that, in the butt. Oh, and David Letterman (who was blown off for an interview by McCain so the Arizona senator could supposedly go back to Washington D.C. to deal with the economic crisis. Apparently, McCain took a wrong turn on his way back to D.C. and ended up in a nearby studio doing an interview with Katie Couric) was highly displeased (rightfully so). So, even though McCain has continued to unbelievably claim that the fundamentals of the economy are strong, he is suspending his campaign (an almost unprecedented move in the history of presidential politics) to deal with the economic crisis. I thought the fundamentals of the economy were strong? Hey, if the fundamentals of the economy are strong then I think McCain should have several hours to spare to discuss foreign policy in a debate (especially in a world with two wars going on ... one in Afghanistan and one in Iraq, a potential nuclear threat brewing in North Korea and increasingly unstable situations with Russia and Iran). Consider this from the Web site Crooks and Liars, "In what can only be described as the most desperate political move in modern presidential history, John McCain is proving that he is wholly unfit to lead our country. I hope David Letterman is not the only one with a national stage to speak the truth about this. McCain is scared out of his mind and this hoax only solidifies the point. The McCain/Palin ticket is plummeting in the polls, the Davis/Freddie Mac scandal is reaching a fever pitch, they’re trying to keep Palin locked in a bubble and more and more Republicans are becoming furious with the way this sham of a campaign is being run. Barack Obama needs to stand firm and not give in!"

Crooks and Liars:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/09/24/letterman-brutalizes-john-mccain-for-cancellations/

Sen. John McCain, imitating Dick Vitale: I need a Time Out ... BABY!

So, apparently Sen. John McCain, the Republican nominee for President of the United States, is calling for a time out ... A TIME OUT! WHAT! Apparently, things have been a little too difficult for the Arizona Republican senator who has decided to suspend his campaign (on the eve of the first presidential debate on Friday in Mississippi). McCain wants to delay the Friday evening debate ... under the guise of wanting to focus on finding measures to solve the current economic crisis in the United States. So, if things are going rough and a war breaks out (I mean ... besides the other two wars we have going on in Afghanistan and Iraq) ... is Sen. McCain going to try and call a time out so he can restrict himself to just one important issue at a time. Hey, a president needs to be able to handle more than one issue at a time. Isn't that what a president is supposed to be able to do? If some crisis breaks out with Russia or with Iran ... is McCain going to try and call leaders of those two nations and ask them if they can chill out for a bit while he huddles his team together in a time out? For some reason, I am doubting that is going to fly to well on the international stage and it shouldn't fly too well on the national stage. McCain is looking pitiful and sad. I am sure McCain's plane can fly him back from Mississippi to Washington D.C. fairly quickly. If not, perhaps he can bum a ride on Sen. Barack Obama's plane.

O'Reilly's Vendetta aka "Obama Chronicles" Again Shows Host's Obsession To Destroy Obama

Bill O'Reilly's so-called "Obama Chronicles," a 25-part hit job designed to try and marginalize Sen. Barack Obama's historic candidacy for the presidency hit another new low. O'Reilly aided by another conservative, right-wing hack, attempted to make the same tired and weak connection between Obama and Bill Ayers . As Fox News Hounds points out, Obama's mission was to do what he could to help poor kids and others in the inner city of Chicago. It's part of that community organizing the Republicans have enjoyed bashing throughout this campaign season. O'Reilly's weak effort to is like an old movie series that keeps going on and on ... long after everyone has yearned to stick a fork in it. What, aren't there like 20 more parts to go? This is an unbelievable waste of time and resources and shows obvious bias as it is not balanced by any comparable look into Sen. John McCain's record (his service and Vietnam, how that might have impacted his medical conditions, his medical records, leaving behind his wife and the mother of his kids, marrying his second wife who had all kinds of crazy money when he met her, his associations with John Hagee and Rod Parsley, the Keating Five, and so on). O'Reilly spent the whole show working his three favorite angles: general bashing of liberals (particularly the so-called mainstream media), whining about the treatment of Gov. Sarah Palin (a woman for whom he seems to have an unhealthy obsession) and (no O'Reilly Factor show would be completely without) trashing Barack Obama with the help of biased right-wing guests.

Fox News Hounds on O'Reilly's Fox News-sanctioned ongoing attack of Obama:
http://www.newshounds.us/2008/09/23/bill_oreilly_reveals_stunning_truth_barack_obama_helped_poor_chicago_kids.php

Fox News Channel's Cavuto Makes Racist Statement Against Minorities

Neil Cavuto, having already divorced himself of the perception he is objective, has been totally exposed as a right-wing hack posing as a business reporter/analyst on the very biased Fox News Channel (clearly in the tank for Sen. John McCain in his bid for the presidency and completely infatuated with Gov. Sarah Palin). Now, being a right-winger is one thing, but making a racist statement on the air is an entirely different thing all together. The comment was reported on Fox News Hounds and apparently was made Sept. 18. Here are Cavuto's words, "Did you warn or express concern about any things that happened? I'm not saying that one or the other is beyond blame, I'm just saying I don't remember a clarion call that said Fannie and Freddie are a disaster. Loaning to minorities and risky folks is a disaster? Maybe if you said it, enlighten me." Are you freaking kidding me? Is he criticizing Fannie and Freddie because they had the audacity to loan to minorities? Another disgusting example of Fox News Channel bias and racial politics. Apparently, in Cavuto's world it's OK for people to take out loans to buy houses ... just as long as you're not a minority.

Fox News Hounds on Cavuto's racist comment:
http://www.newshounds.us/2008/09/22/keith_olbermann_names_neil_cavuto_the_worst_person_in_the_world_for_this_racist_remark.php#more

Mitchell: Don't Forget McCain's Infidelity

Mary Mitchell, of the Chicago Sun-Times, has been one of my favorite newly-discovered columnists. Part of that is due to the political campaign this season and her straightforward approach to column writing. One of her latest pieces has to do with the infidelity of Sen. John McCain upon his return from Vietnam that led to his wife at the time, Carol, being thrown aside for the younger and richer Cindy McCain. I read some more details about McCain that I had not heard before. It's especially sad because Cindy raised their family, stood by him, endured a serious accident that left her in rough physical shape and more. Perhaps Fox News Channel's conservative commentator Bill O'Reilly should consider the producing the McCain Chronicles (he won't because he is in the tank for McCain and the Republicans) to show us what Sen. McCain is really (and tell us about his shaky history) like instead of being biased and anti-Democrat with his Obama Chronicles (abusing his platform at Fox News to attack Sen. Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama). We know O'Reilly is biased, but come on, Bill. It's time he stepped up and kept it fair. Thankfully, we have some writers in the mainstream press who are trying to give us the other side of the political spectrum to balance attacks on Sen. Obama and his wife.

Mary Mitchell in the Sun-Times:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/mitchell/1165574,CST-NWS-mitch16.article

Hannity and Palin: Hard-Hitting Interview (just kidding) or Soft-Toss Infomercial?

Fox News Channel, the firm designated to handle the public relations of the Republican Party, is at it again with the puff-piece interview series Republican advocate and conservative mouthpiece Sean Hannity conducted and is airing. You have to wonder how much Hannity and Palin practiced the script to make sure they were on the same page to execute their performance before the conservative American people. It's difficult to put together segments like Hannity and Palin put together on Fox. It takes a good product to sell, it takes careful planning and it requires a commitment to talking points about the product in question. Hmm. Doesn't it kind of sound like an infomercial.

Maybe this Jon Stewart video will clear things up:
http://www.newshounds.us/2008/09/20/jon_stewart_nails_hannitys_palin_sales_pitch_interview.php

Palin Pity Party Continues on O'Reilly Factor

Conservative commentator Bill O'Reilly, of Fox News, is at it again - defending the honor of poor Gov. Sarah Palin. Not long after bashing Michelle Obama, wife of Sen. Barack Obama, and labeling her as an angry black woman (while trying to get at least three other women who know Michelle to do likewise - the did not), he comes swinging in like Tarzan to protect poor Gov. Palin from the horrors of those he attacks on a nightly basis from the left wing of the political spectrum. O'Reilly, man, you really have to wonder if there is some kind of a mental issue going on with this guy. He swears up and down he is politically impartial (we know otherwise), but then aggressively attacks everything on the left wing he considers extremist while ignoring extremists on the right wing (either out of fear or outright political bias). I am still trippin' out over the fact that he is doing these Obama Chronicles while not answering legitimate questions that need to be answered about Sen. McCain? I am still wondering how he can bring a right-wing guy who rights an attack book on Obama to give analysis of Barack's relationships and people who have inspired him (I am guessing it was O'Reilly who was the one to decide who Barack's influences were for the purpose of the show). How many times has he sent his producers to ambush Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage, Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter, Rod Parsley, John Hagee, Laura Ingraham, Hal Turner or any of the other conservatives for their outrageous comments?

Fox News Hounds on O'Reilly bias (I know, it's old hat by now):
http://www.newshounds.us/2008/09/19/oreilly_attacks_women_for_protecting_their_right_to_choose.php#more

Writer Suggests Palin's Selection Is Republicans Selective Affirmative Action

The Republican Party had a number of outstanding candidates it could have picked for vice president before it settled on Gov. Sarah Palin. As we know, historically, the Republicans have fought vigorously against affirmative action policies. But, has the Republican Party now changed its stance on the issue of affirmative action with the selection of Palin to fill out their ticket. Now, many people have speculated that had Palin been a man where was no chance on the planet she would have been picked if she was a man. Now, there are several other women the Republicans could have selected who would have been good for the party and would have had national credibility along with the strength and credentials to stand up to criticism. Instead, the party went with the younger Palin who they thought would energize women (young and old) and convince women to support their gender in the voting booth (rather than support the policies that are important to them). A blog from Black America Web caught my attention as it explored what some people might perceive as the hypocrisy of the G.O.P. with respect to affirmative action. Now, there is no way Palin would have made it through the Republican primary as a legitimate candidate for president. She would have been a first-round or second-round knockout ... we have to be honest. Clearly, the fact that Republicans have held her back from the media for so long and then been so selective in who gets to talk to her shows a lack of confidence in her credentials and her ability to face anyone other than a hand-picked interviewer. Could you imagine the Democrats needing to train Sen. Joe Biden on what to say or to prep him to answer questions about key political issues? No. So, what makes Palin such an attractive pick? This writer has an interesting perspective.

Black America Web:
http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site.aspx/sayitloud/weathersbee917

O'Reilly's Obama Chronicles Nothing More Than A Republican/Conservative Hit Job

I was willing to give the conservative and biased Bill O'Reilly the benefit of considerable doubt with his series on Sen. Barack Obama and those in his inner circle. But, after fighting through a couple segments, it is clear that this is nothing more than a Republican hit job for which Fox News has been contracted to pull off. I watched the segment where he ripped on Michelle Obama and called her an angry black woman and tried to get his guests to do the same (they refused). Then, on Wednesday, I watched as he talked about three "mentors" of Barack, but used a right-wing author of an anti-Obama book to talk about Barack's mentors. It made no sense ... unless you're a right winger. The author proceeded to regurgitate right-wing talking points throughout his segment and accused Obama of being the only person to bring race into the campaign (as if we live in this Utopian country where we're all color blind). Sorry, but the United States is not the Smurf Village and we're not all the same color. That author came on the show with an agenda and I am sure he executed the conservatives game plan ... aided and abetted by Bill O'Reilly. Race is a factor in this campaign and if you need proof just look at the anti-Muslim racism many conservatives are using (trying to paint Obama as a Muslim as if that is somehow some disqualifying factor in the race for the presidency). How has it become so politically correct to exhibit anti-Muslim racism and to do it so blatantly?

O'Reilly Plays "Angry Black Woman" Card Against Michelle Obama

Bill O'Reilly, host of the controversial and partisan Fox News show The O'Reilly Factor, did not quite go on the lynching party against Michelle Obama, but he certainly took some shots at her by playing the "angry black woman" card against her. Consider this quote from O'Reilly during his ongoing attempt to define Sen. Obama through his own narrow-minded perspective (I pulled this from the Web site Media Matters). Now, I have a lot of people who call me on the radio and say she looks angry. And I have to say there's some validity to that. She looks like an angry woman. Did you ask her about that?" Throughout the segment, he attempted to get two women (Vogue magazine contributing editor Rebecca Johnson and Human Events columnist Michelle Oddis) familiar with Michelle Obama to try and paint her as an angry black woman who hates her country, is not warm and fuzzy and is somehow insensitive - all very sexist portrayals that serve only to demean the women who do not fit into certain stereotypes of how we feel women are supposed to behave. O'Reilly worked hard in an attempt to try and get the two women to validate his clearly prejudiced opinion of Michelle Obama. Both of the women, however, defied his best efforts to shape Michelle Obama in O'Reilly's image of her. Maybe O'Reilly will come to realize that his dangerous stereotypes of women (happy-go-lucky and cheerful all the time with big smiles), in general, and black women (angry, haters of America and ungrateful), as a whole, are very dangerous. O'Reilly needs to leave these stereotypes, which he put in stereo for his right-wing-leaning viewers, where they belong: in the past.

Media Matters on O'Reilly segment about Michelle Obama:
http://mediamatters.org/items/200809170008?f=h_clips

O'Reilly Doing His Part To Assist McCain-Palin To Third Bush-Cheney Term

Conservative commentator Bill O'Reilly has been doing his part to try and assist Sen. John McCain's bid for the presidency to serve out the next term (or two) of the Bush-Cheney administration. One thing that O'Reilly has talked little about (as has been pointed out by the Web site o'reilly-sucks.com) is that our arrogant commentator has totally avoided the presidential candidacy of former Republican Party man Bob Barr, who is running for the Libetarian Party. O'Reilly, as this Web site points out, is worried that Barr could pick McCain's pocket of votes and helped tip the election scales in the favor of Sen. Barack Obama. So, instead of being a reputable news person (obviously not since he is spending so much time on the Obama Chronicles while giving McCain's shady past a free pass ... among other journalistic atrocities) and being fair and balanced with his coverage, he continues to ignore Barr for fear he could hurt the Republican Party in the general election. Here is an excerpt from the piece: "So as you can see O'Reilly knows that Barr is taking 3 percent of McCain's vote, and you know he has seen these polls and he refuses to have Barr on the factor, and refuses to even mention his name, because any media attention he gets will help him get more votes, and those votes will be from McCain voters. What's funny is when Ralph Nader ran in 2004 O'Reilly mentioned him all the time and even had him on the show as a guest, because he was a liberal who would take votes away from Kerry."

O'Reilly-Sucks Web site on Bill's bias:
http://www.oreilly-sucks.com/

Another Update On Racist "Obama Waffles" Garbage Conservatives/Republicans Are Using

I found this on another blog and it is quoted from the Associated Press: "On the back of the box, Obama is depicted in stereotypical Mexican dress, including a sombrero, above a recipe for 'Open Border Fiesta Waffles' that says it can serve '4 or more illegal aliens.' The recipe includes a tip: 'While waiting for these zesty treats to invade your home, why not learn a foreign language?'" Are you serious? Did we just go into a time machine and end back up in the 1950s or 1960s. CNN's conservative mouthpiece Lou Dobbs, the man who obsessively whines about illegal immigration to the point of driving his viewers to the brink of vomiting, seems to think his wife would be ecstatic about having a racist box of Obama Waffles. I'm sorry, but this man is just smiling a little too much about something as racist as this conservative attack. This is an insult to human decency. It's an atrocity that what is mostly an organization of integrity like CNN would have an employee who would so openly endorse a product with racial attacks such as Obama Waffles. Here is the quote I pulled from a story on ThinkProgress: "CNN’s Lou Dobbs stopped by the booth and exclaimed, “My wife will love this!” A photo shows Dobbs with a box of the mix in his hand." Apparently, the images on Cream of Wheat boxes, Uncle Ben's Rice and Aunt Jemima products don't seem to bother someone like Dobbs. It's amazing someone gets that far in life to behave with such stupidity, a lack of understanding and outright ignorance of societal rights and wrongs. It's a shame a man who would do something like this and have his photo taken doing something like this has a powerful platform such as the one he enjoys on CNN. Lou Dobbs is something else. But, it makes me wonder what else Lou Dobbs would buy and what else he thinks his wife would love that also is objectionable to normal human beings.

ThinkProgress has more on this sickening racism that some find funny:

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/13/obama-waffles-featuring-racist-stereotyped-images-sold-at-values-voter-summit/

Here's Why "Obama Waffles" Images Are Racist And Extremely Dangerous Jim Crow era Throwbacks

If you want to understand and appreciate the racism of images like "Obama Waffles" take an opportunity to visit the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia at Ferris State University. Here you see an assortment of racist images and how hurtful they can be. These old guys might think it's funny, but it's not ... it's racist and reprehensible.

Ferris State University's Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia:
http://www.ferris.edu/htmls/news/jimcrow/

Racist Stereotypes Of Obama Not Funny In The Least Bit

Racist stereotypes are not funny, but apparently they are to several Republican people who have no clue about the implications of even the most subtle racist attacks. Satire is no license to advance racist imagery. Obama Waffles, a racist attack on Sen. Barack Obama, is another disgusting tactic of many conservative whites who seem repulsed by the idea of a person of color being the president of the United States. Probably the saddest part was watching these two clowns in this video laugh and joke and defend themselves as being anything but racist. They are completely oblivious to what it means to be a victim of racism. It is further evidence of how out of touch many people to the right of the political spectrum are with the economy, the housing crisis, taxes and race relations (just to begin with). This is what happens when people are not exposed to diversity and are unaware of how hurtful language and images that mock another race and try to portray people of a different race as caricatures that are too ugly an to reminiscent of offensive images of the man from the Cream of Wheat Box, Aunt Jemima or other images that are designed to degrade a whole race of people. This video and movement represent a continuation of racist attacks, including trying to link Obama to Muslims (racism against Muslim people) and that is disgusting enough. When will the good people of the Republican party stand up and say enough is enough. Sen. John McCain has waffled on issues as much as any politician on the planet. But, the bigger point is that these are the kinds of racial politics that Republicans are trying to use to divide the American people along racial lines in an effort to create an us-vs.-them mentality to bring whites to the side of McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin. I hope that good people will see through the racism and not buy in. As a side note, pay particular attention to the comment attributed to CNN's Lou Dobbs.


ThinkProgress on story I could hardly believe when I first saw it:

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/13/obama-waffles-featuring-racist-stereotyped-images-sold-at-values-voter-summit/

Even Karl Rove Admits To High Crap Factor In McCain's Reprehensible Campaign

You know your Republican/conservative ads are dishonest and dirty when even Karl Rove steps in and says so. Sen. John McCain, running one of the dirtiest and most divisive campaigns in the history of politics, is coming under fire from even those on the extreme right wing of the political spectrum. Rove, the former adviser to President George W. Bush made statements about McCain's tactics during the Sunday morning talk shows. Here was the response from the campaign of Sen. Barack Obama, who has fought to run a clean and honest campaign only to have McCain go into full hater mode with some of the most disgusting ads ever seen on television during an election. "In case anyone was still wondering whether John McCain is running the sleaziest, most dishonest campaign in history, today Karl Rove - the man who held the previous record - said McCain's ads have gone too far," said Obama campaign spokesman Tommy Vietor." McCain has proven himself unworthy of the office he seeks. His dishonesty has rendered him untrustworthy to lead a nation as great as the United States of America. I call on all decent Americans to reject this brand of politics and say "no" to McCain's divisive rhetoric and sleazy allegations. I would rather have people vote even for one of the independent candidates than vote for McCain.I would rather see people stay at home than cast a vote for the disgraceful John McCain.

Huffington Post article on Rove criticism of McCain tactics:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/14/karl-rove-mccains-ads-hav_n_126280.html

Are Republicans Already Making Plans To Suppress Black Votes?

Many of us in the United States are haunted, eight years later, by the voting irregularities (some would say outright voter suppression) that took place in Florida and elsewhere. Much of this was aimed at predominantly black voting districts in Florida that may have caused tens of thousands of would-be voters to be disenfranchised. Today, in an effort to supposedly cut down on voter fraud, measures are being taken (significant measures) to try and force some voters to provide additional or different forms of identification (with the idea being this might be one method of holding down the inner-city vote). Suppress the inner-city vote and it's: advantage John McCain. Here is a passage in a story written by Jonathan Alter in Newsweek: "Now, with the help of a 2008 Supreme Court decision, Crawford vs. Marion County (Indiana) Election Board, white Republicans in some areas will keep eligible blacks from voting by requiring driver's licenses. Not only is this new-fangled discrimination constitutional, it's spreading." As the author points out, it is not necessarily racist-motivated as much as it is politically motivated. Unfortunately, the political motivation comes at the expense of the poor and it comes at the expense of many blacks in these poor areas and in these inner-city areas. As the author points out, it follows in a long line of traditions of those trying to suppress black votes over the years: literacy tests, poll taxes, property ownership, different forms of identification, evidence of no criminal record (guilty until proven innocent) and so on and so forth. So, what if you have no passport or no driver's license? Well, you could be out of luck come voting time ... at least in Indiana and perhaps in other cities and states around the nation.

Newsweek article:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/158392

The Noted Liar Karl Rove At It Again

Karl Rove is the kind of person you need to check for your wallet every time he walks past you or you shake hands with him. Rove is once again telling lies and distorting the truth about Sen. Barack Obama's record. One of the most amazing attributes of Rove is his ability to lie and use double talk without batting an eyelash or without even so much as flinching.

This is another example of Rove lies from Media Matters:
http://mediamatters.org/items/200809120009?f=h_top

Republicans Should Listen To Fred G. Sanford

Perhaps if Republicans listened to the powerful words of the noted philosopher, Mr. Fred G. Sanford from the hit 1970s television show "Sanford and Son" they would not be as out of touch with the plight of working-class and poor people in the United States. Here is one of the notable exchanges that helps illustrate how out of touch many of our Republican friends truly are.

Lamont Sanford: Pop, that's what the welfare thing was setup for: for people in financial trouble. What do you think we pay taxes for? We'd just be taking advantage of something that was setup for people like us.
Fred Sanford: What do you mean 'people like us'?
Lamont Sanford: Poor people. The have nots.
Fred Sanford: The have nots? Well if the have nots could get something from the haves and the haves gave the have nots half of what they have, then the haves would still be the haves but the have nots would be the have somethings.

From IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068128/quotes

Fox News Uses Same Attack Tactics Against Obama They Used Against Kerry

Fox News Channel once again is showing its bias against Sen. Barack Obama. But, this is more than Fox News Channel's Fear of a Black Planet (from the old Public Enemy album). Fox continues to use the same scare tactics against Obama that it used against Sen. John Kerry, the man who ran against President George W. Bush in 2004. I found this video on the Web site Fox Attacks (one of my favorite pages to visit). Fox has an obvious conservative bias. I applaud Sen. Obama for going into enemy territory and taking on obnoxious Bill O'Reilly, who is an obvious conservative minister of propaganda. He is a bully who exploits his position for nefarious conservative purposes. You will see it in this video.

Fox Attacks: They Distort video:
http://foxattacks.com/

Sun-Times Columnist Mitchell Is On The Money Again

Once again, Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mary Mitchell was right on the money with her analysis of this blown-out-of-proportion, made-up controversy. Take an opportunity to read and appreciate Mary's words and the truth behind them.

Chicago Sun-Times article on real feminists and Oprah:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/mitchell/1152122,CST-NWS-mitch09.article

Community Organizer: Code For Racial Attack That Replaces The Word "Black" In Conservative Talk?

So, is "community organizer" code for the word "black" in this election cycle? At least one prominent Democrat is coming around to that way of thinking. New York Gov. David Paterson made that charge (one that I've made here in different spots) that the campaign of Sen. John McCain is using this as a code for "black" to try and appeal to white voters in rural areas who might be uncomfortable with the concept of a black president. "I think the Republican Party is too smart to call Barack Obama 'black' in a sense that it would be a negative. But you can take something about his life, which I noticed they did at the Republican Convention – a 'community organizer.' They kept saying it, they kept laughing," Paterson said. It's hard to argue with the analysis of Paterson. He called like he saw it and I am calling it the exact same way. The politics of racial division, clearly, are not off base for McCain and his campaign (the same campaign trying so hard to paint Obama as sexist for something that McCain himself has said so many times in his own career). Paterson continued, "I think where there are overtones is when there are uses of language that are designed to inhibit other people's progress with a subtle reference to their race." There are some serious overtones.

Paterson on WCBSTV:
http://wcbstv.com/politics/paterson.mccain.palin.2.813646.html

Disgusting Politics From My Home State Of Michigan ... It Saddens Me

More garbage by desperate Republicans trying to falsely convince people that Sen. Barack Obama has done something sexist (completely ignoring the same things that Sen. John McCain has said in the past. The quote I am about to post shows you the obsession to win on the part of the Republicans and their willingness to do whatever it takes (dirty or otherwise) is expressed in this lying and misleading quote. This is from Rep. Candice Miller (sadly enough from Michigan): "The Obama campaign has decided that the way to get at Gov. Sarah Palin is through personal attacks and sexist insults," Miller said on the House floor. This is a disgrace to the House floor and Miller should be ashamed of herself for trying to score political points out of something that McCain has said many times in the past.

Washington Post article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/10/AR2008091000666.html?hpid%3Dtopnews&sub=AR

O'Reilly's Ambush Backfires As Tucker Stands Up To His "Journalistic" Thugs

Bill O'Reilly, the highly-conservative commentator, has tried to ambush and discredit Atlanta Journal Constitution columnist Cynthia Tucker. Tucker's crime? She had the audacity to point out O'Reilly's blatant hypocrisy. She had the courage to show him for hypocrite he is and put it on full display for people in Atlanta, people in Georgia and people around the nation who want yet another glimpse of what O'Reilly is all about. So, Bill, of course, became upset (or, you could say, enraged). Naturally, he engaged in the little fourth-grade name-calling he resorts to describe people on the liberal side of the political expression (but virtually never anyone on the conservative side). He then sent one of his pitiful producers to try and ambush her. But, just like with Bill Moyers and Fr. Michael Pfleger (both of whom might as well have been bus drivers since they took O'Reilly's people to school), the ambush proved mostly worthless and indicative of Bill's emotionally insecurity and instability. Tucker stuck to her word, maintained her composure, showed class and then calmly left the scene. Here is a response from AJC about the incident.

AJC on O'Reilly sneak attack of Tucker:
http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/ajc/bookman/entries/2008/09/06/on_this_peaceful_pleasant_atla.html

McCain's Ad Even More Disgusting When You Think About It

In reference to Sen. John McCain's disgusting and appalling ad trying to link Sen. Barack Obama to sexual education of kids. McCain, who ran an honorable, even though unsuccessful primary campaign against George W. Bush in 2000, has blown away any credibility he might have had as someone who is a statesman and carries himself above the sleazy brand of politics that people who will do or say anything to get elected lower themselves to these days. McCain has gone into the gutter and come back out garbage in the form of a pathetic ad that implies that somehow Obama wants to do something that might endanger the safety of kids. How can he bring himself to endorse an ad like this against a man who has two young daughters and would do anything to protect them from the horrors and the worst elements of our society? How can McCain, who has raised kids of his own, exploit young children and the fears of parents for his own political gain. A true patriot would never do something so reprehensible against another man - not to mention a man who is a colleague of his in the United States Senate. How badly does John McCain want to be president of the United States. Notice, in the video that I have previously posted, the photo of Obama at the end and how he is smiling and looking downward (as if to imply he is looking at your kids in a predatory way). Don't for one minute think that was an accidental use of that kind of photo by the people in the McCain campaign who put this together and endorsed it (people from the armpit of our society). This is from a Michael Shaw column on the Huffington Post: "Except, the issue serves as nothing more than a foil to intimate that Obama -- shown in the screen shot with a smarmy grin and his coat looking frumpy -- desires to sexualize the lives of young children. More odious, however, it's also an example of the McCain campaign playing the race card, activating stereotypes of the black man -- seeming to gaze dreamily at something below (or shorter than) him -- as driven by sexual appetite." McCain is a filthy and disgusting man who I no longer have much respect for.

Huffington Post analysis on McCain sleaze:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-shaw/reading-the-pictures-emmc_b_125255.html

Disgusting McCain Ad Exploiting Young Kids For Political Purposes

Sen. John McCain continues to take the elevator further down into the basement of political ethics and moral decency. This time, McCain is utilizing a scare tactic that exploits young kindergarten children. McCain's campaign is trying to scare families into thinking that Sen. Barack Obama wants to teach kindergartners about sex education ... which is absolutely false and morally reprehensible. This is the kind of disgusting politics that make people sick of the Republican Party and politics in general. Can McCain really be so desperate that he is going to use kindergartners as weapons in his political war against Obama and Joe Biden? This ad is misleading and pathetic as The Huffington Post pointed out with this paragraph that analyzed the Illinois senator's true motive: to protect children. "In essence, Obama supported "age appropriate" sex-education for children as a means of teaching them what was proper or improper touching, as well as to protect them against pedophiles, his campaign has said. Used in the context of the McCain campaign ad, however, Obama's stance becomes another one of those cultural issues that seems designed to alienate the Illinois Democrat from more socially moderate voters." McCain is taking what Obama said out of context and doing it for purposes that are beneath the dignity of the position he seeks and beneath the character of this great nation. Here is a response from the McCain campaign as reported by The Huffington Post, "It is shameful and downright perverse for the McCain campaign to use a bill that was written to protect young children from sexual predators as a recycled and discredited political attack against a father of two young girls - a position that his friend Mitt Romney also holds. Last week, John McCain told Time magazine he couldn't define what honor was. Now we know why," said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton."

The Huffington Post on McCain sinking to a new low:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/09/mccain-ad-obamas-lone-edu_n_125205.html

The More I ThinK About This Oprah-Palin Thing The More I ...

This attacking of Oprah Winfrey because she has supposedly denied Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and opportunity to come on the Oprah Winfrey Show. First of all, Palin has been ducking interviews left and right anyway. Where have the Republicans been hiding Palin when John McCain, Barack Obama and Joe Biden have been out talking to the press and truly engaging people who might ask tough questions. Even Obama went on Bill O'Reilly's show. O'Reilly is a blatant right-wing propaganda commentator, but Obama went on his turf and met him head on (knowing O'Reilly would confront him with stuff he would hypocritically never confront McCain with and that he was going to be treated in disrespectful ways he would never use on McCain). Meanwhile McCain hides from not only Keith Olbermann or Chris Matthews, but even from Larry King. he is scared of an interview with Larry King and big bad CNN because they refuse to be force-fed Republican smear points on Obama. McCain is scared of even Larry King while Obama faces off against O'Reilly. We have a man who wants to be president who is afraid of an interview with Larry King, who ducked reporters of color at the UNITY conference and is hiding Sarah Palin from the media like smugglers hide drugs they are trying to sneak into a country. This bashing of Oprah, by the way, was started by Matt Drudge who has been trying to stir up controversy in an effort to marginalize Oprah's highly-respected status among women and, in general. I think there are a lot of people who feel like Oprah has gotten to big and want to knock her down a peg or two (this is a reference from "The Color Purple," a movie that Oprah starred in back in the mid-1980s). Here is a quote I found in a column published by Richard Prince, "You don't need to be Dr. Phil to diagnose O's prideful, blatant favoritism. The icon used to give away cars. Now she gives away her obvious bias," said Andrea Tantaros, a Republican political commentator in a Monday Fox News blog. You also don't need a team of federal investigators to know a conservative and politically-motivated attempt to try and tear down Oprah Winfrey because she has elected to endorse Barack Obama. This is further evidence of an obsession to win, a win-at-all-costs mentality of conservative Republicans using a scorched-Earth brand of politics to obliterate anything in their way.

Richard Prince column:
http://www.mije.org/richardprince/double-win-david-squires

More Smears Against Barack Obama

Sean Hannity, Newt Gingrich, Bill O'Reilly and other individuals on Fox News being exposed for their lies against Barack Obama.

Did Palin Abuse Her Power In Troopergate?

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has all kinds of baggage being checked at the gate as she tries to get through in her efforts to solidify her position as the vice president nominee for the Republican nominee. Conservative extremist commentators like Bill O'Reilly have been remarkably silent on the issue of Palin's controversial issues back home in Alaska while somehow trumpeting statistics about her approval rating. O'Reilly continues to bend over backward to try and find positive items to use to rescue and rehabilitate Palin's now-dented armour. When is O'Reilly going to join the real journalists and investigate Palin's involvement in this controversy. I know it's not Michelle Obama and he will not be able to experience the joy of going on a "lynching party" but he could show some kind of objectivity.

Huffington Post on Troopergate:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/08/sarah-palin-troopergate-r_n_124881.html

Cowardly O'Reilly Sends One Of His Servants On Another Sneak Attack

Conservative extremist commentator Bill O'Reilly is again on the prowl sending another one of his people to try and ambush Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Cynthia Tucker, a Pulitzer prize-winner. He did it because Tucker had the audacity to point out the hypocrisy of people taking it easy and feeling so good about the pregnancy situation of Sarah Palin's daughter while blasting nonconservatives (particularly inner city individuals) for having children out of wedlock. Why does Sarah Palin and her husband get a free pass for her daughter's pregnancy while other parents of pregnant teens are blasted for not being there to supervise and properly raise their children? Showing his immaturity and lack of professionalism, he proceeds to call her names and make fun of her because she had the nerve to disagree with him and call him out - publicly - for his blatant hypocrisy. Here is an excerpt that I pulled out of some analysis on the Huffington Post:

"For some reason, the pious social conservatives of the Republican Party did not denounce the 17-year-old daughter of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Instead, they greeted the news of her pregnancy as evidence of the strong moral fiber of Palin and her husband, citing the fact that they have offered Bristol their comfort and support. For a minute there, I feared that right wingers would attack the young lady as evidence of the moral failings of a liberal, anything-goes culture, or as proof that her parents had failed to provide a Christian upbringing that eschews sex outside marriage. After all, that's what conservatives usually say when unmarried adolescent girls get pregnant. When Jamie Lynn Spears' pregnancy was revealed, for example, Bill O'Reilly went after her parents: "On the pinhead front, 16-year-old Jamie Lynn Spears is pregnant. The sister of Britney says she is shocked. I bet. Now most teens are pinheads in some ways. But here the blame falls primarily on the parents of the girl, who obviously have little control over her or even over Britney Spears. Look at the way she behaves," O'Reilly declared."

Tucker called him out and asks if Britney Spears' parents were to blame (for the pregnancy of Britney's sister), in that case, then why were not the Palin parents to blame for their daughter's pregnancy? According to him the Spears parents were letting their daughter run around unsupervised. But, according to O'Reilly, the pregnancy in the Palin case was not caused because she was running around unsupervised. This is a case of more Bill O'Reilly excuses for his own hypocrisy. What is with Bill and his blindly-loyal support of Palin ... no matter what?

Huffington Post on Tucker vs. O'Reilly:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-mitchell/cynthia-tucker-vs-bill-or_b_124032.html

O'Reilly Putting Up Attacks On Palin, But Where Were The Attacks on Obama

Sen. Barack Obama was bashed throughout the campaign with all these insinuations of him being a Muslim and so much more ... Bill O'Reilly said nothing. Now, he is showing all of these so-called attacks on Sarah Palin and talking about how they will cost the Democrats votes. I do not recall how much he discussed all of the attacks on Obama and talked about how that would cost John McCain votes. O'Reilly is in the bag for Palin and McCain and he never talked about how all of the garbage being used against Obama was going to cost McCain votes. O'Reilly is biased and disgustingly partisan. He is about to start the Obama Chronicles, but is he going to follow up with the McCain Chronicles (I doubt it).

O'Reilly Would Not Have The Guts To Go After Palin

Bill O'Reilly would not even come close to having the guts to go against Sarah Palin (or pretty much any other Republican) the way he did Barack Obama. First of all, he is in the tank for Palin and the Republicans. He has spent so much time complaining about the so-called unfair attacks on Palin while he contributed the relentless attacks on Barack OBama. O'Reilly clearly has a soft spot in his heart for Palin. He would not have the courage to jump on her the way he did Obama and you could imagine some of the reasons why he tried to be so tough and disrespectful of Obama and why he will take it easy and conduct a relative puff piece interview with Palin (much like Sean Hannity's pathetic kid-gloves interview with John McCain).

Charles Gibson To Get First Interview With Sarah Palin. Is Gibson Up To Challenge? I Wonder.

Charles Gibson, apparently, is going to get the first interview with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (who apparently is finally about to come out of hiding after being hidden by the Republicans while the other three major candidates have been doing numerous interviews). It will be interesting to see if Gibson brings his "A" game to the table when he interviews Palin. Will Gibson be a right-wing facilitator, will he be tougher on her or will he play flag football, will he ask the tough questions, will he accept Republican talking points without challenging and will he man up and conduct an impartial interview? I have grave concerns about Gibson's ability to conduct a fair and impartial interview of a Republican candidate. Gibson has a lot to prove. He has been in the game for a long time, but now we get a chance to see how he functions when the whole world is watching to see if he will keep it fair and be strong enough to ask the questions (and follow-up questions) that real Americans and real reputable American journalists want to have answered.

Olbermann And Matthews More Honest Than Fox News Channel Anchors

People spend so much time talking about the three major news networks on cable. CNN is the original and the most respected of the three. Fox News Channel clearly is a right-wing propaganda machine and MSNBC has a strong left-wing slant to its coverage (some would say to counterbalance what is spewed on Fox). Some big news surfaced Monday that MSNBC has chosen to remove hosts Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews from its coverage of live political events as it has caved in to the political pressure from crybaby Republicans who are all too willing to ignore the right-wing bias streaming from Fox News Channel's broadcasts - particularly with hosts like Bill O'Reilly, Laura Ingraham, Greta Van Susteren (it really saddens me she has sold out to the right and watched her credibility and objectivity go swirling down the drain) and Sean Hannity. Fox and Friends are obviously pathetically biased as well in their ongoing mission to commit journalistic atrocities ... one day at a time. Fortunately, I do not get to watch that crew since I am at work (of that I am eternally grateful). Lackluster economy aside, that is reason enough to have a traditional day job. The biggest sin committed by Olbermann and Matthews is that they were up front with their political lean. People like O'Reilly remind me of O.J. Simpson in that they have truly convinced themselves that they are right and everyone else is wrong. I have truly come to believe that O.J. believes he has committed no crimes and I truly believe that O'Reilly believes he has committed no crimes against the good name of journalism, ethics and objective television analysis. O'Reilly will lie and tell you he calls it right down the middle and make every excuse in the world when you point out his numerous hypocrisies. Olbermann and Matthews were not in fact fired - in spite of how hard Fox and Friends apparently tried to push that angle in one of their broadcasts. They will be valuable analysts for the network, but an anchor should have less of a political lean (you hear that Fox ... with the very biased Brit Hume?). David Gregory is a good guy and should do a fair job of calling it as he sees it and the excellent analysis of MSNBC I think will continue to jazz up the networks broadcasts. Oh, and by the way, Fox having anyone crowing about anyone else being biased is laughable and suggesting that the White House (Bush and Cheney ... are you serious?) should have an opportunity to vet any new MSNBC host is ridiculous.

Think Progress on Olbermann/Matthews MSNBC move:
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/08/thinkfast-september-8-2008/

Fox News Hounds:
http://www.newshounds.us/2008/09/08/fox_friends_maybe_msnbc_should_consult_with_white_house_to_get_ok_on_election_anchors.php

G.O.P. Stands For Grand Old Player-Haters

The Republicans were in full player-hater mode at their recent Republican National Convention in Minnesota. For many of our conservative friends, it was a historic moment ... where old and new came together for common goals. Old-school player haters like Rudy Giuliani passed the torch to an emerging group of young player haters seeking to earn their Ph.D.s (Player Hating Degrees) in Sarah Palin, who delivered a good and I am sure well-researched speech that brought the American people face to face with the new face of the Republican party. Anyway, I noticed this Jay Smooth video (it's called Speaking of Sexism) posted by Richard Prince, with one of his columns, and it definitely caught my attention.

Richard Prince column:
http://www.mije.org/richardprince/speaking-sexism

Would Palin Hate Rosa Parks? One Writer Wonders Aloud

I, like many others, have written about Gov. Sarah Palin's belittling of the hard work of community organizers. As I also mentioned, the efforts of community organizers were the foundation of the civil rights movement and the women's rights movement. I recently found a writer (Van Jones), on The Huffington Post, who suggested that Palin might be a hater of the late civil rights pioneer, Rosa Parks. Women like Rosa Parks and so many other women and men rallied communities, served their communities, and did remarkable things that improved this country for the better. The Republicans seem to think that the only worthwhile and important service for the country is through the military, but there are other ways to serve the country and community service and community organization are two ways. Here is the article about Palin and what might be her hatred of Parks and those noble efforts more than 40 years ago.

The Huffington Post on Palin belittling community organizers:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/van-jones/sarah-palin-would-hate-ro_b_124294.html

Will Hasselbeck Paint Palin As She Did Obama? I Doubt It

Elisabeth Hasselbeck, as you may have read in an earlier post I made, mocked Michelle Obama because she alleges the wife of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama made some conditions for their interview and supposedly Cindy McCain, wife of Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, did not. I wonder if she will criticize the Republicans for hiding Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, crying about fair treatment and then saying they will dictate terms of any interview with Palin. Elisabeth, are you as upset about this? Elisabeth, will you make fun of Palin as did Michelle Obama? Are you going to call it fair? Or, are you going to hide behind the fact that you were referring to interviews on The View? Do you think Palin has something to hide the way you suggested Michelle Obama might have something to hide? Is there another reason, perhaps a more sinister reason, for your shot at Michelle Obama and your silence on Sarah Palin's hiding from the media? This is from an article I read on the Web. It has a comment from the McCain campaign to Fox News (I know ... you're shocked). Rick Davis, "McCain's campaign manager, appearing on the Fox New Channel, told Chris Wallace that Palin would not be subjected to reporters questions "until the point in time when she'll be treated with respect and deference."Ripping the fourth estate for a perceived bias towards the Alaska Governor, Davis went on."She's not scared to answer questions," he said, "but you know what? We run our campaign not the news media... Sarah Palin will have the opportunity to speak to the American people. She will do interviews, but she'll do them on the terms and conditions" the campaign decides." Elisabeth, you must be upset about this, right?

Huffington Post on Palin hiding from the media:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/07/palins-absence-becomes-fo_n_124608.html

Hasselbeck Out Of Touch With Race and Race Issues

This is the video from "The View" that illustrates the point about Elisabeth Hasselbeck being out of touch with race relations and culture. Hasselbeck lives on Fantasy Island where all your wishes come through and everyone gets to have tropical island drinks, experience beautiful people around them, we all love each other, there is no crime, no inequalities, the cities and suburbs get along, no nuclear proliferation, etc. Hasselbeck clearly does not understand race ... although I am sure she will tell us she has "black friends."

Elisabeth Hasselbeck Again Proves Off Base As Biased, Close-Minded

Elisabeth Hasselbeck has once again proven that she is out of touch. We've always known that Hasselbeck is completely out of touch with race issues and went to the waterworks when she was confronted on her naive view of race relations in the United States. But, once again, Hasselbeck's Republican extremist views surfaced as she took a cheapshot at Michelle Obama during some presentation she made to what sounded like a right-wing audience of people who are drunk on Republican talking points and surely sipping from Bush-Cheney-McCain-flavored Kool-Aid. Hasselbeck did something that is usually off limits when she talked about some of the conditions Michelle Obama allegedly made prior to her appearance on The View. She, of course, did it with glee as she took an opportunity to take a cheapshot at Michelle Obama rather than face her one on one. She appeared uncomfortable when Obama was on the show and you have to wonder if perhaps her life's experiences (or lack thereof) have contributed to her discomfort in that kind of situation and her out-of-touch and utopian view of race relations in the United States.

Hasselbeck's cheap shot of Michelle Obama:

It's Oprah's Show And She Can Do With It As She Sees Fit

I see that Republicans are whining because Oprah Winfrey has decided she is willing to have Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on her show, but not until the election is over. There has been outrage by women who feel that they have made Oprah and now she is sort of their indentured servant who must do as they see fit. I was reading an article on Your Black World about some of the comments being made by a women's group based in Florida. Here is one of the quotes that caught my attention: ‘Women in Florida helped build Oprah into the icon she is today,’ Linda Ivell, President of the Florida Federation of Republican Women said. ‘We are deeply disappointed in Ms. Winfrey’s decision to sit out the greatest political moment in the history of women since suffrage." I think that is a major overstatement and apparently FFRW is unfamiliar with Geraldine Ferraro, who was the vice presidential candidate of Democrat Walter Mondale in 1984 ... making the Republicans about 24 years late to the celebration of women reaching these heights of politics (not to diminish the fact that Republicans are finally embracing the fact that women are capable of running for high office ... although there were better women choices than Palin). I think they are also forgetting Hillary Clinton's historic run to within an eyelash of the Democratic Party nomination for the presidency in this year's race. This Florida group can try as it might, but Oprah Winfrey is still a pretty powerful voice in the media and she tends not to do anything she does not want to do.

Your Black World on Oprah:
http://www.yourblackworld.com/newindex.htm

Huffington Post on Oprah and Palin:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/05/oprah-sarah-palin-can-com_n_124251.html