The network did not say the memoranda — purportedly written by one of Mr. Bush's National Guard commanders — were forgeries. But the network did say it could not authenticate the documents and that it should not have reported them.
"Based on what we now know, CBS News cannot prove that the documents are authentic, which is the only acceptable journalistic standard to justify using them in the report," said the statement by CBS News President Andrew Heyward. "We should not have used them. That was a mistake, which we deeply regret.
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
CBS: Bush Memo Story A 'Mistake'
No kidding? Really? I would never have guessed.
Rather On The Document Errors
And for a good example of two people trying to find a way to squirm out of a very bad situtation, here is an exchange between Dan Rather and Bill Burkett. This is just too good not to laugh at.
Dan Rather: "Why did you mislead us?"
Bill Burkett: "Well, I didn't totally mislead you. I did mislead you on the one individual. You know, your staff pressured me to a point to reveal that source.
Rather: "Well, we were trying to get the chain of possession."
Burkett: "I understand that."
Rather: "And you said that you had received them from someone."
Burkett: "I understand that."
Rather: "We did pressure you to say well, you received them from someone …"
Burkett: "Yes."
Rather: "And it's true. We pressured you. It was a very important point."
Burkett: "Yes ... "
CBS Statement On Bush Memos
And one of the most important questions has not yet been answered. Bill Burkett now admits he got the forgeries from another person. Who might that person be? Could it be someone in the Kerry campaign? Or might it be someone in the DNC? Or could it be Michael Moore and Janeane Garofalo playing around on their computer one weekend while laughing at their own comic genius? I would like to know, and I suspect we will find out soon enough. Now that the story is unraveling, everyone who thinks they can cover their ass will do so, and the last one in line will be hung out to dry. Keep your clothespins handy.
Burkett, a retired National Guard lieutenant colonel, also admits that he deliberately misled the CBS News producer working on the report, giving her a false account of the documents’ origins to protect a promise of confidentiality to the actual source.
Burkett originally said he obtained the documents from another former Guardsman. Now he says he got them from a different source whose connection to the documents and identity CBS News has been unable to verify to this point.
Dan Rather Statement On Memos
Well, well well. Dan has at last come somewhat near the truth. Bloggers can indeed feel some satisfaction in knowing that they have shot down an all-too-obvious attempt to pass off forged documents as the real deal and thus possibly change the outcome of the election with lies, fraud and deceit. But note also in Dan's statement that he is passing most of the responsibility for the debacle off onto others. He was not to blame. It wasn't his fault. No, he was the dupe of others, even though he said otherwise to a Fox reporter just the other day. It wasn't his responsibility; really.
Now I have to say that this sort of thing is indeed a joke. Does any regular person think for a second that this would fly in a normal work situation? If you pulled this sort of stunt with your boss, how long do you think it would be before you were out on your ass looking for a new job and trying to explain why? This is the sort of evasion of responsibility which led CBS to put the story on the air in the first place. And it is the result of not looking the facts with open eyes and an honest frame of mind.
CBS is, like too many other members of The Elite Media Monoculture, blinded by their leftist ideology. And the truth of the matter is that lies, fraud and deceit have been the main tools of leftist ideology ever since it came into existence. Lies are the foundation of the liberal mindset and it cannot be otherwise. All of the available evidence, as well as the writings of dozens of philosophers, economists and historians shows just how unworkable the dream of leftism is when measured against the real world results from those countries which have tried it. And because leftism is an idea which cannot be made to work in the real world, all manner of justifications must be manufactured to explain its continual failure in every place and culture where it is attempted.
Leftism cannot afford to face the facts of reality because to do so would be to admit that it is a failure and cannot be made to work. Leftists thus have adopted a mindset which is based on recognizing only those portions of reality with which they are comfortable. And as it turns out, that is a very small sliver of the world that all the rest of us live in. It is this self-imposed blindness which holds sway in the world of The Elite Media Monoculture today and it will always be so as long as people such as Dan Rather are in charge. For they do not want to see what everyone else knows is true. Dan Rather thinks that as long as he blames someone else for his blindness, all of the rest of us will not see what we obviously see. And that is a fact which is obvious to all of us, except of course for Dan Rather.
Well, well well. Dan has at last come somewhat near the truth. Bloggers can indeed feel some satisfaction in knowing that they have shot down an all-too-obvious attempt to pass off forged documents as the real deal and thus possibly change the outcome of the election with lies, fraud and deceit. But note also in Dan's statement that he is passing most of the responsibility for the debacle off onto others. He was not to blame. It wasn't his fault. No, he was the dupe of others, even though he said otherwise to a Fox reporter just the other day. It wasn't his responsibility; really.
Now I have to say that this sort of thing is indeed a joke. Does any regular person think for a second that this would fly in a normal work situation? If you pulled this sort of stunt with your boss, how long do you think it would be before you were out on your ass looking for a new job and trying to explain why? This is the sort of evasion of responsibility which led CBS to put the story on the air in the first place. And it is the result of not looking the facts with open eyes and an honest frame of mind.
CBS is, like too many other members of The Elite Media Monoculture, blinded by their leftist ideology. And the truth of the matter is that lies, fraud and deceit have been the main tools of leftist ideology ever since it came into existence. Lies are the foundation of the liberal mindset and it cannot be otherwise. All of the available evidence, as well as the writings of dozens of philosophers, economists and historians shows just how unworkable the dream of leftism is when measured against the real world results from those countries which have tried it. And because leftism is an idea which cannot be made to work in the real world, all manner of justifications must be manufactured to explain its continual failure in every place and culture where it is attempted.
Leftism cannot afford to face the facts of reality because to do so would be to admit that it is a failure and cannot be made to work. Leftists thus have adopted a mindset which is based on recognizing only those portions of reality with which they are comfortable. And as it turns out, that is a very small sliver of the world that all the rest of us live in. It is this self-imposed blindness which holds sway in the world of The Elite Media Monoculture today and it will always be so as long as people such as Dan Rather are in charge. For they do not want to see what everyone else knows is true. Dan Rather thinks that as long as he blames someone else for his blindness, all of the rest of us will not see what we obviously see. And that is a fact which is obvious to all of us, except of course for Dan Rather.
Sumner Redstone Sells $12 Milllion in Stock Options
Not a big vote of confidence.
LittleGreenFootballs reports that Viacom CEO Sumner Redstone sold a large amount of stock options shortly after Dan Rather went on TV to deny any problem with the fake memos and claimed there would be no investigation. Does this kind of move inspire Dan's confidence, or does it carry another message altogether?
LittleGreenFootballs reports that Viacom CEO Sumner Redstone sold a large amount of stock options shortly after Dan Rather went on TV to deny any problem with the fake memos and claimed there would be no investigation. Does this kind of move inspire Dan's confidence, or does it carry another message altogether?
Tables Turned
How about a few questions for Mr. Rather?
Rich Lowry asks Dan Rather a few pointed questions. In fact, many of the same questions Dan has himself asked of others through the years. But with the shoe now on the other foot the question I would ask is, how does it feel to be an arrogant overrated fraud?
Rich Lowry asks Dan Rather a few pointed questions. In fact, many of the same questions Dan has himself asked of others through the years. But with the shoe now on the other foot the question I would ask is, how does it feel to be an arrogant overrated fraud?
The Perils of Dan-nial
Rather takes leave of this world.
Jonah Goldberg has a bit of fun detailing how Dan Rather has taken leave of his senses and is no longer tethered, even tenuously, to the facts of reality. He is like the boy in the bubble. He knows there is a world out there somewhere, but he is never really in touch with it. And so Dan blunders on in his quest to deny the undeniable and avoid what is unavoidable. Sooner or later the facts will come out and Dan will find himself in the same place that Nixon did, saying the same things and walking down the same dead-end road to failure, humiliation and exile. Dan's career is over; he just doesn't know it yet.
Jonah Goldberg has a bit of fun detailing how Dan Rather has taken leave of his senses and is no longer tethered, even tenuously, to the facts of reality. He is like the boy in the bubble. He knows there is a world out there somewhere, but he is never really in touch with it. And so Dan blunders on in his quest to deny the undeniable and avoid what is unavoidable. Sooner or later the facts will come out and Dan will find himself in the same place that Nixon did, saying the same things and walking down the same dead-end road to failure, humiliation and exile. Dan's career is over; he just doesn't know it yet.
From Biased to Partisan
The mainstream media moves left.
Stanley Kurtz argues that the reason for CBS stonewalling is because of conservative flight. As conservatives go elsewhere to get their news and information, the viewers who remain are more concentrated on the left side of the political spectrum and thus CBS has a built in financial incentive to keep them watching by presenting news with an ever greater leftward slant. It's an interesting argument, but not a convincing one to me.
If CBS wished to pick up its last place ratings, they certainly know that they could do so by presenting a more fair and balanced approach. And The Elite Media Monoculture can see for itself the success of FoxNews and Talk Radio and understand that they are tapping a market which is dissatisfied with the status quo of the old media. They may be biased, but they are not stupid. Thus I conclude that events such as this one really are driven by pure ideology.
CBS and Dan Rather thought they could get away with a falsehood and put it on the air, not because they want to report an important news story, but because they want to unseat the current President and replace him with a Democrat, and a liberal Democrat at that. They were driven to put this obviously fake memo and story out there because they are driven by the desire to defeat Republicans in general and this Republican President in particular. There is no other obvious explanation. We now know that CBS had plenty of warning that there were problems with these documents before they went on the air. But they did so anyway, despite the objections of many people along the way. They did not see, because they did not want to see. That's not just bias; it's political partisanship.
Stanley Kurtz argues that the reason for CBS stonewalling is because of conservative flight. As conservatives go elsewhere to get their news and information, the viewers who remain are more concentrated on the left side of the political spectrum and thus CBS has a built in financial incentive to keep them watching by presenting news with an ever greater leftward slant. It's an interesting argument, but not a convincing one to me.
If CBS wished to pick up its last place ratings, they certainly know that they could do so by presenting a more fair and balanced approach. And The Elite Media Monoculture can see for itself the success of FoxNews and Talk Radio and understand that they are tapping a market which is dissatisfied with the status quo of the old media. They may be biased, but they are not stupid. Thus I conclude that events such as this one really are driven by pure ideology.
CBS and Dan Rather thought they could get away with a falsehood and put it on the air, not because they want to report an important news story, but because they want to unseat the current President and replace him with a Democrat, and a liberal Democrat at that. They were driven to put this obviously fake memo and story out there because they are driven by the desire to defeat Republicans in general and this Republican President in particular. There is no other obvious explanation. We now know that CBS had plenty of warning that there were problems with these documents before they went on the air. But they did so anyway, despite the objections of many people along the way. They did not see, because they did not want to see. That's not just bias; it's political partisanship.
60 Minutes of Fame
If Dan Rather's source turns out to be a partisan, say goodbye to CBS's reputation.
Bernard Goldberg speculates on the reason that Dan Rather won't come clean about the forgery issue and won't reveal his source. And is it any wonder? After all, if it is indeed the case that the source for the fake memos is a "partisan" Democrat, which is of course the wrong kind of partisan from the point of view of Dan Rather, then CBS and the Democrats are sunk. It would prove the liberal bias in the press, but even more important would be the public's conclusion that the Democrats have the media in their hip pocket and that neither of them can be trusted to compete fairly for the White House. The public might conclude that The Elite Media Monoculture will repeat any lie that the Democrats feed them just to get Bush out of office. And if the public comes to that conclusion, John "war criminal" Kerry can kiss the Presidency goodbye forever.
Bernard Goldberg speculates on the reason that Dan Rather won't come clean about the forgery issue and won't reveal his source. And is it any wonder? After all, if it is indeed the case that the source for the fake memos is a "partisan" Democrat, which is of course the wrong kind of partisan from the point of view of Dan Rather, then CBS and the Democrats are sunk. It would prove the liberal bias in the press, but even more important would be the public's conclusion that the Democrats have the media in their hip pocket and that neither of them can be trusted to compete fairly for the White House. The public might conclude that The Elite Media Monoculture will repeat any lie that the Democrats feed them just to get Bush out of office. And if the public comes to that conclusion, John "war criminal" Kerry can kiss the Presidency goodbye forever.
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Kerry Losing Lead Over Bush In Illinois
Now here is an interesting story from WBBM News in Chicago. It seems that Senator Kerry's once commanding lead has shrunk in Illinois to a mere 4 percent. Yes dear friends, it would seem that Illinois is now a battleground state.
Goodbye to All That
Dan Rather goes the way of the dinosaurs.
Jonah Goldberg suggests that the empire of The Elite Media Monoculture is about ready to topple just as the empires of Old Europe did at the start of WWI. The analogy is a good one if you ask me. The guys in powdered wigs were a leftover from a past age and it was only a matter of time until they were replaced with something else. But they didn't know it at the time. They thought their empires were as permanent as the starts. Well, today we see the same over-arching arrogance in Dan Rather and everyone in the elite media who thinks just like him. They are the dinosaurs of our own time and plunging rapidly towards extinction. They just don't know it yet.
Jonah Goldberg suggests that the empire of The Elite Media Monoculture is about ready to topple just as the empires of Old Europe did at the start of WWI. The analogy is a good one if you ask me. The guys in powdered wigs were a leftover from a past age and it was only a matter of time until they were replaced with something else. But they didn't know it at the time. They thought their empires were as permanent as the starts. Well, today we see the same over-arching arrogance in Dan Rather and everyone in the elite media who thinks just like him. They are the dinosaurs of our own time and plunging rapidly towards extinction. They just don't know it yet.
CBS Stands By Imperial Wardrobe Claims
Blogger Transterrestrial Musings brings us this report on the sudden realization of the lack of clothing which at one time may have made the Emperor so splendiferous. It seems that small children everywhere, dressed in their jammies, have been making unauthorized claims about the Emperor's doodie.
NEW YORK (APUPI) In the face of rising, even overwhelming skepticism, Dan Rather and CBS News refuse to back down from his blockbuster story that the Emperor wore a new set of clothes in last week's parade. His network remains one of the last holdouts from the growing consensus that his Highness was, in fact, ambulating down the street completely naked.
"We choose to believe the numerous eyewitnesses who saw the Emperor's new clothes before they changed their story," explained a CBS spokeswoman.
The imbroglio started last week when Sixty Minutes did a hard-hitting piece on the latest imperial fashion, with extensive footage of the Emperor as he strode down the street, waving to his subjects. Shortly after the piece aired (though NPR, pointing to a plot on the part of the nudity lobby, and being unable to distinguish between time zones, claims that it actually occurred prior to airtime), a small boy put up a post at the anti-imperial Free Republic website claiming that the Emperor was actually not wearing any clothes at all.
"I've been examining the footage of the parade," he wrote, "and if you look carefully, you'll see that almost every square inch of his skin is exposed. It looks to me as though he's not even wearing any underwear, either boxers or briefs. I think that in a couple shots you can actually see his doodle."
It was apparently a thought that hadn't occurred to anyone else, at least at first, and this post didn't receive much attention initially, but a few people started emailing it to some bloggers, who on the next day noted the potential sartorial discrepancy and invited comments from their readership. As others went back to reexamine the CBS footage, the web sites started to become deluged by emails from fashion experts all over the country.
Washington Prowler
On Life Support
At the American Spectator, the Prowler lets us know that the snob journalists over at CBS are taking this very personally. And why shouldn't they? Being exposed as a liar, cheat and fraud is indeed, a very personal matter. And it is very personal when the entire world finds out that you have committed a felony in forging federal documents while trying to smear the reputation of the President. Naturally, anyone who is thus exposed as the worst sort of vile and disgusting pond scum would find it to be very personal indeed.
At the American Spectator, the Prowler lets us know that the snob journalists over at CBS are taking this very personally. And why shouldn't they? Being exposed as a liar, cheat and fraud is indeed, a very personal matter. And it is very personal when the entire world finds out that you have committed a felony in forging federal documents while trying to smear the reputation of the President. Naturally, anyone who is thus exposed as the worst sort of vile and disgusting pond scum would find it to be very personal indeed.
CBS falls for Kerry campaign's fake memo
Sun Times writer Mark Steyn put out this very funny column which you should read, if you haven't already. In this essay we find that Lt. Col. Killian apparently had the only prototype copy of the new Microsoft Word 72 which he used to type up those memo thingies. And it also seems that he must have had what was then the groundbreaking new version of Windows "Tie-Die" for his Wang computer.
The Death Knell for Snob Journalism
Michell Malkin weighs in on the topic as well and points out that the old model of top down journalism has about as much relevance in the 21st century information age as the old top down command and control economy does. In other words, it's a fading remnant of a past age. And indeed, the bureaucrats over at CBS don't seem to be able to understand how their slow lumbering dinosaur is being outrun by a fleet and nimble Internet. It is a sad and pathetic sight to see, and it couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of guys.
New doubt cast on Guard documents
Military official now says CBS records are fake
In this article from The Boston Globe we get new revelations relating to the Rathergate forgery scandal. The hits just keep on coming.
In this article from The Boston Globe we get new revelations relating to the Rathergate forgery scandal. The hits just keep on coming.
60 Minutes Busted
Here is a little animation that should keep you laughing for a while. Very nicely done, by the way.
Here We Go Some More
And over at The American Spectator, The Prowler takes a look at the twin implosions of CBS and the Kerry campaign. Both of these are now going down in flames, and for similar reasons. Neither seem to be able to face the truth. Neither wants to face the facts. And that is at the heart of the matter. Because the American people are a generally honest bunch who, as a result, look for honesty in others. And whether it is a news organization or a political party, honesty is the gold coin by which one judges. The American people still think in terms of good and evil, right and wrong, and specific ethical standards. They may not be tenured at an elite university philosophy department, but they are not stupid either. They want standards of right and wrong to govern the institutions which they look to, whether political, cultural or economic
As the weeks to the upcoming election tick down, we are finding less and less honesty in both The Elite Media Monoculture as well as the Democratic party and its candidate. And indeed, these twin failings are quite closely related, for the media and the Democrats are tied together at the hip. Where one goes, the other must follow. The Democrats want their power back and will now lie, cheat and steal to get it. The Elite Media Monoculture is also beginning to sense its power slipping away and has joined forces in the open with their political counterparts in the Democratic party as a means to their joint ends. For with the Democrats in power, the media will also be back in the game. But if the Democrats lose in November, then they will probably be out of power for a generation. And with the rise of the new media, which is more closely related to the Republican/Libertarian philosophy, the old media must thereby decline.
Like the Democrats, The Elite Media Monoculture has no agenda other than leftism. And leftism is a dying ideology. The media and the Democrats have not yet given up on the Great Project to bring socialism to America, but their time is running out. Not just because the leftist baby boomers are in their latter years, but because the younger generations are not tied to the failed 19th century ideology socialism/communism. The true believers are old and getting older, and there are fewer and fewer to take their place at the barricades. They have no more time to bide if they are to see their paradise on earth come to America. They can feel their own mortality in the wind and the utopian prize slipping from their desperate grasp. And of course desperate people will do just about anything.
As the weeks to the upcoming election tick down, we are finding less and less honesty in both The Elite Media Monoculture as well as the Democratic party and its candidate. And indeed, these twin failings are quite closely related, for the media and the Democrats are tied together at the hip. Where one goes, the other must follow. The Democrats want their power back and will now lie, cheat and steal to get it. The Elite Media Monoculture is also beginning to sense its power slipping away and has joined forces in the open with their political counterparts in the Democratic party as a means to their joint ends. For with the Democrats in power, the media will also be back in the game. But if the Democrats lose in November, then they will probably be out of power for a generation. And with the rise of the new media, which is more closely related to the Republican/Libertarian philosophy, the old media must thereby decline.
Like the Democrats, The Elite Media Monoculture has no agenda other than leftism. And leftism is a dying ideology. The media and the Democrats have not yet given up on the Great Project to bring socialism to America, but their time is running out. Not just because the leftist baby boomers are in their latter years, but because the younger generations are not tied to the failed 19th century ideology socialism/communism. The true believers are old and getting older, and there are fewer and fewer to take their place at the barricades. They have no more time to bide if they are to see their paradise on earth come to America. They can feel their own mortality in the wind and the utopian prize slipping from their desperate grasp. And of course desperate people will do just about anything.
I'd Rather Be Blogging
CBS stonewalls as "guys in pajamas" uncover a fraud.
John Fund takes a look at the CBS forgery scandal and how it is developing. As he points out, a self-aggrandizing spokescreature from the tiffany network went on Fox to explain the stonewalling and lies coming out from behind the drawbridge and moats of the Elite Media Monoculture. CBS toady Jonathan Klein argued that his organization has "multiple layers of check and balances" whilst bloggers are "sitting around in their pajamas." Well, first off let me all inform you that my fashion choice for today is a pair of jeans and a black polo shirt which also happens to be the favorite of Steve Jobs. Just thought you would like to know. I got them from Lands' End, a great place to buy classic clothing by the way. But now, on to business.
Journalists have an ingrained problem insofar as they are not specialists in any area but their own, which is the field of reporting itself. But as a group they are not students of any other field of study. They are not scientists, or architects or graphic artists or experts in the history of Medieval Japan. They report what others tell them, but they rarely have first hand knowledge themselves. Thus they must depend on the truthfulness of what others tell them. And as knowledge becomes more and more complex and specialized, it becomes more difficult to use this approach without falling prey to those with an axe to grind. If a young and hate-filled leftist from the Democratic party or the Kerry campaign wants to use The Elite Media Monoculture to smear the President with forged documents, it turns out to be easy, especially given CBS's own desire to believe that such documents are the real deal. And if the media does not think there is any reason to question them and if they rely only on the opinions of those who share their own narrow political bias, then they will go on the air with little or no examination by those who might be able to validate them based on real world experience.
Of course the real problem for CBS is that we are in a new world of information and they have not caught up to the reality yet. The new media consists of talk radio, cable news and the Internet. And the Internet, in particular, is making it impossible for the fraud of The Elite Media Monoculture to be perpetrated as it once would have been. The Internet allows experts of every kind to now have a voice and to evaluate the news and information we get from the MSM in such a way as to pass it all through a very fine tooth comb. Huge numbers of regular people from all walks of life and from every field of expertise can now share their knowledge and understanding in real time with everyone else who is interested in following the same story. The number of such people that can be brought to bear on any intellectual issue, news item or argument dwarfs what The Elite Media Monoculture can hope to match. The result of this process is that it is more and more difficult to fake competence in any particular field or put forth an obvious falsehood when so many authentic experts can now talk to each other in real time using their computers and the Internet.
This story has spread like wildfire across the Internet mainly because the people who know about the issues involved could see almost at once that there were big problems with the CBS story. Dan Rather and his minions did not count on the distributed intelligence of the Internet, but they should have. They should have known that there is now a real and active 24/7 fact-checking army of specialists out here in cyberspace and we are now watching The Elite Media Monoculture for anything which might be suspicious or incorrect. Yes, Dan; we are watching the watchers.
Like a hawk.
John Fund takes a look at the CBS forgery scandal and how it is developing. As he points out, a self-aggrandizing spokescreature from the tiffany network went on Fox to explain the stonewalling and lies coming out from behind the drawbridge and moats of the Elite Media Monoculture. CBS toady Jonathan Klein argued that his organization has "multiple layers of check and balances" whilst bloggers are "sitting around in their pajamas." Well, first off let me all inform you that my fashion choice for today is a pair of jeans and a black polo shirt which also happens to be the favorite of Steve Jobs. Just thought you would like to know. I got them from Lands' End, a great place to buy classic clothing by the way. But now, on to business.
Journalists have an ingrained problem insofar as they are not specialists in any area but their own, which is the field of reporting itself. But as a group they are not students of any other field of study. They are not scientists, or architects or graphic artists or experts in the history of Medieval Japan. They report what others tell them, but they rarely have first hand knowledge themselves. Thus they must depend on the truthfulness of what others tell them. And as knowledge becomes more and more complex and specialized, it becomes more difficult to use this approach without falling prey to those with an axe to grind. If a young and hate-filled leftist from the Democratic party or the Kerry campaign wants to use The Elite Media Monoculture to smear the President with forged documents, it turns out to be easy, especially given CBS's own desire to believe that such documents are the real deal. And if the media does not think there is any reason to question them and if they rely only on the opinions of those who share their own narrow political bias, then they will go on the air with little or no examination by those who might be able to validate them based on real world experience.
Of course the real problem for CBS is that we are in a new world of information and they have not caught up to the reality yet. The new media consists of talk radio, cable news and the Internet. And the Internet, in particular, is making it impossible for the fraud of The Elite Media Monoculture to be perpetrated as it once would have been. The Internet allows experts of every kind to now have a voice and to evaluate the news and information we get from the MSM in such a way as to pass it all through a very fine tooth comb. Huge numbers of regular people from all walks of life and from every field of expertise can now share their knowledge and understanding in real time with everyone else who is interested in following the same story. The number of such people that can be brought to bear on any intellectual issue, news item or argument dwarfs what The Elite Media Monoculture can hope to match. The result of this process is that it is more and more difficult to fake competence in any particular field or put forth an obvious falsehood when so many authentic experts can now talk to each other in real time using their computers and the Internet.
This story has spread like wildfire across the Internet mainly because the people who know about the issues involved could see almost at once that there were big problems with the CBS story. Dan Rather and his minions did not count on the distributed intelligence of the Internet, but they should have. They should have known that there is now a real and active 24/7 fact-checking army of specialists out here in cyberspace and we are now watching The Elite Media Monoculture for anything which might be suspicious or incorrect. Yes, Dan; we are watching the watchers.
Like a hawk.
OPEN LETTER TO THE MAIN STREAM MEDIA
We are NOT Amateurs and we are going to kick your butts.
Posted on 09/11/2004 7:26:18 PM PDT by Pukin Dog
I don't spend a lot of time over at FreeRepublic, but I respect the place because it's not too different than the places I hang out on. The conservative Blogsphere tends to be a very friendly place for those of us who have grown tired of The Elite Media Monoculture and need a place from which to fight back. Places like FreeRepublic, RightNation and many, many others are a critical force in the new media because they bring together the regular people and allow them to share ideas and information. In this open letter to the "Main Stream Media" a Freeper called Pukin Dog offers his view of the disdain which CBS has for the Blogsphere and people "in their pajamas" who are working to offer an alternative view of the universe. For the dinosaur media, it is not a pretty picture.
Posted on 09/11/2004 7:26:18 PM PDT by Pukin Dog
I don't spend a lot of time over at FreeRepublic, but I respect the place because it's not too different than the places I hang out on. The conservative Blogsphere tends to be a very friendly place for those of us who have grown tired of The Elite Media Monoculture and need a place from which to fight back. Places like FreeRepublic, RightNation and many, many others are a critical force in the new media because they bring together the regular people and allow them to share ideas and information. In this open letter to the "Main Stream Media" a Freeper called Pukin Dog offers his view of the disdain which CBS has for the Blogsphere and people "in their pajamas" who are working to offer an alternative view of the universe. For the dinosaur media, it is not a pretty picture.
We have watched you for years try to tell us how to think, what to think, who to vote for and what to believe based solely on your own agenda. In past years, you have come to think of yourselves as the fourth branch of government, the movers and shapers of opinion and the arbiters of truth.
In case you have not been watching, America is sick and tired of you. We are turning away from you in record numbers. Your audience and readership is declining faster than you can say the word ‘bias’, and instead of recognizing the trend, you have only become further entrenched and determined to force society to play by your rules.
Technology has allowed us to ignore you, and in many cases, replace you altogether. I grew up watching Walter Cronkite every night, not yet aware of his agenda, his bias and his overwhelming desire to turn the nation against its leaders unless they agreed with him. I saw him replaced by the most dishonest, agenda-driven anchorman this nation has ever produced. That Dan Rather is one of you should be enough to make you feel dirty.
You believe yourselves to be solely qualified to pontificate on the day-to-day events going on around the world as if journalism school gives you a special insight into the truth. When I was in college, people went to J-school only if they flunked out of business school and did not want to become teachers.
Well guess what?
The world is on to you.
More Controversy Over Bush Docs
Charles Johnson over at LittleGreenFootballs has written about this story and he believes that at this point CBS knows the documents are fake and is trying to stonewall in the hopes that it will all blow over. He says:
I’m almost certain that at least some people at CBS are aware that these documents are fakes. Phonies. Forgeries. And stunningly inept forgeries, at that.And with this I agree. But I do not think that this strategy will be effective. The people at CBS have vastly underestimated the force and power of the Blogsphere. This story started like the rush of small pebbles that builds and builds until it is an avalanche which sweeps everything in its path. There is nothing to be done but to wait for the wave to pass. But when it does, the new face of the world of information will have been created and the old landscape will be gone. The liars over at CBS may think that they can snowboard their way out of this, but they will end up buried under the weight of the Blogsphere waiting in vain for the ski patrol to dig them out.
At some point, they’re going to have to admit it; but right now it looks as if they simply don’t care about the truth, and are trying to ride out the scandal, assuming that most people can be bamboozled by their inept excuses.
The controversy continues over the authenticity of memos obtained by CBS News that show President Bush's National Guard commander believed Mr. Bush at times shirked his duties and used his political influence.They only show it if they are real and not forgeries; and that is, of course, the issue. First you have to demonstrate that they are real; then we can talk about the content.
The network is adamantly defending the authenticity of the memos, which were obtained by CBS News' "60 Minutes," saying experts who examined the memos concluded they were authentic documents produced by Mr. Bush's former commander, Lt. Col. Jerry Killian.Which experts? Experts like Gen. Bobby Hodges, who has said that he was lied to by CBS and that he thinks the memos are fakes?
In a report on Friday night's "CBS News Evening News," Dan Rather noted that many of those raising questions about the documents have focused on something called superscript, a key that automatically types a raised "th."Superscript in today's modern world of computer typesetting is not just raised from the baseline; it's also smaller in terms of font size. Show me a typewriter that can do that.
Critics claim typewriters didn't have that ability in the 1970s. But some models did, Rather reported. In fact, other Bush military records already released by the White House itself show the same superscript – including one from as far back as 1968.
Some analysts outside CBS News say they believe the typeface on these memos is New Times Roman, which they claim was not available in the 1970s.Well, I'm a graphic artist and I can tell you that if you wanted this kind of type in the 1970's, you had to go to a professional printer and get a typesetter to do it. Not very likely for a memo I think. And no typewriter yet discussed by CBS could have created all of these attributes in the same document at the same time.
But the owner of the company that distributes this typing style told CBS News that it has been available since 1931.But not to the general public until the introduction of Macintosh computers and Pagemaker in the mid-eighties. Before that, if you were using a typewriter, you were typing in courier, a mono spaced font, because typewriters were mostly monospaced. Those that weren't, were very expensive indeed, and even those couldn't do the smartquotes and the kerning that is evident in the memos. They were made with Microsoft Word.
Saturday's issue of the Boston Globe reports that one document expert, Phillip Broussard, who had expressed suspicions about the documents, said "he now believes the documents could have been prepared on an IBM Selectric Composer typewriter available at the time."Well, now he is saying that the Boston Globe misquoted him.
Anchor Russ Mitchell of the Saturday edition of the CBS Evening News says CBS News contacted Broussard Saturday, and Broussard said he could not dismiss the documents as fake, but he needs to do more analysis before coming to a final conclusion.The problem with this is that CBS lied to Hodges the first time they spoke to him. I would call that a difficulty with the story, wouldn't you?
Also on Saturday, there were reports that retired National Guard Maj. Gen. Bobby W. Hodges - who corroborated the CBS News account - now says he believes the documents were not real, in part because of recent statements of Jerry Killian's relatives.
CBS News responded Saturday, saying, "We believed General Hodges the first time we spoke with him. We believe the documents to be genuine. We stand by our story and will continue to report on it."
In a statement Friday, CBS News said it stands by its overall story.Well, they can hardly admit that the lied now, can they? What little reputation they have is rapidly going down the drain and they want to stop it. What else were they going to say?
"This report was not based solely on recovered documents, but rather on a preponderance of evidence, including documents that were provided by unimpeachable sources, interviews with former Texas National Guard officials and individuals who worked closely back in the early 1970s with Colonel Jerry Killian and were well acquainted with his procedures, his character and his thinking," the statement read.What does a handwriting expert know about graphic design and typography? We are talking about a printing issue, not a handwriting one. Experts in the graphic design and printing fields are finding all sorts of problems with the documents, which is why no one thinks they are the real deal. And while we're on the subject, the number of "experts" in CBS's corner is getting thiner by the minute.
"In addition, the documents are backed up not only by independent handwriting and forensic document experts but by sources familiar with their content," the statement continued. "Contrary to some rumors, no internal investigation is underway at CBS News nor is one planned."
Document and handwriting examiner Marcel Matley analyzed the documents for CBS News. He says he believes they are real. And he is concerned about exactly what is being examined by some of the people questioning the documents, because deterioration occurs each time a document is reproduced. And the documents being analyzed outside of CBS News have been photocopied, faxed, scanned and downloaded, and are far removed from the documents CBS News started with.Well then, provide the originals so we can see them.
Matley did an interview with "60 Minutes" prior to Wednesday's broadcast. He looked at the documents and the signatures of Col. Killian, comparing known documents with the colonel's signature on the newly discovered ones.How is it that one can say a signature is real based on a copy of a copy of a copy?
"We look basically at what's called significant or insignificant features to determine whether it's the same person or not," Matley said. "I have no problem identifying them. I would say based on our available handwriting evidence, yes, this is the same person."
Matley finds the signatures to be some of the most compelling evidence.
Reached Friday by satellite, Matley said, "Since it is represented that some of them are definitely his, then we can conclude they are his signatures."
Matley said he's not surprised that questions about the documents have come up.I would say that CBS is very, very surprised indeed. And very, very angry that they got caught with their pants down.
Kerry Keeping Eye On Big Donors
Well here is something which, sadly, is no big surprise. And wouldn't you just know that it would show up on CBS's news site. Oh, sure they view the swiftvets with suspicion and won't even give them the time of day beccause there might be ties to the Bush campaign, or so they claim. Yet here we have some very big ties to the Kerry campaign from the same person who is now embroiled in the memogate scandal. My how the worm turns.
The Kerry campaign has begun tracking major fundraisers using a Trustee Leader Board, CBS News has learned. While keeping tabs on fundraisers is nothing new, the twist is that the Kerry campaign is tracking donations to the Democratic National Committee, not to the campaign itself.
Under current campaign finance laws, donors can give a maximum of $2,000 to a presidential candidate per election cycle and up to $25,000 per year to party committees. Thus donors can give only $2,000 to Sen. Kerry himself but up to $50,000 to the DNC to support its activities this cycle. These large donations to the DNC allow donors to skirt the contribution cap to the Kerry campaign and give big bucks to the Democratic/Kerry effort through the backdoor.
The Kerry campaign is quick to point out that the Trustee Leader Board is maintained by the DNC and "is a DNC thing." But several donors, who spoke to CBS News on the condition of anonymity, said that the money was being carefully tracked by the Kerry campaign, most likely for recognition should Kerry win the presidency. In a sign of the campaign's involvement, last week's Leader Board memo was sent around by the Kerry campaign itself.
As of last week, according to information received by CBS News, 20 donors have given and/or raised more than $250,000, enough to earn them the designation of Trustee. Of those, eight have actually raised more than $500K. Those half-millions include Texas lobbyist Ben Barnes, Wall Street financier Stan Shuman, Iranian American PAC Board of Trustees member Hassan Nemazee and Texas lawyer Mark Iola. Eventually, says a source inside the process, the over-$500K raisers will have a special name designation but no moniker has been chosen yet.
CBS's Big Blunder?
John Podhoretz writes in the New York Post about the controversy surrounding the forged documents from CBS and Dan Rather. In this article he gives us some of the highlights of this story so far and traces the events as they spread like wildfire across the Internet. A fascinating story.
CBS made the four documents available in their original form on its Web site Wednesday night.
And by yesterday morning, they were being examined with a fine tooth comb.
The Minneapolis lawyers who run powerlineblog.com were on the case early. Two of the blog's readers directed their attention to a note left on an Internet bulletin board on the freerepublic.com Web site — the 47th posting on the topic there.
Post No. 47 pointed out that there was something off about these documents from the 1970s: The spacing between the letters and the words was proportional, and only a few IBM electric typewriters could achieve that effect back then.
From there it was off to the races. Once anyone who had had experience writing and typing in the 1970s began examining the documents, it was impossible not to see some weird anachronisms that suggested they had been crafted not on a 1970s typewriter, but using Microsoft Word.
Charles Johnson, who runs the wonderful littlegreenfootballs.com, simply typed one of the memos over using Microsoft Word's New Times Roman font and, lo and behold, the document came out exactly identical to the one on the CBS site, down to the letter spacing.
The documents contain such features as superscript lettering, which is done automatically by Microsoft Word, and curly quotation marks. A brief glance at a Web site called selectric.org, run by an amateur typewriter fanatic, reveals dozens of IBM electric typefaces — and none of them has curly quotation marks.
By 3 o'clock, the very careful and honest Jim Geraghty, who produces invaluable material every day on nationalreview.com's Kerry Spot, was saying flatly, "CBS had better have one heck of a defense for this."
Yeah, it had better. I thought on Wednesday that it was scandalous for "60 Minutes" to turn over a good deal of its time on Wednesday night to one Ben Barnes, a one-time Texas political powerhouse who now claims he got George W. Bush into the National Guard.
The problem is not, as some would have it, that Barnes has raised half a million dollars for Kerry. The problem is that Barnes has already lied about this on videotape, and I use the word "lied" without difficulty, where he says he pulled strings for Bush when "I was lieutenant governor of Texas."
The thing is that George W. Bush was sworn into the National Guard in May 1968. Ben Barnes didn't become lieutenant governor until 1969.
The Hoaxing of CBS
Why were they so easily duped?
Richard Starr asks the question, how could they be so stupid? It is a question which has been flying across the blogsphere for days now. I personally think it is less stupidity as it is arrogance. The Elite Media Monoculture still does not get the fact that we are living in a new media universe. In this new era we can use the Internet to tap the distributed intelligence of millions of Americans, as well as others of course, to investigate the smallest and most arcane detail of a story. So when forged documents find their way to the CBS website, they are seen by thousands and thousands of graphic artists, typesetters, military veterans and forensic document analysts who CBS did not bother to call before they went to press with their story.
This distributed network is the world of the future. It is made possible by the new medium of the personal computer and interconnected network of the Internet which allows all of us to communicate instantly in real time while CBS is still trying to figure out why their story sank like a rock. The blogsphere can bring more resources to bear faster and with more accuracy than CBS can as yet comprehend. They just don't get it yet. But they will.
Richard Starr asks the question, how could they be so stupid? It is a question which has been flying across the blogsphere for days now. I personally think it is less stupidity as it is arrogance. The Elite Media Monoculture still does not get the fact that we are living in a new media universe. In this new era we can use the Internet to tap the distributed intelligence of millions of Americans, as well as others of course, to investigate the smallest and most arcane detail of a story. So when forged documents find their way to the CBS website, they are seen by thousands and thousands of graphic artists, typesetters, military veterans and forensic document analysts who CBS did not bother to call before they went to press with their story.
This distributed network is the world of the future. It is made possible by the new medium of the personal computer and interconnected network of the Internet which allows all of us to communicate instantly in real time while CBS is still trying to figure out why their story sank like a rock. The blogsphere can bring more resources to bear faster and with more accuracy than CBS can as yet comprehend. They just don't get it yet. But they will.
The Oh-So-Delicious Irony
"To err is human but to really foul up requires a computer." Dan Rather. Quotes from ThinkExist.
Who do They Think They're Kidding?
For what it's worth, I think it is over and that this issue of forged documents was the nail in the coffin. Here is a short bit from the sidbar at the American Spectator website, which is back up now after having been slammed all day by those wanting to read their story on this subject.
Who are they trying to kid? This election is over. Only good manners and an unwillingness to jinx itself is keeping the smooth-running Bush campaign from stating the obvious. Kerry meanwhile is beyond disarray. Vietnam is no longer an issue he can touch. A half-dozen honchos are variously running what's left of his campaign. Has there ever been anything more pathetic than a candidate turning for his salvation to a political giant about to be felled by a quadruple bypass that will keep him out of serious commission past election day?
The clincher came last night, when America Online polled its users. Normally AOL's questions lean N.Y. Times left. But this time there was no beating around the bush. The replies from 322,440 plus respondents (at last count) couldn't have been blunter: 41% predicted Bush wins easily; 29% said "Bush wins tight race." By contrast, only 26% said "Kerry wins tight race," and a pitiful 4% noted "Kerry wins easily." Any way you look at it, that spells Bush over Kerry, by 70 to 30. Even more revealing was the response to the second question, in which 75% answered they're not surprised that President Bush has surged in recent polls; only 25% answered yes.
Word now is that Bush, as one could guess since at least Ken Mehlman's appearance on Meet the Press, is likely to agree to only two debates with Kerry and not three. That's what an incumbent does when he's plainly ahead. Actually, he's a war incumbent with better things to do than waste his time dodging Kerry cheap shots. He should insist on no debates at all this year, unless maybe Mr. Clinton wants to join in the fun. And for old times' sake, Michael Dukakis. Why not?
On Bush Guard Duty
Here is the original story as put forward by CBS. Note that in the left hand sidebar you can download all of the forged documents. Get them before they get pulled by the lawyers.
(CBS) The military records of the two men running for president have become part of the political arsenal in this campaign – a tool for building up, or blowing up, each candidate’s credibility as America's next commander-in-chief.
While Sen. Kerry has been targeted for what he did in Vietnam, President Bush has been criticized for avoiding Vietnam by landing a spot in the Texas Air National Guard - and then failing to meet some of his obligations.
Did then-Lt. Bush fulfill all of his military obligations? And just how did he land that spot in the National Guard in the first place? Correspondent Dan Rather has new information on the president’s military service – and the first-ever interview with the man who says he pulled strings to get young George W. Bush into the Texas Air National Guard.
Friday, September 10, 2004
CBS - The Forgery Fantasy Network
By now we have all heard about the controversy surrounding the 60 Minutes show on Monday night in which documents were shown which purport to provide new information about President Bush's service in the Air National Guard. Well, it now seems that there are some questions regarding the documents themselves. In fact, this story has been flying around the Blogsphere all day yesterday. I myself spent some time looking at various blogs and chat rooms discussing the issue with my fellow net surfers. (there is a great thread on this at RightNation by the way.) In any case, I provide here a roundup of the story so far, but first a few of my own thoughts.
Thus, as a professional graphic artist, let me point out a few things.
First, Times New Roman has, in fact, been around for a while. Here is what Adobe's "Type on Call" CD says about it in their section on the history of the fonts included on the disk. (Every font included has related information and samples to show how the font looks at various sizes.)
But to me the most damning evidence that this is a forgery is the use of "smart quotes" in the document. I downloaded the sample from LGF and it definitely uses smart quotes which have never, to the best of my knowledge, been used on any typewriter at any time. Typewriters use only the single and double marks for feet and inches respectively. To create smart quotes at the time would have required the use of a professional typesetting machine used in the printing industry.
These typesetting machines were used in the printing industry up until the development of computer layout and design which did not become commercially available until the introduction of the Macintosh computer and Pagemaker in the mid-eighties. Before that, all commercial typesetting was done by professional typesetters, usually in a printing environment as the machines could cost upwards of several tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars each. Also one should be aware that these machines did not print on paper, but to a piece of film which was then developed and pasted up on a light table to create a "flat" which would be use to make the final printing plate. No ordinary memo would be created this way, I would think, because it would then have to be printed on a printing press.
The point made about world wrap by some on the net is quite accurate. Most layout and design in the printing and publishing industry is done today with Macintosh computers using Adobe fonts and Postscript page description language. Every font used thus has a set of mathematical values which control the default spaces between letters, called kerning. Also the spacing between words can vary due to the specific values of each individual character since each letter has a specific amount of white space around it. These differences tend to be small, but they are there nevertheless. No typewriter would be able to do this as it requires a computer chip to make the calculations.
Thus we conclude that the use of the "smart quote" in the memo could only have been produced on a typesetting machine of the period or a modern computer. There are no other available possibilities. Thus the document is a fake.
Thus, as a professional graphic artist, let me point out a few things.
First, Times New Roman has, in fact, been around for a while. Here is what Adobe's "Type on Call" CD says about it in their section on the history of the fonts included on the disk. (Every font included has related information and samples to show how the font looks at various sizes.)
In 1931, The Times of London commissioned the Monotype Corporation, under the direction of Stanley Morison, to design a newspaper typeface. According to Morison:"The Times, as a newspaper in a class by itself, needed not a general trade type, however good, but a face whose strength of line, firmness of contour, and economy of space fulfilled the specific editorial needs of the Times." Times New Roman, drawn by Victor Lardent and initially released in 1932, is the result. The Linotype version is called Times roman. Research into legibility and readability led to a design that was unique in newspaper typography; it is based on old style, or Garalde types, and has greater contrast and is more condensed than previous newspaper types. Times New Roman continues to be very popular, particularly for newspapers, magazines and corporate communications such as proposals and annual reports.Now having said this one also has to mention a few things. Most typewriters of the period did not use proportional fonts, as has been pointed out already. And the superscript used would have been impossible on any typewriter with or without Times New Roman. For such characters to be used would require a physical extra character on the metal ball or an extra key for them to be typed on an old fashioned typewriter. As far as I know, this did not exist then, or now.
But to me the most damning evidence that this is a forgery is the use of "smart quotes" in the document. I downloaded the sample from LGF and it definitely uses smart quotes which have never, to the best of my knowledge, been used on any typewriter at any time. Typewriters use only the single and double marks for feet and inches respectively. To create smart quotes at the time would have required the use of a professional typesetting machine used in the printing industry.
These typesetting machines were used in the printing industry up until the development of computer layout and design which did not become commercially available until the introduction of the Macintosh computer and Pagemaker in the mid-eighties. Before that, all commercial typesetting was done by professional typesetters, usually in a printing environment as the machines could cost upwards of several tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars each. Also one should be aware that these machines did not print on paper, but to a piece of film which was then developed and pasted up on a light table to create a "flat" which would be use to make the final printing plate. No ordinary memo would be created this way, I would think, because it would then have to be printed on a printing press.
The point made about world wrap by some on the net is quite accurate. Most layout and design in the printing and publishing industry is done today with Macintosh computers using Adobe fonts and Postscript page description language. Every font used thus has a set of mathematical values which control the default spaces between letters, called kerning. Also the spacing between words can vary due to the specific values of each individual character since each letter has a specific amount of white space around it. These differences tend to be small, but they are there nevertheless. No typewriter would be able to do this as it requires a computer chip to make the calculations.
Thus we conclude that the use of the "smart quote" in the memo could only have been produced on a typesetting machine of the period or a modern computer. There are no other available possibilities. Thus the document is a fake.
Score One for the Blogsphere
Let's give credit where credit is due to the blogs that have been covering this story. Make sure you check out these places to see some of their great coverage of this story. First go to Charles Johnson's Little Green Footballs. Also crucial in this story have been PowerlineBlog, Pacetown, INDC Journal, Captain's Quarters and Roger Simon. And don't forget the humor of Allah is in the House. These blogs, and many more like them, continue to do the job that The Elite Media Monoculture fails to do. Thanks guys.
ABC Reports on the Hoax
In this story from ABC news we get some of the basic details regarding the CBS hoax.
Questions are being raised about the authenticity of newly discovered documents relating to George W. Bush's service in the National Guard during the Vietnam War.
Marjorie Connell — widow of the late Lt. Col. Jerry Killian, the reported author of memos suggesting that Bush did not meet the standards for the Texas Air National Guard — questioned whether the documents were real.
"The wording in these documents is very suspect to me," she told ABC News Radio in an exclusive phone interview from her Texas home. She added that she "just can't believe these are his words."
First reported by CBS's 60 Minutes, the memos allegedly were found in Killian's personal files. But his family members say they doubt he ever made such documents, let alone kept them.
Connell said Killian did not type, and though he did take notes, they were usually on scraps of paper. "He was a person who did not take copious notes," she said. "He carried everything in his mind."
The Weekly Standard Reports on the Hoax
And The Weekly Standard talks to document experts who look at the CBS forgeries and pronounce them to be not very good. Do you think that a Deniac came up with this?
And according to several forensic document experts contacted by THE WEEKLY STANDARD say the Killian memos appear to be forgeries. Although it is nearly impossible to establish with certainty the authenticity of documents without a careful examination of the originals, several irregularities in the Killian memos suggest that CBS may have been the victim of a hoax.
"These sure look like forgeries," says William Flynn, a forensic document expert widely considered the nation's top analyst of computer-generated documents. Flynn looked at copies of the documents posted on the CBS News website (here, here, here, and here). Flynn says, "I would say it looks very likely that these documents could not have existed" in the early 1970s, when they were allegedly written.
Several other experts agree. "They look mighty suspicious," says a veteran forensic document expert who asked not to be quoted by name. Richard Polt, a Xavier University philosophy professor who operates a website dedicated to typewriters, says that while he is not an expert on typesetting, the documents "look like typical word-processed documents."
The American Spectator Reports on the Hoax
The American Spectator weighs in on the hoax with some information of their own. It is just amazing how these guys get such good info from the Kerry campaign.
More than six weeks ago, an opposition research staffer for the Democratic National Committee received documents purportedly written by President George W. Bush's Texas Air National Guard squadron commander, the late Col. Jerry Killian.
The oppo researcher claimed the source was "a retired military officer." According to a DNC staffer, the documents were seen by both senior staff members at the DNC, as well as the Kerry campaign.
"More than a couple people heard about the papers," says the DNC staffer. "I've heard that they ended up with the Kerry campaign, for them to decide to how to proceed, and presumably they were handed over to 60 Minutes, which used them the other night. But I know this much. When there was discussion here, there were doubts raised about their authenticity."
The concerns arose from the sourcing. "It wasn't clear that our source for the documents would have had access to them. Our person couldn't confirm from what file, from what original source they came from."
The documents that CBS News used were not documents from any of Bush's personnel files from his time in the National Guard. Rather, CBS News stated that they were documents uncovered in the personnel files of Killian. That would explain why the White House or the Pentagon had never before released or even seen them.
The Children of Beslan
The unique depravity of modern Islamic terror.
The editors of The Wall Street Journal weigh in on the subject of Beslan. It is, they argue, at least as much an intellectual battle as anything else. The implosion of Islam has created an environment for one third of the world's population which is mired in an ideology of hate, rage, envy and resentment, just like that of the Angry Left one might point out. And one might also point out that this is why the Angry Left continues to make excuses for the barbarism we saw this week in Russia. But this intellectual battle is slowly going our way. For no civilized nation can look at what took place in Beslan and give any excuse for it that would convince anyone who wasn't already a hate filled leftist. For the rest of us, we see the horror and react with revulsion to those who would stab children with bayonets for asking for drinking water. The moral meaning of such a thing needs no further explanation.
The problems of the Arab world are being exported to all of the rest of us. And there are two solutions. The first is to clean up the Arab world and bring it in line with the rest of humanity. And for this, the Arabs have to come to their senses, because we cannot do that job alone. The second possibility is that the world will simply become tired of the Arab refusal to solve their problems, and that story ends in a radioactive mushroom cloud over the Middle East. Problem solved.
Arabs; take your pick and choose wisely.
The editors of The Wall Street Journal weigh in on the subject of Beslan. It is, they argue, at least as much an intellectual battle as anything else. The implosion of Islam has created an environment for one third of the world's population which is mired in an ideology of hate, rage, envy and resentment, just like that of the Angry Left one might point out. And one might also point out that this is why the Angry Left continues to make excuses for the barbarism we saw this week in Russia. But this intellectual battle is slowly going our way. For no civilized nation can look at what took place in Beslan and give any excuse for it that would convince anyone who wasn't already a hate filled leftist. For the rest of us, we see the horror and react with revulsion to those who would stab children with bayonets for asking for drinking water. The moral meaning of such a thing needs no further explanation.
The problems of the Arab world are being exported to all of the rest of us. And there are two solutions. The first is to clean up the Arab world and bring it in line with the rest of humanity. And for this, the Arabs have to come to their senses, because we cannot do that job alone. The second possibility is that the world will simply become tired of the Arab refusal to solve their problems, and that story ends in a radioactive mushroom cloud over the Middle East. Problem solved.
Arabs; take your pick and choose wisely.
They're Terrorists, Not "Activists"
Daniel Pipes reports on the reporters who seem unable to call a terrorist a terrorist. Instead they come up with all sorts of substitutes and with a multitude of excuses for doing so. But we all know what we are seeing when we see it. What other word would you use when watching the murder of school children by thugs with guns? Time to call a spade a spade. As for myself, I make no apologies for my views. These are examples of what Ayn Rand would have called "the sub-human." They are sub-human because all vestiges of reason and rationality have been banished from their consciousness. There is nothing human left in them. And for this reason we should feel nothing other than the desire to wipe them off the face of the earth as we would a disease. For the children.
Summer of Terror
No innocent people are safe.
Tom Nichols also points out that in dealing with Islamofascism, we are facing an enemy who knows no constraints in the kind of violence they are willing to perpetrate. Indeed, the whole point of this latest atrocity was that it violates the most basic instinct of most humans; the desire to protect children from harm. That Islam has sunk to this level of bestiality is not in doubt. The only question is, as it should be, how do we find and kill those who are willing to use these methods to destroy civilization and how many of them will we have to kill before they get the message that these actions are an abomination against all humanity? As for myself, my view is that we should kill as many as we have to in order to get the message across. I don't feel sorry for them one bit. The Arab and Muslim world has had many chances to reform itself and has not done so. They have remain mute while the most barbaric of actions have been taken in the name of their false god. It is too late for them to apologize now for the murder of the innocent. The children of Beslan cry out for justice and they should get it.
The Arabs have sown ice and now they will harvest a cold wind.
Tom Nichols also points out that in dealing with Islamofascism, we are facing an enemy who knows no constraints in the kind of violence they are willing to perpetrate. Indeed, the whole point of this latest atrocity was that it violates the most basic instinct of most humans; the desire to protect children from harm. That Islam has sunk to this level of bestiality is not in doubt. The only question is, as it should be, how do we find and kill those who are willing to use these methods to destroy civilization and how many of them will we have to kill before they get the message that these actions are an abomination against all humanity? As for myself, my view is that we should kill as many as we have to in order to get the message across. I don't feel sorry for them one bit. The Arab and Muslim world has had many chances to reform itself and has not done so. They have remain mute while the most barbaric of actions have been taken in the name of their false god. It is too late for them to apologize now for the murder of the innocent. The children of Beslan cry out for justice and they should get it.
The Arabs have sown ice and now they will harvest a cold wind.
Beslan Changed Russia and the World
Barbara Lerner writes on the subject of the Islamofascist murder of children in Beslan Russia. And there is good reason to think that Russia will now come round to see that this is indeed a global war by the Islamofascists against civilization as a whole, whether in America or Russia or Iraq or Bali or any other spot on the globe. This is a global war and we can use all the allies we can get. Russia would be a very valuable one, and if they can now see the danger in appeasement, then perhaps they will change their course and work with us rather than against us as the French have chosen. And speaking of the French, what makes them think it couldn't happen there as well. When laughing killers drink the blood of children, how picky do we really think they are about their next victims?
Arnold Challenges the "Girly Men"- Again
There were a lot of great speeches at the Republican convention and one of my favorites was Arnold's. The crowd loved it, and judging by the move in the polls, so did the American people. So if you want the full text, here it is.
My fellow immigrants, my fellow Americans, how do you know if you are a Republican? I'll tell you how.
If you believe that government should be accountable to the people, not the people to the government...then you are a Republican! If you believe a person should be treated as an individual, not as a member of an interest group... then you are a Republican! If you believe your family knows how to spend your money better than the government does... then you are a Republican! If you believe our educational system should be held accountable for the progress of our children ... then you are a Republican! If you believe this country, not the United Nations, is the best hope of democracy in the world ... then you are a Republican! And, ladies and gentlemen ...if you believe we must be fierce and relentless and terminate terrorism ... then you are a Republican!
Zack Exley: Kerry’s Toxic Web Spider
Lowell Ponte does a bit of digging to find out about Zack Exley, the director of the Kerry campaign's online communications. As we see in this article, Zack Exley is closely tied to all sorts of radical leftist groups who are dedicated to overthrowing the government and creating all sorts of trouble. These groups are all too familiar and so is their anti-American, anti-capitalist, anti-freedom agenda. So why is this guy working for John "war criminal" Kerry? Mr. Kerry has refused to explain. Perhaps it was a clerical error.
Oxy-Moronic March
Joel Mowbray reports on the barking moonbat protesters at the Republican convention. The antics there were just too funny to be believed. Seriously folks, you can't make up stuff like this. Only the Angry Left can come up with such a mess of idiotic rubbish and expect to be taken seriously. The rest of us get a good laugh.
Ruckus at the Republican Convention
Lowell Ponte takes a close look at some of the radical anarchist and communist groups on The Angry Left and where their money comes from. Would you be surprised to know that some of it is coming from the Tides Foundation via Teresa Heinz Kerry? I wouldn't be, but then I am a pragmatist when it comes to evaluating the Democrats and the hard left. When looking at them, one should always assume the worst and then expect something even more awful. It will usually be the case.
Brace Yourself
The months ahead will be momentous.
Victor Davis Hanson advises us to brace for rough times ahead. It would seem to be very good advice. The Angry Left and The Elite Media Monoculture are in full frothing at the mouth, drooling on themselves mode, so enraged are they at the prospect of a Bush victory in the fall. And the polls are giving the President a good 5 or 6 point bounce depending on which poll you look at. The Democrats are throwing everything they can think of, including the kitchen sink, at the President and nothing is working. And worse yet is the fact that the alternative media is swarming over the Kerry campaign and the Angry Left like a bunch of killer bees, providing plenty of stings. The Democrats are imploding and everyone knows it; even Bill Clinton who has put together a hostile take-over of the Kerry campaign. The writing is on the wall and they are desperate. They know that if they lose this election, as now seems more and more likely, they will be out of power for a generation. And that will mean the end of the old Democratic Left for good.
Victor Davis Hanson advises us to brace for rough times ahead. It would seem to be very good advice. The Angry Left and The Elite Media Monoculture are in full frothing at the mouth, drooling on themselves mode, so enraged are they at the prospect of a Bush victory in the fall. And the polls are giving the President a good 5 or 6 point bounce depending on which poll you look at. The Democrats are throwing everything they can think of, including the kitchen sink, at the President and nothing is working. And worse yet is the fact that the alternative media is swarming over the Kerry campaign and the Angry Left like a bunch of killer bees, providing plenty of stings. The Democrats are imploding and everyone knows it; even Bill Clinton who has put together a hostile take-over of the Kerry campaign. The writing is on the wall and they are desperate. They know that if they lose this election, as now seems more and more likely, they will be out of power for a generation. And that will mean the end of the old Democratic Left for good.
Here Comes the Umbrage
Typically selective outrage about “hot” Zell.
Tim Graham shows how The Elite Media Monoculture has its panties in a knot over the Zell Miller speech at the Republican convention and how it represents a double standard when compared with their reaction to strong speeches by leftist Democrats. But of course, we all know this, right? The elites are not going to answer the charges Zell Miller put forward because to do so would require that they defend the Democratic record and that of John "war criminal" Kerry over the past several decades. And they cannot do this because it would put them right where they don't want to be; with Americans seeing them as the "Surrender Party" that never wants to defend America and its interests. And so they focus on the irrelevant and unrelated by going after the emotional tone instead of the substance. As always, the Democrats must pretend to be pro-American to win in America.
Tim Graham shows how The Elite Media Monoculture has its panties in a knot over the Zell Miller speech at the Republican convention and how it represents a double standard when compared with their reaction to strong speeches by leftist Democrats. But of course, we all know this, right? The elites are not going to answer the charges Zell Miller put forward because to do so would require that they defend the Democratic record and that of John "war criminal" Kerry over the past several decades. And they cannot do this because it would put them right where they don't want to be; with Americans seeing them as the "Surrender Party" that never wants to defend America and its interests. And so they focus on the irrelevant and unrelated by going after the emotional tone instead of the substance. As always, the Democrats must pretend to be pro-American to win in America.
The Herd Species
The media and 2004.
Jonah Goldberg keeps us informed about the latest mob mentality in The Elite Media Monoculture. Now that John "war criminal" Kerry's campaign is imploding, we can see the press starting to examine their own role in allowing Kerry to become the Democratic candidate without anyone really knowing who he is. But he is their guy now and there is no turning back. It's too late for them to get a new one so they have to push Kerry no matter what. The problem for them is that they no longer control the debate. The real debate in America is now taking place in cyberspace and on talk radio, not on the pages of The New York Times. And the establishment doesn't control those areas.
Jonah Goldberg keeps us informed about the latest mob mentality in The Elite Media Monoculture. Now that John "war criminal" Kerry's campaign is imploding, we can see the press starting to examine their own role in allowing Kerry to become the Democratic candidate without anyone really knowing who he is. But he is their guy now and there is no turning back. It's too late for them to get a new one so they have to push Kerry no matter what. The problem for them is that they no longer control the debate. The real debate in America is now taking place in cyberspace and on talk radio, not on the pages of The New York Times. And the establishment doesn't control those areas.
Krugman’s Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy
The Times columnist reveals his dark theories.
Byron York reports that New York Times gadfly Paul Krugman was taken out of his padded room so that he could drool on students at New York University. It seems that there are a bunch of full moons out there and they are all beaming bozo rays down on Mr. Krugman. He thinks that the rise of the conservative movement is some sort of Vast Right Wing Conspiracy. I guess he has not been paying attention all these years when conservatives of all kinds have been publishing books, magazines and newspaper articles arguing for their ideas. Likewise, he must have been asleep when various institutions and think tanks were formed because conservative and free market thinkers were blacklisted from the establishment academy. Yes, it's all a deep and dark conspiracy; that is, if you have been encased in your little bubble at the New York Times.
Byron York reports that New York Times gadfly Paul Krugman was taken out of his padded room so that he could drool on students at New York University. It seems that there are a bunch of full moons out there and they are all beaming bozo rays down on Mr. Krugman. He thinks that the rise of the conservative movement is some sort of Vast Right Wing Conspiracy. I guess he has not been paying attention all these years when conservatives of all kinds have been publishing books, magazines and newspaper articles arguing for their ideas. Likewise, he must have been asleep when various institutions and think tanks were formed because conservative and free market thinkers were blacklisted from the establishment academy. Yes, it's all a deep and dark conspiracy; that is, if you have been encased in your little bubble at the New York Times.
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
Rockers for the Left
Anthony Gancarski reports on the attempts by the Hollywood left to stop the re-election of President Bush. This time around, different rock groups are banding together to play live concerts around the country to oppose the Republican agenda and elect John "war criminal" Kerry. Frankly I see these as rather pathetic. Rock musicians have an over-inflated idea about themselves if they think they are deep thinkers or that they have this level of influence. I've been in rock bands and in my experience most people come to drink and dance. Politics just doesn't enter into it as far as most of the audience is concerned. And that is as it should be. Rock as politics gets lots of press of course, but I don't think that it will amount to much or change the outcome of the election in the long run. Changing the political landscape is for grown-ups who have thought long and hard about the issues, not for those getting their first tattoo.
That Winning Feeling
After two great days, things are looking up.
John Derbyshire writes about his reaction to the various speakers at the Republican convention and comes away with a positive outlook. And indeed if the polls are any guide at all it would seem that Americans are starting to move in the direction of another Bush Presidency. Of course it is a long way to November, but the signs are looking better for the President.
John Derbyshire writes about his reaction to the various speakers at the Republican convention and comes away with a positive outlook. And indeed if the polls are any guide at all it would seem that Americans are starting to move in the direction of another Bush Presidency. Of course it is a long way to November, but the signs are looking better for the President.
Sexual Rage and Self-Loathing in the Middle East
Lowell Feld writes this article in Intervention Magazine that gives us a look at the twisted world of Islamic culture and how sexual frustration and lack of human rights turns out corrupt, ignorant, frustrated and hate-filled young men by the boatload. And the situation is only getting worse as economic and political conditions in places like Saudi Arabia and Egypt deteriorate. Tom Barrnett predicts that when incomes fall below a certain level of about $3000 a year per capita, social chaos soon follows, and most of the Arab world is well on the way to this level. The only long term solution to this problem is a complete cultural and political shift in the Arab world from dictatorship to an free society based on human rights, open markets and accountable government. Needless to say, this transition will not be easy or quick. Indeed, it will probably be a long and costly fight to bring change to the region, but there is really no alternative other than nuking the whole mess in one all out retaliation against the madness that grips the Arab world. The Arabs should pray that we don't lose patience with them before they can learn to grow up and join the rest of the civilized world.
When the Killers Come for the Kids
Ralph Peters gives us his view of the Islamofascist atrocity in Russia and how it should bring together the civilized nations of the world against the barbaric savages who delight in the murder of children. The people who live in the advanced part of the world need to understand that we are all at risk from these lunatic fanatics and that joint action against them is in everyone's best interests. Time to make the killers pay for their crimes against humanity.
And by the way, where are all of the moonbat leftist protesters who claim to be so sympathetic to the plight of the downtrodden? I don't remember seeing any of them protesting against this on the news. Could it be that they don't really care? Could it be that they are lying hypocrites who only care about removing President Bush from office? Could it be that real inhumanity is irrelevant to them as long as their pet political cause is on the evening news? Could it be that they are a bunch of rich, upper middle class snobs who only care about stroking their own pampered egos and who care nothing about real injustice in the world? Could it be that they are unmoved by the murder of children because they have no other emotion than hate for conservatives who want to stop the Islamofascists? We report, you decide.
And by the way, where are all of the moonbat leftist protesters who claim to be so sympathetic to the plight of the downtrodden? I don't remember seeing any of them protesting against this on the news. Could it be that they don't really care? Could it be that they are lying hypocrites who only care about removing President Bush from office? Could it be that real inhumanity is irrelevant to them as long as their pet political cause is on the evening news? Could it be that they are a bunch of rich, upper middle class snobs who only care about stroking their own pampered egos and who care nothing about real injustice in the world? Could it be that they are unmoved by the murder of children because they have no other emotion than hate for conservatives who want to stop the Islamofascists? We report, you decide.
Siege Prompts Self-Criticism in Arab Media
And AP writer Maggie Michael shows us that at least in some quarters, some of the baby raping killers are beginning to notice that drinking the blood of children while shouting "Allah Akbar" is not exactly the best publicity you could wish for. And we should also note how many examples there are in this article of "Muslim clerics" who object only to the tactics used and not to the killing of innocents. They seem to be concerned only with the means, as if the actions of these bloodsuckers would be OK if only they had chosen the right targets to murder. Such death worship is at the heart of the "religion of peace." And of course we also get lots of Muslims simply blaming others for their problems, especially those pesky Jews.
Mohammed Mahdi Akef, leader of Egypt's largest Islamic group, the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, said in general, kidnappings may be justified, but killings are not. He said the school siege did not fit the Islamic concept of jihad, or holy war.
"What happened yesterday is not jihad because our Islam obligates us to respect the souls of human beings; it is not about taking them away," Akef told The Associated Press.
Ali Abdullah, a Bahraini scholar who follows the ultraconservative Salafi stream of Islam, condemned the school attack as "un-Islamic," but insisted Muslims weren't behind it.
"I have no doubt in my mind that this is the work of the Israelis who want to tarnish the image of Muslims and are working alongside Russians who have their own agenda against the Muslims in Chechnya," said Abdullah.
Three Days of Terror for Russian Child Hostages
And in this story from Reuters reporter Richard Ayton we get to see some more love and tolerance from The Religion of Murdering Women and School Children in the Name of Allah. The carnage at the school in Russia is truly horrific and is exactly what we have come to expect from the sub-human savages of the Arab world.
This part of the world is now playing with serious fire in attacking Russia. Never mind having the US on the warpath. The Russians are much less politically correct than we are and much less squeamish. At the least I think we will be seeing a crackdown on Islamic radicals within that country. And I think we will also see more cooperation between the Russians and America as the reality of this war against brutal barbarism takes hold in the top levels of power within the Russian government.
Americans and Russians can both benefit from closer ties in this fight against baby murderers and I for one would be willing to see it happen in order to defeat the greatest evil of our time. The Russians are certainly not perfect as a society, but they are still part of the modern world and western civilization. The Arab savages, on the other hand, will get no pity or sympathy from me.
This part of the world is now playing with serious fire in attacking Russia. Never mind having the US on the warpath. The Russians are much less politically correct than we are and much less squeamish. At the least I think we will be seeing a crackdown on Islamic radicals within that country. And I think we will also see more cooperation between the Russians and America as the reality of this war against brutal barbarism takes hold in the top levels of power within the Russian government.
Americans and Russians can both benefit from closer ties in this fight against baby murderers and I for one would be willing to see it happen in order to defeat the greatest evil of our time. The Russians are certainly not perfect as a society, but they are still part of the modern world and western civilization. The Arab savages, on the other hand, will get no pity or sympathy from me.
As time passed in the stifling heat, and the gunmen refused pleas from negotiators to allow in food, drink and medicines, dehydration gripped the frightened, weakened children. Many fainted as the standoff entered its third day.
The pupils' torpor ended abruptly when a deafening blast tore through the gym, Bekoyev said. Bullets whistled overhead. Many thought a full-scale war had broken out.
"Everyone started to scream. It was unbearable. It was total carnage," Bekoyev said.
"The terrorists screamed: 'You will never leave this place! Pray to God, we've come here to die for Allah along with you!"'
The Grown-Up Party
The GOP isn’t perfect, but it’s no disaster.
Jonah Goldberg writes about the now well known fact that the Republicans are the party of grown-ups and the Democrats are the party of spoiled children. At the convention last month you could almost see them stamping their feet and screaming "I WANT MY WHITE HOUSE." Volume to them is a way of making a better argument when more reasonable tones aren't working you see. And what better symbol of this than Michael Moore in the box with Jimmy Peanut? Don't like Senator McCain's criticisms? Just flash a cool "loser" sign and everyone who is under 12 will know you are hip and with it. It's just too bad they don't yet vote. Just remember what Haruko says: "It takes an idiot to do cool things; that's why it's cool."
Jonah Goldberg writes about the now well known fact that the Republicans are the party of grown-ups and the Democrats are the party of spoiled children. At the convention last month you could almost see them stamping their feet and screaming "I WANT MY WHITE HOUSE." Volume to them is a way of making a better argument when more reasonable tones aren't working you see. And what better symbol of this than Michael Moore in the box with Jimmy Peanut? Don't like Senator McCain's criticisms? Just flash a cool "loser" sign and everyone who is under 12 will know you are hip and with it. It's just too bad they don't yet vote. Just remember what Haruko says: "It takes an idiot to do cool things; that's why it's cool."
President Bush's Speech
The text of the President's speech at the Republican National Convention can be found here.
Saturday, September 04, 2004
Hate America First
America hatred is a first principle.
Adam Wolfson writes that anti-American hate is not a rational conclusion which the Angry Left reaches by sifting the facts and evidence. It is rather, a first principle; an axiom from which all other arguments and actions derive. Thus for the Angry Left, America is always wrong no matter what the circumstance or external conditions may be. From Vietnam to Panama to Nicaragua to Iraq, it is always America that is the true enemy of people everywhere, and the left that is the great savior of mankind. Or is it personkind? I always forget what new and fashionable term they are using these days...
Adam Wolfson writes that anti-American hate is not a rational conclusion which the Angry Left reaches by sifting the facts and evidence. It is rather, a first principle; an axiom from which all other arguments and actions derive. Thus for the Angry Left, America is always wrong no matter what the circumstance or external conditions may be. From Vietnam to Panama to Nicaragua to Iraq, it is always America that is the true enemy of people everywhere, and the left that is the great savior of mankind. Or is it personkind? I always forget what new and fashionable term they are using these days...
Welcome to Maureenworld
Anything can happen.
Catherine Seipp takes a brief visit to Maureenworld, where dwells everyone's favorite 7th-grader, Maureen Dowd. In Maureenworld one gets to write a twice weekly column for the New York Times which fills up space and uses plenty of ink without saying much of anything. Like any snippy 7th grade girl we get lots of one-liners meant to impress, but not a lot of serious content. Maureen is the kind of writer who wants to look good at cocktail parties, rather than spending serious time in the library looking up the subjects about which she writes. It is, after all, much more fun to be popular than to be right. And that is perhaps just the way The New York Times would like it.
Catherine Seipp takes a brief visit to Maureenworld, where dwells everyone's favorite 7th-grader, Maureen Dowd. In Maureenworld one gets to write a twice weekly column for the New York Times which fills up space and uses plenty of ink without saying much of anything. Like any snippy 7th grade girl we get lots of one-liners meant to impress, but not a lot of serious content. Maureen is the kind of writer who wants to look good at cocktail parties, rather than spending serious time in the library looking up the subjects about which she writes. It is, after all, much more fun to be popular than to be right. And that is perhaps just the way The New York Times would like it.
Rudy!
“America’s mayor” at home.
Richard Brookhiser gives us some background on former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani. Rudy is an interesting study in contrasts. He is very liberal on domestic issues but positively Reaganite on defense and foreign policy. I think it is safe to say he will probably want to take a run at the White House in 2008, which would put him up against Hillary. And that would be a very interesting race indeed
Richard Brookhiser gives us some background on former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani. Rudy is an interesting study in contrasts. He is very liberal on domestic issues but positively Reaganite on defense and foreign policy. I think it is safe to say he will probably want to take a run at the White House in 2008, which would put him up against Hillary. And that would be a very interesting race indeed
Swift Surge for Bush
All’s right in the new 527 world.
Larry Kudlow argues, as I would, that there is nothing wrong with different groups having their say in this, or any other, political contest. I might not like Moveon.org or Michael Moore, but the First Amendment protects all those with an opinion or idea. And that is as is should be. Everyone has a right to have their say in the arena of ideas. The purpose of this debate is to get all ideas out in the public spotlight so that they can be discussed and evaluated. And those ideas which have won in a free and fair debate will be the ones that carry the day. Survival of the fittest applies to ideas and politics as well as evolution.
Larry Kudlow argues, as I would, that there is nothing wrong with different groups having their say in this, or any other, political contest. I might not like Moveon.org or Michael Moore, but the First Amendment protects all those with an opinion or idea. And that is as is should be. Everyone has a right to have their say in the arena of ideas. The purpose of this debate is to get all ideas out in the public spotlight so that they can be discussed and evaluated. And those ideas which have won in a free and fair debate will be the ones that carry the day. Survival of the fittest applies to ideas and politics as well as evolution.
Damned If You Do
The media’s tactical flexibility.
Tim Graham shows just how we can expect The Elite Media Monoculture to act when covering Republicans. And in fact, what we have seen this week is just what we have come to expect. The Republican convention was a "Festival of Hate." No fair and balanced here; just a plain and simple attempt to undercut the President while softballing the Democrats. But the mask is off and the game is up. The Elite Media Monoculture lost viewers bigtime this week, while Fox beat even the major networks. And why should anyone be surprised by this? The American people are not as stupid as Peter Jennings and Dan Rather seem to think they are. And now the people in Fly-Over-Country can get their news from talk radio, the Internet and Fox. So why should they bother with the abc networks who hate regular Americans anyway?
Tim Graham shows just how we can expect The Elite Media Monoculture to act when covering Republicans. And in fact, what we have seen this week is just what we have come to expect. The Republican convention was a "Festival of Hate." No fair and balanced here; just a plain and simple attempt to undercut the President while softballing the Democrats. But the mask is off and the game is up. The Elite Media Monoculture lost viewers bigtime this week, while Fox beat even the major networks. And why should anyone be surprised by this? The American people are not as stupid as Peter Jennings and Dan Rather seem to think they are. And now the people in Fly-Over-Country can get their news from talk radio, the Internet and Fox. So why should they bother with the abc networks who hate regular Americans anyway?
City of Fear
Celebrities fret as Republicans come to New York.
Byron York gives us an inside look at some of those Hollywood half-wits in New York who have way too much time on their hands and not nearly enough intellectual capacity to understand what is going on. They are afraid, very afraid of those "dumb and mean" Republicans. The rest of us are laughing at them of course.
Byron York gives us an inside look at some of those Hollywood half-wits in New York who have way too much time on their hands and not nearly enough intellectual capacity to understand what is going on. They are afraid, very afraid of those "dumb and mean" Republicans. The rest of us are laughing at them of course.
More than 57 Varieties of Bush Hatred
Joining the protesters.
Rich Lowry has a bit of fun at the expense of the protesters at the Republican convention in New York. He ask some of them some simple questions and gets confused answers, and in some cases no answers at all. Which only goes to show just how intellectually curious the Angry Left really is.
Rich Lowry has a bit of fun at the expense of the protesters at the Republican convention in New York. He ask some of them some simple questions and gets confused answers, and in some cases no answers at all. Which only goes to show just how intellectually curious the Angry Left really is.
The Dangerous Secret
...is what Kerry believes now, not what he did then.
Stanley Kurtz writes on the subject of how John "war criminal" Kerry and the Angry Left Democrats have tried with mighty effort to avoid the obvious connection between Kerry's anti-war stance regarding Vietnam and his views today on defense and foreign policy. For if Kerry is from the Jimmy Carter/George McGovern wing of the appeasement left, then what can be expected from a Kerry administration with respect to the war against the Islamofascists?
Do we really believe that a dove in the White House will suddenly start to act like a hawk? I think we all know the answer. Kerry and his fellow anti-war protesters of the 60's never learned the real lessons of Vietnam. We live in a dangerous world and sometimes force is needed to protect people's freedom and safety from despots and tyranny. But The Angry Left will have none of it. They still think that America is the focus of evil in the modern world and must be stopped at all costs. To them, all conflicts are Vietnam; a war they still do not wish to understand. And their own actions cost the lives of millions who fell underneath the communist whip. But the Democrats have not come to terms with these facts. And because it means questioning their most basic beliefs about themselves, they never will. Instead they will try to prove once again, that it is all the fault of America and the party which believes in her fundamental goodness: the Republicans.
Stanley Kurtz writes on the subject of how John "war criminal" Kerry and the Angry Left Democrats have tried with mighty effort to avoid the obvious connection between Kerry's anti-war stance regarding Vietnam and his views today on defense and foreign policy. For if Kerry is from the Jimmy Carter/George McGovern wing of the appeasement left, then what can be expected from a Kerry administration with respect to the war against the Islamofascists?
Do we really believe that a dove in the White House will suddenly start to act like a hawk? I think we all know the answer. Kerry and his fellow anti-war protesters of the 60's never learned the real lessons of Vietnam. We live in a dangerous world and sometimes force is needed to protect people's freedom and safety from despots and tyranny. But The Angry Left will have none of it. They still think that America is the focus of evil in the modern world and must be stopped at all costs. To them, all conflicts are Vietnam; a war they still do not wish to understand. And their own actions cost the lives of millions who fell underneath the communist whip. But the Democrats have not come to terms with these facts. And because it means questioning their most basic beliefs about themselves, they never will. Instead they will try to prove once again, that it is all the fault of America and the party which believes in her fundamental goodness: the Republicans.
The McCain Myth
Bush didn’t smear the Arizona senator in 2000. He legitimately questioned his record.
Rich Lowry reports on the claims by some on the left that Bush smeared McCain during the primaries in 2000. But the truth is otherwise. As we can see in this article, the Bush campaign questioned McCain's political positions as one would expect to happen in any real primary battle. The Elite Media Monoculture would have us think this myth was true so as to undermine the legitimacy of the Bush administration by giving McCain a "strange new respect" award.
Rich Lowry reports on the claims by some on the left that Bush smeared McCain during the primaries in 2000. But the truth is otherwise. As we can see in this article, the Bush campaign questioned McCain's political positions as one would expect to happen in any real primary battle. The Elite Media Monoculture would have us think this myth was true so as to undermine the legitimacy of the Bush administration by giving McCain a "strange new respect" award.
Four Million
The number to keep in mind this November.
Paul Marshall reminds us that the insane killers of The Religion of Crashing Airplanes into Buildings are eager to kill as many of us as they can, including millions of children. Watching the current events in Russia one can only ask how the members of The Angry Left cannot see this. But then one is also tempted to conclude that they do see it and that they don't care as long as George W. Bush is thrown out of office. To them, millions of American deaths mean nothing. Indeed, their political system of choice, communism, is responsible for millions of deaths worldwide and yet they have not disavowed it to this day.
Paul Marshall reminds us that the insane killers of The Religion of Crashing Airplanes into Buildings are eager to kill as many of us as they can, including millions of children. Watching the current events in Russia one can only ask how the members of The Angry Left cannot see this. But then one is also tempted to conclude that they do see it and that they don't care as long as George W. Bush is thrown out of office. To them, millions of American deaths mean nothing. Indeed, their political system of choice, communism, is responsible for millions of deaths worldwide and yet they have not disavowed it to this day.
Kerry's Lost Opportunity
He could have healed the wounds of Vietnam. Instead, he tried to exploit them.
Blogger Herman Jacobs takes a look at the desire of John "war criminal" Kerry to have it both ways and how that desire has re-kindled the debate over the Vietnam war. Kerry is one of those baby boomers who never apologized for his anti-war activities; never recognized the damage he did to America; never understood how those who were captured were affected by his treason; never acknowledged that the pullout of America from the war resulted in the deaths and enslavement of millions under the communist boot. And there are plenty of people in the country who have not forgotten this fact and will not let Mr. Kerry get into the White House as long as this is the case. Mr. Kerry wants us to believe that the war protesters were doing the right thing when they said that the war in Vietnam was "criminal" but at the same time Mr. Kerry also wants to bask in the glow of military patriotism of a war that he himself denounced. Many veterans of that war are saying, "Over my dead body." And the rest of us can see the unbridled hypocrisy, even if Mr. Kerry cannot.
Blogger Herman Jacobs takes a look at the desire of John "war criminal" Kerry to have it both ways and how that desire has re-kindled the debate over the Vietnam war. Kerry is one of those baby boomers who never apologized for his anti-war activities; never recognized the damage he did to America; never understood how those who were captured were affected by his treason; never acknowledged that the pullout of America from the war resulted in the deaths and enslavement of millions under the communist boot. And there are plenty of people in the country who have not forgotten this fact and will not let Mr. Kerry get into the White House as long as this is the case. Mr. Kerry wants us to believe that the war protesters were doing the right thing when they said that the war in Vietnam was "criminal" but at the same time Mr. Kerry also wants to bask in the glow of military patriotism of a war that he himself denounced. Many veterans of that war are saying, "Over my dead body." And the rest of us can see the unbridled hypocrisy, even if Mr. Kerry cannot.
Crazy in the Streets
David Frum reports on the crazy demonstrators in New York and how they are rampaging through the streets of New York in a vain attempt at self-acceptance. Even Chris Matthews got pushed and shoved around, which is perhaps poetic justice considering his own behavior towards his guests.
The UnClintons
A great start.
Peter Robinson loved the speeches by McCain and Rudy and so did I. I pity the Democrats who have to hide who they are to try to convince us to vote for them. How sad and pathetic they have become.
Peter Robinson loved the speeches by McCain and Rudy and so did I. I pity the Democrats who have to hide who they are to try to convince us to vote for them. How sad and pathetic they have become.
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
The Price of Dissent in Venezuela
Hugo Chávez's thugs celebrate their "victory" by shooting my mother.
Thor Halvorssen reports from Venezuela that when leftists know they can't win honestly, which is most of the time, they resort to lies, deceit, chicanery and murder. In Venezuela, love toy of the left Hugo Chavez fixed the recent election to keep his grip on power and his friends in the money. But if you are in doubt about the fairness of the election, you get shot in the back by his leftist, goose-stepping goons.
Thor Halvorssen reports from Venezuela that when leftists know they can't win honestly, which is most of the time, they resort to lies, deceit, chicanery and murder. In Venezuela, love toy of the left Hugo Chavez fixed the recent election to keep his grip on power and his friends in the money. But if you are in doubt about the fairness of the election, you get shot in the back by his leftist, goose-stepping goons.
Grapes of Wrath
Choosing Chile over Champagne makes a difference.
Stephen Moore of the Club for Growth, writes about the continuing effect that the boycott on France has had on their exports to America. The cheese eating surrender monkeys might say otherwise, but the boycott has been a disaster for their economy. And when you consider the ill effects of their socialist policies, the boycott can only make things worse for them, which is just fine with me. I'll stick to wines from Italy and California, thank you very much.
Stephen Moore of the Club for Growth, writes about the continuing effect that the boycott on France has had on their exports to America. The cheese eating surrender monkeys might say otherwise, but the boycott has been a disaster for their economy. And when you consider the ill effects of their socialist policies, the boycott can only make things worse for them, which is just fine with me. I'll stick to wines from Italy and California, thank you very much.
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