Day: 3/23/2007

Adult Behavior

Posted by on March 23, 2007 at 6:14 pm. NO Comments :

Adult BehaviorIn today’s White House press briefing, Tony Snow had some interesting comments regarding the testimony of Karl Rove and other Bush cronies and their involvement in GonzoGate: The Fired U.S. Attorneys Affair.

Question: We spoke with the Senate Judiciary Committee and the House Judiciary Committee. Senate says there is no precedent for having an official of this nature come and speak to the Committee without a transcript. The House also says they can’t find any precedent. Why should this case set a precedent?

Snow: Well, the fact is what they’re trying to do is to establish their own set of precedents. What we’re trying to do is to set a precedent for adult behavior in a way that is going to reflect well on a situation and offer an opportunity.

What do you suppose Snow means by “adult behavior?” And whom is he calling childish? Members of Congress? The American people? All that is being asked is that Rove and Co. testify under oath and in public. To resist this suggests that you intend to lie and/or have something to hide. But the White House is resisting and even insisting that the “interview” take place behind closed doors, no oath be given, and no transcript taken. When Democrats balk at this Skull & Bones approach to governing, Snow impunes their maturity. He later portrays this blatant stonewalling as a gift…

“I can’t imagine a more generous offer.”

He has a pretty sorry imagination. Or maybe he just thinks that telling the truth is obscene and should be subject to censorship.

Liberals Are The Mainstream

Posted by on March 23, 2007 at 3:30 pm. NO Comments :

The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press released a new study that should put an end to the media fiction that liberals are some sort of fringe group that are out of touch with mainstream America. It should put an end to that, but will it?

The report reveals that the public has been growing more concerned about social programs, income inequality, and militaristic national security policies, and less interested in the so-called traditional social values promoted by conservatives. That values divide corresponds with a shift in political affiliation as well:

“In 2002, the country was equally divided along partisan lines: 43% identified with the Republican Party or leaned to the GOP, while an identical proportion said they were Democrats. Today, half of the public (50%) either identifies as a Democrat or says they lean to the Democratic Party, compared with 35% who align with the GOP.”

That’s a 15% divergence in 5 years. Following the Democratic electoral victories last November and the consistently low approval ratings of the Bush administration, one might think that the press would start to approach issues in a manner that reflects this reality. Instead, they persist in characterizing liberals as peaceniks and welfare moms. Partisans like Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity can’t say the word “Left” without appending “ultra-far” to the front of it. Even if they are talking about confirmed moderates like John Murtha.

Whether it’s the anti-troops leftists seeking a sane foreign policy, or the radical liberals who scotched the Fox News attempt to sabotage the debate in Nevada, or the mockery of Al Gore’s congressional testimony on global warming, or the loony netroots activists that have taken over the Democratic Party, the subtle, and sometimes obvious, defamation ought to be wearing thin. It’s the stenographers and spokesmodels who pass for the “mainstream” media who are out of touch. In poll after poll it has been shown that more Americans agree with the positions of liberals on almost every issue. That includes the economy, healthcare, the environment, civil rights, and most notably, the war. But the media continues to force their utterly misrepresentative narrative on a public that knows better.

This seems like a good time to remind and encourage people to let the press know that we know that they are being dishonest. If ABC News makes disparaging comments about “left-wing special interests,” call their newsroom. If USA Today belittles progressive congresspersons as not being aligned with their constituents, fire off an email. Do this every time you witness their bad behavior and point them to this Pew study. If we hit them over the head with the truth enough times, they might finally start to get it.

We can only hope.