Day: 5/29/2008

Dunkin, Malkin And Terrorist Scarves

Posted by on May 29, 2008 at 2:01 pm. 6 Comments :

When exactly is it appropriate to send in the guys with the butterfly nets? Ultra-conservative pundette, Michelle Malkin is mortified at the thought of extremist islamo-fascists infiltrating America and hypnotizing its citizens with ….. SCARVES!

In a recent advertisement, Dunkin Donuts featured Rachel Ray in what Malkin, and other right-wing alarmists, believe is a symbolic scarf that is signaling Al Qaeda sleeper cells in the U.S. And as if it isn’t bad enough that her paranoid delusions are foisted upon an incredulous world, the folks at Dunkin are actually taking this so seriously as to yank the ad for fear of the proposed Malkin-led boycott.

Well, NewsCorpse has conducted an extensive investigation and discovered that the terrorist conspiracy extends much farther than previously disclosed. In fact, it goes straight to the top of the present government and, potentially, the next (see photo evidence above).

Where does it end? No one can say for sure. But the Dunkin Do-NUTS may see their boycott fears come true. I, for one, will not be patronizing their cowardly, unpatriotic, spineless establishments for the foreseeable future. I will not support any business that appeases insane, domestic terrorists – like Malkin. And maybe I’ll lose a few pounds too.

Rupert Murdoch Predicts Obama Landslide

Posted by on May 29, 2008 at 11:36 am. 1 Comments :

This week’s All Things Digital Conference brought Rupert Murdoch to the stage for a surprising interview that included his views on the economy, Barack Obama, and the 2008 election.

Reuters: “News Corp Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch on Wednesday predicted a Democratic landslide in the U.S. presidential election against a gloomy economic backdrop over the next 18 months.”

Murdoch referred to the current status of the nation’s electoral mood as an “Obama phenomenon” that is fueled by a weak economy. He believes that, while race will be factor, Obama has “totally overcome” any lasting impact from the issue. Asked whether he is supporting Obama (like his daughter, Elisabeth) he said:

“I’m not backing anyone, but I want to meet Obama. I want to know if he’s going to walk the walk.”

However, when asked if he had anything to do with the New York Post’s endorsement of Obama he said simply, “Yeah.”

As for John McCain, Murdoch, who called McCain a friend, contends that he “has a lot of problems” and will be hurt by his long tenure in Washington and his association with a party that is battling a “rising political tide” for Democrats.

The surprising thing about these remarks is the abundance of paradox that envelops them. If Murdoch is sincere (not something that can be assumed), then why does he allow his networks and newspapers to spew so much vile disinformation about Obama? The endorsement of the Post, it should be noted, was only for the Democratic primary, not the general election. And the content of the endorsement read more like an indictment. To those who would argue that Murdoch doesn’t meddle in the editorial affairs of his news operations, Murdoch has just openly declared that he does, at least with regard to the Post.

Murdoch also stated that the U.S. is “undoubtedly” in a recession that he predicts will last for up to 18 months. That is squarely at odds with the position of his new Fox Business Network that was founded in part to promote rosy economic scenarios. His managing editor, Neil Cavuto, is a persistent cheerleader for economic viewpoints that are blindingly sunny.

We’ll have to see where this all leads to in time. Will it have any impact on Fox News or other Murdoch assets? His recent conversion on the threat of global warming has not filtered through to his publications or broadcasts, must of which still ridicule the notion as a hoax. In the end, this may just be a strategic move to alleviate pressure from his critics. By making statements like these he can assert that he is a political independent. Meanwhile, his media empire can continue to hammer at Democrats and progressives in an effort to manipulate public opinion. Millions more will see Sean Hannity’s disparagements of Obama than will ever hear of these remarks by Murdoch.

Stay tuned.

Jessica Yellin: Press Succumbs To Patriotic Fever

Posted by on May 29, 2008 at 9:46 am. NO Comments :

In a discussion on CNN of the book by former White House press secretary, Scott McClellan, Anderson Cooper quoted a passage that criticized the press for not being sufficiently aggressive in their coverage of the war in Iraq and the Bush administration.

McClellan: “If anything, the national press corps was probably too deferential to the White House and to the administration in regard to the most important decision facing the nation during my years in Washington, the choice over whether to go to war in Iraq.”

CNN reporter Jessica Yellin then described her experience with network news executives who pressured her to deliver stories that were slanted in favor of the President.

Yellin: “The press corps was under enormous pressure from corporate executives, frankly, to make sure that this was a war presented in a way that was consistent with the patriotic fever in the nation and the president’s high approval ratings. And my own experience at the White House was that the higher the president’s approval ratings, the more pressure I had from news executives.”

Yellin’s admission provides a stark confirmation of McClellan’s criticism. The press was indeed too deferential – because their bosses ordered them to be.

The real tragedy of all this is that these confessions always come far too late. Too late for the 4,000+ dead American soldiers and their families. Too late for the tens (hundreds?) of thousands of dead Iraqi civilians. Too late for the next generation af Americans who will be burdened by the loss of international respect and trust, not to mention the burden of $2 trillion (and counting) of war debt.

Yellin is not the first journalist to issue this sort of belated mea culpa. I documented several other examples a year and a half ago. You just have to wonder where these people’s ethics were at the time.