I voted for the Media Research Center's 22nd Annual Awards for the Year's Worst Reporting and got so involved that I decided to write a post even though I have been taking a writing hiatus for the holidays.
A few stats about MRC's nominees
10 Different Print/Online Publications were nominated
Newsweek got 7 nominations
Times Mag got 6 nominations
NY Times got 4 nominations
MSNBC got the most broadcast nominations at 21
8 of those were given to Chris Matthews and 6 to Keith Olbermann.
ABC had 20 nominations
World News getting 8 and Nightline 4
NBC got 19 Nominations
Nightly News got 10, Today Show 6, and Meet the Press 2
CNN got 15 nominations with Newsroom getting the most at 5
CBS got 14 nominations and Katie Couric got half of those at 7
Go to MRC and make your picks before reading mine that I specify after the jump... VOTE
MOONBAT SIGHTING: NY Times Frank Rich finds a reason to sympathize with and excuse Richard Heene, the father in the Balloon Boy hoax. How could anyone possibly find reason to excuse this "Bad Dad?" BLAME BUSH, of course. No, I am not kidding. Check it out.
GLENN BECK GETS TWEETS FROM THE LOVING LEFT
http://www.glennbeck.com/content/videos/?uri=channels/338017/592940
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SAY NO TO ACORN
The defunding of ACORN passed by Congress will expire this Saturday. We need to hold elected officials feet to the fire and demand a permanent defunding or they will slip it back in while we are busy with something else like the disasterous ObamaCare.
With Congress getting ready to pass a continuing resolution that might -- or might not -- extend the ban on federal funds for ACORN, there's a new campaign urging lawmakers to restore federal funding for the community organizing group. The website DeFOX America, which is devoted both to attacking Fox News and defending ACORN, is asking readers to sign a petition urging Congress "to stand up to [Fox's] McCarthyite tactics by voting against any unconstitutional legislation that singles out specific organizations. This includes the continuing resolution that cuts off Federal support to the national anti-poverty group ACORN."
I reported yesterday that the congressional defunding of ACORN, which some observers assumed was permanent, was actually written to last just for the duration of the current continuing resolution that keeps money flowing to the federal government. That resolution expires at midnight October 31...
SCREEN CAPTURE OF THE DEFOX AMERICA WEBSITE Americans for Prosperity-IL have been running ads on cable tv and internet this week, pointing out the problems and connections with the public sector unions and community organizing groups such as ACORN. They're collecting signatures to present to Governor Quinn this week in Springfield. Go to www.saynotoacorn.com today to be included in the public outrage against bestowing more power on ACORN.
Another Media Research Center Report alerts us to Media Bias in the reporting of Obama awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the first popularly-elected Black US Senator, Edward Brooke.
ABC anchor Charles Gibson on Wednesday night had time to convey President Barack Obama's praise of Edward Brooke for “breaking barriers” as the first popularly-elected black U.S. Senator, but not to inform viewers he broke that barrier as a Republican.
NBC's David Gregory noted Brooke's party affiliation: “The Massachusetts Republican urged the lawmakers who gathered to congratulate him to put aside partisan differences and work together.”
Neither network mentioned that Brooke was defeated in 1978 by a darling of left, Paul Tsongas, who was a white guy. They also did not mention that the award for Brooke was approved over a year ago.
CBS did not report the story on their Evening News at all.
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INDOCTRINATION? WHAT INDOCTRINATION?
In case you missed it, here is the video clip of O'Reilly playing the cross dressing cartoon being shown to California school kids.
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OBAMA GOLF UPDATE
"While the President golfs Afghanistan, once a necessary war, is downgraded to someone else's mess." -- James Taranto, Best of the Web, WSJ
Politico reports: Obama has only been in office for just over nine months, but he's already hit the links as much as President Bush did in over two years.
CBS' Mark Knoller -- an unofficial documentarian and statistician of all things White House-related--wrote on his Twitter feed [Saturday] that, "Today - Obama ties Pres. Bush in the number of rounds of golf played in office: 24. Took Bush 2 yrs & 10 months."
Associated Press reports from Kabul that "eight American troops were killed in two separate bomb attacks Tuesday in southern Afghanistan, making October the deadliest month of the war for U.S. forces since the 2001 invasion to oust the Taliban."
The downgrade from The Good, Necessary War to Someone Else's Mess came via White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel who told CNN:
It's clear that basically we had a war for eight years that was going on, that's adrift. That we're beginning at scratch, and just from the starting point, after eight years. . . . Before you commit troops, which is--not irreversible, but puts you down a certain path--before you make that decision, there's a set of questions that have to have answers that have never been asked. And it's clear after eight years of war, that's basically starting from the beginning, and those questions never got asked. And what I find interesting and just intriguing from this debate in Washington, is that a lot of people who all of a sudden say, this is now the epicenter of the war on terror, you must do this now, immediately approve what the general said--where, before, it never even got on the radar screen for them.
James Taranto asks and reports:
Hang on a second. It has now been 51 weeks since Obama was elected president, and more than nine months since he took office, and he's just now getting around to asking the "questions . . . that have never been asked"?
But that's not really fair to Obama. After all, he has a busy schedule, what with golf games and pitching the International Olympic Committee and date nights and Democratic fund-raisers and health care and the U.N. Security Council and Sunday morning talk shows and saving the planet from global warming and celebrating the dog's birthday and defending himself against Fox News and all.
"I will never rush the solemn decision of sending you into harm's way," FoxNews.com quotes the president as telling servicemen. As for the servicemen who are already in harm's way: Jeez, guys, be patient! He'll figure out what to do about Afghanistan as soon as he gets around to it.
Then again, when he accepted the nomination for president back in August 2008, he seemed to know just what to do:
***** QUOTE *****
When John McCain said we could just "muddle through" in Afghanistan, I argued for more resources and more troops to finish the fight against the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9/11, and made clear that we must take out Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants if we have them in our sights. John McCain likes to say that he'll follow bin Laden to the Gates of Hell--but he won't even go to the cave where he lives. . . .
I will . . . finish the fight against al-Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan.
***** END QUOTE *****
As John Kerry* once said, "You could get whiplash watching the administration policy on Afghanistan change from day to day."
* The haughty, French-looking Massachusetts Democrat who, by the way, served in Vietnam.
In an article for NewsBusters, Brent Baker notes that even though Obama has declared H1N1 a national emergency, he has escaped any blame for the vaccine shortage by the media or elected officials (unless of course it just hasn't been reported.)
CBS Evening News, fill-in anchor Harry Smith reported: “Now to the H1N1 flu. Federal health officials admitted today their projected timetable for producing the vaccine was way off.”
Substituting on the NBC Nightly News, Ann Curry blandly announced: “President Obama declared the swine flu pandemic a national emergency over the weekend, but still the amount of vaccine to protect against it is running way behind what the government had promised.”
ABC, Charles Gibson, the only regular anchor working Monday night, also avoided placing any blame: “The government originally predicted 40 million doses of vaccine would be available by the end of October, now says there will only about 28 million. And people who want the vaccine are finding tremendous difficulty getting any information about when and where it will be available...”
ABC Reporter John McKenzie named a government agency instead of the Obama administration: “Even members of Congress, hearing from so many frustrated Americans today called on the Centers for Disease Control, to do a better job communicating where and when people can find this elusive vaccine.”
One can only imagine how the media would have treated George Bush in the same situation. But wait... we don't have to imagine because a flu vaccine shortage did happen while Bush was president. Samples of the Media coverage:
Houston Chronicle's Cragg Hines: The Bush administration has blamed the current vaccine shortage on virtually everyone but itself. A favorite whipping boy is, of course, trial lawyers and liability suits against pharmaceutical houses
Thompson: No flu crisis; Ex-Wisconsin governor, visiting Dubuque, talks about vaccine shortage
Telegraph - Herald (Dubuque) ...with dire predictions of a flu vaccine shortage. "The flu vaccine is not a crisis... campaign tour. "The fact is that George Bush was warned three years ago that we could face a flu vaccine shortage and he did nothing about it,"
AP Online: Flu Vaccine Shortage Sways 2004 Campaign
AP Online: ...the last several days, the vaccine shortage has become a political issue... The vaccine shortage became public two weeks ago...
Daily Breeze: Kerry points to Bush on vaccine shortage
Telegraph - Herald (Dubuque) Vaccine shortage affects election; Bush defends his administration while Kerry tries to hold him responsible for loss of doses
Telegraph - Herald (Dubuque) ...President Bush's fault. Over the last several days, the vaccine shortage has been injected squarely into the presidential race...you're a young child, if you're a pregnant woman, George Bush and the Republicans have this to say on health care...
U.S. Newswire: George Bush: Failing To Protect Americans' Health; Failed to Take Action to Prevent Flu Crisis, Says Kerry Campaign
U.S. Newswire: ...around the corner, George Bush has again failed to plan for a vaccine shortage, leaving millions at...to avert a disastrous vaccine shortage."
CBS Evening News with Dan Rather: The big question facing doctors is what will the vaccine shortage mean in terms of actual risk to the public? ...John Kerry was quick to point out this happened on George Bush`s watch."
NPR All Things Considered: "John Kerry lays out his plan for dealing with the flu vaccine shortage"
NPR All Things Considered: "...John Kerry lays out his plan for dealing with the flu vaccine shortage Host: MICHELE NORRIS, ...system to decide who's going to get a flu shot. So now George Bush is telling us you got to get lucky to get health care in..."
The Christian Science Monitor: A month of mini 'October surprises'; A flurry of revelations, from Iraq's missing explosives to the flu vaccine shortage, have touched this year's presidential race. (USA)
The Christian Science Monitor: "...The Kerry campaign issued an immediate response: "George Bush's hypocrisy knows no bounds. On the same day that his ...that have worked against the president include the flu-vaccine shortage, oil prices, and a stock market below 10,000."
CBS Evening News with Dan Rather: Candidates Blame Bush for Flu Vaccine Shortage
CBS Evening News with Dan Rather: "... system to decide who`s going to get a flu shot. So now, George Bush is telling us, 'You got to get lucky to get health care ...vaccinations during this upcoming season.' ... A George Bush mess. ACOSTA: The next day, a new Kerry ad was born"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Vaccine shortage gets political Cheney says lawsuits helped create flu woes as Durbin joins fray."
Chicago Sun-Times: "Seniors and children wait. Not enough vaccines for pregnant women. The Kerry ad ends with the kicker: 'A George Bush mess. It's time for a new direction.' Kerry followed up Monday during a speech on health care by alleging that the administration... "
Okay, so, what is the reason for the shortage? What did the Bush administration actually do to cause a shortage, in an election year? What might the root cause might be? The lack of intellectual curiosity by the media, then and now, isn't surprising, I just wonder how they missed Blaming Bush for this shortage... after all if Bush had not allowed Katrina to hit New Orleans there would probably be lots of vaccine.
Since American companies are not making and distributing vaccines in the US any more, the hang up could be because the world isn't over hating Bush (after all they didn't give Chicago the Olympics.) Maybe someone actually has found a way to blame Bush, I might need to cruise some more... Although, I am sure they will get around to it if Fox News starts asking too many uncomfortable questions.
Seems like a curious journalist would start to wonder why there are shortages, since Bush isn't being blamed. (Although, I am sure they will get around to it if Fox News starts asking too many uncomfortable questions.) I did find a 2001 USA Today article that suggests an possible answer...
"...Price caps also hinder production, the group says. "Most of the vaccine market is effectively price-controlled, so there is not a true market for vaccines," says Sara Radcliffe, research director for PhRMA. She said those controls help explain why the number of vaccine makers has dropped from a dozen 15 years ago to four today.
Radcliffe's concern about vaccine price controls stems from federal legislation enacted in 1994. The law capped at 1993 levels the prices of childhood vaccines bought for use in public health centers through a national contracting system overseen by the CDC. From 50% to 60% of all vaccines for children are purchased through such arrangements."
Hmmm... A 1994 law that capped the price of vaccines? Now who was in office in 1994?
If car makers were suddenly faced with a law that limits the amount of money they can charge for a car, how many car makers are going to keep producing cars, while losing money? It's common sense, but as we know, that seems to be in short supply these days.
I am one person. I might not change the world, but I can do what one person can do.
Preserving the Republic is the responsibility of each American citizen. We must all stand up and do our part to scrub away the socialist scum that is corroding our home with its corruption and insidious attacks on the Constitution. With a brave heart and bold actions, we join with the Soldiers, Vets and Patriots (past and present) and take an oath to uphold and protect the Constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic.
