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Google De-Lists Prominent UN Critic Blogger

February 19, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

In another blow against freedom of speech on the Internet, Fox News is reporting that Google has taken the measure of de-listing the work of an anti-UN blogger named Matthew Lee. For several years, Lee has run the Inner City Press, a small news/opinion site that is focused on criticizing the United Nations. But since Google has teamed up with the UN on recent initiatives, Google has found that Lee’s criticism is too much for them to handle.

Mr. Lee has been taking after big targets for a long time, so he is no newcomer to the scene. In 1987 he went after Citigroup with his corruption exposes, but since 2005 the United Nations has been his favorite target. He has especially focused on the “inner workings of what could be called the practical-applications arm of the international organization, the United Nations Development Programme.”

As Fox News reports:

Many of Lee’s stories were featured prominently whenever Web users looked for news about the U.N. using the powerful Google News search engine, a vital way for media outlets both large and small to get their articles read… But beginning Feb. 13, Google News users could no longer find new stories from the Inner City Press.

After the Government Accountability Project discovered the plight of Inner City Press and raised their own stink about the de-listing, Google claimed that the de-listing was a mistake but that it would take “a couple weeks” to fix the “glitch.”

“We acknowledged our misunderstanding … but it takes time for the restoration to occur,” [Google spokesman Gabriel] Stricker said. “The glitch will be resolved as soon as possible. We’re working on it.”

The GAP, however is none too happy about Google’s “glitch.” GAP’s international-program director Bea Edwards told Fox that Inner City Press was “the most effective and important media organization for UN whistleblowers.”

“We’re alarmed. The question is, is what user sent the complaint? And it’s probably not too hard to guess. We would guess the complaints came from the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme).”

This isn’t something new for Internet organizations like Google, however. Google and other Internet organizations like Newsvine and Digg have been embroiled in efforts to eliminate the conservative voice from the Internet for quite some time.

For instance, Newsvine recently canceled the account of the conservative news/opinion site called The New Media Alliance. And, as Noel Sheppard reported back in May of 2006, the conservative opinion site called The New Media Journal was removed from search engines by Google because Google deemed the commentary site a “hate site.”

So, far from being the wild west of opinion, the Internet is seemingly more and more in the grip of leftist organizations that are out to eliminate conservative expression on the net. Add to this the liberals in Congress who want to reinstate the inaptly named “Fairness Doctrine,” and we get ominous signs of the left’s oppressive ideas of “freedom of speech.”

It’s just one more example that Jonah Goldberg is right. Liberals are closer to fascists than any conservative.

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00Publius Contributor - Elections - GOP - Media Bias - News - President - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

How Conservatives Are Being Told to Throw Away Principles

February 19, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

It is getting tiresome already, but we are starting to see a new kind of story on this issue of McCain and his tiff with the conservative wing of the GOP and that is the shut-up-and-take-it style of commentary, the style were conservatives are told to throw away their principles and just vote McCain anyway.<.p>

I am sure that you all have noticed that John McCain is not the conservative’s hero? There has been story after story expounding on how McCain has a lot of cajoling to do before principled conservatives will vote for him in November. He hasn’t made those efforts yet, at least if looking at the primaries and caucuses that have occurred since McCain became the “presumptive nominee” — at least according to the media — are concerned. These last few early February events did not make him look much like an obvious winner, either. Even president Bush has said that he has some convincing of conservatives to do before he could expect their vote. All this clearly shows that McCain lacks serious conservative credentials.

A recent editorial by former Scripps Howard News Service editor Dan K. Thomasson serves as a perfect example of this sort of wrist slapping that conservatives are increasingly receiving from so many quarters, both from the left and their own reputed party members. Thomasson even takes it a step further by positing that conservatives should act like John F. Kennedy who allowed Lyndon Johnson to become his vice presidential pick even though they were rivals for the Democrat nomination for president in 1960. Similarly, he says, conservatives should accept the ideologically impure McCain and then work with him to put one of their own guys on the ticket in the second spot.

All of these stories have a singular concept underlying them and that is that conservatives should throw away their principles and vote for McCain without a whimper. In other words, the press imagines that conservatives should rather be more interested in a White House win than in upholding their principles. But this raises an interesting question: where were all the stories that chided Dail Kos, netrooters for holding to their principles by attempting to take over the Democratic Party during the 2006 midterms? Far from scoffing at the netrooter’s too stiff spines, they were praised for their campaign to force the Party into going their way.

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00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Frank Salvato - GOP - Media Bias - News - President - Security/Safety - Society/Culture

We Need to Be Careful for What We Wish

February 19, 2008 by

-By Frank Salvato

As the primary cycle rolls on, those who understand the danger of a Hillary Clinton administration are gleefully watching her tumble in the polls. Barack Obama’s campaign “performances” have played to the basest emotions of America’s left-leaning community and, ironically, doing so with a recycled version of Bill Clinton’s 1992 messages of “change” and “hope.” But as much as Ms. Clinton’s demise may fill Conservative hearts with a sense of satisfaction we really should be careful for what we wish.

Of course, there are many reasons to oppose a Clinton II administration, especially in these internationally conflicted times.

Hillary Clinton ®C by her insistence that she served as co-president ®C was complicit in treating the issue of Islamofascist terrorism as a “law enforcement issue” rather than an act of war. This is, of course, absurd for the simple fact that our enemy literally declared war on us in 1996 and then again in 1998. One can just imagine bin Laden and al Zawahiri sitting in their Tora Bora cave, scratching their heads at the non-action of the Clintons saying to one another, “Do you think that email went through? You know, these things get lost in cyber space every now and again. Go ahead, Ayman, send it again and this time use some exclamation points so they know we mean it.”
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00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - History - Media Bias - Morals/Sex - News - Patriotism - President - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Where Have you Gone George Washington?

February 18, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

I don’t celebrate “President’s Day.” I celebrate the presidents individually, not the whole gaggle of them at once. These days, George Washington has been relegated to that “truth telling guy” to be seen on the one dollar bill and on TV commercials at the end of February or that guy lumped in with Lincoln on “President’s Day.” And that is a shame, indeed, for, without George Washington, our presidency and nation might have had a far different attitude.

But, what made Washington such a giant for our times as well as his? For one thing, he knew how to act in public.

Back in the 1700’s

In the year 1759 a man named William Robertson wrote a book called The History of Emperor Charles V, a book some claim was the standard after which modern historical study and writing has come to be patterned. Mr. Robertson, who became Principle of the University of Edinburgh in later years, introduced a salient point into the era of the Scottish Enlightenment. That idea was that “Politeness” in society would result in becoming a civilized nation. And it was a politeness perpetuated and spread through capitalism that was the best avenue to achieving that civilized level.

He wrote “In proportion as commerce made its way into the different countries of Europe they successively … adopted those manners, which occupy and distinguish polished nations.” So, as the theory goes, man by his very nature craves material possession and property. To get that property he must work for it with his best skills. To make use of these skills he must rely on neighbors to get supplies to employ such skills as well as to become customers for his skills. This leads man to act in a solicitous manner of his neighbors so that they will be disposed to employ him and his abilities. This “politeness” employed by the individual inculcates the action in society at large which, in turn, enlarges that field of involved persons to counties and then the country in general, neighboring countries and, ultimately, the world and the governments they create.

Yet, even before the intelligencia of Scotland waxed eloquent on the reasons and why-fors of commerce, civilization, and conduct religions had already realized that such concepts, if only on a personal level, simply made sense. As early as 1559 the French Jesuits has compiled a series of maxims to govern human interaction many based on the Bible’s teachings. These maxims became all the rage in the mid 1600’s when they were spread throughout Europe.

So, with the theory of politeness in its various vestiges firmly entrenched in commerce and foreign and interpersonal relations it became obvious that one needed codes of conduct agreed upon by all to govern the rules of the game. This code of conduct became to be known as ethics in business and politics. In personal conduct it became known as etiquette. It is etiquette that underlies political ethics. Without etiquette, ethics struggles to exist. Unfortunately it is etiquette that seems to have died in modern society.

Today

A few months ago I was walking through an itinerant book store, an empty store front temporarily rented by entrepreneurs who have bought returned books or close out books at cut-rate prices to sell cheaply to the public. In the history section I saw there the usual Clinton apologist books and Bush Hatemonger’s screeds that no one wanted, the dry collegiate studies of the fall of the Roman Empire and the coffee table compilation books that have recently fallen out of favor. Suddenly I spied a spare little book edited and commented upon by Richard Bookhiser called Rules of Civility, The 110 Precepts That Guided Our First President In War And Peace. This 90 page hardback book sported the price of only $4.00 so I picked it up.

I took it home and spent the few minutes it took to read the Rules that were said to have governed the life of George Washington and found myself wondering what the heck happened to civility in this country? What happened to the etiquette that, once upon a time, governed civil society?

Washington was the best of both worlds in a revolutionary leader. He was able to lead a rebellion as well as govern the new country after the rebellion succeeded, as Mr. Brookhiser points out in his forward. It was once remarked by a European diplomat’s wife that Washington had, “perfect good breeding and a correct knowledge of even the etiquette of a court.” High praise, indeed, from a haughty European in the days when they were so sure the United States of America were doomed to ignominious failure.

Today many of the rules seem archaic as they laid out rules on how to eat in public, When to wear a hat and when not to, the correct posture and the like. But even in these seemingly pointless “rules” one gets the distinct impression that the training to be imparted by these precepts are meant to work from the personal to the interpersonal informing the whole man, not just the public man. A concept we seem to have totally lost in our day of “rights” and desires. We have come to an age where what we “want” supersedes good posture, delicate eating habits and proper dress. We tell ourselves we are more than what we wear or how good our table manners are and so we dispense with such “nonsense.” But is it nonsense? Do we give ourselves short shrift when we ignore such once common ideals of conduct in our arrogance? It might become obvious as we view how people treat each other in public, while we feel the palpable anger in the air as each person seems so sure that they are not getting the “respect” they deserve. But do they treat others with the same respect they are so sure they deserve in return?

As you read further into the rules you’ll find a road map to polite social discourse and comportment that you will just know have been lost to society. Here are a few of them for the purpose of comparison to today’s standards:

22) Show not yourself glad at the misfortune of another though he were your enemy … Be NICE, even when you win.

25) Superfluous compliment and all affectation of ceremony are to be avoided, yet where due they are not neglected … Real ceremony is a matter of respect not an end in itself, as Mr. Brookhiser notes.

36) Artificers and persons of low degree ought not to use many ceremonies to lords or others of high degree, but respect and highly honor them, and those of high degree ought to treat them with affability and courtesy, without arrogancy …. At first sight this might tend to enrage today’s man yet when you truly look at it this rule commands everyone, both high and low, to treat people with good grace and respect something that seems sorely lacking today.

80) Be not tedious in discourse or in reading unless you find the company pleased therewith … How many blow-hards do you find droning on about their theories and feelings today?( Hey wait a minute, don’t look at ME!)

81) Be not curious to know the affairs of others, neither approach those that speak in private … Don’t be a nosy gossip. That would erase most of TV and the newspapers report, I would imagine.

84) When your superiors talk to anybody hearken not, neither speak nor laugh … of course that would presuppose we HAVE superiors these days. It seems everyone assumes that no one is their “better” these days.

89) Speak not of the absent for it is unjust.

109) Let your recreations be manful not sinful.

Naturally these are just a few examples but don’t they all ring with a sense of delicacy, justice and common decency? Can you see how social discourse would improve with wide acceptance of such precepts? I would urge each of you to find this book or others like it and read General Washington’s maxims. It can do nothing if not improve your life.

Let me close this with the last rule in the series. One that is definitely forgotten these days …

110) Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience.

Happy birthday, sir, but where have you gone George Washington, indeed?

____________

Warner Todd Huston is a Chicago based freelance writer, has been writing opinion editorials and social criticism since early 2001 and is featured on many websites such as newsbusters.org, townhall.com, New Media Journal, Men’s News Daily and the New Media Alliance among many, many others. Additionally, he has been a frequent guest on talk-radio programs to discuss his opinion editorials and current events. He has also written for several history magazines and appears in the new book “Americans on Politics, Policy and Pop Culture” which can be purchased on amazon.com. He is also the owner and operator of publiusforum.com. Feel free to contact him with any comments or questions : EMAIL Warner Todd Huston

00Publius Contributor - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - GOP - Media Bias - News - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Approval of Congress in US Below that of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan?

February 18, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

We frequently hear the US media trumpet that Bush’s approval ratings are so low. Not quite as often we hear that Congress’ approval ratings are even lower than Bush’s. But, did you know that Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda has an approval rating in Pakistan two percent higher than Congress does?

Both Congress and bin Laden seem to have fallen on hard times of late. According to the AP, in the USA Nancy Pelosi’s Congress has an approval rating of 22% while Bush has an approval rating of 30%. Congress’ low approval rating matches its documented poorest grade and has dropped 4 percentage points since January.

Now, if someone were to tell you that Congress in the US ranks lower than bin Laden and al Qaeda does in Pakistan, you might not think that so wild a statement. Of course the Islamic radicals in Pakistan would love bin Laden and al Qaeda, and Americans might, you might imagine, be more critical of their own leaders. However, a recent Washington Post report might startle you.
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00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Media Bias - News - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Boston Globe Celebrates ‘Year of Rat’ With List of All Democrat Rats

February 18, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

In a multicultural extravaganza, the Boston Globe celebrated the Chinese New Year, the “year of the rat,” by giving us a nice list of “famous” Americans who are “rats.” (Rats are those born in the years 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, and 1996) The Globe defined a “rat” as someone who is “charming, clever, hard-working, intelligent, practical, and social,” this according to “Chinese astrology.” Well, the Globe is here to tell us that “rats” are really great folks. But, looking over their list of American “rats” will reveal not a single conservative or Republican name. Apparently, the Globe can’t find any conservative “rats” who are “charming, clever, hard-working, intelligent, practical, and social.” On the other hand, do we really want to be considered as “raty” as the Globe’s favorite Dems?

To celebrate this famouse (sorry, famous) holiday coming out of their favorite communist nation, the Globe does their best to give us a nice warm feeling about “rats”… at least certain ones, anyway.

Rats get a bad rap in Western culture. The less-than-adorable rodents are often referenced in disparaging ways: “I smell a rat”; “Why that dirty rat.” . . . But in China, being a Rat is no disgrace. In fact, according to Chinese astrology, the Rat is a respected, courageous, and enterprising individual… The Year of the Rat officially began on Feb. 7, so we think it’s high time to embrace the Rats among us. Those born in Rat years are charming, clever, hard-working, intelligent, practical, and social.

And then they go on to list some American “rats” (and a few foreign ones) that fit the wonderfulness of rathood. I have to say, though, that the Globe’s list does, indeed, make me think of rats right away. Though I must confess, I can’t get that “bad” Western cultural definition out of my unenlightened skull.

And the Globe’s “rats” award Goes to… the envelope, please…
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00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Media Bias - News - Society/Culture

McCain’s looking better already

February 18, 2008 by

-By Michael M. Bates

Ann Coulter says conservatives should vote for Hillary Clinton if John McCain is the GOP’s nominee. Ann Coulter is wrong.

For one thing, right now it looks as though Barack Obama will be the Democratic candidate, if his swooning supporters don’t manage to get him declared a saint before then. His lack of substance has transformed him into today’s John F. Kennedy, another empty suit who realized you don’t have to fool all the people all the time, just half of the voters plus one.

For another thing, for all of John McCain’s deficiencies in satisfying conservatives, he’d make a far better president than either the empty suit or the pantsuit.

Maybe it was Sister Annie’s temporary insanity that emboldened Ms. Chelsea Clinton, taking a day off from her $100,000 plus gig at a hedge fund operation, to make a startling claim. She alleges that Mumsie is the “most fiscally conservative candidate running.”
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00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Media Bias - News - President - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Another Aging Rocker Tells a Republican to Stop Using Song

February 17, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

I guess hate is More Than A Feeling for aging rocker Tom Scholz, former member of the band Boston. Scholz, it appears, is none too happy that presidential candidate Mike Huckabee was using his old Boston tune, More Than A Feeling on the campaign trail and he wants him to stop it.

Like John Cougar Mellenkamp — who got his leather pants in a bunch over McCain’s usage of one of his pop tunes — Mr. Scholz is another musician who imagines that people are so stupid that when they hear a song at a campaign rally, they must automatically imagine that the producer of the song supports the candidate in question.

As reported by the AP, Scholz sent a letter to the Huckabee campaign telling Huckabee to dump the song and Don’t Look Back.

“Boston has never endorsed a political candidate, and will all due respect, would not start by endorsing a candidate who is the polar opposite of most everything Boston stands for,” wrote Scholz, adding that he is supporting Democratic Sen. Barack Obama. “By using my song, and my band’s name Boston, you have taken something of mine and used it to promote ideas to which I am opposed. In other words, I think I’ve been ripped off, dude!”

Yeah… dude. Good thing he is a guitar player because thinker seems to be out of the question. (I can’t help it, but it just seems a little childish for a 60 some year-old man to be calling people “dude”)

But, here is the thing, Huckabee, a bass guitar player, has actually appeared on stage with a former member of Scholz’ own band. Boston band member Barry Goudreau has jammed with Huckabee in the past, so it is only natural that Huckabee felt he could use the song. After all, he had a member of Boston on stage with him!

Of course, the cantankerous Scholz even seems to claim that his old band mate is somehow not a real member of the band!

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00Publius Contributor - Business - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - News - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Incivility, Thy Name is Union

February 17, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Rhode Island resident Bill Felkner is wondering why Pat Crowley, “the $84,000 per year Assistant Executive Director of the RI affiliate of the National Education Association and the Lincoln Democrat Party chairman,” feels it necessary to give his opponents “the finger” as he protests in public to enlarge union power? At a recent Tiverton teacher contract negotiation protest, Crowley is pictured giving his … um…. civil reply to those who stand against the union.

This fits in nicely with the incivility and general ignorance that so typifies union thuggery, but this particular incident is all the more sad because this ignorant behavior is on behalf of a Teachers union. You know, teachers? The ones to whom we entrust the care and education of our children?

On his blog, Felkner wonders aloud about the propriety and practicality of the current union goals.

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00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Frederick Meekins - Media Bias - News - Religion - Society/Culture

More Things Change The More They Stay The Same In Leftist Suburb

February 17, 2008 by

-By Frederick Meekins

In some systems of Eastern thought, the doctrine of recurrence teaches that everything that has happened will happen again. Western philosophy of history drawing inspiration from a Biblical understanding of the universe does not share in the same exact idea since the Judeo-Christian worldview sees history as moving towards its ultimate conclusion in eternity. However,. traditional orthodox theism admits there is nothing new under the sun, meaning all the schemes and frauds have all been around the block a few times and will continue to plague the human condition until the good Lord decides to step and put an end to all this nonsense.

In an essay in my underappreciated masterpiece “Yuletide Terror & Other Holiday Horrors”, titled “Holiday Tree, Holiday Tree, Thy Name Is In Need Of Serious Changing” I examined the propriety of holding a yoga class in the City of Hyattsville municipal building since the practice is inherently spiritual and wondered if the same courtesy would be extended to a Christian group wanting to hold a prayer meeting or Bible study. For at the very same time the town fathers were opening city hall to limber swamis, these weeping willows of tolerance bent to the whims of political correctness switched the name of their Yuletide evergreen from that of “Christmas” to “Holiday” Tree.

When published in the town newspaper, my comments were castigated by the course instructor, claiming yoga was merely physical exercise having nothing whatsoever to do with religion or faith. The more things change the more they stay the same and eventually both the yoga class and the trees name appeared in the local press again years later.
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00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Media Bias - News - President - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Is Obama Feinting Fainting Spells at Rallies?

February 16, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

BreitbartTV has an interesting little video called “Fired Up and Falling Down: String of Crowd Fainting Incidents Hits Obama Rallies.” This video shows a series of what appears to be a fainting women right up near the stage at different Barack Hussein Obama campaign rallies. And in nearly every case, Obama says the same things, almost as if rehearsed. This has been rumbling for a day or so on the Internet, but the MSM has yet to pick up on it. I wonder why?

It’s an awful big coincidence that all these women keep fainting at Obama campaign rallies isn’t it? And isn’t it odd that they are always right up by the podium? Also, it is so odd that Barack says nearly the same lines in response and that he stops everything to “assist” the fainted?

So, the question arises, are staged fainting spells being created by the Obama campaign to make the audience think that people are so overheated by Obama that they end up fainting? It also creates the impression that the candidate is “caring” when he stops the rally to call for doctors to attend to the woman and for a “water bottle” to be given to her.

It just strains credulity that so many instances in nearly exact detail have been happening spontaneously.

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00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Media Bias - News - President - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Las Vegas Sun: Is Romney Calling Huckabee a Terrorist?

February 16, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Sometimes a paper puts out an editorial that is so absurd that it makes your head spin. The Las Vegas Sun wins the prize this week for a surreal ability to read something into nothing. The Sun took Mitt Romney’s CPAC concession speech and turned it from a gracious and inspiring address into a screed where the Sun amazingly heard Romney call Mike Huckabee a terrorist! It just makes ya go “HUH?”

In an unsigned editorial, the Sun gives us “Romney’s twisted world,” but it seems to me that what is twisted is the mind of the Sun editorial board. To have gotten the interpretation they got out of Romney’s speech is one for the ages, but they are positive, it seems, that what Romney said is “dangerously irresponsible.”

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, in announcing last week that he would no longer seek the Republican presidential nomination, said something so ridiculous and dangerously irresponsible that we couldn’t let it pass without comment.

Wow. Quite a claim, isn’t it? So, ol’ Mitt is being “dangerous,” eh? Wait until you see how…

Mitt said in his speech that he was suspending his campaign because we are a nation at war. He felt that he should step aside and let McCain take the lead so that we might coalesce behind a candidate that might be good for the war effort. For stepping aside Romney said, “And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign be a part of aiding a surrender to terror.”

And here is how the Sun turned that somewhat selfless desire not to be a candidate of division and to bow out gracefully into a claim that everyone else are terror lovers:

Come again?

Does that mean Mike Huckabee, who has decided to stay in the race, is somehow furthering the cause of terrorism? For that matter, are the good people of Kansas and Louisiana who voted in their presidential nominating contests and provided Huckabee with wins in both states aiding and abetting terrorism because John McCain’s coronation as the Republican nominee has been postponed for a few weeks?

In Romney’s world, the Kansans who voted for Huckabee, 60 percent of the state’s Republican caucusgoers, are nothing better than fellow travelers of al-Qaida. And, if Romney had his way, all the Republicans in the other states who have not yet had a chance to vote would be denied a choice.

I am not kidding! This is what the Sun imagined that Romney was really saying! Come on. No one could have listened to Romney and imagined he is saying anyone that doesn’t vote for McCain is a terrorist. It is just an absurd limb to climb out upon.

Then the Sun went on to make the claim that “Bush diverted his attention from the real war on terrorism, which was located in the mountains of Afghanistan and Pakistan” when he went into Iraq. This claim shows that the Sun has little grasp on why Bush went into Iraq in the first place. One can certainly say the policy was not a good one, but one cannot say that it had nothing to do with the Global War on Terror.

In any case, I am no Mitt Romney fan but this twisting of his words is way off base and makes the editorial board of the Sun look a bit foolish.

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00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Health - Media Bias - Morals/Sex - Society/Culture

Is Christian Ideas on AIDS Worse Than Real Homosexual Activities?

February 16, 2008 by

-Don Boys, Ph.D.

Is Christian Smugness about AIDS More Grossly Immoral than what Goes on in Homosexual Bathhouses?

Last week Nicholas Kristof, a card-carrying, certified liberal wrote the column, “Evangelicals a liberal can love” that threw kisses to Rick Warren and his ilk and threw bricks at Funda-mentalists and conservative evangelicals. He quoted Warren as saying, “My only interest is to get people to care about Darfurs and Rwadas.” Well, being a cynic, I suspect that Rick wants to sell a few books and increase his church membership as well as advance other agendas.

Kristof, opined that it is intrinsically repugnant to scorn people for their faith then he proceeded to do that very thing! He called us “self-righteous zealots,” “Moralizing blowhards,” and “religious right windbags.” But we should never scorn people for their faith! What hypocrisy, but of course hypocrisy is a tenet of the religion of liberalism of which Kristof is a priest!

But permit me to get to the heart of the matter. Kristof characterized Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson as “self-righteous zealots” and their position on AIDS “constituted a far grosser immorality than anything that ever happened in a [homosexual] bathhouse.” Now, I don’t know what Nick was smoking when he wrote that or if he is simply uneducated as to what goes on in homosexual bathhouses. Let me assume he is simply dumb as a box of rocks and I will seek to educate him as to what homosexuals do city-licensed “bathhouses.”

Research journals and studies indicate:
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00Publius Contributor - Elections - GOP - Media Bias - Military - News - President - Warner Todd Huston

Newsweek of McCain’s Implosion: America ‘Won’t Listen to a Military Man’ Anymore

February 15, 2008 by

**Note: It’s been requested that I republish one from July 31 of 2007. So, here it is…

-By Warner Todd Huston

One of the chief reasons that Republicans in general and Conservatives in particular were always wary of John “the maverick” McCain is the slobbering love that the MSM so constantly lavished upon him. The MSM is so distrusted that their love for McCain relayed to the country that there must be something wrong with him. As his campaign descends into ever lower depths of disarray, we may begin to see the MSM fall to the floor in abject lamentations over his demise. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth now that their favorite Republican looks to be a goner, at least if Michael Hirsh of Newsweek is any indication. In “Why McCain’s Collapse Matters”, Hirsh not only laments McCain’s diminishment of influence, but blames the American people for not listening to military “heroes” on how evil this war is. Hirsh also uses his piece as an excuse to repeatedly bash Fred Thompson using the media’s “He’s just an actor” mantra. Naturally, Hirsh learns all the wrong lessons from his review of history and displays it in this little tsk tsking tirade aimed at the American people for their gall in not fawning over McCain like the MSM does.

Hirsh starts out bashing Fred Thompson by reminding us that Thompson was still playing his “tough D.A.” role on TV as McCain was supposedly living that role in real life while he was giving Donald Rumsfeld a piece of his mind during an appearance on the Hill by Rummy early in the Iraq war. Hirsh rightfully bemoans the fact that Donald Rumsfeld was not listening to McCain’s correct advice at that time. McCain was calling for more troops at that early stage but Rummy thought the Administration’s own strategy of fewer troops and quicker “Iraqification” was better. Hirsh is mistaken to imagine that Bush was led by the nose by Rummy, however. It was Bush’s strategy, not just Rumsfeld’s. Hish is correct that McCain’s ideas of a “surge” before there was one was dead on. But, from this point Hirsh flies off track and runs wildly into the tall grass.

Hirsh claims that “McCain’s fellow Republicans … are insisting on success in an impossible nine months (by September, that is). That’s a benchmark Gen. David Petraeus and others in the Iraq command realize is simply untenable.” But, this is simply not true. A few Republicans may be hoping that it happens, but most are calling for, at the very least, time enough to give the surge a chance and wait for General Petraeus’ report before making any further decisions. Few are claiming it will all be fixed and over in a mere matter of months.

After this bit of nonsense, Hirsh attacks Thompson yet again.
Continue reading “Newsweek of McCain’s Implosion: America ‘Won’t Listen to a Military Man’ Anymore”

00Publius Contributor - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - GOP - Media Bias - News - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

AP Notes Criminal Politician’s Party At Last… of Course He’s a Republican!

February 15, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

In today’s second Media story about a criminal politician, we don’t have to play “Democrat or Not?” because we are told right away what the criminal politician’s party affiliation is in nearly every story available. Naturally, the criminal in question is a Republican. I know, it’s so surprising that the MSM is not shy about ballyhooing a criminal politician’s party if he’s a Republican, right?

A member of the Maryland House, Robert McKee, has been caught up in an investigation of child pornography. Terrible charges and, if true, the fellow should be locked away in the deepest hole. But, what party is he from? Ah, the AP is happy to let you know:

The FBI says its cyber crimes unit is assisting Washington County authorities in an investigation of state Delegate Robert McKee.

The cyber crimes unit includes investigations of child pornography.

FBI spokesman Richard Wolf says the Washington County Sheriff’s Department requested the agency’s help after searching the Republican delegate’s home in Halfway earlier this month.

Then there is the second version of the AP story where we get that party ID in the very first sentence.

A Republican delegate from Washington County has resigned after authorities conducted a search of his home.

The local news gets into the act with a story from the Herald-Mail’s second paragraph.

McKee, a Republican who represented Washington County, said in a statement released on House of Delegates letterhead, tht the Washington County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant at his home on Jan. 31 and seized his personal computer and other items, including images that are available on the Internet.

So, when contrasted with the story of DUI guilty plead by Tennessee’s Bob Briley, we can see how the MSM in general and the AP in particular is so unequal in their policy of how they report party affiliations.

Continue reading “AP Notes Criminal Politician’s Party At Last… of Course He’s a Republican!”

00Publius Contributor - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Media Bias - News - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

AP: Tenn. Pol. Pleads Guilty to DUI… Democrat or Not?

February 15, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

You know, if the Associated Press ever straightens up and starts reporting the news like a truly unbiased news agency it would ruin our little game of “Democrat or Not?” Fortunately for us, it doesn’t seem like the AP is going to go legitimate any time soon and our little game can go on ad infinitum. Today our game is being hosted in the Tennessee House of Representatives where State Representative Bob Briley pleaded guilty to a DUI from last September.

The AP gives us the low down on the lowlife with all the details… except one.

State Rep. Rob Briley of Nashville has pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident and property damage prior to leading authorities on a high-speed chase last September… Authorities said he struck the rear of a truck and then left the scene.

Now, you know how our game is played. We find a story about a politician who breaks the law or is caught up in some criminal activity or scandal. Then we canvass several stories to see how often the press mentions the party affiliation of the perp in question. Usually, if it is a Democrat, the party is rarely mentioned, if a Republican from that “culture of corruption” we are all so familiar with… well, not surprisingly, Republicans are pegged to their party in almost every case.

Admittedly, this particular story is not the stuff of national news. A local pol gets popped for a DUI and a hit and run — not really very big stuff there. Most of the published stories about Rep. Briley’s DUI have come from inside the state. And so far, the only outside news source that has mentioned this newest story is the AP. Naturally, as is their wont, the AP does not mention the fact that Bob Briley is a Democrat.

Now the local sources don’t often mention Briley is a Dem either, but It may be unsurprising that a local news source wouldn’t mention the party of an accused or convicted politician. Perhaps they might expect the locals to already know such information? Still, it is amusing that they don’t treat Republicans with such expectations. Whether the people know the politician in question or not, he is nearly always called a Republican should he happen to be one. But, being a national news service, the AP couldn’t expect everyone to just know that Briley is a Democrat. The AP should have mentioned the man’s party. Of course, they did not.

Continue reading “AP: Tenn. Pol. Pleads Guilty to DUI… Democrat or Not?”

00Publius Contributor - Budget - Democrats/Leftists - GOP - News - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Join the Fight Against Gov’t Waste

February 15, 2008 by

The spending habits of Congress – and pork-barrel earmarks, in particular – have become the clearest symbol of a broken Washington. With that in mind, House Republicans asked Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats to join them in supporting an immediate moratorium on all earmarks while a bipartisan select committee identifies ways to bring fundamental change to the way in which Washington spends taxpayers’money. The Majority’s response: no thanks.

In spite of the Democrats’ refusal to change the way Washington spends taxpayer dollars, House Republicans have committed themselves to a series of standards that will be the basis of their comprehensive earmark reform efforts. This website is dedicated to those standards and what House Republicans are doing to fix Washington by stopping earmarks.

Visit EarmarkReform.house.gov for all the continuous updates.

00Publius Contributor - Congress - GOP - Immigration/Immigrants - News - Patriotism - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Tell Rep. John Shedegg (R, AZ) We DON’T Want Him to Retire

February 15, 2008 by

DEAR CONGRESSMAN SHEDEGG:

WE WANT YOU ON THAT WALL,
WE NEED YOU ON THAT WALL

There aren’t enough conservatives in the United States House of Representatives, let alone enough conservative leaders. Rep. John Shadegg is one of the few…and he announced this week that he would not be seeking re-election this year.

Rep. Shadegg represents Arizona’s Third Congressional District and has established a reputation in Congress as a leading advocate for reduced government spending, federal tax relief, and the re-establishment of state and individual rights.

He is a former chairman of the House Republican Policy committee (fifth-ranking position in the House leadership), is a former chairman of the conservative House Republican Study Committee, and a former chairman of the campaign training organization GOPAC.

Congresspedia notes that Rep. Shadegg “is also the son of Steve Shadegg of Arizona, 1964 campaign manager for Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater,” and was a founding director of the Goldwater Institute for Public Policy.

A true limited-government conservative from the West with leadership experience who understands the importance of nuts-and-bolts training for grassroots activism.

An unprecedented letter signed by 130 of Rep. Shadegg’s colleagues in the House today urges Rep. Shadegg to reconsider his decision not to seek re-election this year. Please add your name, as a grassroots activist, to the letter by signing this online petition at ChuckMuth.com.

00Publius Contributor - Abortion - Democrats/Leftists - Family - Health - Media Bias - Religion - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

YouTube Yanks Pro-Life Video, Allows Planned Parenthood Vids

February 15, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Of course YouTube has every right to disallow any video they deem unworthy of their service, this goes without saying. But, when YouTube sets up it’s own criteria for removing a video and then removes videos that do not fit its own criteria, then we have cause to wonder if a particular reason for banning videos is one that is kept secret from users. That secret reason would be a certain political bias used by Youtube to eliminate content. And, naturally, that bias is in favor of leftist causes and against the conservative ones.

Such is obviously the case with the recent removal of a video created by the American Life League that criticizes several promiscuous Planned Parenthood condom advertisements. The videos were removed, according to Youtube, because of an “inappropriate nature” and also because of complaints by YouTube members. But, the claim by YouTube that the ALL’s ad breached Youtube’s “inappropriate nature” rule does not stand up to logic or scrutiny, nor does it seem to fit their own publicly stated rules.

Last Monday, ALL received an email message from YouTube announcing the decision. The ALL website reports that, “The e-mail sent to American Life League said, ‘After being flagged by members of the YouTube community and reviewed by YouTube staff, the video below has been removed due to its inappropriate nature.'”

YouTube’s stated rules, however, do not seem to apply to the banned ALL video. Some of those rules are as follows:

  • YouTube is not for pornography or sexually explicit content. If this describes your video, even if it’s a video of yourself, don’t post it on YouTube. Also, be advised that we work closely with law enforcement and we report child exploitation. Please read our Safety Tips and stay safe on YouTube.
  • Don’t post videos showing bad stuff like animal abuse, drug abuse, or bomb making.
  • Graphic or gratuitous violence is not allowed. If your video shows someone getting hurt, attacked, or humiliated, don’t post it.
  • YouTube is not a shock site. Don’t post gross-out videos of accidents, dead bodies and similar things.
  • We encourage free speech and defend everyone’s right to express unpopular points of view. But we don’t permit hate speech (speech which attacks or demeans a group based on race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender, age, veteran status, and sexual orientation/gender identity).

The ALL ad takes snapshots, and snippets of the Planned Parenthood ads and then uses those to formulate their own political discussion of the funding that PP gets from our tax dollars. The ALL ad also discusses the salacious content of the PP ads and points out how the PP ads promote promiscuity.

This is all fair game in the arena of political discussion, it is certain. ALL does not alter the ads, nor do they play the whole ads straight through. Some context from the ads is given after which ALL promotes their political reply. Since the banning of the ads does not seem to fit the stated rules announced by YouTube, one must imagine that the political viewpoint is what has been deemed “inappropriate.”

Continue reading “YouTube Yanks Pro-Life Video, Allows Planned Parenthood Vids”

00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Media Bias - News - Religion - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

The BBC’s Cynical Snark Fest Against Catholic Holly Site, Lourdes

February 15, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

One could feel the disdain that Emma Jane Kirby felt toward Catholicism in a recent travel piece by BBC News. Her disgust and utter dismissal of the Catholic holy site at Lourdes, France was so thick it verged on hatred. Knocking the sentiment behind Lourdes, slamming the “fusty” feel to the place, mocking its religious sincerity and, finally, ending in condescension, Kirby was so disturbed by her visit that she exclaimed “Good God!” and did so “not in any laudatory way,” as she points out. Her piece was a pure hit job on Lourdes in particular and Catholicism in general and provides another great example of European’s hatred for religion and the BBC’s campaign against traditional culture.

In “The challenge of finding peace in Lourdes,” Kirby first negatively describes the holy city as a musty attic.

Lourdes is a massive Roman Catholic pilgrimage site with more hotels than any other French city, except Paris… It reminded me of my father’s attic – small, overcrowded, fusty, and so stuffed full of junk that the minute I entered I used to panic, desperate to get out again.

It’s easy to see that Kirby’s attic comparison serves more as a metaphor for her feelings of being trapped in her religion as opposed to any feeling that Lourdes gave her. After all, what self-respecting European wants to be known as a person of religious conviction? It’s just unseemly, uncivilized… archaic, even. I am sure that Kirby feels her religion is as “small” as she imagined Lourdes to be and that she is as “desperate to get out” of her religion as she was to leave the holy site she was tasked with writing about.

Kirby attacks the tourist trap-like aspects of the place. With souvenir shops and “very tired-looking” hotels abound, Kirby looks down her oh, so sophisticated nose at the place.

So, when I arrived at my very tired-looking hotel, which appeared to be perfumed by the socks of last season’s pilgrims and saw its lobby, packed full of gaudy Virgin Mary memorabilia, you will forgive me when the words “Good God!” escaped my lips, and not in any laudatory way.

Kirby then claims she “recovered from my temporary crisis of faith” and then set off to find the shrine itself. Again, the tenor of this piece belies any “temporary” state of the writer’s crisis of faith, for sure.

Continue reading “The BBC’s Cynical Snark Fest Against Catholic Holly Site, Lourdes”

00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Nancy Morgan - News - Science - Society/Culture

The Enviros Are Winning… Big Time

February 15, 2008 by

-By Nancy Morgan

Last week as the nation’s attention was focused on all politics, all the time, the environmentalists made major headway. Significant headway. Right under our noses.

Politicians, celebrities, businesses, scientists, bureaucrats, farmers, cities, the UN, our own government and even religious orders are accepting and validating the largely unproven concept of man-made global warming.

Corporations are jumping on board as they roll out credit cards designed to cash in on people’s worry about global warming. Allstate now cites global warming as the reason they hiked their rates by a whopping 42%.

Even farmers are cashing in by selling carbon credits to large corporations. Easy money. Cash for a ‘promise’ to cut down on ‘carbon footprints’. Environmentalists are using the threat of global warming (for the first time in history) to list species on the Endangered Species list. Cities are starting to get in on this act, by increasingly advocating a federal ‘carbon tax’.

And lets not forget politicians. “Politicians using tragedy to advance an agenda is a tried and true strategy. Paint the idea green and a natural crisis becomes political fodder.” Just last week, Sen. Kerry blamed the tornadoes that recently caused 55 deaths, on global warming.
Continue reading “The Enviros Are Winning… Big Time”

00Publius Contributor - Entertainment - News - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Washington Times Quotes me on Talk Radio

February 14, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Just a quick note to let you all know that the Washington Times has again included me in one of their stories. On Thursday, writer Jennifer Harper was kind enough to contact me for my comments on the issue of the recent release of the Talkers Magazine “2008 Heavy Hundred” talk radio host rating list.

In a piece headlined “Conservatives top talk radio”, Harper gave me two paragraphs on the subject.

Though spelling my name wrong (but correcting it on the Net version), I was still happy to be of help. The piece was an interesting little read.

Thanks again to the Washington Times and Jennifer Harper.

00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Media Bias - News - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

CNN Fires Producer Over his Blogging

February 14, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The New York Times is reporting that a CNN producer has been fired because he blogs for the Huffington Post, or so says now ex-producer Chez Pazienza in the Times’ City Room Section today. No real confirmation from CNN that Pazienza was fired for his blogging, but looking at his past work, it shouldn’t be too surprising that CNN would be embarrassed by the foul language, and extreme point of view that the fired producer displays there.

Paziena announced his firing on his blog, Deus Ex Malcontent.

Yesterday afternoon, I was fired from my job at CNN.

What was the reason for my abrupt and untimely dismissal? You’re reading it.

The Times reports that Paziena has been with CNN since 2004.

In a phone interview this morning, Mr. Pazienza, 38, said he joined CNN as a senior producer in January 2004 and has consistently received positive performance evaluations of his work. He spent his first year at CNN at the network’s headquarters in Atlanta, then moved to New York to work on “CNN Daybreak,” which has since been canceled, then “American Morning,” which is shown Monday through Friday, from 6 to 9 a.m.

Paziena’s blog, however, is a perfect example of the unhinged left and it shouldn’t surprise anyone that CNN was a bit uncomfortable that an extremist like him worked for them. His explanation of what his blog was about serves as a perfect example of his uncouth, uncivil style of writing.

“I wake up every morning baffled as to why America hasn’t thrown George Bush and Dick Cheney in prison, Hollywood hasn’t stopped trying to convince me that Sarah Jessica Parker is attractive, gullible soccer moms haven’t realized that they share absolutely no kinship with Oprah, and Fox canceled ‘Firefly,'”

But that seems mild compared to what Matthew Sheffield of Newsbusters found on Paziena’s personal blog.
Continue reading “CNN Fires Producer Over his Blogging”

00Publius Contributor - Budget - Democrats/Leftists - Media Bias - News - Warner Todd Huston

NBC News to Close Two News Bureaus

February 14, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

In another example of the belt-tightening of the old media, NBC has announced that they will be closing two of their long standing news bureaus. Gone will be the Chicago and Dallas bureaus to be replaced by “regional hubs.”

TVNewser gives us the scoop:

Insiders tell TVNewser the current NBC News global news gathering system is in for an overhaul. Sources tell us a 9amET conference call among News division execs and the bureau managers will announce that the current system will be replaced with regional hubs covering large areas of the U.S. and, in some cases, the world.

TVNewser reports that the Chicago office will now answer to the New York office and Dallas will report to Atlanta. No word on how many jobs are to be lost, but it is certain that some will go away.

This is one more example of the old MSM finding that their past experiences of spending with impunity is coming to an end. Television newtworks have been reassessing their commitments to the news of late and it is a sure bet that they aren’t done yet.

It wouldn’t surprise if any of the big nets decided to do without a news bureau altogether sometime soon.

Continue reading “NBC News to Close Two News Bureaus”

00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Media Bias - News - Science - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Global Warming Killed The Loch Ness Monster? Say It Ain’t So!

February 14, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Well, now we’ve heard everything in connection with what global warming has “caused.” Now global warming is so vicious that it is responsible for killing mythological creatures. That mean, bad ol’ global warming bully! Someone should do something.

The Daily Record gives us the tale of veteran monster hunter Robert Rines who has been in search of Nessie for 37 years. The 85-year-old hunter — if 37 years without a catch makes one a “hunter” — says he’s giving up his search. While reporting that Mr. Rines is hanging up his fishin’ pole for good, the Daily Record slips in this interesting reason why Nessie has been so mysteriously out of view these last few years. What with sightings non-existent lately, Rines thinks he has the answer. (my emphasis)

Despite having hundreds of sonar contacts over the years, the trail has since gone cold and Rines believes that Nessie may be dead, a victim of global warming.

Of COURSE! Why didn’t we think of that? It isn’t that no one has seen Nessie because it doesn’t exist in the first place, it’s that global warming must’ve killed him.

Here’s a thought, maybe we can’t find Big Foot because global warming has made all his fur fall off? After all, Biggie could be hiding in plain site. With no fur, who’d be looking for a naked Big Foot? Maybe the unicorns died from global warming? Maybe the gargoyles, the Smurfs and all the jackalopes have gone belly up because of that darned global warming, too?

It’s a catastrophe in the land of mythological creatures, I’ll tell you what.

I just hope that the gryphons, wurms and elves are OK. Could someone check on them for me?

Continue reading “Global Warming Killed The Loch Ness Monster? Say It Ain’t So!”

00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Media Bias - Military - News - Patriotism - President - Security/Safety - Warner Todd Huston

LATimes Says Cheney ‘Glad’ We ‘Tortured People’… Except VP Never Said It

February 14, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

In one of the most egregious examples of MSM bias I’ve seen lately, Tim Rutten of the L.A.Times has blatantly lied about remarks that Vice President Cheney made at CPAC in a February 8th piece headlined “Bush’s message for McCain.” Rutten makes the outrageous claim that Cheney said he was “glad the administration had tortured people” during the Conservative Political Action Conference, but a review of the transcript of Cheney’s remarks easily shows that this is not what he said at all. Rutten simply reorders the VP’s words to get his desired meaning quite despite what was really said.

Here is what Rutten wrote on the 8th:

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Vice President Dick Cheney was addressing the meat-eaters at the Conservative Political Action Conference. He told them that he was glad the administration had tortured people and that he’d do it again: “Would I support those same decisions again today? You’re damn right I would.”

Over at Patterico’s Pontifications, however, we get the real words Cheney spoke at CPAC.

The United States is a country that takes human rights seriously. We do not torture — it’s against our laws and against our values. We’re proud of our country and what it stands for. We expect all of those who serve America to conduct themselves with honor. And we enforce those rules. Some years ago, when abuses were committed at Abu Ghraib prison, a facility that had nothing to do with the CIA program, the abuses that came to light were, in fact, investigated, and those responsible were prosecuted.

Mr. Cheney is obviously proud of the country, but he stressed that we do not torture. There is no passage where he said that we “torture people” and that he is “glad” that we do it. Not one such passage occurred in the Vice President’s remarks.

Continue reading “LATimes Says Cheney ‘Glad’ We ‘Tortured People’… Except VP Never Said It”

00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Media Bias - Military - News - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

US Has Killed 655,000 Iraqis? Soros Funded Lancet Study Debunked

February 14, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The newest update to a study published in the British medical journal, the Lancet, claims that 655,000 Iraqis have been killed since the U.S. invaded Iraq. This absurd claim has been hailed around the world as evidence of the evil American empire’s murderous reign in the Mid East. But it turns out that the entire study is not only filled with lies, the creators of the study even tried to hide the fact that George Soros funded the thing.

MSM sources like the AP and the Washington Post, among many others, highlighted the report lending it credence when it came out last month but few of those news outlets revealed the source of the study’s funding. While most did reveal that the study was “controversial,” few went into just how far off from the truth the details of this study are.

The real facts, however, are beginning to come out.

Continue reading “US Has Killed 655,000 Iraqis? Soros Funded Lancet Study Debunked”

00Publius Contributor - Dan Scott - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Media Bias - News - Society/Culture

IF I DID IT

February 14, 2008 by 1 Comment

-By Dan Scott

I have touched upon a number of times ( Dan Scott Archives ) the issue of the de-selection process used by the Main Stream Media (MSM) in steering the public away from candidates they don’t want running for president against their preferred candidate. While many people would dismiss such views as conspiratorial or whining about their candidate not cutting the grade, we have a confirmation that this process does occur in the form of a Projection. For those unfamiliar with the psychological term – Projection, it is a behavior described as:

a. The attribution of one’s own attitudes, feelings, or suppositions to others b. The attribution of one’s own attitudes, feelings, or desires to someone or something as a naive or unconscious defense against anxiety or guilt.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/projection

people of what you did, wanted to do, thought of doing or are planning to do in order to misdirect that guilt from yourself.

Bill Press recently made an admission of how the steering process works as though this were a mea culpa from the MSM itself that everyone does it and it was done to all. However, sometimes a mea culpa is a clever form of Projection and if you are too clever you end up getting caught admitting to your behavior. Such was the case with Bill Press who was found to be associated with the Center for American Progress, a Clinton think tank! The fact that a Clinton gets more media exposure than other candidates has been documented by The Project for Excellence in Journalism as mentioned here.
Continue reading “IF I DID IT”

00Publius Contributor - Business - Entertainment - News - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Top 100 Radio Host List, Dominated By Conservatives — Rush #1

February 13, 2008 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Talkers Magazine has put out their “2008 Heavy Hundred” list rating radio talk show hosts across the country and one thing is obvious, conservatives still reign supreme in radio.

The top ten includes one “progressive” (Ed Schultz) and one shock jock (Don Imus), but is otherwise dominated by conservatives. The rest of the list has a smattering of sports guys and a very few more left-talkers, but just as in the top ten, much of the other 90 slots are dominated by conservatives.

  1. Rush Limbaugh
  2. Sean Hannity
  3. Michael Savage
  4. Dr. Laura Schlessinger
  5. Glenn Beck
  6. Laura Ingraham
  7. Don Imus
  8. Ed Schultz
  9. Mike Gallagher
  10. Neal Boortz

In an interview with CNSNews, Talkers Mag Editor Michael Harrison discussed the loss of traction seen by several well-known left-talkers.

Two of the most popular liberal hosts on the list lost ground in the ratings compared to last year. North Dakota-based Ed Schultz dropped from fifth to eighth. Air America Radio’s Randi Rhodes plummeted from 13th to 40th place.

Amusingly, Harrison tried to soft peddle the loss of status that progressive talkers have seen over the last year.

Harrison explained that determining liberal hosts’ positions on the list was more difficult than placing conservatives.

“It’s a very subjective thing, determining the popularity of liberal hosts, because they have this sort of alternate universe they operate in,” he said. “They have more importance because they’re not a dime-a-dozen like so many conservatives out there.”

I assume that was an effort by the Editor to forestall attacks for being “unfair” to left-talkers. Whatever the case, they fell in status and that cannot be papered over.

So, congratulations to the conservative talk radio stars that once again made the top 100 list and it shows that conservatism isn’t a dead issue despite how badly Congress has muffed it for us all.

Continue reading “Top 100 Radio Host List, Dominated By Conservatives — Rush #1”