Associated+Press

Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Liberals - Media Bias - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

AP:’Mad as Hell’ About Bloggers, Google, Aggregators

April 13, 2009 by 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Chairman of the Associated Press had some sharp words for those darned ol’ Internet interlopers out there. He said he’s “mad as hell” over those who “walk off with our work.” Though Chairman Dean Singleton didn’t exactly specify who he was talking about, according to Politico, the wire agency has been targeting Google, Bloggers and news aggregator sites such as Huffington Post of late.

So, what does it mean? How far will the AP go to protect its work? Are there court cases soon to be seen?

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AP:’Mad as Hell’ About Bloggers, Google, Aggregators”

Business - Censorship - Economy/Finances - Free Speech - Liberals - Media Bias - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

AP Looking to Stop Unauthorized Internet Usage?

April 8, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

When you visit a blog and read a report taking the Associated Press to task for its continuous leftward bias, are you reading “stolen” AP content, or are you reading legitimate news? Is criticism of AP’s work fair use? What is “fair use,” anyway? Could the AP sue critics?

These questions might be on the AP’s radar if a recent report in The New York Times is any indication. AP is attempting to create new policies to govern who uses AP content and where it is used. The APs attention to these issues could have long range impact on blogs and newsfeeds on the Internet.

Thus far, the actual policies and goals for how the AP will tackle this aspect of its business have not been determined. Are they going to take on the definition of “fair use” to court? Is the AP going to go after any particular agency or news site for what it considers unauthorized use?

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AP Looking to Stop Unauthorized Internet Usage?”

Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Family - Liberals - Media Bias - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

The AP Thinks Palin Teen’s Romance Woes is News?

April 7, 2009 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Is it some sort of amazing, newsworthy revelation that teen romance is sometimes a rocky road? Is it news that family can be troublesome when it results in out-of-wedlock birth? The Associated Press seems to think it is, at least if one of those teens is Governor Sarah Palin’s daughter, Bristol.

Do you care that punk Levi Johnston is bawling to the press that Governor Palin is supposedly a controlling Grandmother? Especially in light of the fact that this kid is an uneducated, immature, unserious lout? Well, if YOU don’t the AP sure as heck does.

This time we have punk Johnston whining that Grandma Palin is a bit cross with him and closely watches him when he is with the baby. All I can say is, can you blame her? I wouldn’t think much of a grandmother that let’s a jobless, high school dropout have unsupervised visits with a child he casually fathered without regard for his girlfriend’s future or family. Would you?

But, on the other hand. I just can’t find a reason to care about Levi OR Bristol.

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The AP Thinks Palin Teen’s Romance Woes is News?”

Elections - GOP - Liberals - Media Bias - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

AP Uses Dem Operative to Slam Palin, But IDs Him Simply as ‘Professor’

April 6, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Don’t you love it when the Old Media dredges up some partisan hack Democrat supporter and presents them as an “expect” that is never identified as a partisan political hack? Well, you may not love it, but it sure seems to happen an awful lot. And here we see another example of that lame bias by our old friend Anne Sutton, an AP writer that is renown for her hit pieces on Governor Palin and her family.

This AP piece is supposedly describing “Sarah Palin’s Bad Week,” in which mountains are made of molehills over and over again. Little of this “report” is of note but one thing does stand out. That would be the quoting by writer Sutton of Ross Baker. Baker is described as a “political science professor ” from Rutgers University (New Jersey) and is featured saying how bad things are for Palin these days.

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AP Uses Dem Operative to Slam Palin, But IDs Him Simply as ‘Professor’”

Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Education - Jobs - Liberals - Media Bias - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

AP Scolds Republicans for ‘Noncompliance’ Over Stimulus $… But is There Any?

April 2, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Associated Press did a masterful job of portraying Republican Governors as perpetrating “noncompliance” for how they want to spend Obama’s education stimulus money. But, even as the AP spends the top half of a story wagging fingers at those nasty Republicans for not spending Obama’s generous gift the right way, buried in the story it is revealed that the fault is really with how the stimulus bill was written, not in how GOP governors wish to spend it. Ah, but it’s much better to make Republicans look like bad guys than it is to blame Democrat Congressmen for writing a bad bill, isn’t it?

Even worse, the point AP is trying to promulgate is that these evil governors are hurting “the children” by not spending on education the way Obama says they should. Yes, the AP and the Obama administration are again hiding massive increases in federal control behind help for “the children.” It’s agenda journalism at its finest… or worst, depending on your point of view.

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AP Scolds Republicans for ‘Noncompliance’ Over Stimulus $… But is There Any?”

Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Liberals - Media Bias - President - Race - Republicans - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

AP Confuses Criticism of Obama With ‘Racial Slurs’

April 1, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Proving that the left cannot tell the difference between “racism” and “criticism,” the AP posted a lengthy March 30 story confusing and conflating the two as it pertains to attacks on President Obama. As far as the AP is concerned it seems the whole country is running around with burning crosses and wearing pointy hoods aiming to cast racial epithets at Obama at every turn. It may as well still be the year 1860 around here.

The AP starts its piece by informing the reader that “racial slurs continue” against the president “despite” his “historic achievement.” But the main problem with the piece is that much of the report details political attacks that aren’t really racial in nature but are instead just those normal sorts of political attacks we see against any president. Granted they are tailored for Obama (like his citizenship and religion questions) but they aren’t really “racial” attacks per se. Still, the AP illegitimately lumps any and all attacks against Obama under the rubric of “racial slurs.”

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AP Confuses Criticism of Obama With ‘Racial Slurs’”

Congress - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Liberals - Media Bias - Society/Culture - State Government - Warner Todd Huston

Name That Party: 3 Dems in FBI Probe, Party Affiliation Omitted/Buried

March 25, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

I think it is finally getting to the point that when an Old Media story goes out over the wires without mentioning the party affiliation of troubled politicians, people naturally assume that all the criminal actions in said story are being perpetrated by Democrats. But, that assumption aside, we are still seeing reports nearly every day that omit the “Democrat” in any story involving criminal Democrats. Here is yet another one.

The Associated Press posted a story on the FBI’s probe of questionable campaign donations to Senator Patty Murray and Representative Norm Dicks of Washington state. The possibly worrisome donations were from PMA Group, a lobbying firm founded by an aide of Representative John Murtha of Pennsylvania. With all these politician’s names being thrown around in the AP report, though, it is curious that not a one of them were ever identified as Democrats. Not once.

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Name That Party: 3 Dems in FBI Probe, Party Affiliation Omitted/Buried”

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

Name That Party: He’s a Mayor Accused of Soliciting Sex From Child… But is he a Democrat?

January 17, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Mayor Gary Becker of Racine, Wisconsin received some unwanted attention from the Old Media and the local police today because of his arrest for using a computer to solicit sex from a child. According to the Associated Press, Becker is “tentatively charged with attempted second-degree sexual assault of a child, child enticement, possession of child pornography, exposing a child to harmful materials, using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime and misconduct in public office.”

The AP spends several paragraphs detailing the world of Mayor Becker. It describes his election, his marriage and kids. It describes his accused crime and where and how he was snapped up by the police. But there is one little thing the AP can’t seem to find any information on… his party.

That’s right, once again the Old Media gives us a criminal sexual pervert politician (alleged) and somehow forgets to mention the accused is a Democrat.

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00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Islam - Islamofascism - Israel - Media Bias - News - Security/Safety - Warner Todd Huston

Ex-aide: Saddam would not have allowed Gaza raid, NOW We’ve Done it!

January 8, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Associated Press today posted a story that is so utterly pointless for its very existence that it boggles the mind. Apparently, some loser Iraqi that used to be a somebody under Saddam Hussein’s viciously murderous government has issued a “tape” whereupon he says that Israel would never have been so bold to have hit Gaza they way it has if Saddam were still in power.

Of course, the very first question that comes to mind is… WHO CARES what some has been cutthroat has to say about Saddam “just hangin’ around” Hussein? The man is dead, D-E-D dead!

I mean, why the heck is this news? It would be like publishing a story in this week’s New York Times about some guy that is saying that all this Obama stuff wouldn’t be happening if Jefferson Davis was still in power. Yes, it would be just as newsworthy as that!

Here is the full (or should I say fool) AP report:

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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Islam - Islamofascism - Media Bias - Military - News - President - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

AP: No Experience in new CIA Chief Somehow Shows Obama’s ‘Clean Break from Bush Administration’?

January 7, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

To paraphrase Forrest Gump, Inexperienced is as inexperienced does. At least that is what comes to my mind when hearing that Barack Obama has picked the inoffensive, completely inexperienced and unqualified Leon Panetta to be the new director of the CIA. Really. Leon Panetta? The onetime director of the Office of Management and Budget Panetta, that Leon Panetta? This old Clinton partisan has absolutely no experience whatsoever with intelligence gathering or the administration of the same. None. Zip. Nadda.

Now, if George W. Bush had picked such an inexperienced man for any government position much less one at cabinet level, the media would have crucified him — in fact, it did if you recount the Harriet Meyers for SCOTUS debacle. So, in “Obama’s intel picks short on direct experience” does the Associated Press scoff at the pick? Do they lambast Obama for picking such a completely unqualified man for CIA in a day when we are besieged on all sides by enemies from whom our ability to gather intelligence is a major weapon of protection? Do they decry this pick of a man with not even the tiniest amount of experience for one of the most delicate and important positions of the day?

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

AP Cries That People Are Mean to Poor Barack

January 2, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

While, instead of simply reporting the news, the Associated Press spends its days looking for every which way it can find to attack George W. Bush, Governor Sarah Palin and any number of other conservatives or Republicans, it has a corresponding penchant to go easy on The One and his Democrat cohorts. Nothing is a better illustration of the difference between the AP’s treatment of the right and left than this one little story headlined “Obama can’t shake the bowling jokes.”

Yes, while the AP is putting snide remarks about Sarah Palin into every story in which she appears, Barack, on the other hand, gets pity from the AP over all those gosh darn meanies out there that can’t let him forget what a bad bowler he is. Oh, HOW can he continue to save us from ourselves if people won’t let this bowling thing go, huh?

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

AP Attacks Gov. Palin EVEN in Birth Announcement of Grandson

December 31, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Associated Press is classy, indeed. They can’t even keep sniping at Sarah Palin out of a story announcing the blessed birth of her grandson. Ah, but wait, it gets even more annoying because not only did the AP snipe at Palin in its first birth announcement story, once called on it the AP went back twice to rearrange the piece rewriting history to make it seem as if they never sniped at her in the first place.

Initially, the AP attacked Palin in its very first paragraph saying that daughter Bristol’s pregnancy was the thing that caused Palin’s candidacy to “go downhill.” At 7:20 PM the AP gave us this: (Bold my emphasis)

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

In Case You Forgot, AP Still Reminding Palin’s a ‘Failed Republican Vice Presidential Candidate’

December 19, 2008 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

I don’t know. Maybe the Associated Press thinks that no one is aware that John McCain lost his race for the White House? Maybe the AP thinks no one is aware that his choice for VP, Governor Sarah Palin, lost right along with him? Maybe the AP thinks that hardly any American has gotten the word that Obama and slow Joe Biden won on November 4th? The AP sure acts as if they think people still need it pointed out that Governor Sarah Palin is “the failed Republican vice presidential candidate.” At least if its current report on the latest doings in Alaska is concerned, anyway. After all, right in the middle of a report on Alaska state workers having sent around some race tinged joke emails, the AP helpfully reminds us that Palin is that aforementioned “failed Republican vice presidential candidate.” I mean, who knew she lost?

The AP is reporting on some race-y emails that were reported to them by a state worker, using it to needlessly jab the governor. At one point the AP sternly tells us all that, “State officials were unaware of the e-mails until asked about them by the AP,” as if something untoward was going on in the Administration itself. But, even the AP’s own report seems to show that a mountain is being made of a mole hill.

Naturally, the AP found Reverend Alonzo Patterson, Alaska’s own homegrown race baiter, to scold the Governor for not yet having said anything about an issue that is neither much investigated at this point, nor even in her initial purview in the first place.

Continue reading “In Case You Forgot, AP Still Reminding Palin’s a ‘Failed Republican Vice Presidential Candidate’”

00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Jobs - Media Bias - Military - News - President - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - Taxes - Uncategorized - Warner Todd Huston

AP: Preparing Country for Failing Obama Presidency, Excuses Abound

December 16, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Liz Sidoti of the Associated Press seems to be setting the table for a certain amount of failure from Barack Obama by helping lower expectations among the people. Her latest AP report is as much as warning that, since he is facing “heady challenges,” we shouldn’t expect too much from him. In other words, before he has even really faced anything at all, Sidoti is making excuses for him almost in the mold of an affirmative action hire. It seems a perfect example of using the soft bigotry of low expectations to make preemptory excuses for Obama.

At the start, she seems to be downplaying any possibility that Obama will shine by noting how tough are the challenges he faces. Even the headline warns that “Obama faces heady challenges, and they’re growing.” But, the reality is few presidents in modern time faced a placid world upon taking office. Obama does not face any worse times than did Harry Truman, John Kennedy, Nixon, Reagan or any number of modern American presidents.

But, Sidoti’s warning seems more angled to lower expectations with the hope of preventing Obama’s fans from early finger pointing than to offer any serious discussion of what Obama faces come January.

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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Islam - Islamofascism - Media Bias - Military - News - President - Religion - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

‘America’s Battered Image Among Muslims,’ Naturally All Bush’s Fault

December 15, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Associated Press is as much as blaming the victim for the attack again with theirs headlined “Obama says he wants to ‘reboot’ America’s battered image among Muslims.” In this report we get the AP saying that the reason the Muslim world is mad at us is because of George W. Bush. But not a word is mentioned about why Bush might have been in a position of interacting so heavily with the Muslim world in the first place. How soon the AP forgets a little thing we like to call 9/11.

Why is it that we have to apologize for our nation to Muslims is anyone’s guess. Was FDR groveling at the feet of Nazism, fascism and Shintoism in the middle of WWII?

Using Obama’s claim that he’ll use his full given name, Barack Hussein Obama, as he’s sworn into office, the AP trumpets how Obama will “repair America’s reputation worldwide” after that dastardly Bush leaves the Oval Office. AP’s thoughts on why Obama must undertake this grave effort, though, are interesting.

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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Media Bias - News - President - Society/Culture - Taxes - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

AP’s Emotive Language For Gov. Rod Blagojevich

December 10, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Evidence in abundance of AP’s new “style” of news coverage.

Not long ago, the Associated Press informed its writers that they should be more emotive in their writing. Instead of an old newsy just-the-facts style of reporting, then AP was looking to goose it up and add more opinion and emotion to its reporting of the “news.” Well, with the story of the arrest of corruption plagued Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and his connection to Illinois Senator and president in waiting Barack Obama, the emotive words flow fast and furious. This incident serves as an interesting example of the APs new more emotive style.

For instance, for the AP Sharon Cohen gives us a piece headlined “Illinois governor’s arrest stuns politicos.” This piece tries to force upon Blago’s fellow Illinois politicians a sort of “shock” in response to Blago’s arrest. But, while some politicians and FBI officials expressed disappointment and a sort of faux shock, no one in Illinois or Chicago politics is really shocked that Blago is finally under arrest. It has been building for several years at this point and for most folks in Illinois at all aware of the situation, it was a matter of when Blago was going to get picked up by the feds, not if. There really isn’t much genuine shock and it is hyperbole to say there is. Truth be told, instead of real shock, it is more like weariness. (Even this AP piece featuring a series of quotes from Illinois politicians doesn’t reveal any of them being “shocked.”)

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

AP Feels Sorry for Mexico Over Drop in ‘Money Sent Home’ By Returning Illegals

December 8, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

I suppose the Associated Press wants us all to feel sorry for Mexico. With so many illegals here either having trouble finding work or actually returning home, Mexico is finding that its citizens illegally in the US have fewer American dollars to send home. AP says the “situation is so serious” that the Mexican government is trying to create new programs to reinforce ties between illegals here and its citizens at home. Of course, no where in AP’s story does it seem to occur to anyone that Mexico clean itself up and offer opportunities there as opposed to trying to squeeze money from people here.

The whole story is reported as a legitimate economic issue instead of the thievery by illegals that it really is. The AP sternly informs us that as the “economic crisis worsens” Mexico finds that the money sent home is at “record lows.” And we are treated once again to the euphemism for this theft of American dollars that is doled out in every such story. The AP calls this sending of American money back to Mexico a “remittance revenue stream,” as if it is some sort of legitimate economic matter. It’s a great way to gussie up the word “theft,” isn’t it?

The truth is that the Mexican government is trying to undermine our nation yet the AP treats this as if it is just an average story.

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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Media Bias - News - President - Race - Socialism - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

AP Finds Race Hustler to Say Obama Isn’t The Cure

November 30, 2008 by 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Associated Press is worried that Americans might accidentally imagine that the elevation of Barack Obama to the presidency could make people think that blacks in America really can get ahead. The AP is so worried that it sought out a race hustler to deny that blacks can make it here no matter what happened on November 4.

As the AP reports it, apparently young Kari Fulton “cringed” when Barack Obama won the past election. She “cringed” because she heard a white guy say that Obama’s election put a dent in the charge of racism in America. And why did she “cringe”? Why, it’s because “racism is still very much alive and well” she told the AP.

And how does young Kari know this? At 23 she never lived through Jim Crow. She doesn’t remember the days when there were few blacks on TV and blacks in music were segregated to separate genres, not mixing with white singers. She wasn’t around when black CEOs didn’t exist and no blacks roamed the halls of Congress or the White House without pushing a broom. So, how does this 23-year-old girl know that “racism is alive and well”? Because she is a black activist, that’s why.

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

On Palin’s Celebrity, AP Reminds She’s A Failed Candidate… Over and Over and Over Again!

November 24, 2008 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Governor Palin is in demand. Every newshound, every TV talking head, every newsertainer in the country is after her. She is being pursued for TV shows, book deals, movie roles, hounded by photographers and every hanger on in both Hollywood and the newsertainment industry. But the Associated Press wants to be sure you understand one thing: she is a FAILURE! That’s right, in discussing Palin’s current celebrity, the main concern AP has is to make sure you know she is a big ol’ loser. The AP is so intent to remind you she lost that it has to tell you she lost over and over again. You know, just in case you were unaware she and McCain didn’t win the election.

So, did you know Sarah Palin lost the election? Here, let the AP remind you (My bold throughout)…

Continue reading “On Palin’s Celebrity, AP Reminds She’s A Failed Candidate… Over and Over and Over Again!”

00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Media Bias - President - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Stop the Presses! AP’s Important Story: Obama Had Corned Beef Sandwich for Lunch

November 23, 2008 by 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Ya gotta hand it to them. The Associated Press knows how to cut out all the extraneous background noise and get right to the important issues of the day. Barack Obama will surely be in the center of the vortex of some of the most important decisions in the world during the next four years and even his preparations for taking office are vitally important as a marker to what he might do in office. There are wars and rumors of wars, disasters and relief efforts and historic decisions will soon be made. But no decision is so important, as the AP dutifully tells us, than the one of what the president elect had for lunch. The shocking, heartwarming and resolute decision the leader of the free world… no the leader of all mankind… made for his lunch was apparently a corned beef sandwich.

Darfur still swirls with genocide, Iran is still making plans to destroy Israel, China is on pace to build the largest most dangerous army on Earth, the European Union still angles to lay America low, but all that pales in comparison to the important report the AP could muster (no, not mustard). Yes, the AP brings us the most salient story of our day: “Obama grabs lunch at local deli, greets patrons.”

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

Math is Heroic? Dumbing Down the English Language

November 23, 2008 by 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Yahoo News featured an interesting short report issued by Agence France-Presse on November 20. In it we discover that a consortium of French, German and Hungarian mathematicians are claiming to have proven that Einstein’s famous equation, e=mc2, is correct. The report is all good except for one very small aspect. They call the effort of these mathematicians “heroic” in contradiction to the root meaning of the word. Mathematics isn’t “heroic” and it is a degradation of true heroics to say it is.

Unfortunately, while a small thing too casually used in the AFP report, it proves a sort of degradation of our language. Not only that, but it further devalues real heroism, making the word mean less with each garbled usage.

Here is how AFP used the word:

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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Congress - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - History - Media Bias - News - President - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Media and Academia, Historical Illiterates du Jour

November 13, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

To show how foolishly hyperbolic the Old Media and the ignorati in our universities are, the Associated Press issued a dire report that breathlessly informed us all that Barack Obama is facing a “nation in crisis” and it’s all “just like Lincoln and FDR.” The AP even gets an historically illiterate university professor to sonorously declare how Obama is “one step away” from Lincoln and FDR. But a review of our nation’s real history shows that the America Obama will inherit is in nowhere near the state of crisis that Lincoln and Franklin Delano Roosevelt had to deal with. But, in the end, this isn’t about real reporting or true historiography but about pumping Obama up and trying to shoehorn him in among what are considered by many our greatest presidents before he’s even taken office.

The absurd hyperbole and wild stretching of the historical record to give gravity to Obama’s reign is transparent for its effort to force readers into imagining that Obama should be given a mandate to do anything he wants. I’d suggest that the reason this foolish overestimate of our state of national “crisis” is being ladled out to an unsuspecting public is because the AP realizes that Obama did not get a mandate vote and the AP fears that Obama might face more resistance than it would like to his starkly socialist policy proscriptions. So, the AP is trying its best to break down those barriers beforehand.

Continue reading “Media and Academia, Historical Illiterates du Jour”

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

MSNBC/AP say Player Injury Palin’s Fault

October 27, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Well, that mean ol’ Sarah Palin ruined everything for the St. Louis Blues hockey team, darn it all. That’s right the media’s newest Cheney replacement must have been planning this monstrous attack on the Blues’ goalie for weeks. Her next trick: world domination. At least this seems to be how MSNBC and the Associated Press feel about it all.

What am I talking about? Well, Palin visited the Blues’ arena to see a game on October 24 and it seems that Blues goalie Manny Legace tripped on the carpet that the team laid on the ice so that Palin and her family could walk safely out to address the crowd. Because of that injury, the AP and MSNBC both decided that this accident was all Palin’s fault. Really.

Right on the MSNBC homepage is a link to the story in the sports section and on that homepage the story is headlined “Goalie’s injury linked to Palin’s puck drop.” (see screen shot below) It’s as if Palin’s “puck drop” caused the injury. Though, one easily gets the feeling that the situation is closer to an outbreak of PDS (Palin Derangement Syndrome).

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

AP Links Assault on Reporter to Appearance in Bush Movie… BDS Strikes Again

October 24, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

An Arkansas TV reporter that had a bit part in Oliver Stone’s movie “W” was found beaten unconscious in her Little Rock home on October 20 and in its report on the crime the Associated Press seemed to decide that she was beaten merely because she had appeared in the movie though this impression the AP seems to have is not supported by the police. One wonders why the AP decided to spend almost half its story focusing on her movie role when reporting this crime? Is the AP trying to say her connection with George W. Bush got her attacked? It sure seems like the AP is seized by another bout of Bush Derangement Syndrome with its unnecessary emphasis on this reporter’s film role.

The APs obsession with the victim’s movie role was odd, indeed. Even in its first few lines the AP ties KATV anchor Ann Pressly to her movie work saying in its first sentence that she “had a small part in the Bush biopic ‘W.'” The AP takes pains to point out that in the movie, Pressly “speaks favorably of President Bush’s ‘Mission Accomplished’ event on an aircraft carrier shortly after the start of the Iraq war.” The report speaks about how she won the role in the film and then adds this odd sentence:

Spokeswoman Kate Hubin for the film company Lionsgate confirmed Pressly’s role but declined to comment further.

Why did we need to have Pressly’s role “confirmed”? Why would the AP imagine that Lionsgate films had anything useful to add to a report on this crime?

Continue reading “AP Links Assault on Reporter to Appearance in Bush Movie… BDS Strikes Again”

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

AP Again Calls Palin A Racist

October 20, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Associated Press has once again called Governor Sarah Palin a racist. This time Rachel D’Oro for the AP bases her claim on the fact that Palin appointed minorities to her Alaska administration — but not enough of them to suit the AP — and because at an Alaska rally when she was running for governor one attendee once spoke to a black cameraman in an unkind manner. Yep, that’s a mountain of evidence the AP has there, isn’t it?

The AP also spoke to a few black ministers in Alaska and, shockingly, they announced that they felt she had no “sensitivity” to their political positions. Imagine that? A Republican that isn’t receptive to demands based on a race driven agenda? No one has ever heard of that before, right?

In fact, since there is no real direct proof that Palin is somehow a racist, the AP report relies on innuendo and the claims of her political enemies to constitute its “proof.”

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00Publius Contributor - Business - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Media Bias - News - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

HORRORS! AP Says Bad Economy Makes Us Ugly!

October 12, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

It’s getting close to Halloween, so I hope this story doesn’t scare you too much. But the Associated Press has discovered that this bad economy is making us ugly. That’s right, ugly. Because of this downturn people just cannot afford to go to their friendly neighborhood plastic surgeon for those nips and tucks any more. So it is the AP’s sad duty to inform us that “As economy sags, faces do too, cosmetic docs say.” It’s a horrible, horrible world that we now are cursed to live in if we can’t afford our Botox and tummy tucks! Now, they are serious with this so quit your laughing this instant.

The economy isn’t the only thing that’s sagging — so are faces, breasts and bellies as would-be cosmetic surgery patients increasingly opt against costly nips and tucks because of tough financial times.

You know, I was complaining to my Mommy yesterday that I didn’t want my liposuction and she told me to do it anyway because kids in China could barely afford an eyelift these days. I know I should be grateful for what I have, though. Some people DO have it worse, ya know?

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

AP Attacks Palin for Not Being in Alaska During Campaign

September 29, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

With the newest angle to beat up Sarah Palin, the AP is suddenly alarmed that no one is “running Alaska” while Palin is out on the stump with John McCain, so much so that they’ve published a piece wondering if Alaska is about to sink into the icy grip of the Alaskan tundra, or something, because Palin isn’t there. One wonders if the AP is all upset that no one is in Congress representing Illinois or Delaware with Obama and Biden roaming the countryside instead of sitting in the Senate? One wonders if the AP has even noticed that Obama has spent less than 200 days in the Senate since he took his seat in that august body in 2005? Talk about rudderless! Talk about short-shrifting the representation of constituents!

The AP is all about the wringing of hands because Palin has been absent from the Alaska governor’s office for the last three weeks. I guess the AP isn’t aware that Alaska has a Lt. Governor? But, let’s face it, the AP doesn’t care about Alaska at all because this article is only a thinly disguised excuse to slam Palin for not running to the press to fawn over them and cater to their every need.

Most of this piece is centered on the way McCain and Palin are trying to control the Palin message, as opposed to any real worry that Alaska is running rudderless. In fact, this AP smear piece is a bait and switch, not really about what it seems to be about.

The AP even basically starts out with a lie:

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

AP Says Shame on GOP for Showing Palin’s Kids at Convention?

September 6, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Apparently Ted Anthony of the Associated Press thinks it is somehow “contradictory” of the GOP to show VP candidate Governor Sarah Palin’s kids at the GOP convention on TV. He seems to imagine that, since the GOP objected to the media attempting to use the kids against Governor Palin, that the GOP shouldn’t be allowed to have the kids attend the convention to see their Mother accept her nomination.

Anthony’s “analysis” hit the nets on September 3, the day after Palin’s wonderful acceptance speech on night 3 of the proceedings. Naturally, the AP trolls our left leaning universities to find some “expert” to back up its claim that it is all wrong to show the proud faces of Palin’s children looking up at their Mother as she speaks to the convention.

“For two days, the chorus from Republicans on TV news and in the halls of the convention,” Anthony scoffs, “has been resounding: Back off and let the Palin family be. ‘That’s out of bounds,’ said Minnesota’s Republican governor, Tim Pawlenty. ‘There’s no need to be intrusive and pry into that.'”

After this, in accusatory tones, Anthony recounts the many times that Sarah Palin’s children appeared on TV during the convention. And then he goes for the supposed “expert” for his opinion…

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

AP Next Going After Palin’s ‘Derided’ Religion

September 5, 2008 by 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Associated Press takes the attacks against Sarah Palin to the next level by saying that in her released bio Palin’s religion was “obscured.” The AP is suggesting that Palin’s ostensibly secret religion is really Pentecostalism which, they note, is a sect that is “derided by outsiders and Bible-believers alike.” So, the AP is saying here that the McCain campaign is trying to cover up Palin’s past because they must somehow know that her real religion is a cult or some wacko, fringe sect.

Sarah Palin often identifies herself simply as Christian… Yet John McCain’s running mate has deep roots in Pentecostalism, a spirit-filled Christian tradition that is one of the fastest growing in the world. It’s often derided by outsiders and Bible-believers alike.

But for all of the AP’s grave warnings about what it obviously considers wacky Pentecostalism, Palin and her hard working, middle class family have for the last 6 years belonged to the Wasilla Bible Church which is not a Pentecostal Church but describes itself as an independent evangelical church. So, even if she were raised in the Pentecostal Church — and even if we were to be alarmed at this — she left it behind 6 years ago. So, where is the “obscuring,” where is the secretive past?

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

Forsaking Print? The Future of the Associated Press

August 28, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

More bad news for the newspaper industry. Anyone paying attention to the current state of financial distress in the print news industry will realize that saving money is the order of the day industry wide. Yet, not long ago the Associated Press announced that it was to raise its prices to the print news industry causing consternation everywhere. This new rate structure has caused quite a few newspapers to begin the process of dropping AP content giving pause to consider what the future of the AP might become?

Several papers have already announced that they are preparing to drop the AP, the latest of which appears to be the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. The Minnesota paper has announced it will cease using AP content by 2010. The Star-Trib joins The Bakersfield Californian, and two papers from Washington State, The Yakima Herald-Republic and Wenatchee World. Also The Post Register of Idaho Falls informed the AP that they were going to drop their service in early August.

And according to a June 26 article in The Wall Street Journal, the eight largest papers in Ohio are banding together to create their own news service.

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