The Clintons and just about everyone in the MSM were saying as recently as Thursday that Texas and Ohio were Hillary's "firewall." But a new theme seems to be emerging. Even with the last eleven contest victories under Obama's belt and all of the Super Delegate movement in his direction and away from hers, many of the talking heads are claiming that "Hillary is not out of it yet," and "never underestimate a Clinton." And as recently as yesterday, Chris Matthews asked what would happen if Hillary didn't win "the popular vote in either Texas or Ohio."
"Women comprise 51 percent of the entire U.S. population, but own a total of only 80 stations, or 5.87 percent of all full power commercial television stations."
"Minorities comprise 34 percent of the entire U.S. population, but own a total of 43 stations, or 3.15 percent of all full-power commercial television stations." That percentage decreased between Oct. 2006 and Oct. 2007.
"Blacks or African Americans comprise 13 percent of the entire U.S. population but only own a total of 8 stations, or 0.6 percent of all stations. ... From October 2006 to October 2007 the number of African American-owned full power commercial TV stations decreased by nearly 60 percent."
"Hispanics or Latinos comprise 15 percent of the entire U.S. population, but only own a total of 17 stations, or 1.25 percent of all stations."
A group of filthy rich white men control the bulk of everything you see, hear and read about in the media. And they want to make it even harder to get more varied voices and opinions out there. MORE BELOW...
Right now, near the top of the rec list, is a diary that claims Bill Clinton attacked the other Dem candidates as Swiftboaters. It has generated 500 comments, the vast majority of which are livid at the comparrison.
The only problem? Clinton never said it. (Full text below the fold) Read what he said and ask yourself, why would the media claim that that is what he said?
Because that is what they do. It's something that all of us have complained about. It's what I have been fighting against for well over a decade. It's why new media is as big as it is.
It has been occurring to me, that talk radio was born when some money was spent to gather support for St. Reagan (tm, and that that it grew in both funding and volume, in '94 when the republicans "took over" congress.
Both of these events were and still are claimed to be repudiation by the voters of the "Liberal" agenda.
If all of this is true, does that mean that conservative talk radio dies when we sweep the elections next year?
For all of our hand wringing and and worry about the elections, short of the second coming to re-energize the wackos, (that's Christ, not Reagan)
even in truly safe rethug country the Republicans are shaping up to take truly historic losses.
Even talk radio can't smear enough to turn this around, and the negative ad lies this cycle just might repel voters, more than it brings out the robots.
President Bush has chosen former federal judge Michael Mukasey as his pick for attorney general. In March of 2003 Mukasey ruled that the government had to allow Jose Padilla to have legal counsel. As Lara Jakes Jordan of the Associated Press reports:
That ruling offered a glimpse of what colleagues describe as Mukasey's trademark brusqueness and impatience with people who waste his time. But it also endeared him to the liberal-leaning American Center for Law and Justice, which supports his confirmation, while raising a red flag for conservatives with whom Mukasey met Sunday to try to appease.
The liberal-leaning American Center for Law and Justice? Surely they can't be talking about Pat Robertson's ACLJ, the group he created as a counterpoise to the ACLU, can they? More after the jump.
Some people say "O, what would you know about Democrats? You aren't even one yourself!!!!" Know what? I voted for plenty of you over the years, more often than not, and I've had my share of complaints about yas, but if I wasn't a radical Libertarian, I'd be a Dem. My parents were Dems (my siblings were, but I don't know what happened to them, either). The Love of My Life is a diehard Dem. And I still vote for ya, and I will again, too.
Anyway, after reading about some of this day's events, and after reading this diary, I no longer believe that the heinous crimes of BushCo continue, unabated, "Because The Opposition Guys Are Spineless Wussies".
Now, you're gonna have to work with me here, OK? I've been putting in 12-14 hour days, at least 5 days a week (if not six), for a good couple of years. So I'll cop to "maybe it's just me, and my brain's just a little overtaxed right now..."
34 days: The primary panderfest converges in Chicago for the YearlyKos "presidential leadership forum" on Aug. 4. So far, Hillary Clinton is a no-show at the liberal blog-o-rama.
Cliff notes (ha) that there's not been any similar editorializing about the crazyfest that was the CPAC convention -- about which, see Max Blumenthal's take:
Can't find a wingnut panderfest for that all-essential "balance," Mister and Miss Media? Try the Iowa Independent's coverage of the Presidential Candidate Forum sponsored by Iowans for Tax Relief and Iowa Christian Alliance at the Hy-Vee Center in Des Moines. That oughta do ya.
Tommy Thompson:
I want to be the president of the United States that nails the 'going out of business' sign on the Internal Revenue Service.
Marriage means one thing and only one thing, one man, one woman. We need to affirm that that's what marriage means. It's easier to change the constituton than to change the word of Almighty God.
Huckabee:
Talks about the need for a Federal Marriage Amendment. Argues with people that say 'we shouldn't tinker with the Constitution'. "It was designed to be changed, that's the genius of it." Amendments gave women the right to vote, free press, etc. "Our constitution was designed to be changed. Maybe we need to clarify what marriage is once and for all. I've never understood why people say it's ok to amend the Bible but not the Constitution. " Huge, HUGE applause.
Brownback:
I will begin each day as president on my knees asking God to bless America. This is a nation that was built on faith, we need to invite it in. ... the motto of our nation is 'in God we trust'. We are a faith based nation and I would start my first day in office doing something that Abraham Lincoln called us to do, ask the country to pray together.
Romney:
He brought his wife and one of his sons, Josh, on stage. Now they're gone. Weird stunt. Says Josh is visiting every county. "I am committed to the Iowa process... the people of Iowa are really doing a service for the people of America." Thanks!
There's something about the values of the heartland." Ends with childhood story about being a boyscout and loving the American Flag.
Timmeh in tears, Gregory crying in his beer, MoDo without a clue, Lieberman loses his best friend, Fineman freaking out. The entire spineless old boys network a quivering nervous wreck. We have at least one prop knocked out from the media system that has brought us 6 years of hell on earth and guess what? About 33% of Kossacks are feeling guilty, angry at black civil rights leaders, ashamed to be part of the left, so on and so forth. Anyone who has been around here for a few years knows that Atrios, Somersby, Gilliard, Jesus General, Digby, Orcinus have been working overtime to CHANGE THE MEDIA. This means getting rid of the political media that has so badly let us down. For those who are new to the game SCLM is an acronym for: So Called Liberal Media.
Why do so many Kossacks think this is going to be a clean task? I really can't answer that question for you. We are all entitled to our own opinions....
Come below the fold for a semi-live Q&A with Olivier Knox, a journalist with the AFP and member of the White House Press Pool. I have asked him a bunch of the questions that are always popping up in the blogosphere as we lament the press' inability to do its job well. Mr. Knox has agreed to answer reader questions at Corrente. He's a busy guy, so be patient as he gets back to us for more details of life on the inside of the MSM. Hopefully we'll all learn something as conversations like these become more regular. The AFP will be launching its own blog soon, so come by and give Mr. Knox his first taste of rabid lamb.
It seems we are going to have to shoot down this ignorant meme again and again until Republicans figure out how this democracy works. It may be a long time, folks.
There is definitive proof that criticizing the President's Iraq War failures and encouraging discussion of the unprecedented criticism by retired General Officers of our nation's gigantic problems in Iraq does not hurt our troops' morale.
Republicans keep lying about it because they can't stand the heat of the debate. When it was Bill Clinton in office they did not hesisate one second in criticizing his decisions as Commander in Chief. And they did not worry about troop morale with regard to those criticisms.
The following occurred on May 17 at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on the Defense Department Budget.
I was driving to work, and tuned in to my local progressive talk station, WKOX-AM in Boston, and I heard the distinct sound of salsa music. I figured it was a commercial.
Yes, I’m going to Iraq to prove that, once again, the AP and the rest of the lying, liberal media are liberal and they’re lying to us!
You’ve probably read this story that’s being touted by all the treasonous liberal newspapers as fact:
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, talking to enlisted soldiers on his second day in Iraq, heard broad support today for a proposal to send more American forces to Iraq, an idea that has emerged as a leading option as the Bush administration considers a strategy shift.
Over at HuffPost, Dave Johnson and James Boyce pen a must-read article about the Smear Machine that tears down our Democratic leaders and accomplishments.
A large part of Obama's appeal, no doubt, is that he is a "fresh face" with genuine charisma and intelligence. He didn't support the war, he can work a crowd in a positively Clintonian manner (and I'm not talking about Hillary), and his biography is an inspiration. But - would he still be getting the rock star treatment if the MSM and right wing hadn't systematically torn down our party's more experienced leaders?
If Kerry, Gore, and Mrs. Clinton are already damaged goods beyond rehabilitation in the public eye, then what can we do to prevent Obama from being torn down in the same way?
I am watching Fox news right now, and Sean Hannity is tearing into Jessie Jackson. Everything Jackson says is immediately being conflated by that sleaze ball Hannity: Sean is taking examples of what he calls 'Democratic racists ads' and throwing it in the face of Jackson.
Why are ANY Democrats or progressives appearing in Fox now?
I know Wes Clark is trying to appeal to Fox viewers, but it's ridiculous - the amount of support he will get from any Fox viewer is close to zero.
Meanwhile, progressive values are still being beaten to death on Fox. There are no converts being made, and the advertising revenue continues to feed the RWNM.
Neil Cavuto's "Common Sense" commentary was a complaint about how the press had handled Kerry's botched joke about President Bush.
Cavuto was incredulous that the WH Press corps had somehow turned it around; the press made it sound like the Bush Adminstration was in the wrong because it had mischaracterized Kerry's comments.
Cavuto complained that the Press Corps was practicing a double standard when it gave Kerry the "benefit of the doubt".
(I know, I know: what doubt?)
Cavuto said he wouldn't have a problem with this if the press had done the same thing when Cheney.....
No doubt many of us knew about this already, but I just found out about it. Via the Democratic National Committee website, you can send a single letter to multiple newspapers at once, local and national. They offer suggested subject and tips on how to do it of course. But you can write your own. Just plug in your zip code and get going.
The Mark Foley scandal is once again a beautiful opportunity to watch the major news networks shirk in fear from mentioning the representative's republican affiliation.
As I've noted in past diaries with the William J. Jefferson bribery scandal, these same news organizations have no problem referring to democrats in their titles and blurbs. In fact, they delight in mentioning a democrat's affiliation in their headlines and first few paragraphs.
But with Foley? Not on your life. He is "lawmaker" and "representative" only.
I'd like to just take a moment to talk to you all about a subject that concerns me considerably: Biased political photgraphy. I see this sort of bias every day in the media and it sickens me. The visual representations we receive of our political hopefuls goes a long way towards deciding elections. It's sad, but it's true.
Take a look at the photos used in the Newsweek article for the Nevada senate election between Ensign (R) and Carter (D). You tell me there's not a blatant bias in the photos they've selected.
