Hoping to bolster support for the surge in Iraq, John McCain over the past year has frequently touted the safe streets of Baghdad. In April 2007, McCain boasted of neighborhoods "you and I could walk through." By March 2008, he reminded us that "there's problems in America with safe neighborhoods as we well know." And the solution to urban crime in the U.S., John McCain now tells us, is to bring the surge to the streets of America.
Each day WTOP Radio here in Washington interviews a different person for their perspective on the news. Normally I skip listening on Thursdays because that is Brit Hume's day to enlighten us. But today I thought: "I'm going to listen just to see what pro-McCain crap he'll be throwing at us." I was pleasantly surprised to hear this exchange:
Announcer: "We heard rumors that McCain was going to steal Obama's thunder by announcing his choice for VP candidate this week. What have you heard?"
As you can see - I have a problem. It constantly causes me to become disappointed, dismayed, distressed, disaffected, discontented, dissatisfied, disagreeable, discomfited, disgusted, disengaged, disjunctive, distempered, discombobulated and disheartened - well, mainly just damned dis’d. I feel dis’d from my receding hairline to my hemorrhoids - in other words, from an incessant loss to a burning pain. But I might not have that problem anymore; I might be cured. So - what’s the problem? Like many of you, I am hampered by my ideals and a trust that our Constitution will always be honored. There are certain ideals that I thought almost all Americans believe and want to protect. Regardless of how some people abused these ideals, ultimately, something in me trusted that because those ideals were shared they would somehow be protected. I am no longer deluded. This country is in trouble, deep trouble because
Down in the bowels of Fox News lurks Ambush Central, the sacred room where the real decisions are made. Here the Fox News brain-trusts gather for their regular 5:30 am meeting. Seated at a large oval table are Steve Doocy, Gretchen Carlson, Brian Kilmeade, Fred Barnes, Brit Hume, Mort Kondracke, Mara Liasson, Bill O’Reilly, Alisyn Camerota, Sean Hannity, Alan Colmes, Juan Williams, James P. Pinkerton, Neil Cavuto, Liz Trotta. Hovering over the table are the Ghosts of Joseph McCarthy, Ronald Reagan, George W Bush (brainless), Karl Rove (heartless), Dick Cheney (soulless), Donald Rumsfeld (gutless), and Christmas Past (joyless). At the head of the table sits Roger Ailes.
There is a story up on Media Matters right now shining a light on the cockroach that is Brit Hume. Of course, once again, we have a case of a cable news talking head relaying a story without fact checking. You know, journalism can be such hard work, why bother, right?
Here is the summary from Media Matters:
On Special Report, Brit Hume stated that Malik Obama, Sen. Barack Obama's half brother, "tells The Jerusalem Post that 'if elected his brother will be a good president for the Jewish people, despite his Muslim background.' " In fact, the article to which Hume was apparently referring indicated that Malik Obama did not speak directly with the Post but, rather, gave an interview to Israel's Army Radio. Moreover, nowhere in audio of the interview that ABC's Jake Tapper posted did Malik Obama assert that Obama "will be a good president for the Jewish people, despite his Muslim background."
It recently came to my attention that FOX News host Brit Hume said something absurd (maybe thats not news?) on last night's broadcast. I have included the video below so that people can watch the segment and make their own judgments.
In a nutshell, he summarizes how Obama's new website Fight The Smears states that he has never been a Muslim and has always been a Christian. However, Brit says, Obama's half brother Malik Obama is "not so sure" that this is the case. His half brother apparently stated that: "if elected his brother will be a good president for the Jewish people, despite his Muslim background."
While it is unclear exactly what context that was said in, or what was implied - Brit's statement of his half brother being "not so sure" about Obama's Christian faith seems distorted unless it can be backed up with a substantive quote (it was not during the Special Report broadcast).
Watch the clip and weigh in with thoughts / opinions below:
Two moments on the Sunday sows yesterday typified why a Democratic takeover of the Presidency and additional gains in Congress are nearing so close to reality - Republican spinners remain in total denial about the impact of failed conservative economic policies.
In an eye-popping statement on ABC's This Week, George Will told us that we're all doing much better than we were eight years ago, and shut up-a-you face, nervous ninnies, and let the free market do its job and reap untold fortunes (for a select few, of course). The astonishing transcript on the flip:
Chris Matthews needs the masses to ask him to watch this video FOX Lies!!! Is Rev. Wright .Support Barack Obama since he apparently doesn't know it exists, and he'd like to know if John McSame should run on National Security or not. John Kyl thinks that the Democratic Congress has acted like Hoover, and apparently black people are a new high risk group for loans, Chuck Todd admits to the media bias shown by the press for McBush, Lindsey Graham is really good at not answering questions since he's allowed to fillibuster instead of actually having to answer to anything, Hagel gives George Stephanopolous a piece of his mind, Hume thinks McCranky just had a "senior moment", Peggy Noonan thinks Richardson looks like Rod Steiger in Dr. Zhivago, and apparently Pat Buchanan doesn't know the difference between gay people and pedophiles. And Bill Maher had a few things to say as well.
Brit Hume has claimed that McCain's confusion in regards to who is training Al-Queda in Iraq is a delightful gaffe on the part of the Right-Wing noise machine. It establishes several things.
#1, McCain was wrong. Brit's attempt to paper this over is hugely significant. It means the Noise Machine cannot now push this as a theme. Repeat after me: Iran is NOT training Al-Queda insurgents for Iraq operations. Fox News agrees.
#2, McCain has a mental problem. We are talking about someone whose entire qualification for the job is our trust in their mental faculties. We've had Presidents in wheelchairs and Presidents with personal character issues. And we're pretty sure we've already had an Alzheimer's President. Reagan Mythology 101 tells us that Americans have this glowing, positive image of the 1980's, but reality is I don't know that a lot of Americans would have St. Ronnie back for another term.
Brit Hume was interviewed by the magazine of his alma mater, the University of Virginia. He had some revealing things to say about his view of journalism and the world. The first question dealt with what changes he has seen in the country:
There used to be a general view that America was not what was wrong with the world.
Do you think Hume asked the whole world if that was their general view?
Brought to you by... News Corpse The Internet's Chronicle Of Media Decay.
I know diaries that poke at the facade that is the Fox News Network are the home territory of the incredibly talented King OneEye around these parts, but I saw this on the TVNewswer blog this morning, and I felt compelled to offer some commentary.
Apparently, Fox News Channel anchor and resident journalist Brit Hume was interviewed by the magazine published by the University of Virginia (an alumni magazine, I am assuming). Aside from offering a vignette about how he became enthralled with journalism, he also offered what has to be now described as the typical FNC arrogant story line when confronted with a question about the perception (er..reality) of Fox News Channel catering to a right wing political point of view.
Summary: As you've probably heard by now, if you're running for President, but you don't wear a flag pin...you might hate America. Mr. Obama is the latest person to find this out the hard way.
I want to explore the kind of people who think like this, because it's actually a larger phenomenon that I've been following for some time.
"What we have learned over this year is that hope is making a comeback. It is making a comeback. And let me tell you something -- for the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country. And not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change. And I have been desperate to see our country moving in that direction and just not feeling so alone in my frustration and disappointment. I've seen people who are hungry to be unified around some basic common issues, and it's made me proud."
What interesting about this isn't just Bill O'Reilly's idiotic ill-advised "not gonna start a lynching party" comments, - gee, thanks for the consideration Bill - but really the very serious disconnect and failure to comprehend the very simple point Michelle was making on the issue of "Pride".
John K. Carlisle of the arch-conservative National Legal and Policy Center is peddling a cynical strategy to exploit an ailing newspaper industry. The plan is an undisguised blueprint for media manipulation. Here are some examples of how Carlisle presents his initiative:
"The long-term decline in newspaper circulation presents the conservative movement with an excellent opportunity to increase its influence with the media."
More examples below the fold.
Brought to you by... News Corpse The Internet's Chronicle Of Media Decay.
Conservative students and faculty at Princeton University are questioning the absence of campus and community outrage — following the beating of a student leading a morality movement at the school. The New York Sun reports Francisco Nava was attacked by two men last week and told to shut up. The beating came two days after Nava received death threats by e-mail.
In Iowa yesterday, GOP frontrunner Rudy Giuliani followed Bush Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey in playing dumb on the subject of torture. It should come as no surprise that Giuliani would argue that whether waterboarding violates the Geneva Convention depends on what the definition of "torture" is. Even less surprising is that the same man who in May endorsed "every method they could think of" would now jokingly claim that he was a victim of torture himself.
