Good morning!

This was an article from about a month ago. I found it while perusing around and thought, “Hey, this is worth blogging”.  This article tells the people that the right wing may have a surprise at the polls if they think they can continue to give all the tax break to the 1%, cut voting rights, and limit bargaining rights of the unions.

The Lessons of Ohio

“Remember Ohio.” Those two words should carry new meaning to politicians in Congress and state houses who think they can respond to unemployment, budget crises and voter anger with faux solutions that serve up red meat to their right-wing base.

With their now-famous rejection of a state law limiting public employees’ right to bargain collectively, Ohio voters sent this emphatic reminder to Republicans (and some Democrats as well): Cutting taxes for millionaires and billionaires, scapegoating working Americans and their unions and downsizing Social Security and Medicare may get you a standing ovation from the 1%, but the voters who decide elections will not be fooled — and you may just get more than you bargained for.

Four lessons to remember from Ohio:

1. 2010 didn’t mean what you think.

Challengers in the 2010 mid-term elections benefited from a formidable current for change, but the change voters wanted was a solution to the economy and the jobs crisis–not political maneuvers and overreach. Keep in mind, too, that voter turnout in mid-term elections is unrepresentatively low: Fewer votes were cast to elect John Kasich governor in 2010 than were cast last week to defeat SB5, the anti-worker law pushed forward by the governor and the Republican majority in the state legislature.

Across the board, voters in the Buckeye state said the anti-worker law “was not the kind of change Ohio was looking for in 2010,” according to a post-election survey conducted by Hart Research for the AFL-CIO.

Voters, in fact, are more leery than ever of partisan games. Ohio voters said they perceived the law as a political maneuver by Gov. Kasich and state Republicans to weaken labor unions (53%) rather than a genuine effort to make state government more efficient (33%).

Just as Ohioans voted down the anti-worker law, voters in other states rejected right-wing overreach, defeating a Maine law prohibiting a same-day voter registration law that had been in effect for almost 40 years and recalling the state senate president in Arizona, who had championed the state’s anti-immigrant law.

2. In 2011 and 2012, fronting for the 1% is a nonstarter.

Remember, 2011 is not 2010, and politics in 2012 will evolve even more. Give credit to the Occupy Wall Street movement (and historic inequality) for redefining the political narrative.

Fifty-six percent of Ohio voters in the Hart survey agreed that Kasich and his allies “are putting the interests of big corporations ahead of average working people.”

These attitudes are widely shared by the swing voters who supported President Obama in 2008 but elected Republican governors and U.S. representatives in 2010–and will decide the presidential and congressional elections in 2012. They’re working Americans with modest incomes, moderate views and little patience for policies that aren’t fair and don’t work.

More than 26 percent of 2010 Kasich voters, in fact, were part of the overall 61 percent majority who rejected the limits on collective bargaining.

This sea change was strongest among voters in the middle of the economic and ideological spectrums. Yes, public employees, union members, Democrats and liberals voted overwhelmingly against the controversial law. But they were joined by definitive majorities of voters from households with no public employee, workers without union representation and independents, as well as 30 percent of Republicans and 36 percent of conservatives.

3. The myth of the pampered public employee has been busted.

The demonization of public employees is neither a strategy nor a solution and the heartland Americans who voted last week to restore rights for public employees understood that. Public employees didn’t cause the economic crisis and they’re not the enemy. They’re our neighbors and our friends, mainstays of the working middle class, and the services they provide–from police and fire protection to education, health care and environmental protection–are essential to the economy and our quality of life.

And yes, taking away the right to bargain collectively in the public sector, which maintains standards at a time when the private sector is running away from them, will lower living standards for everybody.

Voters in the Hart poll said the anti-worker law would have a mainly negative rather than positive impact on the state’s middle class. The attack on public employees would be more harmful than helpful to wages and benefits for all Ohio workers, they said (by a 20 point margin), to public safety (by 21 points), to public education (by 14 points) and to jobs and the economy (by 12 points).

4. Working people joined together will win.

Firefighters, teachers and other public employees were joined by plumbers and pilots and all kinds of private-sector employees to win. Worker to worker, neighbor to neighbor, the message spread, and what began as an attempt to divide workers flopped famously. In the end, working people’s solidarity was the message.

Lest there be any doubt, voters in Ohio showed that when fundamental rights and livelihoods are targeted, working people will not only defend themselves, but come back stronger. Conversely, when politicians listen to and champion working people, they can win.

The 2011 elections are over, but their lessons are lasting. Rather than pander to economic elites and an ideological fringe, public officials and office-seekers who want to be winners this time next year should support public policies for the 99 percent–policies that create jobs, invest in America’s future, safeguard Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and promote fiscal sanity at the federal and state levels by requiring millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share.

At a time of near-double-digit unemployment and growing concerns about economic insecurity and inequality, the overwhelming majority of Americans are seeking solutions, not scapegoats.

It’s time for politicians to listen.

*********

Comments? Blog me.

Readers: Well…I was certainly frustrated last night as I am sure all of you were. So sorry for the inconvenience of not being able to once again post a comment. However, I did find some of your comments in the spam folder – not sure why. I noted them as “Not Spam” so that they would post and HOPEfully my spam filter will recognize next time that they are not spam. We’ll see. Let’s HOPE that this is the end of it.

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

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Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

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" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

Or…rather up to their old lying tricks

Before I get into today’s write….

All I can say is I was trying to lighten it up a bit with some humor and what I thought was pretty hilarious, was taken oh so seriously by some men…and guess what? Instead of cruising down the “Hilarious Highway”,  we took a slow trip down “Literal Lane” again. Ha! I have no control – this blog goes where it wants to go. Thanks readers for the very interesting read, and the kudos. And girls, don’t ever worry, I don’t censor myself. I post what I wish to post – it is all of you that give it life in which ever direction it goes.

So…enough of that – Wha’ats up?

What’s up for me this morning is that one can certainly discover a lot of BS on the net, and I just want to add “Don’t believe everything that you read”.  Once again a racist republican propaganda mill masquerading as a legitimate news outlet tries to slam Obama.

‘60 Minutes’ Edits Out Obama‘s Claim That He’s the Fourth Best President

President Barack Obama sat for an extensive interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes” last week, though it appears the portion of the interview actually broadcast on TV left out a statement where Obama essentially declared himself the fourth best president in terms of hisaccomplishments.

The statement was only made available online as part of the full interview on “60 Minutes Overtime.”

According to a transcript posted on the “60 Minutes” website, Obama said he would hold his accomplishments so far as president against those of Lyndon B. Johnson, Franklin Delano Rooseveltand Abraham Lincoln.

“I would put our legislative and foreign policy accomplishments in our first two years against any president — with the possible exceptions of Johnson, F.D.R., and Lincoln — just in terms of what we’ve gotten done in modern history,” Obama told CBS’s Steve Kroft.

Watch the full interview below. The statement comes at the very end, around the 56:10 mark of the 56:53-minute video:

And this was also added to the article:

I clicked over to youtube to watch this last video and I had to read through a bunch of shitty comments calling Obama arrogant, until finally someone saw the video for what it really was, and states the obvious in my opinion: “…that this was a pathetic attempt at defacing the president.” Which it is. Obama didn’t say he was the 4th best president, he said that he would hold up his legislative and foreign policy accomplishments against what the other 40 did with the possible  exceptions of  Johnson, F.D.R., and Lincoln  and he qualified that with “— just in terms of what we’ve gotten done in modern history,”

“I would put our legislative and foreign policy accomplishments in our first two years against any president — with the possible exceptions of Johnson, F.D.R., and Lincoln — just in terms of what we’ve gotten done in modern history,” Obama told CBS’s Steve Kroft.

Readers: Some people will try anything. But we know better, don’t we. Thoughts? Blog me.

Peace out.

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2011

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning

I know I’m posting late but I wanted to get my stats, and information correct and finding it all wasn’t easy.

Okay, so I’m not happy with Obama signing the NDAA Bill. But really…what could he have done? What choice did he have?  He did what he could. For those of you who want to blame Obama – you gave your rights away when you cast your vote in November 2010-  - If you want to blame anyone blame yourself – this is your fault. Not Obama’s. Don’t bitch at Obama; kick yourself. There was nothing he could’ve done – and unfortunately as much as I don’t like it, this is just the way it is. Remember…Obama is the Executive branch not the Legislative branch.

Just like the complaints we hear against Obama, such as:  ”He can’t fix the mess.” (this is the mess the republicans left him in: A bankrupt economy.) And “He is giving the money to the banks.” We now have,  ”He signs our rights away with the NDAA Bill.” —– They are all phony because his hands are tied. Just like in the the first two, now with reference to the NDAA, the complainers are the ones responsible for allowing enough republicans to get elected to block any reform or stance Obama wants to make.

Obama couldn’t veto what would have been overridden. Also note that if Obama did veto the bill and it was re-written who knows what else they would have added in – the Bill could be worse than it is now. At least Obama was able to put in some provisions before he signed it.

Count your blessings he got the provision put in the NDAA Bill by the republicans removed that would have authorized the SOD (Secretary of Defense) to be the person to decide what American citizen could be detained by the military without a warrant or right to a lawyer.  Obama had it changed to only the President could make that call and that the arrest had to be initially made by the FBI thereby giving the American citizen the right to counsel.

If I could find the other provisions I would post them here, but I can’t do all the homework – do the research and be informed before you bitch. Because after the vote last night, all I keep reading is about people bitching at our president for signing, when  his hands were tied. You’ll see what I mean – Keep reading please.

Here’s the breakdown:

With a vote of 86 to 14 in favor in the Senate, again, Obama had little choice but to sign the bill, because a veto would have been overridden. A bill needed a mere 66% to override a Presidential veto – the bill passed with an 86%. (See the breakdown below)

The House vote - 283-136 vote: 190 Republicans and 93 Dems voted YEA  43 Republicans and 53 Dems voted NO (Unfortunately I can’t find the breakdown of who voted YEA or NAY – not even on “ontheissues.org” )

So am I still upset? Yes, I’m upset…of course I am. This is disasterous. But I’m not upset with Obama. I’m upset with those who put us in this position…those of you who didn’t vote or voted the wrong way, put in the representatives who voted so overwhelmingly for NDAA (86% in the Senate – 74% in the House), any veto power that the President could have had against this bill was lost.

For those who may still be confused, Civics 101:

The House or the Senate needs only a 66% majority to over ride a Presidential veto!

I know I’m being redundant but sometimes I feel the need….

As noted from a comment I read on a blog:

Here’s a little civics lesson for those that want to blame Obama. A 2/3 vote of the Senate and House can override a Presidential veto. The Senate voted *88% in favor, far more than the 66% needed to override a veto, and the House voted **75% in favor, again, far more than the 66% needed to override a veto. 

* Actually  86% in favor and **more likely 74% in favor.

THE 86 SENATORS THAT TOOK AWAY YOUR RIGHTS:

*********

And finally a note to the Dems in both the House and the Senate. Perhaps you should be sitting in this seat!

Thoughts? Blog me.

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2011

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

With all the talk about Romney, I couldn’t help but post this write that Arianna Huffington wrote and posted toward the end of last month.

Perhaps you read it; perhaps not. In either case, here it is:

Mitt Romney Brazenly Lies And The Media Lets Him Slide

Last week, a lot of media attention was devoted to latest GOP frontrunner Newt Gingrich using the word “humane” in a debate answer about illegal immigration, suggesting we should avoid policies that tear families apart. Will erring on the side of humanity sit well with “family values” voters?

There was another big story — the brazen dishonesty of former frontrunner Mitt Romney — that received a lot less attention from the media. Instead of obsessing over whether an element of humanity might disqualify Gingrich with some Iowa voters, the media would be better served focusing on whether out-and-out lying should disqualify Romney with all voters.

The lie is found in Romney’s first television ad, run last week in New Hampshire. The ad shows President Obama saying, “If we keep talking about the economy, we’re going to lose.” What the ad doesn’t tell you is that this was from 2008 — and that Obama was quoting an aide to John McCain at the time. Here is the full Obama quote: “Senator McCain’s campaign actually said, and I quote, ‘if we keep talking about the economy, we’re going to lose.’” (The full speech can be found here.)

This is far from the garden-variety truth stretching we’re used to in political advertising. This is so breathtakingly cynical it should cause us to question whether a candidate that would put it forth is fit for any public office — let alone the presidency.

This ad isn’t about the economy — it’s about character. Or at least it should be. Instead, for those in the media who bothered to cover it, it led mostly to a discussion about campaign tactics. Usually the media loves to play up these “character moments,” and here was a moment that really did reveal a candidate’s character. Yet, with some notable exceptions, the media punted.

Our own Jason Linkins superbly covered the ad and the reaction to it here, but the story deserves to stay alive. As Jason wrote, “people in the political media just don’t take well to calling people liars, probably because if they did, they’d spend so much time doing that that people might get cynical or something!”

Of course, as Jason points out, what actually makes people cynical is seeing obvious lies not called lies. That Mitt Romney hasn’t been forced to apologize for this ad, that he hasn’t been forced to fire the team responsible for it, isn’t just a failure of Romney’s — it’s a failure of our media culture and highlights the role it has played in the degradation of our political system.

Instead of a national conversation about what sort of person would approve such an ad, what we mostly got was just another “he said/she said” episode. The Obama camp attacked the ad, and the Romney camp responded. “There was no hidden effort on the part of our campaign,” Romney said in Iowa on Wednesday. “It was instead to point out that what’s sauce for the goose is now sauce for the gander.” And he was actually allowed to get away with that.

The response by Romney’s senior New Hampshire advisor Tom Rath was even worse. “He did say the words,” Rath told CBS News. “That’s his voice.”

Well, I guess Obama better not denounce someone like, say, Hitler, or Osama bin Laden by quoting their words because to the Romney camp, if the words are said by your voice, you must believe those words. And this is a man who wants to be president?

Along with being deceitful, the ad is also a challenge to the media. It’s like when a toddler looks right at you and slowly and deliberately spills a glass of milk. The child wants to see the reaction. It’s a test of boundaries. If there’s no reaction, then the message is that it’s OK.

So what message did the media send with its reaction? This is how the New York Times‘ Michael Shear covered the ad:

“Democrats reacted ferociously on Tuesday to Mitt Romney’s first campaign commercial, which they said distorted comments by Barack Obama to make it look as if he was running away from his record on the economy.”

“They said”? The ad did distort President Obama’s comments. It was not a matter of what Democrats said versus what Republicans said — there is an objective reality, and it is the media’s job to present it unequivocally.

According to Shear, the ad “let Republican voters know that Mr. Romney would take a combative posture toward Mr. Obama.” Actually, it let voters know that Mr. Romney would take a lying posture toward Mr. Obama.

The article then quickly pivots to yet another discussion of campaign tactics: “The result of the back and forth was to highlight an ad that Mr. Romney’s campaign spent relatively little to broadcast — just $134,000 on one New Hampshire television station.” Just another “back and forth,” people — nothing to see here.

Politico mentioned the ad several times, mostly as a jumping off point for a discussion of — what else? — campaign tactics. In a story calling the ad “jujitsu” and the lying part of it “the buzziest part,” the site wrote: “Today’s impending back-and-forth will only elevate Romney and rally conservatives to his side. Most important, by the end of the day, the high command in Boston is confident they will win the argument with voters (especially independents).”

And they might well, with media coverage like that.

In another article, entitled “Who wins this round,” (see, it’s just all a game!), Politico’s Maggie Haberman concludes that, “if nothing else, the ad was clearly intended as a signal of the bare-knuckled race Romney would run in a general.” The problem with this ad was not that it was “bare-knuckled” — you can be bare-knuckled without being dishonest.

To Haberman’s credit, the piece notes that the ad says something that “clearly isn’t true,” but that acknowledgment makes it even more damning that this doesn’t lead to a discussion of the implications of the lie, but instead to more coverage of politics as a meaningless, consequence-free boxing match.

A third Politico story said that the ad is “a microcosm of what a general election fight between Romney and Obama might look like, with Romney leveling explosive attacks on Obama’s economic record, and the president working to disqualify Romney as a liar.”

But, in fact, the ad was not an attack on Obama’s economic record (I have leveled plenty such attacks myself and they are perfectly legitimate). It was an attack on the truth, and on the intelligence not just of the media but of voters as well. And, given the reaction, it is sadly very likely a microcosm of how the media plan to cover the race.

On PBS’s Washington Week, there was some mild tsk-tsking, but the discussion, between Gloria Borger and John Dickerson, was mostly about how the ad might be successful, because, hey, it’s getting media attention, isn’t it?

Borger: A big context problem. And you know that the people cutting the ads are so cynical, a) they know there’s a context problem; b) they know that we’re going to be talking about it. I spoke to somebody in the Romney campaign who said, “As long as you people keep talking about our ad, we’re happy.” But if you’re a candidate looking for credibility, I don’t think this is the way to go about it.Dickerson: Unless you’re in a Republican primary, where proving you can beat up on the president is one of the tests. And being accused of playing dirty pool about Obama might not hurt you.

Of course, this theory — that it’s always good to have the media talking about you — only works if what they’re doing is just replaying your ad and talking about campaign tactics, instead of replaying it, calling it a lie, and asking if the candidate who approved it is going to apologize and fire whoever made it.

And then there’s “FactCheck.org.” Surely a group with a name like that must have been all over this ad, right?

“The Obama campaign is in a lather over Mitt Romney’s first TV spot, calling it ‘a deceitful and dishonest attack’ because of an edited quote from 2008,” the FactCheck site says. Their conclusion? “That’s a matter of opinion.” Actually, it’s not a matter of opinion. Maybe someone needs to launch a site called FactCheckFactCheck.org.

As Jason Linkins writes, “the phenomenon of the media being unable to call a lie a lie and a liar a liar” has become a disease. “And one of the symptoms of the disease is that it feels like you’re being fair. But this disease ravages the political discourse. It makes it okay to lie. It makes it okay to spin falsehoods in your campaign ads. And it makes it okay for the person you hurled a lie at to respond in kind — and now, they’re immunized from criticism. Now they’re the ones just ‘sparking a debate.’”

Fortunately, there are several in the media who have not yet succumbed to this disease. CNN’s John King, for example, called the ad “reprehensible.”

ABC’s Jake Tapper tweeted that the ad was more than misleading, “it’s TV-station-refuse-to-air-it-misleading,” and that it was ”so deceptive it’s a lie.” “TV-station-refuse-to-air-it-misleading” is a perfect description of the ad — and bravo to Jake Tapper for saying so.

And over at MSNBC, Lawrence O’Donnell’s response was a strong antidote to the disease of thinking the truth is just another opinion. “Mitt Romney’s first television ad is simply and entirely a lie,” he said, adding that those who say “everyone does this sort of thing in political advertising” are also lying. “The truth is,” he said, “most of the media is going to allow those things to fly as if they are the standard issue spin of campaigns.” Added his guest Eugene Robinson:

“This is anything but the standard issue spin. This is not regular spin. This is not even out of context — that’s technically true — but this is pure mendacity.”

The New Yorker‘s Ryan Lizza was another one who showed the media how it should be done:

This is one of those cases where a candidate has put out something that is demonstrably false. If a journalist or writer quoted someone in such an intellectually dishonest way, you would never trust the person’s writing again. And yet this episode is being reported by some as a clever tactic by the Romney camp to spark a debate about the ad’s accuracy that will serve to highlight its overall message that Obama has been a failure. (See, it worked!)

Back in 1998, in response to some lies Republicans had told about the budget process, I wrote: “The public seems to consider politicians’ abuse of language and the truth as resignedly as they do carbon-monoxide emissions. We don’t like them, but we can’t imagine a world without them.” And things have only gotten worse since then.

In an essay called “Dickens, Dali, and Others,” George Orwell wrote: “The first thing that we demand of a wall is that it shall stand up. If it stands up, it is a good wall, and the question of what purpose it serves is separable from that. And yet even the best wall in the world deserves to be pulled down if it surrounds a concentration camp.”

And the first thing a campaign demands of an ad is that it shall promote the candidate. Yet even the best ad in the world deserves to be pulled — and roundly excoriated — if it is built on a lie. Focusing instead on whether it’s a good or bad move politically is a major reason why our political system is so broken.

*********

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2011

“ Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox“

Good morning!

Readers: In recognition of International Human Rights Day this weekend, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave this speech yesterday – All I can say is that it is exceptional and so worth the watch. I applaud Clinton for a compassionate well delivered speech that is needed and needs to be heard, here in the US and around the world.

For those that would rather read the transcript, click here.

*****

Readers: And let’s not forget that this is another accomplishment by Obama and his administration for puting into place the first U.S. Government strategy dedicated to combating human rights abuses against LGBT persons abroad. Kudos are due.

Speaking of Obama…I am happy to give Clinton top billing today, but Obama gave a remarkable speech yesterday as well. - And also well worth the watch:

********

Connie: I am not sure I like being the “one who tipped the scale”. :)  I just thought that the opportunity to leave was certainly tempting. But you are a grown woman, so I am sure you know what you really want to do. I wish you both the best. And I HOPE that if you do decide to become 19 again and are here for a few more years, that you’ll check in with us and let us know how you’re doing.

Garth: You are probably correct on the spying. And I agree with you with respect to regulation.

Howie: I appreciate your post and your concern, but almost everyday I post topics on current events. I love the post office. I am one of those who does not trust on-line banking. I am also very tactile – I love writing checks almost as much as I appreciate a handwritten card or letter. So I am concerned about post office – These days picking just one topic a day is difficult, as there is so much happening in this world daily. That is why I rely on my readers to post current topics as well so that we can all be informed of what is important to a few, as well as to many. So keep it coming.

But like Robert,RT, I too believe that this blog is the place for “Peyton Place”, but it is also every other place you can imagine, to share, rant, bitch, drool over, revel in etc.

Zen Lill: Romney’s dropped down to second place. Now we’re dealing with the Newt on top.  And his trace record isn’t looking so good. (Thanks to Rachel Maddow for exposing the dirt)

Jullie: Thanks for your faith – yes – we will prevail!

Anonymous: These are the kind of stories that drive me to continue doing what I do.

Gretchen: I love it when I read that a reader has been reading for years and finally makes a first comment. I’m always delighted and then I wonder, “What took you so long?” :) “Fire brand”  - that is how I think of Maddow as well – love her commentary. And thrilled that you made the switch. Thanks for the good wishes.

What’s on your mind? Blog me? Peace out.

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

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Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2011

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"