Category: New York Times

The Left is being played like a fiddle….

A sad, but true fact.

The story, Which comes via Newshoggers, who saw it at Rising Hegemon. A story that appeared in the Village Voice, the story of how the Republican Operatives are strongly trying to weaken the chances of a Democratic Nominee of winning in November.  Now in the interest for fairness, this is really nothing new, this sort of Political underhandedness has been going on for years. Nixon did it, as did others. But the reason why it is so bad in this race, for one, is because there is no fairness doctrine anymore, opening up the ability to editorialize the coverage of the election process, another factor is, that you have a Republican propaganda machine, known as Fox News, or as I like to call it, Faux Noise. But, because I am fair, Fox News is not the only ones that do this sort of thing. MSNBC does it, CNN does, even the so-called NPR, which is supposed to be a-political, has a noticed liberal slant to it. So, all in all, the Bias is on both sides of the camp.

Anyhow, on with the story….

Quote:

The prime movers of both political parties have long tried to game the presidential nominating process—not only to choose their eventual winner, but also to pick their November opponent. And in this landmark election without incumbents, the media wing of the Republican Party, in particular, has quite visibly been playing that game. Right-leaning pundits for months now have very openly not just called for Hillary Clinton’s head, but also coddled and promoted Barack Obama, salivating over the prospect of facing him in November.

Meanwhile, voters have been echoing that program: Barack Obama has been beating Hillary Clinton in part because Republicans are helping him.

Sixteen of the 45 Democratic primaries and caucuses held before this week were open affairs, allowing Republicans and independents to take part, and Barack Obama has won 11 of those contests. He almost invariably carried the Republican vote, which accounted for as much as 9 percent of the total in Wisconsin and Texas, and frequently ran even stronger among independents, who represented a fifth or more of Democratic primary voters in state after state. The 75 percent of the Republican vote that he won in Missouri, for example, may have pushed him over the top, and certainly, when combined with his 67 percent of the state’s much larger independent vote, it delivered many of the district-apportioned delegates to him. Republicans in Obama states like Washington, Wisconsin, and Virginia were even freer to cross the aisle, since by the time they voted, John McCain had already sewn up the GOP nomination. While Obama often won some of these states so handily that Republicans and independents could not have provided his margin of victory, there is no way to know how many delegates in close congressional-district contests will wind up in Denver because of the impact of Republican or independent voters. And there is no exit-poll data to measure their impact on the caucuses.

I highly recommend that you read the rest of this story, as it paints a tale of how the Republicans are attempting to destroy the Democrat nomination in November. The sick and sad part is, they are doing by using the old, outdated system of nomination and voting.

Cernig at Newshoggers weighs in:

In every case, these rightwing mouthpieces have ignored their own previous overt race-baiting to accuse the Clintons of being closet racists, have ignored their own open misogyny to accuse Obamites of sexism and generally muddied the waters every way they could.
Limbaugh, Novak, Kristol, Bennet, York, Hannity, George Will – all have their gamesmanship exposed by this must-read column. They’re all on the same page of the GOP playbook. It’s the page headed "Divide and Conquer".

Truly, this is a sad case, I just hope that Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton have the ability to overcome the negative press coverage and can be elected. Because we do not need four to six more years of the Neo-Conservative nightmare in this country. Now, if McCain nabs the Presidency, I won’t jump off a building or anything. But it will set this Country a great deal if he does. Not to mention, it will be the biggest embarrassment to the Democrat Party.

Here is hoping that things will work out, and the underhanded folk, on both sides, will be exposed, for what they are. 

Shocka! Detroit Mayor says, "I ain't going anywhere!"

Am I shocked? No. Surprised? Yes.

The Story: Stalemate in Detroit: City Council Asks Mayor to Resign, but He Refuses to Go (via New York Times)

Quote:

The City Council on Tuesday asked Mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick to resign in light of evidence that he had lied under oath and plotted to cover up an extramarital affair with his former chief of staff.

The 7-to-1 Council vote is not binding, and Mr. Kilpatrick has vowed to remain in office.

Nonetheless, the Council’s action is a political blow for the mayor, and support for the measure was greater than expected. Council members spoke highly of Mr. Kilpatrick but said he could no longer govern effectively, given the scandal that has enveloped Detroit for nearly two months.

“It is a vote of no confidence in the mayor’s ability to move the city forward at this time,” said Councilwoman Sheila M. Cockrel, who drafted some of the 33 reasons listed in the resolution for the mayor to step down. “It is a tragedy — an enormous talent that has been squandered.”

The mayor’s spokeswoman, Denise Tolliver, reiterated Mr. Kilpatrick’s determination to remain in office.

“While certain members have been playing judge and jury in the court of public opinion, Mayor Kilpatrick has continued to stay focused on advancing bold initiatives, such as his economic stimulus package,” she said in a statement. “As Mayor Kilpatrick has said before, he will stay in office, he will stay focused on city business, and he will continue to lead our city forward.”

As others have pointed out, this article fails to mention that the Major of Detroit is, in fact, a Democrat. His Mother is a Democrat Michigan Representative. Her name is Carolyn Kilpatrick. Which is why, as many locally suspect, is why he was elected Mayor, His mommy pulled the right strings. Mike Hendrix, a local man who ran against him, suspected that there was tampering of the polls. However, these charges were dismissed by many.

Do I think he should resign? Yes, I do. He disgraced the office and the fallout will be region-wide. However, it might not matter, there is a full scale investigation going on and the results will be released next week. Should be interesting indeed.

Others on this: Matthew Yglesias, NewsBusters.org, Associated Press and JammieWearingFool (via Memeorandum)

Shocka!: William Kristol fudges the facts while writing his Anti-Obama Article at The New York Times

Well now, here’s a big surprise! (Well, maybe not….)

The Story: Kristol Fails To Check His Sources, And So Bungles Key Fact In Anti-Obama Column (Marc Ambinder) – (via The Atlantic)

Well it seems Mr. Kristol used one of the worst news sources…. NewsMax! Ugh… No wonder. Anyhow, here’s the fudged fact:

But Ronald Kessler, a journalist who has written about Wright’s ministry, claims that Obama was in fact in the pews at Trinity last July 22. That’s when Wright blamed the “arrogance” of the “United States of White America” for much of the world’s suffering, especially the oppression of blacks. In any case, given the apparent frequency of such statements in Wright’s preaching and their centrality to his worldview, the pretense that over all these years Obama had no idea that Wright was saying such things is hard to sustain.

The Problem is, According to Ambinder and the facts:

The error is in trusting the source without checking.

The truth is that Obama did not attend church on July 22.

He was on his way to campaign in Miami.

There is video evidence to support this, if you go to Ambinder’s article, there is a link to it.

The point of this entry is this, wasn’t this why Kristol was fired/let go/was ask to quit Time? I seem to recall that there was a huge stink about him being released from Time, because of his constant fudging of the truth.

Of course, this is a Republican we are talking about here, and in the tradition of the Republicans or more specifically here Neo-Conservatives, The truth is usually optional, when it comes to furthering your political agenda. Just ask George W. Bush.  

Update: Here is the Video, Proving Obama was not in that Church.

Update #2: Kristol Writes:

In this column, I cite a report that Sen. Obama had attended services at Trinity Church on July 22, 2007. The Obama campaign has provided information showing that Senator Obama did not attend Trinity that day. I regret the error.

Yeah, I bet he regrets the error, Lying stack of crap. He most likely got told, print a retraction or kiss your job goodbye. Which is more than this moron deserves, his track record for telling factual stories isn’t the greatest.

Also via the Huffington Post:

But according to the Washington Post’s presidential tracker, Obama did, in fact, make an "appearance" in Chicago on the morning in question: July 22, 2002. He also, later in the day, flew to Miami for a speech.

Obama’s spokesperson Tommy Vietor confirmed that the schedule was accurate but stressed that the senator did not make a stop at Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ.

"We have reviewed his schedule," he wrote. "He didn’t go to church that day."

Which is perfectly plausible. Just because Obama was in Chicago doesn’t mean he attended church. But he was, in fact, in Chicago that morning.

Of course, not to be lost in all of this is the fantastically poor job Kristol did in his column in which he apparently failed to run a basic Google search, or, for that matter, call the Obama campaign.

The Times must be proud.

Not mention the Republicans themselves, Not the formal G.O.P., I’m talking about their Operatives, Rupert Murdock’s boys (and Girls!)  spreading the stupid misinformation.  Like I’ve said a bunch of times in the past. I’m all for debating the issues and all, and sorting out the differences between the Democrats and Republicans, but using underhanded tactics like this, is just flipping wrong. Before anyone comes and says it, yes, I am quite aware that the Democrat’s do the same stuff, and yes, I do think that it is wrong and Yes, I will bitch to the high heavens about it on this Blog, if and when it happens. You can bank on it.

Others: The Moderate Voice, JustOneMinute, Think Progress, WSJ.com, TalkLeft, Philly.com, Confederate Yankee, The Carpetbagger Report, Balloon Juice, Riehl World View, Reason Magazine, Outside The Beltway, Political Byline, Sister Toldjah, Obsidian Wings, Comments from Left Field, Fausta’s blog, Macsmind, Brendan Nyhan, Matthew Yglesias, Swampland, Left in the West, Political Punch, PunditGuy, AMERICAblog and The Other McCain and more via Memeorandum

You see, this is what happens when you don't play the Neo-Con Game with Bush.

You get tied up and blindfolded like an animal.

Read the story over at the New York Times:

The Baiji refinery, with its distillation towers rising against the Hamrin Mountains, may be the most important industrial site in the Sunni Arab-dominated regions of Iraq. On a good day, 500 tanker trucks will leave the refinery filled with fuel with a street value of $10 million.

The sea of oil under Iraq is supposed to rebuild the nation, then make it prosper. But at least one-third, and possibly much more, of the fuel from Iraq’s largest refinery here is diverted to the black market, according to American military officials. Tankers are hijacked, drivers are bribed, papers are forged and meters are manipulated — and some of the earnings go to insurgents who are still killing more than 100 Iraqis a week.

“It’s the money pit of the insurgency,” said Capt. Joe Da Silva, who commands several platoons stationed at the refinery.

Five years after the war in Iraq began, the insurgency remains a lethal force. The steady flow of cash is one reason, even as the American troop buildup and the recruitment of former insurgents to American-backed militias have helped push the number of attacks down to 2005 levels.

In fact, money, far more than jihadist ideology, is a crucial motivation for a majority of Sunni insurgents, according to American officers in some Sunni provinces and other military officials in Iraq who have reviewed detainee surveys and other intelligence on the insurgency.

Yeah, them Neo-Conservative, Rockefeller-type, Republicans wouldn’t want those pesky jihadists tapping into their oil profits.

You see, we went into that country, based on totally false intelligence, and now the people that don’t think we belong there. The jihadists, who want to defend their land, is now getting their money supply cut off. Do I defend the one’s who blow up our troops? Hell No. But I am realist, that says, if we’d attacked the RIGHT DAMN COUNTRY IN THE FIRST FUCKING PLACE, we wouldn’t be in this situation.

In case anyone forgot, there was a report this week, that said, despite what the feckless, idiot, bastards on the far right want to believe, that there were NO OPERATIONAL ties between Saddam and Al-Qaeda.

Like I’ve said before, we need change, badly. November 2008 cannot came fast enough for me.

Gov. Spitzer Is Linked to Prostitution Ring

This is not good.

The Story: Spitzer Is Linked to Prostitution Ring (Via New York Times)

Gov. Eliot Spitzer has been caught on a federal wiretap arranging to meet with a high-priced prostitute at a Washington hotel last month, according to a person briefed on the federal investigation

The wiretap recording, made during an investigation of a prostitution ring called Emperors Club VIP, captured a man identified as Client 9 on a telephone call confirming plans to have a woman travel from New York to Washington, where he had reserved a room. The person briefed on the case identified Mr. Spitzer as Client 9.

The governor learned that he had been implicated in the prostitution probe when a federal official contacted his staff last Friday, according to the person briefed on the case.

The governor informed his top aides Sunday night and this morning of his involvement. He canceled his public events today and scheduled an announcement for this afternoon after inquiries from the Times.

Of course, The right is screaming, "HA HA!" and "Hypocrite!" and the Left is basically hunkered down and not saying much. I think it’s sad and it will hurt the democrats. I only imagine the feelings of the people in New York. I know, I would be highly annoyed, if I knew my Governor was involved with something such as this.

It’s a sad thing, in more ways than one.

Of course, let us not forget the scandals of the Republicans under our current President.

This is all the rage in the Blogosphere. Here’s the listing of them all:

Mr. Spitzer, who was huddled with his top aides early this afternoon …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Marc Ambinder, Associated Press, The Corner, Ace of Spades HQ, MoJoBlog, Weekly Standard Blog, Megan McArdle, The XX Factor, The Fix, Matthew Yglesias, TigerHawk, The Jawa Report, Open Left, TalkLeft, The Agitator, michellemalkin.com, The New Republic, The Swamp, Little Green Footballs, The Carpetbagger Report, Trailhead, Gawker, Guardian Unlimited, Eschaton, American Street, JammieWearingFool, The Campaign Spot, JustOneMinute, Taylor Marsh, New York Post, TVNewser, Outside The Beltway, New York Magazine, Jonathan Martin’s Blogs, Real Clear Politics, The Strata-Sphere, QandO, The Raw Story, Telegraph, protein wisdom, StephenBainbridge.com, 2008 Democratic …, Top of the Ticket, AlterNet.org, NewsBusters.org, No More Mister Nice Blog, Emptywheel, Stop The ACLU, Wonkette, Gothamist, Political Machine, Don Surber, The Agonist, Shakesville, Hullabaloo, PrairiePundit, About.com US Politics and FP Passport (Via Memeornadum)

Temper Temper….

Seems old McBush lost his cool today.

Eh, He’s 71 years old, He’s got permission to be cranky. Tongue

A will say this, the press can be such jerks at times. Especially the "Liberal" press towards the Republicans.

Hopefully, This will blow over and they won’t keep harping on it.

Others: Riehl World View, Salon, The Gun Toting Liberal™, Macsmind, Sister Toldjah, Jonathan Martin’s Blogs, The Swamp and No More Mister Nice Blog

(via Memeorandum)

Bush seeks break the Nation and take services from the Elderly.

All to fund his misguided war….

Bush Seeks Budget of $3.1 Trillion (Via NYT)

President Bush submitted a federal budget of $3.1 trillion on Monday, declaring that the spending plan would keep the United States safe and prosperous and, despite its record size, would adhere to his principle of letting Americans keep as much of their own money as possible.

Of course……:

Mr. Bush said he would cut or terminate 151 programs, saving $18 billion in 2009. One agency, the Education Department, accounts for 47 of the terminated programs and three of the programs to be cut. But he would increase spending in areas that fall under the umbrella of “national security.”

[…]

Mr. Bush said his budget would slow “the unsustainable growth of entitlement spending” with proposed savings of $208 billion over five years. This includes savings of $178 billion in Medicare, $17 billion in Medicaid and $6 billion in student aid programs. The president proposes to raise $2 billion from new enrollment fees and higher pharmacy co-payments for certain veterans receiving health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Unless I totally misread what was wrote, Bush wants slash benefits to the elderly, (read, the POOR elderly!) those who need the most help. Problem with that is, Mr. President, not everyone has those investments, that you rich folk have available to them, and Social Security and Medicaid and Medicare is all they have.

But, from what I have read, Congress will never pass his version of the Budget. So, I doubt he’ll get his way, Thankfully.

This is what happens when you elect a rich C.E.O. for a President.

We need change. Badly.

Others: Think Progress, NewsBusters.org, Captain’s Quarters, The Politico, The Crypt’s Blogs, My Two Sense , The Aristocrats and more via Memeoarandum

NYT Hires Kristol, Liberals go nuts and NYT wonders why

I find stories like this quite amusing. Hee hee

Times defends hiring conservative Kristol – Michael Calderone – Politico.com

The New York Times’ hiring of Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol to write for its op-ed page caused a frenzy in the liberal blogosphere Friday night, with threats of canceling subscriptions and claims that the Gray Lady had been hijacked by neo-cons.

What is about Liberals and intolerance for free speech? I mean, do liberals feel that threatened by this person? Amazing.

The Editor of NYT agrees:

Rosenthal told Politico shortly after the official announcement Saturday that he fails to understand “this weird fear of opposing views.”

“The idea that The New York Times is giving voice to a guy who is a serious, respected conservative intellectual — and somehow that’s a bad thing,” Rosenthal added. “How intolerant is that?”

I agree. While I might not agree with all of what Kristol says or believes, I think that trying to repress someone’s views is totally wrong. Kristol has a right to speak his mind, Just like Ann Coulter, Keith Olbermann and the rest of the political talkers out there.

This sort of goes along with that theory of both Political parties being intolerant of dissent. This happens on both sides, all the time.

More here