A Hollywood Republican

This blog is for an open discussion on politics. My views will be to the right as will be most of the posters. But, we are willing to post alternative viewpoints as lons as they are well thought out. I started this in response to the Obama election and will continue it as long as it feeds a need.

Jul 22, 2010

What You See is Not Necessarily What You Get by Ira Schwartz

To all who this article may offend, it is written by Ira.  I have chosen to publish it because it is the right thing to do.  Reporting has gone to the level of "Yellow Journalism" in the past ten years and the people in this country should know that everything you hear is not necessarily true.  You must read, research and then make your own opinion.  Do not believe everything you hear no matter how much you usually agree with the person making the statement.  I believe in free speech, but I do not believe in Yellow Journalism.  And, now for Ira's article unedited by yours truly because I've said I will publish well thought out articles regardless of where they are from politically:

For years I’ve been telling anyone who would listen that the way the internet allows most news to be reported almost instantaneously is a mixed blessing at best. Yes we get the information almost as fast as it unfolds but it is often posted so quickly that we really don’t get all the facts. And facts/truth is what a news story SHOULD be all about. In the days before the internet newsmen and woman like Walter Cronkite, Chet Huntley, David Brinkley, Bernard Shaw and Edward R. Merrow actually spent days researching a story before they would even consider it for airing. They would make sure they had all the necessary facts before they released it to the public.

When I worked at Black Rock, CBS Headquarters in New York, I had the good fortune to bump into Walter Cronkite in the elevator one evening. After several seconds of getting the courage up to speak I asked him what he thought was the most important attributes of a journalist. He smiled and in that wonderfully deep voice said, “Research. If done properly it will always reveal the truth and the truth is what the story is all about. After all every time you go on air it is you they are listening to; it is you they believe in not the TV network, not the radio station or newspaper but you. Integrity is everything for a newsman. Once you lose that it is almost impossible to get it back.”

What a shame today’s crop of “On Air Personalities” don’t subscribe to the same beliefs. Integrity. That’s a word we don’t hear used very much when referring to today’s “News Organizations”. They seem more interested in getting the “story” out first then getting their facts straight. And some even twist and bend the facts to fit their own agendas. Enter the picture…biggovernment.com, a political website which is part of the Andrew Breitbart media group.

Big Government.com released a heavily edited video showing USDA Director of Rural Development in Georgia, Shirley Sherrod, spewing racist’s remarks while speaking at an NAACP banquet. Now this video, taken as is, clearly indicated that Shirley Sherrod has no love for white people and used her position to further this agenda. The Fox News Network picked up the video and ran it on their website. According to the website “Media Matters “ FoxNews.com's first report on Sherrod reported her statements made in the clip, but gave no indication that it might have been taken out of context. It reported that Fox was "seeking a response from both the NAACP and the USDA," but not that they had attempted to find the full version of the tape or contact Sherrod herself.

In Fox News' first on-air mention of Sherrod, Bill O'Reilly aired a portion of the Breitbart-pushed clip, then called her comments "simply unacceptable" and said Sherrod "must resign immediately. In the next hour, Sean Hannity led off with the Sherrod story, which he called "Just the latest in a series of racial incidents." Fox contributor Newt Gingrich then said that she had displayed a "viciously racist attitude."

Apparently the USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack felt the same way and asked Sherrod for her resignation. Vilsack went on to say, “There is zero tolerance for discrimination at USDA, and I strongly condemn any act of discrimination against any person. We have been working hard through the past 18 months to reverse the checkered civil rights history at the department and take the issue of fairness and equality very seriously.” Sherrod resigned under protest.

NAACP President Benjamin Todd Jealous supported the resignation saying, "According to her remarks, she mistreated a white farmer in need of assistance because of his race," he said in a statement before Sherrod's explanation. "We are appalled by her actions, just as we are with abuses of power against farmers of color and female farmers."

Then the complete video of Director Sherrod’s speech surfaced and everything really hit the fan. You see that 2 minute edited video left all alone is quite damning but when seen in its entirety presents a much different picture. I have provided a link to both versions decide for yourselves.

So what happened? What always happens with these sorts of things. Someone with a political agenda got creative with the editing program on their computer, sent the finished product to a website that would be sympathetic to the cause, in this case it was BigGovernment.com, and the rest is history, AGAIN. FOX News ran the video WITHOUT CHECKING; USDA’s Tom Vilsack took action WITHOUT CHECKING; NAACP President Benjamin Todd Jealous commented WITHOUT CHECKING and I wonder how many of you out there had made your minds up about this woman…WITHOUT CHECKING.

Events like this have become the norm more than the exception now a days. So far the only ones to apologize to Sherrod for their part in the deliberate smear campaign are Sherrod’s ex boss Tom Vilsack, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs and NAACP President Benjamin Todd Jealous. Fox, as of this moment, is silent and Andrew Breitbart, in an interview with Media Matters’ Eric Boehlert on ABC refused to apologize when he was asked to do so several times by Boehlert. (see my postscript)

Breitbart is who he is. A man who will do almost anything to further his political agenda. Fox on the other hand needs to re evaluate its protocol when deciding what stories it should air. They are, please don’t laugh, supposed to be a “News Organization”. These people, again don’t laugh, are supposed to be professionals who should, alright laugh, know better. Even a first year Journalism Student knows you never, ever run with a story until you checked the facts. It doesn’t matter if you’re first to the finish line if you cheated to get there.

Those words Walter Cronkite said to me so many years ago still ring true today,…

“Integrity is everything for a newsman. Once you lose that it is almost impossible to get it back.”
That’s why Walter Cronkite was known as “The most trusted man in America.” How many news men and woman out their today can make the same claim? It’s a sad testament of the times isn’t it.

And that’s the way it is July 21st, 2010

Right before I sent this article in for posting I noticed a story by Rachel Sladja of “TPM Muckraker” reporting that Andrew Breitbart apologized to Shirley Sherrod on MSNBC ….sort of. Here’s some of the text from the TPM website…

Andrew Breitbart, who posted the clip of USDA official Shirley Sherrod that got her fired, said today that he feels sorry for Sherrod.

"I feel bad that they made this about her, and I feel sorry that they made this about her," he told MSNBC. "Watching how they've misconstrued, how the media has misconstrued the intention behind this, I do feel sympathy for her plight."
So Breitbart feels it’s basically everyone else’s fault. A link to the apology video is below for those that want to hear it in its entirety.


Both Sherrod videos are posted below

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=shirley+sherrod&aq=f

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29 Comments:

Anonymous Lynn Repko said...

Right on, Ira. That's exactly how I felt about it. I saw Breitbart try to justify his actions to Hannity but he really compromised his integrity with this.

July 22, 2010 at 1:24 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Brietbart has not now, nor has he ever, (I would suspect) held any sense of integrity. Whatever message will move his agenda forward is the one he will propagate. Truth or facts be damned!

I am pleased to see this article Ira as you know firsthand from my email that I was opposed to this story and the circulation of such the moment I opened it. How sad I feel for those who gleefully embraced it frothing at the mouth at the potential damage it could cause, only to find less than 24 hours later they had been duped like mindless pawns.

I also note that the headlines on Fox the day it was first exposed ranged from "USDA employee resigns after racist video surfaces" to "Racist remarks cost Obama official their job", etc. All day long it was the lead story on each and every one of their shows with their contributors such as Mr. Gingrich and Ms. Palin weighing in on the egregious language and attitude contained in that alarming video. 24 hours later their headlines moved to "Did administration rush to judgment?". They, like Breitbart, tried to play it like it was everyone's fault but theirs. Almost as if they played absolutely no role in this hoodwinked hatchet job of news reporting. If this is their version of "Fair and Balanced" I suggest they head over to the Webster's site and revisit the definition of both those words.

Funny thing is I and most have talked to on this subject matter aren't the least bit surprised by the turn of events here. In our minds this was not the exception to the rule but rather the norm of their "news" reporting style. Yet many a sheep keep their television sets tuned into them their entire waking day. A pretty sad statement of how some people are getting their information these days. Talk about the dumbing down of America, what hopes do we have for the future when good decent people are allowing themselves to be led by such unscrupulous characters as these?

July 22, 2010 at 2:33 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

It does seem that everybody is into this kind of stuff lately. Don’t really understand it though, but thanks for trying to explain it. Appreciate you shedding light into this matter. Keep it up

online entertainment

July 23, 2010 at 1:58 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The “true facts’ allow for another interpretation. Can you fathomed that?

The prior blog was perhaps one of the better efforts by this group of talented bloggers. It sets a standard we hope will survive.

Alice in Wonderland, a place we find ourselves in occasionally, surmised accurately, if you have any imagination,

“Curiosuer and Curiosuer (sic)”, …
“If you don’t know where you are going any road will take you there”, ….
“The time has come,’ the Walrus said,
’To talk of many things;
Of Shoes--and ships--and sealing wax--
Of Cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot—
And whether pigs have wings.”

And how many asked ‘What did Lewis Carroll mean?

And so a commentator, a comment most of us understood immediately, mused the “lowest common denominator” in dialogue, a moment that had been possibly been reached, and the Gods could not envision the satire, the mirth, the possible absurdity in any reasonable, rational interpretation of “║║║║║…..” And yet we must seriously ask “what do you mean” rather than smile and enjoy a “break” in taking ourselves seriously.

Without a sense of humor, humble self deprecation, we have lost one of the most powerful tools of communication,

July 23, 2010 at 5:43 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks Ira, I haven't been up on the news lately because I'm on vacation, but I greatly appreciate your post. Few seem concerned about integrity these days, but as your story shows, truth will eventually bubble to the surface... That's why I believe a healthy dose of skeptism is great! Thanks again!
Lisa Jones

July 23, 2010 at 5:54 AM  
Anonymous Billy Dean said...

This has happen thousands of times to Conservatives!!!!! If you listen to the tape you hear that this woman is clearly a left wing nut and makes many racist statements as like "His own kind". Remember what they did to Perot for saying "Those people". This was always wrong, but now that this happen to a leftist its a horrible!!!
Lets all just be one RACE!! HUMAN!!! This is all politics as usual, divide us into as many groups as you think you need to get elected. "The Lovers of Freedom" is the only group we all should belong to!!!

July 23, 2010 at 9:59 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thankfully Billy yours is not the mindset shared by many. If it's just one race as you say why put any labels on her at all? After all, she is just one of us all... is she not?

July 23, 2010 at 10:30 AM  
Anonymous Brendon said...

"Breitbart’s argument is simple and straightforward: Regardless of what else is in Sherrod’s speech, the first video released on BigGovernment.com features Sherrod telling a tale of racism that is received by the NAACP audience with laughter and cheers. They weren’t cheering redemption; they were cheering discrimination. Upon hearing the cheers, Sherrod fails to offer any immediate clarification and even smiles right along with them.

Breitbart’s main objective by releasing the video was to call out the NAACP, an organization who has recently gone to great lengths to condemn the Tea Party’s alleged racism, for sanctioning racism in it’s own organization. Sherrod immediately became the scapegoat for the embarrassed NAACP and USDA, but she was never the target, the NAACP itself was, and the delight the audience took in the racist part of Sherrod’s speech leaves them exposed."

Do a little more research, Ira. Your political agenda is showing. View more here: http://ht.ly/2fUp1

July 23, 2010 at 6:04 PM  
Anonymous Ira said...

I don't care how you slice it it was irresponsible. The tape was heavily edited and did not reflect what was actually said. So now its okay to use people to further ones political agenda? No Brendon you get your facts straight. Since when has collateral damage been an acceptable practice. Defend Breitbart all you want and it's YOUR political agenda that is showing.

July 23, 2010 at 9:01 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

To destroy our Republic academics claim the elite must control healthcare, the financial system and liberty. The critical issue here is Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, the core of the United States Declaration of Independence. It is so simple and yet so elusive. Why, because we allow ourselves to be distracted. No need to be an alarmist but there is a dangerous atmosphere of illiterate complacency. How many understand the details of the ObamaCare Health Care Bill? How many understand the Financial Reform Bill? Anyone making any claim to “understanding” is delusional. And yet the Health Care Bill is on track to cause great chaos to “Life” as we know it. The Financial Reform Bill is felt by many to be a serious adversary to “Pursuit of Happiness.” We are discarding the Constitution.

And now let us articulate the evils of the media and propaganda. We are the victims of our own self aggrandizement, never embracing that God given gift of an intellectual spam filter. We have a gift for diminishing our personal capacity to harvest truth from the imperfect ruminations of a fallible humanity. It is a slam dunk to articulate what is wrong. The wisdom of redemption is far too difficult. So be lazy.

In the final analysis this is all about the abolition of personal responsibility and accountability for the pursuit, analysis and forming of well thought out “independent” opinions. But then it is easier, comfortably indolent, and fun to blame others.

The Sherrod incident is an interesting distraction. There was the Breitbart exposé, after the controversial, as yet unsubstantiated, claim of racism in the “Peoples Square’ prior to the passing of ObamaCare. Then there was the NAACP resolution calling on the Tea Party to Repudiate “Racist Elements” in their movement.” Breitbart appears to have responded by showing a NAACP video claiming ‘What this video clearly shows is a standard that the Tea Party has not been held to…The NAACP, it shows people in the audience there, applauding her (Shirley Sherrod) when she (apparently before the full context of her remarks were stated in that NAACP conference) discriminates against a white farmer. That was the point that I was trying to make.” And the White House, and its acolytes, responded by firing her before they judiciously vetted the issue. It appears the White House may have acted “stupidly” (vis a vis the Cambridge incident) regardless of plausible deniability.

This was a misstep of many, the liberal media that is perpetually biased in favor of Obama, the real story being a malfunction of the “Journolist”, a creation of a Washington Post and Newsweek blogger Ezra Klien, a journalist apparatchik founded to bury or distract from the Rev Wright and Bill Ayer’s story, an example of authentic yellow journalism (journalism that exploits, distorts, or exaggerates the news to create sensation and attract readers). Their reaction, a reflection of their mindset, to preempt a story which they molded to their preconception is far more interesting. Journalism, yellow or not, is on the verge of collapse.

Complaints, facts, and “yellow journalism” exist on all sides. The idiocy of “spin” racism and race-baiting will continue. In the Sherrod incident Breitbart is labeled the villain (although he also was taken out of context), Howard Kurtz is labeled a hero, and the losers are yellow journalism, Sherrod (exposed she is less the victim), NACCP, Journolist, those who rushed to judgment (and apologized, a sign of honesty and integrity) and the White House.

This blog has become about culture warriors who with great flare, specificity and detail can articulate an analysis of what, when, where, and how we lost the last cultural battle. Ever heard of winning? A thing is not necessarily true because magnificently spoken, not false because uttered poorly. Don’t just listen, hear the other side. The winners are the populace who preserve to the end and do “due diligence”. “Only a well informed people can be trusted with their government.” “Find the truth and live it.”

July 24, 2010 at 7:33 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anonymous while your post is eloquently written, per usual, it says nothing different. Bottom line is everything in life is about perspective. Mine is derived from my life's experiences and yours the same.

There are no flowery verses or blame game justifications which can make the issue in this article any different than it really is. In my mind it is a glaring illustration of how far removed from dignified efforts some have become when it comes to their own political agenda.

As to the health care reform bill, I have studied it at length, though not proficient, I do have a better than usual grasp of it. As most of you know the health care arena is where I work and therefore see firsthand the shortcomings.

Regarding the financial reform, I am just grazing the surface in my research as this issue is far more complicated. Yet I put forth the effort to understand it as best I can. What I don't want is someone with less knowledge than myself quoting hyperbole as to the reasons why it's all the devil's work.

I don't possess the foresight to know that measures being taken by our legislatures are the right ones for our future, nor do you or anyone else. As it was in prior years we have to hope and pray time will prove their efforts to be fruitful.

July 24, 2010 at 8:16 AM  
Anonymous Ira said...

The bottom line is this...God gave all of us, yes all of us, the ability to digest and analyse data. Based on that data we are all capable of making an informed decision. You are right when you say we have gotten lazy. We have. We have allowed other people to make our minds up for us. We have allowed other people to tell us what is best for us. People need to start thinking for themselves again. They need to stop paying so much attention to the Olbermanns, Becks, Limbaughs, Obamas and tea Partiers. We need to start using that brain God gave us again. Once they do that they will see through all the deliberately placed distractions to the real danger out there. Only then will this country again start moving forward in the direction that is good for "All the people".

July 24, 2010 at 9:13 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ira;
I couldn't agree more except on one point.

It's okay to watch the "Olbermanns, Becks, Limbaughs, Obamas and tea Partiers", sometimes there really is good information to aid us in our though processes. The problem exists when we count on anyone of those aforementioned entities singularly to educate us. I take the whole of what I hear, see and read from all of the above and whittle it down to what I believe is as close to the truth I can possibly get. I know that what is being fed to me has a purpose and always consider the motive of the messenger.

The troubling aspect for me currently is when I witness blatant deceptions and falsehoods only to hear them repeated by their followers as gospel the next day. That's what this whole video story represents to me, while not surprising in the least, a clear indication of a very disturbing and dangerous political climate.

July 24, 2010 at 9:39 AM  
Anonymous Ira said...

Exactly right and thats where using your brain suddenly becomes so important. I wish more people did it your way. There would be less dissention.

July 24, 2010 at 10:21 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Was it not Glenn Beck who said “I believe in free speech,” “I did not want Van Jones fired”, I wanted the world to hear his ideas in his own words. Shirley Sherrod was fired by the White House, in haste, with no review, in a preemptory news coup d'état that was bungled miserably, comments taken out of context, before FOX ever played the video in dispute. One can initially forgive the news world for accepting the White House preemptory position. My goodness, would they make a horrendous mistake like that. Well, the answer is yes. And Glenn defended Shirley Sherrod. And the White House said she should resign, and she did resign, did she not, before the story hit the streets, TV and cable got on the news. I believe the time line supports this. My, how powerful Glenn has become. This sounds strangely familiar. Does anyone remember ?

“The War of the Worlds was an episode of the American radio drama anthology series Mercury Theatre on the Air. It was performed as a Halloween episode of the series on October 30, 1938 and aired over the Columbia Broadcasting System radio network. Directed and narrated by Orson Welles, the episode was an adaptation of H. G. Wells' novel The War of the Worlds. The first two thirds of the 60-minute broadcast were presented as a series of simulated "news bulletins", which suggested to many listeners that an actual alien invasion by Martians was currently in progress. Compounding the issue was the fact that the Mercury Theatre on the Air was a 'sustaining show' (it ran without commercial breaks), thus adding to the program's verisimilitude. Although there were sensationalist accounts in the press about a supposed panic in response to the broadcast, the precise extent of listener response has been debated. In the days following the adaptation, however, there was widespread outrage. The program's news-bulletin format was decried as cruelly deceptive by some newspapers and public figures, leading to an outcry against the perpetrators of the broadcast, but the episode secured Orson Welles' fame.”

And we blame yellow journalism.

July 26, 2010 at 12:01 AM  
Anonymous Ira said...

Orson wells show was entertainment not a news program. And this was yellow journalism at the least...at the most it was irresponsible newscasting that has been all to accepted by the masses lately. News organisations are SUPPOSED to be the stewards of the information highway to the people. They are SUPPOSED to be held to a higher standard. Over the last 15 to 20 years they seemed to have forgotten that. And THAT is the real tragedy here.

July 26, 2010 at 7:55 AM  
Anonymous Billy Dean said...

Deborah, I never mentioned her race, I don't care, she is for all the ideas I'm against, mainly Big Government. Its bad, it is always bad, even when it's good its bad because it takes responsibility away from the individual. People helping people that's where humanity lies.
I get my news from every where I can. I don't totally trust any of them, we have been lied to too many times. We had all better just give up this idea of Dem. or Rep. Right now the Dems are in charge they are doing everything the Rep. did wrong times ten!! We have to switch parties and we may have to switch several times before they get the message. They are to little kings and queens. Individual rights and freedom!!! This is what the tea party is all about!!!

July 29, 2010 at 1:53 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

THIS is what the tea is all about, according to their own candidates:
Abolishing Medicare
Abolishing the EPA
Abolishing the Dept of Education
Privatizing Social Security
Allowing businesses to refuse service based on their own criteria.
Taking us back to prohibition days,
just to name a few things.
I'm certain what they represent will be more harmful than we have seen from either party.

July 29, 2010 at 2:29 PM  
Anonymous Billy Dean said...

I have never heard anyone say we should abolish Medicare!! as for as the EPA goes it's a joke and should be done away with, the department of Education another JOKE!!! Department of Energy a super JOKE!!! Privatizing Social Security is what it was originally suppose to be. You got your own money back, now it's turned into a Monster that can't be kept going, the numbers a crazy. Something has to be done or it will all come crashing down. Someone has to work do earn the money for all this stuff.
If we can compromise, why can't the EPA and the Education Department and Energy be just be ONE guy or gal with a office. Why do these agencies cost BILLIONS and BILLIONS OF DOLLARS and do almost NOTHING.
This and all the lies that the government tells is what I'm in the tea party for. The same thing that the 60's generation was all about. Truth and Freedom. The past two years are amazing as far as lying and spending goes. The bank bail out, the stimulus, this joke of a health care bill, they cost Trillions of dollars!!! If we want to save the country we have to do something!!! Its all got to stop!!!!

July 30, 2010 at 8:33 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I will attempt to address your comment point by point:

First a quote from a recent article:

"Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann didn’t go to the Nashville tea party, but she did address the conservative Constitutional Coalition in St. Louis. Bachmann says everybody in the system should get benefits, but then it’s time to close up shop. (via Think Progress)

Bachmann:But basically what we have to do is wean everybody else off. And wean everybody off because we have to take those unfunded net liabilities off our bank sheet, we can’t do it. So we just have to be straight with people. So basically, whoever our nominee is, is going to have to have a Glenn Beck chalkboard and explain to everybody this is the way it is."

I didn't make that up and she is not the only one suggesting an end to medicare, one click on google brings a treasure trove of such stories.

Next point:
I remember the days prior to EPA when in my neighborhood the thick smell of sulfur hung in the air from the jewelry manufacturers embedded in our residential areas. Those like Bulova, Timex, Trifari, etc emitted fumes which are now known to be highly toxic and no doubt the greatest contributor to my home state ranking second in the country for incidences of cancer. That's just one example, we won't bother to quote data on Dupont, Alcoa and on and on and on.

Regarding the Dept of Education I honestly don't know what the solution is, what I do know is we are producing individuals far less capable of competing in a a global economy than our counterparts. I have studied this subject at great lengths and am convinced the current educational system is enormously flawed and needs an entire revamping. That's a subject for another time.

You blame your discontent on the last two years and the measures taken within those years. The stimulus package and bank bail out, tell me please who was the first to initiate those? While you're at it, please share what your ideas were for addressing the economic collapse we were facing as a nation.


The health care bill has a cost factor of what? Do you actually know what is contained in that bill or are you repeating what you have heard or read?

Last point; I actually was one of those folks in the 60's who stood up and challenged our government and our objectives were not "truth and freedom", they were to end the killing of our soldiers in a place where we didn't belong, (sound familiar?) and to ensure the civil rights and liberty for all of our citizenry, regardless of race, creed or color.

I'll wait for your reply.

July 30, 2010 at 9:31 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Forgive me but I did leave off one more comment to your submittal Bill.

Through all my efforts of searching I can not find one reference that says Social Security was originally intended for privatization. I even went to the trouble of reading the entire original piece of legislature and it's subsequent amendments to no avail. I would appreciate a link or reference which might apprise me of this fact you speak of.

Thank you in advance.

July 30, 2010 at 9:47 AM  
Anonymous Billy Dean said...

Here are my answers to your comments.

As for Social Security the money was meant to be kept by the government, then return it to you as a proportion of what you paid in, that's why there was always a cap on the total amount you could pay in because there was a cap on the total monthly amount you could receive. That is a private account, they still send you a paper every year that shows you how much you paid in and how much you will get. The problem was the government spent all the money, its gone there are some IOY's somewhere (I don't think they even keep track of it now) and the only way you get your SS money is by more and more people paying into it, at a higher and higher rate. So they spent the money and have ignored the problem until we are in trouble.

I agree totally with you on the war, get out of it. Make a end game, should have had one before you got into it. I thought we should have just made a few phone calls and said to who ever I want the terrorists now!! or you die!!! Maybe they did this I don't know but before I would kill thousands of our soldiers I would have tried it. Then go after the leaders. Wars win votes. so here we are 8 years later another Government screw up. Blame BUSH for that!!! He was a wimp!!! I can't see Obama as any better. My problem with the left leaning people is they say we should never fight a war. That is totally stupid. The world is a dangerous place, people, countries, and groups are out to kill you and I. Don't know why, I don't understand it. But its a fact and a nation that can't defend it's self just better hope they have nothing that anyone else wants or they will kill them.

As for who did started those giant spending programs government Bush's people!!!! and at least 278 people in power, I'm pretty sure that's the number of men and women you need in congress and the president to pass a bill!!!! My idea for fixing the economic crisis, stop spending money!!! When too much spending and reckless loans caused the problem in the first place. How, tell me how is it possible to fix a borrowing problem by borrowing more money then giving it to those you made bad loans in the first place, this is CRAZY, this is INSANE!! When they passed the first TARP they said they were going to buy up the trouble assets and get them off the books so banks wouldn't be broke on paper, that was an out and out LIE!! This by the way is when the TEA PARTY movement started!!! Before Obama. Remember the GOVERNMENT HAS NO MONEY!!!! Governments take money from YOU and I.

Who cleaned up the air and water around the country. The companies that learned the problems with pollution. Why does it take BILLIONS of DOLLARS to set up regulations about sulfur. All I know is I have been listening to all this gloom and doom about pollution for 40 years of my life and none of what they have predicted has come true.

Education it's simple, swat the kids on the butt. Control the classroom.

I have read Michele Bauhmann's quote over and over and can't find anything flawed in her statement. If she is factually right what's your argument? And if this wasn't even at a Tea Party deal, so what is your point, that all conservatives are evil cause they want to cut government spending??? They are spending our money and stopping this spending is what the Tea Party is all about. What's so bad about that?????

July 31, 2010 at 12:14 AM  
Anonymous Billy Dean said...

Deborah I ran out of space on my comments and want to add some about education. I know it's not as simple as I stated. Control of the classroom would be a start though. My wife is a teacher and I get her first hand stories about the brats!!!

I agree with you, revamping, less play and more studying, focus on learning, maybe more like Europe and I know most conservatives will have a heart attack at this one but the European's get kids out of school much faster than we do with more knowledge of the field they want to enter. I still don't think the Department of Education has helped!!!

Just a note, I'm usually working and don't have much time for this blogging thing, but I'm on vacation the next week so can forget about work and I have more time to spend thinking and writing. Also our Missouri primary election is this Tuesday and I'm on here trying to figure out who to support. There is so much bull out there about all the candidates, you have to sort though it and it's complicated!!! I want people that will do what they say. If they don't I won't vote for them next time!!! Tea Party manifesto!!!

July 31, 2010 at 12:30 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bill;
I understand the semantics of the Social Security monies and the problems arising from borrowing it over the years. The program essentially is set up like that of purchasing a government savings bond but with less interest. Still, privatizing it in the terms being proposed by some today was never the intent.

Regarding your war comment I am not a left leaning liberal, (which is a bit redundant by the way), and I think wars should be avoided and should only be initiated under dire circumstances. I also think those making the decision to initiate a war ought to be part of the group that engages in it. Only then might they think twice about putting their citizens in harms way so easily.

Pollution; Do you honestly believe those corporations who were taking measures which was compromising our air and water quality decided to clean up their act on their own? I don't think for second they did without the intervention of the EPA which held them accountable. Has it become too big and bureaucratic over the years? No question! So now do we throw the baby out with the bathwater here? Like any well run business you take steps to make it operate more efficiently and cost effectively.

As to Ms. Bachmann's statement; you said you had never heard anyone say we should abolish medicare, I gave you proof of the fact. I don't care if you agree or don't with her statement, it was to make a point. For the record, there isn't much that women ever says which I can agree with.

There's no question that the education is deeply flawed. In the 50's it was set up to meet the needs of a large manufacturing base here which no longer exists in our country.

In conclusion, clearly you are enamored with the tea party manifesto and it's candidates. What makes you think those people will be any different when they get to Washington and become part of that corrupt system? The lobbyists and special interest groups will court them and they will no longer be working for you or I again. For my money, much of what I hear from those who are running for office sounds a little crazy, but that point just brings us back to where we started here.

July 31, 2010 at 2:35 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bill;
I understand the semantics of the Social Security monies and the problems arising from borrowing it over the years. The program essentially is set up like that of purchasing a government savings bond but with less interest. Still, privatizing it in the terms being proposed by some today was never the intent.

Regarding your war comment I am not a left leaning liberal, (which is a bit redundant by the way), and I think wars should be avoided and should only be initiated under dire circumstances. I also think those making the decision to initiate a war ought to be part of the group that engages in it. Only then might they think twice about putting their citizens in harms way so easily.

Pollution; Do you honestly believe those corporations who were taking measures which was compromising our air and water quality decided to clean up their act on their own? I don't think for second they did without the intervention of the EPA which held them accountable. Has it become too big and bureaucratic over the years? No question! So now do we throw the baby out with the bathwater here? Like any well run business you take steps to make it operate more efficiently and cost effectively.

As to Ms. Bachmann's statement; you said you had never heard anyone say we should abolish medicare, I gave you proof of the fact. I don't care if you agree or don't with her statement, it was to make a point. For the record, there isn't much that women ever says which I can agree with.

There's no question that the education is deeply flawed. In the 50's it was set up to meet the needs of a large manufacturing base here which no longer exists in our country.

In conclusion, clearly you are enamored with the tea party manifesto and it's candidates. What makes you think those people will be any different when they get to Washington and become part of that corrupt system? The lobbyists and special interest groups will court them and they will no longer be working for you or I again. For my money, much of what I hear from those who are running for office sounds a little crazy, but that point just brings us back to where we started here.

July 31, 2010 at 2:35 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bill;
I understand the semantics of the Social Security monies and the problems arising from borrowing it over the years. The program essentially is set up like that of purchasing a government savings bond but with less interest. Still, privatizing it in the terms being proposed by some today was never the intent.

Regarding your war comment I am not a left leaning liberal, (which is a bit redundant by the way), and I think wars should be avoided and should only be initiated under dire circumstances. I also think those making the decision to initiate a war ought to be part of the group that engages in it. Only then might they think twice about putting their citizens in harms way so easily.

Pollution; Do you honestly believe those corporations who were taking measures which was compromising our air and water quality decided to clean up their act on their own? I don't think for second they did without the intervention of the EPA which held them accountable. Has it become too big and bureaucratic over the years? No question! So now do we throw the baby out with the bathwater here? Like any well run business you take steps to make it operate more efficiently and cost effectively.

As to Ms. Bachmann's statement; you said you had never heard anyone say we should abolish medicare, I gave you proof of the fact. I don't care if you agree or don't with her statement, it was to make a point. For the record, there isn't much that women ever says which I can agree with.

There's no question that the education is deeply flawed. In the 50's it was set up to meet the needs of a large manufacturing base here which no longer exists in our country.

In conclusion, clearly you are enamored with the tea party manifesto and it's candidates. What makes you think those people will be any different when they get to Washington and become part of that corrupt system? The lobbyists and special interest groups will court them and they will no longer be working for you or I again. For my money, much of what I hear from those who are running for office sounds a little crazy, but that point just brings us back to where we started here.

July 31, 2010 at 2:35 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bill;
I understand the semantics of the Social Security monies and the problems arising from borrowing it over the years. The program essentially is set up like that of purchasing a government savings bond but with less interest. Still, privatizing it in the terms being proposed by some today was never the intent when it was implemented.

Regarding your war comment I am not a left leaning liberal, (which is a bit redundant by the way), and I think wars should be avoided and should only be initiated under dire circumstances. I also think those making the decision to initiate a war ought to be part of the group that actually engages in it. Only then might they think twice about putting our citizens in harms way so easily.

Pollution; Do you honestly believe those corporations who were taking measures which was compromising our air and water quality decided to clean up their act on their own? I don't think for second they did without the intervention of the EPA which held them accountable. Has it become too big and bureaucratic over the years? No question! So now do we throw the baby out with the bathwater here? Like any well run business you take steps to make it operate more efficiently and cost effectively.

As to Ms. Bachmann's statement; you said you had never heard anyone say we should abolish medicare, I gave you proof of the fact. I don't care if you agree or don't with her statement, it was to make a point. For the record, there isn't much that women ever says which I can agree with.

There's no question that the education system is deeply flawed. In the 50's it was set up to meet the needs of a large manufacturing base here which no longer exists in our country.

In conclusion, clearly you are enamored with the tea party manifesto and it's candidates. What makes you think those people will be any different when they get to Washington and become part of that corrupt system? The lobbyists and special interest groups will court them and they will no longer be working for you or I again. For my money, much of what I hear from those who are running for office sounds a little crazy, but that point just brings us back to where we started here.

July 31, 2010 at 2:38 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bill;
I understand the semantics of the Social Security monies and the problems arising from borrowing it over the years. The program essentially is set up like that of purchasing a government savings bond but with less interest. Still, privatizing it in the terms being proposed by some today was never the intent when it was implemented.

Regarding your war comment I am not a left leaning liberal, (which is a bit redundant by the way), and I think wars should be avoided and should only be initiated under dire circumstances. I also think those making the decision to initiate a war ought to be part of the group that actually engages in it. Only then might they think twice about putting our citizens in harms way so easily.

Pollution; Do you honestly believe those corporations who were taking measures which was compromising our air and water quality decided to clean up their act on their own? I don't think for second they did without the intervention of the EPA which held them accountable. Has it become too big and bureaucratic over the years? No question! So now do we throw the baby out with the bathwater here? Like any well run business you take steps to make it operate more efficiently and cost effectively.

As to Ms. Bachmann's statement; you said you had never heard anyone say we should abolish medicare, I gave you proof of the fact. I don't care if you agree or don't with her statement, it was to make a point. For the record, there isn't much that women ever says which I can agree with.

In conclusion, clearly you are enamored with the tea party manifesto and it's candidates. What makes you think those people will be any different when they get to Washington and become part of that corrupt system? The lobbyists and special interest groups will court them and they will no longer be working for you or I again. For my money, much of what I hear from those who are running for office sounds a little crazy, but that point just brings us back to where we started here.

July 31, 2010 at 2:38 AM  
Anonymous Billy Dean said...

I am enamored with the Tea Party because what they say is true. They may all be lying. If they are, one term in office will prove them to be lying and we have to vote them out. This is what the founders of the country intended to happen. Democracy is a stumbling giant that makes mistakes but with the voters can correct those mistakes, unless like the politicians try to do and keep us pitted against one another.

As for Mrs Bachmann, everything she says is true. If you don't agree with her then you are not looking at her statements for facts.

I didn't say that the companies would change their ways on their own. But they are the only one's to do it if it's going to be done. Like I said the EPA could be one person handeling complaints reporting to Congress. Laws have to be passed by congress and the president, not some mindless, faceless bureacrate's. Look at Russia and there ways, they have been the worse Polluter's in the world, because the citizens have no say. Sure there are going to be lobbyists and corruption everywhere but the only ones that can stop it is a committed honest voting public.

I think we are in total agreement about going to war. I didn't mean to infer that you are a liberal I was referring to a general theme that runs though those on the far left. Funny how the far left and far right feel the same about war.

I don't agree with my statement about Social Security being in any way semantics. There is nothing semantic about trillions of dollars in unfunded liabilities and an expendential curve that is just insane. The easiest way to solve SS is just to keep raising the retirement age. That is what has to happen!!! If it was set today as it was in 1936 you couldn't draw it till you were about 77. That would keep up with the original intent of the program.

Enjoy your thoughtful comments, you make me think!!! I Love it!!!

July 31, 2010 at 8:09 PM  

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