AFL-CIO President Says Everything That Needs to Be Said

Watch this video.

After watching this video, you’ll likely realize that there’s really not much more that needs to be said about whom you should vote for.

Either you agree with AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka, and you’ll be voting for Obama on November 4th. Or you’re a Republican.There’s no being Independent this year.

And if you’re a Republican, if you’re a really honest Republican, a Republican guided by principles, you’ll examine your life, your job. And if you find that if you have health care, and a pension, you’ll go in to work on Monday and throw those back at your boss - because they’re the product of the Labor and Union movement you despise.

And if you’re retired, you’ll look at your Social Security check, and you’ll tear it up, because that check is an example of socialism, the new deal, and taxes.

And you’ll yank your kids out of public school, and stop wearing seat belts when you drive because those are silly regulations put in place by liberal leftists consumer advocates and educators. And you’ll go looking for a new job, a job that pays far less than a livable wage because you wouldn’t want to bargain for better pay.

Yeah, if you’re an honest Republican, you’ll do all those things.

But the truth is…if you’re a Republican still reading this far…I’m going to bet you won’t do any of those things, because the catch is honesty in a Republican.

First and Last Thoughts on the Palin’s Speech from a Wasilla Redneck

Wow, Sarah Palin delivered a rousing speech.

My redneck Wasilla pride blushed from my neck to my…ah, anyway. It made me wanna grab for my shot gun and shoots some fridges behind my house.

Boy the way she lit into Obama - how could it not make an Alaskan proud. And she didn’t hesitate cause he was African American or nothing historic like that. No, she calls ‘em as she sees ‘em.

You see, in Wasilla, we didn’t need diversity. In schools, on the job. Why, I attended all of the schools of the valley. I went to Butte Elementary, then Swanson Elementary, then Iditarod right after the fire.

Then I remember our school being so crowded, that they put us on split shifts until they finally got Tanina built. Then I went there. Moved onto Wasilla Middle School before I was home schooled. After the seventh grade, I went up to Houston High, then was transfered to Palmer High. Even attended a few semesters at the Mat-Su Community College. And in all that time, maybe two black students. No natives.

Yes, this is one hella a diverse community. Wow, anyway what can I say, I’m floored.

So you liberal elitists, and “angry” lefties, and anti-conceivers can take your smear rumors about Palin banning books, or drilling in ANWR, or not having ’nuff experience. Who the hell wants to read witchcraft shit like Harry Potter anyway.

NOTE: First, the commentary above is totally satire based on my real-world experience of living out 17 years of my most “can I forget those years” life. With that said, there is credibility to the story that Sarah Palin wanted to pursue book bans at the local public library (TIME Magazine, Sept 2, 2008). While the books cannot be confirmed, they probably include some of the books on the ALA 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books.

To Smear or not to Smear: The Ethical Quandary of Bloggers

Blogging is changing politics. As the mainstream media continues to fail the American public, an army of passionate truth-seekers have unleashed a stream of content. And while some content is of the highest quality, there’s also a subset of this community that goes head to head with the tabloids.

The McCain campaign is accusing the Obama campaign, and the left-wing blogging community of a smear campaign that is taking place against Sarah Palin and her daughter Bristol.

First, it is ridiculous to suggest Obama has anything to do with the left-wing bloggers. The rumors started out of a bizarre series of events that only Sarah Palin can truthfully answer. And now she has, at least in part, by explaining that her daughter is 5 months pregnant and Trig is only 4 months old.

Okay, end of story. And in case you need reminding, Obama’s campaign had nothing to do with this story.

Here is Obama’s statement:

“I have said before and I will repeat again: People’s families are off limits,” Obama said. “And people’s children are especially off-limits. This shouldn’t be part of our politics. It has no relevance to Gov. Palin’s performance as a governor or her potential performance as a vice president. So I would strongly urge people to back off these kinds of stories. You know my mother had me when she was 18 and how a family deals with issues and teenage children, that shouldn’t be a topic of our politics.”

On charges that his campaign has stoked the story via liberal blogs:

“I am offended by that statement. There is no evidence at all that any of this involved us,” he said. “Our people were not involved in any way in this, and they will not be. And if I thought there was somebody in my campaign who was involved in something like that, they would be fired.”

(source: ABCNews Blog)

What Obama should have added was McCain’s response to the Jermoe Corsi smear book, “Gotta keep your sense of humor,” because if I recall, Obama’s wife has been called anti-American and unpatriotic, Obama’s been accused of infanticide, unpatriotic and anti-American. Not to mention that Obama’s constantly battled rumors of being a Muslim, that he’s had connections with domestic terrorist Ayers, that he’s had gay sex and smoked coke with Larry Sinclair, that he maybe dealt drugs while in college, that his daughters are unruly and obnoxious, that he’s secretly supporting Kenya, that he doesn’t even have a valid birth certificate…

Okay, let’s stop for a second.

Do bloggers have the right to follow what appears to be a smear campaign in search for the truth?

I truly believe that Bristol is off limits. This story was based on too much circumstantial pieces of evidence. And a blogger needs to have some journalistic integrity to hold back on a story until some facts check out. However, the truth is, had the left-wing blogging community not pushed the story, the voters who vote based on family values would never know that even the most perfect “appearances” are a facade. The secret wouldn’t have come out until after the election. The smear, in this case, revealed the truth. The same can be said for the Obama/Rezko connection. As more inquires were made, more truth was revealed to the point where I think we can rest satisfied that it’s a non-issue connection.

I don’t think for a second any blogger really wished to harm the Palin family, and especially Bristol and Trig, but when you step into the public spotlight without having been properly vetted, you are no longer your own. You stand for the ideas and policies behind your campaign. And the vetting is going to done real-time.

There is a thin line between following a real story, and pursing what appears to be a smear, however, I tend to go for the side of following the smear, lest every public figure cry “smear” when the truth comes closer to being revealed.

In Conversation with a Republi’cant: Episode 3

The Silly Concept of Human Rights at Conception

Anyone considering a vote for McCain should recognize that McCain’s stance on abortion and human rights represents the extreme far right of the Republican Party. McCain is no longer a maverick representing the centrist positions he once practiced.

“At what point is a baby entitled to human rights?” Rick Warren asked at the Saddleback Forum on August 16th, McCain responded bluntly, “At conception.”

The belief that human rights are an entitlement at conception negates two vital facts. One, by granting human rights to the embryo or fetus, reliant on the mother (in cases of natural insemination and frozen suspension for artificial insemination), you are putting the rights of two humans at conflicting positions that can never be reconciled. Obviously the mother a higher authority over the rights of the embryo/fetus; however does the mother’s actions that might result in a miscarriage (natural abortion) mean a violation of any one of the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) ? Does her very act of carrying the pregnancy to term mean a 9 month restriction on the fetuses will to move freely?

The concept is completely silly, however this is McCain’s stance on when human rights are granted.

Obama’s response to this answer was more nuanced, as it should be. While mocked by conservative commentators when he said, “…whether you are looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity…is above my pay grade,” his reference here was to a higher authority, God. Does McCain consider himself the equal to God?

A closer examination of the UDHR actually outlines a much narrower focus when granting human rights, and the interpretation of these rights is not so black and white. In fact, in the United States, the full slate of human rights doesn’t become fully obtained until an individual is of legal age. A ten year old is compelled to join the church of their legal guardian. A kindergartner does not participate in their government. The list could continue ad infinium.

The point is, the answer as to when human rights are granted is not “at Conception”, a pithy two word answer that tingles the spine of certain logically blind, stupified evangelicals and far-right politicians who manipulate their emotions for political gain. The answer is never to be answered, similar to the question of life after death. This is a personal decision, and the formal legal struggle means debate, scholarship, technology and evolution.

Let’s hope for a president that understands this debate and all sides.

In Conversation with a Republi’cant - Episode 1

The Associated Press: Disguised Journalism

The Associated Press carries authority. Numerous news organizations subscribe and contribute material. Pick up any daily paper and 90% of the articles carry the credit line, “Associated Press”. The expectation with this brand is balance and fact.

Then you learn the author is Ron Fournier, Washington bureau chief, and past e-mail buddies with Karl Rove. All credibility is lost.

Attack on Obama Biden Ticket

On August 23, while critiquing Obama’s selection of Biden as his vice-president, Ron Fournier makes the claim that the only reason Obama made this choice was a lack of confidence. Fournier continues to write a thinly veiled opinion piece about why Biden “… is anything but a change agent…” and how Biden’s selection undercuts Obama’s core message. Finding the opportunity, Fournier manages to interject white versus black crime fears, accusations of misogyny (Hillary wasn’t chosen), paints Obama as nothing but a opportunistic politician who will do anything for a chance to sit at the oval office, and manages to close with:

“And there’s the 2007 ABC interview in which Biden said he would stand by an earlier statement that Obama was not ready to serve as president.

It seems Obama is worried that some voters are starting to agree.”

Of course, Fournier doesn’t mention Biden said those words while running for the office of presidency - I guess that would weaken his close.

And it should be pointed out that this is opinion penned outside the label of AP. However this is the guy behind their journalistic integrity. There are some journalists that have been fired for blogging their personal opinions as it compromises their perspective. How is this different? Ron Fournier happens to be the AP’s Washington Bureau Chief.

According to the AP at the time of his selection to this post:

“The next Washington bureau chief of the AP must preserve the authority and standards we have spent 160 years building, while at the same time leading us into a new and rapidly changing world of journalism,” Oreskes told a staff meeting in the bureau. “Fortunately, we have the perfect candidate at hand.”

Mr. Fournier is tasked to lead the AP into the brand new world of journalism.

Journalism Versus Editorial: Should They Mix?

As an amateur political cartoonist, my work is always accompanied by editorial. I’m not a journalist, nor do I disguise myself as one. However I’m not even close to being the number one news source for the country. The Associated Press is a cancer, infesting ever part of mainstream media and Ron Fournier is the political editor at it’s helm.

It’s good to always look at the author behind a story - in fact it’s a requirement if you want to read the news anymore, as opinion and fact become indistinguishable. Fournier is the man who had a close email relationship with Karl Rove, exchanging a conversation with the political operative that encouraged the good fight in Iraq and discussed a certain American hero, Tillman.

Tillman was an American hero of the highest order. He opted for a chance to fight a war on terror that for all it’s errors, seemed a good fight to take up in 2002. To join this fight he left a career in professional football and $3.6 million, a decision few Americans would even think to make. He lost his life in friendly fire on April 22 2004.

You’d think the Associated Press would be more interested in why the US government tried to cover up Tillman’s death. Instead the guy who should be showing journalistic leadership as a political reporter, is patting Karl Rove on the back, saying, “The Lord creates men and women like this all over the world. But only the great and free countries allow them to flourish. Keep up the fight.”

Faux Facts

And newspapers wonder why their readership is dwindling, why advertising revenues are tanking. It could just be that fewer people are buying the faux facts offered by the Associated Press. Instead, to be a modern consumer of news, everyone becomes an investigative reporter, verifying sources, and cross referencing slanted language.

To this end I say, “Bloggers, keep up the fight.” Only the freedom of the press allows the facts to flourish.

ISM

UPDATE: I just submitted my email both Ron Fournier and his supervisor, as encouraged by MoveOn.org. If your interested in joining this show of protest against denigrated journalism, consider submitting your email as well.

—-

Here’s What I Sent:

Mr. Ron Fournier,

I read a lot of news, and when I pickup a daily paper, it doesn’t matter which city, the major stories on the front page are often from the Associated Press. The Associated Press carries a brand that signifies credibility, with a long history. It says simply, what you are about to read is fact, based on the best of our abilities.

Unfortunately, in the past few months, the quality of reporting, especially as it concern your charge, has so diminished that I now start to look at all articles by the Associated Press with the same hesitation. Is this true, honest journalism? Or is it based on the pretentions of single man and his agenda? These are serious charges. If you want to remain the barometer whereby journalism is measured, then you have to keep personal opinion separate. If you wish instead to engage in political favoritism, then I’m definitely for that, but it should never be under the institution of honesty.

Your article, “Biden Pick Shows Lack of Confidence”, is demonstratively bad writing, and deserves mention only as an example of how bad a journalist can go so quickly. The truth is though, this hasn’t been a quick transition for you, as you’ve found yourself cozy with Karl Rove in the past.

I hope you understand that continued opinion pieces dressed up as journalism, in a single stroke of the submit button, destroy the AP brand. If I read another article by your or one of your staff that demonstrates this lack of integrity, I will refused to use the services, both on-line and print, that subscribe to the Associated Press.

- Nate S.

Next Page »