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September 30, 2005
How the Left supports the troops, America
The ACLU has apparently prevailed in a two-year old case involving photographs and videotapes that allegedly document Iraqi prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib at the hands of American soldiers. The fact that abuse occurred there has already been established - what purpose does it serve to publish another wave of inflammatory pictures? We already saw what Newsweek's phony story about Korans being flushed down the toilet produced.
I'm going to open up the comments on this one, but it's for grownups only. Non-germane responses will be deleted.
Posted by jeffgannon at 02:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Let the ethics wars begin!
The Democrats' and Old Media attack on Tom DeLay and Bill Frist for alleged ethics violations has ignited a battle in which members of both parties have similar exposure. Since money is the key to political success, both sides compete for it ferociously and sometimes skirt the rules.
Next up: Harry Reid The best part of this story is the link to John Huang, who was convicted of making illegal contributions to the 1996 re-election campaign of President Clinton. Priceless!
Posted by jeffgannon at 08:20 AM | TrackBack
September 29, 2005
Old Media admits economy was good before storms
On Election Day 2004, Democrats and the Old Media was still talking about the "worst economy since the Great Depression." But suddenly the U. S. economy seems to have staged a stunning comeback just in time to bludgeoned by Katrina and Rita.
In reality, the economy has been growing for two years, sparked by the Bush tax cuts, but the Old Media downplayed the good news while it tried to help Democrats win elections.
Posted by jeffgannon at 11:52 AM | TrackBack
Even the Washington Post doesn't buy Earle's fable
The Washington Post, no friend to Republicans in general and Tom DeLay in particular, expressed some skepticism about the conspiracy charge brought against the Majority Leader in an editorial today. Additionally, the newspaper admits that the campaign contribution exchange is a common practice of both parties.
Ultimately, this indictment will backfire - not only on the partisan prosecutor who has been pursuing the powerful Texas congressman for years, but on those who are trying to gain political advantage. Sensible Democrats are wisely resisting becoming too invested in the case at this point. If - and I expect when - the charges collapse, DeLay may emerge even stronger than he was before.
The Old Media is showing no such restraint. Chris Matthews seemed to be having spontaneous orgasms during his Hardball segments on the story. The talking points are out and even Tim Russert betrayed Democrats motives on the Today Show this morning saying, "DeLay is a fierce partisan infighter and the Democrats realize that and are trying to respond in kind."
Posted by jeffgannon at 10:23 AM | TrackBack
September 28, 2005
A Turkey in every sense
The Old Media and their breathless disciples are crowing about a meeting where Ambassador Karen Hughes was upbraided by a group of Turkish women about the war in Iraq. But in reading the story, one can conclude that it was an ambush, since even the Washington Post reporter referred to the women as activists.
The key detail is found here: "Fatma Nevin Vargun, a Kurdish women's rights activist...denounced the arrest of Cindy Sheehan, the mother of an American soldier killed in Iraq, in front of the White House this week."
That tells you everything you need to know about these "activists."
Posted by jeffgannon at 10:17 PM | TrackBack
Nothing going on at the White House Thursday?
There is absolutely nothing on President Bush's press schedule for Thursday. My best guess is that he will announce his choice to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the retirement of Sandra Day O'Connor. Insiders indicate that we should expect a solid conservative that will set Senate Democrats on fire. It's that "stick in the eye" thing that Harry Reid was talking about.
This should be good...I'm still hoping that Bush will really put it to them with Janice Rogers Brown.
Posted by jeffgannon at 08:32 PM | TrackBack
No-bid contracts
Here's a question I would pose to Scott McClellan today if I was at the White House briefing:
An editorial in Tuesday's New York Times titled "Cronies at the Till" suggests that companies with ties to the White House are profiteering through no-bid contracts for disaster relief. One of the companies mentioned is the Shaw Group. Could you tell us what ties this administration has to a company owned by the J. M. Bernard, Jr., the chairman of Louisiana Democratic Party?
The New York Times fails to mention Bernard and his political affiliation, but takes a shot at Mississippi's Republican Governor Haley Barbour, a former chairman of the RNC.
Posted by jeffgannon at 12:17 PM | TrackBack
Brownie Fights Back
Former Federal Emergency Management Agency director Michael Brown lashed out at his critics during a Congressional hearing Tuesday. Democrats on the committee boycotted the televised event, but a few representatives of the stricken area showed up to grill the man who has received much of the blame for problems associated with Hurricane Katrina.
There were softballs and hardballs as well as a few cheap shots. Brown appeared to be credible and well spoken, feisty and unwilling to be intimidated by the Congressmen. Contrary to media reports, Brown admitted that he made mistakes, but portrayed FEMA as an agency compromised by attrition and now only a small part of the gargantuan Department Homeland Security. He suggested that DHS singular focus on protecting the nation from terrorism overwhelms FEMA’s mission.
He also leveled criticism at Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin. He claimed that he failed to get them to settle their differences early enough to issue and facilitate a mandatory evacuation. This marks the first time an administration official has put any responsibility for lapses on the Democrats who run the state. Brown said that he realized too late that “Louisiana was dysfunctional.”
He also attacked the media for exaggerated, misreported and sensationalized coverage of the events surrounding the disaster that actually hindered rescue and relief efforts. Little of what has been reported by the Old Media has been accurate, from the sobbing parish president on “Meet the Press” to estimates of body counts in the tens of thousands.
Brown also took issue with the personal attacks on his resume and qualifications to hold the position. He noted that he successfully presided over 150 declared emergencies during his tenure.
The former FEMA chief’s performance was so effective that the Old Media went full out to distort his testimony. It also drove Blanco to issue a statement accusing Brown of lying to Congress and prompted her appearance in Washington on Wednesday.
It would appear that Democrats’ strategy of pressing for an “independent” 9/11-style commission is failing, since Republicans have moved forward with hearings into the matter already. Witnesses are offering testimony that will likely alter public perception of the response to the storm. That will be a disaster for the Democrats and the media since several important points will emerge that challenge their version, which has been, “Bush’s fault, Brown’s fault.”
Posted by jeffgannon at 11:23 AM | TrackBack
September 26, 2005
White House press corps political operatives at work
Some members of the White House press corps have shed any remaining vestige of impartiality. Helen Thomas interjects her opinion at Monday's breifing with Scott McClellan:
Q Is he communicating with those -- especially those who support his cause? Has he said anything --
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think the American people recognize the importance of what we are working to accomplish in the broader Middle East. Iraq is a key part of establishing a foundation for lasting peace and security. What we're working to do is lay a foundation of peace for our children and grandchildren. And the President has made it very clear that his number one priority is the safety and security of the American people. And we are engaged in a global war. It is a war that is -- that continues. The President said after September 11th, that some would tend to forget. He will not. We are going to stay on the offensive until we win this war, and we're going to work to spread freedom and democracy to address the --
Q How many are you going to kill, in the meantime?
MR. McCLELLAN: We are saving lives. We have liberated some 50 million people in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Thomas has often spoken of the insurgents in Iraq as "people who are trying to defend their country." The problem with her statement is that she expresses a belief that Iraq needs to be defended from American troops!
In another incident, Nedra Pickler of the Associated Press asked President Bush this question on Monday:
Q Thank you, Mr. President. I want to ask you about a different result of these storms, and that is the racial divide that's been exposed in this country. Blacks and whites feel very differently about what happened. We all recognize that the response to Rita was much better than the response to Katrina, but there are some strong feelings in the black community that that difference had a racial component to it, that the white, you know, rural residents got taken care of better than the black urban residents did. How do you respond to that?
She failed to mention that those impressions are being created by her biased colleagues in the media and the race-baiters in the Democratic Party, like Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and Howard Dean.
The President's answer was great, but no one bothered to report it. From the transcript:
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I think about Houston, my old hometown of Houston, which is an incredibly diverse city. And we had what looked like a category five hurricane headed right for Houston, and the federal, state and local officials worked together to warn the citizens of the impending storm. The message wasn't sent to one group of people; it was sent to the entire city. I mean, Texas is a diverse state. The rural part of Texas you're talking about has got a significant African American component to it. But I can assure you that the response efforts, and now the recovery efforts, are aimed at -- aimed at saving everybody. And the response was directed toward everybody.
I think that what a lot of Americans saw was a -- some poverty that they had never imagined before. And we need to address that, whether it be rural or urban. And I have done that as the President. I have said that education systems that simply shuffle children through are -- can be discriminatory in nature. And, therefore, we've got to have high standards and high expectations and focus money on Title I children to teach -- so that they -- so that children can learn to read. And we're beginning to make progress.
One of the things Bush points out is that most Americans weren't aware of the extent of poverty in New Orleans. The city has been under the control of Democrats for decades, how could such problems exist in this socialist utopia?
Posted by jeffgannon at 04:08 PM | TrackBack
NYTimes ignores Schumer staffers' dirty trick on black Republican
The New York Times pledges to report "All the news that's fit to print", but it seems that the illegal theft of a candidate's confidential financial information in what may be one the of most-watched Senate races of 2006 doesn't meet that criteria. Aides to New York Senator Charles Schumer fraudulently obtained the credit report of Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele, the likely Republican nominee for the Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Paul Sarbanes. Ironically, Schumer has positioned himself as a champion of consumer privacy issues.
Other news agencies seem to believe the story is worth a bit of ink.
So why the blackout? Because Steele is a Republican? Because its acceptable for Democrats to play dirty tricks on an African-American? Is it because the NYT can't risk offending Schumer?
The answer is all of the above - and worse. Can you imagine the outrage if Republicans had pulled this on Barrack Obama?
Posted by jeffgannon at 09:15 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 23, 2005
Bush slaps down NBC's Dem operative "reporter"
President Bush laughed off an opinion-question from NBC's David Gregory following a visit to FEMA today. You don't get the full effect from just reading the transcript, but picture the President chuckling at the pompous operative pretending to be an objective journalist:
Q Sir, what good can you do going down to the hurricane zone? Might you get in the way, Mr. President?
THE PRESIDENT: One thing I won't do is get in the way.
Q But I mean, how -- what good can you actually do? I mean, isn't there a risk of you and your entourage getting in the way?
THE PRESIDENT: No, there will be no risk of me getting in the way, I promise you. We're going to make sure that we're not in the way of the operations. What I am going to do is observe the relationship between the state and local government, particularly out in Colorado Springs. That's what I want to see.
See, NORTHCOM is the main entity that interfaces, that uses federal assets, federal troops to interface with local and state government. I want to watch that relationship. It's an important relationship, and I need to understand how it works better.
Q But critics might say this is overcompensation for the response to Katrina.
THE PRESIDENT: We will make sure that my entourage does not get in the way of people doing their job, which will be search and rescue immediately. And rest assured, I understand that we must not and will not interfere with the important work that will be going forward.
Beautiful. It's unfortunate that Bush is too nice a guy to really let one of these guys have it. But, I keep hoping...
Posted by jeffgannon at 02:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Bush fires back at Clinton, disses antiwar protesters
President Bush's remarks about the war on terror Thursday at the Pentagon came as close as he'll ever get to a direct criticism of former president Bill Clinton and a smackdown of the pro-terrorist crowd.
To Michael Moore, Cindy Sheehan and MoveOn.org, et. al. he said:
"Listen, there are differences of opinion about the way forward; I understand that. Some Americans want us to withdraw our troops so that we can escape the violence. I recognize their good intentions, but their position is wrong. Withdrawing our troops would make the world more dangerous, and make America less safe."
He gives them to much credit when he says good intentions.
To Bill Clinton he said:
"To leave Iraq now would be to repeat the costly mistakes of the past that led to the attacks of September the 11th, 2001. The terrorists saw our response to the hostage crisis in Iran, the bombings in the Marine barracks in Lebanon, the first World Trade Center attack, the killing of American soldiers in Somalia, the destruction of two U.S. embassies in Africa, and the attack on the USS Cole. The terrorists concluded that we lacked the courage and character to defend ourselves, and so they attacked us."
Don't look for his comments in news reports.
Posted by jeffgannon at 10:40 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Dems ditch woman from ditch
The anti-American Left invades Washington, DC this weekend to give bin Laden and Zarqawi a morale boost. But politically sensible Democrats will keep their distance from the anti-troops demonstration that is being orchestrated and promoted by the Associated Press, Reuters and Fenton Communications. Cindy Sheehan, who spent several weeks in a Crawford, Texas ditch as a publicity stunt will have a prominent role in the event organized by the liberal activist group MoveOn.org, and pro-terrorist groups like InternationalANSWER and Code Pink.STORY
Even John Kerry will pass up the chance to throw someone else's medals that the Capitol. This is a sure sign that it's not 1971.
Posted by jeffgannon at 09:59 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Another week, another Chicago corruption indictment
There were five more indictments of current or former officials of Democratic Mayor Richard M. Daley's administration this week, bringing the total to 36. There have already been 23 convictions for corruption STORY
The best line came from a lawyer for one of the defendants:
"The political nature of this prosecution should be obvious to everyone and I don't think Chicagoans want their city run like the post office or FEMA."
That's chutzpah!
Posted by jeffgannon at 09:58 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
California teachers behave like union thugs
The actions of a group of California teachers explain a lot about the failure of public schools to deliver a quality education. Apparently, the First Amendment has been dropped from the curriculum. STORY
Posted by jeffgannon at 08:02 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 22, 2005
White House pushes back against press corps propaganda
White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan took reporters to task today over a photograph that was widely disseminated by liberals to insinuate that President Bush was playing a guitar while Katrina was bearing down on the Gulf Coast. From the transcript:
Q But it sounds like a bit of a photo op, one that he'd prefer over playing the guitar at the airport photo op before Katrina.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, first of all, let's correct the record on that. There was a reporter from your news organization that was backstage during that event. That was an event to go and thank our troops and talk about the war on terrorism. And it was not an event, as you may have portrayed to some people that are watching this out there by this simple statement. It was --
Q He didn't pick up the guitar while the hurricane was rolling into Louisiana?
MR. McCLELLAN: -- much more than that. The person that was entertaining our troops there presented a gift to the President. So I think you need to make that clear to everybody who's watching this or to your viewers. And it was one of your colleagues at ABC News who was backstage taking a picture of that.
Q It was a very good picture and I'm proud of her, but the question I have --
MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, but that picture was taken by someone -- hang on, hang on, Terry -- that picture was taken by some people way out of context. And it was portrayed that the President was simply doing that, and that's not the case, as you and I know.
Q The point was that he was over there and not --
MR. McCLELLAN: As you and I know, I had announced shortly before that, that we were returning the next morning. As you and I know, we had announced the President -- the day before -- all the briefings he was participating in. The President spoke the day before. He spoke that day about the hurricane. So let's just set the record straight.
Q Fair enough.
MR. McCLELLAN: I think that's unfair.
As someone who spent two years in the midst of these jackals, I can tell you how much they hate it when McClellan scolds them. He should do it more often.
Posted by jeffgannon at 02:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Opposition party collapses; Roberts to lead Supreme Court
Senate Democrats on the Judiciary Committee faced reality today (no, they didn't remarry it, just remembered what it was) and voted the nomination of John G. Roberts out of committee Thursday. Three Democrats joined the 10 Republicans on the committee to send the nomination to the Senate floor for a vote with a "positive" recommendation.
Observers (okay, maybe just me) noted the exasperation on the face of liberal activist Ralph Neas, president of People for the American Way as he stood behind the Senate panel while it voted. His group led the opposition to Roberts to no avail. Senate Democrats will now retire to plot a strategy against the next nominee, who could be named as early as Friday morning.
Pundits have suggested a weakened President Bush will want to avoid a fight in the Senate and will nominate a moderate to replace Sandra Day O'Connor. But Bush doesn't pay much attention to the polls and is likely to nominate a solid conservative. I'm still betting on Janice Rogers Brown.
Posted by jeffgannon at 02:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Dem Senate campaign smear scandal grows
It appears as if the targets of the FBI investigation into how the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee illegally obtained the credit history of Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele may have committed crimes related to identity theft. STORY
Posted by jeffgannon at 12:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Ginsburg wants female activist for court
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the former General Counsel for the ACLU, said in a speech Wednesday that while the nominee to replace Sandra Day O'Connor should be a woman, "not any woman will do."
Ginsburg wants someone who will "advance" women's and human rights. While the protection of equal rights for everyone is a job for the courts, what Ginsburg espouses is the very definition of judcial activism. STORY
Posted by jeffgannon at 12:40 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Air America begging for support
Confirming what many already know, that liberal talk radio is not a commercially viable enterprise, Air America has initiated a pledge drive. Look for someone in Congress to propose a "disaster relief package", which would be just about right. Maybe there is a homeless shelter that could "loan" the failing network the money. STORY
Posted by jeffgannon at 11:22 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Conservatives call for document release
Americans deserve to know what is contained in these documents. STORY
Posted by jeffgannon at 10:40 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Soros returns to fund Democrats
Billionaire financier and convicted insider trader George Soros is coming around once again to open his vast wallet for the Democrats. He spent $25 million in the 2004 election cycle that saw Democrats fail to defeat President George Bush and fall further into the minority in both the House and Senate. STORY
Posted by jeffgannon at 10:33 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Tina Brown gives Bill Clinton an editorial Lewinsky
This column is worth reading because it so clearly demonstrates the Old Media's effort to craft a legacy for Bill Clinton other than sex with an intern in the Oval Office and the 8 years of doing nothing that came home to roost on September 11, 2001.
WARNING: Do not read within 30 minutes of ingesting food.
Posted by jeffgannon at 10:17 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Dem dithering disappoints left-wing activists
Growing dissatisfaction of the hard core leftist Democratic Party base with the moderates in Washington, DC who can still win elections broke out onto the pages of the New York Times today. Activists are complaining that the Senate minority appears to be rolling over on the nomination of John Roberts to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The increasingly angry base wants a fight - but the realists in Congress know they don't have the votes to do anything more than be obstructists.
Tom Daschle's strategy was to be a roadblock for the Bush agenda. Let's recall how that worked out for him...
Posted by jeffgannon at 09:46 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 21, 2005
Accused Dem reseacher worked for Edwards, Media Matters
Katie Barge, one of the senior research officials with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee who resigned after it was discovered that she and another woman may have illegally obtained the credit report of Maryland Lt. Governor most recently worked at Media Matters for America. The seasoned political operative also worked for the failed presidential campaign of John Edwards according to Source Watch.
The FBI is investigating the matter. The DSCC said that it would not make the information public.
Posted by jeffgannon at 03:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Air America's legacy: Liberal radio more important than kids
The mushrooming scandal of an improper loan to Air America from the Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club has resulted in that organization losing its affiliation with the Boys & Girls Club of America. STORY
Posted by jeffgannon at 11:08 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Spokesman tells reporter: "Don't get stuck on stupid"
I know it will never be White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan to say such a thing to a reporter, but some of my former colleagues deserve it. The no-nonsense speaker in this case is none other than Lt. General Russel Honore, commander of Joint Task Force Katrina, who doesn't seem to be in the mood for the antics of a know-it-all journalist. STORY
Posted by jeffgannon at 09:49 AM
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Former Sen. Tom Daschle, has announced the formation of a polical action committee that he says will help Democratic candidates. STORY
Posted by jeffgannon at 09:39 AM
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It looks like Democrats are trying to take down an African-American politician that has strayed from the plantation. Maryland's Lt. Governor Michael Steele is likely to be the Republican candidate for the Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Paul Sarbanes. Two senior staffers at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee have resigned after they illegally obtained Steele's credit report. STORY A spokesman for the DSCC called it an "isolated incident." There has been no comment from Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton and Rep. John Conyers has yet to announce a "hearing" into the matter.
Posted by jeffgannon at 09:28 AM
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Tim Russert, host of NBC's "Meet the Press" allowed Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard to sob uncontrollably about a colleague's mother who died in the flood following Hurricane Katrina after waiting five days to be rescued. The emotional footage seemed to confirm that a "sluggish" federal response to the disaster was to blame. Except that the story is nearly a total fabrication. The usually aggressive Russert didn't challenge the veracity of the account at the time, probably because it fit the Old Media's political agenda, but now he has an omelet on his face. STORY
Posted by jeffgannon at 09:25 AM
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The arrogant and petulant Senate Minority Leader is warning President Bush not to nominate one of the 10 filibustered judges to fill the Supreme Court vacancy caused by the retirement of Sandra Day O'Connor. Harry Reid said that to do so would be "a poke in the eye with a sharp stick." STORY Calling Janice Rogers Brown...
Posted by jeffgannon at 09:12 AM
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The daunting task of rebuilding the Gulf Coast in the wake of the largest natural disaster in American history appears to be impacting the federal government at every level in the Executive and Legislative branches. Even the Judicial branch has been affected, if only in the sense that Senate Democrats have used the nomination hearings for John G. Roberts to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court as a platform to criticize the Bush administration for its response to Hurricane Katrina. They have insinuated that the President’s lack of commitment to civil rights is apparent in both the nominee and his handling of the crisis. While the hearings have been entertaining for those who enjoy the pontificating of politicians so enamored with the sound of their own voices as they pander to the special interest groups either that either support or oppose the nominee, the Senate needs to fill the two vacancies on the Supreme Court as soon as possible so that both bodies can resume their work on behalf of the American people. The President should immediately place a name in nomination so that the process can get underway. In keeping with a seemingly collective desire to have the Court’s composition reflect the demographics of the country, the next nominee should be an African-American, Hispanic woman. It is unlikely that such a candidate exists, so this time around two out of three will have to suffice. The nominee to replace Sandra Day O’Connor will be a woman, and the “Katrina effect” may give an African-American the advantage. The White House should announce the historic nomination of Janice Rogers Brown to be the next Supreme Court Justice without further delay. In addition to having the right gender and racial “qualifications,” the nominee has already been thoroughly vetted. Her record was extensively reviewed by Democrats who filibustered her nomination in the Senate for two years as before the “Gang of 14” struck a deal that allowed her to be confirmed to the DC Circuit Court of Appeals. Her nomination would stop the foot-dragging on Roberts by Democrats who would quickly confirm him in order to savage Brown before a live, nationally televised audience. Democrats are opposed to Brown because she doesn’t live on the liberal plantation that has been a solid base for their party. In filibustering her nomination, they attacked her for being “extreme and outside the mainstream,” which are their code words for being a conservative. But that assessment can’t be reconciled with that fact that Brown was confirmed to the California State Supreme Court with 76 percent of the vote in a decidedly blue state. There are some who would suggest that Brown isn’t “black enough” in the same way Miguel Estrada wasn’t sufficiently “Hispanic.” That argument doesn’t hold water either, since Brown grew up in segregated Alabama, the daughter of a sharecropper. She worked her way through law school and eventually rose to become a state Supreme Court justice. While she was being filibustered, Democrats consistently repeated the words from a speech she gave in April 2000 as the primary example of her extreme views: “Some things are apparent. Where government moves in, community retreats, civil society disintegrates and our ability to control our own destiny atrophies. The result is: families under siege; war in the streets; unapologetic expropriation of property; the precipitous decline of the rule of law; the rapid rise of corruption; the loss of civility and the triumph of deceit. The result is a debased, debauched culture which finds moral depravity entertaining and virtue contemptible.” America has just witnessed in New Orleans what Brown was referring to. The utter failure of the socioeconomic policies of FDR’s New Deal and Johnson’s Great Society were revealed by Katrina’s fury. There hasn’t been much progress in the War on Poverty that has been waged for 40 years. In fact, it has been a quagmire from which the people of New Orleans could not escape. A Senate hearing where Democrats went after Brown using those same words against her would be comical against the backdrop of the race baiting that has been going on ever since the levee broke. Brown has demonstrated such prescience and wisdom that she should be confirmed by acclimation at the earliest opportunity.
Posted by jeffgannon at 08:25 AM
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The New York Times tries to soft-soap the bumbling of Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, but it is clear she initially resisted President Bush's efforts to bring a strong federal effort to deal with Hurricane Katrina.
Posted by jeffgannon at 08:00 AM
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In another example of poor public relations, Massachusetts gay activists are compiling a database of petition signers supporting a ballot initiative to bring gay marriage to a vote of the people of that state. They will publish the names and addresses of petition signers on a website www.KnowThyNeighbor.org. Considering their latest act of intolerance to the free speech rights of others, it makes me wonder what the purpose of this list is? Perhaps a little bit of good-old-fashioned intimidation? That's really going to win hearts and minds to their cause.
Posted by jeffgannon at 07:34 PM
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It wasn't CNN's wall-to-wall coverage of Cindy Sheehan's publicity stunt during President Bush's vacation that boosted the cable news networks ratings. CNN realized a significant increase in viewership during the Katrina disaster while its own president, Jonathan Klein, relaxed on Nantucket Island. STORY A friend at the Atlanta based network told me that he thinks the payroll department should forward his paychecks there from now on.
Posted by jeffgannon at 01:44 PM
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Despite the efforts of the Old Media to place blame on the Bush administration for everything connected to the Katrina disaster including the storm itself, facts continue to emerge that show fatal mistakes were made at the local and state levels. Blanco thought Nagin took care of evacuations Blanco and Nagin point at each other
Posted by jeffgannon at 08:19 AM
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The Hill reports an exchange between Clinton FEMA head James Lee Witt and current FEMA chief Michael Brown. STORY
Posted by jeffgannon at 07:41 AM
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The Old Media finds itself on the horns of a dilemma in the wake of one of worst disasters in American history. It must choose whether to continue to pursue its anti-Bush agenda or to report the thousands of stories of tragedy, triumph and heroism that have begun to emerge from the floodwaters and debris of Hurricane Katrina. In the first week, the Old Media reflexively began to point an accusing finger at the Bush administration, suggesting a “slow response” to ravages of the storm. When it became clear that affected area was larger than any other natural disaster the goalposts shifted to “lack of preparation.” After footage of police participation in looting was shown and it was reported that rescue and relief efforts in New Orleans were hampered by gunfire directed at emergency helicopters, racism was alleged. But such claims collapse under the weight of the realities that are hard to ignore. On the Sunday that Katrina was bearing down on the “Big Easy” the Old Media was still engaged in a two-pronged attack on the President, the problems with the war in Iraq and the high price of gasoline. News coverage was totally committed to the antics of a woman in the ditch in Crawford, Texas. The only mention of the hurricane came in the context of what effect it would have at the pump. At the time, there was little concern expressed for the danger posed to the residents of the Gulf Coast. Certainly, none of the “experts” that have come forward in the last week to pontificate sounded any alarm in advance of the storm. Democrats have seen political opportunity amidst the death and destruction, evidenced by the angry outbursts of their leaders and their sycophants in the press. Sen. Mary Landrieu blubbered during an interview with George Stephanopoulos while flying in a helicopter over the ruined landscape. She expressed anger at the President for not having acted sooner, but neither the senator nor her intrepid questioner made any mention of what actions her brother, Louisiana Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu took before, during or after the hurricane. Similarly, NBC’s Tim Russert took Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff to task, asking whether he or any of his staff were going to resign. The usually cool moderator angrily declared, “The time for accountability is now,” but he did little to ascertain where responsibility might lie. Few, if any in the Old Media have raised any questions about the state and local leadership. But the public record demonstrates that the New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco failed to act on advice offered by President Bush and FEMA chief Michael Brown. Bush personally urged Blanco to issue a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans on the Saturday before the hurricane came ashore. Brown made television appearances the same day telling residents to leave the city. In contradiction to its own 2000 plan for evacuation, buses that could have transported thousands to safety sat idle in parking lots, later rendered useless by the flood. Residents were herded into the Superdome, which became a hellhole of robbery, rape and murder. Blanco didn’t mobilize the Louisiana National Guard before the storm, so it would be available as soon as the hurricane passed. Nagin told reporters that the President presented the governor with two proposals when he visited last Wednesday, but Blanco was unwilling or unable to make a decision for 24 hours. Instead, she wrung her hands, fumed and sobbed for the cameras. Meanwhile, back in Washington, the White House Press Corps led the charge as usual against the administration. The reporters posed the same question about accountability dozens of times to Press Secretary Scott McClellan, who repeatedly resisted becoming involved in the “blame game.” The President similarly responded to a question asked him before Tuesday’s cabinet meeting. Of course, that infuriates the press corps, because the assignment of blame is one of its main functions, having long ago abandoned the role of diviners of truth. But the press corps risks becoming even more irrelevant if it continues to work the Democratic talking points and amplify the race baiters’ outrageous comments. There is truth to be discovered, but if cannot be found in the White House briefing room. The ugly truth is about New Orleans itself. For generations, New Orleans has been an adult theme park, where corruption and patronage ruled. All degrees of illicit behavior were treated with a wink and a turn of the head. But Katrina stripped the sexy, seductive veneer from the city to reveal corruption, poverty and high crime. Those elements made an explosive combination when the vestiges of law and order collapsed. Much of the Old Media seems to miss the point that rape, murder and the looting of big screen television sets are man-made disasters not the natural outgrowth of a storm. The story that the Old Media should be following is on the ground in Louisiana, not in the cozy shadow of the National Press Club. Instead of angling for sound bites to be used in the next MoveOn.org ad, the press needs to abandon its political agenda and do some honest reporting from the scene. There are literally thousands of stories of loss and hope in Katrina’s wake, but it remains to be seen if the press is up to the task of telling them.
Posted by jeffgannon at 09:59 AM
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Everyone’s playing the blame game, except those who are actively engaged in the ongoing rescue and recovery efforts in the area ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. The media, the blogosphere, the punditocracy and those who hold elective office but don’t actually play an active role in governance along with few guilty parties who govern badly are jumping in. So who’s to blame and for what? The Trouble at the Local Level Mayor Slams Blanco for Stalling CNN/Gallup Poll: 13% Blame Bush, 18% Blame Fed, 25% Blame State & Local
Posted by jeffgannon at 09:32 AM
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PBS budget: $333 million (per year) National Endowment for the Arts: $121 million (per year) I think Americans can do with a little less of "Riverdance", "Cirque de Soliel" and the "Manure Madonna" when so many people are suffering.
Posted by jeffgannon at 11:38 AM
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It seems like there are some people out there who are fatigued with celebrities' anti-American rantings. STORY Bianca Jagger? Beside the obvious reason for her notoriety, let's not forget her role in undermining America's security.
Posted by jeffgannon at 10:21 AM
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The "Blame Bush for Everything" crowd didn't wasting any time in placing responibility for one of the worst natural disasters in American history at the feet of the President. The typically dilusional rants are somewhat amusing and underscore why these liberals shouldn't be taken seriously and the Democrats they support never allowed to hold power. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. says it's Bush, Barbour and global warming. Clintonista smearmeister Sidney Blumenthal says the warnings were there. The Lefty blogs are humming with all kinds of criticism of Bush, but none for the corrupt Democratic machine that runs New Orleans and the state of Louisana. There will be plenty of time for the finger pointing and there is ample amounts of blame for all kinds of things to go around, but now is not the time.
Posted by jeffgannon at 09:15 AM
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Big loser to "help" Dems
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