Has The Press Gone Off The Deep End?

Seriously. This exchange between New York Times (of course) reporter Jeff Zeleny and Obama last night:




I gotta say, quite simply: "What the fu*$!" Has the press gone so ga-ga over Oblahblah that they can't even bother to hide their gushing, slobbering admiration? They have gone completely Ace and Gary over Oblahblah.

Check out this from Tom Shales' article in the Washington Post:

Barack Obama is a truly flabbergasting president. And in a good way -- not the way some of his predecessors were. He's not flabberghastly.

When Obama answers a question, you don't slap your forehead and moan, "Oh, brother!" He is, as guest expert David Gergen noted on CNN after the news conference, not only "up to speed" on the pressing issues of our time but also articulate about addressing them in a friendly, accessible way. He's not the student who wears a button that says, "Smartest kid in class," but clearly he is, at least when surrounded by the White House press corps.

Obama can use a five-dollar word such as "overarching" in one sentence and a few sentences later utter a folksy "doggone it." His verbiage is a melting pot that's always bubbling. A few times, he did stumble over words, and once or twice appeared semantically stranded, unable to find the precise language he wanted to use. But compare him with his predecessor and such moments seem trifling.

Hookers at least CHARGE when they give hand-jobs.

The Cult Of Personality Gets Creepier

As found on the JC Penney website. At least we know what the Obama worshipers will be spending their extra 13 bucks a week on.

Friday Humor

Sounds remarkably like half the blog arguments on the old JSM site. Good for laugh!

Watch We Didnt Start the Flame War and more funny videos on CollegeHumor

Haiku As Political Commentary

I recently checked out a site called "Serenity Thru Haiku: Surviving the Obama Years"

I was so inspired by the site I decided to try it once for myself:

Mean, third-rate actress
Calls Tea Party Folks Racists
Bitter, Has-been, libtard!

Wounded Warriors On The Road To Recovery

Take a few minutes to read the article on the Weekly Standard on the Ride To Recovery for wounded vets on a bike ride from San Antonio to Dallas. Truly a tribute to the indomitable spirit of the best among us.

...I approached Duane Wagner on a back road that twisted between the cattle ranches of south central Texas. Wagner, one of the Vietnam vets, is missing both legs below the knees. His prosthetic legs are black cylinders, decorated with American flags. They are perhaps half the diameter of the shaved, muscular thighs that rest on them, and no one else on the ride wore anything that resembles them at all.

Wordin had introduced Wagner at the briefing we'd had that morning before we left San Antonio. The ovation he'd gotten from the group suggested that he was respected, even revered by those on the ride.

I was slightly out of breath when I pulled even with him. Wagner was pedaling methodically, his legs pumping without much effort. We pedaled together for a bit, and I tried to make polite conversation. Beautiful day. Ride much? Texas is pretty. I thought I'd throw him some lingo to demonstrate that I was down with wounded warrior jargon. That Bam-cee sure is an impressive facility, I said, referring to the Brooke Army Medical Center.

The conversation was one-sided. Wagner told me that he'd done a previous ride in California but otherwise kept his answers short. He wasn't being impolite, just not particularly friendly.

After several periods of silence, Wagner asked me what I was doing on the ride. "I'm just hoping to finish," I said in the annoying, sing-songy tone I unconsciously reserve for people with disabilities.

For the first time, Wagner looked up from the road ahead and turned his head to me.

"You f--ing pussy," he said, more in disappointment than anger.

I looked in vain for a smile.

"Hoping?" he said, his voice full of disdain.

I tried to explain.

I haven't been on a road bike in more than 25 years. I've had six surgeries on my knees. I've been riding my mountain bike, but the weather in D.C. hasn't allowed me to be out as much as I'd like. And I've had some real stiffness in my back.

I recognized that I sounded like the feline in his accusation, but for reasons unclear to me, I kept going.

I've been working a lot lately and although I get to the gym regularly, I've found that it's really hard to get in good shape on an elliptical.

Wagner waited until I was done.

"I'm 62 years old and a double-amputee who broke his back six months ago," he said. "And I'm going to finish. If you don't finish, I'm going to find your local newspaper and tell them to write a story about what a pussy you are."

Harris Poll On Economy -- Blame The Media!

A recent Harris Poll indicated that a majority of respondents blame the media, advertising agencies and/or friends and family for the economic crisis and causing people to buy things they could not afford. Read the entire Harris Poll report here.

• Two-thirds of Americans (66%) believe advertising agencies have at least some responsibility for the current economic crisis because they caused people to buy things they couldn’t afford. In fact, one-third (33%) believe they have complete or a great deal of responsibility;
• Print media, such as newspapers and magazines, are deemed to have at least some responsibility by almost three in five Americans (59%) while 56% of Americans say news and other information websites bear at least some responsibility for the economic crisis;
• Just over half of Americans say talk shows on TV or radio (55%), cable news programs (54%) and network and local news programs (53%) all have at least some responsibility for the current economic crisis because they caused people to buy things they couldn’t afford; and,
• Friends and family come out a little better – just over half (54%) say they do not have that much responsibility or no responsibility at all for causing Americans to buy things they couldn’t afford.

Hey folks, an important--the MOST important-- cause for people buying things they can't afford wasn't included in the survey. Need a clue? Look in the mirror.

That's what's wrong with this country -- people not taking responsibility for their own actions, and polls that validate that victim mentality.

There Oughta Be A Law...

...to make sure everyone knows about these 40-percenters who got Obama's "tax refund" that is nothing more than a handout. After all, those of us who pay the bills should know what we pay for, right?

So here's my idea. Everyone who gets an Obama "tax refund" and never pays a dime in taxes are required to self identify. Since they rely on the government for everything else, let the government provide them with the means.

Think about it. You get the big "tax refund" -- you gotta wear the t-shirt. Are you an exec of a bank or other company getting a bailout? Uncle Obama can provide a nice little piece of bling to wear on the lapel of your jacket. Get a mortgage bailout? Yard sign!

I think I'm on to something here!

CNN: The Most Busted Name In News

CNN's Susan Roesgen at the Chicago Tea Party yesterday shows why CNN is circling the drain.



Ms. Roesgen spends most of her time arguing with the protestors instead of actually INTERVIEWING the people she's there to cover. Then when she decides she's had enough, she tags her segment and hands it back to the CNN anchor:

OK, Cara, we'll move on over here. I think you get the general tenor of this. It's anti-government. Anti-CNN since this is highly promoted by the right wing conservative network Fox, and since I can't really hear much more and I think this is not really family viewing it's time to come back to you Kyra."

Then Kyra Phillips back in Atlanta says: "Wow, that is a prime example of what we're covering here. Susan pointed out everything plain and clear what she's dealing with."

Typical CNN:

• Argue Democratic party talking points
• Don't let anyone else really get a word in edgewise
• Make sure CNN and the personalities are an integral part of the story
• Blame Fox!
  

CNN hit their high water mark during the first night of the first Gulf War and have been going down ever since.

Tax Day Tea Parties

Courtesy of Freedomworks.org

Yeah, these Tea Parties won't amount to anything. Be interesting to see how many MSM news outlets report on this today.

Obama Has A New Puppy -- Who Cares?

All the news over the past couple of days seems to be about the new puppy in the White House. The press frenzy, constant conjectures about the breed etc indicates a media more interested in generating feel-good, happy-feely stories about the President than in actually dealing with what he's got going on in the White House and behind the scenes on Capitol Hill.

Newt Gingrich is being villified for saying the whole media happy-frenzy over this is "stupid" (see some of the oh-so intelligent comments here to see what I mean) and I have to join him now. Of course what most of Newt's detractors have a problem with is they think he dislikes puppies, or something. He actually is criticizing the media for their constant fawning over the the Oblahblah family, not necessarily the puppy. Not that Newt haters would ever trouble themselves to determine the facts.

My personal favorite is the hard-hitting AP piece on whether the PupOTUS is a rescue dog or not. I just have to ask -- who cares? WHO. THE. HELL. CARES?

Oblahblah promised his kids a puppy. He got them a puppy. Probably the first promise he actually ever KEPT--but the AP decides to focus it's crack investigative team on why it's not a pound puppy.

As a purebred-dog owner, I have to say--good on him; he got a dog that fits well with the needs of the family. I hope the puppy becomes a cherished member of their Oblahblah clan and brings his children much joy and occasionally craps in his shoes. Now can we get on with what's important?