How Media Chooses Words Adds to Bias

February 9, 2010 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Barack Obama, Business, Capitalism, Communism, Congress, Democrats/Leftists, Free Trade, Government, Corruption, Jobs, Journalism, Media, Media Bias, Newspapers, Pensions, SEIU, Senate, Socialism, Taxes, Unions, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Politico had a story about Big Labor penned by Jeanne Cummings, the reporter famed for going after Sarah Palin’s Party purchased wardrobe during the 2008 presidential campaign, that was an object lesson in Old Media bias. Her piece headlined “Labor helps kill its own top priority” is a great example of using language to subtly shade the arguments, in this case those of Big Labor, to elicit a positive view of the ideology contained in the issue. Her piece very subtly shades the goals of Big Labor in a positive light easily giving the reader a feeling that Big Labor’s goals are good and noble and is a perfect example of how the media creates emotional appeal for the left’s actions.

Because it is such masterfully crafted example of subtle bias, it deserves to be studied closely.

Cummings Begins her propping up of Big Labor by saying that Scott Brown’s win in Massachusetts is “bad news for health care” and will mean that Republicans can “block the Employee Free Choice Act,” and so she immediately casts the possible actions of the GOP in a negative light at the outset. “Bad news for health care”? It is said as if the GOP was against “health care.” It isn’t. And of course “block” is certainly a negative action. In any case, she started by shrouding the GOP in negativity right away.
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Start Over on Healthcare: Now I Give John Boehner a Pat on the Back

February 9, 2010 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Budget, Business, Communism, Democrats/Leftists, Free Trade, Freedom, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, Health, John Boehner, Liberals, Republicans, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

The other day I was slapping Congressman John Boehner (R, OH) around for his absurd claim that there was no difference between the Tea Party movement’s principles and the GOP establishment’s principles (or lack thereof). Well, today I have to give our Congressional Minority Leader a pat on the back for his letter to Obama about healthcare.

For those unaware, Obama has offered to come have another one of his odious “summits” with the GOP. Obama is claiming he wants to “listen” to the Republican’s ideas and that its time to work together. It’s all a sandbag, though. Obama is a liar and doesn’t intend to “listen” to anyone. It’s a move for show, a bright shiny bauble that the Old Media wonder at like the lap dogs they are.

Obama’s played this lie out many, many times in the past. It was his common mantra when he was a State Senator here in Illinois. He’d make all sorts of soothing noises about “listening” to all sides and “working together.” Then he would ignore all offers of collaboration and all ideas offered as he would go on to propose a strictly, down-the-line socialist styled liberal agenda. He’s never once in his life ever included any ideas from the other side in anything he’s ever done in politics. The man is simply a liar. There just isn’t any other way to say it.
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The Intellectuals What Ain’t

February 9, 2010 | Filed Under Book Reviews, Books, Education, France, History, Society/Culture, Warner Todd Huston, Western Civilization | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

There is no better example of how low intellectuals have fallen than the case of Bernard-Henri Lévy, intellectual, provocateur, member of the well-regarded French nouveaux philosophes and, it seems, all around gullible fool.

Bernard-Henri Lévy, better known to those in the know as BHL, has become a laughing stock of modern inteleckshoouls everywhere with the publication of his much anticipated book on philosopher Immanuel Kant.

Oh, there’s sharp criticism in Lévy’s new Kantallope, there’s bomb thrown name calling, and nose-up-turning galore. Kant, according to Lévy, is a “raving lunatic” and a “fake.” And to prove his case Lévy uses the anti-Kanti words of the famous 20th-century philosopher Jean-Baptiste Botul — known as the father of the philosophical school of Botulism.

Yeah. Big problem for BHL, though. Jean-Baptiste Botul is a fictional character made up as a joke in 1999 by a journalist. I mean, come on, if you didn’t see the joke in “the school of Botulism” what sort of bat do you need upside your head to see the truth?
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Some Letters Beating Me Up Over My Tea Party Articles

February 9, 2010 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Budget, Business, Capitalism, Communism, Congress, Conservatives, Constitution, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Elections, Free Trade, Freedom, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, Harry Reid, House of Representatives, Jobs, Journalism, Liberals, Media Bias, Nancy Pelosi, President, Rahm Emanuel, Republicans, Sarah Palin, Society/Culture, Taxes, Tea Party, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Well I’ve now written six — this makes seven — articles criticizing certain failures of the Tea Party movement thus far. They are all meant to be constructive criticisms, though, not dismissive nor derogatory of them. It’s measured introspection I employ in each of these articles. No name calling, no laughing, no hate. There is just no logical way to construe what I’ve written thus far as hate against the Tea Party movement. But this whole Tea Party thing reveals several things to me. First of all it shows that there is still a lot of passion for them and that is a very good thing. I want the Tea Party groups to succeed and I want them to become a force that can teach the GOP a lesson. The other main thing it shows me is that too many people can’t read for comprehension these days.

The sad thing is that these days even the slightest criticism of a thing is seen by too many as outright hostility. Everyone is so hypersensitive that even a mild criticism meant as an exercise in introspection is seen as an over-the-top attack. It doesn’t just happen on the right, either. Look at what happened to all those Hillary Clinton supporters during the run up to the 2008 presidential elections. The constructive criticism that Hillary fans offered the Democrats was pounded down so hard by the left that many Hillary supporters found themselves aligned — and some permanently — with the side they thought they opposed; the Republicans.

Naturally there’s the name callers and nay sayers always floating around out there. I had one guy, for instance, say, “who asked you for your opinion” of the Tea Parties? This same guy then went on to give me HIS opinion of them evoking the obvious rejoinder of just who the hell asked him for his opinion, anyway? Obviously he wasn’t bright enough to “get” that concept!
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The president must lead America conservatively

February 9, 2010 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Barack Obama, Christianity, Communism, Congress, Conservatives, Democrats/Leftists, Government, Corruption, Liberals, Marie Jon, Religion, Socialism | No Comments

-By Marie Jon


President Barack Obama stood before Congress and the American people just a little over a week ago to deliver his State of the Union Address — but his words still resound as nothing more than the tirade of a spoiled, frustrated, scolding and angry man.

While some might claim that the president’s long speech was effective and promising, many have a different view, citing his failure to connect with the majority of the American people, who no longer trust the man. Too many eyes have been opened.

Obama can say he’s not a political ideologue all he wants, but Americans know he’s a hard-core “progressive.” He stands for changing his country. That is not his job.

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No One Gains Full Confidence in Top of Ticket Races

February 8, 2010 | Filed Under Chicago, Congress, Cook County, Democrats/Leftists, Elections, GOP, Government, Corruption, House of Representatives, Illinois, Liberals, Republicans, State Government, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Kurt Erickson has some interesting points in his article in the Decatur Herald-Review. His summation of the elections for the top spot for both the Democrats and Republicans is that no one wowed the voters and neither party saw their top guy getting the full confidence of the people.

Erickson seems to be leaning toward thinking Brady is the better choice for the GOP, though I think Brady will find that he can’t get many votes in Chicago and the collar counties.

I find it interesting that Erickson didn’t dwell longer on Lt. Gov. candidate Scott Lee Cohen, though. What an embarrassment to the Democrat Party that was.

But I think he is 100% right with one line close to the end of his piece:
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Dr. Arie Friedman

February 8, 2010 | Filed Under Chicago, Congress, Conservatives, Cook County, Elections, GOP, House of Representatives, Illinois, Republicans, State Government, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Here is a great interview with Dr. Arie Friedman who ran in the 10th District, but didn’t win. Still, he is an impressive candidate and I hope he tries again soon.

This is a candidate we have to keep our eyes on.

www.Friedman2010.com

Representative John Murtha Dead at 77

February 8, 2010 | Filed Under Congress, Democrats/Leftists, Government, Corruption, House of Representatives, Islamofascism, Liberals, Pennsylvania, Terrorism, War on Terror, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Pennsylvania Congressman John Murtha has passed at age 77. He’d been in the hospital for several days and died from complications from gallbladder surgery.

Murtha was a Vietnam vet serving in the Marine Corps there. He resigned his commission as a Colonel from the Marine corps Reserves in 1990. He’s served in Congress since 1969.

Despite all his military service, Murtha emerged as a Congressional enemy of the armed forces. He was ill-tempered and one of the most outspoken left-wingers in Congress during the Bush years. He was also a loud anti-war voice. Murtha gave succor to our enemies by being one of the most outspoken members of Congress calling for the prosecution of our own soldiers. For this he became the favorite of some of the most virulently un-American groups in the country.

Murtha was also one of the most corrupt Congressmen in Washington with many, many ethics violations. His nick name was “the king of pork” he was such a profligate Washington spender.

Let us hope that Pennsylvania picks a better representative to fill his now empty chair because we need no more like him in D.C.

Marvel Comics: Captain America Says Tea Parties Are Dangerous and Racist

February 8, 2010 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Books, Crime, Democrats/Leftists, Free Speech, Freedom, Government, Corruption, Taxes, Tea Party, Warner Todd Huston | 12 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Marvel Comic’s Captain America is the mightiest soldier with the super powerful secret soldier formula that makes him a super man. Sadly, this muscle bound hero that took on the whole Nazi army during WWII seems to be afraid of those American people who’ve joined the Tea Party movement. Not only is Cappy quaking in his little red booties, but he’s sure that the Tea Party folks are dangerous racists, too.

Isn’t it wonderful that a decades old American comic book hero is now being used to turn readers against our very political system, being used to slander folks that are standing up for real American principles in real life — and one called “Captain America” at that?

In issue number 602 of Captain America, a new story line has begun called “Two Americas.” In it the current Captain (there have been a few of them, apparently) is on the trail of a faux Captain America that is mentally deranged and getting chummy with some white supremacist, anti-government, survivalists types going by the name of “the Watchdogs.” While investigating this subversive group, Captain America and his partner The Falcon — a black super hero — have decided to try and infiltrate the secretive organization.

In preparation for the infiltration, Marvel Comics depicts the two super heroes out of costume and observing from a rooftop a street filled with what can only be described as a Tea Party protest. The scene shows crowds of people in city streets carrying signs that say, “stop the socialists,” “tea bag libs before they tea bag you,” and “no to new taxes.” Naturally, the people in these crowds are depicted as being filled with nothing but white folks.
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Why Unions Are Dangerous in Education

February 8, 2010 | Filed Under Budget, Business, Capitalism, Economy/Finances, Education, Government, Government, Corruption, Jobs, Liberals, Lobbyists, Pensions, Taxes, Teachers Unions, Unions, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

One would think that a teacher that had 30 some years ago allegedly impregnated a 16-year-old student, a few years later sexually accosted two 12-year-old students, and was accused of molesting yet another student four years after that, would be out on his ear never to teach or be allowed around children again.

But the New York teachers union would beg to differ.

In fact, the union has differed so much that troubled teacher Francisco Olivares has been continually paid his $94,154 a year salary even though he’s been kept from the classroom for the last seven years.

So, who cares what the union says about this guy? Unfortunately, the union’s resistance to getting rid of him is enshrined in state law. The school can’t get rid of this dead weight either.

As a result, because the school can’t fire him and the union won’t let them, Olivares sits day in and day out in what is called a “rubber room” getting paid his full salary. That is getting paid his fall salary courtesy of the taxpayers of New York.
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Culture in the Rye

February 8, 2010 | Filed Under Books, Children, Selwyn Duke, Society/Culture, Western Civilization | No Comments

-By Selwyn Duke

Many years ago, I was told a story by a woman I knew whose son had been diagnosed with “A.D.D.” She said that she finally had to take from her boy a book a therapist had given him about how an A.D.D. child acts. The problem? Her son was reading it and then imitating the behavior of the child in it!

Then I remember when someone I know well told me about her 13-year-old’s reaction to being confronted about his misbehavior. He said something to the effect of, “Well, mom, you know, I’m at that age.” But how did he know he was at “that age”?

There is also all the anxiety adolescents are supposed to feel over the “changes in their body,” and we’re told about how tough it is to be a teenager. I don’t know, but I remember my teen years well, and I experienced no such thing. I knew I was moving toward manhood and was happy about it. And whenever the topic might have arisen, it was apparent that my friends were happy about it, too. Why wouldn’t we have been? If you think it’s tough becoming bigger, stronger, faster and better each and every day, try the other side of that hill, when you have to trade in the rollerblades for a Rascal scooter.
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Dems Troubled Lt. Gov Candidate Drops Out

February 7, 2010 | Filed Under Chicago, Cook County, Democrats/Leftists, Elections, Illinois, Liberals, State Government, Warner Todd Huston | 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Well, the Democratic nominee for Illinois Lt. Gov., Scott Lee Cohen, has announced that he’s dropping out of the race even though he was the legal winner of the Democrat primary.

He told waiting reporters that he was quitting for the good of the state. “For the good of the people of the state of Illinois and for the Democratic party, I will resign,” he said at a presser tonight.

Of course, the big question is who will take his place? What legal process would determine who has the right to substitute for Cohen? Has this ever happened before? I don’t think it has.

Granted there were times when the State of Illinois didn’t even have a Lt. gov., the position is so pointless and unimportant. The truth is, the Dems don’t really even have to have a nominee.

But one assumes they would want one anyway. So, how is it to be done? Does the Democratic leadership just appoint one? Does the runner up get it? Does the man at the top of the ticket decide? Do all the Lt. Gov. candidates run against each other during the general? Do we have a Lt. Gov. primary re-do?

What, what, what?

Chicago’s Mayor Daley Says Scott Lee Cohen Earned His Election

February 7, 2010 | Filed Under Chicago, Democrats/Leftists, Elections, Illinois, Liberals, Mayor Richard Daley, State Government, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

The controversy over the election that put Scott Lee Cohen on the upcoming ballot as the Democrat’s Lt. Governor nominee is still roiling. Cohen has yet to step down bowing to calls for his head from every Illinois Democrat. Well, almost all of them, anyway. It seems that Chicago’s Mayor Richie “King” Daley is not one of those joining the chorus demanding that Cohen step down.

Cohen plans to speak tonight and rumors are he will step down, but Daley says he earned his spot on the ticket.

“People vote in elections. Everybody knew he was a pawnbroker,” Daley said. “You knew. The media knew. Everybody knew that, right?”

Well, they may have all known that he was a pawnbroker, but the neither the media nor the Democrat Party cared much to inform the public about Cohen’s past. Yet, even that didn’t make Daley oppose Cohen.

“So anybody who’s allegedly — who’s arrested and the case is thrown out, should not run for public office. Is that right? You want that done? I’m just saying, it’s a very complicated issue.”

Well, from his viewpoint, he might be onto something. After all, nearly everyone in his administration is either a criminal outright or an accused one. So, if we were to eschew voting for such people Daley wouldn’t have anyone left in his government!

As for me, I hope Cohen keeps his spine intact and stays on the ticket. It’s all good for Republicans, for sure!
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HuffPost Makes Sarah Seem Like a Genius

February 7, 2010 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Democrats/Leftists, Huffington Post, Liberals, Sarah Palin, Tea Party, Warner Todd Huston | 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Being a liberal is like being Hitler, murderer of over six million human beings, were he to have tsk tsked Pol Pot for being so evil as to have murdered three million Cambodians. There is no sense of shame with a liberal. They have no sense whatsoever that anything they’ve ever done should temper their reactions to the actions of others. They have no understanding of the old saw of throwing stones in glass houses.

Take the latest Huff-n-puff screed by Stefan Sirucek, for instance. Our pal Steffie is all up in arms over the fact that Sarah Palin had a few crib notes scribbled on the palm of her hand during her Tea Party appearance.

To young Steffie this is proof that Palin isn’t ready for prime time, proof that she “still couldn’t answer the previously agreed-upon questions without a little extra help.”

Thankfully his post is short. After all, he doesn’t have anything much to say except to guffaw that Palin had scribbled a few notes on her hand and that he thinks this is proof that she’s stupid.

OK, let’s take just a minute to go with that concept. Let’s say that anyone that has to have notes for every single appearance is an idiot that cannot remember to draw a breath unless he has a note to remind him to do it.

If that is a solid point to make, we have but one word that can put little Steffie in his place, make Sarah seem like a genius, and diss his messiah all at once. That word…
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FCC Reclassification is Eminent Domain, but with No Just Compensation or Authority

February 7, 2010 | Filed Under Budget, Computers, Democrats/Leftists, Free Trade, Google, Inernet, Net Neutrality, Scott Cleland, Technology | No Comments

-By Scott Cleland

At core the FCC’s contemplation of reclassifying, or effectively treating, unregulated broadband info services as regulated telecom services, would be tantamount to the FCC declaring “eminent domain” over private broadband providers, i.e. justifying a government takings of private property for public uses, but doing so “without just compensation” or any statutory authority.

The U.S. Constitution’s Fifth Amendment requires: “nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.”

A gaping missing element in all the FCC’s discussions of all the new “public uses” it envisions for broadband in its pending National Broadband Plan and its proposed preemptive Open Internet regulations is any consideration at all of the potential hundreds of billions of dollars of un-budgeted liability to the U.S. Treasury that could result from the takings of private network property without just compensation — at a time of skyrocketing trillion dollar Federal budget deficits and rapidly mounting public debt.

The FCC appears to be operating under the sweeping and heroic presumption that any prospective FCC regulatory action it may take here is essentially cost-free to the U.S. taxpayer and will be completely shouldered by broadband shareholders; in other words, the Fifth Amendment appears to be irrelevant to FCC decisionmaking.
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OK Piker, What Foreign Policy Victories Has Your Obammessiah Had?

February 6, 2010 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Barack Obama, Democrats/Leftists, Europe, Foreign Countries, Foreign Policy, Government, Iran, Israel, Liberals, Palestinians, President, Warner Todd Huston | 4 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

This is a post directly to my friend, Piker — one of the few liberals that frequent this blog. I need to ask of you this salient question: what foreign policy victory has President Obama had while in office?

We were told by the lefty media that Obama was going to sweep into office and “fix” our relationship with the world. We were told that Bush was a “cowboy” who “ruined” our reputation abroad. The Obammessiah was going to heal the world for us and make us the much beloved country that liberals imagine that we always were — despite the FACT that we’ve never, ever been the much beloved country that American liberals imagine we once were.

During the campaign Obama pledged to talk to everyone “without preconditions.” Once in office he launched a world wide apology tour for America telling every foreign auience he could find that the U.S. was mean and rotten and that he was the bright, shining light of truth that would drive out the darkness and make us the world’s pal once again.

Well, he’s had a year.

Has he brought Abbas and the “palestinians” to the table to negotiate peace with Israel?

Has he stopped North Korea’s saber rattling and stopped them from further developing their nuclear weapons?

Speaking of nukes, has he stopped Iran from its aspirations for the bomb?

Has he brought the world to its senses by winning concessions for that mythical global warming? Or is it “climate change” this year? Globaloney, maybe?

Has the president made Islamofascists every where suddenly realize that they can love us again?

Has he made us safe from terrorists?

Has he…. well, what HAS he done? What concrete foreign policy success has he had? Has there been even a glimmer of success? I’d really love to hear what the left is saying about this.

Ill. GOP Chair Pat Brady: ‘Illinois is Next!’

February 6, 2010 | Filed Under Chicago, Cook County, Elections, GOP, Government, Illinois, Pat Brady, Republicans, State Government, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady gave a gem of a speech at the end of the primaries that I’d like to take note of.

Thanks to John Ruberry for reminding me of this nice speech.

Hitchens Says Sports Suck… And I Agree

February 6, 2010 | Filed Under Children, Education, Entertainment, Society/Culture, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Well, Christopher Hitchens has finally written something with which I can whole heartedly sign on. In his latest Newsweek piece Hitchens decries the sham that is sports — especially international soccer tournies. He slams the supposed benefits of sports and rightly pinpoints the singular truth that sports brings out the worst in everyone.

Hitchens eviscerates the lie that sports “brings people together,” lays low the lie that sports is good in schools, and obliterates the idiotic babble that sports are in any way filled with good role models — or that they even could present good role models.

I loved this delicious paragraph, delivered after delineating the “shock” that one sports dolt had when another dissed him:
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Scott Lee Cohen: Case in Point How Chicago Media Covers for Criminal Democrats

February 6, 2010 | Filed Under Chicago, Cook County, Crime, Democrats/Leftists, Elections, Government, Government, Corruption, Illinois, Journalism, Liberals, Media, Media Bias, Newspapers, Radio, State Government, TV News, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston


Well, the Chicago controlled Illinois media has done it again. It’s allowed another unsavory Democrat candidate with criminal propensities to slide by unnoticed and to be placed before the voters un-exposed as the low-end sort of fellow he is. And, just like clockwork, this drug addled nut has been elevated to nominee by the Democrat sheeple of the Land of Lincoln — proving that Democrats will vote for a ham sandwich if one is put before them. This media malfeasance only works in favor of Illinois Democrats, though. To prove it all one need do is remember the 2004 case of Republican Jack Ryan. We have but to recall how the Illinois media destroyed this man over what they claimed in wide-eyed shock was his outrageous behavior and remember how the Chicago controlled media torpedoed this man’s career over what they felt was his unsuitability for higher office.

It’s all a pretty ho-hum tale of media malfeasance and a case of the Democrat Party’s typical sort of low-brow candidates in Chillinois… or is it Illcago? It happens all the time in here, in any case. The Democrats put up a criminal as a candidate, the media yawns and reports on some Hollywood story instead, the voters that claim a Democrat ballot vote him to the head of the class, and then the media suddenly wakes up with cries of faux outrage. It’s a typical pattern, really.

This current case is that of Scott Lee Cohen, pawn shop king, wife abuser, steroid addict, and now your Democratic candidate for Lt. Governor. The guy really has no respectable qualifications for office. As a teen he flunked out of High School — but did get his GED, at least. He was once addicted to steroids so badly that he beat up his wife repeatedly because of the fits of rage the drug brought upon him. He was once arrested for holding a knife to the throat of live-in girl friend who also happened to be a prostitute. It’s a pretty messy life Mr. Cohen’s lived.
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Worth Reconsidering

February 6, 2010 | Filed Under Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Crime, Democrats/Leftists, Government, Government, Corruption, Liberals, Politicians, Socialism, Thomas Brewton | No Comments

-By Thomas E. Brewton

President Obama is reassessing his decision to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammad (KSM) in New York City. A couple of related ideas also need to be reconsidered.

The colossal cost of holding a KSM trial in New York City is evidently the primary motivation for moving the trial elsewhere.

More worthy of reassessment is the liberal-progressive idea that terrorists should be dealt with as if they were ordinary criminals entitled to Miranda rights and the host of additional constitutional protections that go with ordinary criminal trials.

Worthy of reassessment, as well, is the administration’s repeated assurances that KSM will be found guilty and will be executed. This gives the appearance of a show trial in which the conviction is rigged beforehand. One wonders why Obama is willing to create this appearance, given his craven urges to kow-tow to overseas public opinion.
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